Daoine Sidhe

A powerful, supernatural race comparable to the fairies or elves. They live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans. This world is described as a parallel universe in which the aos sí walk amongst the living. They are the spirits of nature, or the goddesses and gods themselves.

The Tuatha Dé Danann (“people of the Goddess Danu” – the deities and deified ancestors of Irish mythology). Some sources describe them as the remaining survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into The Otherworld after they were defeated in battle by the by the Milesians – the mortal Sons of Míl Espáine who, like many other early invaders of Ireland, came from the Land of the Dead.

In Gaelic folklore

The aos sí are often propitiated with offerings, and care is taken to avoid angering or insulting them. Often they are not named directly, but rather spoken of with euphemisms such as “The Good Neighbors,” “The Fair Folk,” or simply “The Folk”, in the hope that if humans describe them as kind, they are more likely to be so. In this vein, the most common names for them, aos sí, aes sídhe, daoine sídhe (singular duine sídhe) and daoine sìth mean, literally, “people of peace”.

Aos sí are sometimes seen as fierce guardians of their abodes – whether that be a fairy hill, a fairy ring, a special tree (often a hawthorn), or perhaps a particular loch or wood. The Gaelic Otherworld is seen as being closer at the times of dusk and dawn, therefore this is seen as a time special to the aos sí, as are some of the festivals such as Samhain, Beltane and Midsummer. The aos sí are generally described as stunningly beautiful, though they can also be terrible and hideous.

The sídhe: abodes of the aes sídhe

As part of the surrender terms in their loss against the Milesians, the Tuatha Dé Danann agreed to retreat and dwell underground in the sídhe , the hills or earthen mounds that dot the Irish landscape. In some of the later poetry, we find that each leader of one of the tribes of the Tuatha Dé Danann was given one mound.

In a number of later English language texts, the word sídhe was used for both the mounds and the people of the mounds.

Roleplaying

Originally Posted by Myth Mage of the Dicefreaks forums.

On this Thread

From beneath the dark branches of the tree, a stunning woman with flawless white skin and flowing violet hair steps gracefully into the moonlight. She is dressed in a gown of shimmering gossamer. An amused smirk crosses her face.

DAOINE SÍDHE (CR 20)

Often N Medium fey

Init +12; Senses Low-Light Vision, true seeing; Listen +39, Spot +39

Aura glamour (30 ft., DC 28, charm), stunning gaze (30 ft., DC 28, stun 2d4 rounds); Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan

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AC 35, touch 30, flat-footed 23 (+12 Dexterity, +8 insight, +5 natural); Dodge, Mobility

hp 210 (20 HD), fast heal 20 DR 15/cold iron and magic

Immune disease, poison

SR 33 (CR + 13)

Fort +15 (preternatural metabolism), Ref +24, Will +20
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Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)

Melee +1 frost silver shortsword +31/+26 (1d6+15 plus 1d6 cold/19-20) or

Melee spell +30 touch

Ranged +1 seeking shock composite
longbow (+7 Strength bonus) with silver arrows
+32/+27 (1d8+15 plus 1d6 electricity/x3) or

Ranged +1 seeking shock composite
longbow (+7 Strength bonus) with silver arrows
+30/+30/+25 (1d8+15 plus 1d6 electricity/x3)

Base Atk +10; Grp +17

Atk Options Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot
on the Run

Special Actions bardic music 20/day, countersong (+39, 30 ft.), entrancing song
(DC 28), fascinate (+39, 90 ft., 7 targets), inspire competence (30 ft., +2
one skill), inspire courage (+4 attack, damage, and saves vs. charm and fear),
inspire greatness (30 ft., 4 targets, +2 bonus HD), inspire heroics (2 targets,
+4 AC, saves), Mass
suggestion (DC 28), stunning gaze (30 ft., DC 28, stun 2d4
rounds), threnody of despair (DC 28)

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Spell-like Abilities
(CL 20th)

Always active—speak with animals, speak with plants

At will—awaken, bestow
curse (DC 21), charm monster (DC
22), command plants (DC 22), detect
thoughts (DC 20), displacement, entangle (DC 19), dispel
magic, greater, greater
invisibility, greater teleport, haste (self only), knock, mass hold monster (DC 27), polymorph (self only), persistent
image (DC 23), water breathing

3/day—animate plants (DC 25)

1/day—commune with nature, harm (DC 24), heal

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Abilities Strength 24, Dexterity 34,
Constitution 25, Intelligence 24, Wisdom 26, Charisma 26

SQ freedom of movement, mythic nature, otherworldly grace, song of freedom, true seeing, wild empathy +34

Feats Dodge (B), Great Fortitude (B), Mobility, Point Blank
Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot
on the Run, Weapon
Finesse, Weapon Focus (longbow)

Mythic Nature Abilities Faerie song

Skills Appraise +16, Bluff +31, Concentration +22, Diplomacy +35, Disguise +23
(+25 acting), Hide +35, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (nature)
+30, Listen +39, Move
Silently +35, Perform (any two) +39, Search +16, Sense
Motive +31, Spellcraft +24, Spot +39, Survival +16 (+18 in aboveground natural
areas)

Possessions +1 seeking shock composite
longbow (+7 Strength bonus), +1 frost silver shortsword, 40 silver arrows

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Aptitude Focus Although
daoine sídhe do not always have class levels, their immense life spans
and knack for learning allow them to acquire abilities from their racial Hit
Dice similar to those conferred by class levels. Each daoine sídhe may
choose one of the following. This daoine sídhe has chosen the music aptitude
focus.

Arms The daoine
sídhe gains one bonus fighter feat per five racial Hit Dice and may select fighter-only feats as if it were a fighter of a level equal to her racial Hit
Dice.

Hunter The daoine
sídhe gains the swift tracker and favored enemy abilities of a ranger of a level equal to the daoine sídhe’s racial Hit Dice. It gains Track as a bonus feat.

Magic The daoine
sídhe has the spells per day and spells known of a cleric, druid, sorcerer,
or wizard whose level is equal to one-half its racial Hit Dice, or of a bard whose level is equal to three-quarters its racial Hit Dice. The daoine sídhe’s
effective caster level for its spells is equal to three-quarters its racial
Hit Dice.

Music The daoine
sídhe has unearthly musical prowess. It gains the bardic music of a bard whose level is equal to its racial Hit Dice.

Rage The daoine
sídhe has the ability to unlock the amazing strength of anger. It gains
the rage, uncanny dodge, greater rage, and indomitable will abilities. Its effective
barbarian level is equal to three-quarters its racial Hit Dice. It may choose
to utilize the whirling frenzy variant.

Stealth The daoine
sídhe gains the improved uncanny dodge ability and may sneak attack as
a rogue, inflicting 1d6 points of damage per five racial Hit Dice. The daoine
sídhe also gains either improved evasion or hide in plain sight. Its
effective rogue level for purposes such as flanking a character with improved
uncanny dodge is equal to three-quarters its racial Hit Dice.

Freedom
of movement (Su) A daoine sídhe is difficult to hinder, as if
warded by a freedom of movement effect with caster level 20th.

Glamour (Su) Whenever
a creature comes within 30 feet of a daoine sídhe, it must succeed on
a Will save (DC 28) or become charmed with the daoine sídhe as charm
monster at caster level 20th. Once a creature saves successfully against this
ability, it cannot be affected by the same daoine sídhe’s glamour
for 24 hours.

Mythic Nature A
daoine sídhe is an aspect of nature’s power and magic. As such, a daoine
sídhe has one or more unique special abilities. These abilities should
be at most equal to the example abilities included here. Different abilities
may alter the Challenge Rating of the creature, and the designer should consider
their impact carefully. The caster level for all mythic nature effects which
use one is equal to the daoine sídhe’s spell-like ability caster
level unless noted otherwise.

Sample Mythic Nature
Ability: Faerie Song (Su) The daoine sídhe can utilize a limited
knowledge of the Óran Sídhe or Faerie Song to gain access to the
unique bardic music abilities described below.

Entrancing Song (Su) The daoine sídhe can Perform a wondrously beautiful song as a standard
action. All creatures that can hear the daoine sídhe Perform must succeed
on a Will save (DC 28) or be dazed for as long as it hears the daoine sídhe Perform and for 1 round thereafter. Creatures who are affected gaze in awe at
the daoine sídhe, often crying for joy at the glorious song. Each round,
unaffected creatures in the area who can hear the song must make a new save
against the effect. To maintain the effect, the daoine sídhe must concentrate
and spend an additional use of bardic music every round. This is a sonic, mind-affecting
effect. The save DC is equal to 10 plus one-half the daoine sídhe’s
effective bard level plus its Charisma modifier.

Threnody of Despair
(Su) The daoine sídhe can sing a song which instills its enemies
with the despairing certainty that their own deaths are nigh. The daoine sídhe
can use a standard action to target a living creature that can hear it and that
it can see. The next time the target is wounded, if the daoine sídhe
has been constantly singing since it activated the ability, the victim must
attempt a Will save (DC 28). If the victim succeeds, he is in no further danger
unless the daoine sídhe uses this ability again. If the victim fails,
he becomes dazed for 3 days (in a despairing catatonia) and must immediately
attempt a Fortitude save. If that save fails, the victim succumbs to his wounds
even if they are not life-threatening or even lethal damage. This is a sonic,
mind-affecting effect. Using this ability requires expending a number of daily
uses of bardic music equal to one-half the Hit Dice of the target.

Otherworldly Grace (Su) A daoine sídhe receives an insight bonus to its Armor Class, attack rolls, and weapon damage rolls equal to its Wisdom bonus. It is unaffected and undamaged by natural hazards of all sorts, including difficult terrain, natural magma, a forest fire, natural lightning, and exposure to naturally cold or windy weather. This ability offers no protection against sentient-made hazards or the special abilities of creatures. Finally, the Survival check DC to Track a daoine sídhe in natural environs is increased by +20.

Preternatural Metabolism (Ex) A daoine sídhe’s body is a biological masterpiece, extremely resistent to disruption. Any time a daoine sídhe attempts a Fortitude save, it rolls 2d20 instead of 1d20 and ignores one die.

Stunning Gaze (Su) Stunned for 2d4 round, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 28 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.

true seeing (Ex) A daoine sídhe’s senses are extraordinarily powerful, granting it the benefits of a true seeing effect (as the spell, caster level 20th).

Wild Empathy (Ex) A
daoine sídhe can use wild empathy as a 20th-level druid. A daoine sídhe
has a +6 racial bonus on wild empathy checks.

Skills A daoine
sídhe receives a +8 racial bonus on Listen, Perform, Search, Spot, and Survival checks.

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STRATEGY AND TACTICS

Daoine sídhe are rarely alone. Since they are the central figures of
Faerie politics, they are usually accompanied by one to thirteen attendants
on the uncommon occasions when they venture outside of their courts. Within
their courts, daoine sídhe are surrounded by their servants and allies.
A given court may contain from one to thirteen daoine sídhe in addition
to dozens of lesser fey.

ECOLOGY

Daoine sídhe are the noble-blooded fey. They are usually found presiding
over courts of lesser fey: most local courts are ruled by daoine sídhe
families. These fey typically live 10,000 years.

Environment: Daoine
sídhe can be found almost anywhere in the Celtic lands, but are most
often found in secluded areas of vibrant life. They strongly avoid cities, though,
as well as smaller mortal settlements to a lesser extent.

Typical Physical Characteristics: A daoine sídhe appears much like an elf, except that its ears are
more similar to those of a half-elf. It stands slightly taller than a human,
and its skin and hair may be any color at all. A daoine sídhe’s
taste in clothing may vary considerably – some prefer to wear elegant courtly
attire, while some wear nothing at all. The majority fall between these two
extremes, with simplicity, tastefulness, and high-quality fabric being common.

Alignment: Daoine
sídhe, like many fey, care nothing at all for concepts of morality or
ethics, and may be any alignment. Their lack of concern leads them to be often
neutral.

DAOINE SÍDHE
LORE

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (nobility
and royalty),
or Knowledge (local) can learn more about daoine sídhe. When a character
makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the
information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (nature)
DC	Results
20	This creature is a fey. Reveals fey racial traits.
30	This is a daoine sídhe, one of the noble-blooded fey. Daoine sídhe are often the rulers of faerie courts. They rule and protect stretches of nature.
35	The daoine sídhe loathe the gods and the gods’ followers. They are also repulsed by iron.
40	The daoine sídhe are said to be the first race of living beings.

Knowledge (nobility and royalty) or Knowledge (local)
DC	Results
35	Reveals the name of a prominent local daoine sídhe ruler.

SOCIETY

Daoine sídhe social structure is much like that described in the fey Feature series, except that gender bias varies. The daoine sídhe believe
in the great significance of their heritage and maintain reasonably strong family
units called kelirs. Each kelir normally dominates one or a few local courts
while simultaneously attempting to gain power and influence in more significant
courts.

TYPICAL TREASURE

Daoine sídhe usually manage to collect significant quantities of treasure.
Daoine sídhe usually have 1/10 coins, triple goods, and double items,
in addition to the personal equipment listed above.

DAOINE SÍDHE
WITH CLASS LEVELS

Daoine sídhe often take class levels which complement their aptitude
focuses. Like most fey, daoine sídhe never worship deities or ideals,
and so daoine sídhe clerics are almost unheard of. A daoine sídhe’s
favored class is the one whose class abilities its aptitude focus mimicks. Its
aptitude focus abilities interact with levels in the matching class as described
below.

Arms: The daoine sídhe increases its effective fighter level by its racial Hit Dice for the purpose of qualifying for feats.

Hunter: The daoine sídhe adds its racial Hit Dice to its ranger level for the purpose of determining its favored enemy abilities. When it it reaches 1st level of ranger, and again at 8th level, it gains a nonepic feat it qualifies for.

Magic: This ability interacts with levels in spellcasting classes as normal for monster spellcasting. If the class is druid, the daoine sídhe gains a nonepic feat it qualifies for at 9th level of the class.

Music: The daoine sídhe adds its racial Hit Dice to its bard level for the purpose of determining its bardic music abilities.

Rage: The daoine sídhe’s effective barbarian level is increased by three-quarters its racial Hit Dice for the purposes of determining the benefits of raging. When its effective barbarian level for this purpose (through any combination of class levels and racial Hit Dice) reaches 17th level, it gains tireless rage. When it reaches 20th level, it gains Mighty Rage. When a daoine sídhe with this aptitude focus reaches 5th level of barbarian, it gains a nonepic feat it qualifies for. If it already chose to utilize the whirling frenzy variant, it must continue to do so with its barbarian class levels.

Stealth: If a daoine sídhe with this aptitude focus gains levels in rogue and reaches a level where it would normally gain an ability which it already has by virtue of this aptitude focus (such as when a daoine sídhe with improved evasion reaches 2nd level of rogue, or when any daoine sídhe with this aptitude focus reaches 4th level of rogue) it gains a nonepic feat for which it qualifies instead of the ability which it already has.

ADVANCED DAOINE SÍDHE

Daoine sídhe only advance in racial Hit Dice by becoming more intimately connected with nature. Typically, this requires a daoine sídhe to pick
an aspect of nature and promote that aspect successfully.

The daoine sídhe gains all the benefits of advancement by racial Hit Dice in addition to those that follow, except when noted otherwise. It does not gain ability score or fast healing improvements from its racial HD up to 30; instead it gains the improvements listed below. Its Challenge Rating increases equal with its racial Hit Dice until it reaches 30 Hit Dice, instead of at every fourth Hit Die. All skills are class skills for the daoine sídhe.

21 HD	Dexterity +2, Intelligence +2. It can use harm and heal thrice per day.
22 HD	Charisma +2. It can use animate plants, harm, and heal seven times per day.
23 HD	Constitution +2, Wisdom +2. It can use harm and heal at will. Its damage reduction improves to 15/cold iron and epic. A daoine sídhe with the rage aptitude focus gains the tireless rage ability if it did not already have it.
24 HD	Dexterity +2, Intelligence +2. Fast healing 25. It can use true dispelling at will (this replaces greater dispel magic). It is always invisible as if through greater invisibility, but may choose to cease or resume this effect as a free action; this is a supernatural effect and not subject to dispelling.
25 HD	Wisdom +2, Charisma +2. The daoine sídhe’s damage reduction improves to 20/cold iron and epic. It can use shapechange and spell turning each once per day as spell-like abilities.
26 HD	Intelligence +2. The daoine sídhe becomes immune to mind-affecting effects.
27 HD	Constitution +2, Charisma +2. Fast healing 30. It becomes immune to death effects and energy drain.
28 HD	Wisdom +2, Charisma +2. It can use shapechange and spell turning three times per day. A daoine sídhe with the rage aptitude focus gains the Mighty Rage ability if it did not already have it.
29 HD	The daoine sídhe can use shapechange and spell turning at will and loses the ability to use polymorph. It can use verdigris tsunami once per month as a spell-like ability.
30 HD	The daoine sídhe gains an additional mythic nature ability. Starting at 30 Hit Dice, a daoine sídhe is a unique entity for the purposes of gate and similar effects.
After 30 Hit Dice, the daoine sídhe advances normally. At 35 HD and at every 5 HD thereafter, its fast healing improves by 5.

SAMPLE
MYTHIC NATURE ABILITIES

Arrow of Fertility (Su): Any weapon the daoine sídhe wields gains the merciful quality, which can be deactivated as normal. Additionally, when the daoine sídhe fires an arrow, the arrow becomes invisible. It disintegrates after dealing damage. The wound is superficially closed, leaving no outward sign of harm.

The daoine sídhe can instill reproductive vigor in creatures with her arrows. Up to three times per day, the daoine sídhe can use a standard action to fire an arrow that passes through all nonmagical barriers in its way (so it can be stopped by a wall of fire or wall or force), negating cover and concealment, and strikes as a ranged touch attack. A living creature struck by this special arrow must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 28) or become hormonally overwhelmed for the next five rounds. The victim seeks to become intimate with the nearest person of the opposite sex – what it will do if the object of its lust is unwilling depends upon its personality and alignment. Some creatures will simply beg, while the more romantically inclined will attempt to hastily charm and seduce. Regardless of how this desire manifests, the creature can pay no attention whatsoever to anyone else, and is considered flat-footed as far as other creatures are
concerned. As a side effect, any creature who succumbs to the arrow of fertility
becomes fertile if it was sterile.

Touch of Life (Su): A daoine sídhe with this special attack can restore life to those
who have lost it. Up to three times per day, the daoine sídhe can touch
any living thing’s remains and restore it as if with resurrection. This
effect works on aberrations, animals, dragons, fey, giants, humanoids, magical
beasts, monstrous
humanoids, oozes, plants, and vermin, as well as on living
objects such as inanimate plants and fungi.

A daoine sídhe may
use this ability in combat by touching an enemy’s item that is made out
of organic materials, such as a pair of leather boots or a feathered cloak.
Doing so requires a touch attack to hit the item (AC 10 + item size modifier
+ wearer’s Dexterity modifier). As long as the originator of the materials
is dead, it is instantly restored to life. If its remains were a part of an
item, such a bull being part of leather boots, the item is unmade and returned
to its component parts when the creature is restored to life. A magic item targeted
by this effect may resist with a Will save (DC 28); nonmagical items receive
no save. The save DC is Charisma-based.

A sentient dead creature
may resist this effect as any revivification effect, but no nonsentient creature
or object will refuse the daoine sídhe except in unusual circumstances.
A nonsentient creature restored by the daoine sídhe automatically acts
helpful toward her, or at least never harms her, if it has no Intelligence score.
Any creature restored by the daoine sídhe, sentient or not, automatically
acts hostile toward whoever was employing its remains in an item.