Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sisyfos 07-27-06, 02:34 AM	Hello, We are starting a Ptolus campaign soon and I think I want to play a druid. Ptolus campaign happens all in one big city, built above huge caves and old ruins. Magic is common in this campaign setting and strange races and strange spells do not attract immense attention there. Inside the city there is a huge and old necropolis (graveyard), where resides many undead creatures & spirits. The big question is how to play an interesting druid character in an obviously urban & underground setting? I have always had trouble fleshing out druids and their motives in normal campaigns too, so this is even more difficult. I had this idea for the druid. He would be a ghostwise halfling coming from reclusive, almost feral background. He has come to the city to study the various texts about druidic, religious and natural lore that are in the numerous temples on the street of million gods, but being poor he has had to take lodging on the poorer areas close to the necropolis of Ptolus. The hafling is very sensitive to the spirits in the necropolis (ghostwise halflings have telepathy after all) and the echoes he hears in his mind during sleep have both frightened him and aroused his interest on what is happening in this spirit infested place. His day-to-day life consists of using his spells (cures & etc) to gather a small living and help the people in his area and wandering to the various temples to beg for access to their holy books. During daytime he sometimes wanders in the necropolis trying to find some clues on the origins of the weird dreams he keeps seeing. -- I would appreciate it if you had any ideas on how to deepen this character's history, motives and personality. I am especially interested in what would keep a druid in a city like this and how this character "should" be played. Thanks, Sisyfos
remmun 07-27-06, 02:45 AM	perhaps your halfling druid could take refuge in a park of some sort within the town. these dreams could be a sign that harm may befall his grove and he seeks a way to prevent terrible things from happening to this area. you also mentioned that there are a serious of underground areas beneath the city. perhaps yor druid could reside underground and seek guidence from the many burrowing and undderground creatures. another option might be a class switch to say an urban ranger. he's a ranger in all respects but instead of bonus and abilities that apply to the woods allow his skills to be applied in the city. your class is a little dificult (for me at least) to picture in the big city without some sort of exception as indicated above. to me a druid worships nature and it's hard to find alot of nature in a city. good luck. hope i sparked some ideas
Sisyfos 07-27-06, 03:12 AM	Hmm... Residing underground? That is actually quite novel idea. It would turn up his exploring nature even further and would also allow him to be very reclusive creature all around. He would not work for his living. He would just crawl up to the temple district, try to gather up courage to go talk with the initiates of the various temples to gain access to their libraries. He would go walking in the parks & necropolis, trying to avoid contact with people. I could play this timid and shy creature that tries to avoid getting attention, but still needs something from the people in the city so there is this conflict in his motives. I would probably make him neutral good, so he feels the moral need to interfere in the matters of the big people sometimes, thus helping the DM to drop in adventure hooks for him. I would definitely make this a druid though if I can make it work. Druids are rare in Ptolus, but not unheard of.
remmun 07-27-06, 03:43 AM	glad to hear that some of my ideas worked for you (or at least made sense). if you did go with the underground idea his animal companion could be some borrowing creature to match his lifestyle.
Sisyfos 07-27-06, 03:46 AM	glad to hear that some of my ideas worked for you (or at least made sense). if you did go with the underground idea his animal companion could be some borrowing creature to match his lifestyle. Oh yes, the animal companion. For level 1 there's not that many choices. I was thinking of dire rat or bat for now, switching later on as the character gains power and renown and perhaps moves to different social circles ;)
remmun 07-27-06, 03:57 AM	i had another though about this urban druid. how does he tie in with the other pc's in this campaign? perhaps he is being taught the ways of the city by a fellow adventurer, a rogue maybe or fighter. a common comarrison could be a barbarian being taught the edicit and laws of the city thatre unfamiliar to him. or perhaps your halfling could have grown up in the big city and disliked it so much that he sought out nature to cure him ofhis dislike for the enviorment he was raised in. (input some tradgic event in his childhood to facilitate this). just some more ideas :)
Sisyfos 07-27-06, 04:33 AM	It would certainly make things easier if he had actually grown up in the city and then turned to druidic ways on his own. Thus even the meager connection with the nature he gets in the parks, cemetary and caverns would be "religious" experiences for him. An urban druid might make more sense with that background. You have good ideas on character development Remmum. Thanks.
remmun 07-27-06, 05:41 AM	glad to help. if only ideas for my own characters came this easy. lol