d20 Dragon Scale Counters Guardians of the Underhalls.pdf

Guardians of the

Underhalls

A Class Expansion Sourcebook for Deep Druids

By Eric Price and Matthew Smith

Play testers

Jacob Smith, John Felder, Brian Harmon, Brian Dinwiddie, Will Kimbrel, John Griffith, Kevin Spencer

Special Thanks to

Phil Thompson — for his comments and review.

Joe Selby — who told me I should just quit.

Cover Art: Matt Smith

Interior Art: VShane, Matt Smith, Eric Price

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast,

Inc. This product utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision. 'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are

trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0.

A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. Dungeons and Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast®

not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This edition of Guardians of the Underhalls was

produced under version 1.0a of the Open Game License, the d20 System Trademark Logo Guide, and the System

Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast.

Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with

Section 1(e) of the Open Game License: Any and all Dragon Scale Counters logos, artwork, or trademarks; all

artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps, and cartography, except those which represent the

illustrations done by VShane, which are the property of VShane and are used with permission.

Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Product Identity designation above (which retains precedence),

the following portions of Guardians of the Underhalls are designated as Open Game Content: the name and all

game mechanics related to the Deep Druid class and the prestige classes, the poisons, the feats, the spells, and the

stat blocks of all NPCs that appear herein as well as anything else contained herein which is already Open Game

Content by virtue of appearing in the System Reference Document or some other OGC source.

Some portions of this book are previously released Open Gaming Content. See section 15 of the Open Gaming

License for a complete list of possible contributors to the OGC that appears herein. The remainder of these OGC

portions in this book are hereby added to Open Game Content. If used they should include a complete section 15 of

this work. Dragon Scale Counters cannot be held liable for third party misuse or misidentification of material from

this adventure. If in doubt, ask. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.

Any

reproduction, retransmission, or unauthorized viewing of the artwork or non-Open Game Content herein is

prohibited without the express written permission from Dragon Scale Counters, except for purposes of review or use

of OGC consistent with the OGL. The original purchaser may print or photocopy copies for his or her own personal

use only.

This document is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people living or dead, organizations, places, or events is

purely

coincidental.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The brown-eyed Dwarf ran his short stubby

fingers through the dirt-encrusted beard that hung

from his face. From across a great cavern of

mushrooms he watched as the tiny pinpricks of

light grew brighter with each passing minute.

Surfacers had come to his grotto once again. The

Dwarf smiled as he took in another deep breath of

the musty, earth-filled air. The cavern below was

filled with the bones of many a surfacer –

surfacers just like these no doubt. Few knew the

dangers of the UnderEarth as well as he, and few

respected the danger that even a benign-looking

mushroom represented. He could warn them, but

even the creatures of the UnderEarth deserved to

eat. No, if these surfacers were reverent, if they

despoiled nothing in his garden and hurried along

their way, they would be safe. What could be

more just?

For millennia Human and Elven scholars have

told stories of those who take up the mantle of

protecting the forests and mountains of the surface

world. The druids of the forests above and their

role in keeping a balance in the groves they

protect are well known by all. The calling to

protect nature from those who would spoil it is not

limited though to those areas where the sun

shines. Select races from the UnderEarth -

Dwarves and Svirfneblin, Gnomes and even the

occasional outcast Drow, protect nature deep

under the surface of the earth, far below the

deepest tree roots. Like their surface cousins they

are often looked down and ostracized by

mainstream society. Unlike their surface cousins

their dangerous environs have demanded new

consorts in the battle to protect nature. Those

below consort with beasts unknown to all but the

wisest sages of the surface world, and have

druidic powers here-to-fore unknown to the world

above.

In the world of dark elves and other evil

subterranean races there is little room for those

who do not share the vision of the community.

Even among the lawful Dwarves of the mountain

the one who argues against mining may find

themselves at odds with the “rightful” authority.

Individuals in these situations frequently become

outcasts.

Defining the Book

Chapter 1—The Deep Druid

Character Concepts

Racial Concepts

Playing the Deep Druid

The Deep Druid

New Feats

Animal Companions

The Deep Druid’s Companion

Alternative Companions

Chapter 2—Environment and Tools

The Grotto

The Great Maw

Water Cavern

Mushroom Forest

The Abyss

The Vast

Honeycombs

Poisons

Chapter 3 - Prestige Classes

Dark Walker

Deep River Tracker

Shifting Guardian

Spore Master

UnderEarth Stalker

Chapter 4 - Spell Lists and Spells

Spell List

Spell Descriptions

Chapter 5 - Magic Items

Chapter 6 - Animal Compendium

Chapter 7 - Sample NPCs

Open Game License

Herein are their stories.

Guardians of the Underhalls

Page 1

Defining the Book

This book is the basis for a new core class variant

of the traditional surface druid. Applying the same

concepts of protectionism and guardianship to the

lands beneath the surface of the world the book

crafts an interesting twist on a deadly predator. A

lot of the material, particularly the spells, in

Guardians of the Underhalls has been offered to

the community before in one sourcebook or

another. Section 15 of the Open Gaming License

printed at the very back of this book will shed

some light on some of the potential sources for

this material. The book is not entirely a

compilation however. The class itself, its new

twist on wildshaping, and the poisons are just a

few of the original content that was blended with

the original OGC to create this book.

This book does not try to give you new rules for

the sacred rituals performed by a coven of druids

or for rituals made possible by special groves.

Several other books on those types of subjects

already exist in the marketplace, and are an

excellent source of creative ideas if you wish to

expand your UnderEarth druidic campaign in that

direction.

In some places throughout the book new rules are

offered that would supercede those presented in

earlier supplements or editions of the game. In

each case an attempt was made to clearly mark

these changes so that they can be evaluated by

your DM for inclusion in his or her game.

This book is divided into seven chapters.

Chapter One covers the basic creation of a Deep

Druid. It discusses some of the motivations for

taking up the role and which races of the

UnderEarth are typical for differing aspects of the

class. It also specifically defines the new class

variant in full detail and provides 25 new feats to

help create an interesting character for your game.

Chapter Two covers several types of grottos and

caves that Deep Druids typically watch over and

protect. It also offers insight into some of the

poisons they might employ to aid them in that

protection.

Chapter Three brings five new prestige classes

to life that will breathe variety and spice into your

campaign. These specialized classes can provide a

rare or unique flair to your Deep Druid abilities,

transforming him into an agent of darkness itself

(the Dark Walker) or into a fearsome

transformation master (the Shifting Guardian).

Chapter Four offers up the spell list and dozens

of new spells for helping the Deep Druid control

and nurture the world around him. The spells

range from minor orisons to the most fearsome of

druidic magic beneath the surface of the world -

Earth’s Fiery Vengeance

Chapter Five contains more than a dozen new

and unique magic items centered around

campaign ideas in the UnderEarth, or appropriate

to the Deep Druid.

Using the Book

The sole purpose of this book is to help players

create and customize a new kind of core class -

the Deep Druid. While the Player’s Handbook has

all the specific information necessary to create a

new character, Guardians of the Underhalls adds

this new class variant as a way to broaden your

campaign’s options. Much of the information

presented in this book applies to both DMs and

players, though some of the information presented

in the Magic Item section could provide seeds for

an UnderEarth adventure. These seeds often refer

to specific names, places, and deities. When this is

the case you should feel free to replace them with

suitable elements from your own campaign.

Chapter Six is an appendix of animals and

vermin suitable for wildshaping or for

companionship. This will be an important chapter

for would-be deep druids as they progress through

their career.

Chapter Seven finishes the book by providing a

handful of NPC Deep Druids. These Deep Druids

can offer you a quick look into the power of the

Deep Druid class at various levels. Alternately,

these NPCs could be put to use in your own

campaign.

Guardians of the Underhalls

Page 2

Character Concepts

Deep druids, like all would be adventurers, have

many reasons for taking on the role that they do.

Below are some of the more common archetypes

of Deep Druids. It is worth noting now that they

are not all equally suited for adventuring in a

traditional party of would-be heroes. Those that

are not might still be used for temporary walk-in

players, as non player character benefactors, or as

a seemingly (or truly) malevolent nemesis.

whatever environment the party finds themselves

in. As with all druidic characters, this may cause

friction within the group.

Dark Druid

“…and darkness spread across the land…”

The dark druid is a master of darkness and gloom

and the lore of places. These druids place the

importance of the UnderEarth above all other life.

In fact, most dark druids believe the surface world

to be a place that needs to be destroyed, or

changed to resemble the ‘true world’. Many of

these druids revere dark elemental gods and their

sinister powers are feared by all that know them.

Drow and Duergar are the races most likely to be

dark druids. Similarly, hermits or outcasts may

turn to dark powers for succor and ultimately stray

down the path of the Dark Druid. Chaotic neutral

and neutral evil are the alignments best suited for

this ideology.

Baneful Protector

“Blood Makes the Mushrooms Grow”

These deep druids think of their grottos above all

else, taking no prisoners and having no guilt over

the spilling of other’s blood in their tunnels and

caverns. They are often single minded, fixated on

the protection of their grotto of rock, stone, and

sea from despoilment by the nearby “civilized”

UnderEarth races. Because of the “slaughter first,

ask questions later” attitude of the baneful

protector, chaotic neutral and neutral evil

alignments are the most suitable.

Adventuring: Dark druids are always on the

move searching for interlopers and ways to

exploit the surface. Their adventuring goals

almost always reflect a plot to cause harm to

surface races or ecosystems.

Adventuring: The baneful protector does allow

for some plots and storylines that fit with an

adventuring persona. A threat (real or imagined)

to his grotto might be enough to leave his grotto in

the protector in the hands of another and head out

into the UnderEarth (or worse, the surface world)

to try and remedy the situation from its source.

Explorer

“You would never find THAT in MY grotto”

The curiosity of the exploring deep druid has

grown so great that he eventually leaves his

comfortable surroundings and begins a quest for

self knowledge and exploration. Often young

druids go through this period while searching for a

grotto to call their own or while waiting to inherit

a grotto from an elder druid. A number of other

things can motivate an explorer, but whatever the

cause they seem to be working for the explorer

seems the most qualified to adapt to changing

ecologies. Because of the wide variety of

motivations that drive the exploring deep druid

almost any race and alignment could be

appropriate.

Considerate Overseer

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”

Not every Druid under the ground is so impartial

as to let those coming to her domain live or die by

their own actions. Some believe the best way to

defend their UnderEarth grotto is by educating

would-be interlopers on how to interact with the

environment. Lawful Neutral and Neutral Good

characters make the best Considerate Overseers.

Adventuring: The Considerate Observer likely

spends their time patrolling the UnderEarth. In

time they may grow bored or merely seek to

expand their knowledge about those who come

below from the surface. Their alignments mix

well with traditional adventuring parties, but their

opinions of the value of nature should extend to

Adventuring: The explorer makes perhaps the

best suited deep druid for outright adventuring.

Perhaps they lack their own grotto or are simply

awaiting the time when their master will pass on

the grotto to them. That does not mean exploring

deep druids are at ease in the foreign ecologies

Guardians of the Underhalls

Page 3

that adventuring often takes them, but their

inquisitive nature, thirst for knowledge, or

dedication to the task of finding a new grotto

seems to overcome any fears they might have, and

allow them to work with relatively good success.

Adventuring: The quest for vengeance can drive

a deep druid into the tunnels and even out to the

surface world itself in an attempt to satiate the

anger seething up from the Druid’s heart. While

there is anger and vengeance in his heart, such a

druid is not above being not only a productive

member of an adventuring party but of good

moral ethos too. Such an individual will no doubt

require some supervision and training to keep

otherwise hostile words and deeds in check during

socially inappropriate times.

Observer

“Knowledge is life, ignorance is death.”

Like the druids of the surface realm many deep

druids seek only to preserve a balance of ecology

in their UnderEarth grottos. While they might be

called disinterested or even apathetic by the

unknowing, these deep druids find the best way to

protect their grottos is by simply letting nature

take its course. From time to time they do find it

necessary to intervene when something disrupts

the balance too severely, but generally the

Observer is content to let things unfold on their

own. While each of the UnderEarth races has been

known to take up the mantle of the observer, only

those of true neutral ethos typically can maintain

such a passive position on the world around them.

The Exile

While many deep druids are outcasts from their

own racial communities, so too are there the

occasional deep druids who are not accepted by

their druidic peers. Perhaps they share

controversial ideas, or were involved in suspicious

events at some earlier time in their life. Whatever

the reason the outcast is shunned even by the

druids of the surrounding caverns and tunnels.

Their true love for the earth and stone of the

UnderEarth is no less and their bond with it no

less great. Nonetheless, where druidic circles exist

the outcast has likely been stripped of his grotto

and / or his responsibilities, leaving him free to

move through the tunnels and contemplate his

future with the earth.” Only lawful neutral druids

are excluded as possible alignments for this type

of druidic ethos.

Adventuring: Like the baneful protector, the

Observer adventures because he has perceived

some disruption in the balance that can not be

fixed quickly, easily, and / or locally. The

disruption might even be enough to cause him to

leave his tunnels and caverns and join the surface

world if the situation is dire. Just the same, he is

unlikely to get involved in any issues not directly

related to his cause, though he might do so as part

of an agreement with other adventurers. His

predominant alignment and past history will

dictate how he interacts with the surface world.

Adventuring: Because they are shunned many

exiles will eventually take up travel with a group

of adventurers. Indeed it may be that very act that

leads them to becoming an exile.

Vengeful Druid

“By earth and stone you will be crushed into

paste interloper!”

The vengeful druid is one who has suffered some

great loss. For some it is the untimely death of a

fellow druid, for others nothing less than the

complete decimation of their grotto. Sometimes

the pain is less, such as that suffered by a Deep

Druid who has failed to stop the defilement of his

protected grottos of stone. The Druid might

believe that taking care of the interloper will

prevent the act from happening again, or perhaps

he merely wants to send a message to others that

such acts will not be tolerated.

Guardians of the Underhalls

Page 4

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: