Treant
Encyclopedia
Treants are creatures found in the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game.
Treants are sentient trees with human characteristics. They are typically portrayed as protectors of the forests and antagonists to industrialization and despoiling of nature. They are typically allies of druids
and fey
, opposing malicious races such as orcs
.
of many of the world's folklores, as well as the Ent
from J. R. R. Tolkien
's world of Middle Earth
. The creature was called an ent in the original Dungeons & Dragons
, and its name was later changed to treant. See tree (mythology) for more information.
The name "treant" comes from combining "tree" and "giant," and is usually pronounced /|tree-ant/.
(1974), where they were described as tree-like creatures able to command trees, and lawful in nature.
The treant was detailed in Dragon
#79 (November 1983), in the "Ecology of the Treant". The rivertree treant variant appeared in Dragon #108 (April 1986).
(1981 & 1983), The treant appears as a player character class in Tall Tales of the Wee Folk
in the "DM's booklet" (1989). The treant was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991).
The lyrannikin (black treant) appeared for the Greyhawk
campaign setting
in From the Ashes
(1992).
The evil treant and the undead treant first appeared for the Ravenloft
setting in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991). The evil treant (blackroot) first appeared in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II (1993). All of these creatures were reprinted in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium I & II (1996), and the evil treant (blackroot) also appeared in The Shadow Rift (1996).
The Athasian treant appeared for the Dark Sun
setting in Ivory Triangle (1993).
A chaotic evil treant appeared in Encyclopedia Magica
Vol. 1 (1994). The frost treants appeared in Dungeon
#61 (September 1996).
The elder treant is introduced in the Epic Level Handbook
(2002).
Suggestions for combat with treants are provided in Dragon #283 (May 2001).
Savage Species (2003) presented the treant as both a race and a playable class.
The corrupted treant appears in Dragon #350 (December 2006).
The blackroot treant appears in the D&D Miniatures: Against the Giants set (2008).
.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game.
Treants are sentient trees with human characteristics. They are typically portrayed as protectors of the forests and antagonists to industrialization and despoiling of nature. They are typically allies of druids
Druid (Dungeons & Dragons)
The druid is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Druids wield nature-themed magic. Prior to 4th edition, they gain divine magic from being at one with nature, or from one of several patron gods of the wild, while in 4th edition, they gain primal magic...
and fey
Fey (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Fey is a type of creature, or "creature type". Fey are usually humanoid in form, and are typified as having supernatural abilities and a connection to nature or to some other force or place....
, opposing malicious races such as orcs
Orc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
.
Publication history
Treants appear to have been inspired by the talking treesTalking trees
Talking trees are a form of sapient vegetable life common to many mythologies and stories, most famously the Ents in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth stories.Some of the more well known talking trees:...
of many of the world's folklores, as well as the Ent
Ent
Ents are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant....
from J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's world of Middle Earth
Arda
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and related material once existed...
. The creature was called an ent in the original Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
, and its name was later changed to treant. See tree (mythology) for more information.
The name "treant" comes from combining "tree" and "giant," and is usually pronounced /|tree-ant/.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The ent (treant in later printings) was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" setDungeons & Dragons (1974)
The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1974), where they were described as tree-like creatures able to command trees, and lawful in nature.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The treant appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as combining the features of both humans and trees, and dwelling in forests and indistinguishable from trees, and can cause trees to come to life and move.The treant was detailed in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#79 (November 1983), in the "Ecology of the Treant". The rivertree treant variant appeared in Dragon #108 (April 1986).
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the treant, in the Dungeons & Dragons Expert SetDungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
(1981 & 1983), The treant appears as a player character class in Tall Tales of the Wee Folk
Tall Tales of the Wee Folk
Tall Tales of the Wee Folk is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Tall Tales of the Week Folk is a "Creature Crucible" supplement which describes the society and background of creatures such as sprites, dryads, centaurs, pixies, and includes rules for player...
in the "DM's booklet" (1989). The treant was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The treant appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).The lyrannikin (black treant) appeared for the Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
in From the Ashes
From the Ashes (Dungeons & Dragons)
From the Ashes is a supplement for Dungeons & Dragonss World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was published in 1992 by TSR as a boxed set of materials...
(1992).
The evil treant and the undead treant first appeared for the Ravenloft
Ravenloft
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called domains brought together by a mysterious force known only as "The Dark...
setting in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991). The evil treant (blackroot) first appeared in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II (1993). All of these creatures were reprinted in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium I & II (1996), and the evil treant (blackroot) also appeared in The Shadow Rift (1996).
The Athasian treant appeared for the Dark Sun
Dark Sun
Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting featuring the fictional desert world of Athas. The original Dark Sun Boxed Set campaign setting was released in 1991....
setting in Ivory Triangle (1993).
A chaotic evil treant appeared in Encyclopedia Magica
Encyclopedia Magica
The Encyclopedia Magica is a series of four volumes of accessories for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1994-1995....
Vol. 1 (1994). The frost treants appeared in Dungeon
Dungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
#61 (September 1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The treant appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).The elder treant is introduced in the Epic Level Handbook
Epic Level Handbook
The Epic Level Handbook is a rulebook by Wizards of the Coast for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:This books contained rules for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition characters to attain levels above 20, the limit in the core rulebooks...
(2002).
Suggestions for combat with treants are provided in Dragon #283 (May 2001).
Savage Species (2003) presented the treant as both a race and a playable class.
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The treant appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).The corrupted treant appears in Dragon #350 (December 2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The treant appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), along with the blackroot treant. The treant reappears in the Monster Vault (2010) along with the bramblewood treant and the treant grove guardian.Miniatures
The treant appears in the D&D Miniatures: Giants of Legend set (2004).The blackroot treant appears in the D&D Miniatures: Against the Giants set (2008).
Other games
They are also a level 6 unit for the Sylvan faction in the computer game Heroes of Might and Magic VHeroes of Might and Magic V
Heroes of Might and Magic V is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic turn-based strategy video game series. It was developed by Nival Interactive, under the guidance of franchise-owner Ubisoft...
.