Fey, metal and Faerun

wvincenti · Post by **wvincenti** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:06 am

It came up elsewhere so I've got to ask.
What do the sourcebooks say about fey and metal in Faerun?

Sorry, I haven't owned a Monster Manual since 1st edition.

-Bill

Brimsar the Wanderer · Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:17 am

Keep in mind that Fey are intelligent creatures and while stereo typically Fey may not like "metal", a particular group may have good reason to dislike, distrust it.

Brokenbone · Post by **Brokenbone** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:18 am

Less a Faerun thing and more an "everywhere" thing in D&D and the D20 system, you'll find a lot of fey have damage resistance that can only be overcome by cold iron.

Much like werecreatures mightn't want you to serve them a meal on a silver platter, fey might end up howling bloody murder at someone with too much iron at hand. Just like a treant will look askew at someone with an axe.

wvincenti · Post by **wvincenti** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:24 am

Ah...
so a listing like this Damage Reduction: 5/cold iron
should be read as damage reduction of 5 against anything that isn't cold iron?
As in a cast iron skillet, not steel?

-Bill

Brokenbone · Post by **Brokenbone** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:33 am

Cold iron is different than any other sort of iron. Or steel.

That said, if a particular group/conclave/tribe/organization of fey have a hate on for mannish tools, anything ripped from the bowels of the earth, bla bla bla, you can imagine there being an easily justified reason for a taboo. Fey are most enjoyable (IMHO) when they've got a bit of an unpredictable, alien mindset... much like how there'd be all kinds of old English folklore about them having shoe fetishes (brownies), being owed any milk spilled in a dairy ("don't cry over spilled milk"), the whole stealing kids for changelings deal, being repelled by baked goods like bread, etc.

A whole mixed bag of fetishes and taboos possibly altered by region seems to work, I don't know that there's a big book of fey do's and don'ts for Faerun. Each region will have had its different experiences (Drow of the Cormanthor vs. Zhent occupation of other Dales vs. other situations).

wvincenti · Post by **wvincenti** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:37 am

*laughs*

Yeah, the pixies of Shadowdale are decidedly of a different mindset from the pixies and other fey in Daggerdale. At least they don't shoot first and ask questions later in one of the two places.

*chuckles*

Thanks for the info!

-Bill

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:47 am

That's what that means, yes (in terms of DR)- the cold iron vs. fey is an occasionally-mentioned canon thing, inspired by european folklore. Generally fey are not terribly well developed in WotC canon, so bit and pieces of things elsewhere get worked in as well to fill in the gaps (Changeling kiths, etc). One source I was pointed at while doing research on them for a Northern Cormyr plot a while back was this:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/fey

Which does reference cold iron, seelie and unseelie courts, and many other tidbits of fey lore. It's not FR-specific, so of course subject to the Greenwood Rule.

Granted of course, cold iron is a very specific subset of metal.

None of this particularly restricts DMs from inventing specific preferences or vulnerabilities with specific groups of fey though- which is what the situation that drew the initial inquiry reflected. The actual intent of the DM(s?) in question may well have been plot-related, but forgotten over time and change of personnel- happens all the time in places like ALFA. At some point these things become a part of the ALFA-canon, and add depth and interest to an area, even if they don't serve any clear or current plot purpose. They also stand to give opportunity for future explanation/development by creative and enterprising DMs.

I would generally agree that most fey would have no problem with most metal. Fey that have specific vulnerabilities to Cold Iron, may have a strong dislike for cold iron, since it's not the sort of thing that gets used for much besides overcoming said vulnerabilities.

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:53 am

The "not-so-nice" fey crop up elsewhere as well- Nyar did plenty with them on Sembia, and for a while I was using them as the main antagonist on Northern Comryr.

Even on Shadowdale, we've had pony-stealing Satyrs, bloodthirsty revengeful Thornes, insane tainted dryads, and xenophobic hybsil.

The laughing happy pixies of Shadowdale are just the ones people tend to remember well.