I’m not very experienced with playing or running druids in AD&D. I saw them being exploited quite a bit in 3rd edition – thanks, Dave! – but in the wilder, woollier days of AD&D, we were busy with the “standard” classes of cleric, fighter, thief and magic-user. So, having druids in the party now is something of a new experience. Brian’s druid died before it really gained any power, but Sondra has hit level 5, and as she’s also new to this whole AD&D thing, we’re learning about what it can do together. It doesn’t particularly help that a lot of the rules are locked away in the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide where only I can see them!
So, I’m writing this post for both of us, so we can discover what the druid can do.
The basics: Druids can wear leather armour and a wooden shield, and use a small selection of weapons, the most significant of which are the scimitar, sling, staff and spear. They can also use burning oil, which is a really good offensive weapon (if somewhat bulky to transport around). Due to their poor armour, Druids should begin their careers mostly hanging back – personally, I allow spears to strike monsters when wielded from the second rank, so that allows a druid to participate in combat even if they can’t stand toe-to-toe with the monsters. A sling is great when the monsters are at range or tower above the front rank, but firing into melee generally allows a chance to hit your friends!
Druidic spell-use is slightly more aggressive than that of a cleric. It’s an odd spell list, made even more so by the strange progression of gaining new spell levels. The first level spells are pretty weak, but a druid has 3rd level spells at 3rd level – including the really useful Neutralise Poison. However, it is a crowded 3rd level list, with some very good spells – protection from fire, stone shape and summon insects are also on the list and are pretty good.
Seventh level is where the druid gains the ability to shape change into animal form up to three times per day. (The level title is called “Initiate of the Fifth Circle”, which makes things a bit confusing when you’re reading the descriptions in the book – so Sondra has a couple more levels to gain before that ability is attained).
Once it is mastered, the restrictions are as follows:
- Only three times per day
- Each type of creature’s form can only be assumed once per day
- The size of creature can be from as small as a bullfrog, bluejay or bat up to as large as a large snake, an eagle, or a black bear (about double the weight of the caster)
However, each time the druid changes, they regain 10-60% of their lost hit points, which is pretty useful.
Some typical animal abilities are as follows:
- Ape, Gorilla: AC 6, MV 12″, HD 4+1, #AT: 3, D 1-3/1-3/1-6, SA Rending (+1d6 damage if it hits with both hand attacks)
- Bear, Black:
AC 7, MV 12″, HD 3+3, #AT: 3, D 1-3/1-3/1-6, SA Hugs (+2d4 damage if it rolls 18+ on a paw attack) - Boar:
AC 7, MV 15″, HD 3+3, #AT 1, D 3-12 - Hyena: AC 7, MV 12″, HD 3, #AT 1, D 2-8
- Jackal: AC 7, MV 12″, HD ½, #AT 1, D 1-2
- Jaguar: AC 6, MV 15″, HD 4+1, #AT 3, D 1-3/1-3/1-8, SA Rear claws for 2-5/2-5 if hits with both foreclaws, SD Surprised only on a 1.
- Leopard: AC 6, MV 12″, HD 3+2, #AT 3, D 1-3/1-3/1-6, SA Rear claws for 1-4/-1/4, SD Surprised only on a 1
- Wolf: AC 7, MV 18″, HD 2+2, #AT 1, D 2-5
- Wolverine:
AC 5, MV 12″, HD 3, #AT 3, D 1-4/1-4/2-5, SA Musk, +4 to hit in combat.
All in all, none of them is all that much better than the druid’s own attack capabilities, although sometimes the damage outstrips the druid – it really depends on what magical weapons the druid has access to. Is it a power that they should be waiting until 7th level to get? I think not. The primary use will be for travelling – either stealthily, quickly or by flying.
The really important spell for the druid is the second level spell, Animal Friendship. This allows a druid to befriend (and thus have as companions) up to 2 Hit Dice of animals per level of the druid. The druid does need to honestly want to befriend the animals – they can’t just cast casting it for creating sword-fodder, but it turns the druid into a so-so minor caster into a potential powerhouse.
At 5th level, Sondra could control five wolves, or a wolf and one polar bear (AC 5, MV 12″//9″, HD 8+8, #AT 3, D 1-10/1-10/2-12, SA Hug 3-18, will fight 2-5 rounds after being brought from 0 to -12 hit points). One can say that is an exceptionally powerful spell!
So, for the druid it seems that sending an animal companion in to take on the combat duties whilst supporting it with spell-casting would be the way to go. We’ll see how it goes in actual play – and, of course, Sondra has to find that polar bear first!