Dryads

Dryads are fey who act as the protectors of forests and trees.

Basic Information

Anatomy

They appear to be beautiful humanoids with delicate features seemingly made of soft wood. Their hair appears to be made of leaves and foliage that changes color as the seasons change. During the spring and summer months, the hair of a dryad is lush and green, while during autumn it turns red and eventually brown in the winter.

Genetics and Reproduction

Attractive humanoids who are fond of nature will often be taken in by a dryad to act as both a mate and a guardian.

Ecology and Habitats

Dryads prefer to live away from civilization, delighting in the savage wilderness away from those that would seek to cut their trees. They live with respect to nature and will accept the company of those that do so as well.
All dryads are magically bound to a single tree. These trees serve as the dryad’s life force and home. A dryad will fight to the death to protect her bonded tree, as, should the tree be cut or destroyed, the dryad will die soon afterward. A dryad cannot stray too far from her bonded tree without suffering the same fate. If a dryad leaves the vicinity of her tree for too long, she will die. Along with other fey, dryads speak Sylvan.

Civilization and Culture

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Dryads are generally benign, and will attempt to warn off intruders. Only those that seem cruel and determined to destroy a dryad’s forest will see the full wrath of these fey.

Lifespan

Each dryad is bound to a tree, and lives as long as that tree does.

Average Height

5'6"–6'2"

Average Weight

130–180 lb.

Related Ethnicities

• Feywild natives
• Spring Fae

Dryad

Medium fey, neutral

Armor Class 11 (16 With Barkskin)

Hit Points 22 5d8

Speed 30ft

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STR

10 0

DEX

12 +1

CON

11 0

INT

14 +2

WIS

15 +2

CHA

18 +4

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Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5

Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 14

Languages Sylvan

Challenge 1

Innate Spellcasting. The dryad's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The dryad can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: druidcraft
3/day each: entangle, goodberry
1/day each: barkskin, pass without trace, shillelagh
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.
Tree Stride. Once on her turn, the dryad can use 10 ft. of her movement to step magically into one living tree within her reach and emerge from a second living tree within 60 ft. of the first tree, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of the second tree. Both trees must be large or bigger.

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Actions

Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
Club (with shillelagh). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Fey Charm. The dryad targets one humanoid or beast that she can see within 30 feet of her. If the target can see the dryad, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed. The charmed creature regards the dryad as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the dryad's control, it takes the dryad's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can.
Each time the dryad or its allies do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the dryad dies, is on a different plane of existence from the target, or ends the effect as a bonus action. If a target's saving throw is successful, the target is immune to the dryad's Fey Charm for the next 24 hours.
The dryad can have no more than one humanoid and up to three beasts charmed at a time.