Fae

The soft strumming of a harp draws the children ever deeper into the dark wood. As they reach a moonlit clearing, they see a beautiful maid dressed in a gown of Starlight. She turns her soft gaze upon them at the sounds of their gasps and calls to them, “Welcome, little ones, be not afraid. Step into the ring so we may dance and play.”
An elfin man with pale blue skin leans his forehead against the dying tree. As he softly hums, the shriveled leaves turn green once again, and the ancient bow begins to straighten. The man lets out a sigh of relief, which momentarily chills the air.
The fae are changeable beings of great power and even greater danger. No two fae are quite alike, but they're tied to the natural world is universal. Mortals cannot comprehend the level of true freedom the faerie people feel. To know such freedom as to change entirely.

Becoming a Fae

Becoming a fae requires a direct connection to the Faerealms. Most creatures who become fae are forced to do so when they are stolen from the world as a child. These children, known as changelings, rapidly transform after only a few days trapped in the Faerealms. A changeling’s transformation is often painful or strange, for a child altered in this way does not have a say in what type of fae they ultimately become.
A creature who voluntarily seeks to become a fae can strike a deal with an Archfae or beseech the court of one of the faerie queens. These pathways to transformation are as dangerous as the Faerealms themselves, and it requires a quick wit and a sharp awareness to get the best of the fae kind.

Transformation Features

A fae has the following transformation features:
Ability Scores: Charisma 13 or higher
Roleplay: You must have sworn fealty to one of the fae courts, been raised in the Faerealms as a changeling, or have some other plausible reason to have become a fae. Discuss with you DM how you can achieve this in the game.
Some of your abilities require your target t omake a saving throw to resist their effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Transformation Save DC = 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier

Level Milestones

The following are examples of possible level milestones for the Fae:

Striking a bargain with a greater fae

Performing a great deed in the name of one of the faerie queens

Establishing a new faerie ring or bridge to the Faerealms

Defeating a powerful agent from your rival court

Earning a domain or title in the Faerealms

Transformation Level 1

Starting at the 1st level, you gain the following Transformation Boons and this level's Transformation Flaw.

Transformation Boons

Fae Form

Your Charisma score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1. An ability score cannot be increased beyond 16 in this way. You also become a fae in addition to any other creature types you are. Spells that affect humanoids still affect you. However, you are immune to effects that only affect a creature of your new type of a specific CR.
When you gain this ability, you must also choose which Fae Court fuels your transformation. Choose one of the following:
The Seelie Court - The Seelie Court embodies the bounty and warmth of the growing season. The Seelie fae tend towards joviality, fickleness, and vanity. Seelie creatures often hide their cruel intentions behind beautiful facades.
The Unseelie Court - The Unseelie Court embodies the stillness and darkness of the coldest season. Unseelie fae are often terrifying to behold but very direct about their intentions.

Twilight Step

As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Your twilight step also gains an additional feature depending on which court you choose for your Fae Form ability.
The Seelie Court - Immediately after using your Twilight Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).
The Unseelie Court - immediately after using your twilight step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes cold damage equal to your charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).
You can use the twilight step feature a number of times equal to your charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Transformation Flaw

Planar Binding

Your body and soul are bound to one of the Faerealms. You have disadvantage on death saving throws as the realm attempts to pull you back to it. If you would be killed, your soul is taken back to a plane of existence of the DM's choice. This plane is your new home, and you becom a NPC under the DM's control.
If you die in the Faerealm that is responsible for your transformation, this flaw has no effect.

Transformation Level 2

At 2nd level, you can pick one of the following Transformation Boons. In addition, you also gain this level's Transformation Flaw.

Transformation Boons

Two-Faced

You can choose to transform your face into a vision of enchanting loveliness or horrifying ugliness. Any non-fae creature within 30 feet of you when you transform your face must make a Wisdom saving throw or be affected for one minute.
The Seelie Court - any creature that fails the saving throw becomes charmed. This effect ends early on the creature if you or an ally deal damage to it or take other harmful actions.
The Unseelie Court - any creature that fails the saving throw becomes frightened of you. This effect ends early if a creature afflicted by this ability ends its turn out of your line of sight.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Sprite Servant

A face Sprite binds itself to your service. The Sprite is a floating ball of light, considered to be a Tiny creature which cannot be harmed or affected in any way. The Sprite has the following characteristics:
- The sprite has a fly speed of 40 feet.
- The sprite cannot speak verbally, but it can telepathically communicate with you as long as it is within a mile of you. The sprite understands all languages you do.
- The sprite can become invisible at will. Otherwise, it sheds dim light within a 10-foot radius. As a bonus action, you can command the sprite to shine more brightly. When following this command, the sprite can shed bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

Magic Tricks

Your transformations grant you innate power, which manifests as the ability to cast a small number of spells. You learn one illusion or enchantment cantrip.
In addition, choose one 1st level and one 2nd levels illusion or enchantment spell. You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast them in this way when you finish a short or long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. When you finish a long rest, you can replace your 1st or 2nd level spell with a spell of the same level which must also be an enchantment or illusion spell.

Transformation Flaw

Queen's Command

The fae court lends you its power, and in an exchange you must pay regular tribute to maintain your freedom. Twice a year, at the winter and summer solstice, you must deliver a treasure or other significant tribute to Queen Tolemue or Queen Twilade (whichever you pay allegiance to). If you do not provide a tribute by the appointed day, your queen pulls you immediately to her Faerealm.
Once pulled in this way, you must remain in the Faerealm for 100 years, or until you strike a bargain with the queen to let you return to the mortal plane. Your DM will tell you what constitutes an appropriate tribute to the court. The fae queen may prefer magic items, long-kept secrets, the capture of fae criminals, or humanoid servants.

Transformation Level 3

At 3rd level, you can pick one of the following Transformation Boons or pick a boon from a lower level that you meet the prerequisites for. In addition, you also gain this level’s Transformation Flaw.

Faerie Mantle

You can use an action to wrap yourself in the majesty of the faerie for one minute. During this time, you project an aura of blinding beauty out to a distance of 30 feet. When creatures of your choice start their turn or move into this aura, they must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be blinded for one minute. A creature blinded in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the blinded condition on a success. Once you use this action you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Made of Magic

Your transformation into a fae has changed the fundamental nature of your body. You gain resistance to damage from spells.
In addition, when you make a saving throw against a spell you can use a reaction to gain advantage on the roll. Once you use this reaction, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Courtly Graces

You gain proficiency in two skills determined by your court. If you are already proficient in one or both of these skills, then your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks using that skill. If you have or ever gain double your proficiency bonus in one or both of these skills, you gain an additional +2 for that skill. Additionally, your fealty to a fae court offers you protection from certain emotions associated with the court. You gain a benefit based on your court. The Seelie Court - You gain proficiency in Performance and Persuasion, and you are immune to being charmed. The Unseelie Court - You gain proficiency in Deception and Intimidation, and you are immune to being frightened.

Transformation Flaw

Bound by Words

The fae choose their words carefully for they are bound by them, and so too are you. When you give your word to a humanoid creature (such as by making a promise or pledge, entering into a contract, or coming to a verbal agreement) the commitment becomes magically enforced. If you fail to fulfill your part of the agreement, you lose the benefit of all your Fay transformation boons until you surrender an additional tithe to the Seelie or Unseelie queen, as described in your Queen's Command flaw. This tithe is in addition to those required by that flaw.
Importantly, you are bound by the letter of any agreement you make, not by the spirit. If you promise you will not lay a hand on the prince, for example, there would be no consequences if you kicked him (provided your hand didn't touch him in the process).

Transformation Level 4

You can pick one of the following Transformation Boons or pick a boon from a lower level that you meet the prerequisites for. In addition, you also gain this level's Transformation Flaw.

Transformation Boons

Greater Magic Tricks

Choose an enchantment or illusion spell of 3rd, 4th, and 5th level. You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot and regain the ability to cast them in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. When you finish a long rest, you can replace your 3rd, 4th, or 5th-level spell with a spell of the same level, which must also be an enchantment or illusion spell. Additionally, you can cast the first and second level spells from the magic tricks boon twice per short or long rest.

Misdirection

Light and magic bend strangely around you, making you difficult to hit. All attack rolls against you have disadvantage. If you are hit by an attack, this trait is disrupted until you end your next turn. This trait only works while you are conscious.

Twilight Glamour

As an action, you can become invisible. Anything you are wearing or carrying on your person is invisible as well. The invisibility ends if you choose to end it, if you attack, or if you cast a spell. Once your invisibility ends in this way, you cannot use this feature again for one minute. This trait only works while you are conscious.

Transformation Flaw

Seasonally Affected

Your connection to the fae courts has granted you tremendous power but also an esoteric fragility: you gain a weakness toward cold damage if you are in the Seelie Court, or fire damage if you are in the Unseelie Court.
If you were normally resistant to this damage type, it instead affects you normally. If you are normally immune to damage of that type, you are resistant instead. In addition, whenever you take damage of that type, your maximum hit points are reduced by an equal amount. When your maximum hit points are reduced by this effect, they return to normal after you finish a long rest.