Treant

Treants are a race of large, roughly humanoid tree-people. When one stands still with its legs together it cannot be easily distinguished from a normal oak tree. Their leaves are nearly identical to oak leaves, and are green in spring and summer, turning orange, red, or yellow in the fall and winter. A treant's leaves do not normally fall out in the winter, but as some oaks also retain their leaves into cold weather this may not help in identifying one.

Being actual trees, treants are big, averaging 25 to 35 feet in height and weighing 4,000 to 5,000 pounds. Their language is difficult for most other races to learn, though Elves are known to have an advantage in mastering it. Many treants know Elvish, and some who live near humans learn Common as well.

Special Abilities

Camouflage — Treants are slow to act when potential enemies are nearby, preferring watch them carefully before taking any action. Because of their excellent camouflage treants gain surprise on 1-4 on 1d6.

Animate Trees — All treants have the power to animate other normal trees in their area; up to two trees can be animated at once, but the treant can release one and animate another if needed. Trees to be animated must be within 180 feet of the treant, and must remain within that range or they will return to their normal state. An animated tree requires a full round to uproot itself before it can move around, and then can move at a rate of just 10' per round. Of course, if enemies are within reach the animated tree need not be uprooted. If the treant controlling an animated tree is slain or incapacitated, the tree returns to its normal state.

Any character or creature nearby when this happens must save vs. Death Ray to scamper away; those who fail will suffer 2d6 points of damage and will be trapped under the fallen tree. The GM should consider battlefield conditions when deciding on the exact results of such an event.

Treants are woodland creatures, reclusive to humankind but friendly with other good-aligned creatures of the woods. They resemble humanoid trees: their "arms" and "legs" are not easily seen as such until they begin moving. Treants are vigilant guardians of the woods, despising anyone of evil alignment and all who make reckless use of fire, regardless of alignment.

Special Abilities

Animate trees — Treants can animate 1d2 trees to aid them (see "Tree, Animated") within a range of 180-ft. Separate experience is not awarded for killing such animated trees.

Cannot be surprised — Treants are never surprised.

Vulnerable to fire — Fire attacks requiring a roll "to hit" gain a bonus of +4, a treant makes saving throws vs fire at -4, and any hit die of damage inflicted upon a treant gains a +1 to its result.

Damage by HD — Damage inflicted by a treant's clubbing fists is determined as follows: 7-8 HD: 2d8 damage per fist 9-10 HD: 3d6 damage per fist 11-12 HD: 4d6 damage per fist