D&D General Why would a Druid want money in a “gold for XP” game?

[CapnZapp]

Start by asking what the Druid wants. I mean, obviously they want something they can't get back at the druid grove, otherwise why would they have left to become an adventurer? You shouldn't assume that every Druid is a selfless devotee with no personal goals beyond the advancement of their faith, any more than you'd assume that of Clerics or Paladins. So besides the ideas that have already been offered...

Do they want revenge? Maybe someone burned down their grove, maybe someone killed their father, revenge tales are an ancient classic. Well, who says they have to do it themselves? Maybe they're putting bounties on the outlaws that did them wrong, setting the hunters of men to do their dirty work.

A natural life is not a monastic one. Druids don't have to live on roots and berries. In fact, what better way to enjoy nature's bounties and share them with others than by throwing lavish public feasts? They're a way to impress the masses, they give you an excuse to spread coin to hunters and farmers that follow your faith, and damn if you don't love a good roast boar.

Nature's wisdom means nothing if it isn't put into practice, and that means getting it into the ears of powerful and influential people. And if they won't come to the grove, well, you'll go to them. I mean, obviously not in person, that'd take forever. But you've written a set of scrolls distilling your philosophy and offering ideas on how it can be applied by city folk without abandoning their cities. Now you just need to hire scribes to make copies and send them around with the bribes gifts to get them into the right hands.

I think a more direct point can be made by saying:

Assuming that every Druid is a selfless devotee with no personal goals beyond the advancement of their faith...

...is entirely fair and okay EXCEPT IT DOESN'T WORK in the present campaign.

The onus is on you the player to come up with a character concept that fits the campaign style.

It is the idea I just show up with my special snowflake of a character and it's the DM's job to work that in somehow that is the core problem.

So while I appreciate you trying to reason with the Druid player, I think it's much faster to simply agree some Druids ARE selfless, and then get straight to the point:

"That character doesn't fit the campaign, please make up another"

After all, he doesn't HAVE to play a Druid this time.

Or, to be more precise, he's definitely not entitled to play whatever he wants. It's his responsibility to create a character that will be fun to play. Not ours, as the DM.

Tldr: if your idea of a Druid is selfless, idealistic with no material needs... then don't play one in xp for gold. Simple!

 

[Fanaelialae]

I think a more direct point can be made by saying:

Assuming that every Druid is a selfless devotee with no personal goals beyond the advancement of their faith...

...is entirely fair and okay EXCEPT IT DOESN'T WORK in the present campaign.

The onus is on you the player to come up with a character concept that fits the campaign style.

It is the idea I just show up with my special snowflake of a character and it's the DM's job to work that in somehow that is the core problem.

So while I appreciate you trying to reason with the Druid player, I think it's much faster to simply agree some Druids ARE selfless, and then get straight to the point:

"That character doesn't fit the campaign, please make up another"

After all, he doesn't HAVE to play a Druid this time.

Or, to be more precise, he's definitely not entitled to play whatever he wants. It's his responsibility to create a character that will be fun to play. Not ours, as the DM.

Tldr: if your idea of a Druid is selfless, idealistic with no material needs... then don't play one in xp for gold. Simple!

I disagree. That same argument could be made for any selfless character (with good clerics and paladins being high on that list).

How does a non-materialistic character spend gold in an XP-for-gold? The same way they have for decades. Donate it to charity / a good cause.

There's absolutely no reason to tell the player that they can't play their concept, outside the unlikely scenario where the player decides to be unreasonably obstinate and refuses to have their character even take gold (which I have not gotten the impression is the case here).

 

[Salthorae]

Hiya!

Idea 4: Gift it to powerful woodland creatures that DO want/like/need treasure. Dragons, Hags, Dryads, Giants, etc. all might be quite appreciative of a Druid who pays them for, well, just being themselves...but keeping the druid informed of various goings on's. Plus, it doesn't hurt to be able to call in a favour from a Green Dragon, a trio of Stone Giants and a Dryad when the need arises. Generous 'gifts' would likely ensure this.

Maybe it’s because I am walking into the grotto of a green dragon right now in one of my games, but this struck me when I read it.

You can Lure perhaps a green dragon specifically with the promises of continued funnel of treasure to take up residence and defend the woodland.

Idea the 5th hire The equivalent of a publicist, a rhetorician, A pamphleteer, something of that stripe to drum up support for the natural lands and your causes.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Idea the 5th hire The equivalent of a publicist, a rhetorician, A pamphleteer, something of that stripe to drum up support for the natural lands and your causes.

That was sort of where I was going with the "Wilderness Training Camp" for guides and whatnot to escort (and keep an eye on...) people travelling through the "Druids" home turf. Same with the idea of paying/donating to nobility and other aristocrats that would make sure to bring up and support/oppose things the Druid wants (re: support for developing some sort of Kingdom wide 'hunting/fishing limits', or oppose things like clear-cutting an ancient grove of trees, etc).

But that is a good idea on it's own: Hiring a 'town crier' to bring news to the folks and farmers of what's going on in the wilderness "Hear yea! Hear yea! Be it knows that the salmon run this year is low in numbers and Her Most Impressive Wildling, the Druid of the Dell, asks that no one take more than two fish each. Failure to adhere will have consequences both immediate and far-reaching". Or, equally useful, hire a bard to write songs or plays espousing the wonders and beauty of nature to the 'city folk', or hire a sculptor to sculpt nature-oriented statues to be donated to the cities park, or perhaps an artist to paint a mural on the side of the town wall (after paying the officals, of course) or on the side of a big warehouse or various barns leading into town. Hell, while we're at it, why not pay to "beautify" the city itself, with a program to plant trees, small flower gardens, etc and pay people to maintain them.

LOTS of things for a Druid to spend money on!

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[CapnZapp]

I disagree. That same argument could be made for any selfless character (with good clerics and paladins being high on that list).

How does a non-materialistic character spend gold in an XP-for-gold? The same way they have for decades. Donate it to charity / a good cause.

There's absolutely no reason to tell the player that they can't play their concept, outside the unlikely scenario where the player decides to be unreasonably obstinate and refuses to have their character even take gold (which I have not gotten the impression is the case here).

Yeah, then we're discussing different things.

You seem to discuss a player who comes up with a selfless character but then also supplies a motivation for risking his life for gold.

Whereas I'm discussing the scenario that presents an actual problem.

So there doesn't seem to be anything for us to disagree about?

Cheers

 

[not-so-newguy]

I think it reasonable, usually preferable, for a DM to leave character creation completely up to the player. If the player can’t come up with a certain type of character that’ll work at the table, then too-bad-so-sad pick another character. That being said, I think it’s a better game if a DM (or others at the table) can provide some solutions to the impasse.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[not-so-newguy]

You missed one that should be obvious from this thread.

Use the gold pieces to purchase Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.

I think we’re finally scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as”what motivates a Druid in a ‘gp = xp’ game.”

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

A druid wants money for the same reasons every other class wants money. If the druid wants to be separated from civilization they wouldn't be adventuring - they'd be living alone among the trees in the wilderness. They may not FAVOR civilization but they sure do interact with it, starting with all the other PC's that they hang out with all the time. Spending money in that civilization will buy you the same things it buys other characters. Even if there are a lot of things OTHERS buy that you don't need, there are things of value that you can spend your money on, and in fact be able to spend more on them than those others do because you don't need to buy a lot of what they do need to buy.