6.5 Druid

PIC

Table 6.5:Druid Progression
Rank (Level)

Elementalist ✨

Nature Magic ✨

Nature Spell Mastery ✨

Shifter

Wildspeaker ✨

1 (1)

Elemental infusion, elemental spell

Nature spells

Metamagic

Wild aspects

Natural servant

2 (4)

Elemental balance

Nature spells+

Plant channeling

Shift body

Animal speech

3 (7)

Elemental influence, elemental power

Spell-trained mind

Shifting claw

Nature’s ally

4 (10)

Elemental spell+, elemental tranquility

Nature spells+

Metamagic+

Animal shape

Natural attunement

5 (13)

Elemental control

Attunement point

Shift body+

Animal speech+

6 (16)

Elemental power+

Experienced spellcaster

Cleansing shift

Nature’s ally+

7 (19)

Elemental balance+

Nature spells+

Metamagic+

Animal shape+, hybrid aspect

Natural attunement+, natural servant+

Druids are nature spellcasters who draw power from their veneration of the natural world. They worship Nature herself, the over-deity who guides and nurtures all living things. Nature grants her followers influence over her domain in gratitude for their service.

All druids value the continuation of life - in the abstract, universal sense, not the specific sense. Predation is a critical part of the natural world, and most druids have no prohibitions against killing. Life as a whole, across all species and levels of sentience, must continue. The worst nightmare of all druids is a dead world, inhabited only by rocks and memories of the life that once existed.

Individual druids have a great variety of opinions and interpretations about which aspects of Nature’s domain are most important. Some druids treat all forms of life as equal. Others draw distinctions between different forms of life, such as prioritizing the needs of highly sentient or highly complex life over others. Of course, many druids don’t dwell on philosophical questions about the precise value of Nature’s various aspects. They focus more on practical maintenance of the natural world according to their own instincts. Nature’s domain is immense, and her guidance is virtually nonexistent.

Many druids avoid or actively reject overly developed civilization. The details and causes of this aversion can be source of great disagreement between different druids. Civilization tends to displace or kill natural life. It replaces the vibrant diversity of life in a forest with a comparatively bland and homogeneous subset of species. In general, druids who value all forms of life equally and consider diversity to be intrinsically valuable tend to reject civilization most strongly. On the other hand, druids who value life according to its sentience or complexity are typically more tolerant of civilization.

Most druids belong to a specific druidic circle. Druidic circles are groups of druids that share a similar philosophy. Like druids, druidic circles have highly varied structures. Some druidic circles function as communes where all members live together, either nomadically or in a specific area of land claimed by the circle. Others simply have annual meetings to discuss critical matters, with many of the circle’s members living in isolation at all other times.

Since druids tend to be more isolated than most, their attachment to druidic circles may seem odd to outsiders. There are many reasons for this tradition, but foremost among them is the importance of continuity of knowledge in the absence of advanced civilization. Druids are unlikely to simply go to a library in a city to gain important knowledge about the natural world. Instead, they must learn from someone who has the knowledge they lack. This means they need access to wise elders who are willing to pass on what they know. Their wisdom must be kept alive between generations through oral traditions. Druidic circles provide a place for this knowledge transfer to occur, and offer a path to welcoming new druids into the fold.

Alignment: Any.

Archetypes: Druids have the Elementalist, Nature Magic, Nature Spell Mastery, Shifter, and Wildspeaker archetypes.

6.5.1 Base Class Effects

If you choose druid as your base class, you gain the following benefits.

Attributes

You gain a +1 bonus to your Perception. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus to any other attribute.

Hit Points

You have 8 hit points + twice your Constitution, plus 2 hit points per level beyond 1. This increases as your level increases, as indicated below.

Resources

You learn four trained skills from among your class skills (see Skills). You also gain an additional attunement point.

Weapon Proficiencies

You are proficient with simple weapons and shepherd’s axe, sickle, and scythe.

Armor Proficiencies

You are proficient with light armor and leather lamellar.

Class Skills

You have the following class skills:

6.5.2 Elementalist ✨

This archetype grants you influence over four elements that define the natural world: air, earth, fire, and water. All abilities from this archetype are magical ✨.

Rank 1 – Elemental Infusion ✨

If you do not have access to nature magic, you gain the ability to make a strike imbued with elemental force.

Elemental Infusion

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make a strike. When you use this ability, it has one of the following tags of your choice: Air, Earth, Fire, or Water.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 2: You add half your Strength to your magical power to determine your total power with this strike.

Rank 3: You deal extra damage equal to half your power.

Rank 4: If you miss, the target still takes the extra damage.

Rank 5: Your weapon damage is doubled.

Rank 6: The extra damage increases to be equal to your power.

Rank 7: The extra damage increases to twice your power.

Rank 1 – Elemental Spell ✨

If you have access to nature magic, you learn a spell from any of the mystic spheres associated with the four elements: aeromancy, aquamancy, pyromancy , or terramancy. You do not have to have access to that mystic sphere. As normal, you can change which spell you learn with this ability as you gain access to new spell ranks.

Rank 2 – Elemental Balance ✨

You gain a benefit from each of the four elements.

Rank 3 – Elemental Influence ✨

Elemental Influence

Sustain (standard)

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You can speak with air, earth, fire, and water within a Huge (90 ft.) zone from your location. You can ask the elements simple questions and understand their responses. Each element has different limitations on its memory and awareness, as described below.

Air, earth, and water are only able to give information about what they touch. This includes the general shapes, sizes, and locations of creatures and objects they interacted with, but not any details about color or subjective appearance. Fire is also able to give information about anything illuminated by its light, allowing it to report more detailed information like color. It is still unable to make meaningful subjective judgments like a creature would.

Rank 3 – Elemental Power ✨

You gain a +1 bonus to your power with all abilities.

Rank 4 – Elemental Spell+ ✨

You learn an additional spell with this ability.

Rank 4 – Elemental Tranquility ✨

If you do not have access to nature magic, you become impervious (+4 defenses) to Air, Earth, and Water attacks.

Rank 5 – Elemental Control ✨

When you use your elemental influence ability, you can also command the elements to move as you desire. Each element has different limitations on its ability to move, as described below.

Rank 6 – Elemental Power+ ✨

The power bonus increases to +2.

Rank 7 – Elemental Balance+ ✨

Your benefits from each element improve.

6.5.3 Nature Magic ✨

This archetype grants you the ability to cast nature spells. All abilities from this archetype are magical ✨.

Rank 1 – Nature Spells ✨

Your connection to nature grants you the ability to use nature magic. You gain access to one nature mystic sphere, plus the universal mystic sphere (see Nature Mystic Spheres). You may spend insight points to gain access to one additional nature mystic sphere per two insight points. You can only learn nature spells from nature mystic spheres that you have access to.

You automatically learn all cantrips from each of your mystic spheres. In addition, you learn two rank 1 nature spells. You can also spend insight points to learn one additional rank 1 spell per insight point.

Nature spells require verbal components to cast (see ??). For details about mystic spheres and casting spells, see ??.

When you gain access to a new mystic sphere or spell rank, you can forget any number of spells you know to learn that many new spells in exchange, including spells of the higher rank.

Advancement: The maximum rank of nature spells that you can learn is equal to your rank in this archetype. Nature spells also increase in power in unique ways based on your rank in this archetype, as indicated in their descriptions.

Rank 2 – Nature Spells+ ✨

You learn an additional nature spell.

Rank 4 – Nature Spells+ ✨

You learn an additional nature spell.

Rank 7 – Nature Spells+ ✨

You learn an additional nature spell.

6.5.4 Nature Spell Mastery ✨

This archetype improves the nature spells you cast. You must have the Nature Magic archetype from the cleric class to gain the abilities from this archetype. All abilities from this archetype are magical ✨.

Rank 1 – Metamagic ✨

You learn how to further refine your spellcasting abilities. Choose two metamagic abilities from the list below.

Some metamagic abilities affect specific spells. You can only choose spells with a rank no higher than your rank in this archetype. In addition, you cannot choose the same spell with more than two metamagic abilities. Whenever you learn a new spell, you may change which specific spells your metamagic abilities affect.

Airborne Spell: Choose a nature spell you know with a standard range: Short (30 ft.), Medium (60 ft.), Long (90 ft.), Distant (120 ft.), or Extreme (180 ft.). It gains the Air tag. In addition, you increase that spell’s range to the next standard range category, to a maximum of Extreme range. You can choose this ability multiple times, choosing a different spell each time.

Flooding Spell: Choose a nature spell you know with a standard area: Small (15 ft.), Medium (30 ft.), Large (60 ft.), Huge (90 ft.), or Gargantuan (120 ft.). It gains the Water tag. In addition, you increase that spell’s area to the next standard area category, to a maximum of a Gargantuan area. You can choose this ability multiple times, choosing a different spell each time.

Grounded Spell: Choose a nature spell you know. It gains the Earth tag. In addition, you gain a +2 accuracy bonus with that spell if you are grounded while casting it. You can choose this ability multiple times, choosing a different spell each time.

Incendiary Spell: Choose a nature spell you know. It gains the Fire tag. Whenever you hit a target with that spell, you repeat the spell’s effects against that target during the next round. You must make a new attack roll for the repeat with a -2 accuracy penalty. This repeat can only affect any individual target once per round, even if you attack it with the spell multiple times. You can choose this ability multiple times, choosing a different spell each time.

Rituals: You gain the ability to perform nature rituals to create unique magical effects (see Spells and Rituals). The maximum rank of nature ritual you can learn or perform is equal to the maximum rank of nature spell that you can cast. In addition, you automatically learn one free nature ritual of each rank you have access to, including new ranks as you gain access to them. You cannot choose this ability multiple times.

Rank 2 – Plant Channeling ✨

Whenever you cast a spell, you may choose a Small or larger living plant within Medium (60 ft.) range of you. If you do, the spell takes effect as if you were in the plant’s location. This affects your line of effect for the ability, but not your line of sight (since you still see from your normal location). Since an ability’s range is measured from your location, this can allow you to affect targets outside your normal range.

Rank 3 – Spell-Trained Mind ✨

You gain a +1 bonus to your Perception.

Rank 4 – Metamagic+ ✨

You gain an additional metamagic ability.

Rank 5 – Attunement Point ✨

You gain an additional attunement point.

Rank 6 – Experienced Spellcaster ✨

You gain a +1 accuracy bonus with spells.

Rank 7 – Metamagic+ ✨

You gain two additional metamagic abilities.

6.5.5 Shifter

This archetype grants you the ability to embody aspects of the natural world in your own form.

Rank 1 – Wild Aspects ✨

You gain the ability to embody an aspect of an animal or of nature itself. Choose two wild aspects from the list below. You can also spend insight points to learn one additional wild aspect per insight point.

As a standard action, you can gain the effects of one wild aspect that you know. You cannot change your wild aspect more than once per round. That effect lasts until you activate a different wild aspect you know or until you dismiss it.

The abilities in the list below describe the effects of the aspect. Your appearance also changes to match the aspect’s effects, but the nature of this change is not described. Different druids change in different ways. For example, one druid might grow brown fur when using the Form of the Bear, while another might instead change their face to become broader and more bear-shaped when embodying the same aspect. You choose how your appearance changes when you gain a wild aspect. This change cannot be used to gain an additional substantive benefit beyond the effects given in the description of the aspect.

Many wild aspects grant natural weapons. See Natural Weapons, for details about natural weapons.

Form of the Bear

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a +1 bonus to your Fortitude defense and vital rolls. In addition, your mouth and hands transform, granting you a bite and two claw natural weapons (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: The Fortitude defense bonus increases to +2.

Rank 5: The vital roll bonus increases to +2.

Rank 7: The Fortitude defense bonus increases to +3.

Form of the Bull

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You can move your full movement speed when you push a creature with the shove ability even if you do not get a critical hit (see Shove). In addition, your head transforms, granting you a gore natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You gain a +2 accuracy bonus with the shove ability.

Rank 5: The accuracy bonus increases to +4.

Rank 7: When you push a creature with the shove ability, the pushed creature also takes weapon damage from your gore natural weapon. This damage cannot be combined with other effects that deal damage with a shove.

Form of the Constrictor

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a +2 accuracy bonus with the grapple ability and all grapple actions (see Grapple). In addition, you can contort your body, allowing it to act as a free hand for the purpose of using the grapple ability and grapple actions even if you do not have a free hand. Finally, you gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: When you grapple a creature with the grapple ability, they also take weapon damage from your bite natural weapon.

Rank 5: The accuracy bonus increases to +4.

Rank 7: When you grapple a creature with the grapple ability, you automatically take control of the grapple (see Controlling a Grapple).

Form of the Fish

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a swim speed 10 feet slower than the base speed for your size. In addition, you gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You can breathe water as easily as a human breathes air, preventing you from drowning or suffocating underwater.

Rank 5: You gain a +10 foot bonus to your swim speed.

Rank 7: You are immune to magical ✨ effects that restrict your mobility.

Form of the Hawk

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain low-light vision, allowing you to see in shadowy illumination (see Low-light Vision). In addition, you gain a +3 bonus to the Awareness skill.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You grow wings, granting your a glide speed equal to the base speed for your size (see Gliding).

Rank 5: The skill bonuses increase to +5.

Rank 7: You gain a fly speed equal to the base speed for your size with a maximum height of 30 feet (see Flight). As a free action, you can increase your fatigue level by one to ignore this height limit until the end of the round.

Form of the Hound

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons). In addition, you have the ability to move on all four limbs. When doing so, you become multipedal and have no free hands (see Multipedal). This gives you a +10 foot bonus to your land speed and a +5 bonus to the Balance skill. In addition, your bite gains the Heavy weapon tag.

When not using your hands to move, your ability to use your hands is unchanged. You can descend to four legs and rise up to stand on two legs again as part of movement.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You gain the scent ability.

Rank 5: You gain an additional +10 bonus to scent-based Awareness checks (see Awareness).

Rank 7: You can run on three limbs instead of four, allowing you to retain one free hand while multipedal.

Form of the Monkey

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a climb speed 10 feet slower than the base speed for your size. In addition, you gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You grow a tail that you can use as a free hand for the purpose of climbing.

Rank 5: You gain a +10 foot bonus to your climb speed.

Rank 7: You can use the creature climb ability against creatures only one size category larger than you instead of two size categories larger than you.

Form of the Mouse

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a +2 bonus to the Flexibility and Stealth skills. In addition, you gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: When you use this wild aspect, you can choose to shrink by one size category, to a minimum of Tiny. In addition, if you shapeshift into this form with the animal shape ability, you can shrink by two size categories instead of only one.

Rank 5: The skill bonuses increase to +5.

Rank 7: When you use this wild aspect, you can choose to shrink by up to two size categories instead of only one.

Form of the Viper

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You do not need to use free hands to climb (see Climb). In addition, you gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons). When a creature takes damage from your bite natural weapon, it is poisoned (see Poison). Its stage 1 effect makes the target briefly stunned (-2 defenses). Its stage 3 effect makes the target stunned while the poison lasts.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You gain a +1 accuracy bonus with all poisons.

Rank 5: The accuracy bonus increases to +2.

Rank 7: The accuracy bonus increases to +3.

Form of the Wolf

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a +1 bonus to accuracy against creatures that are adjacent to both you and one of your allies. In addition, you gain a bite natural weapon (see Table 9.6: Natural Weapons).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You gain the scent ability.

Rank 5: The accuracy bonus increases to +2.

Rank 7: The accuracy bonus applies even if you are not adjacent to a creature, as long as one of your allies is adjacent to the creature.

Myriad Form

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have Disguise as a trained skill, you gain a +3 bonus to it. Otherwise, you are treated as being trained in that skill.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: When you use this wild aspect, you can choose to grow or shrink by one size category (see Size Categories). If you increase your size, you are slightly clumsy in your new size, and you take a -10 foot penalty to your speed with all of your movement modes.

Rank 5: You can disguise yourself as a standard action (see Disguise).

Rank 7: When you use this wild aspect, you can choose to grow or shrink by up to two size categories instead of only one.

Photosynthesis

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

As long as you are in natural sunlight, you regain hit points equal to half your power at the end of each round. This cannot heal you above half your maximum hit points.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You do not gain hunger or thirst while in natural sunlight. When you leave natural sunlight, you continue gaining hunger or thirst at your normal rate, ignoring any time you spent in natural sunlight.

Rank 5: The healing from this wild aspect increases to be equal to your power.

Rank 7: When you finish a short rest while you are in natural sunlight, you can remove a vital wound. When you do, you increase your fatigue level by four.

Plantspeaker

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your speed is not reduced when moving in heavy undergrowth. In addition, you can ignore cover and concealment from plants whenever doing so would be beneficial to you, as the plants move out of the way to help you. This prevents you from suffering penalties on your attacks, and also prevents creatures from using cover or concealment from plants to hide from you.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor and Reflex defenses while standing in undergrowth.

Rank 5: All light undergrowth within a Medium (30 ft.) radius from you is treated as difficult terrain for your enemies.

Rank 7: The radius of difficult terrain increases to Large (60 ft.).

Rank 2 – Shift Body ✨

Shift Body

Attune

Usage time: Can be triggered when you finish a long rest.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

When you use this ability, choose a physical attribute: Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution (see Attributes). You gain a +1 enhancement bonus to that attribute.

Rank 3 – Shifting Claw

Shifting Claw

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose Armor, Reflex, or Fortitude defense. Make a strike against that defense with a natural weapon.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 4: You can choose to deal double weapon damage with the strike. If you do, you take a -4 accuracy penalty.

Rank 5: You gain a +2 accuracy bonus with the strike.

Rank 6: The accuracy bonus increases to +4.

Rank 7: You deal double weapon damage by default, or triple weapon damage if you take a -4 accuracy penalty.

Rank 4 – Animal Shape ✨

Whenever you activate a wild aspect that represents a specific animal, you can fully shapeshift to match that animal’s shape. This cannot increase your size category, but you can shrink by one size category if it is appropriate for that animal. You may choose to reshape any body armor you wear as barding to fit the animal instead of melding it into your form. The armor regains its normal shape if you take it off. For details about shapeshifting, see Shapeshifting.

Rank 5 – Shift Body+ ✨

This ability loses the Attune tag. Instead, it lasts until you use it again.

Rank 6 – Cleansing Shift ✨

Whenever you activate a new wild aspect, you can also remove one condition.

Rank 7 – Animal Shape+ ✨

You may either grow or shrink by one size category when you shapeshift with this ability, regardless of whether it would normally be appropriate for that animal.

Rank 7 – Hybrid Aspect ✨

When you use your wild aspect ability, you can take on two aspects at once, gaining the full benefits of both. When you do, you increase your fatigue level by two. This hybrid aspect only lasts for ten minutes, at which point you choose which single aspect remains active.

6.5.6 Wildspeaker ✨

This archetypes deepens your connection to animals and plants, and allows you to call animals to aid you in combat. All abilities from this archetype are magical ✨.

Rank 1 – Natural Servant ✨

You can use the natural servant ability. This ability requires spending one hour performing rituals in a natural area.

Natural Servant

Attune (deep)

Usage time: One hour of rituals in a natural area.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

An animal native to the local environment appears to help you. It follows your directions to the best of its ability as long as you remain in its natural environment. If you leave the animal’s natural habitat, it remains behind and this effect ends.

Your magical connection to the animal improves its resilience and strength in combat. The animal’s statistics use the values below, except that each animal also gains a special ability based on the environment you are in. Animals are unable to understand complex concepts, so their ability to obey convoluted instructions is limited.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: The animal’s power becomes equal to your magical power, which increases its weapon damage as normal (see Weapon Damage).

Rank 4: The animal gains a +1 accuracy bonus with strikes.

Rank 5: The accuracy bonus increases to +2.

Rank 6: The accuracy bonus increases to +4.

Rank 7: The animal’s weapon damage is doubled. However, the accuracy bonus is reduced to +2.

The special ability of the animal that appears depends on your environment, as described below. You may choose a different animal native to that environment that is similar in size and type, but that does not change the animal’s statistics. For example, your natural servant in an aquatic environment may be a fish or seal instead of a shark. Unusual environments may have different animals than the standard animals listed below.

Rank 2 – Animal Speech ✨

Animal Speech

Sustain (minor)

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose an animal within Long (90 ft.) range. You can speak to and understand the speech of the target animal, and any other animals of the same species.

This ability does not make the target any more friendly or cooperative than normal. Wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while stupid ones tend to make inane comments and are unlikely to say or understand anything of use.

Rank 3 – Nature’s Ally ✨

You and your allies within a Huge (90 ft.) radius emanation from you are under nature’s protection. Animals will not willingly attack protected creatures, and will automatically attempt to help if the protected creatures are in mortal danger. For example, if you are attacked while in a forest, nearby birds might start harassing your foes, at the GM’s discretion. If any protected target attacks a creature that this ability protects you from, this ability is suppressed until you finish a long rest.

Rank 4 – Natural Attunement ✨

Your natural servant gains an attunement point. This attunement point is shared among any creatures you summon with your natural servant ability. In addition, you can cast Attune spells on your natural servant if it is within Short (30 ft.) range of you. When you do, the natural servant attunes to the spell intead of you, as if the spell was an Attune (target) spell.

Rank 5 – Animal Speech+ ✨

When you use this ability, you may target any living creature that knows at least one language. If you target a non-animal in this way, you do not gain the ability to speak with and understand the speech of other creatures of the target’s species.

Rank 6 – Nature’s Ally+ ✨

This ability also protects you and your allies from plant animates, elemental planeforged, and all summoned creatures.

Rank 7 – Natural Attunement+ ✨

Your natural servant gains an additional attunement point.

Rank 7 – Natural Servant+ ✨

You may choose to have a Large natural servant appear instead of a Medium natural servant.

6.5.7 Ex-Druids

A druid who ceases to revere nature or who changes to a prohibited alignment loses all magical ✨ druid class abilities. They cannot thereafter gain levels as a druid until they atone for their transgressions.