A Moral Dilemna: Wood Elves and Bear Pelts

[Estebar]

I think backpacks are good to skill on. You can make them from HQ hopper hides now, so no bears needed Even below 88, it has a very low failure rate and the markup on bags is pretty high.

I keep a stack of skins around and make backpacks when I need space (less often now because of collapsable containers), and I can't remember the last time I failed one. When I don't need it anymore I auction it off for 50p, and it's gone in a couple of minutes.

[ArrakeenNaedShoj]

The rumore is because many animals(especially in Kith and Nektulos) had factions that dropped during beta(I.E. you got messages and everything, I can't remember the faction name off the top of my head, but it's in some of the games older guides).

Some of them are still on factions, you just cannot lose faction with them by killing them. (I.E. the faction doesn't change and you get no message). I can tell that they still have a faction because the same animals will con amiably to my WoodElf Druid, or High Elf Cleric, but are threateningly to my Troll SK, and Erudite Necro.

[Itzena]

One possible solution to the animal killing dilemma: http://www.teamxspeed.com/wtf/strip18.jpg :twisted:

[Oatman]

Thanks once again to all who contributed their helpful suggestions. My solution was rather simple: Since I had attained Lvl 82 making cured silk armor, refraining from making the backpacks only could cause a 6 Lvl failure rate until it trivialed at 88. I chose to make the quivers and, in twenty attempts, raised my Lvl to 94.
I had 14 pelts left over and used them to make reinforced leather masks, simply because I had 14 studs remaining from my studded leather phase. I was quite successful, raising to a Lvl 99 in those 14 attempts. It led me to think reinforced armor might have a higher success rate than quivers, though that might be due to the higher Lvl at which I commenced making them.
In any event, it is much easier to look back at what you have done than to decide what you should do next, and I appreciate all who shared their experience in order to make my path easier. Many more questions are in my head but they should be posted under new topics.

[Jobrill]

You...YOU MONSTER!

What did those poor Spiders ever do to you?

<weeps bitterly>

...

[PinyonTreedotter]

I'm a Grandmaster Tailor
I'm a druid

I have never killed a bear -- even when it is chasing someone around the druid ring in the Commonlands. The only wolves I have hunted are those that who do not acknowledge the bond that druids have with nature (in Iceclad, Western Wastes, and those poor wolves twisted into hate by the Kromzek). As an aside, I also made it to GM tailoring without killing a single Othmir (although, I will admit to having used a few of their pelts).

I have hunted and trapped in many areas, and always request that Karana bless the lands by washing the blood of the fallen to nourish the vegetation.

On the other hand, I feel no special bond to reptilian-kind, and have used Rockhopper hides to make backpacks as well as various forms of armor.

The brutes of Kunark present a different problem, due to their close relationship with the Halflings of Rivervale. I once wrote a story of my ancestor, Frugga Treedotter, and how the once friendly brutes were twisted through genetic engineering (by the Dark Elves, of course) into what they are now. While I do pity what they have become, I will continue my tailoring using brute hides in the ancient traditions of the Halflings before the Fall of Rivervale.

[Petercorbin]

I think roleplaying is cool in EQ and not enough people do it.. but I've had this problem with rangers and druids for a while:

You balk at killing wolves and bears and other cute and fuzzies for RP reasons, my god is the god of nature blah blah blah.. but you'll accept rezzes from clerics worshipping Cazic Thule, Bertox, Inny, etc... group and raid with necromancers and shadowknights, accept buffs from evil shaman, interact with trolls ogres iksar and dark elves, talk to half-elves, kill in plane of growth once you got epic etc...

Just seems like a big double standard to me.. and not just rangers and druids but any "good" type character like paladin or cleric etc being all chummy with their polar opposites. /shrug. And bears arent just for karana druids, tunare ones get bear pets too, and tunare likes bears, just go ask her

[PinyonTreedotter]

Good point, Mr. Gobylnfoe. As it turns out, I have never accepted a resurrection from a cleric with an evil heart (although that's not saying much, I've only been resurrected 4 times in my 54 levels). As for hunting with the evil races, while I do that on occasion, I look at it as a way to change their hearts. Also, when out in the wilderness, we often choose strange bedfellows in order to survive.

The others in the Treedotter family are more .... worldly, particularly the very very distant relatives from Ak'Anon.

[Oatman]

Jobrill- Theyve stung me,bit me, ganged up on me and killed me many, many times. Even now, I can recall their poison slowly coursing through my body while their cold eyes gazed in hungry anticipation.
And, to be sure, when I was not there to feed them they most certainly turned their attention to my warm friends, the four footed animals of the forest.
It is probably as unfathomable to you that I kill them as it is to me that you would slaughter the bears and wolves! Vive le diferance.

[Mamine]

Bears & Druids

The bears love me. They're cute, cuddly and never harm me. I've never killed one and never intend to. (Ditto the cute othmirs). If a thing likes me then if I possibly can I'll stay on good terms with it and not hunt it. I guess that sorta comes from real life - why intentionally hurt your allies ? Besides you can easily get bear skins/othmir fur or whatever from Bazaar or less fussy friends.

Mamine
(Tailor 204)

[Meirril]

Umm...ok. I can understand why a high faluting tree hugging Tunarian druid would have a moral delema with killing a few bears. Heck, in the heart of Karana's druid country (sure fall glades) there are Tunarian Bears. Out of respect for the druids that watch over them, I don't pick on 'em. Out of respect for the difficult balance the druids of the Jagged Pine try to maintain I refrain from hunting the animals there also (though I do what I can to keep the poachers in check...and I can't just let those pelts their carrying go to waste, can I?). But where exactly do you get the idea that the Pragmatic (i.e. practical) race of Karana worshiping, storm fearing, good hot food loving, pie eating, jum jum beer drinking, farming race of Halflings love bears?!? Yeah yeah, bears love us. Personaly I don't pick on bears, but I don't understand the reluctance to fulfill a need. If ya need the pelts, take them. Just don't go around wasting what you get. Learn to use the bear meat, use the hides. Heck, find a way to use everything each animal drops. If you arn't getting something you need from an animal, why are you killing it? Orcs kill for sport. Druids (and especial halflings) kill for need. Elves arn't use to thinking practicaly, usualy takes them quite a few seasons away from their forest to come about.
Karana is our lord, mostly because we don't want to watch our hard earned crops get washed away in a freak storm (unless that freak storm is saving us from a hord of goblins, bless Karana). That's a practical reason for choosing a practical god. He didn't make us, but we'll serve him as well as any elf will serve Tunare (or a might bit better, ya won't catch me killing off Karana's loyal servants just so I can get a perty blue diamond! Now those traitors on the otherhand...).
And honestly folks, don't you get tired of eating roots and berries? Kill a few animals and live a little. Cook for Karanas sake!

[Stokvorn Warwalker]

I have to say that as a Dwarf Paladin. I will only kill the bear after I ran along side it and gave it a pinch. (Just to see if it had enough meat on it.) If it do, then feel free to kill, eat, and skin the bear. If not be sure to let it grow into one the will have enough meet. :twisted:

Just keep a lookout for it's mother. Boy why do bear mom's seem to get so mad when you pinch their young. :shock:

[cattywumpus]

For all the RP druid tailors out there just go Greyhopper Armor. The drop rate isn't bad, only needs a pattern to do and covers that range of trivials pretty well. You also get a lot of Low Quality Rockhopper Hides to make the highly profitable leather paddings and help ween those smiths off of killing those precious fuzzy little bears and wolves too.

Nobody will ever mourn a lizard

[Ellzii]

Never killed a Bear?

Read this

http://www.teamxspeed.com/wtf/

Look at numbers 18 and 19

Ellzii

[monocot]

Keel them!

Keel the Bears, and then later on Keel the Othmir. Don't let their cute act fool you! :twisted:

Monocot