Would you (imms) ever consider giving rangers back their bears? I think the big problem was people abusing the bears. Perhaps we can just remove the ability for the abusers? Any feed back would be appreciated.

>Would you (imms) ever consider giving rangers back their
>bears? I think the big problem was people abusing the bears.

Nope. The problem was they didn't fit the way we decided to go with the class.

First and formost.
What way did you feel you where going with the class, now I have an idea, but I just want to hear it from you guys so I don't have a skewed perspective.

And also I'd like to suggest some other ideas,
Now Druids and Shapies
So I was thinking maybe some more animal based attacks
We've got Ambush and Bearcharge, and Entangle if you look at it the right way.
Lets see some more strange animal mimiced attacks. And maybe some more weird plant spells/skills and I mean weird

One could place existing powers into a path system modeled after thieves. Here are a few additional communes that could fit into such a system.

Flora
-Chorophyll: improved regeneration in natural sunlight
-Wilt: decreased vigor, susceptibility to attacks
-Creeping Vines: like entangle, but slowly grows into adjacent rooms
-Interminable roots: protection from bash, summon, etc. Cast on an unwilling recipient, think earthbind. Recipient may move without breaking the spell, but increased movement costs.
-Cutting: after his death, the druid could take one of his own bodyparts, plant it in a sacred grove, and grow a green-tinged clone of himself.


Fauna
-Mark of the Hunter: while so cursed, all natural creatures are aggressive to the victim and will howl audibly
-Rabies: inflict the victim with Rabies(unable to swallow, possibility of hydrophobia).
-Woodland spirit: randomly invite the spirit of a forest creature to imbue the druid with some characteristic: deer (jumping and kicking ability grants increased dodge and auto-kick damage), wolf (circle attacks, hamstringing), bear (fierce unarmed combat), possum (druid can collapse upon the ground and mimic a corpse).


Primal
-Embrace of the Elements: recipient finds himself under a constant rain cloud, significantly hurting morale
-Earth meld: can move through natural earth or stone. Holding one's breath causes damages the character each round, however.
-Airy burden: the very air seems to lighten the load a person carries.
-Stormy seas: trying to cross bodies of water causes the water to rise up and strike at the offender. The fury of the storm diminishes the more water that is transversed.

>One could place existing powers into a path system modeled
>after thieves. Here are a few additional communes that could
>fit into such a system.
>
>Flora
> -Chorophyll: improved regeneration in natural sunlight

Interesting idea.

> -Creeping Vines: like entangle, but slowly grows into
>adjacent rooms

They have briars.

> -Interminable roots: protection from bash, summon, etc.
>Cast on an unwilling recipient, think earthbind. Recipient
>may move without breaking the spell, but increased movement
>costs.

They have armor of thorns to protect them from bashing. Is this suggestion some kind of a nosummon that prevents flight?

> -Cutting: after his death, the druid could take one of his
>own bodyparts, plant it in a sacred grove, and grow a
>green-tinged clone of himself.

Smells like necromancy.
>
>Fauna
> -Mark of the Hunter: while so cursed, all natural creatures
>are aggressive to the victim and will howl audibly

Druid has the Hunt, which is pretty much similar theme-wise.

> -Rabies: inflict the victim with Rabies(unable to swallow,
>possibility of hydrophobia).
> -Woodland spirit: randomly invite the spirit of a forest
>creature to imbue the druid with some characteristic: deer
>(jumping and kicking ability grants increased dodge and
>auto-kick damage), wolf (circle attacks, hamstringing), bear
>(fierce unarmed combat), possum (druid can collapse upon the
>ground and mimic a corpse).

I don't think that they need possum like that since they have treeform.

>
>Primal
> -Embrace of the Elements: recipient finds himself under a
>constant rain cloud, significantly hurting morale

They have control weather. This one might be useful, though.

> -Earth meld: can move through natural earth or stone.
>Holding one's breath causes damages the character each round,
>however.

This would work in what way? Pass natural door?

> -Airy burden: the very air seems to lighten the load a
>person carries.

Does this mean some kind of buoyancy for druids?

> -Stormy seas: trying to cross bodies of water causes the
>water to rise up and strike at the offender. The fury of the
>storm diminishes the more water that is transversed.

They already have tsunami. Is this some form of long range tsunami?

There may be some good stuff there, keep the ideas coming.

>>One could place existing powers into a path system modeled
>>after thieves. Here are a few additional communes that
>could
>>fit into such a system.

>>Flora
>> -Chorophyll: improved regeneration in natural sunlight
>
>Interesting idea.
>
>> -Creeping Vines: like entangle, but slowly grows into
>>adjacent rooms
>
>They have briars.

I said entangle, but I meant briars (I haven't played druids, I just know their briars from their damned entangle effect). The difference being this could spread.

>> -Interminable roots: protection from bash, summon, etc.
>>Cast on an unwilling recipient, think earthbind. Recipient
>>may move without breaking the spell, but increased movement
>>costs.
>
>They have armor of thorns to protect them from bashing. Is
>this suggestion some kind of a nosummon that prevents flight?

As conceived, it prevents bashing & summoning, useful as a defensive or offensive commune. A possible permutation would not affect bashing, but grant instead regeneration. If seen as too powerful, could impart a fire vulnerability while under its affect.

>> -Cutting: after his death, the druid could take one of his
>>own bodyparts, plant it in a sacred grove, and grow a
>>green-tinged clone of himself.
>
>Smells like necromancy.

Well, I had originally thought that the druid could do it to himself when he was alive, just like you can take a cutting from a plant, but that would be awfully convenient. I figured if the druid had to die first, that would be a severe limitation on the commune.

>>Fauna
>> -Mark of the Hunter: while so cursed, all natural
>creatures
>>are aggressive to the victim and will howl audibly
>
>Druid has the Hunt, which is pretty much similar theme-wise.

One major difference. Most characters aren't going to fear getting attacked by rabbits and squirrels, but my notion was that the audible cries would alert druids and people nearby to the character's location.

>> -Rabies: inflict the victim with Rabies(unable to swallow,
>>possibility of hydrophobia).
>> -Woodland spirit: randomly invite the spirit of a forest
>>creature to imbue the druid with some characteristic: deer
>>(jumping and kicking ability grants increased dodge and
>>auto-kick damage), wolf (circle attacks, hamstringing), bear
>>(fierce unarmed combat), possum (druid can collapse upon the
>>ground and mimic a corpse).
>
>I don't think that they need possum like that since they have
>treeform.

Treeform would be in the Flora path; additionally, possum is simply one of several random spirits that could enter the druid. I just thing it would be funny to have someone strike at the druid for an injure, and then the druid falls to the ground, insensate. They could loot his 'corpse,' but can't do any meaningful damage unless they can make fillets/skin him, attempt to embalm him, or do anything along those lines.

>>Primal
>> -Embrace of the Elements: recipient finds himself under a
>>constant rain cloud, significantly hurting morale
>
>They have control weather. This one might be useful, though.
>
>> -Earth meld: can move through natural earth or stone.
>>Holding one's breath causes damages the character each
>round,
>>however.
>
>This would work in what way? Pass natural door?

Sure.

>> -Airy burden: the very air seems to lighten the load a
>>person carries.
>
>Does this mean some kind of buoyancy for druids?

Bouyancy, increased weight limit, levitation, sure.

>> -Stormy seas: trying to cross bodies of water causes the
>>water to rise up and strike at the offender. The fury of
>the
>>storm diminishes the more water that is transversed.
>
>They already have tsunami. Is this some form of long range
>tsunami?

This wasn't really envisioned as Tsunami style attack, but more like a water-based version of briars centered on the victim so it followed him. It is meant to discourage movement over water. It would be very good as a leading commune in a water-based combat, followed by the Tsunami attack.

>There may be some good stuff there, keep the ideas coming.

These ideas may have potential as they get fleshed out through the input of others. As I see it, one of CF's strengths are those classes where each character may have wildly different abilities, so I am enamored of thieves, invokers, warriors, and to a lesser extent paladins.