What difference is there between Druid, Shaman, and the Warden? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

What difference is there between Druid, Shaman, and the Warden?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
nerdrage_dup
Feb 11, 2009 15:26:51 They all seem similar to me imo.

edit: sorry meant Warden, not Invoker.
#2
aluman
Feb 11, 2009 15:28:27 Druid - RAWR I AM A BEAST
Shaman - MY ANCESTORS ARE BEASTS AND MY TOOLS!

Invoker - I destroy things with fire for my God.

Essentially.

Oh Warden
Warden - I become the Primal natural of the forests to save my friends.
#3
GhostStepper
Feb 11, 2009 15:29:42 One transforms into animals, one sends out mystical spirits to do his dirty work one one blasts stuff. They seem to be at least as different as the fighter, paladin and the ranger are from each other.
#4
Dragoncat
Feb 11, 2009 15:34:13 ..................A lot.

The shaman is a spiritualist. Be it the souls of the dead, the essences of animals, or the very incarnations of forces, the shaman is all about contacting the soul, the spirit of beings. In turn, the shaman can give those spirits force, use them to exert influence on the world, and cause harm or healing through that link.

The druid is a force of nature. She can bend the environment to her will, call upon natural forces to manipulate the surroundings and smite foes, and even become an embodiment of natural power, changing into an animal, plant, or other sort of worldly force.

The invoker is the wrath of god. He calls down divine fury to smite the heathens, radiant ire to destroy the corrupt, and astral rage to cleanse the unholy. While the first two characters are similar due to shared power source, Primal, the Divine-wielding Invoker is far and away a different character, an old-school prophet ready to bring down the hurtin' upon all those who disobey his deity.
#5
nerdrage_dup
Feb 11, 2009 15:40:21 Sorry, sorry I meant Warden, not Invoker.
#6
aluman
Feb 11, 2009 15:47:13
Sorry, sorry I meant Warden, not Invoker.

Then its:
Druid: RAWR I AM A BEAST!
Shaman: RAWR MY ANCESTORS WILL EAT YOU
Warden: RAWR! I AM NATURE PRIMEVAL!
#7
TheLoneCleric
Feb 11, 2009 19:50:21 Take the 2nd and 3rd Edition Druids. Slice him up from the monstrously unbalanced thing he was. Look at the parts and notice that you have 3 really workable classes to build out of that. Give the leftovers to the barbarian who's pretty much fine as is, but doesn't mind hanging with his Primal buddies. Your done.
#8
aluman
Feb 11, 2009 19:56:06
Take the 2nd and 3rd Edition Druids. Slice him up from the monstrously unbalanced thing he was. Look at the parts and notice that you have 3 really workable classes to build out of that. Give the leftovers to the barbarian who's pretty much fine as is, but doesn't mind hanging with his Primal buddies. Your done.

I think thats his underlying issue.

Also a spirit shaman isn't part of Druid, though bits of the healing is druidesque, its more like they took a normal druid cut it half, and took the left overs giving it to Shaman and Warden.

I like my answer better though as it RAWRS! :D
#9
cadfan
Feb 11, 2009 21:18:53 Do you mean thematically or mechanically?

Mechanically, they're very different.

Druids shift in and out of animal form continuously, striking savagely as a beast, and fading away into humanoid form to cast spells.

Wardens channel primal magic into their melee attacks, and can even take on partial aspects of nature for a period of time in order to do battle in new and different ways.

Shamans contact nature spirits, and request their aid in battle. Much of the shaman's magic doesn't even originate from the shaman, it originates from the nature spirits that surround him.

Now thematically, well, there's only so much difference. I mean, there is a difference, don't get me wrong. The druid is the usual druid, the warden is a sort of Champion of the tribe and of nature type (almost a nature paladin, in a way), and the shaman is a tribal leader and wise man. But of course theme is what you make of it, so they can be as close or as far apart as you like.
#10
crazysamaritan
Feb 11, 2009 21:40:58
Take the 2nd and 3rd Edition Druids. Slice him up from the monstrously unbalanced thing he was. Look at the parts and notice that you have 3 really workable classes to build out of that. Give the leftovers to the barbarian who's pretty much fine as is, but doesn't mind hanging with his Primal buddies. Your done.

It might be the OP's issue, but I quite frankly prefer it this way.

Same thing happened with the Wizard: Controller and Striker classes
Same thing happened with the Cleric (imo): Defender and Leader
Same thing happened to the Bard (imo): two leader classes (front-line martial and mixed-arcane)
#11
Omni-Wyvernil
Feb 11, 2009 22:50:27 Thematically, I see the main difference as being:

Druid: The wanderer in the wilds that seeks to become one with nature, and wields its power against its enemies, both through transforming into the beasts of the wild and harnessing the forces of nature.
Warden: The primal warrior and guardian of nature, chosen by the spirits to defend them from all that would despoil them.
Shaman: The tribal medicine man and priest who communes with the spirits and enlists the aid of a totem spirit.
Barbarian: The savage warrior who channels the power of the spirits into a berserker rage.

Druid has been pruned a bit, with its healing aspects fusing with the spirit shaman to create the Shaman class. Likewise, the 'guardian of nature' vibe is epitomized in the Warden, which fuses some of the flavor of the 'nature' Ranger with aspects of the Druid to create a new class.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 nerdrage_dup Feb 11, 2009 15:26:51	They all seem similar to me imo. edit: sorry meant Warden, not Invoker.
#2 aluman Feb 11, 2009 15:28:27	Druid - RAWR I AM A BEAST Shaman - MY ANCESTORS ARE BEASTS AND MY TOOLS! Invoker - I destroy things with fire for my God. Essentially. Oh Warden Warden - I become the Primal natural of the forests to save my friends.
#3 GhostStepper Feb 11, 2009 15:29:42	One transforms into animals, one sends out mystical spirits to do his dirty work one one blasts stuff. They seem to be at least as different as the fighter, paladin and the ranger are from each other.
#4 Dragoncat Feb 11, 2009 15:34:13	..................A lot. The shaman is a spiritualist. Be it the souls of the dead, the essences of animals, or the very incarnations of forces, the shaman is all about contacting the soul, the spirit of beings. In turn, the shaman can give those spirits force, use them to exert influence on the world, and cause harm or healing through that link. The druid is a force of nature. She can bend the environment to her will, call upon natural forces to manipulate the surroundings and smite foes, and even become an embodiment of natural power, changing into an animal, plant, or other sort of worldly force. The invoker is the wrath of god. He calls down divine fury to smite the heathens, radiant ire to destroy the corrupt, and astral rage to cleanse the unholy. While the first two characters are similar due to shared power source, Primal, the Divine-wielding Invoker is far and away a different character, an old-school prophet ready to bring down the hurtin' upon all those who disobey his deity.
#5 nerdrage_dup Feb 11, 2009 15:40:21	Sorry, sorry I meant Warden, not Invoker.
#6 aluman Feb 11, 2009 15:47:13	Sorry, sorry I meant Warden, not Invoker. Then its: Druid: RAWR I AM A BEAST! Shaman: RAWR MY ANCESTORS WILL EAT YOU Warden: RAWR! I AM NATURE PRIMEVAL!
#7 TheLoneCleric Feb 11, 2009 19:50:21	Take the 2nd and 3rd Edition Druids. Slice him up from the monstrously unbalanced thing he was. Look at the parts and notice that you have 3 really workable classes to build out of that. Give the leftovers to the barbarian who's pretty much fine as is, but doesn't mind hanging with his Primal buddies. Your done.
#8 aluman Feb 11, 2009 19:56:06	Take the 2nd and 3rd Edition Druids. Slice him up from the monstrously unbalanced thing he was. Look at the parts and notice that you have 3 really workable classes to build out of that. Give the leftovers to the barbarian who's pretty much fine as is, but doesn't mind hanging with his Primal buddies. Your done. I think thats his underlying issue. Also a spirit shaman isn't part of Druid, though bits of the healing is druidesque, its more like they took a normal druid cut it half, and took the left overs giving it to Shaman and Warden. I like my answer better though as it RAWRS! :D
#9 cadfan Feb 11, 2009 21:18:53	Do you mean thematically or mechanically? Mechanically, they're very different. Druids shift in and out of animal form continuously, striking savagely as a beast, and fading away into humanoid form to cast spells. Wardens channel primal magic into their melee attacks, and can even take on partial aspects of nature for a period of time in order to do battle in new and different ways. Shamans contact nature spirits, and request their aid in battle. Much of the shaman's magic doesn't even originate from the shaman, it originates from the nature spirits that surround him. Now thematically, well, there's only so much difference. I mean, there is a difference, don't get me wrong. The druid is the usual druid, the warden is a sort of Champion of the tribe and of nature type (almost a nature paladin, in a way), and the shaman is a tribal leader and wise man. But of course theme is what you make of it, so they can be as close or as far apart as you like.
#10 crazysamaritan Feb 11, 2009 21:40:58	Take the 2nd and 3rd Edition Druids. Slice him up from the monstrously unbalanced thing he was. Look at the parts and notice that you have 3 really workable classes to build out of that. Give the leftovers to the barbarian who's pretty much fine as is, but doesn't mind hanging with his Primal buddies. Your done. It might be the OP's issue, but I quite frankly prefer it this way. Same thing happened with the Wizard: Controller and Striker classes Same thing happened with the Cleric (imo): Defender and Leader Same thing happened to the Bard (imo): two leader classes (front-line martial and mixed-arcane)
#11 Omni-Wyvernil Feb 11, 2009 22:50:27	Thematically, I see the main difference as being: Druid: The wanderer in the wilds that seeks to become one with nature, and wields its power against its enemies, both through transforming into the beasts of the wild and harnessing the forces of nature. Warden: The primal warrior and guardian of nature, chosen by the spirits to defend them from all that would despoil them. Shaman: The tribal medicine man and priest who communes with the spirits and enlists the aid of a totem spirit. Barbarian: The savage warrior who channels the power of the spirits into a berserker rage. Druid has been pruned a bit, with its healing aspects fusing with the spirit shaman to create the Shaman class. Likewise, the 'guardian of nature' vibe is epitomized in the Warden, which fuses some of the flavor of the 'nature' Ranger with aspects of the Druid to create a new class.