Duwende

Small fey, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 40 (9d6 + 9)

Speed 25 ft., climb 15 ft.

STR 8 (−1) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 13 (+1) · INT 12 (+1) · WIS 14 (+2) · CHA 15 (+2)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4

Skills Insight +4, Perception +4, Stealth +7

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages Common, Sylvan, Tagalog

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Traits

House Bound. The duwende can turn invisible (as the invisibility spell, self only) while inside a building, under a floor, or within 5 feet of an exterior wall of a structure it claims as its “house.” The effect ends if it attacks.

Reflect Malice (Red Duwende). When a creature the duwende can see casts a spell of 1st level or lower that targets only the duwende, the spell is reflected back at the caster (no action). A reflected spell is treated as though the caster had targeted themself.

Measured Retribution. When the duwende is damaged, it marks the attacker until the end of the attacker’s next turn. The duwende’s next attack against a marked creature deals an extra 4 (1d8) psychic damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The duwende makes two Needle Bite attacks. It may substitute Spiteful Spit for one attack.

Needle Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

Spiteful Spit (Recharge 5–6). The duwende spits a glob of shimmering red slime at a creature it can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or suffer painful swelling. While swelling, the creature’s speed is halved, and it has disadvantage on weapon attack rolls. At the end of each of its turns, the target can repeat the save, ending the effect on a success.

Bonus Actions

Vanishing Scamper. The duwende moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks and then becomes invisible until the start of its next turn or until it attacks.

Reactions

Deflect Curse. When an attack or spell originating within 60 feet would deal necrotic damage or impose the poisoned condition on a creature the duwende can see other than itself, the duwende redirects the effect to itself (taking the damage or condition) and immediately gains advantage on its next attack roll against the original source.

Lore

Tiny goblin-like spirits who live under tree roots, in burrows, or inside houses. Some are kindly and bring luck; others avenge slights with illness or disasters.

In Filipino folklore, ideas about dwarf-like spirits revolve around two terms: “duwende” and “nuno sa punso.” A duwende is any goblin-type resident of a house, yard, or field, whereas a nuno sa punso is a narrowly specialized, hierarchical guardian of an anthill or termite mound—its name translates literally as “grandfather of the mound.” That difference shows in their behavior: the nuno, as a territorial elemental, takes instant revenge for any intrusion or physical damage to its mound, while the domestic duwende usually acts as an invisible playmate of children, able either to pull harmless pranks on the family or to shower them with luck when treated properly.

Outwardly, both kinds of spirits are described as dwarfs no taller than a small child but with the face—and especially the beard—of an old man; their eyes, nose, mouth, palms, and soles are often exaggeratedly large to underscore their non-human nature. The duwende’s most striking trait is its color coding, which signals temperament: white ones are friendly, red ones aggressive yet capable of fierce loyalty to a chosen person, and black ones embody malice, bringing illness, crop failure, and cursed rewards that crumble to dust. The nuno isn’t split into color factions, but its touchiness puts it closer to the red or black duwende; any hint of disrespect toward its mound is read as a direct challenge.

From Oceanian Bestiary 5E, p. 28 · Fern Flower Press