Pixie

(From 5th Edition Monster Manual - 2014):

Standing barely a foot tall, pixies resemble diminutive elves with gossamer wings like those of dragonflies or butterflies, bright as the clear dawn and as luminous as the full moonrise. Curious as cats and shy as deer, pixies go where they please. They like to spy on other creatures and can barely contain their excitement around them. The urge to introduce themselves and strike up a friendship is almost overwhelming; only a pixie’s fear of being captured or attacked stays its hand. Those who wander through a pixie’s glade might never see the creatures, yet hear the occasional giggle, gasp, or sigh.

Pixies array themselves like princes and princesses of the fey, wearing flowing gowns and doublets of silk that sparkle like moonlight on a pond. Some dress in acorns, leaves, bark, and the pelts of tiny woodland beasts. They take great pride in their regalia and beam with joy when they are complimented on their ensembles.

Magical Faerie Folk. With their innate power of invisibility, pixies rarely appear unless they wish to be seen. In the Feywild and on the Material Plane, pixies etch patterns of frost on winter ponds and rouse the buds in springtime. They cause flowers to sparkle with summer dew, and color the leaves with the blazing hues of autumn.

Pixie Dust. When pixies fly visibly, a shower of sparkling dust follows in their wake like the glittering tail of a shooting star. A mere sprinkle of pixie dust is said to be able to grant the power of flight, confuse a creature hopelessly, or send foes into a magical slumber. Only pixies can use their dust to its full potential, but these fey are constantly sought out by mages and monsters seeking to study or master their power.

Tiny Tricksters. While the arrival of visitors piques their curiosity, pixies are too shy to reveal themselves at first. They study the visitors from afar to gauge their temperament or play harmless tricks on them to measure their reactions. For example, pixies might tie a dwarf’s boots together, create illusions of strange creatures or treasures, or use dancing lights to lead interlopers astray. If the visitors respond with hostility, the pixies give them a wide berth. If the visitors are good natured, the pixies are likely to be emboldened and more friendly. The fey might even emerge and offer to guide their “guests” along a safe route or invite them to a tiny yet satisfying feast prepared in their honor.

Opposed to Violence. Unlike their fey cousins, the sprites, pixies abhor weapons and would sooner flee than get into a physical altercation with any enemy.

(From Monster Manual I 3.5e - 2003):

This being resembles a very small elf, but with longer ears and gossamer wings. Pixies are merry pranksters that love to lead travelers astray. They can, however, be roused to surprising ire when dealing with evil creatures. 

These sprites love to trick misers out of their wealth. They do not covet treasure themselves but use it to taunt and frustrate greedy folk. If a victim of pixie pranks exhibits no greed or demonstrates a good sense of humor, the tricksters may allow the individual to choose a reward from their hoard. 

Pixies wear bright clothing, often including a cap and shoes with curled and pointed toes. A pixie stands about 2-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 30 pounds. 

Pixies speak Sylvan and Common, and may know other languages as well. 

Combat: The normally carefree pixies ferociously attack evil creatures and unwanted intruders. They take full advantage of their invisibility and other abilities to harass and drive away opponents. 

Greater Invisibility (Su): A pixie remains invisible even when it attacks. This ability is constant, but the pixie can suppress or resume it as a free action. 

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—lesser confusion (DC 14), dancing lights, detect chaos, detect good, detect evil, detect law, detect thoughts (DC 15), dispel magic, entangle (DC 14), permanent image (DC 19; visual and auditory elements only), polymorph (self only). Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 

One pixie in ten can use Otto’s irresistible dance (caster level 8th) once per day. 

Special Arrows (Ex): Pixies sometimes employ arrows that deal no damage but can erase memory or put a creature to sleep. 

Memory Loss: An opponent struck by this arrow must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or lose all memory. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. The subject retains skills, languages, and class abilities but forgets everything else until he or she receives a heal spell or memory restoration with limited wish, wish, or miracle. 

Sleep: Any opponent struck by this arrow, regardless of Hit Dice, must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a sleep spell. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. 

Pixies as Characters:

A pixie character exchanges its 1 HD of fey for its first class level, so a 1st-level pixie sorcerer has a d4 Hit Die, a +0 base attack bonus, the base save bonuses of a sorcerer, and the sorcerer’s skill points and class skills. Pixie characters possess the following racial traits. 

— –4 Strength, +8 Dexterity, +6 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, +6 Charisma. 

—Small size. +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, –4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of Medium characters. 

—A pixie’s base land speed is 20 feet. It also has a fly speed of 60 feet (good). —Low-light vision. —Skills: Pixies have a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. 

—Racial Feats: A pixie receives Dodge as a bonus feat. 

— +1 natural armor bonus. 

—Special Attacks (see above): Spell-like abilities. 

—Special Qualities (see above): Damage reduction 10/cold iron, greater invisibility, spell resistance equal to 15 + class levels. 

—Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling. 

—Favored Class: Sorcerer. 

—Level adjustment +4 (+6 if the pixie can use Otto’s irresistible dance).

(From 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual - 1993):

Pixies stand about 2 1/2 feet tall. When visible, they resemble small elves, but with longer ears. Pixies have two silver wings, like those of moths. They wear bright clothing, often with a cap and a pair of shoes with curled and pointed toes. Pixies speak their own language, Common, and the language of sprites.

Combat: Pixies carry sprite-sized swords and bows. They use three types of arrows, and shoot them with a +4 bonus to the attack roll. Besides standard sprite sleep-arrows, pixies use a war arrow, which inflicts 1d4+1 points of damage, and an arrow which does no physical harm to the target. Those hit by this arrow must make a successful saving throw vs. spell, or suffer complete loss of memory which can be restored only by a heal or a limited wish.

Pixies can, once per day, use each of the following magical powers, as if they were 8th-level mages: polymorph self, know alignment, dispel magic, dancing lights, and ESP. They can also do the following once per day: become visible for as long as they desire; create illusions with both audial and visual components; and cause confusion by touch. Their illusions require no concentration and last until magically dispelled. A creature attacked with confusion must make a successful saving throw vs. spell, or suffer its effects until a remove curse is applied. One pixie in 10 can use Otto’s irresistible dance, also once per day.

Because pixies are normally invisible, opponents suffer a -4 penalty to attack rolls. A successful dispel magic against 8th-level magic makes any pixies, in its area of effect, visible for one round, then they automatically become invisible again. They attack while invisible without penalty.

Habitat/Society: Pixies live in deep forest caves, dancing in moonlit glades to the music of crickets and frogs. They are pranksters and they love to lead travelers astray. They use their illusion powers to accomplish this, hence the expression “pixie-led” for one who has lost his way. They like to frighten maidens, rap on walls, blow out candles, and play in water.

Pixies love to trick misers into giving away their treasure, especially by convincing them that something horrible will happen to them if they do not. Pixies carry no treasure, but sometimes have a hoard in their lair to impress visitors. Pixies use treasure to taunt greedy people, and then play merciless pranks on them until they abandon their search for the pixies’ fortune. If the victim shows no greed and exhibits a good sense of humor about their pranks, the pixies may allow that individual to choose one item from their hoard.

Pixies dwell together in a community of clans or families that seem to mimic human customs. Each family has a last name, and family and community loyalty is very important to pixies. Their life span is about 300 years.

Ecology: Pixies eat fruits and nectar. The most famous by-product of pixies is pixie dust, also known as dust of disappearance. Crushing 50 pixie wings into a fine powder creates one dose of dust of disappearance. Naturally, pixies frown on this use of their wings.