Moon Sprite
Today is the beginning of Moon Week, and naturally that means a lunar monster is a must for Exotic Encounters. But what to pick? Lycanthropes are an obvious choice, but the way the template works in Pathfinder, you don’t need a separate one for each creature. Some strange alien creature might be cool, but it would be hard to come up with something that says “moon” as much as the moon-beast. But then it occurred to me that there didn’t seem to be much in the way of fey creatures associated with the moon, and this seemed odd, because in other media, the two seem to go hand-in-hand. Enter the moon sprite.
Moon Sprite
This tiny creature is nearly humanoid in shape, except for the set of gossamer dragonfly wings protruding from its back, and the fact that its head is shaped like a crescent moon. Its eyes are large, almond-shaped orbs of silvery light, and its skin is deathly pale.
MOON SPRITE CR 9
XP 6,400
CN Tiny fey
Init +10; Senses low-light vision; Perception +23
DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 26, flat-footed 19 (+7 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)
hp 112 (15d6+60)
Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +14
Defensive Abilities lunar grace
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.; fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee +2 rapier +18/+13 (1d3+1/18–20 plus 1d6 cold)
Ranged +2 shortbow +17/+12 (1d3+1/x3 plus 1d6 cold)
Special Attacks harvest dreams, lullaby, moonfrost weapons
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +22)
At Will—faerie fire
3/day—control water, darkness
1/day—confusion (DC 21), dream, nightmare (DC 22)
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 23, Con 18, Int 15, Wis 21, Cha 24
Base Atk +7; CMB +4; CMD 28
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier)
Skills Acrobatics +24, Bluff +25, Diplomacy +25, Fly +18, Knowledge (nature) +20, Perception +23, Sense Motive +23, Sleight of Hand +24, Stealth +38
SQ natural invisibility
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, tide (3–12), or colony (13–120, plus 1 moon sprite queen [11th-level oracle or sorcerer])
Treasure standard (Tiny masterwork rapier, Tiny masterwork shortbow, other treasure)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Harvest Dreams (Su) As a full-round action, a moon sprite can harvest the dreams from a sleeping creature, which appear as a glittering golden nectar that the fey withdraws from the victim’s mouth and stores in a small vial. The sleeping creature can attempt a Will save (DC 24) to prevent this. Failure causes the creature to suffer 1d6 points of Charisma damage, and leaves the creature fatigued for as long as any of that Charisma damage remains. Charisma damage inflicted in this way cannot be healed magically without a successful caster level check (DC 26), but heals naturally on its own. As long as the creature still has at least 1 point of Charisma damage inflicted in this way, it is immune to any effect that targets its dreams, including dream, nightmare, and this ability.
Lullaby (Su) As a standard action, a moon sprite can sing a haunting, ethereal lullaby, forcing each living creature within 60 feet to succeed on a Will save (DC 24) or fall asleep for 2d4 hours. Creatures that fall asleep in this way enter an almost coma-like state, from which it is difficult to awaken: no amount of noise will wake the creature, but shaking them (or similar) with the aid another action grants a new saving throw to end the effect, albeit with a –4 penalty. If the creature suffers damage, it is also allowed a new saving throw, and instead of a penalty, it gains a bonus equal to 1/5 the amount of damage it suffered. Whether a creature succeeds or fails on its initial saving throw, it cannot be put to sleep by the same moon sprite’s lullaby again for 24 hours. Moon sprites are immune to their own lullabies, and those of other moon sprites. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting compulsion and sleep effect.
Lunar Grace (Su) A moon sprite gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma modifier.
Moonfrost Weapons (Su) Any weapon wielded by a moon sprite is treated as though it had a +2 enhancement bonus, or the weapon’s normal enhancement bonus, whichever is higher. Additionally, any weapon wielded by a moon sprite deals an additional 1d6 points of cold damage with each successful hit. These benefits apply only while the moon sprite is wielding the weapons, and cease to function as soon as the weapons leave its possession.
Natural Invisibility (Su) This ability is constant—a moon sprite remains invisible at all times, even when attacking. Against foes that cannot pinpoint it, the moon sprite gains a +20 bonus on Stealth checks when moving, or +40 when standing still—these bonuses are not included in the statistics above. A moon sprite’s natural invisibility does not apply while it is in moonlight.
Ecology
Aloof and shy by fey standards, moon sprites are a race of fairies that, according to legend, isolated themselves from other fey long ago by retreating en masse to make their homes on the moon. Just as many other fey bond with the land that they inhabit, and are shaped by it in some form or another, moon sprites were shaped by millennia of living on the moon. Although moon sprites do not interact much with other fey, they have many of the same characteristics, and generally display a mixture of curiosity, shyness, and mischief, especially towards mortal races.
Though they make their home on the moon, moon sprites regularly come to the mortal world in order to harvest the dreams of sleeping mortals, which they stockpile in their warrens for unknown purposes. It is unknown exactly how the fey travel to and from the moon, but many believe that they are capable of creating special portals, or else have some ability to “ride” upon rays of moonlight.