Homebrew Fey Spriggan Species Details

Spriggans are a race originally from the Feywild, but who have since moved to other planes in areas of extreme beauty and nature, such as wild jungles as well as various forests and glades around the world. The only major sentient race that is entirely plant-based, Spriggans are composed of bark, vines, leaves, branches, and roots bent into a humanoid shape. Their eyes and cores glow with a vibrant and mystical light that seems to dance around like fireflies. Most of the time the light is in hues of yellow and green, but can range from amber to turquoise. The spriggan's core is powered by ancient arboreal magic, spriggan are therefore bound to protect and maintain balance in nature.

Being a race of plants, spriggans contain both male and female reproductive systems within their flowers. As such, they have no real concept of gender, they merely adopt it as they see fit, more often to make things easier for the other races of the world. A spriggan may elect one day to be a woman, and may go so far as to alter its form slightly, but the next day it may decide that it wants to be a male, and thus alters its form slightly again. Or perhaps, a Spriggan will elect both genders or no gender at all.

Spriggans are fiercely protective of their homes and will do anything to defend nature from forces that wish to do it harm. This is also due to how Spriggans mature. As saplings, Spriggans remain rooted in the ground, and only gain the ability to move freely once they finish growing. Adults hide the locations of these saplings, and will go so far as to kill any creature that sees the glade and might possibly tell others, regardless of the creature’s intent. Few outsiders have ever lived to map these regions, and those that have been mapped have quickly been abandoned.

Spriggans do sometimes live within the settlements of the animal races, but doing so comes with its own dangers. Already strangers to the ways of animals, spriggans are very closely connected to nature and sunlight. A spriggan that is deprived uncorrupted nature for too long "falls" and becomes a dark entity known as a fell spriggan. A fell spriggan no longer cares for protecting nature, instead it yearns for the blood and flesh of the other sentient races. Fell spriggans are smart and conniving, often appearing normal and welcoming until their prey is within reach, where they then pounce. It is possible to cure a fell spriggan, though it is extremely difficult. Spriggans that do live within towns often keep a plant or keepsake of “pure and divine nature” within their home in order to prevent falling, or live in an area of abundant nature.

Fey Spriggan Traits

NA

Bee Swarm

When you use your bee swarm, each creature in the area must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one.

The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your bee swarm, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Fey Magic

You know the druidcraft cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level you can cast the spike growth spell once per lomg rest as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level you can cast the daylight spell once per long rest as a 3rd-level spell. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

 

Meld into Wood

As an action, you can mold yourself with a tree within 5 feet of you as per the meld into stone spell. You regain the ability to use this trait in this way when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Tree Strider

While within 5 feet of a tree, you can expend 10 feet of movement to magically pass into it and appear within 5 feet of a different tree within 60 feet of the original. Both trees must be Large or bigger in size.

Arboreal Fey

Your creature type is considered both plant and fey. If you take fire damage, you become frightened until the end of your next turn.

Animal Savant

You can cast the animal friendship spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a short or long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Natural Weaponry

 Your sharp, branching claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

 

Wilderness Symbiosis

You have proficiency in the Nature skill.