Having Troubles: Can't Build Druids

[Andostre]

Hi, folks. I'm playing the do-gooder elves, and I have the Commune With Nature tech and groves in my cities (both of the requirements needed for Druids according to the in-game FFH civipedia.) I've even already built Yvain.

In fact, Yvain's the reason I need Druids! He was exploring a dungeon on the other side of an impassable mountain terrain when he became trapped in a cage. I don't have any stealth units, so I think that Druids are my best bet in traversing those mountains to go retrieve him.

So, does anybody have any ideas? What am I missing that I can't build Druids?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Breunor]

You have to be neutral (alignment) to build druids.

Tactical tip - never explore dungeons with powerful heroes!

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[Azhral]

Tactical tip - never explore dungeons with powerful heroes!

Actually, due to recent changes, powerful Heroes are great for exploring. They generally get far better results, can't die from it and most negative effects are minor, and are easily resolved.

A better tactical tip would be 'Never explore dungeons alone, always have back up in case things go horribly wrong' (Priests make great backup. Healing and Cure Disease)

As for the Druids issue, do they need Incense or Reagents? I can't remember...

 

[PekkaR]

Alignment is likely it. Are you perhaps playing as Arendel Phaedra? Note that unlike the other two Ljosalfar leaders, she starts as Good.

She is Spiritual so a quick anarchy-free switch to Council of Esus or Octopus Overlords and then back to Fellowship of Leaves a few turns later will solve the problem. You can rebuild Yvain who abandons you after switching religions, unless someone else starts building him first. Losing high priests is worse, if you have any.

If you aren't Arendel then I assume you were briefly following Order or Ashen Veil at some point.

 

[Andostre]

Ah, it must be the alignment thing. Crazy. I am playing as Arendel, and me and Decius Bannor are the only two good-aligned leaders in the game.

Thanks, folks! I'll figure something out. Yvain's not technically unreachable. I'm thinking I'll find a way to get an invisible unit made, or a fast-moving Hidden Nationality unit.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Note that if you switch religions to become Neutral and have access to Druids, Yvain will abandon you. So long as he was not actually killed you should be able to build him again when you switch back to FoL, but it will be starting over without any xp or promotions.

 

[Azhral]

Although having to rebuild Yvain is also a very good way of getting him out of the cage. Just make sure you can get him before somebody running FoL does too.

 

[Andostre]

Yeah I realize I could lose Yvain and my promoted Priests of Leaves (and maybe their tigers?) if I switch religions. (I didn't realize I could rebuild him if I lost him under the right circumstances, though.) Honestly, I'm not planning on changing religions just to free him. That's kind of extreme for the condition he's in.

He's just over a mountain range to the South, though still in my territory. To reach him, I'll have to send a unit West into Acheron territory (and within range of the fire elementals), then move south of the mountain range, and then back West through Sheelba's territory to reach him. The problem is I just ended a war with Sheelba that she would have won if I didn't give her some tech, so she doesn't like me enough to have open borders with me, and I'm still re-building after the last war so I don't want to enter her borders for Yvain, just yet. Plus her being friendly with Barbarians doesn't help me dealing with Acheron, either.

It'll probably work out. Maybe. I've already lost Gilden Silveric pretty early on and Baron Duin Halfmorn on his first battle. They say bad new always comes in threes, so maybe I should be worried.

 

[Azhral]

Ah, that sucks dude. Though you probably should have used Yvain to res Gilden

You will need to change religions to get Druids regardless, but you should be able to walk past Acheron and his fire Elementals no problem. They very rarely attack, unless its been changed.
Sheelba on the other hand...

Honestly, you're better off just invading her ASAP. She most likely won't ever let you sign borders, and she has been planning her next attack on you the second you made peace. Better off attacking her on your terms, but most likely you'll need some powerful magic to break them, since you can't build siege, and that will make Yvain much more vulnerable. I wouldn't put it past the AI to build a stack just to go and kill him.

Tis a conundrum to be sure.
If all else fails, ditch FoL completely. You will keep all your Priests of Leaves and Tigers, but you will lose any High Preists. Any Ancient Forests will stay Ancient (but new Ancient forests will no longer grow), and you can run all but 2 religions as Neutral.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

... and Baron Duin Halfmorn on his first battle.

That is actually very appropriate. In the D&D games Kael used to run, on which FfH is loosely based, the Baron was supposed to be one of the greatest threats the team faced. However, they got a lucky roll and killed him before he could even injure anyone. Later on when the real big bad Tuoni used the Opalus Mortis to bring back all their old foes to fight again, The Baron was again defeated before he could land a single blow.

 

[Zobo]

Priests do not abandon you when you switch religion.

You can have your kilmorphean priest's shield of faith and your cofessor's blessing on your cultist. A bit of switching can net you powerful priest abilities from several religions.


High priests and religions heroes do abandon you.

 

[Andostre]

So, it turns out that Sheelba declared war on me three turns after I loaded the game, tonight. My elite army of assassins, longbowmen, beastmasters, and one mage with Maelstrom easily held off her first wave of ogres, wolf riders, rangers, and catapults. The catapults never even made it to my city thanks to my assassins. That was satisfying. Between her first and second wave, I sent Kithra Kyriel through Acheron country and into Clan territory. Just inside the orange zone when Sheelba was sending troops after him, he got a promotion which I used for Mobility. I really enjoyed imagining him gaining a burst of speed and breaking through the enemy lines on a daring rescue mission to save Yvain, which he did. Yvain hightailed it back over the mountains, but I'm toying with the idea of leaving Kithra in Clan territory to pillage and capture workers.

Azhral: All good advice, but I decided to challenge myself at the beginning of this game and expand slowly, only defend, and see where that got me. I'm only at four cities, and I have zero ore and mana resources in my nation, but I'm enjoying the extra challenge of being a small country surrounded by hostile ones. I may see what I can do about killing Acheron, but I may never invade Sheelba with the intent to expand. Just because.

Thanks to you and Zobo for the clarifications, also.

 

[Andostre]

That is actually very appropriate. In the D&D games Kael used to run, on which FfH is loosely based, the Baron was supposed to be one of the greatest threats the team faced. However, they got a lucky roll and killed him before he could even injure anyone. Later on when the real big bad Tuoni used the Opalus Mortis to bring back all their old foes to fight again, The Baron was again defeated before he could land a single blow.

That is hilarious! I had no idea he was comic relief!