Druids and Animal Empathy

[Project_Mayhem]

So, given I'm allowing the UA revised ranger, would it imbalance the druid in any significant way to give them the communicating-with-beasts part of the ranger's primeval awareness ability at level 1? (My group aren't massive fans of dipping for abilities, so that particular concern shouldn't be an issue.)

[Breaklance]

I would let them have a half version of it at lvl 3, idk your players levels but that's when rangers gain primeval awareness.

The half version being you can read an animals emotional state, their needs, etc but not communicate with them or persuade them not to attack. I would then say that if you wildshape into that creature you can communicate simple ideas and persuade it not to attack. Heck perhaps even full on speak with animals but limited to that specific animal you change into.

Flavor wise they still get to communicate with animals as well or better than a ranger but at an alternative resource cost and mechanically your not out right stealing the Rangers ability.

[Project_Mayhem]

My reasoning for putting it at level 1 was that animal empathy feels like a reasonably iconic ability of the druid to me - more so than for the ranger.

I do, however, like the idea of linking it to wildshape. It seems like that would make it feel different in play.

[JellyPooga]

Personally, if I was going to give the Druid anything, I'd give it Speak with Animals at-will, Natural Explorer and Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants (and uses of Channel Divinity, of course; no Turn Undead though). Those are basically the only reason a Druid would want to multiclass away from pure Druid on thematic grounds, none of them are game breaking and all of them feel like something a Druid should be able to do without dipping a total of 5 levels from 3 different classes (Warlock 2/Ranger 1/Nature Cleric 2), putting that Druid two and a half spell levels behind par just to feel like a Druid.

Normally I'm all for multiclassing, but when it comes to making a Druid, there's just too many features in other Classes that feel like things you should get too. I mean, talking to animals is what Druids do, right? Not according to D&D, no; that's what Warlocks do. Sure a Druid can magic up a spell for it, but only so many times a day. What happened to the Druid that casually converses with his forest companions, passing the time of day and commenting on the weather? That Druid sold his soul and begged the power from someone greater than he. Apparently.

[MeeposFire]

Well speaking to animals all day has not really been a druid thing before and warlocks have been known since 3e of being a class where they pick unusual abilities that are able to be used often. So historically it makes sense as is.

Of course that does not mean I would be against giving druids some of these types of abilities (especially land druids) just that it is justified historically.

[Ashrym]

Speak with Animals is a ritual anyway. It's practically at will for a ritual caster who picks it up.

That's all nature clerics by domain, any druid who preps it, any bard who learns it, or anyone via the ritual caster (bard or druid) feat. Warlocks can pick it up via tome as a ritual and the only difference with the invocation is casting time with those options.

I doubt giving basic communication is going to have an impact given the speak with animals ritual option at first level. My bard accomplishes a lot of the ability using speak with animals and animal handling, and given animal handling is wis I cannot see a druid not doing the same already.