Player wants to play a Pixie

[ReD_Exorcist]

So recently in my Campaign one of my players died. He had a friend which was a pixie but didn't really do much. So now he wants play as his pixie, thing is he doesn't want to take the level adjustment hit. So hes been trying to look for a pixie without one. In my campaign were doing a milestone system of leveling up and not using XP so LA buy off isn't an option.

I was wondering pretty much if there is any templates for pixies that make them start with a 0 LA and not have any hit dice.

[GilesTheCleric]

You could use a savage progression from SS, which changes the LA into "class" levels instead. You could also find some other fey that's similar to a pixie, perhaps a Jermlaine (LA+0).

[Crake]

you aren't going to find a flying, tiny pixie-like creature with no LA, unfortunately. You know you DO have the option to say to him: if you don't want to take the LA hit, then just pick something else.

[Dagroth]

So recently in my Campaign one of my players died. He had a friend which was a pixie but didn't really do much. So now he wants play as his pixie, thing is he doesn't want to take the level adjustment hit. So hes been trying to look for a pixie without one. In my campaign were doing a milestone system of leveling up and not using XP so LA buy off isn't an option.

I was wondering pretty much if there is any templates for pixies that make them start with a 0 LA and not have any hit dice.

If you get rid of Flight (1 LA), the Stat Bonuses (1 LA), the DR & SR (1 LA) and the SLAs & Invisibility (1 LA)... you're good to go. :D

[DrMotives]

I don't know if there's a close match. You could refluff an air mephling, those are small flying humanoids with only a +1 LA, but the stat mods & abilities are all different.

[ComaVision]

Based on the Savage Species progression and SRD entry, I made this for the players requesting pixies in my game:


PIXIE
Fey

Racial Traits
• Starting Ability Score Adjustments: –4 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Int, +2 Cha. Pixies are physically weak but make up for it in other areas.
• Small: As Small creatures, pixies gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than Medium-size creatures do, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium size characters.
• Speed: Pixie land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Pixies can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Lesser Pixie Powers (Sp): A pixie can use the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, detect chaos, detect good, detect evil, detect law, entangle. Its caster level for all spell-like abilities is equal to its class level (save DC 10 + spell level + pixie’s Cha modifier).
• Skills: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan.


It's pretty strong mechanically but I haven't found it overbearingly so with the two players in my games that have used it. Note that it does not have a fly speed. I gave the option to my players to take LA to get more of the goodies from pixie if they wanted (like flight, better SLAs, and better ability mods).

[barakaka]

One of my PCs is playing a Petal. With Dragonfire Adept levels, it paints a pretty fun picture in your head.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Uhhh... play a gnome or halfling with the Unseelie Fey template (Dragon Magazine Compendium)? Small, Fey, Dex and Cha bonuses, and possibly wings. And an at-will supernatural power ranging from quite good (Dispel Magic 1+Cha/day) to insanely broken (Inflict your Cha as a penalty to adjacent enemy saves; permanent Magic Circle Against Almost Everything). Technically LA +0, but absolutely should not be. LA +1 is better.

[ericgrau]

You could use a savage progression from SS, which changes the LA into "class" levels instead. You could also find some other fey that's similar to a pixie, perhaps a Jermlaine (LA+0).

Pixie is one of the better templates in the MM, if not the best, and is worth it if your group doesn't optimize heavily. Notice how it's one of the rare creatures with a CR as high as its LA, as even without class levels it could wreak havoc on a low level party. It's bad for a player at low levels though, when it can get 1 shotted with a single instance of really bad luck. I agree savage species progression is one option to gradually introduce it until he hits high level, but it's a bit odd fluffwise. Yeah you can also refluff another fey-like thing that has LA 0. You may want to ask him what he likes about pixie to decide which thing.

Here's something that keeps it fair and yet 100% pixie at low level:


Class LevelLA
11
2-52
6-73
8-124
13-173

So once he hits level 6 he must take a dead level before he can take another class level. This is based on some simple combat simulations I ran a while back: Single attack 1/2 rounds, full attack 1/2 rounds, straight damage. Level 6 seemed to be the level that LA hurt the most and dropping LA before then evened out the scores. At level 6 full BAB classes get a second attack. But even other classes get various class features. And low HP from LA is far more painful at low level too. Level 8 for full LA is a rough estimate: rogues get another attack plus other benefits, losing 1/3 your levels in HP isn't nearly as bad as half or more. You might decide anything level 6-10 is better. Around ECL 16 (13+3) foes that can see invisibility are no longer rare (but still uncommon) and the LA drops again.

If your group optimizes a bit, I'd drop the LA by 1 without flinching. In addition to the above. No special rules, just 1 free LA for them (and decrease all LA in general). Simple.

For arcane casters a simple houserule I've seen is to give half a characters unrelated levels as bonus caster levels for the purpose of casting (including spells known/per day), except that the bonus levels can't exceed his real levels. Divine casters get 1/4, because they're already partially martial. So a pixie sorcerer would eventually get 2 free caster levels (4/2) added to his sorcerer casting. This was originally to keep multiclassing from being as deadly to casters, but it works with LA too.

You could also combo all the above with savage species progression. LA 2-3 gets dropped by 1 for levels 2-5, then goes to full at level 6. LA 1 takes full effect at about class level 2 or 3 as my best guess (didn't simulate this).


Or here's a quick "Pixie but not", rather than digging through splatbooks for one:


-4 strength, +4 dexterity, +2 intelligence, +2 wisdom +2 charisma
Small size
Land speed 20', Fly 60' good.
Low-light vision
Racial Feats: weapon finesse
Invisibility (Su): At will, can activate as a standard action or supress as a free action. This is not greater invisibility.
1/day SLAs: dancing lights, entangle
DR 5/cold iron, SR 10+class levels.
Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling.
Favored Class: Sorcerer.
LA: +2. Reduce by 1 in a high optimization group. Reduce by another 1 for class levels 1-5 and 14-19. Reduce by 1 if a full caster (doesn't stack with caster rule in first spoiler; use one or the other). These reductions stack to a minimum of LA 0.

[Barbarian Horde]

Savage Species version



Level BAB Fort Ref Will Skill Points CR Special
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 (6 + Int mod) × 4 1 Feat, lesser pixie powers 1/day
2nd +0 +0 +2 +2 — 2 Dodge, fly 20 ft. (good), +2 Int, +2 Cha
3rd +0 +0 +2 +2 — 3 Pixie powers 1/day, fly 40 ft. (good), +1 natural armor, +2 Dex, +2 Wis
4th +0 +0 +2 +2 — 3 Natural invisibility fly 60 ft. (good) craft special arrows,+2 Int, +2 Cha
5th +0 +0 +2 +2 — 4 Greater pixie powers 1/day, SR 16, +2 Dex, +2 Wis

[John Longarrow]

Having DMed one, between SR/DR/Greater Invisibility and stats its is worth the LA at lower levels. Add in flight and spells, it will OWN at low levels. At mid levels it becomes comparable though still really good. Only thing it gets strange with is pure caster builds.

If the player is going beguiler they will be pretty much ahead of the curve till double digits, at least from what I've seen.

[Dagroth]

Unseen Seer is a great option for a Pixie.

[ericgrau]

If the player is going beguiler they will be pretty much ahead of the curve till double digits, at least from what I've seen.

Unseen Seer is a great option for a Pixie.
As is rogue, warlock and most non-full caster classes. Most full caster classes are still fairly nice casting invisibly from the sky. It's a good and fun race. It would be a shame to gimp it too much. It would also be unfair to leave it too strong without matching LA.

[digiman619]

Well, it's Pathfinder content, but perhaps you could use the race building rules (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/creating-new-races/) to make a pixie-like character...

[Bahamut7]

As someone who played a Pixie Rogue once, the "class" as it becomes for players is still godly. At-will constant invisibility is a pain to deal with for DMs.

My advice, try using the Pixie from 4th edition as a chassis and tweak it from there to adjust for 3.5

http://dnd4.wikia.com/wiki/Pixie

If you want to give the at-will invisibilty, make it a reward down the road, otherwise the only other aspect of a 3.5 pixie that you need to be wary of is that darn DR/10. He could take at low levels with it. I would sit down with him and decide what is balanced and fair for your campaign.

[eggynack]

you aren't going to find a flying, tiny pixie-like creature with no LA, unfortunately. You know you DO have the option to say to him: if you don't want to take the LA hit, then just pick something else.
As was noted, jermalaine covers the tiny part. Toss on the already mentioned unseelie fey template, which you're allowed to put on things that are fey, and you get the flying part. Both creatures are fey, so super pixie-like. All for +0 LA. Dunno if the setup is actually good for what the OP is trying to do, but it fits these stated criteria well enough. This game has some really wonky races in it.

[Barbarian Horde]

Unseeli fey "needs" a high LA adjustment.

[Pugwampy]

You know you DO have the option to say to him: if you don't want to take the LA hit, then just pick something else

Or you could just let him have it but nerf his leveling till everyone is caught up ?

[ShurikVch]

As was noted, jermalaine covers the tiny part.Also, Mite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mite_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)) is Tiny-sized too (have 3.5 stats in Dangerous Denizens)

[Vizzerdrix]

Why not just refluff a petal? You get the same little flying feel with only 1 la.

[MisterKaws]

Why not just refluff a petal? You get the same little flying feel with only 1 la.

You don't even have to refluff them: they're already IKEA Pixies. Toss in Warlock levels and it gets all Pixie abilities, but not all at such low levels, which is good. The (cohort) tag in the LA section is more because of their behavior, but they aren't so ridiculous by the point you can pick a Pixie. Don't let them pick it at level 3, though, because flight at that level is as utterly overpowered as a Dragonfire Adept with Entangling Exhalation.

[Vizzerdrix]

You don't even have to refluff them: they're already IKEA Pixies. Toss in Warlock levels and it gets all Pixie abilities, but not all at such low levels, which is good. The (cohort) tag in the LA section is more because of their behavior, but they aren't so ridiculous by the point you can pick a Pixie. Don't let them pick it at level 3, though, because flight at that level is as utterly overpowered as a Dragonfire Adept with Entangling Exhalation.

Oooh! Montie Cook wrote a d20 book called Arcana Unearthed (not to be confused with unearthed arcana) that has a hafling type race that can use its 3rd level or higher feat to become a milder version of a pixie. The faen, I think it was called.

[Manyasone]

Oooh! Montie Cook wrote a d20 book called Arcana Unearthed (not to be confused with unearthed arcana) that has a hafling type race that can use its 3rd level or higher feat to become a milder version of a pixie. The faen, I think it was called.

It is called Arcana Evolved. And indeed the race is Faen, Loresong or Quickling, which can 'evolve' into a Spryte

[ArgentumRegio]

Pare back the features of the pixie to the bare minimum and offer that....

TINY size is not negotiable, but the invis can be a feature when the PC earns the level of the default creature (LA is the abbr. you use unless I miss my guess; I'm a 3/3.5e guy so bear with my jargon pls).

Strip away all the non-mundane features, obviously keep the size as is but all the rest can be added later with levels gained; create some framework for that in advance so you both understand it - in some ways it is starting the PC at a young age (for a pixie).

Pixies can be great fun though - we support them on our Neverwinter Nights server; allowing them to slip thru portcullis and grates without having to open/unlock them first, fly, hide in things, even do the invis (but we use a system that adjusts effective class level).