Forum

[Shade]

Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off giants and their kin

Birch Tree Spirit
Medium Fey
Hit Dice: 5d6 (17 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: Fly 10 ft. (2 squares)(perfect)
Armor Class: 19 (+6 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 19, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-
Attack: Touch +8 melee (touch of insanity)
Full Attack: Touch +8 melee (touch of insanity)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Touch of insanity
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/magic or silver, gaseous form, hierophobia, immunity to magic, low-light vision, wood bond
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +10, Will +4
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 22, Con 10, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 17
Skills: Hide +14, Move Silently +14, Spot +8
Feats: Ability Focus (touch of insanity), Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Any forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral, often evil
Advancement: 6-15 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: -

An amorphous white cloud billows between the trees. A faint smell of new, green wood accompanies its passage.

Birch tree spirits are amorphous fey that are bound to wooden objects or trees. They fear druids and other wielders of natural magic, who often bind them into service as guardians.

A birch tree spirit is 5 to 6 feet in diameter and weightless.

Birch tree spirits cannot speak, but understand Sylvan and Druidic.

Combat

Birch tree spirits form cloudy pseudopods with which to touch enemies. The touch of a birch tree spirit can drive a creature insane.

Gaseous Form (Ex): A birch tree spirit's insubstantial form grants it immunity to critical hits. A birch tree spirit cannot run, but it can fly (slowly), and it is subject to winds. It cannot wear armor, manipulate solid objects, or enter water or other liquids. It can pass through small holes or narrow openings--even mere cracks. It also can occupy squares occupied by enemies.

Hierophobia (Ex): As part of the ritual that summons a birch tree spirit and binds it into its tree, it is infused with an unnatural fear of anyone who can wield natural magic. Birch tree sprits fear druids, rangers and clerics with the Plant domain. However, they have no special ability to detect natural magic and only show their fear when a spellcaster does something that draws attention to their ability. After a birch tree spirit becomes aware of a spellcaster with such spells they immediately retreat into their bonded tree or wooden object.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A birch tree spirit is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance, except as follows. When the birch tree spirit has retreated into its bonded object, it takes 1d4 points of damage per caster level from a warp wood spell. Birch tree spirits may be bound into service by a druid or cleric with the Plant domain using command plants or control plants.

Touch of Insanity (Su): A victim touched by a birch tree spirit must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or become permanently insane (as the insanity spell). The victim develops a white, leaf-shaped mark upon his or her forehead. In addition to the usual means of curing the insanity spell, remove curse or similar magic removes both the insanity and the mark. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Wood Bond (Su): Each birch tree spirit is mystically bound to a single tree or wooden object. It must never stray more than 10 feet from it. Any who do become ill and die within 4d6 hours. A birch tree spirit's bonded object or tree does not radiate magic.

A birch tree spirit can retreat into its bonded object by simply moving into the same space. While within its bonded object, a birch tree spirit loses its damage reduction and Dexterity bonus to AC, but gains hardness 5 and vulnerability to fire (+50% damage).

Originally appeared in Imagine Magazine #17 (1984).