#lubberkin

[briefbestiary]

A large and hairy household spirit, a lubber fiend is a hard worker for as long as his payment is maintained.

[thecreaturecodex]

Lubberkin

“Brownie Pirates” © Emperors Choice Games, by Mark Allen

[Commissioned by @crazytrain48​. The Arduin take on “brownies” runs far afield of their folkloric origins as house spirits. In fact, these little guys strike me as being a lot like kender ten years early--they’re larcenous brats that are charming to the characters and obnoxious for the players. Only unlike kender, these are written with the realization that they’re little shits. The original could charm by gaze as well as by touch, but I prefer the comic potential of one person being completely enamored with the nasty goblin while everyone else is baffled.

My replacement name comes from British fairy lore. “Lubber” is an old-fashioned word for a lazy person, and a lubberkin was a house spirit that preferred to sit by the fire rather than do any actual work. This struck me as appropriate for these little bandits. I also gave them the traditional folklore ability to disguise worthless junk as riches, in honor of all those fairy stories where someone makes off with fairy gold and gets nothing but a handful of leaves for their trouble. Trade! Trade!]

Lubberkin CR 3 CN Fey This tiny creature is fuzzy and vaguely man-shaped, with pointed ears, a pug nose and a mouthful of sharp teeth. It is dressed in mismatched, ostentatious fashion, and carries a little sword at its belt.

Lubberkin are like gremlins, in that they are fey beings that seemingly exist to mock a pursuit of civilization. Lubberkin are fey of trade and commerce, which they subvert endlessly through lies, illusions and charm. A creature touched by a lubberkin, whether through a handshake, hug or passing furtive contact, becomes utterly enraptured with the fuzzy little monster, seeing it as adorable and worthy of showering with praise and gifts. They delight in trade, but their trades are rarely even ones, and they can pass off lumps of mud and leaves as baubles of silver and gold. If they cannot get some treasure they desire despite their best efforts, they will try to steal it.

Lubberkin are less interested in violence than they are in acquisitions, but they will fight if they’re cornered or if their burglaries go wrong. They are surprisingly strong for their size, and most of them carry long curved blades. They are better at magic that physical violence, however, and usually try to knock foes out quickly with color spray or simply disappear with invisibility. They can teleport short distances, and use this to escape with their lives from losing encounters.

Lubberkin are attracted to places where people are, favoring trade hubs, major highways and ports. Some operate alone, whereas others cluster together in mockery of caravans, ships’ crews and other commercial operations. Most of these lubberkin try to cheat each other as readily as they do humanoids, and non-lethal fighting among them is common. Lubberkin love children and halflings, although some appear to be unable to tell the difference. They strongly dislike dour, no-nonsense types such as dwarves. They like the flavor of sour fruits, and may be enticed to aid an adventurer with nothing more than a good glass of lemonade.

A lubberkin stands between 1 ½ and 2 ½ feet tall. They like to show off their wealth with fine clothes and gems, and are especially fond of fancy shoes and slippers.

Lubberkin              CR 3 XP 800 CN Tiny fey Init +4; Senses low-light vision, Perception +7, see invisibility Defense AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 27 (6d6+6); fast healing 1 Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +5 Immune mind-influencing effects, polymorph; SR 14 Offense Speed 20 ft. Melee masterwork scimitar +7 (1d3+1/18-20), bite +1 (1d3) or bite +6 (1d3+1) Space 2 ½ ft.; Reach 0 ft. Special Attacks charming touch, sneak attack +1d6 Spell-like Abilities CL 3rd, concentration +6 Constant—see invisibility 3/day—blur, color spray (DC 13), invisibility, levitate, magic missile 1/day—dimension door, fly, shatter (DC 14) Statistics Str 12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 15 Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16 Feats Deft Hands, Dodge, Mobility Skills Acrobatics +11 (+7 when jumping), Appraise +6, Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Disable Device +8, Escape Artist +11, Perception +7, Profession (any one) +4, Sleight of Hand +13, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +19, Use Magic Device +9 Languages Common, Halfling, Sylvan SQ false goods Ecology Environment any plains and urban Organization solitary, pair or crew (3-20) Treasure double standard (Tiny masterwork scimitar, thieves tools, other treasure) Special Abilities Charming Touch (Su) As a standard action, a lubberkin can touch a humanoid creature and force it to make a DC 15 Will save or be charmed, as per the charm person spell, for 6 hours. A creature that saves against this effect is immune to the charming touch of that lubberkin for the next 24 hours. A lubberkin can use this ability at will, but may not have more than three people charmed at a time—if it exceeds this limit, the target that has been charmed for the longest time is freed from the effect. This is a mind-influencing charm effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. False Goods (Su) Three times per day, a lubberkin can create a small object (of 1 lb or less) that is seemingly of great value. A creature interacting with the object must succeed a DC 15 Will save or believe it to be greatly valuable. A successful Appraise check, opposed by the lubberkin’s Bluff check, grants a +2 bonus on this saving throw. The object detects as nonmagical, as per a magic aura spell (CL 6th).  Success on a saving throw reveals the object is a forgery. The object becomes a pile of dead leaves, a stick or some other worthless natural object in 24 hours. This is an illusion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.

[witcheringways]

Following the Lubberkin

[brimstone-cowboy]

A sleeping Lob (or Ludderkin) and Reynardine

[sarahfogg]

Lob-Lie-By-The-Fire 2019 postcards 5/6

[lpbestiary]

In English folklore, the lubberkin is a house spirit, similar to the hob. Generally depicted as a tall, hairy man, the lubberkin will perform household chores in exchange for a saucer of milk and a place in front of the fire. The lubberkin has been associated with the legendary fey figure Puck, and is sometimes said to be the son of a witch and the Devil.

A similar creature, or perhaps a variant on the lubberkin, is the abbey lubber, a minor demon who haunts the wine cellars and kitchens of abbeys, tempting monks into ill behaviour such as lust and drunkenness.

Image source.

Monster master list.

Suggest a spook.

[missgeralt]

The Pellar, the Princess, and Lessons in Childcare

[rannah-evae]

A little spirit guide 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt