Leshy (Uncommon)

About Uncommon Ancestries

While humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, goblins, and halflings can be found in most locales, some ancestries are still unusual sights outside of specific environments. As a result, although these peoples may be well known or even dominant in various regions of the world, they are not commonly found in all parts region. This ancestry is therefore uncommon for adventurers. This rarity trait applies specifically to the rules to play a member of this ancestry, and it is separate from the monster rarity that determines how obscure information about a creature is.

While this ancestry is uncommon in the same way a magic item, a feat, or a spell is, an ancestry is something you choose at the beginning of the campaign. Specific campaigns might provide a list of uncommon ancestries that are particularly appropriate for that setting, such as hobgoblins in a campaign set near Oprak, or lizardfolk for a campaign in the Mwangi Expanse, and grant access to those ancestries. In other games, these ancestries are as available as your group desires them to be.

Spirits granted a plant body by magic, many leshies prefer to remain within the wild realms that they came from, but more and more of them are being created in response to rising threats affecting the outside world. While some leshies dedicate their lives to protecting precious natural sites and communing with their spiritual roots, others seek to explore, drifting like seeds on the wind. Leshies are still odd sights within cities or among adventuring organizations, but they are beginning to shyly set foot into these new and strange environments. As immortal spirits of nature, leshies have a long life span, and as a result their population is rising despite the dangers they face. Each time these spirits infuse a new body, they set aside most memories of their previous existences, and thus leshies believe that each new life provides a unique opportunity for growth and discovery.

Guardians and emissaries of the environment, leshies are immortal spirits of nature temporarily granted a physical form.

Leshies are “born” when a skilled druid or other master of primal magic conducts a ritual to create a suitable vessel, and then a spirit chooses that vessel to be their temporary home. 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.

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.

You Might…

• Act as a traveling agent for natural guardians who are unable to leave their territories.
• Encourage civilizations you encounter to cooperate with nature and build their cities in ecologically friendly ways.
• Become attached to new friends you make on your journeys.

Others Probably…

• Think of you as a curiosity due to your spiritual origins.
• Judge you by your looks, treating you sweetly if you are cute or reacting with horror if you are frightening.
• Assume you know only about nature and are unfamiliar with civilization and society.

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.

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.

Alignment and Religion

A leshy can be of any alignment, depending on what spirit inhabits their body, but their outlook often includes a neutral element. Religion is not particularly significant to most leshies.

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 Scarlet in Summer, Verdant Taleweaver, Lurking Hunter, Masterful Sun Drinker, Noon Sky Evening Song, Snowy Pine Branch, Cascading Rapids

Leshy Heritages

A leshy’s heritage represents the benefits they gain from their body. Choose one of the following leshy heritages at 1st level.

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.

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.

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 Subtypes

Leshy spirits can inhabit a variety of bodies: leaf, fungus, and gourd leshies are the most common. Leaf leshies tend to be brave, while fungus leshies are often gruff but open-minded, and gourd leshies are often superstitious.

Vine leshies are relatively rare, but as the spirits drawn to vine leshy bodies tend to be storytellers, they are well represented among adventuring leshies. Other leshy varieties include cactus, flytrap, fruit, lichen, lotus, root, seaweed, seed, snapdragon, and sunflower leshies.

Leshy Ancestry Feats

At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a leshy, you select from among the following ancestry feats.

1st Level

Grasping Reach Feat 1

Source PLOCG

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.

Harmlessly Cute Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Leshy

Your size and demeanor make it easy for you to convince others that you mean no harm. You gain the Shameless Request skill feat as a bonus feat. Additionally, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to initiative checks when you roll Deception for initiative.

Leshy Lore Feat 1

Source PLOCG

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 [reaction] Feat 1

Source PLOCG

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

Source PLOCG

Leshy

Your body produces a nearly endless supply of hard seedpods. You gain a seedpod ranged unarmed attack 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.

Shadow of The Wilds Feat 1

Source PLOCG

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

Source PLOCG

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.

5th Level

Leshy Glide [one-action] Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Leshy

Prerequisite(s): leaf leshy heritage or Cat Fall skill feat

Using your own leaves, you can control your descent. You glide slowly toward the ground, 5 feet down and up to 25 feet forward through the air. As long as you spend at least 1 action gliding each round and have not yet reached the ground, you remain in the air at the end of your turn.

Ritual Reversion [two-actions] Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Leshy Polymorph

Primal Transmutation

You can temporarily revert to a less conspicuous form without diminishing your senses.

You take the form of an ordinary specimen of the type of plant or fungus that most closely resembles you, reverting to your body’s appearance just before your spirit joined with it. This otherwise has the effects of tree shape, except that your size remains Small.

Speak With Kindred Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Leshy

You have a connection with creatures that share your physiology.

You can ask questions of, receive answers from, and use the Diplomacy skill with plants or fungi that match your leshy heritage. Generally, fungus leshies can speak to mushrooms and fungi; gourd leshies can speak to gourds, melons, and similar fruiting plants; leaf leshies can speak with deciduous trees; and vine leshies can speak with vines and climbing plants. The GM determines which plants or fungi count for this ability.

9th Level

Bark And Tendril Feat 9

Source PLOCG

Leshy

You wield primal magic.

You can cast barkskin and entangle as 2nd-level primal innate spells once per day each.

Lucky Keepsake Feat 9

Source PLOCG

Leshy

Prerequisite(s): Leshy Superstition

You have a keepsake that grants you luck.

You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against spells and magical effects at all times, not just when you use Leshy Superstition. If you lose the keepsake, you lose the bonus until you designate a new keepsake, typically over the course of a week.

Solar Rejuvenation Feat 9

Source PLOCG

Leshy

If you rest outdoors for 10 minutes during the day, you regain Hit Points equal to your Constitution modifier × half your level. You gain this benefit in addition to any healing from Treat Wounds. Leshies whose plant nourishment does not rely on photosynthesis require a similarly suitable environment. For example, fungus leshies need dark, damp environments and a pile of decaying plant matter.