Keeping the druid

[Cirigan]

okay, so I've figured out some very basic ways to get a druid to join an adventuring party, but i cannot for the life of me come up with good, Logical reasoning for the druid to then keep playing after the forest is saved or what ever.
last time i had a druid playing i kept her playing via a REALLY crappy rant by a dying god about being natures warrior in the world, and then distracted the players by having the god give them all magical items

any suggestions?

[MeklorIlavator]

Well, the druid could have friends in the party who she decides to help out. Or, she could have "visions" of a ruined forest, and wants to get to the bottom of the matter.

[Jack_Simth]

A Good aligned Druid might stick with the party to help people (if the party generally does Good stuff).

A Lawful aligned Druid might stick with the party out of an unwillingness to change.

A Chaotically aligned Druid might stick with the party out of stubbornness to not conform to expectations that the Druid's going to go back into the wild.

An Evilly aligned Druid might stick with the party because they're getting lots of loot.

A True Neutral Druid might stick with the party because they're amusing to watch.

[Copacetic]

Druids are people too. Just because Nature gives them power doesn't men they have to return to their forest after the BBEG is down. They could keep adventuring to spread the word about mis-treatng nature or even just to help Nature.

[Moff Chumley]

A druid would stick with the party because she's a PC, thus not bound be these so called "NPC stereotypes."

[Eldariel]

A True Neutral Druid could also be of the 'conversional True Neutral'-school, trying to make the party, and indeed others, see things his way. Or he could be traveling with the party for damage control. Or heck, he could be traveling with the party for the safety of the land. Druids serve nothing more, nothing less than the entire nature which covers a damn lot more than just one forest. Also, note that Druids dislike unnatural things, such as Undead, Outsiders and so on. They could be adventuring to rid of the world of such aberrations.

[LibraryOgre]

okay, so I've figured out some very basic ways to get a druid to join an adventuring party, but i cannot for the life of me come up with good, Logical reasoning for the druid to then keep playing after the forest is saved or what ever.

1) Because they're friends. While druids have religious obligations, the fact that the forest is now saved means that they can do other things than hover over it protectively.

2) To spread influence. A druid who is charismatic and somewhat wise would realize that with an adventurer's power comes influence. That influence could be used to buy favors, and to sway people around to the druid's way of thinking.

3) Another druid asks for help. This one somewhat locks you into "affects the druidic community" adventures, but it's useful.

[Jack_Simth]

okay, so I've figured out some very basic ways to get a druid to join an adventuring party, but i cannot for the life of me come up with good, Logical reasoning for the druid to then keep playing after the forest is saved or what ever.
last time i had a druid playing i kept her playing via a REALLY crappy rant by a dying god about being natures warrior in the world, and then distracted the players by having the god give them all magical items

any suggestions?

Let's change the question:

Why would a cleric? Druids can have a deity, after all. Druids aren't really all that more tightly bound to such things than a Cleric is. Sure, they've got the nature-powers and nature theme, and they need to revere nature... but they don't have to crusade 24/7 to protect all forests. They can be interested in stopping the demon invasion, taking money to help in this or that war, looking for loot, just as much as the next divine caster.

[holywhippet]

Druids love nature. The more they adventure, the more interesting places they will encounter.

[Kizara]

You're on a campaign to stop some kind of horrible evil things.

These things, by their nature, also are very harmful and destructive to the nature order. Thus you adventure to stop/defeat them.

OR...

The adventurers often fight unnatural creatures that disrupt the natural order of natural nature goodness. Things like demons, abberations, undead, etc.

You continue adventuring with the hope of helping these heros to defeat such abominations.

[Kantolin]

I second or third or fourth or whatever number it's up to that druids are people just like everyone else. The druid can be there for the same reason as everyone else. Maybe the druid doesn't like kobolds just like the rest of the party, and would like to hop into the dungeon, give them a thorough beating, and take their gear. Or whatever.

[Blanks]

In order to learn more about nature (before she settled)?

[TheOOB]

A druid leaves the forest to adventure for the same reason a cleric leaves their temple, or a wizard leaves their lab. Because they have friends they want to help, because they want to spread their cause, because they want to improve themselves, because they want money, because they need to save the world(or some small slice of it) or simply because they are bored.

[Avor]

A True Neutral Druid might stick with the party because they're amusing to watch.

Your PC's motavation matchs your real motavation, boardom

IRL- I'm baord, let's play D&D.
IC- I'm board, let's kill random monsters and take their gold.

[Kizara]

Your PC's motavation matchs your real motavation, boardom

IRL- I'm baord, let's play D&D.
IC- I'm board, let's kill random monsters and take their gold.

*boredom, bored.

And although personally my character's motivations have a bit more depth than that, but the principal is sound.