Magic Of Faerun - A Druid's Grove.pdf - Forgotten Realms - R5700

A M AGIC OF F AERÛN W EB E NHANCEMENT

BY G WENDOLYN F.M. K ESTREL

ADruid’s

Grove

M agic of Faerûn has chapters on Understand-

However, very few know how many of the tales are true and how

many are exaggerated.

The Grove of Renewal is presented as an adventuring site for PCs

seeking a natural adventure.

The Grove of Renewal

Your PCs may go to the grove because . . .

they need to rescue someone.

they need to cure a curse, disease, or other affliction.

they get tricked into it.

they need protection from elements.

they have to convince the druid overseers that the time of the

prophecy has not come.

Rumors of the Grove

You can use rumors to build tension among your players before they

actually take their characters to the Grove of Renewal. Feel free to

ing Magic, Magic Variants, Practitioners of

Magic, Places of Power, Spells, Magic Items,

and Creatures. This sample druid’s grove is a place of power that

could not be constrained within the 192 pages of this sourcebook.

The Grove

of renewal

Deep in the bowels of the land, where the earth’s fires melt rock and

belch poisonous gases, there exists an ancient druid circle known as

the Grove of Renewal. Its reputation for powerful magic precedes it.

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Going to

The Grove of Renewal

embellish the rumors below, add your own, or toss in a touch of the

truth. Roll 1d10 to randomly determine what your characters hear.

Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Snatch, Sunder, Track, Weapon Focus

(bite), Weapon Focus (claw), Wingover.

Crush (Ex): Creatures in the area suffer 4d8+25 points of damage

and must make a Reflex save (DC 40) or be pinned.

Tail Sweep (Ex): Deals 2d8+25 points of damage to all creatures

up to Medium-size in a half circle with a diameter of 40 feet (Reflex

DC 40 half).

Breath Weapon (Su): Can breathe a 70-ft. cone of fire once every

1d4 rounds for 24d10 points of damage (Reflex DC 40 half).

Frightful Presence (Ex): Creatures within 360 feet of Phlogiston

when he attacks or charges become panicked (if they have 4 or fewer

hit dice) or shaken (if they have 5 to 59 hit dice) for 4d6 rounds

(Will DC 47 negates and immunizes to his frightful presence for

one day).

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) : As Sor19 (DC 17+spell level): 12/day—

locate object; 3/day— suggestion; 1/day— discern location, eyebite. As

Sor60 (DC 17+spell level): 1/day— burning hands, elemental swarm

(fire only), fire seeds, fire shield, fire storm, flaming sphere, incen-

diary cloud, plane shift, produce flame, wall of fire.

Druid Abilities: Nature sense, woodland stride, trackless step,

resist nature’s lure, wild shape (Tiny to Huge animal 6/day, Small to

Large elemental 3/day), venom immunity, a thousand faces, time-

less body.

Immunities (Ex): Immune to sleep, paralysis, fire, disease, organ-

ic poisons. Gain +4 bonus to Fortitude saves against poison. Double

damage from cold except on a successful save.

Keen Senses (Ex): Phlogiston sees four times as well as a human

in low-light conditions and twice as well in normal light. He has

darkvision with a range of 1,200 ft.

Possessions: Ring of fire elemental command, bracers of armor +8,

ring of wizardry I–IV, crystal ball with true seeing.

Druid Spells Prepared (6/8/8/8/7/7/6/6/5/5; base DC = 21 + spell

level): 0— create water (2), flare, light, naturewatch*, purify food

and drink; 1st— endure elements, entangle (2), faerie fire (2), good-

berry, obscuring mist (2); 2nd— charm person or animal, chill metal,

delay poison, heat metal (2), lesser restoration, speak with animals,

tree shape; 3rd— contagion, greater magic fang (2), meld into stone,

neutralize poison, poison, protection from elements, speak with plants;

4th— control plants, flame strike, freedom of movement, murderous

mist*, quench (2), rusting grasp; 5th— awaken, commune with nature,

control winds, inferno* (2), tree stride, wall of fire; 6th— antilife

shell, find the path, greater dispelling (2), liveoak, wall of stone;

7th— control weather, creeping doom, fire storm, summon nature’s

ally VII, true seeing, wind walk; 8th— finger of death, reverse grav-

ity, summon nature’s ally VIII, whirlwind, word of recall; 9th—

earthquake, foresight, mass heal, shapechange, summon nature’s ally

IX.

Sorcerer Spells Known (6/15/14/14/14/8/7/7/7/7; base DC = 17 +

spell level): 0— acid splash*, arcane mark, detect magic, ghost sound,

mage hand, mending, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—

comprehend languages, corrosive grasp*, cure light wounds, magic

missile, true strike; 2nd— cat’s grace, invisibility, resist elements, see

invisibility, zone of truth; 3rd— dispel magic, displacement, haste,

lightning bolt; 4th— confusion, cure critical wounds, explosive cas-

cade*, fire shield; 5th— break enchantment, cone of cold, dominate

person, wall of force; 6th— analyze dweomer, fire spiders*, heal;

7th— greater ironguard*, greater restoration, power word stun; 8th—

mind blank, Otiluke’s telekinetic sphere, summon monster VIII;

9th— meteor swarm, time stop, true resurrection.

1. The grove once stood above ground, but one of the grove’s

overseers angered Silvanus, and the god melted all the land

around the grove, causing it to sink down into its current cav-

ernous location.

2. The grove’s magic has degraded.

3. No one ever returns from the Grove of Renewal.

4. An evil cult has taken possession of the grove.

5. Silvanus cursed the grove.

6. The grove is gone, swallowed up by the fires.

7. A basilisk found its way to the grove and turned all the druids

to stone.

8. The druid overseers are thousands of years old.

9. The grove’s overseers have learned the rejuvenating power of

fire and can resurrect or heal anyone.

10. An element of the truth (to be determined by the DM).

How to Find the Grove

Your PCs may use the Cantlowe Crossroads to get to the Grove of

Renewal or they may travel for months through hazardous terrain

to find it. Few survive the latter path. Other methods to reach the

grove do exist. Some who have been there can teleport the charac-

ters in, though they usually require steep payment or they will send

your PCs there with lies about what they’ll find once they arrive.

The only sure way out is through the Purging.

The Nature Seers

Fiery eyes gleam from secret places in the Grove of Renewal, watch-

ing. The Nature Seers, as they call themselves, scrutinize those who

come to their grove. They number four and each embraces an ele-

ment (Fire, Water, Earth, Air). Ancient beyond imagining, these

half-elemental druids have always been here. Prophecy predicts that

someday, “The Mother shall tire of her children’s profanities and

shall spew forth her fire upon the land to cleanse and renew it. On

that day, the Nature Seers shall enact their final purging.”

The Nature Seers have visages permanently marked by the ele-

ment with which they’re joined. They speak little, if at all, and have

mannerisms and personalities that reflect their element. The one

called Phlogiston is the leader and guides the others in their rituals.

Being of such an ancient age makes these druids seem alien. They

don’t understand civilization or culture and have no need for either.

They don’t know history or politics. They know only the ebb and

flow of the world’s energies, and they serve their purposes.

d Phlogiston: Male half-fire elemental/half-great wyrm red

dragon Drd20; CR 47; Colossal outsider (fire); HD 40d12+400 plus

20d8+200; hp 953; Init +2; Spd 40 ft., fly 200 ft. (clumsy); AC 52

(touch 4, flat-footed 50); Atk +50 melee (4d8+17, bite) and +48

melee (4d6+8, 2 claws) and +47 melee (2d8+8, 2 wings) and +47

melee (4d6+25, tail slap); Face/Reach 40 ft. by 80 ft./15 ft.; SA

Crush, tail sweep, breath weapon, frightful presence, spells, spell-like

abilities; SQ Immunities, blindsight 360 ft., keen senses, druid abili-

ties; SR 32; AL N; SV Fort +44, Ref +30, Will +45; Str 45, Dex 14,

Con 31, Int 28, Wis 32, Cha 28.

Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +30, Bluff +58, Concentration

+63, Diplomacy +50, Escape Artist +42, Intimidate +32, Jump +57,

Knowledge (arcana) +47, Knowledge (religion) +47, Knowledge

(nature) +70, Listen +64, Scry +70, Search +49, Sense Motive +42,

Spellcraft +70, Spot +64, Wilderness Lore +44; Alertness, Cleave,

Expertise, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Heighten Spell, Hover,

Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Multiattack, Power Attack,

d Tempestine: Female half-water elemental/half-storm giant

Drd20; CR 35; Huge outsider (Electricity); HD 19d8+114 plus

20d8+120; hp 408; Init +6; Spd 40 ft., swim 30 ft. (hide armor); AC

25 (touch 10, flat-footed 23); Atk +46/+41/+36/+31/+26/+21 melee

(2d8+27/15–20, Gargantuan scimitar +5); Face/Reach 10 ft. by 10

The Grove of Renewal

ft./15 ft.; SA Spell-like abilities; SQ Druid abilities, immunities, free-

dom of movement, rock catching, water breathing; AL N; SV Fort

+30, Ref +14, Will +24; Str 41, Dex 14, Con 25, Int 18, Wis 23, Cha

17.

moves out of range. The ability is otherwise similar to liveoak as cast

by a 12th-level druid.

Trample (Ex): A treant or animated tree can trample Medium-

size or smaller creatures for 2d12+5 points of damage. Opponents

who do not make attacks of opportunity against the treant or ani-

mated tree can attempt a Reflex save (DC 20) to halve the damage.

Double Damage against Objects (Ex): A treant or animated tree

that makes a full attack against an object or structure deals double

damage.

Plant: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paraly-

sis, stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject to critical hits.

Fire Vulnerability (Ex): A treant or animated tree takes double

damage from fire attacks unless the attack allows a save, in which

case it takes double damage on a failure and no damage on a success.

Half Damage from Piercing (Ex): Piercing weapons deal only half

damage to treants, with a minimum of 1 point of damage.

Half-Elemental Abilities: 1/day—earthquake, elemental swarm,

iron body, magic stone, plane shift, soften earth and stone, spike

stones, stone shape, stoneskin, wall of stone (as Sor 28). DC = 11 +

spell level.

Possessions: Brooch of shielding; gem of seeing; ring of elemental

resistance, major; rod of flame extinguishing.

Spells Prepared (6/7/6/6/6/6/4/4/4/4; base DC = 15 + spell level):

0— create water, detect magic, flare, guidance, resistance, virtue;

1st— endure elements, entangle, faerie fire, goodberry, invisibility to

animals, obscuring mist, pass without trace; 2nd— charm person or

animal, chill metal, heat metal, hold animal, resist elements, wood

shape; 3rd— call lightning, dominate animal, meld into stone, plant

growth, protection from elements, spike growth; 4th— cure serious

wounds, dispel magic, quench, reincarnate, rusting grasp, summon

nature’s ally IV; 5th— atonement, control winds, cure critical

wounds, death ward, tree stride, wall of thorns; 6th— antilife shell,

greater dispelling, healing circle, summon nature’s ally VI; 7th— con-

trol weather, heal, summon nature’s ally VII; true seeing; 8th—

finger of death, repel metal or stone, summon nature’s ally VIII,

word of recall; 9th— mass heal, shapechange, summon nature’s ally

IX, sympathy.

Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +35, Climb +34, Concentra-

tion +42, Diplomacy +35, Intimidate +23, Jump +34, Knowledge

(nature) +36, Knowledge (religion) +24, Listen +22, Perform +22,

Spellcraft +30, Spot +25, Wilderness Lore +38; Cleave, Combat

Reflexes, Expertise, Forge Ring, Great Cleave, Heighten Spell,

Improved Critical (falchion), Improved Initiative, Power Attack,

Quicken Spell, Sunder, Weapon Focus (falchion).

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day: acid fog, call lightning (Drd15), chain

lightning (Sor15), cone of cold, control water, elemental swarm

(water only), fog cloud, horrid wilting, ice storm, obscuring mist,

plane shift, water breathing. 2/day: control weather (Drd20), levitate

(Sor20). All as Sor39 (DC = 14 + spell level) except where noted.

Druid Abilities: Nature sense, woodland stride, trackless step,

resist nature’s lure, wild shape (Tiny to Huge animal 6/day, Small to

Large elemental 3/day), venom immunity, a thousand faces, time-

less body.

Freedom of Movement (Su): Continuous as spell.

Immunities: Immune to disease, organic poisons, and water

effects. Gains +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves against poison.

Rock Catching (Ex): Can catch rocks of up to Large size.

Water Breathing (Ex): Can breathe underwater indefinitely and

can freely use her spell-like abilities while submerged.

Possessions: Ring of water elemental command, Gargantuan scim-

itar +5.

Spells Prepared (6/7/7/6/6/6/5/4/4/4; base DC = 15 + spell level):

0— create water, detect magic, flare, light, naturewatch*, purify food

and drink; 1st— camouflage*, cure light wounds, blinding spittle,

endure elements, faerie fire, goodberry, obscuring mist; 2nd— charm

person or animal, chill metal, cloudburst*, delay poison, one with the

land*, resist elements, summon swarm; 3rd— blindsight*, contagion,

cure moderate wounds, greater magic fang, plant growth, poison;

4th— dispel magic, murderous mist*, quench, reincarnate, rusting

grasp, sleet storm; 5th— animal growth, commune with nature,

drown*, ice storm, memory rot*, transmute mud to rock; 6th— antilife

shell, crumble*, find the path, greater dispelling, wall of stone; 7th—

heal, quickened poison, storm tower*, true seeing; 8th— command

plants, finger of death, quickened dispel magic, summon nature’s ally

VIII; 9th— cast in stone*, shambler, shapechange, summon nature’s

ally IX.

*New spell presented in Magic of Faerûn.

d Exclamor: Male half-air elemental/half-androsphinx Drd20;

CR 33; Huge outsider; HD 36d10+252 plus 20d8+140; hp 683; Init

+5; Spd 50 ft., fly 80 ft. (poor); AC 32 (touch 9, flat-footed 31); Atk

+50 melee (2d6+13/19–20, 2 claws)]; Face/Reach 10 ft. by 20 ft./10

ft.; SA Pounce, rake 2d6+5/19–20, roar, spell-like abilities, druid abil-

ities; SQ Immunities; AL N; SV Fort +39, Ref +27, Will +31; Str 33,

Dex 12, Con 25, Int 18, Wis 24, Cha 19.

Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +24, Bluff +22, Concentration

+27, Diplomacy +42, Intimidate +40, Intuit Direction +21, Knowl-

edge (arcana) +33, Knowledge (nature) +40, Knowledge (religion)

+33, Listen +45, Move Silently +19, Search +22, Sense Motive +25,

Spellcraft +24, Spot +45, Wilderness Lore +25; Alertness, Blind-

Fight, Cleave, Endurance, Expertise, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave,

Heighten Spell, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Critical (rake),

Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Spell

Penetration, Sunder, Track, Weapon Focus (claw), Weapon Focus

(rake).

Pounce (Ex): If Exclamor leaps upon a foe during the first round

of combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a

move action.

Rake (Ex): If Exclamor pounces onto a creature, it can make two

rake attacks (+50 melee, damage 2d6+5).

Roar (Su): Exclamor can roar three times per day. The first time

it does this, all creatures within 500 feet are struck by fear for 36

rounds (Will DC 32 negates). A second roar during the same

encounter paralyzes all creatures within 250 feet for 1d4 rounds

(Fort DC 32 negates), and deafens all those within 90 feet for 2d6

d Strong Root: Female half-earth elemental/half treant Drd20;

CR 30; Gargantuan outsider (earth); HD 21d8+189 plus 20d8+180;

hp 556; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 24 (touch 4, flat-footed 24); Atk 2

slams +41/+31/+21 melee (slam 4d8+15); SA Animate trees, tram-

ple, double damage against objects, half-elemental abilities; SQ Plant,

fire vulnerability, half damage from piercing, immune to disease,

immune to earth effects, +4 bonus to saves against poison; AL N;

SV Fort +33, Ref +11, Will +26; Str 41, Dex 6, Con 29, Int 12, Wis

20, Cha 12,

Skills and Feats: Hide +10*, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (nature)

+41, Listen +47, Sense Motive +45, Spot +47, Wilderness lore +45;

Alertness, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Craft Rod, Craft Staff, Great Cleave,

Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Maximize Spell, Power Attack,

Silent Spell, Still Spell.

*+16 racial bonus to Hide checks made in forested areas

Animate Trees (Sp): A treant can animate trees within 180 feet

at will, controlling up to two trees at a time. It takes a full round

for a normal tree to uproot itself. Thereafter it moves at a speed of

10 and fights as a treant in all respects. Animated trees lose their

ability to move if the treant who animated them is incapacitated or

The Grove of Renewal

rounds (no save). A third roar during the same encounter inflicts

2d4 points of temporary Strength damage to all within 250 feet for

2d4 rounds (Fortitude DC 32 negates). In addition, any Large or

smaller creature within 90 feet is thrown to the ground and suffers

2d8 points of damage (Fort DC 32 negates). This third roar also

deals 50 points of damage to any stone or crystalline object within

90 feet; magic items and held or carried objects can avoid damage

with a successful Ref save (DC 32).

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day as Sor56 (DC = 14 + spell level): air

walk, chain lightning, control weather, control winds, elemental

swarm (air only), gaseous form, obscuring mist, plane shift, whirl-

wind, wind wall.

Druid Abilities: Nature sense, woodland stride, trackless step,

resist nature’s lure, wild shape (Tiny to Huge animal 6/day, Small to

Large elemental 3/day), venom immunity, a thousand faces, time-

less body.

Immunities: Immune to disease, organic poisons, and water

effects. Gains +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves against poison.

Possessions: Bracers of armor +6, ring of air elemental command.

Cleric Spells Prepared (5/6/6/4; base DC = 17 + spell level; as

Clr6): 0— detect magic (3), detect poison, read magic; 1st— command,

comprehend languages (2), divine favor, sanctuary*, shield of faith;

2nd— bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds*, endurance, hold person,

spiritual weapon, zone of truth; 3rd— create food and water, day-

light, protection from elements*, searing light.

*Domain spell. Domains: Healing (casts healing spells at +1 level);

Protection (generate protective ward for +20 bonus to next save).

Druid Spells Prepared (6/7/7/7/6/6/5/5/4/4; base DC = 17 + spell

level): 0— detect magic, flare, light, mending, naturewatch*, purify

food and drink; 1st— camouflage*, cure light wounds (2), endure ele-

ments, faerie fire, goodberry, obscuring mist; 2nd— charm person or

animal, chill metal, cloudburst*, delay poison, lifting gust*, resist ele-

ments, summon swarm; 3rd— blindsight*, contagion, cure moderate

wounds, greater magic fang, plant growth, poison (2); 4th— dispel

magic, freedom of movement, murderous mist*, quench, reincarnate,

rusting grasp; 5th— animal growth, binding winds*, commune with

nature, cure critical wounds, insect plague, silent dispel magic, wall

of thorns; 6th— antilife shell, find the path, greater dispelling, repel

wood, summon nature’s ally VI; 7th— control weather, quickened

greater magic fang, storm tower*, true seeing; 8th— bombardment*,

command plants, finger of death, summon nature’s ally VIII; 9th—

cast in stone*, earthquake, shapechange, summon nature’s ally IX.

*New spell found in Magic of Faerûn.

The Purging

The Nature Seers purify those who come to them. Once you’ve

arrived in their land, you’re vulnerable. They judge all. They put you

on trial. Many come on purpose, especially druids seeking to regain

balance after they’ve spent too much time under the influence of

civilization. Pity those who accidentally stumble across the Grove of

Renewal.

The Purging is a process by which the Nature Seers burn away the

imbalance in a mortal’s soul. Through this process, the Nature Seers

eliminate hatred, anger, self-loathing, guilt, insecurity, vanity, and

all other aspects of a mortal’s make-up that might imbalance her.

The mortal emerges from the Purging free of the emotional bur-

dens with which she entered the Grove. She forgets nothing, but

simply comes to a deep understanding and acceptance of her past,

present, and potential future. She is given no guarantee that she will

not slip back into old habits once she has left the grove. The Purg-

ing offers her an opportunity for change, rebalances her to her own

center, and then lets her accept or deny the balance.

In game terms, the Purging offers the character an opportunity

to change alignment. Over the next tenday, the player then chooses

and roleplays whether she has developed a neutral balance with

nature or if her attitude tips in either an evil or good, chaotic or

lawful direction and how far it tips. It’s an excellent opportunity to

change alignments, but those firmly committed to a way of life need

not change. For instance, a paladin who undergoes the Purging may

choose to remain lawful good and a paladin or become an ex-paladin

of another alignment.

The Purging also removes all poisons, cures all damage and elim-

inates scars. It returns the body to its purest, most healthy state. It

eliminates the effects of any spell that changed the subject to some-

thing she’s not naturally, especially transmutations, enchantments,

necromancy, and illusions. The Purging cannot resurrect the dead

unless magic caused an artificial death (death magic, transmutations

or illusions).

The Process of Purging

The Purging has five stages. Each stage tests the PC and attempts to

teach her respect for a particular element or aspect of herself. Each

stage takes place between crossroads. The guardians at these cross-

roads willingly let any and all pass for this purpose. As the charac-

ter emerges from the backroad (from the snake’s mouth) and gets

her first look at this hellish grove, she begins the section of the path

known as the Fire Walk.

T HE F IRE W ALK

Passing through the crossroads brings the characters into a dead

magic zone in the depths of volcanic caverns where pools of magma

glow red.

Phlogiston, a male half-fire elemental/half-great wyrm red

dragon druid, rises up from the lava. It appears between the charac-

ters and the next dolmen. Its roar thunders and shakes the path. Do

the PCs have the courage to continue without their magic?

The only true threat to the PCs is their own fear. They can turn

back, face the Fire Walk again, and get to the Grove’s crossroads, but

the Grove’s crossroads guardian refuses them no matter what they

do to beg or threaten. The dragon doesn’t pursue them. The PCs

must confront the fiery dragon or find another means of escape.

This section of the path is merely a test of the PCs’ courage. They

must brave the dragon’s Frightful Presence. Phlogiston will not

attack, but defends himself if attacked. If the PCs are unsure of what

to do, the dragon inclines his head toward the next dolmen and say,

simply, “You must pass.”

The dolmen beyond Phlogiston is a portal to the Earth Walk.

T HE E ARTH W ALK

Once the PCs pass through the second dolmen, they’re on the Earth

Walk. They find themselves deep in an ancient forest. The PCs’

magic returns in full. A path is marked leading away from their

arrival portal. At the far end of the path, about 40 feet away, the

characters can see the next dolmen.

Ten feet from the next dolmen in a ring is a spike stones trap 10

feet wide.

Once the PCs activate, disarm, or bypass the spike stones, Strong

Root, a female half-earth elemental/half treant, approaches and

says, “The next portal requires a password to activate. Everyone here

knows what it is.” She then turns to leave and walks away.

If the characters attack Strong Root, she defends herself.

The PCs have several ways to learn the password. A speak with

animals, speak with plants, or stone tell is the most effective way to

get the information, since Strong Root has made sure that all these

know the password. Alternatively, the PCs can attempt to track

Strong Root who has left a trail, Wilderness Lore (DC 15). Also, the

The Grove of Renewal

PCs can return to the lava cave via the portal by which they entered

this area and ask Phlogiston. A successful divination spell produces

an image of a balanced scale.

The password is “Balance.”

Speaking the password lets the PCs pass through the portal to the

next part of the Nature Walk, the Air Walk.

is the fifth and final portal, which automatically lets you and what-

ever you carry pass through, if you are alive. If you die, the currents

here are such that your body shortly returns to the surface of this

pool.”

Tempestine accurately describes the challenge. The characters

must Swim a total of 320 feet (For details, see Swim, Chapter 4:

Skills in the Player’s Handbook ). Since the swim takes places entire-

ly underwater without any place to take an additional breath, the

PCs risk drowning. For details, see The Drowning Rule, Chapter 3:

Running the Game in the D UNGEON M ASTER ’s Guide . This task can

be accomplished in many ways. Unless skilled in swimming, the

characters will probably have to resort to magic. The most obvious

solutions are potions of water breathing or the water breathing spell.

Alternatively, summoned aquatic creatures can tow a character. Des-

perate characters may ask for Tempestine’s help. She takes the char-

acter to the portal in exchange for all the character’s equipment.

T HE A IR W ALK

The characters find themselves in a snowstorm on the top of a snow-

capped mountain, far from civilization. Exclamor has cast control

weather, summoning a blizzard (For details, see Weather Hazards,

Chapter 3: Running the Game in the D UNGEON M ASTER ’s Guide ).

Exclamor, the male half-air elemental/half-androsphinx druid,

greets the PCs as they exit the portal and point to another dolmen,

mere feet away from the first.

“This portal will not activate for 24 hours. Try to survive,” says

Exclamor.

The test is simply surviving in the harsh environment for one

full day. After the 24 hours, the portal opens. Passing through it

starts the characters on the Water Walk.

T HE C ONCLUSION

If the PCs make it to the fifth and final dolmen, they have survived

the Purging. They have earned the following perks:

T HE W ATER W ALK

The characters emerge from the Air Walk portal in a cavern. The

area is roughly circular with an 80-foot diameter. The center 60 feet

is water. The PCs emerge on the 10-foot walkway that rings it. Tem-

pestine, a female half-water elemental/half-storm giant druid, waits

in the pool with her head and shoulders above water.

“Here, you must prove yourself able to meet the challenges pre-

sented by water,” she says. “The test is simple. The portal is under-

water, and a very challenging swim for an ordinary human. From

the edge of the pool where the portal from the Air Walk stands,

swim 20 feet straight down. There is a completely submerged tunnel

that is 10 feet in diameter. The tunnel runs for 300 feet. At its end

• endure elements (all) for 24 hours;

• all lost hit points returned;

•urses removed;

• poisons and diseases cured;

• transmutations removed (return to natural state);

• both Crossroads Guardians have Helpful attitudes toward you;

•the druid overseers have Friendly attitudes;

•and the backroad returns them to the Cantlowe Library.

The experience of the whole of the Grove of Renewal is EL 5. Of

course, if the characters were foolish enough to fight the druids,

they gain experience based on the CR of the druid(s), assuming they

survive.

Magic Of Faerun - A Druid's Grove.pdf

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