With the druid code in mind to be a druid do you have to be full vegan....

Well, there is the cycle of life and all that stuff going on in nature all the time. My Beach Druid characters have always been fine with eating bivalves (clams, scallops, etc.)

As an IRL vegetarian, I like to sometimes try it in certain games. It's an interesting challenge in Minecraft for instance. I'm also reminded of the fish people in Starbound, they were my favorite race and vegetarian in the lore, it wasn't forced on you but I did it anyway for fun/immersion. I honestly think BG3 would function the same way, it's a low-key lore-friendly thing to do, but not a requirement. They might even sneak in some snarky dialogue about it somewhere if you choose not to.

I don't know why druids would be vegan. They are into nature, in nature animals eat each other. They revere both plants AND animals, so why would they even eat plants? Because everything eats each other in nature, it's how things are supposed to be, the circle of life, etc.

EDIT: Although they COULD just live on Goodberries, if they wanted to.

Animals eat meat...druids would not be vegetarian entirely...some would, sure...but there'd be some that are very predatorial

My druids almost always veer dangerously far in the opposite direction.

-Bear rips out a goblin's throat and swallows-

-Party looks on in horror-

"What? It was already in my mouth. May as well."

That said I could see some druids going the vegan route ala Beast Boy from Teen Titans.

"DUDE! I've been some of these animals!"

I would say druids are like any other person. Some are vegan and others aren't. It is more of a personal choice than a druid sect code. Also don't confuse Druids with Paladin orders or clerical orders. Druids do have some codes and rites they follow, but for the most part they are pretty relaxed about most things. The only thing I remember about druids, and I'm not sure if this is still expected in 5E, but they couldn't wear metal armor and had specific weapons they could only wield. Scimitar, maces, clubs, quarterstaff, sling, daggers, and bows I think were allowed? I rarely played druids so my memory is foggy on what they were allowed to wield. As far as eating animals never said one way or the other about that. That was usually just a PC choice for their character to be vegan or not.

Vegetarianism in the game has already been discussed in this thread

https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=726007&page=1

Which "druid's code" are you talking about?

In my mind druids are far more likely to venerate plants rather than animals and this would be more likely to carnivans rather than vegans or vegetarians.

Druids should be like, "Eat whatever you want, as long as you don't fuck up the ecosystem."

"the druid code"

The first rule of the druid code is that you don't talk about the druid code.


Druids identify with and turn into all manner of animals, and seek to be part of nature. Of course there would not be a 'code' against eating other animals; that's not nature's way. In fact, I could see carnivore-animal druids eating any source of meat they could catch, sentient species included.

Definitely a thing.

Druidity is a real religion my freind is one. It is like Ghia's paganism. The balance, all Druids strive to be neutral. Too many deer? They eat deer, too many people? They remove people. They technically eat anything nature provides as long as they maintain the balance. Eating grass and trees and stuff isn't a Druidic tenant, they aren't sheep.

Not considering magic, druids are probably more likely to live and thrive with a balanced diet.

Getting enough food for a plant-based diet that would be satisfying and healthy, requires either hectars of unnaturally prepared land, or several hours of forarging.

The druid would have to take the animal population into account, both for food in regards to forarging, the nature around them, the earth, etc. They would have to consider the ecosystem overall. If they compete with animals for food, then there may not be enough food for both, and either will die. Humans are adapable in terms of places to live, many animals are not, so this means moving to another location, or accept that a balance must be struck, the latter very likely in the druid's case.

Killing animals can destroy ecosystems, not killing animals can also destroy ecosystems.

You must find balance.

It's more like guidelines anyway




Second rule is! Be nice to mommy!





Quoted and sourced no doubt





1. Druids in DnD are not real world druids.
2. Druidism died out a thousand years ago, give or take a few centuries.

The neo-Druids arose out of the Romanticist movement, about 300-350 years ago (give or take). They cobbled together dribs and drabs of myth and contemporary ideas, very little about the actual druids being known.

Yeah but they said real religion, and neo-paganism ain't none. It's just a bunch of people appropriating cultures to make themselves feel special and unique (and in case of the people who sell it; make themselves a whole lot of money defrauding easy marks).

Wise words.

Sounds like religion to me.

But in BG3 druids have uniforms.

I think we can all accept that druids in D&D are based on a 1:1 faithful transition of real world druidism. That Larian refuse to implement this is yet more evidence of their idiotic homebrew "rules"

I disagree. I think that the druid class in D&D is a mixture of various mythological influences. It certainly can't be a 1:1 representation of Iron Age druidism because we simply don't have the information available to make any such translation. Nor could it be a faithful representation of neo-druidism - I've yet to see a real-world practitioner turn into an animal or cast a spell.

Like all the classes in D&D (and most other FRPGs), the class is a combination of interpretations of legends, stories, cultural expectation, and game balance.

hate to be the one to tell you but this post is a major violation of the druid code.

I wondered why my garden looks so badly tended.

Expect a strongly worded letter about sorting your recycling properly

That's religion mate.

Nah there's a big difference between a living tradition and belief system and that.

Druidism is a real religion in the UK. It was so recognised about a decade ago.

I checked with my local Heirophant, who quoted me the 1E class description with an extra explanatory note as follows:

".. avoid slaying wild animals or even domestic ones except as necessary for self-preservation and sustenance, with the exception of bivalves which are so very delicious."

D&D races/classes etc. are Tolkienisms, Tolkien recreated English folk lore though the Hobbit & LOTR. Elves, goblins, trolls, orks, wizards, the fay, Druids, dragons..... All of this is derived from pre-Christian/Norman English folklore. Druids were "pagans that lived in woodland", that's it. Their diet was "food". They didn't give a shit about modern day religious based dietary propagana lol.

Druidry is just as valid as a religion as any other, but is grounded in reality. Respecting the earth and it's bounty is what environmentalism is, modern Druidry. There is a 6000 year old stone calendar in Salisbury England created using this very premise. The Druids in D&D respect the balance, cycle of life and are granted powers based on what they essentially protect. Modern Druids are D&D Druids without magic powers. A Druidic diet is the bountry of the land and sea, if there are load of apples then eat apples, too many rabbits? Eat rabbits. Too many vegans? It's vegan diet time.

LOL

Pretty fucked up that there is no quinoa in this game. I expect this is just an EA oversight though.

Quinoa "has broad, generally powdery, hairy, lobed leaves ..."

Oooh, I don't know, there's just something about a plant having broad, powdery, hairy, lobed leaves that makes me want to grab a scimitar rather than a fork.

Okay, slow your roll there, pal. You don't get to gatekeep what is or isn't "real" religion. Everyone is entitled to their own faith, and as long as it is sincerely-held, it doesn't matter if other people find it "legitimate" enough or not.

FIVE DRUID DEMERITS. FURTHER VIOLATIONS WILL RESULT IN RITUAL FLOGGING WITH SHEAVES OF WHEAT.

And Star Wars is a recognised religion in Australia. That doesn't make it a real religion.




Oh I definitely do. You don't get to decide what I think is ridiculous and not.

And it should have been obvious from my post that I do not find it to be sincerely held.

What an interesting thread! Here I was talking about clams, and now it has migrated into discussions about the legitimacy of religions and freedom of expression. I will try to keep with the flow.

The way I look at things, you might ask yourself, what is it that makes mankind different from the rest of the animals on Earth? Is it love, self-sacrifice, empathy? Anyone with a beloved dog would probably attest to those qualities in their pet. And intelligence is really just a matter of scale. But I can think of one thing that appears unique to humans, which is that we form religions, and we worship. I am aware of no other animal doing so.

Mark Twain made a famous quote that went something like the following: "Mankind is the only animal on earth capable of blushing. He's also the only one who has a reason to."

Wise man. Might be why he is quoted so much. It is also why he is ignored so much as well.

People want to believe and hear what they want so to point out your original topic. Druids are people, the code doesn't matter, and eat what you want. *Salute*

its video games

Eat meat, or eat not. Balance must you strive for between the meat side and vegan side of the force - wisely you must choose. The Druidic force be with you.

Regular druids I would suspect are omnivorous or vegetarian. The fighting types seem to like hanging out as bears and making friends with wolves so those guys are probably not strictly veg.
I would imagine they are pretty heavy into locally sources or hunted foods though, no way they would be buying a tube of pink meat from Wal-Mart.

Shadow druids are another story entirely, given their bond to plant life I would expect them to be almost entirely carnivorous, and likely man-eaters,
(I was going to use the word cannibals there but is a wood elf that eats you in bear form being a cannibal?)

one more tid bit...have you found any meat in the druids camp? ... besides the cattle that the tieflings manage and there possessions.

We basically weren't even sentient until Super Mario Bros came along.

Doubt it, we're omnivores, hunting comes naturally to us, therefore eating meat is fine.

Yes, there is little else which compares to the visceral thrill of clam hunting. It's in the blood. Furthermore, I suspect that Mind Flayers also love their fair share of clams and other bivalves, being that they have evolved with those octopus-like tentacles on their faces ... perfect adaptation for eating clams and mussels.

i dont think thats true at all.
veganism is pretty opposed to a lot of the natural world.
Not even most herbivores are vegan.

maybe my FR lore isnt great right now, but IIRC theres nothing saying that druids cannot eat meat.

There is a middle ground between carnivore and vegan. Just not eating meat doesn't make you a vegan. Makes you a vegetarian.
I could see some druids being vegetarian, probably not the ones who are spend all day in bear form or have pet snakes, but like people, they aren't all the same.

idk, i associate druids with celtic tradition aswell as with the old "Bound to nature" trope. Vegetarianism just doesnt fit into that.

vegetarianism isnt something for a man of the wilds.

one who emulates nature, sureley would not from upon predation

More likeley, i can see a druid frown on farming. On baked goods. I can see a Druid be flabbergasted at the thought of drinking milk

Considering they wear clothing made from hide and leather they are evidently not adverse to using parts of animals for personal benefits.
A big part of the wild life in nature involves competing for food and natural resources, even if it entails killing other animals.

Druids are not vegetarian nor Vegan. In Forgotten realms there are different order of Druidic Circles there are also very violent ones devoted to Malar that are less for balance and more an embodiment of the most feral and violent aspect of nature.

Yes, there is much violence in nature which must be balanced with wishful thinking, and that is why my Beach Druid follows the path of the Lorax, who speaks for the Truffula trees, and who, on occasion, enjoys a good plate of clams casino.

Heck, most herbivores aren't even strictly herbivores, go on youtube and watch horses chow down on a wild bird or a newborn chicken - I think people very much underestimate how many animals are obligate herbivores or carnivores...

Gygax was enamored of social darwinism so I think "red in tooth and claw" was always part of the original druid concept.

The Romans described the druid's religion as "bloody" -- one that involved lots of blood rites. Think of the wicker man or midsommer. And while the Romans accounts were propaganda there is some evidence that the allegations of cannibalism might have been true.

Given where this circle is? I'm guessing lots of fish and the occasional harpy egg.

My question is why the obsession with their eating habits.
The real question is what their love life looks like?
Is this a sword in the stone scenario where they are falling in love with beautiful lady squirrels?
Are druids the ultimate furry swingers?

to answer your question: Read Slaine