Druids

Ability Requirements:	Wisdom 12
	Charisma 15
Prime Requisite:	Wisdom, Charisma
Allowed Races:	Human, half-elf

The druids of history lived among the Germanic tribes of Western Europe and Britain during the days of the Roman Empire. They acted as advisors to tribal chieftains. They believed the earth was the mother of all things, and they revered it, the sun, the moon, and certain trees as deities.

Druids in the AD&D game are nature priests, protecting pristine woodlands from the depredations of monsters and civilization. They are only loosely based on their historical namesakes.

A druid is allowed to wear only leather armor and use only wooden shields—natural materials. A druid may use only the following weapons: club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling, and staff.

A druid’s standard selection of spells includes major access to the spheres of all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, and weather, and minor access to divination. A druid can use magical items allowed to priests, except for books and scrolls.

A druid has 100 character points to purchase skills. Skills costs 5 to 15 points. Any unspent points can be used to acquire nonweapon proficiencies or saved for use during the game.

Access to spheres: The standard druid selection (see above) costs 60 character points. Or, the druid can purchase spheres individually just as clerics do (see page 57).

Bonus spell (5): Once per day the druid can cast an animal friendship spell. This is a bonus spell and does not count against the druid’s spell total for the day.

Cold resistance (5): +2 saving throw bonus vs. cold- or ice-based attacks.

Communicate with creatures (10): A druid can acquire the languages of woodland creatures, at the rate of one language per level. For example, a fourth level druid could have four such languages. Some woodland creatures include: centaurs, dryads, elves, fauns, satyrs, gnomes, dragons, lizard men, manticores, nixies, pixies, sprites, and treants.

Elemental spell bonus (5): When the druid casts spells from the elemental sphere, all level-based variables (range, duration, etc.) are calculated as if the druid were one experience level higher than the character’s actual level.

Hit point bonus (10): Druids with this ability use 1d10 to determine their hit points rather than 1d8.

Identify (5): At 3rd level, a druid can accurately identify plants, animals, and clean water.

Immunity to charm (5/10): According to the Player’s Handbook, at 7th level a druid becomes immune to charm spells cast by woodland creatures. However, by purchasing this ability for 10 points, a Player’s Option druid gains this immunity immediately.

Immunity to disease (10): A druid with this ability is immune to natural diseases.

Pass without trace (5): At 3rd level, a druid with this ability can pass without trace, as per the spell, at his normal movement rate.

Purify water (5): This ability allows the character to cast one purify food and drink spell a day in addition to the number of spells he can normally cast.

Fire/Electrical Resistance (5): a +2 bonus to all saving throws vs. fire and electrical attacks.

Hide in Shadows (5): A druid can hide in shadows, as the ranger ability, in natural surroundings. See Table 22 in the ranger section for the chance of success.

Move silently (5): A druid can move silently, as the ranger ability, in natural surroundings. See Table 22 in the ranger section for the chance of success.

Secret language (5): Druids can speak a secret language only they know, and they use it to converse with each other.

Shapechange (10/15): According to the Player’s Handbook at 7th level a druid gains the ability to shapechange. However, by purchasing this skill for 15 character points, a Player’s Option druid gains the following shapechanging abilities:

At 5th level, a druid can change into a bird once a day.

At 6th level, he can also change into a reptile once a day.

By 7th level a druid can also change into a mammal.

The size and shape assumed by the druid can vary from that of a bullfrog or small bird to that of a black bear. The druid can assume the forms of normal creatures only. When assuming a new form, a druid is healed of 10–60% of any damage he has suffered (round down). The druid also assumes the creature’s physical characteristics (armor class, movement mode and rate, etc.). The druid’s clothing and one item held in each hand also become part of his new shape—these reappear when the druid resumes his bipedal form.

Weapon specialization (15): This druid can specialize in a particular weapon. The character point cost must be met in addition.

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