In my P&P group, a debate has started. We just scraped up a new player, and he chose to be a Druid of Chauntea. The issue is, we already have a Cleric of Chauntea. So, of course, both think they outrank the other. The cleric claims the Druids are more like paladins in their conviction to their god, fighting for both balance and their gods will. Clerics, on the other hand, receive their power directly from their god, and do only their will. Meaning the cleric is closer to the god and higher ranking. The Druid, on the other hand, claims that Druids receive their magic from another aspect of the god, and that they represent Chauntea better, making them the higher ranked.

So, of course, I come here to dump the problem on EfU's collective laps.

Who outranks who?

The cleric out ranks the druid in temple hierarchy, and the cleric is totally not even ranked in druid hierarchy. That's my general rule of thumb, with wonderful exceptions for situations.

Sounds good. So neither could order around either?

That sounds about right. Druids do not really promote their patrons the same way as clerics and paladins do.

EfU needs more paladins of Chauntea IMO

I played Wyvern Crown of Cormyr as a scythe-wielding Paladin of Chauntea. Crazy smite.

Meanwhile, I would imagine Oro has it right.

Druids are part of a wider network than their patron's church and are ranked as part of the druidic order they are a member of, but probably are also counted among the ranks of the church.

Clerics on the other hand would rise in power in the church, but will never be a member of the druidic order.

I also can imagine most druids would not be concerned about authority, whereas clerics might have more of a sense of self-importance from a personality perspective.

I have to also go with the consensus here as a long time PnP DM and rules-lawyer.

They are totally different in their outlook on authority in general, who's in charge of THEM specifically, and how worship should be conducted. Using a RL analogy, this would be sort of like the Pope ordering around an Anglican archbishop - it just won't fly. Same God, different hierarchy.

Druids may recognize the fact that a cleric of chauntea may work for the balance...

But at the same time realize they aren't a druid, the druid will/may listen to a cleric when in a city, the chauntea cleric would listen to a druid when in the wilds.

Paladins are 100% clergy, they -would- work with druids, but druids -may not- work with paladins on principal. Paladins are the paragon of Civilization, druids are the paragon of NATURE AND THE WILDS, which a Paladin may find incorrigible.