I’m new to D&D – introduced during our lockdown over here in Scotland
Currently playing the Lost of Mine of Phandelver campaign with a premade Halfling Rogue but recently been coming up with my own character ideas.
I’m looking to ask for your opinion on an idea I have as I’ve been watching a number of youtube videos giving tips and views around character creation from experienced DMs. One thing that has caught my attention is giving the DM space with a back story to work with.
I’m aware I may have my own ideas about the kind of character I want to play but the last thing I want to do is make my character a difficult one to work with, for both my fellow players and the DM.
So, without further a-do:
Nova, a Pixie.
Yes, Yes, I know, Fey, cringe. But hear me out –
I’m absolutely fascinated with D&D lore, history, the planes of existence and NPCs. And I want to factor this into my character creation, again though, without being too specific. I also know I’ve just touched the peak of the ice berg in my reading thus far.
I watched a youtuber discuss how portals to the Feywild are scattered across the Material Realm.
My idea is that there is a notorious, ‘exotic life’ collector who exhibits his finds via a travelling circus. He travels to the Feywild in search of creatures to capture and exhibit for profitable gain. Nova does not know his name. Only remembering his voice, the sights (colours), sounds and smells and other kidnapped creatures of the circus.
She escapes the circus, in the town it is host to at the time. Having never been anywhere other than the Feywild before, she panics but finds sanctuary below the floor boards of a house. Turns out this house belongs to a dear old lady. After a time of things going missing, the old lady begins to realise what is going on. Having lived under this woman’s floor boards for some time, and creating a scene like something out of The Borrowers, the lonely old lady slowly but surely builds trust with Nova and they become close friends.
The old lady is under no illusion as to how valuable Nova is, especially for her pixie dust/wings, so she keeps her safe and believes that the best thing for Nova is to return home, despite how sad it would make her. She often reviews the town’s notice boards for appropriate listings, seeking like-minded adventurers who’d be trustworthy to take Nova, giving her a chance to find a portal back to the Feywild.
According to Runesmith on youtube, gateways to the Feywild are easy to come by, but it’s more about Nova’s wellbeing and protection that concerns the old lady.
So with that, acoupla other things to cover – I want Nova to, of course, be part of combat. So, I was initially thinking Druid class as that seemed like an obvious match.
However, I am now leaning more towards Sorcerer, Wild Magic, as I think it’d be hilarious to play this tiny pixie of untamed magic and mischief. I’m also looking at Necromancy spells as with the Sorcerer class I’m digging this idea of like a Kora/Persephone vibe – Nova is all spring and sunshine and can give life but can just as easily take it away. I also think her name Nova is better suited to this narrative.
If I were to choose Druid, I think it’d be interesting to review the monster manual and discuss with my DM the types of creatures she can transform into given she’s from the Feywild and was captured, albeit briefly, in an exotic creature circus.
Open story plot – Revenge hasn’t been mentioned. Surely Nova can’t continue on her quest to return home while this awful creature collector is at large, right?
Also, as for the old lady, obviously not all games hosted by different DMs will mean always beginning in the origin hometown of the old lady. So, maybe the old lady travels from town to town, village to village with Nova, making it her mission to assist her pixie friend?
Maybe Nova finds a way to return to the Feywild but chooses not to?
I’ve also bought the Pixie specs from here, on D&D Beyond, created a draft character sheet. I’ve seen some interesting custom/homebrew ideas such as:
I have kept purely to the official monster manual info. I wouldn’t add Darkvision as I believe Nova would be from an eternally sunny part of the Feywild, so that wouldn’t make sense.
Nature’s child, being proficient in Nature skill wouldn’t be a bad shout as I’ve made her +2 in Wis and +0 in Int, Nature being Int.
What I thought was interesting was the idea of Wing Regrowth. However, I probably wouldn’t add this as I think another Plot development could possibly be the loss of her wings. Maybe a kindly artificer could make her a new pair? This would of course decrease her 'value'.
So, to summarize, thinking either Druid or Sorcerer and the background I’ve chosen is Urchin for mischievous, theif-y additions.
As a DM, player, both, how does this sound to you?
At level 1? I'm thinking Druid, but Sorcerer is also viable, but Druid would be my preference (and that's just me). Multiclassing can be tricky if you'd like parts of both and people with better multiclassing experiences could help with that.
A) If the campaign's DM says it's okay, it's okay. B) Do what seems fun.
"Fun" doesn't necessarily mean funny nor does it necessarily mean the best strategy. Fun is whatever's fun for you as long as it's not at the cost of fun for others.
I always like the backstory tactic of setting a simple foundation (like you have) and letting the adventure happen going forward with the group. I, personally, like it.
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Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
I've considered multiclassing, absolutely. Still just considering it though. Given the 1/day spells that come with a pixie, I am concerned of having access to too many spells, if that makes sense? Trying to be aware of balance I guess. I'm not sure, do you think there can be an issue around this?
Absolutely get what you mean around fun vs funny. While I've been watching campaigns on youtube I've been thinking to myself 'How would I react as Nova, and what would that mean for my fellow players?'.
Do you even have a DM who's okayed this yet? Because it sounds like you're putting a lot of effort into a character concept that many GMs would veto outright.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Like I said in my post - I have kept purely to monster manual official content and the only homebrew consideration I made was 'Nature's child'. Please re-read post.
I can read perfectly fine. Pixies are not a player character race. Trying to convert one, even if you keep it the same as the MM stats (which I'll note is not the way 5E has handled things for races like centaurs, minotaurs, hobgoblins, or any other Monster Manual creature that's been given PC stats), is making homebrew content. Especially since you're trying to build a character that isn't a standard PC size category, being Tiny, and therefore requires a lot of extra stuff in order to support as a player character. A pixie straight out of the Monster Manual is ungodly broken- you get invisibility at will, flight, magic resistance, and a very powerful selection of spells that you know for free. That's way too powerful for a 1st level character. That is why most GMs would reject this outright. If you want to play a pixie character, you need to do a lot of work to remove stuff and get it down to something that's actually balanced.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'm not doubting your ability to read - you didn't provide an argument.
Saying that some characters are not playable races restricts creativity - again, I may be a newb but I've watched a few games to even see Matthew Mercer play a hamster in The Descent, part 4. Please provide the stats for that.
I'm currently playing with someone who is a Goblin. Again. may be a newb, but I feel the moment you begin limiting peoples character playing capabilities you're limiting their enjoyment and, if my understanding is correct, the most universally understood rule of D&D is that the DM makes the rules. If the info is there, that's what we're using.
I'm willing to discuss the mechanics of being a tiny creature. No problem. I want to engage fully with this community and hear all perspectives and consider all/any aid. There isn't much written available online around Pixies, so all views welcome.
I completely agree with the balance part of your argument (see my first comment) - however the spells a pixie casts at will (with the exception of duidcraft) are all 1/day. I'd police that as restored after a long rest, same as any spellslot.
From the specs I directly downloaded from this site (MM) - there is no magic resistance. They fly 30ft - general distance. There are a number of spells they know, but again as I say they are 1/day, see above.
Any stuff removal you'd have in mind, I'd be open to considering.
In terms of policing the pixie spells, would it make sense to only be able to obtain/access them come the class spellcasting lvl? Such as Confusion being lvl 4? Is that something you would agree with?
Of course creativity is restricted. That's why D&D is a game rather than just being collaborative storytelling. Many GMs don't allow homebrew content in their games. Others go further, and impose restrictions like the Adventure League's PHB +1 rule, or simply limit players to stuff from the PHB.
Now, the pixie's spellcasting ability: yes, they can only cast their spells once per day besides Druidcraft. However, they have ten different spells that they can cast once per day. By comparison, a first level spellcaster has two spell slots. The spells they can cast are quite powerful, as well- Confusion, Dispel Magic, Fly, Phantasmal Force, and Polymorph are very potent. That's two 4th level spells and two 3rd level spells along with a very versatile and useful 2nd level spell. That's incredibly strong when you consider that the innate spellcasting of most player character races consists of a cantrip they can cast at will, and a once per day 1st level spell once they reach third level and a once per day 2nd level spell once they reach 5th.
I don't know about what you're looking at, but the Pixie entry on page 253 of my Monster Manual has Magic Resistance in its stat block. That's not a gamebreaker, but it's a powerful innate ability. One that's probably too good with everything else they have. And their fly speed is 30 feet, which is the same as a human's walking speed. The difference is that they're not restricted to two dimensions of movement. There are a few races that get innate flying ability, but usually that's the majority of what they get and they don't get spellcasting to go with it because being able to fly if you're a spellcaster or archer really gives you a lot of power by itself- you can shut down the threat of any enemy that's limited to melee attacks outright by flying above their reach and raining spells down with impunity.
As far as what I'd do for potential stats? Don't have time to deal with that in depth right now, but I'd probably make a Pixie PC race that's small size, has a walking and flying speed of 25, gets +2 Dex and +1 Wis, and at 3rd level can cast Invisibility once per long rest. That's the quick and dirty way to do it. A player character's race should give them some abilities, but should not provide the bulk of their power by the time they reach 3rd level.
Of course creativity is restricted. That's why D&D is a game rather than just being collaborative storytelling. Many GMs don't allow homebrew content in their games. Others go further, and impose restrictions like the Adventure League's PHB +1 rule, or simply limit players to stuff from the PHB.
Now, the pixie's spellcasting ability: yes, they can only cast their spells once per day besides Druidcraft. However, they have ten different spells that they can cast once per day. By comparison, a first level spellcaster has two spell slots. The spells they can cast are quite powerful, as well- Confusion, Dispel Magic, Fly, Phantasmal Force, and Polymorph are very potent. That's two 4th level spells and two 3rd level spells along with a very versatile and useful 2nd level spell. That's incredibly strong when you consider that the innate spellcasting of most player character races consists of a cantrip they can cast at will, and a once per day 1st level spell once they reach third level and a once per day 2nd level spell once they reach 5th.
I don't know about what you're looking at, but the Pixie entry on page 253 of my Monster Manual has Magic Resistance in its stat block. That's not a gamebreaker, but it's a powerful innate ability. One that's probably too good with everything else they have. And their fly speed is 30 feet, which is the same as a human's walking speed. The difference is that they're not restricted to two dimensions of movement. There are a few races that get innate flying ability, but usually that's the majority of what they get and they don't get spellcasting to go with it because being able to fly if you're a spellcaster or archer really gives you a lot of power by itself- you can shut down the threat of any enemy that's limited to melee attacks outright by flying above their reach and raining spells down with impunity.
As far as what I'd do for potential stats? Don't have time to deal with that in depth right now, but I'd probably make a Pixie PC race that's small size, has a walking and flying speed of 25, gets +2 Dex and +1 Wis, and at 3rd level can cast Invisibility once per long rest. That's the quick and dirty way to do it. A player character's race should give them some abilities, but should not provide the bulk of their power by the time they reach 3rd level.
I think that's a good race stat. I agree, and in response to someone playing as a goblin: goblins are an official race (part of the book volos ), yet they are very different to the monster manual stats. They don't get the swap place feature for example. They get fury of the small, which the monster manual does not. Pixies aren't meant to be played as a race, because of how broken it would be. They would need major alterations, and would be different to the monster manual stats. I would love to play as the person who captured nova, a feylock with pact of the chain maybe.
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I’m new to D&D – introduced during our lockdown over here in Scotland
Currently playing the Lost of Mine of Phandelver campaign with a premade Halfling Rogue but recently been coming up with my own character ideas.
I’m looking to ask for your opinion on an idea I have as I’ve been watching a number of youtube videos giving tips and views around character creation from experienced DMs. One thing that has caught my attention is giving the DM space with a back story to work with.
I’m aware I may have my own ideas about the kind of character I want to play but the last thing I want to do is make my character a difficult one to work with, for both my fellow players and the DM.
So, without further a-do:
Nova, a Pixie.
Yes, Yes, I know, Fey, cringe. But hear me out –
I’m absolutely fascinated with D&D lore, history, the planes of existence and NPCs. And I want to factor this into my character creation, again though, without being too specific. I also know I’ve just touched the peak of the ice berg in my reading thus far.
I watched a youtuber discuss how portals to the Feywild are scattered across the Material Realm.
My idea is that there is a notorious, ‘exotic life’ collector who exhibits his finds via a travelling circus. He travels to the Feywild in search of creatures to capture and exhibit for profitable gain. Nova does not know his name. Only remembering his voice, the sights (colours), sounds and smells and other kidnapped creatures of the circus.
She escapes the circus, in the town it is host to at the time. Having never been anywhere other than the Feywild before, she panics but finds sanctuary below the floor boards of a house. Turns out this house belongs to a dear old lady. After a time of things going missing, the old lady begins to realise what is going on. Having lived under this woman’s floor boards for some time, and creating a scene like something out of The Borrowers, the lonely old lady slowly but surely builds trust with Nova and they become close friends.
The old lady is under no illusion as to how valuable Nova is, especially for her pixie dust/wings, so she keeps her safe and believes that the best thing for Nova is to return home, despite how sad it would make her. She often reviews the town’s notice boards for appropriate listings, seeking like-minded adventurers who’d be trustworthy to take Nova, giving her a chance to find a portal back to the Feywild.
According to Runesmith on youtube, gateways to the Feywild are easy to come by, but it’s more about Nova’s wellbeing and protection that concerns the old lady.
So with that, acoupla other things to cover – I want Nova to, of course, be part of combat. So, I was initially thinking Druid class as that seemed like an obvious match.
However, I am now leaning more towards Sorcerer, Wild Magic, as I think it’d be hilarious to play this tiny pixie of untamed magic and mischief. I’m also looking at Necromancy spells as with the Sorcerer class I’m digging this idea of like a Kora/Persephone vibe – Nova is all spring and sunshine and can give life but can just as easily take it away. I also think her name Nova is better suited to this narrative.
If I were to choose Druid, I think it’d be interesting to review the monster manual and discuss with my DM the types of creatures she can transform into given she’s from the Feywild and was captured, albeit briefly, in an exotic creature circus.
Open story plot – Revenge hasn’t been mentioned. Surely Nova can’t continue on her quest to return home while this awful creature collector is at large, right?
Also, as for the old lady, obviously not all games hosted by different DMs will mean always beginning in the origin hometown of the old lady. So, maybe the old lady travels from town to town, village to village with Nova, making it her mission to assist her pixie friend?
Maybe Nova finds a way to return to the Feywild but chooses not to?
I’ve also bought the Pixie specs from here, on D&D Beyond, created a draft character sheet. I’ve seen some interesting custom/homebrew ideas such as:
I have kept purely to the official monster manual info. I wouldn’t add Darkvision as I believe Nova would be from an eternally sunny part of the Feywild, so that wouldn’t make sense.
Nature’s child, being proficient in Nature skill wouldn’t be a bad shout as I’ve made her +2 in Wis and +0 in Int, Nature being Int.
What I thought was interesting was the idea of Wing Regrowth. However, I probably wouldn’t add this as I think another Plot development could possibly be the loss of her wings. Maybe a kindly artificer could make her a new pair? This would of course decrease her 'value'.
So, to summarize, thinking either Druid or Sorcerer and the background I’ve chosen is Urchin for mischievous, theif-y additions.
As a DM, player, both, how does this sound to you?
Of course creativity is restricted. That's why D&D is a game rather than just being collaborative storytelling. Many GMs don't allow homebrew content in their games. Others go further, and impose restrictions like the Adventure League's PHB +1 rule, or simply limit players to stuff from the PHB.
Now, the pixie's spellcasting ability: yes, they can only cast their spells once per day besides Druidcraft. However, they have ten different spells that they can cast once per day. By comparison, a first level spellcaster has two spell slots. The spells they can cast are quite powerful, as well- Confusion, Dispel Magic, Fly, Phantasmal Force, and Polymorph are very potent. That's two 4th level spells and two 3rd level spells along with a very versatile and useful 2nd level spell. That's incredibly strong when you consider that the innate spellcasting of most player character races consists of a cantrip they can cast at will, and a once per day 1st level spell once they reach third level and a once per day 2nd level spell once they reach 5th.
I don't know about what you're looking at, but the Pixie entry on page 253 of my Monster Manual has Magic Resistance in its stat block. That's not a gamebreaker, but it's a powerful innate ability. One that's probably too good with everything else they have. And their fly speed is 30 feet, which is the same as a human's walking speed. The difference is that they're not restricted to two dimensions of movement. There are a few races that get innate flying ability, but usually that's the majority of what they get and they don't get spellcasting to go with it because being able to fly if you're a spellcaster or archer really gives you a lot of power by itself- you can shut down the threat of any enemy that's limited to melee attacks outright by flying above their reach and raining spells down with impunity.
As far as what I'd do for potential stats? Don't have time to deal with that in depth right now, but I'd probably make a Pixie PC race that's small size, has a walking and flying speed of 25, gets +2 Dex and +1 Wis, and at 3rd level can cast Invisibility once per long rest. That's the quick and dirty way to do it. A player character's race should give them some abilities, but should not provide the bulk of their power by the time they reach 3rd level.
Thaaaank you - this is the kinda comment I was looking for man! Felt like you were just absolutely shutting me down before :( As for one of your earlier comments - it's not a lot of effort. I really just enjoy the character creation process and problem solving, and you're right it can be 'ungodly broken', as you say, hence my initial post for any feedback!
I guess I'm lucky then my current DM is up for it. I have a few other character ideas so I'll not be disappointed if Nova was refused by someone else. I also see a lot of homebrew content and wonder then why folk create it if they can't play it? I guess it that comes down to the individual DM and a discussion. So if you're someone that plays purely by the book rules then that's absolutely fair but again I was looking for feedback (which I see you've got comments around pixie stats) rather than permission, so again thanks for that. I genuinely look forward to reviewing what you've suggested! I also understand D&D is a game and not just story telling.
In terms of the spellcasting - absolutely agree. What about allowing access to these spells at the class spellcast lvl? Such as a Sorcerer having access to 2nd lvl spellslots at character lvl 3 (Pixie - Detect Thoughts & Phantasmal Force). At which point an additional (4th) spell can be known, an increase from previous lvl and a Sorcerer can change one previously known spell. I'm thinking around some way of keeping the Pixie spells relative to the class spellcasting known + slots. Maybe this is again something to be discussed with my DM, maybe the player chooses not to use the Pixie spells and continues purely with, for example again, Sorcerer spells but has the option of proceeding with either?
Ah nah - yeah I get what you mean about flying and that to me would be outright broken. I read somewhere, again homebrew content, about a flying range and I'm sure what it detailed was 5ft which I'm in agreement with.
Thanks for the latter stats man. Sincerely appreciated, gives me more to consider.
I'm also about to watch 'D&D 5E Lore Pixies and Sprites: Monster Mythos - The Dungeoncast Ep.143':
Brian mentions that he 'used one' in a campaign, to which Will reckons he used it 'fairly accurately'. I'd be interested to watch/listen to this campaign as I'm not sure if his meaning is he used one as in his character used a pixie/sprite or that he did actually play as one. Maybe someone reading this knows?
Of course creativity is restricted. That's why D&D is a game rather than just being collaborative storytelling. Many GMs don't allow homebrew content in their games. Others go further, and impose restrictions like the Adventure League's PHB +1 rule, or simply limit players to stuff from the PHB.
Now, the pixie's spellcasting ability: yes, they can only cast their spells once per day besides Druidcraft. However, they have ten different spells that they can cast once per day. By comparison, a first level spellcaster has two spell slots. The spells they can cast are quite powerful, as well- Confusion, Dispel Magic, Fly, Phantasmal Force, and Polymorph are very potent. That's two 4th level spells and two 3rd level spells along with a very versatile and useful 2nd level spell. That's incredibly strong when you consider that the innate spellcasting of most player character races consists of a cantrip they can cast at will, and a once per day 1st level spell once they reach third level and a once per day 2nd level spell once they reach 5th.
I don't know about what you're looking at, but the Pixie entry on page 253 of my Monster Manual has Magic Resistance in its stat block. That's not a gamebreaker, but it's a powerful innate ability. One that's probably too good with everything else they have. And their fly speed is 30 feet, which is the same as a human's walking speed. The difference is that they're not restricted to two dimensions of movement. There are a few races that get innate flying ability, but usually that's the majority of what they get and they don't get spellcasting to go with it because being able to fly if you're a spellcaster or archer really gives you a lot of power by itself- you can shut down the threat of any enemy that's limited to melee attacks outright by flying above their reach and raining spells down with impunity.
As far as what I'd do for potential stats? Don't have time to deal with that in depth right now, but I'd probably make a Pixie PC race that's small size, has a walking and flying speed of 25, gets +2 Dex and +1 Wis, and at 3rd level can cast Invisibility once per long rest. That's the quick and dirty way to do it. A player character's race should give them some abilities, but should not provide the bulk of their power by the time they reach 3rd level.
I think that's a good race stat. I agree, and in response to someone playing as a goblin: goblins are an official race (part of the book volos ), yet they are very different to the monster manual stats. They don't get the swap place feature for example. They get fury of the small, which the monster manual does not. Pixies aren't meant to be played as a race, because of how broken it would be. They would need major alterations, and would be different to the monster manual stats. I would love to play as the person who captured nova, a feylock with pact of the chain maybe.
Ahhh I see! Thanks for the clarification!
But see - you're saying goblins as a PC the stats are different to those of the MM. So, I'd argue someone had to sit and create those Goblin PC stats, right? :P
Much like how a PC Pixie stats will be different to those of the MM.
Of course creativity is restricted. That's why D&D is a game rather than just being collaborative storytelling. Many GMs don't allow homebrew content in their games. Others go further, and impose restrictions like the Adventure League's PHB +1 rule, or simply limit players to stuff from the PHB.
Now, the pixie's spellcasting ability: yes, they can only cast their spells once per day besides Druidcraft. However, they have ten different spells that they can cast once per day. By comparison, a first level spellcaster has two spell slots. The spells they can cast are quite powerful, as well- Confusion, Dispel Magic, Fly, Phantasmal Force, and Polymorph are very potent. That's two 4th level spells and two 3rd level spells along with a very versatile and useful 2nd level spell. That's incredibly strong when you consider that the innate spellcasting of most player character races consists of a cantrip they can cast at will, and a once per day 1st level spell once they reach third level and a once per day 2nd level spell once they reach 5th.
I don't know about what you're looking at, but the Pixie entry on page 253 of my Monster Manual has Magic Resistance in its stat block. That's not a gamebreaker, but it's a powerful innate ability. One that's probably too good with everything else they have. And their fly speed is 30 feet, which is the same as a human's walking speed. The difference is that they're not restricted to two dimensions of movement. There are a few races that get innate flying ability, but usually that's the majority of what they get and they don't get spellcasting to go with it because being able to fly if you're a spellcaster or archer really gives you a lot of power by itself- you can shut down the threat of any enemy that's limited to melee attacks outright by flying above their reach and raining spells down with impunity.
As far as what I'd do for potential stats? Don't have time to deal with that in depth right now, but I'd probably make a Pixie PC race that's small size, has a walking and flying speed of 25, gets +2 Dex and +1 Wis, and at 3rd level can cast Invisibility once per long rest. That's the quick and dirty way to do it. A player character's race should give them some abilities, but should not provide the bulk of their power by the time they reach 3rd level.
I think that's a good race stat. I agree, and in response to someone playing as a goblin: goblins are an official race (part of the book volos ), yet they are very different to the monster manual stats. They don't get the swap place feature for example. They get fury of the small, which the monster manual does not. Pixies aren't meant to be played as a race, because of how broken it would be. They would need major alterations, and would be different to the monster manual stats. I would love to play as the person who captured nova, a feylock with pact of the chain maybe.
Ahhh I see! Thanks for the clarification!
But see - you're saying goblins as a PC the stats are different to those of the MM. So, I'd argue someone had to sit and create those Goblin PC stats, right? :P
Much like how a PC Pixie stats will be different to those of the MM.
Yes, I am gonna be a pain in the butt.
Yes, that's correct (on all questions ans statements, apart from the last one).
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
Hello!
I’m new to D&D – introduced during our lockdown over here in Scotland
Currently playing the Lost of Mine of Phandelver campaign with a premade Halfling Rogue but recently been coming up with my own character ideas.
I’m looking to ask for your opinion on an idea I have as I’ve been watching a number of youtube videos giving tips and views around character creation from experienced DMs. One thing that has caught my attention is giving the DM space with a back story to work with.
I’m aware I may have my own ideas about the kind of character I want to play but the last thing I want to do is make my character a difficult one to work with, for both my fellow players and the DM.
So, without further a-do:
Nova, a Pixie.
Yes, Yes, I know, Fey, cringe. But hear me out –
I’m absolutely fascinated with D&D lore, history, the planes of existence and NPCs. And I want to factor this into my character creation, again though, without being too specific. I also know I’ve just touched the peak of the ice berg in my reading thus far.
I watched a youtuber discuss how portals to the Feywild are scattered across the Material Realm.
My idea is that there is a notorious, ‘exotic life’ collector who exhibits his finds via a travelling circus. He travels to the Feywild in search of creatures to capture and exhibit for profitable gain. Nova does not know his name. Only remembering his voice, the sights (colours), sounds and smells and other kidnapped creatures of the circus.
She escapes the circus, in the town it is host to at the time. Having never been anywhere other than the Feywild before, she panics but finds sanctuary below the floor boards of a house. Turns out this house belongs to a dear old lady. After a time of things going missing, the old lady begins to realise what is going on. Having lived under this woman’s floor boards for some time, and creating a scene like something out of The Borrowers, the lonely old lady slowly but surely builds trust with Nova and they become close friends.
The old lady is under no illusion as to how valuable Nova is, especially for her pixie dust/wings, so she keeps her safe and believes that the best thing for Nova is to return home, despite how sad it would make her. She often reviews the town’s notice boards for appropriate listings, seeking like-minded adventurers who’d be trustworthy to take Nova, giving her a chance to find a portal back to the Feywild.
According to Runesmith on youtube, gateways to the Feywild are easy to come by, but it’s more about Nova’s wellbeing and protection that concerns the old lady.
So with that, acoupla other things to cover – I want Nova to, of course, be part of combat. So, I was initially thinking Druid class as that seemed like an obvious match.
However, I am now leaning more towards Sorcerer, Wild Magic, as I think it’d be hilarious to play this tiny pixie of untamed magic and mischief. I’m also looking at Necromancy spells as with the Sorcerer class I’m digging this idea of like a Kora/Persephone vibe – Nova is all spring and sunshine and can give life but can just as easily take it away. I also think her name Nova is better suited to this narrative.
If I were to choose Druid, I think it’d be interesting to review the monster manual and discuss with my DM the types of creatures she can transform into given she’s from the Feywild and was captured, albeit briefly, in an exotic creature circus.
I’ve also bought the Pixie specs from here, on D&D Beyond, created a draft character sheet. I’ve seen some interesting custom/homebrew ideas such as:
https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Pixie_(5e_Race)
I have kept purely to the official monster manual info. I wouldn’t add Darkvision as I believe Nova would be from an eternally sunny part of the Feywild, so that wouldn’t make sense.
Nature’s child, being proficient in Nature skill wouldn’t be a bad shout as I’ve made her +2 in Wis and +0 in Int, Nature being Int.
What I thought was interesting was the idea of Wing Regrowth. However, I probably wouldn’t add this as I think another Plot development could possibly be the loss of her wings. Maybe a kindly artificer could make her a new pair? This would of course decrease her 'value'.
So, to summarize, thinking either Druid or Sorcerer and the background I’ve chosen is Urchin for mischievous, theif-y additions.
As a DM, player, both, how does this sound to you?
Feedback hugely welcome.
Thank you.
At level 1? I'm thinking Druid, but Sorcerer is also viable, but Druid would be my preference (and that's just me). Multiclassing can be tricky if you'd like parts of both and people with better multiclassing experiences could help with that.
A) If the campaign's DM says it's okay, it's okay.
B) Do what seems fun.
"Fun" doesn't necessarily mean funny nor does it necessarily mean the best strategy. Fun is whatever's fun for you as long as it's not at the cost of fun for others.
I always like the backstory tactic of setting a simple foundation (like you have) and letting the adventure happen going forward with the group. I, personally, like it.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Yeah, lvl 1! Thanks for your feedback <3
I've considered multiclassing, absolutely. Still just considering it though. Given the 1/day spells that come with a pixie, I am concerned of having access to too many spells, if that makes sense? Trying to be aware of balance I guess. I'm not sure, do you think there can be an issue around this?
Absolutely get what you mean around fun vs funny. While I've been watching campaigns on youtube I've been thinking to myself 'How would I react as Nova, and what would that mean for my fellow players?'.
Thank you!
Do you even have a DM who's okayed this yet? Because it sounds like you're putting a lot of effort into a character concept that many GMs would veto outright.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Yeah, I've discussed it with my current DM who is planning another campaign with myself and my team, and is working with me to make it work.
I was looking for feedback on this particular character and how others would feel about them being in their campaigns, not authorization to play them.
And if this is a concept you think many DMs would veto outright, that sorta dampens my enthusiasm around D&D creativity.
I may be a newb but I would question your rejection and any others.
You say it's a character concept that 'many GMs would veto outright', what is your reasoning for this?
Because the majority of GMs don't allow homebrew content for things like PC races.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Like I said in my post - I have kept purely to monster manual official content and the only homebrew consideration I made was 'Nature's child'. Please re-read post.
I can read perfectly fine. Pixies are not a player character race. Trying to convert one, even if you keep it the same as the MM stats (which I'll note is not the way 5E has handled things for races like centaurs, minotaurs, hobgoblins, or any other Monster Manual creature that's been given PC stats), is making homebrew content. Especially since you're trying to build a character that isn't a standard PC size category, being Tiny, and therefore requires a lot of extra stuff in order to support as a player character. A pixie straight out of the Monster Manual is ungodly broken- you get invisibility at will, flight, magic resistance, and a very powerful selection of spells that you know for free. That's way too powerful for a 1st level character. That is why most GMs would reject this outright. If you want to play a pixie character, you need to do a lot of work to remove stuff and get it down to something that's actually balanced.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'm not doubting your ability to read - you didn't provide an argument.
Saying that some characters are not playable races restricts creativity - again, I may be a newb but I've watched a few games to even see Matthew Mercer play a hamster in The Descent, part 4. Please provide the stats for that.
I'm currently playing with someone who is a Goblin. Again. may be a newb, but I feel the moment you begin limiting peoples character playing capabilities you're limiting their enjoyment and, if my understanding is correct, the most universally understood rule of D&D is that the DM makes the rules. If the info is there, that's what we're using.
I'm willing to discuss the mechanics of being a tiny creature. No problem. I want to engage fully with this community and hear all perspectives and consider all/any aid. There isn't much written available online around Pixies, so all views welcome.
I completely agree with the balance part of your argument (see my first comment) - however the spells a pixie casts at will (with the exception of duidcraft) are all 1/day. I'd police that as restored after a long rest, same as any spellslot.
From the specs I directly downloaded from this site (MM) - there is no magic resistance. They fly 30ft - general distance. There are a number of spells they know, but again as I say they are 1/day, see above.
Any stuff removal you'd have in mind, I'd be open to considering.
Edit - there is magic resistance. You're right there.
In terms of policing the pixie spells, would it make sense to only be able to obtain/access them come the class spellcasting lvl? Such as Confusion being lvl 4? Is that something you would agree with?
Of course creativity is restricted. That's why D&D is a game rather than just being collaborative storytelling. Many GMs don't allow homebrew content in their games. Others go further, and impose restrictions like the Adventure League's PHB +1 rule, or simply limit players to stuff from the PHB.
Now, the pixie's spellcasting ability: yes, they can only cast their spells once per day besides Druidcraft. However, they have ten different spells that they can cast once per day. By comparison, a first level spellcaster has two spell slots. The spells they can cast are quite powerful, as well- Confusion, Dispel Magic, Fly, Phantasmal Force, and Polymorph are very potent. That's two 4th level spells and two 3rd level spells along with a very versatile and useful 2nd level spell. That's incredibly strong when you consider that the innate spellcasting of most player character races consists of a cantrip they can cast at will, and a once per day 1st level spell once they reach third level and a once per day 2nd level spell once they reach 5th.
I don't know about what you're looking at, but the Pixie entry on page 253 of my Monster Manual has Magic Resistance in its stat block. That's not a gamebreaker, but it's a powerful innate ability. One that's probably too good with everything else they have. And their fly speed is 30 feet, which is the same as a human's walking speed. The difference is that they're not restricted to two dimensions of movement. There are a few races that get innate flying ability, but usually that's the majority of what they get and they don't get spellcasting to go with it because being able to fly if you're a spellcaster or archer really gives you a lot of power by itself- you can shut down the threat of any enemy that's limited to melee attacks outright by flying above their reach and raining spells down with impunity.
As far as what I'd do for potential stats? Don't have time to deal with that in depth right now, but I'd probably make a Pixie PC race that's small size, has a walking and flying speed of 25, gets +2 Dex and +1 Wis, and at 3rd level can cast Invisibility once per long rest. That's the quick and dirty way to do it. A player character's race should give them some abilities, but should not provide the bulk of their power by the time they reach 3rd level.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I think that's a good race stat. I agree, and in response to someone playing as a goblin: goblins are an official race (part of the book volos ), yet they are very different to the monster manual stats. They don't get the swap place feature for example. They get fury of the small, which the monster manual does not. Pixies aren't meant to be played as a race, because of how broken it would be. They would need major alterations, and would be different to the monster manual stats. I would love to play as the person who captured nova, a feylock with pact of the chain maybe.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
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I think Sorcerer is a great idea.
Thaaaank you - this is the kinda comment I was looking for man! Felt like you were just absolutely shutting me down before :(
As for one of your earlier comments - it's not a lot of effort. I really just enjoy the character creation process and problem solving, and you're right it can be 'ungodly broken', as you say, hence my initial post for any feedback!
I guess I'm lucky then my current DM is up for it. I have a few other character ideas so I'll not be disappointed if Nova was refused by someone else. I also see a lot of homebrew content and wonder then why folk create it if they can't play it? I guess it that comes down to the individual DM and a discussion. So if you're someone that plays purely by the book rules then that's absolutely fair but again I was looking for feedback (which I see you've got comments around pixie stats) rather than permission, so again thanks for that. I genuinely look forward to reviewing what you've suggested! I also understand D&D is a game and not just story telling.
In terms of the spellcasting - absolutely agree. What about allowing access to these spells at the class spellcast lvl? Such as a Sorcerer having access to 2nd lvl spellslots at character lvl 3 (Pixie - Detect Thoughts & Phantasmal Force). At which point an additional (4th) spell can be known, an increase from previous lvl and a Sorcerer can change one previously known spell. I'm thinking around some way of keeping the Pixie spells relative to the class spellcasting known + slots. Maybe this is again something to be discussed with my DM, maybe the player chooses not to use the Pixie spells and continues purely with, for example again, Sorcerer spells but has the option of proceeding with either?
Ah nah - yeah I get what you mean about flying and that to me would be outright broken. I read somewhere, again homebrew content, about a flying range and I'm sure what it detailed was 5ft which I'm in agreement with.
Thanks for the latter stats man. Sincerely appreciated, gives me more to consider.
I'm also about to watch 'D&D 5E Lore Pixies and Sprites: Monster Mythos - The Dungeoncast Ep.143':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97tcIkVhqnI&t=415s
Brian mentions that he 'used one' in a campaign, to which Will reckons he used it 'fairly accurately'. I'd be interested to watch/listen to this campaign as I'm not sure if his meaning is he used one as in his character used a pixie/sprite or that he did actually play as one. Maybe someone reading this knows?
Thanks again man.
Ahhh I see! Thanks for the clarification!
But see - you're saying goblins as a PC the stats are different to those of the MM. So, I'd argue someone had to sit and create those Goblin PC stats, right? :P
Much like how a PC Pixie stats will be different to those of the MM.
Yes, I am gonna be a pain in the butt.
I see there are tutorials around homebrew content in these here forums, so I'ma check that out soon too.
Yes, that's correct (on all questions ans statements, apart from the last one).
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!