Oread

You see a lithe woman laughing and dancing about the mountainside. The playful woman’s beauty enthralls you. As soon as she notices you, she rushes to a large stone and steps into it, disappearing from your sight.

Relics & Rituals: Olympus

© 2004 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Distributed for Sword and Sorcery Studios by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

By W. Jason Peck, Aaron Rosenberg, Christina Stiles and Relics & Rituals: Olympus team

Oreads, like dryads, are linked to a feature of the natural world. In the solitary Oread’s case it is mountains and grottoes, which it protects from miners and quarrymen, fending off drastic forces of erosion. Some are servant’s of Artemis since the goddess, when she gos out hunting, prefers mounts and rocky precipices.

These wild mountain nymphs frolic on the mountainsides that serve as home. They are quite skittish, and they flee upon seeing possible danger. When frightened, they flee into the stone around them. They will defend their home from those who would destroy the stone. For this reason, they sometimes come into conflict with races who mine or those quarrying stone for building materials.

The nymphs do not associate with many races. Their beauty causes men’s hearts to race, and even some of the gods have fallen prey to their charms. Oreads are always female.

Mountain Nymph ( Oread)
Medium fey
Hit Dice	6d6+12  (39 hp)
Initiative	+3 (Dexterity)
Speed	30 ft.  (6 squares), Swim 20 ft.
Armor Class	+17 (+3 Dexterity, +4 deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple	+3/+3
Attack	dagger +6 melee (1d4/19–20/x2)
Full Attack	dagger +6 melee (1d4/19–20/x2)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Spells, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 10/cold iron, earth mastery, Low-Light Vision, unearthly grace
Saves	Fort +7, Ref +12, Will +11
Abilities	Strength 10,  Dexterity 17, Constitution 14, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 14, Charisma 19
Skills	Climb +8, Concentration +12, Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +12, Handle Animal +13, Heal +11, Hide +12, Listen +13, Move Silently +12, Ride +5, Sense Motive +11, Spot +13, Use Rope +3 (+5 with bindings)
Feats	Alertness, Dodge, Weapon Finesse
Environment	Temperate  mountains
Organization	Solitary or group (4-7)
Challenge  Rating	7
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Usually chaotic good
Advancement	7-12 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment	+7

Combat

Mountain nymphs prefer to flee when confronted with danger. However, if their homes are threatened, they fight back. They often use their magic to turn others to stone or to charm them into leaving them alone. If those tactics do not work, they resort to melee.

Earth Mastery (Ex): A mountain nymph gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the mountain nymph suffers a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)

Spells: A mountain nymph casts divine spells as a 7th-level druid.

Typical Druid Spells Prepared (6/5/4/2/1, save DC 12 + spell level):

• 0 – cure minor wounds, detect magic, flare, guidance, light, resistance;
• 1st – cure light wounds, detect snares and pits, endure elements, longstrider, speak with animals;
• 2nd – bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, fog cloud, summon swarm;
• 3rd – call lightning, cure moderate wounds;
• 4th – spike stones.

Spell-Like Abilities:

• At will – meld into stone, soften earth and stone, stone shape, stone tell;
• 3/day – charm person, flesh to stone, stone to flesh;
• 1/day – stoneskin, suggestion.

Unearthly Grace (Su): A nymph adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus on all her saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to her Armor Class. (The statistics block already reflects these bonuses).

Skills: A mountain nymph has a +8 racial bonus on any Climb check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. She can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if distracted or endangered. She can use the run
action while Climbing, provided she Climbs in a straight line.