FEYWILD RACES - FEY'RI AND HAMADRYAD

A while ago the fey-fever (feyver?!) was on a rampage and I was greatly inspired by it. I almost made three to five posts about it, on topics such as world building, encounters, classes and so on. So what happened? Why didn't any of this came out? Well, I had a gargantuan amount of work, which basically sucked away a lot of my free time. Also, I was on the search for a new house (which I found only after six months of digging through overpriced scams with walls). Then I finally attended this year's Lucca Comics and Games, after the pandemic break. I have something to write about the only ttrpg game that I've partecipated in during this convention, but this is not the time. Returning on topic, this post was actually written at the beginning of october and it presents two playable races that I hope you will enjoy. As always, they are experimental, untested (yet), but they draw inspiration from the original sources and similar races in this edition of D&D, so they shouldn't be too much unbalanced. A lot of inspiration for the fey'ri abilities comes from the abyssal tiefling, published in an Unearthed Arcana (I think it was called "That Old Black Magic") and sadly never officially expanded upon.

So, I decided to create two new playable races, coming straight from older editions. I decided to suggest an Ability Score Increase even if the new standard is different. This is just to show the typical member of these races, but you can freely adopt the new method. Enjoy!

©Wizards of the Coast

FEY'RI

The fey’ri trace their heritage to interbreeding between elves and demons to produce powerful offspring and perfected bloodlines. It is often said the fey’ri resemble elves the way tieflings resemble humans and the chaotic nature of their ancestry ensures that no two fey’ri look quite alike, though common features include horns, fangs, forked tongues, and barbed tails. By contrast, some fey’ri don’t manifest obvious demonic features. Such fey’ri are born and raised among their elf cousins and do not even know the truth of their nature. It inevitably manifests when the fledgling fey’ri comes of age and develops their abyssal powers.

Suggested Ability Score Increase. +2 Charisma and +1 Dexterity 

Age. Thanks to your demonic influence, you can live up to 1000 years.

Size. Like Elves, Fey'ri range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Abyssal Arcana. You know the Green-Flame Blade cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Charm Person spell as a 2nd-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 Alter Self spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Abyssal Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Elven and Abyssal.

© Wizards of the Coast

HAMADRYAD

Hamadryads are the incarnate spirits of living oak trees. Part flesh, part wood, and part fey spirit, they are the granddaughters of the seasons and the wind, and the supreme manifestations of nature's wild beauty.


Suggested Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Hamadryads grow like trees. Though they may grow quickly, once they hit maturity their aging slows to a crawl. A hamadryad can live for hundreds of years, and the oldest have reached 500.

Size. Hamadryads range from under 5 feet to over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Female Only. All hamadryads are female.

Fey Origin. you are a Fey instead of a Humanoid. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.

Forest Walk. You ignore difficult terrain that is part of a tree, underbrush, or some other forest growth.

Dryad Magic. You know the Thorn Whip and Druidcraft cantrips. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Barkskin 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 Plant Growth 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 and Sylvan.