Druid Suggestions

[Valo56]

A few various druid suggestions.

First off, I suggest that Druids be allowed to choose the Plant summon theme and all elemental themes in the entry area. It'd a minor but very welcome change, adding more versatility to druids than the insect swarms that pretty much everyone uses.

Next, I would like to see a timer on the druidic grove rituals.

I believe the wildling start could use some work. Compared to other starts, even the hardcore prelude, it is unnecessarily harsh in that unless you spend a long period of time fishing you will be stuck wandering out into the wilderness at level 3. Hell, the prelude itself doesn't even advance you past 2. It would be nice if the wildlings had access to a store similar to how the Lower start gets their own very nice gear, and could at least start out at 3. I know it isn't meant to be easy, but I honestly find the hardcore prelude to be a less daunting start than the nature PC prelude.

Here's a few ideas for druidic themes. I imagine that for now development is focused more on some changes for clerics and on watching the new Primordial theme for druids, but I figure I'll throw the ideas out there.

-Packleader
These druids command, hunt and commune with the great beasts of the wild. They are often the most savage and brutal of all the druids, bringing to bear great beasts imbued with all the fury of the Ley against the Unnatural.
--The Druid gains the old default theme from EfUA/EfUM, at a +1 level.
--For purposes of training Animal Companions, they are able to dominate a wider variety of animals (including Malar Beasts) than other druids and rangers.
--XP for training Animal Companions is halved or, perhaps, regenerates over time as their companion kills enemies. They also get +2 to their level for purposes of training companions.
--Perhaps, if possible, allow them to have up to two animal companions on reaching level 8. Alternatively, they gain access to a single level 8 form at level 5 which can be selected through the crafting menu, and cannot be changed. Or, some minor buff is applied to them in wildshape. Or, they get access to a wider variety of forms than even regular druids do.

-Grove Warden
Most often seen as quiet, reserved hermits, the Grove Warden in these End Times is a creature of bitter rage. The sun is gone and they have been forced into lightless lands, no longer to walk among the oaks and ferns. But the power of their old forest homes lingers on, and the deep woods shall have their revenge on Dread and Man alike.
--Druid gains plant summon theme. No level change.
--Druid gains the old Flower Child perk (harvests 2 herbs from plants instead of 1).
--Druid gains a vegepygmy form at level 5, and a treant form at level 8. ((Ettercap appearance, like what we saw for those corrupted treants back in EfUM.)) Cannot choose forms other than these.
--Druid does not gain an animal companion. (To emphasis their focus on plantlife rather than animal life.)

-Grey Druid
Not all who walk the deep places of the world ever knew the sun, or felt the pain of its loss. The Grey Druid has called the Underdark his home for many years, and was the first to watch the rise of the Dread and the terrors they would bring about. They are veterans of the long war against the Dread, having done battle with them since long before the Darkening.
--The Druid loses access to the default wildshapes, keeping instead access to all underdark forms, as well as the cave bear at appropriate level. At level 8 the druid can polymorph into a deep lizard (if this isn't too overpowered) or greater stone lizard. The point is they shouldn't be polymorphing into surface creatures but instead gain access to more appropriate underdark varieties.
--Druid does not take damage when making nature sendings. Druid can tell where a nature sending was made from (maybe).
--Portal Sense ability. ((From Portal Domain, to represent further how well they know the land.))

-Ironbreaker
Some say they're mad. Others say they're prophets cautioning us against greater threats than the most obvious. For one reason or another, these druids seek to bring about the end of civilization, be this the Machine, some Duergar hold, or whatever other civilization is out there that they feel causes more harm than good to Toril.
--Druid cannot gain an animal companion.
--Druid maintains druidic bonuses to AB, Hide and Move Silently, and Movement speed in all areas.
--Druid gains +1 acid damage against Constructs, increasing to +2 at level 8.
--Druid gains Crumble 1/day at level 8.
--Druid can rest in the Machine.
--Animatronic Parts can be sacrificed for XP. Perhaps minor supplies.
--Note to players that using this form as something of a "city druid" will result in spell failure. These are in a way on par with monster PC's in that the very concept behind this puts them at direct odds with civilization. Their goal is ultimately the sabotaging of civilization, seeing to it it cannot grow and even trying to see to its destruction.

Some of these are likely to be considered overpowering. The basic idea is there, though.

EDIT: I wrote "plant domain power" when I meant "plant summon theme."

[Valo56]

I also think it would be nice if somewhere there were a list of the wildshape forms you could apply for.

Back in late EfUM I applied for the White Stag wildshape my Forgotten Circle Druid but was denied, the only reason for being denied was that no one felt like making it. Since new forms are not likely to be added it would be nice if we knew what we could apply for and not waste long periods of time on applications that are likely going to be rejected anyway.

[A New Era]

I would love to see more druid kits added to the list you pick the ooze kit from.

At least that way you aren't funneling a disproportionate number of druids into a single kit just because it is the only different option!

Some interesting suggested kits here. I would also enjoy seeing some elemental kits similar to ooze, personally.

[EventHorizon]

What A New Era points out is actually hugely important. And at a glance, what Valo suggests in the OP seems to be in the ballpark of what's appropriate/workable. I won't try to get into the nitty gritty of tweaking (Oh man, deep lizards are... strong-jawed!), but I think the message we ought to get everyone behind is what New Era said:

that way you aren't funneling a disproportionate number of druids into a single kit just because it is the only different option!

[Tala]

We don't 'funnel' anything. Druids may take this kit as another and different take on the class, or they can stay with the normal features.

Some of the features of the suggestions above are harder to implament, others are easier. But overall these 'kits' above don't really offer nothing new to the class or change the experiance on how to play it. All of them may be played with the standart druid and it is entirely up to the players how to play their pc.

Adding these things take time because of multitude of reasons: implamentation, testing, balancing, etc.

If the overall feeling is that we 'funnel' players to all play the same thing, the short term solution about it is removing it for now and add it in the future when more kits are made (though I imagine this isn't something you guys actually want).

Feel free to suggest things regardless

[Random_White_Guy]

Not so much funneling but more the fresh toy feeling. It's a new take. I know I was damn tempted to try it out! New things like perks always have that kind of allure haha.

As far as new kits go I think it'd not need so many alternates compared to other classes. Druids have a lot of versatility and variety already to play with.

People in the past have apped for Deep Lizard/elemental shapes, you can get Elemental/Plant/etc summons fairly easily IG from DM wanding if you have a convincing argument or they think your PC warrants it, Malar Panthers can already be animal companions if you get levels and AE High enough, and subrace can really play a role in how Druids develop. There's been Sahuaghin and Genasai river druids, Rot-Lizard druids, even an Ogre Beastmaster druid!

Satyr druid could be a lot of fun too if a PC is looking for a Fey-spin on the natural world, Myconids, etc.

Subrace can add a lot to the theme of a druid just as much as any perk so I'd recommend people play with that. Circles of Druids are infinitely more welcoming of monsters typically if they're proven to care or tend an aspect of the balance so that's something I could see as a potentially cool way to flesh out the Stewards and Druids more. More monstrous guardans and druids!

And of course there's still the Moander/Rot option which a lot of people still don't use all that much. It requires an application for the full splendor of the Lair which i've been told comes with custom rot wildshapes but it's no different I imagine than applying for the Stewards.

A PC can start as a Moanderite and use insect summons to swarm and infestation of maggots/contagion to rot and etc all before level 6 which is pretty thematic of a "Kit" all without an application.

So on the whole I think the whole reasoning behind Primordial was it was an option not many people considered even feasible for a Druid to be involved in Ooze-type shenanigans. Just a new spin on an old classic!

Druids remain one of the most thematically versatile classes on EFU though, probably only Wizards with their spellschools or Clerics with their own deities have more variety and selection. No two druids are ever even remotely the same.

Not to say they _shouldn't_ get suggestions or this is a bad thread or anything! Just saying it's a wide possible world already for druids.

[Howlando]

At least that way you aren't funneling a disproportionate number of druids into a single kit just because it is the only different option!

One of the reasons I was hesitant to publicly announce this new kit was precisely because of a vague sense that people would complain that it unfairly balanced things towards Slime Cult or was part of some DM Team Conspiracy or something...

[Valo56]

I'm not really worried about funneling.

The slime cult will likely see one or two druids who are at least loosely allied with them. I doubt we'll see any huge influx of them. Druids are (incorrectly) seen as a boring and difficult class to play, and throwing in being a villain in there is likely to turn a lot of people off from it. The huge influx of people making arcane mimics and RSD's is unlikely to happen with Primordials, at least not to such an extent - as you're not only a villain but a nature villain (even if you aren't with the slime cult, many will see you as such and will probably wind up hunting you as a result).

I started this post mainly hoping to throw out a few odds and ends for druids, then got some ideas for themes as I went along. I don't expect more themes to be added ever, certainly not soon. Really I just want a timer for druidic rituals so I know how long I have to wait around and little quality of life things like that. :P

[Paha]

Know that this here, is a subject of controversy. There is never going to be something all like or agree when it comes to druids. When we do different things, we do them out of clear vision of something we see extremely fitting to exist, or that it makes sense to be an option. Some things the team wants. Some things the team does not agree with and do not want.

Then there are some things we simply have not thought of or do not know. But there is some general view of druids and them being quite open and free, without huge guidance is result of that. In the end, certain things are that much more awesome to bear fruit when we have not made it, but that someone made effort and use of ingenuous imagination, research and bold attempt in creating something to bring their own perspective into life. It ain't easy, and it ain't what all like. Maybe what most do not like.

In the end, concrete suggestions are always welcome. Ideas and structured critique is applauded when we can take something out of it. Hell, we often end up building on it one way or another.

[EventHorizon]

One of the reasons I was hesitant to publicly announce this new kit was precisely because of a vague sense that people would complain that it unfairly balanced things towards Slime Cult or was part of some DM Team Conspiracy or something...

I think your hesitancy was understandable, but thankfully, I don't get the sense that anyone thinks the Primordial Druid kit (currently being the only official 'kit') is unfair or that it reflects any bad DM vision. It's just that non-default kits are tempting, and when there's only one apparent, that non-default kit might be disproportionately tempting. Granted, as Valo alluded to in his last post, being a Primordial druid is, in roleplaying terms, a very different kind of experience/character than a default druid. I will also admit, however, that the mechanics of kits can certainly lead a player to want to roleplay that kind of character.

For example, I rather like the Man at Arms fighter perk mechanics - and its roleplay basis is amenable to me, too, so I often find myself willing to play a former rank-and-file soldier rather than, say, a former fencer (whose Duelist perk I like less). And that's fine, but if there was only the Man at Arms perk available, I would find myself far far more likely to play my Fighters as Men at Arms. And maybe that would just be on me.

[Knight Of Pentacles]

The Animancer  [/HR]

FLESHMELD

The Animancer incorporates a creature found in the Underdark into its mass, gaining a number of benefits. A melded animancer is unable to wildshape and the helmet slot is disabled as the animancer's head is replaced with that of the head of the chosen creature.

Rotheman: The Animancer melds himself with a rothe, gaining the creature's brute strength and the ability to stampede.

Beetleman: The Animancer melds himself with a beetle, gaining the benefits of a chitinous exoskeleton and noxious spume.

Moleman: The Animancer melds himself with a mole, developing an extraordinary sense of smell and the ability to burrow.

Arachniman: The Animancer melds himself with a spider, developing keen reflexes and the ability to climb effortlessly.

Vine Horror: The Animancer melds himself with a plant based lifeform (vegepygmie, shambling horror, assassin vine, etc). Vines sprout from his body which he can project to entangle and trip up his foes.  [/HR] [/HR] THE SEEDS OF NEW LIFE

The Animancer cultivates fleshy pods about the Underdark that produce "the seeds of new life". When these seeds are fed to an animal, they mutate rapidly and become twisted caricatures of themselves. These twisted mutations are non-hostile to the Animancer. [/HR]




 

[Adhesive]

but if there was only the Man at Arms perk available, I would find myself far far more likely to play my Fighters as Men at Arms. And maybe that would just be on me.

I just want to point out this portion of RwG's post.

Not so much funneling but more the fresh toy feeling. It's a new take. I know I was damn tempted to try it out! New things like perks always have that kind of allure haha.

As far as new kits go I think it'd not need so many alternates compared to other classes. Druids have a lot of versatility and variety already to play with.

People in the past have apped for Deep Lizard/elemental shapes, you can get Elemental/Plant/etc summons fairly easily IG from DM wanding if you have a convincing argument or they think your PC warrants it, Malar Panthers can already be animal companions if you get levels and AE High enough, and subrace can really play a role in how Druids develop. There's been Sahuaghin and Genasai river druids, Rot-Lizard druids, even an Ogre Beastmaster druid!

Satyr druid could be a lot of fun too if a PC is looking for a Fey-spin on the natural world, Myconids, etc.

Druids are incredibly versatile already, even without perks or kits or what-have-you, and even more options can be unlocked through a simple application or even just pitching an idea to a DM and asking for something. The only 'funneling' being done to the players, is by the players themselves...

[A New Era]

One of the reasons I was hesitant to publicly announce this new kit was precisely because of a vague sense that people would complain that it unfairly balanced things towards Slime Cult or was part of some DM Team Conspiracy or something...

I just want to clarify....I only meant that people see something new and shiny and want to try it out naturally as what is unfamiliar. Not as any kind of conspiracy or unfair benefit to the ooze cults.

I haven't actually met any other ooze druids so maybe it was a false worry anyway....

[Saturnalia]

In recent memory druids are rare and often short lived for a multitude of reasons. I am really happy to see some movement with the class, and think that the primordial aspect has a real interesting take on one of the aspects of the server. I can see the primordial druid kit starting rifts within their own cult as well as with the overarching wilderness characters, as I would assume the major druid issues with necromancy still applies (not sure what to classify Ooze revanents) and the many conflicting viewpoints of how the balance should be restored.

Also afaik there is one ooze druid on the server, and maybe 3 regular druids?

[Valo56]

not sure what to classify Ooze revanents

Bless weapon worked on them back on a quest that featured them as enemies in EfUA/EfUM, if I remember correctly.