Druid
Ability Requirements: Wisdom 12, Charisma 15
Prime Requisites: Wisdom, Charisma
Races Allowed: Human, Elf, Half-elf
Alignments Allowed: True Neutral only
Automatic Proficiencies: Animal Lore, Animal Handling, Animal Training, Herbalism, Hunting, Leatherworking, Survival, Tracking, Weather Sense
Historically, druids lived among the Germanic tribes of Western Europe and Britain during the days of the Roman Empire. They acted as advisors to chieftains and held great influence over the tribesmen. Central to their thinking was the belief that the earth was the mother and source of all life. They revered many natural things -- the sun, moon, and certain trees -- as deities. Druids in the AD&D game, however, are only loosely patterned after these historical figures. They are not required to behave like or follow the beliefs of historical druids.
The druid is an example of a priest designed for a specific mythos. His powers and beliefs are different from those of the cleric. The druid is a priest of nature and guardian of the wilderness, be it forest, plains, or jungle.
As protectors of nature, druids are aloof from the complications of the temporal world. Their greatest concern is for the continuation of the orderly and proper cycles of nature--birth, growth, death, and rebirth. Druids tend to view all things as cyclic and thus, the battles of good and evil are only the rising and falling tides of time. Only when the cycle and balance are disrupted does the druid become concerned. Given this view of things, the druid must be neutral in alignment.
Druids are charged with protecting wilderness--in particular trees, wild plants, wild animals, and crops. By association, they are also responsible for their followers and their animals. Druids recognize that all creatures (including humans) need food, shelter, and protection from harm. Hunting, farming, and cutting lumber for homes are logical and necessary parts of the natural cycle. However, druids do not tolerate unnecessary destruction or exploitation of nature for profit. Druids often prefer subtle and devious methods of revenge against those who defile nature. It is well known that druids are both very unforgiving and very patient.
Mistletoe is an important holy symbol to druids and it is a necessary part of some spells (those requiring a holy symbol). To be fully effective, the mistletoe must be gathered by the light of the full moon using a golden or silver sickle specially made for the purpose. Mistletoe gathered by other means halves the effectiveness of a given spell, if it causes damage or has an area of effect, and grants the target a +2 bonus to his saving throw if a saving throw is applicable.
Druids as a class do not dwell permanently in castles, cities, or towns. All druids prefer to live in sacred groves, where they build small sod, log, or stone cottages.
Restrictions
Unlike the cleric, the druid is allowed to use only "natural" armors -- padded, hide, or leather armor and wooden shields, including those with magical enhancements. All other armors are forbidden to him. His weapons are limited to club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling, and staff.
A druid cannot turn undead.
Spheres of Influence
Druids do not have the same range of spells as clerics. Spells available to the druid reflect the Spheres of Influence of the nature-oriented deities they serve. Druids can use all magical items normally allowed priests, except for those that are written (books and scrolls) and armor and weapons not normally allowed for druids.
Followers
Upon reaching 7th level, the druid automatically attracts 4-7 (d4+3) 1st level druid followers. These serve as apprentices to the druid. Assuming that the druid wishes to take these apprentices into service,the player character acts as their mentor and in turn, the students will automatically advance in level whenever the character does. Thus, when the player character advances to 8th level, his apprentices will advance to 2nd, etc.
If the player releases one of his apprentices from service, the apprentice will eventually be replaced by a new 1st level druid. This relationship is voluntary on both sides, and an apprentice can leave whenever they choose, or when the player character druid decides to let them go.
Special Abilities
A druid makes most saving throws as a cleric, but he gains a bonus of +2 to all saving throws vs. fire or electrical attacks.
All druids can speak a secret language in addition to any other tongues they know. (This language does not use a proficiency slot.) The vocabulary of this druidic language is limited to dealing with nature and natural events. Druids jealously guard this language; it is the one infallible method they have of recognizing each other.
Additional powers are granted as the druid reaches higher levels:
2nd level
- They can identify plants, animals, and pure water with perfect accuracy.
3rd level
- They can learn the languages of woodland creatures. These include centaurs, dryads, elves, fauns, gnomes, dragons, giants, lizard men, manticores, nixies, pixies, sprites, and treants. The druid can add one language at 3rd level and one more every time he advances a level above 3rd. For the druid, this does NOT require a proficiency slot to spend.
4th level
- They can pass through overgrown areas (thick thorn bushes, tangled vines, briar patches, etc.) without leaving a trail and at their normal movement rate.
6th level
- They are immune to charm spells cast by woodland creatures (dryads, nixies, etc.).
7th level
- They gain the ability to shapechange into a reptile, bird, or mammal up to three times per day.
Each animal form (reptile, bird, or mammal) can be used only once per day.
The size can vary from that of a bullfrog or small bird to as large as a black bear.
Upon assuming a new form, the druid heals 10-60% (1d6 x 10%) of all damage he has suffered (round fractions down). The druid can only assume the form of a normal (real world) animal in its normal proportions, but by doing so he takes on all of that creature's characteristics -- its movement rate and abilities, its Armor Class, number of attacks, and damage per attack. Thus, a druid could change into a wren to fly across a river, transform into a black bear on the opposite side and attack the orcs gathered there, and finally change into a snake to escape into the bushes before more orcs arrive. The druid's clothing and one item held in each hand also become part of the new body; these reappear when the druid resumes his normal shape. The items cannot be used while the druid is in animal form.
12th level
- Vigorous health for a person of his age. The Druid is no longer subject to the ability score adjustments for aging.
14th level
- The ability to alter his appearance at will. Appearance alteration is accomplished in one round. A height and weight increase or decrease of 50% is possible, with an apparent age from childhood to extreme old age. Body and facial features can resemble any human or humanoid creature. This alteration is not magical, so it cannot be detected by any means short of true seeing.
16th level
- Immunity to all natural poisons. Natural poisons are ingested or insinuated animal or vegetable poisons, including monster poisons, but not mineral poisons or poison gas.
17th level
- The character gains the biological ability to hibernate. His body functions slow to the point where the character may appear dead to a casual observer; aging ceases. The character is completely unconscious during hibernation. He awakens either at a preordained time ("I will hibernate for 20 days") or when there is a significant change in his environment (the weather turns cold, someone hits him with a stick, etc.).
- The character can enter the Elemental Plane of Earth at will. The transference takes one round to complete. This ability also provides the means to survive on that plane, move around, and return to the Prime Material Plane at will. It does not confer similar abilities or immunities on the Prime Material Plane.
18th level
- The character gains the ability to enter and survive in the Elemental Plane of Fire.
19th level
- The character gains the ability to enter and survive in the Elemental Plane of Water.
20th level
- The character gains the ability to enter and survive in the Elemental Plane of Air.
Druid Organization
Druids have no hierarchial structure, other than the master/apprentice relationship described above. They tend to be loners, each adopting a particular environmental area to protect. They will only join forces with other druids if the need for balance is overwhelming.
Druid Experience Levels and Spell Progression
| Druid Level | XP | Hit Dice(d8) | Spell Level | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6* | 7** | |||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2 | 2,000 | 2 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 3 | 4,000 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 4 | 7,500 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 5 | 12,500 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 6 | 20,000 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| 7 | 35,000 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| 8 | 60,000 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| 9 | 90,000 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| 10 | 125,000 | 9+2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 11 | 200,000 | 9+4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 12 | 300,000 | 9+6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | 750,000 | 9+8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 14 | 1,500,000 | 9+10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 15 | 2,000,000 | 9+12 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 16 | 2,500,000 | 9+14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 17 | 3,000,000 | 9+16 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 18 | 3,500,000 | 9+18 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 19 | 4,000,000 | 9+20 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 20 | 4,500,000 | 9+22 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
* Usable only by druids with 17 or greater Wisdom.
** Usable only by druids with 18 or greater Wisdom.