I mean, you are a protector of nature....and after years of adventureing you find out that the only enemy is the civilised world. They cut down forests to build kingdoms, kill animals for sport and abuse the soil with filth. After that you are just a mortal...with the Wrath of Nature on your side.....and they must be punished. The only cure for a dangerous disease is to cut off the infested limb then the rest of the body will heal.
There are several ways to play a Druid. Druids can be protectors of nature, they can exploit nature for their own goals, they can protect the balance between nature and civilization, or anything else. They can be evil, they can be good, and they can be neutral. It depends on how you want to play yours and what your concept is.
I mean, you are a protector of nature....and after years of adventureing you find out that the only enemy is the civilised world. They cut down forests to build kingdoms, kill animals for sport and abuse the soil with filth. After that you are just a mortal...with the Wrath of Nature on your side.....and they must be punished. The only cure for a dangerous disease is to cut off the infested limb then the rest of the body will heal.
So tired of this infactual trope.
Nature took empty nothingness and made everything. It took dust and made life. Even we real world people could blow each up with our Nukes and Nature would just go "oh you silly little things, look at that mess, *sigh* oh well, " and then continue on creating more and new things, stepping over our tiny blip in history like the miniscule inconvenience it is.
We were not the first to use tools. Many creatures throughout history have often used some form of tool from simple sticks to pick out nests or rocks to open clam shells or to make dams, nests and so on.
We were not the first to ****. Many creatures do this. In fact some species such as bed bugs never have consensual sex - they're copulation is a dangerous affair of literally attacking each other. Seals and walruses also do this. Lions and wolves too - the females for producing their own offspring and the males for dominance.
We were not the first to kill for sport. A lot of predatory animals will kill even when they still have food in order to keep their skills sharp. Aggressive for fun killing has also been seen in: wolves, elephants, dolpins, ants, birds, other primates and more.
We were not the first to build structures. In fact you know all those skyscrapers? We stole that design from termites. Insects and some mammals have been building their homes long before humans ever walked the earth. We learned how to build by watching them.
We were not the first to farm other creatures for our benefit. Ants and termites farm fungi, ants farm aphids, fish farm algae, and more. We stole their idea and really ran with it.
So a lot of the things humans are described as being "evil" and "unnatural" are things other "natural" creatures do too.
Everything humans are, everything humans do and everything humans make is all allowed by nature. If nature had not wanted us to have the minds and instincts and desires we have, we would simply not have them.
Humans are natural and are no more a disease on the earth than any other creature.
Even nature will lightning strike a forest to burn it down when the time arises. Even the creatures that destroy do so because it's in their nature. And the creatures that build do so because it is their nature. And the creatures that can do both, like us, do so because it is our nature.
Like everything else we're just doing what we can to survive and flourish with the tools, abilities and potential that Nature gave us.
And when we're gone, one way or another, Nature will move on.
I mean, D&D has absolute morality - you can point to a thing and say that it is inherently evil. In that case, trying to make a relative morality argument is inconceivable.
I mean, you are a protector of nature....and after years of adventureing you find out that the only enemy is the civilised world. They cut down forests to build kingdoms, kill animals for sport and abuse the soil with filth. After that you are just a mortal...with the Wrath of Nature on your side.....and they must be punished. The only cure for a dangerous disease is to cut off the infested limb then the rest of the body will heal.
I just got finished playing a druid and I took this stance...Nature always wins. Nature does not need a protector, especially in the medieval setting we were playing in. No matter what you got, nature is stronger. He was against aberrations of any type including undead. My character worshipped Gaia and it was his belief and that of the circle he stemmed from is that Gaia selected her druids for a very specific mission.
It may be now. It may be decades away, but at some point you were going to be in position to right a wrong against nature. Then my DM dropped me into a world governed by Beholders and Mind Flayers, both aberrations. So the philosophy worked out well.
In reality, a druid is USUALLY neutral. But as we all know, D&D is a game of infinite possibilities. Ive been a druid who was Lawful Good, and sought the protection of civilization through the use and extension of Nature. Druids are strange, and diverse because of they way they CAN interact. A druid can despise every form of civilization. It can tolerate it. It can't live without it. All depends on the way you build them. Druids can find resolution within their own circle, and prey upon other circles, making a fine circle of life just between druids. This circle of life and food chain can involve or ignore regular people. Some druids think that preying on the civilized is necessary for Nature to remain a constant, while some believe that protecting the civilized make for a better future for both Nature and Civilization.
"They can't defend themselves against the way of life. Therefor, we should kill them."
"They can't defend themselves against the way of life. Therefor, we should protect them."
And tis why Druids are confusing to new players. "You have to love nature and dislike the events leading to the destruction of nature. This can mean anything you like, so have fun!"
The only thing that can unite all druids is the hatred for abberations and undead. Any TRUE druid will immediately destroy said beings. Im confused as to why fiends, fey, and celestials dont invoke the same wrath. But then again, its a druid, and can do as it pleases.
So to wrap this all up in words I should have said earlier: No. Druids are not evil. Their actions may be, but the way they think is the main determinant of how they behave, which usually matches a common goal for most druids.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I love roleplaying, message me so we can set something up.
I talk everything D&D, message me for questions, chat, arguements, or roleplay!
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I mean, you are a protector of nature....and after years of adventureing you find out that the only enemy is the civilised world. They cut down forests to build kingdoms, kill animals for sport and abuse the soil with filth. After that you are just a mortal...with the Wrath of Nature on your side.....and they must be punished. The only cure for a dangerous disease is to cut off the infested limb then the rest of the body will heal.
There are several ways to play a Druid. Druids can be protectors of nature, they can exploit nature for their own goals, they can protect the balance between nature and civilization, or anything else. They can be evil, they can be good, and they can be neutral. It depends on how you want to play yours and what your concept is.
Professional computer geek
Ecoterrorism is good, actually.
So tired of this infactual trope.
Nature took empty nothingness and made everything. It took dust and made life. Even we real world people could blow each up with our Nukes and Nature would just go "oh you silly little things, look at that mess, *sigh* oh well, " and then continue on creating more and new things, stepping over our tiny blip in history like the miniscule inconvenience it is.
We were not the first to use tools. Many creatures throughout history have often used some form of tool from simple sticks to pick out nests or rocks to open clam shells or to make dams, nests and so on.
We were not the first to ****. Many creatures do this. In fact some species such as bed bugs never have consensual sex - they're copulation is a dangerous affair of literally attacking each other. Seals and walruses also do this. Lions and wolves too - the females for producing their own offspring and the males for dominance.
We were not the first to kill for sport. A lot of predatory animals will kill even when they still have food in order to keep their skills sharp. Aggressive for fun killing has also been seen in: wolves, elephants, dolpins, ants, birds, other primates and more.
We were not the first to build structures. In fact you know all those skyscrapers? We stole that design from termites. Insects and some mammals have been building their homes long before humans ever walked the earth. We learned how to build by watching them.
We were not the first to farm other creatures for our benefit. Ants and termites farm fungi, ants farm aphids, fish farm algae, and more. We stole their idea and really ran with it.
So a lot of the things humans are described as being "evil" and "unnatural" are things other "natural" creatures do too.
Everything humans are, everything humans do and everything humans make is all allowed by nature. If nature had not wanted us to have the minds and instincts and desires we have, we would simply not have them.
Humans are natural and are no more a disease on the earth than any other creature.
Even nature will lightning strike a forest to burn it down when the time arises. Even the creatures that destroy do so because it's in their nature. And the creatures that build do so because it is their nature. And the creatures that can do both, like us, do so because it is our nature.
Like everything else we're just doing what we can to survive and flourish with the tools, abilities and potential that Nature gave us.
And when we're gone, one way or another, Nature will move on.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
I mean, D&D has absolute morality - you can point to a thing and say that it is inherently evil. In that case, trying to make a relative morality argument is inconceivable.
I just got finished playing a druid and I took this stance...Nature always wins. Nature does not need a protector, especially in the medieval setting we were playing in. No matter what you got, nature is stronger. He was against aberrations of any type including undead. My character worshipped Gaia and it was his belief and that of the circle he stemmed from is that Gaia selected her druids for a very specific mission.
It may be now. It may be decades away, but at some point you were going to be in position to right a wrong against nature. Then my DM dropped me into a world governed by Beholders and Mind Flayers, both aberrations. So the philosophy worked out well.
In reality, a druid is USUALLY neutral. But as we all know, D&D is a game of infinite possibilities. Ive been a druid who was Lawful Good, and sought the protection of civilization through the use and extension of Nature. Druids are strange, and diverse because of they way they CAN interact. A druid can despise every form of civilization. It can tolerate it. It can't live without it. All depends on the way you build them. Druids can find resolution within their own circle, and prey upon other circles, making a fine circle of life just between druids. This circle of life and food chain can involve or ignore regular people. Some druids think that preying on the civilized is necessary for Nature to remain a constant, while some believe that protecting the civilized make for a better future for both Nature and Civilization.
"They can't defend themselves against the way of life. Therefor, we should kill them."
"They can't defend themselves against the way of life. Therefor, we should protect them."
And tis why Druids are confusing to new players. "You have to love nature and dislike the events leading to the destruction of nature. This can mean anything you like, so have fun!"
The only thing that can unite all druids is the hatred for abberations and undead. Any TRUE druid will immediately destroy said beings. Im confused as to why fiends, fey, and celestials dont invoke the same wrath. But then again, its a druid, and can do as it pleases.
So to wrap this all up in words I should have said earlier:
No. Druids are not evil. Their actions may be, but the way they think is the main determinant of how they behave, which usually matches a common goal for most druids.
I love roleplaying, message me so we can set something up.
I talk everything D&D, message me for questions, chat, arguements, or roleplay!