Ok so im running a new campaign and i have an idea on how to start it off. I would like my players to Go up against a necromantic Druid, and while i love the idea im trying to pin it down exactly and i was wondering if anybody had any fluff suggestions.
P.S By the way, i was planning on starting the game in Forgotten Realms Cormyr and im going to be using the pathfinder RPG system.
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Moander would be an appropriate target of reverence for a druid interested in necromancy, being basically the god of rotting vegetation and decay. Clothing and gear would have 'fall' themes and colors, perhaps, representing the season of decay. Moander may or may not be dead in your Realms, in which case Myrkul is also associated with death, decay, disease and the season of autumn (which gives him at least a tie to the nature-gods, being a seasonal diety). He also might be dead, depending on how much of a stomach for pointless metaplot you have, in which case, I'm sure you can find an appropriate diety in whoever is left alive this decade.
Flavorful effects could include zombie ravens used as swarming attackers or necromantically animated vegetation (zombie trees, having stats similar to the animated trees that a Treant uses) or a 'necromantic bat swarm' that is instead made of bloodthirsty oak leaves, swirling like a dust devil to tear at living targets, opening up bleeding wounds. (Use the stats of a bat swarm with undead properties, and go with the visual of razor edged oak leaves, slashing at foes in a cold moaning undead whirlwind.)
The Druid might have earth-manipulating spells to create pits (graves) beneath a foe, requiring them to make a Reflex save to leap clear as the pit forms beneath them, and, if they fall in, another save the next round to get out of the hole before the dirt packs in around them. The spell is both utility (allowing the Druid to dig up dead bodies for necromantic use with a simple gesture) and offense (allowing him to bury living foes who fail their saves) and perhaps even defense (if he's got some ability to go without breath, perhaps though a necklace of adaptation or something, allowing him to bury himself in a grave each night, like a vampire). Even if a target makes his save and leaps clear, the Druids rotting animal companion might be poised to bull rush the victim right back into the hole, allowing the Druid a second chance to bury them on the following round.
The ability to sink into the earth to rest, and rise from it when done, could be introduced as an alternate class feature, instead of as a spell, and replace Woodland Stride. Other Alternate Class Features might include gaining disease immunity in place of poison immunity, gaining resistances to Undead / negative energy effects instead of resistance to Fey abilities, etc.
A Feat that allows him to add the skeletal or zombie template to his Summoned Nature's Allies would fit the theme, as would a knack for using disease effects in his spells, perhaps even having a Feat that allows all of his Summoned Nature's Allies (and 'Animal' Companion) to automatically inflict Filth Fever or something with each attack. Since this would take days to be effective, he would typically send in minions to perform harrying attacks on people he wants dead and then retreat for several days, shadowing them while the disease takes it's toll. When he feels that they are suitably weakened (and he can harry them with plague-bearing attackers every day, if they keep resisting the disease), he can move in for the kill. Perhaps the above could be combined, and he creates 'plague zombie' versions of his Summoned Natures Allies.
So, combining the above, the party finds a local community ravaged by disease, with nasty undead ravens attacking from time to time, further spreading the disease. They move out, also suffering attacks from undead plague-ravens, who die easily enough, but keep them busy making Fort saves in the process. Whether the disease hinders the party or not, the Druid will wait a few days to give a chance to work before unleashing the vampiric undead leaf-swarms, and as they attempt to recover from that encounter, the Druid will attempt a full assault, probably under cover of night, using at least a pair of animated trees (*undead* animated trees!), and his zombie bear companion (who will be a 'fast zombie' moving at normal speed, and also carry disease) and himself, opening up graves to attempt to trap at least one party member (and with Bubo the Festering Bear attempting to knock people into said graves).
There's lots of other Druid stuff that could be done, but that would be standard Druid fare, and I'm trying to come up with appropriately thematic stuff. Loot could include a few scrolls of his special 'exhume / create grave' spell, as a treasure option for spellcasters in the party to gain as a new 'unique' spell.
In his lair, guarded by shambling plague zombies and perhaps a festering undead shambling mound-like creature made of necromantically-animated rotting vegetation, a half-dozen kidnapped villagers could be walled into special underground chambers, like warm moist 'sweat lodges,' or unwholesome incubators, in which they are kept constantly infected with various diseases. He's *cultivating* plagues, keeping the victims alive, and infected, healing the symptoms just enough for them to not die, in an attempt to enhance their effects, and perhaps even *combine* them into a super-plague... Fun times for the party, trying to cure these poor people, some perhaps maddened by what ails them, and return them to their families.
Hey thanks set, that actually helped quiet a bit. :)
There is a feat that will allow your Druid to worship and gain power from Moander even if he is dead; I think the only trade off is that Kelemvor will judge him as Faithless/False when he dies and stick him in the Wall. Don't remember the name or which book it's from but I've played a Moanderan Druid before and remember having the feat recommended to me, it's been several years though.
Thanks guys much appreciated and i completely forgot about that feat! thanks again.
Lost empires is a great resource but dont forget Libris Mortis, undead wild shape and undead animal companion are in there too. Good luck and give those uppity Lathanderits heck. As far as allies go Velsharoon,and the Lawful Neutral aspect of Mystra would be strong allies.
Good gameing