Why can't a Ranger be a Druid?

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1) Why can a FIGHTER dual/multi to a Druid but a RANGER can only do a Cleric? I would think it obvious to allow the Ranger & Druid together?

2) I've been using the "dungeon be gone" mod and I just recently noticed that you have the option to have the bard take you to Yoshimo or leave him a note telling him to meet you at THE COPPER CORONET? I thought you had no clue where you were never mind what's a short walk away. Lol.

Ok so # 2 isn't really a question. Just thought it was a tiny bit funny

 

Because it wouldn't make sense. Ranger and druid share a domain. You don't have Ranger/Druids, just like you don't have Bard/Mages or Paladin/Clerics or Barbarian/Fighters. Not in 2nd edition anyway.

Dungeon-Be-Gone is all about metagaming so it doesn't matter what the PC knows.

 

Quite simple really, it all comes down to alignment restrictions - a druid has to be true neutral, while a ranger can only be of a good alignment.

 

Alignment restrictions are frequently broken though. Even within IE games.

 

True, but if anything, Beamdog should focus on fixing those occasions where that is the case, not breaking the rules even more to allow this class combination - that's what mods are for.
I know for a fact a mod exists for IWD:EE to remove race & alignment restrictions for multiclassing, so it stands to reason that either such a mod also exists for BG2:EE or could be made.
Even if such a mod doesn't exist for BG2, you could always create a ranger or druid and use Shadowkeeper to change the alignment and add the other class as a dual or multiclass.

 

There's nothing to fix. D&D isn't about conforming to the rules, it's about having the rules work for you and bending them when they don't. That's why "always evil" doesn't actually mean always evil. That's why we have evil druid circles, and dual-classed characters that shouldn't have been able to dual-class, and characters with abilities that don't belong to either their class or their race. Fluff always takes precedence.

I wasn't saying these options should be enabled by default, I'm just saying that alignment was probably the least of their worries when they were deciding which class options were possible back in the day.

 

Sure, if it makes sense for the story to have an evil aligned druid, then i don't see why that shouldn't be kept that way - in cases where it just doesn't make sense and has no impact on the story however, such instances could be fixed.
I personally always use the bg2tweaks mod to change Jaheira's alignment to neutral good - i find it just fits better with her character throughout the game.

That said, it does state in the 2e Player's Handbook that Elves and Half-Elven rangers can multiclass.

Also, quoted from an article written by Gary Gygax for dragon mag (page 8, online PDF here : http://annarchive.com/files/Drmg096.pdf)

So having a Ranger/Druid multi in BG2 wouldn't even be that far-fetched i guess

 

Nothing is far-fetched in D&D, Rule 0 makes sure of that. Dragon and Dungeon magazines aren't technically part of RAW though, not even those written by Gygax.