Homebrew Dryadborne Species Details

Said to have been created by Archfey and other powerful fey binding lesser fey spirits into trees as punishment for falling in love with a mortal, dryads are a reclusive type of fey occasionally seen on the edge of forests and groves. Dryadborne are the offspring of a dryad and the mortal in question, and are most commonly encountered within the Aethelwald and other rural settlements.

Shaped by the Forest

The children brought forth from such unions possess a variable level of outward attributes or trappings that denote them as dryadborne, as detailed in the table below. As dryadborne age, these trappings often grow more prominent, and while some dryadborne embrace these features, others instead seek to hide or otherwise obscure them.

Trappings

d4	Dryadborne Trapping Prompts
1	Instead of hair, you instead possess stands of vines or leaves, which may also grow elsewhere on your body, such as your arms, feet and chest.
2	Patches of your skin periodically take on the appearance of bark, particularly when you are stressed or otherwise anxious.
3	Your eyes are vibrantly green, so much so that they remain visible even in dim light.
4	When suffering a break to your skin, your body produces dense flower petal-like plaques instead of scabbing over the wound.

 

Some dryadborne display the reclusive attitude of their dryad parent, while others are encouraged to stroll boldly out into the wider world to explore, compelled by the fey blood that flows through their veins.

Dryadborne Names

Many dryadborne will take two names, one from each of their parents and use the two interchangeably depending on their company or audience. Their name derived from their more mundane parent typically follows their usual naming conventions, whereas their dryad inspired name is usually derived from the Sylvan language, and so share may similarities to elven names. Some dryadborne will take the name of their forest of birth as a surname when the need should arise.

Male Dryadborne Names: Berberis, Cedrus, Helleborus, Lamium, Stachys, Ulmus

Female Dryadborne Names: Abelia, Aphyllia, Hedera, Heliopsis, Myrica, Zelkova

Dryadborne Traits

Your dryadborne character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Dryadborne typically take after their humanoid parent in terms of average longevity.

Alignment

Dryadborne tend towards neutral alignments, attuned closely to the natural world around them. Those dryadborne that instead come to reside in larger settlements might find themselves drifting from neutrality in a variety of directions in response to the comings and goings of their new surroundings.

Creature Type

You are a Fey.

Size

Most dryadborne fall somewhere in height between 4 feet and 6 feet, most commonly possessing lithe builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

The fey blood within you has prepared you to a life in secluded groves covered by thick and luscious canopies overhead. As a result, 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Groveblessed Magic

You know the druidcraft cantrip. In addition, you can cast the entangle and goodberry spells with this trait. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Speak with Beasts and Plants

You can communicate with beasts and plants as if you shared a language.

Treestride

Once on your turn, you can use half of your movement to step magically into one living tree within 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 Large or bigger. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended charges after a short or long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish and Sylvan.