Race, Pixie

Originally Posted by Galliard of the Book of Fey forums.

On this Thread

Pixies are, by and large, merry pranksters who love to play ‘mostly’ harmless tricks on unsuspecting mortals. All pixies have two forms. The first is that of a very tiny (Diminutive or Tiny), elfin humanoid, possessing delicate, gossamer wings. Wings are either long, irridescent dragonfly wings (sometimes two pair), or glittering, colorful butterfly wings. This difference is merely cosmetic. Their ears tend to be quite long, and they often have the features of children. Their voices are very high pitched and lilting. Pixies have their own language which sounds exactly like the chiming of small bells.

Their other form is that of an ethereal globe of soft light, a few inches to a foot across. The globe glows with the same illumination of a torch, though this light can be lowered at will down to that of a single candle. At the center of the aura, barely visible, is a slightly denser spot nearly the size of a pepper corn.

No one seems to know the true origin of these fey, even the pixies themselves. They just periodically appear in the glades of Faerie, seemingly at random. The pixies like to think that Faerie itself is crafting them, and that they have a special place in the very realm’s design. When within the boarders of Faerie, they seem to be unaging. Once outside of Faerie, their life spans still stretch over 300 years, though they never gain the benefits nor penalties of aging, in either case.

The skin of every pixie seems to sparkle as if dusted with powdered gemstone. Though the pixies are not compelled to do so, most will use their voile ability to alter their physical characteristics, reflecting the current season. The following descriptions are common, though voile allows each pixie to reflect their own personal style.

Spring: In spring, the pixies will show the widest variety of colors, ranging the complete spectrum of possible flower hues. A popular color scheme is to pair a green body with vibrantly-colored hair, as if immitating a bright flower. Globe forms are usually in light, pastel colors, and often shift slowly through several different tones and shades.

Summer: Humanoid forms will often be green or gold, with an almost metallic tone to their wings. Their globe forms are typically a pale, shimmering gold, like tiny suns, though some are tinged with green. Blue is another popular globe shade.

Autumn: Humanoid forms will be various shades of the season, such as brown, scarlet, orange or amber, usually with speckles or patterns. Hair is typically twig-like or downy, like the fluff of a thistle. Globe forms reflect the same colors.

Winter: During winter, pixies have cooler colors; icy blues, pale greens and white, with universally white hair. Skin often appears frosted in icy crystals. Globe forms are pale shades of blue, purple and white, dancing about like small moons.

There are other kinds of pixies as well: those of shadow and those of the water. Shadow pixies often sport moth-like wings, and have gray, blue or black skin. When in globe form, they are an indigo shade, and never appear brighter than a dim candle. They gain Darkvision 60’, and the light-blindness weakness.

Water pixies, sometimes called “nixies”, have sleek blue, green or silver skin. In globe form, they resemble glowing sea opals, shimmering blue-green orbs of wavering light. They do not have wings and cannot Fly in humanoid form, but have sleek fish tails instead, often in bright colors. Nixies can transform their tails into legs at will if they wish to walk about above the water. They can walk about on the surface of the water as if under the effects of a permanent water walk spell. Nixies are completely amphibious, breathing both air and water.

As with other fey, many pixies belong to one of the two courts. Most fall into the Seelie Court, and when the Seelie convene, the air is positively alive with pixies. With the exception of those few Unseelie pixies, most can be friendly and even helpful if a mortal takes their tricks in good humor. Pixies cannot be of lawful alignment.

In extremely rare occurrences, pixies have become familiars to powerful sorcerers (never wizards). Invariably such mortal sorcerers are either elves, or have elvish or fey blood in their veins.

Racial Traits:

Starting Ability Scores: Dexterity +4, Constitution -2, Intelligence -2, Wisdom -2, Charisma +4; Tiny pixies have Strength -6 (with a minimum of 1), Diminutive pixies have a Strength of 1, set at character creation. Diminutive pixies cannot carry any appreciable weight and still Fly.

Size: Tiny (+2 AC/attack, -8 grapple, +8 Hide), or Diminutive (+4 AC/attack, -12 grapple, +12 Hide). This size is set at character creation.

Speed (humanoid): 20·, Fly 30· (good)*; Water pixies replace humanoid Fly speed with Swim 40·, and may run on the surface of water at 40· as well.
Speed (globe): Fly 40′ (perfect)

Vision: Low-Light Vision. Shadow pixies gain Darkvision 60· and Light Blindness.

Automatic Languages: Pixie, Sylvan [Water pixies know Aquan as well]

Cold-Iron Allergy: If a pixie is hit with a weapon of cold-iron, she must succeed at a WILL save [DC 5 + damage dealt] or be shaken for 1 rd. + 1/5 full hp of damage. She is treated as sickened if bound with cold-iron chains or shackles, in a cold-iron cage, wearing cold-iron armor, or wielding a cold-iron weapon. If the pixie is in contact with a sufficient amount of cold-iron to affect her for an extended period of time, she gains a negative level. The negative level cannot be removed while she remains in contact with the metal, but can be removed in the normal manner once she is freed. Pixies gain a negative level for every 24 hours of continuous contact.

Pixies can automatically detect appreciable amounts of cold-iron (i.e.: an amount able to affect them) due to a foul odor it gives off that only fey seem able to sense; treat all pixies as having the Scent special ability, but only in regards to cold-iron. Contact with any amount of cold-iron capable of affect a pixie forces her immediately into humanoid-form, and prevents her from taking her globe form or using any of her spell-like abilities.

Class Skills: Bluff, Hide, Knowledge (fey), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival; aquatic pixies gain Swim, shadow pixies gain Knowledge (dungeoneering).

LV	HD	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feats	Skill Points	Special
1	1d6	+0	+0	+2	+2	1	[6 + (Intelligence mod.)] x4	Feat, alternate form, elemental protection
2	1d6	+0	+0	+2	+2	1	—	Voile, Dodge
3	1d6	+0	+0	+2	+2	1	—	Lesser powers, +2 Charisma
4	2d6	+1	+0	+3	+3	1	6 + (Intelligence mod.)	Perfect flight, +2 Dexterity
5	2d6	+1	+0	+3	+3	1	—	Greater powers, Spell Resistance, +2 Charisma

Class Features: All of the following are class features of the pixie. Unless otherwise indicated, the caster level for all special abitities is equal to the pixie’s racial level, with saving throw DC’s being equal to 10 + spell·s level + pixie·s Charisma modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pixies are proficient with all simple weapons, but with no armor and no shields.

Feats: Pixies receive one feat at 1st LV. After 5th LV they gain feats normally according to their class level. Pixies also receive Dodge as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

Alternate Form (Su): As a full round action, a pixie can take the form of a glowing ball of light. While in this form, which they may take at will for as long as they like, they are actually shrunk down to a Fine-sized (+6 AC, -16 grapple, +16 Hide; no effective attack while in this form) core of solid magic. They may carry nothing with them, even personal gear, while in globe form.

While in this globe form, they give off illumination. The intensity of the light can be altered at will, as a free action, to any degree between that of a torch and that of a candle. Shadow pixies can glow no brighter than a candle. They receive a penalty to Hide checks while so illuminated. Torch intensity imposes a -16 penalty to Hide, while candle intensity imposes a -12 penalty to Hide. This penalty only applies if the pixie is in ambient light of less than “bright” (direct sunlight, the radius of a daylight spell) but greater than complete darkness. Bright light halves the penalties, while complete darkness causes all Hide checks to automatically fail while in globe form.

Environmental Protection (Su): Despite appearing quite frail, pixies do well in the wild. For any saving throw based on environmental conditions (such as temperature extremes), they receive a +4 bonus. They gain the benefits of cold resistance 5, but only in regards to naturally occuring cold damage. The resistance doesn’t apply to magical cold-based damage.

Voile (Su): Similar to sidhe, pixies can instantly create garments, ornaments, and harmless special effects for themselves out of glamour. Pixie styles tend to be a little more subdued. Often they·ll wear just a simple gown or pair of breeches, and they have no shame concerning nudity. Such clothing usually looks as if it were made of appropriate materials (glimmering cobwebs, petals, leaves, etc.). It·s quite common for pixies to form glittering clouds of scintilla that streaming off of their bodies like multicolored sparks. Any of these effects has a range of three feet maximum.

Lesser Pixie Powers (Sp): At 3rd level they may use the following spell-like abilities, once per day: dancing lights, Detect Magic, invisibility (self only), and mage hand. At 5th level they may use each three times per day.

Perfect Flight (Ex): At 4th level, a pixie·s humanoid flight maneuverability improves to ·perfect·, and she gains a +1 bonus to Reflex saves and AC while airborne, as long as she retains her Dexterity modifier to AC. A water pixie increases his Swim speed by +20·, and gain the +1 bonus to Reflex saves and AC while submerged in water, as long as he retains his Dexterity modifier to AC.

Greater Pixie Powers (Sp): At 5th level a pixie may use the following spell-like abilities once per day: confusion, and polymorph (Fine to Small-sized creatures only). They must be in humanoid-form to employ polymorph.

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Notes on Flying: While in humanoid form, a pixie can only Fly for a number of rounds equal to her Constitution ability score. If she does not land to rest within this time, she becomes fatigued. She must rest for a number of rounds equal to the length of the last flight. They can continue to Fly once fatigued for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 more round). After this duration, they become exhausted, and fall from the air. Once exhausted in this manner, they recover using standard rules for exhaustion.

The globe form can remain airborne for as long as the pixie wishes, but of course she is usually incapable of performing even the simplest actions, and the pixie must abandon any sort of gear or possessions (including magical items) while in globe form.