WOODSPRITES

Woodsprites are regarded by many as a bit on-edge and slightly paranoid. They often seem react to danger before realizing what they're doing, and sometimes even react when no danger is present. Despite this, they have a thriving society in certain arboreal settings, with treetop villages that can put elven communities to shame. These communities aren't very hospitable to outsiders, however, as they are designed for small beings with wings.

Physical Description: Woodsprites resemble a cross between human children and halflings, with key distinctions being their pointed ears, odd coloration, and wings. Their skin ranges in shades from pale white to dusky gray to ruddy brown, while their hair comes in red, green, blonde or brown. Sprouting from their back are two insectoid wings which can be ovular like a housefly or more elongated like a dragonfly. They can be translucent or transparent, with a hue that generally matches their hair color. Women and men are both of roughly equal builds, 2-3 feet tall and 20-30 pounds. Their bones are hollow, but strong. Both sexes usually lack body hair, but some men have a light smattering on their forearms and lower legs. Weather permitting, both sexes prefer to go about shirtless, so as to best use their wings. In colder climes, they have unique multi-layer tops: a wide band below the wings, another above them that incorporates sleeves, and a long, mostly-vertical wrap that criss-crosses to cover gaps.

Society: Woodsprites prefer the tried-and-true to the experimental, the calm to the exciting, and the open air to the cramped dungeon. The sounds of the Woodsprite language are sighing, melodious, and sometimes whispered. It's not impossible to have a shouting match in Woodspritish, but it's not made for such coarse usage. Temperate forests and jungles are the most likely places for woodsprites to live. Most mountains are home to sudden changes in weather that can throw a woodsprite off-kilter, but certain forested peaks are settled, as the terrain capitalizes on their natural affinity for high places. Historically, woodsprites lived in loose tribal societies ruled by councils of elders. More recently, "kingdoms" have arisen covering many tribes. The "king" (or "queen") is a mostly ceremonial title for the eldest or most respected member of the ruling overcouncil, and is not hereditary.

Relations: Their somewhat jumpy nature causes them to be a bit reserved when dealing with new people or situations, unconsciously on the alert for the first sign of trouble. Once trust is earned, they ease up, but even a long-lasting friendship can be put in peril if it is stretched too much. Woodsprites get along with elves despite their slightly chaotic natures, and their reserved nature meshes with dwarves, though their jumpiness can grate on a dwarf's nerves. They do pretty well with humans and half-elves and the odd darkaralome that they meet. Half-orcs are viewed with suspicion. Gnomes and halflings are tolerated, at best. A woodsprite often finds himself the brunt of practical jokes from those two races, usually just to see him jump. However, gnomes and halflings have been known to lose an eye or two when the reaction turns out to be more than was expected.

Alignment and Religion: Woodsprites tend toward lawfulness, as it tends to minimize the potential for surprises. They also tend towards good, as the life of evil leads itself towards a life of always watching your back. However, individual woodsprites can be of any alignment, and their nature helps them survive being chaotic or evil better than other races can manage. Woodsprites revere gods of the sun, forests and nature, but most hold their patron god Ailalea in the highest regard.

Adventurers: Woodsprites adventure for different reasons. Some are thrillseekers who are energized by their jumpy nature and find home life to be too dull. Others are compelled to fight the hidden dangers of the world and thus make their own homelands safer.

Names: Children are named by their parents at birth and it's very rare that the child ever grows up and changes it. Naming a child after an ancestor is common, as is blending the names of the parents or other relatives. Nicknames are unheard of, and a woodsprite often won't even respond if an outsider tries to give him one.

Male Names: Alvar, Breiden, Dag, Harwan, Hauk, Lassen, Siv, Stian, Tauno, and Urya.

Female Names: Aila, Eeva, Froya, Karin, Laurah, Liisa, Linnea, Tora, Ulla, and Valma.

Woodsprite Racial Traits:

• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Woodsprites are in touch with the world around them, but their small stature makes them weaker than other races.
• Type: Woodsprites are humanoid creatures with the woodsprite subtype. Despite their name and heritage, woodsprite physiology differs enough that they are not considered sprite, nor even fey.
• Size: Woodsprites are small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
• Base Speed: Woodspritish base speed is 30 feet. They are deceptively quick for their size.
• Climber: Woodsprites have a Climb speed of 20 feet, and the +8 to Climb checks that comes with having a Climb speed.
• Languages: Woodsprites begin play speaking Woodsprite and Common. Woodsprites with high Intelligence scores may choose to learn Elven, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.
• Woodsprite Reflexes: A woodsprite gains Lightning Reflexes as a bonus feat, but treats its bonus as a racial bonus.
• Acrobatic: A woodsprite has a +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks.
• Low-Light Vision: Woodsprites can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Gliding Wings: Woodsprites take no damage from falling (as if subject to a constant non-magical feather fall spell). While in midair, they can move up to 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 1 foot they fall, at a speed of 60 feet per round. A woodsprite with gliding wings cannot gain height with these wings alone; they merely coast in other directions as they fall. If subjected to a strong wind or any other effect that causes a creature with gliding wings to rise, a woodsprite can take advantage of the updraft to increase the distance they can glide.

Alternate Racial Traits:

• Brute: Woodsprites living in mountains near sources of darker energies have seen an uptick in strange physical abnormalities, giving birth to woodsprites who are stronger but also less intelligent. Their penalty to Strength is eliminated and they take a -2 penalty to Intelligence, instead.
• Compact: Some Woodsprites are born a bit more sluggish than the others, as if they constantly trudge through an unseen ocean. Their base speed is reduced by 10 feet, but their mysterious connection to some other place gives them spell resistance of 11 + their character level. This replaces the Climber racial trait.
• Hypnotic Wings: In darker woodlands, Woodsprites sometimes turn towards their fey heritage and tap into magical powers. They can cast Hypnotism and Haunted Fey Aspect as spell-like abilities 1 time/day. Their caster level is equal to their character level. This replaces Woodsprite Reflexes, and can only be taken if your Charisma is 11 or higher.
• Swift Stalker: Many Woodsprites are able to channel their inner energy into a keen awareness. They are often chosen to be scouts, able to gather information and quickly return with it. Stealth and Perception are always class skills. They reduce their Stealth penalty when moving by 5, and their Stealth penalty for sniping by 10. This replaces the Woodsprite Reflexes and Acrobatic racial traits.
• Wind Bloodline: Some Woodsprites are closer to their fey roots, specifially those that lie in the element of air. They can cast Alter Winds, Darting Duplicate, and Windy Escape 1 time/day as spell-like abilities. Their caster level is equal to their character level, and they always treat Fly and Acrobatics as class skills. This replaces Woodsprite Reflexes and Acrobatic, and requires Charisma of 11 or higher.
• Woodsprite Luck: Some Woodsprites are just plain lucky. They gain +1 to all saving throws. This replaces Acrobatic.
• Woodsprite Runner: Sometimes, a Woodsprite grows up in an area without large trees or rocky outcroppings. Such Woodsprites channel their energy into running. They gain Run as a bonus feat (any bonuses it grants are considered racial bonuses), and a +2 racial bonus to Initiative. This replaces the Climber and Acrobatic racial traits.
• Vestigial Wings: Injury or birth defect can mar a developing Woodsprite's wings. These Woodsprites compensate for their wings by becoming better on their feet. Once per day, before they make a Reflex saving throw, they can choose to roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. Their wings aren't strong enough for gliding, but do have enough power to aid flight attained by some other method, and grant a +4 racial bonus on Fly checks. This replaces the Gliding Wings racial trait.

Woodsprite Archetype: Windstrike Monk

Most monks are fast, but a Windstrike Monk can fly swifty through combat like a ghost.

• A Windstrike Monk gains True Woodsprite Flight at 1st level, but he must be able to meet its prerequisites. If he can't, he cannot take this archetype. This replaces a Monk's bonus feat at 1st level.
• He loses the ability to take Spring Attack, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, and Improved Trip as bonus feats, but he adds Improved Woodsprite Flight and Hover to his list of bonus feats. At 6th level, he also adds Wingover, Flyby Attack and Wind Stance to his list of bonus feats. At 10th level, he adds Lightning Stance to his list of bonus feats. This modifies a monk's bonus feats.
• Passing Breeze: At 2nd level, when using the Acrobatics skill to avoid attacks of opportunity by moving through a threatened area or an enemy's space, a Windstrike Monk only takes a –5 penalty when doing so at full speed, instead of the normal –10 penalty. This replaces Evasion.
• At 3rd level, apply half of the bonus granted by Fast Movement to your Fly speed. This modifies Fast Movement.
• Windspeak: At 4th level, a Windstrike Monk is hard to surprise. He gains a +2 bonus to initiative in surprise rounds. This replaces Slow Fall.
• Passing Gust: At 5th level, when using the Acrobatics skill to avoid attacks of opportunity while moving through a threatened area or through an enemy's space, a Windstrike Monk takes no penalty when doing so at full speed. This replaces High Jump.
• At 6th level, a Windstrike Monk gains Evasion, as the normal Monk ability.
• At 8th level, a Windstrike Monk gains Flying Stun as bonus feat, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites.
• Windthought: At 9th level, the Windstrike Monk gains a +2 insight bonus to initiative. This stacks with the +2 to initiative in surprise rounds. This replaces Improved Evasion.
• At 12th level, the monk gains Improved Evasion, as the Monk ability.
• At 14th level, the insight bonus granted by Windthought increases to +4.
• Swirling Wind: At 15th level, when a targeted spell or spell-like ability fails to overcome a Windstrike Monk's spell resistance, he may reflect the effect onto its caster as Spell Turning by spending a number of points from his ki pool equal to 1/2 the spell's level (minimum 1). This ability replaces Quivering Palm.
• Wind Form: At 17th level, he can assume gaseous form (as the spell) as a standard action for 1 minute per day per monk level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments. Your speed while in Wind Form is 10 ft + half your Fast Movement bonus to your Fly speed (rounded down to the next increment of 5). This replaces Timeless Body.
• At 18th level, the insight bonus granted by Windthought increases to +6.
• Eternal Wind: At 20th level, a Windstrike Monk no longer ages. He remains in his current age category forever, and does not feel the need to "ascend". Even if the monk comes to a violent end, he spontaneously reincarnates (as the spell) 24 hours later in a place of his choosing within 20 miles of the place he died. The monk must have visited the place in which he returns back to life at least once. This ability replaces Perfect Self.

Woodsprite Feats

• True Woodsprite Flight allows a woodsprite to fly, rather than merely glide.
• Hover allows a woodsprite to hover without a skill check.
• Improved Woodsprite Flight can be taken multiple times to improve a woodsprite's flying ability.
• Wingover allows a woodsprite to make turns while flying without a skill check or movement penalty.
• Flyby Attack allows a woodsprite to make standard actions in the middle of flying movement.
• Flying Stun improves a flyer's ability to deliver a Stunning Fist.

Woodsprite Race Traits

Claustrophobe

Woodsprites crave the open air, but most can do fine in underground environments. Some, however, find the experience heightens their senses in uncomfortable ways.

You gain +2 trait bonus to Initiative checks made underground, but also take a -2 penalty against fear and emotion-based saves made underground.

Dappled Vision

Light passing through the leaves of trees can make some strange and unsettling patterns, but many Woodsprites find them pleasing.

You have a +1 trait bonus vs. illusions and a +2 trait bonus vs. pattern effects specifically.

Elegant Glider

Not all Woodsprites can fly, and some have trouble even gliding, but your gliding seems effortless.

You gain a +2 trait bonus to Fly skill checks.

Ailalea (IPA: aɪ̆ləˈliə), The Bright Beam.

She is the Ever-Constant, the Woodsprite Mother, the light that breaks the darkness, and the dappled beams that shine through the treetops. Bards and rangers sometimes worship her, as do certain groups of miners and such who work in darkness but crave the light.

She is neutral good, and she grants access to the domains of Air, Community, Good, Healing, Plant, and Sun and the subdomains of Agathion, Growth, Light, Restoration, Revelation, and Wind. Her favored weapon is the bow and arrow and her symbol is a single pure beam of light slicing into a mass of darkness, illuminating a single leaf on the ground.

Her temples are built above the ground, but just beneath the canopy of the forest or jungle. Ailalea herself resides in neutral-good Nirvana, and accepts followers who are either Good or True Neutral.