Plantfolk

**Plantfolk** are a race of plant-based beings native to Halintar. Unlike the other native races, the Plantfolk only began appearing around the beginning of recorded history, assumedly due to the constant war between the Dragon-Gods causing a magical fallout in the already-susceptible Colossal Covert. After millennia of war, the forest became so soaked with the aether byproduct from excessive magic use that it took root in the feyforce of the massive woods, manifesting inside the natural life around it. In doing so, they formed the Plantfolk- a peaceful race borne as the offspring of endless war.

You can download a PDF copy of the Plantfolk Primer (with images!) at this link!

## Physical Features

Plantfolk aren’t as populous as the other races of Halintar, but physically they’re incredibly diverse. When magic residue collides with the feyforce and becomes potent enough to gift itself to nature, any plant is fair game. After gifting the plant with full sentience, it takes several years for it to manifest a humanoid body that allows it to move and function as the other mortal races would. The more energy they use to “create” themselves, the less magic-casting potential they have, instead providing them with extra physical abilities.

The lifespan of a Plantfolk also depends on the plant the spirit chose to possess. The more dramatic the size of the plant, the shorter the lifespan: nymph-esque flower Plantfolk, for example, only live about ten years at most; meanwhile, tree-based Plantfolk can live about as long as merfolk do, thriving for almost half a millennium before the magic inside them can no longer support the spirit’s physical form. When a Plantfolk dies, it’s essence and the magic supporting it returns into the Earth and back to the Colossal Covert, reforming in a new plant with new life while the previous body transforms back into a normal, unsentient plant. Curiously, the memories of the Plantfolk’s life are stored in the plant itself and not the feyforce, meaning every Plantfolk “born” does not know what it was like in a previous life- but if they can find their old body, by incident or via help from their previous form’s loved ones, they can absorb the old memories and continue their old life with their new body. This is incredibly difficult to pull off, though, considering how it’s virtually impossible to tell if a Plantfolk is possessed with the same feyforce except through strong personality traits.

The physical appearance of a Plantfolk also changes as the plant goes through the seasons- in the spring and summer, many are decorated with colorful leaves and flowers, but as the winter comes they become more barren- some Plantfolk even hibernate during this season, burying themselves deep within the ground until the snow melts away. Because Plantfolk decide their own form via growing into it, they can also choose to “grow into” a different shape over time, changing their features over the course of a week and a half while being partially submerged in the ground. Plantfolk don’t need to sleep, but must spend time in relation to their size either photosynthesizing in bright sunlight or buried to their knees in soil. (For example, a flower Plantfolk would only need to photosynthesize for an hour at most, while tree Plantfolk need a full 7-8)

## Culture

As mentioned earlier, the Plantfolk are a nomadic race, friendly to whomever treats them kindly. While they don’t have any fully settled cities, there is a region within the Colossal Covert where many of them are born- there, many years ago, a monastery was built by monks who serve Ester Pyx. Now, these monks protect the young Plantfolk until they are ready to traverse Halintar, making sure no hunters or bandits damage them whilst seeking shelter in the woods. There is no name for the monastery, and it can’t be found on purpose- thanks to the magic of the fey and the monks, only those with a truly pure purpose can reach the “breeding grounds” of the Plantfolk without getting hopelessly lost in the forest.

Once the Plantfolk leave the Covert or wherever they may bloom into being, they search for settlements where they can grow amongst the other mortals, learning their ways. There, they become more knowledgeable about life, giving their instinctual knowledge and magical prowess over nature in return. Because of how many different cultures they adapt to, every Plantfolk holds different beliefs, and oftentimes have trouble getting along with others of their own kind who chose to grow up somewhere else.

### Agaric Avarice

While most individuals simply refer to themselves as Plantfolk regardless of their size or Tevi status, Agarics prefer to refer to themselves as a separate race than Plantfolk, due to inhabiting fungus rather than standard plants. These mushroom- and mold-bodied peoples are said to have originated from a strand of more nefarious souls, but in truth they are really no different from Plantfolk in the way they view things.

While Plantfolk hail from the souls of the Seelie court, the Agarics hail from the Unseelie court. Because of this, an Agaric and a Plantfolk see each other as reflections of each other, looking through the reflections of the endless sea in the Feywild. Agaric society see has the other races with slight disdain, as they are often treated unfairly in the world outside the Colossal Covert and are more reserved than their leafy brethren. Agarics are also rumored to inhabit other races bodies; and although they can't help where they are reincarnated, this has given them a nasty impression.

### The Creation of the Tevi

Thousands of years ago, a band of extremely powerful Plantfolk known as the Tevi attempted to create their own society deep within the Colossal Covert. Their mission was to unite the warring parties of Halintar and the Big Stretch through a common language. They spent their years studying all the varied languages of the different regions, culminating their knowledge into a newly developed one called “Common”. For many years after they attempted to bring this language to the rest of Halintar- but by the time it began catching on, most of the Tevi had died attempting to share the language with others.

Because of this extensive studying and strong love for peace, the feyforce of the Tevi became more potent than normal feyforce, carrying with it the linguistic knowledge they had spent their lives studying. The mark of the Tevi is the understanding of all known languages, but only being able to speak Common. Tevi Plantfolk also have extra compassion for the mortal peoples of Halintar, and are knowledgeable enough to use their inherited intelligence to influence others.

However, Tevi are a very rare variant of Plantfolk. Being a strong feyforce, they require a lot of magic to manifest- and being peacemakers, they’ll only come when needed, allowing other feyforce to form into Plantfolk instead. Despite the goodwill they bring with them, they usually only manifest in times of anticipation of worldly instability and mass panic, causing them to be associated with as bad omens.

## Playing a Plantfolk

Plantfolk, in theory, are an “artificially created” race made out of nature itself. Your potential is unrivaled, and you can be made of any plant your mind can think of. You could even be a Tevi, and aspire to bring about world peace as your ancestors have tried to before. For inspiration, find the plant you’d like your Plantfolk to be and create an individual culture and personality based on the plant’s land of origin. You can also examine the other races of Halintar and wrap your plant’s personality in that race’s culture.

***NOTE:** With the customization of Plantfolk comes great responsibility to not make yourself too over- or under-powered. Be sure to consult a DM with any problems or concerns you have when creating your Plantfolk character.*

***Alignment.*** All Plantfolk feel a kindness towards nature and generally want to help others, though the way they do this depends on the individual in question. You can be Lawful, Chaotic, or Neutral Good.

***Languages.*** Plantfolk inherently speak their native tongue, a leaf whistle based language called Hanofue (pronounced hah-noh-foo-weh). They’re also very quick to pick up Common, and start off with one additional language based upon the area they grew up in or visited in their youth.

***Speed.*** Plantfolk form feet to walk on out of their roots, which they then plant when they require sustenance. These feet aren’t the best at moving, though- you have a base walking speed of 25 ft.

***Blindsense.*** Before you were a Plantfolk you were simply a plant, with no known sentience. Your connection to your pre-feyforce life gives you the ability to roughly sense the life forms around you. Here is a more in-depth description on blindsense (sense, not sight!). Your blindsense range is 20 ft in normal areas and 40 ft when in a forest or field.

***One With Nature.*** As a plant, you don’t need to eat or sleep. However, everyone needs to get their energy somewhere. A medium-sized Plantfolk requires 4 hours of photosynthesis in bright light (done while still, and varying in time based on the weather), or 6 hours buried knee-deep in the dirt (varying based on the quality of the soil) as their long rest. During times of recharging Plantfolk can dream- oftentimes, their minds will connect with other nearby Plantfolk or sources of fey energy nearby.

***Heterogeneous Form.*** Plantfolk can be made of any plant in the world. As long as the soul finds a plant host they deem worthy, they can be anything- from the tiniest mushroom to the largest of trees, Plantfolk can sprout from any plant you can think of. As you develop your power and grow as an individual, you unlock the potential of your plant body in new and exciting ways. See Heterogeneous Form to see several templated spell lists

There are four primary “subraces” of Plantfolk, though they are purely based on body composition, not upon any sort of predetermined culture. They are: Petite, Standard, Treant, and Agaric. There is also the Tevi subrace, a variant race whose existence is highly dependent on the state of the world in the campaign's given setting.

### *Petite*

Petite Plantfolk settle in the smallest of flora- flowers, ferns, and small fungi, for example. Due to the small amount of mass they’re made to possess, they have much fey energy reserved within their bodies. This makes them incredible mages, with a deep personal reservoir of magic- but their bodies can only take so much channeling of this energy, and so their physical form is frail and burns out within a short span of years.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Petite Plantfolk are frail, but their spell-channeling abilities are phenomenal. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and their Charisma or Wisdom (your choice) increases by 1.

***Age.*** The average lifespan of a petite Plantfolk is about 10 years, with the first one being reserved for growth into maturity. Particularly reckless and power-abusing individuals may have a lifespan as short as 5 years, while those who avoid using magic at all cost can live for up to ~15.

***Size.*** Petites are known for being being, well, petite. You can be either Small or Tiny in size, based upon your plant of choice

***Light-Footed Flight.*** Your body is light, easy to manipulate and carry about in the breeze. Through either the development of wings or pure magical means, you have a fly speed of 30 ft and can hover in place if desired.

***Magic of the Fey.*** You know one cantrip from the Enchantment school of magic. If you do not have a class that casts spells, then your casting modifier for this cantrip is Intelligence.

***Fairy Ring.*** You plant a ring of seeds from your body in a circle, which magically sprouts into a fairy ring. You may then store one of your spells in it- expending the spell slot if needed. When a creature steps into the ring, the spell goes off, targeting all creatures within 5 feet of the ring. The fairy ring takes 5 minutes per 5 ft in diameter to create, with a maximum diameter equal to 5 times your level. Identifying the ring as an active fairy ring takes an Arcana check with DC equal to your spell save DC, calculated using Intelligence if you are not a spellcasting class.

### *Standard*

The average Plantfolk grows to the size of a typical human, with similar proportions and features. This familiarity allows them to be accepted into society much easier than Fairy and Treant Plantfolk, making it easy to mix in with society and live with the people. This allows them to live life to the fullest, learning from the people and becoming beloved members of their communities.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Standard-sized Plantfolk are more socially accepted than their oversized and undersized kin. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and either your Wisdom or Intelligence by 1.

***Age.*** As it turns out, Medium is the ideal sized creature for a Plantfolk. You live longer than any other, not counting Tevi, and can live up to 250 years.

***Size.*** You are the same average size as most other civilized races. You are Medium.

***Well-Versed.*** Due to being more socially accepted in society, you have an easier time learning the lingo of the locals. You can learn one additional language.

***Know Thy Self.*** Your plant body and fey mind are in tune with one another, working fast to keep yourself properly sustained. When you expend hit dice or roll for new hit points, you may reroll on 1 and 2.

***Fast Learner.*** Living within civilization has taught you many things. You obtain proficiency in three weapons of your choosing, based upon the region you live/grew up in.

### *Treant*

Treants are the large, gentle giants of the Plantfolk. Their spirits inhabit the towering denizens of the forest, plants that had already been alive for many years before turning into a sentient being. These wizened souls inherit much knowledge about the ways of nature, and often make it their personal duty to protect the life in the area they are born into. Controlling such a large body takes quite a large amount of energy from the spirits of these individuals, shortening their lifespan, but giving them great power and wisdom to use to ward off the dangers of mankind from their beloved homes.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Treant Plantfolk are powerful and wise, using ancient plants as a vessel for their feyforce. Your Wisdom increase by 2, and your Strength by 1.

***Age.*** The towering, aged plants of the Treants are often quite old, the youngest being at least 50-75 years old but going all the way up to the thousands. A Plantfolk spirit can hold onto one of these plants for up to 100 years, though they tend to only live for as long as they are needed by the area they are settled in, so the average lifespan is anywhere between 20-50 years.

***Size.*** Treants are Large in size, their great mass quite intimidating to most individuals.

***Wisdom of the Ancients.*** While you do not retain the memories of the other Plantfolk that had once inhabited this body, the ancient wisdom within it permeates your mind and soul. You have proficiency in Survival and Nature checks, and advantage on any checks within those categories that relate to your stretch of land in particular.

***Immense Strength.*** You are proficient in Unarmed combat, with massive arms that deal 1d10 + STR mod damage. This may be bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage based upon the plant you are made of, but it cannot change once the decision is made.

***Stand Your Ground.*** As a bonus action, you plant your roots into the ground. This drops your speed to 0 ft, and you cannot be knocked prone or be moved against your will until you are knocked unconscious. Uprooting can be done as a bonus action.

### *Agarics*

Borne from Unseelie souls, these Plantfolk-like spirits inhabit mushrooms and other fungi rather than typical plants. Fear and lack of acceptance from humanoid populations leads them to remain ever-reclusive, and even those who do choose to venture into the civilized world face the retaliation of others as they witness their strange features and abilties in action.

See Heterogeneous Form for the Agaric-specific forms!

***Alignment.*** Unlike most other Plantfolk, Agarics see the natural world as something that they wish to harness and devour, resulting in them leaning towards evil-aligned tendencies. Traditionalist Agarics however, see the decomposition of life, and subsequent rebirth, to be the most truly natural of all things, and are thus squarely in the Lawful camp.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Agarics have a longstanding wisdom of the eras upon eras of history they’ve accumulated. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and either your Charisma or Intelligence by 1.

***Age.*** Agarics live a healthy life of around 250 years.

***Size.*** You are Medium, the same average size as most other civilized races.

***Regrowth.*** If for some reason you lose a limb or chunk of your body, it can be regrown over time. To do so, however, you must ensure you get more rest than usual. By extending your long rests to 10 hours a day (rather than 8) for seven days straight, you regrow your lost body parts. If you break the streak before the seven days have passed, the regenerating body part turns into a sickly paste before falling off..

***Staining.*** You can produce a colored stain that only you can see once per day. This stain remains on the marked surface for ten days, and is only removable through magical means. You get a +10 Wisdom (Perception) bonus to finding whatever you stained when near it.

***Friends of Compost.*** You have advantage on Charisma checks made against Undead creatures.

### *Tevi*

Tevi are a fascinating and powerful subrace of plantfolk, famous for developing the Common language. Natural peacemakers, these beings strive to end tensions and unite the people of the world together- but as they most often spawn in times of worldly conflict or before great disasters strike, they’re sometimes seen as an ill omen or bad luck. Regardless, their great magical prowess and worldly intelligence alone earn them quite a bit of respect amongst all who meet them, as they’re easily recognized as the most powerful beings of their race.

**Note:** Tevi are an incredibly rare race, with only a handful in existence at a time. The only exception to this is when the world is in times of grave peril- wars that span the whole plane, times of intense bloodshed, and the death/destruction of important and powerful forces are all catalysts for the summoning of Tevi, who somehow appear in larger populations around ~5-10 years before the events occur and continue spawning till the peril passes. Still, the largest estimated population of Tevi at once was only around ~75 or so individuals, and that was when Common was invented and spread. Talk to your DM if you want to play a Tevi, letting them know the importance of worldly events in relation to your “birth”

***Ability Score Increase.*** Tevi have a vast understanding of society and culture, so strong that their social instincts are retained even when they are reborn. You Charisma increases by 3, and can reach a maximum score of 22. However, this power puts a damper on the connection between your soul and your body; your Constitution score can only be a maximum of 14.

***Size.*** To be more accepted into society, Tevi need to be about the size of most other civilized folk. You are Medium.

***Mark of the Tevi.*** All Tevi are born with a special mark somewhere on their body, that looks like this: Ѧ. This symbol is usually located around the place where the humanoid mind or heart would be, glows a blue-green color, and is between the size of a quarter and an orange. Being blessed with this symbol automatically maxes your lifespan out at 500 years, but it is also the weakest point on your body- a direct attack against it (which must be specified by the attacker) deals double the amount of damage, or four times as much if fire damage.

***Listens in Tongues.*** The Tevi studied all races for days, months even, on end. This enabled their feyforce “spirits” to understand them even in rebirth. You can comprehend all the mortal languages of the Big Stretch- that is, every language on this list except for Undercommon. You can read, write, and understand spoken words- but cannot speak the language yourself without serious vocal training.

***Peacemaker.*** Being a peace-loving race at heart, the Tevi have honed their magic to be particularly good at easing people’s aggression. They can cast the Calm Emotions (ph 221) spell as a spell-like ability once per day. This increases to two times at 5th level, three times at 11th level, and four at 17th.