[In earlier editions of D&D, a grugach was a type of elf. In real folklore, a grugach is the shepherd equivalent of a brownie–a secretive faerie that aids farmers if appeased and torments them if offended. My version is a little out of column A, a little out of column B.]
Grugach This woman has the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. Her
hair grows bushy and wild, and seems to move of its own accord.
A grugach is a fey
creature of the pasture, and they are deeply attuned to domestic animals. As
such, they tend to live in close proximity to herdsmen and shepherds, tending
to their animals when the humanoids are away or assisting covertly when they
are present. Like many household fey, grugachs can be wildly temperamental, and
a grugach that is offended or slighted may take their revenge by tying knots in
the animal’s wool, stealing their milk, or simply letting them wander away into
the wilds.
Most grugachs live
solitary, reclusive lives, but they sometimes gather together for company or
come into social connection with mortals. Their hooves, horns and animate hair
render them somewhat intimidating to many people, and many grugachs have been
shunned by society. Some scholars suggest that grugachs are the result of
mortals interbreeding with wild fey such as satyrs and korreds, but grugachs
themselves scorn this idea.
Grugachs advance by
character level, and most prefer to take classes that are tied to nature, such
as rangers, druids or hunters. Bards are also common—grugachs have a deep
appreciation for music, and their haunting melodies are often heard in the
fields.
Grugachs as Characters +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength. Grugachs are quick and intuitive,
but their muscles are built more for speed than strength Medium size Fey type Normal Speed A grugach has a land speed of 30 feet. Low-light vision Natural attack A grugach gains a gore attack as a primary natural weapon
that deals 1d6 points of damage. Precise Step A grugach can take 5 foot steps in difficult terrain Wild Soul A grugach gains a +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and
Knowledge (nature) checks. If she takes a class that grants the wild empathy
class feature, she gains a +4 racial bonus on the check. Writhing Hair The animate hair of a grugach wraps itself around the
grugach’s opponents in close quarters. She gains a +2 competence bonus to
Combat Maneuver checks and Combat Manuever Defense. Languages A grugach begins play speaking Common and Sylvan. Grugachs with high Intelligence scores may choose from the following bonus languages: Aklo, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc
Grugach are mostly known from the farmlands of Reb’ka and Munab, where they usually serve as intermediaries between humans and wilder fey like dryads. They despise the wicked bogles above all other foes, and will always help humans to fight these dangerous fey. Gladian grugachs have horns like a pronghorn’s, and their skin is marked with similar patterns of tan and white.
Shores of Swords 