Some believe that every tree, bush, and pond in the material plane are connected to the Feywild, and that each contain a Spirit whose sole duty is to protect it. Whether or not this vastness of Fey is accurate or not, it is at least true that some trees, bushes, and ponds are connected to spirits of the Feywild. It is also true that on occasion, their sense of duty is overtaken by curiosity towards mortals, and mortals are overtaken by the qualities in the Spirit they find seductive. The children of these unions are nymphs, who have no sworn duty, but maintain their connection to nature.

Body of Nature

Nymphs, even though they are only partially connected to the blood of the Feywild, show numerous traits of their heritage. A nymph born of trees may have hair like twigs or vines, and the ground may seem to bend around their gentle feet. One born of water may instead have flesh cool like water to the touch, and hair that drifts as if submerged.

Some nymphs carry the features of their mortal parent more noticeably. The elongated ears of the elves, or the stout face of a halfling, occasionally even the browned skin tones of humans. Still, even if a nymph takes more after their mortal parent, there is little mistaking a nymph at a glance.

Creature of Curiosity

Nymphs are incredibly curious and love to explore, making them enthusiastic adventurers. Each new place is an experience to behold, and every new person they meet is someone to call a friend. This has been known to get nymphs in trouble as they trust the wrong person, or they confusedly visit the wrong place.

Nymph Names

Often a nymph will receive a name from their mortal parent, but as they grow older it is common for the nymph to choose a name based upon their Spirit parent’s home. Whether that be the tree they protect, the river, or the bush, many nymphs find that name more representative of their true selves.

Nymph Names: Aegle, Alwood, Blackroot, Bluewave, Elderglam, Echo, Greenleaf, Midwater, Penelope, Pineneedle, Rosethorn, Shallowdrop, Silvermist, Skybranch, Thalia.

Nymph Personalities

Nymphs hold an inherent drive to protect nature, making them staunch activists and often heroes to the creatures who call forests their home. While this can drive a wedge between themselves and more industrial-minded individuals, a nymph’s grand sense of sympathy allows them to deal and charm their way to positive interactions. Even if initial appearances may be off-putting, a nymph is one of the best friends one can have.

Nymph Quirks

Nymph Traits

Your nymph character has the following racial traits.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
• Age. Nymphs reach adulthood around the same time as humans, but can live far longer at around 250 years.
• Darkvision. 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. Your creature type is Fey.
• Size. Your Size is Small or Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
• Natural Armor. Due to the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your AC equals 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal.
• Speak with Nature. You can communicate with trees, bushes, flowers, and rivers as if they were beasts. They do not have words, but you can understand their basic needs, desires, and traumas.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan, and one other language spoken by your mortal parent.

Alseides Nymph

The alseides have the shape of a humanoid. As children, however, they are born of seeds and into bushes or flowers. As they grow, should they survive, they learn how to take on a more humanoid appearance inspired by their mortal parentage. Even in their humanoid form, the alseides have traits that clearly give away their appearance. Hair in the form of flower petals, ivy, thorns or weeds; and skin soft like a petal and in a wide variety of bright and beautiful colours.

Alseides have the unique ability among nymphs to spread their pollen, and this has become their trademark. Their pollen is highly concentrated in comparison to that of a normal flower, and so their effects seem driven much more by magic than by nature.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
• Pollinate. You can use your action to send out a burst of pollen in a 15 ft. cone. Your herbal ancestry determines the type of the burst. When you use your pollination ability, each creature in the area of the burst must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your herbal ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature gains the listed condition on a failed save until the end of their next turn. An Undead creature or Construct automatically succeeds on this saving throw. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.
• Herbal Ancestry. Choose one type of herb or flower from the Herbal Ancestry table. Your pollination attack is determined by the herb type, as shown in the table.

Dendryad Nymph

Born from a mortal and the soul of a tree, the dendryad takes much from its forested heritage. While they have the shape, and movement of a humanoid creature, their flesh is completely unlike that of a humanoid. Where skin would be, instead there is an inherently magical, extremely flexible wood. The particular kind of wood seems to vary based on the forest from which a dendryad was born, ranging from dark cherrywood to the lightness of balsa. Dendryad nymphs are quite shy, keeping to themselves unless something truly captures their awe or anger.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
• Tree Step. Your climb speed is equal to your walking speed. In addition, once per short rest if you are standing next to a tree you can spend a bonus action to teleport to another within 30 feet of you if it is at least Medium size. You appear in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the tree using their roots as a way to transport yourself magically.

• Rooted Body. You are able to spread roots from your feet to better hold yourself steady. While in natural terrain you may as an action root yourself to the ground. While rooted your movement speed is zero and you gain 2 temporary hit points per character level. Additionally, you gain the following effects:

  • You cannot be pushed or made prone.
  • You have advantage on any ability check or saving throw to resist being grappled or restrained.
  • You may spend an action to unroot yourself, losing the above effects and any temporary hit points gained by this trait.

Naiad Nymph

Whilst naiads have the shape and flesh of a humanoid, their movement is completely unlike one. They move almost as a liquid, able to change their shape to suit their needs or fit in a smaller space, and when in water, they have the ability to draw power from it. Some say that every free-standing lake in the material plane is a naiad who has died or been cursed, but no one is completely sure, especially since naiads don’t seem to want to tell.

Naiads have inherited through their fey ancestry a love of tricks and games, and their preferred way to interact with other mortals seems to be through those pranks. Now and then, however, a naiad is drawn to the settled world out of pure curiosity, and approaches other mortals with genuine interest.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
• Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
• Coolskin. Due to the liquid nature of your body, you have resistance to Fire damage.
• Shape Body. While completely submerged in water, you can spend an action to grow one size category larger or smaller. This effect lasts until you exit the water completely or choose to end this effect as an action.
• Swim. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
• Purify. When you are partially submerged in water, you can spend an action to meditate and purify yourself. This action requires concentration. If your concentration has been maintained by the start of your next turn, you may remove one condition currently affecting you from the following conditions: blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned.
  Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Credits

Created by Alicia.