Bards and Hierophant Druids

[Particle_Man]

Bards in 1st ed. are said to get all the abilities of Druids (except that the spell list is different, notably lacking in 6th and 7th level spells).

But with Unearthed Arcana, the druid can become a hierophant druid, which gets some nifty elemental abilities.

Do high level bards also get those nifty elemental abilities? Both Bards and Hierophant Druids go up to 23rd level.

[hamlet]

Answer 1: No, they do not. Those are a function of the office of Heirophant, not of being a druid.

Answer 2: Only if the DM says they do.

[LibraryOgre]

While bards may be druids, I tend to view them as beside the druid heirarchy... never in contention for the position of Druid, not able to access 6th level spells, much less 7th level spells like name-level Druids, and certainly never the Great or Grand Druid. Since one becomes a Heirophant by giving up that position, you can't become a heirophant as a bard.

[BigBadHarve]

As Mark Hall says - Bards learn under the tutelage of a Druid, but do not become 'druids' per se. They become Bards after capping their Thief class, and as such follow the Bard table for advancement and abilities.

They don't advance in rank through the Druid circle, rather they advance in the Bard College.

[Skad]

This is a weird thing. In 1st edition players Druids go up to 14th level. But the bard says, ...the bard gaind druidic powers as a druid of the same level, with the exception of spells...

Then in the Unearthed the raise the druid yo 23 levels. It is an interesting idea and adding the exact amount of levels in the UA seems like that is what they wanted.

There is a vast difference in exp though between 23 druid and 23 bard so it is dms call.

[JustIgnoreMe]

Bards in 1st ed. are said to get all the abilities of Druids (except that the spell list is different, notably lacking in 6th and 7th level spells).

But with Unearthed Arcana, the druid can become a hierophant druid, which gets some nifty elemental abilities.

Do high level bards also get those nifty elemental abilities? Both Bards and Hierophant Druids go up to 23rd level.

Sage Advice in Dragon 117 says no, they don't.

[Particle_Man]

Sage Advice in Dragon 117 says no, they don't.

Thanks! Good detective work! (and I also found in that SA a reference to Dragon 103 that allows for assassins to change their alignment to good later in their career . . . interesting!).