Druid
General
Druids are the guardians of the wilderness and its natural balance, defending their territory against the encroachment of all that is a violation of nature. In EFU druids derive their powers from ancient tradition and nature itself and need not be a servant of a specific deity. Specifically this means you do not need a god such as "Silvanus" in your deity slot, and could put something as abstract as "Nature" or "Destruction" or whatever else might fitting for your druid concept. Nonetheless, druids that violate key oaths or who do not take their duties seriously will swiftly lose their ability to cast spells.
Alignment: Any Neutral
Hit Points: 8+CON per level
Proficiencies: Armor (Light, Medium), Shields, Weapon (Druid)
Skill Points: 4+int modifier per level (4+int modifier)*4 at 1st level
Save Progression: Fort High, Will High, Ref Low
Attack Bonus: +3/4 levels
Druids in EFU: City of Rings
Druids in EFU: City of Rings do not require the patronage of a specific deity in order to cast spells. Players of druids should generally put something appropriately descriptive within their deity field.
Druid characters must maintain a commitment to a lifestyle that eschews the trapping of conventional civilized life.
In the decayed urban setting of the Rings, this can be a difficult thing. Furthermore, players should be aware that there exists a consistent prejudice within the Rings against all druids (often referred to as 'Changelings') and indeed any who exhibit the power to dramatically change their form.
Druids (or Changelings, as many have come to embrace the term) thus tend to spend time away from settled neighbourhoods and large groups of people, often preferring the company of vermin and stray animals or seeking out patches of wildness.
There exist regions of the Rings that have become overgrown parks or vine-covered patches of wildness, these areas tend to attract the attention of Changelings who seek to expand them or violently protect them from the incursions of others.
Some Changelings possess a connection with the Fey (and perhaps receive their strange powers as a result of it), and tend to exhibit those peculiar characteristics of that strange kind: a childlike capriciousness, a love of tricks and trickery, a wild and ever-changing emotional state, an appreciation for beauty and grotesque oddity to the same degree, and in general a certain passionate eccentricity.
Regardless, all Druids / Changelings should generally adhere to the following guidelines lest they lose their strange powers:
- An aversion to civilization and conventional civilized behavior
- A general respect for nature: animals & plantlife
- A strong dislike of such practices as: animating the dead, summoning demons & devils, the conjuration of bizarre extra planar creatures from beyond the City, and other acts of high magic
- There are many reasons for the prejudice and dislike of Changelings within the Rings. But it is widely believed that the presence of Changelings tends to bring bad luck.
More stringent guidelines under the Druidic Oath include:
- Druids may not wear metal armor or shield, or brandish non-druidic metal weaponry
- Druids may not take up permanent residence in a city ward, castle, temple, etc, as this is considered a concession to the unnatural world. Druids inhabit natural areas (e.g. a parkland or section of wildland), or coexist with natural life in unnatural places (e.g. among crocodiles or rats in the sewers, or a pack of wild dogs in an abandoned house, etc.).
- A druid may not teach the secrets of the druidic Order and/or their own Circle, to any non-druid.
- Druids must obey edicts and bans imposed by the local druidic circle. A ‘ban’ is achieved when a druidic circle declares a location, person, or thing to be forbidden. An ‘edict’ is an order that druids must follow. Bans and edicts are generally discussed and agreed upon by druidic circles. Druids who break bans and edicts can lose their druidic status.
Spellcasting
Divine (spell failure from armor is ignored), wisdom-based (a base wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level is required to cast a spell, bonus spells are based on modified wisdom, and the wisdom modifier affects spell DCs), and requires preparation.
Custom spell changes: We have introduced a number of new spells. A complete list of all spell changes can be found here and Custom Spells can be found here.
- Druid (Level 1):
- Transmutation
- Jump
- Transmutation
- Druid (Level 2):
- Transmutation
- Cat's Grace
- Eagle's Splendor
- Fox's Cunning
- Owl's Wisdom
- Transmutation
- Druid (Level 3):
- Transmutation
- Mass Ultravision
- Transmutation
- Druid (Level 5):
- Transmutation
- Baleful Polymorph
- Transmutation
- Druid (Level 6):
- Divination
- Scrying
- Divination
Resting
Unlike most other classes in EFU Druids do not require a bedroll or campfire to rest.
Tracking
Starting at level 6 druids are able to track NPCs(not PCs) in the same area as themselves.
What is tracking?
"Tracking in hunting is the science and art of observing a place through animal footprints and other signs, including: tracks, beds, chews, scat, hair, etc. ... So called, 'master trackers', are able to know an animal through its tracks and trails, also known as spoor. These include not only identification and interpretation of tracks, but also scat (or feces), feathers, kills, scratching posts, trails, drag marks, sounds, marking posts, and more. There is a story in most of these marks to be found. The skilled tracker is able to discern these markings and recreate what transpired."
-- Wikipedia, on Tracking
One of the extra benefits that we provide for rangers and other wilderness oriented characters is a scripted Tracking ability. Rangers get this ability at ranger level two, and druids get it at druid level six. Tracking allows a character to use their keen observation skills to collect information on nearby animals, monsters, and characters without directly observing them.
How does tracking work on EFU?
To perform tracking, you can use either the Tracking option in the crafting menu, or the "/c track" voice command. They both do the same thing: your character will stoop for four seconds, and tracking information will be displayed in the combat window.
Successful tracking will yield a list of results. The amount of information conveyed in these results depends on the degree to which the tracker's roll to track exceeds the prey's roll to avoid being detected. The following are sample results, in increasing order of success:
(nothing) Other undistinguishable tracks here. Creature tracks to the N. Small creature tracks to the N. Small creature tracks to the NNW. Small creature tracks to the NNW, nearby. Small animal tracks to the NNW, nearby. Small animal tracks roughly 5 meters to the NNW. Small animal tracks (of the Rabbit of Caerbannog) roughly 5 meters to the NNW.
Tracking is done in EFU using opposed rolls. A tracker's ability to track his prey is a combination of the following:
The tracker's ranger levels. The tracker's spot and search skills. The tracker's lore skill, capped by his ranger levels. The distance between the tracker and his prey. Whether the prey is the tracker's favored enemy. Whether the tracker has special vision (low-light vision or darkvision).
The prey's ability to confound a tracker is a combination of the following:
The prey's size. The weight the prey is carrying. Whether the prey is flying/levitating. The prey's hide and move silently skills. Whether the prey is moving in Stealth Mode. Whether the prey has the Trackless Step feat.
What environmental factors can affect tracking?
Tracking is easiest in outdoor natural environments. Attempting to track in an indoors environment, or in an artificial environment, will incur a small penalty, due to the decreased number of visible cues (no rocks to displace, no lichen to trample, no mushrooms to brush aside).
What counts as "outdoor" or "artificial" in the City? A wooded forest is an outdoor natural environment. The Streets of the City are an outdoor artificial environment. The interior of the Open Door is an artificial indoor environment.
Certain areas also impose spot and listen modifiers, due to low amounts of light, constant echoing, or other environmental factors. These modifiers will factor into tracking by changing the effective spot and listen skills of the tracker.
How does Favored Enemy factor into tracking?
Good question! Rangers study their favored enemies and develop a keen understanding of their weaknesses; this understanding allows them to more skillfully track these foes. When attempting to decipher the tracks of a favored enemy, a ranger gets a bonus to their tracking roll.
Furthermore, certain racial types which an ordinary tracker might not be able to tell apart simply by virtue of their tracks (aberration tracks and outsider tracks are both "strange", magical beast tracks don't look that different from regular beast tracks, half-elf tracks look very similar to human tracks, et cetera) can be distinguished by a tracker for whom such creatures are favored, enemies.
This emphasizes the favored enemy choice. A tracker with Favored Enemy: Aberrations isn't just a tracker: he is an aberration hunter, who can track aberrations better than his peers and identify the fine distinctions between an ordinary vrock's talon scratches and a hated hook horror's claw marks.
Does tracking properly identify the racial types of subrace PCs?
Yes! If you are attempting to track a goblin or kobold PC, they will show up as goblinoid or reptilian, not halfling (the base racial type which those subraces are built upon in our subrace system). Everything will work as expected, when it comes to tracking subrace characters.
How does filtering work for the "/c track" command?
You can use filtering to reduce the number of results shown when performing tracking. For example, consider a tracker searching a crypt for a drow necromancer. The crypt contains sixteen skeletons, the drow necromancer, and a stealthy drow assassin. Regular tracking results might look like:
Other undistinguishable tracks here. Medium-sized elf tracks to the WSW, very distant. Medium-sized undead tracks to the WSW, distant. Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant. Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant. Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant. Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant. Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant.
(...repeated ten more times...)But the tracker doesn't care about the list of skeletons! Is there a way to get tracking results about the drow whom you care about, without having the flood of results about the skeletons, whom you don't?
Yes. Use "/c track -race elf", and the only result you get is "Medium-sized elf tracks to the WSW, very distant." This removes all of the undesirable information about the skeletons. Notice that it also removes the first result about indistinguishable tracks, coming from the stealthy drow assassin -- despite the fact that he is actually drow, your tracking results weren't accurate enough to determine that he was drow, and so he got filtered out.
You can do the same trick to filter out creatures by size category, or by name, using "/c track -size" and "/c track -name". Filters can also be combined, so to get only results about medium-sized goblinoids, you can do "/c track -size medium -race goblinoid".
Divine Wands
Druids are able to use wands crafted by divine spell-casters.
Animal Companions
The Animal Companion system has been customized for EfU. More information on animal companions can be found here
EFU uses a more dynamic animal companion system where you have to find the companion yourself in the wilderness of the Underdark. A Player Tool called Train Companion is available at the time your ranger or druid receive the Summon Animal Companion feat. By targeting an animal empathized creature, you learn if the animal can be trained as a companion, if you have enough levels (druid and ranger levels) to train the animal, the XP cost of doing so, whether it will replace your old animal companion and ask you to confirm. Repeatedly targeting the animal with the player tool will then turn the animal into your new animal companion.
Use of the Summon Animal Companion feat will call upon the trained animal companion. However, if the Animal Companion dies you will be unable to summon the Animal Companion until the next reset, regardless of resting. There is no XP cost for the animal dying.
You can name your animal companion through the voice command:
/c name_companion Biter
Which will name your companion Biter. It usually takes a few seconds after the animal companion is summoned or the voice command is issued before you can see the change. Alternatively, you may have to enter a new area. Only one name (no surnames) can be applied at this time.
The start area also have a selection of starting animal companions from the surface. See the parrot.
With this change it is possible for us to give you unique custom animal companions. If you get one of these, remember that death is final.
Also there are some commands available for your companion:
/c astealth a Puts your companion in stealth mode.
/c adetect a Puts your companion in detect mode.
/v a Speaks through your companion. You do not actually speak through your companion, but you can make it say things such as "Growls". Type /v a "Growls".
Wildshapes
The Wildshapes available to Druids have been significantly altered to a custom system that allows a much larger variety of forms, some of which are unlocked at a higher level or through applications. Additionally, your base physical stats before adjustments from buffs now affect the power of your forms. The exact effects of these custom forms are not publicly disclosed and must be discovered in-game.
In addition, your character's own physical scores translate into bonuses for the wildshapes. Note that this corresponds to your unmodified score, meaning buffs will not be taken into account. The bonuses are as follows:
Strength
11 -- +1 piercing damage 13 -- +1 piercing damage, +1 AB 15 -- +2 piercing damage, +1 AB, 1/+1 damage reduction (can pierce through damage reduction +1). 17 -- +2 piercing damage, +2 AB, 1/+2 damage reduction (can pierce through damage reduction +2).
Dexterity
11 -- +1 hide/move silently, 13 -- +2 hide/move silently, 5% concealment versus ranged 15 -- +3 hide/move silently, 10% concealment versus ranged, +1 AC 17 -- +4 hide/move silently, 15% concealment versus ranged, +2 AC
Constitution
11 -- +1 con 13 -- +2 con 15 -- +3 con, +5% physical damage immunity 17 -- +4 con, +10% physical damage immunity
Wildshape bonuses lost when the skin refreshes can be reset with the chat command:
/c wildshape_reset
Wildshape can now be controlled through chat commands:
/c wildshape /c wildshape_cast
This can be used an unlimited amount of times once you have wildshaped at least once. Please do not abuse this.
For a complete list of non-application wildshapes, click Here
Existing wildshapes which require an application:
- Ancient Cave Bear
- Displacer Beast
- Air Elemental
- Earth Elemental
- Fire Elemental
- Water Elemental
- Elephant
- Great Black Wolf
- Great Lizard
- Manticore
- Owlbear
- Saber Tooth Tiger
- Shambling Mound
- Wyvern
Flying Wildshapes can now cross terrain unobstructed without the need for grappling. The Climb player tool allows you to transition similar to Potion of Levitation, allowing for vertical climbing of terrain.
Natural Swiftness
Starting at level 3 Druids begin to move more quickly in natural areas. 10% movement speed increase if the PC has at least 3 druid levels, and is in a wilderness area.
15% movement speed increase if the PC has at least 6 druid levels, and is in a wilderness area 20% movement speed increase if the PC has at least 9 druid levels, and is in a wilderness area.
Restrictions
Druids restrict themselves to non-metal armor and weapons that are permitted by the Druid Class Weapon Proficiency feat. Other weapon types may be considered by DMs on a case-by-case basis if the item be thematically appropriate to your druid. All druids should be vigorously opposed to the undead, aberrations, and the encroachment of civilization upon the wild.
Kits
Druids have a number of kits available to them, purely optional, to further specialize their druidic abilities.
Primordial Druid
Available only through application.
Must be a non-good druid. Must remain pure druid (except for PrCs).
Calling upon ancient and strange oozes and slimes, Primordial druids believe their wards are the oldest and most important forms of life in existence. Typically, they view acids as a cleansing force of renewal, and their methods can bring them into conflict with other druids who take a more careful and precise approach to the balance.
"In the wake of devastation and destruction, some druids have begun to believe that the only way the world can be renewed and balance restored is for the world to be reverted to the primordial slime. By washing away the abominable horrors by a tide of ooze, new and natural life will begin anew."
As druid, except:
- Summoning theme set to ooze
- Animal companion works similarly as Ooze Savant ooze familiar (degrade tool, can be fed, etc.)
- 25% acid immunity at level 8
- Access to minor slime form polymorph at level 5, more powerful slime at 8
Rot Druid
Available only through application.
Rot Druids spread decay, rot, disease and often form alliances with a strange race of insectoid people known as the formians. Their ways emphasize the natural decay of life. Rot Druids gain access custom wildshape forms and if they apply for the Rot lair they may receive other, specialized benefits. This is a very difficult class to gain, but perhaps harder to play. It typically involves extreme loneliness and few (if any) allies.
Special Rot Shapes:
- Rothive Taskmaster
- Rothive Myrmarch