Infamous 1e Class Guide: Druids

 Introduction

Druids in 1st edition AD&D are considered a subclass of the Cleric, as they share similar abilities while maintaining enough difference for Druids to be played as their own class. To play a Druid, one must have a minimum of 12 or more Wisdom, and not less than 15 Charisma. If a Druid exceeds 15 in each of these stats, a Druid may gain 10% additional experience points. Notably, every Druid must be true neutral in alignment, as they believe the forces of good and evil, as well as law and chaos to be necessary balances of nature. Druids are similar to Clerics in the sense of their somewhat defensive role to the party, though their focuses are much more upon the natural world and the outdoors, rather than the Cleric's divine spells.

Cleric vs. Druid

These two classes have many distinct differences, advantages, and disadvantages to each. Clerics are generally a more well rounded class to have in a party, and while a Druid may replace a Cleric to some extent, Druids are better used as an addition to an already present Cleric in the group. Their requirement of 15 Charisma means they will have fewer points to spend on their Wisdom stat, implying that a Cleric will on average have a higher Wisdom. Firstly, Druids possess a much wider range of weapons that the Cleric is not allowed the use of. Most notable on this list are the addition of Scimitars for more consistent damage, and Spears, if the Druid somehow has a very high Strength, or expects to fight mounted opponents. Druids are not permitted to wear any sort of metal armor, or any sort of non-wooden shield. This is because the use of such large amounts of metal may spoil the Druid's connection to the natural world, preventing them from casting their Druidic spells. Their spell lists are also more limited in the terms of versatility, as Druidic magic is highly focused on nature and animals. This makes them less useful in more situations, though they are of immense help in outdoor environments. Additionally, Druids gain their higher level spells much sooner than Clerics do. Unlike Clerics, they will gain their first second level spell as soon as the 2nd level of experience, and they gain their first third level spell upon reaching 3rd level. This will even out over time, but it allows for Druids to cast their more powerful spells earlier on, where Clerics must wait longer for their higher level spells. They will also gain more spells naturally, as they are the only class in the Player's Handbook to begin the game with 2 spells automatically. Another downside relating to their spellcasting is the fact that Cure Light Wounds when cast by a Druid is a spell of second, not first level.

What Makes a Druid?

Druids in D&D are similar to what the old Celtic sect of Druids may have become should they have survived the conquests of the Romans legion. They do not serve any personal deity of any sort, rather particular trees, (Oak and Ash in specific,) as well as the sun and moon as their gods. The holy symbol used by Druids is a small sprig of mistletoe, which is required whenever a Druid is to cast a spell. They hold nature in the highest regard, and will never destroy any sort of forest, nor any natural plant or crop; these are under the Druid's protection. They will also protect their animal and Human (or Half-Elf) followers, though not to the extent of their protection of nature. Even if a forest or area is evilly hostile, a Druid will never seek to destroy it, however it might be possible to change the nature of the place. They also avoid slaying wild or even domestic animals unless absolutely necessary, or for bare minimum self-sustenance. If a Druid would witness a creature destroying his or her charges, it is more likely for the Druid to seek retribution at a later date, instead of stopping the destruction immediately. They are more cautious and methodical.

Mistletoe: Your Holy Symbol

The Druids always use a sprig of mistletoe as their holy symbols, though technically other holy symbols are listed in the Player's Handbook. The following table will explain the potency of spells cast by other symbols.

Item                               Spell Range            Spell Duration            Area of Effect

Greater Mistletoe                100%                        100%                         100%

Lesser Mistletoe                  100%                        75%*                         100%

Borrowed Mistletoe              75%*                       50%**                       100%

Holly                                     75%*                       50%**                        75%*

Oak Leaves                           50%**                     50%**                       50%**

* - or -1 on Saving Throws, where category is not applicable.
**- or -2 on Saving Throws, where category is not applicable.

The different symbols may seem confusing, especially the differences in which mistletoe the Druid might possess. The detailed explanation for how each symbol must be harvested, as the harvest is very important to Druids, is explained henceforth.

Holly and Oak Leaves may be picked or harvested in any manner, as long as they are gathered by the Druid employing their use. Borrowing Holly won't do any good!

Borrowed Mistletoe is any mistletoe that has not been personally gathered by the Druid. Other forms of mistletoe must be personally acquired.

Lesser Mistletoe is any form of mistletoe that has not been gathered at the appropriate time, or that has been plucked by hand during the correct time.

Greater Mistletoe is a specially gathered mistletoe that can only be acquired under specific circumstances. It must be very specifically gathered, and at a very special time. On the eve of midsummer, the Druid must locate the mistletoe, then cut it from it's branch with a gold or silver sickle. The mistletoe must be caught in a bowl, and not by hand, before it touches the ground. Hereafter, this mistletoe will always be a Greater Mistletoe, and will never spoil or decompose in any way. It is destructible however, and may be lost if crushed or burned. In this instance, new mistletoe must be acquired.

Why Charisma?

 The fact that all Druids must have a minimum Charisma of 15 may appear strange to many. In the land of Farvion, Druids will use this Charisma to blend into any society they wish to. This is because many societies distain the Druids, as they worship gods not worshiped by many cultures in this land. Druids with a lesser Charisma may fail to blend into a normal culture while maintaining Druidic rituals, which could result in either being banished, executed, or the loss of Druidic experience. Thus, Druids must have a high Charisma in order to converse with normal people, as well as other Druids who may protect differing regions.

Other Druidic Abilities

Druids all share knowledge of a secret language that only they know. They are very unlikely to ever share information about this language, nor will they ever likely teach it to any member of the party. It is a secret tongue and cypher used only when discussing sensitive topics that may not wish to be discussed with non-druids. This Druidic language is known by even 1st level Druids, though they will gain more languages spoken by wilderness creatures later on. Starting at 3rd level, and once every level after, the Druid may learn 1 of the following languages in addition to his or her other known languages. These languages are: Centaur, Dryad, Elvish, Faun, Gnome, Green Dragon, Hill Giant, Lizardman, Manticore, Nixie, Pixie, Sprite, and Treantish.

In combat, a Druid will fight and save using the same tables of Clerics, though they will always save at +2 to any fire, lightning or electric based attacks or spells. This does not include the fire based breath weapon of a dragon, nor does it include the damage dealt by a fireball, as these are unique in their own damage typing. This is due to the Druids attunement to nature, protecting them from natural elements.

Starting at 3rd level, when the Druid becomes an Initiate of the 1st Circle, a Druid will gain four new abilities. These are: The ability to identity plants, as well as animal identification, and the identification of pure water. Druids of this level will also gain the ability to pass through overgrown areas, such as traversing tangled bushes, under twisting tree roots, etc. without leaving any sort of trail, and at normal movement rate.

Beginning at 7th level, and at the time the Druid assumes the title of Initiate of the 5th Circle, two new powers. Firstly, a Druid will become immune to all forms of charming spells cast by any creature associated with woodlands, such as Dryads, Nixies, Sylphs, etc. The Druid will also gain the ability to change form, in all respects except the mind, into any form of bird, mammal, or reptile. This may be done up to three times per day, with the following additional notes. Firstly, you may not assume the same animal form more than once in a day. Secondly, you may transform into any creature from the small size of a bluejay, bullfrog, or other like creature, to the large size of an eagle, or blackbear. The only limit on this is you may never change into a creature more than twice your weight. Thirdly, Any time you change into an animal, you will restore 10%-60% (1d6 multiplied by 10) of your missing hit points.

Ascending to Higher Levels

Druids that reach Initiate of the 9th Circle may not be immediately capable of moving to the next level. There are only 9 true "Druids" in each region, this being the title given to a Druid of 12th level. In order for a character to assume 12th level, there must either be fewer than 9 12th level Druids in the land, or the Druid must best one of these 12th level Druids in either hand-to-hand or spell combat. If the combat does not prove mortal to the loser, the loser will step down from the challenged position and lose exactly enough experience points to descend to 11th level. This may result in an actual loss of experience points in the players' case. This process is repeated for the position of Archdruid, (at 13th level) as well as The Great Druid. (at 14th level.) This is normally the maximum level for a Druid, and there is only one "Great Druid" in each land. There is another position, being The Grand Druid, as well as further levels beyond that, however there is but a single "Grand Druid" in the world as a whole. This character must first be sought out in order to be challenged, and may result in the characters venturing beyond the reaches of one DM's land, and potentially into another land which may be run by a different DM. Communicate your intentions to all DMs involved.

Wilderness Casting: What Spells to Take

Druids may not have quite the same variety in spells available that Clerics do, however their options are by no means limited. For earlier levels, taking spells such as Animal Friendship, Entangle, and sometimes Shillelagh are good choices for your first picks. After that, Detect Magic and Detect Snares and Pits can be very helpful in and out of the wilds. Invisibility to Animals is a great way to protect a character out in the wilderness, for instance, casting this spell to ensure the safety of a Magic-User long enough for him to pull of a sleep spell, or perhaps keeping an escort safe are both good uses of the spell. Faerie Fire is another good option, as it is one of the only ways to give your entire party a heads up on creatures who are invisible. It also gives your party a much easier time in hitting creatures, who may or may not be invisible. Good second level spells include Cure Light Wounds, Heat Metal, and Charm Person or Mammal. Heat Metal in particular is very useful for punishing opponents who dare to insult you by wearing metal armor, making an opponent drop their (now superheated) weapons, or even heating up the metal blade of an otherwise safe weapon in order to cause the weapon to inflict burns in addition to it's normal abilities. (Try using it on a warhammer!) The inverse of the spell, Chill Metal is also quite helpful, as while it does little damage, it can be used to make your own Fighter's armor suddenly very comfortable in hot environments, such as deserts or jungles. There are many helpful 3rd level spells, most notably Call Lightning, Neutralize Poison, and Protection From Fire, which are all great choices for any character. At higher levels, your door to the natural world becomes wide open, allowing for all sorts of powerful casting!

Higher Levels: Natural Discovery

While lower level Druids make excellent use of the spells available to them, higher level Druids gain a much greater power. You will gain the ability to "discover" new forms of natural casting, meaning that you will potentially be capable of creating spell variants, as well as inventing new spells for Druids to use for the defense of nature. Consult your DM on any spell you wish to create, and you will be given the necessary information on what skills, items, costs, and time is required for the completion of these spells. At 12th level, this allows for the creation of new classes, some of which will revolve around a particular artifact as other spellcasters do. Others might revolve around a particular animal or creature, which the Druid must first have tamed and studied in order for such a class to be made. Consult with your DM on all of these creations, as your DM will always have the final say on what will make it into his or her world.

Conclusion

Druids are really powerful. Even at the early levels Druids are capable of casting spells with similar power to that which other classes will get, only several levels later. A 3rd level Cleric may take Slow Poison, while you might take Neutralize Poison at the very same level! Access to spells relating to animals may allow you to raise an army, while spells such as Entangle and Plant Growth may very well allow you to turn a forest into a fortress in a matter of minutes. Be very mindful of your spells, your allies, and the world around you. You never know what crazy stuff you'll be able to do with nature!