When the Druid character class was
first presented in Eldritch Wizardry,
a character almost exclusively bent to be played
in the wilderness appeared; the sketchy
background and the specificity of his
spells
held little else in store for the poor
Druid.
And soon, there was hardly a wilderness
extant without a Druid or two hidden away,
but there were hardly any Druids in the
dungeon. The original Druid was unique
among all character classes in its lack
of
easy applicability to dungeon situations.
When Advanced Dungeons & Dragons™ was released, the Druid’s abilities
and possibilities grew until it was another
character class among many. But the association,
partly well-founded, with the wilderness still remained, despite the expansions
to the class found in AD&D.
Among all the
spell casters, the Druid still wins hands
down in the wilderness, as it was meant
to.
But now, the Druid has better hit dice,
better
spells, a better background and a handful
of
other benefits making it an ideal campaign
character. A Dungeon Master would be
wise to encourage Druid player-characters
in his campaign, with the intent of getting
characters out of the city and the dungeon
and into the woods and wilds sooner, preventing
the campaign from being too dungeon-centered end Ieading to a better
game for all involved. But before one
can
judge a Druid fairly, a few misconceptions
should be removed.
The old Greyhawk
(and earlier) image
of the human-sacrificing, hostile, natureoriented
cult has been dispelled, but there
remain a few myths, from the standpoint
of
the game, that must be dispelled. These
points, once eliminated from consideration,
can lead to a better playing of Druids
in your
milieu. The first and most common of these
misconceptions is that Druids, because
of
their association with the wide, open
spaces, are unable to function in the
dungeon, sometimes being handicapped with
claustrophobia. Druids are not claustrophobic.
Anyone who has travelled deep
into the woods and gotten lost can attest
that the feeling one gets is claustrophobic.
And while a particular Druid afraid of
the
woods may be amusing, it isn’t true in
general: The Druid is at home both in open
meadows and dense underbrush. Therefore,
there is no reason to assume that a
Druid travelling in a well equipped party
which is cognizant of its location would
be
frightened any more than the average party
member.
Secondly, Nature does have power in
the dungeon. Certainly there are
enough
lichen, molds, small creatures, and other
living things through which a Druid can
feel
Nature’s presence. The stones and rocks
of
the dungeon itself, being the base of
Nature’s power, can give a Druid a solid feeling
in an unfamiliar environment. Remember
that Nature encompasses many things
other than plants and animals. The idea
that
a Druid is powerless in the dungeon is
ridiculous.
And lastly, Druids are not misanthropic
in nature. That is, they are not prone
to hate
all humanity in general. If Druids are
more
preoccupied with the non-human facets
of
Nature, this does not preclude their association
with other humans. Granted, the
Druid’s beliefs may cause him to look
down
upon other humans who treat Nature too
callously, but this does not lead to a
hatred
of all people—after all, man is just another
part of Nature’s design.
With these points out of the way, let’s
look at the DM’s side of a Druid PC’s
preparation. Preparation is very important to a
young Druid character, and a large amount
of the preparation will have to fall on
the
DM’s shoulders, depending on how you
handle certain elements in your own milieu,
such as the hiring of hirelings and the
acquiring of friends. Normally, the Druid
should give his own spiel while hiring,
but
he should be interested in hiring those
whom he can easily sway with his powers,
such as farmers, superstitious barbarians,
and the like. Of course, a lasting friendship
probably cannot be made with a Cleric
of an
animal-sacrifice cult, or a lumberjack.
Initially, of course, the Druid’s high
Charisma is a definite benefit to hiring,
but a
Druid trying to hire, say, a barbarian,
would
gain another +5 to + 15% depending on
the
superstitious nature of said barbarian
and
the persuasive techniques employed by
the
Druid. For example, using a Call lightning
on the barbarian’s behalf (or to scare
him)
might be worth a 15% bonus on the hiring
percentage, whereas a mere Animal
friendship would not impress the potential
hireling. Similarly, a farmer would be
more
inclined to lie to the King’s Guard if
the
Druid threw a Plant growth or a Purify
water
in return. This kind of help usually nets
a + 5
to + 10% on reaction dice rolls. A Druid
will
also automatically gain certain loyalty
bonuses, specifically those for firm and fair discipline and just and invariable
treatment,
merely because of his training and alignment.
The Druid also incurs no alignmentdifference penalties on loyalty rolls
for similar reasons.
The important thing to remember with
humanoid encounters and Druids is that
the
Druid’s training allows him to stand inviolate,
providing that he is doing the talking
and he appears to be in control of the
situation. If the party needs a safe place to
sleep or hide out, or they’re just hiring
more
cannon fodder, the Druid should make the
pitch alone; the sight of other people
ordering him about tends to ruin his powerful
image. Friends and companions should not
be whispering in the Druid’s ear or prompting
him, and neither should the Druid be
displaying greed or similar intentions
Another important item in preparation
of
the character is the weapon choice of
the
Druid. Do not forget to enforce the non-proficiency
penalty (-4)! A Druid is not free to
grab any magic sword and start swinging
it.
The Druid has a fair choice of weaponry
and
a choice must be made and enforced early,
as it should be for any class. The weapon
choice of the Druid can be one of the
player’s most important choices: If the Druid
does not choose the club, the Shillelagh
spell becomes useless; if he dismisses
the
dagger and dart, he loses his throwing
weapon options; and if he does not choose
the high-damage weapons (scimitar, spear,
etc.), his use as an emergency fighter
is
limited. The tone of your campaign should
help the player decide, but it always
helps to
give hints and rumors of magic scimitars
and other weapons. And regardless of the
choice, the Druid must stick to it.
Of course, the player may bypass the
usual options and wish to have a nonstandard
or less traditional weapon, such
as a blowgun or a scythe (not the small
sickle-like type, but the large economy
model similar to the one that Father Time
carries). Note that there is an expense
in
using and choosing either of these weapons;
the player must seek out a tutor for
the initial instruction, then he must
pay to
have the weapons specially made, since
many armorers and weapon manufacturers
probably would be ill-equipped to handle
such a request.
For the blowgun, the darts required
should be specially made, usually being
longer and lighter than an ordinary dart
(magical darts cannot be used in such
a
blowgun). Blowgun darts are thrown off
course by any wind above a normal draft,
so
they may be used effectively only in some
underground areas and dense underbrush.
Generally, a blowgun dart is +2 “to hit”
against metal-armored men and +3
against non-metal-armored men. This
bonus is lost if any respectable breeze
is
blowing (for example, the average closed
dungeon room would have no effect, but
a
long, drafty hallway might), and in a
good
wind the accuracy suffers by 1 point for
every five miles per hour of wind, assuming
a man-sized target, unmoving, within ten
feet of the Druid. It is nearly impossible
to
aim a blowgun dart at a figure in melee
without a chance of hitting the other
participant(s). If the player wishes to dip the darts
in any substance, this must be done within
one turn before firing, or the substance
will
evaporate and/or slide off the dart.
The other exotic weapon mentioned,
the scythe (being a common farm implement),
will generally be less expensive in
cost, but an ordinary tool cannot be used
because it would be generally unsuitable
for frequent use against monsters and
men,
most likely falling apart or dulling quickly.
A
tutor is also necessary to teach the Druid
how one could be used in combat. The
exact “to hit” values are given later
in this
article, but as a rule of thumb, a scythe
can
hit weaker armor classes more easily;
however, better armor classes are much harder
to hit. The scythe is also a very heavy
item
to carry (that is, one which is used in
combat), usually being upwards of 120-140 in
gold-piece weight. The weight alone may
prevent many Druids from using this
weapon.
Other exotic weapons suggested by the
player should be considered carefully,
as
these two should be, before allowing a
Druid (or anyone, for that matter) to
have
one in the campaign. Any non-standard
weapon a Druid may carry must be able
to
be included in a broad category which
also
includes another weapon that a Druid is
able to use (for example: blowgun dart
and
regular dart, scythe and scimitar), and
should not do any more damage than a
scimitar.
Of course, if your Druid has a blowgun,
he or she may want to use poison darts,
which brings up the matter of poisons.
Personally, I feel that the Druid’s ability with
natural poisons could (and should) rival
that
of the best of Assassins. However, flaunting
such power would not only give Druids
a
notoriety they do not deserve, but also
would give player-character Druids too
much power. A great amount of restriction
is called for here by the DM. Players
using
poisons left and right should be receiving
threats or veiled warnings from the townsfolk,
his mentor, and even the Assassins’
Guild. A just and reasonable rule would
be
to give the Druid (through his mentor
or his
own research) the use of only one insinuative
poison per level.
The most important of the Druid’s preparations
is the gaining of mistletoe. Note
that early in the young Aspirant’s life,
he
must eventually seek out his own mistletoe.
The Druid’s mentor would provide the
young Aspirant with a small amount of
lesser mistletoe to last him a short time.
The
amount probably would depend on the
Druid’s initial performance. However,
no
matter how much a Druid starts with, he
must seek his own someday. In seeking
his
mistletoe, the Druid should search for
an
oak forest and find his own to cut, according
to the
method described in the Players
Handbook. The only problems the
Druid
may have are the lack of a nearby oak
forest
and the lack of proper materials. The
former
of these problems can be solved by any
resourceful player, but the latter will
cause
the same player a few problems until the
Druid is rich enough to purchase or forge
his golden scythe and bowl. Remember
that any mistletoe cut without such materials
is only lesser mistletoe. Obtaining mistletoe is generally not much of
a problem for
a player (unless the DM makes it a problem!),
but keeping it fresh can be.
As part of the beginning Druid’s instruction,
the DM should inform the player that
mistletoe will become useless unless it
is
kept fresh. Freshness is maintained by
immersion of the mistletoe in spring water
treated with several herbs, which are
combined according to a formula learned from
his mentor during his training. The herbs
should be replenished monthly as well.
After six to ten days without preservation, the
mistletoe will lose one level of effectiveness
(from greater to lesser to borrowed to
useless), the effect being cumulative. In addition, holly will become useless
after one
week without preservation and oak leaves
will become useless one week after collection,
regardless of any preservative. Preservation of mistletoe could become
very
important on long missions.
Most of the preparation mentioned here
can be taken care of in a short talk between
the DM and the potential Druid, and perhaps
a few die rolls; that is, there shouldn’t
be any lengthy preparation involved, unless
you normally spend a lot of time in such
preparation. The player may wish to consider
more aspects than what are outlined
here, but usually these merely add polish
to
a completed character. Once the basics
are
taken care of, the Druid is ready to enter
the
dungeon. Later in this article are several
additional suggestions which also happen
to be changes to the AD&D rules, and
you
can pick and choose among them as you
like. What remains is for the DM to decide
how to keep the Druid interested in the
dungeon. The Fighters get their share of action,
the Clerics have their undead, and the
Thieves always have a door to listen at;
why
should the Druids be left out? Granted
that
more opportunities exist outside the dungeon
for DM deviousness toward Druids,
but the existence of a small natural cavern
underneath the castle is laden with possibilities
for the Druid. There is no real trick to
taking parts of the world above and transporting
them below the surface.
Above ground, the Druid should be kept
on his toes. If he lives in a city, as
he might
until he can brave the woods, his room
could be raided one night, and what do
Thieves know of herbs and plants? Anything
well protected, such as the Druid’s
mistletoe, should be worth a lot of silver!
If
the town is especially rowdy, a Druid
should
be careful of certain prejudiced residents
who don’t happen to like the “forest folk.”
And if the Druid already has made residence
in a grove of sorts, then a wandering
monster or two could make life interesting
for him. But the main point is for the
DM to
keep him interested in entering the dungeon.
A few “extras” can be placed strategically
in the dungeon, which will not only
delight a Druid character, but constitute
an
interesting trick for the rest of the
party. For
example, how about a carnivorous (and
hungry) plant-watchdog left by the dungeon’s
former occupants? Or the MagicUser’s laboratory, where the wizard spent
so much time working on plant/animal hybrids?
Or the underground conservatory
with all of those beautiful benign (?)
plants
now wild, unkept, and overgrown, which
may hide something beneath or behind
them.
Imaginative treasures can draw a Druid
into an adventure, such as a map leading
to
a tomb or a cave several miles away. This
option would give the Druid a chance to
use
his wilderness skills to help defend the
party
along the way, and give the rest of the
players a nice underground complex to loot as
well. If enough of these complexes are
scattered about, the players could soon realize
the asset that a Druid character really
is,
and this will help bring the other characters.
out of the dungeon and into the wilderness.
There are several other variations on
the norm; the DM should help in some fashion
to get the Druid involved in the party,
and into situations where the Druid can
be
of some use while having the combined
protection of the other party members.
In
this fashion, the Druid will advance with
the
rest of the party, so that he or she is
of some
use to them when they attempt to brave
the
wilderness.
It is true that Druids are made for the
wilderness, but the game needn’t exclude
them from the dungeon. A well-played Druid
in a campaign will multiply the options for
DM and players alike, both underground
and above ground.
Suggested rule
changes
Some of the rule changes below detail
possibilities for the Druid character
that
weren’t covered in AD&D
thoroughly
enough, and several others (notably the
spells) make a clearer distinction between
the effectiveness of the various varieties
of
mistletoe. Some of these rules (e.g. aging)
imply that other classes be restricted
similarly. It is also helpful to remember that the
Druid gains +2 on his saving throws vs.
fire
and electricity, and that there are more
spell
adjustments for underground situations
given in the Players Handbook.
Predict
Weather: If greater mistletoe is
used as part of the divination, the knowledge
gained is good for an additional hour
for every two levels of experience of
the
Druid above the normal time of two hours
per level. For example, a 5th-level Druid
casting this spell would have exact knowledge
of the weather for twelve (10+2)
hours.
Shillelagh:
The Shillelagh is unable to
hit creatures who can only be hit by magical
weaponry (e.g. Wraiths, lesser demons,
etc.) unless greater mistletoe is used
in the
enchantment.
Speak
with Animals: Due to the Druid’s
teachings and beliefs, he is able to communicate
with animals better than an average Cleric; therefore, the duration on
this
spell should be 3 rounds per level, but
only
if mistletoe (any type) is used in the
casting.
Cure
Light Wounds: With this spell and
other cure wound spells, if the material
component is holly instead of a type of
mistletoe, the spell is only half effective. Oak
leaves cannot be used as the material
component for these spells.
Fire trap:
If greater mistletoe is used in
the setting of the trap, an additional
point of
damage would be done, if the trap were
sprung, making the total damage 2-5 points
plus 1 point per level of the caster.
Warp Wood:
With this spell, a 3rd-level
Druid can seal or spring a wooden door,
and a 5th-level Druid can do the same
with
a wooden reinforced door.
Call
Lightning: The lightning bolts will
do the full damage stated (2d8 + 1 die
per
level) if a type of actual mistletoe is
used in
the enchantment. If holly is used, the
damage is only 1d8 + 1 die per level of the Druid.
Oak leaves cannot be used as the material
component of this spell.
Neutralize
Poison: A type of actual mistletoe must be used with this spell. Failing
to
do so by using holly or oak leaves will
reduce the power of the spell so it acts as the
Cleric spell Slow poison.
Summon
Insects: In an underground
environment, the chance for flying insects
being summoned drops to 50%.
Character
age and aging
The Druid’s initial age should be
22 + 1d4 years, not 18 + 1d4, because
of the
amount of knowledge concerning Nature
and her works that the Druid must be a
master of. Also, treat the Druid as five
years
younger than his actual age for the purpose
of determining age category. For example,
a human Druid would remain mature until
age 45 instead of 40. The Druid loses
this
benefit, for obvious reasons, if any of
the
following events occur: the Druid catches
a
major disease which incapacitates him
for
longer than 1 week; the Druid fails a
system
shock roll; the Druid loses a point (or
more)
of Constitution
by any means; or the Druid
lives within a major city or town for
longer
than one-quarter of his adult life.
Sage ability
Due to the great amount of knowledge
gleaned in training, even a young Druid
has
a small chance at knowing the answer to
a
sage-like question, but only in the categories
of flora and fauna. The chance to know
the answer to a general question is a
base
10%, beginning at 2nd level and advancing
2% for every level thereafter through
8th
level. The chance for answering a specific
question is a base 5%, again beginning
at
2nd level and advancing 1% for every level
through 8th. At 9th through 11th levels,
the
Druid would know the answer to a question
as if the same question were put to a
Sage
out of his field. Above 11th level, the
chance
to know would be as if it were put to
a Sage
with flora or fauna as his minor category.
The usual limits and time requirements
that
apply to any Sage also apply to Druids,
if
they wish to use this aspect of their
abilities.
Loyalty of hirelings and henchmen
As explained earlier, Druids automatically
gain the loyalty bonuses for firm and
fair discipline and just and invariable
treatment. These bonuses raise the normal loyalty base to 70%. The Druid
does not incur
alignment-difference penalties to the
loyalty base, either. If there is any change in the
Druid’s alignment or treatment, an immediate
loyalty check must be made for all of the
Druid’s hirelings, ignoring the above
bonuses, but not any others gained since the
hiring.
Weapons
Blowgun
and blowgun darts: The blowgun
itself weighs 10-20 g.p., and each dart
weighs approximately ½ g.p. Each
dart is
capable of doing 1-2 points of damage
to an
opponent regardless of the opponent’s
size. The blowgun is 4-7 feet long, and
requires at least that much space to use. It
can be fired once per round. Blowgun has
no long range; medium is 3”-5”, short
range
is up to 3” (30 feet).
A scythe designed for use in
combat weighs 110-140 g.p. It is capable
of
doing 2-8 points of damage to a S or M-sized
opponent, 2-7 against opponents of L
size. The length of a scythe is approximately
5 feet, and a minimum of four feet of
space is required for its use.
Armor class adjustments
| Weapon | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Blowgun(dart) | +4 | +3 | +4 | +3 | +1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 |
| Scythe | +5 | +4 | +5 | +3 | +2 | 0 | -1 | -3 | -4 |
The Druid, when praying
for his daily
replenishment of spells, may not always
get
the spells he desires. Nature will answer
in
the following manner to a Druid’s prayers:
On a roll of 7-12 (on 2d6), Nature will respond by granting the appropriate spells;
on 4-6, Nature will respond but consider
each prayer again and choose only some
of
the prayers to grant; the Druid should
immediately ask for different specific spells as
the original ones will not be given; on
a roll
of 2-3, Nature will either choose not to
give
the Druid any spells, or give him a random
choice of spells.
Note that a worshipful
Druid will rarely not get the prayers
he supplicates for, but a Druid who spends too
much time in the dungeon at too high a
level
may fall into Nature’s disfavor. The DM
should give die modifiers for the above
score on this basis.
The Druid gains the knowledge of possible spells through studies with his mentor.
Miscellaneous
magic
Bag
of Beans: If a Druid is present and
casts a Hold plant spell using greater
mistletoe on the beans while they are being
planted, the growth of the beans is halted
for one round per level of the Druid that
casts the spell.
Bag
of Tricks: If a Druid possesses the
bag and casts an Animal summoning spell
on it before pulling out the animal, the
Druid
may name the animal that he wishes to
have, providing that the animal is within
the
possibilities for both the bag and the
spell.
Druid
in a dungeon? Why not?
By Tim Lasko
Player A: (to Player B, rolling up a
new
character): “Well, whaddya got there?”
Player B: “Um, let’s see, his best
is a
twelve Strength, a fifteen Wisdom,
and a
sixteen Charisma...”
Player A: “Hmm, not a bad Cleric
there, but— hey! He’d be a good Druid!”
Player B: “Naw, they’re only good in
the wilderness. . . ”
Before Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons™ was released, that conversation
must have been repeated at least a few
thousand times. In original D&D®,
the
Druid was one of the weakest subclasses,
by virtue of its sketchy background and limited spells. Granted that
the Druid wasn’t created for dungeon
adventuring, but he needn’t have been
a
“fish out of water” if he had to enter
one.
Many players could consider him a liability
and ignore the possible benefits of
playing a Druid.
Even in AD&D™, the Druid is primarily
a wilderness character class. However,
a
first-level AD&D Druid thrust immediately
into the wilderness has a nickname
—“dead meat.” In the Players Handbook,
it states that the Druid “serves to strengthen,
protect, and revitalize the party.”
Let him! If the Druid is to accompany
a
swarthy band of adventurers in order to
gain the needed experience, he must be
prepared to become a useful member,
rather than a do-nothing fungus-lover.
With a bit of forethought and planning,
the Druid can exploit many possibilities
in the dungeon, gaining the experience
he needs to survive elsewhere.
What? You can’t see how a Druid
could be useful? (Horror from author.)
Well then, let’s look at what the Druid
has to offer. A Druid has a better selection
of weaponry than any other spellcaster, a good combat table, eight-sided
hit dice, saving throw bonuses, and powerful
new spells. And if that isn’t enough,
the Druid’s inherent abilities at higher
levels are worth waiting for. As a starting
character, the Druid is not totally
without benefits, but his initial abilities
are not enough to get him through an
adventure.
Preparation is important to play a
Druid character properly: friends and
followers are to be found, weapons are
to be chosen, and mistletoe must be
gathered. Friendships and other relationships
based on awe, respect, or trust
should be easy for the Druid, with his
high Charisma. Many friends and allies
should be gathered for use as hirelings
and henchmen. The Druid’s obvious ability
with the powers of the elements and
nature should command awe or respect
in simple folk. People especially susceptible
to a Druid’s stature would be
barbarians, farmers (“...I’d cover the
tomatoes before that frost hits tonight...”,),
merchants, sailors (to an extent) and
woodland villagers. Enough allies of this
nature could help a Druid’s fellow adventurers
when passing through potentially
hostile areas or enable the party to find
a
safe pallet for the night with the mere
cost of a few spells and some of the
Druid’s knowledge.
The weapon choice of a Druid is also
important: If the front row falls, the
Druid
had better have a way of inflicting a
lot of
damage fast, lest he never see his woods
again. A Druid can only start with two
weapons and cannot gain another until
his sixth level. Among a Druid’s choices,
my favorite is the scimitar, basically
because of the damage it does; yet the
sling, spear, and staff shouldn’t be immediately
dismissed. The club is a good
all-purpose weapon, and the dagger is
good for hurling. But an interesting
choice (which may stretch a few points)
is the blowgun or dartgun, especially
effective if the dart tips are poisoned, this
being easy for the Druid with his knowledge
of herbs and saps. But playercharacter Druids should be careful when
using poisons, if they choose to do so
at
all, lest too much notoriety befall the
Druid.
But above all of the lesser preparation,
the most important necessity is the
Druid’s mistletoe. The Druid must gather
his own mistletoe! Borrowed and lesser
mistletoe can fail a Druid when he needs
it the most. The beginning Druid may
have to borrow from his mentor, but as
soon as he can, the character should
arrange to cut his own next Midsummer’s
Eve. Here the Druid should be prepared
to combat possible encounters, either
by gaining a few superstitious bodyguards,
or by traveling with a number of
Druids in a pilgrimage. Be prepared to
cut several times over the amount that
you will need (you’d be surprised how
often you’ll lose it) and to have what
you
don’t use, and your golden scythe as
well, protected from enemies, occasional
pranksters, and other whims of the Dungeon
Master.
In addition, the player should consider
the benefits of training a small
woodland creature such as a raccoon, a
muskrat or perhaps a skunk. The training
and gaining friendship of such a pet
would be easy with the Druid’s capabilities
of speech and befriending. Once
trained, the pet can be turned into a
valuable asset for the Druid. Although it is
not as functional as a Magic User’s familiar,
it can be useful. The animal can peer
about corners, fetch inaccessible weapons
and treasures, or act as a scout.
But in times of peril, the animal’s instinct
for survival might cause it to disobey
a
command which jeopardizes its safety.
A player should be careful not to send
it
out on dangerous missions to begin
with, lest he harm his friend.
Now that the player has accepted the
fact that his Druid will be forced to
spend
his early years out of his true element,
he
must be both ready to help the rest of
the
party while protecting his character’s
skin. Remember, The Great Druid might
not be the bravest of all, but merely
the
most cautious. If the amount of fighting
men in the party is unsatisfactory, the
player should use his Druid’s Charisma
to bolster the ranks. The bringing of
foodstuffs should be left to him as well,
since the Druid knows which will last
the
longest and be the most filling. Several
material components for clerical and
magical spells could be produced by the
Druid.
But most of all, the Druid’s best weapon,
his spells, should be chosen carefully. Should the party be lacking in
healers, a few Cure spells would be prudent.
Warp wood can be used both to
spring and seal doors. Faerie fire can
trace about invisible treasure, bothersome
leprechauns, and beshadowed
thieves. Heat metal, Produce flame, Trip,
and Obscurement all have their obvious
(and several not so obvious) advantages.
Several other spells can be put to good
use by the Druid. The best method of
choosing them is to be paranoid (“Okay,
the Magic-Users and the Clerics can
handle this, but what if that happens...?”).
The list is finite, but varied, and can
get a
party out of many inexplicable situations
without too much bother, even for
a Druid at low levels.
At higher levels, should the player not
yet feel ready to send his Druid out into
the wilderness, he will find the Druid
more versatile, but the rest of the party
will have advanced as well. Here also,
the relative effectiveness of the Druid’s
spells drops off as well. This is the
time
where the player should take his Druid
out of the dungeon and set him in the
wilderness to follow his true calling.
The
experience gained by his first adventures
in the dungeon will add up to one
heck of a character that will really be
useful in the wilderness. So play a Druid
even if he must initially be sent into
a
dungeon; with a little patience and planning,
it can really pay off.