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View Full Version : Homebrew Race: Death Fairy (a.k.a. Daire)



Nighthawk_986
2011-12-30, 12:20 AM
This is a race I had actually thought up about a year ago. Once I told my friends, they had mixed feelings. Although, I blame them for me thinking of it in the first place :smallbiggrin:. Figured I'd post it up and see what you guys think.

Now, Death Fairies (aka Daires) are very devout worshipers of Kelemvor. So much so, that they find anyone who has "escaped death" and assassinate them. Their motto, if they were to have one, is "It's your time". However, don't get me wrong. Daires only observe most of the time to make sure that those who are supposed to die do so. How do they know when and where to go? All Daire assassins carry a divinely enchanted scroll that informs them of their next target, whether it's a single person or an entire town. In essense, they are the grim reapers of society. They also tend to have a separate sect of assassins who go out after necromancers, liches, vampires, etc.

Death Fairies are extremely secretive. In fact, hardly anyone who isn't one of them doesn't even know of their existance. They live and "base" themselves in small societies deep in the wilds as to not draw much attention to themselves from intelligent creatures. However, as a precaution, they usually put up a magical barrier that cloaks the entire village.

When it comes to their political structure, clerics have the final say on all things. Their villages are centralized around their chapels to Kelemvor. As such, if the clerics tell one of the assassins in the "order" to do something, the assassin obeys without question. Although, not every daire has to be one of the 2. It's just that those 2 are the majority in the make-up of their society. They, also, have no currency and don't obey any lord, king, etc.

Those who choose not to be either a cleric or an assassin, are to choose a job inside their village that will benefit the whole so that they can be self-sufficient. Ironically, in extremely rare cases, they do invite outsiders to help their village if that person can fulfill a role that they need (example: a dwarven blacksmith, a gnomish alchemist, etc.), but once that person accepts that offer, they can never leave the village. The only ones in the Daire society that are allowed to leave their borders are the assassins.

Daires have a few abilities that are uniques to them when compared to their cousins. After thousands of years of exposing themselves to magic that helps them with disguises, they've adapted to have the natural ability to "grow" and "shrink" at will. In fact, they can become any size from diminutive to medium size as long as they have enough space. Once medium size, as long as they hide their wings, you'd swear you were looking at an elf. They've also developed the ability to change certain body parts to different colors. Namely, their hair, eyes, and lips. This can make it ideal for hiding in certain areas or for having different disguises.

As for how they normally look, they have jet black hair with pale skin and dark blue eyes. Their wings look like those on a wasp or a hornet instead of the "butterfly-looking" wings of their cousins. They usually stand at about 1' tall and weigh about 25lb max. at adulthood.

(Updated) Stats:

Ability Score Adjustments: -4 Str, + 2 Dex, & +2 Int
Size: Tiny
Speed: 20ft / Fly 40ft (Average)
Special Abilities:
- Camouflage - Same as the class ability with 1 change. Upon creation, choose 1 terrain type to gain the "camo bonus" for that terrain.
- Variable Size - Can become any size from Diminutive to Medium. Requires a full-round action for each size change which provokes attacks of opportunity. If hit, requires a Concentration check (DC 15) for the change in size to be completed. Otherwise, nothing happens. When character becomes unconscious (including resting, sleeping, negative HP, etc), they return to their normal size (Tiny). Otherwise, they would stay whichever size as long as would like.
- Darkvision - 60ft
- Exotic Weapon Proficiency - Bottle Dagger
Level Adjustment: +3

Bottle Dagger stats:

-Cost: 250 gp
-Damage: 1d4 (medium) (1d3-small, 1d2-tiny,)
-Critical: 19-20/x2
-Weight: 2lb
-Damage Type: Peircing
-Description: A bottle dagger appears much like a normal dagger with an elongated handle. Two slender channels form a groove on each side of the blade, and the pommel is built to accept a flask of any alchemical, poisonous, magical or otherwise liquid substance. The blade itself is highly resistant to acid, fire, and corrosion damage. When such a flask is plugged into the pommel, the weapon is primed. When a wielder strikes their target with a primed blade and deal damage, an internal alchemical pump instantly expels the substance through hollows in the hilt and out along the channels in the blade. In addition to taking any damage dealt by the blade, the target also takes damage as if it had been struck by the flask attached to the weapon. Adjacent creatures, including the wielder, are not subject to splash damage. Loading an alchemy blade is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity; the rapid reload feat reduces this to a free action. Up to three flasks of any substance may be loaded into a Bottle Dagger at any given time. Feats and abilities that apply to the Dagger apply to the Bottle Dagger [A mild benefit of this weapon is delivering poisons without needing to apply poison to a weapon and risk poisoning oneself.]


That's the latest in updates for this race. Please comment on anything that you might see as an issue. I'm sure that there might be something that needs to be fixing. If you feel that this is good as is, then please post and let me know. Also, feel free to use this race and let me know if it works well. That's it for now. Enjoy! :smallbiggrin:

bloodtide
2011-12-31, 03:15 AM
Now, Death Fairies (aka Daires) are very devout worshipers of Kelemvor.


Well, the base idea is not so bad, but I don't think they should be 'fairies' or fey type creatures. Even evil fey don't really 'worship death' like this.

But I think a created race would be the way to go. The idea is that they can be born of any race, but transformed into 'Daires'(like elam or illumini). Maybe have each of them 'die' and return to life. With something like they get there 'mission' while in Kelemvors realm. They can have the twist that they attack other raised folk not only to kill them again, but to also get themselfs killed again.


Once you get rid of the fey part, you don't need to make them small and they don't need to change size. You can just have them medium sized creatures.

Do they really need camouflage? If they are on a holy mission, would they hide?

They should get a necromancy like spell like ability, something like detect life. Maybe a custom magic like 'detect resurrection'.

The poison save is ok, maybe makes them a bit too much 'assassins', but it's fine.

The bottle dagger-this sounds too good 10 doses of poison? That's a lot. Put a good poison in the hilt, and you have a deadly hit every time. And that must be a big hilt if it has enough poison to cover the whole blade ten times.

AugustNights
2011-12-31, 12:17 PM
-4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence
+2 total ability score with nothing over 4.
Looks fine.
LA+1 D&D, LA 0 PF

Tiny Sized
Usually worth some significant LA due to size bonuses, and then compensation for weak weapons.
Probably LA +2 with some more goodies.

Base Land Speed 20ft
Looks good.

Fly 40ft
Needs a manuverability.
Flight is probably putting this guy at high LA+2, low LA+3.
Balance wise, better to aim for +3.

Camouflage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm#camouflage)
Decidedly weaker than a pixie's invisibility at will, but still a really nice class feature. May want to limit to certain types of terrains? maybe.
LA +3 maybe +4.

Variable Size
Diminutive, Tiny, Small, Medium as a Standard Action (which seems not to provoke).
This to be defined as a (Su) ability, as an (Na) ability it's quite strong. A Duration may be nice too.
LA +4, maybe +5.

Darkvision - 60ft
Fitting, and no real LA modification.

Poison Resistance +4
Fitting, and no real LA modification

Exotic Weapon Proficiency - Bottle Dagger
Assuming the bottle dagger deals damage as a normal dagger, this is good LA "filler" I suppose. Though the bottle dagger itself seems a bit over powered. If I may suggest something below...

Level Adjustment: +3
Looks a bit low, honestly.
At the end of the day I'd say +4, though I wouldn't argue with a DM that decided +5 (but I would counter-offer) with higher total ability modification.

A suggestion for the bottle dagger.

{table=head]Weapon name|Cost|Damage S|Damage M|Critical range|Weight|Damage Type
Bottle Dagger|210 gp|1d3|1d4|19-20/×2|2 lb.|P
[/table]
A bottle dagger appears much like a normal dagger with an elongated handle. Two slender channels form a groove on each side of the blade, and the pommel is built to accept a flask of any alchemical, poisonous, magical or otherwise liquid substance. The blade itself is highly resistant to acid, fire, and corrosion damage. When such a flask is plugged into the pommel, the weapon is primed. When a wielder strikes their target with a primed blade and deal damage, an internal alchemical pump instantly expels the substance through hollows in the hilt and out along the channels in the blade. In addition to taking any damage dealt by the blade, the target also takes damage as if it had been struck by the flask attached to the weapon. Adjacent creatures, including the wielder, are not subject to splash damage. Loading an alchemy blade is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity; the rapid reload feat reduces this to a free action. Up to three flasks of any substance may be loaded into a Bottle Dagger at any given time. Feats and abilities that apply to the Dagger apply to the Bottle Dagger [A mild benefit of this weapon is delivering poisons without needing to apply poison to a weapon and risk poisoning oneself.]


Just a thought.

Nighthawk_986
2011-12-31, 04:47 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys! I'll admit I was a bit rushed when I wrote that and did leave out some details.

Fly manuverability would be average.

Changing size for them actually requires concentration and would therefore provoke an attack of oppotunity. If anything, it would be as if they were casting a spell. This would force them to do it "defensively" so they wouldn't provoke. As for length of time? I don't know if this would be considered WAAAAAY OP, but I was thinking it could essentially be endless. As long as the user is conscious, they don't change size. This means that they would return to their normal size while they sleep, have negative or 0 HP, etc.

I'll admit, the bottle dagger, in hindsight, is a bit OP. Thank you ChumpLump for posting that chart and description for it as it is pretty close to what I was thinking. The new method of loading and using it seems a lot better than what I had originally posted.

Also, your logic on the LA makes sense. +4 would be better.

To bloodtide: That is a really good idea, and I think I'll actually do that as a spin-off template for those who join up with the Daires. Perhaps, it can be an alternative that Kelemvor grants to those who he deems worthy rather than just settling for an afterlife in his city. Now, I'm not dissing your idea or your intent. I just really wanted this idea to be an actual race. I truly do enjoy the thought of that template idea.

I wouldn't say that they "worship death" necessarily. More or less, they feel as if they are doing their duty. Their typical attitude is one of noble origins, but they can also be quite "blunt". Even though their mission is, in essence, a holy one. Your questioning of the Camoflouge ability requires me to go more into depth of the psycological standpoint of why they are so secretive.

Imagine society as it is in the "realms". Now, imagine the suspicions and paranoia that everyday people would have if they knew that they were being watched by "reapers". Especially if they knew that they or a loved one was dieing. Wouldn't people be constantly trying to prevent those deaths? Rulers, whether they are a lowly lord or a high king, would be even more notorious about it. Thus, Death Fairies try to be as secretive about their dealings as possible. Some even go so far as to learn some arcane abilities to wipe the memories of some witnesses.

One thing I feel that I should mention though is that if a Daire ever goes "rogue", depending on the clergy, others will be sent to hunt them down to either bring them back to their village and wipe their memories or just outright "silence" them. They highly dislike doing the 2nd option as it goes against what they believe, but they will do whatever it takes to protect the society as a whole. "Sacrifice one for the benefit of the many", if you will.

As for the whole poison thing making them sound too much like assassins, I think you might be missing the point. They ONLY assassinate those who have escaped death. This ranges from those who are undead to those with just plain old dumb luck. They aren't malicious or evil though. They're primary alignment is Neutral. They hardly ever lean towards good or evil. This is because death doesn't discriminate. It happens to all eventually, as we all know.

One last adjustment that I realised that was needed for cosmetic reasons. Instead of an average weight of 25 lb, it should be 10-15 lb.

That should about do it for now. Hopefully, this explains some things for you guys. Again, any kind of feedback, whether they are comments, questions, or scrutiny, is welcome.

Nighthawk_986
2012-01-14, 02:50 PM
Updated stats on the Death Fairy on the OP. Please comment even if it's just to praise or to scrutinize. This way I know whether or not it actually appeals to the general public. :smallwink:

Nighthawk_986
2012-02-01, 11:00 PM
Ok. Obviously, this race isn't all that appealing I guess since I've only had a couple hundred views with hardly any kind of response. I really dislike having to double-post, let alone triple-post, but in order to revive this, I kind of need to.

I seriously do need feedback on this as it's intended for more than just playing with as a race. I'm actually trying to write a book series while using dnd as a template and this is a race that I'm going to include in it. I'm sure you can see my problem now.

So, again, I ask for ANY kind of feedback possible. Even if you just say, "Yes" or "No", then I know if I'm going in the right direction with the description and stats.

Nighthawk_986
2012-02-14, 11:06 PM
Some updates for the OP have been made. The changes include:

1. Changed the increase for DEX from a +4 to a +2.

2. Removed the +4 bonus to saves against poisons. If a person takes Assassin (as most Daires are Assassins anyways), they will be getting that bonus anyways.

3. Reduced the LA from +4 to +3 due to the changes in 1 and 2. This should make the race a bit easier to play.

4. Added the description for the Bottle Dagger. A thank you goes out to ChumpLump for providing that.