Playing a pacifist Druid

[Ioskeha]

I'm finding it somewhat difficult to play my character here on the server. I think I've made her too much of a pacifist. The difficulty that I'm having to find a reason for her to go off and kill stuff to level since role-playing isn't going to get her any levels. Beyond killing stuff like Deer and Boars to feed herself she aviods all combat when possible. Doing quests like the one in Hlint where you kill Goblins and collect their ears or the one in Haven to rid the mines of Ogres she will not do. She figures that the Goblins in the Wastelands have every right to live these just as the Humans have every right to live in Hlint, and that the Ogres in those mines have every right to live there and won't drive them away from their homes.

I see my Druid as more of a caster type that will use Wild Shape when she's able. In-game I'm RPing her as never using a weapon fogred from nature to kill (that includes natural weapons because they have to be crafted). I've also toyed with the idea of PrCing her with the Shifter class, but since she has no use for keeping a journal (in the development fourm) I doubt that will happen.

Someone told me to ask a GM about this, but I'd rather not waste their time. So here I am asking the community to see if anyone of you could help me see a motivation that I'm not.

Thanks in advance.

[IceDragonDuvessa]

If she is a pacifist and more of an RP type character... why do levels matter anyhow? You don't need to be high level to RP.

[KageKeeper]

Motivation to kill goblins and orcs/ogers? Easy. They defile Nature. They are, usually, enemies of Nature. They rape and pillage the land, burn down Forests, slaughter animals, etc etc. That is plenty of motivation for my Druid to destroy them.

Undead are an abomination, they upset the Balance and need to be cleansed. Again, pleny of motivation.

My Druid, however, does NOT kill animals to eat (not that it's bad to do so), she eats strictly fruits, nuts and veggies.

In the end, how your RP your character is up to you. If you play her has an extreme pacifist, that is your right. Maybe she see's something in goblins and orcs that the rest of us don't.

You can also go on quests to gain XP. Quests are great sources of RP and XP.

Look Luna up in game sometime. Maybe she can guide your Druid to not be so pacifistic.

[Ioskeha]

IceDragonDuvessa - 10/20/2005 12:50 PM

If she is a pacifist and more of an RP type character... why do levels matter anyhow? You don't need to be high level to RP.

That's true. I'd also like to go on some GM ran quests, and all the ones that would interest my character have a requirement of level 8+. I also feel like I'm missing a big side of RP that this server has to offer by having her sit around while everyone else if off RPing some adventure. I hope you don't have the wrong idea. I don't mind her being level 3 (which she got from hunting Deer and Boar) for the entire time I play on this server, but like I said. I feel like I'm missing out.

KageKeeper, she'd be honored to meet your Druid. Since she's come here she has yet to meet a single one and she's starting to think that she's the only one in the area. And yea, she's see Goblins and Orcs differently then everyone else. Their a part of nature and have a right to live in it.

[IceDragonDuvessa]

*smiles* Druids are around... but they are hard to find... because they don't tend to sit in cities. My character is a druid as well.

[Ioskeha]

Heh I guess I'll have to have her go off and explore the lands by herself then. Other then being in the Grove north of Hlint, and Hlint itself, she has no idea where fellow Druids would gather (and as a somewhat new player to the server I wouldn't either).

[Olme]

lots of possiblities for XP through crafting in tailoring and cooking..both of which use plant material that shouldn't conflict with your ethos

[Ioskeha]

Yea I've thought about crafting, but I think it would be OOC for her to do so. I've put too many restrictions on her without knowing all that much of the MOD. If I can swing it throuh RPing then I'll have her craft. I don't mean to knock the CNR system, because it's probably an engine limitation, but not being able to learn from failure is a big waste of resources to her.

[miltonyorkcastle]

Your druid is a pacifist, and, if I recall, druids believe in some sort of balance. That is, it is perfectly normal for one creature to hunt and kill another creature, because if they don't, one population overcomes the other. What I'm getting at, is if you're a pacifist, can you not still accompany other adventurers as they hunt monsters? You wouldn't actually have to kill the monsters, and perhaps, you could simply heal and buff your friends. I don't know.... a pacifist, to me, is not someone who tries to stop killing (because they just plain can't) but rather someone who avoids doing it themselves, which you do. I understand this to mean you can still follow along with other beings, hopefully your friends, as they forge their own quests, besides just the GM quests.

[Rhizome]

I'd also like to add this bit about Druids. In a IC sense, we'd all be a part of one organization, somewhat organized, with various levels, assignements, etc. We may not know each other face-to-face, personally or intimately, but we'd know each other in name, affiliation, and likely location. It's easy for us to coordinate with each other. We simply make contact. And whereas other characters must rely on things like a mail delivery system to bring messgaes to each other, we have other methods. It's my opinion that a druid feel through her or his connections with nature whether or not another druid was near. I suppose the distance would depend on levels or wisdom. Some of the more "powerful" druids could concievably communicate with each other through nature's own connectivity. The other thing we have at our disposal, for example, are bird messengers.
With this in mind, I'm suggesting a few things. Firstly, if you see a druid online and want some help, advice, anything, just send off a IC tell: "*A yellow breasted sparrow flutters toward you and lands on your shoulder. It has a note attached to its leg. The note reads:* I've just completed the harvesting rites for this cycle. Can you help me figure out another task or provide general assistance? Thanks..." Well, something like that. This should of course go the other way as well, something we should all get better at in my opinion. Where "higer ranking" druids actually give assignments to others. Fun and engaging ones of course, with no reprisals for not completing them (things happen).
Another thing that should be considered is using the forums here as an tool for establishing connections and getting assistance of figuring out a plan for your character. That's what you are doing here. But I think it would be far more interesting if we RP'd this on the forums as an "out-of-game" yet "in-character" communication network. In that case, we can all collaborate on the various issues affecting nature throught Layonara. There are a great many. But alsoÂvery few of us. So, keeping in contact and sharing ideas shouldn't be that difficult.
I think this forum idea is necessary because some of us simply don't play at the same time zones. Despite this, our characters SHOULD know each other. Using the forums this way is perhaps an acceptable way around it. Let me know what you think about these ideas. Perhaps we can get something going on the forum for us druids if we contact peope in the right places *winks*
Hope you are well and are enjoying being a druid. Please don't give up on it.
Rhizome

[Ioskeha]

I agree, Rhizome. Using these forums would be a great way for us Druids to stay in contact. The way I've been playing my character in-game is very similar to how you just explained the order. I've done a bit of metagaming on my part by keeping the server stats window open and checking it from time to time to see who's playing, what class they are, what god/dess they follow, and then using the info when meeting someone that has the same ideals as hers. For example when my character first met Lushen. I saw that he was a Ranger that followed Katia, so when our two characters met she called him brother and started talk to him like they've known each other all their lives. I've done the same with Brisbane. When my character walks past her she calls her sister, but she doesn't know why. I'm playing that as my character is still naive (low level) and hasn't met another Druid that follows another path. I hope no one minds if I do this.

miltonyorkcastle, that's a lesson she learned lastnight. By DM error she got pulled into a quest that she would have never agreed to do. She learned that even though her goals didn't meet the ones that she travelled with she can still be helpful in reaching a common goal (like getting out of the cave she fell into alive). Now that she's learned this lesson I can see her being more open in joining others.

[KageKeeper]

@Rhizome I think that is a great idea and one I have condidered myself (about having a forum). Since, technically, all Druids are in a larger organization, having a Druid-accessable forum for IC type of communication would make many things easier. I also like the idea of having higher ups "assign" tasks for the lower echelon. Adds a nice perspective to it.

[scotcar]

You could even use her to try and change the behaviour of others, for example instead of charging through an area killing everything, use invisiblity or other spells to move through quietly withough conflict. Of course, most people, especially fighter types will object to this.
Another reason to accompany a group is to ensure that any animals killed recieve last rights etc.

[freemen2]

scotcar - 10/27/2005 7:25 AM
...Another reason to accompany a group is to ensure that any animals killed recieve last rights etc.

Har! Ae give 'em last rights, 'll thee time ae do, e basten 'n an ale sauce 'n 5 minoutes each way 'n e camp foure.

[Yam-Yam]

We druids do need a way to keep in touch.

[vgn]

Druids who have posted in this forum should now be able to see a new forum under the Layonara section of the site. Feel free to use this as an IC communication system as Rhizome suggested.
If there are other druids that should be in the group, let me know.