Ideas For Druidry Casting
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 1:22 pm
Rias asked, over Voice, for people to post up ideas they had for how Druidry should be different from/cooler than just "channel Druid; cast XZY", so I figured I'd start a suggestion thread! Got a cool idea for how you think the spellcasting/ritual casting process should work? POST IT UP YA'LL!
Preface
I don't know what kind of occult effects, specifically, Druidry is gonna be capable of (aside from the potential to Commune, and possible buffs to skills?)! So these are definitely just kind of spitballed ideas that I thought sounded really cool or interesting.
Component Driven Rituals
Since Druidry, as far as I'm aware, is about making contact with some vague entity that is connected to the natural world, it makes sense to me that in order for humans to bridge that gap, they would be aided by tools and components. These components and tools should be crafted of organic materials, with different materials being better and worse for specific Occult tasks.
Casting
My largest suggestion for Component Driven Rituals would be that the majority of the "casting" take place in the creation and preparation of Reagents and Tools; essentially a spell would be partially prepared ahead of time. Any Druid with knowledge of the Ritual could use a Component or Tool later on, by channeling the appropriate Druidry (while wearing a focus), and actually CASTing the spell with the tool or component in hand or appropriately applied/readied (see below suggestions).
Side note: I'm actually not in love with the super-prep heavy stuff. I think it makes sense, but maybe the creation of the finalized components could be the actual spell casting, requiring application, and tools could be more for casting WITH later on.
Unguents and Salves
Unguents and salves would be very similar to what a Physicker might make or prescribe, in terms of their basic creation. This would be a topical paste derived from a base carrier oil (in the case of Druidic Rituals, this base carrier oil could be derived from either animal fat OR plant-based oil). This carrier base could be created by any crafted, and could probably be prepared through a NUMBER of skillsets: Animal Husbandry, Cooking, Farming, Bushcraft. Once a carrier oil is prepared and stored in a jar, a Druid would then need to add other specialized herbs, while channeling Druidry, to finish the actual product. There also perhaps should be a 'cook time' that a jar needs to be heated for.
An unguent or a salve could have multiple uses, each requiring the Druid to channel and cast after applying to a target (themselves or another). This would be a cool way to deliver single target buff spells.
Example
Bear's Might Unguent
This unguent is a potent, oily thing that allows a Druid to call up the mighty strength of a bear. The base carrier can be anything, but plant-based oils would not work as efficiently (ie, create a lesser bonus, or perhaps a shorter duration, or both), bear-fat based carrier would have a bonus, and any other animal-fat would be neutral in terms of bonus or penalty to ritual efficacy. An herbal mixture of herbs associated with strength (mugwort, pennyroyal, ginseng; these are just some things I found on google, but Rias might have better suggestions that are Lore friendly) would be added. When this finished, oily unguent is applied and the ritual is cast, the target is imbued with greater Strength.
Aromatics and Incense
These would be candles, incense sticks and powders, and rushlights that are prepared with specific materials (fats, oils, and herbs) that could be derived from any base that a mundane crafter could make, which a Druid then finalizes with special herbs and channeling to create a one-use item that creates a ritual that impacts anyone in a room when burned and Cast. This would be useful for group buffs, debuffs to enemies (or, perhaps, anyone that isn't the Druid...), perhaps even for setting up "traps" of sorts. Burning incense may linger for several minutes, and the spell may impact anyone that lingers in the room for too long even after the Druid leaves. Different items (candles, vs. incense, vs. rushlights) could have different times. Perhaps candles work as long as they are burning. Incense leaves lingering smoke. Rushlights are a combination of the two?
Example
Wild Ravening
This ritual aromatic produces a malicious effect wherein any natural (see: non-nethrim, non constructs; etc.) creature impacted are suddenly filled with a growing, insatiable hunger. For the duration of the rite, anyone that is impacted by this ritual has their hunger slowly grow more and more, but are unable to satiate it.
Charms and Totems
Charms and totems are two different tools that could be used in the casting of spells that do not fit within the purview of Unguents or Aromatics. These could even include (minorly) enchanted or ensorcelled objects; baskets that stave off spoilage. thornleaf (because I gotta) cloaks that have a chance to 'sting' attackers, shoes or sandals that allow someone to walk more easily through brush undetected, all items that should degrade over time with no chance of repair.
Charms could also take the form of trinkets and figurines that are necessary in the casting of some rituals. They should be crafted from any organic material; bone, ivory, wicker, plant fiber, wood. The base items, as above, can be crafted by any mundane crafter, but perhaps Druid-craft items would receive a minor bonus? As prior, the item must be specially prepared in the finalized steps by a channeling Druid, and the item can then be used, while channeling, to actually CAST rituals as needed. This could range from animal figurines used to attract animal companions, to trinkets worn on bracelets that allow for the Druid to Commune (and would slowly degrade over time, similar to pendants), to rings or perhaps even staves and rods that allow a druid to call up vines to ensnare an opponent. Every usage should incur durability lost that cannot be repaired.
Totems would be for larger rituals. Wooden or wicker structures that when finalized by a Druid would create a larger effect. This could be a way to increase the happiness and production of animal products, to protect bees from deadly cold winters, to increase the fertility of a farmland. I'm not sure what other larger rituals Rias would want in the hands of players, but anything that wasn't a single target spell, a minor debuff, could fall into this category.
Example
I posted these above! There's hella examples in the body of the charms and totems text.
Final Notes on Component Driven Rituals
I have no idea if this would be Lore friendly, but when I think of how to make Druidry cooler and different than just channeling, this is what came to mind! Creating significance behind the materials they use to work their rituals. I can only operate under the assumption that Druidry here will, Lore-wise, be very similar to what I experienced in Rias' past project, so that's where my ideas sort of stem at their intrinsic level.
I also very much enjoy the idea that it's another means by which crafters and even adventurer's and warriors are needed! This creates a demand for wood worked items, animal products and by-product, herbs. Any which of said materials could perhaps be hidden away in a dangerous area! Or even more efficacious reagents that are in hard to reach places, which create improved occult effects.
Major and Minor Rituals
This is something that I thought of, that I think could probably work for Druidry AND Sorcery, wherein similar to Arcana, there are Major Rituals that take Ability Slots, and Minor Rituals that require recipe points derived from the casting skill (Druidry, for Druids). I don't really have this idea fleshed out. Just thought it would be another neat potential thing to do!
Preface
I don't know what kind of occult effects, specifically, Druidry is gonna be capable of (aside from the potential to Commune, and possible buffs to skills?)! So these are definitely just kind of spitballed ideas that I thought sounded really cool or interesting.
Component Driven Rituals
Since Druidry, as far as I'm aware, is about making contact with some vague entity that is connected to the natural world, it makes sense to me that in order for humans to bridge that gap, they would be aided by tools and components. These components and tools should be crafted of organic materials, with different materials being better and worse for specific Occult tasks.
Casting
My largest suggestion for Component Driven Rituals would be that the majority of the "casting" take place in the creation and preparation of Reagents and Tools; essentially a spell would be partially prepared ahead of time. Any Druid with knowledge of the Ritual could use a Component or Tool later on, by channeling the appropriate Druidry (while wearing a focus), and actually CASTing the spell with the tool or component in hand or appropriately applied/readied (see below suggestions).
Side note: I'm actually not in love with the super-prep heavy stuff. I think it makes sense, but maybe the creation of the finalized components could be the actual spell casting, requiring application, and tools could be more for casting WITH later on.
Unguents and Salves
Unguents and salves would be very similar to what a Physicker might make or prescribe, in terms of their basic creation. This would be a topical paste derived from a base carrier oil (in the case of Druidic Rituals, this base carrier oil could be derived from either animal fat OR plant-based oil). This carrier base could be created by any crafted, and could probably be prepared through a NUMBER of skillsets: Animal Husbandry, Cooking, Farming, Bushcraft. Once a carrier oil is prepared and stored in a jar, a Druid would then need to add other specialized herbs, while channeling Druidry, to finish the actual product. There also perhaps should be a 'cook time' that a jar needs to be heated for.
An unguent or a salve could have multiple uses, each requiring the Druid to channel and cast after applying to a target (themselves or another). This would be a cool way to deliver single target buff spells.
Example
Bear's Might Unguent
This unguent is a potent, oily thing that allows a Druid to call up the mighty strength of a bear. The base carrier can be anything, but plant-based oils would not work as efficiently (ie, create a lesser bonus, or perhaps a shorter duration, or both), bear-fat based carrier would have a bonus, and any other animal-fat would be neutral in terms of bonus or penalty to ritual efficacy. An herbal mixture of herbs associated with strength (mugwort, pennyroyal, ginseng; these are just some things I found on google, but Rias might have better suggestions that are Lore friendly) would be added. When this finished, oily unguent is applied and the ritual is cast, the target is imbued with greater Strength.
Aromatics and Incense
These would be candles, incense sticks and powders, and rushlights that are prepared with specific materials (fats, oils, and herbs) that could be derived from any base that a mundane crafter could make, which a Druid then finalizes with special herbs and channeling to create a one-use item that creates a ritual that impacts anyone in a room when burned and Cast. This would be useful for group buffs, debuffs to enemies (or, perhaps, anyone that isn't the Druid...), perhaps even for setting up "traps" of sorts. Burning incense may linger for several minutes, and the spell may impact anyone that lingers in the room for too long even after the Druid leaves. Different items (candles, vs. incense, vs. rushlights) could have different times. Perhaps candles work as long as they are burning. Incense leaves lingering smoke. Rushlights are a combination of the two?
Example
Wild Ravening
This ritual aromatic produces a malicious effect wherein any natural (see: non-nethrim, non constructs; etc.) creature impacted are suddenly filled with a growing, insatiable hunger. For the duration of the rite, anyone that is impacted by this ritual has their hunger slowly grow more and more, but are unable to satiate it.
Charms and Totems
Charms and totems are two different tools that could be used in the casting of spells that do not fit within the purview of Unguents or Aromatics. These could even include (minorly) enchanted or ensorcelled objects; baskets that stave off spoilage. thornleaf (because I gotta) cloaks that have a chance to 'sting' attackers, shoes or sandals that allow someone to walk more easily through brush undetected, all items that should degrade over time with no chance of repair.
Charms could also take the form of trinkets and figurines that are necessary in the casting of some rituals. They should be crafted from any organic material; bone, ivory, wicker, plant fiber, wood. The base items, as above, can be crafted by any mundane crafter, but perhaps Druid-craft items would receive a minor bonus? As prior, the item must be specially prepared in the finalized steps by a channeling Druid, and the item can then be used, while channeling, to actually CAST rituals as needed. This could range from animal figurines used to attract animal companions, to trinkets worn on bracelets that allow for the Druid to Commune (and would slowly degrade over time, similar to pendants), to rings or perhaps even staves and rods that allow a druid to call up vines to ensnare an opponent. Every usage should incur durability lost that cannot be repaired.
Totems would be for larger rituals. Wooden or wicker structures that when finalized by a Druid would create a larger effect. This could be a way to increase the happiness and production of animal products, to protect bees from deadly cold winters, to increase the fertility of a farmland. I'm not sure what other larger rituals Rias would want in the hands of players, but anything that wasn't a single target spell, a minor debuff, could fall into this category.
Example
I posted these above! There's hella examples in the body of the charms and totems text.
Final Notes on Component Driven Rituals
I have no idea if this would be Lore friendly, but when I think of how to make Druidry cooler and different than just channeling, this is what came to mind! Creating significance behind the materials they use to work their rituals. I can only operate under the assumption that Druidry here will, Lore-wise, be very similar to what I experienced in Rias' past project, so that's where my ideas sort of stem at their intrinsic level.
I also very much enjoy the idea that it's another means by which crafters and even adventurer's and warriors are needed! This creates a demand for wood worked items, animal products and by-product, herbs. Any which of said materials could perhaps be hidden away in a dangerous area! Or even more efficacious reagents that are in hard to reach places, which create improved occult effects.
Major and Minor Rituals
This is something that I thought of, that I think could probably work for Druidry AND Sorcery, wherein similar to Arcana, there are Major Rituals that take Ability Slots, and Minor Rituals that require recipe points derived from the casting skill (Druidry, for Druids). I don't really have this idea fleshed out. Just thought it would be another neat potential thing to do!