Dryad Variant (5e Race)

This page is of questionable balance. Reason: While none of the traits alone are too crazy, there are too many that they overpower the race. The base race as it is has spellcasting, unarmored defense, and damage resistance, as well as immunity to being charmed and poisoned. Subraces add onto the spell capability. The immunity to certain conditions, especially charm, is VERY powerful in particular. You can help D&D Wiki by better balancing the mechanics of this page. When the mechanics have been changed so that this template is no longer applicable please remove this template. If you do not understand balance please leave comments on this page's talk page before making any edits. Edit this Page | All pages needing balance

Dryad

"We are the daughters and the guardians of Mother Nature"

Physical Description

Dryads are generally very beautiful women, their skin color includes all the colors worn by humans and adds shades of green. Their hair takes the color of the leaves depending on the season and becomes white in winter. We readily associate them with grace and delicacy as each of their movements is harmonious. For the rest, they are physically very close to the half-elves with some fairy traits that can sometimes subsist.

Cerissa Cheffy

History

The Dryads have always been the eternal guardians of nature, most often serving a deity, they are born in the hollow of a tree and dedicate their entire existence to the service and protection of their environment. This vocation is a kind of innate instinct in each Dryad.

Society

Dryads live mostly in closed circles in wild and reclusive natural spaces. They avoid contact with humanoid societies and prefer the calm of virgin forests. Their role is to watch over nature, and they often worship certain deities of nature like Mailikki or Sylvanus. Their cities are sometimes gigantic trees or cities suspended under the canopy, they remain however camouflaged from human eyes. Dryads are placed under the direction of a "mother" at their birth. This mother may come from the same tree or have some spiritual connection to the child. Mothers are usually at least 25 years old.

Dryad Names

Dryads are all females and some of them are named after a plant (often a flower) close to which they were born.

Female: Morea, Ivy, Nemesia, Tulip, Daffodil, Etrea, Lily, Antheis

Dryad Traits

The Dryads are beings of nature characterized by their will to protect nature and life.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Age. Dryads reach their adult size around their twenties and have a life expectancy that can extend to 1000 years.
Alignment. As guardians of nature and balance, Dryads often have neutral alignments.
Size. Dryads are rather tall and their size is extremely variable. It ranges from just under 6 feet to over 7 for the tallest individuals. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. 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.
Fairy being. Thanks to your fairy nature, you can't be charmed and magic can't put you to sleep.
Total Meditation. You don't need to sleep and two hours of meditation is enough to rest completely for a long rest.
Creature Type. You are a Fey.
Natural Armor. You have a thick, bark-like skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
Fairy resistance. You have advantage to saving throw against poison and disease. You are resistant to poison damage and can't be poisoned.
Daughter of the forest. Dryads can use Sylvan to speak to plants and animals as though they shared a language.
Magic of the Dryads. You are connected to nature and plants. You know the druidcraft cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast entangle as a 1st-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the spike growth spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 9th level, you can cast the conjure animals spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan and one other language of your choice.
Subrace. Dryad of the Forest, Dryad of the Thunder, Dryad of the Flames, Dryad of the Water, Dryad of the Air, Dryad of the Earth

Dryad of the Forest

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Natural knowledge. You gain proficiency in Nature and Animal Handling
Nature Shifting. You have advantage on your Stealth check when you are in the forest.
Tree Stride. Over time you have learned the skill of using trees as a type of transportation. Once a turn, you can step magically into one living tree within your reach and emerge from a second living tree within 30 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 or larger.

Dryad of the Thunder

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Daughter of lightning. You have resistance against lightning and thunder damage.
Lightning charge. You can dash in a 40-foot line using your movement. If you stop your movement within 5 feet of a creature and have traveled at least 20 feet, the creature takes 2d6 lightning damage. The damage increases to 3d6 at 5th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 17th level. Your movement is almost instantaneous so you cannot suffer an attack of opportunity. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses at the end of a long rest.
Quick as lightning. Your base movement speed is increased to 35 feet.

Dryad of the Flames

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Fire fey. You have resistance against fire damage.
Magic of the Flames. With your Magic of the Dryads ability, you know in addition to your other spells the control flames cantrip. At 5th level, you learn the flame blade spell. These spells works as your other Magic of the Dryads' spells.
Flame language. You can speak, read, and write Ignan

Dryad of the Water

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Underwater being. You are able to breath under water and you have a swimming speed equal to your speed.
Echolocation. When you touch a body of water, you can make a Survival check to perceive the general topography, life forms and hazards present in that body of water within a 6 mile radius.
Talk to the fishes. You can speak, read, and write Aquan

Dryad of the Air

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Light weighted. You are immune to fall damage and fall at a rate of 60 feet per round (10 feet per second).
Air bending. With your Magic of the Dryads ability, you know in addition to your other spells the gust cantrip. At 5th level, you learn the gust of wind spell. These spells works as your other Magic of the Dryads' spells.
Wind language. You can speak, read, and write Auran

Dryad of the Earth

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Hard skinned. You get a +1 to your AC.
Subterranean. You have a burrow speed equal to a half of your walking speed.
Rock language. You can speak, read, and write Terran

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 9''	+1d10	130 lb.	× (7) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a dryad character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I keep my distance from humans and other mortals, they do not understand that nature is also their home.
2	I am full of energy, I am as happy as a spring bird.
3	My only friends are the animals, they are much better than these vain and treacherous mortals.
4	I want to know everything about Mother Nature and her secrets, life is such a mysterious thing.
5	I know how to remain calm in any situation, even in the face of death. It's the cycle of life.
6	I often get carried away with my thoughts when I'm out in nature, although I know that danger can be everywhere.
7	I am uncomfortable in big cities, I need pretty trees to feel good.
8	I love talking to people from other countries, travel is something that fascinates me.

d6	Ideal
1	Guardian. My role is to preserve nature in the face of all aggression (Loyal)
2	Balance. Some live, some die. This is how the stream of nature flows (Neutral).
3	Protective. I protect life, whatever its form (Good)
4	Free. I follow my instincts, I am like an untamable torrent (Chaotic)
5	Hermit. I don't care about mortal affairs, I prefer to concentrate on nature (Neutral)
6	Priestess. I let the gods guide my steps, their will is greater than our existence (Loyal)

d6	Bond
1	My sisters are the most important thing to me, I want to protect them at all costs.
2	I seek spiritual peace and perfect harmony with Mother Nature, which is not an easy task, even for a Dryad.
3	My community is counting on me to become powerful and wise enough to lead it one day.
4	I want to help mortals get back on the right track so that they stop destroying nature.
5	Mother Nature has become very weak, I must find the source of this evil and destroy it.
6	I want to understand how mortals live, whether with or against Mother Nature.

d6	Flaw
1	I make no difference between the life of a dandelion, a cat and a human.
2	I am constantly suspicious of mortals, they are treacherous and harmful.
3	I believe that we should not oppose the cycle of nature, even when it causes us harm.
4	I consider mortals as parasites, I prefer to see them dead rather than roaming our beautiful planet.
5	My love for wildlife sometimes makes me forget that a bear bites.
6	My lack of understanding of social relationships has often led me to tense situations with mortals.

5.00

(2 votes)

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