Guys, PLEASE. I hear you on the gnomes. But they’re not fey, and even if they were/are inspired by the fey, they are decidedly different from what I’m cookin’ here. If you like them more, then play those! But I’m suggesting a race based in a different kind of locale and with a different culture and core abilities. There ARE some similarities in terms of secretive-ness, good attitudes, and height, but there’s similarities between many humanoids or monsters. What fey deal do I have to make to be freed from these gods-forsaken gnome comments??
I wouldn't worry terribly about House and Farm Brownies being too similar.. folk stories give us an incredible overlap between fae types and, personally, I'd find it really hilarious if no one in-game really knows the difference, but the fae themselves are ADAMANT about the peculiarities that separate one from another.
As a new-ish DND player/DM: This is such a cool idea for a cheeky and whimsical fey creature. I can easily see them having advantage on both perception and charm resistance as it makes them more wiley and hard to pin down. It makes sense for what they are. The Ventriloquism cantrip is SUCH a cute idea. If they're secretive, it makes sense that they'd want to be able to communicate from a distance without being seen until they're sure they can trust a person. For two types of brownie, you could have neutral/chaotic good brownie: urban or rural and you can pick which type like you can pick hill or mountain dwarf, or (I know there is such thing as a boggart in dnd 5e but bear with me) neutral/chatic evil boggart (which is what the more malicious brownies were called according to some folklore) swamp or town, etc. Maybe they could be called brownies and braggarts, haha.
I love the Urban Brownie vs Rural Brownie choice! Ubran Brownies (Bwbachod) get the Prestidigitation and Create Bonfire cantrips. Rural Brownies (Fenodyrees) get advantage on Animal Handling and Survival checks, and ignore the disadvantage normally imposed on small creatures using weapons with the Heavy property.
Great ideas This reminded me of a D&D source book I purchased some time back, called "The Little People: a d20 guide to fairies". It looks at fairies from a folklore point of view and therefore splits them by region; Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English fairies. It gives the states for both running a large number of fairies as well as the information required to have them as player characters. Where the book was written for 3rd Ed, it should not take much to change it for other editions. I have checked and the book is available as a PDF on drivethrurpg for $7.
The brownie should be a thing, totally agree I too made a fey race (called a trogo, or sometimes a false troll) but more monstrous (in appearance). Something that via a strange, magical and specific circumstance, created a troll-goblin hybrid. Swamp dweller, hunters, but unlike the original halves, are not typically antagonistic (at least by reputations earned or unearned). They have good reps in the swamps as guides, but they are very troll-like in appearance, albeit smaller, so they can be off-putting to unknowing travellers. The exist simply cuz I saw a piece of troll art that had so much personality and was like damn son, u gotta be a thing. I’m still play testing but the mechanic that really separates them is their regeneration. Trying to make it impactful over a career but not OP has been tricky
nice. I personally lean towards feywild gnomes, with brownie and leprechaun being more their jobs. and using more cantrips rather than spells. but still nicely done
Player in my 1e AD&D game has a Brownie Familiar, Yoncee. She's a pip. I scaled down a halfling mini a bit, printed it, and painted it up so she's on the board!
Have you done a video on the Forlarren yet? They are one of my favorite D&D creatures as they are fey/fiend hybrid races. The ballads and songs other fey write about them are interesting in the lore.
Once I made the halfling in one setting all "children stole from the fey and returned with stunted growth." ....omg, offtopic, as I write this I realise: Miquella from Elden Ring could be played as one of those xD
As to motivations...perhaps, along the lines of the "survivor of a house/farm fire", instead of a fire, a rare few Brownies are simply more inclined to focus more on the "rob undeserving baddies of their treasure" than on the "keep the homestead/farmstead clean and working".
I think is wise to step away from "farm brownies" and "house brownies", as "farm" and "house" were also the distinction master did with their slaves, and with people who are simple and love hard working, but are also sneaky, it could bring bad asosiations.
I would have thought that any Brownie needs the core ability to go Up in Smoke (using Gaseous Form). This tendency to conform to the Stoned Fairy stereotype may be why they aren't officially recommended.
"advantage on checks against surprise" could be finicky to DM for. I'd prefer either the Alert feat or elves' Keen Senses. If the only other feature is spells, Alert isn't over-powered, but two great features leaves little room for small features. Brownie should also get proficiency in Stealth and Slight Of Hand, so I'd vote Keen Senses over Alert.
@@feywildfiend yes, and if they'd like to take Rogue levels, they could even get Expertise in those skills. this is the perfect race for an Arcane Trickster.
And you could certainly argue that the Brownies are more related to them if you’d like! But culturally and stat-wise I’ve made distinctions between the two.
@@feywildfiend You're welcome! Also, balance-wise their abilities are pretty good, and flavourful too. Ray of Enfeeblement works particularly well for messing with a host who isn't being good, it's like "He's misbehaving this week, so tomorrow he will wake up feeling like shit" 😂
there is no need to bring back ventriloquism, as minor illusion already replicates this cantrip (mending and prestidigitation seems like better fit for the brownie as fey helpers anyway)
This is a perfectly serviceable but very vanilla race, I don't really see the appeal over an elf or halfling. Playing a monster fighting game as a pacifist is an interesting choice but I'm not sure how to make it interesting. I honestly think the races should be fewer and more out there, the choice should change gameplay and make the game feel different. I would lump all fae together and let players build their own special kind by picking various fae features, sort of how pathfinder does things.
@@Barquevious_Jackson in 5e, a vanilla race is a good thing. it allows for a lot of neat variety in the subraces, the exact reason the Elf and Halfling are so cool. The idea of an urban brownie and a rural brownie are exactly what would make the race as interesting as Elves and Halflings.
@@AndyReichert0There really isn't enough to work with for a cool sub-race when the race is weak. Again, this is a small fae creature just like all the other small fae creatures. You just get a strange niche cantrip that lets you project your voice up to 30 feet away, big whoop. This isn't even enough to feel like a brownie, even if the idea was good to begin with.
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Guys, PLEASE. I hear you on the gnomes. But they’re not fey, and even if they were/are inspired by the fey, they are decidedly different from what I’m cookin’ here. If you like them more, then play those! But I’m suggesting a race based in a different kind of locale and with a different culture and core abilities. There ARE some similarities in terms of secretive-ness, good attitudes, and height, but there’s similarities between many humanoids or monsters. What fey deal do I have to make to be freed from these gods-forsaken gnome comments??
I wouldn't worry terribly about House and Farm Brownies being too similar.. folk stories give us an incredible overlap between fae types and, personally, I'd find it really hilarious if no one in-game really knows the difference, but the fae themselves are ADAMANT about the peculiarities that separate one from another.
You’re SO right
Tbf the gnomes are basically the fey version of a halfling.
Ok but gnomes aren't fey shortkings already?
As a new-ish DND player/DM: This is such a cool idea for a cheeky and whimsical fey creature. I can easily see them having advantage on both perception and charm resistance as it makes them more wiley and hard to pin down. It makes sense for what they are. The Ventriloquism cantrip is SUCH a cute idea. If they're secretive, it makes sense that they'd want to be able to communicate from a distance without being seen until they're sure they can trust a person.
For two types of brownie, you could have neutral/chaotic good brownie: urban or rural and you can pick which type like you can pick hill or mountain dwarf, or (I know there is such thing as a boggart in dnd 5e but bear with me) neutral/chatic evil boggart (which is what the more malicious brownies were called according to some folklore) swamp or town, etc. Maybe they could be called brownies and braggarts, haha.
I love the Urban Brownie vs Rural Brownie choice! Ubran Brownies (Bwbachod) get the Prestidigitation and Create Bonfire cantrips. Rural Brownies (Fenodyrees) get advantage on Animal Handling and Survival checks, and ignore the disadvantage normally imposed on small creatures using weapons with the Heavy property.
I know there’s no money in YouTubing about it, but what you’re describing is pretty close to Pathfinder gnomes.
Great ideas
This reminded me of a D&D source book I purchased some time back, called "The Little People: a d20 guide to fairies".
It looks at fairies from a folklore point of view and therefore splits them by region; Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English fairies.
It gives the states for both running a large number of fairies as well as the information required to have them as player characters.
Where the book was written for 3rd Ed, it should not take much to change it for other editions.
I have checked and the book is available as a PDF on drivethrurpg for $7.
That sounds like a really cool book!
This was a super fun idea! Gonna start giving my players this as an option when rolling new characters
Halfway through this video, I couldn't stop thinking about the Borrowers. Now I want to make a Borrower as a PC!
Old school dnd used to be able to play a sprite-- an actual tinkerbell that’s was very cool
They were a playable race. They were originally a PC race in tall tales along with like seven other fey creatures
Where? What Edition and what supplement
@@arcaniswithertree4284 BECMI. Tall Tales of the Wee Folk. Arguably the best fey supplement for DND ever
The brownie should be a thing, totally agree
I too made a fey race (called a trogo, or sometimes a false troll) but more monstrous (in appearance). Something that via a strange, magical and specific circumstance, created a troll-goblin hybrid. Swamp dweller, hunters, but unlike the original halves, are not typically antagonistic (at least by reputations earned or unearned). They have good reps in the swamps as guides, but they are very troll-like in appearance, albeit smaller, so they can be off-putting to unknowing travellers.
The exist simply cuz I saw a piece of troll art that had so much personality and was like damn son, u gotta be a thing.
I’m still play testing but the mechanic that really separates them is their regeneration. Trying to make it impactful over a career but not OP has been tricky
nice. I personally lean towards feywild gnomes, with brownie and leprechaun being more their jobs. and using more cantrips rather than spells. but still nicely done
One of my prefered books when I was young and played BECMI D&D was Tale Tales of the Wee Folk. Amazing game supplement. I still have it.
We love the wee folk round these parts
Player in my 1e AD&D game has a Brownie Familiar, Yoncee. She's a pip. I scaled down a halfling mini a bit, printed it, and painted it up so she's on the board!
That’s so fun!
Have you done a video on the Forlarren yet? They are one of my favorite D&D creatures as they are fey/fiend hybrid races. The ballads and songs other fey write about them are interesting in the lore.
I’ve never even heard of them, but fey and fiend? I literally have to look them up now
Once I made the halfling in one setting all "children stole from the fey and returned with stunted growth." ....omg, offtopic, as I write this I realise: Miquella from Elden Ring could be played as one of those xD
Ghost Sound can achieve the effects of Ventriloquism
As to motivations...perhaps, along the lines of the "survivor of a house/farm fire", instead of a fire, a rare few Brownies are simply more inclined to focus more on the "rob undeserving baddies of their treasure" than on the "keep the homestead/farmstead clean and working".
I home brewed a Brownie who is a house servant for a Halfling family.
I think is wise to step away from "farm brownies" and "house brownies", as "farm" and "house" were also the distinction master did with their slaves, and with people who are simple and love hard working, but are also sneaky, it could bring bad asosiations.
The amount that description made my stomach rumble almost made me close the video
Unrelated, I did make some brownies this week
I would have thought that any Brownie needs the core ability to go Up in Smoke (using Gaseous Form). This tendency to conform to the Stoned Fairy stereotype may be why they aren't officially recommended.
I'd imagine that since it's a third level spell, it would probably need to show up "naturally" around 8th level
"advantage on checks against surprise" could be finicky to DM for. I'd prefer either the Alert feat or elves' Keen Senses. If the only other feature is spells, Alert isn't over-powered, but two great features leaves little room for small features. Brownie should also get proficiency in Stealth and Slight Of Hand, so I'd vote Keen Senses over Alert.
Love those ideas! The stealth and slight of hand just confirm for me that they'd make great rogues.
@@feywildfiend yes, and if they'd like to take Rogue levels, they could even get Expertise in those skills. this is the perfect race for an Arcane Trickster.
Brownies: see Willow, Mad Martigan, and Elora Dannon
Great video
pretty sure you can replicate Ventriloquism with Minor Illusion
I don’t think them having an immunity to surprised would be too bad, and it would help separate them from gnomes
I mean... Gnomes exist
And you could certainly argue that the Brownies are more related to them if you’d like! But culturally and stat-wise I’ve made distinctions between the two.
Energy ain’t the same tho
I love This so much!!
Thanks!!
@@feywildfiend You're welcome! Also, balance-wise their abilities are pretty good, and flavourful too. Ray of Enfeeblement works particularly well for messing with a host who isn't being good, it's like "He's misbehaving this week, so tomorrow he will wake up feeling like shit" 😂
there is no need to bring back ventriloquism, as minor illusion already replicates this cantrip (mending and prestidigitation seems like better fit for the brownie as fey helpers anyway)
This is a perfectly serviceable but very vanilla race, I don't really see the appeal over an elf or halfling.
Playing a monster fighting game as a pacifist is an interesting choice but I'm not sure how to make it interesting.
I honestly think the races should be fewer and more out there, the choice should change gameplay and make the game feel different.
I would lump all fae together and let players build their own special kind by picking various fae features, sort of how pathfinder does things.
@@Barquevious_Jackson in 5e, a vanilla race is a good thing. it allows for a lot of neat variety in the subraces, the exact reason the Elf and Halfling are so cool. The idea of an urban brownie and a rural brownie are exactly what would make the race as interesting as Elves and Halflings.
@@AndyReichert0There really isn't enough to work with for a cool sub-race when the race is weak.
Again, this is a small fae creature just like all the other small fae creatures.
You just get a strange niche cantrip that lets you project your voice up to 30 feet away, big whoop.
This isn't even enough to feel like a brownie, even if the idea was good to begin with.
Seriously, if you want to play fae, just play Changeling.