Griznuq Gaming

D&D Campaigns => N'arth => General Info => Topic started by: Blackspear on July 27, 2005, 11:20:55 PM

Title: The Druids of N'arth
Post by: Blackspear on July 27, 2005, 11:20:55 PM
The Druids of N?arth

The druids of N?arth are the agents of Flaern, goddess of nature.   They tend to all the regions of N?arth except for Ogre?s Hold, the Withered Wood and the Black Wood.   The druids? stronghold is located at Elliira?s Glen in northern N?arth, where they maintain an academy on their sacred grounds.
Since the time of Elliira Arkhen, the first priest of Flaern, the druids have had a tumultuous relationship with the Wyvernstar family.    Alec Wyvernstar?s betrayal of Flaern was the beginning of a long and bloody feud between the druids (led by the Arkhen family) and the Wyvernstars.   Their battles over nearly everything have become legendary.   This has led to the druids becoming the most militaristic of all priesthoods.   To protect themselves, the druids train their acolytes to bladesing and they pursue their martial training with rangers who are also devoted to Flaern.   The falchion is the favored weapon of the druids.  
   The druids devote themselves to weapons practice early in their careers, thereby deferring their study of shape changing until they have become powerful protectors of their faith.   Even the toughest swordsman has a healthy respect for a druid?s battle prowess.
   Most Druids tend to be chaotic, reflecting their goddess? attitude.   They enjoy the freedom of living in the wild and they relish the opportunity to hunt the enemies of Flaern.   Some druids however, value the order of law, particularly the Arkhens.
   The Arkhens have been and always will be the guiding hand of the priests of Flaern.   For thousands of years, the Arkhen family has sent their third and fourth sons and daughters as well as their cousins to become druids.   Over 50% of the druids have Arkhen blood.    This does not mean however, that the druids are at the beck and call of the Arkhen family.   Although a very strong alliance does exist, there have been many instances of feuds between the two factions.   Their have also been many more instances of the druids allying with the Arkhen family in politics and in warfare.   The druids have also come to rely on the aid of the Arkhen family in their quest to vanquish the foes of Flaern, particularly the Wyvernstar family.
   The druids primary goals are to eradicate the enemies of Flaern (including the Wyvernstars, wyverns, and all minions of Delthara), to protect the land of Flaern, and to return the balance to the land that was lost during the Sundering.  


Game Notes
Druids function as the description in the 3.5 players handbook with the following exceptions:
1.   All druids use the ranger base attack bonus.   However they can not wild shape until 8th level.
2.   All druids gain the bonus feat of bladesinging at 1st level.   This feat allows the druid to defend himself with his chosen weapon.   This defense is equal to the druid?s level divided by 2 (rounded down).  Thus a 5th level druid gains a +2 to his A.C.   A first level druid gains a +1 to his A.C.   Druids must designate their chosen weapon for bladesinging from the following list: quarterstaff, scimitar, falchion, or sickle.   Because of their bladesinging ability druids are not proficient with shields.
3.   At 4th level, druids must choose to have the ability to select an alternative animal companion (PHB pg.36) or gain the feat of Bladecasting.    Bladecasting allows the druid to cast spells while wielding a weapon.   In other words it allows the druid to disregard somatic components while casting a spell when bladesinging.  The druid can not attack with his weapon and cast a spell in the same round.   However he does not lose the A.C. bonus that he gains from the bladesinging feat.
4.   At 7th level the druid will gain either a more powerful animal companion or Improved Bladesinging.   Improved Bladesinging grants +2 to hit and damage when attacking with his chosen weapon.
5.   Druids are expected to tithe 33% of their earnings to Flaern.  This can be done in a variety of ways including donating directly to the druidic hierarchy, paying for projects designed to protect the natural environment of N?arth, or simply returning the metals or gems to the earth in a very solemn ceremony of thanks on the Fall Equinox.   There are small caches of gems, gold and silver buried all over N?arth.   It is considered ominous bad luck to raid a druid?s cache.