
Owly |

If the player views his druid as an officer of nature, and his sacrifice of his animal companions is necessary in the grand scheme of things (this is the ONLY way I would allow it) because he's "taking on the enemies of nature" etc. etc., then I would have a nature deity get his attention, and TEST his true devotion.
Gozreh: "Since you insist that it is within your purview to dispose of the gifts I have given you for the greater good, we shall see if you show the same willingness as I send you and your companions on a dangerous quest. As you chose to sacrifice your animal companions, you shall demonstrate the same self-sacrifice for mine own sake."
...and see if the druid is truly willing to demonstrate self-sacrifice for the sake of the Power of Nature. Nature can be cruel, after all, and perhaps Gozreh will deem him to be a useful servant...or not.

Quantum Steve |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

If the player views his druid as an officer of nature, and his sacrifice of his animal companions is necessary in the grand scheme of things (this is the ONLY way I would allow it) because he's "taking on the enemies of nature" etc. etc., then I would have a nature deity get his attention, and TEST his true devotion.
Gozreh: "Since you insist that it is within your purview to dispose of the gifts I have given you for the greater good, we shall see if you show the same willingness as I send you and your companions on a dangerous quest. As you chose to sacrifice your animal companions, you shall demonstrate the same self-sacrifice for mine own sake."
...and see if the druid is truly willing to demonstrate self-sacrifice for the sake of the Power of Nature. Nature can be cruel, after all, and perhaps Gozreh will deem him to be a useful servant...or not.
What if he doesn't worship Gozreh?
And why must the death of the AC be "necessary"? Are the fish that die when a river recedes "necessary"?

Owly |

Owly wrote:If the player views his druid as an officer of nature, and his sacrifice of his animal companions is necessary in the grand scheme of things (this is the ONLY way I would allow it) because he's "taking on the enemies of nature" etc. etc., then I would have a nature deity get his attention, and TEST his true devotion.
Gozreh: "Since you insist that it is within your purview to dispose of the gifts I have given you for the greater good, we shall see if you show the same willingness as I send you and your companions on a dangerous quest. As you chose to sacrifice your animal companions, you shall demonstrate the same self-sacrifice for mine own sake."
...and see if the druid is truly willing to demonstrate self-sacrifice for the sake of the Power of Nature. Nature can be cruel, after all, and perhaps Gozreh will deem him to be a useful servant...or not.
What if he doesn't worship Gozreh?
And why must the death of the AC be "necessary"? Are the fish that die when a river recedes "necessary"?
Hmm...He doesn't HAVE to be a worshiper of Gozreh. Nature doesn't care if it's worshiped or revered, so long as it's respected, after all.
The death of the Animal Companion is beside the point: the gods wish to test whether some mortal emotion (hubris) has tainted the druid, who has been entrusted with vast powers.

Phrennzy. |

Whoa, didn't expect this big a response, lol. Thanks all.
The player is not stupid. He is inexperienced. This is his first time playing D&D, and I fault myself for not putting more emphasis on role playing. He didn't know the hell cat would be fire resistant.
We play 3.5, not pathfinder. He worships Ehlonna.
Dogma: Ehlonna teaches that the animals and plants of the forests are gifts, and are not to be stolen. She is often the goddess of rangers and druids and opposes hunters and those who would rape the land for fun or profit.
However, we haven't really role played in regards to his animal companions, and the deaths thereof. They have been treated as just another weapon or spell. So we can't throw a big penalty on him. His other animal companions have died in combat, but this felt to me like crossing the line. A complete disregard of his companion's safety. It felt like tossing a fireball at the enemy, and catching the party rogue in it because 'he has evasion'.
He expresses remorse and agrees there should be some in game punishment.
I like the idea of losing the animal companion for a bit - maybe a level. Or, since he spends the entirety of every dungeon in Dire Bear form - maybe he loses his wild shaping. I think he would 'feel' that loss more than not having an animal companion. Perhaps his regaining of the wild shape hinges on keeping his AC alive for a level.

Adamantine Dragon |

Phrennzy, when my druid lost her animal companion to the crocodile, I met with the GM after a session and we worked out a penance at her request. The result was that she was not able to summon a new animal companion until she performed a selfless act that benefited nature enough to satisfy her god. It became a mini-quest and meant she ended up without an animal companion for several encounters.
Of course we are primarily a role playing group, not a power gaming one.

Shifty |

Right well seems the inexperience and lack of knowledge (particularly around the foe) all rolls into context now.
Sort of completely disproves the 'sadistic' angle some people were trying to push :)
I think the guy just didn't get it, and perhaps a bit of a quiet chat and a chance to reframe are probably worthwhile. Can't really punish him for something he just plain didn't know about.
Anyhow, good gaming :)

3.5 Loyalist |

We're playing Age of Worms (if that matters). Party is level 8, going to level 9.
Animal Companion wolf is in a grapple with a Hellcat. Druid casts flame strike on them both.
Hellcat takes 16, 8 after fire resistance. Wolf takes 33, chars, and dies.Druid player expresses no remorse.
This is the 4th or 5th wolf he has gone thru. Earlier deaths were not directly his fault. But he does not mourn at all.
The cleric in the campaign has taken the leadership feat, and is going out of his way to equip the cohort and keep him safe. When the cohort died, the cleric paid for a reincarnate (the cohort had earlier expressed a desire to come back, no matter the cost.) So there is a sort of precedent for caring for your companions.
The druid just throws the wolf on the pile and goes and calls another a day later.
I want to show him there are repercussions to this sort of thing. The companion is supposed to be just that, a companion, not just another weapon in your reptoire.
I am thinking of denying him the animal companion when he tries to summon one. Not sure for how long. Not sure if an atonement spell would work - if it did he'd definitely need to perform some sort of task.
I don't want to punish the other characters though, and I don't want to completely derail the campaign. They just finished with Zyrxog, so its kind of a down time before the next chapter. Seems like the perfect time.
I am open to all suggestions, inlcuding those of 'just move on'.
Applause. That druid isn't a sentimentalist, they don't let their personal feelings get in the way of fighting for nature and defeating enemies. I like it. The druid is wise, pawns at times need to be sacrificed. Not every summoned creature of nature makes it to the other side of the board. Perhaps dm, you are angry the player kicked the dog with flamestrike?
I heartily approve. The druid is cold, like nature. Nature isn't all cuddles and kittens people (I've lived in a desert, and the tropics), and battle is harsh and vicious with such quick developments. Don't punish the druid, try to understand it from his perspective--nature must win whatever the cost.
I just hope the druid kills himself one day to ensure a greater victory for nature.

3.5 Loyalist |

Phrennzy, when my druid lost her animal companion to the crocodile, I met with the GM after a session and we worked out a penance at her request. The result was that she was not able to summon a new animal companion until she performed a selfless act that benefited nature enough to satisfy her god. It became a mini-quest and meant she ended up without an animal companion for several encounters.
Of course we are primarily a role playing group, not a power gaming one.
Of course it is your game, but if I understand correctly, someone lost an animal companion to a crocodile and they had to atone to get a new one? The natural ate the natural, why is there a problem here, why was the druid punished?

Dabbler |

Great spell for Cav/Pal/Sam.
Not particularly usefull for Dru/Rng though...
24hrs and they get a new one.
Which is the difference between metagaming a class with an AC and role-playing a druid or ranger with an animal best friend. The former just write off the animal, cross the name off the character sheet for the AC and write in the new name. The latter cast the spell and restore their beloved companion to life.
I mean, I don't know many dog-owners that would not be heartbroken at the loss of their hound, and the bond between a character and an animal companion is supposed to be way deeper and stronger.

The equalizer |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I agree they are not sentimentalists and nature doesn't really distinguish between good and evil. However, the druid is drawinghis powers from it. What it does care about, is whether the druid is championing its cause. In the case of the crocodile eating the animal companion, I don't see a reason why the druid has to atone. Claimed by natural order and all that. On the other hand, if the druid is simply sacrificing his animal companion out of situational convenience, then there should be eventual repercussions. Maybe not if you did it once or twice. But if its something like 7 times, there should be some sort of drawback. The animal companion is a gift from the woodlands to help the druid champion the causes of natural order and to prevent those who would harm it. Falling back on the logic of "I can always get a new one" is nowhere near respecting the powers which make a druid so much more than they are without it. The woodlands is not the welfare state.

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My two C-bills (now with added information!)
It sounds like when someone is playing a druid, finding out HOW the character reveres nature, and how that interacts with his alignment.
It’s harder to wrap my brain around a chaotic neutral or lawful neutral druid, but…
- A Neutral Good druid I could see as the custodian/caregiver type. Part of nature is that sometimes a forest must burn to make way for new growth, but the good aspect is mitigating that suffering. The neutral good druid could flamestrike Fluffy the wonder Wolf to take out the BBEG, but should feel remorse over Fluffy’s sacrifice. Neutral Good used to be able to be read as a relentless unyielding war on evil.
- A Neutral Evil druid I see more as the embrace nature’s destructive wrath as others have mentioned. Where a neutral character might warn a village in a fire’s path, and a neutral good druid might try to steer around the village, the neutral evil character is more likely to steer it towards the village. If you’re embracing nature’s destruction, you’re more likely to destroy the dam, rather than modify it.
Hmm, playing a religious character and needing a religious philosophy, who’d a thunk it?
If the character’s tenants are that nature is a gift, then yes it should be an issue of abusing that gift. The raise animal companion spell is great for players who look at their AC as a pet/ally and not “Meat Shield #6”. (not to mention the time taken retraining the new animal). I think since we’re talking about an inexperienced player, the ‘side table talk’ must come first, with the awareness that repercussions may result later.

Tom S 820 |

Tom S 820 wrote:It the natural order things die. Move on. We are born... We live... We die... Some people do not greave right away or at all. For greater good natural balance the pet need to be sacrificed. IE to kill the Hell Hound which probably caused more damage in the nature word to be out of balanced than this act. I mean it not from this plane so every thing it eat while here upset the nature order of things. So losing one cat to stop that well worth it in the eyes of a druid. Look big picture not little picture.That would be great if that was how he was role-playing his character, i.e. as an emotionally-stunted True Neutral druid. But that certainly does not strike me as the attitude of a Neutral Good character who views his Animal Companion as a pet. Instead, he comes off as a sociopath, not a Neutral Good person who just cooked his best friend to death.
Good kill the Hell Hound. And I loss my tool in the act.
Loss the good algiment maybe. But you druid abilty? NO.
Tom S 820 |

Whoa, didn't expect this big a response, lol. Thanks all.
The player is not stupid. He is inexperienced. This is his first time playing D&D, and I fault myself for not putting more emphasis on role playing. He didn't know the hell cat would be fire resistant.
There is the answer you as not helped him understand what his good want.
Also why did this pet not evade the spell.

Paraxis |

I know this druid we are talking about worships a diety and that can come with extra baggage but druids don't have to worship a higher power. They can just have a personal code.
I am a big believer and not forcing people to run a character a certain way that is one of the reasons in my games alignment is mostly ignored. Let the druid be if a fighter can't loose feats for spending a month getting drunk and not practicing his craft then I don't see a reason to ever take away any characters ability to do anything.

Dabbler |

Druids aren't by default sentimentalists though, after all everything dies and they know this. They aren't dog-owners from the middle classes.
The point I was making was that you do not have to be a sentimentalist to regret the loss of your best friend. I mean maybe a psychopath wouldn't give a hoot, but I can't imagine anything this side of human from that would be unaffected.

Gilfalas |

He worships Ehlonna.
Dogma: Ehlonna teaches that the animals and plants of the forests are gifts, and are not to be stolen. She is often the goddess of rangers and druids and opposes hunters and those who would rape the land for fun or profit.
So he is a Neutral Good Druid of Ehlonna in the Forgotten Realms. Yes, she would be vastly annoyed at the indiffent waste of her children given her dogma and history in that setting. That said, you say the first 4 companions simply died in combat and the fifth was killed by the druid himself in a less than wise gambit.
The druid is evidently not using wise tactics in deploying his companions, given their extreme mortality rate. Also, killing his own companion is extemely negligent in all but the most dire circumstances. As a good follower of Ehlonna, who holds her animal children so highly, he SHOULD mourn and honor their loss for his sake. While the companions are indeed there to risk themselves in his/her service, they are also to be treated as a friend would and kept from unnessary harm if at all possible.
A lesson should be taught to this character along with some RP basics to the player about the setting and the expectation of his goddess and his duties in context thereof. I would not be too harsh out of game, but in game the penalty should be stiff and memorable but not too punitive. Perhaps no access to an animal companion for 60 days and summon natures ally spells automatically fail until he/she atones to Ehlonna and his animal brethren?
I know this druid we are talking about worships a diety and that can come with extra baggage but druids don't have to worship a higher power. They can just have a personal code.
Actually one of the peculiarities of the Forgotten Realms setting is that you MUST worship a deity as a divine class and you want to receive your powers and divine magic. Even as a none divine class/character you must at least give lip service to a deity if you want to ever have a chance at an afterlife or to get raised from the dead. Those who live by a 'code' but ignore the gods or actively turn from them cannot be raised from the dead as they have no patron god to give their soul direction/release back and their souls are literally turned into the building materials used to create the buildings, roads and such in the realm of the dead if they die as one of 'the faithless'. 'The Faithless' have no afterlife or chance at rebirth in the Realms. It is one of the keystones of how the enture setting works.

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Two generals from opposing sides will learn everything they can about the other guy even keeping their picture on his desk and come to respect and even like the guy but won't hesitate to put a bullet in the others head.
"Rommel, you magnificent bastard!" ~General Patton
In regards to the OP:
If the character was playing a N druid, I could chalk it off as inexperience, bad tactics, or stupidity. Were they playing a CN druid, I could dismiss it as in character. A NE druid, perhaps the AC was tasked with defeating the Hellcat, and the flame strike was punishment for not succeeding. But a NG druid, especially one of Ehlonna, would not be so detached.
Flame strikeing your companion may not have mechanical penalties, like Paladins or Cavaliers do, but a druid of Ehlonna would absolutely mourn for his lost companion. I saw the native american example upthread, but perhaps a more potent example... Did anyone see Avatar? James Cameron movie? Tall blue cat people versus mechs and jet choppers? When Neytyri saves Avatar Jake from the pack of viperwolves, she kills the one suffering from her poison quickly, saying a prayer over its body. Reverence. When she's teaching Jake how to hunt, he deals the final blow while thanking the creature for nourishment it will bring. REVERENCE.
I'm not saying you've got to pray over everything, but by the gods! Your loyal friend and pet, who trusts you and faithfully obeys even when you send him forth to combat a skeletal feline belched from Hell itself, literally burning with evil, has just been killed by your hand!
Remorse would be called for; Raise animal companion would be on the table; Prayer and meditation to try to figure out what you could have done differently, how you can prevent it from happening again.
You do none of those things? You've violated the precepts of your faith, disrespected nature, and I would expect Elhonnna to express her displeasure. That's not Metagaming. That's in-character consequences for in-character actions.
Ghost wolves appearing around the character as he performs the companion ritual and driving other companions away is a great idea, as is having flame strike not work as well, or cause minor kickback (1d4 fire damage to caster). Stripping wildshape, or better yet, restricting wild shape to the form of his fallen companion is a fantastic idea.

Sardonic Soul |

Derpy the druid deserves punishment. I don't think nature grants powers so they can used on the animals, thats just dumb regardless of alignment. May I sugeest a visit from 4 or 5 familiar looking wolf revenants? Preferably while he sleeps. Why? Becuase restless spirits don't care about your aligment or world views.

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I really do not like this attitude that Druids are a bunch of stoic, stone-hearted people who are somehow incapable of empathizing with other living creatures. Druids are not automatically Vulcans. Neutrality, even True Neutrality, does not mean a person is incapable of developing friendships and deep emotional bonds with other people or their own pets/companions. Even if one accepts the loss of friends and companions as part of the natural order, that does not mean they cannot grieve.
Heck, I do not think any of us here would not see death as part of the natural order, and yet we still grieve and mourn when our loved ones die. Why should druids be any different?

Quantum Steve |

Quantum Steve wrote:
What if he doesn't worship Gozreh?And why must the death of the AC be "necessary"? Are the fish that die when a river recedes "necessary"?
Hmm...He doesn't HAVE to be a worshiper of Gozreh. Nature doesn't care if it's worshiped or revered, so long as it's respected, after all.
The death of the Animal Companion is beside the point: the gods wish to test whether some mortal emotion (hubris) has tainted the druid, who has been entrusted with vast powers.
So, now hubris is part of the Druidic code? When was that added?

Shifty |

Which is the difference between metagaming a class with an AC and role-playing a druid or ranger with an animal best friend. The former just write off the animal, cross the name off the character sheet for the AC and write in the new name. The latter cast the spell and restore their beloved companion to life.
Isn't the Class itself Metagaming by imposing a significant IN GAME penalty to the player as a reflection of remorse, whereas the equally remorseful Dru/Rng has no penalty?
Why is there one mechanical rule for one, yet a totally different set for the other. Why is one a 'RP' choice, and the other a mandated mechanical penalty?
Either there has been a massive error of oversight, OR the lack of such penalty tells us all we need to know about the relationship.

Adamantine Dragon |

Adamantine Dragon wrote:Of course it is your game, but if I understand correctly, someone lost an animal companion to a crocodile and they had to atone to get a new one? The natural ate the natural, why is there a problem here, why was the druid punished?Phrennzy, when my druid lost her animal companion to the crocodile, I met with the GM after a session and we worked out a penance at her request. The result was that she was not able to summon a new animal companion until she performed a selfless act that benefited nature enough to satisfy her god. It became a mini-quest and meant she ended up without an animal companion for several encounters.
Of course we are primarily a role playing group, not a power gaming one.
The druid in question had lost a previous animal companion to a hidden shambling mound. She requested the atonement because she felt she had been a poor shepherd and had not done enough to protect her companions. She felt she needed to demonstrate her remorse and become a better druid so that the next AC she summoned would have a better chance at survival.
So far so good. Her tiger has survived a couple of modules now. She definitely is more careful with the tiger than she had been with the wolves. I think she learned her lesson well.

Kirth Gersen |

Why is there one mechanical rule for one, yet a totally different set for the other. Why is one a 'RP' choice, and the other a mandated mechanical penalty?
Exactly my feelings -- trying to balance a mechanical feature with a role-playing requirement is a good idea only if you want to spend your life participating in "should this paladin fall?" threads. It seems goofy to me to design a class specifically with the goal of allowing the DM to tell you how to play your character. Then again, I didn't write the game.

Kazaan |
I really do not like this attitude that Druids are a bunch of stoic, stone-hearted people who are somehow incapable of empathizing with other living creatures.
I don't think anyone means that. What we're saying is that each Druid is going to have their own personality and aren't all overly sentimental, vegan hippies just as they aren't all cold, stoic rationals. Saying that his character has the possibility open to be cold and stoic in no way implies that all Druids would be that way. But, likewise, just because some Druids are sentimental and would grieve openly doesn't mean they all would. There are lots of people who work very hard to keep their emotions in check and do aspire to be Vulcan-esque. Some grieve with tears, others grieve with booze, others grieve by carrying on silently, and others grieve by repressing their grief to unhealthy points. Explain these points to the guy so he can incorporate them into his RP (especially if he's still learning). He may be of a Vulcanish temperament as a player and that's translating into his underdeveloped RP. Nothing wrong with that; it's usually easiest to act as you yourself would act when developing RP. Later, he may want to experiment with acting in a manner that he wouldn't such as openly grieving, choosing alignment contrary to his own sense of morals and ethics, gender-bending, etc.

Tinalles |
Bring that wolf back as a Revenant.
You'd need to work out a stat block for a revenant wolf. Get the stats for the wolf that was killed, change its type to undead (with accompanying stat alterations), then give it the special abilities from the revenant. Baleful Shriek is easily reskinned as Baleful Howl; Sense Murderer and Reason to Hate work fine just as they are.
Not sure what to do about Self Loathing -- the self-reflective aspects don't really make sense for a wolf. Perhaps you could make it shy away from fire instead? Since that's what killed it.
The "Reason to Hate" says "As long as the murderer exists, the revenant exists." So it might even re-form a few days after being destroyed and come after the druid again and again until either the druid dies, or they figure out some other way to deal with it.
That might be a little harsh. But then, so was the druid. My ranger's animal companion died recently, and I decided he would mourn for an entire level before summoning a new one. So ... not in sympathy with the "my animal companion is a disposable meat shield" camp.
EDIT: It'd actually be pretty cool to play up an attack by a revenant wolf, falling on the PCs encampment during the dark of night with terrible howl. Glowing eyes, grotesque expanses of burnt flesh rimmed with charred hanks of rotting fur. Mwa ha ha. Very fun. And it should teach the druid that actions have consequences.

Dabbler |

Dabbler wrote:Which is the difference between metagaming a class with an AC and role-playing a druid or ranger with an animal best friend. The former just write off the animal, cross the name off the character sheet for the AC and write in the new name. The latter cast the spell and restore their beloved companion to life.Isn't the Class itself Metagaming by imposing a significant IN GAME penalty to the player as a reflection of remorse, whereas the equally remorseful Dru/Rng has no penalty?
Why is there one mechanical rule for one, yet a totally different set for the other. Why is one a 'RP' choice, and the other a mandated mechanical penalty?
Either there has been a massive error of oversight, OR the lack of such penalty tells us all we need to know about the relationship.
I agree, it is a bit of a pain having to pay out to restore your animal companion when if you don't pay a new one will come along anyway, but it's one the DM can reward in other ways if he wishes. Despite this, my Sunday players have resurrected their animal companions several times now, they never even considered not doing so. At that point in their careers, the cost was pocket change anyway.
I certainly wouldn't penalise them had they elected not to, as long as they mourned their lost friend but decided he had gone to a better place than being constantly in danger, I'd have been cool with it. But then, none of their ACs were victims of friendly fire either and the deaths were relatively rare (three times between two characters in 15 levels).
Thinking about it, I think that the fact that there IS a spell that resurrects your animal companion tells me that the relationship IS a deep and meaningful one - otherwise, who would care enough to prepare the spell?

3.5 Loyalist |

Phrennzy. wrote:He worships Ehlonna.
Dogma: Ehlonna teaches that the animals and plants of the forests are gifts, and are not to be stolen. She is often the goddess of rangers and druids and opposes hunters and those who would rape the land for fun or profit.So he is a Neutral Good Druid of Ehlonna in the Forgotten Realms. Yes, she would be vastly annoyed at the indiffent waste of her children given her dogma and history in that setting. That said, you say the first 4 companions simply died in combat and the fifth was killed by the druid himself in a less than wise gambit.
The druid is evidently not using wise tactics in deploying his companions, given their extreme mortality rate. Also, killing his own companion is extemely negligent in all but the most dire circumstances. As a good follower of Ehlonna, who holds her animal children so highly, he SHOULD mourn and honor their loss for his sake. While the companions are indeed there to risk themselves in his/her service, they are also to be treated as a friend would and kept from unnessary harm if at all possible.
A lesson should be taught to this character along with some RP basics to the player about the setting and the expectation of his goddess and his duties in context thereof. I would not be too harsh out of game, but in game the penalty should be stiff and memorable but not too punitive. Perhaps no access to an animal companion for 60 days and summon natures ally spells automatically fail until he/she atones to Ehlonna and his animal brethren?
Paraxis wrote:I know this druid we are talking about worships a diety and that can come with extra baggage but druids don't have to worship a higher power. They can just have a personal code.Actually one of the peculiarities of the Forgotten Realms setting is that you MUST worship a deity as a divine class and you want to receive your powers and divine magic. Even as a none divine class/character you must at least give lip service to a deity if you want to ever have a...
There will always be more pawns until the game is lost. Nature has a lot of pawns. There have been a lot of sacrifices but the druid is still alive so perhaps the druid is not so un-wise?
What is the ultimate cost of a dead natural outsider anyway? Do they just respawn on their home plane in time?

3.5 Loyalist |

TarkXT wrote:Two generals from opposing sides will learn everything they can about the other guy even keeping their picture on his desk and come to respect and even like the guy but won't hesitate to put a bullet in the others head."Rommel, you magnificent bastard!" ~General Patton
In regards to the OP:
If the character was playing a N druid, I could chalk it off as inexperience, bad tactics, or stupidity. Were they playing a CN druid, I could dismiss it as in character. A NE druid, perhaps the AC was tasked with defeating the Hellcat, and the flame strike was punishment for not succeeding. But a NG druid, especially one of Ehlonna, would not be so detached.
Flame strikeing your companion may not have mechanical penalties, like Paladins or Cavaliers do, but a druid of Ehlonna would absolutely mourn for his lost companion. I saw the native american example upthread, but perhaps a more potent example... Did anyone see Avatar? James Cameron movie? Tall blue cat people versus mechs and jet choppers? When Neytyri saves Avatar Jake from the pack of viperwolves, she kills the one suffering from her poison quickly, saying a prayer over its body. Reverence. When she's teaching Jake how to hunt, he deals the final blow while thanking the creature for nourishment it will bring. REVERENCE.
I'm not saying you've got to pray over everything, but by the gods! Your loyal friend and pet, who trusts you and faithfully obeys even when you send him forth to combat a skeletal feline belched from Hell itself, literally burning with evil, has just been killed by your hand!
Remorse would be called for; Raise animal companion would be on the table; Prayer and meditation to try to figure out what you could have done differently, how you can prevent it from happening again.
You do none of those things? You've violated the precepts of your faith, disrespected nature, and I would expect Elhonnna to express her displeasure....
Druid: today I felt nothing, perhaps tomorrow?

3.5 Loyalist |
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Derpy the druid deserves punishment. I don't think nature grants powers so they can used on the animals, thats just dumb regardless of alignment. May I sugeest a visit from 4 or 5 familiar looking wolf revenants? Preferably while he sleeps. Why? Becuase restless spirits don't care about your aligment or world views.
Why are the wolves restless? They died serving and protecting nature. Sometimes your superiors kill you, that is a problem in joining a war.

3.5 Loyalist |

We're playing Age of Worms (if that matters). Party is level 8, going to level 9.
Animal Companion wolf is in a grapple with a Hellcat. Druid casts flame strike on them both.
Hellcat takes 16, 8 after fire resistance. Wolf takes 33, chars, and dies.Druid player expresses no remorse.
This is the 4th or 5th wolf he has gone thru. Earlier deaths were not directly his fault. But he does not mourn at all.
The cleric in the campaign has taken the leadership feat, and is going out of his way to equip the cohort and keep him safe. When the cohort died, the cleric paid for a reincarnate (the cohort had earlier expressed a desire to come back, no matter the cost.) So there is a sort of precedent for caring for your companions.
The druid just throws the wolf on the pile and goes and calls another a day later.
I want to show him there are repercussions to this sort of thing. The companion is supposed to be just that, a companion, not just another weapon in your reptoire.
I am thinking of denying him the animal companion when he tries to summon one. Not sure for how long. Not sure if an atonement spell would work - if it did he'd definitely need to perform some sort of task.
I don't want to punish the other characters though, and I don't want to completely derail the campaign. They just finished with Zyrxog, so its kind of a down time before the next chapter. Seems like the perfect time.
I am open to all suggestions, inlcuding those of 'just move on'.
So what are you going to do?
No mourning? Well maybe the roleplayer just isn't an emotional guy. Would nature really care about his character's tears? Isn't nature the epitome of uncaring? Does a wolf care about a rabbit it eats, does a parasitic fungus care when it zombifies ants? Do the winds care when they blow a sheep off a cliff?

Dabbler |

Sardonic Soul wrote:Derpy the druid deserves punishment. I don't think nature grants powers so they can used on the animals, thats just dumb regardless of alignment. May I sugeest a visit from 4 or 5 familiar looking wolf revenants? Preferably while he sleeps. Why? Becuase restless spirits don't care about your aligment or world views.Why are the wolves restless? They died serving and protecting nature. Sometimes your superiors kill you, that is a problem in joining a war.
There's a difference between shouting "Follow me!" in battle, and ording an attack then calling in your own artillery on your own troops once it is underway. One gets you medals, the other a court marshal.
Ah geez, do we need druidic codes now too?
Yeah, next thing you know they'll be requiring those other divine casters, clerics to serve their gods! No, wait...

Shifty |

Druids worship personifications of elemental forces, natural powers, or nature itself. Typically this means devotion to a nature deity, though druids are just as likely to revere vague spirits, animalistic demigods, or even specific awe-inspiring natural wonders.
So a Druid doesn't HAVE to worship a Deity at all, they are NOT reliant on a nature deity to grant them their abilities... this Druid reveres the Niagara Falls!!!
"WHERE IS YOUR (NATURE) GOD NOW!!!>111!1!BBQ!"
Niagara falls
Druid doesn't.

3.5 Loyalist |

3.5 Loyalist wrote:Sardonic Soul wrote:Derpy the druid deserves punishment. I don't think nature grants powers so they can used on the animals, thats just dumb regardless of alignment. May I sugeest a visit from 4 or 5 familiar looking wolf revenants? Preferably while he sleeps. Why? Becuase restless spirits don't care about your aligment or world views.Why are the wolves restless? They died serving and protecting nature. Sometimes your superiors kill you, that is a problem in joining a war.There's a difference between shouting "Follow me!" in battle, and ording an attack then calling in your own artillery on your own troops once it is underway. One gets you medals, the other a court marshal.
TriOmegaZero wrote:Ah geez, do we need druidic codes now too?Yeah, next thing you know they'll be requiring those other divine casters, clerics to serve their gods! No, wait...
But advancing under fire has been a military tactic used since WW1. Literally shelling so close to your position, but just ahead, that you can mow through the broken or frightened troops easier. This has cost to it though, you kill your own side.