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), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Survival (Wis). Druids are also fluent in Sylvan.
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 | Wild empathy | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | 1st favored terrain | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Druidic ability | 6 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | One with nature | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | +3 | +4 | +2 | +4 | Wild shape | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | 2nd favored terrain | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Druidic ability | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Resist nature's lure | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Expanded wild shape | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | +7/+2 | +7 | +4 | +7 | 3rd favored terrain | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | +8/+3 | +7 | +4 | +7 | Druidic ability | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 12 | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Venom immunity | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 13 | +9/+4 | +8 | +5 | +8 | Expanded wild shape | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 14 | +10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +9 | 4th favored terrain | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — |
| 15 | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +6 | +9 | Druidic ability | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 16 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +6 | +10 | Speak with nature | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — |
| 17 | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +6 | +10 | Expanded wild shape | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 18 | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +7 | +11 | 5th favored terrain | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| 19 | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +7 | +11 | Druidic ability | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| 20 | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +8 | +12 | Terrain mastery | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Table 2: Druid Spells Known
| Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 13 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 14 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 15 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 16 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 19 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 20 | 8 | 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 any three weapon groups (simple weapons only). 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. He is limited to casting a certain number of spells of each level per day, but he need not prepare his spells in advance like a wizard or cleric. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. The number of spells he can cast per day is improved by his Wisdom bonus, if any. He can use a higher-level slot to cast a lower-level spell if he so chooses. The spell is still treated as its actual level, not the level of the slot used to cast it. His alignment may restrict his from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells, 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.
Three times per level, a druid can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, he "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged.
If a druid creates his own spells, he can add them to his spells known in addition to the spells he is normally allowed by level.
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.
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 (making him impossible to track). He can choose to leave a trail if he wishes.
Druidic Ability (Ex or Su): At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter, the druid can select from a pool of abilities. The list is not all-inclusive; the DM can add new abilities as he sees fit.
Animal Affinity (Su): The druid can, with a round of concentration, determine the location, identity, and status (alive, dead, sleeping) of all animals within 60 feet of him. 1 + Wis bonus times per day, he can "bond" with an animal, using its senses in place of his own. This does not grant him control - he is merely riding along with the animal, unless he has some other means of controlling it, like a spell. This sense bond is limited to sight and hearing, but the druid sees or hears everything that the animal can.
<p>The druid can also attempt a bond with a magical beast with Intelligence 1 or 2, but he must be able to see it (he can't sense its presence) and he must make a DC 15 Wisdom check, as magical beasts are different from normal animals.
Aspect of the Beast (Su): This is identical to the ranger ability of the same name.
Burgeoning Touch (Su): At will, a druid's touch can enable flowers to bloom, grass to sprout, or enable other minor plant growth. 1 + Cha bonus times per day, he can enact a greater amount of growth - causing a tree to sprout from a seedling (it grows to sapling size only), a vine to snake up a wall, a tree's roots to delve deeper (this is often used to break rocks or anchor the tree more securely), etc. Minor changes are a free action that can be used once per round; major changes require at least a full round of concentration to achieve the desired effect (though if the druid is interrupted, the ability doesn't fail; the plant merely stops growing at that point, which may be well short of where he wishes).
Vines and trees grow at the rate of 1 foot per round; saplings and bushes require a full minute to grow from a seedling, while flowers take only one round. Plants must be able to survive in the soil and climate where they are planted (no oak trees in the desert, cacti in the tundra, etc.), or the ability fails. Tree roots deal 2d10 points of damage to structures each round (bypassing hardness).
Charm Nature (Sp): Three times per day, the druid can charm a creature of the wild (those of the animal, magical beast, or plant types), as the charm monster or charm plant spells.
Friend of Nature (Ex): A druid has an aura about him that identifies him to creatures of the wild. He is never attacked by animals, magical beasts, or plants with Intelligence scores of 3 or less unless he attacks first, they are being controlled by an outside source, or they are rabid.
Weather Resistance (Ex): The druid is immune to many effects of weather, due to his innate ability to control it. He won't get wet in a rainstorm, can move safely through a dust storm, sandstorm, or anything similar (no damage taken, and no chance of choking – this does not apply to spell effects like stinking cloud), and can call up a mild wind (up to 10 mph) at will as a standard action. In addition, he is not affected (no Fort save necessary) by any winds short of Severe, as long as he is on the ground – a druid who is flying (either from a spell, item, or polymorphed) is immune to winds up to Strong only.
Wild Form (Su): At will, as a standard action, the druid can change part of his body to that of an animal - head, hands/arms, or feet/legs - which must be one into which he can wildshape. He can make armed attacks with the new form's natural weapons, as a creature of his size (claw attacks generally deal 1d6 damage and a head butt or bite attack deals 1d4 damage). If the creature is poisonous (snake head, e.g.), the druid can poison his victim; use the creature's standard poison. A druid with an animal head can't speak or cast spells using a verbal component; one with animal hands can't hold items or cast spells with somatic or material components. Using this ability counts as a use of wildshape. The druid must have at least 1 use of wild shape per day to acquire this ability.
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. This ability is usable at will, and duplicates the spells speak with animals, stone tell, or speak with plants, as appropriate.
Terrain Mastery (Ex): The druid is so attuned to nature and the environment that he can operate normally even in extreme temperature or weather. In effect, he does not suffer nonlethal damage for temperatures from 0 to 140 degrees F. Temperatures from 0 to -20 degrees deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal, and below -20 degrees deals lethal damage as normal; temperatures above 140 degrees likewise deal lethal damage. A druid in metal armor still suffers normal effects, regardless of the temperature. The druid also suffers no ill effects (nonlethal damage) from sandstorms, though he still has limited vision as normal.
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).
