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The RCFG Brownie

Brownie
(Small Fey)

Movement: 20 ft.
Armour Class: 17
Initiative Bonus: +4
Hit Dice: ½d8+1
Attacks: 1 weapon
Special Attacks: Sorcerer spells
Special Defences: DR 5/cold iron
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3.
Ability Scores: S 17, I 14, W 14, D 18, C 12, Ch 16.
Morale: 6

Habitat: Farmland or household
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1 (1d6)
Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8; Scythe Fighting 3 ranks.
Treasure Type:
XP Value:

A brownie appears to be a three-foot tall, hairy man, frequently with only nasal slits instead of a nose. They are shy and retiring, preferring not to be seen by those of mortal races. Despite their size they are fantastically strong. Brownies attach themselves to individuals or households, performing work in exchange for a bit of bread and a small bowl of the best cream. Like many fey, brownies are easy to offend, so that gifts (including food) left for a brownie must be placed for the brownie to find – they should not be obviously gifts. Some few (10%) brownies have been known to accept other gifts without offense, such as a linen shirt once a year, but this practice is perilous because, should the value of the gift diminish or grow, the brownie will certainly take offense.

A brownie that is happy with its household can do the work of ten people, and will help with such tasks as harvesting, reaping, threshing, cleaning, keeping animals safe, spinning wool into thread, making shoes, baking bread, brewing, or any of a thousand other tasks that can be done while the household is asleep or is busy elsewhere. Brownies do not like to be observed at their work, and intentionally watching them can cause them to be offended (50% chance). Most brownies stay hidden during the day, and most households with brownies know – and avoid – the spot where their brownie likes to hide. This may be a dark corner of the house, a cellar or attic, somewhere in the barn, or even in a nearby hollow tree or ruined building. A brownie who is disturbed in its hiding spot is 75% likely to take offense.

A brownie will also take offense if its work is criticized by a member of the household. A brownie is intimately familiar with its household, however, and does not take offense against the household due to the actions of outsiders, so long as the response of the household is appropriate. Such a brownie might well take offense against the outsider, though, and work some mischief to plague him.

A brownie that takes offense will (roll 1d6): (1-2) desert the household, (3-4) desert the household, and curse it at the same time, or (5-6) become a boggart to plague the household. Typical brownie curses cause a –1d6 penalty to all skill checks performed in a household, and last until the household somehow makes amends, the curse is magically lifted, or all the members of the household die. Sometimes abandoning a household will work to avoid a boggart or a brownie’s curse, but there is a 25% chance that the boggart or curse will follow people who move to avoid them, regardless of how far, how fast, or how often they move.

A brownie can cast spells as a sorcerer with 1d6 levels. It always takes the Faerie spell source first, but may also have the (1-2) Elemental Earth, (3-4) Greenblooded, or (5-6) Weather spell sources as well. Brownies do not gain the other benefits of sorcerers, such as witchfire or second sight.

If a brownie is forced to fight, it uses farm implements as makeshift weapons, most often using a sickle or scythe. The brownie can use its Stealth skill to partially hide itself, usually attempting a DC 20 check to get combat advantage, granting a +2 to its Armour Class and a +2 bonus to its attack rolls.

Billy Blind: A billy blind is a special type of brownie that usually dwells in or near the fireplace or chimney. It is blind, but has the ability to prophesy. Questions may be whispered up the chimney, and if the billy blind knows the answer, it will whisper it back down. A billy blind has a chance of knowing the answer to any question as follows: 100% if it pertains to the household (“Where did I lose my keys?”), 75% if it pertains to the area within 15 miles of the household (“Have any of my neighbours found my keys?”), 25% if it pertains to a more distant area within 100 miles (“Would my keys fit the locks in the Duke’s treasury?”), and 5% if the question pertains to an area more distant, or is truly esoteric (“Can you teach me the ritual to make a love potion?”). If the question concerns the future, the chance of the billy blink knowing the answer is reduced by –10% if it pertains to the immediate future (“Will I find my keys today?”), –25% if it pertains to the future within one year (“Will the weather be good this harvest time?”), and –50% if it pertains to an even more distant future than that (“Who will my youngest daughter marry when she has grown?”).

Boggart: An offended brownie becomes a boggart. It can be difficult to tell one from the other initially – stories tell of brownies who only reveal themselves to be boggarts when it becomes obvious that all the good luck of their household is at the expense of the (infuriated) neighbours. In general, while brownies have only slits for nostrils, boggarts have sharply pointed noses.

Boggarts can be (1-3) mischievous, (4-5) malicious, or (6) even deadly.

A mischievous boggart performs pranks meant to annoy rather than to cause real damage. It might hide important pieces of equipment, spook the livestock, clog the chimney, or rearrange the furniture while the household is asleep or out. In many ways, the behaviour of such a boggart resembles that of a gentle poltergeist. Any reasonable attempt to make amends with the boggart has a 50% chance of being successful.

A malicious boggart uses its abilities to harm the household, but isn’t seeking anyone’s death. Such a boggart will ruin crops, lame animals, steal equipment outright (and it will seldom, if ever, be found again). It will ruin materials, cut straps, put holes in pots, and otherwise prevent the household from prospering. All skill checks made in the household suffer a –4 penalty due to the boggart’s sabotage. Any reasonable attempt to make amends with the boggart has a 25% chance of downgrading it to a mischievous boggart.

A deadly boggart means to see its household dead. It saws partly through saddle straps, balances blades over doorways, carefully places items near the top of stairways to cause falls, and so on. In such a household, all skill checks suffer a –4 penalty due to the boggart’s sabotage, and each member of the household over the age of nine must make a saving throw each day (DC 20) or suffer 1d6 points of damage due to a boggart-inspired accident. If the save fails by 10 or more, the individual takes 2d6 points of damage instead. Each individual can use its best save bonus for this saving throw. Any reasonable attempt to make amends with the boggart has a 5% chance of downgrading it to a malicious boggart.

Brown Man: A brown man, sometimes called a Buckawn or Bucca, is a type of brownie that protects natural regions. Unlike most brownies, the brown men often travel in groups of 2d6 individuals and are not shy of being seen. Often a single brown man will appear to mortals traveling in an area they protect, warning them not to harm beast or fowl in their lands, and to do no damage. Those who attack the brown man, or violate his prohibitions, find themselves feathered with stone-tipped arrows sped by unseen hands. These brownies have Wilderness Lore +15 and 6 ranks in Archery.

Fenodyree: The fenodyree is a large brownie, taller and bulkier than a man, and hideously ugly. Like most brownies, it is shy around mortals. The fenodyree aids in reaping, mowing, threshing, and herding during the hours between dusk and dawn.

Killmoulis: A killmoulis is a Tiny brownie with an enormous nose, but no mouth. It lives in mills, where it aids the miller by grinding grain during the night and keeping the mill free of mice and rats. It attacks using a poisoned needle. The needle does a single point of damage, plus poison (1d6 Con damage, Fort save DC 15 for half damage, rodents have a – 4 penalty to the save and take double damage). Killmoulis apparently eat by stuffing grain up their noses, and can communicate by telepathy with a whispery-sounding voice at a range of 30 feet.

Victorian Brownie: Compared to the traditional brownie, the brownie of the Victorian Era was smaller (size Tiny, as with the killmoulis), and formed more similarly to a human or elf. They have normal noses, pointed ears, and are not exceptionally hairy. A Victorian brownie only has a Strength of 7 and a Prowess save of –2, and never becomes a boggart or curses its household. If offended, it simply leaves.

Short Form

Brownie (Small Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 17; Init +4; HD ½d8+1; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision; SV (Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8; Scythe Fighting 3 ranks.

Brownie (Billy Blind) (Small Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 17; Init +4; HD ½d8+1; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision, oracle; SV (Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8; Scythe Fighting 3 ranks.

Brownie (Boggart, Mischievous) (Small Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 17; Init +4; HD ½d8+1; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision, mischief; SV (Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8; Scythe Fighting 3 ranks.

Brownie (Boggart, Malevolent) (Small Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 17; Init +4; HD ½d8+1; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision, mischief (–4 penalty to all skill checks in the household); SV (Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8; Scythe Fighting 3 ranks.

Brownie (Boggart, Deadly) (Small Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 17; Init +4; HD ½d8+1; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision, mischief (–4 penalty to all skill checks in the household, DC 20 save each day or 1d6 damage, double damage if save fails by 10 or more); SV (Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8; Scythe Fighting 3 ranks.

Brownie (Brown Man) (Small Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 17; Init +4; HD ½d8+1; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision; SV (Fort +1, Perc +2, Prow +4, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +3); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Stealth +15, Theft +8, Wilderness Lore +15; Archery 6 ranks.

Brownie (Fenodyree) (Large Fey): Mv 40 ft.; AC 13; Init +2; HD 2d8+4; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision; SV (Fort +3, Perc +3, Prow +8, Reas +2, Refl +6, Will +5); ML 6; XP . Skills: Climb +5, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Farmer plus one other) +12, Stealth +11; Scythe Fighting 4 ranks.

Brownie (Killmoulis) (Tiny Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 19; Init +6; HD 2 hp; Att 1 needle (1); SA Poison (1d6 Con damage, Fort save DC 15 for half damage, rodents have a – 4 penalty to the save and take double damage), Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision, telepathy 30 ft. range; SV (Fort –1, Perc +4, Prow +2, Reas +2, Refl +8, Will +3); ML 5; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (Miller) +12, Stealth +17, Theft +10.

Brownie (Victorian) (Tiny Fey): Mv 20 ft.; AC 19; Init +6; HD ½; Att 1 weapon; SA Sorcerer Spells; SD DR 5/cold iron; SQ Low-light vision; SV (Fort –1, Perc +2, Prow +2, Reas +3, Refl +8, Will +3); ML 5; XP . Skills: Climb +8, Craft (any three) +12, Handle Animal +12, Heal +8, Profession (any two) +12, Stealth +15, Theft +8.
 

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One More for the Road

Baccae
(Medium Fey)

Movement: 30 ft.
Armour Class: 15
Initiative Bonus:
Hit Dice: 3d8+
Attacks: 1 weapon or 1 bite (1d4)
Special Attacks: Charming Gaze (Will or Reas DC 25), Frenzy
Special Defences: DR 5/cold iron
Special Qualities: Addictive Inspiration, Low-light vision
Saves: Fort , Perc , Prow , Reas , Refl , Will .
Ability Scores: S 14, I 10, W 8, D 16, C 12, Ch 16.
Morale:

Habitat: Any
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1d6 (6d6)
Skills:
Treasure Type:
XP Value:

The baccae (singular and plural) are fey who represent the nature of wine, both good and bad. They represent liberation from inhibitions, love of song and poetry, good cheer, licentiousness, poor judgement, and primal fury. They are attracted to bards, poets, musicians, and other creative types, sometimes spurring them on to greater creativity, and other times dragging them down into carnality, addiction, and sometimes even suicide. Most of the time, baccae appear predominantly as scantily-clad human(oid) females of startling beauty, very often at the first blush of womanhood. However, when threatened or angered, their great age shows through, as though it had been concealed by layers of now-peeling cosmetics. Their fingernails become claws and their teeth are revealed to be uncommonly long and sharp. A baccae can switch between these aspects as a reaction.

In her more attractive aspect, a baccae can charm humanoids who meet her gaze (Willpower or Reasoning DC 25 negates) as a charm person spell. This is an action. If the target is male, the baccae seek to entice him into temporary carnal pleasures, to drink, and to song. If the target is female, the baccae seek to entice her to giving up her old life, and to join the baccae for all time. Any female humanoid who spends a full nine months with the baccae becomes one herself, and cannot be restored by any magic short of a wish. However, a bard who gains baccae as followers through the 10th level bard ability, Fanatical Followers, does not become a baccae due to spending time with her followers.

In their feral aspect, baccae can enter or exit a frenzy as a reaction. When frenzied, baccae gain a +4 bonus to initiative, attack rolls, and damage. They have a –4 penalty to AC while frenzied, plus 1 round thereafter. Any allied creatures within 30 feet of one or more frenzied baccae must make a Willpower or Reasoning save (DC 20) or become frenzied themselves (gaining the same bonuses and penalties as the baccae). Baccae automatically ignore this save – if one in a group becomes frenzied, they all become frenzied.

Baccae can turn in a moment from immodest revellers to a savage, bloodthirsty mob. It can be difficult to determine what will cause this change beforehand, although most agree that saying “No” is a common trigger, causing baccae to turn feral about 25% of the time.

Any being of a mortal race that spends an hour in the company of one or more baccae during one of their revels gains a permanent +1 bonus to Perform skill checks.

If that being spends another four hours with the baccae, he can gain a +4 bonus to Perform skill checks that lasts 24 hours. However, thereafter he must succeed in a DC 30 Willpower save or become depressed, taking a –2 penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and ability and skill checks until he can again spend at least 1 hour in the company of the baccae or until 1 month has passed (whichever comes first). If the month ends first, the being must make a DC 30 Willpower or Reasoning save to throw off this depression or else commit suicide. This is a mind-affecting effect. A bard who spends time with baccae followers to gain the bonus to Perform checks is not immune to this side effect.
 

Wow, thanks RC. And, regarding all of them, really nice work! Many bestiaries and the like could benefit from this kind of style - and substance - IMO. I'll see if it lets me give you some more XP. . .

Hm, nope, Well, when I can. Hopefully someone else can cover, for now. :)
 

Wow, thanks RC. And, regarding all of them, really nice work! Many bestiaries and the like could benefit from this kind of style - and substance - IMO.

Thank you, kind sir.

:)

I hope you note that the Baccae have been seen in historical times, attending many a rock concert. One wonders if any of those early deaths were caused by the Baccae? ;)


RC
 

Wow, thanks RC. And, regarding all of them, really nice work! Many bestiaries and the like could benefit from this kind of style - and substance - IMO. I'll see if it lets me give you some more XP. . .

Hm, nope, Well, when I can. Hopefully someone else can cover, for now. :)
Gotcha.
 


Candle Call
Conjuration/Evocation [Fire]
Class and Level: Sorcerer (Fire) 0
Casting Time: Reaction
Components: V
Range: 15 feet
Target: One flame
Duration: 10 rounds plus 1 round per sorcerer level
Save: None (harmless)

This spell calls into being a single small flame that sheds illumination as does a candle. It appears where the caster desires, within 15 feet of the caster. The caster can move this flame as a reaction, directing it to any point within range.

This flame does not make a very effective weapon, doing only 1 point of damage on a ranged touch attack. It blinds any creature if directed into its eyes, but the creature can clear this by even a small movement, causing it only a reaction.
 

Ant (Giant, Monstrous, and Swarm)

Ants are among the most common type of vermin. Normal ants are found everywhere in the world except arctic regions and exist in thousands of subspecies. They are social insects, so that even though they are individually mindless, they exhibit organized behaviour as a group. Ant colonies can solve even complex problems, given time. For example, chasms and rivers may be crossed using a bridge of living ants. That many ants may be lost creating such a bridge is immaterial – any individual ant is willing to give its life for the colony, literally without thought about the matter.

Some types of ants keep livestock (aphids for normal-sized ants), or grow fungi to eat upon a mulch of leaves and/or animal matter. Honeypot ants store food in the distended abdomens of specialized workers. Some ants carefully cultivate the areas around their nests to make the region more attractive to allied species. Others make nests of their own bodies, carrying queen, eggs, and pupae with them as they travel.

Giant ants are about 2 feet long, and weigh roughly 60 lbs. They are divided in castes with workers, soldiers, and a queen. When a soldier hits with a successful bite, it may sting as a reaction. Each colony has a single queen, which is Large sized and can only move at a rate of 5 ft. per round. If the queen is slain, the ants cease acting in a coordinated fashion, behaving instead as though they were under the effects of a confusion spell. There are also male drone ants, statistically identical to the workers, but they are typically short lived. When the queens and drones swarm, they have a fly speed of 60 ft.

Monstrous ants are about 9 feet long, and weigh roughly 300 lbs. They are divided into castes as are giant ants, with a Huge queen that cannot move. Monstrous ants tend to have far smaller colonies than do giant ants. When wounded, monstrous ants release a spray of formic acid in a five-foot radius around the ant. Any creature caught in that radius must succeed in a Fortitude save (DC 12) or a Willpower save (DC 18) or lose its next action. Ants are immune to this effect.

Ant swarms consist of thousands or millions of normal ants attacking as a coordinated unit, as do army ants. Ant swarms also have castes, but as individuals cannot be targeted caste does not matter. Any being that begins a round within a swarm must make a Willpower save (DC 20) or suffer a –2 penalty to initiative and attack rolls; if this save fails by 10 or more, the creature suffers a –4 penalty instead. This is due to the distraction being within a swarm causes. A single ant swarm is roughly 5 feet in diameter.

The types of ants described herein should be taken as a starting point. The GM is encouraged to research additional ant species to create surprises for his players. Nor should the GM feel constrained by real-world terrestrial species – a campaign world can easily contain ant species that spit fire, glow in the dark, or anything else the GM imagines. Intelligent ants, as in H.G. Wells’ The Empire of the Ants, could make terrifying opponents, as could ant swarms with the prowess to carry living medium creatures into their nests.

Tactics

Most ants simply swarm opponents. Others have developed more clever combat tactics.

The most tactically sound strategy developed by ants requires working as a team. A group of ants will surround its victim, but only some of them dart forward while others defend. The attackers seek to disable or sever limbs. When the victim is helpless, team then dismantles it.

In RCFG terms, this group of ants surrounds a foe. Two thirds of the ants Aid Another to increase the attack rolls of the attacking ants – effectively doing so by confusing the opponent as to where the attack is coming from. The attackers attempt a minor combat manoeuvre to reduce speed by 10 feet. With two ants performing a successful Aid Another for each attacking ant, this requires only a normal attack roll.

Once the target’s movement is eliminated, the ants perform the same arrangement of aid and minor manoeuvre to damage the target’s attack rolls, causing a cumulative –2 penalty with each success. As a third of the ants continue attacking to keep movement and attack roll penalties from being fully cleared, the remainder of the team attacks simply to do damage. There is no longer any need to Aid Another, unless the target manages to become mobile once more.

SIDEBAR: Ant Special Qualities

Ants may have several special qualities. The three qualities below all exist in actual ant species found on the Earth today.

Jumping: Some ants are capable of using their two rear sets of legs together in order to jump. A giant ant with this quality can jump up to 20 feet forward and 7 feet upward. A monstrous ant with this quality can jump 30 feet forward and 10 feet upward. Jumping does not affect ant swarms.

Spraying: These ants can spray a stream of formic acid from their abdomens. For giant and monstrous ants, this requires a ranged attack as an action. Giant ants can spray up to 20 feet for 1d6 damage; monstrous ants can spray up to 30 feet for 2d6 damage. Ant swarms with this ability do an extra 1d6 damage per round, and can target creatures within 5 feet with this damage.

Trap-Jaws: These ants do not let go once they bite, automatically doing normal bite damage each round after the initial bite. In addition to the damage, characters bit by these ants are considered to be grappling with them. In the case of giant ants, a Prowess Action Save (DC 20) can force the jaws apart. In the case of monstrous ants, a Prowess Action Save (DC 25) can force the jaws apart. Otherwise, the jaws remain clamped fast (and the character remains grappled) even after the ant is killed. Ant swarms with the trap-jaws quality do an extra 1 point of damage each round, and continue to do cause distraction and do 1 point of damage each round for 1d6 rounds after the swarm is killed or escaped.

Venom: These ants are poisonous. In addition to damage, the bites require a Fortitude save to avoid poisoning. Venomous giant ants require a DC 15 save to avoid suffering 1d6 Con damage. Venomous monstrous ants require a DC 20 save to avoid suffering 1d6 points of damage for 1d6 rounds. Venomous ant swarms require a DC 12 save to avoid suffering 1d6 Con damage.
 



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