Druid Profession in Legends of Elohey | World Anvil

Druid

There are the mind-boggling powers of the arcane, the deep mysteries of inner peace, and the power of faith. Then, underlying them all, is the balance of nature.
 
The "Green"
 
Those are the elements and forces that seek to provide balance to the world of Elohey. It’s both philosophy and primal magics that surround all life and connect everything in it. These forces, are guarded by servants of the Green. People devoted to the balance and enrichment of nature called Druids.
 
They are allies of beasts and plants alike. In return for their devotion and guardianship, the Green grants them miraculous powers, ancient wisdom, and powerful spellcasting abilities.
Through those they are able to gain astounding shape changing abilities, enjoy the companionship of all manner of wild beasts, and even commune with the elements themselves that lie ever so close to the mortal world of Elohey.
 

Guardians of the Green

 
Druids are similar to clerics in many ways, yet are different. They revere personifications of the elements, nature, vague spirits, or even natural wonders. It isn’t uncommon for druids to give devotion to a nature deity, however a druid’s primary charge is nature and balance.
 
Overall, druids seek to preserve life through their gifts granted them by the primal forces of nature. Or unleash primal, if not celestial, fury on those that would seek to corrupt the natural order.
 

Class Skills

 
Druids are trained in the following skills, though many take it upon themselves to learn others as well.
 
  • Climb (Str)
  • Craft (Int)
  • Fly (Dex)
  • Handle Animal (Cha)
  • Heal (Wis)
  • Knowledge (geography) (Int)
  • Knowledge (nature) (Int)
  • Perception (Wis)
  • Profession (Wis)
  • Ride (Dex)
  • Spellcraft (Int)
  • Survival (Wis)
  • Swim (Str)
  •   Skill Points at each Level 4 + Int modifier  

    Class Features

      Open to see Base Attack Bonus and Save Bonus Per Level

    Druid Base Attack Bonus and Save Bonus Per Level


    LevelBase Attack
    Bonus
    Fort
    Save
    Ref
    Save
    Will
    Save
    1st+0+2+0+2
    2nd+1+3+0+3
    3rd+2+3+1+3
    4th+3+4+1+4
    5th+3+4+1+4
    6th+4+5+2+5
    7th+5+5+2+5
    8th+6/+1+6+2+6
    9th+6/+1+6+3+6
    10th+7/+2+7+3+7
    11th+8/+3+7+3+7
    12th+9/+4+8+4+8
    13th+9/+4+8+4+8
    14th+10/+5+9+4+9
    15th+11/+6/+1+9+5+9
    16th+12/+7/+2+10+5+10
    17th+12/+7/+2+10+5+10
    18th+13/+8/+3+11+6+11
    19th+14/+9/+4+11+6+11
    20th+15/+10/+5+12+6+12
      Open to see the Druid Features Per Level

    Druid Features and Abilities Per Level


    LevelSpecial
    1stNature bond, nature sense, orisons, wild empathy
    2ndWoodland stride
    3rdTrackless step
    4thResist nature's lure, wild shape (1/day)
    5thElemental Bargain
    6thWild shape (2/day)
    7th
    8thWild shape (3/day)
    9thVenom immunity
    10thElemental Bargain, Wild shape (4/day)
    11th
    12thWild shape (5/day)
    13th
    14thWild shape (6/day)
    15thElemental Bargain, Timeless body
    16thWild shape (7/day)
    17th
    18thWild shape (8/day)
    19th
    20thElemental Bargain, Wild shape (at will)
       

    Class Feature Details

     
    Weapon and Armor Proficiency
    Druids are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, short spear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape (see below).
     
    Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only those crafted from wood.
     
    A druid who wears prohibited armor or uses a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter starting the moment they remove the armor or shield.
     
    Spells
    Druid's spells are drawn from the primal forces of nature.
     
    Like all spellcasters, druids use the Spell Point System. Aside from what is there, here are the additional rules for druidic spellcasting.
     
    Druids may cast any spell from 0th level up to their current level - 3 ( with a minimum of 1 so the druid can always cast 0th or 1st level spells ), provided that the spell does not have an ethical leaning or does not oppose the druid's ethical beliefs ( i.e. alignment ). This means a "Neutral good" druid may not cast an "evil" or "Chaotic" spell. If a druid casts a spell they are not allowed to cast, they must roll a Save vs Will. Failure means they receive a "Blight Mark" ( for details, see sidebar ).
     
    A druid must have a symbol or representation of their faith. This can be a sacred plant, a blessed tattoo, and so on. If the druid does not have the sacred representation of their faith, they may not cast any spell over 2nd level no matter what their current level is.
     
    Unless otherwise stated in the spell, the Difficulty Class vs a druid's spell is 10 + spell level + the druid's Wisdom modifier.
     
    As any other spellcaster, druids have a certain amount of spell points per day they may expend for druidic magic. This is listed in "Cleric, Druid, and Wizard Base Spell Points".
     
    If a druid has a high Wisdom score, that Wisdom score bonus times the druid's level is added to their spell points per day total. For example, if a druid is 6th level, they have 15 spell points per day.
     
    But! If that same druid has a Wisdom of 16, then they have a +3 modifier. Which means they have 6 x 3 or 18 additional spell points for a total of 33 spell points per day!
      On Selecting Spells  
    As mentioned, druids are provided spells by their holy patron: the primal forces of nature. In this case, nature herself. They do not have to select spells at each level, as they have access to all druidic spells provided they match the druid's ethical beliefs and are between 0th level and the druid's current level - 3.
     
    Orisons
    Druids have access to orisons, what other beliefs call 'cantrips', or 0th level spells. These cost 1/3 of a spell point per orison to cast.
     
    Bonus Languages
    A druid's bonus language options include Aptupian, which is a fairly common language of woodland creatures. This is in addition to any other bonus languages due to culture or attributes.
     
    A druid also knows Kayam, the ancient language of the druids, of trees, of the natural world.
     
    Elemental Bargain
    Wizards summon Outer planar beings for specific services. Even Clerics are known to do so. But for a druid, that lacks a certain balance.
     
    Instead of summoning a magical duplicate to be compelled into a certain task, druids strike a bargain. However, due to a druid’s close relationship to nature, those bargains are struck with elementals.
     
    Provided the druid is standing on natural terrain, for the cost of 1 standard action, they can call out to an elemental through their connection with nature and ask to strike a bargain. In turn, the elemental or elemental of choice (if they are high enough level to have access to more than one elemental type, i.e. fire or water or earth) will reply telling the druid what the price is for their services.
     
    The exact price could be anything of importance to that elemental. For earth, it could be gems, coins or a special kind of mineral. However, with fire, it could be a special material to burn or perhaps a special drink it prefers boiled. The nature and type of ‘cost’ is up to the GM during the moment the druid strikes the bargain.
     
    Once the bargain is struck, the Druid is under a Geas to satisfy their part of the bargain. If they refuse, they are hunted by elementals until the druid is killed or the druid completes their part of the bargain.
     
    Elementals that answer the call to bargain are based on the druid's level. At 5th - 9th level, the elemental is of small or medium size. At 10th - 14th level, the elemental is small, medium, or large size. At 15th or higher, the elemental is small, medium, large, or huge size. The size of the elemental should be either randomly determined by the Game Master or appropriate for the adventure / story.
     
    At 5th level, the druid gains the ability to strike a bargain with an earth elemental once per day.
     
    At 10th level, the druid gains the ability to strike a bargain with an air or earth elemental 2 times per day.
     
    At 15th level, the druid gains the ability to strike a bargain with a water, air, or earth elemental 2 times per day.
     
    At 20th level, the druid gains the ability to strike a bargain with water, fire, earth or air elementals 3 times per day.
     
    Nature Bond
    At first level, druids form a bond with the primal forces of nature. This bond can be one of two forms.
     
    The first is a close bond with nature itself. This grants the druid one of the following domains as if they are a cleric of that domain: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water, or Weather. When determining any spells granted by the selected domain, the druid's level is the same as a cleric's level.
     
    The second option is a close bond with an animal companion. A druid with this option begins play with a loyal animal companion that accompanies the druid on their adventures.
     
    Unlike normal animals of its breed, a druid's animal companion's Hit Dice, Abilities, skills, and feats advance as the druid increases in levels.
     
    These animal companions also often increase in size when their druid reaches 4th and again at 7th level due to the direct connection to nature. This is dependent on the type of companion. If the druid releases a companion from service, or a companion dies, the druid may gain a new one after 24 hours of meditation in the environment of the new desired animal companion.
     
    Nature Sense
    A druid gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
     
    Wild Empathy
    A druid can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The druid rolls 1d20 and adds their druid level and their Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
     
    To use wild empathy, the druid and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
     
    A druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but they takes a -4 penalty on the check.
     
    Woodland Stride
    Starting at 2nd level, a druid may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect them.
     
    Trackless Step
    Starting at 3rd level, a druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. They may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
     
    Resist Nature's Lure
    Starting at 4th level, a druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of fey. This bonus also applies to spells and effects that utilize or target plants, such as blight, entangle, spike growth, and warp wood.
     
    Wild Shape
    At 4th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal, insect, or plant with which the druid is familiar.
     
    A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, undomesticated feral animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. Wild parrots, mockingbirds, and ravens imitate other birds but only domesticated birds imitate human voices. However! A clever druid is still able to use 'paw gestures' and other physical means of communication!
     
    A druid can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 18th level. At 20th level, a druid can use wild shape at will. As a druid gains levels, this ability allows the druid to take on the form of larger and smaller animals, insects, and plants. Each form expends one daily use of this ability, regardless of the form taken.
     
    At 6th level, a druid can also use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal (Bear in mind that a single insect counts under 'tiny animal'). When taking the form of an animal, a druid's wild shape now functions as beast shape II.
     
    At 8th level, a druid can also use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal, or a Small or Medium plant or fungus creature. When taking the form of animals, a druid's wild shape now functions as beast shape III. When taking the form of a plant creature, the druid's wild shape functions as plant shape I.
     
    At 10th level, a druid can also use wild shape to change into an Insect Swarm, Treant, or a Large plant creature. When taking the form of a plant, the druid's wild shape now functions as plant shape II. When taking the form of an Insect Swarm it functions as insects of the Druid's choice as if the result of Summon Swarm, however the insect swarm is the druid and their belongings. When taking the form of a treant, they will not look like a specific individual but as if they were born a treant with appropriate adjustments for ancestry.
     
    At 12th level, a druid can also use wild shape to change into a Huge plant creature. When taking the form of a plant, the druid's wild shape now functions as plant shape III.
     
    Venom Immunity
    At 9th level, a druid gains immunity to all poisons, venoms, intoxicants, and toxins.
     
    Timeless Body
    After attaining 15th level, a druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.
     
    Type
    Agricultural / Fishing / Forestry
    Alignment
    Any Neutral
    Hit Die
    d8
    Starting Wealth
    2d6 x 10 gp
    (average 70 gp)

    Cleric, Druid, and Wizard Base Spell Points


    LevelSpell Points
    11
    22
    34
    47
    510
    615
    720
    827
    934
    1043
    1152
    1263
    1374
    1487
    15100
    16115
    17130
    18147
    19163
    20180
     
     

    To Walk The Path

     
    The path of a druid is not an easy one to take. Life and the people in it, challenge the philosophy of the primal forces, and so the druid, almost daily. This causes some to renounce their commitment to being a druid in favor of the life of a fighter or some other profession.
     
    Others remain on the path in the face of those challenges. Which means, there is always the temptation to stray.
     
    What if they do?
     
    Powers of the primal Green can be subtle. Just as changes unfold over the seasons, so too will they for a druid who loses their way.
     
    As a druid strays from their ethos, but does not renounce being a druid, the druid changes. They become unyielding or even aggressively dogmatic in their viewpoints and attitude. In short, they become a Dark Druid, otherwise known as a Blight Lord.
     

    Game Mechanics Note!

     
    A character that chooses to renounce their commitment to being a druid, may do so. At which time, they become a fighter of the same level, this means that they lose all druidic powers, abilities, and spells.
     
    However, there is another path.
     
    A druid who casts a spell that is opposed to their alignment (i.e. an Evil spell cast by a Neutral good druid), or willingly commits acts that are against the philosophy of the Green and does not renounce being a druid class, must make a Save vs Will. The DC is 10 + the druid's level.
     
    If they fail, they receive a "Blight Mark". This represents their slow descent away from the Green and into the corrupting, destructive world of a Dark Druid or Blight Lord. If the druid acquires the same number of Blight Marks as they have in levels of Druid, that druid's alignment shifts and they become a Blight Lord.
     
    Once a Blight Lord, they are no longer able to access druidic spells or abilities and the character is turned over to the Game Master to use in future stories as a villain!
     
    However, if a druid is compelled to perform acts against the Green, the Green will try and to help the druid. A compelled druid rolls their Save vs Will + 1/2 their current level against a DC of 20. If they succeed, the are able to resist the compulsion to commit an act against the druid's ethos. But if they fail, they must struggle with completing the compulsion, yet they will not gain a Blight Mark as they did not perform the corrupting act of their own free will.
     
    If a druid has gained a Blight Mark, they can redeem themselves. This requires deep meditation for 24 hours per Blight Mark. At the end of those 24 hours, they may roll their Save vs Will against a DC of 10 + the Druid's level. If they succeed, the Blight Mark is removed. If they fail, the Blight Mark remains.
     

    Author's Note: This is a homebrew Druid class that is heavily inspired by Pathfinder 1e Druid class. It was altered to provide a 'thematic' version of a 'druid' that would fit the story of the Elohey world.



    Cover image: by CB Ash

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