Aephin

The Aephin are a broad-shouldered creatures with skin and limbs that resemble the bark on tree trunks. They can grow and change their exterior to suit social or environmental needs. For example, Aephin can grow their skin and change their form to appear more humanoid, and even imitate clothing or armor.
Aephin are usually slow-moving, with low rumbling voices. They tend to have a great love for forests and its animal inhabitants.
When an elderly Aephin begins to creak, they know that their time is soon at an end. When this happens, most Aephin journey deep into the wilderness and spend their final days rooting themselves deep into the earth. Upon their death, their body can live on as a tree for several millennia.

Ability Scores. CON +2 and STR +1

Age. Aephin reach adulthood at around 50 years and live up to ten centuries.

Size. Aephin are between 7-9ft tall and weigh between 240-300 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Walking speed of 25ft.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Naiadi.

Speech of Beast and Leaf. Can speak with beasts and plants. They understand the meaning of your words, but you can’t understand them in return. Advantage on all CHA checks you make to influence them.

Photosynthetic. You do not eat, but must maintain physical contact with fertile soil for at least 24 hours each week or ingest one handful of fertile soil each day.

You must be exposed to direct sunlight for 4 hours each day. Partial sunlight contributes at half the rate and bright magical light at one quarter of the rate.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag or lift.

Bark Skin. Due to your knotty bark-like skin, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your bark gives you a base AC of 16. If using a shield, you can apply its bonus as normal.

Vine Tendril. You know the Thorn Whip cantrip. STR is your spellcasting ability for the spell.

Hybrid Nature. You have two creature types: humanoid and plant.

Knotted Growth. As a bonus action, your skin grows a thick covering of knotted wood for 1min. For the duration, when a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal 1d10+CON in bludgeoning dmg to your attacker. Additionally, if a creature attacks with a ranged attack, you can use your reaction to expend all of your knots toward your attacker. Make a ranged attack. If it hits, you deal a number of d6’s equal to your proficiency bonus as piercing dmg. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.