Totemic Druid

In short: A Totemic Druid is closely associated with a specific mammal, reptile or bird, which is believed to represent the druid's spirit. The druid can shapechange into this animal a number of times per day equal to his level divided by three. This functions as the shapechanging of normal druids, except hit points are not gained on the transition. The ability to become the totemic animal is in addition to the druids granted shapeshifting powers. The druid can communicate with his totemic animal.

Description: The Totemic Druid closely identifies with a particular species of mammal, reptile, or bird. While a typical Totemic Druid stops short of worshiping his totem animal, he believes that particular animal represents his spirit. The Totemic Druid picks a normal (real-world) wild mammal, reptile, or bird as his totem. This creature cannot be larger than a bear or smaller than a mouse. Some common choices include the black bear, bobcat, eagle, owl, wolf, rattlesnake, and beaver. In addition his totem animal must correspond to his branch; if the druid belongs to the desert druid branch, he can select as his totem only an animal that normally lives in the desert.

Totemic Druids tend to adopt characteristics associated with their totem animal. They feel especially protective of their totem animal in the wild and want to befriend the creatures. They act to promote the interests of the totem species and its individual members. Even if their totem is traditional prey (a deer, for example), they never hunt the animal, nor do they eat its meat. While they usually do not try to ban hunting of his totem (except in the case of endangered species), they oppose cruel or wasteful hunting practices.

Equipment: The druid should spend his initial allotment of gold pieces entirely on equipment, as he loses any unspent starting money in excess of 1 gp.

Special Benefits:

A Totemic Druid can shapechange into the form of his totem animal a number of times per day equal to his experience level divided by three (rounded down), plus one. So, a 3rd to 5th-level Totemic Druid can change twice per day, a 6th to 8th-level druid can change three times per day, and so on. This ability functions as normal druidic shapechanging, except that the druid does not regain hit points when shapechanging into or out of the totem form; the druid's spirit remains so closely bound with the totem that he fully experiences any damage the animal form took. The Totemic Druid can use this shapechanging ability in addition to his shapechanging granted powers.

A Totemic Druid can communicate freely with normal or giant examples of the totem animal species (as with the speak with animals spell). He receives a +4 bonus to any healing, animal training, animal lore, or animal handling proficiency checks related to the totem. A druid who doesn't have one of these proficiencies may behave as though he did when dealing with his totem animal, but does not apply the +4 bonus.

Top