Homebrew Entling Species Details

The natural, or rather unnatural, entity born of spiritual influences on the natural world. Most commonly formed from when the life essence of a biome coalesces into a nature spirit. The plant-like bodies of these nature spirits are made from the wood of the eldest trees within forests, the fungal hearts of the great undergrowth's, the roots the ancient symbiotic plants in the under dark.  Wherever they were born from, the Entling's soul had already existed as part of that biome's spiritual life force for eons beforehand. Once born, they'll already have innate knowledge or awareness, especially of the natural world and of life in general.

Entlings will usually have a sense of duty to their environment, especially if that environments ecosystem is lively. They'll typically do 1 of 2 things with the body they have been given, which is either protect the current biome or carry that biomes' spores of life to a new area to start anew (rarely chaotic or overly individualistic, mostly of lawful-neutral). They're basically precursor druids, and on that note; Entlings are a rare sight to behold since druids uphold the duty Entlings are born to do (created out of necessity for the perseverance of the biome).

Entlings are capable of living very long lives (up to 2000 years) as not many Entlings are made and that the formation of Entlings is a timely one for a biome heart to produce. That being said, a proper Entling will gladly give its life for its mother biome to survive. As of already existing pre-corporeally and that their bodies are made in a fully capable form, Entlings don't technically have a childhood. 

Entlings are a tall and slender plant-like humanoids ranging from 5'10" to 7', and weigh between 160 to 220lbs with a woody/mycelian-like appearance that's strikingly humanoid. They don't have a gender as they can't reproduce by natural means, but they do manage to have a vague gendered appearance typically of the biome's persona (usually feminine).

As a nature spirit, they're well versed in the Sylvan language, can detect life energy, have acute senses in natural biomes, and have strong bodies thanks to them taking on the hardiness of trees and roots.

Entling Traits

Entlings have some unique racial abilities in addition to their bonus wisdom and constitution, such as "nature heart", "life detection", "natural armor", and "Sylvanic affinity".

Sylvanic affinity

can read, write, and speak Sylvanic and common

Nature Armor

Due to your plant-like body made from the strong roots of plants and/or the bark of trees, you have a natural armor class of 13 + Constitution modifier, and only when not wearing any other armor. Bonuses from shields and other items/gear still apply.

 

creature type

You are a nature spirit variant of fae.

creature size

Your size is medium.

Ability score increase

Due being an awake soul long before your body came into being, you have acquired knowledge from your pre-corporeal existence.

Your living wood-like body grants you a smithering of innate hardiness.

• +2 to wisdom, intelligence or charisma & +1 to constitution

nature heart

You can ground yourself via implanting roots sprouting from body into the ground to steal nutrients from the environment if there is any or enough. This can be done in place of eating and can be done while resting.
While resting this way, you have awareness of your surroundings.

This process of implanting yourself into the ground takes a full minute to do, and the same amount to safely undo this. You can choose to be hasty in the removal of your roots, but you take 2d4 bludgeoning damage and +1 for each 6 seconds the process was hastened after the first 6 seconds hastened. (Damage taken this cannot be reduced in any way).

While you are "rooted" you are considered prone, and all attacks directed at you during this time are at advantage.

life detection

As a being magically born of both the spiritual and of the figurative heart of a biome, you have the innate ability to sense all living things within 60 feet of you on the same plane for a whole minute with an idea of their location relative to you. but this ability is limited in use per day (proficiency bonus determines maximum use per day).

• Living things roll constitution save to be not detected. always works on non-sentient life. (con save based on your con).
• not a typical stealth check as it searches for the life essence of beings around caster.
• won't work on undead, magical creatures of DM's choice, and living things under a spell or other magical influence that would prevent this detection.

on the other hand, you have acute awareness of living creatures within 10 feet of you on the same plane, whether or not they're in darkness. and can easily discern fake from real entities (that are visible) within that radius. living creatures that are hiding within this radius will seem further away or a confusing aura of energy or appear like the energy of plant.