Druids and undead

[jk7275]

In 3.5 it is clearly stated druids hate undead but I dont see that anywhere in pathfinder. Was that omitted to save space or did Paizo change how druids view undead?

[Palanan]

I don't know the details of why Paizo made that change, but it seems to have been deliberate.

To me it seems bizarre, since the 3.5 approach is my default for how druids view undead, and I can't really think of a plausible reason why they wouldn't hate twisted mockeries of living things. But there are plenty of people willing to defend the concept of an undead-loving druid.

[Boggartbae]

The Golgari are a group of druids and shamans from the M:tG universe who plant plants in there zombies. Maybe look them up if you're looking for precedent or inspiration.

[Hiro Quester]

It is conceptually possible that Druids could see using undead as a form of recycling, or resource distribution.

When you animate a dead body to fight for you for a while, it eventually gets destroyed and then its organic matter eventually gets back into the biological cycle. All you do is use the dead body for your own purposes for a while.

Honestly, a dark-minded druid could see it as little different from commanding or animating plants, or summoning an animal to fight for you.

It's not "natural" only on one very narrow definition of "natural". And that definition probably defines turning an oak tree into a treant, making birds deliver your messages, or reincarnating your dead friend as not "natural" either.

[Dusk Raven]

Perhaps it was simply left open to DM interpretation. Perhaps they thought it obvious that druids would hate undead and so left it out. Or maybe they just took that particular bit of lore out since Druids don't actually have a lot of abilities that target undead, unlike Clerics.

Regarding whether or not Druids should hate undead... for me it depended on the Druid or the circle, but I had it so that certain "unliving" undead - such as ghouls and vampires - are more tolerable since they mimic some functions of life and arguably serve a place in an ecosystem (provided they don't spread out of control). Vampires in particular have a bit of a connection to nature, albeit to certain animals. Druids perhaps see them the same was as, say, diseases - no one likes them, but they're a part of nature and you can't really exterminate them anyway.

Not to mention, dark-minded Druids might see them as a way of keeping civilized humanoid populations down...

[Eldonauran]

The way I look at it, Druids hate the undead because of Negative Energy. While too much positive energy is dangerous to living things (and not likely to be a problem in the Material realm), Negative Energy is the antithesis of life and nature. Something that is animated by that very power is aberrant in the natural cycles of life, as it serves no purpose but to destroy.

Yes, death and decay are natural rhythms of life and nature, but undeath is not. Undeath is a reversal of the natural cycle, not recycling.

[PunBlake]

I think it was omitted for DM discretion. Non-evil druids likely do hate undead, whether because they're "unnatural" or because they are powered by negative energy.

However, Eberron 3.5 did have a published sect of druids that used negative energy. See The Nightbringers, a sub-sect of the Children of Winter, in Faiths of Eberron. They see negative energy as a balance to light and life. It's just a rare interpretation.