Leprechaun

Leprechauns were tiny, mischievous fey creatures who loved treasure.

Description
Leprechauns were a small people, standing only about tall on average. They had pointed ears and noses. A little more than a quarter of all males sported beards.

The clothing of leprechauns usually included pointed shoes and pants and coats of browns, grays, or greens. Stocking caps or wide-brimmed hats were their two head coverings of choice.

Personality
Leprechauns loved to play pranks and were prone to steal valuable trinkets from travelers. They especially loved gold, and hoards of it could be found in every leprechaun abode. If an intruder stole their treasure, they would beg and bargain to get it back at any cost.

Leprechauns ate the same sorts of foods as humans. Most had a very strong weakness for fine wine, and many enjoyed smoking pipes.

Most leprechauns were not very trusting of either humans or dwarves, finding both races to be too greedy, but they were on good terms with elves, gnomes, and halflings. In general, they would be cordial with strangers but never invite them to their lairs. If they found an injured person, such a one might be taken to a leprechaun lair for help but only if blindfolded and not followed.

Biology
Some scholars believed that leprechauns were related to both halflings and pixies.

Leprechauns did not reproduce often, so children were rare in their families. A newborn leprechaun had all of the magical abilities of an adult.

Abilities
Inherently magical beings, leprechauns could turn invisible whenever they wanted. They could also polymorph objects, create illusions, and throw their voices.

Leprechauns had very keen hearing, making it very hard to surprise them.

Combat
These playful creatures avoided combat, instead using tactics of deception to mislead. However, they would not sit by if weaker creatures were harmed.

Society
Leprechauns preferred to live in pleasant, grassy valleys with rolling hills, living in comfortable and dry furnished caves with fireplaces and rugs. They gathered in families or clans of about a score of individuals and never in large enough numbers to form a village or town.

Leprechauns were most likely to hold celebrations at dusk or dawn, at the equinoxes or solstices, and on shorelines, as all these things were considered border places or times.

Homelands
In the Realms, they were found in the Forest of Tethir, the Forest of Mir, and the High Forest. They were also known to be found in the escarpments, moors, and deciduous forests of the Moonshae Isles, including the Myrloch Vale.

Languages
Leprechauns spoke in the Sylvan language. They used first names and their clan name as a surname.

Religion
The patron deity of leprechauns was Sqeulaiche, Court Jester of the Seelie Court.

Notable Leprechauns

 * Red: a 14 century DR human wizard polymorphed into a leprechaun who decided he liked the new shape and remained one, embarking on a quest for gold.

Rumors & Legends
Some claimed that leprechauns had the power to grant wishes, much like genies, but would only do so as a means to gain back stolen treasure. They were said to be able to grant three wishes but would claim to be able to grant a fourth. If the wisher made a fourth wish, his or her three granted wishes would be reversed, and the hapless person would find him- or herself teleported miles away, never to find the leprechaun again.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds
 * Comics
 * Forgotten Realms (#23)
 * Video Games
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards
 * AD&D Trading Cards