I'm making a small post to generate interest into playing a nature-oriented char which are truly awesome and should definitely make up a nice percentage of the city. It doesn’t have to be druid, there are lots of classes which are related to nature or can have a natural take on them. As for involvement, it is really fun just to get to hang out in the wilds and travel, every travel becomes somewhat of an adventure and there are tons of things revolving around that. Easy to involve, easy to get involved in and there are lots of plots running amok.

I won’t make this into a big post trying to convince people but just throw ideas:

There are tons of classes that are nature-oriented or can be:

- Barbarians, Nordic, Mainland, desert; there are tons of spin-offs you can give to your barbarians to make them interesting. I would truly enjoy seeing more Nordic barbarians. :o~ - Bards, Skalds! Nothing is cooler than fighting with a spear in a loincloth; bards can do that with ease and still live! War singers. Similarly, what would be a barbarian tribe without skalds? - Ranger is a pretty obvious one, possibly one of those class that seem more straight forward, but Ranger also means hunter, stalker, trapper, fur-traders, survivor. - Clerics of nature-oriented gods! Remember, just because you can wear a full plate doesn’t mean you have to. There are tons of interesting spin-offs you can bring on making a Shaman. - Druids are an obvious one, but there are many thematic you can bring to your druids, it is always interesting to bring specific specie that the druid tries to mimic… lifestyle wise… Forest creatures such as wolves, the air for the birds of preys, the water, lake for the sharks, Octopus and fishes. Mountaineer, or underground one who mimics and befriends the insects. Insect-inclined druids would be an original take as well, I find. - Shifter, Harper Scout and Arcane Archers are all prestige classes which can also be involved in a more nature-theme character.

So, if you’re free of a concept, start thinking and roll something interesting that you think you can have a lot of fun with.

Furthermore, Monks, Rogues, and Sorcerors can even be justified!

About the only classes that would have difficulty would be Paladins and Wizards.

Mort - ... Arcane Archers are all prestige classes which can also be involved in a more nature-theme character.

Yes, yes they can! :)

Some of the best times I've had in this server was playing a nature bound PC. If you've spent the greater portion of your time in the city, look outwards for other great RP!

Wizards should have no trouble either, its just another concept on natural magic, ley-lines, etc.

Any class can get along well in nature, paladins included. Although, if you want to get along well with the current nature DM faction, a paladin is a long-shot.

I'm happy to chat up character ideas, or ways to get included in naturey plots with any player who is interested in it.

Playing a nature-themed character was some of the most fun I'd ever had on EfU. I heartily enjoy it, and recommend it to everyone.

By the way, playing a ranger is extremely fun. :) Obviously the best choice.

Oroborous Wizards should have no trouble either, its just another concept on natural magic, ley-lines, etc.

Any class can get along well in nature, paladins included. Although, if you want to get along well with the current nature DM faction, a paladin is a long-shot.

I'm happy to chat up character ideas, or ways to get included in naturey plots with any player who is interested in it.

AKA Deep Diviners Baby! Deep Diviners use Ley Line as there source of power and if you got the underdark Guidebook, you can apply for one I bet (I am sure it's possible!)

I would truly enjoy seeing more Nordic barbarians. ~

Urgh. "Nordic Barbarians".

I think that's one cliché which has outlived it's usefullness by far. No, those guys who the rest of the world like to depict wearing horned helmets and drinking lots of mead really don't fit the mold of DnD barbarians.

Nordic Barbarians means Barbarians who have lived in the Northern region of the world. The point is to give your own characterization to that, not to shoot it down.

Northern land Auril, Tempuran, Uthgart barbarians have plenty of place in D&D contrary to what you apparently believe. But do come back when you have something positive to say.

+ The Norse mythology, Odin and Thor, have greatly influenced the outlook on D&D Barbarians.

I'd prefer this topic be kept free of random critics or negativism and more focused on promoting inspiration to newer or older players.

Hey, not trying to shoot anything down here. It just irks me when someone goes along and thinks he's recreating some sort of norseman when he's doing something completely different.

Before I go on a tangent, I want to stress the point that IN NO WAY AM I TRYING TO DISSUADE SOMEONE FROM PLAYING A CERTAIN TYPE OF CHARACTER. But I do want to say something about a topic which has annoyed me hellishly; more specifically about "viking" chars in DnD; for a long and goodly while.

Northern land Auril, Tempuran, Uthgart barbarians have plenty of place in D&D contrary to what you apparently believe. But do come back when you have something positive to say.

My apologies if I misinterpreted. I read "nordic" as IRL "nordic", and not as IG nordic. These characters are awesome - Gudmund Gunnarsson was the most awesome one of these I've seen - but they hold little similarities to their RL counterparts (which is what I wish to address).

+ The Norse mythology, Odin and Thor, have greatly influenced the outlook on D&D Barbarians.

It is true that they have been "inspired", yes. But the outcome has been far from successful. It's almost like when someone makes a DnD world where Orcs are beautiful and virtuous and worship Lathander, and then claims the Tolkienesque orcs as his main source of inspiration.

My point with this being, that while the "nordic" barbarians you describe are just fine by me (not trying to sound arrogant here - misunderstand me the right way), it's a bit sad to see someone going along believing he is recreating or being inspired by something historic, when in reality what he's doing is mostly hogwash by any "real" standards (although it can, for that matter, be very good in terms of RP and IG standards!). IRL vikings and the Asatro would be great if someone managed to successfully adapt them to DnD - but as is it currently stands, WotC and virtually all "canon" DnD adaptations of the theme have failed miserably IMO.

promoting inspiration to newer or older players.

Well - as far as inspiration goes, I wish to repeat myself: If anyone wants to recreate something a bit more historic, in terms of the Asatro and the Vikings, there is a plethora of information and material out there. Although it may not be canon, it will sure as hell be more factual than the rothe-dung which comes from certain published directions, and I am pretty sure it can be adapted in a way which could be both novel and interesting.

I for one would love to see someone try and play an actual norseman. Hells, I think that If I don't jump onto one of the concepts I've been bombarded with, I'll go along and do one myself.

Bumping for great justice.

We are still around, and still doing very awesome stuff. There is room for people to fill, and we are seriously interested in getting some folks with new and awesome ideas to join us. This is a 100% SUREFIRE way to get involved in plots of the big and epic variety.

So really. Seriously. Brew up a concept, fire off an application, let Howland know, and then meet us in game.

Definately join up if you can. You don't even have to be a nature freak to interact and rock out with this group. Many people share similar interests, it's just a matter of asking!

Besides, you'll be playing with some of the best folks around. I'm honestly sad to be leaving this group.

I fully urge people that have any interest in playing even a semi-nature oriented character to roll one up and try to get in on this. Big things have already been done in game but a great deal more is on its way so there will be lots of fun involved that you can put your unique twist to. I won't recap the exact statements but it is true that any type of character that has some respect towards nature and is not a paladin can probably work themselves in with creativity.

I can only speak of how much I have enjoyed working with this faction.

It kicks ass. This faction has seriously delivered me fun, and many others. You wish to explore the server? Join the druids, they are by far the most knowledge characters on the server concerning the underdark. You wish to have Howland love? Join the druids.

The Circle of Stewards is an awesome druid faction, however, there is a Sub-faction known as a Guardians, and ANY class can join this, Paladins and wizards, as said, might have a bit of trouble.

A Paladin of Chauntea is certainly plausible, paladins of nature deities certainly.

Wizards who might concern themselves with the powers of the wilderness are certainly welcomed. There is a wealth of knowledge that could be discovered in the natural world for any would be wizards, so come along and join up!

Chaotic, lawful, neutral, take your pick, all alignments work (LG AND CE MIGHT have trouble, as would CG, and LE)

Hate abberations? This faction is also good for you. Wanna pwn undead? Join this faction, any concept works as long as it is nature involved. And not anti- nature.

I cannot stress how awesome this faction is, it makes me shiver.

I agree with Thomas whole-heartedly. I have enjoyed a great amount of RP with this faction most of the time.

They also seem to be in need of players.

If you're in need of a concept, roll up a naturey-sorta-character and just start rolling.