Homebrew Dryad Species Details

Bark and Leaves

Many people won't notice dryads in the forests. Since most dryads don't want to be seen as a way to protect themselves. If one is lucky enough to spot a normal tree bound dryad in the open or even in the thicket they mostly won't remember or survive that encounter. Dryads have many different forms depending on their fey type and the nature of their tree. The ones that remember seeing dryads describe them as graceful and kind beings. Dryads change colour depending on the season. In the early springtime, dryads might blossom and look healthy, in the summer season they tend to be more emotional and have bright green leaves. But in the cold months, they look deprived and dark, in autumn Dryads are colourful and cheering creatures. But you really don't wanna meet a dryad in the winter times, they are unpredictable and often depressed. It all depends on the kind of tree they originate from. 

Guardian of the Forest

Dryads love nature and despise everyone who hurts it. Trees are sacred and so is the forest.  Every life sprouts from nature and we should treat it as such. Dryads act as maidens of the forest to protect it and every creature within. Most Dryads appear to be female with seeming softwood, but don't underestimate their barkskin. Their hair is made out of leaves and foliage. As Forest entities Dryads be more partial to live away from civilization. They live with nature and respect it and fancy those that do so as well. Dryads like to lure lost men into the woods to mock them. Dryads also like to seduce them to make them look like a fool when they get back to society. If someone is worthy, dryads chose them to be their guardian, so no one can hurt their tree. Typically dryads are kind and caring, but if someone dares to touch their forest and harm it sees the true wrath of these fey.

Aberrant Adventurers

Dryads were magically bound to a tree, more so a lesser fey creature who was either in danger or wanted to serve as a protector of the forest. These trees serve as a life force and home of the dryad. If their tree got cut they die after a few hours. Dryads cant go far away from their tree or the same fate will torment them. Some dryads started creating a sort of spell to destroy that bond without dying immediately after. After hundreds of years, a few could get around breaking that bond. They started to regrow their tree in a smaller form so they can walk around with it and store it in a magical environment suited for their tree. With that creation, some dryads can become adventurers who travel the world. Those Dryads go happily day to day talking about their tree and dwelling about their forest and fey folk. 

 Dryad quirks

 

 

 

d8
1	I spy on people from the trees
2	I spy on people from the trees
3	I spy on people from the trees
4	I spy on people from the trees
5	I spy on people from the trees
6	I spy on people from the trees
7	I spy on people from the trees
8	I spy on people from the trees

Dryad Traits

Dryads share some racial traits as a result of being bound to a tree with magic.

Speak with Nature

Dryads are born from magic and trees, they live their whole life in the forest and with their tree. The guardian of nature Accepts every lifeform and tolerates them. As a return for that animals and plants are friendly towards them. They like to talk to you and tell you what happened while you were gone. 

Size

Your size depends on your age and bound tree. 

Speed

Dryads move as quick as normal Humanoids in their non tree form

Age

Dryads are long-living creatures. If their tree is long-living too. Dryads tend to be mature after the age of 30 but some mature faster. Age is meaningless for dryads as they tend to live thousands of years and they don't count their years lived. The older you are the more you know and have lived through, the younger you are the more naive you might be. 

Tree form

Dryads are like magical trees. They have a more humanoid form which they usually use to blend under the civilisation. And then they got their tree form, which still has their humanoid silhouette somewhat visible but they look like their bounded tree. 

As an action, you can transform into a more tree-like appearance. This transformation lasts 8 hours until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary the stats of an Awakened tree, your Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma won't change and you won't be able to talk unless they understand Sylvian. 

Once you transform, you can´t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

This also can be a reaction if you drop to 1 hit point.

Tree Form

In your tree form, the terrain around you becomes difficult terrain in a circle of 10 feet. You cannot cast any spells but can mend your branches to enlarge the difficult terrain, or even slap a creature if it's close enough. 

Photosynthesis

You are a plant type, through photosynthesis, you create your own food. While in bright sunlight you regenerate hit points equal to your proficiency bonus every hour. Likewise, if you arent in sunlight for a couple of hours you start to decay and gain a level of exhaustion at the end of every hour, a magical flame can stop the decaying process but not fully. 

Tree Strite

You can use 10 feet of our movement to step magically into a living tree within your 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 the same size as you. 

At level 10 you can use this twice per long rest, and at level 20 you can use it thrice. 

Plant

Fire is an enormously destructive force and danger to any living (non-infernal) creature. Plants on the other hand are very vulnerable to fire, so you are naturally frightened by it. 

Since you are a magical creature magical fire doesn't have the same effect on you as normal fire, but you are still scared when you see it.

Bount to nature

Dryads are bound to nature and know almost everything about it.