Sylvan or Faerie Creatures

Sylvan or faerie creatures are encountered in magical woodlands. Some may share territory with elves. As a group they are reclusive and (with some notable exceptions) good aligned. Their homes are typically places of extreme beauty with verdant, lush growth, profuse flowers, sparking waterfalls and limpid pools. Since these creatures tend to be highly magical with a mischievous sense of humour, encounters with them are often enormous fun—for the GM.

Brownie

Found in sylvan woodland, often along with fauns, unicorns and similar creatures, brownies are shy and retiring. They can sometimes be persuaded to help good aligned creatures. They are skilled craftsmen, adept at making and repairing ordinary things, and highly magical; they may use the following spells once each per day: confusion, continual light, dancing lights, dimension door, mending, mirror image, protection from evil, and ventriloquism. They may become invisible at will, provided they remain still while doing so. They are also lucky and strongly defended against magic, which means they make all saving throws as a 7th level cleric does.

Thanks to their excellent senses and habitual alertness Brownies cannot be surprised. They speak their own tongue, elven, halfing, and can communicate with other fey creatures such as spites, nymphs or dryads.

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (5%), 1d12×1,000 sp (25%), 1d6×1,000 ep (20%), 1d10×1,000 gp (30%), 1d12 gems (20%), 1d8 jewellery (5%), any 2 magic items plus one potion and one scroll (15%)

Centaur

Centaurs are part man, part horse. They have the body of a horse, but have the upper torso, arms and head of a human in place of the horse’s neck and head. Antipathetic toward humans, yet friendly toward elves and their kin, centaurs prefer unfrequented glades, pastures and woodlands. An encountered coterie will be armed with: 50% hardwood clubs (2d4 damage), 25% composite and/or longbows with the remaining centaurs armed with lance and shield (thus, AC 4)—this last group being the leaders. All centaurs are capable of attacking with melee weapons and two hoof attacks each melee round.

If upon rare occasion encountered in their lush woodland lair, there will be an additional 1d6 (total 5d6 encountered) fighting centaurs, with twice that many females and 5d6 young. Non-fighting (female and elderly) centaurs possess but 3 hit dice and young only 1d3 hit points. The non-fighters and young attack only if directly threatened, and with hoof attacks only. Should the non-fighting and young centaurs be seriously threatened, there is a 90% chance they will be ransomed generously.

Treasure: Individuals- 2d4 gp (90%), 1d4 gems (50%); Lair-1d8×1,000 cp (10%), 1d12×1,000 sp (15%), 1d8×1,000 ep (15%), 1d6×1,000 gp (50%), 3d6×100 pp (30%), 2d10 gems (55%), 1d12 jewellery (50%), 2 magic items (15%), 1d4 magic scrolls and 1 magic potion (50%).

Dryad

Dryads are bashful tree sprites who dwell in the most remote locations. They appear as stunning young maidens. They are never far from the oak tree of which they are a part. Dryads are non-violent and will never attack unless they have no other choice. A dryad will try to escape by stepping into any nearby tree. They can also cast dimension door and return to their own tree. The only thing different about a tree that houses a dryad is its size. A dryad can also cast a charm person spell thrice a day.

If a dryad sees a young man with a charisma score of at least 16 she will attempt to charm him. If successful there is a 50% chance he will never been again. If the youth does return it will be at least 1d4 years later.

Dryads have their own language as well as elven, pixie, sprite, and they can also speak with animals.

Treasure: 2d4×100 gp (100%), 10d4 gems (50%)

Faun (Satyr)

Fauns live in remote forests or meadows far away from civilisation. They are a frisky race occupying most of their time with playing, flirting, and drinking. Fauns value their privacy and will try to drive away any intruders from their domain. They have been known to ignore intruders from time to time if given enough premium food and or wine.

A faun’s primary defence is its magic pipes that only it can play. With it the faun can cast charm, sleep, or fear. All spells have a 60 ft radius and those within range must save vs magic or suffer the effects. Fauns will not attack physically unless they themselves are threatened. Their primary weapon is their horns. Sometimes (20%) they will be carrying a magic weapon.

Being nature spirits, fauns are very tuned into their surroundings and are surprised only on a roll of 1. Likewise fauns are experts with camouflage and can become 90% invisible when hiding in foliage.

Fauns can speak their own language as well as elven and common. It is also likely that fauns can understand the language of centaurs if any live nearby.

The lower body of a faun is covered with coarse fur that ranges from medium brown to dark brown. The upper half appears to be a deeply tanned human. A faun’s horns and hooves are coloured a deep black.

Treasure: 3d6×100 pp (30%), 2d10 gems (55%), 1d12 jewellery (50%), 1d12 potions (40%), 2 misc. magic items (60%)

Leprechaun

Leprechauns are a magical race that love to torment those they encounter with practical jokes, general mischief, and swindles. They normally live in green fields or rolling hills on the outskirts of civilisation. A leprechaun can turn invisible, polymorph inanimate objects, make illusions, and perform ventriloquism at will. Because of their sharp senses they are never surprised.

One of the leprechaun’s favourite tricks is to grab some valuable object, turn invisible and flee with it. If they are chased too closely they will drop the item rather then be tracked back to their lair. If they are caught or tracked back to their lair, the leprechaun will do or say just about anything to win their freedom back. Be warned, leprechauns are magical and they take great pride in their confidence games. Nothing they say should be considered the truth. A leprechaun will always be playing some kind of scam.

Treasure: 1d20×1,000 sp (10%), 1d12×1,000 ep (15%), 1d8×1,000 gp (40%), 1d8×100 pp (35%), 3d10 gems (20%), 1d10 jewellery (10%), 3 magic items (no sword or misc. weapon), 1 potion, 1 scroll (30%).

Nixie

Nixies are fey creatures related to sprites that make their home in freshwater lakes. They appear as strangely beautiful humanoids with lightly scaled greenish skin and webbed hands and feet. Their eyes are silver and their hair is dark green, and they clad themselves in garments of seaweed. Nixies speak their own language and the common tongue. They also appear to be able to communicate, at least on a rudimentary level, with freshwater fish of all types.

Being fey, nixies take great delight in enslaving humans. If a human or demi-human approaches within 30 ft of a group of nixies they will attempt to charm him or her with a special group charm spell. This charm requires a minimum of 10 nixies to join hands and chant, and any person hearing this fey chanting must save vs spells at -2 or enter the water to serve the nixies as slave and paramour for a period of a year and a day. It should be noted a side effect of this variant charm grants the ability to breathe water for the duration of the spell. There is a brief opportunity to break the charm; if a dispel magic is cast upon the enthralled person before they enter the water there is a 75% the spell will be broken but once the victim has begun breathing water the chances of breaking the charm drop to only 10%.

Nixies are weak in combat but make up for this weakness by attacking en masse and overwhelming their enemies. They favour fighting with long daggers and long darts which, due to the nixies short stature, function as spears in their hands. Nixies will melee with these spears underwater and above water they will hurl them like missiles then melee with their daggers.

Nixies fear bright light and fire, their aquatic nature makes these things foreign to them and a strong presentation of either will drive them away. A strong light source presented underwater will be obscured by schools of nixie summoned fish surrounding the spell effect. Being fey, nixies have a natural magic resistance of 25% and, besides their special charm effect, they can also cast a water breathing spell with a duration of 24 hours once per day.

Nixies lair at the bottom of lakes, where they weave living seaweed into dwellings. These dwellings blend in with the underwater growth so well they are 90% unlikely to be noted until within 20 ft of them. These underwater villages are guarded by either 1d4 giant gar (25%) or 2d4 giant pike (75%) which will obey commands from the nixies (see: Fish, Giant). The nixies can also summon 20d4 small fish to obstruct both an invader’s vision and movement by massing upon them. Nixies can venture onto dry land but do so only with great reluctance.

Treasure: Carried: magic dagger or javelin, 10%. Lair: 1d10×1,000 cp (25%), 1d6×1,000 sp (25%), 1d6×1,000 ep (15%), 1d2×1,000 gp (5%), 4d6 gems (45%), 2d4 jewellery (30%), 2 random scrolls (10%).

Nymph

Nymphs are feminine nature spirits of almost indescribable beauty; it is said that even the mere glimpse of one is enough to rob a man of his sight or perhaps kill him. They typically inhabit natural places of particular loveliness, such as high mountain lakes or deep forest glades. Those who have attempted to relate what they saw speak of absolute perfection. Nymphs typically speak common in addition to their own enchanting language and reputedly have voices like honeyed nectar.

If attacked, nymphs will almost always attempt to flee, often by means of dimension door, which they are able to use once every day. Nymphs are also able to employ magic as though they were 7th level druids. Any character that chances to look upon a clothed nymph must make a saving throw vs spells or be permanently blinded; should a nymph be seen unclothed, then the consequence of a failed saving throw is death. Should a Nymph deign to bestow a kiss upon a male, he will forget his troubles and pain for the remainder of the day.

Nymphs abhor evil and will occasionally aid someone in distress. Moreover, there is a small chance that a nymph will be favourably inclined towards a good aligned character who actively seeks her out, as long as he does not look upon her first; in the case of good- aligned human males with exceptional charisma, the chance of her favour is very high, but a saving throw is still required if he should happen to look upon her.

A lock of nymph’s hair woven into a cloak or other item of clothing will magically increase the charisma of those who wear it by one point. Alternatively, the lock of hair may be used to create a powerful potion of sleep. Nymph tears are sometimes used in the creation of a philtre of love and any woman (female demi-humans included) who bathes in a nymph’s pool will have her charisma increased by two points until sundown.

Treasure: 4d10 gems, 1d3 potions (75%).

Pixie

Pixies are a race of troublesome creatures who enjoy playing tricks and generally annoying anyone who passes through their territory. They like to dwell in secluded forests. They are normally invisible and can stay invisible even when they attack. Unless the pixie turns visible, or they are otherwise detected, opponents roll to hit at -4.

Even though pixies are small, only about 32 in tall, they can defend themselves. Their swords are considered daggers. Their bows shoot three different kinds of arrows at +4 to hit. The first type of arrow is a standard type that causes 1d4+1 points of damage. The second type of arrow causes sleep for 1d6 hours unless the target saves vs magic. The third type of arrow causes total amnesia if the target fails their save vs magic. The only way to regain memory is to receive an exorcism.

Pixies can make themselves visible or polymorph themselves. They are also able to create illusions with both sight and sound that do not have to be controlled. The illusion will last until it is touched or dispelled. A pixie’s touch causes confusion in anyone who fails their save vs magic. The confusion will last until they receive a remove curse. Once each day pixies can cast dispel magic (as if they were 8th level), dancing lights, and ESP. Some can also cast irresistible dance.

Pixies speak their own language, sprite, and common.

Treasure: 2d4×1,000 gp (40%), 1d6×1,000 pp (50%), 4d8 gems (55%), 1d12 jewellery (45%), 2d4 potions (40%), 1d4 scrolls (50%), 1 misc. magic (60%)

Quickling

Quicklings once resembled brownies, sylphs, pixies and other fey creatures, but have become corrupted by chaos. They dwell in fey areas, but the sylvan beauty of their homes has lost its subtlety and become sick, with plants forced to grow blooms of unnatural size and lurid colour, and their delicate scents have become cloying, eye-watering perfume.

Quicklings are somehow sped up in time, living at a different pace relative to other creatures of the prime material plane. They move so fast they can only be seen as a blur. Their three attacks (with daggers) constitute three separate attack routines, and the quickling will always win initiative against any opponent who is not hasted. Quicklings cannot be surprised, and thanks to their enchanted nature and uncanny speed, they make all saving throws at +10 on the dice.

Each quickling can use the following spell-like powers once each per day: dig, fire charm, forget, invisibility, levitate, shatter, and ventriloquism.

Each group of quicklings will be led by one with 4d6 hp (treat as a 3HD monster). If there are more than a dozen quicklings, there will be two such quicklings plus one with 6d6 hp (treat as a 4HD monster). These leader-type quicklings will have daggers poisoned with a powerful sleep toxin; anyone hit by their daggers must save vs poison or fall into a drugged slumber for 1d6 hours.

Quicklings speak most fey tongues, including elven, though they speak at three times normal speed which makes them very hard to understand.

Treasure: 2d4 gems (50%), one miscellaneous magic item plus two potions and a scroll (60%).

Sprite

Sprites use daggers in melee, but prefer small bows (treat as a short bow, but half range and 1d3 damage per arrow). The arrows will be coated with sleep poison (save vs poison or slumber for 1d6 hours). They can become invisible at will, detect evil at will as per the spell, and move in complete silence.

They will typically only attack evil creatures or those that blunder through their homes. Evil things will be slain, others removed in their sleep to somewhere far away.

Treasure: In lair: 1d10×1,000 cp (25%), 1d6×1,000 sp (25%), 1d6×1,000 ep (15%), 1d2×1,000 gp (5%), 4d6 gems (45%), 2d4 jewellery (30%), 2 random scrolls (10%)

Sylph

Sylphs are aerial creatures thought to be closely related to nymphs. She spends most of her time fluttering around. Because a sylph’s territory is so vast it is unlikely they will be encountered anywhere near their lair.

Sylphs are able to cast spells as if they are a 7th level magic user (4—1st level, 3—2nd level, 2—3rd level, 1—4th level). They also have the ability to cast invisibility at will and conjure air elemental once per week.

Sylphs have their own language and can also understand common.

Treasure: 10d4 gems (50%), 1 misc. magic and 1 potion (60%)

Treant

Treants are woodland creatures, reclusive to humankind but friendly with other good aligned creatures of the woods. They resemble humanoid trees: their “arms” and “legs” are not easily seen as such until they begin moving. Treants are vigilant guardians of the woods, despising anyone of evil alignment and all who make reckless use of fire, regardless of alignment. Treants can animate 1d2 trees to aid them (see “Tree, Animated”) within a range of 180 ft. Separate experience is not awarded for killing such animated trees. Treants are quite vulnerable to fire: fire attacks requiring a roll to hit gain a bonus of +4, a treant makes saving throws vs fire at –4, and any hit die of damage inflicted upon a treant gains a +1 to its result. Damage inflicted by a treant’s clubbing fists is determined as follows:

• 7-8 HD: 2d8 damage per fist
• 9-10 HD: 3d6 damage per fist
• 11-12 HD: 4d6 damage per fist

Treasure: 10d4 gems (50%); 2d4 potions (40%)

Tree, Animated

Animated trees are generally encountered when treants animate a normal tree (see “Treant”).

Treasure: None.

Unicorn

Unicorns avoid contact with all but woodland creatures, although they may render assistance to maidens who are pure of heart, allowing themselves to be tamed as steeds. Unicorns normally charge into battle, attacking only with their horns but for double damage on the initial attack. A unicorn’s horn negates the effect of poison, with normally the merest touch being required.

Treasure: 20d4 gems (50%); 1 miscellaneous magic item and 1 potion (60%)