Druthers for Ghosts of Albion, Witch Girls Adventures and d20

Druthers

For Ghosts of Albion, d20 (3.x) and Witch Girls Adventures.

Druthers are special sort of magical construct often associated with witches and witchcraft. Their kind has not been seen on Albion's shores in many centuries, but they were known to have existed and are referenced in many rarer occult tomes. It is believed that the secret is still known to some witches and to encounter one is a sure sign of witchcraft.

The name comes from an old piece of doggerel scribbled inside a witch's Book of Shadows

"If I really had my druthers,
I'd have my wooden druthers too."

A wooden druther is a corrupt form of "wouldn't I'd rathers", or something the witch doesn't want. So the wooden druther performs tasks that the witch would rather not do herself. The druther can understand simple command phrases of about 15 words each. Typically druthers are used for menial labor or to perform a task that the witch can not do or won't do herself, like killing or scaring an enemy. Often a witch will have a few druthers protecting her home while disguised as trees, requiring a Perception + Notice check of 3 or SL to detect.
A druther cannot communicate at all. Some witches have used woody reeds in the construction of their druthers. When the wind blows across the druther it sounds like a deep bassoon.
Druthers can appear in any form. Usually they are biped and always made of wood. The wood can be carved or a collection of sticks tied together. The appendages need to be attached separately if the druther is to move at all. They can be precisely carved to appear as anything the witch wants, but they typically look like walking bunches of sticks.
Legend has it that there was a witch that had such beautifully carved druthers that they were often mistaken for wood nymphs.

For Ghosts of Albion
Druther
Motivation: To follow orders
Creature Type: Magical Construct
Attributes: Strength 7, Dexterity 2, Constitution 6, Intelligence 1, Perception 1, Willpower 1
Ability Scores: Muscle 20, Combat 7, Brains 2
Life Points: 67
Drama Points: 1
Armor Value: 4
Powers: Hard to Kill 3, Immune to cold, fear, poisons, sleep, water, and any mind effecting spell, Natural Toughness, Vulnerability to fire.

Manoeuvres
Name Score Damage Notes
Punch 7 14 Bash
Slam tackle 7 14 Bash
Stake 8 14 If equipped with stakes
Takedown 12 7
Dodge 7 Defence action
Grapple 9 Resisted by Dodge

Combat
A druther is mindless in combat. It instinctively strikes with its wooden fists with almost no regard to what else is going on. One thing druthers excel at is killing vampires. The druther is equipped with built in stakes in the form of fingers if the witch so chooses. The druthers biggest weakness is fire, something a vampire is not likely to use and they have no blood to drink.
Immunities: A druther is immune to cold and water. Stabing weapons only do 1 point of damage per hit. Fire damage against a druther is treated the same as against a vampire.

Some magicians value the wood from an inanimate druther to use to make magical fires.

Animating a Druther
The only know spell came from an ancient tome called the Manual of Druthers. The spell has been copied, but it is still very rare to find. Only an Occult Library of Amazing has a chance of having the spell and even then it must specialize in the tomes of Witchcraft. It is also known to be used very rarely among Shamans, but since Shamans do not write their spells down the chances of acquiring that version is even rarer still.

Construction
Witches can construct a druther if she can learn how.
The witch will need at least 200 pounds of wood, either as sticks, planks or individually carved pieces. She must gather and form these pieces herself. The witch will need her consecrated witch tools, special oils and fine incense. After creating the body for the druther, the witch will have to cast the animating spell, then sprinkle the ashes from the burned incense on the wood.

Animate Druther (Ghosts of Albion)
Quick Cast: No
Power Level: 3
Philosophy: Witchcraft, Shamanism
Requirements: The manual creation of a druthers body and an hour long ritual in which the spell components are burned and poured over the druther.
Components: Rare oils rubbed into the wood of the druther, incense to be burned. Price at least £100.
Effect: The witch must prepare the druthers body out of wood and/or sticks. This should take at least a day to gather materials and make the body. Longer times are needed for more complex druthers. The oil is then rubbed into the wood while muttering the spell. Incense is burned and the ashes are sprinkled on to the druthers body. Successful casting means the druther is animated and will respond to the witchs commands.
Spell failure results in a druther that can never be animated. The witch will need to burn the wood and start over. Spell Backfire can result in a Rogue Druther.
Creation: Alteration (+5), Casting Time (-2), Touch (-1), Permanent (+6), Unusual materials (-2), Philosophy ().

Drudges
Sometimes druthers are referred to as "Drudges", mostly due to their ability to menial work, usually around the home. While a druther may be used to do the witch's dirty work, a drudge will do the witch's dirty laundry. Adventurers have reported of a witch with intricately carved wood drudges as her household staff. A drudge butler was so well made that they could not tell it was a magical construct at all.

Rogue Druthers
The druther has a strong tie to its animating elemental force. Sometimes though, a druther will break free of the witch's control, but not of its wooden body. These druthers are known as rogues and take out their frustration the only way know, to throw themselves into any combative situation it can.
A rogue druther will enter into any situation where its goal is to get itself destroyed, preferably by fire, to free its spirit.

For d20

Druther

Medium Construct

Hit Dice: 9d10+20 (69 hp)

Initiative: -1

Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)

Armor Class: 17 (-1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 17

Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+11

Attack: Slam +11 melee (2d6+5)

Full Attack: 2 slams +11 melee (2d6+5)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks:

Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, immunities, fire vulnerability

Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3

Abilities: Str 20, Dex 9, Con , Int , Wis 11, Cha 3

Skills:

Feats:

Environment: Any

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: 6

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 10-15 (Large); 15-20 (Huge)

Level Advancement: None

The druther can understand simple command phrases of about 15 words each. Typically druthers are used for menial labor or to perform a task that the witch can not do or won't do herself, like killing or scaring an enemy. Often a witch will have a few druthers protecting her home while disguised as trees, requiring a DC 25 Spot check to notice.

A druther cannot communicate at all. Some witches have used woody reeds in the construction of their druthers. When the wind blows across the druther it sounds like a deep bassoon.

Druthers can appear in any form. Usually they are biped and always made of wood. The wood can be carved or a collection of sticks tied together. The appendages need to be attached separately if the druther is to move at all. They can be precisely carved to appear as anything the witch wants, but they typically look like walking bunches of sticks.

Combat

A druther is mindless in combat. It instinctively strikes with its wooden fists with almost no regard to what else is going on.

Immunities: A druther is immune to cold and water. Piercing weapons only do 1 point of damage per hit.

Construction

Witches can construct a druther. If the witch has access to a manual of druthers, then she can create a druther from that work. Otherwise a witch may opt to create one from scratch. The witch will need at least 200 pounds of wood, either as sticks, planks or individually carved pieces. She must gather these herself. The witch will need her consecrated witch tools and fine incense. After creating the body for the druther, the witch will have to cast spells, then sprinkle the ashes from the burned incense on the wood.

CL 10th; Craft Construct, air walk, bless growth, feral spirit, lesser strengthening rite, minor creation, caster must be at least 10th level; Price 3,600 gp; Cost 2,000 gp + 1,000 XP.

Legend has it that there was a witch that had such beautifully carved druthers that they were often mistaken for wood nymphs.

Treants, dryads, and wood nymphs view a druther in the same manner a human views the undead or a flesh golem. Most will attempt to destroy them when they can. Some witches and wizards value the wood from an inanimate druther to use to make magical fires.

For Witch Girls Adventures

Druthers

In the world of Witch Girls, Druthers are a fairly common sight.  Often charged with doing all sorts of repetitive minimal tasks, in fact self respecting witch family would do without a couple in their homes.   While such tasks as making diners is beyond them, setting tables or doing dishes are common enough tasks.

Rank 1 Monster

Druther

Body: D8 Mind: D2 Senses: D2

Will: D4 Social: D2 Magic: D2

Life Points 16

Skills: Fighting +1

Magic: Druthers are immune to many magical effects especially ones that affect the mind.  They do however take double damage from any fire based attack.

Cryptozoology fact: Druthers (and Drudges) are near mindless constructs made of wood.

Cryptozoology fact: Druthers take extra damage from fire.

Animate Druther

Elementalism Rank 4

The Witch can bind an elemental spirit to the form of a Druther she has built.   Often it is customary to only compel the elemental spirit to service for a year and a day then the Druther falls apart.