Homebrew Treefolk Race Details

Sequestered deep within forgotten forests or in scattered communities among the most inhospitable of peaks, treefolk come together to grow and meditate in peace, far from the prying eyes and warlike ways of the younger races of the world. Born from the very might of nature itself, the treefolk are constantly tending to and protecting the groves they call home, content to nurture the flora and fauna of the world and ensure that they can continue to flourish throughout future generations. Though they normally eschew violence and brash action, treefolk are no strangers to conflict and are known as stalwart defenders to their friends and dangerous foes to their enemies.

Built to Last

Treefolk are an exceptionally hardy people, and that aspect is shown by where they tend to settle and make their homes. Their communities are most often secluded from the outside world, and often placed in areas that other races would dismiss as being far too inhospitable or dangerous for civilized life. The typical treefolk is also a sight to behold, typically standing between 7 and 9 feet tall and weighing between 250 and 450 pounds. With skin reminiscent of bark, root-like feet, and long gnarled hands and fingers, even the smallest of treefolk can be an intriguing and imposing sight. Combined with their exceedingly long lifespans, a treefolk can weather through the best and worst of times, surviving the rise and fall of kingdoms all the while remaining apart from the greater history of the world.

Treefolk often dress simply when in the company of other races, favoring practical robes in earthen tones. Among their own race, treefolk are more likely to wear nothing at all, in part due to the fact that finding suitable clothing is difficult for their large frames, and also due to the fact that their hardy bodies are perfectly capable of protecting them from the elements. Shoes are an exceptionally odd sticking point for treefolk, as they fail to see the reason for covering their roots and preventing them from touching the fertile soil of their environment. Though treefolk will still follow convention when in the lands of other peoples, they nevertheless tend to find the norms and cultures of such races to be odd and alien at worst and intriguing curiosities at best.

Migrant Life Cycle

A treefolk community is usually centered around an elder tree, a treefolk of great age who has permanently taken root and become the progenitor of all the other individuals within the community. The process of becoming an elder can take many centuries, with treefolk constantly growing throughout their lives to eventually achieve such status. Treefolk do not reproduce in the typical sense, being entirely devoid of gender, but instead reproduce by extending shoots once they have reached a sufficient size and age. While this does lead to each member of a grove being what is essentially a clone of their elder tree, their personalities are their own to shape and change throughout their lives.

From the time they are the smallest of saplings, treefolk are ingrained with the ideals of their elder, and encouraged to spread forth from their home community once they reach a few centuries of age. These wandering treefolk are the ones most commonly encountered by the outside world, as they search for a new place to settle their roots and raise a new grove. Throughout their travels, treefolk seek out and absorb knowledge and experiences with an almost voracious fervor.  Arcane lore, martial training, and holy rituals are all seen as the perfect fertilizer for a future elder, all the better to raise a wiser and stronger future generation.

Treefolk Names

Treefolk within a community often refer to each other by the same name due to each of them being descended from and essentially a part of the elder tree. The elder is most often the only member of a community with an individual name, though its descendants who have journeyed throughout the world will eventually adopt a name of their own, normally taken from a culture it has spent time with or from a particularly important event in its life. This leads adventuring treefolk to have a wide variety of names from every language conceivable, and treefolk that are still on such a journey have a tendency to change their names when something more fitting strikes their fancy.

Treefolk Traits

All treefolk share certain traits with each other as a result of their common physiology.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age

Treefolk grow extremely slowly, reaching adulthood around the age of 150. Treefolk continue to grow throughout their lives and are typically ready to take root and start a new grove when they reach an age of 800. Elder treefolk can be extremely long-lived, reaching several thousand years in age, though they become increasingly sedentary as they reach such advanced ages.

Alignment

Treefolk typically try to avoid moral quandaries, and their seclusion from the outside world leads them to remain neutral in many conflicts. Even so, their interest in protecting the natural world leads most treefolk to lean towards good on the cosmic scale.

Size

Treefolk are very tall and heavy, towering over most other humanoid races. They average between 7 and 9 feet tall, and often weigh between 250 to 450 pounds. Though they grow throughout their lives, the size of an average treefolk is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Barkskin

You cannot wear armor or footwear of any kind. Your base armor class is 16 (natural armor). Your armor class gains no benefit from dexterity. You may still receive the bonus from a shield as normal.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.

Subrace

Three subraces of treefolk are found among the worlds of D&D: ironwood treefolk, evergreen treefolk, and orchard treefolk. Choose one of these subraces.