HAMADRYAD
by Ed Greenwood
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 16?
HIT DICE: 4
% IN LAIR: 5%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 weapon
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic resistance,
spell-like abilities
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV/ 175 + 4/hp
This extremely rare creature is a guard-
ian of the woodlands, found only in old,
vast forests far from civilization. Like a
dryad, a hamadryad is linked to an
individ-
ual oak tree and will quickly die if the tree is
destroyed. But unlike a dryad, a hamadryad
can leave the vicinity of the oak tree and
travel any distance from the tree. A hama-
dryad often carries daggers or daggerlike
weapons.
Hamadryads dislike non-forest environ-
ments intensely and almost never leave
wooded areas. They prefer well water or
mineral water, and derive energy from
sunlight through the chlorophyll in their
bright green hair. Shorn or dungeon-
imprisoned hamadryads will die in 10-20
days if they cannot get sunlight and are not
allowed to regrow their hair.
Hamadryads appear to be beautiful elven
or human females, but have deep, sparkling
green eyes and long green hair. They are
shy but noble of manner, and they rarely
speak. They will often cooperate with rang-
ers and druids, acting first to protect their
own woods. Hamadryads can use the fol-
lowing powers at will, one per round: ani-
mal friendship, entangle, pass without
trace, speak with animals, and quench fire
(16? square area of effect). They will always
successfully detect snares and pits, and
cannot be entangled. They can dimension
door from any tree to any other tree (maxi-
mum range of this ability is 66?), and can
enter inside any living tree. Hamadryads
will always see non-real trees (such as those
caused by a massmorph or tree spell) for
what they truly are. They also recognize
treants and treant-controlled trees on sight.
Once a day, a hamadryad can cast a hold
plant spell, and thrice per day can cast a
powerful charm person spell (save vs. magic
at -3). If a person is taken away by a hama-
dryad, he will be compelled to perform one
service (usually aid in protecting the wood-
lands from woodcutters or the like), and wil
then be released in the depths of the forest
in a dryad grove, whereupon he may be
charmed in turn by a dryad. If not, no
forest creature of good or neutral alignment
will attack the person if he does not bother
them and is attempting to leave the forest.
If a hamadryad enters a tree which contains
a druid (cf. pass plant
and plant door
spells), she can charm that druid if she so
wishes with great efficacy (save at -6). She
can converse with the druid normally, and
there is room for both within the tree.
Hamadryads speak the tongue of dryads,
elves, pixies, sprites, and can speak with
plants. Sometimes (33%) they can speak the
Common tongue as well (having learned it
from charmed individuals). Hamadryads
are 90% likely to speak each of the follow-
ing languages as well: centaur, faun, treant-
ish, and the druidic secret language.
Hamadryads are immune to the effects of a
call woodland beings spell, but will feel its
summons and will usually (90% of the time)
go to the caster?s location to observe; they
give aid of their own free will.
Hamadryads give any treasure they gain
to dryads. They have exact knowledge of
the forest in which they dwell.
A hamadryad's tree is always old and
large, but does not radiate magic. The
hamadryad will rarely fight other woodland
creatures and is most friendly with dryads
and treants. She will often aid the latter
with her quench fire abilities.
The touch of a hamadryad is also said to
cure nilbogism (see the FIEND FOLIO®
Tome, Nilbog), but truth of this
rumor is as
much a mystery as the condition itself.