Homebrew Brownie Species Details

Brownies are small, benign humanoids who may be very distantly related to halflings. Peaceful and friendly, brownies make their homes in the trunks of hollow trees, small earthy burrows, and even under porches and within the crawlspaces of farmhouses. Brownies wear belts lined with pouches and tools for tinkering and foraging their vegetarian food, seldom carrying weapons but able to defend themselves with their innate Fey magic to imbue simple items when needed.

Standing around 2.5 feet tall, brownies are stocky or even plump, usually hairy not unlike a dwarf, but always nimble like an elf. They resemble small stout elves with wild unkempt red, brown or white hair and bright blue or green eyes. Their garments are made from simple fabrics like wool or linen with ornamentation. They normally carry leather pouches and tools for repairing leather, wood, and metal.

Combat: Brownies prefer not to engage in combat, doing so only if threatened or defending others. They prefer to confound and confuse attackers to buy an opportunity to escape, or attack at range preferably hit and run.  Since their senses are so keen and reflexes quick their favorite tactic is to run away or play dead, which they are masters of.

Habitat/Society: Brownies live in rural areas, making their homes in small burrows or abandoned buildings. They often live close to or on farms, as they are fascinated by farm life.
Brownies live by harvesting wild fruits and gleaning grain from a farmer’s field. Being honest to the core, a brownie always performs some service in exchange for what is taken. One might milk a farmer’s cows and take only a small amount.  Some brownies go so far as to become house brownies. They observe the families in a given area, and if one meets their high moral standards, these brownies secretly enter the household. At night, while the residents are asleep, they perform a variety of helpful tasks; spinning, baking bread, repairing farm implements, keeping foxes out of the hen house, mending clothes, and performing other household tasks. If a thief creeps silently into the house, they will make enough noise to awaken the residents. Watchdogs and domestic animals consider brownies friendly and never attack or even bark at them.  All brownies ask in exchange for their labor is a little milk, some bread, and an occasional bit of fruit. Etiquette demands that no notice be taken of them. If the residents boast about the presence of a brownie, the brownie vanishes.  Brownies are not greedy, but they may have small hoards of treasure which they have taken from evil monsters or received as gifts from humans. A brownie sometimes leaves his treasure in a location where a good person in need is bound to find it.  Strangers and outsiders are constantly watched by the brownies of the community until their motives are established. If the brownies decide that a stranger is harmless, he is left in peace. If not, the brownies will aid it's enemies and prank on or agitate it until the intruder moves on.  Brownies know every nook and cranny of the areas where they live, and thus make excellent guides.  Adventuring Brownies are very rare, and generally driven by their desire to help the pure of heart or protect the innocent if they do.

Ecology: Brownies are basically vegetarians who live very comfortably on the gleanings of agricultural life. They make efficient use of leftovers that are too small for humans to notice. When brownies glean from fields, they do so after harvest, gathering grains and fruits which might otherwise be wasted.

Brownie Traits

Brownie's have Fey characteristics and magic, but with a defensive leaning.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and either Constitution or Charisma by 1.

Age

A Brownie reaches adulthood at the age of 40 and generally lives 300 to 400 years

Alignment

Most Brownies are Chaotic Good. They are shy with strangers but generous and kind, they hate to see those pure of heart in distress, have a strong sense of what is fair, and are keen to aid those preyed upon unfairly. Though they can be shy, they are somewhat unpredictable, prone to tantrums one minute over spilled elderberry jam, and spirited merriment the next in celebration of a discovered flask of wine.

Size

Brownies are husky for their small height, about 2.5 feet tall and weigh about 60 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25

Darkvision

Thanks to Fey blood, 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.

Fey Creature

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

Fey Defenses

Can cast the following cantrips at will;

• Shillelagh - Use Cha for casting this, it requires no verbal or material components, except an implement to imbue as a weapon, and can apply to improvised weapons.
• Magic Stone - Use Cha for casting this, it requires no verbal or material components, except something small to imbue and throw.

You gain proficiency in Stealth.

Further, you can choose to Disengage as a Bonus Action, by also spending your Reaction Action.

Play Dead

Unless you take catastrophic damage, you cease taking damage at 1 hit point, fall to the ground, and appear by all means dead.  Enemies who have a reason to believe you are faking it may make a medicine check, difficulty equal to 10 + your level + your proficiency bonus to realize you are alive.  Any new, additional damage directed to you will subject you to normal dying rules.   You are conscious and able to get up and make a getaway at any time. You may only use this ability once per short rest

Languages

Speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and Sylvan.