Druid an Italian RPG

The box cover.

Druid was an entirely Italian RPG published in 1993 by Editrice Giochi. On Druid Wikipedia Page we can find more information, in particular we are remebered that the authors were Spartaco Albertelli, Nick Gandolfi and Paolo Parente who worked also on the beautiful illustrations.

It was a nice box full of material, a rule book (players and GM with monster to boot), an introductory adventure, some paper miniature, a wonderful color Map a fantastic GM screen and a few ten sided dice.

A box full of fun!

What follows is a capsule review from a quick skimming of the rules (I just bought it on a "try to get italian rpg when you can" collector impulse).

Paper minis!!

The game was easy to learn but required some thinking during character generation, to distribute points to characteristics, and to choose character race (human, elf, dwarf, halfling)

Elf character

Halfling

and profession (herbalist, warrior, bard, artisan, street artist and some more)

Street artist

Hunter

Everything was rolled. The system is all based on percentile dice, characteristic are in theory from 1 to 100 (but since they are 10 and you have from 450 to 700 points you will usually get them from 30 to 80), rolls are skill/attribute +d100 vs a difficulty factor, from very easy (50) to impossible (200). There is critical failure on 01-04 and special success on 96-00.

A primitive weapon

Some complication are present for combat but nothing really impossible to master.

Magic is all around

All character can master some form of magic since the premise of the game is that they are chosen to defend the land from dark force, the druid on the cover is the one to instruct them. Progression in magic is very casual since you can hit your maximum potential each time you try to increase your magical skill, to increase magical skill or other abilities the player must spend earned experience points.

Halfling are the best bard of the land

There are four form of magic: mind and elements (elemental magic is done by summoning small elemental spirits that will try to help the caster - the danger is to summon a fearsome Fomor who will try to kill and destroy everything on site) which are basic form of magic, music and rune which are advanced form of magic.

The map of the setting

The setting is quite detailed in tone and gives all the basic information needed to the GM, as the names of character and on the map suggest it's steeped in Celt legends and lore, and reminds here and there the Deverry series by Katherine Kerr (but maybe because the legendary sources are the same), specially in the name of the Druid Nehwyn and the elemental magic system.

The introductory adventure

There is a very nice introductory adventure in the box, very helpful for the novice GM and capable of giving a good taste of the setting and of the game.

Art of the GM Screen

To round up the rule book there are a smattering of monster and setting information.

Monsters are very nicely illustrated (as all the game is).

Goblin

Lanshee, vampiric faeries

Orcs!!!!

Dragon

Giant

The dangerous and alien Fomors

Trolls

Back cover of the rulebook