Defenders of the Forest - Liber Fanatica

Chapter X: Friends of
the Forest
Co m b a t Ta c t i c s
Tree Kin often catch their enemies unawares by coming to life
very suddenly. They usually fight to the death, unless the inhabiting
spirit is threatened by magical attacks.
1-2 Unbreakable Boughs: the Tree Kin sweeps aside
incoming attacks with its solid limbs and attempts to
wear its opponent down with steady blows.
Melee combat: Standard Attack plus Parrying
Stance
3-5 Crushing Grip: wrapping its massive limbs around
the target, the Tree Kin attempts to crush bones or
pull the helpless victim into its hollow interior.
Melee combat: Grapple plus Damage
6-9 Fearsome Onslaught: the Tree Kin sweeps left and
right with terrible branches, striking at anyone who
stands nearby.
Melee combat: Swift Attack
10 Tangled Roots: the inhabiting spirit has trouble
motivating its host to move, causing the Tree Kin to
hesitate momentarily.
Melee combat: Delay
Tr e e m e n
Source: Old World Bestiary, pg. 31-32 and 110.
Sh e p h e r d s o f t h e Fo r e s t
The greatest of all forest spirits are able to anchor their essence
to a living tree, becoming permanently merged. These mighty
Treemen care for the forests and are attended by a small group
of Dryads who watch over them as they sleep through the centuries
(1d10 are present at all times). These Dryad harems, as
they are called by the Asrai, wake the Treeman when the forest is
threatened. At first the Dryads will attempt to rouse the sleeping
spirit with gentle caresses. If the Treeman doesn’t awaken easily,
its Dryad harem will pull bark, bend branches and dig up roots
in their desperation to wake the spirit.
Special Rules:
• Swarm of Spites: Treemen are often infested with innumerable
smaller spirits who can swarm out in defence of their host.
Instead of making an attack, Treemen may choose to release a
swarm of Spites upon its foes. This counts as a Half Action.
Center the large template on the Treeman, or use the cone
template. All enemies affected suffer a Damage 1 hit and incur
a -10% penalty to their next test, as they are distracted by the
Spites.
Ro l e p l a y Gu i d e l i n e s
Approaching a Treeman is risky at best. Its attendant Dryads are
ever watchful and suspicious, and often refuse audiences even to
those favoured by the Treeman. If the Dryads can somehow be
bypassed, petitioners are still faced with the task of awakening
the spirit. Although awakening rites performed by a Spellsinger
are normally required to rouse the slumbering spirit, a Treemen
will sometimes hear desperate pleas concerning the forest’s
wellbeing. Non-aggressive encounters with a Treeman can be
painfully slow. Introductions alone can last for several hours,
and negotiations can take days or even weeks.
Treeman are normally awakened using song and personal willpower.
The Degree of Success or Failure on a Performer (Singer)
Test is used to modify a following Opposed Willpower Test,
so a well sung verse that succeeds by 2 DoS confers a bonus of
+20%, for example. If a Treeman cannot be awakened on the
first try, petitioners must succeed a Fellowship Test in order to
convince the attendant Dryads to let them perform again. Once
the Treeman has been awakened, any dealings are modified by
the result of the original Performer (Singer) Test, as described
above. Nobody likes to be awoken by bad singing.
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