Dryad
- Size: Medium
- Type: Fey
- Alignment: Neutral
- AC: 16
- Initiative: +1 (11)
- HP: 22 (5d8)
- Speed: 30 ft
| ATTR | VAL | MOD | SAVE |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| DEX | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| CON | 11 | +0 | +0 |
| INT | 14 | +2 | +2 |
| WIS | 15 | +2 | +2 |
| CHA | 18 | +4 | +4 |
- Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +5
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 14
- Languages: Elvish, Sylvan
- CR: 1 (XP 200; PB +2)
Traits
Magic Resistance. The dryad has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Speak with Beasts and Plants. The dryad can communicate with Beasts and Plants as if they shared a language.
Actions
Multiattack. The dryad makes one Vine Lash or Thorn Burst attack, and it can use Spellcasting to cast Charm Monster.
Vine Lash. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 10 ft . Hit: 8 (1d8+4) Bludgeoning damage.
Thorn Burst. Ranged Attack Roll: +6, range 60 ft. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) Piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The dryad casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At Will: Animal Friendship, Charm Monster (lasts 24 hours; ends early if the dryad casts the spell again), Druidcraft
1/Day Each: Entangle, Pass without Trace
Bonus Actions
Tree Stride. If within 5 feet of a Large or bigger tree, the dryad teleports to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a second Large or bigger tree that is within 60 feet of the previous tree.
Lore & Background
Dryads are mystical fey creatures intrinsically bound to specific trees, serving as guardians and embodiments of the forest's spirit. These beautiful beings appear as graceful humanoids with bark-like skin and hair that resembles leaves or flowing vines. Each dryad is spiritually connected to a particular tree, sharing its life force and fate - if the tree dies, the dryad perishes as well, making them fierce protectors of their woodland homes.
The bond between a dryad and her tree is formed at the moment of the dryad's birth, creating a mystical connection that lasts for centuries or even millennia. This relationship gives dryads deep insight into the health and history of their forest, making them valuable sources of information about natural events, seasonal changes, and threats to the woodland ecosystem. They serve as intermediaries between the mortal world and the realm of nature spirits.
Dryad society is loosely organized around groves and forest communities, with individual dryads maintaining their own territories while cooperating to protect larger woodland areas. They often form alliances with other fey creatures, druids, and nature-loving individuals who share their commitment to preserving the natural world. Dryads are generally peaceful but become fierce defenders when their trees or forests are threatened.
Combat Tactics
Dryads prefer to avoid direct combat whenever possible, using their charm abilities and natural magic to resolve conflicts peacefully or to convince threats to leave their territory. When forced to fight, they use their intimate knowledge of their forest to create tactical advantages, employing natural hazards, difficult terrain, and allied creatures to support their efforts.
These fey beings excel at guerrilla warfare within their forest domains, using their tree stride ability to appear and disappear at will while coordinating attacks with woodland creatures and plant allies. They focus on incapacitating rather than killing enemies when possible, preferring to charm opponents or use their magic to create confusion and fear.
Dryads are most vulnerable when separated from their trees or forced to fight in areas where their natural magic is less effective. They understand this limitation and work to keep conflicts within their forest domains where they can access the full range of their abilities and environmental advantages.
Encounter Ideas
The Threatened Grove: A dryad's tree is threatened by logging, disease, or magical corruption, and she seeks help in protecting her life-bound home from destruction.
The Forest Court: Dryads serve as judges in disputes involving forest creatures, natural resources, or conflicts between civilization and nature.
The Lost Wanderer: A dryad offers guidance to travelers lost in her forest, but her help comes with conditions about respecting the natural environment.
The Ancient Alliance: A dryad honors an old pact with a mortal family or community, providing protection and guidance in exchange for stewardship of her forest.
Environmental Effects
Natural Sanctuary: Forests protected by dryads become havens for wildlife, with thriving ecosystems and an abundance of plant and animal life.
Seasonal Harmony: Dryad territories experience perfect seasonal transitions and optimal growing conditions for forest vegetation.
Fey Crossings: Areas where dryads dwell often have weak barriers between the material plane and the Feywild, allowing for magical phenomena and fey creature encounters.
Protective Barriers: Dryads can influence their forests to create natural obstacles and defenses that deter unwanted intruders.
Treasure
Nature's Gifts: Fruits, nuts, and herbs with magical properties that provide healing, sustenance, or other beneficial effects.
Fey Crafts: Items woven from magical plants or carved from enchanted wood, possessing properties related to nature magic and fey enchantment.
Druidic Knowledge: Information about forest lore, plant properties, and natural magic passed down through generations of dryads.
Sacred Seeds: Rare plant specimens that can grow into magical trees or plants with extraordinary properties.
Plot Hooks
The Dying Dryad: A dryad's tree is slowly dying from an unknown cause, and saving her requires discovering the source of the blight and finding a way to cure it.
The Forest's Memory: A dryad possesses crucial information about historical events that occurred in her forest, but accessing these memories requires gaining her trust and respect.
The Fey Bargain: A dryad offers to help the heroes in exchange for a favor that seems simple but has complex implications for the balance between nature and civilization.
The Transplanted Tree: A dryad's tree must be moved to save it from destruction, but the process of relocating both tree and dryad is dangerous and magically complex.