Quickling (3.5e Race)

=Quicklings=

Summary::Quick striking darters that catch their opponents by surprise.

There is a lesser breed of quickling known as sprightlings.

Personality
Quicklings are brutally mean and sharply insulting of others, constantly talking down to any being who'll listen. Whenever they can get away with an unkindly prank or attack, they'll take the opportunity. Quicklings almost never make friends outside of their own race.

Physical Description
Appearing as slender and lithe small elves with sharp features and a feral glint, the quickling darts and bobs, hardly standing still long enough for others to get a good look at them. On average, a quickling grows to about 3 feet tall and weighs about 25 pounds. Their skin ranges from pale blue to blue-white and their hair is usually silvery or a snowy-white. Long pointed ears rise above the tops of their heads. Their eyes are usually cold and cruel, glinting with a yellow light.

Finely dressed, they garb themselves in brightly colored clothes, often with silver and black trim as accents. They scorn armor, as it slows them down.

Relations
Twisted by malevolent fey magic in ages past, quicklings distrust or hate all they come across. Fey creatures are universally scorned by quicklings. Most races who come across quicklings only notice them by the loss of valuable trinkets and other things the quickling might find useful. Any individual that encroaches too far onto lands quicklings inhabit quickly find themselves repelled or killed by the fast, blue-skinned creatures. Fey, due to grudges long held are often killed on sight or at the very least (should the quickling be in a "playful" mood), harrassed for hours on end.

Alignment
The quickings of ages past weren't the evil creatures they are today. Before they were affected by the malevolent fey magic that made them as they are, they were neutral creatures living in harmony with the world around them. After the fey magic changed them, they have kept a tradition of telling their history as they saw it. As they told it, their ancestors were victims of ancient fey who begrudged them for the peace and serenity that they once enjoyed. The longer the quickings told their children this story, the more it became perverted by grudges held and kept against the fey who cast the magic upon them. Accompanied with their actions over the ages, quicklings slowly transformed into utterly evil creatures who disregard the well-being of others.

Lands
Quicklings are normally found in temperate forests.

Quicklings live in small, isolated communities far from civilized lands. The communities are usually connected by a network of game trails or forest highways depending on the location of the communities and the density of the trees.

Religion
Quicklings occasionally pay homage to dark forest deities (evil deities with a nature portfolio). Mostly, quicklings rely on themselves, rather than seek divine aide.

Language
Quicklings speak Common and Sylvan, speaking quickly and stringing words and sentences into each other without pauses or breaks.

Names
Quicklings often take fey names, though, these names tend to be on the short side. They also like to make themselves appear grand by taking important sounding titles based on their accomplishments (or perceived accomplishments).

Racial Traits

 * ,, , , : Quicklings are monstrously quick, unmercifully cunning and beguiling, but they aren't as strong as a common man.
 * : As small creatures, quicklings gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks and a &minus;4 penalty on grapple checks. Their lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium characters.
 * Quickling base land speed is 80 feet.
 * Racial Hit Dice: A quickling begins with four levels of fey, which provide 4d6 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fortitude +1, Reflex +4, and Will +4.
 * Racial Skills: A quickling’s fey levels give him skill points equal to (6 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die. Its class skills are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).
 * Racial Feats: A quickling’s fey levels give him two feats.
 * Proficient with all simple weapons and light armor (but not shields).
 * Roguish Instinct: A quickling can sneak attack like a rogue for +1d6 damage. This sneak attack stacks with sneak attack gained from class levels. Additionally, a quickling is treated as a 2nd level rogue when calculating when Improved Uncanny Dodge applies.
 * Speed Burst (Su): 2/day as a free action, a quickling can enter a state of frenzied speed. A speed burst lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s Dexterity modifier. He gains a supernatural haste effect, as the spell. A quickling can fly into a speed burst only once per encounter. A quickling gains another Speed Burst every 4 additional HD to a maximum of 6/day at 20 HD.
 * Natural Invisibility (Ex): A quickling is naturally invisible. It loses this invisibility during any round in which it attacks. A quickling can suppress this ability at will.
 * Spell-Like Ability: 1/day&mdash;dancing lights, daze, levitate, shatter, and ventriloquism. Caster level is equal to character level. The save DC is Charisma-based.
 * Spell-Like Ability: 1/day&mdash;dancing lights, daze, levitate, shatter, and ventriloquism. Caster level is equal to character level. The save DC is Charisma-based.
 * Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan.
 * Bonus Languages: Elven, Gnome, Halfling.
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::2
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::6