Um... There's an Undead Dryad at the Door...

[ThaDium]

Hey All,

I've been away for a while. Stupid life... Any way, I need help templating out an idea I've got.

My idea is that a dryad's tree was used to create a huge door as the gate to an evil fortress. The makers knew what they were doing, and managed to turn the dryad into an undead minion before cutting down the tree and using it as their door. Consequently, she is still bound to the door and is forever the guardian of the keep's main entrance.

My question is, what undead template would work best with this concept? What thoughts do people have on how her powers might change? (I'm thinking I'll let her entangle with tapestries and such, "tree stride" becomes "door stride".) Anything else?

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I'm fried from looking at it for some reason.

-ThaDium

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Undead Fay. I don't hear that come up very often. Actually, I don't think I've ever heard of this. Nice.

What CR are you aiming for?

Hm... Maybe like a Banshee? Perhaps not as powerful.

Forgotten Realms Dragons of Faerun has a Spectral Creature template for an incorporeal undead for a list of non-humanoid types, but Fay isn't on that list.

Libris Mortus's Umbral template? Also for non-humanoids, but Fay again are not on the list.

I keep imagining incorporeal for some reason, but I'm not sure what your vision would be.

 

[ThaDium]

Hey Rumbletiger! I was hoping to hear from you.

My brain keeps going incorporeal too, but then she seems to have a physical claw-like attack. As for CR, the PCs won't be likely to encounter her until at least 12th level, but that doesn't mean the CR needs to be that high. It's a cool enough concept that a lower CR is fine as long as I mix in other minions and thugs.

I'll look over banshees for inspiration. I hadn't thought of that. It's a good direction to head in.

 

[Fallenibilis]

The only undead template I can remember that includes fey is 'Monstrous Vampire'. Basically the same thing as normal vampire but fey, dragons, giants, magical beasts, animals, and aberrations can be augmented.

Fallenibilis

 

[Stormonu]

Vampire was the one that came to mind at first, though making her a banshee seems a good idea as well.

 

[amerigoV]

I'll look over banshees for inspiration. I hadn't thought of that. It's a good direction to head in.

Banshee sounds like a great direction (but I might be biased - I just finished ME 3 and banshees made me (the player) cringe when I would hear that screeching wail - nasty).

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

For me, there's an inherent sadness and tragedy in the Banshee, and I'd feel the same way about the Dryad in this situation.

 

[ThaDium]

For me, there's an inherent sadness and tragedy in the Banshee, and I'd feel the same way about the Dryad in this situation.

I completely agree. The sadness, I think, is part of what gives the idea the potential to be so memorable as an encounter.

 

[Storminator]

To really make that work, the players should understand what's happening. Preferably before it's over.

Whatever template you use, you should make the tie to the door strong - maybe even have sundering the door be the best way to defeat her. Use the idea that killing the tree is the quickest way to kill the dryad, even if she's undead.

PS

 

[ksbsnowowl]

My brain keeps going incorporeal too, but then she seems to have a physical claw-like attack.

What about the Phantom template from MM5? Though it does not change the creature's type, it gives it some incorporeal properties. The Dryad would get the lesser abilities, but if you gave her two class levels, her base CR would become 5, and she would gain the greater abilities.

Also, look into the special material Live Wood (Live Oak?) from Eberron. It specifically allowed the bonded Dryad to survive the cutting down of her oak, and was tied to the object created from her tree.