Guardians and emissaries of the environment, leshies are immortal spirits of nature temporarily granted a physical form.
The first beings to create leshys were green men, sometimes referred to as leshy kings. These legendary guardians emerge when countless spirits of nature merge and rise to divinity. Many green men discovered how to draw upon the connection they held with other spirits of nature, coaxing them into physical forms. These early leshys worked alongside green men to defend their verdant homes. Though modern leshys have far more varied motivations, many still respect and revere the gods that first gave them a chance at mortal life. Leshies are self-sufficient from the moment the ritual ends, and so they do not depend upon these druids for care, though it is not uncommon for leshies to maintain lifelong bonds with their creators.
While green men were indifferent to most non-plant creatures, they didn't scorn the assistance of druids. In time, some green men taught trusted allies a version of the ritual to create leshys.
Not all leshies have a strong enough spirit to strike off completely on their own, however. Weaker nature spirits can form only tenuous bonds that are just strong enough to animate Tiny bodies. These spirits become leshy familiars, acting as companions to their druid creators. Independent leshies are often protective of such leshy familiars, advocating for them to be treated with dignity and respect.
Physical Description
Leshies are as varied as the material used to create their vessels, usually appearing as a bizarre mishmash of various plants or fungi. Their bodies are vaguely humanoid in shape, with numerous characteristics of the plant or fungus from which they were made. A typical leshy is about 3 feet tall. Due to the nature of the ritual used to create a leshy, leshies begin their lives as adults. As spirits, they do not age, and a leshy could potentially remain in the same vessel forever—though leshies rarely consider this outcome to be desirable.
Society
Though guardian leshies often congregate, traveling leshies are not naturally drawn to others of their own kind. To most leshies, the concept of family is not a matter of birth, but rather determined by bonds of loyalty and friendship. Leshies are dedicated allies, but they have little tolerance for those who would despoil nature. As much as they are happy to accept someone who earns their trust into their family, they expect family members to look out for them and their natural wards in return. A betrayed leshy might not directly attack those who slight them, but they might withdraw support at a critical moment or leave their betrayers to get lost in the wilderness.
Leshies are grouped into categories akin to ethnicities, but these are not connected to physical features; rather, they represent broad categories of characteristics of their spirits. Certain spirits are more likely to gravitate toward particular physical bodies, though those familiar with leshies know that this predisposition is far from absolute. Leshies often take pride in their own appearances and appreciate beauty of all kinds in others, but they rarely form judgments based on physical appearance. Leshies’ genders are determined by the spirits that inhabit their bodies. Leshies tend to gravitate toward plant bodies that match their genders. Some leshies are exclusively male or female, while many consider themselves both. Others, particularly fungus leshies, tend toward far more complex expressions of gender, or eschew the concept entirely.
Religion
Religion is not particularly significant to most leshies. Those with a philosophical bent lean toward The Dread Wolf or The Hunter. Some leshies also venerate green men, powerful spirits of nature that act as regional guardians.
Adventurers
Some backgrounds are particularly suitable for adventuring leshies, especially those backgrounds with a tie to the natural world, such as hunter, nomad, or scout. Nature-themed classes such as druid and ranger are popular choices for leshies. As druids, leshies gravitate toward the leaf order. Bard is also a good fit for leshies with a love of storytelling; such leshies often inhabit vine leshy bodies.
Names
Leshies choose and change their names multiple times throughout their lives. These names often represent a facet of their personalities or values, though another common naming convention is to use descriptions of a natural feature they admire. Some leshies even use a cycle of names that changes to align with natural phenomena, such as names based upon the season or the time of day.
Sample Names
Leshy Mechanics
Traits
Hit Points
8
Size
Small
Speed
25 feet
Ability Boosts
Constitution, Wisdom, Free
Ability Flaw(s)
Intelligence
Languages
Common, Sylvan
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from Elemental, Runic, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Low-Light Vision
You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.
Plant Nourishment
Leshy Heritages
You select a heritage at 1st level to reflect abilities passed down to you from your ancestors or common among those of your ancestry in the environment where you were born or grew up. You have only one heritage and can’t change it later. A heritage is not the same as a culture or ethnicity, though some cultures or ethnicities might have more or fewer members from a particular heritage.
Cactus Leshy
Spines cover your body. You gain a spine unarmed attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage. Your spines are in the brawling group and have the finesse and unarmed traits.
Fruit Leshy
Your body continually produces small fruits imbued with primal magic. At dawn each day, a new fruit ripens. You or an ally can remove this fruit as an Interact action. If a living creature that can derive sustenance from fruit consumes it as an Interact action within the next hour, they regain 1d8 Hit Points, plus an additional 1d8 Hit Points for every 2 of your levels beyond 1st. This effect has the healing, necromancy, and positive traits.
Fungus Leshy
Your body was made from fungi that grows in the shade of caves and trees, and you are at home in dark caverns and warrens. You gain darkvision. You lose the plant trait and gain the fungus trait.
Gourd Leshy
You have a large gourd for a skull. Your knowledge comes from within your spirit, rather than a physical brain, and you have found a handier use for the space inside your head. You can store a collection of up to 1 Bulk of objects within your head. The DC of checks to Steal objects from inside your head increases by 4. Additionally, if you store only one object within your head, you can draw it effortlessly into your hand as part of another action to use the object. Drawing the item grants this other action the manipulate trait.
Leaf Leshy
Your body is made mostly from natural foliage, and like a leaf tumbling from a tree, you land from falls with particular grace. You take no damage from falling, regardless of the distance you fall.
Lotus Leshy
You effortlessly float on the surface of water. You can walk on the surface of still water and other non-damaging liquids, moving at half your normal Speed. You can attempt to walk along the surface of flowing water as well, still moving at half Speed, but doing so requires a successful Acrobatics check to Balance using the DC of a Swim check to move through the water; on a failure, you fall into the water. This Acrobatics check doesn't use an action.
Root Leshy
Your body is made from hardy roots that attach you firmly to the ground. You gain 10 Hit Points from your ancestry instead of 8. You can go without sunlight for 2 weeks before you begin to starve. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your Fortitude or Reflex DC against attempts to Shove or Trip you. This bonus also applies to saving throws against spells or effects that attempt to move you or knock you prone.
Seaweed Leshy
Your body is made from woven seaweed, and you're just as comfortable underwater as on land. You gain a swim Speed of 20 feet, and you can always breathe underwater. However, your land Speed is reduced by 5 feet (to 20 feet for most seaweed leshys).
Vine Leshy
The prehensile vines woven into your body grant you unmatched skill at climbing. You do not need to have any hands free to Climb. Additionally, if you roll a success on an Athletics check to Climb, you get a critical success instead.
Leshy Feats
At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat.
Ageless Spirit (Feat 1)
Leshy |
You remember more about your previous incarnations than most leshys. During your daily preparations, you can meditate upon fragmentary memories of your past lives to gain the trained proficiency rank in one skill of your choice. This proficiency lasts until you prepare again. Since this proficiency is temporary, you can't use it as a prerequisite for a skill increase or a permanent character option like a feat.
Grasping Reach (Feat 1)
Leshy |
You can extend a tangle of vines or tendrils to support your arms and extend your reach. When you wield a melee weapon that requires two hands, doesn’t have reach, and deals at least 1d6 damage, you can change between a typical two-handed grip and an extended two-handed grasp using an Interact action. Weapons wielded in your extended grasp gain reach of 10 feet. This grasp is less stable and powerful than a typical grip, reducing the weapon’s damage die by 1 step.
Leshy Lore (Feat 1)
Leshy |
You deeply understand your people’s cultural traditions and innate strengths. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Nature and Stealth. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Leshy Lore.
Leshy Superstition [R] (Feat 1)
Leshy |
Trigger You attempt a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, but haven't rolled yet.
You notice spirits that inhabit objects, learning which bring good fortune and which are unlucky. You focus on the power of a lucky object, granting you a +1 circumstance bonus to your saving throw against the triggering effect.
Seedpod (Feat 1)
Leshy |
Your body produces a nearly endless supply of hard seedpods. You gain a seedpod ranged unarmed attack with a range increment of 10 feet that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage; these Strikes have the manipulate trait. On a critical hit, a seedpod bursts, issuing forth a tangle of vegetation that imposes a –10-foot circumstance penalty on the target's Speed for 1 round. Seedpods do not add critical specialization effects.
Note A cactus leshy can choose to shoot needles instead of seeds, dealing piercing damage instead of bludgeoning.
Shadow of the Wilds (Feat 1)
Leshy |
It’s difficult to notice your passage through wild areas. As long as you’re not in an urban environment, you’re always considered to be Covering Tracks, even if you chose a different activity in exploration mode.
Undaunted (Feat 1)
Leshy |
Your spirit has endured many challenges over its long existence, and you are certain you can overcome whatever hardships life throws your way. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against emotion effects. If you roll a success on a saving throw against an emotion effect, you get a critical success instead.
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