Dryad, Winter

This strange crone has flesh that resembles gnarled wood and unkempt, snow-white hair.

Winter Dryad (CR 3) XP 800 CE Medium fey Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11 --- AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +3 natural) hp 27 (6d6+6) Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +7 DR 5/cold iron; Immune cold --- Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +7 (1d4) Ranged masterwork longbow +8 (1d8) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +10) At will—chill touch (1st) (DC 15), dimension door (self and 50 lb. of gear only, to and from a space containing ice or snow only) (4th), fog cloud (2nd), gust of wind(2nd) (DC 16) 3/day—chill metal (2nd) (DC 16), deep slumber (3rd) (DC 17), sleet storm (3rd) --- Str 10, Dex 19, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 18 Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 17 Feats Great Fortitude, Stealthy, Weapon Finesse Skills Climb +9, Craft (sculpture) +11, Escape Artist +15, Handle Animal +10, Knowledge (nature) +11, Perception +11, Stealth +15, Survival +8; Racial Modifiers +6 Craft (wood) Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan SQ ice meld, seasonal, wild empathy, woodcraft --- Environment temperate forests Organization solitary, pair, or grove (3–8) Treasure standard (dagger, masterwork longbow with 20 arrows, other treasure) --- Ice Meld (Su) A winter dryad can meld with any block of ice at least as large as she is, similar to how the spell meld into stone functions. She can remain melded with ice as long as she wishes. Seasonal (Su) A winter dryad normally exists only during seasons in which deciduous trees have no leaves. When a winter dryad first encounters a deciduous tree with leaves, she loses all winter dryad abilities except seasonal, and becomes a normal dryad bonded to that tree. If the tree later loses its leaves due to a change in the weather, she loses all normal dryad abilities and again becomes a winter dryad. Wild Empathy (Su) This works like the druid's wild empathy class feature, except the winter dryad has a +6 racial bonus on the check. Winter dryads with druid levels add this racial modifier to their wild empathy checks. Woodcraft (Ex) A winter dryad has a +6 racial bonus to Craft checks involving wood, and is always treated as if she had masterwork artisan's woodworking tools when making such checks.

Winter dryads represent a form that some ordinary dryads assume when the temperature drops. Not all dryads become winter dryads, but those who do are tied to the cycle of seasons. As autumn approaches and deciduous trees lose their leaves, these dryads lose their rapport with and dependency upon trees, becoming free-ranging winter dryads. When springtime arrives and leaves once more bud upon deciduous trees, winter dryads lose their frigid nature and each bonds once more with a particular tree, becoming an ordinary dryad again until the seasons next change.

In contrast to their summer selves, winter dryads are noted for their icy, malevolent personalities. While in the grip of winter, such a dryad is a cold, capricious being, taking slight at the smallest of offenses and exacting terrible vengeance upon those responsible. Even winter dryads who are not actively offended may pose a danger, harassing travelers for their own amusement. Their malevolence is made worse by the magical abilities at their disposal; just as ordinary dryads are tied to plants, winter dryads are tied to cold, and think nothing of using their wintery magic against others.

Interestingly, though a winter dryad becomes a caring, benevolent creature during the summer, she never apologizes for her winter self. At best, she makes an effort to dissuade friends and allies from remaining in her territory during the winter months. Beyond that, she is entirely unrepentant. To a winter dryad, her summer self is like a dream, and vice versa. She has trouble grasping the concept that the actions of her other self may have consequences that outlive the changing of the seasons.