Druid (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

You gain your power from a host of small spirits, each much less powerful than the patrons of other power playbooks but versatile in their breadth. You may see these spirits as your masters, allies in a cause, servants you bully, mischievous friends, slaves to capture, or a mix of all of these. As a druid, you are not limited to forests and wilderness. You are a guardian of the environment in all its forms, whether lush woodlands, barren wastelands, or bustling urban landscapes. You draw upon the spirits of your surroundings to maintain balance, heal corruption, and protect the fragile harmony between the physical and spiritual worlds. A druid might be known as an animist, bokor, houngan, mambo, medium, medicine man, miku, or shaman.

The playbook opens up many more options than the typical druid class, inspired by such things as the shaman of Shadowrun, dreamspeaker of Mage: The Ascension and Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

Touchstones: Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995), John Constantine (Constantine, 2005), Moana (Moana, 2016), Dr. Dolittle (Dolittle, 2020).

Trauma Condition—Pact Tokens

You activate your powers by whispering to spirit allies and touching a pact token, which symbolizes your bond with a spirit. These tokens, often amulets or markings, must be visible to use powers. Observers can identify your playbook and may discern your abilities from these symbols.

The spirits urge you to combat corruption—harm or imbalance in the environment. This includes pollution, neglect, or magical disruption, but its exact meaning depends on your perspective and connection to the spirits.

The consequences of using druid powers often stem from the demanding nature of the spirits as much as from situational dangers. The spirits shield you from external threats only to bind you more tightly to their whims.

Special Abilities

1. Beast Companion: You have an animal or monster serving you. This is an expert cohort (Bodyguard) (p 96) that is Intelligent. You can take this special ability again to give your companion supernatural abilities, it gains potency when tracking or fighting the supernatural, and gains an arcane ability: ghost-form, mind-link, or reduces non-potent damage. Take this ability multiple times to choose an additional arcane ability for your pet each time.
2. Fortitude: You may expend your Special Armor to resist a consequence of the environment or monsters, or to push yourself when taking care of the environment.
3. Natural Cures: You can use natural medicinal herbs. Everyone in your crew (including you) gets +2d to their healing treatment rolls. Crew can take an extra downtime action when camping, up to two actions.
4. Guardian: Commune with local spirits at the start of a score to gain +1d on the Engagement Roll and learn about any corruption present in the area. Success in addressing corruption earns you and your crew 2 immediate stress recovery during the score.
5. Ritualist: You can use occult Rituals to summon supernatural effects or beings. You know the arcane Procedure for performing a specific ritual and can research Procedures for new rituals (see p. 222). You gain +1d on actions to perform Rituals or research their Protocols.
6. Shifter: You can use Attune in place of Consort when using Consort powers. Improve position when using Consort powers.
7. Spirit Ally : You have a supernatural ally you can summon using Advanced Attune powers. You know this creature intimately and have an established relationship which gives you +2d and improves your position on all Resolve action rolls against it. Your ally will advance in tier as you do. You can select this several times to pick additional allies.
8. Powers: There are myriad spirits, giving you access to oh so many powers. Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, and Water.

Allies and Antagonists

˄ ˅ Bolo, a talking animal.

˄ ˅ Fatias, a spirit-speaker.

˄ ˅ Herna, a spirit.

˄ ˅ Lorigo, a local leader.

˄ ˅ Terranan, a herbalist.

Inventory

☐ Light Camping Gear.

☐ or ☐☐ Potent weapon.

◯, ◯ Spirit Bribe.

◯, ◯ Temporary Pact Token.

• Light Camping Gear ☐: Bedroll, cooking pot, tarpaulin, fishing line, snares, all personalized and chosen to be lightweight. Roughing it out with this gear allows a single downtime action to remove stress. Lacking this does not allow any effective rest.
• Potent Weapon ☐ or ☐☐: This can be a hand weapon ☐ or a heavy weapon ☐☐. Common hand weapons are a club, curved sword, or sling. Common heavy weapons are a maul, spear, or bow. Potency allows you to damage supernatural targets.
• Spirit Bribe ◯: A token imbued with power, valued by spirits and useful as a bribe. Gives +1d on a single use of a druid power. Consumable, Playbook.
• Temporary Pact Token ◯: A token of a one-time pact made with a spirit. Allows a single use a Form you do not know. Consumable, Playbook.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge by interacting with the environment or using powers.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Attune 2

Prowl 1

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one.