What is the Creature That Feeds on Virgins on Charmes
You look at the fey creatures in DnD 5e and think "I wish there was a bit more about these?"
Well, I've put together a small supplement you can use to flesh out the various fey creatures in your game. I've included some general rules about feyfolk and some common weaknesses to make them a bit more unique.
Download the PDF for The Fantastical Fey Fieldbook so you can keep a version for yourself.
The Fantastical Fey Fieldbook v1 PDF
Let's start with what fey are in DnD 5e.
What is a Fey Creature in DnD 5e?
Fey is one of the many creature types found in DnD 5e. Fey creatures include pixies, sprites, most hags, and a few others. They're generally tied to the natural world and the Feywild.
Like most other monsters in DnD, fey creatures are usually based on real-world myths and legends. DnD Beyond has a list of fey creatures you can use in your game. And, their stat blocks or in-game lore usually reflect these tales.
But, that's about where it ends.
5e's Monster Manual describes the fey creature type as:
"Fey are magical creatures closely tied to the forces of nature. They dwell in twilight groves and misty forests….Fey include dryads, pixies, and satyrs."
…And, that's about it.
The thing about fey is that they're weird. Almost alien. Everything they do isn't motivated by a need. Often, the only reason a fey does anything is because it's fun.
…Or, it's to torment mortals. They really like doing that.
Sometimes a fey is motivated by self-preservation like the witch who can only eat children to sustain herself. But, it's usually just because fey like to see mortals uncomfortable or to hold some power over them.
Using DnD's cosmology, fey creatures call the Feywild their home.
The Dungeon Master's Guide describes the Feywild as:
"The Feywild, also called the Plane of Faerie, is a land of soft lights and wonder, a place of music and death. It is a realm of everlasting twilight….Away from the settled areas, ruled by the seelie fey that compose the Summer Court, the land is a tangle of sharp-toothed brambles and syrupy fens – perfect territory for the unseelie fey to hunt their prey."
This realm reflects the bizarre nature of the fey. It's covered in lush, overgrown forests and fields in areas and plagued by deep mires and swamps in others. The Feywild reflects the beauty and danger of the natural world but to the absolute extreme.
And, to top it off, it's almost completely unnavigable.
Navigating the Feywild is like navigating a conversation with a fey. You need to be careful of getting lost or misunderstanding the correct path. Basically, you need to know where you're going and how to get there ahead of time. Otherwise, you'll be lost forever.
Seeing how bizarre their home plane is, it's easy to see how capricious the fey can be.
But, I feel like the whimsical nature of the fey is lost when it comes to the creatures found in DnD. Also, there's so much general lore found in our history that's not translated into the game.
So, I've put together some common themes for fey you can add to your game.
Let's start with some general rules for the fey.
General Rules for Fey
There are some common things almost all fey share.
So, we're going to cover these themes and what they add to your game. Most of these themes involve how fey behave and think. So, they're meant to help you as a Dungeon Master during social encounters.
Remember; these are general rules for fey creatures.
Meaning, while these rules apply most of the time, there might be circumstances when they don't. For example, most fey disguise themselves when they enter the mortal world. But, maybe an ancient hag can't be bothered or a pixie village has a good relationship with a nearby town.
While these general rules are mostly meant for Dungeon Masters, with the release of the Folk of the Feywild Unearthed Arcana, players might find inspiration for playing their fey-inspired character too.
With that in mind, let's start with rule #1 when it comes to interacting with fey; they love gifts.
Fey Gift Giving
The fey love giving gifts and receiving gifts in return. Most of their interactions with mortals involve some exchange of presents…even if the mortal doesn't realize it.
This ritual of giving and receiving gifts is the basis for fey encounters.
Usually, the fey wants something in return for something else. Be that your name, memories of your childhood, or that really neat belt buckle you have on. It could be anything.
Fey creatures are capricious by nature. Often driven by their mood that day. So, you never know what a fey will want in return if they gift something to you.
The important thing is whatever you give back needs to be of equal or greater value than what the fey gave to you.
This gets tricky because knowing how much something is worth to a fey is difficult to decipher. But, a good rule of thumb is that the value of something depends on how much the fey thinks that something is worth to you.
So, if you need information or an item in the fey's collection, it's important to act as if it isn't worth that much.
That being said, fey creatures put more value in things that interest them, too. And, the best part is they're often easily swayed by various sweets.
Yep, fey creatures love sweet things.
Your best bet as a general rule is to offer something sweet-tasting when exchanging gifts with a fey. Since they love sweet things, the chances are better they'll accept it as an even trade (though not always).
Some examples of items you can give a fey as a gift include:
- Cream
- Unsalted or sweet butter
- Cakes and other confectionaries
- Sugar cubes
- Sweet fruits
- Jellies and jams
Again, whatever you give needs to be a equal or greater value.
If a fey feels slighted or cheated, they'll demand more until the value of their gift is met. Otherwise, you'll owe them a favor. And, you don't want to owe a fey a favor because you never know what they'll ask of you.
You can use this in your DnD 5e game by having a fey know or have something the players need. The fey's willing to part with it, but they need to return their generosity by giving a gift themselves.
Maybe make your players roll a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the fey's Wisdom (Insight) to hide their desperation for the information or item.
Of course, you need to give your players a reason to not just kill the fey and take it. Otherwise, where's the fun?
So, giving and receiving gifts is fine and dandy. But, never accept food or drink from a fey.
Fey Food & Drink
You might be wondering; "if I can give food items to a fey, why can't I accept them?"
One common way fey creatures enchant mortals is by offering them food or drink. It's a subtle way of enchanting people and binding them to the fey.
The enchantments fey use can vary. They can be as harmless as putting someone to sleep so the fey can steal all their valuables. Or, they can be as nefarious as turning a mortal into their thrall or transforming them into a pig to be slaughtered.
Honestly, it all depends on the fey.
The more prankstery fey like pixies or sprites probably wouldn't kill anyone like this. But, the darker fey like hags or redcaps absolutely would.
The key here is to politely refuse without thanking them. Which we'll touch on in a minute.
In addition to the chance of the food being enchanted, food is a great gift to give someone.
Think about it.
Someone needs to go to the trouble of preparing the food. You need food and water to survive. So, why shouldn't your excellent host expect to be repaid for their kindness?
Basically, accepting a fey's food means needing to repay them as if you received a great gift. A great gift that deserves an equally great gift in return.
In your DnD game, you could have the players seeking the aid of a hag out in the forest. She offers them sweet rolls since they went through all the trouble of visiting her all they way out of town.
But, make sure you let your players know somehow that accepting the food would end poorly.
Dropping something like this on your players might make them feel cheated or "gotcha'd." And, no one likes that feeling.
Now, related to the gift giving process you can add to you DnD game makes it dangerous for all the polite folk out there; you can't thank a fey for their gift.
Thanking the Fey
Giving and receiving gifts from fey is fine as long as you know what you're doing.
But, you can never thank a fey for their gift. Even if you give on in return, thanking a fey implies that their gift was more valuable than they thought. And, they'll hold that over you until your debt is repaid.
Even a simple "Thank you for your time" or "I'll stand, thank you" is enough for a fey to feel like you owe them.
Even worse, this applies to phrases that don't explicitly include the word "thank." For example, saying "I appreciate your time" could be considered a form of thanks to certain fey.
Like not giving a good enough gift, thanking a fey implies you owe them. So, they'll call on you later to make good on that favor.
It's especially important in this case that your players know not to thank a fey for anything.
Catching your players unaware without first telegraphing this rule is kind of rude, honestly.
Now, that being said, if you're adequately warned your players of this rule; they're fair game. Let me tell you, it's such a good feeling hearing or watching the realization across the table when a player absent-mindedly says "I'll stand, thank you" to a fey.
Because, much like using horror in your DnD game, keeping your players paranoid of what that fey is going to do is a lot of fun.
But, you need to keep it secret.
The players don't know what happens when you thank a fey. They don't know if that means they're bound to it or if they just lost their soul or if they're going to owe it a favor or what.
And, that's what makes social encounters with fey in DnD 5e fun.
Moving on, let's get to a hurdle you'll need to cross as a DM when playing fey creatures; they don't lie.
The Fey Never Lie
Well, it's more like they can't lie.
Fey creatures are incapable of lying. They physically can not bring themselves to tell a direct lie.
This means that when you introduce a fey creature into your game, you need to make sure they always tell the truth.
And, if your players learn this, they will rest easy knowing everything a fey tells them is right to their knowledge.
…Sort of.
See, because of their inability to lie, most fey creatures have mastered the art of twisting words, giving half-truths, or lying through omission. All of which aren't technically lying.
For example, a fey might assure a player character "You have my word. No harm shall come to your child." They might then turn around and turn that child into an indestructible statue.
Technically, the fey can't lie.
And, that's the basis of it all. The word "technically." Fey creatures live for technicalities.
I'm not saying that, as a DM, you need to master doublespeak.
But, you should prepare ahead of time for how your fey NPCs manipulate their words without outright lying.
And, as a player, you need to look for hidden meanings and double-entendres when interacting with these NPCs.
Remember this as we move onto the last two general rules for fey you can add to your DnD 5e game: true names and disguises.
The Fey & the Power of True Names
There is power in a name. And, the fey know this.
If a fey learns your true name, they gain power over you. They can compel you to do things you normally wouldn't do. And, you become bound to that fey on an existential level.
What is a true name?
Well, that's difficult to pin down. It might be your full name given to you at birth. Or, it might be the name you choose for yourself that better fits you as person. Or, it might be a mystical name tied to the cosmos that no one knows until they somehow attain that knowledge.
Whatever it is in your game, once a fey creature learns a mortal's true name, they gain power over that mortal.
How much power they have depends on the fey. Weaker fey creatures in DnD 5e may only be able to issue single-word commands while more powerful fey can plant a task in the mind of a mortal for a year.
To simplify things for DnD 5e, I've assigned spells as the effect a fey would have based on their Challenge Rating.
Here's a how I'd break down the level of control a fey would have over a mortal by CR and effect:
- CR 1/8, 1/4, & 1/2: command, as a 1st level spell
- CR 1 through 5: suggestion, as a 2nd level spell
- CR 6 through 9: dominate person, as an 8th level spell
- CR 10 and up: geas, as a 9th level spell
One important thing to remember; these don't count as casting a spell. These are innate abilities of the fey and don't require material components. But, they do still require concentration.
It represents the existential control a fey has over a person. And, it's more like the fey exerting its will over that bound individual. So, things like counterspell, remove curse, or dispel magic won't work.
Only the wish spell or other sufficiently powerful magic can break this bond.
…That, or the death of one or both parties involved in the binding.
Now, the fey are fair in their rules. What applies for them, applies for mortals too.
Should one of your players learn the true name of a fey creature, they gain control over that fey.
Things are a bit simpler for mortals who learn of a fey's true name, though.
In a DnD 5e game, I'd say that learning a fey's true name means you can innately use the gate spell to summon that specific fey without requiring material components. But, I'd make a couple changes.
- You can only cast it once per day (once per long rest)
- It doesn't require concentration
- The summoned fey can not harm the person who summoned them
- The summoned fey obeys the summoner to the best of their ability but won't harm themselves
Now, obviously, the power of this bond varies depending on the fey. A sprite can only help so much. But, binding an archfey is like handing a legendary weapon to your players.
So, make sure you're ready for that should it come up.
Fey Disguises
The final general rule when adding fey NPCs to your game is their disguises.
Most fey don't wander the mortal realms in their true form. This invites unwanted attention or could possibly cause local authorities to attack them. So, when a fey interacts with mortals, they usually do so in a magical disguise.
Hags pretty much start with exactly what I'd do right out of the box. So, you could either copy that or use a spell as an ability.
For simplicity's sake, I'd just give fey the seeming spell as an innate ability in my DnD 5e game.
I wouldn't count it as a spell effect. So, counterspell and dispel magic wouldn't work on it. And, their disguise works as long as they maintain concentration.
Fey can disguise them as just about anything they want. But, most often, they'll choose a mortal form. Disguises include a beautiful woman, a dirty street urchin, or a typical farmer.
Here's a short list of ideas to inspire your fey disguises:
- Old crone
- Street urchin
- Beautiful woman/handsome man
- Wealthy noble
- Travelling merchant
- Typical farmer
But remember; the fey can't lie
If they're pressed about where they're from or about their business, they need to word their answer in a specific way or attempt to dodge the question. But, they can't outright lie about who they are.
A fey might say something like "Oh, I'm just visiting for a spell" or "Ah, you don't want to hear about me." Anything that gets them out of an awkward position regarding who they are.
So, anytime your players encounter a fey, I'd suggest that creature being in disguise.
Fey Weaknesses
Alright. Now that you have some general rules for fey in your DM toolbox, let's get to fey weaknesses.
An important element in fey lore is how to effectively harm, banish, or ward them away.
So, here's 4 things you can add to the fey your DnD 5e game; iron, salt, rowan trees, and Adder Stones.
Iron
Let's start with the big one; iron.
Fey creatures are said to be allergic to iron. They can barely stand to be close to the stuff. And, the metal hurts fey when they touch it.
Iron is the best thing to use against fey creatures.
So, for my DnD game, I'd make it the most powerful weapon against fey.
Personally, these are the rules I'd use:
- Fey creatures are vulnerable to damage done with iron weapons
- Fey creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls made against targets made of or wearing iron armor
- Fey creatures have disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws if they're within 30 feet of a source of iron
Basically, think of it as a severe and debilitating allergy.
Now, for the final point, I'd say that if the source of iron is completely cut off from a fey (as in, in a sealed box or in the next room), they're fine.
I'd also say that extremely powerful fey (I'm talking archfey levels here) would overcome the allergic reaction. But, they'd need to be top-tier archfey to do so.
The biggest downside to introducing this to your game is now you need to manage what weapons and armor are made of. There was a little bit of this already in DnD 5e with adamantine and mythril items. But, now you need to track mundane items too.
So, keep that in mind. Because I guarantee you at least one of your players will ask what every weapon is made of once they learn this.
Salt
Next up, fey creatures have an aversion to salt.
Salt is a good way to ward off fey creatures. A solid line of salt prevents fey from crossing to the other side. So, lining entrance ways or forming a circle protects whatever is inside.
Fey don't have a direct weakness to salt. So, it won't hurt them like iron.
But, if your players want an easy way to protect themselves from fey when setting up camp, a solid salt line perimeter is a good option.
…If, you know, they carry that much salt around with them.
Even better, with enough salt, you can temporarily send a fey creation back to the fey realm.
Basically, if you completely cover a fey creature in salt, there's a chance you can send them back to the Feywild.
The trick is 1) you need enough salt and 2) the fey can still resist the banishment by succeeding on a Constitution saving throw. Here's the rules I'd use for how much salt you'd need based on a creature's size:
- Tiny or smaller: A handful
- Small: 1.5 lbs
- Medium: 4 lbs
- Large: 16 lbs
- Huge or larger: Won't work
And, here's the saving throw difficulty and the length of the banishment I'd use based on DnD 5e's Challenge Rating system:
- 1/4, 1/8, & 1/2: DC 20, 10 minutes
- 1, 2, & 3: DC 16, 5 minutes
- 4, 5, & 6: DC 13, 1 minute
- 7, 8, & 9: DC 10, 6 seconds
- 10+: Won't work
So basically, if a fey creature is Huge or bigger or if they're of a Challenge Rating 10 or higher, they can't be banished with salt.
I'd also use this CR guide to determine whether a fey creature can cross over a salt line.
A majority of fey creatures in DnD 5e can be affected by salt. So, salt will generally work on them. But, some powerful fey, like the eladrin in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, aren't bothered by it.
The Rowan Tree
The next thing fey are weak against is the rowan tree.
Wood, bark, or the fruit from the rowan tree are good for dampening fey magics. They're also good for protecting buildings, tools, and crops against fey enchantments.
The rowan tree is a small-ish hardwood tree. It grows mainly in temperate regions of the world. These trees can grow up to 40 feet tall. And, they bear small, red or white berry-like fruits (that aren't technically berries) with five-petalled flowers.
Just for the DMs out there that want a description of the plant.
Anyway.
Still weaker than even salt, products from the rowan tree only go so far as a protection against fey. But, they can still provide a boost to your defenses.
Buildings made of rowan wood or garden plots lines with rowan boards protect against fey glamours. So, houses or crops contained within the boundaries of rowan wood can't be enchanted.
Fey creatures can still enter these areas. But, they can't do anything to the structure itself.
The biggest bonus is crafting small charms or trinkets out of the bark or berries. These charms help ward off fey magic. So, keeping one around you when you travel through fey lands can help you survive the journey.
Here's a couple minor magic items you can add to your DnD 5e game to protect against fey.
Rowan Wood Charm
Wondrous item, uncommon
A small trinket made of wood or bark from the rowan tree. These charms may be crafted into necklaces, earrings, or bracelets.
While wearing this charm, you have advantage on saving throws against Enchantment spells cast by fey and charm effects used by fey.
Rowan Berry Charm
Wondrous item, uncommon
Fruit from the rowan tree strung together by a piece of thread. The charms are often used as necklaces or worn on the head.
While wearing a rowan berry charm, fey creatures have disadvantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks made to find you. And, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide from fey creatures.
I know. These items are very niche. But, if you plan on featuring a lot of fey creature in your DnD game, they might be fun to include.
Which brings me to the last weakness of the fey; Adder Stones.
Adder Stones
This is less of a weakness of the fey and more of an annoyance for them.
Adder Stones are naturally occurring rocks featuring a small hole straight through their center. Sometimes called Fairy Stones or Hag Stones, they let mortals see through fey glamours.
Now, the real-world lore is that Adder Stones form on their own. How they form varies. Some tales say they're the result of hardened saliva from big groups of snakes or somethign as mundane as a constant dripping of water onto a stone.
Personally, I'd say they form in areas exposed to fey magic in some way.
The presence of fey might slightly warp some stones in an area. They twist over on themselves, forming the identifying hole found in Adder Stones. So, strong magic zones, areas surrounding portals to the Feywild, or a forest inhabited by a fey village might have a few stones lying about.
Whatever the method, one thing is certain; they can not be artificially created.
Adder Stones need to form without mortal intervention. But, that might make for a fun, con-artist type NPC who sells fake ones.
Honestly, that's about it. So, here's another magic item to add to your DnD 5e game:
Adder Stone
Wondrous item, rare
A small, unassuming stone bearing a hole straight through its center.
When peering through the hole, the stone lets you see the true form of a disguised fey. And, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to see invisible or otherwise hidden fey creatures while looking through the stone.
Additionally, any item that has been enchanted by a fey, including food, drink, and portals to the fey realm, flows with a faint yellow aura.
List of Fey Creatures in 5e by CR
Here's a list of the fey creatures included in D&D 5e's various source books organized by their Challenge Rating (CR). If you don't recognize a sourcebook's abbreviation check out my D&D 5e abbreviations for reference.
| Fey Creatures in D&D 5e | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | CR | Source |
| Killmoulis | 0 | MFFV1 |
| Boggle | 1/8 | VGtM |
| Brigganock | 1/8 | WBtW |
| Valenar Hawk | 1/8 | E:RftLW |
| Blink Dog | 1/4 | Basic Rules |
| Mite | 1/4 | MFFV1 |
| Pixie | 1/4 | MM |
| Sprite | 1/4 | Basic Rules |
| Darkling | 1/2 | VGtM |
| Reflections | 1/2 | TCoE |
| Satyr | 1/2 | Basic Rules |
| Satyr Variant | 1/2 | MM |
| Shadow Variant | 1/2 | WBtW |
| Valenar Hound | 1/2 | E:RftLW |
| Valenar Steed | 1/2 | E:RftLW |
| Alseid | 1 | MOoT |
| Dryad | 1 | Basic Rules |
| Quickling | 1 | VGtM |
| Satyr Reveler | 1 | MOoT |
| Screming Devilkin | 1 | MFFV1 |
| Agdon Longscarf | 2 | WBtW |
| Darkling Elder | 2 | VGtM |
| Meenlock | 2 | VGtM |
| Naiad | 2 | MOoT |
| Nereid | 2 | TftYP |
| Satyr Thornbearer | 2 | MOoT |
| Sea Hag | 2 | Basic Rules |
| Forlarren | 3 | MFFV1 |
| Green Hag | 3 | Basic Rules |
| Lampad | 3 | MOoT |
| Madcap | 3 | BG:DiA |
| Redcap | 3 | VGtM |
| Siren | 3 | TftYP |
| Oread | 4 | MOoT |
| Sea Hag Coven Variant | 4 | MM |
| Yeth Hound | 4 | VGtM |
| Green Hag Coven Variant | 5 | MM |
| Hag of the Fetid Gaze | 5 | CM |
| Isolde | 5 | VRGtR |
| Annis Hag | 6 | VGtM |
| Dusk Hag | 6 | E:RftLW |
| Endelyn Moongrave | 6 | WBtW |
| Bavlorna Blightstram | 7 | WBtW |
| Bheur Hag | 7 | VGtM |
| Korred | 7 | VGtM |
| Smiler the Defiler | 7 | BG:DiA |
| Skabatha Nightshade | 8 | WBtW |
| Conclave Druid | 9 | GGtR |
| Autumn Eladrin | 10 | MToF |
| Spring Eladrin | 10 | MToF |
| Summer Eladrin | 10 | MToF |
| Winter Eladrin | 10 | MToF |
| Sea Fury | 12 | EGtW |
| Nintra Siotta | 16 | CM |
| Trostani | 18 | GGtR |
| Iggwilv the Witch Queen | 20 | WBtW |
That's covers some ideas I've had on adding to fey creatures in DnD 5e.
There's a load of real-world inspiration you can use for the fey. And, I'm a little sad that little of it is included in base DnD. So, I wanted to add a few homebrew rules to them.
If you add any of these rules to your game, let me know how it goes! I'd like to hear your thoughts on any improvements or tweaks they might need.
Source: https://roleplayersrespite.com/fey-creatures-in-dnd-5e
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