Dryads

Manfiestations of the forest

Info

Dryads are created by the wills of entire forests, to fufill a task or purpose that the forest itself cannot. This can be anything from guarding the forest from intruders, to travelling away from the woods to find the cure to a disease that ails it.

After their purpose is fulfulled, some dryads simply fade away. Others, however, have developed a strong enough personality of their own to continue on after their meaning for existence has ended.

The physical health of a dryad is tied back to the forest that created it. If the forest ails or perishes, so do they. They live as long as an entire forest, and so have the longest lifespans of any of the races of Ioraz.

As typically only one exists per forest at a time, their spread out nature means they have little in the way of their own culture or society. They are instead usually taken in by any cultures local to the region around their forest- if they choose to participate at all. Dryads recognize each other as kin, but keep to their own paths and are rarely sociable with each other.

Dryads share a unique kinship with the Havocs. Many dryads have a strong sense of empathy towards the elementals, as fellow creations of will, and as fellow outsiders to much of razian society. This bond is tainted with melancholy, though- as dryads are the longest lived of the plateau, while Havoc lifespans are some of the shortest. The bonds between individuals of the two races are as strong as they are fleeting. A rare few dryads have taken up the mantle of 'Gravetender' over the centuries, maintaining memorials for fallen havocs who found no kin amongst the common folk.

Stats

  • Ability score increase: Your Wisdom score inscreases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
  • Fey nature: Your creature type is both fey and humanoid. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
  • Rooted: Dryads do not normally need to eat, drink, or sleep, but they must take their energy from the earth and sky. Instead of sleeping, you must spend 4 hours rooted into the ground in bright light. While rooted, you are considered Restrained, and uprooting yourself takes an action. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
  • Tree Stride: As an action, you can use half of your movement speed to step magically into one living tree within your reach and emerge from a second living tree within 30ft of the first tree, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5ft of the second tree. Both trees must be Large or bigger, and you must be able to see both trees from your starting position. [DM'S NOTE: movement expended by this ability provokes opportunity attacks from anyone within range of your starting position]
  • False appearance: While you remain motionless, you are indistiguisable from a normal tree. you have advantage on Stealth checks made to hide in forests or other areas where trees are present.
  • Bark skin: You have tough, woody skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
  • Friend of the forest: Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with plants and Small or smaller beasts.