Sprightling (3.5e Race)

Sprightling

Quick striking darters that catch their opponents by surprise.

Personality

Quicklings are brutally mean and sharply insulting of others, constantly talking down to any being who'll listen. Whenever they can get away with an unkindly prank or attack, they'll take the opportunity. Quicklings almost never make friends outside of their own race.

Physical Description

Appearing as slender and lithe small elves with sharp features and a feral glint, the quickling darts and bobs, hardly standing still long enough for others to get a good look at them. On average, a quickling grows to about 3 feet tall and weighs about 25 pounds. Their skin ranges from pale blue to blue-white and their hair is usually silvery or a snowy-white. Long pointed ears rise above the tops of their heads. Their eyes are usually cold and cruel, glinting with a yellow light.

Finely dressed, they garb themselves in brightly colored clothes, often with silver and black trim as accents. They scorn armor, as it slows them down.

Relations

Twisted by malevolent fey magic in ages past, quicklings distrust or hate all they come across. Fey creatures are universally scorned by quicklings. Most races who come across quicklings only notice them by the loss of valuable trinkets and other things the quickling might find useful. Any individual that encroaches too far onto lands quicklings inhabit quickly find themselves repelled or killed by the fast, blue-skinned creatures. Fey, due to grudges long held are often killed on sight or at the very least (should the quickling be in a "playful" mood), harrassed for hours on end.

Alignment

The quickings of ages past weren't the evil creatures they are today. Before they were affected by the malevolent fey magic that made them as they are, they were neutral creatures living in harmony with the world around them. After the fey magic changed them, they have kept a tradition of telling their history as they saw it. As they told it, their ancestors were victims of ancient fey who begrudged them for the peace and serenity that they once enjoyed. The longer the quickings told their children this story, the more it became perverted by grudges held and kept against the fey who cast the magic upon them. Accompanied with their actions over the ages, quicklings slowly transformed into utterly evil creatures who disregard the well-being of others.

Lands

Quicklings are normally found in temperate forests.

Quicklings live in small, isolated communities far from civilized lands. The communities are usually connected by a network of game trails or forest highways depending on the location of the communities and the density of the trees.

Religion

Quicklings occasionally pay homage to dark forest deities (evil deities with a nature portfolio). Mostly, quicklings rely on themselves, rather than seek divine aide.

Language

Quicklings speak Common and Sylvan, speaking quickly and stringing words and sentences into each other without pauses or breaks.

Occasionally, a quickling will be born that is slower than his ken. These quicklings are known as sprightlings.

Names

Quicklings often take fey names, though, these names tend to be on the short side. They also like to make themselves appear grand by taking important sounding titles based on their accomplishments (or perceived accomplishments).

Racial Traits

• −2 Strength, +4 Dexterity, −2 Constitution, −2 Charisma: Agile, but weak and lacking any fey charm or grace.
• Fey
• Small: As small creatures, sprightlings gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks and a −4 penalty on grapple checks. Their lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium characters.
• Sprightling base land speed is 40 feet: A sprightling’s land speed is faster than the norm for his size by +20 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the sprightling’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn.
• Quickling Run (Ex): Sprightlings gain the Run feat. In addition, a sprightling can continue running without need to make Constitution checks for tiring. Sprightlings gain an additional +4 bonus on Jump checks made with a running start.
• Hard to Catch (Ex): Sprightlings gain a +4 bonus on Escape Artist skill checks.
• Spell-Like Ability: 1/day—dancing lights, daze, expeditious retreat (swift action). Caster level is equal to character level. The save DC is Charisma-based.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling.
• Favored Class: Rogue.
• Level Adjustment: +6

Vital Statistics

Table: Quickling Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
2 years	+0	+1	+1d2

Table: Quickling Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
6 years	10 years	12 years	+1d4 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Quickling Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	3' 0"	+1d4	25 lb.	× (1d3) lb.
Female	2' 10"	+1d4	23 lb.	× (1d3) lb.

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