Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ddraig_Goch 02-08-07, 10:23 PM	Ok, so this is a two parter. Does anyone know of alternative rules for druidic weapon selection? While the current druid weapon list makes sense for druids from a vaugely agricultural tradition, it feels very "off" for more hunter/gatherer types. I am thinking particularly about semi-nomadic shifter communities, lizard folk, and the ashbound. Weapons like the atlatl/dart (a personal favorite and with bizarrely weak stats), bolas, blowgun, greatclub, various frostburn weapons, etc just make more sense to me. If no such list already exists, suggestions for balancing a new list are appreciated. My second question is about the branch system from 2nd edition. It feels right to me that druids from different biomes would be quite different from each other. I am mostly just curious if this system has been ressurected anywhere (officially or otherwise). Thanks.
Cabral 02-09-07, 01:02 AM	I believe Privateer Press has done something similar for their version of the Druid (which is pretty different from the D&D druid) in No Quarter 10.
Salla 02-09-07, 01:25 PM	This is predominantly a matter of player choice. You can simply choose to use an appropriate weapon and wild shapes from your terrain of origin, rather than having everything cut into pre-packaged sets for you. So, if you don't see your character using a scimitar, say, don't use a scimitar. Easy as pie. :)
Emeramber 02-09-07, 01:29 PM	One of the Dragon Magazines, somewhere in the mid 320s, I believe, had a regional weapons list for druids with nice flavor. Sorry I can't help more, but I'm far from my issues at the moment.
Ddraig_Goch 02-09-07, 01:39 PM	One of the Dragon Magazines, somewhere in the mid 320s, I believe, had a regional weapons list for druids with nice flavor. Sorry I can't help more, but I'm far from my issues at the moment. Oh great, I will try and track those down. If you find the specific issue please let me know.
Ddraig_Goch 02-09-07, 01:41 PM	This is predominantly a matter of player choice. You can simply choose to use an appropriate weapon and wild shapes from your terrain of origin, rather than having everything cut into pre-packaged sets for you. So, if you don't see your character using a scimitar, say, don't use a scimitar. Easy as pie. :) Well I certainly agree as far as wildshape is concerned. With weapons though its an issue of proficiency. I don't beleive druids should need feats for weapons that make the most sense (to me) for them.
dunkeykong 02-12-07, 02:25 PM	Branch system? Thats not one im familiar with. When I first saw this thread i thought you meant using an actual branch; ie: a club. I also have some serious problems with the Druid weapon selection. Like the scimitar; why would a class based on the naturalistic trappings of primeveil Celts have proficiency with a strictly Arabic weapon? Then again, any game I DM or play in uses the weapon proficiency system from Unearthed Arcana. personally, i feel it makes more sense for all classes.
Ddraig_Goch 02-14-07, 03:01 PM	The branch system was part of 2nd edition, one of the best parts of 2nd ed if you ask me. When you made a druid you had to determine his "branch", the biome to which he was bonded. Druids from different branches had different traditions, proficiencies, and powers. The branches, as I remember them, were forest (cold and temperate), jungle, arctic, plains, desert, swamp, grey (underdark), mountain...and I think thats it. As someone who is interested in wilderness skills/survival/ecology in real life, this system was of great interest to me. The default druid only really represents druids from a forest biome. Just to be clear, druids actually have next to nothing to do with Druids. Druids weren't nature preists, they were the intellectual class of the Iron Age Celts. To get better understanding of who the Druids were just take a look at the Hindu Brahmins. The Celts (and other indo-european peoples) share a common ancestory with India, so Hindu culture/faith has many many parrellels with the old religion of the Cetlic peoples. But yes, the branch system is for gangstas and I desire its return. Being part of a temperate forest is not the same as being part of a swamp or the desert. Such things need to be rectified and prestige classes are NOT the answer because the core class represents forest druids. Woah, that was way ranty-er than I had planned....
dunkeykong 02-15-07, 01:55 AM	But yes, the branch system is for gangstas and I desire its return. Being part of a temperate forest is not the same as being part of a swamp or the desert. Such things need to be rectified and prestige classes are NOT the answer because the core class represents forest druids. Woah, that was way ranty-er than I had planned.... I understand the source of your rant, and I heartily agree. If anyone has a copy of the branch rules, id love to see them and incorporate them into my game. The best and worst part of the Druids, from an RP perspective is that theyre so damn vauge. Count my vote for the Branch system.
mfaulkner 02-23-07, 03:18 PM	I am currently playing a druid. What helped me was taking a level as a ranger. Many of the skills are compatible and the ranger level gives you some flexibility in weaponry.