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savingthrowvs · 4 years ago

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Forgotten Folks: Adu’ja

Disclaimer: One article in, and I’m already changing the name of Forgotten Races to Forgotten Folks. Why? Two reasons. One, it alliterates, and I like that. Two, I find I like “folk” better than “race” as a term. If I ask people to pick their “race” that may not have a bad denotation, but it can carry a bad connotation. For most people, it won’t matter, but for the ones it does matter to, I don’t want it to get in the way of fun. So let’s continue with the Forgotten Folks.

Ancient, nearly forgotten, mysterious folks, who came from the plants instead of flesh.

Dungeons & Dragons sure does like trying to give us more plant people, don’t they? This was an attempt in Third Edition, in Dragon Issue 317. The Xenophilia article introduced some weird playable folks (and we will get to the others, believe me), and the adu’ja are no exception. They are very much what a Lord of the Rings fan expects elves to be, but a little different. For one, they have a holistic view of the world, and expect things happen because of unrelated things - and that we have little control. This can lead to this ancient and powerful species being awfully naive.

Another thing, they ran away from the world (in their original fluff) because of the elves’ civil war (I assume this was when Lolth became Lolth). So they went into hiding, and only now come out because of goblin and orcish encroachment on the forests they live in.

Not too shabby so far. Hidden, mystical plant men. Oh, and they taught the elves what magic was, not Correlon. So that’s neat. Also, the main art we have kind of gives me Yoda vibes. Lives in a misty forest, has a cane, super old, weird and green?

Okay, now for the “weird biology” part of this. Much like everyone’s first OC back in middle school, their “hair” which is really leaves can change colors with their mood. Why pick a hair color, when you can pick ALL THE HAIR COLORS!? Their skin also changes color based on mood and season.

They’re kind of photosynthetic, and only require a quarter as much food. That’s... fun?

Also, their noses aren’t sniffers, they’re sprayers. They are used to spray out smells to show their mood (which they stole from the dang saurials!). Oh, they also have this “The Way of the Root” philosophy. They’re basically a species of druid monks. Which, druid monks could be a really fun idea. They believe everything has an innate balance, and that the world must STAY balanced, which is the only reason they leave.

An adu’ja comes back from a journey to the Realms of Man. Adu’ja Chief: You’re back early. Adu’ja Envoy: Going back out. World’s unbalanced. Chief: What? Envoy: *cocks staff like a gun, a single beetle flying off like a shotgun shell* World’s unbalanced.

Can your campaign take advantage of the adu’ja? Do you want a folk whose history runs perpendicular to the elves and their beliefs? Do you want a bunch of asexual Groot-Aang-Yodas? Maybe you don’t want elves at all, and need someone else to fill the forest niche?

To put them in 5e, I’d do the following -

+1 Con, +2 Wis. (I know the original was +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Str, but that doesn’t feel in line with PHB races for me.)

Advantage on Stealth checks in forests and wooded areas. (The Woodland Stride ability is now an 8th level ability and I didn’t want to give a character an 8th level power right out of the gate.)

Photosynthesis. As long as an adu'ja can access at least 4 hours of direct sunlight, it only requires 1/4th the normal rations. (It’s a ribbon ability, I took it whole cloth from 3e, it’ll work just as well here)

Photoregeneration. An adu'ja that rests whilst in sunlight and with access to at least a gallon of water can regrow severed arms or legs by doing nothing but rest and perform light activity; it takes 1 month to regrow a limb, half that if the adu'ja engages in complete bed rest. (Technically it’s free regeneration, but compare casting times of 1 minutes, or 10 combat rounds, and 14 days, or 210,600 combat rounds. You want to use this, you better have a backup character so we don’t have to wait.)

Skill Proficiency. You have proficiency in one of the following skills Nature, Persuasion, or Survival. (This is just condensing the weird amount of skill bonuses they have. You get one.)

Darkvision. (Why not?)

Vulnerability to Fire. When you take fire damage, you take double damage. You have disadvtange on saves against Fire spells and abilities. (Sucks being wood, doesn’t it?)

Speak with Plants. Once per day, you may cast speak with plants as the spell. (I know, a 3rd level spell at 1st level? It’s only one, and its the reason I added fire vulnerability back in)

Enjoy playing your plant people.

#adu'ja #Dungeons and Dragons #D&D #5th edition

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