LEPRECHAUN


Ability Score Adjustments. +2 bonus to Dexterity and Charisma, -2
penalty to Strength and Constitution.


Ability Score Range

Ability   Min  Max

Strength  2    12

Dexterity 8    20

Constit.  6    16

Intell.   8    18

Wisdom    3    16

Charisma  8    18


Class Restrictions

Class     Max Level

Wizard

  Mage    12

  Spec.   15 (illusionist)

Rogue

  Thief   12

  Bard    12

All Other Classes: nil


Class Mixing. Any wizard class may be mixed with any rogue class.


Hit Dice. PC leprechauns receive hit dice by class. Normal
Constitution bonuses apply.


Alignment. Leprechauns are basically true neutral, but PCs can be
of any neutral alignment. Neutral-evil leprechauns are very rare
and are known as red caps, for their blood-dyed caps.


Natural Armor Class. 8, due to their small size (score will drop
with high Dexterity bonuses).


Background. Leprechauns are faerie folk who live in family clans in
temperate forests, glens, and hills. They are 2 feet tall, with
pointed ears and noses, who dress in pointed shoes, brown or green
breeches, green or gray coats, and wide-brimmed or stocking caps.
Some males have beards. Leprechauns enjoy the same foods that
humans like; they especially like wine, and many also smoke pipes.
They weigh about 20 lbs.


Languages. Leprechaun, halfling, elvish, gnomish, pixie, Common (as
appropriate).


Role-Playing Suggestions. If the player can manage a respectable
Irish brogue, all the better, but any sort of slightly accented
"country" speech might work. Leprechauns are merry, light-hearted,
full of laughter and jokes, mischievous, clever, and helpful of the
small and weak. They mean no one harm, though they distrust bigger
folk and non-faeries.


Leprechauns will never physically attack a foe. They are sworn to
never use weapons, but they can easily become fearsome saboteurs
against evil opponents with their polymorph, illusion,
ventriloquism, invisibility, and thieving powers. They love to
outwit and defeat more powerful foes.


Leprechauns make great companions for parties composed of elves,
halflings, gnomes, and other faerie and sylvan folk. They dislike
humans and dwarves, who tend to be very greedy, but can be won over
given sufficient reason to trust such beings.


As noted in the MONSTROUS MANUAL(TM) tome, leprechauns are fond of
borderlines, places or times when opposites meet or are mixed
(shorelines, twilight, equinoxes, etc.). They also love and collect
gold. I'd avoid having them dress in green all the time (too dull),
but a nice mix of rustic, woodsy, relaxing colors would be nice.


Special Advantages. Leprechauns can go invisible and use
ventriloquism (12th level of ability) five times each per day. They
have an 80% magic resistance and move at 15, being light and fast
on their feet. PC leprechauns have a 75% chance to
snatch/pickpocket small items less than 2 feet long and weighing 10
lbs. or less. Leprechaun rogues have instead a bonus of 75 points
to add to their pickpocketing skill.


Leprechauns have two more powerful powers, each usable once per day
per PC level. First, each can polymorph nonliving objects from
one substance into another; the target object must save vs.
disintegration or be polymorphed. The maximum size of a target
object is 1,000 cubic feet or 2,000 lbs., whichever applies. An
object must be polymorphed as a whole; part of an object cannot
be changed (e.g., a large stone in a wall could be changed if the
whole wall could not). Second, each leprechaun can cast an illusion
equal in all ways to a spectral force (12th level of ability).
Concentration is required, or the effect ends three rounds after
the leprechaun's attention is broken.


Leprechauns collect gold to give to sylvan deities as tribute.
These deities usually allow a leprechaun to grant up to three
limited wishes to foes if his gold hoard is threatened, but these
wishes should provide little real benefit to an enemy. If a
leprechaun can trick a foe into making a fourth wish, that bogus
wish eliminates the effects of the first three and causes the foes
to teleport away and become lost. Threats must be real; a faked
attempt to steal the gold will not provide any limited wishes, so
other PCs will not be able to receive such benefits from the
leprechaun PC.


Special Disadvantages. Leprechauns never engage in physical combat,
and they never carry or use weapons. They can use magical items
normally within class restrictions, but again cannot use magical
weapons such as daggers, darts, etc. They can use knives and such
for noncombat purposes, for cutting cloth, trimming weeds, etc.
Their small size frustrates their use of many magical items meant
for bigger folk, as well as most nonmagical tools and devices.


The leprechauns' 80% magic resistance also hinders their use of
magical items, as they must check against this resistance for any
held device to be used. This resistance also hinders any magical
effect cast upon the leprechauns, even if the spell is beneficial.
(This includes all healing and protective spells!) However, any
spells cast by a leprechaun still function normally within the
restrictions given above.


Monstrous Traits. Craving (gold, wine, or tobacco), dexterity,
hearing.


Superstitions. Leprechauns are firm believers in the power of
borderlines, and actively seek them out. They believe everyone is
trying to steal their gold, but this is usually less a superstition
and more a tragically correct assessment of the situation.


Weapon Proficiencies. None. All weapon-proficiency slots must
instead be filled by nonweapon proficiencies.


Nonweapon Proficiencies. Agriculture, alertness, brewing,
carpentry, cobbling, cooking, dancing, danger sense, drinking,
eating, fast talking, gaming, herbalism, local history, musical
instrument, poetry, pottery, seamstress/tailor, singing, weather
sense, weaving, whistling/humming, winemaking.


Special Notes:


Certain elements of the leprechaun, as presented in the MONSTROUS
MANUAL tome, were toned down to allow for more balanced game play
(in particular the "at will" abilities of polymorph, illusion,
ventriloquism, and invisibility). Magic resistance was given a
restrictive aspect rather than being altered or removed, and
certain powers were clarified and restricted for better play
(especially the polymorph power and the ability to grant limited
wishes). Side information also clarified why leprechauns have
certain behaviors, such as gold-collecting.


Because of the leprechauns' small size, a DM might consider having
all hit-point die rolls have a -1 modifier, so that hit points are
lowered to a minimum of 1 hp per die to reflect the lessened body
mass. If this is done, then all PCs who are 3 feet or less in
height should be treated in the same way. Constitution bonuses
still apply.