Character creation is one of the most enticing parts of Dungeons and Dragons, but it can be daunting to an inexperienced player. There are twelve main classes to choose from, some of which have subclasses. This can be a bit overwhelming at first, and it is not helped by the fact that some classes can be harder to tell apart. It is easy for a new player to be confused by the three main spellcasting classes- wizard, warlock, and sorcerer. It is also easy to mix up the barbarian and the fighter, both being classes that focus on dealing damage.
The same is true for the "nature" classes available in Dungeons and Dragons. There are two of them - druid and ranger. Both are defined by a love of nature and a reputation for isolationist lifestyles that often leave them preferring to live in the wilderness over any city. But while they may share similar themes they are quite different.
Druids
Druids go beyond merely being connected to nature - they are empowered by it. They are often seen as an embodiment of nature's forces, and frequently take up the role of a protector of their chosen world. Druids usually specialize in a particular aspect of nature and favor specific environments. A desert druid with a fondness for reptiles is going to be very different from a swamp druid who loves birds or a forest druid that specializes in plants. Whatever the choice, druids have nature-themed powers, many of which are based on using the environment to their advantage. At its simplest, this can manifest in small things like being able to calm or even speak to wild animals, while higher levels can produce crazier spells like controlling the weather.
Examples of Druids:
- Poison Ivy- Batman Franchise - Relates to plants and sees herself as their protector, as well as having the power to control them.
- Radagast The Brown - The Hobbit movies- Spends his time living in isolation with animals as his friends, even speaking to them
- Fluttershy- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Spends most of her time around animals, specializes in helping and caring for other species.
Gameplay
Druids put more emphasis on spellcasting over physical combat, but they become a lot more specialized compared to wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers. At level 2, druids have to start choosing their specialty which comes in the form of various "circles" focused on different aspects of their power. The simplest of these is "Circle of the Land" which sees the druid specialize in a specific environment (i.e. forest, swamp, desert, tundra), but other options can allow the druid to focus on developing their power or become more attuned to supernatural forces.
One of a druid's main powers is an ability called "wild shape" that allows them to transform into animals. This does come with some limitations. They can only turn into creatures they have actually seen, and are initially restricted to land-dwelling animals (with options for flying and swimming creatures being unlocked at higher levels), but it has a variety of useful applications. A druid could turn into a bear to aid in combat, but they could also turn into a squirrel to get into an otherwise inaccessible location or observe enemy movements from the treetops.
Rangers
Where druids strive to become one with nature, rangers are experts in survival at the fringes of civilization. Instead of nature-based magic, rangers know how to use the environment to their advantage. They understand the resources provided by nature and how to use them to ensure the survival of both themselves and their allies. In its simplest form, this includes knowing how to find food and knowing how to handle potential dangers. More experienced rangers may be expert hunters capable of taming wild beasts and being able to take advantage of their terrain to deliver a very precise strike at their target. Though hunting is a common profession for rangers, it is not a requirement. They are commonly associated with ranged weapons such as bows and arrows, though they can be more versatile.
Examples of Rangers
- Legolas- The Lord of the Rings- well-adapted survivalist with a talent for making use of the environment around him, especially forests
- Aloy- Horizon Zero Dawn- expert huntress with some unique tracking abilities, and even able to tame wild machines (albeit temporarily)
- Robin Hood- Various- lives in Sherwood Forest and knows both how to effectively hide and how to use it to ambush his enemies
Gameplay
While thematically similar, gameplay for a ranger is actually closer to a fighter or rogue than a druid. Rangers are survivalists, experts in their environment and the dangers it poses. Where a druid could use their powers to literally turn a forest against their enemies, a ranger can use their knowledge of the forest to locate a good ambush location or spot a potential threat before it can strike. Because of this, rangers are excellent classes to have when the situation requires an investigation or the party needs to track someone or something down. However, they do have the disadvantage of only being able to specialize in one type of environment. A forest ranger is going to be effectively useless if most of the game takes place in a desert.
One aspect of ranger that sets it apart from other classes is being able to have a "favored enemy." At the first level, a ranger can pick a specific type of creature to have this role and gets an advantage on any related wisdom checks. This makes tracking their favored enemy more likely to succeed. This can include a wide range of options. A ranger's favored enemy could even be a powerful monster like dragons or beholders. Rangers also get to pick a favored terrain, which provides advantages while exploring. A forest ranger has the best chance of success if they are in a forest. Unfortunately, this can have the downside of a ranger being useless if put in the wrong environment. A tundra ranger will not be much help if most of the game takes place in a desert.