So I was at my local book store today and saw a neat little book which inspired me to think of ideas for an Iron Druid. Basically a druid who lives his life through metal (maybe living underground in an iron rich cavern) and everything around it, using natural means to smelt the iron and make his own weapons/armor etc. But then I thought, "Wait, doesn't that invalidate the concept of a druid?" Then thought some more and said, "Nope, doin' it anyway."
What is your position on an "Iron Druid" archetype/alternate class and would you have any suggestions for either one?
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iron is a natural part of the earth so it should be part of the druids arsenal. Smelting/working iron on the other hand seems to go against there code to me.
I could totally see an iron druid that has a new set of spell like abilities or spells based on using iron as a spell component/modifying it to create some things/fight with but using non magical ways of creating things with it (and i mean any creation process than even includes non magical elements) seems off to me.
iron is a natural part of the earth so it should be part of the druids arsenal. Smelting/working iron on the other hand seems to go against there code to me.
I could totally see an iron druid that has a new set of spell like abilities or spells based on using iron as a spell component/modifying it to create some things/fight with but using non magical ways of creating things with it (and i mean any creation process than even includes non magical elements) seems off to me.
What about alchemical methods found through researching flora worldwide?
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heh,
i think the druid in general is tricky because it comes down to the intent of the class rather than the fact of nature.
i THINK the intent of the class is to basically function in both a natural and uncivilized/advanced way. To me that would also restrict alchemy even if it comes from the natural world.
Now if you want to ignore the games intent of druid and just focus on the druids sphere of influence (nature) then in reality you can influence metal of any type in any way you wish because as we know humans (and in fantasy worlds elves, dwarves and so on) are natural creatures and everything they use including there technology comes from the earth and there own brains. Worked metal is just earth and fire combined with your brain. It is completely natural to make and use things made from it in the real world.
So to me it comes down to those 2 choices, follow the intent of the book with druids or just follow the sphere of influence.
*shrugs* personal choice. Good Luck :)
A Druid is about preservation of nature. Digging iron ore out of the earth seems to be excatly not the thing that a Druid would do.
That said you could probably invent some backstory how the Iron Druid would get his iron without destroying a part of the nature in the process.
As an archetype this thing seems to be too far off to work. it goes against several key concepts and being able to change into a frolicking animal and to talkwith the trees seem hardly fitting.
Before going alternate class i would ask myself wether I could archieve the same effect with an archetype of another class.
To make a long story short: Iron Priest ftw.
I'm going to make an antimatter druid. Antimatter is a natural part of the world, occuring in the upper magnetosphere under the bombardment of cosmic rays.
Totally natural, all the way. :P
The ironclad (heh heh heh) restrictions druids face don't make too much sense - use any weapon at all, even if it's half a ton of steel which was tortured from Mother Earth, but any sort of metal armour and you're on supernatural detention.
I guess it's more a religious restriction - and religion, like tradition, doesn't always make sense. It probably made sense once, to those who first introduced it, and now you're stuck with it.
You can certainly ditch the "we pledge to not wear metal armour, but metal weapons are fine" deal. It's just a break-off sect of druids.
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lol, i find it a bit funny that the main objection is that you have to destroy a bit of nature to get the iron. What about wood? your cutting down trees? what about leather? your killing animals for it?
I would LOVE to see an antimatter druid although being on a planet like ours would probably give him little to work with :P