Player character races: Grasshopper

Grasshopper

Faerie type: Creature spirit
size: About 2 foot tall

Grasshoppers are well acquainted with all insects, except for wasps and hornets, which are considered to be evil. They will often look after beehives and are given honey in return, which they use to make the best Necktar (a generic term for any alcoholic beverage) in all Faerie Wood. They tend plants too, especially those that friendly insects feed from and are well versed in the use of magic herbs and plants.

Physical description:

Grasshoppers have the hind legs of a similar insect, hence their name. These enable them to make great leaps up to 10 feet high. Their upper body is humanoid and Elven with a thin and angular face, similar to a Sprite with antennae. They also have very large eyes that are colourful and sometimes reflective, similar to some insects. Grasshoppers also have small insect wings, but these are not for flying; instead they help guide the Grasshopper when it leaps to ensure a safe landing.

Core abilities and skills:

• Leap 10 feet straight up into the air or forwards

• Charm and control insects (e.g. to help against enemies)

• Herblore (the ability to make magical potions and ointments)

• Speak with insects including those of a giant size

• Start with one magic spell and one weapon skill

Dark Elf Counterpart: Spyder 

Grasshoppers who become evil Dark Elves transform into Spyders. These are cruel faerie folk that have the lower body and legs of a large spider and a humanoid torso with Elven features. Their skin is grey or ashen and they also develop small sharp pointed teeth. Spyders dwell in dark places, spinning a web to hide their lair and to catch prey. Some may even choose a deserted human barn or other building for their home. Spyders eat animals and small Faeries, particularly Grasshoppers – this is thought to be necessary for them to spin web strands. Some are also poisonous and their bite or scratch can be deadly. There also exist rare fresh water Spyders that are similar to crabs as well as others that resemble beetles or cockroaches.

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Customised Playmobil figures for Faerie Wood

Figures and counters are sometimes helpful props when playing a roleplaying game. They can give the players something to focus on in combat and other situations, or simply to make it more fun and visual. When I use counters or models for Faerie Wood, I find that Playmobil is great because you can take them apart and reasemble them as you wish.

But for the Deerfolk player character race I've customised them, making them into 'deer-centaurs'. This is Maedoc and Judoc, they are brother and sister and belong to a clan called the 'Thunder Riders'. They are brave and strong protectors of woodland animals, defending them from predators, evil faerie folk and human hunters.

 

Player character races: Sprite

Sprite

Faerie type: Fire spirit
size: 1 foot tall

Sprites are the most mischievous of Light and Dusky Elves; their antics are often cruel and reckless. They don’t usually mean to harm anyone, but this happens sometimes. They are quite boisterous and due to their chaotic nature they never think things through properly. Many other Elves do not get on easily with Sprites as they are always making mischief and causing trouble. Sprites often use their magic to trick other Faeries or humans by leading them astray or causing them to become lost.

Physical description:
 
Sprites are thin and delicate looking with angular faces and hair that is thick and wild about the head, often golden or silver in colour. However there is much more to them than meets the eye. As their name suggests, sprites are full of energy - they never seem to stop. They are nimble and quick and are always in a rush. Their eyes are bright and fiery and some also have antennae on their foreheads.

Core abilities and skills:

• Transform into a Will ‘o’ Wisp (a tiny globe of magical light, impervious to attacks except from magic or water) and can fly through the smallest gap

• Fire divination (communicate with sources of fire)

• Start with two magic spells and one weapon skill

Dark Elf Counterpart: Will ‘O’ Wisp

If a Sprite becomes too cruel and evil, it transforms into a Will 'o' Wisp and the Sprite will lose its own physical body permanently. However, Will ‘o’ Wisps are able to possess the bodies of other faeries and even humans, for this reason they are also sometimes known as ‘Dopplegangers’. Many Humans think Will 'o' Wisps are evil spirits or that they are simply mischievous Faeries or magic lanterns carried by them, while others believe they are ghosts – lost human souls who are stuck between the land of living humans and the world of Faerie. Will 'o' Wisps will often lead humans and Faeries astray into dangerous parts of Faerie Wood or posses their bodies. They are not to be trusted, and are best avoided.

Faerie Fact 05: Faerie Wood exists in a separate dimension to the human world

In the Faerie Wood game, the world of faerie folk is hidden from humans as it exists in a different time and space, sometimes referred to as a spirit world. But just like the land of humans, in Faerie Wood there are various types of terrain and geology such as hills, mountains, rivers and woodland. The map below is a rough illustration of the known areas of Faerie Wood. The map is copied from one originally made by Gnomes who created it by piecing together many ancient faerie folk stories and legends. Much of their ancient history has been lost to faerie folk and this map is all that remains of common faerie knowledge on the geography of Faerie Wood.

The Dragon featured in the map is a symbolic representation of The Great Dragon – a powerful faerie spirit that is believed by faerie folk to encompass all of Faerie Wood, but more on that another time… 

Faerie Fact 04: Faeries don't fight fair, especially against humans

In Faerie Wood, humans and other large or ‘giant’ creatures get penalties when fighting faerie folk because elves are often small and move very quickly. So player character faeries should use their diminutive size and hiding skills to maximise the effects of a surprise attack. Some faerie player characters can be almost as strong as an average human despite only being two feet tall and humans do not expect this, so this too can be used to surprise them and gain further advantages.

Humans are also afraid of faerie folk and therefore their reactions can be unpredictable and possibly dangerous, so where possible faerie folk should remain invisible or at least well hidden. Player characters in Faerie Wood are invisible to most humans but some humans such as young children, Witches, Priests, Scholars and humans under the influence of hallucinogenic substances or alcohol can see faerie folk.

However, if all else fails, then a quick and well-executed surprise attack will be enough to deal with most humans, as this example illustrates:

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