The Druid

Original: by David Sustarre

-
SUMMARY: THE DRUID (REF1)
 

  • Must be true neutral
  • If WIS and CHA greater than 15, +10% XP
  • Cannot turn undead

  •     Q: Can druids turn undead? How
        about neutral-good ranger/druids
        and nonneutral druids of other
        races?
        A: No on all counts. Undead turning is not a druidic ability.
        (136.52)
  • Attuned to nature, especially forests

  • Upon becoming 3rd level, gains the following abilities:
  • Can identify plant types
  • Can identify animal types
  • Can identify pure water
  • Can pass through overgrown areas without leaving a trail, at normal movement rate

  • Upon becoming 7th level, the following abilities apply:
  • Immune to charm spells from woodland beings (nixies, sylphs, etc.)

  •     Change form 3 times/day (reptile, bird, mammal)
        Each form only 1/day
        Can be as small as a bullfrog
        Can be as large as a black bear
        Each shape change restores 1d6 x 10% Points of damage
  • Have own secret language
  • Upon gaining a level above the 2nd, gains a language of choice: centaur, dryad, elf, faun, gnome, green dragon, hill giant, lizardman, manticore, nixie, pixie, sprite, treant.
  • Cannot wear metal armor
  • +2 saving throws vs. fire and lightning
  • Can use any magic item not proscribed but not clerical magic in written form
  • Limited number of high level druids

  • -

    The druid is a sub-class of PRIEST.
    They are the only absolute neutrals (see ALIGNMENT),
    viewing good and evil, law and chaos,
    as balancing forces of nature which are necessary for the continuation of all things.
    As priests of nature, they must have a minimum wisdom of 12 and a charisma of 15.
    Both of these major attributes must exceed 15 if a druid is to gain a 10% bonus to earned experience.

    It will be noted that the spells usable by druids are more attuned to nature and the outdoors than are the spells of other clerics or magic-users.
    Nonetheless, druids serve to strengthen, protect, and revitalize as the usual cleric does.
    The more powerful druidic spells, as well as their wider range of weaponry, make up for the fact that druids are unable to use any
    armor or shields other than leather armor and wooden shields (metallic
    armor spoils their magical powers). They must speak or read spells aloud.
    Due to their involvement with living, growing things, druids have no
    power to turn or control undead, demons, or devils.

    Druids can be visualized as medieval cousins of what the ancient Celtic
    sect of Druids would have become had it survived the Roman conquest.
    They hold trees (particularly oak and ash), the sun, and the moon as
    deities. Mistletoe is the holy symbol of druids, and it gives power to their
    spells. They have an obligation to protect trees and wild plants, crops, and
    to a lesser extent, their human followers and animals. Thus, druids will
    never destroy woodlands or crops no matter what the circumstances. Even
    though a woods, for example, were evilly hostile, druids would not destroy
    it, although nothing would prevent them from changing the nature of the
    place if the desire and wherewithal existed. In similar fashion, they avoid
    slaying wild animals or even domestic ones except as necessary for self-preservation
    and sustenance.

    If druids observe any creature destroying their charges, the druids are
    unlikely to risk their lives to prevent the destruction. Rather, it is probable
    that the druids will seek retribution && revenge at a later date as
    opportunity presents itself.

    In connexion with their nature worship, druids have certain innate powers
    which are gained at higher level.

    At 3rd level (Initiate of the 1st Circle), a druid gains the following abilities:

        * Druid's Knowledge:

        1. ldentification of plant type <Plant Lore>

        Q: Can a druid who was trained in a
        forested area identify desert plants
        or other flora in unfamiliar terrain?
        How about on other planets or
        planes?

        A: This is up to the DM. The decision will
        depend upon the nature of the campaign
        world, how bright the druid is, and on
        how much knowledge his teachers have.
        One can certainly learn to identify plants
        one has never seen if one has access to
        reliable descriptions. A druid might also
        gain this information through research or
        from a sage. A 5%-per-level chance to
        know if a plant or animal is poisonous,
        edible, etc., is fair.
        (137.68)

        2. Identification of animal type <Animal Lore>

        3. Identification of pure water

        * Wilderness Movement <T1: Pass Without Trace>:
        4. Power to pass through overgrown areas (undergrowth of
        tangled thorns, briar patches, etc.) without leaving a
        discernible trail and at normal movement rate (q.v.)

    At 7th level (Initiate of the 5th Circle), the following additional powers are gained:

    *Immunity to Fey Charm:
    1. Immunity from charm spells cast by any creature basically
    associated with the woodlands, i.e. dryads, nixies, sylphs, etc.

    Shapeshift:
    2. Ability to change form up to three times per day, actually becoming, in all respects save the mind, a reptile, bird or mammal.

        A. Each type of creature form can be assumed but once per day.

        B. The size of creature form assumed can vary from as small as a bullfrog,
        bluejay or bat to as large as a large snake, an eagle, or a black bear (about double the weight of the druid).

        C. Each assumption of a new form removes from 10% to 60% (d6, multiply by 10)
        of the HP of damage, if any, the druid has sustained prior to changing form.

        Q: Will a druid who shape changes
        into another form burst out of his
        equipment as if he were a lycanthrope,
        or does his equipment
        change with him as in polymorph
        self spells?

        A: The druids equipment changes along
        with him, so none of it is destroyed.
        (136.52)

        Q: Can a druid change form into a
        giant version of a normal animal as
        long as the new form is within the
        weight restriction?

        A: Interpreting the rules strictly, druids are
        limited to the shapes of animals whose
        normal forms are within the weight limits.
        Some DMs, however, allow changes to any
        animal form, in sizes up to the weight
        limit. How you do it doesn't really matter,
        as long as you are consistent. Some DMs
        may limit druids to the use of animal types
        that the druids have actually seen or that
        naturally occur in the druids locale.
        (136.52)

        Q: Can a druid change shape into a
        magical mammal, fish, or reptile,
        like a unicorn or pseudo-dragon?

        A: No, he can change shape only into normal,
        nonmagical animals.
        (136.52)

        Q: Can a druid choose the animal
        forms into which he will shape
        change on a given day -- say, three
        particular bird forms?

        A: Druids are limited to one mammal, one
        bird, and one reptile form per day; three
        of a kind isn't allowed.
        (137.68)
     

        ADQ: How long does it take a druid to
        Shapechange?

        ADA: According to the description of
        this 9th spell, 1 segment. The
        druidical version is identical to the
        spell, except that only certain forms
        can be assumed; all other details
        (except components, as it's not a spell
        but an ability) are the same.
        (Polyhedron #12)
     

    Druid's Cant: Druids have their own secret language, and all speak it in addition to their
    other tongues (alignment, common, and others known).

    Upon becoming a
    3rd level druid (Initiate of the 1st Circle), and with each level increase
    thereafter, a druid gains a language of his choice: centaur, dryad, elvish,
    faun, gnome, green dragon, hill giant, lizardman, manticore, nixie, pixie,
    sprite, treantish.

    In melee combat, druids fight as clerics, but they do suffer somewhat from
    their inability to wear protective armor of metal.

    Saving Throw Bonus: They likewise make
    saving throws (q.v.) as clerics, but against fire && lightning (electrical)
    attacks they get a bonus of +2 on their dice rolls.

    Magic Items: Druids can use those magic items not otherwise proscribed which are for
    all classes and those for regular clerics which are not written, i.e. books
    and scrolls.
    <revise to make an exception for druid scrolls>

    High-Level Druids: At the upper levels there are only a limited number of characters.
    At 12th level (Druid) there can be but <nine> of these nature priests.
    Each such 12th level druid is the leader of a body of lesser druids and will have an entourage of three of their underlings,
    i.e. the lowest (in experience) Druid (12th level) will have three Aspirants (1st level) to serve him or her,
    while the highest (in experience) will have three Initiates of the 7th Circle (9th level).
    Initiates of the 8th and 9th Circles are under direct supervision of the three Archdruids and The Great Druid respectively.

    Above all other druids is a lone figure, The Great Druid.
    The supreme druid is always attended by nine Initiates of the 9th Circle.

    (Note: It is possible that other henchmen and hirelings, as well as
    worshippers, will be found with any particular druid. All servitors of upper level
    druids are faithful protectors. They are not otherwise considered henchmen (q.v.) per se.)

    At such time as a druid class player character attains XP sufficient to advance him or her to Druid (12th level),
    the corresponding powers are gained only:


     

    1. If there are currently fewer than nine other characters of Druid level, or

    2. The PC bests one of the nine Druid level characters in spell or hand-to-hand combat.
    If the combat is not mortal, the losing combatant drops the exact number of XP necessary to place him or her in the beginning of the next lower level.

    If the PC succeeds, he or she becomes a Druid, with full powers,
    and the former Druid (assuming case 2, above) becomes an Initiate of the 9th Circle.
    If the PC loses, he or she remains at lower level and actually has fewer XP in the bargain.

    This process is repeated with respect to a Druid becoming an Archdruid and for an Archdruid becoming the Great Druid.
    Multiple attempts to move upwards are possible as long as the character survives.

    DRUIDS (CLERICS) TABLE I.
    Experience Points Experience 
    Level
    8-Sided 
    Dice 
    for 
    Accumulated 
    Hit Points
    Level Title Proficiencies Abilities Saves THACO NPC 
    XP
    - - - - - - 16.17.18.20.19 20n -
    - - - - - - ^ ^ -
    0 ---- 2,000 1 1 Aspirant 2/3, 
    speak druidic
    +2 saves vs. fire & lightning 10.13.14.16.15 20 -
    2,001 ---- 4,000 2 2 Ovate - - ^ ^ -
    4,001 ----  7,500 3 3 Initiate of the 1st Circle 1 language identify plant, 
    identify animal, 
    identify pure water, 
    pass without trace
    ^ ^ -
    7,501 ---- 12,500 4 4 Initiate of the 2nd Circle 2 languages - 9.12.13.15.14 18 -
    12,501 ---- 20,000 5 5 Initiate of the 3rd Circle 3 languages - ^ ^ -
    20,001 ---- 35,000 6 6 Initiate of the 4th Circle 3/4, 
    4 languages
    - ^ ^ -
    35,001 ---- 60,000 7 7 Initiate of the 5th Circle 5 languages immunity to woodland charm, 
    wild shape
    7.10.11.13.12 16 1427 (T1)
    60,001 ---- 90,000 8 8 Initiate of the 6th Circle 6 languages - ^ ^ -
    90,001 ---- 125,000 9 9 Initiate of the 7th Circle 7 languages - ^ ^ T3.101: 
    3840
    125,001 ---- 200,000 10 10 Initiate of the 8th Circle 8 languages - 6.9.10.12.11 14 -
    201,001 ---- 300,000 11 11 Initiate of the 9th Circle 4/5, 
    9 languages
    - ^ ^ -
    300,001 ---- 750,000 12 12 Druid (High Druid - OSRIC) 10 languages Followers ^ ^ -
    750,001 ---- 1,500,000 13 13 Archdruid 11 languages Followers 5.8.9.11.10 12 -
    1,500,001 ---- 3,000,000 14 14 The Great Druid 12 languages Followers ^ ^ -
    3,000,001 ---- 3,500,000 15 15 The Grand Druid 13 languages - ^ ^ -
    - - - - - - - ^ -
    1 ---- 500,000 16 15 + 1 Hierophant Druid 5/6, 
    14 languages
    - 4.7.8.10.9 10 -
    500,001 ---- 1,000,000 17 15 + 2 Hierophant Initiate 15 languages - ^ ^ -
    1,000,001 ---- 1,500,000 18 15 + 3 Hierophant Adept 16 languages - ^ ^ -
    1,500,001 ---- 2,000,000 19 15 + 4 Hierophant Master 17 languages - 2.5.6.8.7 9 -
    2,000,001 ---- 2,500,000 20 15 + 5 Numinous Hierophant 18 languages - ^ ^ -
    2,500,001 ---- 3,000,000 21 15 + 6 Mystic Hierophant 6/7, 
    19 languages
    - ^ ^ -
    3,000,001 ---- 3,500,000 22 15 + 7 Arcane Hierophant 20 languages - ^ ^ -
    3,500,001 and up 23 15 + 8 Hierophant of the Cabal 21 languages - ^ ^ -

    <I added some columns here>

    SPELLS USABLE BY CLASS AND LEVEL -- DRUIDS (CLERICS)
     
    Druidic
    Level
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7
    1 2 - - - - - -
    2 2 1 - - - - -
    3 3 2 1 - - - -
    4 4 2 2 - - - -
    5 4 3 2 - - - -
    6 4 3 2 1 - - -
    7 4 4 3 1 - - -
    8 4 4 3 2 - - -
    9 5 4 3 2 1 - -
    10 5 4 3 3 2 - -
    11 5 5 3 3 2 1 -
    12 5 5 4 4 3 2 1
    13 6 5 5 5 4 3 2
    14 6 6 6 6 5 4 3

    ADQ: Do druids get bonus spells for high
    WIS as clerics do?
    ADA: Druids ARE clerics, and of course
    gain the bonuses. Non-cleric casters of cleric
    spells (such as paladins) do not gain the
    bonus spells.
    (Polyhedron #22)

    Druids as a class do not dwell permanently in castles, or even in cities or
    towns. All druids prefer to live in scared groves, dwelling in sod, log, or
    stone buildings of smallish size. When attaining levels above the 11th,
    characters will generally inhabit building complexes set in woodlands and
    similar natural surroundings.
     

    Question: I read that Magic-Users automatically know the Read Magic Spell.
    Do Druids automatically know the Speak with Animals spells?

    Answer: Druids are a sub-class of Clerics and therefore they pray for their spells.
    They only need to pray and meditate in order to know the Speak with Animals spell.
     

    Question: Why should Druids be able to wear leather armor,
    since it is made of the hides of the animals they worship?

    Answer: Druids do not worship animals, they worship all
    aspects of nature. This includes the “survival of the fittest”
    process, whereby some animals are killed to provide food,
    protection, or some other benefit for another species. Since the
    Druid is as much a part of nature as the things which make up
    his environment, it is quite natural for a Druid to use the remains
    of a fellow creature for food, armor, or whatever. — J. Ward, W.
    Niebling
    * * *
     

    SA: Loss of neutral alignment equals loss of druid powers.
     
     

    Originally by Dennis Sustarre
     
     




    Ecology Fund

    Reduce - Reuse - Recycle


    Druids

    AT A GLANCE:
    A sub-grouping of clerics which tends to worship outside of the standard Temple-complexes are the druids, who wander the land, or are organized into loosely-affiliated "circles" throughout the Realms.
    These druid-circles tend to fill the same requirements as hierarchies within the clerical faiths, but are much smaller and there is less definition about which activities fall under which headings.

    ELMINSTER'S NOTES:
    In the northern Realms from the Sword Coast to Impiltur, druids in lightly settled areas have tended to gather in small groups, often with rangers and other allies, for mutual protection, and in order to accomplish their common goals more easily.
    These groups, usu. consisting of a dozen or less druids and 20 or less others, vary widely in prominence and working relationships; in some, the druids live together in a woodland grove, and in others, they are widely scattered, with other group members serving as go-betweens; in some groups the druids and rangers deal as equals; and in others the druids are revered by the others who work with them.
    The groups are known as "Circles;" the term serves to illustrate the unending cycles of natural processes, and to emphasize that no one creature is intrinsically superior to another.

    In the Dalelands, recent warfare has destroyed that last two known and established Circles: the Circle of Shadowdale and the Battledale Seven, although a few individuals from each of the groups have survived.
    The Circle of Shadowdale's one-time roster is given with the census of Shadowdale. <>
    In number and power, it is typical of these groups.
    Many circles still exist elsewhere in the Realms, in wooded areas, and these may be of great local importance, often working with non-human woodland beings to maintain wilderness areas and keep the peace in their territories.

    In the Realms at large, these circles make up a network of communication and aid among those who venerate Chauntea and similar Powers.
    In general, the Druids of the Realms seek balance between man and nature, at the expense of neither.

    The druids, while relatively weak in the Dalelands at the moment, have several major areas of power, incl. the Border Forest, the forest of Gulthmere, and in particular the Moonshae Isles.
    In the last, the druids are worshipers of a possible aspect of Chauntea known as the Earthmother, and are the native faith in the area. <>
    The conflict between these druids and the faiths of the invading settlers is more extreme than is normally found in the Realms, but is as much the result of the conflicting cultures on those islands as on differences of faith.

    GAME INFORMATION:
    Druids of the same circle may worship different deities, though in general, druids of the same circle tend to worship the same god.
    Common Powers venerated by the Druids are Eldath, Silvanus, Chauntea (in places) and the Elemental Lords, in particular Grumbar and Kossuth (earth and flame, respectively).

    PC druids do not begin the game as members of a Circle, but may form such circles if they find other druids and either accept them or are accepted into their ranks.

    Great and Grand Druids are singular beings, and there is only a single such individual for a 500-mile AREA about the abode of such an individual. <>
    Each is entrusted to the organization and protection of the Cirlcles and other druidic shrines within that domain.
    The precise borders of a Great Druid's domain are nebulous at best.

    On location of high level druids:
    When a druid reaches sufficient level to challenge another druid of his or her position, a sign will be sent by the Power the druid worships indicating the location of the druid sought, unless the first druid knows the second druid's location already.

    Silvanus (Patron of Druids)
    Eldath (Guardian of Druid Groves)
     


    L12 : There are only 9 of these guys
    L12.1 = 3 L1 druids
    L12.2 = 3 L2 druids
    L12.3 = 3 L3 druids
    L12.4 = 3 L4 druids
    L12.5 = 3 L5 druids
    L12.6 = 3 L6 druids
    L12.7 = 3 L7 druids
    L12.8 = 3 L8 druids
    L12.9 = 3 L9 druids
    (note: 12.1 denotes the L12 druid with the lowest XP, and 12.9 denotes the L12 druid with the highest XP)
    (note: the L12 followers are not cumulative. at L12, a druid will always have 3 followers --
    what happens is that he 'swaps out' (umm, 'upgrades') his 3 lower level followers for 3 higher-level followers, every time he advances within one of the 12.x categories.
    so, every time a L12 druid gains XP, check the chart - he might be getting a follower upgrade!)

    L13: There are only 3 of these guys
    L13 = 3 (6?) L10 druids
    (note: not specified)

    L14: There is only 1 Great Druid
    L14 = 9 L11 druids

    <see Unearthed Arcana for L15>
    L15: There is only 1 Great Druid
    L15 = 9 followers (L=x?) of special sort + 3 archdruid (L13) messengers
    (note: details are sketchy, here. as well, it is implied that there is more than 3 L13 druids, contradicting the PH in this case)
    (I don't know how it works out in other settings, but in the FR,
    I am pretty sure that there are multiple L14 druids (say, one for every nature deity, or region : one for each 'Circle' of druids, not to be confused with the Circles in the level titles, but *only 1* L15 druid, who presides over all.)

    L16+: All followers leave



    Handy Haversack wrote:
    Hi Gary,

    I was doing a bit of inspirational reading in the preface to the AD&D PHB last night and noticed that you thanked one Dennis Sustare. I was wondering if you could tell us who this fellow was, in terms of his connection to D&D, and whether he granted his name to the seventh-level druid spell Chariot of Sustarre. Thanks.

    Michael
     

    Sure:)

    Dennis sent in the material that was used to make the druid a class rather than a sort of evil human monster as it had been in the OD&D game.
    The spell in question was ondeed named in his honor.

    Cheers,
    Gary
     


    DMPrata wrote:
    Gary, if I may pester you with a quick Greyhawk question :) .... You pretty much pioneered what became the 2E concept of the specialty priest, with clerics of different deities being granted varying powers. Clerics of Ehlonna, for example, were given the ability to track as rangers, and could cast animal friendship at 5th level. Did you intend for these extra abilities to also apply to druids, or did you feel that their basic class abilities (charm immunity, shape change, etc.) were sufficient?

    Thanks for your time and Merry Christmas!


    Yuletide Lashings, DMPrata!

    Quit posting here and get to worlk on your CZY module for the C&C game 

    Seriously, as far as I was concerned the druid class was sufficiently powerful without added spells or abilities as awarded to clerics of specific deities.

    Christmas best wishes,
    Gary
     


    Barrataria wrote:
    Dear Sir:

    I posted this question on a board belonging to one of your co-writers, and got no answer, so I'm hunting you down here.

    Did any of your players in Lake Geneva advance a druid character to high levels? I always wonder how high-level play with the most senior druids in AD&D (and all their followers, pets, multiple heat metal spells, and so forth worked out for you all, if it ever came up). How high did you advance Curley Greenleaf?

    I'm very, very glad to see your virtual presence again in these parts, but mostly am thankful that you are feeling better, for your own sake and your family's peace of mind.

    Bruce


    Hi Bruce,

    As I am busy editing I must be more terse than desirable.
    Sorry....

    Tim Kask, a regular in the Greyhawk Campaign, played a druid, and as I recall that PC got up to around 10th level.

    Curley Greenleaf made it to 7th level druid.
    I have lost his CRS though:(

    Cheers,
    Gary
     


    Barrataria wrote:
    Thanks! And never a need to apologize for answering no matter how terse you may be! I've wondered for quite some time about that... 10th isn't so awfully high for druids as to be followed around by 9 nasty underlings, so I guess that particular challenge didn't come up for you as DM.

    Sorry to hear about the demise of Curley Greenleaf... I think character sheet loss is the most tragic way for them to go...

    BB


    High level druids are not much for dungeoneering, eh?

    My own PCs and those of a couple of others I DMed for were often followed by a train of henchmen,
    typically when the session involved only one or two players and the situation at hand was demanding.

    Cheers,
    Gary
     


    Col_Pladoh wrote:
    Is the druid actually an archetype? I think not.
     

    Only in AD&D. 

    Quote:
    That said, the concept of the druidical nature priest as has recently come to be accepted by the uncritical is covered as a form of shamanism in the optional Shamanism & Witchery rules. I believe that book will be published in hardbound version by Troll Lord Games next year or in 2006.
     

    I've seen the Shamanism Ability from Lejends Magazine,
    and while I think it's a fine addition to the game it doesn't seem to capture the same "feel" as the AD&D druid (even if that "feel" is ahistorical ).
     
     


    dcas wrote:
    Col_Pladoh wrote:
    Is the druid actually an archetype? I think not.
     

    Only in AD&D. 
     


    Then is is actually not an archtype at all, as you note below.

    I almost prefer the druid as a monster as was the case when I added them to OD&D 
     


    In any event, the Romans stamped Druidism out so thoroughly as to leave no trace of what its practitioners actually believed,
    only that they birned a lot of people alive at needfire (ceremonies).
    the Romans were not gentle, but they surely did not like either the Carthaginian or Celtic religions. - Witches, Wizards, Warlocks, Sorcerers

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by weasel fierce
    In AD&D, I wonder about the bard's connection to druids. Where did the inspiration for this come from ?


    Historically, bards were a class of druid.
    We don't know much at all about what the druids did in their religious practices, but we know their organization into three branches--the priests, lawyers (ovates), and bards.
     


    IMO druids do not serve any deity other than Nature and its manifestations.
     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Heathansson
    Hello, Colonel!
    Hope you're feeling better!!!

    Just a question that stretches back down the eons to 1e.: why do druids use scimitars?
    It just seems curious with the Celtic connection.


    Heh,

    It is because the scimitar is as close a sword weapon I could come up with to match the druids' mistletoe-harvesting sickle.

    Cheers,
    Gary
     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Heathansson
    Thanks! That's kinda what I thought.


    The primary appeal of the Druid class from a creative standpoint is that the Romans were so thorough in destroying them and their religion that we know virtually nothing about either

    Cheers,
    Gary
     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gray Mouser
    Hmmm, I thought polytheists and pantheists were supposed to be more accepting of diversity than monotheists.
    Yet another shattered presumption! 

    BTW, wasn't there at one point a Part XIII to this Q&A thread? What everhappened to old number 13? Is it now defunct?

    Gray Mouser


    the Romans were generally tolerant, but they found the Druidical religion so abhorrant as to exterminate it... more totally than they did the Cartheginian one.

    When these boards crashed many months back a thread was totally zapped.
    Perhaps it was Part XIII.
    I don't remember that clearly.

    Cheers,
    Gary
     


    HeavenShallBurn,

    The short answer is that the Romans did not approve of human sacrifices to gods, despite their incredible barbarity in regards to the shows held in the coliseum.

    Thanks for the good words regarding my S&S yarns 

    Cheers,
    Gary


     

    James M: 2. You're specifically thanked in the credits of Supplement III to OD&D, where you're called "the Great Druid."
    There's also a druid spell in AD&D called "Chariot of Sustarre," which was named in your honor.
    What role, if any, did you have in the creation and/or development of the druid class?

    Dennis Sustare: When the thief class was released in the Greyhawk supplement, as an addition to the original fighter, cleric and magic-user, we became interested in other possible classes beyond these four. I wrote up and mimeographed a set of rules for a new druid class, for our internal play. After some playtesting in our game, I revised it with a new mimeograph rule set, still just for our own use. But when we went to early GenCons, a copy got into Gary's hands, and thanks to some advocacy by Tim Kask, they revised the rules once more and published them in the Eldritch Wizardry supplement. Tim added the Chariot spell at the time (it was not one of my original spells, and the misspelling of my name was deliberate). I consider this my first published game design, although Bunnies & Burrows was released the same year (1976).

    <note: the idea of the chariot might come from Greek myth. see the myth of Phaeton.>

    James M: 3. What were your inspirations in creating the druid class?
    I once surmised that the class had been based on the character of Dalan from Henry Kuttner's "Elak of Atlantis" tales, while Erik Mona of Paizo mentioned Talbot Mundy's Tros of Samothrace as a likelier possibility. Were either of us close to the mark or was there a different inspiration for the class?

    Dennis Sustare: Nope, sorry. I never read the Talbot Mundy stories, though on looking them up now, they sound interesting.
    I read lots of Kuttner and Moore, but don't recall ever reading the Elak stories.

    Instead, I was familiar with druids from literature about early England, especially during Roman times. The most immediate inspiration, of course, was their mention as a monster in Greyhawk (but not as a character class). Initially, I was trying to make them related totally to plants and animals, but felt they needed a little more firepower (literally).

    - Grognardia (Interview: Dennis Sustare)
     

    A clever young druid named Eve
    Used magic, her foes to deceive.
    When other spells were spent,
    She'd change to an ent
    To make like a tree, and leave.

    -- Toni Leigh Perry
     
     



    1. SUBCLASS = C
    2. SOCIAL CLASS MINIMUM = LMC (11: ULC)
    3. ABILITY SCORE MINIMUMS
        STRENGTH = 6 (7d6)
        INTELLIGENCE = 6 (4d6)
        WISDOM = 12:16 (8d6)
        DEXTERITY = 6 (5d6)
        CONSTITUTION = 6 (6d6)
        CHARISMA = 15:16 (9d6)
        COMELINESS = 3 (3d6)
    4. XP BONUS = 10% if both WIS and CHA are 16+
    5. POSSIBLE RACES & MAX. LEVEL ATTAINABLE = Gray elf (max), high elf (max), valley elf (max), wild elf (max), wood elf (max), half-elf (max), halflings(all), humans (23)
    6. MULTI-CLASS POSSIBILITIES = DF, DR, DM, DT
    7. HIT DIE TYPE = d8
    8. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HIT DICE = 15
    9. SPELL ABILITY = yes
    10. ARMOR PERMITTED = leather || padded
    11. SHIELD PERMITTED = wooden
    12. WEAPONS PERMITTED = aklys, club, dagger, dart, garrot, hammer, lasso, sap, sling, scimitar*, spear, staff, staff sling, sword (khopesh), whip
    13. OIL PERMITTED = yes
    14. POISON PERMITTED = DM's option
    15. ALIGNMENT = N
    16. STARTING MONEY = 30-180 gp
    17. WEAPON PROFICIENCIES = 2, 1/5 levels (1st: 2, 6th: 3, 11th: 4, etc.)
    18. NON-PROFICIENCY PENALTY = -4
    19. NON-WEAPON PROFICIENCIES = 3, 1/5 levels (1st:3, 6th: 4, 11th: 5, etc.)
    20. STARTING AGE = elf (500 + 10d10), half-elf (40 + 2d4), human (18 + 1d4)
    21. COMBAT = C
    22. SAVING THROWS = C (+2 vs. fire and lightning)
    23. MAGIC ITEMS = Druids can use those magic items not otherwise proscribed which are for all classes and those for regular clerics which are not written, i.e. books and scrolls.
    <revise to make an exception for druid scrolls>

    * ADQ: Might a druid be able to use a
    short or broad sword instead of a scimitar?
    Each has roughly the same
    amount of metal.
    ADA: No. THe source of this prohibition
    has nothing to do with the spellcasting
    or amounts of metal. It relates to a
    belief, attributed to AD&D druids,
    that weapons with straight blades (vs.
    curved) are not ethically permitted.
    Druid daggers will also be of the curved
    variety (not an uncommon type).
    (Polyhedron #12)