Diplomat

The diplomat serves Nature best by resolving conflicts between intelligent beings through negotiation; wars must be avoided, as fields and forests burn regardless of which side wins. The fabled druidic neutrality makes these characters the clear choice for settling disputes, especially between human and nonhuman races.

For instance, if a heated dispute between wood elves and sylvan centaurs threatened to flare into war, the character might step in as a peacemaker, discover the root of the conflict, and arrange a just compromise. Or, the druid could act as an ambassador for a kingdom of sylvan folk, representing them in a human court.

In role-playing, the diplomat behaves with fairness and empathy. He always tries to see someone else's point of view, whether that someone else is an angry green dragon or a frivolous pixie, a proud knight or a hard-working farmer. But this fairness often masks an adamantine core of ruthless pragmatism. The character prefers solutions that benefit an entire region--including animals and plants--rather than a single faction. The diplomat isn't necessarily a pacifist--he may fight if talking fails or to enforce a peace he's brokered--but he prefers that a velvet glove mask the iron fist. Even so, the character generally takes the long view and values the harmony of the whole over the good of the individual.

This personality type works especially well with the Adviser, Pacifist, and Wanderer druid kits. It doesn't fit the Avenger or Guardian, but it can work with any other druid kits. The diplomat is best suited to an all-druid campaign, since other classes prefer fighting to talking. However, a peacemaking role can lead to adventure and intrigue (providing roles for bards, thieves, illusionists, and other characters skilled in subtlety), especially if--as often happens--a third party or warlike faction secretly works to foment wars or quarrels. And trying to mediate a dispute between an angry green dragon and a human baron can prove both exciting and dangerous!

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