Tree-Friend - General Prestige Class

This is a general Prestige class that may be applicable to the Forgotten Realms Campaign

Although she cares for the forest as a whole, a dryad is bound to a single tree with which she shares her soul. Anyone who helps protect the woodlands is a friend to the elusive fey creature, but one who protects the dryad's own tree is also a personal benefactor and savior.

A tree-friend is a member of a cult that has assumed responsibility for the protection of one or more dryad trees as well as the surrounding woodlands. A tree-friend's devotion to the woodlands in general and to dryads in particular is unsurpassed. When the eternal glades are in peril, he moves as quietly as a leaf falling in autumn and strikes with the strength of the mighty oak. Woe to those who feel the wrath of a tree-friend, for it is like the fury of nature itself.

Tree-friends are often organized into loose bands that monitor specific areas. Each member of the group operates independently but assists the others as needed. Larger groups of tree-friends are called branches; smaller ones are known as twigs. The eldest tree-friends usually assume positions of leadership, directing watches and overseeing the laying of defensive traps and snares.

Most tree-friends were once rangers or druids, but some were clerics of nature deities. Forest-dwelling barbarians also tend to be protective of the wild lands, so they too might find this prestige class an intriguing option for advancement.

If an NPC tree-friend believes that intruders intend harm to his charges, he might follow them for miles, keeping just out of sight, then turn the task of monitoring them over to the next member of his branch or twig. In combat, he uses the cover of the forest to best advantage, striking from concealment to minimize losses.

Hit Die: d10

To qualify to become a Tree-Friend, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Tree-Friend Details

From: Dragon #307

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