Homebrew DesignRoll up your sleeves and get working: there's lots of homebrewin' to be done! Post your custom creation for critiques or review those of your peers.
I'm bored. And I've been reading the Tiffany Aching books. So... yeah. It's dangerous to go alone: Take this. (Apologies if I horribly butchered anything)
The Nac Mac Feegle
Also known as Pictsies, the Wee Free Men, the Little Men, 'Person or Persons Unknown, Believed to be Armed', and occasionally 'The Defendants', these mischievous little fey have a tendency to get "Piffed" and go about fighting anyone they see. When they run out of enemies, they have a tendency to then start fighting one another. After that, they start fighting themselves. And they win. Though only 6 inches tall, they are remarkably strong and have a number of spell-like abilities. Though they are quite good at going without being seen, the sounds of their scuffling usually gives them away.
Personality: The Feegles are a rowdy bunch. As mentioned, they're big fans of fighting. And stealing. And drinking. And they have a tendency to destroy stuff. It's like they're all PCs. That said, there is still a deal of diversity among them. For the most part though, you can expect them to do any and all of the above.
Physical Description: Feegles are roughly 6 inches tall, blue, and have red hair. Their preferred form of clothing is a kilt. Despite their small stature, they are quite strong and can actually take down most anything they decide to fight.
Relations: Feegles get along with anyone who tolerate their shenanigans and who they feel are of some power. As such, they often revere casters though they are generally too simplistic to become casters themselves. All Feegles feel a kinship towards other Feegles. For the most part however, Feegles keep to themselves. They figure that things will be easier on them if no one knows that they're around or even exist. They only show themselves (purposely) in times of great need or to trusted allies.
Alignment: Almost all Feegles are Chaotic. Only rarely will one find a "Legal Feegle". Beyond that however, their alignment is fairly open. As far as Good/Evil goes, they are as diverse as any other race. However, their goals are almost entirely focused on the preservation of their mound which they will defend savagely.
Feegle Lands: Feegles live most places that Humans or other races live. They form small tribes and live in underground mound complexes. They generally steal whatever they need to get by. Missing a sock? It's now a Feegle sleeping bag.
Settlements: Feegles live in mounds, often in forests. These tunnel systems can be quite expansive but usually can't accommodate much more than a rabbit. They have been known to make special areas for "Big Jobs" to visit however.
Power Groups: Each mound is controlled by a "Kelda", a queen effectively. Females are relatively rare among Feegles and are in charge of leading their various clans. Keldas each have a husband who is the "Big Man" who tries their best to keep the other Feegles more or less in line.
Beliefs: Feelges believe that they're all dead. They think that they died and went to heaven, here on the Material Plane. Because seriously, what could be better than running around, fighting who you like and drinking as much as you please? As such, they don't really fear death. They believe that dying will just send them back to their prior life.
Language: Feegles speak a slightly mangled form of Common. "Ach, Crivens!"
Names: Male Feegles are generally given names based upon their nature and position in addition to a primary name. Big Yan, Daft Wullie, Awfully Wee Billy Bigchin, and so on. Females are a deal rarer and are known only by their primary name, which varies as much as those of their male counterparts. Jeannie, for example.
Adventurers: They may as well all be PCs already. They can't go five minutes without getting themselves into some manner of trouble. And if miraculously manage that, they go looking for it. Wherever there's trouble, you can be sure a Feegle isn't far off.
FEEGLE RACIAL TRAITS
All Feegles have the following characteristics:
Diminutive Size. Feegles stand only six inches tall. However, they suffer no Strength penalty due to their size and gain no Dexterity bonus either. They receive the usual AC bonus, Attack bonus, Hide bonus, and Special Attack Penalty (+4 AC, +4 to attacks, +16 Hide, -16 Special Attacks). Lastly, they suffer none of the usual reduction in carrying capacity due to size (They are treated as Medium creatures of their strength for determining carrying capacity).
Feegles have a base land speed of 10ft, which is surprisingly fast given their small stature.
+2 on Fortitude saves against poison. Feegles are resistant to all forms of poison... mostly alcohol, however.
Fey: All Feegles are Fey (Extraplanar)
Feegles are Immune to Fear, as the Paladin ability.
Feegles can use the following spells as Spell-Like Abilities each once per day, with CL equal to their HD: Feather Fall, Planeshift, Invisibility, and Make Whole. They tend to fall alot, they need some way back to their native realm (which they were exiled from for being drunk), they're good at going unnoticed, and they figure that putting something back together is just like breaking it in reverse.
LA +2
Standard Feegles additionally have:
+2 Con, -2 Wis. Feegles are tough and enduring, but aren't too snappy about what's going on. Unless that's fighting.
Illiterate. Most feegles never learn to read or write. Doing so is especially difficult for them, requiring a full four skill points to be expended to do so.
All standard Feegles are proficient with shortswords, their favorite weapons.
Favored Class: Barbarian. Fear the Feegle Rage.
Each clan also has a "Gonnagle" or war-poet who records their exploits and sings horrible songs to inspire fear in the hearts of their enemies. These individuals are far more educated than the standard Feegle and carries Mousepipes, bagpipes made of mouse skin. Gonnagles tend to be less rambunctious than other Feegles.
Gonnagles additionally have:
+2 Cha, -4 Str. Gonnagles can be quite inspiring, but lack the physical abilities of their compatriots. Their strength is almost on par with their size.
Decent Teaching: All Knowledge Skills are always Class Skills for Gonnagles.
Favored Class: Bard
Keldas are a bit different. They are significantly wiser and composed than any of the males and are in charge of directing their clan.
Keldas additionally have:
+2 Wis, -2 Str, -2 Con. Keldas are quite wise, but are not as strong or fit as the Males are.
+2 to Intimidate. Keldas can be quite frightening when they want to be.
Keldas can use the Soothings once per week to calm someone. This acts as a Calm Emotions spell, with CL equaling the Kelda's HD and the save being Cha based. This use of Calm Emotions has a Duration of 1 hour/CL instead of "Concentration".
Favored Class: Druid
So... thoughts? Should I bump the LA up to +3, or is +2 good? Not sure about Druid as the Kelda's Favored Class... There've been no references to Animal Companions, but I didn't know what else to use. Spirit Shaman was even worse, and I certainly wasn't going to use the Adept...
Generally quite nice, yes. What I would include is something for carrying capacity: while they have the strength of a medium creature as presented, carrying capacity is also multiplied by a factor based on size (something like x4 per size category, I don't remember). As diminutive creatures, therefore, they'd never be able to lift a cow.
Give them a sentence like "Has a carrying capacity as a medium sized creature of it's strength".
Also, canonically, Fey is a type, not a subtype. If you make it a subtype, you should either define it properly somewhere in the text, or give them a more conventional type, like Fey (extraplanar).
“Not a promise, not an oath, or a malediction or a curse,” I said, sounding calm, probably inaudible in the midst of the screaming. “Inevitable. Wasn’t that how she put it? I told them. Warned them.”
-Taylor Hebert. Yes, I'm a proud Skittle.
Thank you, fixed both of those and reduced the Soothings down to 1/week.
Edit: Considering modifying the "No Attack Bonus From Size"... +4 is a bit much, but a +1 would make sense....
Actually, I'm now considering reverting it back to the usual attack bonus of +4. Given their Diminutive size, most of their weapons will have a base damage of 1. The AB may help balance that out.
Editedit: Now that I think about it more, the +4 may not actually be all that unwarranted. Due to their size, their weapons will be doing almost squat. Reliable hits will be quite necessary for them to actually be useful in combat.
Come on! It's a Diminutive PC Race! Surely people have some opinions about it! Should I or should I not give it the +4 to attacks that they are due from their size?
Hm...I'm going to say yes. Even with as powerful a SLA as plane shift, It's difficult to justify +2 LA without at least giving them the normal attack bonus that is their due.
Although, that really opens it up to spellcasters a bit too much, whereas canonically, Feegles were always more Barbarian-like...I recommend giving them back their attack bonus and giving them a mandatory racial feat - Pierce Magical Protection, waiving the prerequisite. Because why not?
Hm...I'm going to say yes. Even with as powerful a SLA as plane shift, It's difficult to justify +2 LA without at least giving them the normal attack bonus that is their due.
Although, that really opens it up to spellcasters a bit too much, whereas canonically, Feegles were always more Barbarian-like...I recommend giving them back their attack bonus and giving them a mandatory racial feat - Pierce Magical Protection, waiving the prerequisite. Because why not?
Wow, I thought everyone had forgotten about this.
Anywho, changed it such that they do get their full AB.
As for the Pierce Magical Protection... Given that the Kelda and Gonnagle are pretty much required to be spellcasters, that would be a major hindrance. I wouldn't worry too much about the Standard Feegle becoming spellcasters, primarily because you'd have to explain how they became one in the first place. There's no way in hell that they're going to be let into the Unseen University and they obviously don't have the patience to be a Witch (Or Warlock, as the case may be). Besides the -4 CL, I don't see much reason why they need the ability to ignore magical protection spells. I can't think of any instances in the books where they even went up against a decent Abjuration.
Oh, it was mainly the -4. Though, come to think of it, you could just give standard Feegles an additional +2 Str (couldn't hurt too much in the long run, because if you want them to be melee classes, they're weapon dice are ****) and just balance it out with the -4 to spellcaster level to all spells. Done and done. You don't even need to include the -4 for caster level for their SLAs, since you aren't constrained to the feat. I like this solution best, come to think of it.
Oh, it was mainly the -4. Though, come to think of it, you could just give standard Feegles an additional +2 Str (couldn't hurt too much in the long run, because if you want them to be melee classes, they're weapon dice are ****) and just balance it out with the -4 to spellcaster level to all spells. Done and done. You don't even need to include the -4 for caster level for their SLAs, since you aren't constrained to the feat. I like this solution best, come to think of it.
The +2 str is debatable, given it's hard to accurately measure how strong they are compared to a full-sized man. But it's easily conceivable.
But still, saying a -4 CL... Wait, what would that even entail? That means that they'd have to waste four levels on a primary casting class and after that they simply have really weak spells? I don't recall anything to suggest that they'd be bad at magic, it's just not in their culture. Goblins don't have an Int penalty, and yet have you ever seen a Goblin Wizard? (PORKCHOPS!)
If I were to put a restraining clause on the Standard Feegles, it would be more along the lines of "Taking levels in any spellcasting class causes you to accrue less experience points, as if you had unbalanced multiclass levels". They aren't bad, they're just slow learners. Because they keep on pausing to beat the crud out of their book.
Actually, now that I think of it, Standard Feegles are illiterate. They can't become wizards. They don't know how to read the books.
...
...
Feegle Sorcerer.
...
Feegle Warlock.
...
...
Okay, so maybe Wizard isn't the only thing to worry about but... For Sorcerer, how in the world did they get Dragon Blood? That poor Kelda. And for the Warlock, they themselves are Fey. And have a reputation. I'd be surprised if any supernatural entity would want to make a deal with them.
Right, but due to the nature of D&D, you can't just ban them from taking certain classes. All they would need to be an effective Wizard is Practiced Spellcaster and 4 skill points to become literate. So it's doable at first level. BUT that forces the player who is trying to shove a Feegle into a role in which it makes no sense to waste resources on just being competent at it, while his peer wizards are a feat and four skill points ahead of him. This also has the side effect of preventing him taking Collegiate Wizard, or any other feat only usable at first level (Precocious Apprentice? can't remember). In all, it beefs up his ability to melee (slightly) while strongly (but not irrevocably) reinforcing that style over playing a full spellcaster.
And on second thought, yeah, I'd make it work on Spells and SLAs both, but exempt his four racial SLAs. Feegle Warlock...*shudder*
EDIT: If you do decide to go this route, don't forget to move the regular feegle stat adjustments up to the ALL Feegle section, and then move the +2 Str and -4 CL to the Standard Feegle section (Common Feegle might sound more appropriate to the time period/genre).
I'd say, comparing these feegles to the ones in the book, that you should give them:
30ft movement.
Some Fey racial HD
A Slam Attack (for males) that deals 1d6+STR damage
Female Feegles should be able to cast spells as druid of their HD
Certain gear items. For example, Feegle weapons could deal damage as Small weapons, and the Gonnagle's Mousepipes are also central to the story.
I mean, the Nac Mac Feegles are way too powerful in the books to be anything but monsters. I'd advise making a monster class out of them if you want to play as one.
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There should be an ability to aid stealing, as well as something beer-based. Also, maybe get rid of Plane Shift? Doesn't really feature into anything I've seen featuring the Nac Mac Feegles.
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There should be an ability to aid stealing, as well as something beer-based. Also, maybe get rid of Plane Shift? Doesn't really feature into anything I've seen featuring the Nac Mac Feegles.
A beverage functions as a heroism or rage spell? Caster level dependent on the strength of the brewsky. Perhaps good lager is heroism, whereas mildly alcoholic piss-water is rage.
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Skills: I would say -2 Int instead of -2 Wis. They're not very smart, but they're wise enough to take precautions on making sure no lawyers get their names on paper.
Fear Resistance: I think Lawyers are the only thing they fear. Of course Rob Anybody's tribe has an intelligent frog who's a lawyer, so they might be slightly less likely to be feared.
As for Feegle Skills...
As much as they love fighting, they steal anything they need. So a lot of theiving skills are something they're exceptionally well at. They're the only ones I know that can steal an idea and hold it as a physical object. It only lasts like 2 hours, but they can sell it before that happens.
+X Hide/Stealth
+X Disable Device/Open Lock
+X Escape Artist
+X Sleight of Hand
+X Spot/Search/Perception/Listen
Not sure what X would be for each. Maybe a +2 or +4?
-16 Bluff/Diplomacy (especially if they're in trouble with the Hag, they tell obviously exaggerated stories and have difficulty telling the truth. To boot, they're also always getting into trouble. So not much help in a Feegle trying to talk themselves out of trashing an inn.)
+X Tumble/Acrobatics - Most seem to find themselves to the ground safely, even if it's a rolling thud. Feather fall may cover it, but I think one of these reduces fall damage which may explain it better. If they're one of the ones who fly birds, they will especially have this along with animal handling.
Other Suggested Classes: Rogues
Along with fighting & drinking, they love stealing too. To learn how to read or write, you have to steal a pencil, paper, and a book. They don't know any other way to acquire them.
Racial Defect: They are loud & wild. Usually they're quiet when hiding, and they'll stay hidden unless they want you to see them. Sometimes when you give away their hiding spot, they yell something unintelligent like there is nothing up there except the mice. More evidence to why an Int penalty.
Fighting Defect: Once they're out of opponents, they won't stop fighting. They'll start fighting each other as well until there's only a few left standing. they won't kill each other, but just knock each other out with nonlethal damage. (nonlethal rage system? they get caught up in the moment...)
Resistant to Stomping: If you stepped on one, they would either carry you or sink into the ground before they'd ever be smashed. Maybe if you were quick enough you could stomp one as hard as you can. But I'm pretty sure they're too quick for that.
Beliefs: They think they're dead because there is plenty to drink, plenty to fight, and plenty to steal. Don't forget, they love to steal too. When they die, they're not going back to their prior life, they're being reborn into a new life in a new world where there is not much fighting, drinking, or stealing. Perhaps they herded snails there too.
Last edited by GenQuake99 : 06-08-2011 at 11:26 PM.
Someone did this before. It is worth doing more than once. Did you search up prior attempt(s)?
Huh. I thought everyone forgot about this. It wasn't until after I had made it that I realized that it's done not once, but multiple times before. I've never been too savvy with races. Note my vast number of PrCs. I have browsed a few of these others and observed some interesting differences including the Drink Like a Demon ability. A lot of it is a matter of personal interpretation. In my opinion this is just an ever-present problem with brewing based off of things from books, shows and movies. Everyone perceives things a little different and it's going to be very difficult to satisfy everyone. This is why I stopped fiddling with this race.
Huh. I thought everyone forgot about this. It wasn't until after I had made it that I realized that it's done not once, but multiple times before. I've never been too savvy with races. Note my vast number of PrCs. I have browsed a few of these others and observed some interesting differences including the Drink Like a Demon ability. A lot of it is a matter of personal interpretation. In my opinion this is just an ever-present problem with brewing based off of things from books, shows and movies. Everyone perceives things a little different and it's going to be very difficult to satisfy everyone. This is why I stopped fiddling with this race.
Actually I would say that multiple versions means everyone can find one they like once things reach a certain point. Before that point if they don't like what they see based on personal preferences (rather than things that the author will change due to PEACH), they should brew up a different approach based or request someone else to do it.
In short, don't try to satisfy everyone, satisfy yourself, but don't be afraid to look at other people's work for ideas (give credit where credit is due, and let them know via PM so they can feel proud at having inspired youh, and if you hew too close, be sure to ask permission first). Actually, a lot of people ask for permission on MY stuff (which I can't recall ever NOT having given, although sometimes with conditionals if they are going to be PLAYING it, rather than creating derivative homebrew), so people probably take it more seriously on average than I do.
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[3.5e Race] The Nac Mac Feegle (PEACH)
That poor Kelda. And for the Warlock, they themselves are Fey. And have a reputation. I'd be surprised if any supernatural entity would want to make a deal with them.
