Homebrew Boggle Species Details

Boggles, sometimes referred to as bogeymen or simply bogeys, are trickster fey that delight in harassing the beings of the material world. Often thought of as the figments of overactive imaginations, boggles use their dimension warping abilities and ingenuity to disappear from sight, but not without leaving behind some kind of trouble.

Boggles are three feet (0.9 meter) tall creatures, humanoid in shape. A pair of large ears rested on the sides of their bulbous heads. Rubbery and hairless flesh covers their small frames, oddly stretchable and compressible, and ranging from blackish-blue to dark gray in coloration. It is there that the similarities between boggles ends, as past that point they have no common features. Noses can be large, long, flat, or slits, while their limbs can be lanky, or oversized for their diminutive forms. Arms, legs, hands, feet, torso, abdomen, and facial features are all disproportionate in several ways, making individual boggles immediately visually distinct.

Irksome Pests. Boggles engage in petty pranks to amuse themselves, passing the time at their hosts’ expense. A boggle isn’t above breaking dishes, hiding tools, making frightening sounds to startle cows and sour their milk, or hiding a baby in an attic. Although a boggle’s antics might cause distress and unintentional harm, mischief — not mayhem — is usually its intent. If threatened, a boggle flees rather than stand and fight.

Oily Excretions. A boggle excretes an oil from its pores and can make its skin slippery or sticky.

Dimensional Rifts. A boggle can create magical openings to travel short distances or to pilfer items that would otherwise be beyond its reach. To create such a rift in space, a boggle must be adjacent to a space defined by a frame, such as an open window or a doorway, a gap between the bars of a cage, or the opening between the feet of a bed and the floor. The rift is invisible and disappears after a few seconds — enough time for the boggle to step, reach, or attack through it.

Unreliable Allies. A boggle makes a decent servant for a strong-willed master, and wicked creatures such as fomorians and hags sometimes shelter boggles in their lairs. Warlocks who form pacts with archfey have also been known to command boggles, and charismatic individuals who make the right offers have enjoyed temporary alliances with these little tricksters. A bored boggle always finds some way to entertain itself.

Boggle Traits

Boggles are the little bogey's of fairytales, with an array of abilities that enable their love of mischief.

Oily Excretions

A boggle excretes an oil from its pores and can make its skin slippery or sticky. Once you reach 3rd-level, you gain the ability to excrete oil as a bonus action. The oil can be slippery or sticky, giving you different benefits. You can coat your skin in this oil a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses on a short rest, and you retain the benefits from the oil for 10 minutes.

Slippery: You have advantage on all Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made to escape bonds or end grapples. You can also slip through small openings with a successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

Sticky: You have advantage on all Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple and maintain hold on any creature, surface, or object. You can also climb difficult surfaces with a successful Strength (Athletics) check. 

Dimensional Rift

As a bonus action, you can create a dimensional rift within 5 feet of yourself.  The rift must take place on a surface and be no bigger than 10 feet on each side. The rift can teleport yourself and other boggles to a space within 30 feet of the rift that you choose. You don't have to see the space, but you must specify the direction and distance.  While next to the rift, you are considered to be next to the rift's destination, and anything you put into the rift (a portion of your body, an item), also emerges on the other side.  Only you and other boggles can use the rift.  

Once you create a rift using this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 2nd-level or higher to create another one.  When you reach 5th-level, you can use this feature three times between rests.

 

Darkvision

Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Creature Type

You are a Fey.