Sprite
Sprites are mythological creatures; the term originates from a Latin word meaning "spirit", but it is most commonly used outside of /tg/ media as a generic term for elves and other faeries.
In Dungeons & Dragons, sprites refer to a specific branch of Tiny sized fey who generally appear as diminutive and often insect-winged elves. The pixie is technically considered a kind of sprite, but the D&D common sprite is very different; whilst the pixie is more playful and magic-focused, sprites tend to be more warlike, relying on magical arrows to swiftly defeat much larger foes. In Basic, the Sprite was one of the many fey races made playable in "The Wee Folk", the first of the Creature Catalogs. In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the Sprite family tree was divided into Sprite, Sea Sprite, Pixie, Nixie, Atomie and Grig.
| Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition Races | |
|---|---|
| Basic Set | Dwarf • Elf • Hobbit • Human |
| Creature Crucible 1 | Brownie • Centaur • Dryad • Faun • Hsiao • Leprechaun • Pixie • Pooka • Redcap • Sidhe • Sprite • Treant • Wood Imp • Wooddrake |
| Creature Crucible 2 | Faenare • Gnome • Gremlin • Harpy • Nagpa • Pegataur • Sphinx • Tabi |
| Creature Crucible 3 | Kna • Kopru • Merrow • Nixie • Sea Giant • Shark-kin • Triton |
| Dragon Magazine | Cayma • Gatorman • Lupin • N'djatwa • Phanaton • Rakasta • Shazak • Wallara |
| Hollow World | Beastman • Brute-Man • Hutaakan • Krugel Orc • Kubitt • Malpheggi Lizard Man |
| Known World | Bugbear • Goblin • Gnoll • Hobgoblin • Kobold • Ogre • Troll |
Monstergirls
As the sprite is pretty much interchangeable with the fairy and the pixie, it goes without saying that sprites are definitely represented amongst that niche of monstergirls fans who love tiny cute sylvan MGs. A theoretical D&D-based sprite monstergirl would basically be a tiny elven amazon - sort of like a kubbit with flight.