So, The Druid

Right, I forgot about the holds while writing, and remembered just after clicking on "Post"! Sounds fair to me.

To anyone keeping score, Carouse is another move in which you don't quite get everything, even on a 10+

I loved the druid as a spellcaster °L° maybe I see her more AD&D-style, as a sort of variation of the cleric, than on the D&D 3.x style, where the druid was basically all about shapeshifting—I mean, Druid-Zilla anyone?

What I never could stand was the animal companion. I'm so glad that is relegated to the ranger! :D

About elemental mastery: to me the thing is, if you win with 10+, you could chose that you're unharmed and keep the thing under control, but it doesn't bend to your will. That's lame! I want action! I liked Sage's edited version more: on a 10+ the element does as you wish; on a 7-9 it does it, but it harms you; and no matter the result, now it's out of control!

Should World-Talker require Thing-Talker? Given the amount of linked Moves for the Druid, this one would seem to make sense as well, especially since they're thematically linked it seems, with the former being the more "pure" or "refined" expression of the latter.

As for Elemental Mastery, I agree that it seems a little odd to have a move that seems only a partial success on a 10+. However, I have a question about the way one of the options for success is worded.

You retain control

Given that the other two options effectively get what you want done and prevent any backlash against you from an angry elemental spirit, this option seems to convey that you continue to control the elemental beyond the initial use of the Move, and can subsequently command other tasks later.

I'm not really seeing the summoning of an elemental so much as elemental forces being coerced into compliance, much more in the theme of L5R. Though I could definitely see a further advanced option (lvls 6-10) where an elemental spirit is summoned to fight or serve the druid. It makes me wonder though what exactly people see "retaining control" as meaning.

I love the sky-bender move but it feels lifted from Last Airbender.  Perhaps 'Fore Caster'. 

This isn't a big deal by any means, but I'm not a fan of the description under "Human". By saying "Your people have bound up their fate with the animals of farm and field" and granting the Druid an ability to shapeshift into any domesticated animal, it links the druid to civilization, which seems incredibly assumptive about the kind of background a player would want, and also works against the druid concept -- an agent/servant of the wild, not the civilized world.

I would expect druidic orders to exist in spite of the growing civilization surrounding them; and increasingly at odds with that civilization as it encroaches deeper into the wilds and tames those wilds to suit its own "advanced" needs.

Does that make sense?

This isn't a big deal by any means, but I'm not a fan of the description under "Human". By saying "Your people have bound up their fate with the animals of farm and field" and granting the Druid an ability to shapeshift into any domesticated animal, it links the druid to civilization, which seems incredibly assumptive about the kind of background a player would want, and also works against the druid concept -- an agent/servant of the wild, not the civilized world.

I would expect druidic orders to exist in spite of the growing civilization surrounding them; and increasingly at odds with that civilization as it encroaches deeper into the wilds and tames those wilds to suit its own "advanced" needs.

Does that make sense?

For the race moves, they speak less about the here-and-now and more about stuff like ancestral memory and the power of blood passed down.  Men have learned to bend animals to their will - it's part of their spirit.  An individual druid, or maybe even all human druids, might reject that consciously but in their blood, the bonds are still there.  Dogs, Cats, Rats, Ravens - they're part of human life and have been since as long as men in Dungeon World can remember.

That said, a human druid can always say "fuck that noise" and be wild and tear down the civilization his folk are known for.  Tension between what we are and what we were born to be is a really good source of drama in play.

Should World-Talker require Thing-Talker?

Yep.  Probably.

Given that the other two options effectively get what you want done and prevent any backlash against you from an angry elemental spirit, this option seems to convey that you continue to control the elemental beyond the initial use of the Move, and can subsequently command other tasks later.

I'm not really seeing the summoning of an elemental so much as elemental forces being coerced into compliance, much more in the theme of L5R. Though I could definitely see a further advanced option (lvls 6-10) where an elemental spirit is summoned to fight or serve the druid. It makes me wonder though what exactly people see "retaining control" as meaning.

My inspiration for the move was definitely "summon but do not bind" and the "you retain control" was meant to be a little vague.  It could mean you lose control of the thing after you get what you want.  It could mean that you lose control of yourself to the influence of such intense power.  It's intentionally open that way.

For the race moves, they speak less about the here-and-now and more about stuff like ancestral memory and the power of blood passed down.  Men have learned to bend animals to their will - it's part of their spirit.  An individual druid, or maybe even all human druids, might reject that consciously but in their blood, the bonds are still there.  Dogs, Cats, Rats, Ravens - they're part of human life and have been since as long as men in Dungeon World can remember.

Perhaps a re-wording?
'Your people have long ago bound the animals to field and hearth, and with it their spirits. You may always take the shape of any domesticated animal, in addition to your normal options.'

Also:
Level 1 spell: Summon dimensional shambler.
Level 10 spell: Bind dimensional shambler.

/cthulhu_highfive

Hey @(not that) adam: I made this for you based on an earlier comment: http://goo.gl/uGFyv
(Didn't have much time to polish, word carefully or trim, but the idea is there)

I'll tinker with it this weekend for funsies.  (There might also be some original home-brewed goodness)

Wow, I get home from work and find this delightful artefact! I LOVE this playbook (and yup, I voted for it)! My daydreaming sees a ranger taking druid moves with multiclass dabbler and creating a rather unique 'outdoorsy' character. So awesome.

Ill have a good read and try and playtest with my brother next week :)

Disclaimer: I haven't playtested Dungeon World at all, much less with the Druid.

That said, three things struck me on reading it.
1) I like the focus on Shapeshifting as the core shtick of the Druid. They clearly needed something (and something different from 'nature-seeming spells', IMHO), and Shapeshifting is as fine a choice as any. The speak with animals and eventually natural stuff is good and feels like an extension of it. Yay.
2) Like one other previous poster, I'm not a big fan of the Human 'domesticated animal' thing. Seems trite, not terribly useful in many dungeons (certainly old-school ones), and kind of blah. I'd love to find something more flavorful for humans, but don't have a good suggestion to hand.
3) I don't like the 'Sustained by nature' bit coming as a mandatory move for the druid. Although I like it as an option to buy, it doesn't seem as intricately linked with the core shtick as the others.

OK, fourth thing: You need to add 'The Trackless Mire' or something similar as a possible terrain. Swamps and bogs are a staple of fantasy and Druids should be able to be at home in them. I would also call 'Arctic Circle' something more fantasy-sounding like, say, 'Frozen Wastes'.

I'm kind of surprised people don't like the Human move! It's one of my favorites for a few reasons:

First off, I think it's super useful, especially in dungeons. Tracking hounds. Hunting hawks. Guard dogs. A stealthy housecat. And you never have to buy a horse, of course.

Then there's the possibilities for exploring the setting. There's plenty of possibilities for small shifts in what's domesticated. Like the player says "I shift into a messenger crow!" And the GM responds with: "Is that a domesticated animal?" "Oh yeah, totally, they're the way word gets sent from city to city. Much faster then a horse and crows are more reliable than hawks and less likely to get attacked than a sparrow."

Lastly, it shifts the Druid just a bit to each race. Elven druids are the classic wood elf thing. Halflings have a more nurturing bond to the land. Humans are the druids that shift the concept just a bit. I hesitate to say "urban druid" because that's only one way to do it, but its certainly a possibility.

I like it!  :)

Actually, it's a little weird.  I like the druid, just all around, better than any of your base classes.

OK, fourth thing: You need to add 'The Trackless Mire' or something similar as a possible terrain. Swamps and bogs are a staple of fantasy and Druids should be able to be at home in them. I would also call 'Arctic Circle' something more fantasy-sounding like, say, 'Frozen Wastes'.

Yes and yes.  The list now contains;
- the Stinking Mire
- the Frozen North