Druid

Druids in Tarred Skies

Differences

In the world of Aerdeskol in the Tarred Skies setting, Druids are a bit farther gone than druids in other settings, they end up being polarised in their views as to how the rules of life should be maintained.

Because of their ties to the Leylines, life force becomes something that Druids have to manage to exploit their connection. It is the source of their power, often making sacrifices to the Ley Spirits in homage and thanks for their power and gifts.

A Blight Shepard might sacrifice an entire town that it deems as a taint on the world, where as a Dream Shepard might look for tainted beasts, and relieve them of their pain as a sacrifice in mercy.

Shamans

Druids use similar connections and power as a Shaman, being both conduits of the Ley Lines. In contrast a Druid is a Shepard of the wilds, of the Fauna and Flora, where as a Shaman is a guardian of the Sentient, the living and the dead.

Taken from Unearthed Arcana : Druid p3-4

When you gain the Wild Shape feature at 2nd level, you are deeply familiar with three beasts of your choice and can transform into them.

To choose the three beast shapes, you first need to determine whether your druid grew up in a temperate or a tropical region, consulting with your DM.

Then refer to the Common Beast Shapes table that corresponds to the region you selected. This lists the beasts you can choose from, based on your druid level that you would have most likely to seen as a novice, to have learned about through mystic research, communed with in the Ley Lines or to have a special affinity with.

Each time you gain a druid level later, you can choose one more beast shape that you are of level to use.

Common Beast Imprints: Temperate

Druid Level 2. Badger, boar, cat, deer, draft horse, elk, goat, jackal, lizard, mastiff, mule, panther, pony, rat, riding horse, scorpion, spider, weasel, wolf

Druid Level 4. Black bear*, crab, frog, octopus, poisonous snake, reef shark, sea horse, warhorse*

Druid Level 8. Bat, brown bear*, eagle, hawk, owl, raven, vulture

Common Beast Imprints: Tropical

Druid Level 2. Baboon, badger, boar, camel, cat, deer, draft horse, goat, hyena, jackal, lizard, mule, panther, pony, rat, riding horse, scorpion, spider, weasel.

Druid Level 4. Ape*, crab, crocodile, constrictor snake, frog, octopus, poisonous snake, reef shark, sea horse, warhorse*

Druid Level 8. Bat, eagle, hawk, lion*, owl, raven tiger*, vulture.

*A Shepard of the Moon can choose this beast at 2nd level.

Suggested Starting Builds

These builds have been suggested by Wizards of the Coast to start with good options for combat, climbing, stealth and the ability to act as a mount.

Temperate. Cat, Elk, Wolf

Tropical. Panther, Riding Horse, Spider

Temperate (Shepard of the Moon). Brown Bear, Cat, Warhorse

Tropical (Shepard of the Moon). Ape, Tiger, Warhorse

Gaining Additional Bestial Imprints

The below are limited to the prerequisites of Beast Shape (PHB, p66) which requires level 2 for a 1/4 CR creature that cannot swim or fly, level 4 for a 1/2 CR creature that cannot fly, and level 8 for a 1 CR creature. Where applicable, a younger creature with valid CR may be granted in result of Syphoning or Communining with a more mature CR creature, IE an Elder Arrowhawk (a powerful beast closely tied to lightning) is CR6, but in result of it's imprinting you would be able to use it's CR1 Juvenile form.

Spirit Syphon. If you are within 10ft of a Beast, as the Beast dies, you may use your reaction to syphon it's spirit as it tries to return to the Ley Lines. This action requires your concentration, and keeps your occupied until the end of your next turn.

Bestial Communion. If the beast is willing, you can peacefully commune with the creature whilst in range of the influence of a Ley Line to investigate it's form fully, after which you may attempt a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check with a DC equal to 10 + the beast's challenge rating. For this interaction period, you must be within 15 feet of the beast, and if you spend a minute petting it, you have advantage on the check.

In essence, you're figuring out how the Beast works.

As a creature dies near you, you may syphon that creature's life force, reinvigorating your power.

When a creature dies within 10ft of your character, you may spend your reaction to gain an applicable spell slot. For a spell slot to be gained the creature must be at least twice the CR of the spellslot you wish to gain, the level of spell slot able to be gained is listed below.

IE. If you kill a CR 8 Creature and use Ley Syphon, you may gain a spellslot from level 1 to level 4.

You may use Ley Syphon twice per Short or Long rest. Gained Spellslots last until your next Short or Long Rest.

Level. Spell Slot Level able to be Recovered (From Minimum CR)

Level 5. 1 (CR 2)

Level 9. 2 (CR 4)

Level 13. 3 (CR 6)

Level 17. 4 (CR 8)

Though Druids tend to live and find themselves in isolated situations, they do not shun company and enjoy the chance to communicate with their fellow sentients. As some druids settled in locations that felt like home, or found purposes that called to them deep in the wilds, crossing paths was a welcome occurrence. A meeting of like minded fellows is a glorious occasion, Druids and their peers can be found talking long into the night about the fantastic nature that surrounds them.

In modern times a wide spread, but tightly knit, community can be found across Aerdeskol. These druids call themselves Shepherds and have organised themselves loosely into different groups and mindsets known as Convents in an effort to teach each other the lessons of the Ley Spirits.

Shepherds of the Moon

A Shepard of the moon is most herself running along side her pack or stalking with her pride. Preferring the form of the fauna they love, it is sometimes difficult to convince them to think of, or act alongside, sentients, regardless of species. Shepards of the Moon see reoccurring sentient conflicts and established communities as unnatural, ignoring the teachings of the animals that they believe are so much more diverse and logical. It is aberrant to be come stagnant in a life of specialisation and reliance on others. Sometimes known as Shepards of Ru'Ach.

Shepherds of the Realm

Shepherds of the Realm look past the frivolous lives of both sentients and fauna, instead they focus on that which is built on eons of turmoil, growth and erosion, the land itself. Each realm has a different character and heart, the study of these lands is their passion, they will not sit idly as entities who look to manhandle the environment into submission. This convent is often a source of advisers and experts for communities and ventures looking to live alongside the world in harmony. Sometimes known as Shepards of Hadron.

Shepherds of Twilight

Disciples of life and death, Shepherds of Twilight are the hand of the Leyforce, protecting the cycle of the of life. The enemy of Abberation and the Undead alike, their convent actively pursues those who would use the gift of the Ley Lines with foul intention or who would make tainted imitations of life. The Ley Line must ebb and flow, you must one day give back the spark of life that it first loaned you, your body is temple keeping that spark safe, and those that would sapp the flow must pay in kind. Sometimes known as Shepards of Nezzuum.

Shepherds of the Passage

Not all druids feel that the brutality of life and the wild should be the only course of action. Exemplifying the love of a parent and the yearning for joy and experiences with new faces to build new memories, Shepherds of the Passage look to embrace the warmth of life, saving those from a cold and solitary path. Shepherds of the Passage don't believe that sentient life has strayed from the path, instead they look to the point that they are children of nature that never give up, refusing to feed the shadows and the cold. Other Druidic Convents believe Shepherds of the Passage to be naive, that to shelter the sick is to breed weakness, but those of the Passage see warmth it as a strength. Shepherds of the Passage understand with the revolution of technology on the rise that physical strength is only one part needed in the coming war for survival. Sometimes known as Shepards of Ceraneh.

Shepherds of the Caretaker

Also known as Shepherds of Kara'kuhe, Shepherds are some of the most solitary but social Druids. Often finding their calling at the most obscure faces of the Aerdeskol, they are the tenders of the Ley Lines and the beasts closely tied to them. Some see Shepherds of the Caretaker to be a suicidal convent, those with the heart to take on the Huskworms that feed on the leylines and Skethic Swarms in their bowels, but somehow they always come back. Riding in half dead strewn on the back of a friendly beast of burden, living on a strand of life to protect the Ley Lines even for a second more. Shepherds of the Caretaker have a strong connection to creatures through the Ley Lines, and are able to directly communicate with beasts and are able summon great beasts much larger than any found in the wilds of Aerdeskol, perhaps from the Ley Wilds themselves. Beasts know and trust the Shepherd, and give their lives for them just as they know the Shepherd would do for them.

Shepherds of Blight

Known for the distance they are willing to go, and the ruthless power the Ley Spirits have granted them, all other convents give Shepherds of Blight a wide berth. Often misunderstood, Shepherds of Blight are the recyclers of the world, melting great sculptures to the dust they came from with their spores and moss. Shepherds of Blight are tasked with rebirthing that which is dead as their edict but sometimes their great power is called upon for stringent means and in dire situations. often they can be found reclaiming a dead forest with fungus's and algae, giving nutrients back into the soil from the corpses littered on a battlefield. Sometimes blamed for the situations they are trying to clean, they are a different sort without inhibition about death or hardship. To them everything is just at a point in the cycle, and even one day they will return to the earth to be fed upon by the very spores gifted to them.

Trees cannot grow and animals cannot graze where he lays his friends, but one day, because of him, they shall.