AD&D - PHBR13 - The Complete Druid's Handbook (2e)

Terms to discuss include: druid’s own circle, are restricted to serving
The size of the battlefield. Until the duel only certain inner circle members (again,
based on their experiencelevel). The appoint-
ends, leaving the bounds of the area means ing druid must determinewhich eligible initi-
conceding defeat. Usually the space is no
more than a dozen yards across, to ensure the ates will servehim.
battle does not take too long.
An inner circle druid usually approaches a
Whether to allow weapons, magical favored initiate quietly and offers an acolyte
items, granted powers, and spells. (Note: position. The initiate then decides whether to
Nondruidic spells cannot be used.) Most con- accept the post. While serving as an acolyte
tests involve full use of weapons and spells, holds honor, it also entails a loss of freedom.
although many commonly disallow magical Therefore, the decision depends on factors
items. Some memorable duels have permitted such as the reputation of the inner circle
only granted powers-no spells or weapons. member.
The combatants used only the claws and
fangs of their different animal forms. A few An acolyte swears an oath of service: to be
challenges have forbidden all weapons and loyal and obedient, to listen and learn, to
magic-they became simple wrestling keep no secrets from one’s master, but to
matches.
guard the master’s secrets. An acolyte who
Whether to alter the normal battle-
breaks this oath faces the wrath of the high-
oriented conditions of the duel. Although ranking druid. In addition, unless the acolyte
rare, methods less stringent than actual com- can prove the master’s commands violated
bat have been honored, especially between the spirit of the druidic ethos, the servant
two friendly rivals. Such unorthodox formats usually becomes subjected to the ban.
include a race, a scavenger hunt, a competi-
tion to defeat a particular monster, a drinking The advantage of serving as an acolyte is
contest (the first druid to fail three Constitu- that the character wins the patronage, and
tion rolls loses), or even a game of hide and perhaps the friendship, of a powerful druid.
seek. The position enhances the initiate’s prestige
in the eyes of the entire circle. Furthermore,
The challenge begins with the witness’s acolytesinjured or wronged by an enemy can
expect assistancefrom their master.
invocation, asking Nature (or a druidic deity)
to watch over the duel. This means that chal- The disadvantage?The character- always
lengers who defeat foes through cheating will at the beck and call of a master- loses per-
find themselves unable to gain a level after sonal freedom. An acolyte fulfills all the nor-
all, and incumbentswho cheat automatically mal duties of a loyal retainerbut, most impor-
lose the level. Once the witness concludesthe tantly, acts as an emissary and representative
invocation, the druids enter the battlefield of the inner circle druid. As high-level druids
from opposite ends, and the contestbegins. cannot be everywhere at once, acolytes often
go on long journeys to do their master’s bid-
Appointment of Acolytes. Great druids, ding. Whether the mission involves finding a
archdruids, and druids have the traditional reclusive swamp-dwelling initiate to notify of
right to select initiates as their servants. The the next moot’s date and location or deliver-
number and level of these retainers depends ing a stinging ultimatum to a dwarven king
on the level and position of the inner circle to shut down his mines or face the circle’s
wrath, acolytes can expect to visit a lot of in-
member. (See the PH,p. 37, for details.) The teresting-though sometimes unpleasant-
places.
choseninitiates are called acolytes.
Acolytes, chosen from the high-ranking

50 Chapter Three

II putes between druids of neighboring circles
An acolyte’s term of service lasts until the and struggles involving members of the mys-
terious Shadow Circle (described later in this
master’s experience level changes or until the chapter).
acolyte advances a level. In the latter case, the
acolyte leaves service, and the inner circle Normally the circles act with autonomy.
member must select a replacement. However, if a circle appears in great disar-
ray-for instance, an enemy has killed most
e Grand Druid of its members or forced them into hiding-
Above all others within the Order stands the Grand Druid may try to rally the circle or
the figure of the Grand Druid,the highest- recruit aid from other domains. If a circle has
tanking (although not the highest-level) been effectively destroyed, the Grand Druid
druid in the world. The Grand Druid, a 15th- might decide to rebuild it from scratch. After
Level character, attains this position through a selecting a rising archdruid from a neighbor-
selection processrather than by the challenge. ing circle to step in as the new great druid, the
Since only one person can hold the title of Grand Druid helps recruit volunteers from
Grand Druid, each world can have only one nearby domains to replenishthe circle. Often
15th-leveldruid at a time. this assignment proves difficult and danger-
Duties of the Grand Druid. First and fore- ous; whatever destroyed the previous circle
most, the Grand Druid acts as a politician, probably still lurks nearby, ready to pounce
responsible for keeping harmony between the on the new circle that, while wary, will remain
Feat druids of each domain and between the understrength for some time.
various druidicbranches.
The Grand Druid also rallies the circles Servants of the Grand Druid. Like other
lagainst the rare global threat to Nature or the inner circle druids, the Grand Druid has per-
cosmic balance. This alwaysproves a difficult sonal servants: an entourage of nine druids of
‘task, as many circles fiercely cherish their various levels. These druids no longer owe
lautonomy,believing each one should remain allegiance to their original circles but are sub-
self-sufficientand not meddle in other do- ject only to the Grand Druid. All druids con-
mains’ affairs. Few circles willingly send con- sider it a high honor to serve the leader of the
Itingents off to aid other circles unless they Order, an honor that bears great responsibil-
Ifeel absolutely certain that the threat will ity but gives a druid prestige and influence
menace their own domain as well. To make far beyond others of similar level. Assuming
matters worse, the inflated pride of many a vacancy arises-and service involvesenough
circles prevents them from accepting help danger that openings occur reasonably often
from ”foreign” druids.As a result, often only -a druid of any level can seek out the Grand
one thing can convince the Order a threat Druid and petition to become a retainer. This
warrants a combined effort: the destructionof relationship lasts as long as both sides wish-
an entire circle.Fortunately, such occurrences often many years-and can end by mutual
are few and far between. agreement at any time.

bel low)The Grand Druid and entourage (detailed Three archdruids, often called the Emis-
spend most of their time visiting dif- saries, always serve the head of the Order.
ferent regions and speaking to the great They act as the GrandDruid’spersonal agents
druids, archdruids, druids, and, rarely, lowly -their leader’s eyes, hands, and voice. To aid
initiates. In particular, this leader serves as a them in their duty, they receive four addi-
diplomat and peacemaker, who mediates dis- tional spell levels (one 4th-level spell, two
2nd-level spells, etc.), usable as they see fit. To

T’7e Druidic Order 51

ceep tHe Grand Druid informedon the opera- duties each Grand Druid must perform is
tions of the circles in every land, they roam appointing a successor, always an acting
he world, visiting the various circles as well great druid.After serving usually a minimum
1s other places of interest to their master. The of four years, a Grand Druid steps down to
mivallof an Emissary often coincides with allow the chosen successor to assume the
he asckndanceof a new great druid. While mantle of leadership.
?onvey’ingthe respects of the head of the
3rder, the archdruid takes the new leader’s In theory, selecting a new Grand Druid i?
neasure and reportsback to the Grand Druid. solely up to the last Grand Druid. In practice,
rhese servants also visit a circle in response druidic order politics plays a major role. For
LOa great druid‘s request for aid. instance, if the forest druids have held the
position of Grand Druid for several genera-
Traveling Emissariesnormally find them- tions, they may come to consider it ”their
;elves welcomed, for their visits give circles a right” to do so. However, in the name of fair-
.hance to learn news from far-off lands. An ness and harmony, druids from other
Emissaty also may offer counsel about a men- branches may lobby to convince the current
ace or carry a request for help to the Grand Grand Druid to pick a successor from a differ-
kuid or neighboringcircles. ent branch. On the other hand, choosing a
Grand Druid from a minority branch could
But Emissaries also must remain on the alienate large segments of the druidic order’s
ilert fod problemswithin a circle that the great membership,even with an extremely compe-
h i d has failed to adequately handl-uch tent Grand Druid.
IS widespread conflicts between druids or
<onupdonin the ranks. In such cases, it is the As a result, when a Grand Druid begins
Emissay‘s solemn duty to take action to rem- getting on in years, the impending choice of
edy the problem or, lacking sufficient power, successor becomes the subject of much gos-
to report it the Grand Druid. For this reason, sip, speculation, lobbying, and intrigue by
some circles- particularly those secretly archdruids, great druids, and hierophant
dominated by the ruthless Shadow Circle- druids. For instance, a great druid afraid of
regard the arrival of an Emissary with deep beiig passed over for the position in favor of
suspicion.In their role as agents of the Grand a rival may encouragea powerful, ambitious
Druid, these archdruidssometimes resemble archdruid to challenge that rival, hoping to
spies. &ore than one Emissary has met a put the favorite out of the runningbefore the
mysteribus end while visiting a supposedly Grand Druid can finalizethe succession.
friendly circle.
Hierophant Druids
Besides the Emissaries, a Grand Druid has The hierophants make up a unique part of

six other servants. These druids, usually of 7th the druidic order. Some even go so far as to
to 11thlevel, come from a variety of branches say they are the Order, and that the other
ranks represent mere practice for hierophant
but have all proven their dedication to the
status. Check p. 38 of the PH for details on
Order. Many Grand Druids have been known
to take on the occasional lower-level druid, achievingthe rank of hierophant(pictured on
the next page) and the powers that go with it.
either because they feel the need for a fresher
riewpoint or because they sense a special Hierophant druids live as freeagents. They
vorthiaess in a particular individual. These
six druids of mixed level act as servants, cow- are encouraged to respect the Grand Druid,
selors, bodyguards, and useful agents. but need not obey the druidic leader’s man-

Selection of the Grand Druid. One of the

52 * ChbpterThree

~~ ~ Ii

dates nor operate within the borders of any
circle. Although a few settle down in particu-
lar groves, many become famous wanderers,
some even visiting other planes or (by spell-
jamming) distant worlds. They often travel
@boutin disguise, using their appearance-
Blteration powers. Wherever they go and
whatever they do, they always aim to pro-
mote the ethosand values of the druidic order.
Unlike lesser druids, hierophantstypically
have a global perspective and agenda. They
roncern themselves with the rise and fall of
Empires, the migrations of peoples, the
(growthor extinction of species, and the role
of each race in the destiny of the world. Some
devote their lives to a particular cause, such
las reclaiming the forests of a continent in-
lfectedby evil, or acting as the personal neme-
sis of a being whose actions threaten the
world's balance.
Hierophants are notorious behind-the-
'scenesmanipulators.They use their long life
spans to weave subtle schemes with far-
reaching plots that might take decades to
hatch, but which-they believe-ultimately organized structure. The variety of different
will benefit their cause. The 17th-leveldruidic branchesdemonstratesthis scope. So does the
ability to hibernate enables most of them to existenceof the Shadow Circle.
appear effectively immortal: some hiero-
phants will hatch the initial elements of a A secret society of druids within the larger
scheme, go into hibernation, then awaken druidic order, the Shadow Circle accepts
decades later, unaged, to bring the next stage members who see Nature as a hostile, cleans-
into play. Such druids might become patrons ing force that ensures the survival of the
of gifted families of adventurers, recruiting fittest. According to their philosophy,civiliza-
the latest generationwhen they need heroes. tion-especially the building of towns and
The existence of hierophant druids tends to cities-has weakened humankind and many
make great druids and Grand Druids very demihuman races.
nervous, for they represent a power beyond
their control-and sometimes beyond their Methods
ken. Whether any hierophant druids belong The Shadow Circle sees barbarian humans
to the Shadow Circle is not known.
and more primitive races as inherently more
The Shadow Circle vital than civilized peoples.Thus, the Shadow
Circle often allies itself with barbarian tribes
The druidic order tolerates a wide range of or hostile humanoids such as orcs, giants,
philosophiesunder the umbrella of its loosely and goblins, especially those who choose to
live in forests or mountains in the wilds.

M

They deliberately encouragepeople to aban- among inner circle members. These duel
don ciuiilization’s “decadence” and return to
the more natural existence of hunting and almost invariably turnquite bloody.
gathering.
An arc of the Shadow Circle exists in any
But while their intentions are neutral, the domain where druids live, and its members
methods of Shadow Circle members tend to m y come from any druidic branch. Typically
promoie chaos and evil. They behave as they only one in five initiates-butas many as one
do not ,dueto an evil nature-their enemies in three 12th-levelor higher druidssecretly
mdudq powerful evil empires as well as good belongsto the Shadow Circle. A great druic
kingdom. Rather, they feel their cruel activi- usually is not a member, but one never can
ties work toward the best interests of evolu- tell for sure. In some troubled domains-par-
tion arid of Nature itself. For instance, the ticularly those in which druids face persecu-
Shadow Circle may provide magical assis- tion and the wilderness displays signs of
tance to barbarian hordes trying to sack a city wanton destruction from human cities-most
31 lead humanoid tribes in raids against of the druids may join the Shadow Circle!
human101dwarven towns.
Shadow Circle druids adopt secret names
Sometimes the Shadow Circle even assists to conceal their identities from each other.
When they meet, they do so while shape-
!he cause of good. For instance, members changed or wearing masks carved to repr
would consider an evil city-statebased around sent predators native to the domain.
slavery a fair target, and they would feel as secrecy is important. Although the Shado
eager as any lawfulgood paladin to support a
slave revolt in the hopes of toppling the city. Circle ethos correspondsto that of the Order,
The difference?The Shadow Circle would
encourage the slaves in revolt to burn the city most druids disdain the group’s methods-
to the ground and then settle down as farm- and therefore, its members.
srs, hunters, or outlawsin the countryside.
A known Shadow Circle initiate faces the
Lower-ranking members of the Shadow enmity of other druids-and possibly the
Circle often wage campaignsof terror against ban, for refusing to recant- well as the ire
of local authorities. Lower-level druids con-
~ stantly challenge exposed Shadow Circle
druids 12thlevel and higher, seeking to de-
small settlements, usually working behind pose-and possibly destroy+ffenders.
he scenes. Their favoritepuppets are intelli-
gent monsters like evil lycanthropes. In turn, the Shadow Circle often tries to
cause trouble within the druidic order. For
Membdahip instance, in order to recruit disaffected druids
The hembers of the Shadow Circle keep into their midst, group members covertly
encourage rivalry between druidic branches
heir allegiance secret from other druids while (such as the jealousy between the dominant
naintaiping their parallel ”circle” rankings. forest druids and the membersof less influen-
4n archdruid in the Shadow Circle is also an tial branches). Characters may learn of the
archdruid in a mainstream circle, for example. Shadow Circle when they discover a plot to
ferment such trouble between druids from
Shadow Circle druids of 11thlevel or higher rival branches.

follow the normal druidic practice of advanc- Note that these are the methods of a group
ing in level through the challenge; in fact, of extremist druids, not evil ones. Their anti-
Shadow Circle druids encourage each other to civilization feelings do not alter their neutral
challenge nonmembers in mainstream circle alignment.
hierarchy, thereby increasing their number

#I

Shadowmaster. The highest-level druid in Shadowclave
the Shadow Circle-usually an archdruid or Members of the Shadow Circle work in
druid-takes command of the group as the
Shadowmaster.If two or more druidsof equal secret, pretending to be mainstream druids.
level seek the post, they generally duel to the For example, they attend all druidic moots.
death, though one combatant-usually the But every season each arc of the Shadow
younger-could agree to serve under the Circle also holds its own secret meeting-the
other. Unlike the semiautonomous main- Shadowclave-in the dark of the moon. The
stream circles, the Shadow Circle maintains meeting lasts three nights, during which the
strict disciplineover its various far-flung arcs. membership celebrates its own version of tra-
The Shadowmaster exercises absolute author- ditional druidic ceremonies and receives new
ity over the membership. orders from the Shadowmaster and inner
circle. Prisoners the Shadow Circle has taken
Inner Circle. Under the Shadowmaster are throughout the season-along with disloyal
the members of the inner circle, which con- or disobedient members-are kept alive until
sists of all the druidic order’s Shadow Circle the Shadowclave. There, the inner circle tor-
druids (12th level) and archdruids (13th tures and publicly executes them, to remind
level). (The Shadowmaster remains apart the membership of what happens to traitors
from the inner circle.) Together, the Shadow- and enemies of the Shadow Circle.
master and the inner circle make policy and
direct the initiates. Only the Shadowmaster Recruitment
knows the real names of members of the The Shadow Circle does not take volun-
inner circle-the identities of even these high-
ranking members remain unknown to each teers-it finds new members on its own.
other. Recruitment, by invitation only, is in the
hands of the Shadowmaster and the inner
The 1st- through 10th-levelinitiateswithin circle, always on the lookout for druids who
this secret society, unlike the more indepen- seem ready to embrace the ruthless Shadow
dent initiates of mainstream circles, are ex- Circle philosophy.
pected to obey all orders from inner circle
members and the Shadowmaster. Failure For example, if a druid massacres a party of
means punishment-death. travelers who ventured into a sacred grove,
the Shadow Circle soon comes looking for
Shadowed Ones. Initiates who have this prospective candidate. Another good
reached 11th level have special status in the possibility is a character who has destroyed a
Shadow Circle. These initiates are known as village whose peasants dared to clear a wood
”Shadowed Ones,” the Shadowmaster’sspe- for use as farmland.
cial tools. In particular, they act as enforcers
and assassins for the secret group, hunting A Shadowed One spies on the potential
those who have disobeyed their fearsome member for a few weeks or months, often
leader or have been expelled from the myste- using animal spies as additional eyes. If the
rious society. The Shadowmaster sometimes druid‘s deeds and words seem in sympathy
encourages Shadowed Ones to serve as am- with the Shadow Circle’s goals, the character
bassadors to arcs of the Shadow Circle oper- receives a visit from this Shadowed One (or a
ating in other domains. Shadowed Ones auto- pair for a candidate 11th level or higher)
matically advance to the inner circle in this before the next Shadowclave.The Shadowed
secret group when they achieve 12thlevel in One explains the group’s purposes, inviting
their mainstream circle.

The Druidic Order 55

i

- -' , 'I along (secretly), ready to slay a newcomer
)1 (I who shows weakness, risks capture, or tries
to betray the group. Those who succeed, the
the newcomer to join. Of course, druids who Shadow Circle embraces as full members.
refuse-or even waver-coincidentally turn
up dead shortly thereafter. Creating a Druidic History

Candidates who agree to join are blind- The druidic order and hierarchy presented
folded, given a mask, and taken to the here are designed to work as a defaultor base
Shadowclave.There the Shadowmaster gives system. Many circles of druids have their
each a secret name. After receiving their own customs, and on many worlds the dru-
sworn allegiance,the Shadowmaster formally idic order has its own unique history that
welcomes the new members into the Shadow shapes its structure.
Circle and commands them to perform some
symbolic but dangerous task to prove their The DM always should understand the his-
ruthlessness and dedication. (The difficulty of tory of the druidic order before beginning a
the assignment depends on the character's campaign involving druids. A typical Order,
experience level.) like the one this chapter has detailed, is an
ancient organization whose origin has be-
This kind of mission usually involves assas- come lost in the dim reaches of the past.
sinating a specific enemy of the Shadow
Circle, such as a noble or priest in a city the But that doesn't have to be the case. Instead,
group has targeted for destruction. However, the druidic order may have an origin alive in
the task might be physically much simpler- history or myth. This background should
say, poisoning a town well. The Shadowed explain where the first druids came from,
One who recruited the druid will follow why they worship Nature (or a specific
Nature deity), why they protect the wild, and
their purpose in standing at the crossroads
between good and evil. The druidic origins
might reflect true history, a legend whose
truth remains uncertain, or a mixture of both.
In any case, the origin tale must have a pro-
found effect on how druids see themselves in
the campaign.

As an example of how the druidic order
springs from a more detailed history, three
very different possible beginnings for the
druidic order are sketched out below.

The Exiles

The secretfounders of the druids were the crew
of a spelljamming vessel, long-ago exilesfrom a
world that would not accept their neutrality fol-
lowing fhefinal triumph of evil-orgood. (Exile
was preferable to thefate of the members of the
vanquished alignment, however.) The present

1 druidic order traces its legacy to these ancient Through the vision, this chosenfigure saw that
she must found a druidic order to preserve the
castaways. fragile remains of her world’s ecology. With the
As victims of an unbalanced world, the exiles guidance of her goddess, the Order grew in
strength untilfinally it had the power to intervene
wndtheir descendants and followers vowed to pre- in the wizard war. Theforce of young druids
serve the volatile relationship between good and pooled their powers and together vanquished the
evil in )heir adopted home. They can see this bal- members of both battlingguilds, transforming the
ance bast illustrated by theforces of Nature. In combatants into innocent wild beasts. Once the
addition to their normal druidic duties, the mem- former wizards-now unable tofathom the con-
bers of the Order remain on guard against inva- cept of good versus evil-slithered, bounded,
cionfiob their ancestors’ home world. loped, and crawled off into their ruined habitats,
the Order began to heal the world.
The Nbw Falth
Since then, the druidic order continually works
The druids belong to a relatively new faith, to prevent such destruction from ever occurring
founded less than twenty years ago by a charis- again. Druids pledge to make sure the wars of
matic Nature priest. This amazing leader also good and evil no longer mar the precious earth.
preached that the older gods constitute only one But, the Order also has bitter enemies in the
small aspect of great Nature. ancient remnants of the guilds of warring wiz-
ards-those good and evil mages who luckily
Active missionary work, the charisma of this escaped thefate of theirfellows. Each guild claims
founder, and the simplicity of the Order’s beliefs it had been on the verge of victoy and would have
draws more and more converts to druidism every won, had druids not interfered.
dayfrotn the old, tired, polytheistic religions. But
the largest rival religion considers druidism a Each of these backgrounds-or one that
threat; its priests have convinced the region’s you, the player might create with your DM-
rulers to begin persecution of the ”godless,trouble- provides the druids of a world with a history,
making” druids. a purpose, and some idea of who their ene-
mies might be. Add more details to these
The Myth of the h a t War options as desired, to explain the Order’s tri-

Almost two thousand years ?go a terrible war umphs and failures, the history of its relation
broke out between the two mighty guilds of wiz- to other faiths, and perhaps the attempts of
ards-one good and one evil-that controlled
great empires. Wizards on both sides vowed to factions within the druidic order to deviate
fight until they were utterly triumphant, seeking from its original purpose.
to purge their rivalsfrom the earth. Withfearsome
magic and dragon armies they battled for cen-
turies, neither side winningfind victoy.

In the process of their warfare, the wizards
wronght vast devastation on the world-forests
blazed up, islands sank into the sea, entire races
became extinct. Eventually, the great goddess of
Naturie awakened from her sleep to witness the
savag4 conflict. Shocked by the destruction, the
Goddess sent a vision to a single human: the
womaq who would become thefirst Grand Druid.

The Druidic Order IE7

So, now that you have learned about the druidism leads a druid to fall out of touch
ruidic order and selected your branch and with Nature and lose spell access, just as
it, you think you're ready to assume the other unfaithfulpriests do.
challenge of role-playing this colorful class?
Well, there's still a lot more to know about Druids Who Worship Gods
druids. For example: Not all druids worship Nature as a fulce.

What is a druids world view like? Some see it personified by a great deity of
How can a druid fit into a normal adven- Nature, often either formless or possessing
ture? many forms.
How does one role-play the neutral align-
ment? The most common manifestationof a dru-
How do members of the Order relate to idic Nature deity is that of the Great God-
ithers? dessxhauntea and the Earthmother in the
What are some typical druidic duties? FORGOTTENREALMSs"etting or Beory in the
Can druids become the center of entire
ampaigns? WORLODF GREYHAWKs"etting, for example.
What strategies do druids follow as
championsof Nature and the balance? The Great Goddess embodiesNature through
How can a player make a specific druid multiple avatars that represent her different
stand out? aspects: a virgin warrior-huntress, an adult
This chapter gives you, the player, hints for mother, and an ancient crone.
making your characterreally come alive.
The Great Goddess sometimes has a Con-
Druidic Fafth sort (often appearing as an antlered hunts-
man), the subordinatelord of the hunt, death,
Druids fit into the hierarchy of a world- and animals. Followers frequently worship
wide Order that espouses a well-defined both Goddess and Consort as a single power
ethos yet grants each member considerable rather than as two deities.
freedom of action. This liberty makes druids
much more diverse than many other priest Life after Death
classes-reflected in the different druidic Since they see the universe as a cycle or
branches and kits-as they pursue their
shared goals in their own ways. series of cycles, druids tend to believe the life
force of a person (especially one who follows
Druids serve the force of Nature and its the druidic faith) is reborn again and again. A
inherent natural cycles, such as that of birth, being's reincarnationwill not remember a for-
growth, death, and rebirth (PH, p. 37). Though mer lifebut may possess a similar personality.
some druids do choose to worship Nature
embodied in a particular god, Nature, as a All druids believe a person's soul may be
force, has no specific form or personality. (The reincarnatedinto an animal instead of a sen-
Complete Priest's Handbook, on p. 11,defines a tient being-yet another reason they revere
force as a process, natural or unnatural, that all the worlds creatures.
influencesthe world.)
Are the druids correct? That depends on
The processes of Nature generate magical the nature of the DMs universe.
power its worshipers can tap. Failure to per-
form the ceremonies and follow the tenets of Nature and the Gods
Druids differ in their attitudestoward non-

Nature gods. Before beginning a new cam-

58 Chapter Four

paign, it’s important for you and your DM to sionaries to recruit people to the ”one true
establish a circle’s position toward other faith.” Quite possibly, believersin other faiths
gods. Some possible beliefsinclude: would take a dim view of such druids, as no
one likes to hear their beliefs called lies!
Nature as Supreme. These druids consider
Nature a force beyond mere gods. Other The Gods Threaten Nature.Other gods arc
faiths do exist, but they are mere aspects of acknowledged as powerful entities, but thc
the greater whole. To worship one of them druids consider them unnaturaZ- interloper:
means celebratingjust a fragment of Nature from the outer planes or beings and philoso-
(like the thunder, the ocean or death) rather phies created by the belief of foolish mortals.
than the whole, as druids do. Followers of aggressive, proselytizing reli-
gions that actively seek converts and start
Most druids in AD&D game worlds use religiouswars become dangers to the natural
this approach. They believe their own faith is order. Druids with this belief tend to act hos-
somewhat superior, but do not actively op- tile to those of most other faiths, considering
pose other faiths and may ally themselves them instruments of ”outside influences” that
with the worshipers of natural, agricultural, threaten the balance of Nature!
or elemental deities.
Nature as Equal with Other Forces. Thesc
Nature as Progenitor.Followersof this phi- druids believe that other primal forces exisi
losophy see Nature as an integral part of a on the same level as Nature, such as Magic 01
Entropy. The priests of these forces may
pantheon of gods. Inthis case, druids identlfy become either rivals or allies to druids.

the other gods as ”children of Nature,” per- The Neutral Alignment
haps born in some mythic way. For instance,
the druids may teach that, in the time before True neutral, the most misunderstood of all
the world, first came formless chaos, and out alignments, often causesproblems for players.
of it emerged Nature. From Nature was born One common mistake is for neutral charac-
the Great Goddess, who married the Sky and ters, such as druids, to seek a balanceby delib-
erately acting chaotic evil one day and lawful
gave birth to many children: all the other gods. good the next. Such behavior makes charac-
Nature by Another Name. Druids may ters unpredictable, and the cumulative effect
promotes chaos more than anything else.
identify Nature as one aspect of an existing
god-usually a powerful and primal earth or Druids consider each alignment equally
natural deity. For instance, if the DM wants valid in a cosmic sense. They try to remain
druids in a fantasy world involving the gods
of Greek myth, Nature may be worshiped as nonjudgmental and uncommitted to any spe-
the great earth goddess Gaia without causing
other changes in druidic behavior.This belief cific moral, legal, or philosophical system
pattern enables the druids to participate beyond the basic tenets of the druidic order
directlyin a pantheon of deities. Because a druid’s main charges-plants, ani-
mals, and the health of the planetary ecol-
Nature is All. Other gods do not exist! ogy-essentially lack alignment or ethos, the
Druids who hold this belief see other priests character feels free to use almost any means
either as deluded or worshiping Nature under necessary to protectthem.
a different name. Unless the druids are right,
(in which case, no other class of priest would Chapter 4of the Player’s Handbook discusses
function in the campaign!) this philosophy alignments in a general sense; the druidic
leads them to have a rather close-minded and order works to maintain the naturalbalance
inflexible faith. Druids may live apart from
mainstream society as hermits or work as mis-

Role-playing Druids 59

among these alignments. (See “Keeper of the the solutionthat best serves Nature in the long
Balance” later in this chapter.) However, run. So, Rebecca could have an equally valid
druids do realize that most individuals’ reason to join a band of evil adventurershunt-
actions-including their own-will not prove ing a lawful good dragon as she has to join a
significant to the cosmic balance. The druid good party hunting an evil dragon. Although
sees the friction between alignments as the a gold or silver dragon is unlikely to threaten
driving force in the world. Although most Rebecca or her sacred grove, she might wish
to use its treasure to purchase equipment to
druids personally may prefer to live among fight a greater threator win the trust of an evil
party she can use for her own ends.
good people, they recognize that the exis-
tence of evil keeps intelligent beings from Of course, druids understand that others
stagnating. may not take so pragmatic a view. Rebecca
knows a party of adventurers wouldn’t be
Despite their neutral status, druids don’t pleased to find she has stymied its efforts.
resent being pulled into the strugglebetween Alignment struggles constitute just another
alignments.Neutral individuals do not lack aspect of Nature, so Rebecca would never
interest, ambition, or passion-they value seek to stop the membersof a party from con-
their own well-being and that of friends and tinuing the struggle unless she deems it
loved ones. They may struggle passionately harmful to her own interests or those of the
on behalf of themselvesand others, as well as force she worships and safeguards.
feel a compassionblanketing everything that
makes up the Nature they swear to protect. A druid allied with a party of adventurers
Never doubt that druidswill act for their own usually goes along with the party’s actions
goals and the Order’s. unless they threaten trees, crops, wild plants,
and other things the druid holds sacred. At
For example, the druid Rebecca has no the same time, the character needs a reason
philosophical objection to helping a group of for joining a party-often something as
lawful good paladins and clerics defeat an simple as a desire to gain the experience and
evil dragon-if they can demonstratea good power needed to become a more effective
reason. She won’t agree to kill the dragon guardianof Nature.
merely ”because it is evil.” But, she might
help if the dragon had harmed or threatened Druids tend to react nonjudgmentally
her friends or a forest or village under her toward other races. With the possible excep-
protection. She might also offer assistance tion of undead, they feel that every race and
simply because she realizes the danger of liv- specieshas itsplace in theworld. For instance,
ing near a powerful and unpredictably evil a druid recognizesmost orcs as evil and cruel.
creature inclined to wreak havoc upon the The character might not enjoy the companyof
natural surroundings.Finally, she might join orcs, but doesn’t consider this feeling an
the party in return for a pledge that the mem- excuse to exterminate the entire race. Conflict
bers aid her in protecting a wilderness area between orcs and humans is the way of the
from those who would exploit it-or in order world, some druids say. They point out that
to get treasure and magical items to do thejob orcs live a harsher existence than humans,
on her own. often dwelling in the deadly subterranean
world. And, while the average human may be
Clearly, playing a druid true to alignmentis less cruel than the average orc, mankind is
no easy task. The character must consider capable of greater evil through superior orga-
carefully all the variables in a situationbefore nization and civilization.
acting. Remember that, when faced with a
tough decision, a druid usually standsbehind

60 Chapter Four

A

A

Druids who stray from their alignment or But druids also believe in free will, an
with free will comes the danger that the ba
Lease to follow the tenets of the Order lose ance will tilt too far in one direction. Man
ajor sphere spellaccess and granted powers druids believe-rightly or wrongly-
inti1 they make atonement. In addition, the powerfulbeings (gods and extraplanar e
Jircle’s great druid may place any subordi- ties) manipulate mortals for just such an end
nate druid under the ban as a temporal pun- to see their own alignment or faith perma-
nently triumphant.
ent for such violations.
When druids perceive the balance tilting
Druid’s Responsibilities too far in any direction, the Order becomes
concerned. Some individual members may
The beliefs and ethics of druids cover two profess that the balance will swing back by
areas: keeping the balance between the itself, regardless of the actions of mankind.
Such druids contentedly sit back and let
alignments and serving as guardians of events pass without taking action. A druid
Nature. When role-playing a druid character, with this belief would not make an interest-
keep in mind that the character’s behavior ing PC, although such a mindset gives the
DM a good excuse to have senior druids
1Druids have seen that a balance betwe refuseto aid the player character!

he forces of good and evil, law and chaos, But most druids do not share this belief.
est fosters the continuance of life from one The majority see human and demihuman
kneration to the next. This druidic duty is races in general and the druidic order in par-
ot so much a personal matter as the ethical ticular as pivotal to maintaining the cosmic
sponsibility of the entire Order. balance. They look at the cycles of the world
Only an event or threat of considerable as driven by the actions and machinations of
I kagnitude can cause the balance to tilt mankind (and other intelligent races) and
toward one alignment or another-a matter believe that, as individuals play their part in
that could affect the destiny of nations. Decid- the great cycle, they can also upset it.
ing that a menace of this degree exists and
how best to handle it is traditionally left to This means that, when the cosmic balance
those of archdruid or higher rank, or the High is obviously in danger of being tilted in favor
of one alignment or faith, druids will ally
rCouncil of the Moot. However, lesser druid themselves (openly or covertly) with the
opposing side. Normally an archdruid or
PCs may decide they know better and take great druid makes this decision and devotes
ction on their own! all energies to rallying the circle against thc
Remember, keeping a balance doesn’t spell threat. Sometimesa circle of druids becomes
stagnation. Druids view a slight shift in the divided about the situation: Is it serious
balance-like the ascendancy of one align- enough to warrant intervention? The circle
ment-to be as natural as a change in the leaves it up to individual druids to decide
weather. An individual druid may prefer a whether to offer assistance.However, keep in
period of good (or of law) just as one might mind that druidswho frequently refuse to ai
prefer a warm summer day. But autumn and their circle’s cause will find themselves
winter remain just as necessary-in a world able to attract help from senior druids when
gf eternal summer, the autumn harvest never they need it.
:omes.
Although the balance could swing too far

62 Cpapter Four

in any direction, DMs should set their cam- ProtectingAnimals. Only a very few druids
paigns at times when evil has grown alarm- (like those with the Pacifist kit) oppose hunt-
ingly in strength, for such periods allow ing or raising animals for food, skins, or fur. In
druid PCs to become heroes.With the balance fact, many druids hunt animals for food and
threatened by the power of evil, most druids clothing themselves. They do frown upon
find themselves in the position to serve the killing animals simply for sport, over-hunting
cause of good willingly. This motivation is (or over-trapping) a region, and treating ani-
good for the game, as it provides plenty of mals with excessive cruelty. And most druids
adventure for good-alignedPCs while giving do not even take this feeling to extremes. They
druids a chance to fight by their sides. know that feudal nobles, for instance, enjoy
the hunt; few such hunters are cruel killers,
Similarly, in a game featuring the PCs as and their game ends up on the lords tables.
rebels or outlaws against authority, the bal-
ance may have swung in favor of inflexible Druids oppose trapping or hunting beasts
law. In such a case, druids may side with the to use their fur or other body parts for frivo-
forces of chaos-good, neutral, and maybe lous reasons. A hunter may kill a single wolf
even evil-in the struggle of liberty against and take its pelt to make a wolfskin cloak,
oppression. according to druidic philosophy.If the hunter
kills a couple wolves every year and sells
Defen$e of the Wilderness their pelts, a druid may or may not be upset,
The second major responsibilityof druid depending on the prevalenceof wolves in the
area. But if a hunter regularly traps dozens of
characters is to defend the wilderness and its wolves and makes a fortune selling their pelts
wildlifk Players sometimesfeel uncertain as to local merchants, a druid will become angry
to the lbmits of a druid’s concern for Nature, and take action.
especidy in regard to how druids treat those
who make a living hunting or farming. Even more than trapping for food or fur,
druids hate to see animals captured for use in
Since all druidsare charged with protecting events like bear baiting, bullfighting,or other
natural wilderness, trees, wild plants, wild such ”sports.” Druids always try to stop these
animals, and crops, they also protect the spectacles and free the animals. They may
peopla who follow druidic beliefs, such as wreak terrible vengeance on those who cap-
peasants and hunters living in harmony with ture wild beasts for sport or operate the arenas
Nature. (See the Guardian and Village Druid where animals are forced to fight.
kits, Chapter 2.)
Protecting Trees and Woodlands. Druids
Druids realize all creatures have basic have nothing against most forms of farming,
needs for food, shelter, and self-defense. even if it means clearing woodlands or drain-
Humans must hunt animals for food and ing swamps to create new fields. Although
must clear trees to farm and build houses. druids feel a special reverence for trees, crops
These actions constitute a necessary part of are plants too, and civilizedraces have a right
the natural cycle. But druids do not tolerate to practice agriculture.
unnecessary destruction or exploitation of
NaturO. Sensing violations, a druid investi- The druid may object to destroying a wil-
gates the motives of the people involved, derness area for a farm extension that is
weighing them against the risk to the land. strictly for profit. For instance, clearing a for-
Then the druid decides whether to take est for a large plantation to grow cash crops-
action. especially ones intendedfor pleasure, such as
tobacco-would raise a druids ire.

~

Role-playing Druids 63

A druid also will oppose farming that re- of life. Therefore, most druids see the undead
quires the destructionof ancient wilderness as abominationsto stamp out to restore the
areas, large spreads of land, or any region
that serves as a sanctuary for rare, endan- proper workings of Nature.
gered, or magical plants and animals. Most Yet, druids do not actively hunt undead.
importantly, no druid ever tolerates the de-
struction of a sacred grove! Druids also dis- This is primarily because undead rarely
courage farming practices that harm the soil directly invade a druid‘s sphere of interest.
and selfish irrigation schemes (dams, aque- However, if a vampire starts menacing a
ducts, etc.) intended to parch one region to peaceful village, a banshee begins stalking
slake another’sthirst.
the moors, or a lich introducesa reign of ter-
Druids sometimes tolerate logging or clear-
ing land to mine useful minerals like salt, ror to the wilderness, a druid may intervene.
copper, tin, and iron. M e r all, they use man- Because druids lack the key powersnecessary
ufactured items themselves. Whether to to fight undead (although their elemental
accept such land use depends on the motives magic can prove useful), they will ally with a
and need of those involved and the nature of good-alignedparty also interested in wiping
the regionin question, just as with farming. out the undead.

Cutting down a forest to build houses is Defending Croplands and Farmers. A
one thing-especially if the builder makes druid feels an obligation to protect farmers
some effort at replanting. Using the wood to who worship Nature and to safeguard fields
build a fleet of warships to satisfy the ambi- and livestock. For details, see the Village
tions o f a tyrant is much less likely to find Druid kit (Chapter 2 ) and the ”Festivals” sec-
sympathy with the druid. O n the other hand,
if the proposed fleet will oppose the invasion Defending an entire tract of wilderness and
force of a king whose conquests threaten to safeguarding the balance of forces within it
tip the balance of good and evil, some druids spells a lot of work for one druid. (In addi-
may justify the forest‘s loss. tion, sometimes druids are asked to give
reports on their section of the domain at
Cleansing Nature. Some acts defile the moots.) Clearly, to do a good job, the druid
very essence of Nature and require immedi- needs reliable sources of information and
ate opposition. For instance, the magical early knowledge of possibleh a t s .
forced transformationof a large forest into a
bizarre, otherplanar landscape instantly Druids’ own powers do go a long way in
draws the enmity of the circle. If a sacred keeping them aware of the goings-on in and
near their area. The ability to pass without a
grove falls under a curse,druids will work to trace and blend into the woods allows druids
lift it and reclaimthe land. to maintain watch on anyone entering the
wild. Evenbetter is their shapechange power.
A more common perversion of Nature is Druids risk detectionwhen using it, but very
the undead. The fact that no druidic branch few people-unless they know they have a
has the power to turnor control undead does druidic enemy-ever would suspect that a
not mean druids tolerate them. Rather, the spy lurks in the form of the mangy hound
druid’s lack of power over the living dead munching a bone under the lord’s table or the
reflects the absolute aversion this class has cat hiding under the bed. To infiltratea foe’s
toward them. Things exist in a natural cycle: stronghold, druids often assume the shape of
birth, growth, death, rebirth. The undead
break this cycle-worse, they are the enemies

~l

rI

a domestic animal, allowingtheme1

bought at market or given as a @-although search high and low to discover a traitor,
never dreaming that traitor is actually a fal-
those shapechanging into an edible animal con, pet dog, or war horse!

shouldLake care to avoid the stew pot! Animals have a limitation, though: They
often don’t understand what thev,see and
At hqgh levels, the ability to cast speak with hear and sometimes can’t determine what is
worth reporting. A dog can recognize certain
alants mr stone tell Droves verv,useful. If the people and usually has a generalidea what its
owners are doing, but it cannot understand
I speech. A mouse or bat probably cannot tell
one person from another. Animals can tell
druid is looking for general information, druids of unusual events, like the passage of a
large body of men. They can warn druids
good recipients for such a spell include trees when people have entered or left buildings or
mention when a new monster appears. But,
or standing stones at crossroads, at wells, or for detailedand reliableintelligence,the druid
needs just that: intelligent spies. To this end,
near to+ or castlegates. all druids should make use of the eyes and
,AnimalAides. Still, druids can be in only ears of other inhabitantsof the wilderness.

one pl4ce at a time. In addition to their own Human and Demihuman Assets. Druids
powers, they also use animal resources. Speak who have lived in an area for a long time
should cultivate friendly contacts among the
with animals gives druids an ability enemies
surrounding manors and villages. If the
alwaysiregret underestimating.
people openly follow druidism, they gener-
Druids rely on animalsmostly in the wild ally inform the druid of unusual happenings
a spredd of furry, feathered, and scaly “spies” as a matter of course.Otherwise, druids try to
place one “agent”in each village or castle in
all over the land to keep watch on the move- their area; low-ranking servants often have
ments of friends and enemiesalike. N o d y , reason to go into the wilds every now and
then (choppingfirewood, gazing the animals,
small, ,inconspicuousanimals work best- etc.), giving them an excus to secEtLy m&t
the druid. Some druids befriend children for
especiallybirds, with thek excellent mobility, this purpose, since no one will miss them
when they go out to play, nor will most people
aerialmvantage point, and good eyesight. suspect chiIdwnof passing information.

Rodents, from squirrels to mice, rarely get Druids try to keep in touch with a friend at
noticed. Domestic animals constitute another every roadside and village inn within their
territory. This source isn’t necessarily the
good choice due to their intelligence. They innkeeper: Someone less obvious, like a ser-
vant or stablekeeper, works better. Since
have the added bonus of Wing able to tell the adventurers and other interesting travelers
usually stop at inns, the source can update
druid About the activities inside a building.
druidson newcomers.
To this end, a druid who can speak with
The druid must contactthese aidesregularly
animals should use every opportunity to
Role-playing Druids 65
insinvate these aides into important areas,

foe’s animals. Some individuals may protect

their servants from charm, but few think to
check domesticanimals.

On6 problem with using animals kept

inside a building involves the difficulty of

staying in touch with them. Animal helpers

should have an opportunity to slip out to

meet the druid (like a cat that is put out at

night) or should remain in magical contact

with the druid. (See the animal spy spell in

, Chapter 5 Druidic Magic.)With this logistical

problem solved, domestic animal spies can

i

n

I

o advise them of the sort of informationthq who will pay wi kept informed of local
should look for and receive their news. Justas gossip. Justas often, druids recruit from
important as having agents is having a means among those who are in their debt. For in-
of collecting updates from them, after all. The stance, a druid who used magic to save a
child from disease might recruit the grateful
2nd-level messenger spell suits this purpose mother as another set of eyes. Also, druids
utilize members of families that have fol-
ideally. Innkeepers and the like tend to stay lowed the druidic faith for generations (often
terriblybusy, so providing them with a trained in secret). Finally, druids do not hesitate to
nessenger animal (often a bird) can ensure
2eriodicreports.If the agent (or druid) cannot use charm person or mammal to create excellent
read or write, the pair can arrange a simple
code: a red ribbon on the bird's foot means, involuntary spies when necessary!
"Come immediately," a blue ribbon means, Besides these local folk, druids should also
"Interesting siTangersstaying at the inn."
strive to be on good terms with travelers like
A druid's agents almost never work profes- tinkers, Gypsies,bards, merchants, entertain-
sionally as spies, and few know much about ers, and rangers. These people, often the first
the druids doings (helpful, if an enemy ques- to bear news from the next county, always
tions them). Most are just ordinary (0-level) know what the neighbors are talking about.
men and women. Druids don't have to reveal Being on "good terms" usually requires mak-
their identity to these contacts-they just use ing friends with a few prominent members of
their natural charm (Charisma of 15 or better) these groups and offering magical assistance
o appear as romantic, mysterious figures at limes.

!

Sylvan C r e a m .Elves, satyrs, dryads, tre- encounter with “. ..dozens of human war-
ants, sylphs, and similar native creatures rep-
riors! We got many, but thev were too much
resent a priceless resouTce every druid should
Druidic Ceremonies
cultivate to the utmost. Their special powers Besidespmtecting the Wilderness and main-
and ability to blend into the wildernessmake
them excellentscouts. In addition, their goals taining the cosmic balance, druidic responsi-
usually parallel those of the druid-the pro- bilities include worshiping Nature through
tection of the woodlands and wilderness-so the appropriate ceremonies. This duty also
their iriformationlikely will prove timely and involves casting spells and presiding over
reliable.A character tends to receive a more rites, many of which involve the use of the
regula flow of gossip by befriendingpurticu- druids’ secret language. (See Chapter 1.)
lar sylvan beings-make friends with Shay- Other ceremonies benefit the druid‘s flwk-
lara the Pixie rather than just staying on good those rural folk who worship Nature (or a
terms with a ”band of pixies.” To foster this Nature deity) and follow the druidic ethos.
comradeship, the druid should oftenvisit the The exact rituals vary from circle to circle and
dwellings of local pixies, sprites, elves, and branch to branch, but all druids practice the
the like, and always stand ready to offer help, common ones, including:
such as magical cures or protection from
adventurers or monsters. Prayers. Druids almost always pray in the
form ofpoems or songscelebrating the beauty
Humanoids and Evil Monsters. Druid and power of Nature and the druid’s role in
characters should not forget that their neutral it. These poems are valued as much for the
alignment enables them to make use of all beauty of their language and imagery as for
sorts of information sources. Those who live their ritual value; dual-dass bard/druidscre-
near a monster and stay on speaking terms ated some of the most memorableones. A
with it sometimes receive a messenger with druid should create new prayers after per-
information from the creature-which un- sonal inspiration.Many prayers celebrate a
doubtedly hopes for a favor or bribe. This specific aspect of Nature, such as the begin-
relationship generally requires that the druid ning of spring, and are sung, chanted, or spo-
first win the monster’s trust: by providing ken only certain days.
food in a harsh winter, using magic to heal
injuries, etc. Wild Dancing. The ceremonies of druid-
especially younger initiates-often involve
However, druids must use the stick along dancing. The movements, rarely fonnalor ritu-
with the carrot-most evil creatures prove alized, are wild, impulsive, individual, and
truly helpful only after the character demon- ecstatic-aspontaneouscelebration of Nature’s
strate the fury of druidic wrath! Even so, energy. Druids may dance while praying to
humanoids and monsters usually feel happy regain spells; although in motion, the druid
to alert the druid if something mysteriousis remains in deep communion with the powers
making them uneasy-or if good forces are of Nature during the dance, as obliviousto tk
infiltratingthe wilderness. rest of the world as if deep in study.

Reltlember, evil creatures are notorious Holy Days. Like other priests, druids offer
liars: They will tell the druid only what suits brief prayers one or more times a day, but
them. A tribe of forest-dwelling goblins at- they also have holidays in which they devote
tacked and routed by two high-level rangers
and a paladin might warn the druid of these
intruders-after changing some details of their

the en& day (or night) to sacred ceremonies. clearing. In some cases, a druid high enough
Druids typically spend two full days every in level casts a commune with nature spell to
nonth observingthe holy days of theirpartic- determine if permittjng the destruction is the
ilar branch and of the Order as a whole. right thing to do.
Minor celebrations usually take place in
xcordance with the lunar calendar; on the A druid unable to perform the rites before
iighly important first days of the full moon the clearing of the land begins will become
and new moon, most druids hold daylong or very upset. At the DM's discretion, this lack
iightlong rites, either on their own or in the of appeasement also may lead to the appear-
:ompany of other druids. ance of creatures such as treants, who seek to
avengethe destruction.
Even more important are those ceremonies
ield four times a year to celebrate the chang- Rites of Passage. A young person coming
ng of the seasons. At such times, an arch- of age usually undergoes a rite of passage
lruid or the great druid summons most into adulthood. A druid living among the
druids in the circle together for a great moot. local folk administersthis usually secret rite,
Initiations and challenges often, but not which may involve anythingfrom a spiritual
ilways, o c a at these times. revelation to a painful ordeal, depending on

Festivals. Festivals are holy days cele- the culture.
brated not just by druids but by the entire For example, the druid, after invoking a
community. If a village or tribe openly fol-
lows the druidic philosophy, some or all the blessing, might lead the candidate into the
seasonal rites include a joyous public festival. deep woods, then leave the adolescent to find
Druids praise Nature and bless the village, the way home. Along the way, the druid may
livestock, and crops. Then, with the locals, appear in shapechanged forms to act as a
they sing, dance, and make merry for the rest guide. Candidates who make it out of the
of the day around a tree or Maypole in the vil-
lage green. woods (very likely, unlessthey ignore or mis-

Following the day of celebration, the treat their animal guides) are considered
issemblage builds bonfires on the hills to adults from that day forward. If they guess
vard off evil, enjoysperformancesby visiting that the druid had been watching over them
>ards,and watches locals dressed as animals in animal form,they may find their destiny
lance to ensure good hunting. Springtime lies in a druidic career.
ites, the most important, end with the cast-
ng of plant growfh on the fields to guarantee Mamages. Druids perform marriage cere-
heir fertility come harvest time. monies for locals under their spiritual care,
usually simple affairs in a druid's grove or
Private rites involving only the druids usu- village green. There, the man and woman
illy follow a festival-ften late at night. share vows to love, respect, and protect one
another, with the druid serving as witness.
Appeasement. Druids, while they do not Following the vows comes an exchange of
ilways object to replacing wilderness with tokens, prayers for the couple's health and
-ropland,insist on performing a ceremony fedity, and finally a party and feast.
>eforeany land is cleared. These rites, de-
igned to appease, comfort, and lay to rest the Druids themselves, rarely celibate, usually
,piritsof the trees and plants about to be cut choose to marry and raise children. Some
lown, normally require a druid's presence circles prefer their druids to limit their choice
or half a day per acre of wilderness slated for to "suitable" mates: druids or bards, and per-
haps elves, dryads, or sylphs. Independent
rural folk like tinkers, rangers, Gypsies, or
foresters also constitute good choices. Love

58 Chapter Four

can be blind, but a druid generally prefers a to chop down the wood? Are the peasant;
mate of neutral alignment, from a rural back- really in need or just greedy?Is their lord sim
ground, who follows the druidic faith. ply attempting to increase his own income’,, ,

Funerals. Most druids bury their dead Why are the peasants likely to starve?Is th
(although some prefer cremation), returning
the body of a loved one to the earth near a any other land to plant?
sacred grove. Mourners celebrate the de- After investigating, Dannay decides
ceased through poems and prayers, and a
hired bard may offer additional memorials in peasants do have a legitimateneed to develop
the old wood. Next, he considersthe threat-
song. Finally, the presiding druid blesses the ened trees themselves. Is the woodland
anaent?(Druids prefer to preserve the eldest
departed spirit and-since most druids be- trees.) Doesit harbor species of rare animals or
lieve in reincarnation-prays for its safe plants?Will its destruction displace sylvan
rebirth. Friends and family then hold a wake races? Is this forest one of the few unspoiled
to remember the departed person through areas left in the region?Does a samd grovelie
song, dance, and merrymaking.
within the forest?All these, particularly the
Initiations. Worthy aspirants seeking to
enter the druidic order must be initiated by last, constitutegood reasonsfor a druid to take
an inner circle member. The initiation takes a stand opposingthe destruction ofthe wood.
place at a moot or in a sacred grove on a holy
day. The candidate, after being purified with Assume that, for one of these reasons, Dan-
holy water, takes the druidic oath:a promise
to preservethe balance of the world, to follow nay finds this wood of ancient oakworth pre-
the druidic ethos, to respect the freedom of serving. In most caseshe first seeksa peaceful
other druids in and beyond the circle, to act
compromise.
as a guardian of Nature (or the deity that per-
Negotiate a Solution
sonifiesNature to the Order), and to live true For instance, if the area possesses no othe.
to the druidic order and keep its secrets safe.
availableland, Dannay might show the peas-
Character Strategy ants that expansion isn’t necessary. Say the
peasants’ problem is that their current crops
Exactly how do druids go about fulfilling don’t yield enough to feed them and cover
the responsibilitiesdiscussed above?In role- their tithes. Dannay might offer his services
playing terms, there are some interesting as an adviser if the lord agrees to lower the
strategies you, the player, can use to makethe peasants’ taxes. If the baron refuses-or
most of your druid character’s potential. already levies merely reasonable taxes-the
druid could try to help directly.
Suppose the druid Dannay wished to pre-
How should Dannay help? As an expert in
serve an old wood, but the localbaron and his agriculture, he can suggest techniques to
increase the yield of the peasants’ current
peasants want it cut down, claiming they crops so they don’t require expansion. Or he
need the land to plant crops to keep from might make a bargain: In exchange for the
going hungy. What does the druid do? peasants agreeing not to encroach on the
wood, he will use druidic magic to cure (or
m a me Root ofthe Problem prevent) disease among their animals, or heal
sick villagers and livestock.High-level druids
First, Dannay must determine the truth of could promise to control the weather to
the situation-what lies behind the decision extend the growing season or to preven

droughts or floods. Most usefulof all, a druid enters to begin work. Dannay could have
Nith access to the 3rd-level spell plant growth enchanted plants entangle or snare them,
:an increase the prosperity of any farm dra- order chipmunks and squirrels to steal their
matidy. food, cast summon insects to harass them,
make them lose their way using obscurement,
But suppose the idea of a compromise does summon rain and wind down on them, and
lot meet with favor. Maybe the peasantshave so on.
J priest of their own who already provides
this sort of magical aid. Perhaps they follow a Stmng, determined loggers may succeed in
religion that distrusts druids. Maybe the clearing a few acres despiteNature's torment.
baron has determined to expand his land at But, what will they do when, upon waking
all costs-or perhaps he just doesn't like a the next day, they see all their work undone
druid telling him what to do! In any event, thanks to a hallucimtoryforest spell? If they
Dannay may have to turn to harsher mea- are wise, they'll turn around and head for
home!
sures. Exactly what he does depends on his
FW
assessment of the strength and character of Alternately, Dannay might try to convince
the opposition and the importance of the
Yilds in question. the locals that the wood is haunted; he wants
them to stay out just for their own safety.
Several options make themselvesavailable Even if the wood was previously safe, the
when negotiation fails. Many call for the druid may convince the peasants that their
druid, short of destroying an enemy, to break intentions to cut it down have awakened
that enemy's morale instead.
ancient wood spirits ready to riseagainst any
Ultimatum
Dannay could simply announce to the intruders.
Careful use of spells likefapriefire and dust
peasants and lord, "Violate my wood, and
you will regret it." This threat may work for devil can simulate ghosts; obscurement makes
prestigiousdruids; it also may prove success- mysterious mists; control temperature, 10'
h l if backed up with a flashy demonstration, radius creates eerie chills;and druids also can
like a wall of thorns around a portion of the call up packs of howling wolves or flocks of
h e a t & wood OF a cnll lightning spell in the bats. Props like an erected gallows with a
midst of the speech. human skull or twolying aruund in the wood
strike terror into the hearts of peasants and
The DM should judge the effect of the ulti- common soldiersalike.
matum depending on the alignment of the
NPCs involved, how desperately they want Naturally, some people will suspect Dan-
the land, and the reputation and actions of
&e druid. Most likely the lord and peasants MY is behind this, especially if he tried nego-

will not be so easily cowed, and Dannay will tiating with the locals and lord earlier. So,
have to turn to direa action. some druids simply use fear tactics before
attempting a compromise!

Harassment Hit-and-Run
The druid could choose to use passive, A ruthless druid facing a determined foe

nonviolentresistance to prevent the leveling may combine fear with violent actions, such
of the wood. Suppose a party of lumberjacks as killing intrudersand leaving their bodies

TQ Chapter Four

I

11-

for others to find-or just allowing the vic- would mobilize native creatures (using anima
tims to vanish without a trace. This technique friendship and sometimes animal grmth spells)
can prove very effective, especiallywhen the
ieaths are mysterious and not k t l y trace- to attack intruders and-if he has time-
3ble to the druid's magic. But Dannay should would set lethal traps, such as pits and dead-
be wary of doing the job too well: Misleading falls. The druid also may recruit allies, per-
the natives into believing that murderous haps other druids or monsterswho could lose
undead roam the wood, for instance, may their lairs to the axe.
lead them to call upon outsider paladins or
:lerics to purge the area. Like many good generals, Dannay himself
often stays back from the fighting, instead
Defen$e setting up magical traps and sending animals
Dannay may decide merely to defend his and plants into battle. Normally a druic'
would risk himself to save an animal, but ir
land aggressively, attacking anyone who this case he is battling not just for one crea-
enters the wood. Druids frequently resort to a ture,but for an entire habitat. Dannay knows
defensive stance when fear or harassment he must spare his own life so he can continue
fail. The character aims to convinceintruders to meserve the lives of others.
exploitation is too costly to be worthwhile.
The druid's tactics resemble a more violent Usually as a last resort, the druid ma!
form of harassment. In particular, Dannay choose to carry the fight to the enemy's castle

Role-playing Druids 71

or village. Typically, only a high-level druid wish to check the baron‘s morale. Failing this
has the ability to do this. And remember, check, the baron may negotiate.
Dannay has no obligationto use ”honorable”
tactics. If he has chosen to fight, it is because Revenge

he believeshis opponents have failed to com- A druid who has failed bo stop the defile-
ment of Nature often seeks vengeance, for
promise. one of three reasons. First, the druid removes
A druid’s actions in war may range from his foe to make sure the dqfilement doesn’t
happen again. Second, a druid’s act of re-
jubtle tricks,like stealingsome or all the local venge sends a message to others. And third,
plow animals and war horses, to something as most druids are human, they can succumb
direct but nonviolent, like shapechanging to anger and feelings of injustice as easily as
into a bird, sneaking into the offending lord’s anyone else.
bedchamber, and taking hisfirst-born hostage
for his good behavior. Or, Dannay could use Vengeful druids must consider this ques-
spellslike call lightning, conjurefire elemental, tion carefully: Who is the intended object of
creeping doom, or earthquaketo wreak destruc- revenge?For example, a druid may immedi-
tion. Even low-level spells like produceflame ately target as foes trappersmassacring win-
can easily set fire to a peasant’s cottage or a ter wolf cubs for their fur. But, upon investi-
field of grain. gation, the druid discovers that the trappers
are merely poor yeomen or peasants simply
Please note that Dannay will direct his trying to earn money to support their fami-
-.very action solely against those who cause lies. The real enemies become the gentleman
furriers who grow rich off the sale of the
theproblem. If a @y baron represents the pelts, and the lords and ladies who demand
winter wolf fur as this year’s high fashion.
threat to the wood, the druid targets the The druid should take revenge on these
baron. If the problem lies with the peasants, people.
he tries to intimidate them or drive them
away. A druid never engages in wanton vic- A character seeking vengeance will wait
lence for its own sake. patiently and make careful plans. Thisbehav-
ior sometimes makes them seem cold-
When a PC druid uses any of these strate- blooded, but the druidhas a long memory-a
gies, the DM should work out the response of foe who appears too strong today may prove
the factions opposing the druid’s interests. weaker tomorrow.
For instance, perhaps the baron sends up to
three village work parties daily into the Druids prefer subtle forms of vengeance. If
wood, each of which can clear one a m of for- a wicked sheriff were responsible for the
destruction of a druid’s grove, the druidmight
est if allowed to work unimpeded. If the
try to frame the sherifffor w o n against his
druid decidesto harass them or frightenthem
off, the DM should refer to the rules for lord rather than risk a direct attack. For the
sheriff to be executedas a traitor would be a
morale and NPC reaclions (DMG,pgs. 69-72, fitting revenge!

114-115) and make morale checks any time Some druids enjoy irony. Suppose a noble
the druid succeeds with an action the DM cleared an ancient forest to set up a vineyard.
deems would frustrate, impede, or frighten After the first pressing, a druid might sneak
into the wine cellar and spoilthe vintage.
them. If a work party fails enough checks, the

workers either get nothing done that day or
return home, too scared to come back. Per-
haps soldiers or the lord’s mage escort the
wext work parties. If Dannay succeeds in
iealing with this new threat, the DM may

A druid carefully considers the conse-
quences of an act of vengeance and works
them into the overall plan. For instance, if a
king’s sheriff were the druid’s enemy, the
druid would not try to destroy the sheriff
without knowing what would happen after-
ward. In particular, the druid would not try
to destroy an enemy who might be replaced
with an even worse foe. Instead, the druid
might take vengeance in a different form-
perhaps by kidnaping the sheriffs infant to
raise as a druid who one day would prove a
foe to the sheriff.

Relations with Others

Here’s how relations often stand between
druids and the people and monsters that live
in or near the wild.

Woodcutters and Hunters
Druids act much as game wardens do, let-

ting woodcuttersknow which trees they may
cut and which they must leave standing, and
telling hunters which species they may hunt
and which are protected.

Sometimesthese folk resent or even dis-
obey such orders, but most druids temper
their restrictions with reason and balance
punishment with reward. People who live or
work in the wild and follow a druid’s laws
remain under druidic protection. Druids use
their spells when necessary to cure injury or
sickness in hunters’ families, prevent starva-
tion among woodcutters in harsh times, and
so on. Those who don’t follow druidic rules
cannot expect help, even in cases of dire need.

L o d Animals
Druids try to get t o h o w most wild ani-

mals within a few miles of home, learning
their daily habits, the locations of their lairs,
and so on. A druid makes a point of keeping

Role-playingDruids 7:

S- 7

1

track of animals that are pregnant, weak, or For instance, a character wishing to dis-
sick, and usually aids (or puts down) dis- courage farmers or loggers from making
eased, mad, or injured local creatures. How- inroads into a forest might consider an
ever, a druid does not interfere with normal alliance with bandits, while one on good
cycles of predators and prey. Think of this terms with neighboringvillagersand nobility
attitude as that of forest rangem or game war- would seek to drive them away or reveal
dens: Protecting species holds greater impor- their location to the law. But most often, the
tance than safeguarding individuals. Still, druid remainsuninvolved, acting only to pro-
druids often befriend a few local animals, tect the wildernessfrom threats.
whom they respectand protect as they would
human companions. Animals frequently Local Monsters
serve as a busy druid’s eyes and ears. Druids usually stay on good or neutral

Sylvan and Faede Creatures terms with local monsters, opposing them
Druidsrespect certain creatures as sentient only if they threaten the entire area or the
druid personally. For instance, a beholder
embodiments of the “spirit” of Nature. Forest that uses a woodland cave as its sanctuary
druids, in particular, would risk their lives to makes a fine neighbor for a druid; one that
protect sylvan or faerie beings and would tries to enslave large numbers of sylvan folk
opposeother humans toprotect thewilderness to conquer a nearby elven kingdom means
where they live. In return, these maturesoften trouble and should be eliminated before it
give druidsofficialstanding in thejr communi- engulfsthe forest in a devastating war.
ties, perhapsas ambassadorsto human realms.
A druid might receivean invitationto speak at In general, the druid will act more favor-
a sylvan or faerie council to offer a “human ably to creatures that “belong” in an area. A
viewpoint,” although only rarely would green dragon, a native of woodlandsjust as
humans extend the same courtq. much as an elf or bear, findsit only naturalto
prey on elves and men. A druid has no argu-
Outlaws, Fugitives, and Bandits mentwith thistendency. After all, the humans
Folk living away from society sometimes and elvescan alwayssend a knight to slay the
dragon.
h d themselves operatingin the same wilder-
Most druids make an effort to stay on
ness areas as druids. As druids know their speaking terms with intelligent monsters,
good, evil, or neutral. The druid may do occa-
woods intimately, they can become vital sional favors for a creature on a quid pro quo
allies-and bitter enemies, for they know basis. For example, the druid might volunteer
exactly where outlawshide and can lead pur- to heal a sick or injured monster; the druid
suers to them if they choose. Thus, any out- wants something in return, like a promise
laws exist on the druids’ sufferance. that the beast will refrain from attacking a
certain village, will free its captives, or will
Druids usually prefer to avoid becomin; aid the druid in battle.
involved with criminals. They sometime
shelter individualfugitives and, rarely, offer Evil Humanoids
assistance to entire bands of outlaws whose The druid knows these evil humanoid
activities further druidic goals and show
proper respect towardNature. Druids’ actions races make up a natural part of the world and
generally depend on the situation.

I

have a right to struggle for existence. As a Druidsconsider it a courtesy for a ranger of
mesult, druids will not act against orcs, gob- equivalent or lower level to ask permission to
lins,or the like simplybecause of their race or operate in an area they occupy and usually
"evil" rnaacteusrer.eIpnrfeascet,nint lethseseoyfeas of the druids, resent those who neglect this courtesy. If a
&ese threat to the ranger does ask permission, a druid generally
wildernessthando humans or dwarves:Few feels pleased to cooperate.
humanoidsorganize beyond the tribal level,
they rarely buildbig cities above ground, and Occasionally druids find elven or ranger
they prefer hunting and gathering to exten- actions one-sided, impetuous, or insuffi-
sive farming. ciently ruthless to the job at hand. On the
A few druids-specially Shadow Circle other hand, some elven councilchambersand
membets-ally with native humanoids to ranger gatheringsring with the accusation
protect the wildernessagainst encroachment that druids would give as much credence to
or to aid weaker tribes being persecutedfor the word of an orc or a green dragon as they
no good reason. However, they make these do an elf or a U t . Those outside the Order
agreementswith care and in utmost secrecy, fear the overlycunningdruidic stratagems do
for they realize the humanoids' evil nature not have the best interests of the elven nations
makes tihem treacherous comrades. More- at heart. But despite the occasional suspicion,
over, if word of such an alliance got out, it many friendships grow up between druids
could damage the druidic order's reputation and rangers or elves, and each group respects
among humans and elves. the other as protectors of the wild.
Evil humanoidshold the druids in fairly Gnomes and Haltlings
high regard-some tribes always release
druid captives. While these races couldn't Druids generally get along with the small
care less for the sanctity of Nature or the wel- folk and help them when the need arises. In
fare of animals, most humanoids respect turn, a majority of gnomes and halflings
Nature's mighty power and its servants. (even those that donot follow the druidicreli-
gion) respect druid characters.
Rangers and Elves
The rvger class and the elvenrace resemble Most gnomes and halflingsfollow an ethos

each 0 t h in that both consist of good aligned compatiblewith druidic beliefs: Live in har-
mony with the environment and rarely take
kings dwelling in the wild, protecting it from from it more than needed. Moreover, druids
evil f o m . Elvesand rangers sometimesargue see them as practical people who, though
with druids over how best to guide the sylvan inclined toward good, rarely develop the
peoples and maintain the guardianship of the fanatical opposition to "evil" the druids have
seen insome humans, elves, and dwarves.
forests, but this is usually a friendly disagree-
The dwarven affinity with the earth pri-
ment. If an area has a particularly effective marily extends to d i v i n g stone and metal,
ranger presence, druids may agree to divide while the druids prize living trees and ani-
up responsibility for its gudhmhip: Rangers mals. As a result, druids and dwarves have
handle human and demihuman affairs, while
druids take care of sylvan creatures and the very differentphilosophicaloutlooks.
problems of native animals and plants. Such
inform+ arrangements, however, often prove It doesn't help relations when dwarves cut
subject to swiftchange.

A

z"

down forests and dig ugly mine shafts i dozen common personality archetypes for
green mountainsides in their quest for th druids follow.
coal and firewood needed to feed their hur
gry forges. Nor do dwarves enjoy seeing Please note that using these personality
druids favor elves and advocate a "live and
let live" policy with the dwarves' arch-foes, typesis totally optional-feel freeto make up
the goblin races. The result? Druids and your own!Thissection, while intended for use
dwarves remain on poor terms and have
harsh words for each other when they meet. primarily by novice role-players, can prove
quite useful for experiencedplayers who feel
Personality Types temporarilystumped for roleplayingideas or

You've now read how typical druids act in 7for DMs wanting a quick per onality for an
a variety of situations. But every druid-just
like every other PC or significant NPC- Npc druid.
should be different, with unique habits and
Diplomat
personality traits. Chapter 2 Druid Kits illus- The diplomat serves Nature best by resolv-

trated the "role" of each kit and how a druid ing conflicts between intelligent beings
with a certain kit usually behaves. But not throughnegotiation; wars must be avoided,
every druid of the same branch and kit acts
the same way. To expand on this idea, a half- as fields and forests burn regardlessof which

side wins. The fabled druidic neutrality
makes these charactersthe clear choice for
settling disputes, especiallybetween human
and nonhuman races.

For instance, if a heated dispute between the weeds. The character remains very much
wood elves and sylvan centaurs threatened to aware of her responsibilitiesas a druid. A
flareinto war, the character might step in as a deep love for the land-with all its animals
peacemaker, discover the root of the conflict, and p e o p l e v e sher totakedecisiveaction
to nurhw and protect it.
and arrange a just compromise. Or, thedruid
A gardener believesa druid should actively
could act as an ambassador for a kingdom of intervene to promotethe goals of the druidic
sylvan folk, representing them in a human order. She won’t isolate herself in a grove in
court. the wilderness. On the other hand, she usu-
ally stays in a particular region or country,
In role-playing, the diplomatbehaves with feeling a close kinship to her own land, and
aimess and empathy. He always tries to see knowing that she cannot take responsibility
someone else’s point of view, whether that for the entire world.
someone else is an angry green dragon or a
frivolous pixie, a proud knight or a hard- The gardener sees combat as a job that
working farmer. But this fairness often masks sometimeshas to be done: Avoid the unnec-
an adamantine core of ruthless pragmatism. essary battles, but win the necessary ones.
The character prefers solutions that benefit an She uses her head when she fights, trying
entire region--including animals and plants whatever tricks and tactics might give her an
-rather than a single faction. The diplomat edge. However, she does not believe the ends
isn’t necessarily a pacifist-he may fight if justifythe means and will not resort to strate-
talking fails or to enforce a peace he’s bro- gies that go against the druidic ethos or her
kered-but he prefers that a velvet glove own conscience.
mask the iron fist. Even so, the character gen-
erally takes the long view and values the bar- The character wiU see other people’s points
mony of the whole over the good of the indi-
vidual. of view. Nevertheless, she lives devoted to

Thispersonality type works especially well the druidic ethos and actively carries the fight

with the Adviser, Pacifist, and Wanderer against anyone who threatens the land she
druid kits. It doesn’t fit the Avenger or Guard- holds dear.
ian,but it can work with any other druid kits.
The diplomat is best suited to an all-druid The gardener personality is common
campaign, since other classes prefer fighting among druids. It suits the Adviser, Savage,
to talking. However, a peacemaking role can Wanderer, and Village Druid kits, but avoid
lead to adventure and intrigue (providing using it with the Guardian kit-a gardener
roles for bards, thieves, illusionists, and other doesn’t limit her attention to just one area.

characters skilled in subtlety), especially if- An idealist character-usually a young ini-
as often happens-a third party or warlike tiate-feels convinced that Nature needs sav-
faction secretly works to foment wars or ing, and he’s the one to do it. Always opti-
quarrels. And trying tu mediate a dispute mistic, he sometimesbites off more than he
between an angry green dragon and a human can chew. He prefers to seek simple solutions
to complex problems.
baron can prove both exciting and danqerous!
The idealist is usually pure of heart, mean-
Gardener i”g he doesn’t lie or cheat and has few vices.
The gardener views the world as a garden: While he seems fond of saying ”Nature
doesn’t lie,” he has yet to learn that many
It needs loving c a an~d someone to cut down

people do. Perhaps for that reason, people before revealing her true form (if she does
find it relatively easy to trick this character. reveal it). This mischief works best for an
However, if he realizes he's been manipu- NPC among PCs, or vice versa.
lated or if he discoverscorruption in someone
he consideredhonest, his temper will flare in But for all her showmanship,the mysteri-
a fierce fit of anger. ous figure remains a careful and cunning
strategist. She always makes sure she has a
In combat, the idealist rarely uses sophisti- few tricks up her sleeve that even her friends
cated tactics. He prefersto wield flashy spells, don't know about. If she has a flaw, it is an
but will fight with physical weapons if neces- unwillingness to share with others the details
sarAy.young idealist usually doesn't feel ready of her plans.
o settle down, so sedentary kits like the
Guardian or Village Druid don't work for The mysterious figure works well as an
Adviser, Outlaw, Shapeshifter, or Wanderer.
him.He does not possess the bitterness of an Avoid pairing this personality with the
Guardian or Viiage Druid kits.
Avenger and lacks the discipline of a Natural
Philosopher and the subtlety of a good Nurturer
The nurturer always seeks to help those
Adviser. The best kits for him are Beastfriend,
around him, whether the beneficiary is a
Shapeshifter, or Wanderer. plant, beast, or human; he feels especially
drawn to the suffering of others. Unlike the
Mysterious Figure gardener, the character concerns himself
The mysterious figure is a druid with an more with individuals than with communi-
ties or members of a particular alignment.
enigmatic nature. She tends to appear and The character may work as a professional
disappear regularly-show up, take swift healer, but also may take a more active role.
action, vanish suddenly, and appear again For instance, he might go adventuringto seek
when least expectedand most needed. and rescue captives and victims of oppres-
sion. Whatever his reason for joining a party,
The mysterious figure normally has a per- he cannot resist a genuine cry for help.
sonal mission to fulfill: a wrong to right, an
archenemy to defeat, or a balance to redress. The character does well providing emo-
Often 3he has returned from exile, escaped tional support to others, and people fre-
death, or overcome some other personal quently tum to him with their troubles. He
tragedy, and uses her secretiveness to sur- often proves a tower of strength in a crisis,
prise and confound foes. rarely losing his courage. In combat, the char-
acter prefers to take a defensive role, protect-
The mysterious figure travels regularly, ing others and healing the injured.The char-
often going about in disguise or in animal acter, while not a pacifist, remainsreluctant to
shape. She makes many friends in unlikely engage in violence, except to defend those
places, but reveals her real identity or pur-
poses only to her closest companions. Her under his care.
fondness for drama leads her to save her best The nurturer comes ascloseto a good align-
spells for a grand entrance or for the crucial
moment where she casts aside her disguise. ment as any other druid personality arche-
type. However, he does provide care without
Some druids with this personality have a regard to the victim's alignment. Also, unlike
quirky sense of humor. For instance, the most good characters, this druid gives as high
druid may shapeshift into an animal before
joining a party, becoming "adopted" as a pet

78 Chapter Four

I priority to the suffering of beasts as to the change. This mindset applies to alterations in
plight of humans. land use, shifts in the structure of the druidic
Rustic order, and fluctuations in the pattern of daily
life in the character’s region.
This druid champions the common people.
Jhe prefers a roadside innto a noble’s castle The traditionalist’sphilosophy means the
and would rather visit a village fair than a druid vehemently opposes destroying the
knightly tournament. Depending on whether Wilderness to replace it with crops, towns, or
she l i e s to stay in one place or move around, mines. Of course, he stands equally against
she’ll usually have either the Outlaw, Village radical druids like Shadow Circle members,
Druid, Avenger, or Wanderer kits. She has no who advocate the destruction of towns or
interest in wealth-what she earns or finds cities. (However, some clever Shadow Circle
she either gives to the needy or devotes to members use a traditionalistfacade.)
projects aimed at improving people’s lives.
Traditionalist druids usually think things
The rustic won’t take any actions she be- were better in the past and talk incessantly
lieves would endanger or exploit peasants; about how the present doesn’t match ancient
she alwaystries to suggest plans by which the glories. They take pride in the history and
party’s actions might benefit the commoners. accomplishmentsof the druidic order and
For instance, instead of rescuing a noble from usually have the ancient history nonweapon
a band of orcs, she’d prefer to take action proficiency. A traditionalistbelieves unshak-
against a robber baron who has been oppress- ably in the basic tenets of druidism, such as
ing his tenants. Afterward, she’ll try to make protecijng the wildernessand maintainingthe
sure the peasants reclaim some of the Wasure balance of Nature, as well as protecting dru-
their greedy overlord took from them. idic custom, such as the challenge. Often the
character takes an active interest in druidic
If the character witnesses any kind of op- politics to make sure that suitably tradition-
pression of the common people, she becomes minded druids find their way to high-ranking
angry and wants to do somethingabout it. If positions.

possible, she’ll try to fix the situation---over- Almost any druid kit suits a traditionalist
throw the evil baron, freethe slaves, etc. If she personality, provided the Order has an
doesn’t believe she can win, she’ll usually try ancient history. On the other hand, say the
to make some gesture to help the victims, per-
DM decides that druids have developed the
haps by giving agricultural advice, suggest-
ing means of passive resistance, curing dis- powers of the Shapeshifterkit only recently.
ease, donating money, or even helping a In such a campaign, a traditionalist would
single family escape to a better life. Then avoid that kit.
she‘ll vow to come back and do more when
she gains the power to help. In short, the NS- Fanatic
tic believes in treating all fairly, regardlessof A character with this personality has a
social class.
drive to accomplish a particular self-
The traditionalist takes pride in the old appointed mission. All his personal efforts
ways and opposes change for the sake of
must go toward its fidfibnent; he feels guilty
if he has to devote time to other activities.

A fanatic believesthe endsjustify the means.
Anyone and anythmg could become a sacri-
fice to the cause. One can inject fanaticism

.: . .

into any druid character by exaggerating the The misanthrope's unselfish love of Nature
partially redeems her hostility; characters
normal behavior of his branch or kit. Possible who display a similar affection for animals or
the wild find her a true friend. Even so, deeds,
fanatics includethe characters below: not words, are the only things that can win
Druids with the Avenger kit may seek her friendship.

revenge for the defilement of a particular area The misanthrope has trouble verbalizing
of wilderness. feelings-even if she likes or approves of
someone, she won't say so. Shell simply offer
Village Druids may act fanatically in her assistance. If she dislikes someone, or if
defense of their villages, seeing all outsiders something makes her angry, she's likely to
as potential threats and ruthlessly destroying turnher back and leave without a word.
anyone who harms "my people."
In combat, she doesn't bluff and rarely
Guardian druids can have a fanatical
bent toward preserving the area under their utters a threatmorethanonce. If she must use
protection. They have been heard to say
things like, "You may travel through my for- violence to protect herself or something she
est, but if you cut even one living branch for cares for, shell strike without warning.
firewood, damage one single leaf, or kill the
smallest animaI, you will regret it!" A misanthrope doesn't fit in with a party of
human adventurers, but she makes a good
Druids with any kit may act like fanatics NPC, especially if the party has a particular
about duties to the Order, taking extreme reason to seek her friendship.
actions against anyone who harms the wil-
This personality type works well with
derness. This kind of druid often adopts the Beastfriends, Guardians, Shapeshifters, and
Totemic Druids. It can fit Avengers, Natural
-iewpoint of the Shadow Circle. Philosophers, and Wanderers, but does not
The fanatic archetype does not normally suit Advisers, Savages, or Viiage Druids.

auit a PC, but this personality can make an Druid Campaign-
interesting NPC. In particular, fanatics make
good rivals for more moderate druids, who So far this chapter has dealt with ways to
work to rein in the excesses of extremists to role-play druid characters in normal AD&D
maintain the Order's good name. campaigns. But it's quite possible to use this
informationto run an adventure focusing on
Misanthrope druidsalone. A DM couldhandle such a ram-
paign one of severalways.
The misanthmpedoesn't like the company
All or Mostly Druids?
of people. Usually she considers mankind The DM of a druid-centeredcampaign can
bad for Nature. A misanthrope may have had
a particularly bad experiencethat soured her choose to restrict players to druid characters
on mankind. Depending on her kit, she may only. This setup works best with fewer than
prefer the company of animals or the solitude four players. On the other hand, druid-
of the wilds. centered campaigns involving many players
can benefit from the presence of one or two
In role-playing, the misanthrope generally appropriate nondruid characters. The DM
assumes the w m t of people. She may not act may allow bards, rangers, and those clerics,
hostile, but it takes a lot of effort from the
party to encourage friendliness. By her very
nature, she tends toward dour, pessimistic
behavior, She trusts no humans, and few
demihumarsor humanoids.

3

80 Chapter Four

*..7

mages, or fighters with Peasant or Outlaw as the rise of the Shadow Circle or the rivalry
between various druidic branches). A single
kits. (See The Complete Priest's Handbook, The branch campaign involving an unusual
branch (like the arctic druids) gives the DM
Complete Wiurrdk Handbook, and The Complete an opportunity to run a change-of-pace
adventure set in a differentenvironment. PCs
Fighter's Hrmdbwk.) can venture to remotelocations, meet mem-
After DMS choose to m an all-druid cam- bers of likleikno&wfltureltures, ,and.encounter
paign, they must next decide whether to have monsters they otherwise would rarely hap-
*.q party of druids from a variety of branches pen upon.
..i.& from only one.
Singte-Branch .Campaigns..Some.cam- On the down side, although players can
'. ' distinguish the charactersfrom each other by
giving them each different kits, players still
paigns center around druids in a single circle may wish for more variety within the party.
Try making some of the characters druids
and the doings of those native to the area. from associatedbranches; for instance, if the
Most PCs will represent the samebran& that adventure takes place near a forest on a
of the area's dominant terrain. For example, mountainside, some of the characters re-
semble a mix of both the forest and mountain
campaigns set in mountainousterrain feature druid branches.

mostly mountain druids; if the campaign Multibranch Campaigns. In a campaign

were set in the Underdark, most of the char-

acters would be gray druids.

This campaign gives the PCs a strong sense

of identity and createsa united party, sinceall
its members have similar goals. It also allows

the DM to focus on interdruid politics (such

Ill Role-playing Druids 81

involving only druids, the DM may encour- For example, in a campaign with the goal
age players to choose charactersfrom differ- of defeating the followers of a chaotic evil
ent branches. The advantage of this arrange- god corrupting Nature, the first adventure
ment?It provides a strong variety of charac- might take the party to a swamp that had
ters-especiallysince they also may have dif- been defiled into a place of horror. The druids
would deal with toxic water, mutant giant
ferent druid kits.However, a disadvantageis insects, will 0’ wisps, black dragons, and
other swamp monsters. A clue then can lead
the difficulty of explaining why a jungle them to an adventure in the frozen arctic,
druid and an arctic druid want to adventure where the PCs hear of a blizzard without end
together in the first place. and the creaturesthat lurk within it. With this
kind of approach, every branch of druid has a
One way to get around this problem re- chanceto shine.
quires bringing the PCs together for a reason.
Perhaps the characters each represent their Guardians of the Wild
particular region in a quest the Grand Druid In this campaign, the druids must defend a
has launched to help fight a world-shaking
problem.This scenario gives them the single- tract of wilderness from those who wish to
branch campaign’s sense of shared mission, exploitit. To make this story stronger, develop
but more variety. druid characterswith a personal stake in the
area. For example, the region could hold an
And, there could be any number of reasons ancient grove in which a PC was initiated into
why this special group of beginning charac- the druidic order. Or maybe it serves as home
ters was selected. Pick one of the following to a tribe of sylvan beings who have be-
justifications: friended a character.

The Grand Druid chose them because An interesting problem develops if the
they fit an ancient prophecy.
druids discover that the individuals cutting
The upper ranks of the druids are too down their wood or draining their swamp
conservative (or filled with untrustworthy have a very good reason to do so. As a result,
agents of the Shadow Circle), and only these the druids-and players-find themselves
members of the younger generation see the faced with a more complex moral dilemma
true threat facing the world. than simply, ”Run those exploiters off the
land.” They must look behind the problem to
There are few druids left-a growing evil get at its heart.
wiped out most of the Order’s upper ranks.
(A very nasty situation indeed!) This campaign suits players who enjoy
diplomacy and politics, and generally works
A more serious problem in game balance best with relatively high-level druids. This
for multibranchcampaignslies in the fact that scenario lets the characters explore a key ele-
each branch works best in a single terrain ment of the druid’s ethos: the need to see
type: the desert druid operates best in the everyone’s point of view, then judge which
desert; the gray druid has optimal powers path best serves druidic interests.
only in the underworld,and so on.As a result,
a multibranch druid campaign needs to in- For instance, suppose the druids learn of a
volve a fair bit of traveling; if the characters problem in the area when hundreds of
stay in the forest or the dungeon all the time, migrant laborers-mostly poor folk with no
the player of an arctic or swamp druid will farms of their own4escend like locusts on
feel useless! Forcing the characters to travel
widely, fighting an evil that recurs in several
guises, can make for an exciting adventure
involving all the characters.

the characters’ anaent forest, chopping down
trees and bearing them away. Worse, several
species of rare animals live near here, and the
logging threatens to destroy their home.

Where did these laborers come from?The
party learns they work for a nation of
dwarves living nearby. These mountain
dwarves, having exhausted their supply of
coal, had to turn to wood to keep the forges
burning. They pay the poor human laborers
in gold for every log they bring in. Already
the dwarves’ own mountain stands denuded
of trees. The druids’ verdant preserve seems
the only nearby source of firewood.

The migrant laborers have more immediate
concerns than the dangers of exfoliation. A
lean harvest this year has meant little work,
and without the dwarves’ bounty, the humans
risk starvation. As long as the dwarves pay,

...they will be able tobuy food for the winter.
But what made the dwarves decide to ex-
pand their activities so much that they ex-

hausted their coal resources?

War. The mountain dwarves are forging
weapons for a small elven kingdom twoday’s
journey away, struggling against an alliance
of migrating bugbear and ogre tribes. Except
for the royal guard, these elves-caught by
surprise-lacked proper armor and weapons
to withstand the onslaught. The dwarves
didn’t want to get involved, but agreed to
forge the elves fine long swords, armor, and
arrowheads in exchange for a share of the

valuable emerald deposits located withinthe

elven kingdom.

The DM could stop here and decide to call

the bugbears and ogres the villains. But per-
haps things are not quite that simple. What
started the bugbear-ogremigration?Perhaps
a powerful dragon drove them from their
land; now they have become refugees them-

selves, wishing to settle in empty areaswithin

the elven wood. However, the elves refused
(not desiring such rude neighbors).

A campaign of this sort gives druids many

ions. The characters could merely drii defenders were not as strong as they thought

woodcuttersfrom the forest-but terroriz- and, in a weak moment, allowed a dreadful

Nature itself has felt the corrupting power

The Evil woods creatures manifest the terrible cancer ema-
nating from the once sacred grove, which
In the center of a once beautiful sylvan for- now bears a terrible curse-a curse that is
t lies a place of power-a grove at one time spreading.. ..
acred to the druids. Unfortunately, its
This campaign will prove a challenge for

any druidic party. The evil forces include a
m i x of standardwoodland monsters like bug-

bears and green dragons, and twisted, evil found a secret weapon-a dragon or a magi-
versions of normally good or neutral sylvan cal war machine. .. .
beings like dryads and elves. The druids-
possibly allied with good-aligned adventur- The Invitation. The DM can send a Shad-
e d o not know exactlywhat evil corrupted owed One to recruit a PC druid who has been
the sacred grove, so they have to move care- especially ruthless. This isn’t good news for
fully at first, scouting the forest. The cursed most PCs: Few want to become the obedient
woods resembles a dungeon: The farther the pawns of the faceless, secretiveorganization’s
characters penetrate, the more deadly it be- inner circle. However, those who refuse must
comes, with the power that destroyed the foil the dreaded Shadowed Ones intending to
original Guardians waiting, spiderlike, in the kill uncooperative druids.
center of the sacred grove.
The Traitor. One of the PC-a druid loyal
kgainst the Shadows to the Order-learns that one of the three
The Shadow Circle can spark adventures archdruids in the domain belongs to the
Shadow Circle. This inner circle member has
rife with intrigue, betrayal, and druid vs. hired assassins to kill the circle’s great druid
druid conflict. Composing such an adventure next month, rather than have to face the
requires a good understanding of the local leader in a duel. Unfortunately, the PC’s
druidic hierarchy. The DM should sketch out informant mysteriously dies before revealing
the personalitiesof the domain’s NFC druids, the traitorous archdruid‘s identity. Can the
then secretly decide which (if any) belong to PC uncover the traitor in time to prevent the
the Shadow Circle. PCs can glean some infor- Shadow Circle’s victory?
mation about the NPCs but will not know
their secret allegiances. The characters may want to talk to those
who know the three suspects and examine
Here are some adventure ideas: each archdruid’s behavior for any hint of alle-
The Horde. A rumor now circulating says giance to the Shadow Circle. Of course, the
druids from the Shadow Circle have set up a real traitor may speed up the Shadow Circle’s
secret meeting with chieftains of nearby orc agenda if the PCs are discovered-or try to
or barbarian tribes. Obviously they plan to do away with the investigators!
mount an assault on one or more human
towns or cities-but when, how, and where The Defector. A druid defecting from the
will they strike? As druids opposed to Shadow Circle has important information
Shadow Circle policies, the PCs may try to about the sinister organization’s plans, but
find out what is going on so they can sound she will talk only to the Grand Druid, whom
the alann or nip the plan in the b u d 4 u t get- she knows stands outside the group. Her
ting anyone to believe word of an impending defection has not gone unnoticed-the dread
invasion may prove difficultwithout concrete ShadowedOnes plot her death-so the PCs
evidence, for few know the truth about the must protect her on her way to an Emissary
Shadow Circle. of the Grand Druid. They will face magical,
If infiltrating the secret society seems like monstrous, and personal attacks, as well as
too great a challenge, the characters could treachery from those they thought were allies.
kidnap an orc leader for questioning. And
this step mightbe only the beginning;the PCs
might learn that Shadow Circle druids have

CHAPTER

I

Druidic Magic

As detailed in Chapter 3 of the Player‘s only that species of animal can perceive the
Handbook (p. 35),druids have access to priest illusion. The subject may not assume an ani-
spells in certain spheres and can use a variety mal form more than twice or less than one-
of enchanted weapons, armor, and other quarter the character’s size.
magical items. This chapter expands the
magic available to player characters in the The almost perfect illusion the spell creates
druid class, adding many spells and magical deceives the animal’s sight, hearing, smell,
items along with the new field of herbal and touch. For instance, once a character casts
magic. a “bear” illusion on a subject, bears believe
that subject to be a bear, while to humans,
New Spells other races, and other creatures, the subject
remains the same.
Druids have major access to spells in the
following spheres of influence: All, Animal, Characters normally use beastmask to travel
Elemental, Healing, Plant, Weather; they have among or hunt a particular species. This spell
minor access to the Divination sphere. (Note lets a druid assume the guise of a caribou to
any sphere restrictions due to kit or branch.) move among a herd without causing them to
As druids concern themselves with plants, panic. A character also could avoid being
animals, and natural phenqmena more than attacked by a pack of dire wolves by wearing
most priests, they specialize in casting a wolf’s “mask.”
Nature-oriented spells.
Beastmask does not allow communication
Characters of any priest class have the with the animal species, though it can be used
potential to use these spells if they have with animal communication spells.
access to the relevant spheres. However, DMs
may make this magic available only to the The material component is a miniature
druid class, on the grounds that these spells wooden mask carved to look like the animal.
represent secret lore of the Order.
nd beings becomes part of
First-level Spells a Reincarnate kmespart of the Ani-
Beastmask
(Illusion/Phantasm)
Sphere: Animal
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 12hours
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: Neg.

Beastmask may affect any single person or
animal, or characters may cast it on them-
selves. It allows the subject to take on the illu-
sory form of a single animal species-but

86 * Chapter Five

r Puffball (Alteration) whispenoard can be cast on any single item,
portal, or closure (such as a book, door, or
Sphere: Plant lid). It may ward up to a =foot radius.
Range: Touch The character keys the ward to become
Components: V, S, M activated (like a magic mouth spell) under spe-
Duration: 2 rounds/level of caster cific conditio-uch as when a certain indi-
Casting T i e : 4 vidual enters the area or opens the warded
Area of Effect:1mushroom, etc. closure. When the ward is triggered, a soft
saving Throw: special whispering breeze blows across the caster’s
face. The caster must stay within 1 mile per
A character who casts puffball on a normal experience level of the ward to receive the
mushroom, truffle, or toadstool (up to 6 warning.
inches in diameter) transforms the fungus The material component is the p.riest’s holy
into a magical puffball, which the character ~

may drop or throw. The DM should decide symbol. ..

what type of roll, if any, is required to hit the ona-lev

target (Slirength, Lkxterity, etc.) See the DMG, Animal spy (Divinati
Sphere: Animal
pgs. 62-63, for rules on grenadelikemissiles. Range: 10yards
The puffball bursts upon landing, releas- Components: V, S
Duration: 1tum/2 levels of caster
ing a cloud of spores 10 feet in diameter.
Those caught in the spore cloud must save vs. Only a normal (real-world) animal or a
poison or suffer an attack of coughing and giant version of a normal animal species may
choking. Victims can make no attacks and become an animal spy. This spell enables the
lose all Dexteritybonusesto Armor Classand caster to share the animal’s senses-see
saving throws. The doud dissipatesin ld3+1 through the animal‘s eyes, hear with its ears,
rounds; tesidual effects still afflict characters smell with its nose, and so on. The animal is
m e round after they escape the cloud or it completely unaware of the spell’s effect,
fades. unless the druid warns the beast before cast-
ing. Animal spy grants no control over the
The spell’s effects do not affect undead or creature.However, most casters will use it on
similar nonbreathing creatures. If no one a trained animal or one befriended via the
throws (or drops) the missileby the time its aninzaljhndship spell.
duration expires, the enchantment is lost.
For the duration of the spell, the caster
The caster sprinkles the material compo- remains in a trance, unable to move or use
nent-a pinch of ground puffball- over the human senses. This consequencecan prove
fungus tobeenchanted. dangerous; for instance, characters attacked
while using the spell cannot feel injuries to
Whisperward (Alteration)
Sphere: Guardian, Weather
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent until bigpered
Casting Tme: 4
Area of Effect: 1item
SavingThrow: None

their bodies. However, at the start of any and to avoid a fall if thrown off.
round, the caster may choose to return the An animal extremely loyal to the subject,

1animal's senses to the creature and resume such as a pet dog, a mature influenced by an
animalfiendship spell, a wizard's familiar, or a
ontrol of the humanbody.This decisionends paladin's war horse does not become utterly
e spell immediately. The spell also ends if hostile to its owner. Instead it notices some-
e animal travels more than 100yards away thing "wrong" about the character and art<
er level of the caster. unusually nervous.
Fortifying Stew (Necromancy)
eastspite (Enchantment/Charm) Sphere: Healing
phere: Animal Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
ge: 10yards Duration: Stew retains enchantment 1 turn
omponents: V, S
Casting T i e : 5
ration: 1hour/level of caster
Casting T i e : 5 Area of Effect: 1bowl of stew, etc./level
Area of Effect: 1 person Saving Throw: None
SavingThrow: Neg.
Any bowl of broth, porridge, or stew the
Beastspite afflicts a single person with a priest has concocted can become subject to
magical aura that induces one species of ani- fortifying stew. A character can enchant one
mal to hate and fear the character. The charac- bowl of stew (about 8 ounces) per experience
ter becomes loathedby any species of normal level. Someone must consume the enchanted
(real-world) animal. While this range ex- meal within one turnof the casting.
cludes monsters, it includes giant animalsof
the same real-world species. (For example, if Anyone partaking of an entire bowlful
beastspite causesbats to hate the subject, giant reaps magical benefits. First, the diner gains
bats will react similarly.) nourishment for an entk day from the single
meal. In addition, for two hours plus one
When the character comes within 30 yards round per the caster's level, the character
of an animal from the target species, the m a - receives ld4+1 temporary hit points. Any
ture will make warning signals (barks, damage sufferedcomes off the extra hit points
growls, etc.). Its further reaction depends on first. The effects of multiple helpings offorti-
the animal'snature.
f y n g stem are not cumulative.
Aggressive animals, including all preda-
tors and most trained guard animals, attack For example, Snapdragon, a 7th-level
the spell mipient. druid, cooks a meaty broth, castsfortifying
stew on it, and eats the bowlful. A roll of 2
Nonaggressivebeasts shun the charactex, gives her 3 extra hit points. When the spell's
fleeing or attacking if approached. effects wear off just over three hours, she
loses these extra points. If she suffers 5 points
Owners can restrain their domesticated of damage in the meantime, she actually loses
animals, but the beasts show obvious distress only 2 hp of her own, since 3 hp came off the
and may become very hostile if the character extra hit points.
tries to touch them.
The material component is a vial of stock
If the subject was riding when the spell made of the first fruit of the harvest.
took effect, the mount tries to throw off the
character. The subject must make a riding
proficiency check each round to stay astride

88 Chapterhe

!!



Gift of Speech (Enchantment/Chann) burned to ash. Upon casting the spell, the
)here: Animal character scattersthe powder in a circle.
inge: 10yards/level of caster Shape Wood (Alteration)
ponents: V, S, M Svhere: Plant
ation: 1turn/level of caster

avine Throw: None Duration: Permanent

1animal) SavingThrow: None
s, along with the ability to understand By means of shape mood, the caster can re-

e increase. form wood. For example, the character can
ct if cast on a creature cast it upon any appropriate-sized piece of
ore of less than 1. wood to fashion a wooden weapon, make a
rough door, or even create a crude figurine.
of this spell is the
The spell also allows the caster to reshar
an existing wooden door, perhaps to escar
imprisonment. Again, the volume of tl.
wooden object must be appropriate to tk
desiredresult and fit in the area of effect.

While a character might form a woodem
coffer from a tree stumD or a door from

casting Tune: 1mund &ere & a 30% chance thefdo not worc.
& e a of Effect:Radius 10feet around caster
The alteration endures permanently, at
aving Throw: None least until the wood rots or is physically
destroyed. The casterblows the material com-
Identical in functiontopass without f m p~as,s ponent, a pinch o f fine sawdust, over the

Fourth-level Spells
Detect Animal Attacker

&he caster to continue to avo& leavinetracks. A Co&vonents: V,S. M

effect after &g are d.

material component is a sprig of pine Saving Throw: None

1 Depending on how it is cast, detect animal mouth with stalactite teeth. The mouth
springs forth on a short serpentine neck,
attacker gives the druid a visual image either much like a water weird, and attacks once in
of a creature that injured an animal or of an a direction the caster dictates. Then it retracts
animal that attacked any victim. into the earth and closes solidly. The site of an
earthmaw spell appears as if the ground has
While casting the spell upon any victim of been tilled recently
an attack by a naturalanimal (a victim whose
body still bears the marks of claws, fangs, or The mouth can attack one large creature,
other natural weapons), the druid touches the two man-sized creatures, or four small-sized
victim’s wound. This brief touch gives the creatures within 10 feet of its outer edge. It
caster a fleetingvision of the animal that can strike multiple creatures only if they
caused the injuries as it looked at the time of remain clustered within a 10-foot diameter
the attack. circle adjacent to the maw.

Likewise, a druid casting the spell upon an The earthmaw attacks as a monster with
injured real-world animal can touch its Hit Dice equal to the caster’s level. Creatures
wound and receive a vision of the person, standing on the site of the maw suffer a +3
monster, or animal that harmed it. penalty to Armor Class for purposes of this
attack only. Creatures standing next to the
Even if the caster receives a vision of an maw suffer no AC penalty.
unfamiliar attacker, the character usually can
get an idea of its size, primary attack method, A successfulhit inflicts ld4 points of dam-
and alignment. (The druid senses good, evil, age per level of the caster. An unmodified roll
or neutrality.) of 19or 20 means the maw has swallowed the
victim whole, burying the character 2d4 feet
In addition, if the creature still lives and below ground. Victims can be dug out manu-
fads a saving throw vs. spell, the caster senses ally, with appropriatespells (such as dig), or
its current position, location, and direction of with magical items (such as a spade ofcolossal
travel. excavation). A creature trapped underground

Defectanimal attackerworks only withinone will suffocate unless freed within a number of

hour per level of the caster after the victim rounds equal to one-third its Constitution
receives the injury in question. The spell is Score.
effective regardless of whether the attack
proved fatal. Earthmaw may be cast on any area of loose
or packed earth, sand, or vegetation-covered
The material component is the priest’s holy soil. It may be cast indoors on an earthen sur-
symbol. face: for example, on the dirtfloor of a barn or
basement, but not on the marble floor of a
Earthmaw (Alteration) home or temple. It may not be cast on an area
containinga tree, any portion of a buildin
Sphere: Elemental (earth) any type of pavement.
Range: 50 yards
Components V, S, M An object present on the site of the m
Duration: 1round (such as a campfire or a tent, etc.) counts as a
Casting T i e : 7 creatureof that object’s size in attacks.

Area of Effect:10-footdiameter circle The material component is a tooth from
any predatory creature.
yving Throw: Neg.

I
I

1 Earthmaw causes a patch of ground 10 feet
in diameter to open and form a gigantic

Hunger (Alteration) maintaining normal activity levels lose 1
Sphere: Animal, Plant Strengthpoint; on the ninth day, they lose 1
Range: 10yards Constitution point. This alternating pattern
Components: V, S, M becomes comatose. If a score reaches 0 before
Duration: 1day/level of caster the hunger spell ends, the recipient dies. The
Casting T i e : 7 victim regains lost points after the spell ends
Area of Effect:1person at a rate of 1 Strength and 1 Constitution
Saving Throw: Neg. point per day.

Those affected by hunger no longer gain When casting the spell, the character
sustenance from food. No matter how much secretly whispers a particular type of food; by
they eat, they still feel hungy If the spell did eating the specified food, the victim breaks
not end, victims eventually would starve, vis- the spell. It must be a single, natural food
ibly wasting away. (such as lamb, honey, or an apple) but can be
exotic (dragon meat)-as long as the caster
After one day under the spell's effect, vic- has tasted it personally at some point.
tims' concentrationsuffers (due to their pre-
occupationwith their constant hungry feel- Hunger cannot be dispelled,but can be bro-
ing), causing them to suffer a -2 penalty to all ken by the r m v e curse spell. Failing all else, a
ability and proficiency checks. On the eighth sufferer must wait to find relief until the
day without food, victims who have been spell's duration elapses.

I The spell's material component is a pinch 2 feet of the subject plant's height.
of the food that can end the spell. Everyone within this area suffers one

attack, which inflicts ld12 points of damage
Knurl (Alteration) for every three f u l l levels the caster has
achieved. Thus, a spruce tree enchanted by a
Sphere: Plant 7th-level character attacks with a THACO of
Range: 5 yards/level of caster
Components: V, S, M 16and inflicts2d12points of damage.
Duration: 1turn/levelof caster
The material component is a spine from a
needle-bearing treeor plant.
Casting T i e : 7
Area of Effect: 1person
Saving Throw: Neg. Fifth-level Spells

Casting a knurl spell transforms a mature's Cloudscape (Alteration)
arm into a tree branch of the same thickness, Sphere: Weather
covered with bark and twigs. The new limb Range: 120yards
possesses neither elbow nor wrist join6not Components: V, S
even a hand. The "arm" remains attached to Duration: 3 turns/level of caster
the shoulder. The spell's recipient can use it Casting T i e : 8
as a club but not to manipulate tools, weap- Area of Effect: 1,000 cubic feet/level of caster
ons,or spell components. Saving Throw: None

The caster chooses which of the recipient's A character can cast cloudscape on a single
arms to affect. A character could use multiple cloud or part of a cloud bank, usually from a
knurl spells to transform both arms of a nearby mountaintop or while flying. It causes
humanoid. The arm is treated for all purposes 1O, OOcubic feet of cloud per level of the caster
as a tree branch: It becomes subject to fire, to become solid enough to support any
weight. The solidifiedclouds remain airborne
wood-alteringspells, and tree diseases. Dispel and feel like a thick carpet.
magic ends the spell's effects.
A creature that falls onto the magically
The material component is a small twig. strengthened cloud sustains falling damage
Needlestorm (Alteration) per the PH, p. 104.An animal or individual
Sphere: Plant that flies into the solidified cloud falls,
Range: 60yards stunned, for a round and must make a suc-
Components: V, S, M cessful Dexterity check to recover. If a crea-
h a t i o n : Instantaneous ture is flying through a cloud at the moment
Casting T i e : 7 it becomes solidified, it may make a saving
Area of Effect: 1tree or plant throw vs. petrification. Those who succeed
escape the cloud in time. Creatures that fail
Saving Throw: Save vs. spell for halfdamage the save become trapped as the cloud solidi-
fies around them. However, as the cloud is
A favorite of cold-fomst and desert druids, porous, they can continue to breathe until the
needlestorm causes the spines on any pine trre spell's duration elapses.
or similar needle-bearing plant to spray out
in a deadly barrage. The shower of needles The solidified cloud itself continues to drift
has a radius of approximately1foot for every with the wind as usual. While the caster

cannot use this particular spell to propel the Strengthen Stone (Alteration)
cloud at all, a control minds spell can summon Sphere: Elemental (earth)
a great gust of air to turn the cloudscape into Range: 10yards
a unique flyingconveyance easily enough.
ComponentsV,S, M
Nature’s Charm
Duration: Permanent
(F,nchantment/Charm) Casting T i e : 1hour
Sphere: Elemental (earth, water)
Range: Touch -Area of Effect 1bdding or wall
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2 hours/level of caster Saving Throw: No
Casting T i e : 1round Stren,qthen stone
Area of Effect: 15-footradius/level of caster
Saving Throw: Creatures native to the area of constru&ion (house, tower, wall segment,
effect are not affected. aqueduct, etc.), against physical damage. The

Nature’s charm causes a particularplace to DM adds +4 to the structure’s saving throw
exert a special fascination beyond mere
beauty to anyone entering the area except the against any kind of damage, from siege
spellcaster. engines to natural earthquakes. The stone
object gains a saving throw vs. the earthquake
This spell must target a site of notablenat- spell. (See the PH, p. 233.) The spell may be
ural splendor that possesses both edible cast only once on any stone object.
plants and fresh water. The spot may not be
larger than the spell’s area of effect. For If a character casts this spell on a stone
instance, a 12th-level druid could cast this golem or other animated stonebeing (like one
spell on a forest glade up to 360 feet across, created by animnte rock), the mature receives
with flowers and fruit-bearing trees centered a -1 bonus to its Armor Class and adds a +1
around a waterfall. bonus to its saving throws for the duration of
the spell. Strengthen stone has no effect on
Anyone coming upon the enchantedregion earth elementals or galeb duhr.
must save vs. spell; those who fail invariably
make up excuses to remain there long after The material component, a diamond chip
they should have left. They say they want worth at least 500 ED, must be crushed and
only to bathe, rest, admire the beauty a bit sprinkled on the c o g
longer, eat the bemes or fruit,paint a picture Thornwrack (Alteratio
of the area, or defend the spot jealously from Sphere: Plant
others. Range: Touch
ComponentsV, S
Whatever the reason, those who fall victim Duration: 1thom/level of caster
to the enchantment forcefully resist all Casting T i e : 8
attempts to make them leave until the spell’s Area of Effect: 1person
duration ends. SavingThrow: Neg.

The spell’s material component is the Thornwrack causes long, painful thorns to
druid’s holy symbol. grow out of the spell recipient’s flesh, pierc-
ing the skin from the inside. One thorn ap-
pears each round, inflicting ld3 points of
damage, until all the thornshave appeared.

94 Chapter Fie

When the number of thorns exceeds the sub- a wish, or by casting a remove curse spell (at
ject's experience level or HD, a victim still the 12thlevel of experience) and a plant growth
conscious becomes immobilized by the pain, spell simultaneously.
unable to take any action.
Most druids consider earfhwrack an abomi-
One round after the last thorn erupts from nation, althoughsome Shadow Circle druids
the victim's flesh, the first one disappears. use it as last-ditch "scorched earth" ven-
The thorns continue receding at a rate of one geance against an unruly hamlet.
per turn. Immobilized subjects can move
again once the number of thorns falls below The material component is the priest's holy
their HD or experiencelevel. For instance, say symbol.
the body of a 4th-level character has seven
thorns. After four turns had passed, only Ivy Siege (Enchantment)
three thorns would remain, so the victim
Sphere: Plant
would no longerbe immobile. Range: 90 yards
Components: V, S, M
Cure spells can restore hit pointsbut do not Duration: 6 tums
eliminatethe thorns.Dispel magic will end the Casting T i e : 9
Area of Effea: 1building or similar structure
spell but preventsexisting thorns from met- Saving Throw: Speaal

ing. A heal spell cancels the thornwrack, elimi- The ivy siege spell mustbe cast upon a stone
nates all existing thorns, and cures all dam- or brick building constructed upon the earth;
age. Without the benefit of magical remedies, flying castles and the like remain unaffected.
the spell ends when the last thorn has re- Immediately after casting, ivy begins to grow
Ceded. at a fantastic rate, climbing from the ground
up the building's walls. At the end o f one
Sixth-level Spells turn,the ivy has climbed the walls. At the end
Earthwrack (Alteration) of the second turn,green creepers have cov-
ered the structure. On the third turn, the ivy
Sphere: Necromantic, Plant has deepened to a black-green and beginsto
Range: 20 yarddlevel of caster squeeze the building.
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2d4+10 years Starting on the third turn and every turn
Casting Tune: 1round thereafter, the building must make a saving
throw vs. siege damage, as if attacked by a
Area of Effect:30-foot radius/level of cast=- small catapult (DMG, p. 76). Two cubic feet of
the building crumbles away for each point by
Saving Throw: None which the saving throw misses each turn.
This cycle continues until the spell's duration
This spell causes an area of soil to become expires or the building is destroyed. The ivy
barren and blighted. Healthy plants wither rots away instantly at the spell's end.
and die within ld4 days of casting. N o seed
planted there will grow for the duration of A druid can cast only one i v y siege per
the spell. Plant-based creatures entering the building at a time. After the ivy has rotted
despoiled area can see the ruin and feel an away, the druid may cast the spell on the
intense "wrongness" within the soil. Each same building again. However, multiple
round thev remain within the area,. the,v suf- druids can cast several ivy siege spells on the
fe ld4 pohts of damage.
b e blight can be cured using a limited wish,

~

same building. In the case of a large, intercon- Tree spirit permanently links the soul of the
nected series of buildings (like a castle), each
casting affects only a single tower, keep, or caster with a tree, usually chosen carefully for
wall segment, to a maximum of 1,000 cubic its health, vigor, and remote environment.
feet per level of the caster. Casting this spell joins the life force of the
druid with that of the tree; as long as the tree
The DM may choose to prohibit arctic and lives, the caster ages at one-tenth the normal
desert druids from using this spell if they are rate. (Because the spell causes the tree to
not familiar with ivy. devote all its energy to maintaining health
rather than growth, it always remains exactly
The material component is an ivy leaf. the size it was at the time of casting.) More-
over, the caster's spirit merges with the tree at
Seventh-level Spells the character's death. No form of reincarna-
tion or resurrection (except a wish) on the
Tree Spirit (Necromancy) character's body will work unless it lies
within 10 feet of the tree.
Sphere: Plant
Range: Touch One year after the caster dies, the druid's
Components: V, S spirit animates the tree as a treant. (DMs
Duration: Permanent should roll up treant statistics for the tree at
Casting Time: 1turn the time the spell is cast, to determine the
Area of Effect: 1tree tree's Armor Class, Hit Dice, etc.) The chosen
Saving Throw: None tree must be of treant height; the exact size

96 Chapter Five

determines the size of the new treant, which Unwilling Wood (Enchantment/Charm)
possesses the caster’s memories and person- Sphere: Plant
ality but has no granted powers or spellcast- Range: 5 yards/level of caster
Components:V, S, M
ing ability.It must communicateas a treant. Duration: Permanent
Casting T i e : 1round
The DM decides whether to consider this Area of Effect: 10-yardradim,
treant an NPC or allow the player to control
it. (DMs should use the guidelines that apply saving Throw: special

to PCswho become lycanthropesor undead.) A caster can transform one or more living
creatureswithin a 10-yardradius into unwill-
However, when a druid uses tree spirit to ing wood, causing them to sprout roots,
link with a tree, the character suffers any branches, and leaves. The victims become
physical damage inflicted on the tree. For trees ofa type native to the region and of the
instance, if someone hacks at the tree with an characters‘ agebefore the transformation.The
axe and causes4 points of damage, the caster spell works only ifcast on beings occupying
ground that could support a tree; recipients
also loses 4 hit points; the druid knows the flying or suspended in water at the time of
tree has been harmed, but does not know the casting remain unaffected.

nature of the injury. This spell can mutate a number of creatures
equal in total Hit Dice (or levels) to the cast-
If the tree dies but does not sustain enough er’s level-within the area of effect, ofcourse.
If this area holds a group of creatureswith Hit
damage to kill the caster, the character feels Dice (or levels) totaling a number greater
stunned for ld6 rounds and must make a suc- than the caster’s experience level, the charac-
cessful system shock roll to avoid death. ter may decide the order in which the crea-
Spells that heal the druid do not affect the tures become affected.
tree.
For instance, say a 14th-leveldruid casts
Damage to the caster does not affect the unwilling wood into a target area containing a
tree, as the extra energy the tree expends on giant with 12Hit Dice and two 3rd-level war-
strength and health makes any damage the
player sustainsnegligible to the tree. How- riors.n e druid can transfo- either the giant
ever, it’s usually in the druid’s best interest to
have an animal friend or two guard the tree. or two warriors, but not all three. ”Leftover”

In addition, the.d,ddshould choose the
urrounding land is

Then the character conducts a private bond- failing their saving throw, along with any
ing ceremony at the height of a solstice. This items they carry. A new tree has a height of 5
spell often is castby anaent druids, who wish feet per level (or Hit Die) of the victim. The
to preserve their wisdom or make sure their effect is permanent; a person transformed
groves remain defended even after their into a tree ages as a tree and dies as a tree.
death. However, affected characters retain aware-
ness, memories, personality, and intelligence.
Only damage severe enough to kill the tree

can kill an unwilling m d victim.

DnridicMagk 97

Tree-characters can return to normal if a magical scimitar merely by enchanting a
spellcaster of greater level than the original weaponsomeoneelse has made. As a result, a
caster uses remove curse. The original caster druid who completes an arduous series of
can release a transformed entity at wiU. tasks to collect the necessary components
may not actually have to spend any money to
The material components are a bit of tree build the item, althoughmajor magical items
root and the priest’s holy symbol. require components easily worth the 1,000 to
10,000 gp noted in the DMG (p. 87).
New Magical Items
Priest characters must spend up to three
Druid characterscan use the magical items weeks meditating, fasting, and purifying
generally permitted priests except written themselvesbefore they can enchant an item.
ones, such as scrolls or books. They can wear Druids must begin this process at a sacred
magical armor only when it is natural, such time, like an equinox, for the enchantment to
as wooden shields. Any magical weapon a have any chance of success.Druidspurify the
druid uses must be of a type permitted to vessel and pray for its consecration not at an
priests, as well as by the character’s druidic altar, but at their grove.
kit and branch.
Potions
This section contains new magical items Potion of Plant Health. This potion vital-
that fit the druid’s role of Nature priest,
keeper of the balance, and dweller in the izes a living plant when poured upon its
country. In addition, a small number of the roots.It cures the plant’s illnesses and keepsit
items are designed for use against druids. free from natural parasites and disease for a
year. During this time, the plant grows 50%
Although this listing containssome power- better than normal, and 10% better than nor-
ful items, many are fairly low-key. Items like mal the next year. Edible fruit, berries, or sap
the bountiful spade, or seeds ofplenty represent from the plant taste unusually succulent,
the kind of magical item a high-level charac- while flowering plants bloom exceptionally
ter would create as a gftfor a favored farmer well. If a vegetable monster such as a treant
or lord. Druids might offer cursed items like or shamblingmound drinks this potion, treat
the necklace of beast speech to someoneas pun- it as a potion ofextra-henling.XP value: 400.
ishment for wronging the Order or the land.
Sap of the Eldest Tree. Usually found in an
Creating Magical Items earthen flask, this potion resemblesthick corn
The normal rules for priests creating magi- or maple syrup.Characterswho drink the sap
(or bake it in a cake and eat it) will not age a
cal items (DMG pgs. 8-8) apply to druidsas day for the next 10 years! However, unlike a
well. In almost all cases, gathering the rare, longezlitypotion, it does not make the drinker
unique, or impossible componentsand com- any younger. A person must consume the
bining them properly remains more impor- entire potion to gain the full benefit; if five
tant than purchasing expensive materials; characters share the syrup, each stops aging
quest and ritual take precedence over the for two years. Additional dosesare not cumu-
depth of the druid’s purse. lativ+later imbibings supplant earlier ones.

The personal touch is vital: Druids must XP value: 500.
make the vessels for enchantment using their
nonweaponproficiencies. Charactersneedn’t
be expert artisans, but they cannot create a

98 Chapter Five

Wands and staves Weapons
Wand of Shape Binding. Charactersoften Lunar Sickle. This weapon, a sickle crafted

use this item againsf druids. When hit by its from silver and bound to the moon, may have
multicolored beam (projected up to 80 feet), beenforgedfordruidsasasymbolofthe
beings with the ability to shapechange or cyclic nature of time. The sickle boasts its
polymorph must save vs. wands at a -3 greatest strength during the waxing moon. It
penalty. Victims who fail cannot voluntarily has a +2 bonus from the new moon to half
aIter shape for 2d10 turns. Attempts to shift moon, a +3 bonus from the half moon to full
shape using spells, magical items, or innate
powers result in failure. A use of this moon, and +4 during the fullmoon. When the
rechargeable wand consumes one charge per moon begins to wane, the lunar sickle drops to

4 HD or levels of the subject. XP value: 800. a +1bonus. During the dark of the moon it
loses all magical bonuses; until the new moon
Wanderer’s Staff. This resembles a stout rises, it no longer affects creaturesthat can be
oaken staff, which radiatesmagic and, in fact,
functionsas a quarterstaff+l.However, its pri- hit only by magical weapons. XP value: 1,500.
mary power is locomotion. If carried as a
walking stick, users hiking at a steady pace Sickle of the Harvest. This sickle appears
do not tire or need sleep. Any time spent to be a normal farm implement, albeit of
walking counts as sleep for the purpose of superior quality. If used in combat, it func-
resting the character.If desired, the character tionsas a +1weapon. However, its real power
can walk night and day, taking only brief is as a magical harvesting tool.

breaks for food, drink, etc. XP value: 2,000. Anyone who grasps the sickle and speaks
in the secret language of the druids can order
Rings the sickle to harvest a field on its own. When
Ring of the Hierophant. Only druids can so commanded, the sickle takes to the air and

utilize this ring, which enables charactersto harvests up to half an acre of grain per turn.It
speak the language of elementals. This, the
ring’s lesser power, uses up no charges. can accept precise orders, such as, “Cut down
all stalks of ripe grain within a mile, save for
More impressively, a druid wearing the Farmer Dowd’s field.”
-ing may shapechange into an elemental.
Druids in elemental form retain their own hit The sickle continues working until: three
points and saving throws, but otherwise pos- hours pass; its owner orders it to stop; or it
sess the characteristicsof a 12HD elemental. moves a mile from its owner. Characters can
The transformation functions just like a also halt the sickle by destroying it or snatch-
druid’s shapechangingpower-& recharge- ing it out of the air. Anyone trying to grab the
able ring even restores hit points when the sickle must make a successful attack roll
druid changes back. However, transforma- against AC 4.Those who fail suffer ld6+1
tions last only for a maximum of one hour. points of damage; success means a character
Each elemental form (air, fire, earth, and grabs it and stops the harvesting.
water) may be assumed only once per month.
Treat attackson the sickle as attacks against
XP value: 4,000. a sword ofdancing; the sickle, while physically
unstoppable, can be affected by failing a sav-
ing roll against a spell such asfireball, light-
ning bolt, or transmute metal to wood.

XP value: 1,300.