Druids and Mistletoe

[Scott]

Has anybody played the spell component rules for druids seriously? How much greater mistletoe should a druid start with?
How much can be harvested on one Midsummer's Eve?
Any ideas?

[ghul]

It's proved a bit problematic to enforce in the past, but I've actually thought of creating some compromise with it, essentially having the collected plants last longer for spell use before being expended.

[geneweigel]

I find that no one ever plays druids. I had several of them. I followed the rules for the components and it doesn't really give any incentive.

BTW, since I'm not much of a fan of clerics, the druid is easily overlooked by me. If I have druids (or clerics) I make them magic-users and disregard the plant spells.

[Falconer]

The caller in my group was a Druid for years. At higher levels we started (just for fun) to pit the PCs against each other, one-on-one and battle royale. The Druid always kicked everyone else’s butt.

Anyway, the mistletoe thing was always just flavor to us. Same with MU spell components. I just never bothered to enforce it. Regards.

[Scott]

I never have either, but I am going to give it a try with a new PC I will be DMing for.

[GT]

I did with Woodstock after a bit just to keep hom in check. M-U spell componens I deal with case-by-case...

[dcas]

A friend of mine played a druid once and he was virtually unkillable once he was able to shapechange. Since the character had visited the Isle of Dread, he learned to shapechange into a pteranodon and could fly away even if he had "used up" his mammal and bird slots for the day.

[GT]

This goes back to the "shapechange question"--- What limits do you place upon this power? Dinosaurs are acceptable to me... where does everyone draw the line?

[ghul]

The largest animals the druid is familiar with from his or her own native land, and thus those of which they are most intimately and spiritually connected with. Not intimate in the way YOU are with animals, though, GT. :-)

[GT]

Geezz!!! You still need help with CZ, Ghul?? Somewhere, Gary's probably chuckling at me heckling you... SLACKER!!!! ;D

[ghul]

:-)

GT, I look forward to drinking a few beers with you some day in the near future...

Cheers!
--JeffT

[GT]

Jeff, mi Amigo, the tales we shall tell! ^__^

[dcas]

gt said:

This goes back to the "shapechange question"--- What limits do you place upon this power? Dinosaurs are acceptable to me... where does everyone draw the line?

What happened in this case was that the DM drew the line at animals the druid had actually seen . . . which is why once the druid visited the Isle of Dread he allowed him to roll to "learn" to change into a pteranodon.

[GT]

I should amend my statement above somewhat: the size of creature that can be assumed maxes out around that of a grizzly--so an Apatosaurus or Tyrannosaur are out; but even the Quetzacoautlasaurus pterosaur maxes at about 130 pounds in weight, despite a 40-foot wingspan, so it would be OK. So would smaller therapods...

[GT]

... Oh, and as Jeff and Dave both pointed out, your character would actually had to have encountered the creature to be copied!