By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against a Sprite
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Sprite can be found in the Monster Manual page 283.
Sprites are Fey creatures that look like tiny humanoids, some say they resemble elves, with dragonfly-like wings. They are usually about a foot tall and have roughly eighteen-inch wingspans. They wear clothing that has been formed from natural materials available in the area in which they reside. This includes leather, which they harvest from creatures that they find deceased within their domain. Their weapons are made from wood, including their blades and bows.
NOT RAW – All Sprites are male, there is a theory that suggests that they leave behind their wives and girlfriends in the Feywild or Shadowfell; another theory suggests that appearances are deceiving, and yet another suggests that they are the genetic counterpart to the Pixie, who all appear as female. Probably unimportant, but it is a bit of trivia.
Sprites are agents of the Fey realm, either the Feywild or the Shadowfell that have been sent by the powers of those domains to protect a specific area. It is usually impossible to determine exactly why an area is of importance to those domains. In one documented case, there was a portal to the Fey Realm, in another; a Fey Princess saw a flower she thought was especially beautiful and decided it should be guarded lest someone trample it.
Sprites can see into the heart and know instantly if the creature is good or evil, they say that they can hear it in the sound of the heartbeat itself, though this is probably a figure of speech. Figure of speech or not, the Sprites can read the story of your life somehow and know without fail if you are a good person or not. While it will not matter regarding the trespass, their methods will differ depending on their connection to the Feywild or the Shadowfell.
In an area guarded by Feywild Sprites, while wild nature may come and go as it pleases, no others may trespass. Those of good nature and pleasant intention are lured (or frightened) away by rustling bushes, the sounds of creatures that might induce fear, and other such means. Those of evil nature will be affected by the same means except that the end of the trail may be the lair of a dangerous monster that lairs nearby, or some natural obstacle. Tales of people being left dangling by vines above a field of brambles is one version, the pride of panthers that lair inside the brambles is another.
In an area guarded by Shadowfell Sprites, the trespasser with an evil heart might receive more lenient treatment, then again, maybe not, they might just go for the more permanent solution immediately. They are Fey, and that means unpredictable above all else.
If passive methods and lures do not work, the Sprites will change to more direct methods to drive trespassers, and those foolish enough to become their foes away. The most famous of their direct methods will be exposure to their wide variety of poisons.
NOT RAW – Sprites brew a variety of poisons, unguents, toxins, and hallucinogens. While the most famous is probably their sleeping poison, they have also been known to create poisons causing confusion, blindness, deafness, or even infatuation with another person. Some of their poisons cause injury and pain, but they are rarely so overt in their activity.
While they can deliver all their poisons with weaponry, especially with arrows from their short bows or blows from their proportionally sized short swords (NOTE: I know RAW Says Long sword, but I think a Dexterity based weapon suits their abilities better). They prefer to approach invisibly smear a little on your arm, with a drop or honey or two to lure in an insect, and let you slap the bug bite to introduce the toxin into your system. A brave Sprite might drip water into your hair until you wipe your wipe your forehead with a poison contaminated sleeve to dry it. Especially inventive sprites might smear poisons on the leaves and fronds in your path and introduce the toxin in that fashion.
Sprites have been known to accept an alliance with those of good heart and have been known to aid people who have respected their domain and are fighting against evil. They will almost always come to the air of ‘good-hearted’ Fey folk who are being attacked or are in trouble.
Other Fey characterize the Sprites as being dour and serious, they tend to be mission oriented and will rarely involve themselves in the frivolity that tends to characterize most Fey.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about Sprites
Spritesare size tiny humanoids (2 ½ foot square) that have a walking speed of 10-feet and a flying speed of 40-feet.
Sprites can become invisible at will, this condition lasting until it attacks or casts a spell that affects another, or they lose concentration.
Sprites are physically very weak, as would be expected in anyone of their size. They are exceptionally dexterous (18), and are highly intelligent (14), they have above average Wisdom, and Charisma and Constitutions that are near average.
Sprites are skilled in the art of Perception (+3), and Stealth (+8).Sprites can attack with their short swords (again, I know RAW says long sword, but a Dexterity based weapon makes more sense), they rarely get close enough to engage in physical combat, however.
Sprites deciding to use a weapon to introduce their poisons will use their short bows very accurately.
A Sprite has an ability called HEART SIGHT that lets them read the current emotional state of a creature. This ability communicates to them the balance of the creature’s soul, good or evil, and intentions. Touching a creature allows the Sprite to read not only their ‘Heart’ but also their current disposition and intentions. While some individuals can make a Saving Throw to keep their intentions to themselves, Celestials, Fiends and Undead automatically fail this saving throw.
Sprites have a passive Perception of 13.
Not RAW – as Fey, the Sprite should be granted the Fey Ancestry trait. To include Darkvision 60-foot and the immunity to sleep spells and advantage on saves vs charm spells.
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy
Sprites have been dispatched by the Powers of the Feywild and Shadowfell to guard a feature of the mortal realm. This mission may be of vital importance, it could be current, or the true purpose of the mission may have passed by centuries ago. The mission is to guard, not to wonder why.
Sprites are smart enough to know that if a certain area of the woods, or jungle, or waterfall, or pool becomes a place where weird things happen, it will simply draw more attention to the place. The number of investigators and potential incursions will increase, and the probability of mission failure will be also increase.
Strategy number One of the Sprite is to keep their area from being noticed at all. By using wide patrols to identify incoming trespassers long before they come near the area protected, the Sprite will use its abilities to misdirect intruders away from their area. The persistent may find monsters or other dangerous beasts being led into their path.
Should it become necessary, the Sprites will take active measures to turn aside a trespasser or an intruder, including the use of their poisons.
Step 3) Determine Tactics
A single Sprite is never sent on a mission or to defend an area, thus there is never a case of fighting ONE Sprite, you are fighting a guard force of Sprites.
While I have made extensive suggestions in my Tips and observations that will drastically affect the way these creatures are run in combat, never forget that their first goal is to avoid contact, let alone conflict if possible. They would much rather lead an angry wild boar to you than fight you themselves.
Even without my suggestions, the Sprite will remain at range, forty-foot plus and use arrows from there, dashing away from and going invisible whenever an enemy gets too close. The Sprites will use the HELP action to ensure that they hit whenever they can.
If you take my suggestions, long before the players get to an area protected by Sprites, seams will burst, buckles will break, compasses will either whirl incomprehensibly or point in the wrong direction.
Supplies will go bad, fresh water will become brackish and all manner of misfortune will befall a party heading for a Sprite protected area.
Step 4) DM Tips and Observations
In order to actively perform their role as protectors and mis-directors, the Sprite needs access to the Prestidigitation Cantrip. Minor Illusion and Mending (Reversed) would allow additional possibilities.
Should it become necessary, the Sprite needs to be able to make decisive offensive action. The Shillelagh cantrip usable on their short sword would make that option possible and viable. I would probably limit use of this by cultural distaste after all, a Sprite that had to resort to his sword on a living creature would face great scorn among its community.
I would consider giving the any sprite to make a full twenty foot charge and continued moving after making a weapon attack the “FLYBY” ability, making it immune to opportunity attacks on a ‘flyby’.
The Nimble Escape action (see Goblin MM page 166) should be a part of their action inventory, allowing the Sprite to use Dash, Disengage or Hide as a Bonus action. This would enable them to shoot, hide and move and make them very difficult to spot.
As size tiny creatures, the Sprite is exceptionally difficult to spot, giving them advantage on all stealth checks.To increase the FUN of the Sprite: while they already have a SLEEP poison listed, far more poisons with varied affects would be appropriate. My Suggestions: Allow Poisons that emulate the following spell effects: Ray of Sickness, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Fog Cloud (Individual Only), Cause Blindness, Cause Deafness, and just for grins, a Philter of Love effect (DMG page 184).