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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John Quixote" data-source="post: 1185476" data-attributes="member: 694">The only class that is consistently played wrong is the druid. I have seen many rogues, paladins, and monks in my time, and they have all been played excellently, just enough originality that they don't conform to the steretopyes, but still well within the parameters of the class (paladins being lawful good, for example). Most rogues I see played as pickpockets and burglars, but the occasional swashbuckler or outlaw changes things up. Likewise, paladins I see played as swashbuckling musketeers or good-samaritan mercenaries as often as they are shining knights. As long as the character is a heroic, holy warrior, the paladin class applies. Most of the monks I see are played very chop-socky, like wire-fu heroes, but that's a good thing, because that's precisely what monks are -- and there's plenty of room for vareity in there, so no two monks are ever the same. Druids are where this pattern breaks down. Rarely have I ever seen a druid portrayed as anything but a tree-hugging, animal-kissing wizard. Also crucial to this stereotype is an eco-terroristic view of nature, with the druid suddenly attacking good humans or elves for cutting down some trees to build a house. I personally blame the 3rd edition description of the druid class; in 2e, the druid was clearly a priest class that was heavy on nature worship because the Celtic druids had sorta been that way. In 3e, they culled out all resemblance to history, and made every tenth word in the druid class description "nature," which really narrows the potential of the class. When was the last time you saw a civilized, scholarly druid who wasn't covered in furs or hides? The best druid I've ever seen played was a dwarf who passed himself off as a wandering fighter-mage with an army of tabby-cats that just followed him around, presumably for his copious moonshining skills. Now that was a character. </blockquote>

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