Gray Druid

The rare gray druids inhabit and tend the shadowy realms of the hidden life that exists without sunlight--fungi, molds, and slimes--and the nocturnal creatures that dwell in lightless, subterranean realms. Gray druids are more closely associated with the earth than with other elements of Nature. While many of them live in underground caves or ruins (especially in the Underdark), they are found any place fungal life grows abundantly, either above or below ground.

Gray druids tend to oppose dungeon delvers, especially dwarves, who they believe defile and exploit the underground environment. They have very good relations with deep gnomes and passable relations with drow, who they feel show more appreciation of the beauty of the Underdark than most dwarves or men.

But the gray druids don't always oppose surface dwellers. Suppose a maze of caverns has developed a complex ecology: fungi, slimes, rust monsters, subterranean lizards, purple worms, and so on. Then an evil wizard and his ogres move in and begin "clearing" the caverns, destroying the monsters in preparation to establish an underground stronghold. In this situation, the gray druid Rybna (pictured on p. 11) might recruit a party of adventurers--not to loot the caverns (though the PCs may take the wizard's treasure) but to defeat the wizard's forces--and in so doing, save the local ecology from destruction.

Minimum Ability Scores: Wisdom 12, Charisma 15.

Races Allowed: Human, half-elf (drow).

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

Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended--dart, scimitar.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required-- (general) direction sense; (priest) herbalism; (warrior) blind-fighting. Recommended-- (general) animal training, fishing; (priest) ancient history, healing.

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

Granted Powers: A gray druid like Rybna has the following granted powers:

· Identifies with perfect accuracy pure water, fungi, subterranean animals, and all slimes, puddings, jellies and molds (including monster types) at 3rd level.

· Learns the languages of subterranean creatures (orcs, goblins, troglodytes, xorn, etc.), gaining one extra proficiency slot every three levels (at 3rd, 6th, etc.) for this purpose.

· Controls fungi, jellies, molds, oozes, puddings, and slimes (nonintelligent or of animal Intelligence) at 7th level. The druid can use this power once per day to control 1 Hit Die of creatures per level. It affects only a 30-yard radius around the druid. For instance, Rybna, a 10th-level druid, could control two 5 HD slimes or one 10 HD pudding. The creatures receive no saving throw, but remain controlled only as long as they stay within 30 yards of the druid. An uncontrolled creature reverts to its normal behavior patterns. A gray druid like Rybna will not send a controlled monster to its death unless by doing so she can protect the subterranean ecology. This power does not animate a stationary entity or grant it any new abilities. (Rybna could command a shrieker to shriek or be silent or move, but not to sing or speak.) Control lasts for one turn per level of the druid.

· Shapechanges into a normal reptile, a normal mammal, or a nonpoisonous giant spider at 7th level; the druid can assume each form once per day. The druid can change only into a reptile or mammal that dwells underground, such as a mole, badger, tunnel snake, etc. The ability is otherwise identical to druidic shapechanging in the PH.

Special Limitation: Gray druid Animal sphere spells affect only animals native to subterranean environments. So, Rybna could cast animal friendship on a rat, a huge spider, or a badger, but not on a wolf or horse.

A gray druid has a -2 penalty on saving throws against spells creating bright light, such as continual light.

Due to long enmity, dwarves react to gray druids at -2. (The reverse is also true.)

Holy Symbol and Grove: Gray druids use a puffball mushroom grown and harvested in complete darkness as their holy symbol. They usually take part of an underground cavern--a thriving subterranean ecosystem--for a grove.

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