Druids are the caretakers of nature, its protectors, and its advocates. They are, effectively, priests of nature; they gain their spells and abilities from their reverence and worship of the earth and its creations. They have huge amounts of power at their disposal, but it is balanced by their responsibility to tend to (and protect, when necessary) nature and its creations.
Adventures: Druids join adventuring parties as guides, scouts, and wilderness priests. They often act as backup healing or second-line combat troops. More often than not, a druid will join an adventuring party, or assist them, in order to stop a great threat to the land or to the natural order of things.
Characteristics: Druids are most often characterized by their love of nature and hatred of civilization, but that is not always true. Many druids realize that civilization and nature can coexist, but civilization finds it easier to destroy an obstacle than adapt to it, and that is the reason they so often oppose it. Druids do not believe that all of nature should coexist, as the dance of predator and prey is part of nature, but rather they try to keep nature's balance intact.
Religion: Many druids revere nature gods, while others worship Gaia, the Earth Mother (the manifestation of the land itself), or nature spirits in general. The gods rarely grant any powers that the land would not, so there are relatively few differences between a druid who worships a god and one who venerates nature spirits or the land in general.
Background: Most druids belong to druidic circles, or societies. These circles govern a given area, tending to nature, protecting its denizens, and preserving the balance. All druids get their start in a circle – either they are born and raised that way, or they are inducted later in life after seeking out and petitioning a circle for entry.
Either way, once a druid has completed his training, he is free to leave and make his own way in the world – he can choose to join another circle or remain a loner. While lone druids have a harder time of it, since they can't draw upon a circle's resources as readily as someone who belongs, there are some who choose this path. These druids tend to remain far from civilization, often living alone with their animals.
Races: Elves, with their ties to the land, are most commonly found as druids; many fey races also take levels in druid. Half-elves, humans, and gnomes come close behind, and some dwarves have been known to become earthwarden druids (those who speak to the stones). Halflings are a bit rarer, and half-orcs are almost unheard of.
Other Classes: Of all the other classes, the druid has the most difficulty with arcane spellcasters, who seem uncaring what kind of damage their spells do as long as they get the results they want. Too often, a mage allows pollutants from experiments to damage the surrounding area, incurring the wrath of the local druids.
Role: In society, druids are valued members of the farming community, as their expertise with animals and crops can keep a community from starving in times of drought or pestilence. Some druids work in cities, assisting with the layout of parks and arboretums and keeping the vermin population in check. In an adventuring party, the druid uses nature magic to ease travel and relies on his extensive knowledge of the natural terrain to give the party an edge.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Wisdom is the druid's primary ability, followed closely by Constitution and Charisma. Strength is a bonus also, for swimming and climbing. Intelligence is nice, but not a prerequisite, and Dexterity may be helpful, but is not crucial.
Alignment: Neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The druid's class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography, nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier
Table 1: The Druid
| Spells Per Day | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Animal companion | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Favored terrain | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Mastery ability I | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | One with nature | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | +3 | +4 | +2 | +4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Favored terrain | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 8 | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Mastery ability II, resist nature's lure | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 10 | +7/+2 | +7 | +4 | +7 | Favored terrain | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | +8/+3 | +7 | +4 | +7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 12 | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Venom immunity | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 13 | +9/+4 | +8 | +5 | +8 | Mastery ability III | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 14 | +10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Favored terrain | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 15 | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +6 | +9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| 16 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +6 | +10 | Speak with nature | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +6 | +10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 18 | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +7 | +11 | Favored terrain, mastery ability IV | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 19 | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +7 | +11 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 20 | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +8 | +12 | Hibernate | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the druid.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Druids are proficient with the bow (long and short), club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape, if applicable.
Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they can wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. (A druid can also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See the ironwood spell description.) Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.
A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of his supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours afterward.
Spells: A druid casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. His alignment may restrict his from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells, below. A druid must choose and prepare his spells in advance (see below).
To prepare or cast a spell, the druid must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a save against a druid’s spell is 10 + 1/2 the druid’s caster level + the spell level.
Like other spellcasters, a druid can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. A druid prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though he cannot lose a prepared spell to cast a cure spell in its place (but see Spontaneous Casting, below), and he gains no domain spells or abilities. A druid can prepare and cast any spell on the druid spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.
Spontaneous Casting: A druid can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that he hasn’t prepared ahead of time. He can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level or lower.
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A druid can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own or his deity’s (if he has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Bonus Languages: A druid automatically has 1 rank in Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures. He also gains 3 ranks in Druidic, a secret language known only to druids, upon becoming a 1st level druid. Druids are forbidden to teach this language to non-druids. Druidic has its own alphabet.
Animal Companion (Ex): A druid begins play with an animal companion native to his favored terrain (see below) of ECL 1 or below. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on his adventures as appropriate for its kind.
A 1st-level druid’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a druid advances in level, the animal’s power increases as shown on Table 1 in the minions section. If a druid releases his companion from service, he can gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.
A druid of 5th level or higher can select from alternate lists of animals (see Improved Animal Companions). A creature chosen from these lists gains abilities as if the character’s druid level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s druid level and use this as the effective class level for determining the animal companion’s powers.
Druidic Mastery: At 3rd level, a druid can gain mastery over animals, the elements, plants, or weather. Those who follow these paths are often referred to as Beastlords (animals), Elemental Lords (elements), Verdant Lords (plants), or Stormlords (weather). Female druids are usually called Ladies instead of Lords.
At 8th, 13th, and 18th levels, the druid gains additional abilities related to his focus. He can, instead, choose a different path; at each mastery level thereafter, he can choose to advance in either path, but not both at once.
Each path is described here.
Favored Terrain: At 1st level, a druid can select a terrain type from among the following: aquatic, desert, forest, hills, marsh, mountains, plains, and underground. He has spent so much time living in and attuning herself to the environment around his that he feels at home there.
Due to the druid's experience in that environment, he gains a +2 bonus on Perception and Survival checks when using these skills in that environment, and on Knowledge (nature) checks made in association with that terrain type (or on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks made in association with underground environments, if he has selected Underground as a favored terrain). Each terrain type grants additional bonuses based on that terrain, which can generally be used anywhere.
At 6th, 11th, and 16th levels the druid can select an additional favored terrain; the bonuses given above apply to the new terrain. At each such interval, the bonuses in any one favored environment (including the one just selected, if so desired) increase by 2. For example, a 5th-level druid has two favored environments. In one he has a +4 bonus on the appropriate skill checks, and in the other he has a +2 bonus. At 10th level, he has three favored environments, and he gains an additional +2 bonus, which he can allocate to any of his three favored environments. In order to gain a new terrain type, he must have spent at least a month (total, not necessarily all at once) in the terrain, getting acclimated to it and learning the ecology.
The druid can choose from the following terrain types:
Aquatic: The druid is at home in the water, either rivers, lakes, or the ocean. Most druids who choose this terrain type are aquatic species – locathah, triton, etc. – but many landbound druids who spend a lot of time on or near the water (on the shore or islands, e.g.) choose it also. A druid with the aquatic favored terrain gains a +6 competence bonus to Swim checks; if he has a Swim speed, it is increased by 10 feet.
Desert: The druid is at home in a desert environment. He is resistant to extremes of heat and is not fatigued by extremely high temperatures (up to 140 F).
Forest: The druid has spent a good deal of time in the forest (or jungle). He has learned how to camouflage himself and is a competent hunter; he gains a +4 competence bonus to Stealth checks.
Hills/Mountains: The druid is attuned to the high peaks and unforgiving weather of the mountains. He is resistant to extremes of cold (down to -20 F) and does not take nonlethal damage from cold; he need make Fort saves to avoid fatigue only once per hour. He also gains a +4 competence bonus on Climb checks, or a 10-foot bonus to climb speed if he has one.
Marsh: The druid is at home among the dangerous plants and creatures of the swamps and bayous. He gains a +4 resistance bonus on saves vs. disease and poison, and a +4 competence bonus to Swim checks.
Plains: The druid is at home among the rolling grasslands, prairie, or tundra, and is accustomed to running for long distances in the open. He gains the Run feat for free.
Underground: The druid is accustomed to the close, dark spaces of caves and tunnels. He can make a DC 10 Survival check to determine how far underground he is, and which direction is true north (if he has 5 or more ranks in Survival, he doesn't need to make a check).
One With Nature (Ex): A druid can move through any sort of undergrowth or difficult terrain (natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, soft sand, scree, etc.) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him, however.
If he is in his favored terrain, he also leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He can choose to leave a trail if he wishes.
Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): The druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.
Venom Immunity (Ex): Druids are immune to natural poisons – that is, poisons produced by creatures of the Animal, Plant or Vermin types, or those produced by normal plants (but not those made with or derived from plants, like belladonna). Poisons from any other creature, magical poisons, and artificially created toxins affect them normally.
Speak with Nature (Su): All druids can speak to plants, animals, or the earth itself, depending on their chosen mastery. Beastlords can speak with animals, as the spell; Elemental Lords can communicate with stone, as the stone tell spell; Verdant Lords can speak with plants, as the spell; and Stormlords can speak with airborne creatures, as the speak with animals spell. This ability is usable at will.
Hibernate (Su): The druid can fall into a deep state of suspended animation. This requires 10 minutes to perform; he must be in a quiet place where he can focus his concentration – if anything interrupts him, he must start over. The duration (which must be at least 1 month, but no more than 10 years per class level) must be stated prior to entering this state of prolonged sleep. While hibernating, his life energy drops to a low ebb, and he appears to be dead to nonmagical examination. He ages at only 1/10th the normal rate, though if he reaches his maximum age while hibernating, he dies normally.
The druid can set one condition per five class levels that will cause him to awaken (awakening requires only a single round). These conditions can be in regard to any object, creature or action that occurs within 1 mile and follow the same basic rules as the contingency spell. Most druids add physical harm as a condition; if it is not stated, however, the druid can be killed without awakening.
This ability can be used at will.
Ex-Druids: A druid who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a non-druid loses all spells and druid abilities (including his animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). He cannot thereafter gain levels as a druid until he atones (see the atonement spell description).
