Desert Druid

The deserts prove as inhospitable to most normal plant and animal life as the arctic regions. However, deserts remain vital to the worldwide order of druids.

Desert druids such as Otaq (pictured on p. 11) are either members of native nomad tribes or hermits who have moved to the desert to escape civilization. Valued for their abilities to heal sick animals (and people) and to find or create pure water, they normally remain on good terms with desert nomads. Although desert druids revere all the flora and fauna of a desert, from cacti and scorpions to vultures and camels, they most fiercely protect the few fertile oases, which house their sacred groves.

Desert druids also may reside in semidesert areas, hot scrub lands, and chaparral. Unless a DM sets a campaign in actual desert land, this branch best suits an NPC the party may encounter traveling through the wastes. Many desert druids live as hermits, not fond of disturbances, and can be short tempered or downright eccentric. However, no one can top their knowledge of their own desert area. If a party seeks something in the trackless wastes or finds itself lost, facing a sandstorm, or running out of food or water, a chance encounter with a desert druid like Otaq may spell salvation.

Minimum Ability Scores: Wisdom 12, Constitution 12, Charisma 15.

Races Allowed: Human.

Armor and Weapons Permitted: Leather armor, wooden shield; club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, khopesh, scimitar, sling, short bow, staff.

Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended-- scimitar, short bow, staff.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required-- (general) direction sense, weather sense; (warrior) survival (desert). Recommended-- (general) riding (land-based); (priest) healing, local history; (warrior) endurance, tracking.

Spheres of Influence: All, Animal, Divination*, Elemental (air, earth, fire), Elemental* (water), Healing, Plant*, Weather.

Granted Powers: A desert druid like Otaq has the following granted powers:

· Receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws vs. fire or electrical attacks.

· Goes without water for one day per level without suffering thirst. Regaining use of this power requires the druid to have resumed a normal intake of water for a time equal to the days of deprivation.

· Learns the languages of desert-dwelling intelligent creatures (brass dragons, dragonnes, lamias, thri-kreen, etc.), gaining one extra proficiency slot for this purpose every three levels (at 3rd, 6th, etc.).

· Infallibly identifies desert plants and animals and pure water at 3rd level.

· Sees through nonmagical mirages at 3rd level and gains a +4 on any roll to save against illusions cast within a desert.

· Crosses sands and dunes on foot without leaving a trail and at full movement rate at 3rd level.

· Senses the distance, direction, and size of the nearest natural water source (well, spring, oasis, sea, etc.) if one lies within 1 mile per level. This power, gained at 3rd level, is usable once per day.

· Shapechanges up to three times per day at 7th level, once each into a normal mammal, reptile, and bird. The druid can shapechange only into animals whose natural habitat is the desert. Common desert-dwelling animals include camels, eagles, hawks, lizards, mice, rats, snakes, and vultures. Otherwise, this power functions identically to that described in the PH, p. 37.

Special Limitation: None.

Holy Symbol and Grove: A desert druid's grove normally lies within a beautiful oasis in the deep desert. Branch members use as their holy symbol a vial of water from a sacred oasis, filled under a full moon.

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