Female nature spirits mystically bound to enormous oak trees

Dryads are female nature spirits; each is mystically bound to a single, enormous oak tree and must never stray more than 300 yards from it. Any who do become ill and die within 4d6 hours. A dryad's oak does not radiate magic. A dryad lives as long as her tree, and dies when the tree dies; likewise, if the dryad is killed, her tree dies also. A dryad's delicate features are much like a female elf's, though her flesh is like bark or fine wood, and her hair is like a canopy of leaves that changes color with the seasons. Although they are generally solitary, up to seven dryads have been encountered in one place on rare occasions. Shy, intelligent, and resolute, dryads are as elusive as they are alluring – they avoid physical combat and are rarely seen unless they wish to be. If threatened, or in need of an ally, a dryad can charm (as the spell charm person), attempting to gain control of the attacker(s) who could help the most against the rest. Any attack on her tree, however, provokes the dryad into a frenzied defense.

The lush forests that once grew on Ravnica are gone, but the dryads remain, striving to bring the sprawling city and the verdant green of nature into harmony. Dryads believe that their efforts are the will of Mat'Selesnya, the soul of the world, and they spread their teachings through every Selesnya enclave.

Thanks to their attunement to Mat'Selesnya, dryads serve as visionaries and spiritual intermediaries for the Selesnya Conclave. They hold positions of great respect as spiritual leaders, and also share their vision of harmonious construction as architects, working with stonemasons and woodshapers to create Selesnya enclaves.

Summoned Mount

When leading its guild into battle, a dryad rides a magically summoned creature woven of living branches, vines, and grasses and imbued with a fey spirit.

When a dryad fails to protect its wilderness home from a great evil and is unable to forgive itself, the dryad might transform into a wicked Fey monster called a deadbark dryad. Such dryads relinquish any compassion they once felt for living beings and instead harbor hatred for anyone who dares to invade their rotted demesne.

The wilds around a deadbark dryad become malignant, souring into a swampy morass of stinging nettles and noxious muck. Deadbark dryads are immune to this toxic bog's deleterious effects.

A deadbark dryad is typically bound to the spot where it failed to protect its charge. When a dryad transforms into a deadbark dryad, it becomes stronger and more violent, and it typically gains a renewed dedication to protecting its now-fetid domain. Most deadbark dryads would rather fight to the death than allow any intrusion into their homes.

Deadbark dryads are most often found on Krynn, but occasionally they are found on other worlds where magic and trees are plentiful.

Certain secluded swamps or bayous enjoy the protection of a swamp-dwelling version of the hamadryad. These "swamp maidens," as they're sometimes called, are much like their forest cousins in most ways. However, these hamadryads of the swamps tend to be slightly more inclined toward maliciousness where interlopers are concerned, and they can call on darker allies to protect their homes.

A hamadryad resembles a slender young woman, with a complexion a shade of rich wooden brown and impressive 'hair' that is actually a mass of long, flexible, willow-like branches. Their toes are long and can lengthen into roots when the hamadryad is thirsty. Their skin might look normal but it is as hard as any wood and once you touch it, it is impossible to confuse the hamadryad for a being of flesh and blood.

Protectors of the Grove. Within each hamadryad's forest is a secret glade where the wood nymphs gather. They keep any treasure they've found here. If their forest is endangered, the hamadryads will use their treasure to bribe others into helping them defend their lands.

Hamadryads communicate among themselves with a whispering language like the wind among the trees.

Travelers entering a forest might catch a glimpse of a feminine form flitting through the trees. Warm laughter hangs on the air, drawing those who hear it deeper into the emerald shadows.

Treebound

Powerful fey will sometimes bind lesser fey spirits to trees, transforming them into dryads. This is sometimes done as a punishment when the fey spirit falls in love with a mortal and that love is forbidden.

A dryad can emerge from the tree and travel the lands around it, but the tree remains her home and roots her to the world. As long as the tree remains healthy and unharmed, the dryad stays forever youthful and alluring. If the tree is harmed, she suffers. If the tree is ever destroyed, the dryad descends into madness.

Reclusive Fey

Dryads act as guardians of their woodland demesnes. Shy and reclusive, they watch interlopers from the trees. A dryad struck by the beauty of a stranger might investigate more closely, perhaps even try to lure the individual away to be charmed.

Dryads work with other sylvan creatures to defend their forests. Unicorns, treants, and satyrs live alongside them, in addition to druids that share the dryads' devotion to the woods they call home.

Woodland Magic

Dryads can speak with plants and animals. They can teleport from one tree to another, luring interlopers away from their groves. If pressed, a dryad can beguile humanoids with her enchantments, turning enemies into friends. They also know a handful of useful spells.

It is said that the only force on Ixalan not interested in finding the golden city is Ixalan itself. Dryads, as incarnations of the land and its will, prove the saying true. Their only concern is the health of the forest: when the trees and ferns are healthy, the dryads flourish. But when the vampires' dusk fog or a demon's unwholesome influence cause the jungle to wither, the dryads suffer. As a result, they are generally friendly with the River Heralds, who live in harmony with nature, and hostile to the Legion of Dusk.

The dryads otherwise have no stake in the conflict between the people of Ixalan and the invaders, but as creatures of life and growth, they hate to see any living being suffer. Thus, they have been known to tend to wounded people left in the jungle to die, sharing their own abundant life energy with those in their care.

Ixalan's dryads are identical to the dryad|MM|dryads in the Monster Manual|MM.

Dryad

Tree-Bound Guardian of Nature

Guardians of the woodlands, dryads magically flit from tree to tree and from root to bough, harrying trespassers with tangling vines and thorns. Most of these elusive beings have a special connection with one plant or a natural sanctuary that they protect. Some also share physical similarities with the plants they're most connected to. Dryads might sicken or die if their plant or sanctuary is destroyed, recovering only if it is healed or magically replaced. Roll on or choose an option from the Dryad Sanctuaries table to inspire a dryad's bond.

I cannot drink the water. My roots grow black and rotten. I cannot drink the water. My leaves wither and die. I cannot drink...

It is a sad thing when one of nature's most beautiful fey is corrupted into a hamadryad. Be careful about feeling too much sympathy for them, for they are fearsome when someone trespasses into their territory.

These fey come into being when the home tree of a dryad is destroyed or becomes corrupted by foul magic. If the dryad isn't killed she slowly wastes away and over the course of several months becomes a hamadryad. Hamadryads are mad creatures that seek vengeance against any non-fey that wanders into the deep places of the wood that is their home.

Beauty Lost

Hamadryads do not retain the beauty that they had before whatever tragedy befell them. Their mouths have vanished and their laughter is forever gone. The beautiful feminine forms dryads are famed for have become twisted. Their emerald skin is grey and sickly and their very touch is corrupt and poisonous.

Madness

Hamadryads rarely behave in a manner that seems rational. They might viciously attack an intruder and then vanish, only to return later when their mood changes. Sometimes they might help a group of adventurers against evil creatures only to turn on the adventurers once their mutual foe is vanquished.

Female nature spirits mystically bound to enormous oak trees

Dryads are bashful tree sprites who dwell in the most remote locations. They appear as stunning young maidens. They are never far from the oak tree of which they are a part. Dryads are non-violent and will never attack unless they have no other choice. A dryad will try to escape by stepping into any nearby tree. They can also cast dimension door and return to their own tree. The only thing different about a tree that houses a dryad is its size. A dryad can also cast a charm person spell thrice a day. If a dryad sees a young man with a charisma score of at least 16 she will attempt to charm him. If successful there is a 50% chance he will never been again. If the youth does return it will be at least 1d4 years later. Dryads have their own language as well as elven, pixie, sprite, and they can also speak with animals.