Archives of Nethys
Source Feybound pg. 80
Sprites are diminutive, whimsical, and exuberant creatures from the fey realm known as the First World.
They love playing pranks, exploring new things, and embracing everything to do with magic. Sprites are more likely to be spotted than other fey within the Universe. When most mortal people picture a fey, chances are they're thinking of a sprite.
The majority of sprites remain in the First World, where they're essentially immortal, reincarnating into a new form of fey when their life eventually comes to an end. Some even meld together with others to form a more substantial body or split apart into multiple smaller fey. However, sprites are incredibly curious about all forms of magic, leading a significant number to risk the mortal world to explore the new possibilities offered by the unusually static nature of mortal existence. These creatures intermingle with other, smaller groups of fey comrades once they arrive in the Universe, including exiles from the First World, those whose family swore pacts to mortals, and even contemplative individuals curious about entering the mortal cycle of souls.
The first generation of sprites in the Universe were content to guard magical locations or objects, learn music, invent new games, and play pranks on unsuspecting mortals. Panic struck when children born in the Universe didn't sprout wings upon adulthood— some sprites transitioning to the mortal world likewise lost their wings after a time. Believing this to be a sign that the Universe was too alien for them to dwell there, many of the initial sprite explorers returned to the safety of the First World.
However, their wingless children exhibited a potential unmatched by any of their ancestors, as well as a particular magical affinity for the mortal world. They became the mightiest of sprite heroes but also, on occasion, their most dangerous villains. As they came close to reaching their full strength, many of them did grow wings at long last: larger, unique, and more vibrant than any from the First World had seen before, a sign of their limitless potential.
If you want a character who's tiny, mercurial, and curious, you should play a sprite.
You Might...
- Play good-natured pranks on those around you, intended to teach a lesson, aid in locating a lost item, or even help find love.
- Become sidetracked by something new and eye-catching before you've fully followed through on your previous plan.
- Find something magical that's so important to you, you can't help but protect it with every ounce of your strength.
Others Probably...
- Expect you to know strange fey mysteries and perform fantastical primal magic well beyond your actual abilities.
- Consider you the prime suspect whenever unexplained hijinks or serendipity comes their way.
- Misconstrue the way your mind works, seeing your flitting attention as a sign of being scatterbrained.
Physical Description
Sprites are tiny faeries whose features vary wildly based on their heritage. The vast majority of them stand 1 foot tall or less, easily their most striking feature among humans and similarly sized people. Sprites typically have a distinct head, torso, and abdomen, along with two arms and two legs, though this isn't a hard rule. Their hair and skin color can be any hue imaginable and sometimes colors that mortal eyes can't even perceive.The Wingless—those with the potential to become powerful heroes and villains, including all PC sprites— slowly grow their wings over time as their magical potential manifests, though some never grow wings at all. Those sprites with humbler destinies typically grow wings when reaching full adulthood and mastering their innate magic. Sprites reach adulthood at around the same rate as humans do, but a typical fey who manages to stay out of mischief and danger can live 1,000 years or more. Sprites in the Universe who sense their time is coming to an end usually return to the First World to be reborn and start their adventure all over again.
Unlike most other ancestries, sprites have a dizzying array of physical traits, from carapaces and compound eyes to draconic scales and even tiny, but otherwise normal-looking, elven features. In truth, because of the First World's reincarnation, sprites don't view ancestry in the same way as mortals in the Universe and are capable of forming families and kin groups across all their heritages and even other ancestries. A sprite's parent might die, return as a young dryad, and resume their family life without comment.
Society
Sprites usually live in tiny, reclusive villages in areas filled with magic, natural beauty, and other curiosities. These villages typically consist of sprites of the same heritage who are attracted to similar things—though any sprite from a different heritage who comes to visit or reside in such a settlement finds themselves not only completely welcome but often especially popular. A few sprites live as loners. Others travel across the land in small family or peer groups, searching for excitement. This tendency to live with their own kind isn't due to any dislike sprites have for other ancestries but because of their significant difference in size.To most outsiders, sprite societies appear rather lackadaisical. Even melixies, some of the most industrious sprites, can often be found sleeping in flowerbeds after a flurry of intense activity. Between the distraction of their relentless curiosity and penchant for friendly pranks, it's a wonder sprites get anything done. Their fey nature smiles upon them, however. Typically, their houses are built well, children closely cared for, and clothing cunningly crafted, with only a few mishaps along the way.
Beliefs
Sprites run the gamut of beliefs and temperaments. Their whimsical nature means they're rarely concerned with rules and laws, but few are truly cruel. Sprites are more likely to worship the Eldest—the peculiar deities of the fey—than any gods of the mortal world. They have a particular affinity for Shyka, the many-formed Eldest of time, and the Lantern King, the trickster among the Eldest ranks. Among mortal deities, sprites appreciate Desna the most. Due to her iconic depiction as a woman with butterfly wings, some Desnan sprites claim her as one of their own. Sprites also readily follow the doctrines of Cayden Cailean and Shelyn. The goddess of beauty and art in particular is a favorite among kirakors.Popular Edicts help others with pranks and mischief, protect your most precious belonging at all costs, share music and magic with everyone around you
Popular Anathema fail to investigate something interesting, take a prank too far
Adventurers
While PC sprites are marked from adulthood as destined for great things, their childhoods before that point vary as widely as any other ancestry. That said, the tendency of most sprites to live either apart from civilization or in small villages means they rarely have backgrounds related to cities or large organizations. More likely, they were acrobats, animal whisperers, artists, entertainers, gamblers, herbalists, hermits, nomads, or scouts. Sprites are most often bards, rogues, or sorcerers, though sprite rangers and druids do exist, tapping into their love of the natural world to follow their calling. Likewise, sprite witches and wizards are even more enthusiastic about learning the secrets of magic than their kin, and sprite oracles approach the contradictions of their mystery from the experience of living the contradictions between the fey and mortal worlds.Names
Sprite names are almost always based entirely on their parents' whimsy, and they often adopt additional monikers later in life or change those assigned to them at birth; this practice is neither frowned upon nor considered abnormal.Sample Names
Bree, Cowrie, Flit, Moth, Naatalu, Pinebrush, Plumgrass, Zandivar, ZephyrOther Information
Flying PCs
Certain ancestries, such as sprites, have wings.The presented ancestry rules intend to provide a good combination of story and game balance for most groups. However, some players might have character concepts that don't fit this assumption and might wish to have unbound flight from character creation. The GM can choose to grant the PC a 15-foot fly Speed, replacing any other abilities that involve flying, such as the Evanescent Wings sprite feat. However, GMs who allow this option should be aware that a PC who can constantly fly can trivialize many common low- and mid-level challenges, or might consistently outshine other characters. The GM should consider this option carefully before allowing it and adjust the game accordingly; for instance, ensuring that some enemies in each encounter have ranged options so they can respond to a PC raining spells or arrows from the safety of the sky.Riding PCs
A PC can ride on another PC as long as the second PC is at least two sizes larger than them, such as a Tiny gremlin riding in their Medium elf teammate's backpack. However, this requires a tremendous amount of coordination to ensure the smaller PC doesn't get in the way, or that the two PCs don't jostle each other into losing actions. For most parties, this tactic is less favorable than the smaller PC just using their own mount. If a PC who is at least two sizes smaller rides along with another PC or similar non- minion intelligent creature, roll both their initiative and use the lower of the two results. The two PCs act in either order on the same initiative count. While traveling in this way, the PCs each gain two actions at the start of their turns, instead of three, since the larger PC spends 1 action keeping the smaller one balanced on their back, and the smaller PC spends 1 action maintaining their grip.Tiny PCs
PCs are typically Small or Medium size, but some ancestries, such as most sprites and gremlins, are Tiny instead!A Tiny PC can enter another creature's space, which is important because their melee Strikes typically have no reach, meaning the PC must enter a creature's space to attack it. (Likewise, other creatures can move through and end their movement in a Tiny creature's space.) Like other Tiny creatures, the PC doesn't automatically receive lesser cover from being in a larger creature's space, but circumstances might allow them to Take Cover. A Tiny creature can typically reach objects and parts of the environment in its space without difficulty, though the GM might rule otherwise in certain situations.
A Tiny PC can purchase weapons, armor, and other items for their size with the same statistics as normal gear, except that melee weapons have a reach of 0 for them (or a reach 5 feet shorter than normal if they have the reach trait). Remember to adjust the Bulk of items and the PC's Bulk limit for Tiny size
Sprite Mechanics
Hit Points
6Size
TinySpeed
20 feetAttribute Boosts
DexterityIntelligence
Free
Attribute Flaw
StrengthLanguages
FeyCommon
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from Draconic, Elven, Empyrean, Gnomish, Goblin, Jotun, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Low-light Vision
You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.Magical Strikes
Your inherent magic pervades your entire being. All your Strikes are magical, whether with unarmed attacks or weapons.Shelyn's Corner
×Classic Feel
Classic Feel
Classic Feel
The classic look for the Archives of Nethys.
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Book Feel
Book Feel
Book Feel
An alternative feel, based on the Rulebooks.
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Round Feel
Round Feel
Round Feel
A rounded, modern look for the archives.
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Slim Feel
Slim Feel
Slim Feel
A variant of the Round feel, more compact.
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