Ashmalkins are malicious fey that live in marshes and bogs on the borders of Faerie. They frequently trespass into mortal lands to tame stirges and cause mischief.

An ashmalkin is typically six inches long and weighs half a pound, although they fall as gently as a leaf due to the down concealed underneath the thistles on their body. Their thistle-bodies are usually shades of green, brown, or purple and their toad-like hands and faces are a bright, poisonous-looking crimson./p>

All ashmalkins speak Sylvan and Common, and may know other languages as well due to their intelligence.

Combat

Ashmalkins prefer fighting astride stirges, which compensate for their own limited mobility. They are skilled and daring riders, usually flying below the treetops for concealment. When mounts are unavailable, they are likely to attack from ambush, choosing positions that offer good cover and an escape route which larger creatures will be unable to follow. They delight in the alchemical additions that make even much bigger opponents take notice of their miniscule weapons.

Feather Fall (Sp). Three times per day, an ashmalkin can use a feather fall spell as if they were a 5^th level wizard.

Alchemical Weapons (Ex):

Shocklash. (+8 melee attack, 1d4 electrical nonlethal damage or +10 disarm attempt). When armed with this long strand of electrified wire, an ashmalkin has a reach of 5'. However, he does not threaten any squares and, as always, cannot make attacks of opportunity. A successful hit with the whip causes 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. The whip can also be used to make a disarm attempt by shocking an enemy's weapon. A shocking disarm does not trigger an attack of opportunity in return, and gives the ashmalkin a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the attack fails). However, the shocklash cannot attempt to disarm or deal nonlethal< damage to an enemy which has any degree of electrical resistance.

A shocklash costs 100 gp and can be created with Craft (Alchemy), DC 25. It is too small to be used by any creature of a size larger than Tiny.

Flamedart. (+8 ranged attack, 1d6 fire damage + 1 piercing damage). These exotic weapons are hurled with the aid of a wooden spear-thrower. The tip of each flamedart contains a concentrated blend of phosphorus and congealed marsh gas, which ignites on impact. If the dart manages to break the skin, this substance is able to burn even in the target's bloodstream. A successful hit adds 1d6 fire damage on the first round and 1 point on the next round. A hurled flamedart has a range increment of 10'.

A flamedart costs 30 gp and can be created with Craft (Alchemy), DC 25. It is too small to be used by any creature of a size larger than Tiny.

Firefly. (+8 ranged attack, 1 point fire damage). These crossbow bolts are treated with just enough alchemist's fire to cause 1 point of fire damage. Firefly bolts are used for long-range salvos and to detonate huskbombs. When fired from an ashmalkin's light crossbow, a firefly bolt has a range increment of 40'.

Ten firefly bolts cost 20 gp and can be created with Craft (Alchemy), DC 25. They are too small to be fired by any creature of a size larger than Tiny.

Huskbomb. (1d8 fire damage to same square, 1d4 to adjacent squares). A huskbomb is created by forcing a hollow husk to fill itself with marsh gas. This does not affect the hollow husk's movement, appearance, or behavior in any way; the difference between a huskbomb and a normal air-filled hollow husk can only be detected by scent. Any contact with flame causes the marsh gas to explode, which instantly destroys the hollow husk. Any creature unfortunate enough to be in the huskbomb's square receives 1d8 points of fire damage, and all creatures in adjacent squares receive 1d4.

The canister of marsh gas required to create a huskbomb costs 50 gp and can be created with Craft (Alchemy), DC 25. A canister of marsh gas will explode as if it were a huskbomb if it receives a single point of fire damage. Canisters have a hardness of 1 and 1 hit point. Because they are Fine targets, unattended canisters have an AC of 13.

Ashmalkins as Characters

An ashmalkin character exchanges its 1/2 HD of fey for its first class level.

Ashmalkin characters possess the following racial traits.

-6 Strength, +8 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +4 Intelligence, -4 Wisdom.

--Diminutive size. +4 bonus to Armor Class, +4 bonus on attack rolls, +12 bonus on Hide checks, -12 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 1/16 those of Medium characters. Almost all items, magical and otherwise, which are made for Small or Medium creatures are too large for an ashmalkin to use effectively.

--Space/Reach: 1 feet/0 feet. An ashmalkin never threatens a square and thus cannot make attacks of opportunity. Unless they are wielding a reach weapon, they must move into an opponent's square to make a melee attack, provoking an attack of opportunity.

--An ashmalkin's base land speed is 10 feet.

--Low-light vision.

--Racial Feats: An ashmalkin character receives Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

--Special Attacks (see above): An ashmalkin character can use ashmalkin alchemical weapons, but must purchase them or create them with the Craft (Alchemy) skill.

--Special Qualities (see above): Feather fall 3/day.

--Weapon familiarity: Ashmalkins treat flamedarts and shockwhips as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.

--Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Gnome, Halfling.

--Favored Class: Wizard.

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