BROWNIE CHARACTERS

The creature resembles a very small elf, shorter than a halfling and very slim, with brown hair. It wears brightly colored garments and it carries a belt full of artisan's tools.

Brownies are benign and exceedingly nimble creatures that may be related very distantly to halflings. Peaceful and friendly, brownies live in pastoral regions, foraging and gleaning their food.

A brownie stands no taller than 2 feet and weighs about 6 pounds. Their garments are usually made of wool or linen and dyed bright colors and decorated with elaborate embroidery or trimmed with silver or gold studs and buttons.

Brownies speak Common, Halfling, and Sylvan, plus one other language (usually Elven or Gnome).

Combat

Brownies prefer not to engage in combat, and only do so in response to attacks or clear threats of violence. Angry brownies rarely meet their foes in hand-to-hand combat. Instead, they retreat to a safe distance. They rely on their Tumble skill or ability to hide while being observed to avoid attacks of opportunity. Once safely out of reach, brownies use their spell-like abilities to harass and drive away enemies.

Calm Animal (Su): As a free action, a brownie can make an animal calm and docile. The power is similar to a calm animals spell as a 7th-level caster, except that it works on a single animal within 30 feet. An animal that has been affected or has made a successful saving throw against this power cannot be affected again for one day. The save DC against this power is 15. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +3 racial adjustment.

Spell-Like Abilities: A brownie can use any of the following, each once a day as a 7th-level caster: confusion (DC 15), dancing lights, daylight, dimension door, protection from evil, ventriloquism (DC 12).

Evasion (Ex): If a brownie is exposed to any effect that normally allows it to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the brownie takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): In areas of dim light, tall grass, or heavy undergrowth, a brownie can make itself practically invisible. Under these conditions, a brownie can use its Hide skill even while being observed and without having anything to actually hide behind.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A brownie retains its Dexterity bonus to AC even if caught flat-footed or targeted by an unseen foe. However, the brownie still loses its Dexterity bonus to AC if paralyzed or otherwise immobile.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A brownie can improve the attitude of an animal as a 7th-level character.

Skills: Brownies have a knack for working with their hands, and they gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft checks. Most brownies also carry masterwork artisan's tools, and they gain a +2 bonus on checks with the Craft skill for which the tools are made (included in the numbers given above). Brownies have keen senses and receive a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. Brownies use their Dexterity scores for Climb checks.

Brownie Society

Brownies live in rural areas, making their homes in small burrows, hollow trees, or abandoned buildings. They often live close to or on farms, since they are fascinated by farm life.

Brownies live by harvesting wild fruits and gleaning grain from farmers' fields. Brownies are basically vegetarians who live very comfortably on the gleanings of agricultural life. They make efficient use of leftovers that are too small for humans to notice. When brownies glean from fields, they usually do so after harvest, gathering grains and fruits, which might otherwise be wasted. When they can harvest a few morsels earlier, they often do so if they can without spoiling the harvest.

Being honest to the core, brownies always perform some service in exchange for what they take. For example, a brownie might milk a farmer's cows and take only a small portion for itself.

Some brownies go so far as to become house brownies. They observe the families in a given area, and if one meets their high moral standards, these brownies secretly enter the household. At night, while the residents are asleep, they perform a variety of helpful tasks: spinning, baking bread, repairing farm implements, keeping foxes out of the hen house, mending clothes, and performing other household tasks. If a thief creeps silently into the house, they make enough noise to awaken the residents. Watchdogs and domestic animals usually consider brownies friendly and almost never attack or even bark at them (a result, no doubt, of their ability to calm or influence animals).

All brownies ask in exchange for their labor is a little milk, some bread, and an occasional bit of fruit. Etiquette demands that no notice be taken of them. If the residents boast about the presence of a brownie, the brownie vanishes.

Brownies are not greedy, but they often have small hoards of treasure, which they have taken from evil monsters or received as gifts from humans. A brownie sometimes leaves his treasure in a location where a good person in need is bound to find it.

Brownies quickly note strangers that come to the area where they dwell. They keep careful watch on the newcomers until their motives are established. If the brownies decide that a stranger is harmless, he is left in peace. If not, the brownies unite and drive the intruder out.

Brownies know every nook and cranny of the areas where they live, and thus make excellent guides, if they can be persuaded to serve.

Brownies as Characters

Brownie characters possess the following racial traits.

• -6 Strength, +10 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
• Tiny size: A brownie has a +2 bonus to Armor class and attack rolls and a +8 bonus on Hide checks. A brownie uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are half of those of a Medium character.
• A brownie's base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 30 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• Calm Animal: As a free action, a brownie can calm an animal. The power is similar to a calm animals spell, except that it works on a single animal within 30 feet. An animal that has been affected or has made a successful saving throw against this power cannot be affected again for one day. The caster level for this power is 7 + the brownie's character level. The save DC against this power is 14 + the brownie's Charisma modifier. This is a supernatural ability.
• Spell-Like Abilities: A brownie can use the any of the following, each once a day: confusion, dancing lights, daylight, dimension door, protection from evil, ventriloquism. Saving throws are 10 + spell level + the brownie's Charisma modifier. The brownie's caster level is 7 + the brownie's character level.
• Evasion (Ex): If a brownie is exposed to any effect that normally allows it to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the brownie takes no damage with a successful saving throw. If the brownie gains a class level that gives it the evasion class feature, the brownie gains improved evasion instead.
• Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): In areas of dim light, tall grass, or heavy undergrowth a brownie can use the Hide skill even while being observed and without having anything to actually hide behind. This ability does not stack with the hide in plain sight class feature.
• Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A brownie retains its Dexterity bonus to AC even if caught flat-footed or targeted by an unseen foe. However, the brownie still loses its Dexterity bonus to AC if paralyzed or otherwise immobile. If the brownie gains a class level that gives it the uncanny dodge class feature, the brownie gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
• Wild Empathy (Ex): A brownie can improve the attitude of an animal as a druid does. The brownie's bonus on wild empathy checks is 7 + the brownie's Charisma modifier. If the brownie gains levels in a class that has the wild empathy class feature, the brownie's bonus on wild empathy checks is 7 + the relevant class level + the brownie's Charisma modifier.
• +2 racial bonus on Craft checks.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Halfling, and Sylvan.
• Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Gnome.
• Favored Class: Expert.
• Level Adjustment: +4.

See also:
Book ov Faerie