Hey, long time no blog. Since a few of my players (Steve & my brother for example) read this sometimes, I can't post too much sensitive info! Anyway I have been busy as hell prepping and running games, so blogging has fallen by the wayside, which is a good problem to have. There are some posts around I can dust off and maybe more play reports if I'm feeling ambitious - one group has been storming through The Vaults of Volokarnos and another is adventuring in my megadungeon based on Tomb of the Serpent Kings, both having a lot of fun. Meanwhile my CSWE group continues to explore the Night Wolf Inn, encountering deadly foes and serious challenges at every turn!
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Anyway, Like I said before, running Sword & Magic has been good so far and is great for introducing players to the hobby, since the rules are so damned simple & straightforward.
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| I printed this out and stuck it on my binder. You know how we do. |
Here is my porting-over of the druid class. I hope I got this one right - I made a few tweaks to things, but tried to keep the class in line with the original as much as possible. One of the characters in Land's End II has just become a druid of Partressa, the goddess of deep waters (a JG/Wilderlands deep cut for you). This is kind of fun because Partressa is chaotic so it's a bit harsher than most druidism - human sacrifice, reading the future from entrails, and ensuring those hungry fish get their due will be the order of the day!
DRUID
Subclass of: Cleric
Attack bonus: Cleric
Favourable saves: Fortitude, Will
Weapons: club, dagger, dart, staff, scimitar, scythe, sling, spear, javelin
Armour: light and medium, non-metallic only
Hp: 1d8 per level, 2 per level over 9th
Prime Stat: Wisdom
Alignment: usually Neutral
Skills: 7 (at least 4 must be druidic)
Spellcasting:
Druids cast spells from the druid spell list, using the same spells/day as other casters.
Skills:
Similar to thieves, druids can pick four extra skills at character creation from the following list:
Animal Training, Brew Poison, Find Tracks, Heal, Knowledge: Local Area, Knowledge: Wilderness, Knowledge: Plants, Read Signs, Sneak, Stargazing
The character's normal allotment of starting skills can be used on these as well if desired.
Druids also begin play knowing the secret Druidic language.
Special Abilities:
Gain +1 to saving throws against fire and electricity.
At 3rd level, can pass through overgrown areas at normal movement rate without leaving a trail.
At 7th level, immune to charm from woodland beings (Nymphs, Sylphs, etc).
Wild Shape:
Starting at 5th level, druids can transform into any small or medium sized animal (small as a mouse, up to about 2x human weight) for 10 minutes/level. Druids retain their to-hit bonus but gain the animal's natural attacks, movement, vision and similar traits. Can communicate with other animals of the same type. Can end the effect at any time. Can only transform into animals they've seen before.
At 7th level, animals up to Large size (albatross, bear, big cat)
At 8th level, animals as small as an insect are possible.
At 10th level, any size at all (elephant, small roc, giant versions of regular animals)
When transforming into an animal, a druid heals hp as if they had rested for a night.
Usable 3 times per day.
Can only transform into a particular animal once per day.
Druid Circles:
Every druid is a member of a circle - a group of druids bound to oversee a particular area. He may travel far & wide on his adventures, but must always return sometimes to tend to matters at home and obey the dictates of his superiors.
There are a limited number of high-level druids in any circle. Every druidic circle has their own challenges for high ranks. A druid cannot reach 10th level, nor any levels beyond that, without passing a test. Sometimes the druids must duel (to the death or otherwise) for the rank, otherwise a quest or some other task will be imposed. While a druid is 9th level, his experience total is capped at 89999. Any gained in excess before his task to reach 10th level is complete are wasted.
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Druid Spell List
I transposed over most of the AD&D druid spells, and added a few from later editions that I like. I did skip a handful (animal summoning) that I don't dig, but I'm willing to revise later depending on how the class does.
0th level
Create water: creates 5 litres of water per level
Detect magic: detects the presence of magical auras
Detect poison: detects if the subject is poisonous or poisoned
Light: provides light of approximately torch strength
Purify food and water: makes food and water pure and harmless
Read magic: deciphers magical texts
1st level
Charm Animal: charms an animal subject for 1-4 days + 1/level
Detect Animals/Plants: detects the presence and location of particular animal or plant types
Detect Snares & Pits: detects natural snares or traps
Entangle: pins enemies; -2 to hit, -4 DEX, half movement, pass concentration to cast spells
Enthrall Animals: fascinate a group of animals for up to 1 hour
Faerie Fire: illuminates creatures so they cannot hide
Goodberry: 2d4 magical berries heal 1 hp each and count as a meal
Invisibility to Animals: animals cannot detect through sight, sound, smell, etc for 10 mins/level
Pass Without Trace: one creature/level can pass undetected through wilderness for 1 hour/level
Protection From Elements+: immunity to a selected element, 10 hp shield vs. magical or concentrated
Produce Flame: creates torch-like flame in hand, can strike with it or throw for 1d6 + 1/level
Shillelagh: stick becomes magical +1 weapon in caster’s hands, deals 2d4 damage in melee
Speak with Animals: can speak with & understand any mundane animal for the duration
Wall of Fog: a wall composed of swirling mists obscures vision
2nd level
Animal Messenger: send a tiny animal to a designated place to deliver something
Barkskin: Natural armour +2 AC, +1 for every 3 levels above 3rd
Cure Light Wounds+: heals 1d8 + 1 hp/level
Enlarge Animal+: 20% growth per level, maximum 200%. Every 20% increases STR by 1 point.
Flame Blade: bar of fire deals 1d8 + 1 dmg/2 levels as a touch attack
Fog Cloud#: creates fog cloud; assumes powers of drugs or airborne poisons
Gust of Wind: knocks over or blows away lighter opponents
Heat Metal+: Heats held/worn metal over 7 rounds; 1 & 7 – 0 dmg; 2 & 6 – 1d4; 3-5 – 2d4.
Hold Animal+: 1-3 targets; if 2 targets, -1 to save. If 1 target, -2 to save. 4 rounds + 1/level.
Slow Poison: halts the effect of poison 1 hour/level
Spider Climb: walk on walls and ceilings
Summon Swarm: swarm of bats/rats/spiders that pursues enemies. Lasts for concentration + 2 rounds
Tree Form: become a tree for 1 hour/level, appear totally mundane. Aware of all that happens around
Wood Shape: reshape 10 + 1/level cu. ft. of wood into desired shape. Cannot create machines or moving parts
3rd level
Call Lightning: call bolt of lightning every 10 mins while outdoors, each dealing (Level-2) d8 damage
Cure Disease+: cures a disease
Cure Moderate Wounds+: heals 2d8 +1 hp/level
Dominate Animal: animal follows your commands; can ask it to do complex tasks with concentration
Neutralise Poison+: dispels the effect of a poison
Plant Growth+#: create overgrown jungle in 20’x20’ area/level; or enrich harvest in half-mile radius for one year. Second function requires a living sacrifice, or burnt offerings worth 1500 sp.
Protection from Energy: immunity to one energy type; absorbs 6 damage/level, maximum 60.
Rusting Touch: nonmagical iron-based items crumble to rust. Vs. metallic creatures does 3d6 + 1/level
Speak with Plants: can speak with plants or plant creatures
Spike Growth: ground becomes field of natural spikes; 1d4 damage and halves move. Spell DC to spot
Stone Shape: molds stone into the desired form
Water Breathing: allows breathing underwater 30 mins/level
Wind Wall: deflects gasses, breath weapons and projectiles
4th level
Anti-Plant Shell: magical barrier plants cannot pass
Clairvoyance/Clairaudience: spell to observe distant locales
Command Plants: plant creatures perceive caster’s words favorably; can be convinced to do tasks
Control Water: lower or raise the level of waters in an extensive area
Cure Serious Wounds+: heals 3d8 + 1 hp/level
Dispel Magic: cancels spells and magical effects; check of [1d20+spellcaster level] -vs- [1d20+spellcaster level] for active, or [10+spellcaster level] for passive effects
Flame Strike: 6d8 damage divine fire
Hallucinatory Terrain: envelops an area in illusion
Ice Storm: 5d6 damage in target area
Reincarnate#: dead creature comes back in a new form
Sticks to Snakes: turns 1/level of sticks into snakes; 5%/level of deadly poison
5th level
Animal Polymorph+: change a creature into any animal or giant version; 20 mins/level for caster or permanent for others. Will save, or intellect changes to that of the animal after INT number of days.
Atonement: lifts the weight of a great sin
Cure Critical Wounds: heals 4d8 + 1 hp/level
Commune with Nature: learn about surroundings; 1 mile/level outdoors, 100 ft/level underground
Control Winds: whip up winds in 40’ rad/level; up to tornado force at high levels
Insect Plague: summons spider, centipede or locust swarms; 1/3 levels
Plant Door: pass between two plants of the same kind over any distance
Rock to Mud+: turns a stone surface or object to mud
Stoneskin#: grants DR 5/- until 5 dmg/level is absorbed (max 75); requires diamond dust worth 3500 sp
Wall of Fire: 2d4 damage in 10’, 1d4 damage in 20’, 2d6 + 2/level damage when stepping through
Wall of Thorns: spiky brush must be cut through, moving deals 21-AC damage
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DM Notes: Extra skills *and* spellcasting *and* special abilities *and* they can transform too? All these druid special abilities are balanced out by the druid's spell list, which is heavily weighted towards very specific tasks. In a dungeon the druid will have to work hard to pull his weight at low levels, especially with no turning undead and delayed access to curing magic.
At high levels of course, the druid will rule the school - just look at that spell list!! Once again there is a balancing factor - the druid's circle gates these spells off until he has proved his worth on a difficult quest, or a duel to the death! The DM is encouraged to make this as hard as he likes.
HOUSE RULES
I only have a few of these, mostly to fill in a few gaps or to fit the campaign world. The more I play, the more I want to keep house rules to a bare fucking minimum wherever possible. If the system doesn't work for you, play a different one bro!
MONEY
Land's End uses the silver standard, so 1 sp = 1 xp. Sword & Magic almost does that anyway (1 gp = 5 xp), so I'm just going a little bit further. I had to recalculate treasure values, but it wasn't too hard. As in the original Land's End game, everything is expensive and good gear is hard to find! After using it for a while, I am confident the silver standard is not generally a good idea for most D&D campaigns (it seems to break down around 5th level). For the sword & sorcery jungles of Land's End, it works fine.
ENCUMBRANCE
I use unit encumbrance. A character can carry a number of significant items equal to their strength score without penalty. When items exceeding STR are carried, movement speed is reduced by 1/3. Beyond double STR, movement is halved and skill roll or saving throw penalties may be assessed as well (nobody ever carries that much, so I haven't thought much about that part yet). Carrying more than 3xSTR worth of items makes any movement other than staggering impossible.
Examples of one significant item: a one-handed weapon, a bag of 100 normal coins, a coil of rope, 2 torches, 2 days' rations, 2 bottles (potions or oil flasks), 20 arrows, 4 darts, a shield, a spellbook, a worn backpack, etc.
Examples of two significant items: a two-handed weapon, a bedroll, a small wooden chest.
Armour: armour counts for as many items as its AC bonus (eg. chainmail weighs 5)
Small items: a pouch of gems, a letter, a ring of keys, worn clothing, jewelry, paper currency and the like are not counted towards encumbrance.
Sword & Magic has no encumbrance system, so I had to add one. These are the same rules I use for every game I run, more or less. They are simple and easy to work with. I have been fiddling with them over multiple campaigns with multiple systems, so this is just the current incarnation. They are not perfect - a longsword & dagger weigh the same - but they are straightforward & playable.
The core priority is that the system be easy, otherwise players, shiftless as they are, just pretend it doesn't exist. The baseline I started from is "carry weight = strength score." From there I push the items' weight up & down until it fits. I don't like to change things mid-campaign unless I make an egregious mistake, so it has taken a few tries to smooth things out.
The focus is on a system that is coarse-grained enough for players to work out encumbrance problems fast, without having to do math. I want my players asking "do we drop the ammo, the food, or the mysterious crate so we can carry that gold statue?" not "I need to free up 2.5 pounds..."
(Remember also I am running these campaigns in person, with paper character sheets. Online it's a bit different and I just use character spreadsheets so players can see their encumbrance totals instantly.)
REACTIONS & MORALE
I use B/X-style 2d6 reaction rolls and morale, as always. I consider these rules (or something like them) indispensable. I made them fit into Pathfinder without a problem, so they should work fine here. They are not specified in the Sword & Magic rules although Melan does mention morale rules in his zine. Charisma modifiers to the reaction roll will be stepped down to B/X standards, as usual (13-17 = +1, 18 = +2) because a +3 to reactions is impossibly too good, and even +2 is absurd.
CHARACTER SHEETS
I made these in GIMP based on the old D&D Basic character sheets. Very simple but effective. I found a font that is almost exactly like the original. Pretty cool right?
Catch you on the flip side blogland!
