Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TwinStorms 07-28-07, 03:28 AM	Hey all, I'm working on my D&D campaign setting and I am trying to figure out how to make druids more than simply "nature's protectors", which seems to be their main and often only role in 3e. I am a newb when it comes to D&D, so I don't remember much about 2e since I got into D&D just when people were making the transition between versions, but I remember reading they had a more important role in the world, and I remember there being more lore. I am also interested in learning more about druids in the historical sense and also their roles in the history of fantasy fiction. Anyone know where I can look, or have any suggestions? Thanks a mil. pp ~TwinStorms
Darth Syntax 07-28-07, 04:14 AM	Historically, the druids were members of the hereditary class of priests among the Celtic-speaking peoples of Europe. One was born into the druid class rather than it being a simple profession. Their role in the society was that of a priest as well as a soothsayer and councilor. They officiated at sacrifices, acted as judges, and filled a role similar to the pre-Socratic philosophers in Greece (they were teachers and philosophers). Although the druids were interested in the order of nature, they were not nature worshipers in the popular sense. They were concerned with locations sacred to their many gods (pools, trees, hills, and so on) and wishes to preserve them but they were no all that concerned with the general state of nature. Basically, druids were pretty much your standard polytheist priests and the de facto educated class of the Celts.