Weald Folk, Storm Sorcerer

Weald Folk, Heart of the Woods

“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

Playtest Version

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


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.

Eager Enthusiasm

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.

Fairy Friend

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 Names

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


New Species: Weald Folk

    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).

  • Attributes: +2 Any, -2 Any
  • Base Speed: 20 ft.
  • Animal Empathy: The Dispositions of non-adversary animals increase by 5.
  • Cat Fall: You suffer 1 less die of damage from falling.
  • Darkvision I: You ignore the effects of dim and faint light.
  • Inquisitive Mind: You gain 2 additional Interests (see FC, page 61).
  • Light Sleeper: Sleeping is never a Terminal Situation for you.
  • Scurry: You move much faster in a quadrupedal gait. You gain a stance.
        Scurry (Stance): While in this stance, you can only use equipment as if you had the beast type. However, your Base Speed increases by 20 ft.
  • Springing Step: You gain a +4 bonus with Jump checks and your jump distance is not limited by your height.

New Species Feats

Ice Paw

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.

Ice Kith

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.

River Paw

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.

River Kith

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.

Swift Paw

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.

Swift Kith

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.

Thicket Paw

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.

Thicket Kith

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.

Tree Paw

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.

Tree Kith

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.

Legal Appendix

NOTICE OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
This product includes Open Game Content that may only be used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
Product Identity in this document designated in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a includes but is not limited to: Any and all Malachite Idol logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malachite Idol product and product line names including but not limited to Malachite Idol Presents, all Malachite Idol logos, and all artwork, logos, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, and poses. Designated Product Identity is not Open Game Content.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
All material in this document following the Playtest Version sidebar and prior to the Legal Appendix that is not otherwise designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content.

LICENSE

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, LLC.

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.

Spycraft Espionage Handbook, Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson.

Spycraft 2.0 Rulebook, Copyright 2005, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Alexander Flagg, Scott Gearin, and Patrick Kapera.

Fantasy Craft Rulebook, Copyright 2009, Crafty Games LLC; Authors Alexander Flagg, Scott Gearin, and Patrick Kapera.

Weald Folk, Heart of the Woods Copyright 2019-2021, Malachite Idol; Author Patrick Johnson.

END OF LICENSE