Homebrew Xylem Species Details

The xylem are a humanoid plant species that gradually developed intelligence due to magical influence in the world.  Since the world was already quite developed when they "awoke," the xylem were forced to assimilate into existing societal structures.  Their numbers have remained small over the millennia, but over time they congregated together into communes to venerate nature and cultivate their inherent magic at their own pace.

Leafy Bodies and Arcane Souls

Xylem have grown and more or less thrived in a civilized world by finding pockets of nature and planting roots of their own.  They are typically a bit taller as humanoids go, standing around 6 feet tall, give or take half a foot.  Their skin is composed of deep green leaf-like material that gives them flexibility but makes them a bit denser, giving them a bit more weight per inch of height than a human, and so they weigh from 200 to 325 pounds.  Their eyes are formed by a pair of especially photosensitive surfaces, and they develop a pair of vibration-sensitive membranes on the sides of their heads capable of detecting sound, but otherwise they have no other orifices on their heads.  Thankfully, none are necessary; they breathe (and thus, smell) via stomata in their skin and, thanks to their magic-infused origins, can communicate telepathically.  The arcane energy that awakened them seems to have also enabled their stomata to act as ingestion points for food and water, allowing xylem to drink and eat.

Magic gave the xylem humanoid features otherwise, with a head at the end of a neck, fingers for grip and manipulation at the ends of two arms, as well as two legs for ambulation that end in toes that help with stability and allow for feats such as jumping.  In the place of hair, their heads are often covered with vine-like structures, heavy leaves, small bits of harder material like tree branches, or even soft cylinders reminiscent of cat-tails.

Awakened Plants

As plants, xylem do not have genders, and reproduce in a fashion more akin to the more passive reproduction of plants.  From time to time, xylem enter a brief period of "flowering", where nectar and sexual material is made available for pollinators to take and distribute via flowers that appear on the xylem's arms, legs, and heads.  This can cause their flowers to create seeds.  These feathery seeds can be left to float away on their own, but many xylem prefer to harvest and plant them, allowing them to grow near their home.  Paradoxically, these seeds to not necessarily produce more xylem, but rather a somewhat regular leafy plant similar to a large fern.  Only by infusing the plant with magical energy can the plant awaken into a xylem, a process that can happen accidentally or by the efforts of xylem caretakers.  There is some argument among xylem about how many more of themselves they should create, or why more should be created in the first place.

The time it takes for a plant to awaken into a xylem varies, but it seems to require that the original plant be at maximum size first.  With an adequate infusion of magic, the plant will undergo a year-long shift into a xylem.  There's some evidence that the xylem has awoken before the physical changes finish, as xylem often have rudimentary and simple memories of life before the awakening.  They seem to awake fully aware and capable of speaking telepathically with one another, but are clumsy and know little of the world otherwise and need to learn and be taught other concepts just as with other species' children.

Additionally, xylem do not have internal organs like animals do and grow more like trees.  This gives them a measure of hardiness as no part of their torso is more vulnerable than any other.  They can also live much longer than humans, reaching ages upwards of 500 years. 

Quiet Contemplation

As relative newcomers to the world of Vel, xylem communities are few and only lightly populated.  Their culture has become a pseudo-anarchist one that fosters interdependence through independence, where you mind your own business until your friends are threatened.  This trends their personalities in that direction also.  Few xylem exist that express concepts like greed or gluttony, and they tend to see the best in people.  Other species can find that their inquisitiveness can seem like suspicion or xenophobia, but that could just be a xylem's inability to make facial expressions: many of them have to practice to learn to frown or smile with their eyes, and find it easier to convey emotion through telepathic diction and inflection.

A diet of sunlight and simple water means they need less supporting infrastructure and so their groves are idyllic havens of nature in an otherwise civilized world.  These groves might be on the tops of buildings or in the spaces around highways.  Xylem often find they get along well with animals and like to allow them free reign in their spaces, tending not to construct buildings except when necessary to keep equipment or other materials safe from the elements.  Their lives dedicated to learning and experiencing

Xylem Names

Many xylem find names unnecessary, using their telepathic timbre and visual appearance to tell one another apart.  They live in a society that requires them, however, and so they choose names for themselves, but only use it among non-xylem.  They're fond of scientific concepts and evocative metaphors, and if they know more than one language they might choose to translate their name into the language of the person to whom they're speaking.  Surnames are generally taken after the name of the city or geographical region in which they live.

Xylem Names: Breeze, Diluent, Glimmer, Lemma, Luminous, Osmosis, Ratio, Saccharine, Sentiment, Variable, Whisper

Xylem Traits

Xylem have the following characteristics in common with all other xylem.

Ability Score Increase

Their Constitution score increases by 2, and their Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Xylem are physically mature at "birth" but still require a decade or so to learn about the world they've been born into.  Their average maximum life span is not currently known.

Size

Xylem are medium-sized creatures.

Type

Xylem are humanoids, but also can be targeted and affected by anything that specifically affects plants and share any specific vulnerabilities from spells or other effects that mention plants, e.g. the blight spell.

Simple Physiology

A xylem's body has a simpler construction and is better at healing.  Xylem regain an additional 1 hit point per hit dice rolled during a short rest.  They also gain resistance to damage from critical hits that deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Photosynthesis and Diet

Xylem gain most of their required sustenance from sunlight and water.  That said, any Xylem who spends time away from available sunlight underground or indoors needs to supplement their diet with solid food.  As mentioned above, though, they can basically just smear food and water on themselves to "eat".  When required to eat solid food in this way, xylem seem to prefer soups or other finely-mulched matter, and often carry small powered blenders or even hand-cranked meat grinders with them in order to paste-ify food designed for mouth-havers.  Unlike most plants, though, xylem do need oxygen from breathing instead of carbon dioxide.

Xylem Magic

Xylem gain the druidcraft cantrip at 1st level.  Upon reaching 3rd level, a xylem can cast the spell goodberry once, regaining the ability to do so after a long rest.  Finally, at 5th level, they gain the ability to cast barkskin once per long rest, requiring no material components.  Constitution is their spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages and Telepathy

Xylem and read and write Common and one additional language of their choice, reflecting the culture surrounding where they live.  Lacking mouths and vocal chords, xylem are unable to communicate with normal speech and instead use telepathy, which has a range of 30 feet.

Leaf Camouflage

You can hide when lightly obscured by green foliage and gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when you do.

Speed

A xylem's density and plant matter composition make them a bit slower on the move, and so their base walking speed is 25 feet.