I love the Fey and the Feywild, and I want to turn the Dryad from the monster manual into a playable race for my shared world. Looking at the page for the Dryad, she doesn't seem too overpowered. Could I just take the Dryad as is, straight out of the monster manual, or would that make it too unbalanced against the other playable races?
What do you think?
Cheers
Foxes
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- free at will cantrip - 1x shillelagh / day - 2x 3 1st level spells / day - 2x 1 2nd level spell / day - 60 ft Darkvision - magic resistance against spells and magical effects - permanently active speak with plants and animals - 60 ft. tree teleportation at will - at will Fey Charm that persists on up to 3 creatures for 24h
From the stat block, this would also probably be a +2 CHA +1 WIS
The problem with lifting creatures straight out of the monster manual or similar is that they're not just a race, they also have their equivalent of a class with associated spell-casting, abilities etc., so you need to try and strip some of that away.
As a race, the easiest comparison is with a Tiefling. Tieflings have darkvision like a Dryad, they also have some innate spellcasting in the form of a free cantrip, a once-per-long-rest 2nd level spell at 3rd level, and another once-per-long-rest 2nd level spell at 5th level, Tieflings are also resistance to fire.
You can easily swap around spells, but where it gets tricky is that the Dryad isn't resistant to just a single element, but to all magical damage, which is significantly more powerful than a single elemental resistance.
If you wanted to make a racial version of the Dryad I'd swap the spells for free Druidcraft, once-per-long-rest Charm Person at 3rd level and once-per-long-rest Misty Step at 5th level. I'd then maybe swap fire resistance for a reaction that lets you take advantage on a save against magical damage, so instead of straight up half magical damage you're getting an improved chance to take half damage once per turn. Something like that?
Everything else you can then build back up with your choice of class (Druid probably), spell choices etc.?
Alternatively, there are a bunch of Homebrewed Dryad races which you can take a look at here, haven't had a close look at any of them though so you'll have to try and judge balance for yourself.
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My version is a little bit more powerful than others (Gnome is closest, it has better MR, better speech, better spells. Stats are a little bit worse, (you rarely need both Cha and Wis).
But it is not that far off. Honestly, a good DM might put in some weakness. Light sensitivity does not make sense. Perhaps a vulnerability to fire and lightning?
Remove the spells entirely. Those are what you get AFTER you become a druid. Exactly like you do not get a free club.
MR and speech with beasts and plants remain
Tree Stride becomes a 1/long rest thing available at 5th level
Fey Charm becomes 1/long rest thing available at 3rd level
Stats should be: +2 Cha, +1 Wisdom
Gets Sylvan as a free language
Darkvision
Still sounds very very strong.
Yeah, half damage versus all magical damage is a huge bonus on its own, arguably too much for a race without some significant drawbacks; it allows resistance to damage types that normally you can't be resistant to at all, or only through specific means, and it's more powerful than many spells that offer limited resistance such as Absorb Elements. Even unlimited free speech with beasts and plants is also quite a boon depending how you value the equivalent spells (I tend to find them a bit meh, but it depends partly on your campaign/DM how often these can actually be useful).
I think if you wanted to go that route with a Dryad you'd need to add some penalties, maybe reflecting their need to commune with nature or such? i.e- if they go into a city or into a crypt or such where there is little nature to speak of then they become weakened or some abilities straight up don't work? Or fire vulnerability perhaps?
Personally though I think it's better to drop or tone down more of these traits.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
My version is a little bit more powerful than others (Gnome is closest, it has better MR, better speech, better spells. Stats are a little bit worse, (you rarely need both Cha and Wis).
But it is not that far off. Honestly, a good DM might put in some weakness. Light sensitivity does not make sense. Perhaps a vulnerability to fire and lightning?
Or mayhaps vulnerability to necrotic damage? This can be nasty...
That might be my fault, I think I confused what it did, it's still quite a strong ability though as that's advantage on all saving throws if triggered by something magical, which is going to be basically all INT/WIS/CHA saves, and quite a lot of STR/DEX/CON ones as well.
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Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
- free at will cantrip - 1x shillelagh / day - 2x 3 1st level spells / day - 2x 1 2nd level spell / day - 60 ft Darkvision - magic resistance against spells and magical effects - permanently active speak with plants and animals - 60 ft. tree teleportation at will - at will Fey Charm that persists on up to 3 creatures for 24h
From the stat block, this would also probably be a +2 CHA +1 WIS
This is powerful as hell.
This. When you compare it to a race considered to be fairly OP in the yuan-ti pureblood, it becomes relevant just HOW OP it is. I would use the yuan-ti as a baseline since it's very similar and balance from there. When you bring the Dryad down to yuan-ti levels, you're pretty close to being OK.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Hi,
I love the Fey and the Feywild, and I want to turn the Dryad from the monster manual into a playable race for my shared world. Looking at the page for the Dryad, she doesn't seem too overpowered. Could I just take the Dryad as is, straight out of the monster manual, or would that make it too unbalanced against the other playable races?
What do you think?
Cheers
Foxes
A caffeinated nerd who has played TTRPGs or a number of years and is very much a fantasy adventure geek.
In comparison to other species? Overpowered.
- free at will cantrip
- 1x shillelagh / day
- 2x 3 1st level spells / day
- 2x 1 2nd level spell / day
- 60 ft Darkvision
- magic resistance against spells and magical effects
- permanently active speak with plants and animals
- 60 ft. tree teleportation at will
- at will Fey Charm that persists on up to 3 creatures for 24h
From the stat block, this would also probably be a +2 CHA +1 WIS
This is powerful as hell.
The problem with lifting creatures straight out of the monster manual or similar is that they're not just a race, they also have their equivalent of a class with associated spell-casting, abilities etc., so you need to try and strip some of that away.
As a race, the easiest comparison is with a Tiefling. Tieflings have darkvision like a Dryad, they also have some innate spellcasting in the form of a free cantrip, a once-per-long-rest 2nd level spell at 3rd level, and another once-per-long-rest 2nd level spell at 5th level, Tieflings are also resistance to fire.
You can easily swap around spells, but where it gets tricky is that the Dryad isn't resistant to just a single element, but to all magical damage, which is significantly more powerful than a single elemental resistance.
If you wanted to make a racial version of the Dryad I'd swap the spells for free Druidcraft, once-per-long-rest Charm Person at 3rd level and once-per-long-rest Misty Step at 5th level. I'd then maybe swap fire resistance for a reaction that lets you take advantage on a save against magical damage, so instead of straight up half magical damage you're getting an improved chance to take half damage once per turn. Something like that?
Everything else you can then build back up with your choice of class (Druid probably), spell choices etc.?
Alternatively, there are a bunch of Homebrewed Dryad races which you can take a look at here, haven't had a close look at any of them though so you'll have to try and judge balance for yourself.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
I’d play that.
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Still sounds very very strong.
My version is a little bit more powerful than others (Gnome is closest, it has better MR, better speech, better spells. Stats are a little bit worse, (you rarely need both Cha and Wis).
But it is not that far off. Honestly, a good DM might put in some weakness. Light sensitivity does not make sense. Perhaps a vulnerability to fire and lightning?
Yeah, half damage versus all magical damage is a huge bonus on its own, arguably too much for a race without some significant drawbacks; it allows resistance to damage types that normally you can't be resistant to at all, or only through specific means, and it's more powerful than many spells that offer limited resistance such as Absorb Elements. Even unlimited free speech with beasts and plants is also quite a boon depending how you value the equivalent spells (I tend to find them a bit meh, but it depends partly on your campaign/DM how often these can actually be useful).
I think if you wanted to go that route with a Dryad you'd need to add some penalties, maybe reflecting their need to commune with nature or such? i.e- if they go into a city or into a crypt or such where there is little nature to speak of then they become weakened or some abilities straight up don't work? Or fire vulnerability perhaps?
Personally though I think it's better to drop or tone down more of these traits.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Or mayhaps vulnerability to necrotic damage? This can be nasty...
Or maybe do the Gnome thing and switch resistance to Save Advantage?
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That is already the case... the feature is called "magic resistance" and reads
Magic Resistance. The dryad has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Okay, so it’s not the regular half damage kinda resistance. Serves me right for not specifically checking.
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That might be my fault, I think I confused what it did, it's still quite a strong ability though as that's advantage on all saving throws if triggered by something magical, which is going to be basically all INT/WIS/CHA saves, and quite a lot of STR/DEX/CON ones as well.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Well... I had my own serving of that a lot worse over in that other topic... *cough* xD
How about:
”Whenever you are dealt damage by a spell, you can spend your reaction to reduce the damage by an amount equal to your Proficiency bonus times two.”
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I saw. 😉
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This. When you compare it to a race considered to be fairly OP in the yuan-ti pureblood, it becomes relevant just HOW OP it is. I would use the yuan-ti as a baseline since it's very similar and balance from there. When you bring the Dryad down to yuan-ti levels, you're pretty close to being OK.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I still say if you replaced Magic Resistance with something like this that this version would be:
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