Where do baby druid come from? I guess what I mean is what makes a creature "become" a Druid? (Adventurers are extraordinary and all that . . and then under "the Power or Nature" in the PHB, something about revering nature above all and the force of nature itself or a deity, but. not necessarily a deity, I think.). Anyway Is being a druid a gift that a creature is born with, a culture that they are born into, that comes with special abilities, something they choose, something they have to work toward, something they can join, something they can pursue and work and study?
Also, what is the name for a group or tribe of Druids? Or do Druids exist even exist in groups that are exclusive to Druids? I keep wanting to call the groups "circles" too, as confusing as that is. I sort of invision that they do live in groups or tribes of druids, or perhaps druids plus other primal types; maybe Rangers and Barbarians are part of their groups of tribes and that within those groups there are druids of different types vs for example all moon druids . (although maybe all the same subclass and then that would help explain why the subclasses are called "circles"; I assume the other reason has to do with stone circles like Stonehenge.
At the core of it, a druid is a practitioner of the Old Faith. They worship nature, whether through a holistic interpretation of nature as a whole or through the guidance of a specific nature deity. There's a lot of overlap with clerics, but while a cleric is specifically empowered by a god a druid's power comes from their understanding and spiritual connection to nature itself.
As such you could consider Druidism to be a religion. You can be born into it or choose to join it later in life. The powers of a druid come from their relationship with nature, which is something fostered on an individual level. The stronger your bond with the natural world the more powerful you'll be as a druid. This connection doesn't typically come easily and is something a druid has to work toward developing over their career through study, meditation, and living a life in tune with the natural order of things.
What that usually means is dedicating one's life to protecting nature and enacting nature's will. This part comes with a lot of interpretation though, as "nature" isn't a single entity that can speak with its own voice like a cleric's god. Druids can have a wide range of differing interpretations of what nature wants or needs, which results in things like evil druids who want to tear down civilization or druids who just want to live life in the wilderness as a beast might.
A group of druids is called a Circle. All druids share a loose fellowship through their faith, but a Circle is a small organization of local druids who have come together in a similar way that a group of priests might join together in a temple. A Druid's temple is called a Grove though, and is usually more of an open space with lots of trees and natural formations. Druids of a single Circle will typically follow the same traditions and form of faith. A Circle might be dedicated to one or more nature gods or might just be focused on nature itself. Allies of the druids can also be a part of their Circle such as rangers, benevolent fey, dryads, and sometimes families of the druids who live with them.
Circles can also mean the subclasses though, which are more like wider subcultures within the druidic tradition. Because local Circles share a common set of traditions and beliefs I assume you'd have everyone in a specific Circle be the same subclass as well. So you might say "I hail from the Circle of Radagast, a Moon Circle dedicated to studying the shapes and hues of many beasts". That's just how I interpret the subclass lore vs druidic organizations lore though.
Then you have druids from tribal societies like the Lizardfolk who function more like shamans or spiritual leaders of their people. The lore isn't very clear how they fit into the Circles system, but I assume each tribe more or less functions as its own Circle association even if only their actual druids would be considered a part of the druidic tradition. Lizardfolk druids DO still know Druidic, after all. And other druids can understand their druidic and recognize it as their secret druid language. That shows some commonality between them even if you'd be unlikely to see a Lizardfolk druid hanging around an Elvish Circle.
There are lots of background options for druids. The traditional background is someone who desires to maintain a balance between nature and society. And within this traditional background, there are lots of options that range from a hermit who avoids society altogether to someone who is active within society and who may/may not be willing to harm people who disregard the balance of nature.
Another way to think of player's background is in terms of what they become: roughly the subclass theme they'll choose later. For example, maybe when a Moon druid was young he would wrestle with beasts. And maybe someone who became a Wildfire druid had a special interest in fire as an element, a specific type of combustible fuel, the behavior of fire, the effective uses of fire, fire prevention, etc. And so on.
A couple other thematic ideas for a druid might be someone who has a deep interest in are:
One or more of the domains of nature:
One of the elements not in a 5e subclass, i.e., air (climate, atmosphere, etc.), water (oceanography, hydrology, etc.)
Biology (including plants/botany, animals or even a specific animal species)
All of these themes can be supplemented with taking feats that give them access to spells that allow the druid to extend the theme, e.g., poison related spells for the Disease theme. Or the druid can multi-class in a way that allows them to extend one of these themes. Artificer is a great multiclass option here for any druids with one of these themes. In general, Artificer Druid make for a great multi option: Artificer can help with AC, decent (not OP) improvement in melee attacks, and average-above average spell additions.
Death - Circle of the Spores already opened the door to druids accessing necromancy spells. To extend this theme you can either take a feat that gives you access to necrotic or death-related spells, take a dip into Necromancer Wizard that will give you access to necrotic spells, or just have a good DM who will allow a death druid homebrew.
SaurianDruid gave a nice precis of Druids to which I would only add that (imho) druids don't live in colonies or tribes, per se (apart from ashari Druids), but ritually come together with other members of their circle at certain times of the year and if any special call goes out. Let your DM know that your presence will be required at such ritual gatherings occasionally (good opportunity for a story arc).
I think I like to think of Druids (at least when not adventuring) mainly living in tribes or maybe small bands or just clans or families. Maybe the circle is larger than living groups and is more for the religious/spiritual and might meet at the time of certain seasonal or astrological events.
Now I'm curious about how common it is for Druids to take off and join adventuring parties and what reasons they might have for doing that. I guess it might start out as an extension of revering and protecting nature, but then it seems like adventuring becomes a lifestyle of its own, that is perhaps different than what I might think would be more usual for a Druid (or maybe its common for druids to be adventurers, at least for a time).
I've been thinking of a character concept: a Druid who belongs/belonged to a druid circle that either is also a cult or at least has some cult-like qualities. Maybe there is a cult leader involved, who is more flakey than truly harmful, who would be a fun potential NPC
Intrepidgnome, you are, of course, absolutely free to think of druids however you like - that's the joy of playing D&D. For me, I blend fantasy with history, and that means reading what Julius Caesar has to say about them. His writings give us 99% of what real information we know about druids - and they are a long way from D&D druids, needless to say. Caesar tells us they were elders/wisemen/judges/leaders of Iron Age (celtic) villages/communites/tribes - as in one per group of people. Every group/tribe/etc had one to whom they deferred. But they did hold meetings and, although they don't get any column inches in his exploits in Gaul (where Caesar did almost all his fighting), in his breif visit to the UK he says they did have a particular "holy place", that is Anglesey, an island off the Welsh coast (which he summarily destroyed).
In my D&D world druids are the solitary tribal elder/forest warden, in an area/community, and who regularly come together in councils (Cirlces) at least annually - prolly more frequently at pertinent times of the solar and lunar cycles (i.e. the year).
OK, so this sounds like I'm saying "you're wrong" but not so ... honestly. Back in 1980 I dropped into a friend's place, had dice thrust in my hand and told "Roll!". Next thing, I was Druid, so I crashed the university library and read everything I could find about druids. That was my journey. Yours is different. You damnwell play them however you want! Just enjoy playing the best Class in D&D5e! :)
Where do baby druid come from? I guess what I mean is what makes a creature "become" a Druid? (Adventurers are extraordinary and all that . . and then under "the Power or Nature" in the PHB, something about revering nature above all and the force of nature itself or a deity, but. not necessarily a deity, I think.). Anyway Is being a druid a gift that a creature is born with, a culture that they are born into, that comes with special abilities, something they choose, something they have to work toward, something they can join, something they can pursue and work and study?
Also, what is the name for a group or tribe of Druids? Or do Druids exist even exist in groups that are exclusive to Druids? I keep wanting to call the groups "circles" too, as confusing as that is. I sort of invision that they do live in groups or tribes of druids, or perhaps druids plus other primal types; maybe Rangers and Barbarians are part of their groups of tribes and that within those groups there are druids of different types vs for example all moon druids . (although maybe all the same subclass and then that would help explain why the subclasses are called "circles"; I assume the other reason has to do with stone circles like Stonehenge.
At the core of it, a druid is a practitioner of the Old Faith. They worship nature, whether through a holistic interpretation of nature as a whole or through the guidance of a specific nature deity. There's a lot of overlap with clerics, but while a cleric is specifically empowered by a god a druid's power comes from their understanding and spiritual connection to nature itself.
As such you could consider Druidism to be a religion. You can be born into it or choose to join it later in life. The powers of a druid come from their relationship with nature, which is something fostered on an individual level. The stronger your bond with the natural world the more powerful you'll be as a druid. This connection doesn't typically come easily and is something a druid has to work toward developing over their career through study, meditation, and living a life in tune with the natural order of things.
What that usually means is dedicating one's life to protecting nature and enacting nature's will. This part comes with a lot of interpretation though, as "nature" isn't a single entity that can speak with its own voice like a cleric's god. Druids can have a wide range of differing interpretations of what nature wants or needs, which results in things like evil druids who want to tear down civilization or druids who just want to live life in the wilderness as a beast might.
A group of druids is called a Circle. All druids share a loose fellowship through their faith, but a Circle is a small organization of local druids who have come together in a similar way that a group of priests might join together in a temple. A Druid's temple is called a Grove though, and is usually more of an open space with lots of trees and natural formations. Druids of a single Circle will typically follow the same traditions and form of faith. A Circle might be dedicated to one or more nature gods or might just be focused on nature itself. Allies of the druids can also be a part of their Circle such as rangers, benevolent fey, dryads, and sometimes families of the druids who live with them.
Circles can also mean the subclasses though, which are more like wider subcultures within the druidic tradition. Because local Circles share a common set of traditions and beliefs I assume you'd have everyone in a specific Circle be the same subclass as well. So you might say "I hail from the Circle of Radagast, a Moon Circle dedicated to studying the shapes and hues of many beasts". That's just how I interpret the subclass lore vs druidic organizations lore though.
Then you have druids from tribal societies like the Lizardfolk who function more like shamans or spiritual leaders of their people. The lore isn't very clear how they fit into the Circles system, but I assume each tribe more or less functions as its own Circle association even if only their actual druids would be considered a part of the druidic tradition. Lizardfolk druids DO still know Druidic, after all. And other druids can understand their druidic and recognize it as their secret druid language. That shows some commonality between them even if you'd be unlikely to see a Lizardfolk druid hanging around an Elvish Circle.
There are lots of background options for druids. The traditional background is someone who desires to maintain a balance between nature and society. And within this traditional background, there are lots of options that range from a hermit who avoids society altogether to someone who is active within society and who may/may not be willing to harm people who disregard the balance of nature.
Another way to think of player's background is in terms of what they become: roughly the subclass theme they'll choose later. For example, maybe when a Moon druid was young he would wrestle with beasts. And maybe someone who became a Wildfire druid had a special interest in fire as an element, a specific type of combustible fuel, the behavior of fire, the effective uses of fire, fire prevention, etc. And so on.
A couple other thematic ideas for a druid might be someone who has a deep interest in are:
One or more of the domains of nature:
All of these themes can be supplemented with taking feats that give them access to spells that allow the druid to extend the theme, e.g., poison related spells for the Disease theme. Or the druid can multi-class in a way that allows them to extend one of these themes. Artificer is a great multiclass option here for any druids with one of these themes. In general, Artificer Druid make for a great multi option: Artificer can help with AC, decent (not OP) improvement in melee attacks, and average-above average spell additions.
Started playing AD&D in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in 2023
Hi intrepidgnome,
SaurianDruid gave a nice precis of Druids to which I would only add that (imho) druids don't live in colonies or tribes, per se (apart from ashari Druids), but ritually come together with other members of their circle at certain times of the year and if any special call goes out. Let your DM know that your presence will be required at such ritual gatherings occasionally (good opportunity for a story arc).
I think I like to think of Druids (at least when not adventuring) mainly living in tribes or maybe small bands or just clans or families. Maybe the circle is larger than living groups and is more for the religious/spiritual and might meet at the time of certain seasonal or astrological events.
Now I'm curious about how common it is for Druids to take off and join adventuring parties and what reasons they might have for doing that. I guess it might start out as an extension of revering and protecting nature, but then it seems like adventuring becomes a lifestyle of its own, that is perhaps different than what I might think would be more usual for a Druid (or maybe its common for druids to be adventurers, at least for a time).
I've been thinking of a character concept: a Druid who belongs/belonged to a druid circle that either is also a cult or at least has some cult-like qualities. Maybe there is a cult leader involved, who is more flakey than truly harmful, who would be a fun potential NPC
Intrepidgnome, you are, of course, absolutely free to think of druids however you like - that's the joy of playing D&D. For me, I blend fantasy with history, and that means reading what Julius Caesar has to say about them. His writings give us 99% of what real information we know about druids - and they are a long way from D&D druids, needless to say. Caesar tells us they were elders/wisemen/judges/leaders of Iron Age (celtic) villages/communites/tribes - as in one per group of people. Every group/tribe/etc had one to whom they deferred. But they did hold meetings and, although they don't get any column inches in his exploits in Gaul (where Caesar did almost all his fighting), in his breif visit to the UK he says they did have a particular "holy place", that is Anglesey, an island off the Welsh coast (which he summarily destroyed).
In my D&D world druids are the solitary tribal elder/forest warden, in an area/community, and who regularly come together in councils (Cirlces) at least annually - prolly more frequently at pertinent times of the solar and lunar cycles (i.e. the year).
OK, so this sounds like I'm saying "you're wrong" but not so ... honestly. Back in 1980 I dropped into a friend's place, had dice thrust in my hand and told "Roll!". Next thing, I was Druid, so I crashed the university library and read everything I could find about druids. That was my journey. Yours is different. You damnwell play them however you want! Just enjoy playing the best Class in D&D5e! :)
When a bird druid and bee druid love each other very much....
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.