Druid (Dungeons & Dragons)
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Template:Dungeons & Dragons character class In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, druid is one of the base character classes. A druid is a versatile class, capable of combat and of divine magic. They gain divine magic from being at one with nature. Unlike the cleric, druids do not have special powers against undead and cannot use metal armour or weaponry. Druids have the unique ability to change into various animal forms.
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Druidic Oath
Originally, druids were very limited in their choice of weapons (almost as much as mages), and were of True Neutral alignment.
In the 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons, Druids are free to use different forms of weaponry, but they lose the ability to cast spells or change into animal form for a day if they wear metal armour. The alignment restriction now requires that druids remain neutral on atleast one (but not necessarily both) alignment axis (Good vs. Evil and Law vs. Chaos).
Party Role
Druids and rangers both play a role of wilderness adventurer in Dungeons & Dragons, but a ranger is more martially inclined, while a druid has more magical skill.
The Druid works well as a "fill-in" character, since she is both a competent spellcaster and fighter. At higher levels, the Druid becomes increasingly useful; the wild shape ability allows her to assume the form of animals that lend abilities to the party. She can become a hawk to gain a spot bonus, a cat with a move silently bonus (for scouting), or a horse to provide a mount. Additionally, she can have an animal companion that fills some of these functions.
Variant Druids
Urban Druid
In the Dungeons and Dragons official magazine series Dragon, issue #317, a new Core Class is introduced in the form of the Urban Druid- a kind of "Anti-Druid" who is tied to civilisation in the same way normal Druids are tied to nature. Urban Druids are similar but different, receiving certain spells (including several unique ones), possessing different animal forms and also different animal companions; such as Monstrous Scorpions/Spiders, Animated Objects and Carrion Crawlers.
Blighter
The Complete Divine Sourcebook for D&D, mentions a Prestige class called the Blighter, which is effectively a Druidic version of the Blackguard.