Love me some Druid spells #DungeonWorldItem
Druidic Quarterstaff
This staff is standard for the Druid people. Enchanted with basic spells, necessary for the survival of it’s user. When you wield this staff and call upon its power, Roll+WIS. 10+ you successfully cast the spell, 7-9 you cast the spell, but it’s energy is sapped from the staff and the spell can not be cast again until you Make Camp in the wilderness. When you rest in the wild of your homeland, the earth’s energy flows naturally into the staff, restore 3 spells. If the wild is unbeknown to you Roll+WIS. 10+ Recharge 3 Spells, 7-9 Recharge 1 Spell.
Spells
◻ Water Breathing
Gills form on the body, resembling that of aquatic life. A creature near you gains the ability to breath underwater for a short time, about ten minutes.
◻ Goodberry
Hold out the staff and 1d8 berries sprout from its trunk. Each berry, when consumed, heals for 1hp and acts as a ration.
◻ Mud and Stone
You can turn mud to stone and back again. An area, size large, near you transforms on your command.
◻ Charm Animal
You have a way with animals. An animal you touch will treat you as a friend and obey 1 simple command.
◻ Stone Flesh
Your flesh turns to Stone, granting you protection. Increase your armor by 1. The spell lasts until you dismiss it, during that time you take -1 Ongoing to cast further spells.
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Through extended use of the staff, and experience, you have unlocked hidden powers within it.
◻◻◻◻◻Once, when you Make Camp, if you had used the staff to overcome a great challenge, mark a box and forgo 1Xp. When the last box is marked, you unlock the following higher tier spells. Include these in your choices when you recharge, and recharge one additional spell when you do.
Advanced Spells
◻ Lightning
You build energy up within the staff and unleash it in the form of lightning at a target near you. The target takes 1d6 damage (ignore armor)
◻ Root
You call vines and roots from below the earth to snare and constrict all targets within reach. The terrain around you becomes difficult to traverse for others.
◻ Gaseous Form
You become like air and pass through cracks. You resist all forms of physical attacks and can’t make any moves while in this form. It last just a minute.
A couple of points:
1a) I would recommend writing a new cast a spell move, something like “When you invoke the spirits that reside within your staff, roll+WIS. On a 10+, you cast the spell and the spirit that provided it remains. On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but in doing so you freed the spirit that provided it; you will not be able to cast that spell again until you prepare it again. On a miss, the spirit is released, and spites you for capturing it; the spell is not cast and some natural tragedy comes as a result of your insolence”
1b) if you choose not to use the move provided above, please specify which Spellcast move they use.
2) The first 4 spells you listed are wonderful. Feather Fall? Not so much. The same effect can be accomplished with an Elemental Mastery.
3) The recharging move makes sense mechanically, but not fictionally. I would recommend making it so that whenever they would roll while in their homeland, they succeed as if they had rolled a 10+. Otherwise, they roll for it and the fail should go something like, “The spirits here do not welcome your strange artifact. Beware.”
4) Don’t make it require the Cast a Spell move to use, as that gives them 2 spell lists to cast from- assuming they can get a Cast a Spell move in the first place since they can only multiclass from the ranger.
Thank you Mark Weiss, I made some changes based on your advice.
Can’t decide whether to share this post with my Druid player or just hide the item in the world somewhere…
Maybe an old Druid friend comes by to say hi and shows off his new toy. Make your Druid jealous 😈
I always thought the lack of spells for the Druid was a mistake (not even given the choice between shape shifter or spell caster). For me, this item will be a given during character creation from now on in my campaigns. The fact that it’s an item, I think, balances it well. Those failed Rolls can make for some interesting situations and quests. Similar to that of a wizard losing his book
His master died, maybe this was left behind.
When you bind a spirit inside of the staff, the GM will tell you a move associated with that spirit. When you call upon the spirit’s power, roll+WIS. *On a hit, you make the move associated with the spirit. *On a 7-9, the spirit is freed from the staff.
How many spirits can fit into the staff at once, and how do you bind them? Do they go willingly? If not, will they retaliate when released?
I added some advanced spells. Giving the staff a form of advancement through use
Changed last spell to Stone Flesh
Fucking love it.
I like the item. I don’t think I’d give to a druid at character creation, though. Druids got plenty of tricks up their sleeves from the get-go.
About all of these can be done with Elemental Mastery honestly. That move is under appreciated lol
Elemental Mastery is pushing it. Maybe Mud and Stone, and Some Stone Flesh are covered, but even then it’s pushing it. I find Elemental Mastery kinda blah. If it was replaced by Cast a Spell (even if it replaced ShapeShift), I’d be happy.
P.S.
Even Ritual would be great, because Elemental Mastery Requires you to take the first option always… Kinda redundant
Even if I Roll a 10+, I’m paying some price, or have no control over my spell (who knows where that would lead).
You could always take the cross class move from ranger to get God amongst the wastes to get cleric spells. Granted that doesn’t give you druid flavored spells though. I for one wouldn’t mind a compendium class that has classic druid spell casting in it. That would be a nice option.
Scott Selvidge, that is the standard go to for a casting Druid. But I always felt it was a cop-out. And like you know, those spells don’t have the Druid feel.
A CC wouldn’t be bad. I just went the route of magical item, like the wizard and his spell book
Yeah. It is still a cool magic item, don’t get me wrong.