Heart Sight. The squad can choose to touch any creature that starts its turn in the squad's space. If it does, the squad learns the creature's current emotional state. If the target fails a DC 10 Charisma saving throw, the squad also knows the creature's alignment. Celestials, fiends, and undead automatically fail the saving throw. Because the squad must loudly whisper this information to share it with each other, any creature within 30 feet of the squad also knows this information if they can understand the language.
Poisoned Arrows. When a creature takes damage from the squad's shortbow or barrage actions, it must also succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for l minute, with disadvantage unless the squad has half its hit points or fewer. If its saving throw result is 5 or lower, the poisoned target falls unconscious for the same duration, or until it takes damage or a creature takes an action to shake it awake.
Swarm. The squad can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the squad can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny sprite. The squad can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. When it dodges, its size becomes Huge until the dodge ends. The squad has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks unless it has half its hit points or fewer.
Break Formation. At the start of each of the squad's turns, it can choose to split off any number of sprites to act as individual creatures and loses 2 (1d4) hit points for each sprite that splits off. It can't split off sprites unless it has enough hit points to lose. The sprites are uninjured and appear in the squad's space. They roll initiative and act as individuals. If the squad is invisible, so are the sprites upon appearing. Sprites can reform into the squad over 1 minute while not in combat to add their hit points back to the squad.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the squad's space. Hit: 13 (3d8) slashing damage, or 4 (1d8) slashing damage if the squad has half of its hit points or fewer.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the squad has half of its hit points or fewer.
Barrage. The squad launches a barrage of arrows in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3 (1d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The bonus to AC provided by a shield also applies to the saving throw. This action can't be used if the squad has half of its hit points or fewer.
Invisibility. The squad magically turns invisible until it attacks, casts a spell, or uses its barrage action, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment they wear or carry is invisible with it.
Description
Sprites are devoted to the defense of their homes and communities, and they often train and patrol as an organized squad. A squad numbers from twenty to thirty sprites on average, armed with shortbows, longswords, and poisoned arrows. The squad is trained to use their invisibility together when needed, but any encounter with a squad of sprites almost certainly includes lone sprites maintaining their own invisibility for a surprise strike from an unguarded flank. Each squad's training as a cohesive unit makes them surprisingly dangerous in large numbers, even when wielding tiny-sized blades. Each swing of a sprite's blade presents an opening for another sprite to make an attack.
On the great battlefields of the Feywild, sprite squads serving opposed Archfey can be seen lining up in great columns, forming into massive armies of tiny sprites and crashing into each other under a hail of arrows. The eerie wars of the fey are no less brutal than those of the Material Plane, but sprite squads are generally so well-trained and battle-hardened as to become unflinching.
Comments