Pixie

Of all of the magical faerie-kin (brownies, sprites, nixies, leprechauns, and pixies), pixies are perhaps the most intelligent and mischievous. These naturally invisible creatures dwell in idyllic woodlands and take a particular delight in harassing travelers with their pranks.

Pixies are elfin creatures, about 2½ feet tall. When visible, their facial features resemble those of elves (with proportionately longer ears). They have two silver moth wings that enable them to fly. Pixies dress in brightly colored clothing, and often wear a cap and a pair of shoes with curled and pointed toes. Pixies have their own language, but can also speak the language of sprites and the common tongue.

Combat: Pixies carry tiny swords and bows. Their swords are equivalent to daggers. Their bows have half the range of a short bow. They use three types of arrows, each which has a + 4 bonus to the attack roll (THAC0 16). The first arrow is their war arrow, which inflicts !d4 + l points of damage. The second type causes sleep in a comatose slate for 1d6 hours to any creature that fails its saving throw vs. spell when struck. The third attack does not physically harm the target, but the target must roll a saving throw vs. spell Failure indicates that the victim has suffered a complete loss of memory which can only be restored by a clerical heal spell or a limited wish.

Pixies can, once per day, become visible at will, polymorph themselves at will, create illusions with both audial and visual components which last without concentration until magically dispelled, and know alignment. Pixies can, by touch, cause confusion (as the spell) in any creature that fails its saving throw vs. spell. Confusion is permanent unless a remove curse spell is applied. Once per day pixies are able to use dispel magic (as an 8-th level mage), dancing lights, and ESP. One pixie in ten can use Otto's irresistible dance, also once per day.

Because pixies are normally invisible, opponents attack with a -4 penalty to their attack rolls. unless they are able to detect invisible objects. A successful dispel magic against 8th-level magic will force them to become visible for one round, then they automatically become invisible again. They can attack while invisible without penalty.

Habitat/Society: Pixies live in deep forest caves, dancing in moonlit glades lo the music of crickets and frogs. They prefer to live away from humans, but close enough to bother them. Pixies are pranksters who especially love to lead travelers astray. They use their illusion powers to accomplish this, hence the expression "pixie-led" for one who has lost his way. They like to frighten young maidens, rap on walls, blow out candles, and play on water.

Pixies love to trick misers into giving away their treasure, especially by convincing them that something horrible will happen to them if they don't give it away. While pixies don't carry treasure with them, they sometimes have a large hoard in their lair to impress visitors. Pixies sometimes use their treasure lo whet greedy people's appetites, and then play merciless pranks on them until they abandon their search for the pixies' fortune (e.g. placing a trail of treasure that leads someone into a trap). If their victim demonstrates that he is not greedy and shows a good sense of humor about their pranks, then the pixies give that individual his pick of one item from their hoard.

Pixies dwell together in a community of clans or tamilies that seem to mimic human customs. Each family has a last name, and family and community loyalty is very important to pixies.

Ecology: Pixies, like all faerie-kin, are creatures of magic. Pixies eat fruits and nectar, holding mock feasts and revels as they celebrate. The most famous by-product of pixies is pixie dust, also known as dust of disappearance. Pixies have a natural disappearance ability, but by crushing 50 pixie wings into a fine powder, it is possible for larger creatures to simulate this ability (for as long as the dust lasts). Fifty pixie wings are enough for one dose of the powder.