Verdath

As the Plane of Domuq, the Verdant Expanse of the Wyldlands was drawn away from the prime with the Sundering. Nascent souls spilled forth from the plane and came to inhabit plant life of the world, giving the spark of sentience to plant like humanoids, the Verdath.

Born of Nature

Brought to sentience by the cataclysm that was the Sundering, Verdath cling to the wild places of the world. At home amongst the forests and grasslands that bore them. A Verdath feels an unbreakable link with nature, as many believe the Verdath are still connected with the Wyldlands of Domuq in some way that has yet to be seen. Verdant follow a plant-like cycle for fostering their young, and grow quickly to maturity. Young Verdath stay close to their home soil, though Verdath do not form family groups in any traditional sense. Only having a communal sense of shared soil and likeness.

Verdath are drawn to classes tied to nature, whether druids or rangers that hold host in the wild. Or of a bent toward the divine, expressing their primal aspects as a cleric or paladin of nature’s domain.

Verdance Personified

Verdath are a people of growth and attuned to nature’s cycles, and this is reflected by their form and outlook. Unlike any other race of Kyme, the Verdath have few traits they share with other humanoids, instead share more with the plants from which they sprung. Their bodies are composed entirely of their respective plant forms. They often take a passive yet unyielding approach to most troubles they face. As they know, they will outgrow the darkness of the world.

New to the World

The Verdath still are a people ill known by the others in the world, and those Verdath that venture from their home soil are often viewed as exceptional and dauntless by others of their kind. Though living in the lands claimed by others, the Verdath came to inhabit the far flung wilds and have been afforded nominal protections by the Pact of Arkyme as any other people. Yet many are suspicious of the Verdath and their theorized origins. The Sundering brought cataclysmic changes to the world, many believe the Verdath are being sent to bring greater balance to the world. While others believe, they are meant to overrun it.

Verdath Names

Verdath names are often taken from or variations of the plants associated with their nature and form.

Verdath Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and your Constitution increase by 1.

Age. Verdath are varied in their susceptibility to the passage of time. Arboral and Fungal Verdath can live centuries, while the Grassael and Floral Verdath live but a few decades.

Alignment. Verdath are drawn to neutral alignments as they have a place in all lands, seeking to propagate just as that from which they sprang.

Death. The souls of the Verdath are tied the Wyldlands, the plane of Domuq and it is to there they return lest some other force would snare them.

Size. Verdath can appear quadrupedal or bipedal in form, ranging from size Small to Medium with heights as small as 3 feet to near 8 feet. Floral and Grassael often weigh less than 70 pounds where Arboral and Fungal can weigh more than 150 pounds.

Speed. For a bipedal verdath your walking speed is 25 feet. A quadrupedal form your walking speed is 30 feet. A quadrupedal verdath climbing requires that each foot you move requires 4 feet of movement.

Synthesis. You sustain yourself on soil and light. While long resting, you can lay down root tendrils into at least 10 pounds of rich soil and are considered to have been well fed. You still require water each day. You can use the same 10 pounds of soil for 2 weeks before it is rendered useless.

Planted Passing. You are able to hide as a bonus action if you are in foliage matching your appearance.

Root-Tongue. You are able to understand and be understood in a limited sense by any plant and have advantage on Charisma checks when interacting with them.

Languages. Verdath can read, write, and speak Common and Verdath

Subraces. There are four subraces of Verdath, Arboral, Floral, Fungal, and Grassael.

Arboral Verdath

A body of bark with branching fingers and rooted feet, with a crown of leaves the Arboral Verdath are born of the trees of the world. Steadfast in their outlook, the Arboral Verdath maintain a primal regality, as they take to ruling over their home soil much like a kingdom. The Arboral Verdath are far more militant in their approach, seeing their places to grow as reclaiming what is nature’s.

In the north the forests of the Vespered Timberlands, and Everblades distinct tree-like forms of these Verdath have taken root. The fae spirited trees of the Faemark buffered against the Wyldlands’ souls, driving them to other forests. To the south the jungle of the Endless Canopy and the deciduous forest of the Green Reach have growing populaces of Arboral Verdath.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength increases by 2.

Bend Not Break. Whenever you take damage that is not fire, you can use your reaction to shrug off some of the damage. You can expend and roll a hit die, reducing the damage by the amount rolled, adding your Constitution modifier. You can do this twice per short or long rest.

Rooted Guard. As a bonus action you can choose to take root. This reduces your speed to 0 and you gain a +1 bonus to AC. You also have advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone or any effect that would move you. You can unroot as a bonus action end this effect.

Fungal Verdath

Fostered by the decay of life, the Fungal Verdath can take on all manner of fungal growth in their forms. They can retain within their bodies the plant or animal matter that they sprung from as totems of their identity as a collective of growth from death. Somber and eccentric, Fungal Verdath form large communes of their kind and are far more driven toward consumption than other Verdath.

In the south Fungal Verdath have a firm hold in the Spore Hollows and the Mycelicopse in the Depths, but wherever rot and decay exist, Fungal Verdath pervade.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence increases by 2.

Fulminating Spores. Your fungal form allows you to use and spread various toxins from your body. When you make an attack roll, you can choose to add one of the following spores to the spell or weapon. If a creature is forced to make a saving throw, the DC is 8 + proficiency bonus + your Constitution Modifier. A creature that is immune to poison is unaffected.

Charming Spore. You force a creature to make a Wisdom saving throw or they become charmed by you and are disadvantaged on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn.

Poisoned Spore. You deal an additional 1d6 poison damage on a hit. You can expend additional uses of this feature to increase the damage by 1d6.

Sleeper Spore. You force a creature to make a Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious until the end of the next turn, until it takes damage, or another creature uses its action to wake the creature.

Stunning Spore. You force a creature to make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier. You regain expended uses upon completing a long rest.

Sporeform. Your form is inured to death and rebirth. If damage would reduce you to 0 hit points, but not kill you outright, you can choose to drop your equipment and have your body decay, blooming forth as a small cloud of spores with 1 hit point. You gain a fly speed of 40 feet, and the only actions you can take are the Dash or Dodge action, or the following special action. You can spend one of your hit die to fling a spore 60 feet, and implant on a creature, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC equals 8 + proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier), or become poisoned and take 1d8 poison damage at the start of their turn. A creature can use an action to rip off the spore, ending the effect. You cannot speak in this form, you can instead move into a creature’s space and communicate with them telepathically.

You can reform your body by regaining half of your hit points (rounded down) or completing a long rest.

Grassael Verdath

The Grassael Verdath favor thin and light builds, their bodies composed of weaves of grasses with flexible blades or stems that act as limbs. The Grassael seek to go unnoticed and are understated in their interactions. They quickly grasp the matters of other peoples to foster their own growth, even taking on more bestial or humanoid aspects than other Verdath.

Grassael Verdath pervade the world over, with strong populations in the Windward Steppes, Aurous Plains, the Barrens, and the Rotmire.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2.

Grow Back. Your body regains quickly its losses. When you are below half your hit point maximum, so long you are not at 0 hit points at the start of your turn, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.

Blade of Grass. Your body can manifest blade like forms of grass. When you take the Attack action on a turn, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed attack dealing 1d6 slashing damage on a hit. This damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 6th and 12th level.

Floral Verdath

Blooming forth in the wilds of Kyme, the Floral Verdath have stemmed and vined extremities, with flowering elements across their bodies in all manner of expressions and colors. Floral Verdath are mercurial and wanton in their approach to life, often leading them to seek out connection where other Verdath withhold.

The world over, the Floral Verdath have come to sentience, though with incredibly varied forms of flowering plants adapted to the environ surrounding them Often taking to living amongst other Verdath populations, where others hold generally to their own kind.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma increases by 2.

Aroma Influence. Your scent can draw in friend and foe alike. When you are within 15 feet of a creature, you can add your Constitution modifier to any Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check you make against any creature that can smell. You also can use your reaction to confound a creature within 15 feet of you that is not undead or a construct. When they move within range you can force them to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution Modifier) or are incapacitated and waste the rest of their turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier. You regain expended uses upon completing a long rest.

Petaled Escape. As a bonus action you can take the Disengage action and are considered under three-quarters cover until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature you must complete a long or short rest before regaining its use.