What version or system allows for a simple, but effective Druid Class?  Something that is also true to the theme?

Depends on what you think a Druid is.

Pocket Fantasy is the simplest game I have.  Their Druid is a person with three abilities.  They have wilderness lore, they can brew any magic potion twice a day, and they can tame a wild animal to accompany them.

https://youtu.be/qAXzzHM8zLw?si=tksouMfVedzvARut

In ancient times...
Hundreds of years before the dawn of history
Lived a strange race of people... the Druids

No one knows who they were or what they were doing
But their legacy remains
Hewn into the living rock... Of Stonehenge

Quote from: tenbones on January 31, 2025, 11:11:37 AMhttps://youtu.be/qAXzzHM8zLw?si=tksouMfVedzvARut

In ancient times...
Hundreds of years before the dawn of history
Lived a strange race of people... the Druids

No one knows who they were or what they were doing
But their legacy remains
Hewn into the living rock... Of Stonehenge

This forum needs a simple thumbs up or like button.
Spinal Tap 2 is coming, and not that dirty little tv special they did.

As might be expected, White Box RPG and Old School Essentials Advanced Fantasy come to mind.  OSE's is better, as the existing White Box version is pretty much just a neutral cleric.  There will be actual druidic spells in the upcoming White Box Cyclopedia version.  The Swords & Wizardry version is fine; like OSE it's basically a slightly stripped down version of the AD&D druid.

I think that the problem may have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf.

Also, my old bass player bears an uncanny resemblance to David St. Hubbins and was wont to quote the movie frequently.

Quote from: Persimmon on January 31, 2025, 01:36:35 PMAs might be expected, White Box RPG and Old School Essentials Advanced Fantasy come to mind.  OSE's is better, as the existing White Box version is pretty much just a neutral cleric.  There will be actual druidic spells in the upcoming White Box Cyclopedia version.  The Swords & Wizardry version is fine; like OSE it's basically a slightly stripped down version of the AD&D druid.

Honestly, the way BECMI handled druids is the best simple version in my opinion. White Box is too simple, OSE is basically just AD&D (i.e. more complex), as you stated.

But the OP asked about "true to the theme"; what theme? Richie Blackmoor, sorry, Elder Wizardman laid out the original druid, which is basically the AD&D druid. Is that the theme? Neutral cleric that has wilderness abilities? Is shape-shift a requirement? Need some more specifics or I'm gonna roll with BECMI.

If you're going on what little is known about Druids historically, then the Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea Bard class strikes me as the most faithful representation in a well known game. All we really know about them is that they were a priestly class that was responsible for keeping lore and oral traditions. A few viking-themed games have a "Skald" class which fits roughly the same role

Going with the "D&D Druid" concept, i.e. a nature themed magician with a clerical bent, I don't know. If memory serves, By This Axe I Hack has a druid class, and all the classes in that are very simple, so that might fit the OP quesiton.

Both Palladium and Dungeons & Delvers think a Druid is a weather control mage that can also shapeshift into a woodland animal. 

Also, I think the better way to phrase this question is to not ask about the Druid.

It might help for us to list off rules lite RPG's that have the Druid as a playable class. 

Again, my two recommendations for that are Pocket Fantasy with the Class Compendium (all of that is free), or Dungeons and Delvers Dice Pool.

Thanks for the feedback.  Druid is a class that I don't have personal experience with.  I'm trying to be more open minded about Druids.  Perhaps as an alternative to standard Clerics?

I had a look at the Druid class from By This Axe I Hack (I was at work when I posted before). I seem to remember posting whole pages of a rulebook was against policy here, so I'll summarize. The class is described as:

QuoteDruids are practitioners of nature magic who focus their arcane studies on living things and natural forces. They are sometimes called White Wizards.

For class features, they get two different Lore abilities, Sense Magic, a magic defense ability, and can learn spells from the Divination, Herbalism, Natural Magic, Physical Laws, Transformation, and Transmutation spell lists.

I like this. I always like games that make it so cleric classes are magicians who practice a different school of magic, rather than using a whole different kind of magic. I also like the lore abilities. It taps into the idea of Druids as masters of history, law and custom, rather than just hippie clerics.

In my book they were for all intents and purposes... Foresters without magic. Druids were the upgrade from that and had access to elemental magic and could get more oomph out of that magic... and thats about it.

I do not recall the game. But there was one where they were for pretty much like D&D rangers. I think they took a cue or two from the old BBC Robinhood series that had Hern the Hunter as robins mentor.

Shadow of the Demon Lord has all of the core D&D classes represented as expert paths, and the DRuid is one of them. It is a spellcaster with nature-themed spells. If you want to add shapeshifting in as a master path, that's an option that opens up later. Note also that your Druid can come from the Priest basic path but doesn't have to; they could be Magicians, Warriors, or even Rogues (much like the 1e AD&D Bard).

Quote from: ForgottenF on February 01, 2025, 12:38:03 AMI had a look at the Druid class from By This Axe I Hack (I was at work when I posted before). I seem to remember posting whole pages of a rulebook was against policy here, so I'll summarize. The class is described as:

QuoteDruids are practitioners of nature magic who focus their arcane studies on living things and natural forces. They are sometimes called White Wizards.

For class features, they get two different Lore abilities, Sense Magic, a magic defense ability, and can learn spells from the Divination, Herbalism, Natural Magic, Physical Laws, Transformation, and Transmutation spell lists.

I like this. I always like games that make it so cleric classes are magicians who practice a different school of magic, rather than using a whole different kind of magic. I also like the lore abilities. It taps into the idea of Druids as masters of history, law and custom, rather than just hippie clerics.

That's an interesting way to view it. It stands to reason that there is only one magic, instead of everyone practicing different magic with different rules. It also makes it easier to create and follow the rules of the world. I would give it a bit of a different flavor, though, for example prayer instead of incantations or using only their bodies to channels their spells, without relying on a spellcasting focus.

Am I thinking what you really wanted was an OSR game with a simple Druid? 

Shadowdark has an unofficial class for the Druid.  It's found in a fan created supplement called The Codex Officium 1 written by The Wandering Mage. 

It's pay-what-you-want, so you could get it for free. 

Drivethru RPG - Codex Officium 1

They're weaker clerics that wear only leather, use only clubs, daggers, staff, spear, and sling weapons, with one unique ability to talk to animals.