Nymph
Fine kid, I’ll tell you a story. Long ago, when I was your age, I was prancing around in the forest. After a while, I found my self in a clearing. I grew suddenly tired so I lay against a tree. Before I knew it, I was blinking awake and it was sunset, and standing in front of me was a woman. Her skin was tinted green; her hair was messy and filled with leaves. She spoke to me in a language I didn’t understand. I tried to respond but the words would not leave my mouth. She smiled, turned, and left. I saw her walk into a tree across the clearing. She just melded with it. Ever since that day I knew the trees were alive. Remember that kid, it’s the greatest lesson I’ve ever learned.
—Jeff the Carpenter
Nymphs are descendants of nature spirits. They have inherited their ancestors’ ability to meld with certain aspects of nature. They often seem out of touch with the world because they spend so much time communing with the flora and fauna of the wild. Many archdruids are weaker nymphs whose ancestry is so diluted that they have lost most of their fey connection.
Reflections of Nature
The nymphs of long ago were descended from powerful gods of nature. When they were born they divided themselves among different parts of the world.
The nymphs presided over various phenomena, from springs, to clouds, trees, meadows, caverns, and beaches, or even the stars. And, just like their predecessors, their
personalities often reflect the part of nature their spirit is connected to. Oreads are often strong, calm, and cold; dryads are sturdy, rough, and wise; naiads are quick, flighty, and charming.
When creating a nymph character consider your adventurer’s relationships with nature. Do they try to repress their strange abilities, or do they show them off to impress others? Are they adventuring to escape their past, or to find it? Do they have connections to other nymphs, or are they alone and trying to figure out why they are the way they are?
Born with Power
Many nymphs have innate sorcerous abilities that are related to their spiritual phenomenon. Aurae can speak to the wind, commanding it to follow their will; asteriae can create light like a star; nereids can speak to sea creatures and bend them to their command. These powers shape how a nymph will choose a profession in the real world. Perhaps the nereids lean towards fishing because they can command the fish to flow into their net. Or maybe a dryad would be sought by a king to help a forest from being poisoned.
The nymphs are not only born with magical powers but often also political power. Nymphs are often born into noble families because kings and noblemen would try to satisfy them to bring good luck upon their kingdom. Additionally, on their travels, adventurers often come upon nymphs during quests.
When playing a nymph character consider why they decided to adventure. Did they want to follow in their parent’s footsteps? Maybe they wanted to find a cure to a poison that’s hurting their river or tree.
Nymph Names
The names of the nymph are usually reflective of the part of nature they are connected to. Sometimes nymphs also have normal names that they put at the start of their name to keep their nymph nature secret (eg. Andy Willow). However, more often than not, they only have one name.
Names: Juniper, Aella, Anemone, Thunder, Stone, Peak, Oak, Zephyr, Ash, Onyx, Summit, Crack, Crag, Bubble, Brook, Bambi, Mull.
Optional Restriction: Females Only
In many myths and legends, nymphs were minor female only goddesses. In some games the DM may restrict you to only be able to play this race if your character is female.
Nymph Traits
Your nymph character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score is increased by 2.
Age. Nymphs are created through natural magic, and are born fully grown. There has not been a documented nymph who has died of old age.
Alignment. Nymphs often don’t like to conform to society; they value freedom and diversity, so they tend to lean towards chaos. However, it is just as likely to find an evil nymph as a good one.
Size. Due to the reflective nature of the nymphs, they can range from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Ageless Apparent. As an almost immortal creature, age is just a construct to you. As such, at the end of a long rest, you may change your apparent age. You cannot change your size in this way.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Subrace. The part of nature that your spirit connects to can shape a nymph’s body and soul. The four major subraces of nymph include: dryads, oreads, aurae, and naiads. This document also includes asteriae and lampads in addition to the other nymph subraces to choose from.
Alseid
Alseid are the offspring of the meadows and fields. Their warmth and kindness are infectious. Alseid are a humble folk and often enjoy working on farms.
Meadow nymphs have sun tanned skin and corn colored hair. Their eyes are often hazel or green.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score is increased by 1.
Healing Hands. As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level.
Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Masked in the Field. You can attempt to hide even while only lightly obscured by grass. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to do so.
Radiant Resistance. You have resistance to radiant damage.
Asteria
Asteriae are descendants of the gods and goddesses of the constellations. Most asteriae are connected to a random star in the sky, but some of the more powerful ones may be connected to part of a constellation. Asteriae are often bright, happy, and willing to help others.
The most striking thing about asteriae is their eyes, glossy and without pupils and either silver or black.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score is increased by 1.
Light Bringer. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell, and upon reaching 5th level, you can cast the moonbeam spell. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Starry Eyes. Your heritage makes you want to be friends with everyone. You have proficiency in a Charisma skill of your choice.
Aurae
The descendants of the wind gods are quick and light. Aurae are speedy creatures, as fast as the wind and just as quick tounged.
The windborn often have fair skin and hair of all kinds. Windborn are very fidgety for they all contain the energy of the wind inside of them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 1.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Light as Air. You are permanently under the effects of the feather fall spell.
Wind Sense. As an action, you can become one with the wind for 1 minute. While you are in this state, you gain a blindsense of 60 feet. You may use this ability once and regain the ability to do so.
Dryad
As a dryad, progeny of the ancient trees, you have an innate connecting to the flora and fauna of the world. Some dryads are like willows, their opinions bend and flow with the wind. On the other hand, some are like oaks, strong and unchanging in their decisions.
Typically, dryads have dark brown or green hair and dark skin, sometimes tinted green. Their bodies often have bark growing on pieces or even large portions skin.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score is increased by 1.
Tree Step. On your turn, you can expend all of your movement to step magically into one living tree within your reach and emerge in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a second living tree within 100 feet of the first tree. Both trees must be at least one size larger than you. This movement
does not provoke opportunity attacks. You may use this ability once and regain the ability to do so upon finishing a short or long rest.
Wild Influence. You know the druidcraft cantrip. In addition, you gain the ability to communicate simply with Small or smaller beasts, and plants.
Lampad
Spirits of the afterlife, lampads are creatures of the dark and descendants of gods of death. Lampads have a ghostly connection to the prime material and seem to be in both planes at once sometimes.
Lampads often appear with ghostly pale skin and grey and black hair. Their eyes seem almost lifeless most of the time and appear to gaze into the souls of regular people.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score is increased by 1.
Corpse Step. On your turn, you can expend all of your movement to step magically into one dead humanoid corpse within your reach and emerge in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of a second humanoid corpse within 100 feet of the first corpse. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. You may use this ability once and regain the ability to do so upon finishing a short or long rest.
Foot in the Styx. You know the chill touch cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the blur spell, and upon reaching 5th level, you can cast the gentle repose spell. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Oread
As children of the gods of fire and earth, oreads relate to the unmovable strength of boulders, the burning heat of volcanoes, and the unrelenting power of rock slides.
Oreads have rough, light skin and dark hair. Even when cut and bruised, they don’t bleed very much. Some oread have magma like cracks going across their whole bodies.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score is increased by 1.
Fire Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
Masked in Fire. You can attempt to hide even while only lightly obscured by any source of fire. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to do so.
Rough Skin. Your rough, stony skin is harder to break through. While you are not wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
Naiad
Descendants of the naiads and nereids, water nymphs have either a love of the sea or of rivers. This is what divides them into two categories: nereids and naiads. Nereids connect strongly with the salty waters of the deep sea, while naiads are as quick and bubbly as a fast-flowing stream.
Water nymphs often have pale or light blue skin and silver or blue hair. Sometimes their hair floats as if the water nymphs were underwater.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 1.
Bubble Speech. You can speak to any creature that has an innate swimming speed as if you shared a language.
Water Born. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet and you can breathe both air and water.
Masked in Water. You can attempt to hide even while only lightly obscured by any source of water. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to do so.
Credits
Created by: u/Dragoborn93
Art: Leafcrown Dryad by Volkan Baga and Mermaids by Steve Argyle