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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 2010346" data-attributes="member: 1129">I've never liked druids. To me, they are like the monk in that they have some cool role playing potential but don't really fit into the standard knight-European theme. They're much older with a different vibe to them. They usually have difficulties in combat due to their inability to swap spells out for healing and poor armor class. Sure, they get a ton of special abilities and have some great role playing potential and are great as NPCs used to steer civilization in the right directions and as a DM, I enjoy using them in such a fashion (The Silver Summoning from Fiery Dragon anyone?), but as a player…That's why I was glad to look over Druids & Druidism. See what the fiends over at Bastion Press had done with the druids.Well, the good news is, if you enjoy druids, you'll enjoy them more. If you're like me though, you'll find that although that are a ton of prestige classes, spells, magic items and other good, solid pieces of information to help role play the druid, the class is unchanged. There is no variant druid. There are no militant druids or advice on playing multi-classed druids. It's a druid's option book that does what it sets out to do.In terms of prestige classes, we get the following: Glacier Walker, Guardian of the Oasis, Highlander, Packleader, Scourge of the Dead, Lord of the Flies, Packleader, Pridemaster,Scourge of the Dead, and Waverider. Each one is a ten level PrC that continues to advance in spellcasting ability. Many of them are druids that guard over a specific area and have abilities that help them survive their location. For example, the glacier walker gains some cold resistance, the highlander better movement in the mountains. Some of the concepts here are very different than others I've seen like the Lord of the Flies, a druid who believes that insects are much more useful than men acknowledge. The Scourge of the Dead on the other hand, isn't quite so original as it is another way to deal with the undead.The feats help round out the druid. Most of the feats seem to fit the standard profile. Apothecary provides a +2 on Heal and Profession (herbalist) checks while Bloodhood provides a bonus to tracking and movement while tracking. Calls of the Wild might be out of place though. You and whoever else has the feat can communicate with brief animal noises. Good idea but would probably be better off with some type of combat language. One interesting feat though is Staff Mastery where it gives the user virtual Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting when using a staff. Now that can help the druid out quite a bit but seems to have a strange requirement being able to cast wood shape and weapon focus (quarterstaff). It's like they want to help only the druid, but then penalize him with the weapon focus requirement.Perhaps the most interesting, but at the same time, layer adding material, is Nature's Handiworks. If you don't like all of your materials doing the exact same thing, then you'll love this chapter. Alder has benefits against water while mahogany weighs less. Good stuff overall but it's another layer of detail that the GM is going to have to keep track of. “So what's this masterwork staff made of? Tamarind? Ironwood? What?”. The extra armor types also comes in handy for those tired of standard armors. The only bad thing though, is that instead of providing the GM with ideas on what different things armor can be made from, it provides a list. Wouldn't it be more helpful to have a list of rules that could allow you to determine the armor from any creature instead of a list that covers Giants and Mind Flayers, but not Dire Creatures?Those looking to add to their herbal abilities get a lot of material in Nature's Bounties. Homeopaths, the manufacture and application, the time to make and the cost to make them, as well as how to get the ingredients, are all covered. Those interested in poisons now have venom they can milk from poisonous beasts, as well as the creation of alkaloids, plant poisons. When the spells come in, they're listed by class, level and alphabetical. I've always found this type of listing easier to read though as it provides a quick idea of where the spells have gone. Unfortunately, most of the spells here are mid to low level. We get two 6th, two 7th, one 8th, and one 9th, but but 1st, four 2nd, four 3rd, and three of 4th and 5th. The druid's spell list does need rounding off, but it needs it at all levels. The ranger, when appropriate, also gets spells added to his list, which is a nice touch since this book is a druid focused book.Most of the spells are going to fit into the campaign without issue. Take Rhino Hide, a 3rd level spell that augments the armor class of hide and leather or Wither, a spell that damages plans. All druids will eagerly be seeking the 9th level spell though, Fission, which deals 25d6 points of damage as the molecular bonds of the target are attacked.The level of crunch isn't quite over yet. We've covered the player bases of spells, prestige classes and feats, but the book also has magic items with a druid flavor and by druid, I mean naturalistic abilities. How about a Chameleon Skin that provides a bonus to Hide checks or a Verdant Avenger, a scimitar that acts as keen in a druid's hand and can suck health from a tree and give it to the druid?  With a wink and a smile, the book pays homage to an old tale with a Sling of Giant Slaying, as well as other items like rings crafted from non-metal, using bone and wood for example.For those more interesting in the role playing aspects, you still get some mechanics. For example, the Druid Circle is a standard of the druid concept. How exactly do you make such a circle? Rules are provided that cover a wide range of areas and materials from aquatic coral circles to stone circles in the mountains. Such circles must be consecrated though and this requires blessings to be provided through a seven day ritual and a sacrifice made to the circle, closed off with a hallowing by a single druid.The role playing material helps a GM and player determine what the leadership of the circle is made of, as well as how best to handle matters of succession, including voting and contests. This is a situation where Mystic Eye Game's new Tournaments book might have some alternatives. Imagine a group of mountain men who decide that only through the rigors of vigorous drinking can a leader be determined? Good stuff. The book also look at joining a circle with some initiation rites that aren't quite as bad as those in modern times (can you say hazing? I knew you could.)For those who feel that the druid isn't best as a sole worker, there are rules for getting an animal companion. The rules are detailed and cover almost all the bases from getting the companion to voluntarily ending the bond and are suitable for most d20 fantasy campaigns.The book is laid out in standard two column format. Editing mistakes are at a minimum, outside the table of contents which is missing some entries in the Prestige Class listing. The book comes in two flavors, an on-screen version with colorful borders, and a border free version for easier printing. Art is full color in both products, is minimal in use, and is good, fitting to the subject matter when used.The book doesn't change the druid. The druid is still the same class with more options. This is great if you already like the druid but if you want to move beyond the standard nature druid, this product can't help you. It'll customize the druid for different environments, outfit him with new magic items and spells. In the end, the book does what it sets out to do.</blockquote>

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