I'm playing a druid in a campaign with a lot of in game downtime. The GM has asked what the PCs are doing doing with their time and I'm having trouble coming up with options.
So, what does a druid do with her free time – aside from strolling through the woods playing with her animal companion? I am planning on establishing my own grove, but the campaign hasn't quite gotten there yet.
A little about my druid: 4th (almost 5th) level human female with a wolf animal companion. Craft wonderous item feat (although I'm having trouble figuring out what to craft other than Amulets of Nat. Armor).
Well, there should be no shortage of Wondrous Items for you to make. Belt of <favorite physical stat> or Headband of Wisdom for starters.
If you're in an area that your group will be staying for a while, you could spend your days taking 20 on Wild Empathy checks to gain tons and tons of "friendly nature neighbors". I mean, having a metric ton of druid-only supporters could be all kinds of fun to play out. Need help scouting? Call in a favor from some of those wolves. Can't seem to find something in the wild? Well, that family of eagles that you helped with that nest problem might be willing to help out.
I don't know..have fun with it.
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'Terraform' the surrounding environment. There are species in any region that don't contribute as much as a different species would, or that aren't as convenient to local wildlife or to local humanoid life, and the druid is well suited to making some adjustments to the local environment to make land more productive, etc. such as replacing certain types of trees, or replacing animals in a certain niche with more 'useful' animals or animals that would better support the local food chain.
It's a long-term sort of thing (at least, until you can cheat with plant growth, etc.), but planting a bunch of fruit or nut-bearing trees in place of those that don't support the local herbivore population as much, can help increase the amount of animal fauna in a region, making hunting more productive, etc.
Come up with a foul-smelling alchemical concoction or weak dilution of some insect venom or secretion that repels wood-boring insects blighting a section of forest (or, if they only destroy a particular type of tree, that isn't otherwise terribly useful, go ahead and spread the blight to get rid of the useless trees even faster, and replace them with trees that are more useful to the surrounding ecosystem and not susceptible to the blight).
Eben TheQuiet's suggestion is also a good one. 'Train' local wolf packs to avoid humans, and how to better spot and avoid traps, and the wolf population will be less likely to come into conflict with local people, to the benefit of both groups. (Well, better for shepards, not as great for furriers seeking wolf-pelts...)
For crafting, there is no reason you couldn't do a cloak of resistance. Also, look at some of the other one off items like the horn of fog: things that may be situationally useful.
Also, you can cooperate with other spell casters to create items. If you don't have the spell for a wondrous item, another caster can provide it. If you don't have the creation feat for potions or scrolls but another caster does, you can cooperate to provide the spells for the items. Very helpful for situational spells like Neutralize Poison.
You can also create supply caches. In the surrounding territory, make Survival checks to find food, preserve it, and find hiding places for it. Depending on your skills or wealth, you can add all sorts of useful items to the stashes.
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First of all, where are you?
If you are in or near a city, you could establish a wildlife-friendly park or clean up parks that are there. You could talk with the rats to find better places where they aren't a nuisance.
In rural areas, you could help farmers use more wildlife-friendly ways of farming - to keep animals from burrowing or eating crops and to keep wolves from eating livestock. In this sense, you could talk to the local wildlife to see if they can move somewhere else.
You could be a tree for four hours and spy on people.
You could help local people and wildlife with cure light wounds.
You could help to feed to poor with goodberries.
You could mend items for people.
You could take people on hikes for bird-watching or whatever.
You could make a business out of crafting for other people, or work with other spell casters to make different items.
You could see if local carpenters/construction workers need some help with soften earth & stone or wood shape
You could spend some time studying and learning - might get a bonus to a knowledge skill.
You could take up a hobby, such as carving wood (dead-fall wood only)
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I'm playing a druid in a campaign with a lot of in game downtime. The GM has asked what the PCs are doing doing with their time and I'm having trouble coming up with options.
So, what does a druid do with her free time – aside from strolling through the woods playing with her animal companion? I am planning on establishing my own grove, but the campaign hasn't quite gotten there yet.
A little about my druid: 4th (almost 5th) level human female with a wolf animal companion. Craft wonderous item feat (although I'm having trouble figuring out what to craft other than Amulets of Nat. Armor).
I would suggest taking a step back from game mechanics and look at your character as a character not just a 'druid'.
She is more than just a druid - she is a person.
Suggestions:
*Spending time with a family (wife, husband, children, significant other, etc). She was a human before she was an avatar of nature's wrath. Even if she was an orphan she had to have had some sort of human connection at one point or another.
*'Sowing wild oats' either as a humanoid or as an animal. Nothing says a druid can't procreate in wildshape form. Depending on the downtime she can go off and birth a litter of wolf cubs or sire a litter or two of her own (I don't think wild shape requires you to stay the same gender).
*Pursuing some hobby or pastime (some sort of craft perhaps, leatherworking?) either for pleasure or profit.
I hate the idea that a character has to be wholly defined by their class mechanics. Who says the druid can't be a philandering playboy and the bard can't be the devout aesthetic?
Wild shape into an owl and tell litterbugs, "Give a hoot, don't pollute!"
Or wild shape into a bear and tell people with campfires that "Only you can prevent forest fires!"
If in an urban setting, wild shape into a dog and advise people to "Take a bite out of crime!"
;)
Cheers, JohnH / Wanda
Wow! Great suggestions all! I think getting to know the local fauna with Wild Empathy is a good idea. And I'll see if I can get the locals to work with the environment in a sustainable way.
And I've already thought of brokering a deal with a local merchant to sell my wondrous items.
This definitely got the creative juices flowing. Thanks!
whats a devout aesthetic?
It's the look and feel I'm shooting for when I design the website for those Gregorian monks.
It's mostly muted tans contrasted against a strong blue and brown... with a simple but prominent use of simple, large commune-centric photography.
Half the monks think it's refreshingly appropriate, the other half respond with something helpful like, "I don't know... I'm just not Wowed. Have you seen the new American Idol site?" Though to a monk they'd like to see the logo bigger.
rofl +1
Or wild shape into a bear and tell people with campfires that "Only you can prevent forest fires!"
Or say the same thing while wild shaped into a frog and speaking in an outrageous accent.
hang out in a drum circle with your other "nature loving" friends of whatever species and imbibe on your natural growing herb of choice.
Read a book, go for a beer, socialize or do some class related activities.
You shouldn't let your class dictate what you do in your free time, although it certainly has an impact.
When my druid had downtime, I used to go visit my family and help out on their farm. I'd tend to crops and help heal sick/injured animals, drive off predators, etc.
Then again, that character was a "salt of the earth" type. YMMV.