Homebrew Brownie Species Details
Eons ago, when the races of men were still new, goblins lived among the other fey in the
plane of Faerie. They served in the Unseelie Court, among many others. The goblins lived in
shadow, and the Unseelie Queen granted them many boons, allowing them to move unseen
and strike down foes much bigger than them, and they returned this favor by serving the queen
well.
This way of life changed when the conqueror god came into the plane of Faerie and
killed the gods of the goblins, tearing them from their homeland to be pawns in his war. But the
queen of the unseelie did not sit by and let this happen. She used her powers to conceal some
of her goblin subjects, shielding as many as she could from the gaze of the conqueror god.
And so, these goblins remained in Faerie, while their brethren were torn and transported
away into an alien plane. The fey artifice that saved them, along with their prolonged stay in the
plane of Faerie, changed them from the goblins that now inhabit the material plane. With their
gods taken from them, most of them became even more loyal to the queen who had saved
them. Many now serve as the keepers of her throne and her house, guarding her from anyone
who might want to harm her and using their talents for hiding and duplicity as spies.
Nowadays, these fey goblins are called brownies, and just like the elves who stayed in
the plane of Faerie, they are related but different to their counterparts on the material plane.
Those who remain loyal to the queen are still at her side, and are seen as the servants of her
house, but there are many who have struck out on their own, living up to the love of freedom
that is characteristic of the fair folk. All brownies have the same gifts from the queen, regardless
of whether they serve her or not. This gift is an embodiment of the ever-changing nature of
Faerie: just like fae elves change seasons depending on their mood, the brownies change
abilities depending on whether they stand in shadow or in light. Some brownies even report their
feelings changing depending on the light or the absence of it, becoming bolder while in bright
light and more duplicitous when in shadow.
Brownies are known to feel grateful to a higher degree than any other race, a cultural
aspect that comes directly from being saved from the conqueror god by the queen of the
unseelie. Saving a brownie from a premature death is said to grant you that brownie’s services
until they feel their debt is repaid. When in good spirits, they are eager to please and will do
their best to help those they like -- but slighting a brownie is a great way to make an enemy for
life, as they’ll put just as much effort into making your life a living hell, if they feel you were
disrespectful or ungrateful towards them. Keeping a brownie happy, however, is easier said than
done, as the customs of the plane of Faerie, and of brownies in particular, are extremely alien to
anyone who doesn’t know their culture intimately. A brownie could make her way to the material
plane and run into an orchard, and she might feel extremely grateful toward the farmer who
owns said orchard. She may then decide to help that farmer from the shadows, doing chores for
him and helping him around the house. But if that farmer does something to offend the brownie,
even completely unintentionally, the brownie will then pay for his perceived rudeness by
destroying everything he cares about.
It’s through this need to be grateful and useful to someone who has done them a great
service that many brownies find themselves traveling the world and going on adventures.
Whether they run into an adventuring party that saves them from certain doom, or they want to
help someone they feel grateful towards by going on said adventure, many brownies start their
journeys out of a feeling of gratitude.
Brownie Traits
Creature Type. You are a humanoid. You are also considered a goblinoid for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be a goblinoid. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2 and your Wisdom increases by 1. Age. Due to their stronger connection to the plane of Faerie, brownies have longer lifespans than goblins. They mature around 16 years of age and live to be around 200. Size. You are Small. Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet. Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself. Nimble Movement. Your tail and legs give you different movement options not available to other goblinoids. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and are not affected by non-magical difficult terrain.Fey Ancestry
You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed
condition on yourself.
Nimble Movement
Your tail and legs give you different movement options not available to
other goblinoids. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and are not affected
by non-magical difficult terrain.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity increases by 2 and your Wisdom increases by 1(Ben allows us to swap these numbers).
Light and Darkness
While in Bright Light:
● Fury of Air. Light and Air guide your weapon, helping you strike true. When you damage a creature, you may reroll one damage die. You must take the second roll. ● Eyes Unclouded. You have advantage on all checks to see through illusions or recognize them as such.
While in Darkness:
● Fury of Darkness. Dark and Shadow cloak your form, helping you disappear after a strike. When you make a melee, ranged, or spell attack against a creature, you can immediately afterwards take the Disengage or Hide action as part of the Attack action. ● Eyes Shadowed. You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 60 feet, and you do not have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight while in dim light.
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