Physical Description: Leshy are stout humanoids that might be mistaken for dwarves from a distance, but up close they are clearly creatures of the forest—in the most real sense. Their thick arms and legs are covered with thick bark that extends over their entire bodies, and their “hair” is made of numerous tiny branches, bits of moss, and other vegetation. Were it not for the chilling hue from a leshy’s eyes, it would be easy to mistake a one for a misshapen plant rather than a treeperson.

Society: Of all the creatures that emerged from the rebirth of the world, none are as amiable as the leshy. Possessing an ancestral memory of the past but without thoughts associated with it, they are quite pleasant, bearing no ill-will or cultural connection to either the new world or the old. This incomplete understanding of natural history only serves to make leshy more interested in acquiring knowledge about their planet, and they do their best to acclimate to the cultures around them to better integrate with the parts of the world that don’t thrive from sunlight and water alone (often emulating nearby settlements in order to be as welcoming as possible).

Relations: The curiosity of the leshy tends to make them extremely outgoing and friendly, confident that their hardiness and resiliency will let them endure whatever dangers befall their inquisitive minds. Despite being even stranger than alraun, most of the other races are kind to leshy—either fearful of what they are capable of, keen to have a stalwart and knowledgeable companion, or happy to find that they are so universally amicable.

Alignment and Religion: Though they are born of the forest, leshy are not naturally Chaotic and tend to take on alignments that fit their locations or the subjects they’ve chosen to study as they explore the world. Some worship the primordials or explore other religions wherever they find them.

Adventurers: Leshy are excellent scholars and have a truly natural talent for alchemy, but their plant biology makes them equally apt at martial combat. Practically all leshy spend large spans of their lifetimes exploring the world, along with whatever other realms they can reach—they are far and away the best traveled of the children of the land.

Male Names: Bostneulis, Khudradda, Lachaniko, Masamba, Sabzi, Zelenchuk.

Female Names: Busakan, Huawhenua, Kasvis, Oriri, Sayuran, Vexetal.

Age: Adulthood: 40 years, +3d6 intuitive, +5d6 self-taught, +7d6 trained. Middle-aged 125 years, old age 188 years, venerable 250 years, maximum age 250 + 2d100 years.

Male Statistics: Base height 3 ft. 9 in., base weight 160 lbs., modifier 2d4, weight modifier x7 lbs.

Female Statistics: Base height 3 ft. 7 in., base weight 130 lbs., modifier 2d4, weight modifier x7 lbs.

Leshy Racial Traits

-2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence

Leshy are extraordinarily hardy and quite canny, but very stocky and slow.

Leshy

Leshy are humanoids with the plant subtype.

Author's Note: The subtype granted by this race treats this race as the noted type for the purpose of determining whether or not a race is affected by effects such as the Bane weapon special ability.

Plant Body

Leshy have a body crafted from living plants. They can be targeted by spells that normally only affect plants. They gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws made against mind-altering effects, paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning. Leshy breathe, but needn’t sleep, and needn’t even eat for the day if they spent the night using xylem healing. A leshy can still eat or rest to gain beneficial effects such as resting to regain spells or drinking a potion, but otherwise does not require either activity to survive or stay in good health.

Slow

Leshy have a move speed of 20 ft, but their move speed is never reduced further by armor or encumbrance.

Low-Light Vision

Leshy can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Medium

Leshy are Medium-sized and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Ancestral Memory

The spirits of leshy are born from forest spirits that have observed the world for generations, and leshy still possess pieces of these memories. All leshy gain a +1 bonus to all Knowledge skills.

Curious Learner

Leshy are insatiably curious about the world around them. All Knowledge skills are considered class skills for them.

Tree Resiliency

Leshy are extremely hardy, and gain the Endurance feat as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Xylem Healing

Though a leshy can rest anywhere to recover hit points or ability damage (just like any other living creature), when a leshy is able to plant itself into soil for the duration of a rest it heals twice as much as normal. This can be combined with the long term care use of the Heal skill.

Fire Vulnerability

Leshy have vulnerability to fire, taking half again as much damage (+50%) from fire damage.

Languages

Leshy begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Leshy with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages).

Racial Archetypes

Force of Nature (Brawler Archetype)

Though all leshy are plants, some express their connection with the world in a much stronger way than others. These veritable forces of nature embody the strength of a forest and the tenacity of a swamp, as deadly as they are hard to put down.

Vegetalker

The force of nature gains the vegetalker feat as a bonus feat at 1st level.

This replaces brawler’s cunning.

Tresiliency (Ex)

At 3rd level, the force of nature becomes hardened. He gains DR 1/-. This increases by 1 for every 4 levels thereafter, to a maximum of DR 5/- at 19th level.

This replaces maneuver training.

Woodland Stride (Ex)

At 5th level, the force of nature may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.

Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect him.

This replaces close weapon mastery.