Age

Fae are born fully grown from the dreams of mice and shrews sleeping in flower patches. An individual faerie is technically immortal, although few live more than seven years.

Size

Fae are tiny. (+2 AC)

Fae range between six inches and one foot tall, and weigh between 5 and 20 pounds.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Ability Score

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity increases by 2.

Languages

• Common
• Elvish
• Abyssal
• Sylvan

Variations

Pixie

Pixies have a fly speed of 15 and typically appear insectoid. Their obsessions tend toward the lighthearted; a pixie is unlikely to be bound to kill.

Nixie

Nixies have a swim speed of 30, and advantage on stealth and perception while submerged. They observe above and blow the water with equal clarity. Nixies look like miniature mermaids with great black eyes. Nixies are unlikely to have baleful obsessions.

Redcap

Redcaps are violent nightmare creatures with large heads, topped with red, mushroom-like “caps” that continuously ooze blood-like ichor. They rarely obsess with anything other than violence. They may be bound to kill, but are unlikely to have a hedonistic obsession. Redcaps may move double their movement during combat as a normal move action, but only when moving toward an object of obsession or an enemy.

Obsession

Fae rarely have the motivation for adventure unless driven half-mad with obsession, and don't tend to stay tethered to the waking world without such an obsession to drive them. When you make a faerie, choose one of the following:

Hedonistic Obsession

There is a food, drink, or other material pleasure which is their reason to live. When in the presence of the object of their obsession, they have disadvantage on any roll to perform actions other than attempting to obtain/consume it.

Baleful Obsession

There is something wrong with the world and they can't rest until they've scoured it. When aware of the presence of object of their obsession, a faerie's AC is reduced by 4 and they have advantage on attacks made to destroy the item or creature.

Bound Obsession

A bargain with a mortal has twisted their mind. They have taken a piece of a mortal's soul which binds them to the real world, but in exchange here is a specific task they must carry out if the opportunity presents itself. They travel in search of this opportunity, and if the chance arrives they must do everything in their power to accomplish that goal, regardless of any other considerations.

Obsession guidance

Hedonistic obsessions have only a mild drawback and should be fairly common. Items such as beer, cheese, wine, are appropriate. Be careful not to choose something that will be omnipresent such as boots or gold.

Baleful obsessions are more inconvenient and should be more specific. A balefully obsessed fae may be driven to destroy rats, the undead, or any reasonably common monster type, or an inexpensive class of item such as playing cards or spoons. It is not advised to choose anything that is very common and would be dangerous to destroy; humans, houses, bakeries, and so on would create more trouble than this obsession is meant to.

Bound obsession is irresistible; as such the obsession should be something singular and important. It need not be dangerous in and of itself, but the compulsion is likely to cause danger in the wrong context. Obsessions can range from “kill this man” to “deliver this package”, anything that might have been important to - and out of reach of - a desperate mortal. Because this is likely only to happen once during a campaign, players should be prepared for it to come up at the worst possible time.

Innate Spellcasting

Fae can cast certain spells with Charisma as their Spellcasting Ability:

• At 1st Level, they know the Minor Illusion cantrip.
• At 3rd Level, they can cast Color Spray once every long rest.

Built Faerie Tough

After first level, a faerie gains half their class's hit dice instead of the full roll. Constitution bonuses apply normally.

Nimbleness

Fae can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than theirs.