Homebrew Sprite Species Details

Sprites are a tiny magical people, that tend to live in the midst of ancient forests. Magical warriors dedicated to protecting their homes.

Fey Beauty

With their elf-like features, sprites appear beautiful to humans and members of many other races however their frequently frosty attitude and their size discourages most from pursuing romantic relationships. Being humanoid-esque fey, they are likened to tiny elves with dragonfly wings. They are extremely short, ranging from 2 inches all to just over 1 foot. 

They are tiny and slender, weighing only around 2 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.

Sprites generally look like small elves with wings and have basically the same variation in coloration as elves. Sprites have no facial and little body hair. Though older males have been known to be able to grow it close to the end of their lives.

Unlike Elves (and their smaller cousins the Pixie) Sprites rarely act in merriment instead they are focused protectors aiming for what is best for those they care about, though this often leads to people viewing them as overly serious, especially when compared to other fey.

Judges of Character

Sprites have an innate understanding of a creature's heart, allowing them to sense other creatures' feelings and understand their motivations. Peeling back the veil of a creature's facade and understanding their deepest truth. 

Given that they are good judges of character and favor good in the world they work together with adventurers to rid the world of evil, usually that within their own borders. Any evil archfey should beware the sprite as they shall aim to thwart them however they can.

Hidden Woodland Realms

Most sprites dwell in small forest villages built into trees or under mushrooms. Sprites mainly gather their food though they do cultivate some. They are tiny but are strong of opinion and won't let their size deter them. Their contact with outsiders is extremely rare and seeing a sprite may be a once in a lifetime experience unless you happen to live near one of their villages.

A Need Or A Call

Generally, there are two reasons a sprite might leave their home; out of a need, or rarely because an individual feels a call to adventure.

In the case of need, they may have had to go on an adventure to seek help to help their community or fight against a great evil in the world that will threaten their realm.

The other rarer but not unheard of is a call to adventure, rarely a sprite is born who is not as serious or dour as their fellow sprites. These sprites tend to be more whimsical often likened to elves, they follow flights of fancy and live grand lives adventuring and indulge in frivolous merriment as fun as to their heart's content. These sprites are often a force to be reckoned with and usually settle down outside their colonies with larger races.

SERIOUS BUT GRACIOUS

Although they are often very serious in outlook, sprites are generally gracious and well mannered giving credit where it is due and are unlikely to have overly inflated egos.

Dwarves. “Dwarves are intelligent and make fine craftsmen. They can be strong allies and overbearing enemies if you wrong them.”

Halflings. “Halflings are people of simple pleasures, and that is not a bad thing you can almost always tell where they stand. They’re good folk, they care for each other and treat others well. Not particularly scary as an ally nor enemy however.”

Humans. “All their haste, ambition and drive to accomplish things in their short time alive can lead them to evil deeds to gain power, you should be careful of over ambitious humans but most are good and you can find strong friends. If you happen to look at what they have accomplished in their short time, and you have to appreciate all they have done.”

Sprite Names

Sprites are closely related to the fey and often draw inspiration from the elves and other fey related creatures for their names but they are known to choose any name that appeals to them.

Sprite Traits

Your sprite character is small but tries their best to hold their own in a huge world.

Ability Score Changes

Your Dexterity score increases by 2. Your choice of Wisdom or Intelligence increases by one. Your Strength score decreases by 4.

Age

Sprites develop around the same speed as humans but they can live for many years and some extraordinary sprites have been known to live for almost 1000 years though most live to around 650.

Alignment

Sprites are fierce protectors and sense the good or bad in beings and fight any evil that threatens their homes. They, therefore, lean towards good alignments but are generally neutral in regards to law and chaos.

Size

Sprites range between 2 inches tall and a foot tall and have slender builds. Your size is tiny. 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 10 feet. Whilst you are not wearing medium or heavy armor your flying speed is 30 feet.

Fey

Your creature type is fey, rather than humanoid.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Forest Defender Magic

You know the druidcraft cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hunter's mark spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the invisibility spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Heart Sight

You touch a creature and you magically know the creature's current emotional state. If the target fails a Charisma saving throw, you also know the creature's alignment. Celestials, fiends, and undead automatically fail the saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Trance

Sprites don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan, and Elvish.