by Khur

I don't really hate brownies (of any type), that's a line from one of this small article's inspirations. Scott Moore's brownies and the classic fantasy film Willow got me enthused about this critter, so below is presented another brownie variant for your pleasure.

Wild Brownie
Diminutive Fey
Hit Dice: 1/2d6 (1 hp)
Initiative: +3 Dex
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+4 size, +3 Dex), touch 17, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–16
Attack: Spear +7 melee (1d3–4) or bow +7 ranged (1d2–4)
Full Attack: Spear +7 melee (1d3–4) or bow +7 ranged (1d2–4)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison use
Special Qualities: Awareness, wild empathy
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +8*, Craft (any one) +2, Hide +16, Jump +4*, Listen +5, Move Silently +10*, Spot +5, Survival +5
Feats: Dodge (B), Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate forest
Organization: Pair, party (5-9), or tribe (10-100)
Challenge Rating: 1/6
Treasure: 25% coins, 150% goods, standard items
Alignment: Usually chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0

Like a tiny wild elf, this creature is slender and humanoid with tan skin. Its eyes are slanted and dark, its black hair wild and laden with decorative twigs and feathers. The hide of a field mouse, skull intact, serves as a cloak and the being sports a fur tunic and boots.

Wild brownies, also known as the killmenach, are unpredictable fey that dwell in the deep forest among sylvan creatures. Much like the grugach are technological throwbacks when compared to elves, so too are the wild brownies very different from their civilized cousins—the killmoulis. They are clannish and tribal, given to waylaying travelers for sport as much as loot. Victims of such sport are rarely permanently harmed.

An adult wild brownie is about 6 inches tall, weighing less than a pound. They wear furs, leathers, and plant materials for clothing and favor natural colors that aid in hiding. Wild brownies live a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle, one tribe claiming a wide territory in which they brook no intrusion by non-sylvan folk.

Strangely, wild brownies can be found in the service of more civilized fey and elves. Such tribes act in accordance with the law of their masters (if any), but still try to get away with as much mischief as possible. This latter tendency is especially true when the killmenach are dealing with creatures that are not fey or elvish. Wild brownies also have a love for "civilized" foods and drinks, especially breads, sweets, beer, and other intoxicants. Some say this is how killmoulis were first attracted to settle with and aid other creatures.

Wild brownies speak Sylvan, and a few know Elvish and/or Common.

Combat
Wild brownies attack with, stealth, poison, and overwhelming numbers. They prefer to use their bows from the cover of tree branches, attempting to snipe and hide again and again.

Awareness (Ex): Wild brownies cannot be surprised. This ability fails when a killmenach is intoxicated.

Poison Use (Ex): The killmenach coat their arrows and weapons with monstrous spider poison or a poison that causes unconsciousness like drow poison. A wild brownie never risks poisoning when applying poison to a weapon, but still runs that risk when preparing poison with an appropriate Craft skill. See DMG Chapter 8 for more information on these poisons.

Wild Empathy (Ex): Wild animals have a starting attitude of friendly towards wild brownies.

Skills: Wild brownies use their Dexterity scores as modifiers for Climb and Jump skills. They receive a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks.

Wild Brownies as Characters
A wild brownie character may exchange its initial fey HD for its first class level. So a 1st-level wild brownie sorcerer, for example, has a d4 Hit Die, a +0 base attack bonus, the base save bonuses of a sorcerer, and the sorcerer's skill points and class skills. Alternatively, the character may keep the fey HD and begin a character class at 2nd level. Wild brownies are often barbarians, druids, rangers, or sorcerers.

Wild brownie characters possess the following racial traits:

• –8 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.

• Diminutive size. +4 size bonus to Armor Class, attack rolls, +12 size bonus on Hide checks, –12 size penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits one-quarter those of Medium characters.
• A wild brownie's base land speed is 20 feet.
• Low-light vision.
• A wild brownie receives Dodge as a bonus feat.
• Special Attacks: See above.
• Special Qualities: See above.
• Automatic Languages: Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Gnome, or Goblin.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer.
• Level Adjustment: +0.