Homebrew Dryad Species Details

Physical Description

 

Dryads are humanoids who live within the woods. They blend in with nature itself due to plant-like properties that grow out of their bodies, like twigs, grass hairs, bark skin, leaves, and even flowers. For the most part, dryads are almost exclusively female, though some may be androgynous, as they are merely spirits of nature in the end. Dryads embody the trees usually, but some are found in other plants like river reeds and flower bushes. They usually wear loose clothing made of plant material. Dryads are typically described as fleeting and beautiful.

History

Origins for dryads starts with the trees. Primal forces of nature within nature mature and form a humanoid form to protect and tend to the forests. These are the dryads. They are usually bound to the trees they inhabit as a result. Some dryads will even die if their home tree does. There are also stories of dryads born through the communion of nature gods, created to be attendants by Chauntea and such.

Society

As dryads are bound to their forests, they fear encroaching modernity from civilization. Usually, they live in the forests their whole lives, particularly for their tree's sake. Within these woods, they are usually frequented by travelers and other interlopers within the natural world. Many dryads host parties with fey entities like fairies, leprechauns, and boisterous satyrs. They otherwise live very simple lives, merely subsisting off the nature around them. Even the dryads who adventure, having been able to leave their forest, live sparsely. They feel uncomfortable in cities and will rarely indulge in excess.

Dryad Names

A dryad takes their name from something in nature or a name that relates to their home plants.

Male: Dryope, Erato, Eurydice, Balanos, Epimeliades, Igeiros, Olivis, Oake

Female: Chrysopeleia, Phigalia, Tithorea, Kraneia, Daphnaeae, Morea, Kissiae, Meliae

Dryad Traits

Humanoids made of Wood. Guardians of the Forest. Watchers of Nature.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age. You age just like a tree, very slowly, which means you can live anywhere from a few hundred years to a few thousand.
Alignment. Dryads tend to be lawful and are rarely evil, following and protecting the "law" of the forest.
Size. Dryads come in many sizes, ranging from a little under 6 feet to almost 14 feet tall. Your size is dependent on your subrace.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Barkskin. You have a naturally occurring tough skin covering you from head to toe. When unarmored, your Armor Class is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier.
Forest Blend. You have advantage on Stealth checks made to hide among foliage, trees and other plant life.
Plant. Your creature type is both fey and humanoid. Given that your physiology is primarily composed of plant matter, you are vulnerable to fire damage.
Photosynthesis. Being a plant-based life form, you create your food through photosynthesis. At the end of every hour you spend in bright sunlight, you regain hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. Likewise, if you don't spend a number of hours equals to your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier in sunlight a day, you will start to decay, taking one level exhaustion at the end of each hour after your next long rest. You cannot recover these levels of exhaustion by long resting until you spend the necessary number of hours in sunlight.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Some Dryads that deal with druids folk know Druidic themselves.
Subrace. Pick one from Guardian and Watcher.

Dryad Traits

Tree

Barkskin

When unarmored, your Armor Class is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier.

Forest Blend

You have advantage on Stealth checks made to hide among foliage, trees and other plant life.

Plant

Your creature type is both fey and humanoid. Given that your physiology is primarily composed of plant matter, you are vulnerable to fire damage.

Photosynthesis.

At the end of every hour you spend in bright sunlight, you regain hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. Likewise, if you don't spend a number of hours equals to your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier in sunlight a day, you will start to decay, taking one level exhaustion at the end of each hour after your next long rest. You cannot recover these levels of exhaustion by long resting until you spend the necessary number of hours in sunlight.