Druids in the underdark

[zyztem]

Do they exist in the lore?
If so what kind of history/background am I looking for if I want to RP one?

[BigJ]

Do they exist in the lore?
If so what kind of history/background am I looking for if I want to RP one?

They exist. In fact there are a lot of atheists in Sshamath so someone who 'draws' power from nature rather than a god wont be out of place (Don't worry about god selection on char creation). Its also a very big place, which means lots agricultural requirements to feed the population, even if you can't see it IG.

They wont be nice. The UD is harsh so druids will be more 'The Strong Survive' edgy types rather than about balance and protecting the weak fluffy animals .

There is a Cavestalker PrC on this server designed for UD Druids, I also think there is a monstrous humanoid you can take as an animal companion? I'm not sure but it would be more appropriate than a wolf, bear, cat etc. If not you could just name your animal to show something more suitable (Ie. Name your bear "Dire Rothe")

Lloth doesn't have druids I don't think, her favoured get divine powers so although the Cavestalker gets a phase spider form I wouldn't RP it as a blessing from Lloth, just a form you take.

On that point dragons wouldn't look right either. There are dragons in the UD but they tend to look very different, more like Chinese dragons (Long and snakelike).

Other than that, just RP UD variation of your spells and feats (Ie. Treestride being more Mushroomstride, that sort of thing).

BigJ

[Tsidkenu]

someone who 'draws' power from nature rather than a god wont be out of place

Except that in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, druids must draw their power from the divine. That is, they must have a deity. So pretty much the only UD druids you'd find (of our playable races) might be a svirfneblin of Segojan Earthcaller, a learned drow/half drow who has converted to a nature deity for whatever reason, or possibly a human druid who has moved to the Underdark to tend it.

They do exist, though, depending on the race you have in mind, albeit very very rare.

[zyztem]

Thank you both, I am now very determined to play a grey orc druid whose all about the strong survives and such.

But only if cavestalker gets fixed

[Maximvs]

Yes, there are druids in the UD. They are rarer, as "natural" patches of land aren't as bountiful as the surface. Simply add a UD touch to it.

On top of my head, I can remember a small town on the southern part of Faerun's underdark. The city has a portal to the plane of earth elemental, and it is ruled by a genasi worshipper of Grumbar, the earth god. The various earth plane critters there are all too happy to leave her the responsibility. Various parts of the town are sealed off in their own pocket of space and you need magic to pass through the earth. Those that cannot are offered no help by the inhabitants.

[Darradarljod]

Yes, there are druids in the UD. They are rarer, as "natural" patches of land aren't as bountiful as the surface. Simply add a UD touch to it.

On top of my head, I can remember a small town on the southern part of Faerun's underdark. The city has a portal to the plane of earth elemental, and it is ruled by a genasi worshipper of Grumbar, the earth god. The various earth plane critters there are all too happy to leave her the responsibility. Various parts of the town are sealed off in their own pocket of space and you need magic to pass through the earth. Those that cannot are offered no help by the inhabitants.

That's cool!

[AlwaysSummer Day]

Back in the day Shur Silverblade was a Druid of Talona that lead the Baleful Maw. It was really interesting as he literally and figuratively plagued the underdark (and sometimes the surface )

[Maximvs]

Most underdark druids are Slyths. A UD race. Read up on them for examples of druids. They have a tendency to worship Chauntea ( or Shar but she doesn't grant nature spells ). They also have a town in the southern part ; just them with plenty of myconids and living plant masses n stuff and the plants are hostile to anyone except them so they never invite visitors inside town, just in an interview room so they can talk. The town is full of small cracks because their real form is a yellow jelly like body and they can easily escape from anyone by shaping into that form and slip through the cracks.

I think you should just avoid gods that are too surface related or out of your region ( Mielikki, Talos, Umberlee, Akadi )

[Calantyr]

There's no real fit. Druids of Ghaunadaur could have slimes as animal companions but he's Chaotic Evil, so hardly druid material.

[Maximvs]

They are depicted as slimes that can shapechange in a second, humanoid form ( the same all the time, not like dopplegangers ) but that doesn't make them Guanadaur creations. The extra lore book gives but 2-3 pages of information on them, so it's up to the DM to fill the blanks. Rumor says they were created by Chauntea, others by Shar, and it's only based on the two goddess they worship the most.

[Nomster]

In Sshamath, many surface gods are worshipped. Not -by- many but worships exists.

Some of the Seldarine are also worshipped under different names. I am not sure if drow can pick Seldarine deities in the character creator but a drow could be a druid of Fenmarel Mestarine but he/she would only know the god as Do'gareth as they are under a disguise. See the "Religion" part:
http://www.bgtscc.net/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=43477

The four elemental deities all allow druids. Malar and Talona have otherwise been more or less 'good' choices as the drow gods do not allow druids.

Of course, can always go with another race than drow. Some examples were given by others


As said however, druids must worship a god in this setting or they do not have any powers.