Author Topic: Take to air (druid version) (Read 1259 times)

Hellblazer · « **on:** December 22, 2009, 07:34:16 PM »

Well With talking to a few druids in the past year I was wondering why take to air was not made in a way where they would be able to travel to different location on a continent.

Not saying they could travel every where, although they surely could. But more to the major locations points. Dalanthar, hurm, prantz, lor, Miritrix, Arnaz, Hlint, hempstead, vehl, port hempstead etc..

Dorganath · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2009, 07:54:26 PM »

You can! Just fly there in the bird form.

What you're asking for is essentially a more powerful and flexible "teleport" than what druids already get at level 16. That probably explains the primary reason.

Also, I know you used them as examples, but why would a Druid want a trans-continental flight ability that takes them to major cities?

Hellblazer · « **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2009, 08:03:50 PM »

Quote from: Dorganath

You can! Just fly there in the bird form.

lmao

Well I was more thinking in line of the outskirts of the cities really, as they are major rallying points for events. But any natury location near those would do fine also.

Rowana · « **Reply #3 on:** December 22, 2009, 08:07:27 PM »

The bird form that common druids take are of a bird that is not migratory by nature. While they have certainly the ability to cross a continent (with some stress) I would think (though some bird experts may be able to tell me better), I do not think regular transcontinental flight is accurate for this druid form. As well, while an actual migratory bird might be able to shorten the distance somewhat, it still takes a very long time for them to cross oceans. I think overall what is IG is fairly representational of what is accurately possible.

~row

Acacea · « **Reply #4 on:** December 22, 2009, 08:12:59 PM »

I'd think the mechanical form wouldn't matter since they may well roleplay shifting into a different kind of bird (a macaw? not exactly the most common type for most druids I'd imagine), but would generally agree that treewalk seems to already represent what is being asked... whereas flying would take a lot longer than stepping into a tree and being somewhere else - regardless of which bird shape you chose...

Hellblazer · « **Reply #5 on:** December 22, 2009, 08:29:26 PM »

Tree walking I was told only work as the mage teleportation tome. Linking the Druid to a place he decided to. I'm just saying that with the actual bird shape (and yes I am sure they could take other bird shape if they wanted to, that's only limiting ourselves to what is given through the engine) thy would have more liberty to go somewhere than any one else, maybe that should be represented in game also.

Dorganath · « **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2009, 09:27:46 PM »

Right. And the bird shape is gained at what level?

The point I think that's being made is that by allowing the bird shape to nearly instantly transport the druid to one of many places around the world, it becomes actually more useful and arguably more powerful than the tree-walking branch.

The bird shape already affords the ability to go places not normally reachable, like ledges with no walking access and so forth. I'm not seeing a reason why they would also need to be able to transport the druid over large distances. Again, the bird shape is not anything special. In "reality" it would still need to fly to such places as you suggest. That would take time, which is mechanically represented by travel time.

Within a given area, the bird shape affords great liberty in where a druid can go. Between areas, it is as any other form. It must cover ground (or air) in the same way.

Gunther · « **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2009, 11:24:08 PM »

Just out of curiosity, would the bird form be able to carry a coconut during its transcontinental flight? Would it carry said coconut by the husk? Would it possibly take two birds to successfully carry the coconut? And finally, what would be the wing speed ratio of an unladen swallow?

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2009, 11:29:52 PM »

A European Swallow or an African Swallow?

LordCove · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2009, 12:19:46 AM »

I could be wrong, but I thought it was RP'd that the Druid could use the Branch to teleport pretty much "anywhere" they wanted anyway.
The Branch mechanics ( and to avoid it being way to powerful ) however only lets you select one location.

That said... I'm a firm believer the Druid class does not need anything added to make it more powerful or fun to play.

*points up* Heh... I don't know that!

Hellblazer · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2009, 12:33:24 AM »

Quote from: Gunther

Just out of curiosity, would the bird form be able to carry a coconut during its transcontinental flight? Would it carry said coconut by the husk? Would it possibly take two birds to successfully carry the coconut? And finally, what would be the wing speed ratio of an unladen swallow?

Point being?

Dorganath · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2009, 01:00:09 AM »

Quote from: LordCove

I could be wrong, but I thought it was RP'd that the Druid could use the Branch to teleport pretty much "anywhere" they wanted anyway.
The Branch mechanics ( and to avoid it being way to powerful ) however only lets you select one location.

That said... I'm a firm believer the Druid class does not need anything added to make it more powerful or fun to play.

*points up* Heh... I don't know that!

RP-wise, yes, that is true.

LordCove · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2009, 01:12:36 AM »

Quote from: Hellblazer

Point being?

A Monty Python joke

osxmallard · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2009, 03:23:20 AM »

When a druid shifts to bird form they should drop all of their items on the ground since a bird can't possibly carry 18 bags full of misc. stuff and all the other various equipment and expect to fly anywhere. All those things don't magically disappear and then reappear when the druid shifts back.

Hellblazer · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2009, 04:12:02 AM »

As far as I remember even in D&D, all possessions on the druid/ranger/wizard/sorcerer are also transformed into the chosen shape. If not, well you'd have a lot of naked druid/ranger/wizard/sorcerer running around after polymorphing.

Script Wrecked · « **Reply #15 on:** December 23, 2009, 04:15:14 AM »

Quote from: osxmallard

When a druid shifts to bird form they should drop all of their items on the ground since a bird can't possibly carry 18 bags full of misc. stuff and all the other various equipment and expect to fly anywhere. All those things don't magically disappear and then reappear when the druid shifts back.

The paradox of shifting.

Along with, "what happens to the personal mass of the shifter?"

mixafix · « **Reply #16 on:** December 23, 2009, 04:24:06 AM »

When a druid shifts to bird form they should drop all of their items on the ground since a bird can't possibly carry 18 bags full of misc. stuff and all the other various equipment and expect to fly anywhere. All those things don't magically disappear and then reappear when the druid shifts back.

I think unless you have loads of extra strength - the weight thing does have a game effect when changed to bird..it is very easy to be encumbered..so fair play they did kind of build it in...

In repsect of my own druid I never shape change into a bird as it emulates the rogue ability to climb...leap and run....and ...

ah just bah humbug to them

Have a good seasonal holiday

jrizz · « **Reply #17 on:** December 28, 2009, 01:37:04 AM »

Along the same topic - Why cant shifters that take the form of a dragon fly?

LordCove · « **Reply #18 on:** December 28, 2009, 07:35:49 AM »

As I understand it.. they can. Even Mages or Druids just using the lvl 9 Spell Shapechange.

But lets face it, the Shifter's Dragon form hardly needs anything added to it. Its already grosely over-powered.
As with the lvl 9 Shapechange spell Dragons / ( and Balor's since they have wings ) ... RP wise it's likely they could fly too. It just requires some RP and imagination for them to do it.

Actually giving them the mechanical ability to do it Ingame of course is something else, requiring alterations to eda files, gigglyboop scripts and wappadoodle codes. ( and other various things I know nothing about )

But if the question was from an RP standpoint, then yep... as I understand it, they can fly.

Aerimor · « **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2009, 09:48:55 AM »

Quote from: Script Wrecked

The paradox of shifting.

Along with, "what happens to the personal mass of the shifter?"

The Al'noth acts as the quick weight gain or weight watchers. Hence why a druid can't shift in a magic dead area. Not even back to their normal form.

Dragon shape is wrong. It should of been done with damage immunities instead of massive DR, IMO. But NWN apparently had other ideas. *Makes a will check to continue going off about the lack of testing/foresight NWN had for druid/shifter.*

~A