OSE House Rules - Druid

Changes and extensions to the OSE Druid Class (Available in the OSE Advanced Fantasy Rules)
Back to Classes
Back to OSE House Rules

Basic Information

Requirements: None
Alignment: True Neutral (see below)
Hit Points at First Level: 6
Hit Dice: d6
Armour: Non-metal armors, wooden shields
Weapons: club, dagger, sling, spear, staff
Starting Languages: Common, Druidic (see below)
Bonus Language Choices: Any
Starting Funds: 3d6 x 10sp (minimum 60sp)
Starting Equipment: A spring of mistletoe (the holy symbol of all druids) and either a weapon, armor, or shield

Spellcasting: Druids use the Druid spell list
Magical Research: See the section on Magical Research for more information
Charm Immunity: Druids of 7th level or higher are immune to the charms of fey and sylvan creatures
Energy Resistance: Druids receive a +2 bonus to Saving Throws against electricity and fire
Identification: See below
Special Languages: See below
Pass without Trace: Druids of 3rd level can pass through natural environments without leaving tracks. They may also move through overgrown or other difficult terrain at normal speed (but are still subject to Encumbrance-related speed reductions)
Shape Change: See below

Druids are priests of nature, protecting the wild lands from the encroachment of "civilized" Law and the corrupting touch of Chaos. They venerate deities of nature or the elements and are blessed with special abilities and magical spells to carry out their roles as wardens of wilderness. Rulers tend to be mistrustful of Druids as the Druid's rigid adherence to balance may stand in the way of agriculture or expansion. Additionally, Druids can be fickle - they may aid the local lord in attacking the home of goblin raiders only to switch sides and join the goblins should they be in danger of being wiped out or may decide to bless crops so they grow in abundance only to reconsider and decide that, despite their ability to stave off a local famine with magic, they choose not to do so, seeing the resultant loss of life as nature's way of balancing the over-expansion of humanity.

True Neutral Alignment

• True Neutral is a special alignment and differs from the "Neutral" alignment discussed here
• The Neutral alignment may be better described as "unaligned" as it is really just the absence of being strongly aligned to Law or Chaos - but the True Neutral Alignment differs substantially from this
• True Neutral alignment is an "active" or even "militant" take on Neutrality. At its core, it represents divine-inspired or led attempts to prevent the goals of both Law and Chaos from coming to fruition
• The divine leaders that strive for this agenda include deities that represent raw nature or wilderness, the natural order, balance, universal concepts like music, love or sexuality, the elements and other fundamental concepts that stand outside the battle between Law and Chaos
• Like the other alignments, True Neutrality is defined by class, not by the character; there is no concept of "choosing a life of True Neutrality", it is something you are born with and choose to develop by following a deity that expounds these beliefs
• Many might say that they believe or even support the tenants of the True Neutral gods, but few are so committed that they are blessed with a portion of these gods' divine power. These few are the True Neutrals whereas others, even ardent supporters of these ideals, are merely Neutral in alignment

Identification
Druids are exceptionally knowledgeable about nature and can:

• Identify all mundane plants and animals (but not monstrous creatures) and their various aspects and traits
• Determine the potability of water and determine if food is safe to eat
• Always know which direction is North and cannot become lost in the wilderness except in extreme circumstances
• Predict the weather 24 hours in advance if they spent the entirety of the current day outdoors

Special Languages

• Druids begin play knowing how to speak Druidic, the secret language known only to Druids
• Druids are prohibited from teaching this language to any non-Druid
• At 2nd level, Druids learn the Sylvan language if they do not already know it
• At every level after 2nd level, Druids learn a new language (see: Languages)
• Once a Druid learns all languages, they may learn the Speech of Beasts. This language allows the Druid to communicate with normal Animals (but not monsters). Such communication is related to the simplest of concepts and is dependent upon the intellectual capacity and memory of the animal
• Once the Druid learns the Speech of Beasts, they may learn the Speech of Leaf and Bough. This language allows the druid to communicate with plants. Such communication is exceptionally limited but can convey an outline of events in the plant's vicinity in the last 24 hours or so

Shape Change

• At 7th level, the Druid gains the power to change into the form of a normal reptile, bird and mammal each day (once per day each)
• The animal may be of any size between a mouse and up to about twice the size of the Druid's human form
• For most intents and purposes, the Druid is an animal of the chosen type (except as noted below) and is no longer a Druid or even a human for the effects of spells. A Charm Snakes spell could affect a Druid in snake form, for example
• If the Druid has lost hit points when they transform, they recover 1d4 hit points per level as they gain their new form
• All equipment carried by the Druid is absorbed into the animal form and is re-worn or re-carried by the Druid when they revert to normal form. The Druid does not benefit from magic items subsumed into its form
• The Druid may remain in his chosen form indefinitely
• This power resets at dawn each day
• The Druid obtains the outward shape of the chosen form and any mechanism of motion or breathing enabled by the form. They also obtain the AC, to-hit bonuses, attacks and other mechanical aspects of the chosen form
• The Druid maintains their mental faculties and Hit Points while in the chosen form
• The Druid is limited to the communication forms of the chosen animal and cannot speak
• The Druid cannot cast spells while in this form or take any other action prohibited to the chosen form
• If the Druid is subjected to magical effects (spells or the like) before being transformed, those effects continue in the new form
• Changing into the new form is sufficiently taxing that it breaks the Druids concentration on any spell that requires concentration to be sustained
• Many magic items do not function for the new form even if the form could wear or utilize the item (a monkey might wear a magic ring, but the ring is inert when worn by a monkey). If uncertain whether or not a druid in animal form can make use of a magic item, ask the Referee

Advancement
When you have gained enough experience to increase your level, do the following:

• Roll the number of Hit Dice per the table below, apply your PHYS modifier (if any) to each die rolled and compare the total to your current hit points. If your current hit points are less than the total, set your hit points to this new total. If your current hit points are equal to or more than the total you rolled, add 1 to your existing hit points.
• The Referee will also roll one die matching your hit die. You may use this roll in place of one of your rolls if desired.
• Roll to determine if any of your Ability Scores increase

Stronghold

• Druids do not build strongholds, at least not of the traditional type
• At 9th level, a Druid may select some suitably above-ground, outdoor, wild and protected natural location (a forest is typical but a bracken-covered hillside or the like will also work) as their Sacred Grove
• The Druid is free to cast Plant Growth or other spells in the area in preparation of creating the Sacred Grove
• The Druid must spend one complete cycle of the moon (or a similar time period of about 30 days) within this area, shaping it to their liking. If the Druid should leave this location for any reason, the process ends and must be started anew
• It is possible for this location to contain a cave, though the center of the grove must be placed under the open sky
• Once this process is complete, the Sacred Grove is established, and provides the following benefits:
  • Plants within 50ft of the center of the Sacred Grove will thicken and grow denser to form a protected region around and within the grove according to the wishes of the Druid, including knitting boughs and branches together to form canopies to protect from the rain, form dense areas to create walls and screens and the like
  • These plants will be typical for the region selected - cacti in the desert, hardwoods in temperate climes, evergreens in more northern areas, fungi within caves and so on
  • The Grove and all plants within are impervious to disease and destruction by normal weather and natural phenomenon (even tornadoes or dust storms). They are strongly resistant to fire but are not wholly immune to its effects
  • A small spring of cool, clean water is formed at a location of the Druid's choosing. This spring is of sufficient flow to create a stream of about 2 feet wide. This stream flows downhill from its creation point and obeys all natural laws once formed. As long as the Sacred Grove remains, the spring will continue to supply this water
  • Assuming the Druid took this into consideration, the plants will provide adequate shelter from the elements (chiefly rain and snow) wherever canopies were formed
  • Dangerous or undesirable normal animals of all kinds (poisonous snakes, predators, dangerous insects, pests, scavengers) will not enter the Sacred Grove unless knowingly brought in by the Druid
  • The plants within and on the boarder of the grove are semi-aware and will attempt to entangle (per the spell) trespassing monsters, visitors and the like. The Druid can free any such unfortunates or suppress this effect with a word if desired
  • Within this area, the druid may cause any growing thing to emit light indefinitely. This effect is similar to a faerie fire spell in terms of brightness or appearance. The Druid may end this effect on a per-plant basis with a word
  • While within the Sacred Grove, the Druid cannot be surprised
• There are several restrictions placed on the Sacred Grove:
  • The Grove does not provide any special control of temperature. While the plants in the area can provide shade and a block from wind, the Druid must see that areas of the Grove are kept at habitable temperatures
  • The Druid must spend 24 continuous hours in the Grove once each season (or 24 hours approximately every 90 days in non-seasonal areas) or the Grove will lose all magical properties and revert back to its natural state and arrangement as it was before the Druid's influence
  • The Druid is free to improve the area within the Grove via construction, but all such construction must use natural materials like wood, stone and like (but not fired clay, metals - even nails! or other manufactured materials). These raw materials can be shaped by magic or with tools if desired
  • The Druid must not work metal within the Grove (e.g. establish a forge) nor permit worked metal items more complex than metal-tipped weapons, buckles, horseshoes or the like from remaining in the Grove for more than 24 hours. The plants within the Grove will shun worked metal components and might move them outside the grove of their own volition if possible. If the plants are unable to protect the Grove in this way (e.g. the Druid permits an armor-wearing character to remain in the Grove and commands the plants therein to not molest the character), the Grove will be poisoned and will cease to be a Sacred Grove
  • The Druid must not wantonly destroy their Sacred Grove nor willingly permit it to be destroyed by others
  • The Druid may have only one Sacred Grove at a time. If the Druid wishes to establish a new Grove (perhaps in a 'better' location), the Druid must spend 30 continuous days and night in the old Grove, returning it to its natural state before beginning the creation of the new Grove

Experience and Level Table

* Modifiers from PHYS no longer apply