Previous Hundred Dungeons posts:
The Wild (wilderness exploration)
The Dark (dungeon exploration)
Recuperation (resting and downtime)
Druid design in any D&D-adjacent roleplaying game revolves around the question of wild shape. To what extent should druids define themselves by shapeshifting into beast forms? This ability dominated the druid’s representation during fourth edition D&D, and seems to cling to it in the fifth edition. How are we handling the balance between weapon use, spellcasting, and wild shape in Hundred Dungeons? Let’s read on.
As always, our design goals are:
Simplify in-game decision points
Condense the 20 levels down to 10 that cover a similar spread of power
Work in more “always on” features
Balance the pillars (which means removing some combat stuff and replacing it with features that showcase exploration and social activity)
Thanks for joining on this journey. Please drop a comment below and let me know what you think.
DRUID
Like the wild itself, druids can provide and protect — but that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous. Whisperers to trees and leaders of the hunting pack, their power is drawn from the primal magic of the land, both to defend life and to take it.
The rituals and customs of druids are varied. Most wield items symbolizing the raw, unspoiled might of the primal world. They change shape to live among the beasts, and tend to the needs of the wild like a living community.
Ability Increase: Wisdom
Skills: Animal Handling, Survival, Wilderness and Herb Lore, Simple Weapons, Simple Armor, Martial Armor, Shields
…and one skill of your making
Hit Dice: d8
Starting Hit Points: 8 + Constitution score
Starting Gear:
3 Pouches
Sack
Club or sickle
Hide armor
Sling
Ammunition (50 bullets)
15 silver
EXPLOITS
BEAST BOND
Level 1
You learn the spell speak with animals and can cast it at will.
SPELLCASTING
Level 1
Gain two cantrips and three level 1 spells from the list of Druid Spells. You can cast your cantrips without expending them. Your level 1-9 spells replenish when you take a long rest. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom.
In addition to specific spells you might gain through your exploits, you gain two new spells each at levels 2-7. You gain one spell each at levels 8 and 9.
PRIMAL CIRCLE
Levels 2, 4, & 6
Choose Beast, Decay, or Land. Your Primal Circle grants unique exploits at levels 2, 4, and 6.
Beast, Level 2: You gain the skills Keen Senses and Stealth. You learn the spell enhance ability.
Beast, Level 4: You learn the spell dominate beast. When you use Wild Shape, you can choose any beast whose level is lower than your druid level. Your GM approves any form you take, and may adapt existing beast stats to fit a particular species. While in beast form, your hit point maximum and current hit points increase by the amount of hit points your chosen form has + your druid level. When the wild shape ends, your hit points return to normal.
Beast, Level 6: Wen you use wild shape, you can transform into elemental or plant creatures whose level is lower than your druid level.
Decay, Level 2: You gain the skills Autopsy and Poisoner. You learn the spell inflict wounds.
Decay, Level 4: Your weapon attacks inflict an extra 1d8 necrotic damage. You learn the spell blight.
Decay, Level 6: You gain resistance to necrotic damage.
Land, Level 2: Choose a terrain type (arctic, coast, desert, forest, grasslands, hills, mountains, sea, swamp, or another you agree on with your GM). You gain the skills Secrets of the [terrain type] and Martial Weapons. You learn the spell pass without trace.
Land, Level 4: You ignore the effects of difficult terrain, and your ability rolls to resist hazards and spell effects that take the form of plants are mighty. You learn one of the following spells: control water, hallucinatory terrain, or stone shape.
Land, Level 6: You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned status.
WILD SHAPE
Levels 3 & 5
Choose three beasts of level 1 or lower that you’re familiar with, such as a dolphin, hawk, or panther. You can use a Combat action to magically shapechange into one of those beasts. The change requires your concentration, lasts 1 hour, and can end early if you drop concentration. After it ends, you can’t wild shape again until you finish a short or long rest.
While shapechanged, your game statistics are replaced by the beast’s, except for your:
Hit points
Traits
Skills
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores
Your exploits, senses, and spells can’t benefit you while you’re using the beast form’s. Your ability to speak and interact with the environment is limited to the capability of your new form, but you retain your personality.
Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match your beast form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.
At level 5, choose another three beast forms that are level 5 or lower.
NaturAL EMPATHY
Level 7
You gain the skills Discern Motive and Persuasion. Beasts and plants you encounter are friendly unless given cause to distrust you.
WILDWALK
Level 8
Concentrate for 10 minutes to create a magical link between a nonmagical plant within 10 feet of you and another nonmagical plant on the same plane of existence you have seen or touched in the past. Until the end of your next turn, any creature can step through one plant and out of the other by using 5 feet of movement. This exploit replenishes when you finish a short or long rest.
ELEMENTAL COMMAND
Level 9
Your exploits and spells that refer to beast and plant creatures now extend to elementals, and you can substitute that creature type wherever the former appear.
ONE WITH THE WILD
Level 10
You can wild shape at will using a quick action. There’s no limit to the number of times you can do this.
DRUID SPELLS
Cantrips
Druidcraft
Guidance
Mending
Produce Flame
Resistance
Shillelagh
Level 1 Spells
Animal Friendship
Charm Person
Create or Destroy Water
Cure Wounds
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Entangle
Faerie Fire
Fog Cloud
Goodberry
Healing Word
Jump
Longstrider
Purify Food and Drink
Speak with Animals
Spray Venom
Thunderwave
Level 2 Spells
Animal Messenger
Barkskin
Darkvision
Enhance Ability
Find Traps
Flame Blade
Flaming Sphere
Gust of Wind
Heat Metal
Hold Person
Lesser Restoration
Locate Animals or Plants
Locate Object
Moonbeam
Pass without Trace
Protection from Poison
Spike Growth
Level 3 Spells
Call Lightning
Conjure Animals
Daylight
Dispel Magic
Meld into Stone
Plant Growth
Protection from Energy
Sleet Storm
Speak with Plants
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Wind Wall
Level 4 Spells
Blight
Confusion
Conjure Minor Elementals
Conjure Woodland Beings
Control Water
Dominate Beast
Freedom of Movement
Giant Insect
Hallucinatory Terrain
Ice Storm
Locate Creature
Polymorph
Stone Shape
Stoneskin
Wall of Fire
Level 5 spells
Antilife Shell
Awaken
Commune with Nature
Conjure Elemental
Contagion
Geas
Greater Restoration
Insect Plague
Mass Cure Wounds
Planar Binding
Reincarnate
Scrying
Tree Stride
Wall of Stone
Level 6 Spells
Antilife Shell
Awaken
Commune with Nature
Conjure Elemental
Contagion
Geas
Greater Restoration
Insect Plague
Mass Cure Wounds
Planar Binding
Reincarnate
Scrying
Tree Stride
Wall of Stone
Level 7 Spells
Fire Storm
Mirage Arcane
Plane Shift
Regenerate
Reverse Gravity
Level 8 Spells
Animal Shapes
Antipathy/Sympathy
Control Weather
Earthquake
Feeblemind
Sunburst
Level 9 Spells
Foresight
Shapechange
Storm of Vengeance
True Resurrection
NEXT TIME
If you’ve been paying attention to the alphabetical organization of our class posts thus far, you might expect to see the fighter next. Well, we’ve renamed the fighter the Warrior, so you’ll sadly have to wait for the second to last installment. In the meantime, we’re on to the Paladin! Hope you’ll continue reading!
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Hundred Dungeons is created and written by Graham Ward © 2023
Permission granted to copy for personal use only.
THE DRUID
| EXP Required | Druid Level | Hit Dice | Total Spells | Exploits | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renown 1 | +1 Wisdom |
Friend to Living Things | |||
| — | 1 | 1d8 | 4 | Beast Bond, Spellcasting | |
| 2 | 2 | 2d8 | 7 | Primal Circle | |
| 3 | 3 | 3d8 | 9 | Wild Shape | |
| 4 | 4 | 4d8 | 12 | Primal Circle | |
| Renown 2 | +1 to any ability score |
Nature's Shepherd | |||
| 5 | 5 | 5d8 | 14 | Wild Shape | |
| 6 | 6 | 6d8 | 16 | Primal Circle | |
| 7 | 7 | 7d8 | 18 | Natural Empathy | |
| Renown 3 | +1 to any ability score |
Warden of the Wild | |||
| 8 | 8 | 8d8 | 19 | Wildwalk | |
| 9 | 9 | 9d8 | 20 | Elemental Command | |
| Renown 4 | +1 to any ability score |
Primal Hierophant | |||
| 10 | 10 | 10d8 | 20 | One With the Wild |
