The evolutionary descendants of dryads, the borayn are mystically bonded to their home tree. However, the race has found methods to take their home tree with them, allowing them to travel the stars. So long as they can keep the portion of the tree alive. This Starfinder alien race write-up includes overall stats, ecology, and racial traits (for PCs).
The majority of borayn encountered are those that take a living piece of their home tree and explore far beyond their birthplace. They are known as the Branched. Those that remain by their home tree, planted firmly in the ground, have a more limited range of travel but are much more powerful. They are the Rooted.
Borayn, Branched
CR 2
XP 600
N Medium fey
Init +3; Senses Low-light vision; Perception +10
Defense
HP 25
EAC 13
KAC 15
Fort +6
Ref +6
Will +1
Weaknesses branch dependent
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Dueling sword, tactical; 1d6 S
Ranged Needler pistol; 1d4 P
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th)
Constant—speak with plants At will—entangle (DC 15) 3/day—tree stride 1/day—blend
Statistics
Str +0
Dex +2
Con +0
Int +1
Wis +0
Cha +4
Skills Physical Science +7, Stealth +7, Survival +12
Languages Common, native language of home planet, speak with plants
Other Abilities tree meld
Borayn, Rooted
CR 4
XP 1,200
N Medium fey
Init +4; Senses Low-light vision, detect magic; Perception +26
Defense
HP 60
EAC 16
KAC 18
Fort +8
Ref +8
Will +3
Weaknesses tree dependent, unable to travel more than 300 yards from bound tree
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Dueling sword, ultra-thin; 3d6 S
Ranged Needler rifle; 1d6 P
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th)
Constant—speak with plants At will—entangle (DC 15), bioluminescence (acts as light spell, target self), tree meld 3/day—tree stride, endure elements 1/day—blend, deep slumber (DC 17)
Statistics
Str +0
Dex +3
Con +0
Int +1
Wis +0
Cha +5
Skills Physical Science +10, Stealth +10, Survival +15
Languages Common, native language of home planet, speak with plants
Other Abilities tree meld
Ecology
Environment forest, jungle
Organization solitary, pair, or grove (3–8)
Believed to be an evolutionary offshoot of the dryads from Golarion, the borayn race is native to the Bora Wood of Triaxus. Borayns are green- or brown-skinned, with hair of grass, leaves, ivy, and/or branches. Like their Golarion progenitors they retain the similar magical abilities of being able to speak with plants and teleport from tree to tree. However, the race has adapted and learned to travel by taking a living branch of their tree (called their Home Tree) and carrying it with them. So long as the branch remains alive and nearby the fey is able to travel without limitation.
Typically about a foot in length, the branch of the borayn’s home tree can be magically shaped by their borayn owner. Many of the fey wear their branches as arm bands or adorn their head with their branch as a circlet.
While their numbers are limited, borayn have spread across the galaxy, planting their branches to become new home trees on various planets. Today, the race can be found on any pact world offering a jungle or forest. Borayn hair tends to reflect that of their surrounding home tree’s vegetation.
If a borayn’s home tree dies, they will feel it across any distance of space. Their branch will begin to wither and will die about a week (d10 days) later. The borayn must plant and grow their branch into a new home tree before it perishes. Because the new branch may take decades or centuries to grow into proper trees, this often serves as a retirement from adventuring for the fey.
Borayn see themselves as guardians of nature and will go to great lengths to fight those who may prove a threat to the forest. Most prefer not to engage in direct combat and would rather charm, ensnare, or otherwise incapacitate their opponents. If pressed, however, the fey will not hesitate to kill.
There are more borayn than ever traveling through space these days as even the race’s elders are beginning to migrate from the planet of Triaxus and the slowly dying Bora Wood. While many seek solutions to save their homeworld’s forest, some are simply hoping to avoid a slow, poisonous death as their home tree rots away.
Any PCs should be considered as branched borayn.
Racial Traits
Ability Adjustments: +2 Cha, +2 Dex, -2 Str
Hit Points: 6
Size and Type: Medium fey with the borayn subtype
Speak with Plants: Borayn can communicate with normal plants and plant creatures, and can ask questions of and receive answers from them. A normal plant’s sense of its surroundings is limited, so it won’t be able to give (or recognize) detailed descriptions of creatures or answer questions about events outside its immediate vicinity.
Entangle: Borayn able to cast the spell entangle at will.
Tree Stride: Borayn have the ability to enter a tree and teleport to another tree three times per day. See tree stride spell rules for details.
Branch Dependence: A borayn is mystically bonded to a branch of the tree that bore their family. This is known as their Home Tree. The branch must be kept alive as any living plant (requires water and light and does not do well for long periods under clothing or armor). Any borayn who moves 300 yards beyond their branch immediately becomes sickened. Every hour thereafter, they must make a Fortitude save to resist becoming nauseated for an hour. If out of range of their bonded branch for 24 hours takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage, and another 1d6 points of Constitution damage every day that follows—eventually, this separation kills the borayn. If the branch dies or is destroyed, the same rules apply. However, the borayn can return home and carve a new branch from their Home Tree by performing a 24-hour ritual and making a successful DC 20 Will save.
Playing A Borayn
You likely…
- Are whimsical and impulsive
- See yourself as a guardian of plant-life
- Maintain a garden in your home away from home
- Prefer to cajole or ensnare rather than fight directly
Other races probably…
- Would be annoyed by your quirkiness if you weren’t so charming
- Find your devotion to plantlife antiquated
- Distrust your magical nature
- See your branch as a weakness to protect or exploit
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