Innate Spellcasting. Demeter’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit on spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: druidcraft, entangle, goodberry, pass without trace
3/day each: earthbind, plant growth, grasping vine,
1/day each: transport via plants, wall of thorns, awaken, dispel magic, counterspell
Magic Resistance. Demeter has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Speak with Beasts and Plants. Demeter can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.
Tree Stride. Once on her turn, Demeter can use 10 feet of her movement to step magically into one living tree within her reach and emerge from a second living tree within 150 feet of the first tree, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second tree. Both trees must be Large or bigger.
Aura of Crescendo. Each creature not friendly to Demeter within 30 feet of her can’t take reactions until the turn before theirs, instead believing a greater opportunity will present itself.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When Demeter fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Multiattack. Demeter makes three attacks, one of which can be a Thorned Javelin attack.
Limb. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+4) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
Thorned Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) piercing damage, and the target takes 3 (1d6) piercing damage at the end of its turn if it used its movement. This effect does not stack, and ends if the target receives healing.
Fey Charm. Demeter targets one humanoid or beast that she can see within 30 feet of her. If the target can see the dryad, it must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed. The charmed creature regards Demeter as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the her control, it takes Demeter’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can.
Each time Demeter or her allies do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until Demeter dies, is on a different plane of existence from the target, or ends the effect as a bonus action. If a target's saving throw is successful, the target is immune to Demeter’s Fey Charm for the next 24 hours.
Demeter can have no more than five humanoids and up to seven beasts charmed at a time.
Scarlet-Bough Mane. In response to taking damage from a creature, Demeter releases a barrage of cutting leaves from her hair by spinning around. Each creature within 5 feet of her, as well as each creature within 15 feet of the source of the triggering damage, must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
Demeter can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Demeter regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Fling. Demeter makes one Thorned Javelin attack.
Strike. Demeter makes two Limb attacks.
Leap (Costs 2 Actions). Demeter leaps unexpectedly, moving up to half her movement without provoking opportunity attacks. When she does, a random creature within 5 feet of where she landed must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or fall prone.
Description
The leader of the Autumn Court, the daughter of Old Ironwood himself, and self-styled Queen of the Red Harvest, Demeter, is a tall dryad of yew with eyes of blazing amber. Demeter’s hair is a shower of cascading scarlet leaves that draw the eye and fall to where the calves would be. Her elegant face gives a regal bearing when before her court, and her lower half is shaped like a dress for all diplomatic purposes. Two curving wooden branches resembling horns rise from her lower jaw around her ears to the top of her head, upon which rests no crown. However, when the time for conflict comes, Demeter’s face is covered with a mask of her own body’s making, with the fearsome snarl of a lioness adorning her face, and in the place of the “dress” are two legs of strong build. In battle, Demeter forms her arms into natural weapons of all kinds, confusing her opponents by varying her attacks. Even without this capability, Demeter’s innate magic is powerful, and she has been known to topple foes with only a glance.
Demeter is not bound by the normal laws that chain dryads; her life force is instead tied to the Autumn Court. Its entire territory makes up her domain.
The Red Harvest. The Red Harvest is the name of the military Demeter commands as queen of the Autumn Court. Having founded it, Demeter knows each commander and division perfectly, and is more than capable of leading her troops into battle. The legion’s name was earned from a particularly bloody victory in which they claimed many lives.
Demeter’s Lair
Demeter’s lair is the entirety of the Autumn Court’s territory. However, she most often spends her time in a mansion grown from the ground up, within which she has official court dealings, rests, and meets with her trusted allies.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Demeter takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Demeter can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Hail of Leaves. The falling leaves accelerate and sharpen. The area is lightly obscured until the next lair action, and each creature of Demeter’s choice must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
- Building Anticipation. Demeter’s aura of building emotion intensifies. Each creature of her choice must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can’t take a bonus action, action, and movement on its turn; it must choose one. This effect lasts until the next lair action.
- Wrath of the Forest. Each creature that dealt damage to a fey, plant, or beast in the last round receives a d4. They roll and subtract that d4 from each attack roll, ability check, and saving throw they make until the next lair action.
Regional Effects
Within the borders of the Autumn Court, the following effects take place:
- Trees are perpetually in a state of autumnal abscission, yet always remain healthy. Trees never run out of leaves this way.
- Plants that bear fruit or produce vegetables are ready to be harvested, and regenerate the harvested portion after 2d4 days.
- Any creature within the area constantly feels a building sensation that never actually grows in magnitude, remaining as an unspoken anticipation.
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