How to: Druid Abilities

How to: Druid Abilities

In this post I will describe ways to convert druid class abilities from D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder RPG to GURPS. The Nature, -20% power modifier is actually very limiting (perhaps even underpriced), so when a player considers playing a druid you should remind him/her of the implications. Consider using the Druidic, -10% power modifier from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers, if you think that the former is too limiting. GURPS druids end up being very different from the D&D/PF druids, as they aren't divine spellcasters, but nature spellcasters. But I like them better that way.

Druidic Spellcasting: I've already written up a conversion that I am content with.

- Use Druidic Magic as the system.

- Weak Latency (Nature) perk exists, and nature spellcasters are able to combine their powers as per Combining Powers (GURPS Powers, pp. 170-172). Nature spellcasters require a full minute of ritual movements and concentration to link up, but they get to roll against the higher of IQ and Religious Ritual (Druidic) to do so.

- When rolling a critical failure on a casting roll, use the “Celtic” Table (GURPS Thaumatology, p. 256).

Druidic Circle: The rules detailed above describe the most common druidic tradition with no specialization on a particular aspect of nature, but changing the scope limitation of Sorcerous Empowerment can make the druid more specialized and can represent his affiliation with a particular druidic circle or tradition. The following example circles are the most well known, lesser ones may exist as well.

Magical Rank (Druidic Circle) (GURPS Social Engineering, p. 15), Patron, Duty, and similar social traits are common among the druids.

Circle of the Cave

Far from the green fields of the world above lies a lightless expanse beneath the surface. This darkling fairyland is not without beauty and natural wonders of its own, and a few druids seek to preserve this hidden realm and purge it of the fell horrors that creep up from below.

Scope Limitation (-10%): animal spells, fungus spells, earth spells, water spells.

Circle of the Land

The Circle of the Land is made up of sages who safeguard ancient knowledge and rites through a vast oral tradition. These druids meet within sacred circles of trees or standing stones to whisper primal secrets in Druidic. The circle’s wisest members preside as the chief priests of communities that hold to the nature worship and serve as advisors to the rulers of those folk. 

Scope Limitation (-20%): earth spells, plant spells, weather spells.

Circle of the Moon

Druids of the Circle of the Moon are fierce guardians of the wilds. Their order gathers under the full moon to share news and trade warnings. They haunt the deepest parts of the wilderness, where they might go for weeks on end before crossing paths with another humanoid creature, let alone another druid. Changeable as the moon, a druid of this circle might prowl as a great cat one night, soar over the treetops as an eagle the next day, and crash through the undergrowth in bear form to drive off a trespassing monster. The wild is in the druid’s blood.

Scope Limitation (-40%): animal spells.

Circle of the Seasons

Druids of the Circle of the Seasons help communities raise crops if they do not harm the nature and do not endanger the wilderness, keeping civilization contained. In their communities, they gaze upon the stars, the sun, and the moon, trying to divine auspicious dates or predict catastrophes. Such celestial events as equinoxes, solstices, and eclipses are very important to the druids of this circle.

Scope Limitation (-30%): plant spells, weather spells.

Circle of the Stars

An ancient lineage, the Circle of Stars allows druids to draw on the power of starlight. These druids have tracked heavenly patterns since time immemorial, discovering secrets hidden amid the constellations. By revealing and understanding these secrets, the Circle of the Stars seeks to harness the powers of the cosmos. Many druids of this circle keep detailed records of the stars and their effects on the world. Some groups document these observations at megalithic sites, which serve as enigmatic libraries of lore. These repositories might take the form of stone circles, pyramids, petroglyphs, and underground temples—any construction durable enough to protect the circle's sacred knowledge even against a great cataclysm.

Scope Limitation (-10%): earth spells, knowledge spells, light and darkness spells, weather spells.

Circle of Wildfire

Druids who are members of the Circle of Wildfire understand the necessity of destruction, such as how a forest fire promotes growth. These druids embrace their destructive tendencies, allowing them to use their power to create controlled flames that help flora and fauna reproduce and grow.

Scope Limitation (-30%): fire spells, plant spells.

Druidic Language: Almost all druids know their secret Druidic language that they use when communicating with each other or leaving cryptic messages in the wilderness. Druids refuse to teach this language to non-druids (Vow (Never teach Druidic to non-druids) [-1] is almost a mandatory quirk).

Animal Companion [8]

The druid is constantly accompanied by an animal built on 50% of the druid's point total. The animal companion is not a supernatural minion - it has no obligation to obey all commands of its master and will run away or even attack if treated badly.

Statistics: Ally (Animal Companion; Built on 50%; Constantly) [8]. Notes: This is a very mutable ability. Consider increasing or decreasing the point total of the ally or, perhaps, making it not a mundane animal, but a supernatural totemic animal (see GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies, pp. 5-11 for examples).

Nature Sense: This is just Outdoorsman [10/level] (p. B91) with no power modifier.

Wild Empathy: This is just Animal Empathy [5] (p. B40) with no power modifier.

Woodland Stride [4]

The druid may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) without suffering Move or DX penalties, taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.

Statistics: Terrain Adaptation (Undergrowth; Nature, -20%) [4].

Trackless Step [9]

The druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings. Tracking rolls to follow the druid automatically fail unless they rely on something more than sight; thus, a human tracker would be baffled, but bloodhounds would suffer no penalty at all. The druid can also walk over fragile natural surfaces without falling through. Maximum Move under such circumstances is 1/3 normal (GM’s decision). The druid may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Statistics: Unusual Training (Light Walk, no Stealth bonus) [1] + Light Walk (H) DX [4] modified with Cosmic, No die roll required, +100% and Nature, -20% for a final cost of 9 points. Notes: There is no need for anything like Environmental, Natural surroundings, -10% - the power modifier already makes the ability weaker in non-natural settings. A minor version of this ability appears in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups as Friendly Undergrowth [1] on page 25.

Resist Nature's Lure [3]

The druid gains a +3 bonus to HT and Will for the purpose of resisting supernatural abilities of fey.

Statistics: Resistant to Fey Abilities (+3) [3].

Wild Shape: This is the signature ability of the druid class. There are two ways of building it. First, if the druid can only assume specific forms, take Alternate Form (Animal, plant, or elemental; Nature, -20%) [12 + 90% of the point value difference]. Such enhancements as Reduced Time, +20%/level are appropriate too. Remember to remove mental disadvantages of the animal form. Also, adding Speak With Animals with the Specialized limitation to the animal form is useful (and that's an ability that D&D druids have). Also, remember that you only pay full cost for the most expensive form - all the other forms will cost 12 points (or more, if you have extra enhancements). Speak With Plants and Spirit Empathy shouldn't be added though. Taking Wild Shape as an alternative ability to druidic spellcasting is a good way to save points too (you probably cannot cast spells in animal form anyway). The second way of representing this ability is simply with the following three spells: Beast Shape, Elemental Body, and Plant Shape. Removing Reduced Time 4, +80% reduces their cost by 80. Strongly consider doing that. Replacing Sorcery, -15% with Nature, -20% and Costs Fatigue, 1 FP, -5% cuts it down by an extra 10 points. Adding one of Requires Gestures, -10% or Requires Magic Words, -10% does the same. Adding both, obviously, doubles the effect.

Venom Immunity [12]

The druid gains immunity to all poisons.

Statistics: Immunity to Poison (Nature, -20%) [12].

A Thousand Faces [16]

The druid can alter their skin and facial features to duplicate those of another member of their race or a very similar race. This takes 10 seconds, and requires a Disguise roll if the druid is trying to duplicate a particular individual. Return to the original form takes three seconds. This ability gives +4 to all Disguise rolls.

Statistics: Elastic Skin (Nature, -20%) [16].

Timeless Body [12]

The druid stop aging and cannot be aged by supernatural means.

Statistics: Unaging (Nature, -20%) [12].

Home Ground [163 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level]

The druid knows every tree, every deer, every blade of grass, and every scuttling beetle of her home. The druid selects a specific area relevant to the campaign, such as a prominent forest, mountain, or even a patch of sea and becomes attuned to it.

The druid can displace their sight and hearing to any point within range - or encompass everything within the area - as a free action. 

To use this ability, the druid picks the desired viewpoint (which can be inside something) and its facing, and then makes an IQ roll.

On a success, the druid can use their ranged senses as if they were physically present at the viewpoint. When watching everything, apply the area’s SM as a penalty to Per (in addition to normal range penalties, if any).

The druid's vision ignores darkness penalties completely. They cannot see through solid objects, but if their viewpoint were inside (for example) a closed chest, they would see what was inside despite the lack of light. If they are using or subjected to range-dependent abilities (e.g., spells), calculate all ranges from the body, not the viewpoint.

On failure by 1, the sight goes to some other viewpoint of the GM’s choosing. On any greater failure, nothing happens at all. Critical failure cripples this ability for 1d hours.

The default radius of this ability is just 10 yards, but each additional level increases it, using the 2-5-10 progression (10 yards for level 1, 20 yards for level 2, 50 yards for level 3, 100 yards for level 4, 200 yards for level 5, and so on).

Statistics: Clairsentience (Accessibility, Only the domain, -50%; Area Perception, +300%; Fixed Range, -5%; Nature, -20%) [163]. Each additional level adds a level of Increased Range (+10%) [+5].