Well, don’t we seem to be getting wild? The Fairy from Wild Beyond the Witchlight is a new race option for this tumultuous circus environment. And what a great player race to have on your side! From incredible acts of Fey trickery to generally stellar moments of revelry, Fairies are going to be hilarious to play with. So, our Fairy 5E Guide will tell you about them.
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Fairy 5E Guide
Fairies make up one of the two new races from Wild Beyond the Witchlight. The Fairy race might be one of the most powerful races that has been introduced to Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. To know exactly why, one might need to dig a little bit deeper into their race.
Fairy Lore
Fairies are the gateway between the world of the Feywild and common folk from human settlements. Through their brief time interacting with humans, many Fairies have learned Common. Thus they can be potent messengers between the insane world that they inhabit and our own.
They have not forgotten their roots, however. Much like the smaller Pixie and Sprite, the Fairy has nearly infinite energy that they use to carry out fey tricks. This manifests in their insanely potent natural magic, which many fairies use for protection or humiliation.
Fairies tend to slip out of the Feywild to prey on innocent humans commonly, but that doesn’t mean they are cruel by nature. They are mirthful, easy to have fun with, and love a good song or folk tale. But, when they or their friends are in danger, their jests will turn to barbs quickly.
Language
Every fairy character begins with two languages: Common and a language of your choice. Often, fairies will also know Sylvan due to their fey ancestry. However, any secondary language could be appropriate so long as a DM agrees.
The Lifespan of a Fairy
There are certain races that naturally outlive others in the world of D&D. Elves, for example, can live for hundreds of years. That is not the case for fairies, however. In 5th Edition D&D, the life span of the average fairy is around a century.
Fairy Traits
While the Fairy lost some of their magic in the process of becoming playable, that doesn’t mean they didn’t take anything over. The Fairy is a Fey creature, allowing it to dodge the powerful Hold Person and Dominate Person spells. In addition, they are Small – limiting their use of Heavy weaponry – with 30 feet of walking speed.
Ability Score Increases
The Fairy has very flexible ability score increases; +2 in one stat and +1 in another, or three +1 stat boosts across three different statistics. This allows for insanely flexible builds, from Wizards and Sorcerers to Fighters and Rogues. Just make sure that +2 lands on an Attribute that makes you build shine!
Fairy Magic
Fairy Magic is a traditional scaling magic racial trait. It starts with Druidcraft, then gains Faerie Fire at level 3. Finally, you get Enlarge/Reduce at level 5. This spell list is fun, but not insanely helpful in every situation. However, you get free casts of them, and actually learn them if you have a spell list. That can be handy as you trample your way through the Witchlight! Surely some fancy magic will catch the imagination of passersby.
Flight
Finally, you get a Fly speed. In order to have this fly speed, you can’t be in medium or heavy armor, and the flight is equal to your walking speed. Still, this is fantastic! You become effectively immune to melee damage, and can place yourself in the perfect position to ignore cover. This is insanely handy, but you are slower than the Aarakocra race; one of the other flying races. You might not be breaking the sound barrier, but boy will you keep yourself safe. Perfect for any class with ranged capabilities, and especially good for casters and Warlocks alike.
What Class Goes Well with Fairy?
Because of the flexible approach to ability score increases that the Fairy has, it is possible to create an optimal build of virtually any class in 5E. Although ability scores will not get in your way, there are still some class options that are stronger than others.
The most important consideration for fairy characters is the limitation on your ability to fly. While you do have a flight speed equal to your walking speed, your character cannot use it when they are wearing medium or heavy armor. For that reason, it make the most sense to focus on subclasses that do not rely on this armor in the first place.
Arcane Trickster Rogue
I love the idea of a fairy arcane trickster. For starters, flight is great for any rogue and you will never rely on the type of armor that impacts your flight speed. Flying gives you so many options for doing a little second story work or getting out of a dicey situation when the stealth rolls go sideways.
Fairy magic is also a nice fit for the arcane trickster. Not only can fairy fire give you easy access to advantage on your attacks (and the sneak attack damage that comes with it) but you will also have the option to cast the spell again using your rogue’s spell slots.
Artillerist Artificer
Fighting from range is a common theme with our fairy builds. This should come as no surprise, as flight is an excellent option for ranged combat. With an artillerist artificer, you can focus your fire with your ballista from the safety of the skies.
The additional spells that come from Fairy Magic don’t hurt either. In fact, relying on Fairy Fire to gain advantage on attacks while firing from range is one of the best uses of the spell. What’s more, you can use your spell slots to cast it again.
Swarmkeeper Ranger
The swarmkeeper ranger is always a fun option, but it is especially nice for fairy characters. This is because the swarmkeeper is naturally a great long-range sniper. If you add flying speed to that mix, you can use your swarmkeeper ability to tack on additional damage instead of using it for the hover speed. The ability to fly also allows you to stay at range and get out of tricky situations.
FAQ
Is Fairy a Playable Race in 5E?
Yes. Since the release of Wild Beyond the Witchlight, the fairy has been a playable race in D&D 5E.
Can a Fairy Be a Paladin?
There is nothing in the mechanics of 5E that prevents a fairy from being a paladin. However, the paladin class is likely not the most optimal option available. This is because paladins generally rely on heavy armor, which reduces the fly speed of a fairy to zero.
Wrapping Up The Fairy 5E Race Guide
The Fairy race is actually incredibly strong! Try it out the next time you want Flight early on in your career. That being said, the Harengon shouldn’t be ignored! Check them out too, if you want some fey spirit in your campaign.
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