Druids and the Scribe Scroll Feat?

[Herremann the Wise]

Hi Everyone,

Just curious how people have tackled the concept of a Druid scribing a scroll. To me, it does not make much sense Druids writing on vellum but I think the facility should be there but perhaps in a different form. My idea was to attach the magic to something natural - such as a special twig or crystal or animal bone.

The difficulty is not with the expenditure of XP but the expenditure of Gold spent on materials. Druids can find these natural items and so the concept of paying for materials has no meaning.

I like the idea of the Druid I'm DMing having this but I'm just looking for a few interesting ways to develop it. Out of interest, she is a female dwarf who has learnt her Druidic skills above and below ground focusing on various flora and fauna as well as underground mineral, ore, crystal structures and magnetic influences.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[LGodamus]

you could always just use the gold expenditure to explain a suitably expensive sacrifice to the nature gods .

 

[Dakkareth]

you could always just use the gold expenditure to explain a suitably expensive sacrifice to the nature gods .

As variation have them do something of equivalent value to nature, eg take a pile of raw gemstones and put them back into the earth, their natural place or pay a couple of people to erect a ring of menhirs.

 

[orbitalfreak]

What about specially-treated bark from trees. It would be harvested in a manner so as to not harm the trees (during winter, some trees shed their bark. Dead trees make good sources, as well). The "ink" could come from sap, crushed flowers mixed with water, or other "natural" sources (bonus points if they write in deer urine!). The process and materials for preparing the special treatments for the bark and ink would cost the same as for another spellcaster to prepare a standard vellum and ink scroll.

In addition to bark, what about animal hides (including vellum) from creatures that fell naturally? Don't forget that Druids can hunt as well. After all, human(oid)s are omnivorous, and it is a natural process for predators to eat prey. Why not kill an animal, and use it's skin as well? Fallen leaves in the autumn, leaves from the holly plant, and such are good alternatives. Maybe you can find decent-sized rocks (fist-sized or so), and write on them with special wear-resistant chalk (again, the cost would stay the same). Slabs of rock (shale, mica, etc.) would look like scrolls, but round rocks (standard stuff you find lying around) would be a unique look for a druid to use.

 

[Kichwas]

Ask your friendly neighborhood Wiccan for some ideas here:

Leaves and berry ink.
rune stones (better for a ring-variant though).
candles.
dried entrails (to preserve them until used).
tea (but takes to long, as do candles).

essentially think of any preservable natural substance which will be destroyed quickly on usage - or which you could make up a nifty magically effect for going blank or being consumed. For example maybe the rune stones get "uncarved" when cast.

 

[ForceUser]

Feh. I have a simpler solution. Instead of Scribe Scroll, take the Create Infusion feat from Masters of the Wild. You infuse a berry or an herb with a spell.

 

[Krinkle]

Have the druid create small trinkets and artifacts using natural ingredients (think of native american wind catchers). There creation requires a sacrifice equal to the GP cost. The are in all ways identical to scrolls.

Imagine, rather than a druid reading a scroll, he shakes a knotted leather cord strung with feathers, small animal skulls and bits of bone. It is consumed in a small flash of light and smoke upon use. We have a Half-Orc druid who uses this schtick to great effect.

The Create Infusion feat is a good idea but I think it is more analogous to Brew Potion.

 

[Tabarnak Smokeblower]

How about runes or tattoos (both from FRCS)?

TS

 

[Dimwhit]

The Create Infusion feat is a good idea but I think it is more analogous to Brew Potion.

It's actually a mix of both. It's expensive like a Potion, but infusions have the flexibility of scrolls (no limit on spell level, for example).

I always saw them as the Druid's answer to both scrolls and potions.

 

[LoneWolf23]

If you're looking for an alternative, Green Ronin's "Plot and Poison: a Guidebook to Drow" has some nifty alternate rules for Item creation, based on the item's number of uses rather then it's type.

The first exemple is "Create Single-Use Item", which allows to create a one-shot item like a scroll or a potion. Or, you could make a one-shot wand, a potion-like pill or poltice, or a scroll-like ring.

Others are: "Create Multiple-Use Item", "Create Unlimited-Duration-Use Item", "Create Uses-Per-Day Item" and "Create Unlimited-Use Item".