Boggart

Boggarts, sometimes called "boggies", were the immature forms of will-o'-wisps who often took the form of a small humanoid via their shapeshifting abilities.

Description
Boggarts' shapechanging ability allowed them to take on a small humanoid's appearance and that of a will-o'-wisp, but smaller and brighter than the regular wisps. The humanoid shape could be a perfect imitation of an individual they had witnessed or studied in the past.

Abilities
Even though talented shape-changers, most boggarts could not stay in a halfling or other small humanoid form. They transformed back into their original form after 10-12 minutes.

In any of their forms, boggarts possessed the ability to become invisible for up to twelve minutes at a time, ofter utilizing it along with their terrible ability to cause confusion via unbearable noise.

Most spells were useless against boggarts, leaving them only vulnerable to magic missile, maze, and protection from evil.

When boggarts took on the will-o'-wisp shape, they could move through solid objects up to thick. This ability was limited by metal and living creatures.

Personality
Boggarts could understand all languages via their ESP ability, albeit limited. Even though they were quite intelligent, boggarts' oratory skills were not polished, leaving them with a very basic speech.

When shapeshifting, boggarts preferred to take on the form of humanoid creatures such as halflings, gnomes, goblins, imps, xvarts, or young norkers.

While boggarts were predatorily creatures, they could be found in the civilized areas causing malicious mischief There were cases of boggarts taking on forms of townies while ambushing, robbing, and killing unwary victims.

Combat
Boggarts could use tools and weapons but often attacked with their electrifying touch. The same lightning damage could be done by them via a lightning bolt of range every two minutes.

Another dangerous ability they utilize in combat and hunt was confusion. These small creatures could confuse their prey once a day by screaming, screeching, whistling, creating a thunderous ruckus for two whole minutes. This confusion affected all creatures within the radius of centered at the clamorous boggart. The confusion could not be stopped by simply plugging one's ears and affected its targets for seven and a half minutes. The only way to stop a boggart attempting to cause confusion was striking it successfully.

When faced with defeat and suffering serious injuries, boggarts used all resources and abilities to escape danger. Most of the time, they accomplished that by going invisible or flying away in the will-o'-wisp form.

Society
Boggarts were known to live in solitude or groups. Most had lairs in the wilderness, but were known to infest more civilized areas.

Ecology
Boggarts' dual forms meant that they needed both meat and life force to live, grow, and mature. They used the shapeshifting ability to lure humanoids into the swamps and forests to be consumed and hunted more dangerous creatures that considered their small humanoid form prey. Once the boggart's prey was consumed, the body and life force were gone and impossible to resurrect.

Uses
Members of the Cult of the Dragon used boggart skeletons, among other ingredients, to craft powerful blue variety of the dragon's tooth wondrous item that could summon loyal blue-armored warriors in service of the cultists.

Essence of an will-o'-wisp or boggart was one of the material components for the secret page spell.

History
In 1358 DR, a general trades store, the Maltese Roc, owned by a retired halfling fighter Samual Hart, was taken over by a group of boggarts. The mischievous creatures captured and impersonated the owner and the store's employees until their enterprise was interrupted by a group of unnamed adventurers.

Notable

 * Humphrey, Bakall, and Heppbyrn: the three boggarts who took over operations of the Maltese Roc general store and pawnshop in 1358 DR.

Trivia

 * Some sages believed that boggarts were brownies who suffered an alignment change for one reason or another.
 * A benevolent lawful good variety of boggarts was described in Dragon magazine 239. That version of the creature was unrelated to the boggarts who appeared in the Realms.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Maltese Roc