Anyone want Brownies?

So, I am trying to make up the Brownie creature. Here is my first draft, I appreciate any feedback (the good, the bad, the ugly)! This is based heavily on the 1E version I found online.

BROWNIE
Tiny fey, lawful good

Armor Class 15 (leather armor)
Hit Points 7 (3d4)
Speed 25 ft.

STR 6 (-2)
DEX 18 (+4)
CON 11 (0)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 10 (0)

Proficiency Bonus +2
Saving Throws Constitution +2, Wisdom +4
Damage Resistances Poison
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +10, one tool
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Brownie, Elvish, Halfling, Sylvan

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The brownie spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). The brownie can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: dancing lights, light, mending, minor illusion
1/day: protection from good/evil, mirror image, confusion, dimension door

Keen Senses. The brownie has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or hearing. While not incapacitated, the brownie cannot be surprised.

Nimble Escape. The brownie can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Stout Resilience: Brownies have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and brownies have resistance against poison damage.

Description Brownies are distant relatives of halflings, (perhaps half halfling, half pixie) but they are smaller and far less common. They are basically friendly to humans and their ilk (dwarves, elves, and halflings), but because they are shy, they are seldom seen and favor quiet, pastoral areas in which to dwell. If encountered on friendly terms, brownies can often (50%) be convinced to help lawful good characters. They are able to make or repair items of wood, leather, metal, etc. with ease.

Actions

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage.


Variant: Brownie Familiar

Some brownies are willing to serve a a spellcaster as a familiar. Such brownies have the following trait:

Familiar: The brownie can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the brownie senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the brownie is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the brownie's Nimble Escape and Keen Senses traits. At any time and for any reason, the brownie can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.


Notes: In 1E, the brownie familiar was: This creature becomes a friend and companion to the magic-user, and he or she will gain dexterity equal to the brownie's (18) and the advantage of never being surprised, as well as +2 on all saving throws.

Obviously a boost to Dex 18 and +2 on all saves is OP. The other special familiars all have Magic Resistance which they confer, so I am hoping the benefits of Nimble Escape and Keen Senses is about equal to Magic Resistance in power/usefulness. I was considering the Stout Resistance.

If anyone has thoughts or suggestions to offer, please do.

Thoughts?

EDITED: adding Saving Throws and Stout Resilience. Bumped CR from 1/2 to 1.
EDITED: added Damage Resistances to upper block as well as Stout Resistance. Returned CR back to 1/2.
EDITED: added Familiar Variant information

This thread is very disappointing. I was expecting baked goods.

My first thought was the same as @MaximusArael020.

But back on subject, it looks pretty good. There's only one thing in the 1e description that I can see that you haven't directly accounted for, which is "Special Defenses: Save as 9th level cleric". Clerics had pretty good saves, especially vs. Paralyzation/Poison/Death Magic, and 9th level is quite a bump for a 1/2 HD creature. Not sure there's a really good way to emulate that in 5e, but maybe at least bump their CON save, and perhaps CHA as well since those stats are just average. Of course, their STR is very low, but a high STR save just doesn't seem like the right flavor. Suggestion:
Saving Throws CON +6, CHA +4

Yeah, I am sure a lot of people were disappointed by the title, but hopefully it gets people to look! LOL

Thanks, but nice catch on the saves! I missed it in the stat block. In 5E terms, a 9th level Cleric would have about +7 for Wisdom and Charisma. Yeh, the cleric saves in 1E at 9th were also good. It is quiet a jump for CR 1/2. Given their part Fey, part Halfling heritage, maybe a resistance to Poison or advantage on Con saves? I could do something like:

Saving Throws Constitution +2, Wisdom +4

Stout Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance against poison damage.

And maybe increase the CR to 1?

Do you have psychedelic brownies?

Or are those pixies?

Olgar Shiverstone said:

Do you have psychedelic brownies?

Or are those pixies?

Click to expand...

They are a mixed-breed: psychedelic pixies.

Resistance to poison should go in the Resistances line of the stat block, not buried within another trait.

Overall I like it.

dnd4vr said:

And maybe increase the CR to 1?

Click to expand...

CR is almost completely meant to be a measure of how much damage the Monster can a) dish out, and b) take.

Your brownie can take none, and barely dishes out any either. By the guidelines in the DMG (Page 274) your brownie reaches the low end of CR 1/4, and based on my own experience homebrewing monsters, I'd peg it at CR 1/8 because it's hp are sooooo low.

Ath-kethin said:

Resistance to poison should go in the Resistances line of the stat block, not buried within another trait.

Overall I like it.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I added Damage Resistances to reflect that, but it really belongs in both so I kept the Stout Resistance below as well.

Satyrn said:

CR is almost completely meant to be a measure of how much damage the Monster can a) dish out, and b) take.

Your brownie can take none, and barely dishes out any either. By the guidelines in the DMG (Page 274) your brownie reaches the low end of CR 1/4, and based on my own experience homebrewing monsters, I'd peg it at CR 1/8 because it's hp are sooooo low.

Click to expand...

The CR reflects many other abilities as well but you have a point. I started at CR 1/2 and bumped it due to a lot of the extras (comparing it to other special familiar types), and realized the other CR 1's have A LOT more resistances, so decreased it back to 1/2. Due to the good AC, decent attack bonus, and other abilities, I wouldn't go less than CR 1/2.

dnd4vr said:

Thanks. I added Damage Resistances to reflect that, but it really belongs in both so I kept the Stout Resistance below as well.



The CR reflects many other abilities as well but you have a point. I started at CR 1/2 and bumped it due to a lot of the extras (comparing it to other special familiar types), and realized the other CR 1's have A LOT more resistances, so decreased it back to 1/2. Due to the good AC, decent attack bonus, and other abilities, I wouldn't go less than CR 1/2.

Click to expand...

I did the math on this one per DMG guidelines. It comes to defensive CR 1 and offensive CR 1/4. 1 + 1/4 = 1.25. divide by 2 comes to more than 1/2, so round up to 1.

It's a relatively weak CR 1, but by the math that where it lands.

EDIT: people, there's no need to guesswork. There are literally formulas to work this stuff out, and I'm confident you all have the book in which they appear.