Verdant

Those identified as Verdant are rare, and rarer still are those who can understand them. Verdant are obcessed with nature and its preservation, they call it, "the Green." Where they go, nature has a protector.

Why they exist is not always clear, some are the reanimated bodies of dead enemies brought back as guardians of nature. Some their progenitors infused themselves with raw plant life, binding it into their own tissue and passing it down to their seed. And occasionally there are the children of a Dryad and Human.

Whatever the reason, whatever their variety, Verdant always place their beloved Green above all else.

Many Verdant serve as guardians to specific locations, or vengeful agents to dispense punishment to those who act against the Green. The powers of the Green are not without a sense of irony, as often those selected to serve are raised from the corpses of those who have acted against it in the past. These forced conscripts are brought into the war between civilization and nature with little memories of their past, but retaining the skillsets the Green needs to protect itself.

When raised from birth a Verdant is often a gentle soul that tends the to the needs of the Green as a caretaker and gardener, they often have no names or take one of a flower or fruit. When raised from the body of a fallen creature, the Verdant often have great rage inside them, remembering only their death, and take for themself an intimidating name, to strike fear in those they seek to punish.

Verdant Names

Female Names

Belladonna, Cherry, Hemlock, Lily, Maidenhead, Poison Ivy, Rose, Sequoia, Willow

Male Names

Blackbriar, Bloodroot, Deathcap, Golden Rod, Mandrake, Swamp Thing, Wolfsbane

Verdant Traits (.5)

Ability Scores. (3) +2 Wisdom, +1 Any other Ability

Size. Verdant are about the same size as humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed. (-.5) Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Age. New born Verdant grow like weeds when they are young, physically reaching adulthood within 5 years, while often achieving maturity closer to their 30s. They have no upper limit to their lifespan barring violence and disease, effectively, they are immortal.

Languages. Common, Druidic

Flame Abstinence. (-1) Verdant eschew fire. Because of this, your magic cannot conjure forth destructive fire. You cannot know spells that deal fire damage.

Plant Vulnerabilities. (-1) You are vulnerable to slashing and fire damage.

Variant Features

Verdant are not a homogenous race. Select a quirk from each table and select 4 of the following variant features.

Barkskinned. (1) Your AC can't be less than 16, regardless of what kind of armor you are wearing.

Bearer of Goodberries. (1) You inately know the goodberry spell and may cast it once per day using this trait; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. Provided the goodberries are already on your person you may, as a bonus action, feed a creature within melee range of you any number of the goodberries you possess.

Earth Walk. (.5) You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement. In addition you have a climb speed equal to your movement speed when climbing surfaces made of earth or stone.

Green Magic. (1.5) You inately know the druidcraft and primal savagery cantrips. At 3rd level you gain knowledge of the earth tremor spell and may cast it once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Infested. (1) You inately know the infestation cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. As part of this trait you gain the ability to cast infestation as a reaction, which you take in response to being dealt melee damaged by a creature, against the creature that damaged you. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Limber-Limbed. (.5) When you make a melee attack, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.

Lithe Form. (1) Your base movement speed is increased by 10 feet per turn to 35 feet per turn.

Poison Immunity. (1) You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Powerful Build. (.5) You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Speak with Beasts and Plants. (.5) You can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language with you.

Sun's Blessings. (1) Provided you spend 1 hour in sunlight or under the spell daylight, per day, you no longer need food. When regaining hit points the number you gain is increased by your Constitution modifier for every die rolled if done under sunlight or the spell daylight.

Tensile Strength. (1) You gain resistance to bludgeoning damage, if you gain resistance to bludgeoning damage through another means, this resistance becomes immunity while both bludgeoning resistance sources are at play.

Thorned Tendrils. (1.5) You inately know the thorn whip cantrip. Wisdom is your spell casting ability for this spell. You may add your Wisdom modifier to damage dealt by this spell. Beginning at level 5 when you cast this spell you may select two targets within 5 feet of eachother rather than one, each target has their attack roll made separately. This number of targets increases at level 10 to three, and at level 20 to four. All targets must be within 5 feet of one of the other targets.

Verdant Physical Quirks

D6	Quirk
1	I have vines rather than hair, the vines on my head are coated with tiny leaves.
2	The sap running in my veins is sweet and sticky.
3	I have no human sex organs, I must worry about germinating seeds if I am pollinated.
4	The bottoms of my feet are ribbed with tiny roots, waiting to take hold.
5	When it gets cold my Greens turn Brown and I get very tired.
6	The presence of fire offends my nature, causing me to excrete a noxious smelling pollen-like substance. It does not wash off what it touches.

Verdant Mental Quirks

D6	Quirk
1	I will always face the sun when it is out, even if, "out," is, "up."
2	My hatred of biting, gnashing, and sawing things drives me to hate those who use them.
3	I will drink a great deal of water whenever I can, one never knows when it will dry up.
4	I am slow to hate, but unforgiving of those I do.
5	Currency is such an odd concept, entirely alien to the Green.
6	I always carry with me protection against the fearful fire, one must always be prepared.

Using the 5e Race Creating Guide:

Ideal	5.5
Base score:	.5
Variant range	2.5-5
Final range	3-5.5