The beings known as the fey possess a magical nature that abhors clarity and definition. Their behavior and even biology can follow a strange dream-like logic, where beliefs grounded in superstition hold merit, and where clever wordplay is more powerful than reason and logic.
Fey appearance can be almost anything a person could imagine, though most are some mix of humanoid with perhaps some plant, animal, or elemental thrown in. What unifies them is more the fact that their sensibilities are a bit askew from normal mortals.
Dreamborn Traits
Characters with the dreamborn heritage share a variety of traits in common with one another.
Type. Fey.
Age. Age means little to dreamborn. Some age like humans, while others have seemingly always been wrinkled and old, and others are perpetually young, or even go in cycles, returning to youth every spring.
Size. Usually Medium or Small. Some dreamborn can be smaller, but see Fey Logic below.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Fey Logic. While you may appear to be Tiny, Small, or Medium size, you interact with the world as if you were Small or Medium (chosen at character creation). Spells such as enlarge/reduce mean the size category you appear to be increases or decreases as appropriate, though your stats change according to the size you interact with the world as.
Even if your body has no limbs with opposable thumbs, you can hold and manipulate items as if you had humanoid hands, perhaps wielding things with a tail or wingtips. You can talk even if your mouth normally wouldn’t permit it. In turn, though, efforts that would thwart a humanoid thwart you, such as a gag to mute you or bonds to confine you.
Knack for the Unexpected. Once per short rest you can add an expertise die (+1d4) to a skill check you’re not proficient in.
The Power of Words. If you promise something to a creature, that creature intuitively senses that it can use a reaction to compel you to fulfill a promise you made to them as though they had cast suggestion. The DC to resist this is 10. Succeeding the save represents you devising a way to wiggle out of the promise. A given creature can only levy one such obligation per day.
Once you are 3rd level, you can cast suggestion once per long rest, but only on a creature that has agreed to the stated course of action in word or text. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest).
Aversion. Since dreamborn are protean beings, they often loathe things that ‘define’ them or the place around them. Other fey just develop a deep distrust or resentment of some random type of thing for reasons perhaps only they understand. Choose a fairly common thing from the Waking you are averse to, such as ticking clocks (the Dreaming hates when time is orderly), measuring rulers (or national rulers too, since rules are just the worst, aren’t they?), mirrors, iron, or laughing babies. You cannot willingly touch that thing, come within 5 feet of it, or even use tools to manipulate such items.
You can attempt a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to ignore this aversion from a particular item—and anything similar within 30 feet of it—for one hour. If you fail, your turn ends and you cannot try to ignore that particular aversion for a day. However, if you or an ally is attacked in any way by a creature protected by a repellant item or creature, you can freely ignore the repellant effect as though you had succeeded on your saving throw.
Dreamborn Gifts
Fey are notoriously diverse, even among a given court or community. In addition to the traits found in your dreamborn heritage, choose two of the following dreamborn gifts.
Aquatic. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet and you can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Animate Objects. Once per short rest you can cast animate objects, but only to animate a number of Tiny objects equal to your proficiency bonus. These objects have a speed of 30 feet and cannot fly. Additionally, you must spend your action to maintain concentration on the spell each round. Once you reach 3rd level, you can instead spend your reaction to maintain concentration. At 5th level, you can animate Small objects as though they were 2 Tiny objects.
Change Size. You can spend an action to become Small or Medium size as though you had chosen that option with Fey Logic. All items you are wearing or carrying also change size; however, any items that you drop, sell, or give away return to their original size if it has changed because of this gift.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Whimsy. You know one of the following cantrips: dancing lights, druidcraft, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, thaumaturgy. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest).
Flight. You gain a fly speed of 30 feet as long as you are no more than 10 feet off the ground. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. Additionally, if you attempt to go higher, or if you have spent 3 full consecutive rounds flying, on your next turn you instead fall safely for 30 feet or until you touch the ground. All falling damage beyond 30 feet (if you exceeded your height restriction by flying over a cliff, for instance) is still calculated.
Nature Skin. Whether stone, wood, or some other element, your magical skill grants you an AC of 13 + your Dexterity modifier when you’re not wearing armor. You can use a shield and gain this benefit.
Speak with Beasts. Choose one: birds, fish and amphibians, mammals, reptiles, or creepy crawlies (like bugs and spiders). You can cast speak with animals a number of times per day equal to your proficiency modifier, but only to speak with the chosen animal type.
Vanish. As a reaction immediately after taking damage, you can turn invisible. The invisibility lasts until the end of your next turn, and it ends early if you attack, deal damage, cast a spell, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before doing so again.
Wild Senses. You gain advantage on skill checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Dreamborn Paragon
When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of the fey, and you gain one paragon gift from the following list.
Improved Flight. If you chose Flight as a fey gift, you gain a fly speed of 40 feet even if you are wearing medium or heavy armor. You have no height restrictions, though you will still fall after 3 full consecutive rounds of flight; however, you can now ignore up to 60 feet of falling damage when falling in this manner.
Metamorphosis. Whenever you complete a long rest, you may choose a fey gift you don’t normally possess. Your nature shifts to gain that gift until you use this ability again.
Now I’m Over Here. A number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus you can, as a bonus action, teleport to a space you can see within 30 feet.
Dreaming Culture
Depending on where in the Dreaming they hail from, fey cultures can vary greatly. Just as the Dreaming reflects the real world, fey seem to reflect whatever the residents of the Waking think the fey should be. Some set up in courts with strict hierarchies and elaborate games of manners and trickery. Others live more simply in small communities, while a few choose a solitary existence, carving out their own little spot in the Dreaming.
Suggested Cultures
While you can choose any culture for your dreamtouched character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: Dreaming Wilds, Fey Court.
