Fey in 5e DnD

[Tales and Chronicles]

I remember 4e's book on the Feywild . . . No, I think it was the Underdark book . . . that described the Feydark and included some subraces in it. That might work as inspiration.

That would be Heroes of the Feywild for 4e, great book.The Broken Stones land with his nation of werewolves, the Goblin Kingdom of Nachtur, the hag haunted Murdencraw are incredible inspiration source you may find in this book, with the classic Fey court and the great Eladrin citadels that appears as ruins on the Prime but are full of live in their Feywild reflection.

I may also suggest Terrible Beauty, a supplement for Shadow of the Demon Lord for those who want (like me) dangerous and alien Fey creatures.

EDIT: I may also add that in my FR, Elves themselves are somewhat a rare sight, with plane touched races being something a commoner would not have knowledge of. So Eldarins and other Fey are more than Elf+, they are like Empyreans or Celestials. So, at my table, Eladrins would not be a playable race.

 

[Elderbrain]

FYI: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes makes the Feydark "official" in 5e, in a sidebar about Formorians. I think it's safe to assume the Shadowdark is canonical, also.

 

[Yaarel]

As aspects of fate, the fey (especially the elves) can foresee that humans are central to destiny of the multiverse. Yet humans seem so ... mundane. It bewilders the fey how such insignificant humans could possibly be so important. As such, the humans are an object of fascination to fey.

Part of the reason why some elf communities immigrated into the realm of matter was to see if they could gain some insight into what made the humans so impacting.

 

[Satyrn]

FYI: Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes makes the Feydark "official" in 5e, in a sidebar about Formorians. I think it's safe to assume the Shadowdark is canonical, also.

Aye. It'd be weird if they weren't a thing, since they're both really just describing how the feywild/shadowfell interact with the Underdark. That said, I need the Feywild's light and blooming life in my megadungeon in order to get the Genesis Cave vibe going, so I'll ignore the existence of the Feydark.


(And I just realized that I need to introduce a psycho named Khan to complete the Borderlands/Star Trek crossover)

 

[Yaarel]

Aye. It'd be weird if they weren't a thing, since they're both really just describing how the feywild/shadowfell interact with the Underdark. That said, I need the Feywild's light and blooming life in my megadungeon in order to get the Genesis Cave vibe going, so I'll ignore the existence of the Feydark.


(And I just realized that I need to introduce a psycho named Khan to complete the Borderlands/Star Trek crossover)

Actually, if the ‘Underfey’ is bright and enlivening, it explains why the drow elves *didnt* go there.

 

[Kurotowa]

My universal rule for fey is that their balance of spirit essence and material form leans more heavily towards spirit, while creatures native to the Prime lean more towards material. In some ways this makes them powerful; they can use magic innately and draw strength from immaterial things like worship and sacrifice. However it also gives them some limitations that mortals don't have.

Fey can't break promises. If they swear an oath that oath becomes part of who and what they are. They can abuse the letter of a promise or simply have a different understanding of the terms, but they can't simply lie and cheat the way a mortal can.

Fey can't disguise themselves completely. As a mutable creature of spirit they naturally reshape to fit their self-definition. The seasonal shifts of eladrin is one example of this, but for greater fey a mask with no flaws quickly becomes their true face. So a disguised fey always has to leave some hints of their true identity as a lifeline to retain it. This can be a physical tell hidden somewhere on their body, or some wordplay with their false name that references the true one.

Fey care about meaning more than objective fact. As creatures more spirit than material, the spirit of objects and actions is what they draw strength from. A fey asking for a tribute of a valued possession will be more pleased by the last letter your dead father sent you than a crown of gold and gems. A ruling fey will find routine obedience empty while both fearful grovelling and fiery defiance please them more, as both reinforce the idea of their rule.

Fey love good stories. Their mutability and difficulty to commit to falsehoods means they have trouble writing fictional tales of their own, but they dearly enjoy a good story well told by a mortal. Offering the fey a few stories in exchange for hospitality can often work. Just beware two things. Too much skill can have them demanding encores till the teller finally leaves and discovers years have passed. But bore them with too many stories they've heard before and the crowd will quickly turn on you.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Fey can't disguise themselves completely. As a mutable creature of spirit they naturally reshape to fit their self-definition. The seasonal shifts of eladrin is one example of this, but for greater fey a mask with no flaws quickly becomes their true face. So a disguised fey always has to leave some hints of their true identity as a lifeline to retain it. This can be a physical tell hidden somewhere on their body, or some wordplay with their false name that references the true one.

This part in particular is awesome to me, a good take on an idea I've never fully developed myself.

 

[Yaarel]

Fey can never completely disguise themselves.

This is true to folkbeliefs. An alfr or jǫtunn that shifts into the shape of an animal might still have human-like eyes. A water nykr that shifts into a wealthy human aristorcrat has continually damp clothes that are wet around the ankles. A troll who is extremely beautiful (some are) might still have an animal tail. And so on.

 

[mrpopstar]

The fey are very important to my home-brew, which is human centric. They live in a world, just beyond our own (somewhere in between?), that serves as a glittering reflection of brilliance, life, fecundity, emotion, and nature's glory. Theirs is the magic of druids and rangers, and they have such wonderment, allure, and free-willed amoral affectation that the mortal world can't help but be enchanted by them. People of the prime material view them as inherently dangerous, chaotic, and of questionable benevolence. Elves are rare (known for being dextrous and wise), cold-wrought iron can be seen in old and ancient architectures (to protect against all things fairy-like), and most people harbor distrust and fear (of fairy people, fairy things, and fairy-related discussion).

 

[mrpopstar]

Fey can never completely disguise themselves.

This is true to folkbeliefs. An alfr or jǫtunn that shifts into the shape of an animal might still have human-like eyes. A water nykr that shifts into a wealthy human aristorcrat has continually damp clothes that are wet around the ankles. A troll who is extremely beautiful (some are) might still have an animal tail. And so on.

Yes! In my world, all fey creatures have green eyes, even in shape-shifted forms, and having green eyes as a human is a clear indication of having elven ancestry.