Hmm, how about a +1 Dodge bonus to AC per 3 HD? Or per 4 or 5 HD? That would get the effect across, I think. They would be readily seen, but their speed / agility / gracefulness would allow them to step around or back from any strike about to hit them. Considering their low hp and BAB they almost need something like this to stay alive, or so it often seems . . . At present only their SLA really keep them alive and anywhere near par for their CR.
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A while back I was trying to think of alternate Fae traits for a bronze age setting and came up with the following:
(unchanged)
HD: d6; BAB low; Saves: good Refl, Will; 6+Int skill Pts; Prof: Simple Wpns; Eat, Drink, Sleep, Breathe
(changed)
Keen Low Light Vision: Fae can see 4x as far as a human in conditions of low lighting. They maintain the ability to distinguish color in such conditions. A full moon is akin to the sun at noon to a fae. A new moon on a cloudy night is no worse than the twilight hours after the sun has set on a night with a half moon for a human. True absolute darkness, however, is still darkness to fae.
While within a natural setting Fae enjoy a +8 bonus to Search and Spot checks, as their keen vision allows them to count leaves on distant trees and make out the finest details of the ground at their feet with but a glance. This bonus, however, reflects in part their attunement to nature. Outside of a natural setting it is reduced to +4 as much of what is around them is alien and sometimes unexpected. As such, their gaze may pass over oddities, unaware of their potential importance.
Keen Hearing: Fae have an astonishing sensitivity to their environment. While in a natural setting they gain a +8 bonus to Listen checks. Part of this is due to their extremely sensitive ears - and thus they also have a +4 bonus to Listen when not within a natural setting, but part of it is due to their understanding of what they hear around them - or don't hear. For at times what they do not hear is as important as what they do hear. If sounds suddenly cease they know that danger may be near, irregardless of whether or not they have seen or heard anything that might itself signal danger.
Also, Fae may make hearing checks while they are asleep with the same degree of ease as they would if awake. They suffer no penalty to their Listen checks for being asleep.
(added)
Natural vs Non-Natural Settings: Where are the Borders? Many fae abilities are lessened or even negated when outside of a non-natural setting. However, here exactly does a rural setting end and a wilderness / natural setting begin? Does a dirt country road winding its way through a forest count as 'non-natural'? What about pasturage for cattle or goats to graze upon? After all, often in the more rural areas such fields are in fact wild meadows near the frontier village. I typically rule it as follows: rural lands bordering wilderness - such as pasturage, unpaved country (dirt) roads, and even crop fields are considered natural to a fae, but if such lands are not bordered by wilderness then they are considered non-natural. Most frontier areas, therefore, are typically considered 'natural' except within the buildings themselves and along the roads between said buildings (such as inside a village). Nearer the larger cities, however, such 'rural / semi-wilderness' areas are typically far enough away from true wilderness not to count as a natural setting. The GM may decide otherwise in specific instances, of course.
Alacracy: Fae move with remarkable speed for their size. They gain +10 ft to their base speed beyond what is typical for a creature of their size while in a natural setting. Despite this, they are careful in their tred, and while within a natural setting attempts to track them suffer a +10 bonus to their DC. In a non-natural setting their bonus to movement falls to +5 ft more than typical for a creature of their size. In some instances it may fall to +0 ft beyond what is typical of a creature of their size - such as moving in a major urban city far from nature. When moving along side source of Iron - irregardless of whether the setting is natural or not - this bonus is decreased by a further -5 ft (such that in the Wilderness it is a mere +5 ft, and in an urban area it is a mere +0 ft or even a -5 ft, depending).
Alien Mind: Fae minds are quite alien when compared to that of typical mortals. They gain a +4 to their Will saves verse mortal Enchantments and Illusions. (Note, I give a similar bonus to Dragons, Elementals, Outsiders, and Undead, and I give half the bonus (+2) to Monstrous Humanoids and Magical Beasts. Humanoids [ie: the typical 'mortals'] are just lacking when it comes to understanding or manipulating the minds, hearts, senses, etc of these 'alien' beings.) Note that this bonus falls to +2 vs mortal Enchantments or Illusions if the fae is within 5 ft of Iron, and if they are in near contact to iron (such as a collar of Iron gilded in Silver or some other metal - enough to prevent damage from contact with Iron) they lose this all together due to the disorientation caused by the Iron upon their minds.
Dark Vision (30 ft): Fae are never truly blind, although in absolute darkness they lose their ability to determine color and can see for only a mere 30 ft.
DR 5 / Iron: Fae are remarkably vulnerable to Iron. This extreme vulnerability is partially balanced by the fact that Fae enjoy a resistance to many forms of damage caused by other sources. Typically this represents their ability to move with the strike, lessening its impact, but it can also represent their ability to endure terrible injury without notable impact or even to heal from a strike almost as soon as it occurs. Iron, however, is both slow to heal and disorienting enough by its presense to prevent the agility that might normally allow them to move with the strike and thus reduce its impact.
Dodge Bonus: Fae are remarkably graceful and enjoy a dodge bonus equal to 1 + (HD / 4). Granted, few have better than a +1 or +2 dodge bonus, but it does represent the grace and speed of this race.
Fast Healing: All Fae have fast healing equal to 1 + Con mod (minimum 1). However, as fae are typically on the frail side, only a few have better than 2 or 3 fast healing. As noted below, any damage caused to a Fae by Iron cannot be healed by fast healing. It must heal as normal.
Iron Sensitivity (15 ft): Fae are quite sensitive to the 'malign' presense of Iron. They are immediately aware of any iron that comes within 15 feet of them. Just as a blind human can still feel the heat of the sun upon their flesh in summer and the chill of ice mere inches from their skin, so too can a Fae feel the uncomfortable presense of iron near to their being. Rarely will a fae approach within 5 ft of iron. Thus the reason many locations have legends that placing an iron spike in a door and above each window will keep a fae from entering the dwelling - or that sprinkling iron nuggets along the borders of a field will keep fae from crossing into it.
Iron Vulnerability: Fae are harmed by the touch of Iron in several ways - which perhaps explains why they have developed the ability to sense it from a distance. Even the slightest skin contact with Iron risks 1d4 damage (reflex save for half, minimum 1 point of damage). Damage caused to a Fae by Iron cannot be healed by magic nor even by the Fae's own fast healing ability. It must heal at the normal slow rate (which, considering their fast healing, seems incredably long to a Fae). Note that if an Iron item is held against a Fae's flesh when they are unable to move away from it (due to being pinned, grappled, bound, unconscious, etc) then the fae take the full 4 points of damage. All iron weapons automatically cause this additional 1d4 points of damage to Fae, and if they are struck they cannot take a reflex save to halve the damage received.
Indeed, piercing and slashing weapons are even worse against fae, for Iron is poisonous to such beings, and as such Iron weapons are automatically considered poisoned (in addition to whatever other poisons they may have upon them). Pressing an iron item against an open wound has similar effect, as does swallowing an iron pellet. The Fae takes 1d4 Con the first round and 1d2 Con the second round as the iron poison is bled out of their bodies. If the iron was swallowed (something that usually has to be forced, as Fae have trouble even being near Iron, let alone picking up a piece of it), then the Fae suffers 1d4 Con damage until death results or it is vomitted out. If the weapon - having pierced the Fae - is left within it (or if the item pressed against the open wound is not removed after the first round), then the Fae continues to take 1d4 Con damage per round until it is removed, at which point they take 1d2 Con damage the following round as the iron poison is bled out of their body.
Finally, while in near-contact with Iron (such as by carrying, holding, or wearing and item of Iron gilded in just enough material / metal to prevent contact with the Iron and thus damage from contact) a Fae is treated as if suffering a -2 to all mental ability scores. This penalty fades after the metal is removed, typically taking 1 round per minute of near-contact with the Iron (minimum 1 round, maximum 1 hour).
Naturally Graceful: Fae are remarkably graceful creatures, gaining a +8 to Perform (dance), +8 to Move Silently, and the ability to move through non-magical forms of impediment to movement at their normal speed. Note that iron impediments, though not magical, are treated as such for this special ability. Indeed, fae will often only attempt to move across a terrain littered with iron impediments if their life is endangered. Otherwise they will typically seek any means of moving around it. Similarly, if they are within 15 ft of iron their benefits fall to a mere +4 to Perform (dance) and Move Silently. If within 10 ft of Iron their bonus to those two skills falls to +2, and it falls to +0 if they are within 5 ft of Iron.
Natural Resistances: +4 to Fortitude saves made to resist natural Diseases and natural Poisons, +4 to Constitution checks made to hold their breath, +4 to Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst, +4 to Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments, +4 to Fortitude saves made to resist damage from Suffocation, and +4 to Fortitude saves to resist nonleathal damage from changes in Altitude. (Note, these stack with similar resistances gained from the Endurance feat.) These benefits are halved outside of a natural setting. Also, note that the bonus verse Poisons does not count towards Iron poisoning.
Scent (10 ft): Fae have remarkable senses. Despite their often humanoid appearance, they continue to have the ability to make out faint scents in the air around them. The range of their sense of smell, is - of course - variable by the winds. It expands to 20 feet downwind of the source of the scent and decreases to a mere 5 feet when upwind of the source of the scent.
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Combining these with spell-like abilities (or Warlock-like abilities) made for some interesting fae. Taking on a fae in a natural setting was more than just dangerous, it was potentially suicidal. Typically humanoids reacted to fae by warding against them. On the other hand, if a Fae is lured out of a natural setting and then attacked with Iron it was often an almost overly easy task. It was a bit fun, actually, to have NPCs boast about having dealt with Fae found near cities (and then attacked by Iron weapons) - only to have them later face Fae in much more rural areas, where Iron was not as readily at hand if present at all.
