Fairy Godmother (3.5e Prestige Class)

Fairy Godmother
Fairy godmother is actually a misnomer since few members of this prestige class are actual godmothers and even fewer still are fairies. Nevertheless, a fairy godmother will often attend to those whose lives have been made woefully inadequate through none of their own making, and especially those whose families have turned against them. The fairy godmother’s benevolent nature blossoms under these conditions.

Fairy godmothers are often seen as eccentric. They rarely have families of their own – no children or grandchildren to dote upon. Few fairy godmothers ever married and fewer raised their own children though some have fostered other people’s children with great success.

Most fairy godmothers have a garish sense of fashion. Fairy godmothers who are not Red Hat Ladies (see below) generally wear full length, flowing gowns or robes made of one of the following colors: yellow, pink, blue, violet, and green. Of course, the fairy godmother always has a matching pointy hat unless her cloak has a hood. The only time a fairy godmother eschews her style of dress is when donning a disguise or when in mourning. Even then, the fairy godmother forgoes the traditional black for the deepest purple, a color nearly indistinguishable from black.

Frequently, fairy godmothers disguise themselves as eccentric old women who take on many philanthropic ventures. Often, they will spend a great deal of time, effort, and money making sure that the unfortunate soul they are helping gets the most of their benefit.

In urban centers, the major organization of fairy godmothers is the Red Hat Lady Society whose membership is limited to human women over the age of 50 (being a fairy godmother is not necessary for membership). On all public outings, the members are required to wear a red hat and purple dress. Fairy godmothers frequently join this organization in order to contact with each other and to flaunt their extreme style of living and of course, to have some fun.

Fairy godmothers often have close ties to nature and many are on good terms with several members of the Seelie Court. Each fairy godmother has a small home in a secluded wood when she is not in the public eye or engaged in one of her philanthropic ventures. This home is often guarded with spells especially guards and wards to make sure its location remains unknown to unwanted outsiders.

Fairy godmothers are noted for preferring wands to any other magic item. In fact, most fairy godmothers will have several wands. Additionally, many fairy godmothers take the woodworking craft in order to create better wands for themselves. As a result, the wooden wand is a focus for the spells of a fairy godmother. At the DM’s discretion, this wand can be used to replace any other focus that a spell might require (such as the bell and silver wire for an alarm spell). The wand cannot replace any components that are consumed by casting the spell.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Fairy Godmother.

You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Fairy Godmother, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Aging Well It becomes apparent that the fairy godmother is aging particularly well. Although her hair may turn gray, her skin remains flawless – no bags or sags here. Though her figure may be less than trim, she remains as graceful as ever. A fairy godmother gets no penalties for aging after middle age.

Alter Self : At second level, the fair godmother gains this ability, which is useable once per day. In addition, the fairy godmother may shrink two sizes smaller.

Bestow Baby’s Blessing : Any baby whom the fairy godmother oversees is given a +1 save against enchantment spells by his or her fairy godmother. This blessing must be given within the first week of the baby’s birth. A fairy godmother gains this ability at first level.

Flight : Fairy Godmothers gain the ability to fly at first level. This innate ability is vaguely similar to the spell of the same name at first level. Unlike the spell, they can use this ability at will with no time restriction. Moreover, her ability to fly gets better at each level beginning as clumsy at first level to perfect at fifth level. Small wings (matching the dress of the fairy godmother) appear at her back whenever a fairy godmother uses this ability.

Detect Scrying : At third level, a fairy godmother may detect scrying as per the spell. This ability is useable at will.

Break Enchantment : Thrice per day beginning at fourth level, a fairy godmother may free a charge under her care (or herself if necessary), from enchantments, transmutations, curses, and petrifaction. The only spells that a fairy godmother cannot break, are those spells that were created with true love’s kiss and the Bestow Baby’s Bane cast by an evil fairy godmother (see below).

If a fairy godmother cannot break an enchantment, she may cast temporal stasis on the victim that lasts until the enchantment can be broken or for 100 years, whichever occurs first. The cost for casting temporal stasis is one-tenth for fairy godmothers. Sometimes, age doth have its privileges.

In the case of an evil fairy godmother’s Bestow Baby’s Bane, a good fairy godmother can only mitigate the problem (i.e. lessen the severity). In the case of a death curse, instead the victim could fall asleep for 100 years. If the protégé were to turn into an animal, the curse could be mitigated so that the change would only take place after midnight until the first light of morning.

Bonus Feat: At fifth level, a fairy godmother gains a wizard bonus feat (metamagic or item creation). She must still meet the pre-requisites of this feat as normal.

Ex-Fairy Godmother
Fairy godmothers who become male cannot gain new levels as fairy godmothers. A fairy godmother who becomes male retains all class abilities obtained up to the point of becoming male but begins to show his true age and takes the penalties and advantages for his true age, which could, unfortunately, have dire consequences for a fairy godmother who has lived beyond mortal years.... Moreover, he loses his membership into the Red Hat Society. If her correct gender is returned to her, a fairy godmother reverts to her middle age statistics.

A fallen fairy godmother who becomes evil immediately loses her ability to Bestow Baby’s Blessing but gains the ability to Bestow Baby’s Bane at will.

Bestow Baby’s Bane : Any baby whom an evil fairy godmother oversees is given prophecy that foretells a curse that will take place when the child turns 16. Some of these curses are so potent that they turn into family curses (such as turning into a frog) that can be passed down through the generations. Others can have fatal consequences. Unfortunately, the only person who can remove the curse is the fairy godmother who lay in the first place. Such enchantments can be mitigated by higher-ranking fairy godmothers who will earn the enmity of the first (see Break Enchantment).

An evil fairy godmother may lose her Aging Well ability. Furthermore, some evil fairy godmother’s become less attractive the more wicked they become, acquiring warts, moles, yellow crooked teeth, poor posture, etc. Others become obsessed with their age and beauty and instead of caring for others, become selfish and vain. Generally, losing the Aging Well ability is reserved for fairy godmothers who become wicked by choice rather than by accident.

An evil fairy godmother does not necessarily lose her membership in the Red Hat Society but she’s likely to lose many of her friends. All of her contacts with the Seelie Court will shun her until her alignment changes back to good although she may make new contacts with the Unseelie Court.

A fairy godmother who becomes both male and evil at the same time loses all fairy godmother abilities and gains double the penalties for aging.