An AD&D (2^nd Ed.) Class for Mystara

by Rick LaRue

Str +6, Dex -5, Cha -1

Treants may become Rangers up to a maximum of 14th level and druids up to 12th level.

Treants are manifestations of the life force of the forest that inhabits and "awakens" a tree of any species. Even the Treants are not sure how or why this happens, just that it does. Treants are incredibly long lived, giving them a long range perspective. As a result, they tend to do everything slowly; speak, think, make decisions and even move with careful intent. Often, they will journey deep into the forest to quietly and patiently contemplate an important decision.

Their purpose in life seems to be the care and protection of their native forest. Within the forest, they act as protectors and nurturers of local plants and animals. Although they don't interfere with the natural cycles of the forest, they will seek out unnatural disturbances and destroy them. To a Treant, the perfect forest is one in which the natural cycles are free to continue uninterrupted.

Fire, among all things is feared and hated by Treants. They are extremely susceptible to it and thus seek to avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately, fire is part of the forest's natural cycle and is thus a part of any Treant's life.

The language of Treants is slow and deliberate. It is spoken in deep, resonant voices, steeped in poetic inflections. Treants seem to enjoy this aspect of their voices and spend many hours composing rhymed and strictly metered poetry.

Although Treants can form from any species of tree, powerful oaks tend to be most common, but pines, elms and birches are not unheard of. The life force that joins with a tree to form a Treant always picks the largest and healthiest example of any species. Treants reproduce as a normal tree of its type, but its offspring are normal trees.

Treants will from time to time enter a state of dormancy, that can last from as little as a few days, to as much as many years. As a Treant ages, these periods of dormancy increase in frequency and length. When a Treant is reaching the end of its life, it will enter into dormancy and never awaken. The former shell of the Treant will continue to live for many years, but eventually, it will die like a normal tree. Treants do not see this as something to be dreaded or feared, rather as a reunion with the life force of the forest from which it was born.

Languages: Treant, common, elven, plants and animals (see below), and most other sylvan creatures.

Treants are a powerful and interesting race, perfectly suited to a forest based campaign. NPC Treants can be an excellent patron for a group of PCs providing vast amounts of adventure hooks. DMs should seriously consider using Treants as a PC race before allowing a player to create such a character.

Animate Normal Trees:

Any Treant may animate up to 2 normal trees within 60 yards. The trees have a move of 3 and attack as 12HD Treants.

Any Treant of 10^th level or higher may brew natural potions as a mage of the same level. The type of potion brewed is limited to types related to natural settings.

The appearance of Treants is such that they can disguise themselves as normal trees 90% of the time, giving them +4 to surprise others.

Treants get 2 attacks per combat round. They attack as a member of their chosen class and inflict the following damage:

Treants can converse freely with plants and forest animals as the 2^nd level priest spell Speak with Animals and the 4^th level priest spell Speak with Plants.

Attacks with fire are +4 to hit and + 1 damage to Treants. In addition, Treants save at -4 against such attacks.

Due to the nature of Treants, they cannot wear armor or wield weapons. The use of most magical and mundane items is limited to ones whose shape makes it feasible.

Due to the unusual size and appearance of Treants, creatures unaccustomed to them, react at -10 on reaction rolls (see below).

Monstrous Appearance 2 (-4 reaction)

Monstrous Size (+1 Str, -3 reactions)

Monstrous Strength (+5 Str, -3 reactions)

Treants are not superstitious by nature. Their long, slow lives tend to make them contemplative and practical. Since superstitions are usually the result of irrational fear or lack of knowledge, Although Treants have none as a race, individual Treants may have superstitions as the DM or player desire. Fire on the other hand is a rational fear for these woody creatures and thus is not considered a superstition.

As stated above, due to the Treants nature and physical shape, they can not use weapons and thus have no need for weapon proficiencies.

Treants do not begin play with any bonus non-weapon proficiencies. They may take any that are appropriate to the campaign and are not impractical due to the Treant's shape and nature.