Dryads

**Dryads** are nature spirits that manifest inside trees for various reasons, generally as a by-product of high quantities of arcana affecting a forest for extended periods, or as a product of a tree growing so ancient it draws excess amounts of arcana to it. Dryads are as varied in appearance and temperament as they are fiercely protective of the trees and forests they cherish and safeguard.

## Description

Dryads generally have a humanoid form, varying in overall shape in accordance with the tree from which they are birthed. While their form is relatively humanoid, their appearance is not. Their skin is made of bark, their flesh is more akin to spongy wood, and they have an assortment of other plant-like features, including foliage or petals as hair, branches as fingers and limbs, and arcane-infused sap as blood. They can eat to sustain themselves, but can live for sustained periods without food if they remain in sunlight.

Dryads are created when arcana within a tree begins to coalesce into a sentient spirit. The spirit remains within the tree and begins to achieve physical form during an extended period of growth. In theory, a dryad can manifest in any tree that has reached maturity, however in most cases the tree must be very old and very large for a dryad to finally achieve awakening. Once born, dryads emerge fully formed from their tree.

A dryad can emerge from the tree and travel the lands around it, but the tree remains their home and roots them to the world. As long as the tree remains healthy and unharmed, the dryad stays forever youthful and alluring. If the tree is harmed, he or she suffers. If the connection is ever removed even temporarily, they are left hollow and empty. If the tree is ever destroyed, the dryad descends into madness. As a result, most dryads remain close to their own tree in order to protect it, acting as guardians of their woodland realms.

Rarely, however, some circumstance may push a dryad to leave its forest behind for a time in order to combat something that he or she sees as threatening their woodland home—and more specifically, their own tree. Such instances are unusual, typically requiring the threat to be either specifically directed at the dryad’s tree, or so large in scope that the entire forest would be in danger.

## Culture & Society

During the "gestation" period, the dryad will dream. This dream is described as a long, life-like experience of unknown origin, that is shaped both by the ongoing events around the tree itself, and by visions of past life that forms from the arcana that created the spirit. If forests grow around the tree, the dryad may experience this as visitors joining the dream, whereas if the tree is cut down before the dryad is born, the dryad experiences it as its own death within the dream before it ceases to exist. During this long dream, the dryad does not experience time as normal, and will flit from one vision or memory to the next, unsure which are real and which are not.

The visions that the dryad experiences within the dream tend to shape in part the physical motivations of the dryad. What is remembered from that dream varies, but often the dryad will latch onto parts of it as a guide to its physical life. Some choose to answer the questions the dream poses to them as their life goal, while others choose to make their own way and find new experiences. When they sleep for an extended period within trees, dryads can return to the dream, experiencing memories from the tree in which they sleep, and visions and memories of experiences from living creatures that once dwelled around it.

Since dryads are scattered and rare, there is no real concept of a dryad society. Although in some instances they may interact with each other if they happen to inhabit the same woodland, it’s more common for a dryad to spend its time with nearby animals and the trees, whom they regard as the wisest and most sacred of creations. Given their attachment to forests, dryads do not often interact with other sapient races. They are more likely to treat others with suspicion or even fear, but can grow bonds with those that love the forests as much as they do.

One further hardship for a dryad among other civilizations are the concepts of firewood and timber. A dryad that sees a tree being cut down equates the experience to witnessing a murder. It can talk to that tree, hear its wisdom and ancient knowledge, understand how it nourishes the earth and is nourished in turn. As a result, dryads may sometimes commit desperate and wild acts to protect trees in ways that seem illogical to many other races.

## Subraces

### Elderfen Dryads

Elderfen dryads grow from the most ancient of groves, where a tree grows so old that it slowly gathers a well of arcana beneath its bark, birthing the dryad from within that well over time, like a pearl. Their dreams are often longer than average and largely peaceful, full of influences and interactions with the entire intricate web of life within the woodland. Such dryads often have calmer and meditative personalities, and tend to resemble elderly humanoids in appearance.

### Everwant Dryads

Everwant dryads grow from groves where a surge of arcana causes trees to rapidly grow, resulting in a sudden surplus of magic from which the dryad forms. Their dreams are often hectic and fleeting, full of vibrancies and excess. Such dryads often have wild and unconstrained personalities, and tend to have more fey-like qualities, such as pointed ears and sharper features,

### Firebreak Dryads

Firebreak dryads grow from groves that have just suffered a cataclysmic ruination, such as a wildfire or flood, causing most life to need to regrow from the ashes, and resulting in a surplus of arcana that has nowhere to go, from which the dryad will manifest. Their dreams are often dark and frightening, full of the terror of a dying forest, and the tentative fear of one reborn. Such dryads often have desperate and bitter personalities, and tend to have more dour and woeful expressions.

### Baleroot Dryads

Baleroot dryads grow from groves where blood has been spilt or trees have been cut down in excess, resulting in arcana seeping through the soil into the roots of the surviving trees, coalescing into a pool from which the dryad grows. Their dreams are often angry and hateful, full of malice and malevolent thoughts. Such dryads often have dark and vengeful personalities, and tend to exhibit more warlike features, such as spiny growths and thick carapace.

## Properties

### Elderfen Dryads

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
* ***Size.*** Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Treebound Vigour.*** Your life essence is bound to a specific tree down to the extent of its roots. While the tree lives and the forest around it is healthy, so do you. Should the tree or the woodland near it decline, so too does your own health, both physical and mental. There are five stages of forest health, as shown in the *Forest Health* table, that grant various benefits and weaknesses. Your starting stage of forest health is determined at character creation, and can change depending on events throughout the campaign.
* ***Skin of Bark.*** The tree from which you emerge determines the bark that forms your skin and the wood that forms your flesh. Choose one type of wood from the *Barkwood* table. Your choice determines a corresponding ability, as shown in the table.
* ***Cluster of Radiants.*** Lesser nature spirits of life gather around you, bolstering your arcane essence. As an action, you can expend a number of hit dice equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to regain health. You gain the maximum number of hit points when you do so. Alternatively, you can cast a spell of a level no higher than your proficiency bonus without expending a spell slot. You can use this ability once, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
* ***Roused to Congruence.*** You have proficiency in the Nature and Animal Handling skills.

### Everwant Dryads

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
* ***Size.*** Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Treebound Vigour.*** Your life essence is bound to a specific tree down to the extent of its roots. While the tree lives and the forest around it is healthy, so do you. Should the tree befall harm or the woodland near it decline, so too does your own health, both physical and mental. There are five stages of forest health, as shown in the *Forest Health* table, that grant various benefits and weaknesses. Your starting stage of forest health is determined at character creation, and can change depending on events throughout the campaign.
* ***Skin of Bark.*** The tree from which you emerge determines the bark that forms your skin and the wood that forms your flesh. Choose one type of wood from the *Barkwood* table. Your choice determines a corresponding ability, as shown in the table.
* ***Sustenance of Leechlings.*** Lesser nature spirits of greed gather around you, sapping lifeforce from hapless creatures nearby. Whenever a creature within 15 feet of you gains hit points, you can use your reaction to steal half the gained hit points from them, gaining them yourself instead. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
* ***Roused to Thirst.*** You have proficiency in the Nature and Animal Handling skills.

### Firebreak Dryads

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
* ***Size.*** Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Treebound Vigour.*** Your life essence is bound to a specific tree down to the extent of its roots. While the tree lives and the forest around it is healthy, so do you. Should the tree befall harm or the woodland near it decline, so too does your own health, both physical and mental. There are five stages of forest health, as shown in the *Forest Health* table, that grant various benefits and weaknesses. Your starting stage of forest health is determined at character creation, and can change depending on events throughout the campaign.
* ***Skin of Bark.*** The tree from which you emerge determines the bark that forms your skin and the wood that forms your flesh. Choose one type of wood from the *Barkwood* table. Your choice determines a corresponding ability, as shown in the table.
* ***Lamentation of Woes.*** Lesser nature spirits of despair gather around you, feeding on calamity. Whenever a creature that isn't a construct or undead within 15 feet of you dies, you can use your reaction to harness its spirit and raise it as a Twig Blight for the next minute. The creature does your bidding and acts at the end of your turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
* ***Roused to Ruin.*** You have proficiency in the Survival and History skills.

### Baleroot Dryads

* ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
* ***Size.*** Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Treebound Vigour.*** Your life essence is bound to a specific tree down to the extent of its roots. While the tree lives and the forest around it is healthy, so do you. Should the tree befall harm or the woodland near it decline, so too does your own health, both physical and mental. There are five stages of forest health, as shown in the *Forest Health* table, that grant various benefits and weaknesses. Your starting stage of forest health is determined at character creation, and can change depending on events throughout the campaign.
* ***Skin of Bark.*** The tree from which you emerge determines the bark that forms your skin and the wood that forms your flesh. Choose one type of wood from the *Barkwood* table. Your choice determines a corresponding ability, as shown in the table.
* ***Malfeasance** **of Shrikes.*** Lesser nature spirits of hate gather around you, darting like quicksilver to target the eyes. When you hit a target with an attack, you can deal extra piercing damage equal your proficiency bonus to the target. If you do so, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus or become blinded until the end of their next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
* ***Roused to Wrath.*** You have proficiency in the Perception and Intimidation skills.

### Forest Health

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