Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Gods of Druidry, Part I

Druidry Gods
Nature is essential.


Ways of 
Druidry

  • Honor Nature, holding wild places sacred
  • See that the folk remain pure and attune with the Natural Order too
  • Ensure that the Old Ways are followed
  • Keep such teachings secret, free of the written word, and within one's order
  • Follow the tenets of your divinity


Druids
  • Special: Gods of Druidry are served by druids who often function as nature priests, though they can serve as other classes as well at times. Treat them as clerics except for the rules here. 
  • Allowed Weapons: Staff, scimitar, sickle (a druidic symbol too), sling, dagger
  • Allowed Armor: Any non-metal armor and shields
  • Symbols: Per their divinity, and also sickle, holly, and/or mistletoe
  • Can Turn: Per their divinity
  • Nature Priests: Druids are usually treated as nature priests, though they must abide by additional ways as described above, as well as have different considerations as described below.
    - In return for their limited armor selection, they can substitute druid spells for other spells they know of the same level, knowing them instead. For example, a druid can substitute a 1st level spell on his deity's list with Shillelagh.
    - They can also cast an extra druid spell of their choice each day for every spell level they can cast. For example, a 3rd level druid could cast an extra 1st and 2nd level spell. Unlike full nature priests who may pick which spells those are spontaneously, druids must prepare them beforehand.
    - Still, they must roll for Druid / Nature Priest Magical Side-Effects when casting any of their spells (see below), in addition to those of their divinities. 
    They otherwise usually experience the tests of their divinities.
  • Mysteries of Druidry: Rather than being able to use the mysteries of their deities, druids can select another class that they can serve as for a time.
    - For every level the druid has, a druid can select from one of the classes below. He can then use an ability of that class for 1 round, up to once per day.
    -While doing so, he uses that class's magical side-effects and tests instead (if applicable), in addition to rolling for the magical side-effects of druids / nature priests. 
    - When achieving a new level, a druid can either pick a different class or the same class, gaining access to additional abilities for 1 round once per day in the first case, or increasing the number of times per day he can use the abilities of the class he had already picked by 1 in the second.

    Fey Enchanters - Reflecting aspects that match seasons and green growing things, druids can access their spontaneous magic and fey bargaining ability.

    Wizards - With understanding of natural concepts, druids can harness their wizardry, improving spells that match and accessing additional spells, as well as sagely knowledge via natural philosophy.

    Seers - Consulting the stars and other natural phenomena, druids can use their prophecy.

    Barbarian Clerics - Channeling tree spirits and forest beasts, druids can harness some of their special abilities.

    Folk Magicians / Hedge Wizards - (coming soon) Knowledgeable in creating limited use magical components, druids can work with their talent for herbalism, amulets, and the like.

    Judgment - Unique to druids, they can demand great respect amongst their folk. Once per day, they can make a non-druid who follows druidism be affected as per the Geas spell, just as long as it compels them to abide by ancestral and druidic law.

    For example, at 1st level, a druid might pick fey enchanter. He could thus use that class's ability to spontaneously cast one of his own spells for 1 round each day. He would roll on both the fey and the druid / nature priest magical side-effect tables while doing so, and even roll for a fey test if needed then. At 2nd level, he may opt to select fey enchanter again in order to use it for 2 rounds per day, or select another class from the list and use those abilities 1 round per day too.

    For specifics and additional examples, see Part II.


Druid / Nature Priest Magical Side-Effects
Stewards of the land and the folk who inhabit it, druids are expected to regularly see to their charges. To make the spell work, they must also have done one of the following for at least 3d6 turns within the last 4d6 hours. If not, they must do so right away or the spell is forfeit. Roll 1d12.

   1-2. Kept a wilderness area that's sacred to their deity sacrosanct.

   3-4. Honored the realm of plants and wildlife, allowing for natural cycles to occur and insisting that local folk honor the natural order too.

   5-10. No special nature priestly action is needed at this time.

   11-12. Communed in a natural area and with the nature spirits there. There’s also a 5% chance of encountering one that interacts with them well, granting a +1 to all nature-related rolls for 1d6 hours.

For example, a druid of Lugh would roll on both that deity's magical side-effect table and on the one above whenever he casts his spells. By use of his druidic mysteries, he might use another magical side-effect table along with this one instead at times too.


Next week: more on Druid mysteries & a related class
RPG srd Old School 1st ed AD&D Druid Diedne Lhiannan Jade Order Radagast Old Faith