Wee Fey update: proposed fluff
[This is, as stated in previous postings in this thread, partly taken and/or adapted from previous editions of the D&D game, including perspectives expressed by Remathilis and myself.]
Wee Fey
Wee fey are most at home in natural settings, but can be so fascinated by the activities of other creatures that they are sometimes drawn into even the largest of communities if they chance to become intrigued by someone who simply travels past them. They are often at the mercy of their own sense of whimsy, yet that very lack of predictability can also confound any opponents they might meet along the way.
Wee fee rarely appear to onlookers unless they wish to be seen, and other people who happen to spot one are astonished at their first sight of these tiny creatures.
Wee fey wear light, ephemeral clothing that grant maneuverability while they fly. Their nobles array themselves like the princes and princesses of the fey, wearing flowing gowns and doublets of spider and caterpillar silk that sparkle like moonlight on a pond.
Sprites will otherwise tend to dress themselves much like elves do, and prefer using shrunken versions of elven armor.
Common pixies dress themselves in acorns, leaves and bark, and the pelts of woodland beasts. Pixie armor, on the other hand, is often made of acorns, insect chitin, leather, the scales of reptiles, stiff bark, or fine mithral mail. They rarely wear heavy armor.
What wee fey lack in ambition they more than make up for in curiosity. Generally content to safely watch from hiding, there are moments when something a creature does is so inexplic-able to a wee fey that it just has to interrupt and ask, “What is ...?” or “Why did you ...?” or some other pesky question.
Like their elven kin, wee fey love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.
Manana, Wee Fey Style
Wee fey can live well over 700 years, but unlike some other long-lived races, they tend to live more in the moment. It’s not that they don’t have long memories; rather, where elves consider events with a long view and plan ahead when they can, wee fey (pixies more-so than sprites) are likely to be more excitable when unexpected change occurs in their current circumstances. They might abandon strategy to indulge their curiosity just because an unrelated but novel development catches their attention.
Wee fey are able to maintain their concentration on a given task when it seems crucial to them, but outside of that they have an attitude that they have all the time in the world and can get back later to anything that really matters.
Glades, Woodlands, and Rural Streams
Wee fey possess little if anything in the way of territorial instincts. Most dwell in forests, sleeping outside in trees or bushes when the weather is fair enough. In temperate climes they will dwell in tree hollows in winter after migratory avians such as wood ducks have abandoned them for warmer climes. Some wee fey simply move away from the approach of seasonal cold along with other migrating species.
Exploration and Adventure
Pixies take up adventuring almost accidentally, simply following their innate curiosity away from home at times and joining adventuring groups when they become friends with one or more members of the party. That sense of wonder about the world may lead them back home from time to time to catch up with loved ones, too, and any time they have rejoined family or friends they have not seen for a while is a great reason to celebrate with song and dance and magic.
[As printed earlier, here are the proposed traits.]
Wee Fey Traits:
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma increases by 1.
Age. Wee fey live as long as elves. In the Feywild, the race measures time in centuries, and wee fey are effectively immortal unless they are slain.
Size. Tiny (see Subracial traits below).
Alignment. Wee fey are creatures of goodness, though prone to mischief. They tend towards neutral goodness.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Beast Speech. You can cast speak with animals at will.
Reach. Due to their maneuverability in flight, wee fey melee attacks have the equivalent of a 5 foot reach because of their ability to dart in-and-out for a short distance. (This reach is derived from the Player's Handbook description of a sprite on page 310.) This reach trait does not apply when they are not flying; on foot, a wee fey’s reach is 2.5 feet.
Wee Warrior. Due to their size, wee fey must use specially sized weapons and armor. (See Shrink Item below). Wee fey weapons deal damage one die smaller than normal sized weapons (to a minimum of 1d4) and lose the reach property.
Shrink Item. All wee fey know a special ritual that can turn normal sized items (including magical types) to wee fey sized items they can use. This ritual takes 10 minutes to cast and lasts until the sprite reverses the ritual to return it to its natural size.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Subraces. Pixie and Sprite.
Thoughts on the subraces:
Size. Wee fey are Tiny (as per the sprite described on page 310 of the Player's Handbook). Their subracial traits reflect some aspects of this.
Speed. I noted the different effect flying has on the Stealth skill for the subraces. While flying, sprites suffer disadvantage to Stealth, while pixies lose their proficiency to Stealth.
Fey Magic, renamed respectively as Sprite Magic and Pixie Magic. Druidcraft for sprites (see Proficiencies below), Prestidigitation for pixies (given their whimsical nature).
Proficiencies. Nature for sprites, Stealth for pixies:
>You're idea of giving Druidcraft to the sprite prompts a notion that we could also give the sprite a related proficiency in the Nature skill.
>The smaller pixie would gain proficiency in Stealth instead. This would require dropping the 4e fluff (a la Disney) of the glowing glitter trailing behind a pixie in flight. I don't know if you had ever read a Dragon Magazine article regarding an antagonistic relationship between pixies and ettercaps. The author of the article (whose name eludes my little gray cells at the moment) came up with an idea that ettercaps hunted pixies for that pixie dust, which was a crucial component in some of their ritual magic. That's an idea I would keep, at least in my House Rules. And it doesn't require that an aerial pixie litter the wind with dust, just that the wings have the dusty feature.
Sprite Subracial Traits:
Size. Sprites are only 2 feet tall and weigh 20 lbs. Your size is Tiny. Because of this, you can only lift, push or pull ½ as much as a small creature, and suffer disadvantage on Strength checks to break and force open objects.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 feet. You have a fly speed of 30 feet, but suffer disadvantage to Stealth checks when flying. You cannot fly higher than 10 feet off the ground.
Sprite Magic. You know the druidcraft cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the sleep spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the invisibility spell once per day.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Sprite Innate Proficiency. Nature skill.
Pixie Subracial Traits.
Size. Pixes are only 6 inches to 1 foot in height and weigh less than 10 lbs. Your size is Tiny. Because of this, you can only lift, push or pull ½ as much as a small creature, and suffer disadvantage on Strength checks to break and force open objects.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 feet. You have a fly speed of 30 feet, but you lose your proficiency in the Stealth skill when you fly. You cannot fly higher than 10 feet off the ground.
Pixie Magic. You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Sleep spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once per day.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Pixie Innate Proficiency. Stealth skill.
... and a caveat:
There may be other considerations to be taken into account per the release of the 5e Monster Manual, in which both pixies and sprites are included. Any ideas on that are appreciated.
[This is, as stated in previous postings in this thread, partly taken and/or adapted from previous editions of the D&D game, including perspectives expressed by Remathilis and myself.]
Wee Fey
Wee fey are most at home in natural settings, but can be so fascinated by the activities of other creatures that they are sometimes drawn into even the largest of communities if they chance to become intrigued by someone who simply travels past them. They are often at the mercy of their own sense of whimsy, yet that very lack of predictability can also confound any opponents they might meet along the way.
Wee fee rarely appear to onlookers unless they wish to be seen, and other people who happen to spot one are astonished at their first sight of these tiny creatures.
Wee fey wear light, ephemeral clothing that grant maneuverability while they fly. Their nobles array themselves like the princes and princesses of the fey, wearing flowing gowns and doublets of spider and caterpillar silk that sparkle like moonlight on a pond.
Sprites will otherwise tend to dress themselves much like elves do, and prefer using shrunken versions of elven armor.
Common pixies dress themselves in acorns, leaves and bark, and the pelts of woodland beasts. Pixie armor, on the other hand, is often made of acorns, insect chitin, leather, the scales of reptiles, stiff bark, or fine mithral mail. They rarely wear heavy armor.
What wee fey lack in ambition they more than make up for in curiosity. Generally content to safely watch from hiding, there are moments when something a creature does is so inexplic-able to a wee fey that it just has to interrupt and ask, “What is ...?” or “Why did you ...?” or some other pesky question.
Like their elven kin, wee fey love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.
Manana, Wee Fey Style
Wee fey can live well over 700 years, but unlike some other long-lived races, they tend to live more in the moment. It’s not that they don’t have long memories; rather, where elves consider events with a long view and plan ahead when they can, wee fey (pixies more-so than sprites) are likely to be more excitable when unexpected change occurs in their current circumstances. They might abandon strategy to indulge their curiosity just because an unrelated but novel development catches their attention.
Wee fey are able to maintain their concentration on a given task when it seems crucial to them, but outside of that they have an attitude that they have all the time in the world and can get back later to anything that really matters.
Glades, Woodlands, and Rural Streams
Wee fey possess little if anything in the way of territorial instincts. Most dwell in forests, sleeping outside in trees or bushes when the weather is fair enough. In temperate climes they will dwell in tree hollows in winter after migratory avians such as wood ducks have abandoned them for warmer climes. Some wee fey simply move away from the approach of seasonal cold along with other migrating species.
Exploration and Adventure
Pixies take up adventuring almost accidentally, simply following their innate curiosity away from home at times and joining adventuring groups when they become friends with one or more members of the party. That sense of wonder about the world may lead them back home from time to time to catch up with loved ones, too, and any time they have rejoined family or friends they have not seen for a while is a great reason to celebrate with song and dance and magic.
[As printed earlier, here are the proposed traits.]
Wee Fey Traits:
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma increases by 1.
Age. Wee fey live as long as elves. In the Feywild, the race measures time in centuries, and wee fey are effectively immortal unless they are slain.
Size. Tiny (see Subracial traits below).
Alignment. Wee fey are creatures of goodness, though prone to mischief. They tend towards neutral goodness.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Beast Speech. You can cast speak with animals at will.
Reach. Due to their maneuverability in flight, wee fey melee attacks have the equivalent of a 5 foot reach because of their ability to dart in-and-out for a short distance. (This reach is derived from the Player's Handbook description of a sprite on page 310.) This reach trait does not apply when they are not flying; on foot, a wee fey’s reach is 2.5 feet.
Wee Warrior. Due to their size, wee fey must use specially sized weapons and armor. (See Shrink Item below). Wee fey weapons deal damage one die smaller than normal sized weapons (to a minimum of 1d4) and lose the reach property.
Shrink Item. All wee fey know a special ritual that can turn normal sized items (including magical types) to wee fey sized items they can use. This ritual takes 10 minutes to cast and lasts until the sprite reverses the ritual to return it to its natural size.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Subraces. Pixie and Sprite.
Thoughts on the subraces:
Size. Wee fey are Tiny (as per the sprite described on page 310 of the Player's Handbook). Their subracial traits reflect some aspects of this.
Speed. I noted the different effect flying has on the Stealth skill for the subraces. While flying, sprites suffer disadvantage to Stealth, while pixies lose their proficiency to Stealth.
Fey Magic, renamed respectively as Sprite Magic and Pixie Magic. Druidcraft for sprites (see Proficiencies below), Prestidigitation for pixies (given their whimsical nature).
Proficiencies. Nature for sprites, Stealth for pixies:
>You're idea of giving Druidcraft to the sprite prompts a notion that we could also give the sprite a related proficiency in the Nature skill.
>The smaller pixie would gain proficiency in Stealth instead. This would require dropping the 4e fluff (a la Disney) of the glowing glitter trailing behind a pixie in flight. I don't know if you had ever read a Dragon Magazine article regarding an antagonistic relationship between pixies and ettercaps. The author of the article (whose name eludes my little gray cells at the moment) came up with an idea that ettercaps hunted pixies for that pixie dust, which was a crucial component in some of their ritual magic. That's an idea I would keep, at least in my House Rules. And it doesn't require that an aerial pixie litter the wind with dust, just that the wings have the dusty feature.
Sprite Subracial Traits:
Size. Sprites are only 2 feet tall and weigh 20 lbs. Your size is Tiny. Because of this, you can only lift, push or pull ½ as much as a small creature, and suffer disadvantage on Strength checks to break and force open objects.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 feet. You have a fly speed of 30 feet, but suffer disadvantage to Stealth checks when flying. You cannot fly higher than 10 feet off the ground.
Sprite Magic. You know the druidcraft cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the sleep spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the invisibility spell once per day.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Sprite Innate Proficiency. Nature skill.
Pixie Subracial Traits.
Size. Pixes are only 6 inches to 1 foot in height and weigh less than 10 lbs. Your size is Tiny. Because of this, you can only lift, push or pull ½ as much as a small creature, and suffer disadvantage on Strength checks to break and force open objects.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 feet. You have a fly speed of 30 feet, but you lose your proficiency in the Stealth skill when you fly. You cannot fly higher than 10 feet off the ground.
Pixie Magic. You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Sleep spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once per day.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Pixie Innate Proficiency. Stealth skill.
... and a caveat:
There may be other considerations to be taken into account per the release of the 5e Monster Manual, in which both pixies and sprites are included. Any ideas on that are appreciated.
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