Dryad mystery [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dryad mystery [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Farealmer
10-22-04, 03:27 AM Hi all you monsterous folks, farealmer here. Does anyone know how dryads are created, i know they come from old oak trees, but how? Do they grow from the tree, grow from a oak seed, or just spontaniously appear. And how are they supposed to all of a sudden have clothes when they don't have any of the materials or equipment to make them. Thats always bugged me about fey most are nature spirits but they can have things that aren't even out in the wild. It's not like they can just strole on into town and ask, when most places are probably miles away, 300 yards isn't a large area. Could someone clear things up for me.
Aeolius
10-22-04, 10:56 AM Dryads come from other dryads. It has been suggested in various editions of D&D that dryads and satyrs often pair to produce children, while other sources say that a dryad can produce daughters by either human or elven fathers.
Elendur
10-22-04, 03:03 PM In general, female only races (medusa, harpy, dryad, nymph) reproduce by mating with humanoid males.

In the dryad's case, a sapling is planted when the dryad becomes pregnant, and the baby bonds to the spirit of this tree.
Melpomene
10-22-04, 03:17 PM I do like your concept, Elendur, but I have to dissent. It has always been my opinion that fey are like elementals, borne of the raw stuff of magic, springing into being as the power of the natural world compells them to.
Shemeska the Marauder
10-22-04, 06:12 PM In general, female only races (medusa, harpy, dryad, nymph) reproduce by mating with humanoid males.

Actually there are male medusa called Maedar. They appear like the females but with little or no snakes for hair, an immunity to the females gaze, and a weaker version of the gaze themselves. They are rarely seen outside of their lairs with a female. 3e stats for them havn't been forthcoming, though one of the main characters of a recent FR novel was in fact a maedar, though it wasn't till the last few pages of the book that we found that out.
Morka
10-23-04, 06:41 PM Actually there are male medusa called Maedar. They appear like the females but with little or no snakes for hair, an immunity to the females gaze, and a weaker version of the gaze themselves. They are rarely seen outside of their lairs with a female. 3e stats for them havn't been forthcoming, though one of the main characters of a recent FR novel was in fact a maedar, though it wasn't till the last few pages of the book that we found that out.

There are unoficial 3.0 & 3.5 stats for the Maedars at The Enworld Creature Catalog (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/index.php).
Elendur
10-24-04, 03:12 PM I do like your concept, Elendur, but I have to dissent. It has always been my opinion that fey are like elementals, borne of the raw stuff of magic, springing into being as the power of the natural world compells them to.Well, I was just ripping off David Eddings :) Your idea makes just as much sense. Perhaps in magical forests, all trees of a certain age generate a dryad spirit. Since it isn't discussed in the MM, we are free to make up whatever breeding habits we wish.
malykoth
10-27-04, 04:39 PM In our campaign world, when an ent (sorry, I mean treant...ugh) produces a seed/nut/etc., the sapling that is produced is will probably be just an ordinary tree, but on rare occasion the young tree will produce a dryad. The same thing works in reverse...some of the saplings from a dryad's tree (not many, maybe two or three it's entire lifespan) will evolve into treants.
Aerunation
10-27-04, 04:50 PM They come from the plane of Faerie:).... Fey are nature spirits. Magical in being. The manual of the planed has an alternate cosmology plane called "Faerie". I use this in the game I run. Simply called "FaerieWorld". It replaces the astral and links the material to the outer:). So I'd have to say it's campaign specific.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Farealmer 10-22-04, 03:27 AM	Hi all you monsterous folks, farealmer here. Does anyone know how dryads are created, i know they come from old oak trees, but how? Do they grow from the tree, grow from a oak seed, or just spontaniously appear. And how are they supposed to all of a sudden have clothes when they don't have any of the materials or equipment to make them. Thats always bugged me about fey most are nature spirits but they can have things that aren't even out in the wild. It's not like they can just strole on into town and ask, when most places are probably miles away, 300 yards isn't a large area. Could someone clear things up for me.
Aeolius 10-22-04, 10:56 AM	Dryads come from other dryads. It has been suggested in various editions of D&D that dryads and satyrs often pair to produce children, while other sources say that a dryad can produce daughters by either human or elven fathers.
Elendur 10-22-04, 03:03 PM	In general, female only races (medusa, harpy, dryad, nymph) reproduce by mating with humanoid males. In the dryad's case, a sapling is planted when the dryad becomes pregnant, and the baby bonds to the spirit of this tree.
Melpomene 10-22-04, 03:17 PM	I do like your concept, Elendur, but I have to dissent. It has always been my opinion that fey are like elementals, borne of the raw stuff of magic, springing into being as the power of the natural world compells them to.
Shemeska the Marauder 10-22-04, 06:12 PM	In general, female only races (medusa, harpy, dryad, nymph) reproduce by mating with humanoid males. Actually there are male medusa called Maedar. They appear like the females but with little or no snakes for hair, an immunity to the females gaze, and a weaker version of the gaze themselves. They are rarely seen outside of their lairs with a female. 3e stats for them havn't been forthcoming, though one of the main characters of a recent FR novel was in fact a maedar, though it wasn't till the last few pages of the book that we found that out.
Morka 10-23-04, 06:41 PM	Actually there are male medusa called Maedar. They appear like the females but with little or no snakes for hair, an immunity to the females gaze, and a weaker version of the gaze themselves. They are rarely seen outside of their lairs with a female. 3e stats for them havn't been forthcoming, though one of the main characters of a recent FR novel was in fact a maedar, though it wasn't till the last few pages of the book that we found that out. There are unoficial 3.0 & 3.5 stats for the Maedars at The Enworld Creature Catalog (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/index.php).
Elendur 10-24-04, 03:12 PM	I do like your concept, Elendur, but I have to dissent. It has always been my opinion that fey are like elementals, borne of the raw stuff of magic, springing into being as the power of the natural world compells them to.Well, I was just ripping off David Eddings :) Your idea makes just as much sense. Perhaps in magical forests, all trees of a certain age generate a dryad spirit. Since it isn't discussed in the MM, we are free to make up whatever breeding habits we wish.
malykoth 10-27-04, 04:39 PM	In our campaign world, when an ent (sorry, I mean treant...ugh) produces a seed/nut/etc., the sapling that is produced is will probably be just an ordinary tree, but on rare occasion the young tree will produce a dryad. The same thing works in reverse...some of the saplings from a dryad's tree (not many, maybe two or three it's entire lifespan) will evolve into treants.
Aerunation 10-27-04, 04:50 PM	They come from the plane of Faerie:).... Fey are nature spirits. Magical in being. The manual of the planed has an alternate cosmology plane called "Faerie". I use this in the game I run. Simply called "FaerieWorld". It replaces the astral and links the material to the outer:). So I'd have to say it's campaign specific.