[Class] Xyloid

Xyloid

HD- d6

Maximum AC- 16 / Minimum Starting Hit-Points- 3

You're mostly made of wood. You aren't a human, but a wood person. Your arms and legs are like branches; coiling into arms and legs with fingers and toes. Because you're made of wood, you are weak to fire and take double damage from fire. If you take 6 damage or more from a fire spell/attack OR from any axe attack, you can lose a limb.

Once a limb is removed, it will grow back in segments every season. From shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, wrist to stubbed fingers, stubs to full dexterity. Each 'segement' grows back at one per season, except in winter when your growth is halted and the sun is dim. Your not very good at sneaking around (your joints creak too much), but you are very good at standing still. Within a forested area, you automatically hide if you stand still and carry nothing. Nobody will be able to see you unless right next to you or closely inspecting each and every tree.

If your head is severed from your shoulders, you can still control both separately. You won't die as long as somebody binds them back together within two exploration turns. Treat your Base AC as 14. Your wood is a bit tougher then normal skin and flesh.

At 2^nd, 6^th, and 10^th level, you gain +1 to hit with all weapons and magical implements, as long as they are made of wood. Magic rods, quarterstaves, clubs, bows, and so on.

You can feel the trees. You can sense the health of a land by simply observing it; though this applies only to the plant life and flora, not to the animal or human life. You can tell the age of a tree by touch, and can sense the health and what is causing harm to a plant if you can also warp it. You can even ply this power on dead plants, which means you can read any kind of book in any language, based moreso on the intent of the author and the materials uses to make it moreso then the actual words, but the message is clear enough you could be thought of as literate.

You can warp plants. This allows you to make them bare fruit, bend branches to make bridges or perform small attacks, send down a shower of leaves for a blanket or firestarters, etc. You can only do this to trees that are younger than or equal to your level in centuries. Any trees older then that are too mystical for you to control. You can also use this power to kick out or bar entry to a dyrad from entering a sacred tree.

At 10^th level, you become a Woodman and grow a mantle of leaves on your head and back. This crest makes you look majestic and grants +1 to reaction checks. Any Xyloid of this age will also receive respect from the treants, dryads, nypmhs, and elves of the wood- you can easily find and enter their hallows or hidden elf-towns as long as you have not offended them.

Additionally, this level means you are now obligated, spiritually and physically, to reproduce. To do so, you must bury a seed that carries a portion of your soul into a place that is healthy, safe, and spiritually important enough to grow a new sentient tree person. Each adventure you go without burying one of these seedlings gives you a -2 to all rolls, which compounding each time you put it off, as the guilt and obligation weighs on your mind and soul. You have 3d6+2 acorns.

6 Lesser Fae

Sprite vs nameless fighter

[1] Fairy (1 hit point, -1 AC, flight, easy to trap, revive on lethal, minor spells)

Morale- 4; 16 if companion

Number- 1d4 around magic shrine

Correlate around magic fountains and shrines; fairies are the most magical of the lesser fae. They are highly prized among adventurers for their useful quality of being forced to revive whoever has captured them, which then sets them free. Upon lethal blow, restore 1d6 hit points and the fairy flies away free. Fairies who are not captives can do this up to 3 times in one day, and do not automatically flee upon healing a companion. Fairies enjoy living around Elves; who have ambient magic and treat them with much more respect then humans.

It's very easy to trap a fairy. Roll d20 + dexterity vs fairy AC to trap it in your hand, a bottle, bag, or other simply storage item. Releasing the fairy early gets you noting, unless you command it to cast a spell on you. Fairies can cast 1d4 randomly assigned Cleric spells of 1^st or 2^nd level, or can have some other useful effect, such as fixing equipment or planting a magic toadstool.

[2] Pixie (1 hit point, AC = 21, flight, annoying, cast hexes)

Morale- 13, flee when one dies

Number- 2d6 Group, 3d10 Swarm

Appear as glowing figures of youthful girls or boys dressed in leaves or gossemer. Pixies move extremely fast and have mischievous personalities; they may steal individual coins, unbuckle your belt or shoes, blow out your torch, tie your hair into knots, or may even start a tiny fire on your cloak. Pixies are almost impossible to strike, having AC 21, meaning an average, untrained person could never hit one. If you DO manage to strike a pixie in flight, it will instantly die and the other pixies will flee in panic. Hexes can do a maximum of 1 damage.

Pixies live in woodland and natural areas, and tend to enjoy playing with people. Children are treated more gently, and may be led back home if they are lost in the woods. Pixies will attempt to make adults lose a path or trail however, and have been known to act as or cast ghost lights to lead people far and deep into the woods. Trapping a pixie gets you nothing but a pissed off Pixie. Pixies also are too wild and disruptive to live in an Elf's hollow, but they often trespass to make a nuisance of themselves.

[3] Brownies (2 HD, +1 to hit & AC, 1d4 magic bite, stealthy, animal empathy)

Morale- 8; bite once then run

Number- Usually 1; Groups of 2d6 burrow together

Brownies appear as little boys in full body animal costumes; they also appear as bipedal animals to younger people or anyone with an Int or Wis modifier of -2 or lower. The race of the Brownie appears as the viewer's own race, or sometimes as the most common race of the group that encounters them. Brownies are skittish creatures that live in the woods and eat nuts, seeds, insects, and scavenge and store food for the winter.

Brownies are mostly solitary, but groups of them live together in a single home, usually carved into a hillside or in a huge fallen tree, spending all day sleeping, singing songs, and playing games instead of being outside in the cold. Brownies love to help Elves and magicians they find trustworthy. Brownies are very closely tied to the will and health of the wild where they live, and are adept at finding things. To an Elf craftsman; the first green tree of spring and a leaf from a tree where a man was hanged are about as different as iron and copper to a human smith; Brownies collect minor magical plants and other materials in the woods like this and bring them to their friends.

[4] Knocker (1 HD, +2 AC, 1d4 knobbly stick, invisible)

Morale- 10; doesn't fight besides smacking your shins

Number- Usually 1

Knockers are hobbled, stick-carrying spirits that look like really old elves, but are almost always invisible. They carry around a stick which they knock against windows, floor boards, and trees to create noise to scare humans who encroach on them or disturb places they like. Knockers are normally helpful spirits; and often a family will hear a knocking on a specific floorboard until they check and find buried treasure underneath. The Knockers also help dwarf and human miners by knocking along rocks that have gems or hidden veins of ore within. For this; mortal races often leave out sugary treats, especially things one doesn't need to chew since Knockers are so old they lost their teeth.

Knockers don't fight, expect to smack the shins of people who swear nearby, or those who are trying to actually find the reclusive fae. This damage is nonlethal, but still causes injury and often limping. People with an unexplained limp will often be accused of angering a knocker. The Knocker's stick loses its invisibility if it is left alone for a period of time; sometimes sticks propped up against trees or stones in the wood are thought of as Knocker sticks that they forgot or put aside while bathing. Beyond their usefulness in making magic wands; most advise against taking them as this will bring the Knocker's wrath upon you.

[5] Sprite (3 HD, +1 to hit, +3 AC, 1d6 magic blast, Flight, Casts Spells)

Morale- 13

Number- 1d4

Somewhat similar to a fairy or pixie, but much more “grown up” and more powerful. Sprites appear as small humanoids but can also grow to human size. While in their small form they retain their HP but have an AC of 20 like a Pixie and can cast spells in either form. Damaging and healing spells in their small form only do a maximum of 1 damage; Fireball could roast a few rats but not people for example. Spells that do not do direct damage or healing can be cast at full strength, simply requiring multiple casts or the range of the spell is decreased proportionally to the size of the Sprite.

Sprites are though to be the handmaidens and servants of the royalty of the fae realms; the True Fae. Sprites have more human and understandable motives and sensibilities then other fairies do, but are easily bound by contract and tradition. More then once has a young woman with partially royal blood has had Sprite attendants aid her in taking a throne or simply improving her life due to ancient treaties between the fairies and the humans. Beyond casting spells; Sprites can also simply wave their wand to produce a magic blast that deals 1d6 damage but cannot kill. The final blow simply knocks the target out or transforms them into something harmless for an exploration turn.

[6] Shellycoat (2 HD, +1 AC, collects shells, drops shells instead of taking damage, goes with fog)

Morale- 7

Number- 1 or 2

Shellycoats are fae that only stalk along beaches and coasts during the foggy days and nights. They appear as short, stunted figures wearing long brown cloaks. Their face is hidden but if looked at closely they appear very gremlin or goblin like. They are cowardly creatures and do not like to fight; instead they only like to pick up sea shells. They are so named for the fact that they collect dozens, if not hundreds, of shells beneath their coats and for the great rattling sounds they make as they walk. Whenever you hit a shelly coat, it may drop a shell per point of damage to ignore that point of damage. There is a 1 in 20 chance that a given shell dropped by one is of an unusual color, somewhat rare or valuable, or an oyster with a pearl still stuck inside.

Shellycoats also seem to be able to disappear with the fog, and do not like to hang around while the fog is receding, less they be cut off from easy escape back to their fae home. While cowardly, they can speak and may be enticed to trade with humans if the human offers them a shell that is colorful, rare, or magical enough to spark their interest. Shellcoats will trade you with one of the following for a special shell;

Shellycoat Table - 1d6

[1] The location of a sunken ship just off of shore. Contains pirate gold.

[2] Magical pearl. If worn on a necklace adds +1 to Charisma modifier, but attracts thieves.

[3] Shrimp potion. Turns you into a shrimp for 1d6 hours.

[4] Slippery Shell. Can make the shell drop from you to avoid 1 point of damage, like a Shellycoat.

[5] Fog wand. Magic wand that can produce a cloud of fog big enough to hide 3 people once per day.

[6] Fairy Worrystone. Rubbing the stone in a fairy woad has 50% chance to attract a fairy to you.