Bramble Faerie [Petty]

Brambles look like shriveled miniature people with dark, creased skin, long pointed nails on fingers and toes, ears far sharper than an elf's, and a pair of bare spines rising from their backs, like the frame of tiny dragon wings with no membrane. They usually wear little suits of spiked plate armor, and the wing spines poke out through holes in the backplate, so observers often mistake them for extra-long armor spikes. Brambles speak their own tongue and those of most other faerie folk.

The bramble's spiked armor is both shield and weapon. It grants AC 2, and its barbs punish anything that gets too close: an animal that tries to bite or swallow a bramble, or a humanoid that grabs one bare-handed, takes 1d4 damage automatically. Someone with protected hands avoids injury only by rolling above that hand armor's AC on 1d12, with no Dexterity or shield bonus.

To attack, a bramble simply flings itself at an enemy, using normal attack and damage rolls. It will wrestle creatures about its own height (a foot or less), dealing 1d2 a round on top of the wrestling result.

One bramble in ten has venomous wing spines that cause a searing burn: a -2 penalty on attacks and damage lasting 2d10 rounds, stacking with each further dose. A save vs. poison at -3 halves both penalty and duration. These venomous brambles have no qualms about using it on dissenters in their own band, so they usually lead.

Brambles are among the most aggressive and spiteful of all faeries. Rumor holds that the first ones were outcasts driven from 'polite' faerie society, and their size, name and love of sharp things point to the gorse as their likely ancestors. Bands are often found mounted on porcupines, hedgehogs, al-mi'raj and other odd steeds, roaming like strange pixie knights.