Homebrew Dryad Species Details

Travelers entering a forest might catch a glimpse of a swift deer running through the trees or feel the eyes of the forest watching them from deep into the emerald grove shadows. 

Reclusive Fey. Dryads act as guardians of their woodland groves. Generally shy and reclusive, they watch interlopers from the trees. Dryads work with other sylvan creatures to defend their forests. Unicorns, centaurs, treants, and satyrs live alongside them, in addition to druids that share the dryads’ devotion to the woods they call home. They are hunter-gatherers and rarely build shelters or even use tents.

Affinity for Nature. Dryads have an affinity for the natural world and celebrate life and growth, and the birth of a fawn is always cause for festivities. At the same time, they revere the traditions of the past, and among both the Gruul and the Selesnya they are voices of memory and history, preserving old ways and keeping alive the legends of ancestral heroes. They feel a close kinship with wild animals, perhaps because of their own deer-like bodies, and delight in the feeling of running alongside herds and packs of other beasts.

Dryad Names. Dryads'  given names are passed down through herd lines. The name bestowed on the new fawn is typically the name of the most recently deceased family member of the same gender, keeping alive the memory - and, the dryads believe, some shard of the spirit - of the departed. The new dryad is expected to fulfill the role and live up to the deeds of the departed. Dryads don't have family names, but they wear symbols that represent their family membership. These symbols might include graphical representations of plants or animals, or even specific patterns of woven fabric.

Nature's Guardians. Dryads have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of lithe humans or elves. Their ears are slightly pointed, and their skin appears to be of polished smooth wood win a variety of tones and features. Dryads begin growing antlers the day they born and the oldest dryads have large antlers that almost resemble crowns. Most Dryads hair generally contains components of plants from the grove they live in and style in a variety of ways. Selesnya dryads favor long, flowing hair. Gruul dryads cut their hair in short spiky styles. Below the waist, they have the bodies of deer, with a similar range of coloration - from various shades from chestnut or reddish brown in the summer,  to grayish brown during the winter months,  dappled or stripped.

Clans and Community. Dryads sense the interconnectedness of the natural world. Thus, they celebrate family and community as microcosms of that greater connection. Among the Gruul, they have a strong clan identity, and Selesnya dryads are fiercely loyal to their individual communities as well as the guild as a whole. Their love of history and tradition also means that dryads are more likely than most other Ravnicans to join the same guild that their parents did, 

Woodland Magic. Dryads can speak with plants and animals. They also know a handful of useful spells.

Dryad Traits

Dryads have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of lithe humans or elves, and their lower cervine bodies average about 3 feet tall at the withers, totaling 6 feet tall. They fill similar roles as messengers, outriders, strikers, and scouts.

Cervine Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.

In addition, any vertical climb that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your cervine legs. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet, instead of the normal 1 extra foot.

Survivor

You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, or Survival.

Toxin Resistance

Your life in the forest has made you resistant to the poisons and toxins that are common in the forest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Sylvan is widely spoken in the Selesnya Conclave, for it is rich in vocabulary to describe natural phenomena and spiritual forces.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Natural Camoflage

The Dryad has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks it makes in any terrain with ample obscuring plant life.

Innate Spellcasting

The dryad's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14). The dryad can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: druidcraft

3/day each: entangle, goodberry

1/day each: barkskin, pass without trace, poison spray

Speak with Beasts and Plants. The dryad can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1

Age

Dryads mature at about the same rate as humans, but can live to be 300 years old.

Alignment

Dryads are inclined toward neutrality. Those who join the Selesnya are more often neutral good, while those who join the Gruul are typically chaotic neutral.

Fey

Your creature type is fey, rather than humanoid.

Size

Dryads stand between 5 and 6 feet tall, with their cervine bodies reaching about 3 feet at the withers. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Standing Leap

The dryad's long jump is up to 30 feet and its high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.