DND Character: Buttercup the Druid
Quote: Hey Man, my name is Buttercup a Flower Child. I make these really groovy seed cakes full of berries that will take away the pain of your wounds and fill your belly, and if we meet anyone that is, like, not cool I will just, like, burn them with fire!
Overview
Name: ButtercupSpecies: Human (Size Small 3' 9", move 30')
Background: Farmer
Languages: Common, Druidic, Draconic, Giant
Class: Druid;
Stats: S: 10 D: 14 C: 15+1 = 16 I: 4 W: 15+2 = 17 Ch: 13; HP: 8+2+3 = 13; AC: 18
Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Nature, Survival, Perception, Arcana, Carpenter's Tools, Herbalism Kit
Feats:
1: Tough & Magic Initiate (Wizard, Wisdom Based)
4: Warcaster [+1 Wis]
8: +2 Wis = 20
12: Resistance (Con) [+1 Con]
16: +2 Con = 19
19: Boon Of Dimensional Travel +1 Con = 20.
The concept I started with for this character, way back in 2019, was "A weed smoking hippy dwarf from a commune. He grew up in a forest living with fairies.". It has gone through a couple of revisions since then but with the arrival of the 5.24 rules they are finally stepping up from the character stable and into Icewind Dale for an actual game.
Backstory
In the north of Anauroch, The Great Sand Sea, lies The Skyfall Oasis. Centuries ago when the Netheril sky citadels fell one of them gouched a great chasm into the ground that has since filled with water. On clear days some of the ancient structures can still be seen glistening beneath the waters.
Over the last thousand years a tribal commune The Arboreal Council, let by Druids, has grown up around The Skyfall Oasis. They believe in free love and communal ownership and grow poppies and weed alongside the beans and dates.
Buttercup grew up on a constant high due to the large amount of hash being smoked by his parents resulting in him often finding it hard to articulate himself. He joined the Keepers of the Blossom a warden order that protect the Oasis. When he is not farming he patrols the Oasis at night guarding against attacks by Lions or Desert Raiders. As part of the Keepers of the Blossom he learnt protective wards and the ability to create a bright beacon of light to summon other wardens to his location should an attack happen.
Having now reached the age of 24 it is time for him to go on walkabout with the aim of finding beasts in the wild. This will allow him to assume their forms as he cannot learn a shape from only observing another Druid assuming that shape. The greatest prestige he can gain on returning to the Skyfall Oasis will depend on what animals he has encountered. Having heard tales of the fabled Yeti he started his journey heading east. Then after finding out Icewind Dale was northwest changed directions!
Class Progression
L1 Druidic. A free language and a free spell preparation. Speak With Animals means all the wildlife will tell us what is going on when we bribe them with yummy Good Berries!L1 Primal Order: Warden. This gives us Medium Armour which is much for useful that a +1 bonus to arcana checks. We also get proficiency with weapons but it is not like we are ever planning to use them! It is possible to get a higher damage output in Tier 1 with a Heavy Crossbow and True Strike but that would mean giving up using a Shield.
L3: Circle of the Land. We get 3, going up to 6, extra prepared spells including a Cantrip. Terrain type can be changed daily but mostly our pick is Arid for access to Fireball!
L3: Lands Aid. We get a combat use for Wild Shape giving an AOE damage effect that also heals an ally. For healing it is about as good as a 1st Rank Healing Word and does not use a Spell Slot meaning we can use both on the same turn if needed. This does not scale well but is good in Tier 1 and we can just use it for free before any Short Rest at higher levels.
L5: Wild Resurgence. There is almost no reason to get extra uses of Wild Shape but an extra First Level slot once per day gives more uses of Shield or Healing Word which is useful.
L6: Natural Recovery. Now we get to pretend to be a proper Wizard. They may have had Arcane Recovery since level 1 but we get an extra casting of a circle spell, read Fireball, each day on top. With Wild Resurgence that makes are spells slots 5-3-5 at this point.
L7: Potent Spellcasting. This gives +4 Damage, +5 next Level, to our Druid Cantrips. A nice little damage boost on the turns we are not casting Fireball.
L15: Improved P. Spellcasting. Thorn Whip gets a 330' range which is just silly!.
Spells
Our main spells are going to be Conjure Animals or Woodland Being and Fireball! At lower levels we have Thunderwave and Flaming Sphere until they come online. We get to include a few rituals and a bit of healing for other prepared spells. Druids have access to the full spell list meaning if need Reincarnation, Wind Walk or other more situational spells we can prepare when needed. Sample Level 12 spell selection would be 16 Prepared Spells + Circle Spells & Magic Initiate.Druid Cantrips: Thorn Whip, Guidance, Starry Wisp, Fire Bolt, Druidcraft
Wizard Cantrips: Light, Mind Sliver
1: [Shield, Speak With Animals (R), Burning Hands, Find Familiar], Detect Magic (R), Entangle, Goodberry, Healing Word.
2: [Blur], Aid, Darkvision, Pass without Trace, Spike Growth.
3: [Fireball], Conjure Animals, Revivify (if we get diamonds), Water Breathing (R).
4: [Blight], Conjure Woodland Beings, Giant Insect, Polymorph.
5: [Wall of Stone], Antilife Shell.
6: Heal.
Wild Shape
At level 2 we become a shapeshifter. There are not many options in the 2024 PHB hopefully there will be a few more options once the Monster Manual is out. Beasts let us get a burrowing, swimming or climbing speeds as well as tiny size for scouting. A Horse gives us the fastest speed for escaping, should the need arise, and we can hopefully take another character with us. Finally we get a flying speed and the humble Owl gives us a pseudo Misty Step thanks to flyby getting us out of combat when needed. Wild Companion also lets us summon a Familiar. We can have a disposable scout or even a mount to ride (we are small size and some Familiars are medium sized).Level 2 (4 forms CR ¼): Constrictor Snake, Giant Badger, Panther, Spider
Level 4 (6 forms CR ½): Ape, Constrictor Snake, Giant Badger, Panther, Warhorse, Spider.
Level 8 (8 forms CR 1): Giant Spider, Owl, Ape, Constrictor Snake, Giant Badger, Panther, Warhorse, Spider.
Magic Items
The DMG suggests that players actually make a list of what magic items they would want. Some games do have shops and at least this way you have an idea of what to aim for. For Attuned items I would pick a neckless of Prayer Beans first and then any wand or staff second. Both give extra daily spell resources. Prayer Beads are excellent since they are bonus action activation and offer Bless a spell Druids do not normally have.
For other items I would want magical Breastplate or Half-Plate Armour and whatever magical shield we come across (I think I am the only person in the party using a shield). This edition Rings of Resistance no longer require attunement meaning picking any of those up is a useful bonus. Goggles of Night could also save us a spell slot.
DND 2024 Notes
The new book only has sixteen background and with skills, abilities and origin feat all tied together in can be hard to find a suitable pick. Buttercup needs Wisdom and Constitution boosts. I would have taken Guard as a perfect fit for the warden order but they cannot increase Con. Sage has everything I want including Magic Initiative but with Int 4 Sage does not really work well. At least Farmer gives better skills with useful origin feat.
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