Vermin-ous Druids (?)

[Hand of Vecna]

Avatar of the North -- d'oh! I forgot all about the 2nd Ed Druid's book! I should have that around here somewhere... thanks!!!

I'll see what my DM says about letting the Animal spells be used on Vermin/Insects...

Wippit Guud -- LMAO

*imagines a Druid with a swarm of Stirge's as his Animal Companions...*

 

[Wippit Guud]

How about a halfling druid with mounted archery, using a sling, from the back of a giant wasp?

 

[Pielorinho]

I've thought about this with the druid I play in RttToEE as well. Your DM should look very carefully at one thing, though, before allowing you to take vermin companions:

Poison.

Poison can be really grotesquely powerful, and lots of vermin get it. A giant wasp with GMF cast on it can be pretty darn scary.

That said, I think it's a very cool idea, and if someone can come up with a balanced way to handle it, I'd like to see it.

Daniel

 

[Artoomis]

How about a halfling druid with mounted archery, using a sling, from the back of a giant wasp?

Now, THAT's a good idea!

 

[Avatar of the North]

Incase you can't find the your 2e Books here are the two kits you might want; Hivemaster and Lost Druid. (hive master is the main one though)

i was actually with the Animal X spell to Vermin X spell suggesting that your character only be able to cast Vermin Friendship, Vermin Growth and such. He woulld completely lose the Animal versions of the spells.

Maybe limiting your Wildwhape to only vermin creature and as a side benefit of minorly restricting your wildshape abilities you might get access to the Spider domain from the FRCS (if you have that book)

Hivemaster

The Hivemaster druid lives to foster insectoid and arachnid life wherever it exists. Most low-level Hivemasters, such as Cagua (pictured on the next page) work as beekeepers or the like.
Role: Hivemasters appear somewhat enigmatic. Many attempt to instill insectoid virtues in their followers, such as patience, hard work, and close cooperation. Some higher-level Hivemasters even attempt to influence human societies to adopt a communal pattern modeled on that of hive insects. Others--often styling themselves Webmasters--take on the patient, deadly personas of predator arachnids or insects such as dragonflies or spiders, ruthlessly hunting down (or lying in wait to trap) the enemies of the druidic order. A Hivemaster--s grove usually centers around the dwelling place of the creature for which the druid has the greatest affinity--a forest covered with spider webs, a field with beehives, etc.
Branch Restrictions: None.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended-- scimitar, staff.
Secondary Skills: Farmer, woodworker/carpenter.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Recommended--(general) agriculture; (warrior) animal lore, endurance, set snares.
Equipment: The druid should spend her initial allotment of gold pieces entirely on equipment, as she loses any unspent starting money in excess of 1 gp.
Special Benefits: A Hivemaster receives a +4 bonus to saving throws against stings or bites of poisonous insects or arachnids, including giant versions.
The druid also gains a +4 bonus on agriculture, animal training, and animal lore proficiency checks concerning insects or arachnids, and can apply the animal training proficiency to giant insects and arachnids.
A Hivemaster like Cagua may pass harmlessly through spider webs of all sorts, including webs created by the web spell. When she casts a summon insects, giant insect, creeping doom, or insect plague spell, the player increases her effective level by three.
Upon reaching 7th level, the druid gains the ability to shapechange into a giant insect or arachnid type once per day. She can take the form of a nonpoisonous giant ant, giant centipede, giant spider, or giant wasp. The Hivemaster may assume this insectoid form instead of one of her other shapechanging choices (bird, mammal, or reptile). For example, Cagua may choose to avoid the bird form today in favor of the insectoid form, but tomorrow she may decide not to shapechange into reptile form. The druid still can assume only three forms per day, just like the normal druidic shapechanging ability. Note: Gray druids with the Hivemaster kit may assume the insectoid form instead of any one of their usual shapechanging choices: mammal, reptile, or nonpoisonous giant spider.
Special Hindrances: The Hivemaster's animal friendship, speak with animals, and summon animals spells allow her to summon or communicate with only insects, giant insects, or arachnids. Hivemasters receive a -3 penalty when using animal proficiencies (animal lore, animal training, etc.) on creatures that are not insects or arachnids.
Wealth Options: 3d6-10 gp.

Lost Druid

The strangest members of the druidic order, Lost Druids find that many other druids no longer consider them kin. The Lost Druids come from lands that have been maliciously destroyed--forests burned to the ground, swamps drained, mountains ruined by mining, and so on. Rather than try to rebuild or move on, a Lost Druid such as Struma (pictured next page) allows his heart to darken from brooding on the devastation and embraces strange magic to seek revenge.
Under extreme stress (and the DM's discretion), a druid may renounce a particular kit forever and become a Lost Druid. Druids of 2nd or higher level lose one level as a result of the change but suffer no other penalties. Note that this is an exception to the rule on abandoning kits (p. 42), so the DM may wish to restrict it to NPCs.
Role: Lost Druids always feel bitter. Sometimes they go insane, their hearts filled with an insatiable, often impossible, desire for vengeance against those who destroyed their land. For instance, say Struma became a Lost Druid when he found his forest destroyed by orcs. He may attempt to plot the downfall of the entire orcish race and the death of every last orc. Most Lost Druids live solitary existences, but sometimes they group together, often within the sinister Shadow Circle. (See Chapter 3: The Druidic Order.)
Branch Restrictions: None.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended-- scimitar, staff.
Secondary Skills: Hunter, weaponsmith.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Recommended--(priest) herbalism, spellcraft; (warrior) animal lore, endurance, set snares, survival.
Equipment: A Lost Druid such as Struma should spend his initial allotment of gold pieces entirely on equipment, as he loses any unspent starting money in excess of 1 gp.
Special Benefits: The druid gains minor access to the Necromancy spell sphere. Upon reaching 6th level, he gains an additional power, the ability to animate dead animals. Treat this power as the priest spell animate dead; however, the druid may use it only once per day, and it affects 1 HD of normal (real-world) animals per level of the druid.
Special Hindrances: The Lost Druid cast only the reversed versions of heal or cure spells.
As a Lost Druid, Struma may never attain Grand Druid status, and thus may not progress past it to hierophant rank. A character of Grand Druid or hierophant rank may not become a Lost Druid.
All rangers and druids with other kits react to Lost Druids at a -4 penalty, usually with a mixture of pity and fear. (Other Lost Druids have only a -2 penalty to encounter reactions.) Most druids consider Lost Druids enemies and attempt to hunt, slay, or imprison them.
Wealth Options: 3d6x10 gp.



BTW, are you the left or the right Hand of Vecna. I know this question came up on the older boards but i've forgotten. Anyways happy killing poor PC that attach you to their arm stumps

 

[Hand of Vecna]

Well, the artifact Hand of Vecna is a left hand, but my 'Hand of Vecna' is Radknooz, First & Only Kobold Cleric of Vecna, who referred to himself as "the Hand of Vecna" (he was also the character I was playing when I first found the EN*Boards. Sadly, he died, first by having his face eaten off by a Grey Ooze, then by being devoured by a pack of Ghouls....)

Thanks for the info on the Hivemaster & Lost Druid; it seems I don't have the Complete Druid's Handbook, after all

For my new Druid character, I'm leaning more and more towards making him like Dr. Viper from the cartoon SWAT*Kats -- I kinda saw him as a CN/NE Swamp-Druid specializing in Oozes, Plants, and Vermin.

I did decide that my Druid's first Wildshape form (I'm making a 5th-level human Druid) would be a Medium-Sized Viper (and with the latest rulings on Wildshape, he'll get the Viper's poison...)

 

[UD]

Hey Hand of Vecna, I didnt think you had to choose what animal to transform into, I thought you could just change into any animal you knew about. Is this correct, I have looked over wildshape again and still think this is correct. Am I wrong?

 

[Avatar of the North]

Oozes you say, just a second i have more for you then from the CHB druids;

Gray Druid

The rare gray druids inhabit and tend the shadowy realms of the hidden life that exists without sunlight--fungi, molds, and slimes--and the nocturnal creatures that dwell in lightless, subterranean realms. Gray druids are more closely associated with the earth than with other elements of Nature. While many of them live in underground caves or ruins (especially in the Underdark), they are found any place fungal life grows abundantly, either above or below ground.
Gray druids tend to oppose dungeon delvers, especially dwarves, who they believe defile and exploit the underground environment. They have very good relations with deep gnomes and passable relations with drow, who they feel show more appreciation of the beauty of the Underdark than most dwarves or men.
But the gray druids don't always oppose surface dwellers. Suppose a maze of caverns has developed a complex ecology: fungi, slimes, rust monsters, subterranean lizards, purple worms, and so on. Then an evil wizard and his ogres move in and begin "clearing" the caverns, destroying the monsters in preparation to establish an underground stronghold. In this situation, the gray druid Rybna (pictured on p. 11) might recruit a party of adventurers--not to loot the caverns (though the PCs may take the wizard's treasure) but to defeat the wizard's forces--and in so doing, save the local ecology from destruction.
Minimum Ability Scores: Wisdom 12, Charisma 15.
Races Allowed: Human, half-elf (drow).
Armor and Weapons Permitted: Leather armor, wooden shield; club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling, staff.
Weapon Proficiencies: Recommended--dart, scimitar.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required-- (general) direction sense; (priest) herbalism; (warrior) blind-fighting. Recommended-- (general) animal training, fishing; (priest) ancient history, healing.
Spheres of Influence: All, Animal, Divination*, Elemental (earth, water), Elemental* (air, fire), Healing, Plant, Weather*.
Granted Powers: A gray druid like Rybna has the following granted powers:
· Identifies with perfect accuracy pure water, fungi, subterranean animals, and all slimes, puddings, jellies and molds (including monster types) at 3rd level.
· Learns the languages of subterranean creatures (orcs, goblins, troglodytes, xorn, etc.), gaining one extra proficiency slot every three levels (at 3rd, 6th, etc.) for this purpose.
· Controls fungi, jellies, molds, oozes, puddings, and slimes (nonintelligent or of animal Intelligence) at 7th level. The druid can use this power once per day to control 1 Hit Die of creatures per level. It affects only a 30-yard radius around the druid. For instance, Rybna, a 10th-level druid, could control two 5 HD slimes or one 10 HD pudding. The creatures receive no saving throw, but remain controlled only as long as they stay within 30 yards of the druid. An uncontrolled creature reverts to its normal behavior patterns. A gray druid like Rybna will not send a controlled monster to its death unless by doing so she can protect the subterranean ecology. This power does not animate a stationary entity or grant it any new abilities. (Rybna could command a shrieker to shriek or be silent or move, but not to sing or speak.) Control lasts for one turn per level of the druid.
· Shapechanges into a normal reptile, a normal mammal, or a nonpoisonous giant spider at 7th level; the druid can assume each form once per day. The druid can change only into a reptile or mammal that dwells underground, such as a mole, badger, tunnel snake, etc. The ability is otherwise identical to druidic shapechanging in the PH.
Special Limitation: Gray druid Animal sphere spells affect only animals native to subterranean environments. So, Rybna could cast animal friendship on a rat, a huge spider, or a badger, but not on a wolf or horse.
A gray druid has a -2 penalty on saving throws against spells creating bright light, such as continual light.
Due to long enmity, dwarves react to gray druids at -2. (The reverse is also true.)
Holy Symbol and Grove: Gray druids use a puffball mushroom grown and harvested in complete darkness as their holy symbol. They usually take part of an underground cavern--a thriving subterranean ecosystem--for a grove.

 

[Hand of Vecna]

UD -- I thought you did, but apparenlty I've been proven wrong by just about everyone else here...

AotN -- Wow! Thanks again!!!

 

[Hypersmurf]

UD -- I thought you did, but apparenlty I've been proven wrong by just about everyone else here...

Huh? Who said that?

Wildshape lets you choose only one form - each time you Wildshape. At 5th level, it's once per day - so one day you can be a viper, and only a viper... but the next day you can be a dog. And only a dog.

The "only one form" wording is to distinguish it from the original wording of Polymorph Self, which let you change form as many times as you liked for the duration of the spell.

-Hyp.