To start off with, one thing I thought was really well done in BECMI / RC D&D was the rules for Creature Characters. 1 HD Creatures were never a problem, look over the creature, which human class were they closest to, and use that Experience table (+/- a small percentage due to special abilities or penalties), but what do you do with creatures that have a natural base of higher than 1HD?

Bruce A. Heard came up with a relatively simple system (Debuting in the Gazetteer 10: Orcs of Thar, 1988, TSR) His system may have been influenced by Paul Montgomery Crabaugh‘s “Customized Classes” (Dragon Magazine Issue 109, May 1986.), in which traits like Regeneration are given an experience percentage value. If a creature had a higher HD than 1, then the PC starts as a “Young” version and earns his way up to level 1. They started off with minus experience (Which is not really possible in 5e, I feel) So how should I handle this?

Then I saw Tim Gonzalez’s Lycanthropy Class (Goblin Games, 2016) that did basically the same thing. The character had to earn levels in their race (Just like BECMI), then they can Multiclass into another regular class. So this is what I decided to do. I present the Woodrake for 5e (Modified from PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folk, 1989, TSR)

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Woodrakes

Oberon: Woodrakes and their close relatives, the mandrakes and coldrakes, are in fact among our fairy kin, though many human scholars are not aware of this lineage. (Note: The elemental drakes are not fairies; they are related, but much more distantly, The Master DM’s Book accurately describes the true drakes’ limited shapechanging ability, similar to that of some other fairies; but it neglects to mention their ability of invisibility to mortals.)

The oversight is understandable. The woodrakes and their relatives are rarely encountered; and, being very Chaotic and elusive, they have not been particularly helpful to any sages that might have tried to study them. Their particularly Chaotic nature also steers them away from much involvement in our fairy society, although the bonds of kinship are recognized.

The drakes have long been considered a branch of the draconian family, which includes dragons and wyverns, on account of their similarity of appearance in their “true” form, like that of a small red dragon. Their shapechanging ability is similar to that of gold dragons, besides.

After the Great Rain of Fire proved how dangerous mortals could be to the world, one group of fairies formed with the express purpose of keeping humanity (and its demi-human brethren) from ever becoming capable of repeating the Blackmoor cataclysm.

As their symbol, these fairies chose the red dragon: a symbol of wildness, of chaos, of fire; fire that would oppose the ice age that enveloped the Blackmoor continent, and by burning in small and selective amounts, would prevent the climactic flames of another Great Rain.

Chaos was the ideology of the drakes; but not mindlessness, or evil, or necessarily the Chaos of the Immortals of Entropy. Law, they were firmly convinced, was the true evil, for it ultimately led to stagnation, and thence self-destruction. Chaos was necessary to promote actual progress, to permit the proliferation of life.

To pursue their goals, the Drakes had little to do in fairy society; instead, they infiltrated the societies of men, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, to promote their philosophy and put it into action. Many of the creatures, particularly woodrakes, remain friendly to their distant fairy kin, but contact has become rare.

Over the course of nearly 4,000 years, the drakes have naturally developed and changed, and it’s doubtful that even one member of the first generation is still in that incarnation. Their descendants have evolved into the three distinct groups of mandrakes, woodrakes, and coldrakes, according to which communities they exist within; their “natural” shape has become that of the drake (the shape which members of the old organization took when they met), and they can all change to the forms of the humans and demi-humans with whom they live. Woodrakes can take the shapes of halflings and elves, and hide themselves in those communities.

The ideology of Chaos is no longer such a conscious concern of drakes; but it has become an integral part of their nature, attitudes, and tendencies. Most woodrakes see no reason not to act any way they wish, and see no need to justify their behavior.

A small number of drakes are aware of the legacy. The mortals sometimes label these beings “good.” Such drakes may take it upon themselves to pursue the old ideals through adventuring; they seek out places where corrupt order has taken a firm hold, and try to overthrow it. They still believe that all order is inherently corrupt, and only in anarchy can nature properly assert itself; but the task of destroying all order is far too vast. Therefore, they reason, it is best to concentrate on evil tyranny and the like, places where “law” has obviously already gone bad. Chaotic woodrakes may thus ally themselves temporarily with servants of law, to achieve the shared goal of fighting injustice.

But other drakes even more willingly associate with evil beings of Chaotic nature, and may even themselves embrace evil. It might be from some perverted conviction or other, but more often these woodrakes, like any other imperfect creatures, have been seduced by lust for power or even simpler selfishness.

Larceny is the strong suit and favorite pursuit of the drakes. Thieves’ abilities developed originally in their activities of spying, theft, and sabotage, executed to destabilize corrupt order. But for many now it is an obsession, like the disorder kleptomania among humans. Their urge to steal may be difficult to check. Being fairies, woodrakes’ needs are few and easily met; they therefore delight in stealth, deceit, disguise, and theft in themselves, as recreation, not for what might be gained. Objects that might be stolen are appraised not in terms of their monetary value so much as how challenging the theft might be, Thus, nearly worthless trinkets kept under lock, key, and burly guard would be far more desirable than a jewel-encrusted golden crown lying beside a road.

CONCEALED AND DISGUISED
Woodrakes spend almost all of their lives appearing as an elf or a halfling. They use their adopted community as a way to hide often in plain sight. Using this concealment, they spy on the community and the nearby communities.

AN IMMORTAL PERSPECTIVE
Death is seen in a special light by woodrakes, and all fairies. It merely marks a change in the cycle of their existence, when their spirit abandons one body, and is reborn as another fairy (after 0-999 years of mortal time). Age has no meaning for the Good People, and they do not suffer natural diseases. (Magical diseases, such as mummy rot, may affect them.) Death comes either through violence, accident, or magic; or, more typically, a fairy tires of its form, and chooses to give it up and be reborn.

The absence of a fear of death or aging is a notable aspect of fairy character, even more extreme than that of elves. It gives them a truly experimental, adventurous outlook on existence. And, like elves, fairies are immune to the paralysis of ghouls, since this preys on a victim’s fear of death.

In spite of this, few fairies willingly jump into violent deaths; they still feel pain, and prefer to avoid it. Besides, adventures are more fun if you can see them through to the finish. (Also, a reincarnated fairy loses the powers and experience, and usually the memories of its previous existence.)

WOODRAKE TRAITS
Creature Type: Fey
Size:
Halfling form: Small (about 3-4 feet tall)
Elf Form: Medium (about 5 feet tall)
Speed: 30 feet
Life Span: Although Woodrakes reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the Fey understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. A woodrake typically claims adulthood around the age of 100 and can live as long as they wish, by typically at age 750, they give up their current form to be brought back as another type of Fey.

As a Woodrake, you have these special traits.

HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: ld8 per woodrake level.
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8+ your Constitution modifier.
Hit Points at Higher Levels: ld8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per woodrake level after 1^st

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields (woodrakes will not wear armor or use shields made of metal)
Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears
Tools: Herbalism
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a Scimitar or (b) any martial melee weapon
• (a) a wooden shield or (b) any simple weapon

Leather armor, an explorer’s pack, and a herbalist kit.

Class Limitation: If a Woodrake mutli-classes, they cannot become Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks or any class that gains its power from religion or other worldly sources.

Magic Item Restrictions: Any magic item that has to be activated (wands, scrolls, rings or helms with activatable spells) does not work for a Wooddrake until he is level 5 or higher. This is due to the Fey’s otherworldly origins.  Above that, there is still a chance it will not work, and a chance that the item backfires or has unexpected results.

When you use one of these items roll on a d20 and modify the roll with your Wisdom adjustment. Then refer to the Levelling table.

(S = Success, F= Failed to use, U = Unexpected result, and B = Backfires)

Languages: You speak Elven, Halfling, the local Common Language, and Fairy.

Stealthy: You begin play with proficiency in 2 of the following skills: Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Deception, Nature, or Survival (Forest)

Fey Bloodline: as a member of the Fey Races, you are immune to paralysis caused by Ghouls and other undead. That paralysis is caused by a fear of death, which the Fey do not have.

You also gain advantage on saving throws against magical Charms

Unsleeping: Fey do not sleep. Because of this, they have advantage on any saving throw rolls made to prevent magical sleep.

Multiple Forms: At first level, a Wood drake has a Drake form, an Elf form and a Halfling form A Woodrake is able to change his form between his three “natural” forms using a regular action.

Elven Form:In your Elven form, you appear as a wood elf. This however does not give you any of the special abilities of a Wood Elf. This can make it harder for a woodrake to hide in elven society, being unable to use darkvision. They are able simulate their Hiding ability with their Invisibility to Mortals, at higher levels, though.

Halfling Form: In your Halfling form, you appear as a Halfling. Like the elf, you do not gain any of the Halfling abilities, EXCEPT “Halfling Nimbleness”.

Your Elf and Halfling forms are permanent, and when you become one of these forms you always take the same form. (So you cannot change your shape to copy a specific Halfling, or change your hair color or other traits to hide.) Your Halfling and Elf forms also portray similar if not near identical facial features, and so If a someone is very familiar with one form, they may recognize the other form as the same woodrake, or may feel like it is an amazing coincidence.

When changing between your Elf and Halfling forms, any clothing, non-magical armor, or equipment will change size to be appropriate. Magical items made by a fellow Fey will be able to change size as well, but mortal made magic items will not. (Longswords become short swords, clothes change size, However Chainmail +1 will stay the same size.)

Drake Form: All equipment and items are transformed into part of your drake form. The Drake form of a Woodrake appears as a medium sized dragon (same height has your Elf-form.). You have wings with claws on the end, but no arms or hands. This prevents you from using any weapons. Your Drake form typically will have forest colored scales (Greens and Browns being the most common).

Your drake form can fly at your base movement rate, outside of combat or stressful situations, Drakes may fly at 3x their normal flight speed. (So 90’ instead of 30’)

Drakes get 3 attacks a round (Claw, Claw, Bite)

The drake form has special Combat statistics depending upon the character’s level.

The Base AC still benefits from Dexterity, and any magical Defense Item, worn before transforming. So as example, a 3^rd level Drake with Dexterity of 15 would have AC 17.

If that same drake had a Ring of Protection +1 on his Halfling or Elf forms, then his AC would be 18.

Second Sight: at 3^rd level, Second sight enables one to recognize a fairy’s true form, even if the fairy is invisible to mortals, polymorphed, or shapechanged.

At 5^th level, it allows the Drake to see any item that has had it’s shape changed by magic, or made invisible.

Invisibility to Mortals. This ability become available at 5^th level. The woodrake cannot be seen, except by those creatures with second sight; hence, this is different from normal magical invisibility, which makes its subject disappear to everyone.

Remembered Skills: A Woodrake of 7^th level is able to recall 1 skill of their choice from their previous lives. You choose any 1 skill and become proficiency in it.

At 13^th level and 17^th level, they may either become experts in a skill they know or gain proficiency in another skill. If they become experts, they gain double their proficiency bonus in that skill.

Spell Immunity. Woodrakes of 9^th level or higher have limited spell immunity. The woodrake may have a number of “spell-immune rounds” per day equal to twice his proficiency bonus. In those rounds, the woodrake is immune to any spells of fourth level or below. The immunity must be announced as a bonus action, and lasts until his next action. During those rounds, the woodrake may not cast any spells, or use any magic items that require activation (rings, scrolls, wands, etc.

Fairy Charms: A woodrake of 11^th level gains the ability to cast Fairy Charms as if they were regular spells, if they are a spellcasing class. If they are not a spellcaster class, then the Woodrake still gains the ability to cast fairy charms up to the level of their Wisdom Bonus + their Charisma Bonus.

If a Woodrake has a 15 Wisdom (+2) and a Charisma of 18 (+4) then they can cast a number of charms that equal 6 levels in a day (From Sundown to Sunset). (6 1^st level charms, 2 3^rd level charms, 3 2^nd level charms, etc)

At 15^th level, the Woodrake can add their proficiency bonus to the number of Charms they can cast per day.

At 19^th level, the Woodrake can add double their proficiency bonus in the day.

Woodrake Racial Class

Magic Item Use

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Drake AC	Drake Bite	Drake Claws	U	B	F	S
1st	+2	Fey Bloodline, Unsleeping, Multiple Forms	12	1d3	1d2		0	1+
2nd	+2		14	1d4	1d2		0	1+
3rd	+2	Second Sight	16	1d6	1d4		0	1+
4th	+2	Normal Woodrake	18	1d8	1d4		0	1+
5th	+3	Invisibility to Mortals	18	1d8	1d4		1~2	3~19	20+
6th	+3		18	1d8	1d4	1	2	3~19	20+
7th	+3	Remembered Skill	19	2d4	1d6	1	2	3~18	19+
8th	+3		19	2d4	1d6	1	2	3~17	18+
9th	+4	Limited Spell Immunity	20	2d4	1d6	1	2	3~17	18+
10th	+4		20	1d10	1d6	1	2	3~16	17+
11th	+4	Fairy Charms	21	1d10	1d8	1	2	3~16	17+
12th	+4		21	1d10	1d8	1	2	3~15	16+
13th	+5	Remembered Skill	22	1d12	1d8	1	2	3~15	16+
14th	+5		22	1d12	1d8	1	2	3~14	15+
15th	+5	Fairy Charms	23	1d12	2d4	1	2	3~14	15+
16th	+5		23	2d6	2d4	1	2	3~13	14+
17th	+6	Remembered Skill	24	2d6	1d10	1	2	3~13	14+
18th	+6		24	2d6	1d10	1	2	3~12	13+
19th	+6	Fairy Charms	25	3d6	1d10	1	2	3~12	13+
20th	+6		25	3d6	1d12	1	2	3~11	12+

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Just A note: Using this system, the Woodrake does not necessarily need to take another class and can go straight up to Level 20 just as their race.

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