Boil and Bubble: Sorcerous Druids

 

Guest Post by Anders Starmark

This is a system for Sorcery but for druids in Dungeon Fantasy. The word briga (pl brigas) means roughly “power, might” and it is only taught by members of the Druidic Order. Under normal circumstances no outsider would learn the principles – they are not set down in writing so that they can be stolen. Instead, they are passed on from teacher to pupil.

Advantages

Druid’s Brigas

16 for Brigas 1

+ 8 points per level

This is the druidic equivalent of Sorcerous Empowerment, or Sorcery. The advantage is a Modular Ability worth 4 base + 4 per point of abilities. This is modified by Limited, Advantages Only (-10%), Druidic (-10%), Physical (+100%), and Reduced Time 1 (+20%), similar to how Sorcery is built.

Rearranging the points placed in this advantage takes time – 30 seconds per point if Nature’s Strength (see below) is 0 or higher; 1 minute per point per penalty from Nature’s Strength if lower than 0.

“Known Spells” are taken as Alternate Abilities to this advantage and follow the usual rules for such abilities. They must be bought with the Brigas modifier (-15%); this includes Druidic and Costs 1 FP.

Brigas are limited to those abilities that emulate Druidic spells and powers. This applies to Known Spells, Improvised Magic and Hardcore Improvisation.

Druidic Power Modifier

If a power made with this advantage requires an ability roll, the roll is modified according to Nature’s Strength (Dungeon Fantasy 1, p.19). If it does not require an ability roll, then the powers are modified as per Druidic Arts (Dungeon Fantasy 1, p. 22). The same modifier applies to Hardcore Improvisation (Sorcery, p. 7).

No power with this modifier works in places where Nature’s Strength is -10 (this should be limited to extremely lifeless places).

Example: Roudobanwos is a druid with Druid’s Brigas 3. He wants to improvise a spell costing 3 points. As he is standing in a forest glade (Nature’s Strength 0), this will take 90 seconds or 1½ minute. If he tried to do it in a city street (Nature’s Strength -3) it would take 3 minutes per point, or 9 minutes.

Limitations: Many Druids work their magic by song, just like Bards. This is a -20% limitation.

Brigas Talent

This talent benefits all attempts to use Brigas. For instance, if a spell requires an attack roll or ability check, Talent would add to that roll. In addition, it adds to all attempts to use Hardcore Improvisation. In a Dungeon Fantasy campaign, you are normally restricted to 6 levels of this Talent; for lower-powered campaigns the GM may want to restrict PCs to four levels.

Grimoire

The following spells from the Sorcery supplement can be taken by a Druid: Animal Control, Blight, Body of Wood, Detect Magic, Dispel Magic, No-Smell, Predict Weather, Repel Animal, Sense Life Whirlpool.

Arboreal Immersion

Keywords: None.
Full Cost: 58.
Casting Roll: None. Talents helps Sense rolls while immersed.
Range: Self.
Duration: Indefinite.

By sitting down and meditating for a minute in a forest, you can meld your consciousness with the entire forest. Your body does not come along for a ride – it is still where you left it, in a deep coma-like trance state. Having friends around to guard it may be a good idea!

While melded with the forest you can cast your consciousness to all points in the forest, observing things as if you were standing there. Changing from one vantage point to another takes a Ready maneuver, but distance doesn’t matter.

If the forest is damaged (e.g., by a forest fire) you take proportional damage. For instance, if half the forest is burnt down, you take half of your total Hit Points in damage. See Powers p. 67 for more details on what you can do while melded.

Statistics: Permeation (Forest, Common; Druid’s Brigas -15%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -45%; Meld 2, +300%; Projection, -50%) [58]9

 

Place Gesa

Keywords: Resisted (Will).
Full Cost: 9 points.
Casting Roll: None. Make a melee attack to hit.
Range: Touch.
Duration: Truly permanent.

This attack places a gesa on the victim – a supernatural command that they cannot break, lest terrible consequences follow. Examples include Never Eat Dog’s Meat and Never Refuse A Challenge To Combat. Treat these as vows – if broken, the subject becomes Cursed (Basic Set, p. 129).

To place the gesa, the druid must look the victim into the eyes and touch his skin while speaking the gesa. Then the druid must win a Quick Contest of Wills with the victim. If successful, the victim is permanently afflicted – not even the druid can remove the gesa. Doing this costs the druid one character point.

Statistics: Affliction (Contact Agent, -30%; Disadvantage, 15-point Vow, +15%; Druid’s Brigas, -15%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, C, Cannot Parry -35%; Truly Permanent, +300%; Variable, +5%) [44]. This is divided by 5 for costing character points, for a final cost of 9.

Vines

Keywords: Missile, Obvious.
Full Cost: 78 for ST 15, +26 for each +5 to ST.
Casting Roll: None. Use Innate Attack (Projectile) to hit.
Range: 100 yards.
Duration: 1 minute.

The druid summons a seed which he throws at an opponent. When the seed hits its target, it rapidly grows into a bunch of vines that grapple the target and roots him in place. The target is pinned – cannot move his limbs or speak. They can attack the vines with an Innate Attack, try to break free (by winning a Quick Contest of ST vs. the vines’ ST), or use purely mental abilities. The vines grow into the victim’s mouth and nose (or similar orifices), preventing speech and causing him to suffocate (Basic Set, p. B436).

If the vines are attacked, they have DR equal to 1/3 the vines’ ST. Each point of damage reduces ST by one. When ST is reduced to 0, the target is no longer pinned or suffocating.

Statistics: Binding (Druid’s Brigas, -15%; Engulfing, +60%; Persistent, +40%; Suffocating, +75%) [5.2/level].

 

Final Thoughts

GMs who want to use this framework outside Dungeon Fantasy may want to look at Tree Magic from Thaumatology (pp. 42-47).