Roleplaying a druid? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Roleplaying a druid? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kharne
07-22-03, 12:17 PM Hello folks, my friend and I sat down to make some new characters friday night when I ran out and impulse bought the new 3.5 system. I decided to just randomly roll my race and class and came up with a Dwarven Druid. I really liked some of the things that were coming to mind for this character but am running into a few problems.

I just can't seem to wrap my mind around how to roleplay a Druid at all, much less meshing the Dwarven side of my new character into the mix. Basically the backstory is that my character grew up among the dwarves and loves everything Dwarven. However, he also discovered an even stronger love for the outdoors and would spend every bit of time possible outside his dwarven home wandering in the woods and fields. He eventually chose the life of a druid but still maintains a strong connection to his Dwarven heritage.

Ultimately, this means that i'm looking to roleplay him as about 1/4 dwarf and 3/4 druid. I'm just not sure how to roleplay the druid side of him. Also, i'm having a little trouble in my mind meshing the dwarven love of crafting metal into the mix. It seems like, as a druid, he wouldn't be much for that.

Any thoughts?

(NG alignment btw)
Tzalice Minoladir
07-22-03, 12:21 PM he could always be a mountain druid ^.^
MindLord
07-23-03, 12:18 AM A druid is too often asociated with forest. The druid is attached to nature in all her form, should it be a lake, a mountain top, or even the vast tunnels below the earth. I would rather see an Underground druid, since most of dwarfs will seldom exit the underground dwarven community except for trade.

Your dwarf could be at ease with the pure silence of the tunnels, with the constant warmth who reign in such places and love to see the wonders of earth (minerals) at their raw state.

I don't give much specefics ideas though. I've never imagined an Underground druid, I just thought of it by reading your post. The only personnality traits I can come with right now (wich is midnight.... would enjoy some sleep) is to be very calm, speaks with slow and soft words, as if constantly whispering, and favors the Earth element over all else. Might even, just for fun, have a tiny earth elemental in his pocket.

That's just a broad idea though.... Hope will be able to make something great with it.
Robert_I_B
07-23-03, 02:27 AM If you look on the Mongoose website, there is a free download for the Quintissential Druid which details different terrains for druids (like there were in the 2e druid book). Underground & mountain are 2 of the options.
Kharne
07-23-03, 11:20 AM Thanks for the ideas folks. I think i'm definitely sticking with an outside druid and may make use of what you folks mentioned for personality traits. I'm thinking you guys don't realize how dense I am on this subject :D

What i'm really wondering is...what traits do ALL druids have in common? Do they just run around looking for people who are abusing nature? Unlike the rest of the the classes...does being a druid define the character's way of life rather than just the profession? What drives a druid to adventure? Would they never have any desire for material gain? How much of a druid's morality is governed by their class?

Believe it or not, it's this level of the basics that I need help with. Any and all thoughts are welcome and appreciated.
Bishop Drazz
07-23-03, 01:41 PM As a young druid, I tend to focus on LEARNING about nature. I can see a dwarf with some wandcerlust, who, although he loves his people and his family, just has to see what is outside the caves and tunnels. Especially, since the entire dwarven community tends to be something manufactured.

As he grows older, and learns more about nature, he can become the all-mighty defender of all-that-is-pure. Or, he can fight to end massive abuses of nature, like stip mining, over logging or the eradication of an animal species or micro-environment.

Working in the dwarven love for metal really isn't that hard. You have to realize that metals ARE a part of nature, it's just that combining them (making alloys like steel) is a bit of a no-no for a druid. Still, he could be fascinated my metals and minerals, collect and catigorize them. Take Profession: minerologist and look at all rocks possible. Imagine heading into the dungeon crypt of some master mummy and stopping to look at something in the carved stone walls. ("Oooh, look at this vein of nickle running here. Odd to see it this far south.")

Use the bonus to stonecarving to create druidic markers. Think Stonehenge on a much smaller scale. We are not going for intricately carved images, but rather bringing out the natural beauty of the rocks and sending messages to other druids. (Who knows what the written form of druidic is? Maybe its shapes made of plants and rocks.) You could even focus on making stone weapons for himself--some stone is fairly light and could be used.

Anyway, I think he could be a good character this way. He might eventually resent some of his dwarven kind if they were overly harmful of the mountains and such, but that would be a fun rolepaly experience to decide between your people and your profession.
JusticeZero
07-25-03, 04:02 PM I followed behind Aran through the crack in the stone, catching my axe on the rock and tearing my clothes. How he could move through the rough uncarved cave so easily was a mystery to me. As I approached, he held up a hand to stop me. "Ye'll want t' be quiet up ahead, the bats are asleep and ye woundna want to wake them." He strode ahead, passing effortlessly over the fungus patches that had been staining through my boots for the past hour of travel.
"Been passin' through this part o' the caves since I was tiny." He stepped up onto a ledge effortlessly, dissapearing into an infuriatingly small passage, not fit for a goblin. "I've na been down this way in a few months, but I noticed the bats were a tad bit upset when they came t' roost, so something had t' be amiss." He offered a hand to pull me through the hole and brought me up short, stopping to kneel. Looking over his shoulder, I saw him studying a simple cave snake. "Mm. Yes.. It seems there's someone else moving in up ahead. 'E snake here thought 'ey were colder than I, so probably a Kobold camp." He loked up ahead. "Cant be far. This tunnel comes out of a vertical shaft - tis why I brought the rope, for ye. Aye, that'd explain why the pool didn' 'ave any fish in - the damnable lizards likely wanted t' make acid. Axes sharp, aye?"

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kharne 07-22-03, 12:17 PM	Hello folks, my friend and I sat down to make some new characters friday night when I ran out and impulse bought the new 3.5 system. I decided to just randomly roll my race and class and came up with a Dwarven Druid. I really liked some of the things that were coming to mind for this character but am running into a few problems. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around how to roleplay a Druid at all, much less meshing the Dwarven side of my new character into the mix. Basically the backstory is that my character grew up among the dwarves and loves everything Dwarven. However, he also discovered an even stronger love for the outdoors and would spend every bit of time possible outside his dwarven home wandering in the woods and fields. He eventually chose the life of a druid but still maintains a strong connection to his Dwarven heritage. Ultimately, this means that i'm looking to roleplay him as about 1/4 dwarf and 3/4 druid. I'm just not sure how to roleplay the druid side of him. Also, i'm having a little trouble in my mind meshing the dwarven love of crafting metal into the mix. It seems like, as a druid, he wouldn't be much for that. Any thoughts? (NG alignment btw)
Tzalice Minoladir 07-22-03, 12:21 PM	he could always be a mountain druid ^.^
MindLord 07-23-03, 12:18 AM	A druid is too often asociated with forest. The druid is attached to nature in all her form, should it be a lake, a mountain top, or even the vast tunnels below the earth. I would rather see an Underground druid, since most of dwarfs will seldom exit the underground dwarven community except for trade. Your dwarf could be at ease with the pure silence of the tunnels, with the constant warmth who reign in such places and love to see the wonders of earth (minerals) at their raw state. I don't give much specefics ideas though. I've never imagined an Underground druid, I just thought of it by reading your post. The only personnality traits I can come with right now (wich is midnight.... would enjoy some sleep) is to be very calm, speaks with slow and soft words, as if constantly whispering, and favors the Earth element over all else. Might even, just for fun, have a tiny earth elemental in his pocket. That's just a broad idea though.... Hope will be able to make something great with it.
Robert_I_B 07-23-03, 02:27 AM	If you look on the Mongoose website, there is a free download for the Quintissential Druid which details different terrains for druids (like there were in the 2e druid book). Underground & mountain are 2 of the options.
Kharne 07-23-03, 11:20 AM	Thanks for the ideas folks. I think i'm definitely sticking with an outside druid and may make use of what you folks mentioned for personality traits. I'm thinking you guys don't realize how dense I am on this subject :D What i'm really wondering is...what traits do ALL druids have in common? Do they just run around looking for people who are abusing nature? Unlike the rest of the the classes...does being a druid define the character's way of life rather than just the profession? What drives a druid to adventure? Would they never have any desire for material gain? How much of a druid's morality is governed by their class? Believe it or not, it's this level of the basics that I need help with. Any and all thoughts are welcome and appreciated.
Bishop Drazz 07-23-03, 01:41 PM	As a young druid, I tend to focus on LEARNING about nature. I can see a dwarf with some wandcerlust, who, although he loves his people and his family, just has to see what is outside the caves and tunnels. Especially, since the entire dwarven community tends to be something manufactured. As he grows older, and learns more about nature, he can become the all-mighty defender of all-that-is-pure. Or, he can fight to end massive abuses of nature, like stip mining, over logging or the eradication of an animal species or micro-environment. Working in the dwarven love for metal really isn't that hard. You have to realize that metals ARE a part of nature, it's just that combining them (making alloys like steel) is a bit of a no-no for a druid. Still, he could be fascinated my metals and minerals, collect and catigorize them. Take Profession: minerologist and look at all rocks possible. Imagine heading into the dungeon crypt of some master mummy and stopping to look at something in the carved stone walls. ("Oooh, look at this vein of nickle running here. Odd to see it this far south.") Use the bonus to stonecarving to create druidic markers. Think Stonehenge on a much smaller scale. We are not going for intricately carved images, but rather bringing out the natural beauty of the rocks and sending messages to other druids. (Who knows what the written form of druidic is? Maybe its shapes made of plants and rocks.) You could even focus on making stone weapons for himself--some stone is fairly light and could be used. Anyway, I think he could be a good character this way. He might eventually resent some of his dwarven kind if they were overly harmful of the mountains and such, but that would be a fun rolepaly experience to decide between your people and your profession.
JusticeZero 07-25-03, 04:02 PM	I followed behind Aran through the crack in the stone, catching my axe on the rock and tearing my clothes. How he could move through the rough uncarved cave so easily was a mystery to me. As I approached, he held up a hand to stop me. "Ye'll want t' be quiet up ahead, the bats are asleep and ye woundna want to wake them." He strode ahead, passing effortlessly over the fungus patches that had been staining through my boots for the past hour of travel. "Been passin' through this part o' the caves since I was tiny." He stepped up onto a ledge effortlessly, dissapearing into an infuriatingly small passage, not fit for a goblin. "I've na been down this way in a few months, but I noticed the bats were a tad bit upset when they came t' roost, so something had t' be amiss." He offered a hand to pull me through the hole and brought me up short, stopping to kneel. Looking over his shoulder, I saw him studying a simple cave snake. "Mm. Yes.. It seems there's someone else moving in up ahead. 'E snake here thought 'ey were colder than I, so probably a Kobold camp." He loked up ahead. "Cant be far. This tunnel comes out of a vertical shaft - tis why I brought the rope, for ye. Aye, that'd explain why the pool didn' 'ave any fish in - the damnable lizards likely wanted t' make acid. Axes sharp, aye?"