Dryad
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Dryads are benign forest fey.1
Appearance
A dryad appears as a comely humanoid. Its skin seems wooden and its hair appears to consist of leaves and flower blossoms.1
Habitat and society
Each dryad is bound to a single tree, most commonly an oak, and sickens (and eventually dies) if it moves more than 300 yards from it.1 Some dryads are bound to rare trees, such as a clonal colony of titan aspens, that are a single tree spanning larger distances than many people expect and which grant the dryad unique methods of traversing distances.23 The number of dryads encountered depends on the location of their trees, but groves of up to eight are not unknown.1
They view themselves as guardians of their forests, and prefer to live in out of the way places away from humanoids. Their natural empathy with animal life means they usually get on well with the animals of the forest. They are also able to freely communicate with plants.1
Abilities
Dryads are not strong, but are very nimble and make passable archers. In common with many other fey, they are somewhat resistant to weapons not made of cold iron. They are also able to meld into trees to escape enemies.
They also have a number of plant-related spell-like abilities and are able to magically charm visitors. Some may keep charmed bodyguards.1
On Golarion
Dryads are found in almost all Avistani forests, though they are rarer in northern climates. The largest dryad population is in the Mwangi Expanse.4
The blighted Axan Wood in Geb is home to a unique race of undead dryads; its trees are all either dead or undead.5
There was a large population of dryads in Sarkoris before the opening of the Worldwound. Very few dryads remained after repeated massacres by demonic invaders, with the crafty Amalya of the Shudderwood among them as of 4713 AR. Dryads in neighboring nations hold yearly remembrances for their fallen fellows each spring.6
Hamadryad or dryad queen
A hamadryad or dryad queen is a more powerful dryad ruling over a forest, rather than a single tree, and caring for all the dryads in her realm.
References
Paizo published a major chapter about dryads in Fey Revisited.
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 . “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary, 116. Paizo Inc., 2009
- ↑ . “The Hellfire Compact” in The Hellfire Compact, 48. Paizo Inc., 2016
- ↑ . “The Hellfire Compact” in The Hellfire Compact, 52–53. Paizo Inc., 2016
- ↑ . “Dryad” in Fey Revisited, 9. Paizo Inc., 2013
- ↑ . “Geb” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 77. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ . “Dryad” in Fey Revisited, 8. Paizo Inc., 2013
