The Rootani Race Outwardly serene, The Rootani have a varied appearance from thin slender humaoids to stout stump-like tumbleweeds. Despite their variants, the Rootani all show a great protensity towards nature. Despite their mostly humanoid appearance, the Rootani are only partialy mammallian, and are actually plants, descendants of an ancient race of flora called Kijani. Much like their physical appearance, their air of calm contemplation is a thin coating that conceals the truth: the Kijani were brought to the bring of genocide in the past, and the Rootani descendants harbor a deep furnace of fury which has enabled them to survive. With their progenitor race nearly destroyed by a tragedy long ago, the entire sap-line carries the embers of flaming anger, and must constantly struggle against letting their rage consume them. Different Rootani have learned to channel this rage in different ways. The Kijani were truly hospitable despite their dark past and cultural scars, and while they did their best to pass this kindness onto their podlings, Rootani are less quick to trust. Any creature that treats a Rootani with courtesy and respect can eventually earn their trust, and gain a lifelong ally in the process. Human druids will have to work especially hard to earn the trust of a Rootani, and some Rootani may attack human druids on sight due to their cultural history. Varied Evolution Different Forms of Rootani may vary, with bark-covered Rootani being short and stocky humanoids, some even resembling dwarfs with mossy beards. Others retain properties closer to their Kijani progenitors, appearing lithe and thin with long limbs. Vines may sprout from different areas of a Rootani's body, usually these can be retracted, but swamp Rootani have a prehensile tail simmilar to an aligator's tail. While having no gender, there is usually the appearance of one, and male versions are usually 5 and a half feet tall, while those resembling females reach 5 feet at their maximum height. Whatever their subspecies, the Rootani are solidly built. As plant creatures, Their bodies are compact and heavier than their forms would suggest. Depending on type, Rootani can weight anywhere from 160 to 450 pounds. Skin and hair immediately identify the truth of a Rootani nature, as most are a vibrant green rich in color, or have skin resembling a bark-like texture. Rootani eyes are large for their facial structures, and always have solid green pupils. Rootani seem to move with easy grace, like trees swaying in the wind. Though they are capable of great bursts of speed and agility when called upon in times of need, Rootani prefer a calmer, slower pace of life, and outsiders to a Rootani town may find foot traffic odd. While slothful, each motion is deliberate, smooth, and seductive, as if happily dancing their way through life. Cultural History, Change, And the Great Plan. Genocide Recovery. For eons the Kijani plantfolk dwelled peacefully in the dense jungle, barely noted by the powerful beings whose empire covered the world in ancient times. Upheaval came with the arrival of a circle of human pilgrims; an event that would eventually spell the end of the Kijani race. The Kijani embraced the newcomers and welcomed them, sharing their ways and crating the first human druids in history. With this deep, intimate knowledge of the natural world, and the magic that flows through nature's veins, the kindness of the Kijani mixes with the ambition of humanity spelled disaster. Using what the Kijani had tought them, and a stolen ritual from the most ancient of chambers, the foolish human druids summoned a mighty avatar of nature they attempted to bind to their will. This avatar of corrupted nature slaughtered the summoners, then ravaged and dominated the mighty jungles, using them like its personal playthings. As plants, the Kijani were subjected to immediate mind control, and those who were not able to flee found themselves bound constructs to the corrupt avatar's will as its personal playthings. The Kijani fled the beast's mutilating and controlling power, but half of the race was lost within that day. Those that were not outright killed, the stragglers that were left behind or captured weighed heavily upon the mind of the refugees as they worked their way out of the ancestral homelands that had always sheltered them. Many Kijani fled to jungles to the south, but some spread to different biomes, giving us the variety of Rootani we see today. This vast exodus left the Kijani deeply scarred. They maintained and attempted to pass down their peaceful kinship with other living things to Rootani sproutlings that outlived them once the original Kijanis aged away, their lifespan vastly cut short with the loss of their hometree and native jungle. When plantfolk create a child, a single parent produces a seedling... A vine, tulip pod, or spore-like plant that symbiotically vonds with a host. Traditionally, the parent hosts the seedling, which draws nutrients and even a small amount of life force directly from its implanted host. Traditionally a differnet parent hosts the seedling, and while possible, it is rare a Rootani will implant a sproutling into itself. The parent is left unharmed, and the pregnancy results in little more than occasional fatigue and increased appetite for food or nutrients. The sproutling gestates in this way, growing slightly larger over the course of a decade, until one day it detatches and begins its transformation into the adult stage. This process is rapid, and within 24 hours a detached sproutling will have fully physically and mentally developed into an adult. The Kijani saught out a new way to perpetuate their species.

While many plantfolk parents still serve as hosts to sproutlings, exotic species, plants, and even willing mamals have been found that could act as nutrient providing parents. This new form of life is where the Rootani come from, morphing the species to adapt during the Kijani's exodus. The Kijani consider the Rootani to be part of their plan for "The Great Change" - drawing energy, nutrition, and life from humanoids to incorporate into their children in the aftermath of the loss of their true homeland. As a society, the Kijani and Rootani never force or trick others to serve as seedling hosts, but they welcome any willing surrogates into their culture with open arms and boundless gratitude, while always keeping one eye open for ancient undiscovered plants that would make suitible sproutling hosts Culture and Relations To keep their roiling base urges in check, the Rootani strive to be as serene and controlled as possible. Many choose to spend the brightest hours of the day in contemplative meditation. While the Kijani used to band together in clusters, Rootani tend to adventure more out into the world, intermingling with other societies. Rootani cities have existed, though they are rare, and visitors would feel as if everything was happening at a slower pace due to the serene and unrushed nature of the Rootani. Rootani settlements will usually appoint the oldest or wisest as a representative known as the speaker. Though individual Rootani are known to be warm, personable, welcoming, competitive, and even seductive, the species as a whole project a different attitude. They can be close-minded and cliquey, with a tendency to prioritize their collective interests above individual concerns of non-plantfolk. Despite their generally amiable nature, all Rootani have a breaking point. The contained fury within them will eventually have its due, and when pushed past endurance, the Rootani lash out with terrible ferocity. Mammalian humanoids, or Meatfolk, completely fascinate the plantfolk. They work hard to understand human and other races' customs when they make contact with them or intermingle within cultures, and they commonly adopt those customs into their culture hastily, sometimes misunderstanding true intention and making a fool of themselves. Despite their group tendency to band together, Rootani have a great reverence for life and can always find a way to relate with other living beings. Rootani are notably better at intermingling with established settlments and societies than their Kijani projenitors. One universal exception exists - Druids, especially human Druids. Plantfolk have a difficult time trusting Druids given their race's history and fear of repeating the past disaster. Given their respect for life, they also abhor the undead and are especially zealotous when it comes to the extermination of undead constructs, as these also are reminders of aspects of the great one that destroyed their ancient culture when summoned by human druids. Rootani Names Rootani favor multisyllabic names, usually with a plant pun or part mentioned within the name. While the Rootani officially have no gender, they will usually pick male or female sounding names depending on how their form looks to other species. While ancient names were long-winded, and derived from sylvan, the names Rootani choose for themselves are as varied as the cultures and corners of the world they have sprouted up in. Rootani Traits Your Rootani character has certain characteristics derived from your plantlike heritage, and some of these traits vary depending on where your ancestors ended up after the great genocide and pilgrimage. Ability Score Increases - Your Wisdom score increases by 2. One other ability score increases depending on the biome your subtype of rootani is from. Age - A Rootani pod will sprout into a full gown adult in just a few days, but this pod takes about a decade to gestate. Once the pod hatches, the Rootani has only about 40 years before they will begin to feel the enfeebling sickness of age begin to take them. Allignment - Most Rootani are neutral or good, with a strong pull towards chaotic. Size - Rootani usually stand between 4 and 6 feet tall with stout or limber but dense builds. Your size is medium. Speed - Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Roots of the past - Gain proficency in one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Nature, Religion Languages - You can speak, read, and write common and sylvan. Type - You are of the plant type. Your anatomy is too complex for the spell Regenerate plants from Book of Lost Spells to work on you. You must seek healing through traditional methods humanoids would use. You have a thick amber sap in the place of blood. Pod-born though you enter a state of dormancy during long rests similiar to the way other creatures sleep, you are immune to any effect that would put you to sleep. Rooted Culture At level 3 you gain access to the Druidcraft Cantrip. Subracial Abilities - You also gain some abilities depending on the subrace of Rootani you sprout as. You are born when you sprout as this subspecies and it can not be changed except through the means of a wish spell. SunDrinker If you are exposed to sunlight for at least 1 hour, you do not need food or water for the day.

Evolution Effected by Biomes When the Kijani fled the great trajedy, the exodus left them scattered from their ancestral homeland into many different and strange tundras. Their racial abilities have adapted to suit their new environments. Your other racial abilities and stats are determined by your biome. Swamp Biome Swamp Your other racial abilities are determined by your swamp biome. Swamp biomes have forced Swamp Rootani become dexterous. Dodging pockets of swampgas and rollin' through gator's nests has naturally made you more dexterous. Swamp variant Rootani increase their Dexterity score by 1. Darkvision - You can see in dim light within 60 FT as though it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can not discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Playin' Possum - When you reach 7th level, you can cast the Feign Death spell on yourself once with this trait, and gain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability modifier for this spell. Ancient Recall: When you are assaulted, your innate fury channels the spirits of your massacred ancestors. As a reaction while under half health, you may add +2 to your AC when you are targeted by an attack. You must be able to see the attacker to take this reaction. You must declare this reaction when you know the result of the attack roll but before the damage is applied.

Redwood Biome Redwood - Your other racial abilities are also altered by your redwood biome. Redwood Settling deep from civilization and relying on ancient redwoods for reproduction, this stout wood has worked its way into the sinew of your body. Redwood variant Rootani increase their Strength score by 1. Darkvision - You can see in dim light within 60 FT as though it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can not discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Tough Skin - When you reach 7th level, you can cast the Bark Skin spell (at it lowest level) twice with this trait witohut expending any spell slots. When cast through this racial ability, This spell can be cast on 2 sepperate creatures as it does not require concentration, and you regain both charges of this ability when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability modifier for this spell. Splintering: When you are in combat, your innate fury channels the spirits of your massacred ancestors. As a reaction, If you have taken damage within the last turn and you hit an oponent with a melee attack, you may add 1d4 magical piercing damage to your damage roll. This damage adds 1d4 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level simmilar to cantrip progression.

Desert Biome Desert - Your other racial abilities are also altered by your desert biome. Desert Working their way through sandy dunes from one oasis to the next, the Dessert Rootani learned to love the sunlight even on brightest days, and can go quite some time without water. Desert conditions have made these plantfolk more hardy. Desert variant Rootani increase their Constitution score by 1. Prickly - You are covered in prickly itchy spines that dissuade natural predators. When you take damage in combat from an enemy within five feet, you may use your reaction If the attacker is not immune to poison damage to force the enemy to make a constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+prof+ your choice of Wis or Con Mod if the enemy is not immune to poison damage. On a failed save, they take an AC reduction of 1, having their body covered in itchy thorns. You may also use this reaction on your turn when you damage an enemy within five feet with a meele attack or spell with a range of touch. This reduction to AC can not stack on a single target. This reaction can trigger a number of times equal to half your level rounded down (minumim of 1), and all uses recover on a long rest. Additionally, when you take damage in combat from a melee attack within five feet, the attacker takes 1 piercing damage. Sunny Survivor - When you reach 7th level, you can cast the Daylight spell as a 3rd level spell once, and the ability to do so recharges when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. Desert Wanderer You're acclimated to dry climates, And you have an ability to naturally retain water. You're also naturally adapted to hot climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. You can go up to a week without water.

Tropical Biome Tropical - Your other racial abilities are also altered by your Tropical biome. Tropical Heading to the southern reaches of their home jungle, the tropical Rootani are the most reminiciant of their Kijani projenitors. They retain the natural beauty of and an affinity for plants. Tropical variant Rootani increase their Charisma score by 1. Darkvision - You can see in dim light within 60 FT as though it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can not discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Plantborn - When you reach 7th level, you can cast the Speak With Plants spell as a 3rd level spell once, and the ability to do so recharges when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. Ancient Recall: When you are assaulted, your innate fury channels the spirits of your massacred ancestors. As a reaction when under half health, you may add +2 to your AC when you are targeted by an attack. You must be able to see the attacker to take this reaction. You must declare this reaction when you know the result of the attack roll but before the damage is applied.

Tundra Biome Tundra - Your other racial abilities are also altered by your Tundra biome. Tundra In the vast pilgrimage, many who journied northward perished. Even the hardiest of Kijani began to die at the first snowfall of that ancient year's great blizzard. It is only most intelligent of the species that were able to invent, learn, and continue onwards in this tough tundra. Tundra variant Rootani increase their Intelligence score by 1. Thorny - You are covered Sharp thorns and barbs that dissuade natural predators. When you take damage in combat from an enemy you can see , If the attacker is within 40 FT of you, you can use your reaction to fire pines at them and force them to make a dexterity saving throw. The DC for this Dex save is 8+prof+Wis Mod. On a failed save the attacker takes 1d4 magical piercing damage. This damage adds 1d4 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level simmilar to cantrip progression. This ability can trigger a number of times equal to either your wisdom or your int mod, and all uses recover on a short rest. Additionally, when you take damage in combat from a melee attack within five feet, the attacker takes 1 piercing damage. Mammalian Trickery- When you reach 7th level, you can cast the Dispell Magic spell as a 3rd level spell once, and the ability to do so recharges when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. Frost Born You're acclimated to cold environments, including temperatures below freezing. You're also naturally adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. If you are in a situation that requires you to make a saving throw due to a cold effect or saving throw involving cold damage, you may choose to automatically succeed once per long rest. You declare this choice after you attempt your saving throw but before you know the results.

Underdark Biome Your other racial abilities are also altered by your underdark biome. Underdark Allthought Kijani and Rootani are drawn to the sunlight for their photosynthesis and sustinance, some affected by the madness in the great culling saught shelter under the burroughs of the earth. These Kijani quickly felt sanity slip their mind, and thier bodies transformed into a fungal state. In lieu of sunlight, the Fungal rootani began devouring the flesh of other plants or creatures, adjusting its status in the food chain. The fungal rootani do not recieve an additional stat boost besides the base wisdom increase.

Allthought Kijani and Rootani are drawn to the sunlight for their photosynthesis and sustinance, some affected by the madness in the great culling saught shelter under the burroughs of the earth. These Kijani quickly felt sanity slip their mind, and thier bodies transformed into a fungal state. In lieu of sunlight, the Fungal rootani began devouring the flesh of other plants or creatures, adjusting its status in the food chain. The fungal rootani do not recieve an additional stat boost besides the base wisdom increase. Improved Phosphorescence - You can as a bonus action shed bright light within 20 FT through bioluminescent pores, and everything lit by this light glows an erie blue or green depending on your fungal mushroom type. You shed dim light for an additional 20 FT. You can not discern color in this light, as everything appears to be a blue or green phospherescent color. Your allies and enemies are able to see this light and detect you as it's source. This light can be lit for an ammount of hours equal to twice your level, and the time resets after you take a long rest. Superior Darkvision - Accustomed to twilit caves and the Phospherescent plants of the underdark, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. Survival Tactics - Starting at 7th level, Thrice per day you may cast the Faerie Fire spell without expending any spell slots. The three uses of this ability restore after a long rest. Ancient Recall: When you are assaulted, your innate fury channels the spirits of your massacred ancestors. As a reaction when under half health, you may add +2 to your AC when you are targeted by an attack. You must be able to see the attacker to take this reaction. You must declare this reaction when you know the result of the attack roll but before the damage is applied. Spore Cloud You may disengage as a bonus action by exuding glowing spores and obscuring enemy vision slightly. This vision obscuration does not effect the enemy in any other way than allowing you to disengage for that round of combat.