“Over hill, over dale,
Thorough brush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere.”
-William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.
The weald folk resemble very large (relatively speaking) woodland creatures that are able to speak, stand upright (when they wish), and hold objects as ably as any halfling. They often look like foxes, squirrels, raccoons, possums, rabbits, mice, and other small mammals. In more tropical areas they might resemble capybaras, lemurs, agoutis, sloths, or small hunting cats. The type of animal they take after is not entirely hereditary, but usually will be an animal with some significant traits in common with one or both parents. They are not quite fey, but have a magical connection to nature that results in frequent interaction with fey creatures.
Despite usually living a fairly simple life in their forested communities, weald folk are almost universally excited by the prospect of novel experiences and knowledge. As a result, they routinely seek adventure purely for the joy of exploration. Searching for unique and interesting treasure isn’t unheard of either, though it is rarely, if ever, pursued for wealth or power, but for the sake of discovery. They are by no means fearless, but their desire to try everything is often strong enough to make them face their fears simply for the sake of experiencing something new.
The communities of weald folk are frequently also inhabited by several fey, especially pixies and sprites. These villages are often located near natural paths into the fey realms, or even just on the far side of such locations. The weald folk who live across this veil sometime take the form of much stranger animals, like rabbits with antlers and fangs, green skunks, or foxes with eagle-like forelegs. Despite their exotic forms, these weald folk find the normal world even more wondrous than their homes, since they are so different.
Weald folk usually have simple names related to nature or relevant adjectives like coloration. In a community close to elves, gnomes, etc., names may sometimes also be in those languages, and the communities within the fey realms usually have names in Sylvan.
Example Weald Folk Names: Acorn, Amaranth, Amber, Autumn, Blue, Clover, Cacao, Dandelion, Egg, Fig, Ginkgo, Hazel, Icicle, Juniper, Leaf, Nettle, Mint, Moss, Okoume, Orchid, Piper, Rain, Raven, Rosemary, Saffron, Shadow, Songbird, Taro, Thorn, Violet, Warren, Willow, Yucca
Common Personality Traits: Curious, joyful, explorer, impulsive
Common Physical Traits: Wide-eyed, selectively bipedal or quadrupedal
Splinter Race Feats: Ice Paw, River Paw, Swift Paw, Thicket Paw, Tree Paw, otherwise you’re ‘Grove Paw’
Type: Small biped fey with a Reach of 1. Your maximum wounds equal your Constitution score x 2/3 (rounded up).
Weald folk from boreal regions tend to be adapted to the cold winters with gray or white fur that helps them to blend in. They commonly resemble animals like arctic foxes, collared lemmings, ermines, polar rabbits, siberian hamsters, snowshoe hares, weasels, and white-tailed jackrabbits.
Prerequisites: Weald Folk, Level 1 Only
Benefits: You gain a +5 gear bonus with Blend checks in arctic terrain. You also gain Cold Resistance 5 and your attacks deal an additional die of sneak attack damage.
Lack of preparation is one of the greatest dangers of winter.
Prerequisites: Ice Paw
Benefits: The lower of your Dexterity and Wisdom scores increases by 1, your Cold Resistance increases to 10, and your Prudence rises by 1.
In watery areas, with many rivers or ponds, weald folk often resemble beavers, capybaras, otters, platypi, sea minks, swamp rats, water chevrotains, and yapoks.
Prerequisites: Weald Folk, Level 1 Only
Benefits: You gain the Aquatic I and Superior Swimmer qualities, and you gain a +2 gear bonus on Athletics checks.
Be water, my friend.
Prerequisites: River Paw
Benefits: The DC of Grapple actions targeting you increase by +10, your attacks deal an additional die of sneak attack damage, and you gain 2 additional interests.
The most common forms among the weald folk are those of animals that are quick and clever, such as chipmunks, dikdiks, foxes, jerboas, rabbits, raccoons, sables, and wildcats.
Prerequisites: Weald Folk, Level 1 Only
Benefits: You cannot be flanked and you gain the Superior Runner I quality.
Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.
Prerequisites: Swift Paw
Benefits: You gain a +1 bonus on attacks against larger characters and a +4 bonus on Acrobatics skill checks.
At home in the denser copses and thicker cover, other weald folk are well-practiced in hiding and slipping through vines and roots. They commonly resemble caracals, fossas, hedgehogs, mice, mongooses, mouse deer, ocelots, shrews, and pikas.
Prerequisites: Weald Folk, Level 1 Only
Benefits: Before spending skill points you gain 4 ranks in Stealth (not to exceed your maximum ranks). Additionally, you do not need to spend extra movement to move through difficult plant-based difficult terrain and you gain a +2 insight bonus to initiative.
You are so accustomed to dodging through dense foliage that the legs of larger creatures are no obstacle.
Prerequisites: Thicket Paw
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on reflex saves when you are adjacent to a creature larger than you and you cannot be flanked.
Sometimes weald folk take after arboreal creatures like genets. gold-handed tamarins, linsangs, opossums, red pandas, sloths, squirrels, and tree kangaroos.
Prerequisites: Weald Folk, Level 1 Only
Benefits: The higher of your Strength or Dexterity increases by +1, you are always considered to have climber’s gear, and you gain Falling Resistance 5.
Some weald folk resembling creatures like flying squirrels, flying lemurs, or feathertail possums, can, despite their size, master the ability to glide from tree to tree, rarely needing to even touch the ground.
Prerequisites: Tree Paw
Benefits: Your Falling Resistance increases to 10 and as long as you are conscious and not held, paralyzed, or pinned you may choose to travel 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you fall. Furthermore, you gain Superior Climber I and you are considered to be Aiming during the first ranged attack you make each round.
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Open Game License v1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
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