Druid Warrior Summoned Creatures

(Version 1.00 - Last Modified: 05/16/2004)
Inspired by the Druid class in Diablo II from Blizzard Entertainment


Introduction

The most frequently taken area of specialization available to the Druid Warrior is Animal Summoning. This area teaches the Druid Warrior a series of powerful rituals that are used to summon a spirit of nature and create a body in the form of a magical animal that will follow the Druid Warrior and obey its commands. These creatures fall into one of three types: animals, vines, and spirits. With the exception of the Spectral Raven, only one type of creature from each category can be assisting the Druid Warrior at any one time. For example, the Druid Warrior can only have one of Carrion Crawler, Poison Crawler, or Solar Crawler helping it at any given moment, not all three or even two of the creatures. The rituals that are used to summon these creatures are described in Druid Warrior Spells.

Even though these creatures are magical in nature and can be recreated simply by performing the appropriate ritual again, Druid Warriors try to avoid throwing away the lives of their summoned creatures. Since the summoned creatures can be dismissed at will, most Druid Warriors would prefer to dismiss a badly damaged summoned creature then watch it be killed, but they suffer no penalties if a summoned creature dies other then losing any benefits that the creature provided.


Animals

Unlike the other categories of summoned creatures, almost all of the summoned animals are summoned as a pack of creatures, assuming the Druid Warrior has a high enough level in this area of specialization. This pack of creatures are built for combat and assist the Druid Warrior by attacking the enemies he or she designates. Unlike most of the vine and the spirits, the animals provide no bonuses to the Druid Warrior or his allies other then helping in combat and providing an extra target that the Druid Warrior's opponents must attack. With the exception of the Spectral Raven, only one of the Dire Bear, Dire Wolf, or Spirit Wolf animals can be summoned at the same time. The Spectral Ravens can always be summoned even if the Druid Warrior has summoned a Dire Bear, the Dire Wolves, or the Spirit Wolves.


Dire Bear

Quantity or quality? That is the question that the Druid Warrior has to answer when they gain the ability to summon a Dire Bear. The Druid Warrior has to choose between summoning a single Dire Bear or summoning three Dire Wolves. One for one, there is no comparison, the Dire Bear is far stronger then a single Dire Wolf, but with three Dire Wolves, enemies can be distracted and forced to spread out their attacks among four targets instead of just two. However, the Dire Bear is incredibly strong and tough. Larger then even the largest bear on Palladium, the Dire Bear has a feral look to it and has several bone protrusions sticking out across its body. With dark brown fur and long, sharp claws and teeth, the Dire Bear is a dangerous looking animal.


Dire Wolf

While the Spirit Wolf could be confused with a normal wolf to anyone not looking too closely, the dire wolf will never be confused with a normal wolf. Much larger then a normal wolf, the dire wolf looks more feral and powerful, with large teeth, body protrusions around its body, and long, silver-grey fur. Although the Druid Warrior can only control up to three Dire Wolves, these creatures are very powerful and fight viciously and fearlessly in combat. With powerful jaws and a tough hide, the Dire Wolves are an excellent ally to the Druid Warrior. Often, once a Druid Warrior is capable of summoning the Dire Wolves, they completely forsake the Spirit Wolves, counting on the increased strength and toughness of the Dire Wolves to see them through more fights. Unfortunately, the Dire Wolves look very dangerous and people will react accordingly. Due to their appearance, Dire Wolves are often mistaken for evil creatures and are banned from most populated areas, except for cities in the Great Northern Wilderness, where Druid Warriors are most common.


Spectral Raven

The most basic animal that the Druid Warrior can summon is the Spectral Raven. Small and fast, but not very strong, these creatures are not designed for frontline combat. Instead, the ravens can serve as scouts and as messengers for the Druid Warrior. In addition, the Spectral Ravens are very good at making, pinpoint attacks against an enemy and a common tactic is too use them to attack a target's eyes, hopefully blinding the Druid Warrior's opponent. Spectral Ravens are only vaguely similar to the normal ravens. They have the same shape, but the Spectral Ravens are about twice as large and their feathers have a silver sheen to them and their beak resembles the beak of a bird of prey, not a normal raven. With the eyesight and hearing of a hawk, the Spectral Raven is perfectly suited for its scouting role, but it must remain within a certain range of the Druid Warrior, which can be limiting. A Druid Warrior can control up to five Spectral Ravens and to outside observers all five are identical, but the Druid Warrior is fully capable of telling them apart when needed.

  • Natural Abilities:

    Spirit Wolf

    The Spirit Wolf is the basic combat unit of the Druid Warrior. Any druid that takes some levels in the summoning specialization quickly gathers a small pack of these wolves. Only slightly more powerful then a normal wolf, these creatures retain all of the instincts of a normal wolf and can hunt and track targets as a normal wolf. However, these creatures are special. They are more intelligent then a normal wolf and with a Druid Warrior directing their actions, they are far more dangerous. Spirit Wolves are slightly larger then a normal wolf with a longer snout filled with sharper teeth. Their fur is very soft and think and is silver-grey in color and glistens in the light. A Druid Warrior can control up to five spirit wolves and while he has complete control over their actions, when resting, they will circle the Druid Warrior to protect him from danger.


    Vines

    The vines are physical creatures like the animals, but, in general, they provide bonuses to the Druid Warrior in addition to being an extra combatant like the Animals described above. Although originally they were plants, the vines have been magically altered to resemble large snakes and they have a vicious mouth that can deliver a powerful bite. Although they share a common origin, each vine is very unique. One of the most important abilities that all vines share is their ability to magically burrow through inanimate matter. A vine can burrow through sand, mud, stone, and walls as if they weren't there, making it a useful ally to the Druid Warrior. A common tactic in combat is for the vine is hide underground until mentally commanded by the Druid Warrior to attack, catching its target by surprise. Only one of the Carrion Creeper, Poison Creeper, and Solar Creeper vines can be summoned at the same time and only one vine is summoned.


    Carrion Creeper

    Useful only in certain circumstances, the Carrion Crawler vine appears to be a long, animated vine, with a vicious looking mouth and sharp teeth on one end. Capable of burrowing through the ground rapidly and devouring corpses with incredible speed, the Carrion Crawler is used to eat the bodies of recently dead creatures. The Carrion Crawler then digests the body and transfers the energy and strength it is able to take from the body back to the Druid Warrior. Although some consider this abhorrent, the Druid Warrior knows that eating carrion is a part of nature and should not be denied simply because most humanoids consider it repulsive. In addition to consuming corpses, the Carrion Crawler is also useful against undead creatures, making them weaker and easier for the Druid Warrior to kill. Unfortunately, unless the Druid Warrior is expecting to fight long battles against numerous opponents or expecting to face the undead, the Carrion Crawler sees little use. The Carrion Creeper resembles a long, grey-black snake, except it is made out of plant matter and when it is not moving it can be easily confused with a normal vine. At one end, the vine ends with a vicious looking mouth that can expand similar to a normal snake. Like all vines, the Poison Creeper has no apparent eyes or sensory organs, but it can see quite well and can sense objects touching the ground within a specific radius.


    Poison Creeper

    Unlike the Carrion Creeper, the Poison Creeper is built for combat, or at least its version of combat. Like all the vines, the Poison Creeper can burrow through the ground at incredible speeds and its favorite tactic is to burrow beneath an enemy and bite it by surprise. With its powerful venom delivered through its bite, the Poison Creeper can aid the Druid Warrior by quickly moving about the battlefield, biting one opponent after another, injecting all of them with one of its several venoms. The Poison Creeper resembles a long, grey-green snake, except it is made out of plant matter and when it is not moving it can be easily confused with a normal vine. At one end, the vine ends in a vicious looking mouth with four powerful fangs, each capable of delivering a different venom. Like all vines, the Poison Creeper has no apparent eyes or sensory organs, but it can see quite well and can sense objects touching the ground within a specific radius.


    Solar Creeper

    The most violent of all the vines, the Solar Creeper serves two purposes. It enhances the spell casting abilities of the Druid Warrior and it is a useful fighter all on its own. Although it pales in comparison to the Dire Bear, the Solar Creeper is an elusive, precise attacker. It uses its burrowing ability to protect itself between attacks, appearing from beneath the ground only to strike at the enemies of the Druid Warrior. The Solar Creeper is also the most intelligent of the vines and often works without the direct involvement of the Druid Warrior. Like the other two vines, the Solar Creeper resembles a long, snake made out of plant matter, but the Solar Creeper is golden-yellow in color. At one end, the vine ends in a vicious looking mouth with a large number of razor-sharp teeth. Like all vines, the Solar Creeper has no apparent eyes or sensory organs, but it can see quite well and can sense objects touching the ground within a specific radius.


    Spirits

    The spirits are special summoned creatures. They all appear as small balls of energy that measure 2' (0.6 m) in diameter and their main purpose is not combat, but to enhance the Druid Warrior and his allies. The spirits are intelligent, the most intelligent of the creatures the Druid Warrior can summon, but they have little understanding the world, making them similar to Elementals. They do not distinguish between good and evil as a Human would, but they are dedicated to protecting the things that the Druid Warrior hold dear. The spirits can communicate telepathically with the Druid Warrior as long as they are within the range of control and are good for scouting missions, although as glowing balls of energy, they are not very stealthy, especially at night. As balls of energy, the spirits are weightless and make no noise when they move and are very difficult to damage, at least without magic, but they cannot pass through solid objects, such as a door or a wall unless there is an opening at least 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter. All three types of spirits provide bonuses to the Druid Warrior and a number of selected allies, which can include any of the other summoned animals. Only one of the Heart of the Wolverine, Oak Sage, and Spirit of Barbs spirits can be summoned at the same time and only one spirit is summoned.


    Heart of the Wolverine

    The Heart of the Wolverine is the ultimate spirit available to the Druid Warrior. Specializing in combat, this blue-green, beach ball sized, globe on energy, assists the Druid Warrior, his summoned animals, and his allies by magically increasing their combat abilities and the damage they deal with every attack. The Heart of the Wolverine is the most powerful spirit that a Druid Warrior can summon and it is the most difficult to kill. In addition, the Heart of the Wolvering spirit is the only spirit that will actively engage in combat with the Druid Warrior, the others preferring to float above the battle and attack only those that attempt to attack them with energy attacks. The Heart of the Wolverine, although not as powerful as the summoned animals, can be a powerful addition to the Druid Warrior's entourage, especially if the Druid Warrior focuses on his transformation abilities and regularity engages in melee combat.


    Oak Sage

    The Oak Sage appears to be a beach ball sized globe of red light. Invulnerable to non-energy attacks, the Oak Sage is difficult to kill in a land filled with swords and arrows, so its benefits are hard to eliminate, unlike most of the other summoned creatures. The Oak Sage assists the Druid Warrior in two ways. First, it provides what wisdom it has on nature and automatically knows critical details about any wilderness area the Druid enters, such as where sources of clean water can be found or where are the greatest dangers to the forest located. Secondly, the Oak Sage increases the health of the Druid Warrior, all other summoned creatures, and the Druid Warrior's allies, making them harder to kill. Finally, the Druid Warrior and his allies heal wounds much faster then they normally would. The Oak Sage, like all other spirits, appears to be a translucent ball of red-colored energy about the size of a standard beach-ball. It floats near the Druid Warrior, preferring to stay as close as possible without interfering with the Druid Warrior in any way.


    Spirit of Barbs

    Like the Oak Sage and the Heart of the Wolverine, the Spirit of Barbs is a beach-ball sized globe of light. While the Oak Sage is supportive in nature and the Heart of the Wolverine is offensive in nature, the Spirit of Barbs is defensive. The Druid Warrior, his summoned animals, and his allies all become harder to damage and kill and their bodies and armor become covered with magical barbs that will latch onto anyone that attacks them with a physical attack. Like the other spirits, the Spirit of Barbs is nearly invulnerable to physical damage and is capable of defending itself by firing a beam of energy, but like the Oak Sage, the Spirit of Barbs will only attack those that attack them with energy attacks. The Spirit of Barbs is dark brown in color, but at night, it gives off no light and can be used to scout ahead of the Druid Warrior, acting as an almost invisible, intangible, and silent spy. However, its espionage capabilities are still limited by the relatively small distance that it can travel away from the Druid Warrior.