A Druid Class for Delving Deeper

(I'm building a set of simple classes for DD to cover the standard set of classes from OD&D (Assassin, Druid, Monk Paladin, Ranger). Here's the next in the series. See my  first attempt at a Ranger here. You can get a PDF of the Druid here.)

The Druid

Intimately connected with the natural world, druids are primal spellcasters who have taken vows to protect and defend nature. They worship Nature and act as its priests. They are neutral in the struggle between Law and Chaos, keeping the balance between the extremes.

Druids may use leather armor and shields. They may use any weapon that is not primarily composed of metal, with the exception of a sickle (equivalent of a short sword), including spears, staves, lances, bows, and slings. Druids fight as Clerics on the Attack Matrix.

Druids cast primal spells much like clerics do; however, they receive their spells from nature itself rather than a specific deity or deities. Each day, they spend an hour either at dawn or dusk to prepare their spells. They do not require a spellbook as they know their spells innately.

Druids are especially skilled in woodcraft techniques including:

●                 Tracking game and enemies, as well as avoiding being tracked,

●                 Hiding and moving silently through cover,

●                 Foraging for food and water, and

●                 Ambushing enemies in the wilderness, as well as avoiding traps and ambushes.

A druid accomplishes all of these with a throw of 3-6 on a six-sided die.

At 9^th level, a druid who chooses to establish a sacred grove or other natural feature (cave, oasis, etc.) attracts loyal followers who swear druidic oaths to uphold the Circle and the natural order. A typical Druidic Circle also includes some kind of stronghold, keep, or other defensible location.

Table D.1 Druid Progression
	Experience		Saving Throw Versus
Druid	Points	Hit	Death	Wands	Paralysis	Breath
Level	Required	Dice	Poison	Rays	Petrify	Weapon	Spells
1	0	1	11	12	14	16	15
2	1,500	2	10	11	13	15	14
3	3,000	2+1	10	11	13	15	14
4	6,000	3	9	10	12	14	13
5	12,000	4	9	10	12	14	13
6	25,000	5	8	9	11	13	12
7	50,000	5+1	8	9	11	13	12
8	90,000	6	7	8	10	12	11
9	160,000	7	7	8	10	12	11
10	240,000	7+1	6	7	9	11	10
11	320,000	7+2	6	7	9	11	10
12	400,000	8	5	6	8	10	9

A druid requires 160,000 experience points per level beyond the 12th.

A druid adds one hit die per three levels beyond the 9th.

  

Table D.2 Druid Spells per Day
	Spells Memorized per Day
Druid	By Spell Level
Level	1	2	3	4	5
1	.	.	.	.	.
2	1	.	.	.	.
3	2	.	.	.	.
4	2	1	.	.	.
5	2	2	.	.	.
6	2	2	1	.	.
7	2	2	1	1	.
8	2	2	2	1	1
9	3	3	2	2	1
10	3	3	3	2	2
11	4	4	3	3	2
12	4	4	4	3	3

Command Animals

Druids have a natural affinity for animals, giving them the ability to attempt to influence an animal's behavior much in the same way that clerics turn undead. To attempt to control an animal, roll 2d6 and consult the Command Animals chart. A result of – on the chart means that the druid cannot attempt to command that animal for a day. Succeeding on the check (rolling higher than the number given or getting a † result) results in the animal being dominated by the druid; it will not act aggressively toward the party (unless provoked), but it will not obey commands. A result of * on the chart means that the animal will obey simple commands from the druid for 10 minutes per level. A druid may only command a single animal in this way at any one time. At the druid's discretion, a commanded animal can be made a retainer of the druid. Animal retainers count toward the character's Maximum Retainers limit based off Charisma.

A druid may communicate with a controlled animal (but only a controlled animal) as if under the effects of a Speak with Animals spell.

Table D.3 Command Animals
Animal	Druid Hit Dice
HD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
½	6	†	†	*	*	*	*	*
1	8	6	†	†	*	*	*	*
2	10	8	6	†	†	*	*	*
3	–	10	8	6	†	†	*	*
4	–	–	10	8	6	†	†	*
5	–	–	–	10	8	6	†	†
6	–	–	–	–	10	8	6	†
7	–	–	–	–	–	10	8	6
8	–	–	–	–	–	–	10	8
9	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	10

† 2-12 animals will not attack the party unless provoked.

* 2-12 animals will obey commands for 1 turn per level of the druid. At druid's discretion, an animal can be made a retainer.

Should a druid fail to command an animal, they cannot attempt to turn that animal again until the next day.

Druid Spell List

(Spells marked with † are new spells detailed below. Spells marked with * are Reversible.)

Table D.4 Druid Spells by Spell Level
1st	2nd		3rd
Cure Light Wounds*	Locate Animals and Plants†		Call Lightning†
Detect Magic	Produce Flames†		Cure Serious Wounds*
Faerie Fire†	Remove Disease*		Plant Growth
Fog Wall	Speak with Animals		Protection from Fire†
Predict Weather†	Warp Wood†		PyroTechnics†
Purify Food and Drink*	Web		Water Breathing
4th		5th
Animal Growth		Commune (with Nature)
Animal Summoning I†		Control Winds†
Control Water		Insect Plague
Neutralize Poison*		Passplant†
Speak with Plants		Transmute Rock to Mud*
Sticks to Snakes†		Wall of Fire

New Druid Spells (from S&W Complete)

Animal Summoning I (affects: special, duration: 1 hour, range: 3") The Druid summons forth normal animals to serve as allies: 1 creature larger than a man (such as an elephant), 3 animals the size of a man or horse (such as a lion), or 6 animals smaller than a man (such as a wolf). The animals obey the caster’s commands.

Call Lightning (affects: 1 creature or object, duration: 1 hour, range 30") This spell of colossal power may only be used outdoors, and even then only when a storm is present or immediately imminent. Under such conditions, the caster may tap into and unleash the power of the storm itself, calling forth bolts of lightning from the sky at intervals of no less than ten minutes in between. The lightning blasts straight downward from the heavens, inflicting damage of 8d6 hp + 1 hp/level.

Control Winds (affects: area centered on self, duration: 5 turns + 1 turn/level, range: 24") The caster can control all wind within the area of effect. The caster can make the winds tumultuous and violent like a hurricane, or completely calm and still, or anything in between. Exceptionally strong winds may require a saving throw to avoid being knocked prone or blown around.

Faerie Fire (affects: 1 object, duration: 1 hour, range: 6") Faerie Fire causes an object to glow with an eerie fey light, roughly as bright as a torch. The area illuminated can be up to 10 square feet plus 2 square feet per level. The spell can be used to determine the size of a partially-hidden object or to illuminate an enemy. In areas of darkness, illuminating an enemy may grant a +1 bonus to attacks versus that enemy.

Locate Animals and Plants (affects: self, duration: 1 turn/level, range: 6" + 1"/level) Within the spell’s range, the caster perceives the correct direction (as the crow flies) toward the nearest specimen of a type of animal or plant named in the casting of the spell.

Passplant (affects: self, duration: 1 hour/level or until exit) Passplant allows the caster to step into one tree or similarly-sized plant and exit from another plant of the same kind. The plant must have a girth equal to or larger than the caster's own. The caster may stay within the plants, but will be ejected from whichever plant they happen to be within when the spell's duration runs out. The type of plant determines both the maximum distance the caster can travel with a single casting of the spell, as noted in the table below. The caster may travel between multiple plants, but can only travel between plants of the same kind and only up to the maximum distance allowed for that kind of plant.

Table D.5 Passplant Distance
Plant Type	Max. Distance
Oak, Ash, Yew	100"
Elm, Eucalyptus	75"
Other deciduous	50"
Any coniferous	30"
Other plant	25"

Predict Weather (affects: self, duration: immediate, range: 2 sq. miles/level) The Druid silently drinks in knowledge from the surrounding area, becoming attuned to the patterns of air, wind, earth and fire. Within moments, the character can predict what the weather conditions will be for the next twelve hours in the immediate vicinity (2 square miles/ level). As with most forecasts of weather, conditions may change unexpectedly, giving rise to a 5% chance that the Druid’s prediction will, ultimately, prove to be incorrect.

Produce Flame (affects: self, duration: 2 turns/level, range: touch) Flame ignites from nowhere in the palm of the caster’s hand, causing no damage to the caster, but otherwise as hot as natural fire. It can be used while held, or thrown to a distance of 30 feet, to ignite flammable materials. For so long as the druid-fire is in the caster’s hand, it can be extinguished immediately whenever the caster wishes it gone.

Protection from Fire (affects: 1 man-type, duration: 3 turns + 1 turn/level, range: touch) This spell may be cast on another person, but it confers a great deal more eldritch warding if it is woven personally around the caster. When used to protect another creature, the spell’s warding grants complete immunity to normal fire and cuts damage from magical fire in half. When used to ward the caster, the spell also grants complete immunity against one exposure to magical fire, after which it functions normally.

Pyrotechnics (affects: 1 fire source, duration: 1 hour, range: 24") The caster creates either fireworks or blinding smoke from a normal fire source such as a torch or campfire. The Referee will decide exactly how much smoke (or fireworks) is produced, what effect it has, and what happens to it as it is produced, but the amount of smoke will definitely be more than 8000 cubic feet (roughly 20 x 20 x 20 feet).

Sticks to Snakes (affects: 2d8 sticks, duration: 1 hour, range: 12") The caster may turn as many as 2d8 normal sticks into snakes, each one having a 50% chance of being venomous. The snakes follow his commands, but turn back into sticks at the end of the spell (or when killed).

Warp Wood (affects: 1 volume of wood, duration: permanent, range: 6") The spell allows the caster to warp, bend, and twist wood as if it were clay. The spell affects a volume of 2 inches by 4 inches by 5 feet per two levels – roughly the volume of a quiver of arrows or a spear. However, it is important to note that for certain tasks such as springing a leak in a boat or springing open a wooden door may only require warping of a small volume of wood.

This class is inspired by the Swords & Wizardry White Box Druid from Chris King. Some ideas from the White Box Companion from James Spahn were also incorporated.