Dactyl

Small Fey (Elemental), Neutral

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Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 105 (14d6 + 56)

Speed: 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)

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Saving Throws:

• Dex +6
• Con +7
• Wis +5

Skills:

• Arcana +8
• Craft (Blacksmithing) +9
• Insight +5
• Perception +5
• Stealth +6

Damage Resistances:

• Fire
• Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Senses:

• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Passive Perception 15

Languages:

• Common, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan

Challenge: 8 (3,900 XP)

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TRAITS

Magical Artisan

The Dactyl is a master smith and can imbue magical properties into its creations. Any weapon or armor the Dactyl crafts is automatically magical. The Dactyl can spend 1 hour working at a forge to create a simple magical weapon, piece of armor, or other magical item. These items gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls or AC.

Elemental Forge

The Dactyl can create items infused with fire and stone. As an action, it can touch a piece of metal or stone to shape it into a weapon or tool. These creations deal an additional 2d6 fire or bludgeoning damage, depending on the item, and can be used in combat. The effect lasts for 1 hour.

Legendary Resistance (1/Day)

If the Dactyl fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

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ACTIONS

Multiattack

The Dactyl makes two attacks with its Molten Mace or Forge Blade.

Molten Mace

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) fire damage. This mace is forged from molten metal, and any creature hit by it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become blinded for 1 minute due to the intense heat.

Forge Blade (Magical)

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.

Fireball (Recharge 5-6)

The Dactyl hurls a ball of searing fire. The Dactyl casts Fireball (save DC 16) at a point it can see within 150 feet. The target area is a 20-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Molten Earth (Recharge 5-6)

The Dactyl slams its hammer onto the ground, causing a burst of molten lava to surge forth. Each creature within a 20-foot-radius must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (4d8) fire damage and be knocked prone.

Summon Elemental (1/Day)

The Dactyl summons an earth elemental to fight alongside it. The elemental remains for 10 minutes or until slain, at which point it disappears.

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REACTIONS

Flame Shield

When the Dactyl is hit by a melee attack, it can use its reaction to create a barrier of fire. The attacker takes 9 (2d8) fire damage, and the Dactyl gains resistance to the next attack made against it for the rest of the turn.

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LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The Dactyl can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Dactyl regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Move: The Dactyl moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Molten Slam: The Dactyl makes a Molten Mace attack.
• Forge Weapon (Costs 2 Actions): The Dactyl crafts a magical weapon, instantly creating a +1 weapon that it can use in the same turn. The weapon lasts for 1 hour.

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TACTICS

• Start of Combat: The Dactyl uses its Forge Blade to engage in melee combat with its fiery weapon. It will use Fireball or Molten Earth to target clusters of enemies or if multiple foes threaten its position.
• Middle of Combat: The Dactyl moves strategically with Fly to gain height and distance from dangerous foes. It will utilize Molten Slam and Flame Shield to deter enemies from closing in, protecting itself from melee combatants.
• Late Combat: The Dactyl will use its Legendary Actions to craft new magical weapons, adding to its arsenal. Summon Elemental will be used if the fight has turned in favor of its enemies, adding an Earth Elemental to its forces to bolster its defenses.
• Defensive Tactics: If surrounded, the Dactyl will use Molten Earth to create chaos and separate enemies. It will try to keep enemies away from its forge area, relying on its Legendary Resistance to avoid debilitating spells or effects.

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DESCRIPTION

A Dactyl is a small, elemental fey with a strong connection to the earth and fire. Standing around 4 feet tall, they have leathery, dark-gray skin and fiery red eyes that glow with the intensity of a forge. Their small, bat-like wings are more suited to hovering than flying long distances. A Dactyl’s arms and hands are long and slender, ending in nimble fingers that can work metal with incredible precision. They wear no clothing, as their skin is tough and resistant to heat, but they adorn themselves with simple metal bracelets or charms made from the materials they work with.

A Dactyl’s demeanor is solemn and focused; it is a being of craftsmanship and arcane mastery. It spends most of its time in isolated forges, creating magical weapons and items for deities or powerful mortals. These beings are often guardians of secrets, and they fiercely protect their knowledge of metalworking, not sharing it freely even with other creatures of the earth, like dwarves.

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ENVIRONMENT AND LAIRS

Dactyls are most often found in the highest mountains, within remote caves or ancient forges. Their lairs are often full of intricate forge setups, with magma pits, anvils, and magical furnaces where they create their powerful magical items. The air is thick with the scent of metal and fire, and the sound of hammer on metal can be heard in the distance. These creatures prefer solitude, but they may sometimes work alongside their kin, sharing their ancient knowledge of the forge and arcane arts.

Dactyl

The Dactyls were the archaic race of beings associated with the Great Mother, Rhea. The Dactyls were ancient smiths and healing magicians. Some are in Hephaestus‘ employ, and teach metalworking, mathematics, and writing to humans.

When Rhea, the mother of the gods, knew her time of delivery was come, she went to the sacred cave on Mount Ida. As she squatted in labor she dug her fingers into the earth (Gaia), which brought forth these Dactyls (“Idaean fingers”), thus often ten in number, or sometimes multiplied into a race of ten tens. Three is just as often given as their number. They are sometimes instead numbered as thirty-three. When Greeks offered a most solemn oath, often they would press their hands against the earth as they uttered it.

The Dactyls of Mount Ida in Phrygia invented the art of working metals into usable shapes with fire. They also discovered iron. The three Phrygian Dactyls, in the service of the Great Mother as Adraste, are usually named Acmon (the anvil), Damnameneus (the hammer), and Celmis (casting). Of Celmis, when Rhea was offended at this childhood companion of Zeus, she asked Zeus to turn him to diamond-hard adamant, like a tempered blade. Zeus obliged.

The Cabiri (Kabeiroi) whose sacred place was on the island of Samothrace, were dactyls who had come west from Phrygia and whose magical practices had made local converts to their secret cult.

On Rhodes, Telchines were the name given to similar chthonic men, nine in number, remembered by Greeks as dangerous Underworld smiths and magicians, and multiplied into an entire autochthonous race that had reared Poseidon.

In Crete, three Dactyls bore names suggestive of healing: Paionios (later associated with Asclepius), Epimedes, and Iasios. It was said that they had introduced the smithing of copper and iron. Of Iasios it was told that he lay with Demeter, a stand-in for Rhea, in a thrice-ploughed field and the Goddess brought forth Ploutos, “wealth”, in the form of a bountiful harvest. Zeus struck down this impious archaic figure with a thunderbolt.

Relics & Rituals: Olympus

© 2004 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Distributed for Sword and Sorcery Studios by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

By W. Jason Peck, Aaron Rosenberg, Christina Stiles and Relics & Rituals: Olympus team

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Dactyl
Small outsider (Evil, Native)
Hit Dice	4d8 (18 hp)
Initiative	+1
Speed	20 ft. (4 squares), Fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class	16 (+1 size, +1 Dexterity, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple	+4/+1
Attack	Iron/masterwork Light Mace (small) +6 melee (1d4+1), or sling +5 ranged (1d3+1)
Full Attack	Iron/masterwork Light Mace (small) +6 melee (1d4+1), or sling +5 ranged (1d3+1)
Space/Reach	2-1/2 ft./2-1/2 ft.
Special Attacks	Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities	Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves	Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +8
Abilities	Strength 13, Dexterity 12, Constitution 10, Intelligence 20, Wisdom 18, Charisma 15
Skills	Appraise +14, Concentration +7, Craft (armorsmithing) +12, Craft (calligraphy) +12, Craft (carpentry) +12, Craft (gemcutting) +12, Craft (locksmithing) +12, Craft (weaponsmithing) +12, Decipher Script +14, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (metallurgy) +12, Use Magic Device +9
Feats	Diligent, Dodge
Environment	Temperate mountains
Organization	Solitary, pair, family (10-25), clan (25-120)
Challenge Rating	3
Treasure	Double standard
Alignment	Always neutral evil
Advancement	5-7 HD (Small)
Level Adjustment	+2

These hairless creatures have gray, leathery skin. Small wings protrude from their backs, and their hands end in long, thin fingers.

The dactyls are small winged demons that live in the highest, most precarious mountain peaks, far away from civilization. Their lairs, whose entrances are numerous small tunnels, extend far into the mountain, where they toil away at forges.

Dactyls have gray skin as tough as leather. Their long, thin fingers give them their name (dactyl meaning “fingers”).

Dactyls know the secrets of iron metallurgy, and they use this secret to craft tools and fine weapons fit for a king. The dactyls protectively guard this secret, however, not even sharing it with the dwarves with whom they often share a mountain home with and trade with.

Many adventurers seek out the small demons to acquire the best weapons. The dactyls abhor strangers, however, and they often harass them, trying to knock mountain climbers who near their home from the mountain. Those who succeed in finding the demons’ lair, must haggle with them, and having no use for money, they often ask for tasks to be performed in exchange for their items.

Note: This dactyl entry presumes that bronze is the default material, and thus their iron weapons are treated as masterwork. In a game where the knowledge of ironworking is more widespread, the dactyls may know the secret of steel, or simply be master crafters.

COMBAT

The dactyls prefer not to fight, for they hate to be interrupted in their work. A few scouts do watch the lands around their home, and they attack those travelers with their iron maces, which they can transform into magic weapons before attacking, or their spell-like abilities.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will – magic weapon, greater magic weapon, transmute rock to mud;

3/day – blindness/deafness, cause fear, charm person, hypnotize, sleep, suggestion.

Caster Level 8.