Need advice on playing a druid

[PlayaCharacter]

Hey, everyone.

It's been a long time since I've played a druid (since EfU:A, to be exact) and a lot has changed. I definitely like the nature starting area, it's fantastic and I'm having no trouble figuring out everything around there. I also seem to be doing okay when it comes to making my way around, I mostly only have to worry about the same hazards that everyone else has to deal with. If anything, it's a lot easier to solo as a druid.

The issues I'm having come when I try to advance beyond the beginner stage. First, it's really difficult to find people and make friends. No one ever answers the druid sendings, so I have to rely on luck to meet anyone. I feel like I'm using some sort of OkDruid dating service or something and failing at it. It takes hours of wandering around aimlessly to meet anyone, and there's a decent chance they'll be hostile to me on sight. When I do meet someone, it's awesome, but it's really difficult to make that happen consistently. I don't want to spend most of my time alone.

Second, I am having trouble figuring out how to manage my animals. I had an encounter not too long ago where I set someone to hostile because there was a possibility that we were about to PvP, and all the animals around immediately went berserk (we both had animals under domination at the time). I can't figure out how to keep these things under control, they aren't like summons in that you can simply dismiss them if they're causing trouble, and I'm a druid, so I can't just kill them if they start attacking someone. Is there a set of "best practices" for managing the animals' AI?

Finally, money. I knew money would be an issue so I went the crafter / brewer route. The problem is that I don't have any seed money to get started, and even if I did, I don't have anyone to sell to. It doesn't seem like it would make much sense to put up advertisement flyers, and besides, why in the heck would I want to sell supplies to the very same people who are wrecking the balance? As it stands, I'm having trouble with basic things like keeping enough food and abjurer's nightshade on hand. Crafting is also an issue, since the only places I can find to do herbalism are, for one reason or another, really effing difficult to use. Alchemists get a nice safe, quiet place to do their work. On top of the inherent dangers that already exist with crafting, I also have to contend with hostiles and other environmental hazards.

It's getting a bit frustrating, and I need some help.

[astroknave]

Not a very good time to be a wildling sadly.  Starting out requires you to have some allies who can help you out a bit.  I'd say shelve them until things pick up again in that particular niche of the server.

[Kinslayer988]

Hey there PlayaCharacter, listening to this brings up memories of my own experience with going non-city. Playing a druid is difficult in this setting because of how large the server is, the lower amount of players, and the fact that right now, the members of the Stewards are inactive. In this chapter the Stewards have a far greater reach in the wilds than before, offering many modes of transportation, friends, and enemies without requiring an app for the early ranks. As for money, there are some early quests that allow coin but it mostly requires allies, which as I said earlier is difficult to a low population.

I cannot offer a solution besides encouraging players to try something new and join you in the wilds as well as Stewards players to get active and find you. Sorry that you have to go through this trouble to play a PC and it was one of the reasons I was put off from druids this chapter.

[PintSizedSaboteur]

My best advice for you in terms of wealth is to look for a solo quest in the Narrows.

[PintSizedSaboteur]

Also, EFUSS Wilderness Survival is key for druids. It will help you get around the food requirement most of the time.

[Bouquet of Roses]

Ripplebark also functions as a source of free food. It won't automatically be eaten, but if you "use" one before resting, it counts.

It -is- a rather lonely role to play. Particularly if you're trying to go non-steward.
It's a lot about luck, play times, and time zones.

Joining #Treehuggers on IRC might help a bit, too.

[xXCrystal_Rose]

Join #treehuggers and ask around if anyone is able to log in to rp if you are lonely. Wilds life tends to be a very lonely one, but if you're awesome people will be more inclined to join you! Now is a good time to be doing a nature sort of character largely because there are none I can think of at the moment that are very active. It's ripe for shaping and really has room to grow. You may also need to lurk in high traffic areas to meet people, such as the crossroad caves. You can advance from druidic patrol quests too. Each one has a level range and a certain quest take limit.

Druids most certainly can kill animals. If it fits that specific druids beliefs at least. If an animal is attacking someone you're free to kill it. There isn't always a requirement of peaceful resolution, or for druids to even have ranks in animal empathy at all. What probably happened is the animals most recent command (if given one) was either to defend you or attack nearest so when you went hostile it attacked. Try keeping it told to stand ground. Bear in mind that your AE lasts for 1 minute per level so it might break out of your control, and might even attack you once it does. Wild animals are not pets.

Now for money.... yea, you don't want to be giving magical weapons in the form of potions and wands to enemies. It is a very good bonus for your allies though and they'll be eager to take your business I'm sure! Alchemy stations are a bit difficult to get to as a nature character but there are three herbalism sites out there which you can use and they are all in very safe and accessible regions that you should be going through anyway as a druid. Explore. There are wilderness npcs which can help you get nightshade and you can grow food or buy it, or fish it, or kill the little fish in the river and eat those.

And largely above all.....


Mycopolis.


You probably took the wilderness starting option. If you didn't though then you'll want to find Mycopolis. That will help you out with your startup gold problems and get you maybe a couple hundred, some short xp and food/nightshades. It's a place designed as a low level safety net for beginning nature players to fall back on because nature is tough and it will not show you any pity. Survival isn't easy and that is part of the challenge.

[Letsplayforfun]

Besides, who said druids couldn't come to a city once in a while?

Depending on your concept, maybe you can and maybe you even should...

Now, that doesn't mean you'll be welcome ...

[PlayaCharacter]

Responding to everybody in no particular order:

• I did take the nature start option, so this means that I found Mycopolis but it also means that I am barred from getting a ring of Sanctuary from the NPC. Any trading I do has to go through Lower.
• I did take Wilderness Survival (played a druid once on EfU:A without it, baaaad idea), but I did not know about the Ripplebark. Very handy!
• I didn't even know going non-Steward was an option. I thought that you'd eventually get spell failure if you don't join a circle.
• Apparently I need to read more about how druids are supposed to act, because I had no idea I could kill animals. I've had one chase me halfway across the server before.

One thing I've been trying to figure out is how to entice people to leave the city and come to me. It turns out that Sanctuary is sealed up pretty tight!

[Random_White_Guy]

One of the best things I'd say about playing a nature PC is don't be afraid to RP by yourself. Have your animal familiar RP back using "/v f " and go on adventures, fight monsters, tend to plants, etc.

One of my favorite things to do on more hermit style PCs is also keep a really cool journal detailing your thoughts and meditations as your PC explores. Or if they're more violent talk about all the awesome monsters you killed and how great you are as you offer the blood to deity of choice or sacrificed back to nature.

Another thing to consider is just by yourself doing cool emotes. You never know if someone is stealthing past or watching so I like to talk to myself a little as people do when they're on their own.Say oof when you fail a climbing check. Pant and wheeze if you had to flee an enemy, etc.

RP by yourself also helps you develop your characters style and mentality so when you do meet another PC you've got a pretty fleshed out and awesome PC.

[PlayaCharacter]

That's pretty good advice, RWG. I usually don't know who my character is  until a few days after I create them, and that's one of the things  that's got me lost here. You've identified one of the big problems I'm  having with this character. By now, I usually have a set of goals, an  idea of who I'm going to be friends with, etc. With this character I'm  still kind of, well, in the wilderness.

[VanHelsing]

RWG nailed the rp advice.  As for controlling creatures it was mentioned to keep them on 'stand your ground'.  Do this and use the 'control companion' player tool available through the crafting menu.

[MetallicSlime]

Join up in treehuggers and find me at some point. I'll log in and maybe the sending system will seem a little bit less useless, and I'm having the same issues. Seems like nature is a lot more conductive to long term, methodically played PCs, as I've found low population to mean I spend a lot of time just cruising around in stealth.

If you find a solution to your money woes, let me know, I could use one too <_<

[PlayaCharacter]

It's worth pointing out, in case anyone is thinking of rolling up a nature concept, that the loneliness problem is no longer an issue. A lot of people have come out of the woodwork, so to speak.