Druid
The fury of a storm, the gentle strength of the morning sun, the cunning of the fox, the power of the bear - all these and more are at the druid's command. The druid however, claims no mastery over nature. That claim, she says, is the empty boast of a city dweller. The druid gains her power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. To trespassers in a druid's sacred grove, to those who feel the druid's wrath, the distinction is overly fine.
Adventures: Druids adventure to gain knowledge, especially of animals and plants unfamiliar to them, and power. Sometimes, their superiors call on their services. Druids may also bring their power to bear against those who threaten what they love, which more often includes ancient stands of trees or trackless mountains than people. While druids accept that which is horrific or cruel in nature, they hate that which is unnatural, including aberrations (such as beholders and carrion crawlers) and undead (such as zombies and vampires). They sometimes lead raids against such creatures, especially when the creatures encroach on the druids' territory
Characteristics: Druids cast divine spells much the same way clerics do, though they get their spells from the power of nature, nor from gods. Their spells are oriented toward nature and animals. In addition to spells, druids gain an increasing array of magical powers as they gain experience, including the ability to take the shapes of animals.
The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted by traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid could learn to use a two-handed sword, but using it would violate the druid's oath and suppress her druidic powers.
Druids avoid carrying much worked metal with them because it interferes with the pure and primal nature that they attempt to embody
Alignment: Druids, in keeping with nature's ultimate indifference, must maintain at least some measure of dispassion. As such, they must be neutral in some way, if not true neutral. Just as nature encompasses dichotomies of life and death, beauty and horror, peace and violence, so two druids can manifest different or even opposite alignments (neutral good and neutral evil, for instance) and still be part of the druidic tradition.
Religion: Druids revere nature and gain their magical power from the forces of nature itself or from a nature deity They usually pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity Still, some of them revere or at least respect either Obad-Hai, god of nature, or Ehlonna, goddess of the woodlands.
Background: Though their organization is invisible to most outsiders, who consider druids to be loners, druids are part of a society that spans the land, ignoring political borders. A prospective druid is inducted into this society through secret rituals, including tests that not all survive. Only after achieving some level of competence is the druid allowed to strike out on her own.
All druids are nominally members of the druidic society though some are so isolated that they have never seen high-ranking members or participated in druidic gatherings. Still, all druids recognize each other as brothers and sisters. Like true creatures of the wilderness, however, druids sometimes compete with or even prey on each other.
A druid maybe expected to perform services for higher-ranking druids, though proper payment is expected for these assignments. Likewise, a lower-ranking druid may appeal for aid from her higher-ranking brethren, for a fair price in coin or service.
Druids may live in small towns but always spend a good portion of their time in wild areas. Even large cities otherwise surrounded by cultivated land as far as the eye can see often have druid groves nearby - small, wild refuges where druids live and which they protect fiercely Near coastal cities, the refuge is often a nearby island, where the druids can find the isolation they need.
Races: Elves and gnomes have an affinity for natural lands and are commonly druids. Humans and half-elves are also frequently druids, and druids are particularly common among savage humans. Dwarves, halflings, and half-orcs are rarely druids.
Few from among the brutal humanoids are inducted into druidic society except that gnolls have a fair contingent of evil druids among them. Gnoll druids are accepted by druids of other races, if not welcomed.
Other Classes: Druids share with rangers and many barbarians a reverence for nature and a familiarity with natural lands. Druids dislike the paladin's devotion to abstract ideals instead of "the real world," they don't much understand the urban ways typical of a rogue, and they find arcane magic to be disruptive and slightly distasteful. Druids, however, are nothing if not accepting of diversity, and they take little offense at others, even those very different from them.
Role: The druid enjoys extraordinary versatility. Though she lacks the sheer healing power of the cleric, she makes up for it with additional offensive power, thanks to her spell selection and wild shape ability. A druid backed up by another secondary healer (such as a paladin) can prove extremely valuable to a group of adventurers. Her animal companion also provides valuable melee combat support.
Druids have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a druid can cast, how many spells she can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. To cast a spell, a druid must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level. A druid gets bonus spells based on Wisdom. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a druid's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the druid's Wisdom modifier.
Since a druid wears only light or medium armor, a high Dexterity score greatly improves her defensive ability.
Alignment: Neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The druid's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, and Swim.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the druid.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Druids are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape (see below). Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. (A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. See ironwood spell.) Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.
A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.
Spells: A druid casts divine spells (the same type of spells available to the cleric, paladin, and ranger), which are drawn from the druid spell list. Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells, below. A druid must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below).
To prepare or cast a spell, the druid must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Wis 10 for 0-level spells, Wis 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a druid's spell is 10 + the spell level + the druid's Wisdom modifier. See druid spell list.
Like other spellcasters, a druid can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given below. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). She does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
A druid prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to cast a cure spell in its place (but see Spontaneous Casting, below). A druid may prepare and cast any spell on the druid spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Spontaneous Casting: A druid can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn't prepared ahead of time. She can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature's ally spell of the same level or lower. For example, a druid who has prepared repel vermin (a 4th-level spell) may lose repel vermin in order to cast summon nature's ally IV (also a 4th-level spell).
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A druid can't cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity's (if she has one). For example, a neutral good druid cannot cast evil spells. Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Bonus Languages: A druid's bonus language options include Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race (see Race and Languages and the Speak Language skill).
A druid also knows Druidic, a secret language known only to druids, which she learns upon becoming a 1st-level druid. Druidic is a free language for a druid; that is, she knows it in addition to her regular allotment of languages and it doesn't take up a language slot. Druids are forbidden to teach this language to nondruids. Druidic has its own alphabet.
Animal Companion (Ex): A druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the DM's campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the DM may add the following creatures to the druid's list of options: crocodile, porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.
A 1st-level druid's companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted in the Animal Companion. As a druid advances in level, the animal's power increases as shown on the table in the sidebar.
If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.
A druid of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals (see the Animal Companion). Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character's druid level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character's druid level and compare the result with the druid level entry on the table in the sidebar to determine the animal companion's powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the druid's effective level to 0 or lower, she can't have that animal as a companion.) For example, a 6th-level druid could select a leopard as an animal companion. The leopard would have characteristics and special abilities as if the druid were 3rd level (taking into account the -3 adjustment) instead of 6th level.
Nature Sense (Ex): A druid gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A druid can use body language, vocalizations, and demeanor to improve the attitude of an animal (such as a bear or a monitor lizard). This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person (see Diplomacy). The druid rolls 1d20 and adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the druid and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (such as a basilisk or a girallon), but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a druid may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.
Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a druid leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
Resist Nature's Lure (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey (such as dryads, pixies, and sprites).
Wild Shape (Su): At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type (see the Creature Types). This ability functions like the alternate form special ability spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.
Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.
The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with. For example, a druid who has never been outside a temperate forest could not become a polar bear.
A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)
A druid can use this ability more times per day at 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as noted on the table: The Druid. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal at 11th level, and a Huge animal at 15th level. The new form's Hit Dice can't exceed the character's druid level. For instance, a druid can't take the form of a dire bear (a Large creature that always has at least 12 HD) until 12th level, even though she can begin taking Large forms at 8th level.
At 12th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a plant creature, such as a shambling mound, with the same size restrictions as for animal forms. (A druid can't use this ability to take the form of a plant that isn't a creature, such as a tree or a rose bush.)
At 16th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) once per day. These elemental forms are in addition to her normal wild shape usage. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, the druid gains all the elemental's extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. She also gains the elemental's feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type (humanoid, in most cases).
At 18th level, a druid becomes able to assume elemental form twice per day, and at 20th level she can do so three times per day. At 20th level, a druid may use this wild shape ability to change into a Huge elemental.
Venom Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, a druid gains immunity to all poisons.
A Thousand Faces (Su): At 13th level, a druid gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell, but only while in her normal form. This affects the druid's body but not her possessions. It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the druid's appearance, within the limits described for the spell.
Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 15th level, a druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging (see Aging Effects) and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.
Ex-Druids
A druid who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a non-druid loses all spells and druid abilities (including her animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a druid until she atones (see the atonement spell description).
| The Druid | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||
| 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | ||||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Animal companion, nature sense, wild empathy | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Woodland stride | 4 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Trackless step | 4 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Resist nature's lure | 5 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Wild shape (1/day) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Wild shape (2/day) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Wild shape (3/day) | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Wild shape (Large) | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Venom immunity | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Wild shape (4/day) | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Wild shape (Tiny) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | -- |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Wild shape (plant) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | A thousand faces | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Wild shape (5/day) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Timeless body, wild shape (Huge) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Wild shape (elemental 1/day) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Wild shape (6/day, elemental 2/day) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Wild shape (elemental 3/day, Huge elemental) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Druid Spells
- Druid Spells - Orisons
- Druid Spells - Level 1
- Druid Spells - Level 2
- Druid Spells - Level 3
- Druid Spells - Level 4
- Druid Spells - Level 5
- Druid Spells - Level 6
- Druid Spells - Level 7
- Druid Spells - Level 8
- Druid Spells - Level 9
Druids in the Realms
Like clerics, the druids of Faerûn receive their spells from a particular patron deity, always a deity of nature or animals. However, druids do not necessarily see a clear division between nature and the divine forces that run through nature. While many people think only of forests when they think of druids, druids care also for the mountains, deserts, lakes, and even the swamps of Faerûn.
Nature deities include Chauntea, Eldath, Gwaeron Windstrom, Lurue, Malar, Mielikki, Nobanion, Shiallia, Silvanus, Talos, Ubtao, Ulutiu, Umberlee, Anhur, Isis, Osiris, Sebek, Set, Thard Harr, Aerdrie Faenya, Angharradh, Deep Sashelas, Rillifane Rallathil, Baer-van Wildwanderer, Segojan Earthcaller, and Cyrrollalee.
Mielikki, who is famous for the number of druid/rangers who worship her, has more lenient spiritual oaths than most deities that druids worship in the Realms. Druids of Mielikki can use any of the standard armor or weapons that rangers normally use (all simple and martial weapons, all light and medium armor, and all shields) without violating their spiritual oaths.
Preferred Character Regions: Lands where druids hold sway include Aglarond, the Chondalwood, Chult, the Great Dale, the High Forest, the Moonshaes, the North, the Vast, the Vilhon Reach, and the Western Heartlands. Moon elves, sun elves, wild elves, wood elves, ghostwise halflings, and lightfoot halflings commonly produce adventuring druids, too.
Druid Circles
In places where the veneration of wild nature (particularly forests) is threatened, druids abide, working to purge living things of disease, to protect their breeding and feeding, and to slow or halt woodcutting, burning, and the growth of roads. Druids often meet or dwell in clearings, and from that custom has come the name and habit of working together in circles.
Druid circles can, even be found in Waterdeep and other large cities, meeting in temples, parks, or in cellars if they can find one that has running water or a natural spring-fed pond or pool, or an earthen floor, or both. Some circles very seldom ever gather all in one place, but communicate by magic or by means of one or more members who travel extensively, serving as go-betweens to their fellows.
The concept of the circle refers also to natural cycles, and to the fact that creatures of varying races, ranks, and capabilities can and should work together. Circles have no official ranks beyond Speaker (spokesperson), though members always have an unofficial pecking order based on age, wisdom, and druidic power. Persons may leave a circle if they disagree with its policies, but the circle as a whole decides on its activities. Many circles include rangers, elves of the forest, and even dryads and treants in their ranks. Most include less than a dozen druids.
Hunters, woodcutters, and steaders intending to clear land or expand existing settlements are advised to consult local clergy of Silvanus, Eldath, Mielikki, and similar deities, or rangers, to learn if a circle is active locally. It is better to work with such a circle than to blunder into its path and end up at war with it.
The Moonshae Isles and the Emerald Enclave lands about the mouth of the Vilhon contain the strongest concentrations of druids. In both places, druids act openly, wielding much power of governance as well as influence, and meet in sacred groves. In contrast, druidic power has been largely shattered in the Dales, where the Circle of Shadowdale and the Battledale Seven were both destroyed in recent decades, and the Circle of Yeven fell long ago.
I only know of a few active circles. The Watchers of Sevreld, who meet in Old Mushroom Grove in the High Forest northeast of Secomber, work to prevent logging roads being cut into the forest. The High Dance, druids who dwell in hidden high valleys of the Thunder Peaks and wander that range, aids the sylvan creatures who tend and guard the Dancing Place. The newly founded Ring of Swords works to cleanse and rejuvenate Neverwinter Wood, drive out gnoll, bugbear, and hobgoblin bands sheltering there, and turn away those seeking tombs and ruins in the leafy heart of the forest. The Flamenar ("Hands Against Flame") works in Amn to recloak its rolling hills in stands of newly planted trees and to drive down the dust storms that have begun to plague the land east of Crimmor and Turskul. And the Starwater Six (named for the tranquil pool where they often meet) are now at work in the northern Forest of Mir, where floods of monsters and strange twisted beasts have been raiding the lands south of the River Ith.
These are but a handful among many, many circles.
Some dismiss them with a sneer as "flower lovers," but I warn such scoffers that few herbs or plant medicines would aid us today were it not for the lore and work of the druid circles of Faerûn.
-Beldrith Tarlelntar, Sage of the Old Ways
House of the Leaning Gate, Scornubel
Planar Substitution Levels
The forces of nature, both subtle and grand, are manifestations of a deeper reality, where cosmic spheres revolve about each other in an awesome celestial dance. That dance generates the energy behind the fury of a storm, the brilliant sun, and even the vitality of life. The druid who understands the ecological connections between the seen and unseen is more capable, more knowledgeable, and more tuned into the events that move in all realms of existence.
Requirements
To take a druid planar substitution level, a character must be about to take his 4th, 9th, or 13th level of druid.
Class Skills
Druid planar substitution levels have the class skills of the standard druid class plus Knowledge (the planes) (Int). Skill Points at Each Level: 4+ Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are features of the druid's planar substitution levels.
Resist Extraplanar Might (Ex): A 4th-level druid who selects this planar substitution benefit gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of outsiders.
This benefit replaces the resist nature's lure class feature gained by a standard druid at 4th level.
Planar Tolerance (Ex): A planar druid of 9th level or higher becomes attuned to the nature of the planes she visits and gains immunity to their natural planar effects. Any effect that would be negated by the planar tolerance spell is negated by this druid ability. Unlike the spell, this ability affects only the druid herself.
This benefit replaces the immunity to venom class feature gained by a standard druid at 9th level.
Counter Summoning (Su): Some druids who walk the planes come to believe that excessive summoning of extraplanar creatures constitutes an abuse of the planes themselves, and they learn to deal with this problem at the source. A planar druid of 13th level or higher can ready a standard action to counter a summon monster spell or any spell-like ability that summons an extraplanar creature. This ability functions exactly as a counterspell using dispel magic, except that the druid need not cast a spell to make the attempt. The druid must make a caster level check against a DC of 11 + the opponent's caster level (if the opponent does not have a caster level for its summoning ability, use its Hit Dice instead). Success indicates that the spell or spell-like ability is countered.
This benefit replaces the a thousand faces class feature gained by a standard druid at 13th level.
| Druid Planar Substitution Levels | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Resist extraplanar might |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Planar tolerance |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Counter summoning |
Aquatic Variation
Druids of the waters are not as common as those inhabiting forests and wild lands. Much of the ocean's expanse is beyond the reach of humanoids, other than the aquatic varieties, so there is a less pressing need to protect it. However, druids do tend sacred pools and streams and work with the fey that inhabit them. Among fishing peoples, druids tend the harvest and work to ensure that waters are clean and fish plentiful.
Peaceful aquatic peoples such as tritons, merfolk, and sea elves have a larger proportion of druids in their midst than air-breathing humanoids. These worshipers of nature tend coral reefs, kelp forests, and deep places of mystery, and they guard against wanton hunting other or depredations. Druids of ferocious aquatic tribes might lead sacred underwater hunts or battles against air-breathing intruders in their territory.
Animal Companion (Ex): If a campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the DM can add aquatic creatures to the druid's list of animal companion options.
- 1st Level: barracuda, eel, porpoise, sea snake (Small or Medium), sea lion, seal, shark (Medium), snapping turtle, squid, stingray.
- 4th Level: dire eel, sea snake (Large).
- 7th Level: dire barracuda, elasmosaurus (dinosaur), sea snake (Huge).
- 10th Level: shark (Huge), orca (whale).
- 13th Level: giant octopus, ichthyosaur (dinosaur).
- 16th Level: archelon (dinosaur), dire shark, giant squid.
- 19th Level: mosasaur (dinosaur), plesiosaur (dinosaur).
Woodland Stride (Ex): A druid who has a racial swim speed can choose to apply this ability to difficult aquatic terrain (shallow coral, kelp beds, ice-choked waters, sargasso, and similar obstacles), rather than woodland terrain. This choice is made when the class feature is gained.
Source: Player's Handbook
Alternative Class Feature: Root Walker (Dungeonscape)
You are a child of the underworld. While other druids dwell in lush forests and rolling fields, you tend to the mushroom tangles and lichen beds that lie beneath their feet.
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain any of the following abilities: wild empathy at 1st level, woodland stride at 2nd level, and resist nature's lure at 4th level.
Benefit: At 1st level, you gain vermin empathy. This ability functions just like wild empathy except that you can improve the attitude of vermin instead of animals, even though vermin are usually non-intelligent.
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to move over stone, rock, and earthen debris at your full speed without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. This ability functions only with natural surfaces. Magically altered surfaces, such as those created by soften earth and stone or spike stones, affect you normally.
At 4th level, you gain resistance to the powers of creatures most abhorrent to nature. You gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of aberrations.