I am kicking around an article comparing the philosophies of different druids in accordance with their patron. Similar to Paul Stormbergs work in OJ15, but less ambitious in detail and covering powers beyond the Old Faith. Lisiting different subsets of spells and weapons available, and a little on politics, view, and interactions.
I picture a pantheon of Velnius-Atroa-Sotillon-Telchur-Wenta supporting some druids in addition to clerics. I am considering Procan.
From the Wikipedia list of Greyhawk dieties, I think Breeka and Vogan might be appropriate, but I have never heard of them. Can anyone give me a reference, and other candidates?
From the Old Faith, I will be including Ehlonna, Obad'hai, and Beory, but I think not Fharlanghn, Geshtai, Phyton, or Xerbo.
Thanks,
Kirt _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
There is a fair amount on druids of Pelor and their particular mindset in the recent Dragon Core Beliefs on that god. If I remember rightly, their speciality is interfacing between farmers and more traditional druids who might have trouble relating to communities.
I included druids of the following deities in the Deitybase™:
Akwamon
Beory
Ehlonna
Fharlanghn
Geshtai
Green Man
Llerg
Norebo
Obad-hai
Phyton
Sheela Peryroyl
Skerrit
Velnius
Xerbo
Also, the following mostly Olman and Touv deities have human witch doctors (tribesman druid/MUs, as described in Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons® Monster Manual, p. 68, and Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons® Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 40):
Apocatequil
Arvoreen (hybsil witch doctors; see Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons® Monster Manual II, pp. 76–77)
, I think Breeka and Vogan might be appropriate, but I have never heard of them.
Those are Touv deities, first detailed in The Scarlet Brotherhood. The Living Greyhawk Deities download fully describes them as well.
They're only worshipped by the Touv peoples of Hepmonaland, though; virtually no one in the Flanaess will have heard of them.
Ah, thanks. Then I have heard of them, since I have SB. Just did not remember, since I haven't done anything with them. Perhaps worth a mention, but won't be detailed in my article. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
There is a fair amount on druids of Pelor and their particular mindset in the recent Dragon Core Beliefs on that god. If I remember rightly, their speciality is interfacing between farmers and more traditional druids who might have trouble relating to communities.
Hmm. Personally, I would not go with Pelor having druids. Granting some druidic spells or powers to priests so that could serve in the role you indicated, perhaps. But not full blown druids, per se. Sun God, Good, opposes darkness (rather than, say, balancing darkness). Perhaps in the distant past, when the Flan Circle was complete and Pelor and Nerull and Tharizdun were on speaking terms. But not in modern times. I have a hard time thinking of any god as being a sponsor to both druids and paladins.
Ehlonna is as far to the good side as I would like my druids to go.
Now, granted, I am a 1e-2e syncretic kind of guy, not a 3e character-class-on-demand person. For all I know, in 3e there are good druids, in which case Pelor might be more appropriate. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Now, granted, I am a 1e-2e syncretic kind of guy, not a 3e character-class-on-demand person. For all I know, in 3e there are good druids, in which case Pelor might be more appropriate.
From what I understand, the alignments that were available to 1E bards are now available to 3E druids — NG, LN, N, CN, NE.
From what I understand, the alignments that were available to 1E bards are now available to 3E druids — NG, LN, N, CN, NE.
Yes. This is quite for following the "one-step ahead of Deity's Alingnement" rule, as all druids drawn their powers from nature, indepent of which deity they actually revere.
So, we can have goody Pelor druids, and bloodthirsty Erythnul gnoll druids.
I think of the Old Faith as a polytheistic group primarily worshipping Beory, but with due homage to Obad-hai, Pelor, and Nerull. The more savage druids would worship Obad-hai more and the more sympathetic ones would worship Beory more, but all of them would pray to all of the Old Faith gods. There wouldn't be "druids of Obad-hai," only druids who worship Obad-hai along with several other ancient Flan deities. Nerull and Pelor would be honored as the patrons of the cycle of the seasons, the nights and days, and death and life, but not worshipped to the exclusion of Beory and Obad-hai.
Allitur seems a bit of a border case, good for those practitioners of the Old Faith who aren't druids themselves and simply want to honor the old traditions of their ancestors. Druids would acknowledge his existence and respect his role as guardian of traditional values, but wouldn't have much reason to pray to him - ethics and propriety are the responsibility of clerics, not druids. Berei would probably not even be acknowledged, except as an aspect of Beory. Rao, Myhriss, Olidammara, Joramy, and Zodal belong to different Flan cultures altogether.
Druids pledged to Ehlonna wouldn't belong to the Old Faith, but members of some syncretic religion based on a combination of Flan and elven beliefs. No wonder the worshippers of Obad-hai can't stand them, even if Ehlonna's faith is quite as old as theirs.
I allow druids of any nature oriented deity. Pelor, while really only representing the sun, is close enough. The sun is what makes plants thrive, which partakes of the strength/healing aspect of Pelor. The sun is also viewed as a destroyer of undead, which are anathema to nature if anything is. I'd say that in the current time in Greyhawk druids of Pelor would be rare, and basically would be adherents to older ways. The more common and modern view of Pelor is upheld by the sect that has paladins, and who view Pelor’s spheres of control and how they apply very differently indeed.
Think of it as two sects of Pelor- the Old Faith, and the New Faith. The core beliefs of the two sects are very similar, but how they are put into practice, and to what end is the difference between the two.
I think of the Old Faith as a polytheistic group primarily worshipping Beory, but with due homage to Obad-hai, Pelor, and Nerull. The more savage druids would worship Obad-hai more and the more sympathetic ones would worship Beory more, but all of them would pray to all of the Old Faith gods. There wouldn't be "druids of Obad-hai," only druids who worship Obad-hai along with several other ancient Flan deities. Nerull and Pelor would be honored as the patrons of the cycle of the seasons, the nights and days, and death and life, but not worshipped to the exclusion of Beory and Obad-hai.
This is pretty much my stance on druids also...Old Faith druids draw their power from Beory as she is the Oerth or at least its embodiment and therefor ein my opinion the only one who can actually grant full druidic abilities to someone. At the same time the Old Faith pays respects to a number of other Flan deities (I include Allitur in this)
Those Flan from the north (those mor elike the native american Flan as opposed to the Celtic style Flan) are not of the Old Faith in my view and worship Obad-Hai - he is th eone exception of druids gaining power through a source other than directly from Beory.
Outside of these two groups are independant druids who are more like hermits and hedge witches or lone defenders of places of ancient power or beauty. They also receive their abilities and powers from Beory and such druids are often non or demi humans.
NO other deities have druids..not even Ehlonna...from a 3rd ed perspective that's the whole point of the domains. Ehlonna grants the domains of plant and animal and that is the extent of her power, just like Procan grants water related domains or Pelor grants the Sun domain. These deities maybe draw their power through Beory but it is manifested in the granting of these natural domains. Equally there are NO clerics of Beory or Obad-Hai.
I know this is just my opinion and way off canon but I find it lends a good feel to my game and keeps a class that in 3rd ed is (IMO) overpowered in check a little bit.
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