Evil Druid

[alexthemad]

As the title says, I want to play an evil druid. The problem is I'm having trouble thinking of a reason he is evil. Why would a nature loving human or elf become "evil" and join an organization like the Zhents?

The setting wil be PF (I'm unfamilar with Pathfinder, first time playing.)

Thanks for any and all help.

[Gamerlord]

He believes in the circle of life and death?
He is one of radical cliche anti-civilization types?

[mostlyharmful]

do you think the fundamental forces of the universal mystic flow or whatever give a monkeys toss about humans? volcanoes, meteors, plagues, undead, planer breaches, wildfires..... they're all perfectly normal in a 3.5 world. construct your own metaphysic from there.

[Ernir]

Nature is harsh, cruel, and doesn't give a damn about morals or who "deserves" to live or die. Why should you?

Also, misinterpret Darwinism. :smallbiggrin:

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Nature is red in tooth and claw. Those who have the teeth and claws eat those who don't. I have them, everyone else doesn't. The animals and plants do whatever they need to to get everything for themselves, their family, and their pack. So do I. The world will not be ruled by me, but I will be the apex predator in it.

[Shademan]

neutral evil - "We are nothing but predators. I just admit I am one."
see the awesome monolouge in the evil handbook.

[alexthemad]

neutral evil - "We are nothing but predators. I just admit I am one."
see the awesome monolouge in the evil handbook.

I like it! But now why would said predator join an organization like the Zhents? Just because they give him things to hunt, a chance to test his skills as a predator?

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

The generally accepted method to become an evil druid would be to say that humans and their kin tend to screw up the natural order and should be eliminated. You yourself are exempt from this because you've distanced yourself from humanity and resolved to become one with said natural order. You might even find yourself willing to ally with this Zhent rabble, if only as a vehicle for advancing your own agenda. You get to undermine the foundation of human society, and might even climb the ranks to steer the organization still further in this direction.

As with so many other villains, you might have a tendency to spare people who, 'see the light,' and agree to join you in your endeavors. As such, you should be sure to put a few ranks in sense motive.


Alternatively, he could be more the thuggish type and kill, steal, and smash stuff because he just likes killing, stealing and smashing and has never really bothered to examine the reasons too closely. The lion never stops to wonder why he slaughters the lamb, or his cubs, or his keeper. He's just doing as his gut says, which is quite natural enough for a druid. And if these chumps are willing to give him food and toys in exchange for just doing what comes naturally, well, who is he to argue?


As yet another option, she could consider her druidic and villainous sides to be separate most of the time. There's no rule that says she can't assassinate the mayor, steal the crown jewels, or whip a few human slaves while still maintaining her reverence for nature. She might even be a multiclass character; sure, all of the other assassins might wonder why she refuses to use a crossbow or stay at the inn, or rusts out the traps and covers them in mold instead of just bypassing them, or wiggles her butt before leaping out for a sneak attack, but hey, whatever works. Heck, she's even better with poison than they are, because she can just summon a snake to administer the stuff directly.

Now, that doesn't mean that her life as a villain never conflicts with her life as a champion of nature. Even evil characters have to make concessions for their principles sometimes.


EDIT: fixed each example to account for why/how they would join the Guild League Zhents.

[Shademan]

I like it! But now why would said predator join an organization like the Zhents? Just because they give him things to hunt, a chance to test his skills as a predator?

they are a pack. like wolves! :smallbiggrin:

not sure if I'm allowed to put the speech up, but here goes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v396/judgerdead/speech.jpg

[taltamir]

Evil Druid: Civilization is a blight on the natural world, it must be destroyed.
I must foster war, famine, disease, and death on all so called "civilized" humanoids so that they never again threaten the tranquility of the forest.

At least that is what he says... deep down he is selfish and cruel and evil and is using that philosophy as an excuse. Often killing people who protect the environment because he couldn't bother to actually verify his targets. Or as "collateral damage"

His tactics should include summoning the strongest nature ally he can in the middle of busy cities and ordering them to kill everyone.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Proof that nature is evil.

http://x2a.xanga.com/240f626009d35255922579/z203540929.jpg

[alexthemad]

Who are the Zhents? An assassin's guild of some sort?

They are an evil organization intent on dominating the land from the Moonsea to the Sword Coast. They are run by Bane's Chosen Fzoul and Manshoon. Of course this is the condensed version.

Edit: Zhent is short for Zhentarim.

[taltamir]

Proof that nature is evil.

http://x2a.xanga.com/240f626009d35255922579/z203540929.jpg

nah, just that it is dangerous... oh there is plenty of evil in nature. But a bear isn't one of them.

[paddyfool]

Three models for you (some similar to those already posted).

The Savage Predator. Basically, a psychopath who revels in tearing people to shreds, just because he can, and sought out druidism because he wanted the power to transform into a ravening beast, and now he's loving it. Maybe joined up with the Zhents because they hired him as a tracker or similar, and he gets how they prey on the weak, maybe likes intimidating or tormenting slaves etc. NE leaning CE, better for the really grimdark kind of evil campaign, and might work particularly well with the Druidic Avenger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#druidVariantDruidicAve nger) variant.

The Vengeance Tripper. So, his home got destroyed by organisation X, and he sought out druidic power for vengeance. After taking his revenge, he felt a bit lacking for direction... and when the Zhents came and offered to hire him, he went along with it. Or he hasn't been able to take his revenge yet, because organisation X are too powerful, but they're rivals of organisation X; or the Zhents are organisation X, and he'd like to undermine them from within. Spiteful and bitter, and not all that in love with nature; he might be a decent route into the Blighter prestige class.

The Misanthrope. In the most literal sense of the word. He hates people and everything they've done to nature and the wilderness. He'd love to tear down civilisation, but realises he doesn't have that power - yet - and so he's joined the Zhents to basically learn more about his enemy and its weaknesses.

[Shademan]

would he count as evil if he merely went out of his way to insult people and generally just be a nasty, mean, smelly hermit?

(also: see my post up there for speech^)

[Ozreth]

He believes in the circle of life and death?
He is one of radical cliche anti-civilization types?

Is an anit-civ mind state actually evil? Or is civilization evil? A druid against civilization may be donned radical, but not necessarily evil.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

They are an evil organization intent on dominating the land from the Moonsea to the Sword Coast. They are run by Bane's Chosen Fzoul and Manshoon. Of course this is the condensed version.

Edit: Zhent is short for Zhentarim.

Ah, an all-out Legion of Doom motif. Cool beans.

I've added to my post, accounting for joining up with such people. Though at this rate, we might have enough ideas to make a whole offshoot organization from the druids alone, heh.

[Shademan]

Is an anit-civ mind state actually evil? Or is civilization evil? A druid against civilization may be donned radical, but not necessarily evil.

well when he sets fire to the houses and send hordes of dire wolves to eat every baby in town he is sorta evil ;P

[Mando Knight]

Proof that nature is evil.

http://x2a.xanga.com/240f626009d35255922579/z203540929.jpg

A truthier post has never been posted.

[Shademan]

http://www.tripbase.com/articles/images/Bizarreanimals/Vampire%20Squid.jpg
thats no abberation... it is a shapechanged druid! and he's here to have his way with you!
you thought bears were bad...

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

There is a bit of a dilemma that rises from this discussion, though.

How might a druid keep on a proper 'screw the status quo' kick without accidentally drifting into Chaotic Evil territory and losing her license?

Can one gain enough political power, a generally Lawful Evil substance, to drive the Zhents to his whims before losing touch with his nature-worshipping roots?

These characters might have to walk a fine line if they want to keep playing.

[alexthemad]

What do you think of a druid of Malar that works with the Zhentarim when called upon?

[Shademan]

What do you think of a druid of Malar that works with the Zhentarim when called upon?

can't stop thinking of beastman from He-man. the newest series, mind

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

What do you think of a druid of Malar that works with the Zhentarim when called upon?

I don't want to be a pain, but I've never actually played Pathfinder... I'm assuming Malar is an evil deity?

[The Dark Fiddler]

How might a druid keep on a proper 'screw the status quo' kick without accidentally drifting into Chaotic Evil territory and losing her license?

Following the laws of nature, the circle of life. But then you get a bit too lawful...

Follow the law of nature, screw all other laws.

Also; Evil Druid = Eco Terrorist?

[alexthemad]

I don't want to be a pain, but I've never actually played Pathfinder... I'm assuming Malar is an evil deity?

Oh crap...don't know if he's in pathfinder. But yes he is an evil deity. I just read about him in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Oh crap...don't know if he's in pathfinder. But yes he is an evil deity. I just read about him in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Ah. Well, if you're used to FR, just remember that picking a deity isn't usually a requirement for druids... though, doing so anyway could serve to let his devotion draw him into the organization and away from more traditional druiding duties.

[Optimystik]

Do PF druids need deities? IIRC, only Forgotten Realms druids do - in D&D, not even core (Greyhawk) or Eberron druids need to select one.

[Thrawn183]

To bastardize a Firelfy quote about Reavers:

Nature wants to suck your blood, kill you, eat your flesh and lay its babies in your corpse, and if you're very, very lucky in that order.

[Crafty Cultist]

Nature is all about the cycle of life and death. Some druids chose to focus more on the latter. After all, if the world is to bright and full of life it will become unbalanced. thus large amount of death are necessary to balance the world

[Reptar]

There's also the option of one of the desert druid's from sandstorm, attempting to spread the purity of the sands across the world.
For only having a prereq of Non good they've got one of the most classically evil Prcs out there too. Walker in the Waste is intended for druids, and gives some awesome abilities in exchange for wild-shape.

Your mission is to preserve and curate the world, as such you've been sent out with the task of assisting armies of evil so that you may preserve ruins and the dead they leave in their wake, knowing that you will be there when they to fall, as all things do.

[taltamir]

would he count as evil if he merely went out of his way to insult people and generally just be a nasty, mean, smelly hermit?

(also: see my post up there for speech^)

only in a CRPG... that is the only "evil" thing evil player characters do in most CRPGs... "fine, I will save the orphans/world/puppies/whatever, but I am gonna be rude all throughout!"

Being rude is evil, stealing is chaotic... unless its from an unnamed dirt farmer, then its neutral.


Is an anit-civ mind state actually evil? Or is civilization evil? A druid against civilization may be donned radical, but not necessarily evil.

Not necessarily evil, but it CAN be evil... the devil is in the details. How exactly does he go about his "anti civilization" crusade? you can go about it in good and bad ways.

Also, it depends on who sets alignment, alignment isn't a choice, it is a tangible force greater then the gods themselves that grants spells and cleric domains. Well, in some settings...
Does the overgod Ao Determine what different alignments constitute? the gods? inherants laws of the universe?

also, your DMs perspective matters a whole lot. I hate getting into alignment because you end up either fighting over the definitions, or conceding and role playing alignments in ways you do not believe in (getting a slap on the wrist from the DM when you do something you think is good and he doesn't).

[KillianHawkeye]

Nature is all about the cycle of life and death. Some druids chose to focus more on the latter. After all, if the world is to bright and full of life it will become unbalanced. thus large amount of death are necessary to balance the world

This. Sometimes, Evil Druids exist to balance against Good Druids.

Personally, I always saw Druids as being the ones who recognized the importance of maintaining the great cosmic balance. Neither Good nor Evil, Law nor Chaos, can be allowed to become too powerful lest the balance tip and the world fall into ruin. Nature is all about the balance. Life and death, creation and destruction, Good and Evil. For every Good Druid who goes about helping kittens and saving babies from fires, there's an Evil Druid out there somewhere making up for it by spreading disease and famine or unleashing a swarm of cursed insects. For every Druid who helps the farmers grow their crops, there's another who visits the cities to hunt for innocent blood.

There can be no Good without Evil, because if Evil didn't exist, Good would be meaningless. The two must exist together, in balance, because that is the nature of the universe.

[Flarp]

{Scrubbed]

[taltamir]

{scrubbed}

[Tengu_temp]

The way you were supposed to play a "Neutral" druid in AD&D is actually evil if you ask me. You can go with that.

[KillianHawkeye]

{Scrubbed}

I knew all that "looking cute" and "acting playful" was just a cover! :smallamused:

[J.Gellert]

Or he just doesn't give a copper piece about nature. He's a druid that draws his power from the land by force, withering and destroying living things as he does so. And he doesn't care as long as he can accomplish his own goals.

This might not work in FR, though, because once he gets to a certain high level the gods are sure to notice him and be bothered by this.

[The White Knight]

Or he just doesn't give a copper piece about nature. He's a druid that draws his power from the land by force, withering and destroying living things as he does so. And he doesn't care as long as he can accomplish his own goals.

This might not work in FR, though, because once he gets to a certain high level the gods are sure to notice him and be bothered by this.

They made a prestige class for that. See: Blighter from CDiv.

[mostlyharmful]

They made a prestige class for that. See: Blighter from CDiv.

and it sucks monumentally.

[The White Knight]

Sure does!