Homebrew Dryad Wanderborn Species Details

A single ray of moonlight pierces the forest's branch-bound roof, illuminating the dancing silhouette of a feminine figure. Enter the dryad, a mysterious fey both shy and alluring, whose powers of beguilement are as famed as their harmony with nature. 

Shy But Curious

When a fey spirit is bound to a tree by a powerful fey, it is forever transformed into a dryad. Whispers speak of this as a punishment, if a fey spirit has fallen in forbidden love with a mortal, but every dryad has their own, secret story. The elegant dryads resemble the most dazzling, female elves. Their golden skin is the color of sunlight, with the texture of smooth bark. Their shapely forms are draped in flowing dresses, made of woven leaves or flower petals, as is their cascading hair.

Their warm laughter and captivating song echoes through the woodland realms, rich and enticing, yet rare and elusive. Despite their alluring appearance, they are shy creatures, leading few mortals to ever glimpse one — except for the druids, with whom they share the duty of forest guardianship. Those who do see one do so mostly from afar, stealing a mere glance from the corner of their eye of a lithe beauty flitting between the trees. A lucky, handsome mortal may be fortunate enough to be approached by one, for a dryad is a curious creature, at the peril of the dryad bewitching them with a fey spell.

Woodland Protectors

Dryads are typically neither evil, nor good. They do not harm without cause, and generally prefer to lure their foes away with their mystic, fey magic rather than confront them directly, but neither will they help someone in trouble if it's natural phenomenon harming them. They are the protectors of the natural world, and that world has a dark side. The wolf must eat, the storm must blow. The dryad, for all its grace and endless serenity, understands the savage truth of nature.

They are guardians of forests and often work alongside satyr, druids, and other forest folk. Good and neutral fey are often fond of dryads, with the mischievous pixies finding much in common with them. It is said among the fey folk that a ring of red toadstools marks the place where dryads and pixies come to dance and frolic beneath a full moon, and that any mortal who should stumble upon them will be granted a great boon.

While most dryads are bound to a tree but can roam the area surrounding it, Wanderborn Dryads are free to roam as far as their heart desires, instead drawing their lifeforce from surrounding wildlife, although even a Wanderborn will become weaker, tired, and even begin to grow mad if they're separated from natural plant growth for longer than a few days.

Occasionally these dryads leave their forests, if only temporarily, and with heavy hearts. This is mostly to find some external threat to their woodland home, or else repay a debt to someone who once aided them.

Dryad Names

Dryad names originate from the Sylvan language and closely resemble Elf Female names. They are usually soft and ethereal sounding. Most dryads only possess one name, although if pressed may refer to their last name as that of the forest they come from.

Dryad Names: Aloria, Casaraine, Ethissia, Lathesae, Nadasei, Satharia, Theralin, Yalasee 

Dryad Wanderborn Traits

Your dryad character has certain characteristics from their fey origin.

Thornbearer

You have hundreds of sharp thorns hidden throughout your skin that stick out when you feel threatened. Creatures have disadvantage on ability checks they make to initiate or maintain a grapple with you. Additionally, you may eject a thorn as an unarmed strike, with a range of 15/30.

Creature Type

You are considered a fey and a plant in addition to a humanoid.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Tree Stride

Once on your turn, you can use 10 feet of your movement to step magically into one living tree within reach and emerge from a second living tree within 60 feet of the first tree, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second tree. Both trees must be Large or bigger. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Pyrophobic Biology

Your plant-like biology has made you susceptible to fire. You have disadvantage on saving throws against spells and other effects primarily involving fire.

Speech of Beast and Leaf

You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with Beasts, Plants, and vegetation. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.