Druidism Skills
Druidism Skills
Druidic power stems from an ancient pact made many centuries ago between powerful mortals and powerful Fae. The tradition has continued unbroken since then. Druids are usually heavily restricted from carrying metal, although the reason for this may be lost to time…
All specific knowledge contained in this document is for OC information only. IC, this information is extremely secret, and is almost unknown outside the Druidic Order. If you are not a druid or have not been told this information in uptime by a druid, you must ‘stonewall’ it (act as though you do not know it in character).
Druidic Oath [10 XP]
Requires: Knowledge II Druidism; ref permission or uptime rite.
This is an innate skill.
When you make this pact with the Fae, you are considered a member of the Druidic Order. When you take this skill you may learn ‘Speak Druidic I’ for free. You ping to Rec Demon as Demon Rank [your level of Druidic Power, minimum 1]. You should respond “NO EFFECT” to Dismiss Demon miracles unless you would respond differently due to another effect.
The powers you gain from your oath are based on the oath you swear. From your oath, you gain access to the spiritual domain and type of magic listed in the table below. You gain the first miracle of your domain for free and the cantrip associated with the magic, as though you had the relevant elemental lore. Spells and miracles cast as a druid must be cast with a six-word vocal calling on “the power of the land” (except for cantrips and first-level spells, which only use their activation phrase as normal).
If you take damage whilst casting a druidic spell or miracle, even if the damage does not penetrate your armour, then the spell or miracle fails. The Gossamer that would have been used in the spell or miracle is not spent. Any effect which prevents all movement or incapacitates the target will also interrupt casting.
Even if your character could not otherwise cast certain spells or miracles (e.g. if you are an elemental elf), you may still cast them via Druidic skills. All other effects apply, e.g. a pyrokin Hospitality Virtue druid can cast Water spells and Healing miracles via Druidism, but beneficial Water spells and miracles, even those cast with Druidic skills, will still have half duration or half-effect on them. A troll druid without Troll Chieftain will still be unaffected by healing miracles, even those cast by the troll druid themself.
Druids must swear to uphold two Virtues as part of their Oath. These grant unique powers, and each provides a unique stricture to obey, similar to those of a priest. In addition to the two strictures from your oath, you are also bound by the following stricture: “You may not bear Cold Iron.”
Breaking any of these oaths will be recognised by your Fae patron and will be met with swift consequences. See a ref if you feel you have broken your druidic oaths.
The Virtues must be chosen from the following table:
| Virtue | Stricture | Spiritual Domain | Magical Domain |
| Courage | You must never flee from battle, nor back down from conflict out of fear for personal safety or loss. | Protection | Fire |
| Honesty | You may not lie or deliberately misdirect, though you may refuse to speak. | Divination | Light |
| Honour | You must act with honour, neither cheating, stealing, nor breaking your oath – regardless of consequences. | Restoration | Air |
| Hospitality | You must defend, heal and assist those to whom you have extended your protections. | Healing | Water |
| Justice | You must seek the wronged, and actively seek to see that wrongs are fairly redressed. | Harming | Darkness |
| Loyalty | You must obey anyone to whom you have given your word of loyalty, unless and until they release you from your vow. You cannot abandon them to danger under any circumstances. | Warding | Earth |
Speak Druidic [3 XP]
Requires: Druidic Power of equal level.
This skill may not be bought over level. It may be bought in ascending levels (to Level VIII).
Druidic is a unique language imbued with power by the speaker’s bargains with the Fae. It has no written form and cannot be taught save by the administering of the druidic oaths. For each level of Speak Druidic, you may call “Speak Druidic Rank [Level]” to impose a binding order on a Fae of that rank or lower. Typical Speak Druidic commands wear off after 5 minutes or when complete. A Fae does not consciously understand Druidic and is not consciously aware of anything spoken in it; however, it is subconsciously compelled to perform any instructions given in Druidic, unless those instructions violate its Bans.
Abuse of Speak Druidic may result in unwanted attention from fellow Druids.
Unlike normal languages, this is NOT an innate skill.
Druidic Talent [15 XP] (root skill)
Requires: Druidic Oath; Fae Bargains
Required For: Aligned Domain Specific Miracle; Aligned Element Spell; Battle Group
This skill may not be bought over level. It may be bought in ascending levels (to Level VI).
This skill functions as the skills “Spiritual Favour”, “Miraculous Power”, “Elemental Skill” and “Elemental Lore” only for the casting and buying of miracles and spells associated with your Druidic Oaths. You must still buy the miracles and spells separately.
You may cast second-level miracles associated with your Druidic Oaths as if they were your primary domains i.e. you may cast second-level miracles as if they were first-level. At second level, you will not be able to cast any additional miracles, as you will have learned these at Druidic Talent I.
This skill does not allow you to learn researched or para-elemental spells. If you have already learned a spell or miracle that you would be able to buy via Druidism (e.g. you are a Johnite priest who is also a Hospitality Virtue Druid) then you do not need to buy the spell or miracle again; you already count as having learned it. In the same way, if you become a mage or priest and would be able to learn a spell or miracle you have already acquired through Druidism (e.g. you are a Courage Virtue Druid who has also just bought Fire Lore), you do not need to buy the spell or miracle again. You may not cast spells or miracles you only know through Druidism with spirit or mana, nor may you use Gossamer to cast spells and miracles you did not gain access to through your Druidic skills.
Druids are subject to the usual restrictions on miracles, having to purchase all lower level miracles in a domain before later ones.
For each rank of Druidic Talent, you must bargain with a Fae in uptime. Your Druidic Oath counts as a first bargain.
Druidic Power [10 XP]
Requires: Druidic Oath
This skill may be bought in ascending levels (to Level VIII). It may not be bought over level.
This skill provides “Gossamer”, the Fae gift with which druids cast spells and miracles. For each rank of this skill, the character gains 5 Gossamer. A spell costs its level in Gossamer to cast, while a miracle costs 5 Gossamer or one fifth of the Druid’s total Gossamer, whichever is higher.
For as long as you are a druid, you ping to Rec Demon with your rank of Druidic Power [minimum 1]. You should respond “NO EFFECT” to Dismiss Demon miracles unless you would respond differently due to another effect.