Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tombowings 01-19-08, 03:33 PM	We have a dead wizard in my D&D party. Well, my dead wizard I should say. The part still needs some blasting power, so I decided to play a druid with the shapeshift variant (because the druid is too complicated otherwise). Now, I don't want to play the average druid, I was to play an extremely progressive liberalist druid who was banished form his circle and is now adventuring. What I was wondering was how to make the character come off as extremely progressive. I want to make reference to how the "average" druid circle would do things and how my way is better what forever reason, but I'm not sure how to pull it off. If you have any ideas, I'd very appreciative it you would post them. Thanks!
Nightmare_Scenario 01-19-08, 07:14 PM	Instead of a sprig of mistletoe, have her wear a pendant with a hammer and sickle. Green, of course. Red trim on the rest of the outfit completes the ensemble. Also, have her call everyone "comrade".
Terjon of the Blue Rose 01-19-08, 11:03 PM	Progressive druids see humans (and other sentient races) as a part of nature. They tend to view cities in much the same fashion as ant tunnels and beehives. They claim that even beavers change their environments to suit their own needs and so that no achievement of civilization is without a match in the world of nature. To go extremist, though, you need to pump that ideaology up a bit. Humans are the epitome of the natural creature. Their cities not only suit themselves but significantly improve upon the natural world for many species. Rats and pigeons for example live lives of luxury in comparison to how they would be found in nature. Cattle are naturally suited to the farm life and the domestication of dogs and cats has vastly increased their quality of life. The progress of humanity through the world has destroyed nothing. It has of course changed much but generally these changes have been for the better; weeding out weaker species and forcing stronger ones to adapt in order to survive. Be Darwin of the Jungle.
JulesCARV 01-20-08, 12:26 AM	Maybe if you have an animal companion, spay/neuter it so that it makes less trouble. I could see some traditional druids finding that pretty offensive. Maybe you could come up with a transliteration system so that Druidic can be spelled with the common alphabet rather than the druidic alphabet -- that way, you can use existing movable type printing presses (if any exist) to make copies of ritual instructions and such, rather than having to copy them or make woodblock prints or whatever. Also good for teaching novice druids. Naturally, transliterating Druidic into the common alphabet is probably really offensive to traditional druids. Maybe you could be doing research into some form of better armor trying to figure out a way to circumvent the effect that metal armor inhibits druidic abilities. ("Let's say I use a mithral/steel alloy for the breastplate, and then line it with darkleaf on the inside....") As far as grand philosophical viewpoints, rather than practicl issues, I actually see the "natural law" view of humanity stated by Terjon as rather conservative, being part of the traditionalist political philosophy that goes back to Aristotle, Aquinas, etc that prevailed until the enlightenment; of course, since druids are in favor of the natural order, they can't have the natural order and their norms be openly incompatible like some modern philosophers. Maybe a sort of Rousseauian viewpoint: the natural order is benevolent and good, but current human societies are corruptions of the natural order. A conservative druid might take it as a given that just as lions live in prides, with females hunting and males guarding territory, horses live in herds ruled by a single matriarch and with a single male serving as a guardian and mate to the rest, etc, human society is a reflection of an unassailable natural order: vassals obey their lords, lords obey their king, commoners obey their seigneurs, etc. This is how the human animal organizes itself socially, just as the sheep animal organizes in herds with dominant sheep in the center, some outliers serving as scouts, etc. A more "liberal" druid might question that. Perhaps such societies are not a result of the natural order, but a result of meddlings gods like Gruumsh and Heironeous, who create wars between orcs and humans which force humans to organize themselves in a hierarchical, corporatist fashion for self-defense which suppresses true human liberty and individuality which are the natural state of mankind! Err... I dunno.
I_roll_ones 01-20-08, 06:32 PM	What setting you got? FR has Chauntea, who has both druids and clerics, and is a harvest goddess. Her druids tend to encourage cooperation of farmlands and wilderness, and would seek to create peace, not war. And maybe instead of referring the "average" druid circle, reference a particular one that the character came from? If going with the mediator between civilization and the wilds, they might be disgusted at the callous destruction of life of humans who didn't know any better. This could probably be suited for any campaign with the right god.
tombowings 01-20-08, 08:53 PM	Thanks for all the ideas. I've been running around lately, so I haven't really gotten a chance to respond. I'll do so later tonight though. The setting is homebrew. Right now we have been planeshifted to feywild by a fairy-ring, I don't know too much about the setting yet, we've only had two sessions.
tombowings 01-21-08, 01:19 AM	Alright, I think I'm going to have a druid who thinkings humans and their creations are a natural part of the progression of the world. She will be very interested in arcane magic, looking at the way we look at animal intelligence: mysterious, not completely understandable, and (of course) inferior. Collecting samples of human creations and the like will be one of her favorite hobbies.
I_roll_ones 01-21-08, 01:40 AM	1) What world did she orginiate from? 2) What is her opinion of fey? (Since that is where she is now)