TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | Sylvan Secrets
  EN World EN5IDER | Sylvan Secrets
   
  writing Josh Gentry
   color art Ellis Goodson
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  Sylvan Secrets
  C
  ampaigns featuring the fey 
  often showcase flashy battles 
  with sprites, satyrs, and dryads. 
  However, such campaigns are 
  incomplete without the mystique 
  of superstition and portents of the 
  inexplicable. Fey spirits invisibly 
  hide in the twilight between worlds; 
  in many ways, it is best to tell 
  their stories through memorable 
  characters, exploration, and 
  ambiance—not a straight-up slugfest.
   Armed with drag-and-drop 
  options found herein, like NPC 
  personality traits, environmental 
  objects, faerie antics, and sylvan 
  boons, GMs can effortlessly weave a 
  complete faerie tale.
  
  Sylvan Secrets | EN World EN5IDER
  Sylvan Secrets | EN World EN5IDER
  Fey-Touched NPCs
  Fey intervention in mortal life is rare but 
  spectacular, and significantly alters a person’s 
  affect and motivations. GMs can represent NPCs 
  with such deep or subtle fey connections by 
  granting them one or more of these traits.
  Appearance
  1d6 Feature
  1
  Sylvan jewelry, tattoos, or ornamentation
  2
  Floor-length hair filled with flowers.
  3
  Radiance; light always hits them perfectly.
  4
  Exceptionally pointy ears.
  5
  Scars that look and feel like tree bark.
  6
  Body part of an animal; rabbit paws for hands, cat 
  ears, pig tail, or donkey feet.
  Bonds
  1d8 Feature
  1
  Superstitious of faeries; goes out of the way to ap-
  pease the fey.
  2
  A relative disappeared under mysterious (fey) cir-
  cumstances.
  3
  A faerie intervened in his/her love life.
  4
  Dances with pixies on moonlit nights.
  5
  Blackmailed by faerie who knows his/her darkest 
  secret.
  6
  Family heirloom blessed by the fey.
  7
  Family heirloom baleful to the fey.
  8
  Family has a pact with local faerie lord.
  Flaws
  1d6 Feature
  1
  Subjected a family member to faerie wrath to save 
  self.
  2
  Obsessively chases faeries at every sign or opportu-
  nity. 
  3
  Plotting to steal a faerie treasure.
  4
  Family is cursed by a local faerie lord.
  5
  Sleepless and paranoid due to faerie haunting.
  6
  Hatred for all things fey.
  Environmental Objects
  When players are exploring a wilderness scene 
  and you want to add a dose of fey flavor, roll on 
  this table and add the appropriate object to the 
  scene. The objects are detailed below.
   Each object when encountered requires a DC 15 
  Intelligence (Arcana) or (Nature) check to discern 
  its nature.
  Fey Objects
  1d6 Random Object
  1
  Grendelwood
  2
  Fey Ward
  3
  Faerie Gate
  4
  Somnus Bush
  5
  Leyline
  6
  Roll twice; ignore additional results of 6
  Open Game Content
  The game rule information in this article is designated Open Game Content. All of the other material in this article, 
  including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), narrative and descriptive 
  text, character and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing 
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  EN World EN5IDER | Sylvan Secrets
  EN World EN5IDER | Sylvan Secrets
  take many forms, including mushrooms in a 
  “fairy ring,” archways woven from living trees, 
  ancient reflecting pools, wells and bridges built 
  from hewn quartz, druidic monoliths, and other 
  landmarks. 
   Only fey (or mortals with sylvan favor, see 
  below) can activate and travel through a faerie 
  gate. Each faerie gate is linked to a corresponding 
  gate on the opposite plane; even if two faerie 
  gates are nearby in the mortal world, their 
  corresponding gates in the realm of faerie may be 
  quite distant.
  Somnus Bush
  This viney bush produces brilliant pink and 
  yellow orchid-like flowers all year around 
  (however, when it snows the flowers close). 
  Somnus bushes may be found near enchanted 
  meadows, or they may overgrow to consume 
  ancient landmarks. Their flowers produce an 
  intoxicatingly sweet scent which is harmless to 
  faeries and beasts, but lulls mortals to sleep. 
   Humanoids who come within 15 feet of the 
  bush must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw; 
  those who fail must spend their next movement 
  drawing closer to the bush. Similarly, humanoids 
  adjacent to or in the same space of the bush must 
  make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or fall 
  unconscious. Creatures immune to poison or who 
  cannot smell are immune to these effects.
  Leylines
  A leyline is like a river or a blood vessel for the 
  magical energy the world needs to survive. 
  Faeries and druids often mark leylines; they can 
  appear like dry riverbeds filled with pure white 
  stones, pathways of braided vines, a line of 
  flowers through a field, or invisible rivers of light 
  that shine in the light of the moon. It is tempting 
  to tap into the raw power of the leylines, but 
  inexperienced or addicted spellcasters may get 
  swept away in its arcane currents.
   A spellcasting creature who takes a short rest 
  within a leyline can recover one expended spell 
  slot. A creature cannot benefit from this effect 
  Grendelwood
  Much like how demons and ghosts possess 
  mortals, sometimes faeries possess plants. When 
  fey spiritually inhabit a hardwood tree, it is 
  known as a grendelwood and produces strange 
  growths. Possession by fey is not innately harmful 
  to the tree, though most growths draw their 
  nutrients parasitically from their host. Some 
  mortals consider finding a fey-inhabited tree to 
  be one of nature’s blessings, but others avoid and 
  revere grendelwoods for fear of the fey.
   Grendelwoods are marked by a variety of 
  growths, determined from the table below:
  1d6 Grendelwood Growth
  1
  Mistletoe
  2
  Strawberries
  3
  Purple and orange fruits (cause indigestion)
  4
  Fleshy, red vines (cause skin rash)
  5
  Corn stalks that produce bread
  6
  The bark is contorted into a speaking face
  Fey Wards 
  The antics of fey tricksters are not always 
  welcome, and to protect communities and 
  individuals, wards are sometimes constructed to 
  repel the fey. Cold iron is one of the most common 
  fey wards, and includes horseshoes nailed to 
  doors, crop shears hung on a mantle, daggers 
  under door mats, iron statues, and a lone nail in 
  the pocket. Others fey wards include nandina 
  berries and smears of tar.
   A fey ward can protect a single person, an entry 
  way, a small room, or 15-foot sphere originating 
  from the object. A character carrying a fey ward 
  or within the area one protects cannot be targeted 
  by fey antics or receive sylvan favor. Additionally, 
  fey with 9 hit points or fewer cannot enter areas 
  protected by a fey ward.
  Faerie Gate
  Faeries pass invisibly between their world 
  and the mortal world all the time. They do so 
  through faerie gates, which are clearly wondrous 
  to mortal eyes but inert to them. These gates 
  
  Sylvan Secrets | EN World EN5IDER
  Sylvan Secrets | EN World EN5IDER
  again until dawn of the next day. Each time the 
  creature uses the leyline, the GM rolls 1d6; if 
  the result is equal to or lower than the number 
  of times that creature used the leyline since the 
  last new moon, it is subject to a true polymorph 
  spell cast by the leyline (Wisdom save DC 20, no 
  concentration required).
  Fey Antics
  Fey can’t help but play pranks on people within 
  their sphere of influence. When entering an area, a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) 
  check lets the character become aware whether 
  the fey might try to pull one over! Once per short 
  or long rest (or during a lull in gameplay) while 
  the party is in such an environment, visit upon 
  a random player character one of these pranks. 
  These pranks do not harm characters directly, 
  but they can provoke laughter as easily as they 
  escalate other dangers.  
   A word of caution: some of these pranks may 
  constitute “false leads” within the storytelling 
  process. Be sure to use those pranks only when it 
  would directly enhance the sylvan ambiance.
  1d6 Random Prank
  1
  Trip
  2
  Dream Visitation
  3
  "Ooh, Shiny!"
  4
  Play with Toys
  5
  Ready-Made Meal
  6
  Impersonation
  Trip
  Use on a character distracted by conversation. 
  An invisible fey spirit tangles target character’s 
  feet, such as by tying their boot laces or snaring 
  them in a stray vine. The next time that character 
  moves, they must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving 
  throw or fall prone, ending the movement; if the 
  character attempted to run, the DC is instead 12, 
  and on a failure the character also rolls 10 feet in 
  the direction they were headed.
  Dream Visitation
  Use only on a sleeping character. An invisible 
  fey spirit enters the dream of the target player-
  character, causing vivid dreams and restlessness. 
  That character must make a DC 10 Charisma save 
  or recover 1 hit die fewer during their current 
  long rest. If the character succeeds on the save 
  by 5 or more, they recover 1 additional Hit Die 
  instead.
  “Ooh, Shiny!”
  An invisible fey spirit sends a magical signal, 
  such as a dancing lights or druidcraft effect that 
  only the target character can perceive. This signal 
  directs the character into woodlands, away from 
  other people. If the character follows, they must 
  make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or get lost in 
  the woods for 1 hour. If the character succeeds the 
  save by 5 or more, they instead discover a faerie 
  gate or a congregation of dancing pixies. 
  Play with Toys
  Invisible fey spirits find unattended toys (or 
  interesting items like cutlery or adventuring gear) 
  owned by the target player and play with them. 
  The items float and appear manipulated with 
  within 5 feet of their original resting spot. This 
  activity can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud 
  clanging bells. Upon establishing line of sight 
  with a player character, the items drop harmlessly 
  to the ground and the effect ends.
   Variant. The fey pester target the player 
  character by rotating face-shaped items and 
  reflective surfaces in their direction. The effect 
  ends on a DC 10 Wisdom save.
  Ready-Made Meal
  While nobody is looking, an invisible fey spirit 
  prepares food. When the characters enter the 
  scene, it appears very inviting, if oddly absent 
  of a cook. The character must succeed on a DC 
  10 Wisdom saving throw, or risk believing this 
  food is safe to eat. On a success, or the player 
  realizes that this is a fey trick, the character 
  realizes such as well. A character that eats the 
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Sylvan Secrets
  EN World EN5IDER | Sylvan Secrets
  meal without offering a faerie appeasement is 
  immediately subject to another fey prank, and has 
  disadvantage on its saving throw.
  Impersonation
  A faerie spirit takes on the visible form of an 
  NPC target character knows. Silently, the fey 
  impersonator draws target character’s attention. 
  (The supposed NPC knocks on the PC’s door, 
  stares wistfully out a window, or points in a 
  general direction.) The impersonator pantomimes 
  advice to the character, which if taken will lead 
  to misfortune. The character must succeed on 
  a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw, or risk trusting 
  the impersonator’s pantomimed advice. If the 
  player realizes that this is a fey trick, the character 
  automatically succeeds on the saving throw. If 
  the character succeeds on the saving throw by 5 
  or more, or offers the faerie appeasement, the 
  impersonator’s advice is actually helpful or the 
  impersonator hands the PC a useful item worth 
  5 gp or less. Regardless of success or failure, the 
  fey impersonator mysteriously disappears once 
  the character looks away.
  Sylvan Favor
  Any time a character would receive inspiration for 
  helping the fey, you can instead grant the player 
  sylvan favor. A character can expend sylvan favor 
  to call on the faeries for aid, or the GM can keep 
  sylvan favor a secret and expend it on behalf of 
  the character’s invisible allies.
  Forest Fast-Travel
  While exploring a large forest, a character may 
  expend sylvan favor to call on a guiding sprite. 
  The character and up to four other creatures who 
  lock hands can follow the guide through faerie 
  gates and subliminal shortcuts to hop-scotch 
  between worlds. Over all, traveling like this is 4 
  times faster than a horse on an open field, up to 
  a maximum of 6 hours travel time. The fey guide 
  can drop the party off at the edge of any forests 
  adjoining or contiguous to where they began.
  Activate Faerie Gate
  As an action, a character may expend their sylvan 
  favor to activate a faerie gate. The gate opens 
  a magical portal to the opposite world (mortal 
  world to faerie world, or vice-versa). The portal 
  remains open for 1 minute, allowing passage 
  for that character and up to four other chosen 
  characters. 
  Question the Trickster
  When a player-character is subject to fey antics, 
  they may expend their sylvan favor to catch the 
  fey spirit in the act. The fey—usually a pixie or a 
  gremlin—materializes, apologies, and to the best 
  of its ability answers one question the character 
  asks. The fey then disappears.
  Fey Intervention
  As an action, a character can call on their sylvan 
  ally to cast a druid or warlock spell. The spell 
  is cast using the character’s ability scores and 
  proficiency bonus. The spell cast can be any that 
  a druid or warlock of that character could cast 
  (including the warlock’s Mystic Arcanum) of any 
  spell level below the maximum. For example, a 
  1st-level character could only beseech the fey to 
  cast a cantrip, and a 13th-level character could 
  request a 6th-level spell. e
  Appeasing Faeries
  Traditionally, there are many folk means to offer 
  faeries appeasement. The idea is for mortals to 
  (symbolically or mystically) share with the invisible 
  faeries who need worldly sustenance. Some include:
   
  ▶
  As you pass by, drop a silver coin into wells, 
  fountains, or rivers under bridges.
   
  ▶
  Leave bread, milk, wine, or brandy on the back 
  porch overnight.
   
  ▶
  Leave an open seat at the table or dining area.
   
  ▶
  While milking a cow, shoot the first few squirts 
  on the ground. 
   
  ▶
  If you spill salt, pick some up and throw it over 
  your shoulder. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 094 - Sylvan Secrets.pdf