Introduction (CDH)

The Complete Druid's Handbook
==Introduction==
Mysterious guardian of a sacred grove, wise counselor to monarchs, cunning master of many shapes, friend of animals, and terrible defender of unspoiled Nature: This is the druid of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons® game.
Although the priests of the Celtic tribes of Western Europe in the time of Rome called themselves druids, the druids of the AD&D® game are not Celtic priests, nor do they practice the bloody rites that made the ancient druids infamous in the eyes of Rome. Rather, these druids more closely resemble creatures of Victorian romance and modern fantasy, Merlin figures who revere Nature and wield power over plants, animals, the weather, and the elements.
This book is designed to illuminate the many abilities of druids and show how the neutral and "unaligned" druid can best adventure with a party of predominantly good characters. It also reveals what a druid does when not adventuring and demonstrates how a druid can become the center of a new and exciting campaign.
The Complete Druid's Handbook adds numerous options to the druid class from the Player's Handbook, including druids from regions other than the woodlands, and introduces many specialized druid kits. Also included are new spells and magical items, as well as rules for a druid's sacred grove.
Those using this book with the AD&D Original Edition game should know that page references correspond with the AD&D 2nd Edition Player's Handbook (PH) and Dungeon Master® Guide (DMG). The original druid class appears here as an appendix, with some material from the AD&D Original Edition reference book Unearthed Arcana.