Practitioners of the old faith, guardians of the wood and keepers of traditions, the druid is in every way an extension of nature. The roots that hold it to nature do not bind it though, rather it guides the druid. Motivates its intentions and sets it on a path of true purpose. A purpose beyond personal satisfaction, it is a desire to maintain the balance which holds the fabric of nature together and to an extent reality. Of course your level 1 druid might not be embarking on such grand designs but it's ties to something bigger are always felt. Welcome back to the class colors series, a series where we discuss the colors of a given class in order to help you build a more interesting and well rounded character for your dungeons and dragons campaigns and more.
If you are new here then don't worry its easy to follow along as I will be choosing the colors and building the characters story before your very eyes, if you are new to the color pie then don't worry either, after this article I have many more on this website which can aid in building up your understanding of it. With that said, find a nice stump to sit on, grab a tea of purple-moss and elderberry and let's talk the class colors of the druid, beginning with the class colors chosen by Wizards of the Coast in the set adventures in the forgotten realms.
Normally I would add in some fanfare and leave a bit of mystery before we discuss the core color of the class in question. I would typically give some hints and then finally reveal the card, but in this case I believe we have a class which is so fully its core color that you probably came into the video with it in mind. So let's not waste any time and show that card so we discuss why its the perfect core color for the druid, as we can still gain a lot from setting up a base understanding of the themes of the class. Pulling up the card we can see that, to no ones surprise, Wizards of the coast has chosen Green for the class colors of the druid.
Let's discuss why this works so well. For one the parallels begin where both the druid and Green both pull inspiration for their philosophies and that is, from nature. Green looks to the examples that nature has set forth before us to build its view of the world around it and its place within, this is the same motivation that drives the druid. In nature the animal kingdom can be an analog for how we should live our own lives, in that we must accept both the cruel and the harmonious aspects of existence. We must take into consideration the balance of nature, and its slow growth with no wasted steps. We need not complicate what it is we were meant to do and respect that each person and creature within an ecosystem has a role it was set on this earth to accomplish and in that way we can find our purpose.
Green also has a respect for the past, as progress without thought damages the fabric of that perfect ecosystem, one that has lasted for millennia and a millennia before. In that way the druid and Green both respect traditions and the old ways as they are a road map we can use to find our place, our purpose. As you can see the parallels between Greens core ideologies and that of the druid are nearly one for one and as a first for this series I would say no other color truly captures this better. Now of course we can add to this single color to bring in more nuanced motivations to our characters and that is what we will do, but I would be remiss to say that you could do away with Green in the case of the Druid, I believe its touch will often be felt. So let's begin adding that complexity now and build three druids to see how the addition of other colors creates a more gripping character. To start we will simply be adding in White to learn how the addition of one of Greens neighbors is a great fit for the druid.
Green White Druid
Just as a rogue finds allies in a guild, or a wizard finds like minds in a school, the druid gains community often through a circle of similarly motivated forest dwellers. In the case of our Green White Druid, they were raised in such circumstances. Their parents being core members of such a circle. It was in this way of life that they learned the rituals of the old faith, the spells that helped the land grow, and the laws that govern everything around them. These druids keep the ancient ways alive while tending to the woods they call home. This form of the druid takes a lot of inspiration from the classic druids of our own Plane of earth. Folks who reject the the falsehoods of a civilized world. Opting instead to become an extension of nature through rituals and maintenance. They don't push out into foreign lands to occupy, no they grasp onto a piece of the land which holds some ancient significance and allow it to be a place where the true magic that binds reality can maintain its power. Looking to our character who fits within this way of life, we see a person who is devoted to a role.
As we said at the top, Green understands that harmony is maintained when each piece of the puzzle that is nature, acts out its role. This purpose is what drives much of this character. Of course you are playing a game and you would want to set them off on an adventure and this sedentary lifestyle would have to be disrupted. To add to this motivation you would need to introduce some external force which either destroys their home or forces them to set off to retrieve something, a mission which sends them on a path to setting something right which has broken the timeless flow of itself or its people. This aspect is up to you but remember, if this character could they would stay as they are forever, and something must happen to force them to abandon their home.
Let's take a closer look at the colors of this druid before we move one. I won't get into the Greens side of it in this case as I believe this has already been well established in what we have covered so far, I want to instead answer how White adds complexity to this character's base of Green. In the case of this character White adds a devotion to the core ideals of the druidic way of life. Yes Green on its own provides purpose, yet its more loosely defined. White in this instance facilitates a complete sense of purpose driven by devotion to a cause. In that the rituals themselves take on an almost religious twist. The old faith, as its called, may differ from circle to circle, and yet it remains a way of looking at the world around you as something to devote yourself to. White is primed for religion and in turn can take this idea of the old faith, of devotion to nature and push it into that direction. Becoming something of a cleric of the wood. With that first character covered I believe you are starting to see what adding colors does for the druid but I don't want to settle on this idea, what about the druid who lives their life by claw and tooth, what of the Black Red Green druid, or Jund Druid, what motivates them?
Black Red Green
At the top I stated that Green accepts both the harmony and cruelty of nature and in this case we will push further into the latter with the Black Red Green Druid. Not in that it's cruelty for its own sake but instead allows the viscous side of a predictor to flow through it, to the extent that it physically becomes said predator. The druid who aligns itself with the circle of the moon is an extension of the animal kingdom and everything that comes with it. I would resist saying its for good or bad though, as the druid doesn't deal in such black and white absolutes. Instead its the truth of nature, in that nature does what it must to survive, to continue on.
So how did our druid in this case come to be. Well unlike our previous example they were not so lucky to be raised by druids, but instead where abandoned by unloving parents to die in the forest at the age of only four. Nature can be cruel of course and on another day that might have been the end of the story, but it can also be kind. Left to fend for itself the child wouldn't last long but lucky for them a dire wolf mother took pity on the kid and brought it into their own family, to raise this cub along with her own. It was here that the child grew into an adult, one who understood the truths of nature, where the only law is survival. To them it was humanity who was truly cruel, those who clear cut forest, kill without reason and abandon their own children. In time this character becomes more than one small member of a wolf pack, they gain the favor of the spirits of the wood and it is them who pass on its secrets. The magic that binds reality and of the true forms one can take. Forms which brought it closer to the animals it felt kinship with, of the wolves that raised it, the owls that watched over its bed at night and of the stout bears who it foraged alongside.
Let us now inspect the colors present in our character to better understand its motivations. Black in this way is the understanding of the cruel realities of not just nature but the world around them. Being abandoned showed them the indifference of life that can be common in humanity and surviving in the wilds taught them that the predator is a valid piece of the circle of life. Truly it is survival of the fittest. This does not mean unnecessary suffering but instead the truth that binds all things. Next is Red, the piece of the puzzle that guides us, the instincts and impulses which shows us our true nature, and in following this you will never be lead astray. Finally we have Green the color that binds this all together in the aforementioned ways we have previously discussed. The Black Red Green druid is one who is both predator and protector of the natural balance. Now I want to shed Black then add in Blue to shift our druid in a completely different direction.
Green Blue Red
Nature isn't always the tangible woods and Creatures within. Its also the fabric of reality that sits behind the one we perceive. It is the unseen forces like gravity or in this case, the bridge between the dream and our own experience, that of tangible illusion. There are realms which sit in this space between, of the Fey-wilds and other dreamlike realms, this is where the Green Blue Red druid bases its magic and motivations from. There is an inherent kindness and playfulness that comes from Druids who follow this path and such is the case with our Green Blue Red Druid.
How our druid came to this circle is lost to time, as their longer life afforded to them by being a druid mixed with that of its odd perception of time, makes it hard to imagine the how of how they came to this path. They faintly remember a child who would explore alone under starry nights. One who ran from its problems, that is until it found the answer in the company of playful Fey. This child was taught the power of the dream and the power of those places found in rest and play. The memories are only passing images though and our character isn't even sure if its them they see, it could just be another dream conjured forth. Whatever the case it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is where it is now and the friends it has made along the way
I want to go deeper into this character but its difficult with such an aloof basis and so I think we should get into the colors to build our understanding. This time I do want to start with Green as I believe it has different attributes in this version of the druid. Green in the case of this druid is the attachment to the world within and without our own. Of forces found in odd places which make up our reality or unreality. Its a different side of Green that we often don't think of, even though its in places like these where Green can find its purpose. Next is Blue, for this druid Blue represents the manipulation of reality or the creation of wonderful acts. Manipulation doesn't have to be a negative term in this context it's simply an understanding of the mysterious forces hidden around every corner and the application of its findings, something very Blue. Finally there is Red, the color who takes on a pretty large driving role, at least in the way that the druid interacts with those around it. Red in the context of this character is the playfulness that is required to truly live in these spaces, and to be even approached by a Fey.
Conclusion
This time around we managed to use each of the five colors, yet they fell into different contexts. This is great in that it displays how a color can change when paired with others, or when focused on different motivations. That said I do think its best we talk about each of the colors and their relationship with the druid, that way you can start piecing your own druid together with the colors that interest you most. Let's start at the top of the color pie with White. White in the case of the Druid can go in two ways, for one it can add structure or community to the druid, this druid may be less likely to be a total hermit. On the other side of it White is also its connection to the old faith and in keeping it alive. It's also the maintenance of balance, not harmony in the way of Green but balance, no one thing should overtake the other lest the balance of nature be toppled.
Then there is Blue, a common color in magic type classes but with the druid it's for different reasons than study or mastery. Blue can be the druids connection with the underlying mysteries of nature and the desire to understand them, remember there are forces which are part of nature which sit on top of or behind our own reality, and it takes the right kind of mind to grasp at such concepts. Next up is Black, this color when present in the Druid provides a realistic outlook. It ties closely to the food chain, of predator and prey and of survival of the fittest. Also this druid is very protective and accepts no trespassers on its land or outsider aggressors. Black will fight for its territory. The fourth color is Red, a color of impulse, a neighbor of instinct.
Red can take many forms but is common in both the animal and the human world. It can be aggression or it can be joy and play. It really depends on where your druid is focused. Finally we have Green a color so intertwined with the Druid that I could hardly justify its removal. I don't think there is much that needs to be said about this color as this is the one case where describing the color would simply be describing the class. If you want to know more about each of the five colors then be sure to watch my definitive series on the subject. Building a druid can be a complex thing, it may seem at first glance as a simple class, but as we have learned, that's far from the truth. So have fun and get building, with the color pie as your guide I am sure your next druid will be more robust and complex.
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