Editing Dryad (section)

===Dragonlance===
[[Dragon Magazine]] #251 featured an article called "Beyond the Tree", which examines the dryads of the [[Dragonlance]] setting in greater depth. It also provided PC stats for Dryads under both [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 2e and for SAGA, via the "subraces" of ''Quested Dryads'' and ''Shaped Dryads''.

On Krynn, dryads come into being when an oak tree reaches an age over 50 years, at which point it may spontaneously give birth to a dryad as a spiritual symbiont. Oak trees most often produce dryads either due to the presence of a nearby threat to themselves, or as a result of the loss of an intelligent lifeform within range of the oak's roots. Dryads born from the former tend to be mischievous, whilst the latter tend to be more thoughtful.

"Quested" dryads are born different, with an innate ability to leave the immediate company of their tree and with an intuitive understanding that they have been born for a purpose that will serve nature - usually by destroying places where dark magic is warping nature. However, their lifeforce is still bound to their tree, and they can sense when it is in danger; should it be destroyed whilst they adventure, then they perish.

In comparison, "Shaped" dryads are born as a result of a dragon overlord's terraforming magic, which warps and twists the spiritual link between dryad and tree. This results in physical corruption, with skin, hair and eye colors being altered based on which dragon overlord has corrupted their realm. It also severs the link, allowed the shaped dryad to roam freely, because instead her life is connected to the corrupt magic that warped the landscape - ironically, whilst they instinctively yearn to undo this corruption, restoring the land to its natural state will probably kill them, unless they can restore their tree to true life in the process.

::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 3/17, Dexterity 6/18, Constitution 5/18, Intelligence 6/18, Wisdom /5,18 Charisma 8/18
::Racial Classes: [[Cleric]], [[Fighter]], [[Wizard]], [[Thief]], [[Ranger]], [[Fighter]]/[[Mage]], [[Fighter]]/[[Cleric]], [[Fighter]]/[[Thief]], [[Fighter]]/[[Mage]]/[[Thief]], [[Mage]]/[[Cleric]], [[Mage]]/[[Thief]]
::Quested Dryads can cast Charm Person 3/day, 1/ round, and targets suffer a -3 penalty to saving throws.
::Quested Dryads can cast Speak With Plants 3/day.
::Shaped Dryads gain access to a Sphere or School, and damage resistance, based on their region of origin:
:::Beryl's Realm: Animal Sphere, Poison Resistance
:::Gellidus's Realm: Evocation School, Cold Resistance
:::Khellendros's realm: Evocation, Heat Resistance
:::Malys's realm: Elemental (Fire), Fire Resistance
:::Sable's Realm: Elemental (Water), Acid Resistance
::Dryad Warriors of either subrace can only specialize in the use of the Dagger and the Shortbow.
::Quested Dryads whose home tree is threatened must answer its summons to defend it, or die within 6d6 hours.
:::Shaped Dryads cannot use a certain school/sphere of magic, and suffer a -5 penalty to saves vs. a certain kind of attack based on which realm they hail from:
:::Beryl's Realm: Necromancy, Spells
:::Gellidus's Realm: Elemental (Fire), Heat
:::Khellendros's realm: Elemental (Earth), Cold
:::Malys's realm: Elemental (Water), Cold
:::Sable's Realm: Elemental (Air), Poison