Druid Battles


In 1st and 2nd editions of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, only a specific number of druids of 12th level and above were allowed to exist. Advancing into a new level required either a vacancy in the druidic ranks or the defeat of an already-ranked druid with the loser either dying or losing enough experience points to drop back a level.


Problem is... this combat doesn't determine who is the Better Druid, just who the Better Duelist is. This doesn't make much sense. Don't get me wrong, a full-on shape-shifting spell-slinging battle between contenders for the title is awesome but it just doesn't have the "feel" I am looking for.


I recently came into possession of a game called "Photosynthesis". (I have not played it yet). The object of the game is to grow a forest through the management of resources. I will be proposing that the Druids' Duel actually be (in-story) the tending of a grove. At the table, the players would run through a session of Photosynthesis instead. The winner of the game is the winner of the duel and is the one to advance into the next level.


This "duel" would be carried out on a night as a substitute game. The other players in the group would represent rival druids all vying for that next rank on the druidic totem pole as it were and would earn Xp for their actual characters based on their performance as applicable just to get them invested as well.

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