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. An druid might be known as an animist, 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.

'Touchstones: Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995), Mulan (Disney’s Mulan, 1998), Fangorn/Treebeard (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 2002), Dr. Dolittle (Dolittle, 2020).

Trauma Condition—Pact Tokens

You activate your powers by whispering to your spirit allies and touching a pact token. Your powers are based on deals with spirits, and each spirit is symbolized by a token that reflects your relationship with that spirit. This is usually a small amulet, but can be tattoos, scents, holograms, piercings, or even the spirit visibly floating around you. The stronger you are, the more pact tokens you collect. Observers can tell your playbook and those in the know can learn your powers from your symbols. If you change shape the tokens remain with you. The spirits demand that these symbols be visible to the world when you call upon them. If you wear a disguise, even just a covering cloak, you have to throw it off before you can use powers.

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 Medicine: 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. They'll assign a simple task to strengthen your bond, often involving purging corruption or defeating foes. This is usually an additional complication but may give some information as well. Success restores 2 points of stress to each person on your crew. Your vice indulgence gains +1d. You gain an additional xp trigger: You protected the natural order of the world. If your crew helped you, also mark crew xp.
5. Ritualist: You can use occult Ritual to summon a supernatural effect or being. You know the arcane Procedure to perform a specific ritual and can research Procedures for new ritual, see p 222. You gain +1d on actions to perform Rituals or research ritual Protocols.
6. Spirit Shifter: You can use Attune in place of Consort when using Consort powers. Improve position when using Consort powers.
7. Summon 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 Attune 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.