Homebrew Yggdrasil Spriggan Species Details

Yggdrasil Spriggan are a magical race of sapient plant-folk, originating from and bound to the purpose of the extra-planar entity: Yggdrasil. They live nomadic lives and wander the planes in search of eligible places for Life to take root. Spriggans love life and magic, and seek to share the wonders of both as widely and as freely as they can manage.

Mimicry and Form

Yggdrasil Spriggan are a Plant-folk, and by nature are not so strictly held to the generally inflexible and standardized forms as most other races are. As a spriggan grows they will choose how to grow the plants around their core, shaping them into an appearance of their choice and varying wildly between individuals. A spriggan will normally mimic a race they are fond of so as to appeal to said race's instinctual sense of inclusion, though being composed of flowers, grasses, leaves, vines, bark, sepal, and roots formed in the race's likeness they are very obviously not members of the races they mimic. A spriggan can make minor cosmetic alterations to themselves fairly easily, but extensive structural changes take more time and energy. A Spriggan has no real concept of gender, simply picking a form that appeals to them and acting as they deem appropriate.

A spriggan’s coloration can encompass anything a plant is capable of, though they tend to lean more towards the more vibrant and eye-catching colors. Their eyes and cores however will always glow faintly in colors of green or gold without exception. Spriggans have no real need for clothes but tend to like to further express themselves by either wearing real clothing in styles appropriate for the culture they have immersed themselves in, or by growing plants to look like they are. They will however, almost always wear something heavy and strong to protect their core, no matter the circumstances or social correctness.

Life Cycle

An adult Yggdrasil Spriggan is functionally ageless and will live until they are killed. This comes with a price however, as every Yggdrasil Spriggan has a compulsion to follow their races inborn purpose: find a way off-world and discover and travel to a new lifeless world to spread Yggdrasil to. When a spriggan capable of the purpose has finally found and traveled to an eligible lifeless world, they will take root. The rooted sprigan will expend all of their own power to trigger the extra-planar growth cycle of their own core by opening a small permanent gate within the core itself to the plane of Yggdrasil and then seeding. The core-seed pushes deep into the ground where it will finally sprout, growing unimaginably fast and deep through a combination of the newly open connection to Yggdrasil and by taking in the magic of the planet as they execute their inborn purpose and grow to become yet another branch of the extra-planar tree. While the spriggan is still themselves, they have also become a part of Yggdrasil. They will go on to terraform the planet by being the literal seed of life and will become the newly living world's eternal guardian and caretaker. After this process, the new branch will begin to grow Yggdrasil Fruit containing newly developing spriggan cores. While attached to their parent Yggdrasil, the cores receive a basic general info-dump as well as whatever their parent Yggdrasil has to teach them. Once mature the cores will separate and form new Yggdrasil Spriggan. After the new Spriggan are 'born', the Yggdrasil branch will open a Gate to the world that it left where the children will go out, live their lives, and continue the endless cycle and spread of life.

 

"In Legend, it's said that if one were to eat a Fruit of Yggdrasil, they would gain the ever-lasting life of Yggdrasil!"

"...It is also said that one of the quickest ways to lose said life is to attempt to do so... Incite not the wrath of Yggdrasil."

-- Trey Briarheart, A Treatise of Nature's Treasures

 

Exploration and Adventure

Yggdrasil Spriggan are possessed of a compulsive need take up adventuring to promote life and to grow capable of exploring new worlds to fulfill their innate purpose. Genetic driving force aside, they are entirely their own individuals with their own likes, dislikes, and desires, though most tend to be benevolent and generally good beings. As a whole spriggans love the energy of life, finding themselves as much at home in nature as among their more meaty friends in their cities. Quick to make friends and quicker to care, they tend to find themselves sticking around for a while as defenders and healers. They will always move on eventually though to continue their search.

All Yggdrasil Spriggan, without exception, have an extreme hatred of undeath and what they view as the perversion of life, and will attempt to destroy it when they encounter it.

Spriggan Names

Born with both knowledge and purpose, they name themselves upon emerging from their fruit. They are not very creative initially however, and have no first hand exposure to the world, and so most commonly name themselves something extremely simplistic. As they grow older and become more experienced, they will usually add on to their first name, either based on their experiences or by adding the names of their friends to their own. A truly ancient Spriggan may have a full name that can take weeks to fully say once, while spanning hundreds of languages, but they will never forget any part of it.

Child Names: Dra, Ee, Sil, Ygg, Seed, Sprig, Leaf, Groot

 

"If you meet a spriggan, I advise that you do not ask for their name, instead ask 'what can I call you', for if you ask for their name, they will tell you and they will be greatly insulted if you leave in the middle of it."

 

Yggdrasil Spriggan Traits

Your spriggan character has a variety of natural abilities coming from it's plant-folk origins.

Creature Type

You are a Plant.

Size

Your size is either Medium or Small, based on your form.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 20 feet.

One with Nature

You have proficiency in the Nature skill and the Herbalism Kit.

Life Bringer

You know the druidcraft cantrip.

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the healing word spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the plant growth spell with this trait. Once you cast healing word or plant growth with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Chlorophyll

Your plant-based biology allows you to draw energy from light in the following ways:

- If you spend at least 6 hours a day in strong sunlight you gain enough energy through photosynthesis that you do not have to eat for the day.

- If you are in Dim Light when your turn starts, your speed increases by 5 feet. If you are in Bright Light when your turn starts, your speed increases by 10 feet. If you are in Strong Sunlight when your turn starts, your speed increases by 20 feet. These effects cannot stack.

Nyctinasty

You do not need to sleep and can’t be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend 6 hours in a low-energy state of nyctinasty. In this state you take root and are considered restrained but you can perform light activity, such as reading and keeping watch. If you spend 6 hours rooted in an environment with water to be found, you absorb the water you need through your roots and do not need to drink for the day.