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#Post#: 1241--------------------------------------------------
The Challenge
By: Dungeon Master Date: August 20, 2025, 5:03 pm
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[center]The Challenge[/center]
The traditions of the Order prohibit an inner circle from
including more than nine druids, three archdruids, and one great
druid. If a character gains enough experience to achieve
official druid level but finds no vacancy in the inner circle,
the only way to advance involves ceremonial combat: the druidic
challenge.
The challenge remains one of the oldest druidic traditions. It
purges the weak and complacent, ensuring that the highest ranks
of the druidic order remain filled with strong and cunning
individuals. The masters of the druidic order are not
politicians, but men and women of action. They believe that the
challenge, by bringing ambition into the open, allows them to
bypass some of the worst excesses of hypocrisy and
behind-the-scenes power plays found in other religions.
A circle's great druid expects at any time to face a challenge
from one of the archdruids, while the archdruids keep an eye on
rising druids. Those of druid rank, in turn, look out for
ambitious 11th-level initiates. This system puts a constant
strain on the Order's upper ranks: It's hard to stay on good
terms with folk who want your job and eventually will challenge
you to a battle to gain it. As a result, most friendships and
alliances form among druids of equal level or among characters
several levels apart.
All inner circle druids do their best to appear strong, to avoid
looking like easy targets. Many actively adventure to enhance
their reputations and gain power through acquiring magical items
and experience. Others simply try to remain popular among the
other members of the Order. If an inner circle member takes an
unpopular or controversial stance, fellow druids may decide to
encourage the ambitious to aim for that particular target; the
replacement would likely prove more cordial.
The challenge operates under prearranged rules: Characters who
violate the letter of the rules will fail to advance in level,
just as if they had suffered defeat. Always a one-on-one battle,
the challenge does not allow even servants or animal companions
of the combatants to participate.
First, the two parties must agree upon the time of the duel--if
they can't agree, it will take place at the next moot. Druids
consider it impolite to set a challenge outside of a moot,
although it's still done.
Second, the challenge needs a witness--a druid whose level
equals or exceeds the challenger's. Hierophant druids (described
later in this chapter) work well as witnesses, as do druids or
archdruids visiting from different circles or from the Grand
Druid's entourage.
This individual must witness the terms of the challenge and make
sure the combatants obey the rules. The great druid of the
circle always names the witness, even if the challenge involves
that very leader.
Third, the terms by which the battle will be fought are set out
by mutual agreement.
Once agreed upon and witnessed, the terms may not change. If
neither side can agree on the terms, the witness selects them
and proclaims the duel an all-out battle until one druid
surrenders or becomes incapacitated.
Terms to discuss include:
• The size of the battlefield. Until the duel ends, leaving the
bounds of the area means conceding defeat. Usually the space is
no more than a dozen yards across to ensure the battle does not
take too long.
• Whether to allow weapons, magical items, granted powers, and
spells. (Note: Nondruidic spells cannot be used.) Most contests
involve full use of weapons and spells, although many commonly
disallow magical items. Some memorable duels have permitted only
granted powers--no spells or weapons. The combatants used only
the claws and fangs of their different animal forms. A few
challenges have forbidden all weapons and magic--they became
simple wrestling matches.
• Whether to alter the normal battle-oriented conditions of the
duel. Although rare, methods less stringent than actual combat
have been honored, especially between two friendly rivals. Such
unorthodox formats include a race, a scavenger hunt, a
competition to defeat a particular monster, a drinking contest
(the first druid to fail three Constitution rolls loses), or
even a game of hide and seek.
The challenge begins with the witness's invocation, asking
Nature (or a druidic deity) to watch over the duel. This means
that challengers who defeat foes through cheating will find
themselves unable to gain a level after all, and incumbents who
cheat automatically lose the level. Once the witness concludes
the invocation, the druids enter the battlefield from opposite
ends, and the contest begins.
Appointment of Acolytes. Great druids, archdruids, and druids
have the traditional right to select initiates as their
servants. The number and level of these retainers depend on the
level and position of the inner circle member. (See the PH, p.
37, for details.) The chosen initiates are called acolytes.
Acolytes, chosen from the high-ranking druid's own circle, are
restricted to serving only certain inner circle members (again,
based on their experience level). The appointing druid must
determine which eligible initiates will serve him.
An inner circle druid usually approaches a favored initiate
quietly and offers an acolyte position. The initiate then
decides whether to accept the post. While serving as an acolyte
holds honor, it also entails a loss of freedom. Therefore, the
decision depends on factors such as the reputation of the inner
circle member.
An acolyte swears an oath of service: to be loyal and obedient,
to listen and learn, to keep no secrets from one's master, but
to guard the master's secrets. An acolyte who breaks this oath
faces the wrath of the high-ranking druid. In addition, unless
the acolyte can prove the master's commands violated the spirit
of the druidic ethos, the servant is usually becomes subjected
to the ban.
The advantage of serving as an acolyte is that the character
wins the patronage, and perhaps the friendship, of a powerful
druid. The position enhances the initiate's prestige in the eyes
of the entire circle. Furthermore, acolytes injured or wronged
by an enemy can expect assistance from their master.
The disadvantage? The character-- always at the beck and call of
a master—— loses personal freedom. An acolyte fulfills all the
normal duties of a loyal retainer but, most importantly, acts as
an emissary and representative of the inner circle druid. As
high-level druids cannot be everywhere at once, acolytes often
go on long journeys to do their master's bidding. Whether the
mission involves finding a reclusive swamp-dwelling initiate to
notify of the next moot's date and location or delivering a
stinging ultimatum to a dwarven king to shut down his mines or
face the circle's wrath, acolytes can expect to visit a lot of
interesting--though sometimes unpleasant--places. An acolyte's
term of service lasts until the master's experience level
changes or until the acolyte advances a level. In the latter
case, the acolyte leaves service, and the inner circle member
must select a replacement.
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