Monday, April 27, 2015

NEW MONSTER: COBBLING ELF

Cobbling Elf

FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 2-20
ARMOR CLASS: By armor type
MOVE: 12”
HIT DICE: 1+1
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: X
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ ATTACK: By weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: +1 with hammer
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90% to charm and sleep only
SAVE: Fighter 2
INTELLIGENCE: High and up
MORALE: 51%
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic good
SIZE: S (2½' + tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/ X.P. VALUE: II/ 28 + 2/hp

These delightful fellows and lasses should perhaps more properly be known as shoe-making elves, but much more commonly they are known as cobbling elves.

Unlike most other sorts of elves, cobbling elves prefer to make their homes near or even within human settlements. Not infrequently, they will adopt a kindly human family, acting as helpers and bringers of good fortune. Cobbling elves are adept at making and repairing shoes. They can work with wood, leather, and textiles, but are incapable of producing clothing. A cobbling elf can fix or make shoes at up to ten times the rate of a similarly employed human. They are not, however, employable as hirelings.

They do not typically use animals as guards or pets, but are able to speak with animals that normally make their homes in human dwellings, such as mice, ants, birds, and small vermin. They may use this ability to convince these creatures to leave the vicinity if they are a nuisance.

They do not employ weapons as such but each cobbling elf keeps a miniature work hammer that does as much damage as a fully sized weapon. Furthermore, they attack at +1 on “to hit” rolls with this tool. They have no standard elf bonus to hit with bows or swords.


Cobbling elves are 90% resistant to charm and sleep spells of all sorts and they can see in complete darkness to 60'. When indoors, cobbling elves surprise on a 1-4. Like other elves, they are immune to the paralyzing touch of ghouls. They are adept at noticing secret or hidden doors. If actively searching for a secret door, they will find one on a 1-4 in 6 if there is one to be found. Even if they are just passing by a secret or concealed door, they will notice it on a 1-3 in 6. Cobbling elves can naturally see certain creatures such as pixies, sprites, sylphs, and leprechauns that can assume invisibility. This ability does not extend to non faerie-like beings, or those using invisibility spells or magic items.

Cobbling elves are capable of obtaining class levels as fighter, magic-user, or thief. Furthermore, they are able to operate in two or more classes simultaneously, so fighter/magic-users, for example, are possible.

Description: Cobbling elves resemble miniature versions of normal elves, except they tend to a bit of plumpness. Their most distinguishing trait is that they always have two feet of the same side, ie. either two left feet or two right feet. Despite their penchant for fixing and making shoes, they themselves are barefoot 90% of the time. They prefer to dress in fine clothing that resembles that of humans that they live near.

2 comments:

  1. I like these guys. They could prove to be very handy allies, or some devious antagonists for low-level characters...and might surprise some higher-level types depending on they interact with certain guilds, unions or the like...

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  2. @garrisonjames

    Thanks for the comment. I suppose they could undermine the entire shoe-making industry in some cities. I was thinking about writing them up for a PC class along with the talon goblins and hatchet-faced goblins.

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