Unearthed Errata: Faen Race

by Tim Wallace and Tarnah Wright

The faen are one of my favorite races from Arcana Evolved. I originally updated them to Pathfinder for Heroes of the Jade Oath, but it was fun to revisit them yet again.

Faen

High in the secluded woodlands of the mountains or in the huge metropolises of the larger races, you can find villages and family groups of the beautiful and delicate faen (pronounced FAY-in, singular and plural). While faen are a unified race, each is born with one of seven specialties. There are the shapeshifting changelings, the macabre darklings, the magically adept loresongs, the brave lubricans, the brutal prowries, the speedy quicklings, and the mechanically-minded urisks. The specialties of a faen’s parents don’t necessarily reflect what their own specialty will be. Some choose, later in life, to permanently metamorphose into an even more diminutive form with wings and become a spryte (see the Faen Metamorphosis feat below). All faen love to laugh and enjoy jokes, though not pranks. They live in the moment and their lack of forethought often finds them in avoidable trouble.

Physical Description: Faen average about around 3-1/2 feet tall. They are lithe, have pointed ears, and eyes ranging from blue to green. A faen’s specialty is usually reflected in its appearance. The hair and complexions of changeling faen tend to reflect those of the human ethnicity in closest proximity to the faen’s village. Darkling faen tend to have pale hair ranging from gray to white and skin from dark blue to dark gray. The hair of loresong faen is usually a shade of blond, and they are fair-skinned. Lubrican faen are also fair-skinned, but their hair is usually red. Some lubrican faen have hair closer to auburn or chestnut in color. Prowrie faen are hairless and have ruddy complexions. A few more sinister prowrie faen wear bandanas or caps they dip in the blood of fallen opponents, earning them the nickname redcaps. Quickling faen sport skin in shades of blue and purple, and hair the color of clouds. Urisk faen generally have bronze skin and hair in shades of green and brown.

Sprytes average just over 1 foot in height, and have gossamer dragonfly-like wings with a 20 inch span. A spryte maintains the coloring it had before undergoing metamorphosis.

Society: Faen live mostly in secluded villages for security, not isolation. Their small forms make them cautious and so their homes are very sturdy and it’s very important for faen to have a haven while adventuring; whether it’s a trusted inn and a regular room or just a familiar alley. Faen with different specialties do not let it keep them from becoming friends or romantic partners.

Relations: Faen don’t judge others based on race, but by character and demeanor. They prefer gnomes because of their friendly company and constant need to experience new things. Faen love laughing and feeling happy and in general value virtues. If someone proves they have a kind heart, they are a friend of the faen.

Alignment and Religion: Faen are usually chaotic, and worship many gods and discover new gods frequently. A quickling could be whistling down the street and have an epiphany about Whit-Whit, the god of Whistling. Some accuse the faen of making them up, but the faen take their religion seriously.

Adventurers: Faen are curious and adventure to discover new magic, to gather treasure, learn new knowledge, or simply for discovery’s sake. They live in the moment, but are not scatter-brained and their curiosity is an asset to the group, not comedic relief.

Male Names: Aiden, Cian, Conor, Darragh, Liam, Niall, Oisin, Riordan

Female Names: Aoife, Caoimhe, Ciara, Keeva, Maeve, Niamh, Saoirse, Siobhan

Faen Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength: Faen are nimble in body and mind, but their small stature makes them weaker than other races.

Fey (2 RP): Faen are fey.

Small: Faen are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Slow Speed (–1 RP): Faen have a base speed of 20 feet.

Low-Light Vision: Faen can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Bond to the Forest (1 RP): Faen get a +2 dodge bonus to AC in forest terrain.

Camouflage (1 RP): Faen receive a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks in forest terrain.

Nature’s Shadow (1 RP): Knowledge (nature) and Stealth are always class skills for faen.

Faen Specialty (3 RP): Each faen is born with one of seven innate abilities.

Changeling Shapeshifting: Changeling faen can assume the appearance of a single form of a human child of their size. The form is static and cannot be changed each time they take this form. The faen gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to appear as a human child. Changing its shape is a standard action. This trait otherwise functions as alter self, save that the creature does not adjust its ability scores. Changeling faen have the shapeshifter subtype.

Darkling Touch: Darkling faen with an Intelligence of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—vampiric touch. Though living creatures, darkling faen react to positive and negative energy as if they are undead—positive energy harms them, while negative energy heals them. Darkling faen take no penalties from energy drain effects, though they can still be killed if they accrue more negative levels then they have Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a darkling faen takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.

Loresong Magic: Loresong faen gain a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks. Loresong faen with an Intelligence of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, haunted fey aspect^UC, and vanish^APG. The caster level for these effects is equal to the faen’s character level. The DC for these spells is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + the faen’s Intelligence modifier. (Players with access only to the Core Rulebook may substitute lullaby and ventriloquism for haunted fey aspect and vanish.)

Lubrican Luck: Lubrican faen gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects. Once per day, after a natural roll of 1 on a d20 roll, lubrican faen may reroll and use the second result.

Prowrie Savagery: Once per day, whenever a prowrie faen takes damage, it flies into a frenzy for 1 minute, gaining a +2 racial bonus to Constitution and Strength, and taking a –2 penalty to AC. Prowrie faen are also proficient with spears and longspears.

Quickling Speed: Quickling faen receive Run as a bonus feat and a +10 foot bonus to their base speed.

Urisk Tinkering: Urisk faen gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks to create objects from stone or wood. Urisk faen with an Intelligence of 10 or higher also gain the following spell-like ability: 3/day—mending. The caster level for this effect is equal to the faen’s character level. The DC for these spells is equal to 10 + the faen’s Intelligence modifier.

Forest Stride (1 RP): Faen can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed in forest terrain. Magically altered terrain affects them normally.

Weapon Familiarity (1 RP): Faen are proficient with bows (including longbows, composite longbows, shortbows, and composite shortbows).

Languages (1 RP): Faen begin play speaking Common and Faen. Faen with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing faen racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Dual Specialties: Some rare faen show for multiple specialties. Such faen often become chieftains or royalty. Faen with this trait choose two abilities from the faen specialty list. This trait replaces the bond to the forest, camouflage, nature’s shadow, and forest stride traits.

Resist Mortal Magic: Faen with this trait gain spell resistance equal to 11 + their character level against spells and spell-like abilities cast by humanoids. This trait replaces the bond to the forest and forest stride traits.

Swamp Faen: Faen with this trait gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed in swamp terrain. Magically altered terrain affects them normally. This trait replaces the bond to the forest, camouflage, and forest stride traits.

Urbanite: Faen with this trait gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks, and can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed in urban terrain. Magically altered terrain affects them normally. This trait replaces the bond to the forest, camouflage, and forest stride traits.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all faen who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

Barbarian: Add +1/4 to the bonus from the rolling dodge rage power.

Druid: Add a +1/2 bonus on concentration checks. This bonus doubles in a forest or forest terrain.

Oracle: Add one spell known from the wizard's illusion school spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the oracle can cast. That spell is treated as one level higher unless it is also on the oracle spell list.

Magus: Add a +1/2 bonus on concentration checks made to cast defensively.

Rogue: Add +1 to the number of times per day the rogue can cast a cantrip or 1st-level spell gained from the minor magic or major magic talent. The number of times this bonus is selected for the major magic talent cannot exceed the number of times it is selected for the minor magic talent. The rogue must possess the associated rogue talent to select these options.

Sorcerer: Add +1/2 point of damage to any illusion spells cast by the sorcerer.

Witch: The witch gains 1/6 of a new witch hex.

Racial Archetypes

The following racial archetype is available to faen.

Tree Warden (Ranger)

Tree wardens are know both for their connection to surrounding flora and their ability to use vegetation to move undetected and make devastating attacks.

Green Empathy (Ex): At 1st level, a tree warden can improve the attitude of a plant creature. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The tree warden rolls 1d20 and adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical wild plant creature has a starting attitude of indifferent.

To use green empathy, the tree warden and the plant creature must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing a plant creature in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A tree warden can also use this ability to influence an animal, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check. This ability replaces the wild empathy class feature.

Sneak Attack: At 1st level, a tree warden gains the sneak attack ability as the rogue ability of the same name. This sneak attack damage increases by +1d6 at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level. If a tree warden gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack. This ability replaces the ranger’s favored enemy.

Fast Stealth (Ex): At 2nd level, a tree warden can move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty. This replaces the ranger’s 2nd-level combat style feat.

Plant Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a tree warden forms a mystic bond with a plant companion. A tree warden selects a companion from the plants listed in Plant Companions. This plant is a loyal companion that accompanies the tree warden on her adventures. This ability functions like the treesinger’s plant companion ability (which is part of the Plant Bond class feature), except that the tree warden's effective druid level is equal to his ranger level – 3.

Plant bond replaces the ranger’s hunter’s bond ability.

Powerful Sneak (Ex): At 8th level, whenever a tree warden takes a full attack action, she can elect to take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls until the start of her next turn. If an attack during this time is a sneak attack, she treats all 1s on the sneak attack damage dice as 2s. This ability replaces the ranger's second favored terrain.

Bushwhacker (Ex): At 11th level, chooses one of the following abilities.

Ambusher (Ex): When running or charging, the tree warden only takes a –10 penalty on her Stealth checks to stay hidden, instead of –20.

Sniper (Ex): When sniping, the tree warden only takes a –10 penalty on her Stealth checks to stay hidden, instead of –20.

This ability replaces the ranger's quarry.

Deadly Sneak (Ex): At 19th level, when a tree warden uses the powerful sneak ability she treats all 1s and 2s on the sneak attack damage dice as 3s. This ability replaces the ranger's improved quarry.

New Racial Rules

The following options are available to faen. At the GM's discretion, other appropriate races may also make use of some of these.

Faen Equipment

The following equipment is used or made by faen.

Spiderweb Gauze: This specially gathered and treated spider web instantly stops bleed damage or stabilizes a dying creature when applied directly to a wound.

Faen Equipment

Item	Cost	Weight	Craft DC
Spiderweb gauze	25 gp	—	20

Faen Feats

Faen have access to the following feats.

Faen Metamorphosis

You choose to undergo metamorphosis.

Prerequisites: Character level 7th, faen.

Benefit: You secrete a sticky substance that she wraps around herself. The secretion hardens, forming a chrysalis. You then spend 1d4+3 days in the chrysalis, after which you emerge in a completely different form. Even smaller than before, you now have gossamer wings that can carry you aloft. You have become a spryte. Your gear taken into the magical chrysalis emerges sized appropriately for your new stature. Sprytes gain the following racial traits.

Spryte Racial Traits

These traits replace the normal size and speed traits of a faen.

Tiny: Sprytes are Tiny creatures and gain a +2 size bonus to Dexterity, a –2 size penalty to Strength, a +2 size bonus to their AC, a +2 size bonus on attack rolls, a –2 penalty to Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +8 size bonus on Stealth checks. Sprytes take up a space of 2-1/2 feet by 2-1/2 feet, so up to four of sprytes can fit into a single square. Sprytes have a natural reach of 0 feet, meaning they can't reach into adjacent squares. You must enter an opponent's square to attack it in melee. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the opponent (unless you have the Spring Attack feat). Since you have no natural reach, you do not threaten the squares around you. Other creatures can move through those squares without provoking attacks of opportunity. You cannot flank an enemy.

Very Slow Speed: Sprytes have a base speed of 10 feet.

Flight: Sprytes have a fly speed of 30 feet with average maneuverability (except for quickling sprytes, which have a fly speed of 40 feet with average maneuverability).

Side Flanking (Combat, Teamwork)

Your small form allows you to share space with an ally.

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, Small size.

Benefit: You and an ally who also has this feat can share the same square at the same time. If you and an ally who also has this feat attack the same foe, you are considered to be flanking that foe as if you were in two opposite squares.

Tiny Threat (Combat)

Though of very small stature, you still are a force to be reckoned with.

Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, base attack bonus +6, Tiny size.

Benefit: Your reach increases to 5 feet. You threaten adjacent squares normally, and you can flank an enemy.

Normal: A Tiny creature has a natural reach of 0 feet, does not threaten adjacent squares, and cannot flank an enemy.

Faen Spells

Faen have access to the following spells.

FEY STORAGE

School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 1, summoner 1, witch 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, F (a belt pouch)

Range personal

Target you

Duration 24 hours

You turn your belt pouch into an extradimensional space that can store up to 5 pounds per caster level of objects able to fit through a 6-inch-square opening. This space resembles a bag of holding in most ways. If this spell ends with objects stored, they fall to the ground at your feet.

SEEMING OF FORM

School illusion (glamer); Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3

Casting Time 1 round

Components V, S

Range touch

Target object touched, no larger than the caster

Duration 1 hour/level (D)

Saving Throw Will negates (object) and Will disbelief (if interacted with); Spell Resistance yes (object) and No

This illusion makes an object seem to all senses as if it were something else. You can change the shape, texture, color, and smell as you desire, and you can even change the size by one category. The spell even allows an object to have inherent qualities of another object—a chair can be wielded as a battleaxe, a table can serve as a hinged door, and a helmet can be used as a lockpick.

However, the object retains its original hardness and hit points. Objects that are not actually weapons but are used as such suffer a –1 attack and damage penalty. Magical abilities cannot be bestowed, nor can masterwork quality be granted. Magical qualities in an item are inaccessible while the illusion is in place and the character attempting to use the item believes in the illusion.

Unattended magical items and magical items in the possession of another get a saving throw to resist the effects of this spell.

Age, Height, & Weight

Random Starting Age

Race	Adulthood	Intuitive1	Self-Taught2	Trained3
Faen	40 years	+4d6	+6d6	+9d6

¹ This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.

² This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.

³ This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Aging Effects

Race	Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
Faen	100 years	140 years	180 years	180 +2d% years

¹ At middle age, –1 to Str, Dex, and Con and +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

² At old age, –2 to Str, Dex, and Con and +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

³ At venerable age, –3 to Str, Dex, and Con and +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Random Height & Weight

Race	Base Height	Base Weight	Modifier	Weight Modifier
Faen, male	3 ft. 0 in	40	2d4	×1 lb.
Faen, female	3 ft. 2 in	45	2d4	×1 lb.
Spryte, male	1 ft. 0 in	10	1d3	×1 lb.
Spryte, female	1 ft. 0 in	10	1d3	×1 lb.