Homebrew Fairy Species Details

In times long past, magic and normalcy were but the same, where humans and the mystical were together in harmony. However, as language grew and tribes broadened, many humans began to fear the mythic beings that lit the night sky and once brought them contently to dreams. As many, many a horrible war ranged among the humans and their sibling races, so too did they turn on Fairykind. Elves — among many others — attempted to seek refuge in where they only could hope was a sanctuary, but some couldn’t find their sanctuary in time as their individual kinds were slaughtered to extinction.

It is from this most sorrowful time not only the Feywild came to being but that those in the Feywild began to flourish. But none talk enough of the most widely known tinkerers and life givers within these sacred forests: the Fairies.

Humans dare take credit today of  Fairies with their gods and their laughter, but forget that it was we who contributed to their knowledge, and regrettably our refuge.

—Belladonnus, a Fairy Druid

Fairies can shift their forms with a thought, but at the cost of how much power and magic it often exerts on their tiny bodies and minds. Many Fairies use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression, but it is most notable to allow them to flourish in unappealing, unaccepting areas and increase their populations. It’s also an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive more actively. This leads many people to see Fairies as nothing more but creatures from stories, unaware that they may be standing before one in magical disguise.

A Hidden People, but Flourishing

Wherever humans live, fairies ne’er reside.

Fairies are born to one of three paths. A few are raised in stable communities where they are true to their nature and deal openly with the people around them. Some are orphans, raised by animals, who find their way in the world without ever knowing another like themselves. Others are part of nomadic sects, families who keep their true nature hidden from the Largelings — as they affectionately call those of the Five Nations. Some clans maintain safe havens in major cities and communities, but most prefer to keep communities within nature.

In creating a fairy adventurer, consider the character’s relationships with people around them. Does the character regularly attempt to hide their true nature? Do they embrace it? Do they have connections to other fairies or are they alone and in search of companions?

 

In their true form, fairies are tiny, humanoid creatures with pastel skin and large, dragonfly-like wings and insectoid antennae. Collars may change depending on area, but the most common fairies are seen with blue, yellow, green, purple, or pink undertones. Hairstyles, eye colour. And fashion vary considerably depending on culture and climate raised in.

Fairy Names

A fairy will often have a name associated to nature to some degree, whether taken literally or not. In many cases, Fairies are known to take terms from Elves near them and use them for names. Creativity is highly encouraged, however, so some Fairies are known to use a flower or plant name as their “nickname” and embellish it for a more fitting personal name.

Fairies have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change among many, though can individually have a preference to a particular expression.

Fairy Names: Belladonnus, Asteralus, Staciphemia, Roselara, Tulu, Lavi, Viines, Carnatious

Fairy Traits

Your fairy character has the following traits.

Fairy Formshifter

You have a pool of shifter points, as many as your level minus 4, no less than 1. You may expend one of these points to shift into either small or medium, or two to shift to large through gargantuan, these shifts come with the following changes to your ability scores:

Tiny: No stat changes

Small: +1 to strength -1 to dexterity

Medium: +1 to strength, -2 to dexterity

Large: +2 to strength, -3 to dexterity

Gargantuan: +3 to strength -3 to dexterity

You may stay shifted in small or medium for one hour, but you may only keep the sizes of large to gargantuan for 1d4 rounds before taking points of exhaustion every round.

You regain all charges after a long rest.

Age

Fairies mature much faster than humans but have a longer lifespan —typically 150 to 200 years. While a changeling can transform to conceal their age, the effects of aging affect them similarly to humans.

Size

Your size is Tiny. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d4

Height = 2 feet + 1 inch + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 30 + (2d4 × your size modifier)

 

Your base size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier (Do note that the change in side will change your score modifier temporarily):

Tiny: 2 feet + 1 inch + your size modifier in inches

Small: 3 feet + 6 inch + your size modifier in inches

Medium: 5 feet + 1 inch + your size modifier in inches

Large: 9 feet + 1 inch + your size modifier in inches

 Huge: 12 feet + 6 inch + your size modifier in inches

Gargantuan: 15 feet + 1 inch + your size modifier in inches

 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 10 feet. Your base flying speed is 40 feet.

When you change form, you lose your flying speed and your walking speed changes in the following ways:

Tiny: 10 feet

Small: 25 feet

Medium: 30 feet

Large: 35 feet

Huge: 40 feet

Gargantuan: 50 feet

Fairy Ties

You gain proficiency in Arcana, as well as the choice of one of the following: Nature, Investigation, and Sleight of Hand.

Languages

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

Fey Step

As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.