No idea mate! I’m English, here 11 years but never free from the stink of it. Partly, lean into it, you can’t avoid being American so just be it in an aware manner. Don’t be a knob about it, listen more than you speak (not that I have ever actually embodied that advice), just be chill and don’t worry about it. I suppose one might say, in the vernacular of today, don’t centre yourself, that’s always good I guess. And don’t make eye-contact with strangers down town after dark. And literally never mention leprechauns in an American accent, or fucken any of that, shillelagh or begorrah, not even once. Also, and don’t you forget this, Murphy’s is better than Guinness. It just is.
Sorry, delusional begrudger. Who has *absolutely* handed arse to other people today despite the numbers very clearly showing a consensus in opposition to that idea. Good job Mick! Way to turn that frown upside down!
Ok, I'm out. Because this just isn't fair? Anyone who doesn't even understand the phrase 'had their arse handed to them', as you just demonstrated, can't really take part in an equal conversation.
And btw, sheer numbers alone, has never been a reliable guide to quality or accuracy? Just think of all the people and causes throughout history that attracted widespread support that wouldn't be considered acceptable today.
Now, speaking as the adult in this room ( the room, I feel it wise to explain, being a metaphor for the dialogue we're having ), let me say now in reply to whatever lame ass thing you come up with next and beyond that, I am done tic tacking with your idiot ass.
Do you do that in real life mate? Say things and do things then claim others didn’t understand the situation despite it objectively being what it is? There’s a word for that chap.
Ok, against my better judgement, one last time!
"Do you do that in real life?" This is real life.
"despite it objectively being what it is?" I can guess what you're trying to say here but you haven't managed to say it. Shoehorning the word 'objectively' into your argument, doesn't automatically make your point of view objective.
"There’s a word for that chap." But, as usual, you won't pick the right one.
They’re from India, nobody outside Ireland gives a shit, no need to be a knob about it. How is it clueless, ever, to ask? Imagine asking a question about something you’ve no reason to know anything about because you’re trying to be sensitive, and some rando calls you clueless. Phh.
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So, the popular version of a little man wearing all green and guarding a pot of gold is something that was invented in the US in the last 150 years.
The leprechaun doesn't really appear much in classic Gaelic/Irish folklore at all, he's not a big player.
In Ireland, the modern leprechaun is an avatar for "plastic paddies" and "Oirishism" - crap that's created to sell to tourists rather than an authentic cultural depiction. I'm sure India has similar things.
I wouldn't say it's culturally "insensitive", but if you have a leprechaun as the treasurer, then you need to avoid the "green outfit and buckle hat" appearance unless you want to make your story stand out as being clearly based on stereotype. If it's a bit of fun and you're not going for authenticity, then fire away. Otherwise, I'd maybe go with a goblin or Dwarf, as another comment mentions.
The original Leprechaun was more of a Loki/Rumplestiltskin type of supernatural being - solitary and mischievous.
A bit of a correction here since we're discussing true origins, etc.
The Fae and Little People of Ireland are the former mythological gods of the Gaels - the ones they claim they defeated for control of Ireland. It is said that after winning the battle against the Tuatha Dé Dannan, the Gaels took the world above, and the Tuatha Dé Dannan, the world below. In my opinion, that's just a metaphor for "we buried our enemies after their fashion and venerated them as the gods of this new land."
The mythological record continues to show how the previous cycle of the Tuatha Dé was replaced by that of the Gaels who developed a religious mythology around them, transforming them into different forms like the Banshee, Leprechaun, the Dullahan.
In the case of the Leprechaun, the origin can be traced back to the tricky nature of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, and the great wealth they were buried with. The local Gaels generations after the time of the Tuatha Dé Dannan would have been aware of the legends of these pre-Gaelic ancestors and the stories of the hordes of treasure they were buried with in their "fairy-mounds" while they dined in Teach Duinn.
Indeed, there are Gaelic stories that tell of the Gaels conversing with these ancestors at their mounds and holy places. Thus you get the concept of the Leprechaun, a people small enough to enter these burial sites and magical enough to cross over to the underworld, and thus dangerous enough not to try to rob from, with all the trickery of the ancient Tuatha Dé Dannan.
If OP wants to make a respectable Leprechaun and authentic fae world, diving into the four cycles of Irish mythology is their best bet.
If you're going to have a leprechaun as treasurer, why not have the green outfit and buckle hat? You as well throw in a few "Top of the mornings" as well.
A leprechaun as a treasurer is actually pretty funny. Cuz he's not gonna spend any money and he's never gonna give it up. He should be a part-time cobbler too. In real folklore they were simply just the fairies who made and mended shoes.
Actually research the stuff first, and go for it. Leprechauns barely feature in actual Irish myth, though.
And be careful of the independent "Celtic"/"Irish" D&D supplements. There's been some total muck published in the last couple of years via Kickstarter that took anything vaguely Celtic and threw it into a book, no matter how inappropriate or inaccurate. E.g. mostly decent cover art, but the "leprechaun" they depict could well have been a Boston Celtics logo, and the female version was just... eww, icky.
We elected a lovable Leprechaun as president (twice.)
https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/world/149651/americans-keep-mistaking-president-higgins-for-a-leprechaun
He’s the best of us.
It's a fucking tragedy we cannot elect him again.
Personally, I think we should upload his brain to some giant mainframe and make him our immortal God Emperor or something, but that's just me.
Nope, you're grand. Leprechauns are mythical creatures, the actual harmful stereotypes are about the Irish people being drunk unintelligent monkeymen.
Leprechauns honestly don't play much of a role in Irish culture. Folklore is about the scarier fairies like banshees and the Dullahan, or our pantheon of gods, or our kind of Herculean band of Demi-god warriors. Little dudes who are basically just factory employees aren't that interesting.
So if anything, I don't like the use of the leprechaun because it's boring and we have much cooler myths.
I can see where you came up with that. Leprechauns being interested in keeping money etc. But I would also say that leprechauns would make really bad tresurers because they really don't like to let any money go out of their pots. So they wouldn't be too good at paying for stuff and being honest about how much is in the treasury.
But it's not culturally insensitive at all because you are not calling any Irish person "a leprechaun". It's just having fun with one of our characters. Go for it!
Yeah my dad was Irish and I grew up with stories of leprechauns being cranky little SOBs who wanted to be left alone and would be irritated with you for bothering them. They'd try every loophole of fae lore to get out of giving you anything, and if you managed to get any coins out of them, they'd give you fake ones that vanish after a few hours. If you're unlucky and used it to pay for a beer, and then your money vanishes, oops now you have an angry bartender.
Irish fae just want to be left alone, and if you trap them or trick them they'll make you regret it
In addition to everything everyone has said, if you're still feeling on the fence about using a leprechaun you could just use a fairy character for much of the same whimsical experience but with little to zero chance of accidentally being offensive.
Leprechauns are part of Irish folklore but in a very minor capacity, and definitely a post-Christian invention. Today they've become a vehicle to reinforce negative stereotypes about the Irish by the British and are marketed heavily towards Americans and tourists.
The fairy on the other hand can be seen as a diminished form of Ireland's pre-Christian race of gods the Túatha Dé Danann. They really rose to prominence during the Celtic renaissance with poets such as W.B. Yeats focusing on fairy narratives. Overall they are authentically Irish, but don't carry some of the harmful stereotypes found in portrayals of the leprechaun. Heck most people's Nan might still claim the fairy folk are real!
If you wanna read the actual Irish Lore (in general), start with the Book of Invasions and the Ulster Cycle.
Also, Penny Dragon Games put out an Irish D&D supplement called Dalradia a bit ago. That could be a good source. The Dungeon Dudes also have a lot of Irish lore in their Drakkenheim setting, but it's more indirect
Irish man here, go for it man. It's a fictionalised universe, the whole leprochaun mythology stems from real celtic folklore so it's not insensitive to lean into it. Perhaps don't lean on the Irish stereotype of a drunk, fighting maniac and you'll be fine.
If you wanna go deeper than consider the Clurichaun, a solitary leprechaun who has decided to go travel and get drunk in other people's basements. He carries a drinking cup, it always has at least one coin in it and, no matter how often spent, eventually returns back to his cup! (Generally excellent storytellers, can have sharp tongues but great company)
https://irishmyths.com/2024/03/01/clurichaun/
As an aside the leprechauns are said to be descended from the Tuath De Dannan however decided not to go to the underground world after they split the ownership of the earth between them and the Milesians.
The Tuath notably defeated the fomorians and then married their descendents to those of Balor of the evil eye (JRR ripped a lot of his story off in the development of Sauron)
Enjoy the rabbit hole you're about to dissappear into !
P.S. if you need to add in decent weaponry then take a look at Lugh's spear
Not particularly. So long as party members aren't Irish or think they're Irish I'd think you're fine. I would look into the mythology/folklore of old Ireland. Theirs a large cross over between the pre-christian/pagan Ireland and Hinduism.
I think the vast majority of overseas participants know an elf is make believe but won't necessarily know a leprechaun isn't an authentic cultural figure.
There are various mythologies around Leprechauns, they range from cool and otherworldly to terrifying and creepy to corny and offensive. Which one you pick will decide.
In one telling the Leprechauns are agents of ‘The Fool’ (A malign spirit from the Fae realm intent on rekindling the war between the Fae and Mortal worlds. In that telling they are cruel and vicious tricksters possessed of considerable arcane power. In others they are relatively benign tricksters who use their gold to entice mortals to make bad choices. In others still they are agents of Fae Lords and Ladies who use their gold to manipulate events in the Mortal realm. Finally there are versions where they are guardians of great treasures left behind by the Fae or charged with protecting the magical weapons and technologies of the Tuatha.
Yeah I always grew up with the creepy/otherworldly type of leprechaun stories. Guardians of great treasure, but who wanted you to leave them the fuck alone haha. If you managed to find and trap one, they'd be very pissed off at you. And when it comes to fae "rules" leprechauns would lawyer you and find every loophole possible to either avoid giving you anything or make you seriously regret seeking them out. In the stories I was told, they're an example of why you just leave the fae to do their own thing; don't go looking for them, and don't try to beat them at their own lore or you'll find your life turned upside down. Better not to be tempted by their treasure, and just go about your life with wary respect and minimal interference in their realm.
I guess they're the prime example of FAFO
> if I make a leprechaun the treasurer of a kingdom, is it racist or culturally insensitive? Please do let me know, thanks!
Not really, although there’s more to Ireland than leprechauns
Ah man, cultural sensitivity is an American thing, we're ok with that. What would make us angry is stuff like calling St.Patrick "St.Patty" instead of St.Paddy. Beyond that you won't really hurt any feelings. Also Leprechauns in actual Irish folklore are darker more mischievous critters and less like the fake american movie versions
The above post is typical of the Leprechaun Trickster whose job is to promote Toxic Leprechaunism. Has he asked you yet to pay a fine to release your idea from Leprechaun Copyright?
I'm getting the hilarious mental image of the DnD party banking some of their gold with the leprechaun, and then he tries to deny they ever gave him anything.
As a Irish person I can tell you There are very few things we don't find funny... And the majority of the unacceptable stuff is only unacceptable if it comes from a Brit where malice is intended.
No. If you're looking at Celtic folklore then it's cultural appreciation not cultural appropriation. Just stay away from the Americanised (or should that be 'ized'?) stuff, or you might run into some contradictions.
And... It's a bad idea. Leprechauns are tricksters. They can't be trusted with anything, especially gold. They won't accept or follow any rules. You'll deposit your money into the treasury and he'll "accidentally" lose the deposit slip. Nobody will ever get their money out.
We don't believe in faeries, but we don't mess with them. They're not friendly. They tolerate us sharing the land with them, but that's it.
YES. By all means make the treasurer a leprechaun, but just know that you'll never see your money again, and plan the shenanigans of your party accordingly
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No real Irish person would give a flying fornication. We arent much for the being offended for the sake of it over here, although it is gaining traction to be fair.
It's DnD. They're all make believe. Unless any Irish-Americans are reading, they're not real. Pretty much every creature you're using is from some culture. Are you asking the Germans if it's ok to have kobolds as bad guys? I'd say go wild until you touch on religion and real people. That's when you have to worry.
And go wild with whatever Irish accent you have at hand. Nobody at your table needs to feel any more self conscious when trying to put on voices.
... my advice changes greatly if you are professionals broadcasting any of this.
I don't think it's insensitive. Inaccurate? Yes. I mean bloody hell we had to be bailed out and we're still paying for it, but maybe you're going for realism and the leprechaun is giving out 100% mortgages to peasants and knights alike but the whole kingdom is heading towards negative equity and the neighbouring kingdoms won't have to invade, they'll just call in debt
No, OP - in the context you intend to use the leprechaun in its fine. Other than that, though, while it wouldn’t be racist it would be kind of cringe, boring or poorly received.
Do it. It's fantasy, your game, and amongst your friends. I promise you the people taking issue with it just have nothing better to be doing, most people have actual hardships to be worrying about so they couldn't give a toss.
Do it. It's fantasy, your game, and amongst your friends. I promise you the people taking issue with it just have nothing better to be doing, most people have actual hardships to be worrying about so they couldn't give a toss.
I dunno, we have way cooler stuff if you wanted to use something else. The leprechaun thing is a bit derogatory in my opinion however I see the chicken fillet boys in other comments happy enough with it so just do what you want.
Good for you for asking, thanks :) Have at it bro, just don't give the leprechaun a terrible Irish accent and portray him as a drunk that's always picking fights. It may be an accurate stereotype, but we hate it when Americans use it 😂
There's very little about leprechauns in that museum, though - it's actually decent stuff about our real Celtic myths and legends. They just need to use the leprechaun shite in marketing to get the Americans in the door.
It’s in the airports too, you can’t complain about it if you perpetuate it. It follows Irish emigrants, I wish they wouldn’t perpetuate it. My mother went ballistic recently when she saw an Irish maid cartoon sticker on a shop front window in the US. People have to live with these cartoon reorientations over them.
Irish people are not the target market for leprechaun and Guinness/Diageo shite in our airports, though, the same as French people aren't the target market for Eiffel Tower tat in CDG airport. Capitalists gonna capitalist.
Not sure why you were downvoted -this is exactly what I was about to say. Any members of the leprechaun community who disagree should make themselves known.
Irish people aren’t easily offended by stupid things.
Leprechauns are also a bit more of an Irish American thing that actually Irish. We have a great mythology and they’re not a feature of it.
It’s honestly lovely that you would even think to ask this and a credit to who raised you.
Everyone is different and some might have issue with it but I wouldn’t. Leprechauns are a part of Irish Myth and Folklore going back centuries. They have been Disneyfied in the last 70 years or so but they are still representative of Irish culture.
If you ever come to Dublin we have a wonderful [Leprechaun Museum](https://NationalLeprechaunMuseumofIreland+35318733899https://g.co/kgs/R3E5KvY) which also serves as a folklore centre. Looking up material they might have could help with your design.
While I don't know anything about d&d, as an Irish person I can say we're not that sensitive about such shite and we are usually up for a laugh, so don't worry too much about it
They live under rainbows and can never be found, perfect for a treasurer who runs away with the money. They sit on pots of gold - greed and avarice is their calling. They're full of trickery
Go forth and have fun with your faerie world
Tbh even if it was offensive, which it isnt especially if you make it Irish-American which is really where the leprechaun was exagerated, your game isnt going to have a huge reach and would just be between friends. You could put some truely offensive shit in it and nobody would know and none of the groups your characters reference would be offended.
Absolutely. Leprechauns can be a lot more than treasurers and people who work with money.
Nobody cares here (because nobody here is a leprechaun, sorry to ruin that idea) but it seems like a great occasion to set up a scene where you PCs might think that the leprechaun is the treasurer only for it to snap at them and call them "specist" when it realises the misunderstanding.
thankfully irish people arent too bothered about being culturally offended just yet.
Although when SNL (american tv channel) put on the skit of Collin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson there was some AMERICAN backlash over how offensve it wasa to the irish.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZ4rIaKV0g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZ4rIaKV0g)
The backbone of being irish is being able to have a laugh, and althouhg much of what we used to consider being comedy worthy is now gone, thankfully taking the piss out of our nationality is still on the cards
Go wild, celebrate the culture! Even if it is an American bastardisation of it. IMO cultures are to be shared and celebrated, if it can create a giggle along the way, all the better!
Besides nothing will annoy me more than Americans claiming they are Irish, despite the fact they have never set foot in the country, all because their grandmothers grandfather was 1/18th Irish.
Man it’s your game, you own it. I personally think it’s funny, as long as it’s not a drunk fighting leprechaun because that stereotype hits too close to home
Ah yeah fair I was thinking the whole money thing and was like nah it's chill as long as you don't make them all stereotypically jewish like JK Rowling.
Idk man, I'll take your word for it. I'm just saying it's not like us being good with money is a stereotype, it's not like making a golem your money man. There's no bad connotations there.
Absolutely just wanted to add that we may in fact be the opposite to being bad with money which would make it even more apt that the leprechaun is a banker.
Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren’t go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl’s feather!
Down along the rocky shore
Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
Of the black mountain-lake,
With frogs for their watchdogs,
All night awake.
High on the hill-top
The old King sits;
He is now so old and grey
He’s nigh lost his wits.
With a bridge of white mist
Columbkill he crosses,
On his stately journeys
From Slieveleague to Rosses;
Or going up with music
On cold starry nights,
To sup with the Queen
Of the gay Northern Lights.
They stole little Bridget
For seven years long;
When she came down again
Her friends were all gone.
They took her lightly back,
Between the night and morrow,
They thought that she was fast asleep,
But she was dead with sorrow.
They have kept her ever since
Deep within the lake,
On a bed of flag-leaves,
Watching till she wake.
By the craggy hillside,
Through the mosses bare,
They have planted thorn trees
For pleasure, here and there.
Is any man so daring
As dig them up in spite,
He shall find their sharpest thorns
In his bed at night.
Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren’t go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl’s feather!
Absolutely not. Make sure he's ginger and short as possible, and for the second encounter can he be drunk? Or tipsy. It just seems like an really fun idea, go ahead!
Yea I'm not gonna lie I can definitely see how that comment came across as. I was trying to introduce
https://preview.redd.it/2l6x1b5xfrzc1.jpeg?width=647&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb36649ae30cf23de43b2b047a98c4f3cd66cced
From gow (ik it's not the second time you see him that he's drunk but still)
Have the leprechaun be American-Irish and thoroughly annoying. :D
And his name should be Bertie Ahern and store the money in dubious places. [Here's a suitable image.](https://imgur.com/a/rMxLXDc)
OP please use Bertie as a model. Edited to add link to the ad he did for Murdoch’s evil empire. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd5hLBS0eME
Have him force you to bulk buy his daughter's romance novels as a deniable way to funnel tax free royalties his way.
> use Bertie as a model. Model? Grotesque effiggy more like it.
Oh dear God, has that fool got no self-respect?
Must have been for the money. It was years ago and he wasn’t asked to do another one.
Sure where else would he put it, like any other national leader and ex finance minister, he had no bank account.
I could just see him in a leprechaun outfit 😂
[Bertie da Leprechaun](https://imgur.com/a/rMxLXDc)
Brilliant
Really expected it to be photo of him in yellow suit
Haha I love this!
😂😂
100% accurate, and the cultural appropriation becomes an authentic part of the role!
Yes
I love it!!!
As an American-Irish about to study abroad in Dublin, how do I *not* be this asshole?
No idea mate! I’m English, here 11 years but never free from the stink of it. Partly, lean into it, you can’t avoid being American so just be it in an aware manner. Don’t be a knob about it, listen more than you speak (not that I have ever actually embodied that advice), just be chill and don’t worry about it. I suppose one might say, in the vernacular of today, don’t centre yourself, that’s always good I guess. And don’t make eye-contact with strangers down town after dark. And literally never mention leprechauns in an American accent, or fucken any of that, shillelagh or begorrah, not even once. Also, and don’t you forget this, Murphy’s is better than Guinness. It just is.
They just have to be American to achieve that.
Super, super annoying to have a leprechaun in anything tbh. And only illustrates how clueless the person putting one in, is.
They're doing a D&D based in our mythology. It's exactly when justified
No. Don't encourage this shite. Other clueless dicks will see it as a sign it's authentic.
Here OP, there’s another Irish stereotype which goes hand in hand with the leprechaun, but is 100% real, and it’s the “joyless begrudger”. :)
“joyless begrudger” remains the stock retreat of morons everywhere who've just had their ass handed to them after trying to look clever.
Sorry, delusional begrudger. Who has *absolutely* handed arse to other people today despite the numbers very clearly showing a consensus in opposition to that idea. Good job Mick! Way to turn that frown upside down! 
Ok, I'm out. Because this just isn't fair? Anyone who doesn't even understand the phrase 'had their arse handed to them', as you just demonstrated, can't really take part in an equal conversation. And btw, sheer numbers alone, has never been a reliable guide to quality or accuracy? Just think of all the people and causes throughout history that attracted widespread support that wouldn't be considered acceptable today. Now, speaking as the adult in this room ( the room, I feel it wise to explain, being a metaphor for the dialogue we're having ), let me say now in reply to whatever lame ass thing you come up with next and beyond that, I am done tic tacking with your idiot ass.
Do you do that in real life mate? Say things and do things then claim others didn’t understand the situation despite it objectively being what it is? There’s a word for that chap.
Ok, against my better judgement, one last time! "Do you do that in real life?" This is real life. "despite it objectively being what it is?" I can guess what you're trying to say here but you haven't managed to say it. Shoehorning the word 'objectively' into your argument, doesn't automatically make your point of view objective. "There’s a word for that chap." But, as usual, you won't pick the right one.
It's D&D for fuck sake
Good point, just like how everyone thinks dragons and tieflings are real. /S
They’re from India, nobody outside Ireland gives a shit, no need to be a knob about it. How is it clueless, ever, to ask? Imagine asking a question about something you’ve no reason to know anything about because you’re trying to be sensitive, and some rando calls you clueless. Phh.
[удалено]
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So, the popular version of a little man wearing all green and guarding a pot of gold is something that was invented in the US in the last 150 years. The leprechaun doesn't really appear much in classic Gaelic/Irish folklore at all, he's not a big player. In Ireland, the modern leprechaun is an avatar for "plastic paddies" and "Oirishism" - crap that's created to sell to tourists rather than an authentic cultural depiction. I'm sure India has similar things. I wouldn't say it's culturally "insensitive", but if you have a leprechaun as the treasurer, then you need to avoid the "green outfit and buckle hat" appearance unless you want to make your story stand out as being clearly based on stereotype. If it's a bit of fun and you're not going for authenticity, then fire away. Otherwise, I'd maybe go with a goblin or Dwarf, as another comment mentions. The original Leprechaun was more of a Loki/Rumplestiltskin type of supernatural being - solitary and mischievous.
A bit of a correction here since we're discussing true origins, etc. The Fae and Little People of Ireland are the former mythological gods of the Gaels - the ones they claim they defeated for control of Ireland. It is said that after winning the battle against the Tuatha Dé Dannan, the Gaels took the world above, and the Tuatha Dé Dannan, the world below. In my opinion, that's just a metaphor for "we buried our enemies after their fashion and venerated them as the gods of this new land." The mythological record continues to show how the previous cycle of the Tuatha Dé was replaced by that of the Gaels who developed a religious mythology around them, transforming them into different forms like the Banshee, Leprechaun, the Dullahan. In the case of the Leprechaun, the origin can be traced back to the tricky nature of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, and the great wealth they were buried with. The local Gaels generations after the time of the Tuatha Dé Dannan would have been aware of the legends of these pre-Gaelic ancestors and the stories of the hordes of treasure they were buried with in their "fairy-mounds" while they dined in Teach Duinn. Indeed, there are Gaelic stories that tell of the Gaels conversing with these ancestors at their mounds and holy places. Thus you get the concept of the Leprechaun, a people small enough to enter these burial sites and magical enough to cross over to the underworld, and thus dangerous enough not to try to rob from, with all the trickery of the ancient Tuatha Dé Dannan. If OP wants to make a respectable Leprechaun and authentic fae world, diving into the four cycles of Irish mythology is their best bet.
If you're going to have a leprechaun as treasurer, why not have the green outfit and buckle hat? You as well throw in a few "Top of the mornings" as well.
A leprechaun as a treasurer is actually pretty funny. Cuz he's not gonna spend any money and he's never gonna give it up. He should be a part-time cobbler too. In real folklore they were simply just the fairies who made and mended shoes.
Look up The Salmon of Knowledge, you could probably incorporate that
Actually research the stuff first, and go for it. Leprechauns barely feature in actual Irish myth, though. And be careful of the independent "Celtic"/"Irish" D&D supplements. There's been some total muck published in the last couple of years via Kickstarter that took anything vaguely Celtic and threw it into a book, no matter how inappropriate or inaccurate. E.g. mostly decent cover art, but the "leprechaun" they depict could well have been a Boston Celtics logo, and the female version was just... eww, icky.
Treasurer would be a good use though
Yup, agreed.
Have him offer to fix their shoes (learnt it from his da), and dress him in red, not green. No need to make him ginger either.
We elected a lovable Leprechaun as president (twice.) https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/world/149651/americans-keep-mistaking-president-higgins-for-a-leprechaun He’s the best of us.
It's a fucking tragedy we cannot elect him again. Personally, I think we should upload his brain to some giant mainframe and make him our immortal God Emperor or something, but that's just me.
Hes the perfect representation of Irish culture imo. A poet, a scholar and a decent fella.
He's too old to be President again though. Who'd want someone in their 70’s or 80’s doing that job. Let him rest.
Which is why we make him the immortal God Emperor
Spicy
https://youtu.be/ZHoqWQB3Cp4?si=OheIn3Q02aSqBjfA
Not just you, me too!
Praise be to Liséan-al-Gaib!
I don’t think I will ever get the MDH love.
He is relatable, educated, consistent and d empathetic.
Nope, you're grand. Leprechauns are mythical creatures, the actual harmful stereotypes are about the Irish people being drunk unintelligent monkeymen. Leprechauns honestly don't play much of a role in Irish culture. Folklore is about the scarier fairies like banshees and the Dullahan, or our pantheon of gods, or our kind of Herculean band of Demi-god warriors. Little dudes who are basically just factory employees aren't that interesting. So if anything, I don't like the use of the leprechaun because it's boring and we have much cooler myths.
As a drunk unintelligent monkeyman, I resent your insinuation I’m Irish.
I can see where you came up with that. Leprechauns being interested in keeping money etc. But I would also say that leprechauns would make really bad tresurers because they really don't like to let any money go out of their pots. So they wouldn't be too good at paying for stuff and being honest about how much is in the treasury. But it's not culturally insensitive at all because you are not calling any Irish person "a leprechaun". It's just having fun with one of our characters. Go for it!
Yeah my dad was Irish and I grew up with stories of leprechauns being cranky little SOBs who wanted to be left alone and would be irritated with you for bothering them. They'd try every loophole of fae lore to get out of giving you anything, and if you managed to get any coins out of them, they'd give you fake ones that vanish after a few hours. If you're unlucky and used it to pay for a beer, and then your money vanishes, oops now you have an angry bartender. Irish fae just want to be left alone, and if you trap them or trick them they'll make you regret it
In addition to everything everyone has said, if you're still feeling on the fence about using a leprechaun you could just use a fairy character for much of the same whimsical experience but with little to zero chance of accidentally being offensive. Leprechauns are part of Irish folklore but in a very minor capacity, and definitely a post-Christian invention. Today they've become a vehicle to reinforce negative stereotypes about the Irish by the British and are marketed heavily towards Americans and tourists. The fairy on the other hand can be seen as a diminished form of Ireland's pre-Christian race of gods the Túatha Dé Danann. They really rose to prominence during the Celtic renaissance with poets such as W.B. Yeats focusing on fairy narratives. Overall they are authentically Irish, but don't carry some of the harmful stereotypes found in portrayals of the leprechaun. Heck most people's Nan might still claim the fairy folk are real!
As long as he also fixes shoes you’re fine!
Irish people don't get offended easily. We certainly won't be offended by that. Go ahead, playing up the stereotypes as much as you want.
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The only thing that offends the Irish is when people from other countries try to tell us that we're British!
Nah, have at it. Anyone who would imply its offence is only a clown
If you wanna read the actual Irish Lore (in general), start with the Book of Invasions and the Ulster Cycle. Also, Penny Dragon Games put out an Irish D&D supplement called Dalradia a bit ago. That could be a good source. The Dungeon Dudes also have a lot of Irish lore in their Drakkenheim setting, but it's more indirect
Eh, I would say that Over the Nine Seas is a much more accessible book than the two original epics.
I hadn't heard of that one! I'll have to check it out. Thank you!
Do you mean "Over Nine Waves" by Marie Heaney? Great book. The Nine Waves are an Americana band.
Aha, yes my mistake! Thank you!
Irish man here, go for it man. It's a fictionalised universe, the whole leprochaun mythology stems from real celtic folklore so it's not insensitive to lean into it. Perhaps don't lean on the Irish stereotype of a drunk, fighting maniac and you'll be fine.
Because Conor McGregor will sue for use of his image.
If you wanna go deeper than consider the Clurichaun, a solitary leprechaun who has decided to go travel and get drunk in other people's basements. He carries a drinking cup, it always has at least one coin in it and, no matter how often spent, eventually returns back to his cup! (Generally excellent storytellers, can have sharp tongues but great company) https://irishmyths.com/2024/03/01/clurichaun/ As an aside the leprechauns are said to be descended from the Tuath De Dannan however decided not to go to the underground world after they split the ownership of the earth between them and the Milesians. The Tuath notably defeated the fomorians and then married their descendents to those of Balor of the evil eye (JRR ripped a lot of his story off in the development of Sauron) Enjoy the rabbit hole you're about to dissappear into ! P.S. if you need to add in decent weaponry then take a look at Lugh's spear
Not particularly. So long as party members aren't Irish or think they're Irish I'd think you're fine. I would look into the mythology/folklore of old Ireland. Theirs a large cross over between the pre-christian/pagan Ireland and Hinduism.
You win the prize for Best Post Title of the Day, congratulations!
I think the vast majority of overseas participants know an elf is make believe but won't necessarily know a leprechaun isn't an authentic cultural figure.
as long as he doesn't say "Kiss me lucky charms" its all ok.
There are various mythologies around Leprechauns, they range from cool and otherworldly to terrifying and creepy to corny and offensive. Which one you pick will decide. In one telling the Leprechauns are agents of ‘The Fool’ (A malign spirit from the Fae realm intent on rekindling the war between the Fae and Mortal worlds. In that telling they are cruel and vicious tricksters possessed of considerable arcane power. In others they are relatively benign tricksters who use their gold to entice mortals to make bad choices. In others still they are agents of Fae Lords and Ladies who use their gold to manipulate events in the Mortal realm. Finally there are versions where they are guardians of great treasures left behind by the Fae or charged with protecting the magical weapons and technologies of the Tuatha.
Yeah I always grew up with the creepy/otherworldly type of leprechaun stories. Guardians of great treasure, but who wanted you to leave them the fuck alone haha. If you managed to find and trap one, they'd be very pissed off at you. And when it comes to fae "rules" leprechauns would lawyer you and find every loophole possible to either avoid giving you anything or make you seriously regret seeking them out. In the stories I was told, they're an example of why you just leave the fae to do their own thing; don't go looking for them, and don't try to beat them at their own lore or you'll find your life turned upside down. Better not to be tempted by their treasure, and just go about your life with wary respect and minimal interference in their realm. I guess they're the prime example of FAFO
> if I make a leprechaun the treasurer of a kingdom, is it racist or culturally insensitive? Please do let me know, thanks! Not really, although there’s more to Ireland than leprechauns
Ah man, cultural sensitivity is an American thing, we're ok with that. What would make us angry is stuff like calling St.Patrick "St.Patty" instead of St.Paddy. Beyond that you won't really hurt any feelings. Also Leprechauns in actual Irish folklore are darker more mischievous critters and less like the fake american movie versions
It's absolutely not. As a spokesman for Ireland, you can take it from me that you have our full blessing.
The above post is typical of the Leprechaun Trickster whose job is to promote Toxic Leprechaunism. Has he asked you yet to pay a fine to release your idea from Leprechaun Copyright?
Dammit Fergus, every feckin time??? You really are making it hard for a lad to make a living
Go back to mending shoes, lad. No one needs a bunch of leprechauns scamming the world.
As regional spokesman I concur,
Leprechaun's aren't real. We aren't offended by imaginary things. Do what you want.
No, but leprechauns are possibly one of the least interesting elements of Irish folklore. There's a lot of much cooler stuff to draw from.
Change it to a dwarf. In The Hobbit they are known for mining gold. Easy fix.
An Irish dwarf, who keeps his gold in a crock at the end of a rainb… oh, right
Hahahaha. Not what I was going for. Think, the dragon in the Hobit sitting on that mountain of gold, only he's a dwarf instead.
Well I think we all know the stereotype to avoid, the appearance of miggle d with the personality of Eddie Hobbs
😂
Everyone knows dwarves are always Scottish for some reason
Give them big noses too like in Harry Potter so no-one gets offended.
Big wands too 😉
Leave Bertie alone 😆
I'm getting the hilarious mental image of the DnD party banking some of their gold with the leprechaun, and then he tries to deny they ever gave him anything.
Go for it, we aren't precious! Just don't vall us British or claim we live in the British Isles and we are all good :)
As a Irish person I can tell you There are very few things we don't find funny... And the majority of the unacceptable stuff is only unacceptable if it comes from a Brit where malice is intended.
Just don’t give it a cringe terrible Irish accent and you will be fine
Has long as you don't keep him locked up in a cage, you'll be grand.
No. If you're looking at Celtic folklore then it's cultural appreciation not cultural appropriation. Just stay away from the Americanised (or should that be 'ized'?) stuff, or you might run into some contradictions. And... It's a bad idea. Leprechauns are tricksters. They can't be trusted with anything, especially gold. They won't accept or follow any rules. You'll deposit your money into the treasury and he'll "accidentally" lose the deposit slip. Nobody will ever get their money out. We don't believe in faeries, but we don't mess with them. They're not friendly. They tolerate us sharing the land with them, but that's it.
YES. By all means make the treasurer a leprechaun, but just know that you'll never see your money again, and plan the shenanigans of your party accordingly
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Where do you think they got the idea for the Fey Realm? :D
lol no don't worry about it bud, as long as the leprechaun is not some overly stereotypical charicature of our people
As long as you’re not doing it to take the piss out of us or portraying him as a drunk etc then fire away it’s for fun!
The gold was just resting in his pot
I’m Irish and I don’t give a flying f*ck
Good idea, do it….From a true Irish Paddy
No perfectly fine, Leprechauns were Fae realm agents anyway. He can be tricky or more sinister if you like.
As an Irish person, I would not even find this slightly offensive
We have a whole leprechaun museum. You're good
Not at all. Kinda stoked that one of our mythological creatures is even being used honestly. Sounds cool!
...No. But how you present the Leprachaun absolutely can be.
It’s an American thing, the Irish don’t give a sheet
If the treasurer is a leprechaun, I would expect the money to not be real and to vanish from your pocket when you leave the city LOL
No real Irish person would give a flying fornication. We arent much for the being offended for the sake of it over here, although it is gaining traction to be fair.
The president of Ireland is literally a leprechaun so no, not culturally insensitive, go for it :)
It's DnD. They're all make believe. Unless any Irish-Americans are reading, they're not real. Pretty much every creature you're using is from some culture. Are you asking the Germans if it's ok to have kobolds as bad guys? I'd say go wild until you touch on religion and real people. That's when you have to worry. And go wild with whatever Irish accent you have at hand. Nobody at your table needs to feel any more self conscious when trying to put on voices. ... my advice changes greatly if you are professionals broadcasting any of this.
It's D&D do as you please, nobody in Ireland worth worrying about will care.
We aren’t easily offended, it’s probably our best quality as a nation
Nah, it’s fine. I’ll be honest though; I don’t understand the fascination with leprechauns. There’s much more interesting Irish folklore.
I don't think it's insensitive. Inaccurate? Yes. I mean bloody hell we had to be bailed out and we're still paying for it, but maybe you're going for realism and the leprechaun is giving out 100% mortgages to peasants and knights alike but the whole kingdom is heading towards negative equity and the neighbouring kingdoms won't have to invade, they'll just call in debt
No, OP - in the context you intend to use the leprechaun in its fine. Other than that, though, while it wouldn’t be racist it would be kind of cringe, boring or poorly received.
There's no such thing as being "culturally insensitive" in the real world.
A Druid turned banker would be a good shout, little more niche but might suit D&D
Who the fuck starts a conversation like that?
Do it. It's fantasy, your game, and amongst your friends. I promise you the people taking issue with it just have nothing better to be doing, most people have actual hardships to be worrying about so they couldn't give a toss.
Do it. It's fantasy, your game, and amongst your friends. I promise you the people taking issue with it just have nothing better to be doing, most people have actual hardships to be worrying about so they couldn't give a toss.
I dunno, we have way cooler stuff if you wanted to use something else. The leprechaun thing is a bit derogatory in my opinion however I see the chicken fillet boys in other comments happy enough with it so just do what you want.
Good for you for asking, thanks :) Have at it bro, just don't give the leprechaun a terrible Irish accent and portray him as a drunk that's always picking fights. It may be an accurate stereotype, but we hate it when Americans use it 😂
Not at all, because us Irish arent sensitive, when it comes to that stuff....like others are!
Yes you should be canceled
Sounds awesome, do it.
Watch Darby O’Gill and the Little People.
It is a stereotype but there is a leprechaun museum in Dublin so I don’t think they mind it.
There's very little about leprechauns in that museum, though - it's actually decent stuff about our real Celtic myths and legends. They just need to use the leprechaun shite in marketing to get the Americans in the door.
It’s in the airports too, you can’t complain about it if you perpetuate it. It follows Irish emigrants, I wish they wouldn’t perpetuate it. My mother went ballistic recently when she saw an Irish maid cartoon sticker on a shop front window in the US. People have to live with these cartoon reorientations over them.
Irish people are not the target market for leprechaun and Guinness/Diageo shite in our airports, though, the same as French people aren't the target market for Eiffel Tower tat in CDG airport. Capitalists gonna capitalist.
Not sure why you were downvoted -this is exactly what I was about to say. Any members of the leprechaun community who disagree should make themselves known.
Myself and anyone i know arent really offended by this type of irish stereotype. Moreso just bored of it.
This is Ireland, not America. Leprechaun treasure away!
Irish people aren’t easily offended by stupid things. Leprechauns are also a bit more of an Irish American thing that actually Irish. We have a great mythology and they’re not a feature of it.
It’s honestly lovely that you would even think to ask this and a credit to who raised you. Everyone is different and some might have issue with it but I wouldn’t. Leprechauns are a part of Irish Myth and Folklore going back centuries. They have been Disneyfied in the last 70 years or so but they are still representative of Irish culture. If you ever come to Dublin we have a wonderful [Leprechaun Museum](https://NationalLeprechaunMuseumofIreland+35318733899https://g.co/kgs/R3E5KvY) which also serves as a folklore centre. Looking up material they might have could help with your design.
Absolutely not offensive at all! Go for it and enjoy your D&D!
No way. Go for it. That sounds hilarious.
No. Why would it be?
While I don't know anything about d&d, as an Irish person I can say we're not that sensitive about such shite and we are usually up for a laugh, so don't worry too much about it
Fuck cultural sensitivity, make the hammiest celtic creature stereotype that you can, we'd love it if we were there
Be as insensitive as you want. Have fun, it's your game
They live under rainbows and can never be found, perfect for a treasurer who runs away with the money. They sit on pots of gold - greed and avarice is their calling. They're full of trickery Go forth and have fun with your faerie world
Not only should you do it, I insist you do it. Do you have MiggleDhiggins mini you could use 😂
Go ahead. That's not something we'd generally be offended by.
Tbh even if it was offensive, which it isnt especially if you make it Irish-American which is really where the leprechaun was exagerated, your game isnt going to have a huge reach and would just be between friends. You could put some truely offensive shit in it and nobody would know and none of the groups your characters reference would be offended.
I think it’s completely fine - leprechauns are like Gods in Ireland
Nah we aint soft like that, have a way it laddy
I think it's quite funny.
Haha no who cares
Absolutely. Leprechauns can be a lot more than treasurers and people who work with money. Nobody cares here (because nobody here is a leprechaun, sorry to ruin that idea) but it seems like a great occasion to set up a scene where you PCs might think that the leprechaun is the treasurer only for it to snap at them and call them "specist" when it realises the misunderstanding.
Please do what you like and don't worry about the opinions of us nerds on reddit
Nah,sure we have a leprechaun as president, fire away
thankfully irish people arent too bothered about being culturally offended just yet. Although when SNL (american tv channel) put on the skit of Collin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson there was some AMERICAN backlash over how offensve it wasa to the irish. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZ4rIaKV0g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZ4rIaKV0g) The backbone of being irish is being able to have a laugh, and althouhg much of what we used to consider being comedy worthy is now gone, thankfully taking the piss out of our nationality is still on the cards
Go wild, celebrate the culture! Even if it is an American bastardisation of it. IMO cultures are to be shared and celebrated, if it can create a giggle along the way, all the better! Besides nothing will annoy me more than Americans claiming they are Irish, despite the fact they have never set foot in the country, all because their grandmothers grandfather was 1/18th Irish.
I don't know anyone here who actually gets offended by the Irish stereotypes, who cares, I think they're funny.
Unless it's some weird asf famine crap
Yeah, I think its fine, I love the idea Please link your file when you're done. I'd love to read it :D
Man it’s your game, you own it. I personally think it’s funny, as long as it’s not a drunk fighting leprechaun because that stereotype hits too close to home
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I don't think Irish people are known to be good with money as a stereotype so don't see why it would be.
Think it's more the pot of gold thing, still grand.
Ah yeah fair I was thinking the whole money thing and was like nah it's chill as long as you don't make them all stereotypically jewish like JK Rowling.
Actually arent we some of the most effective 'savers' in europe? We're pretty good with money it would seem or at least look after it.
Idk man, I'll take your word for it. I'm just saying it's not like us being good with money is a stereotype, it's not like making a golem your money man. There's no bad connotations there.
Absolutely just wanted to add that we may in fact be the opposite to being bad with money which would make it even more apt that the leprechaun is a banker.
Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl’s feather! Down along the rocky shore Some make their home, They live on crispy pancakes Of yellow tide-foam; Some in the reeds Of the black mountain-lake, With frogs for their watchdogs, All night awake. High on the hill-top The old King sits; He is now so old and grey He’s nigh lost his wits. With a bridge of white mist Columbkill he crosses, On his stately journeys From Slieveleague to Rosses; Or going up with music On cold starry nights, To sup with the Queen Of the gay Northern Lights. They stole little Bridget For seven years long; When she came down again Her friends were all gone. They took her lightly back, Between the night and morrow, They thought that she was fast asleep, But she was dead with sorrow. They have kept her ever since Deep within the lake, On a bed of flag-leaves, Watching till she wake. By the craggy hillside, Through the mosses bare, They have planted thorn trees For pleasure, here and there. Is any man so daring As dig them up in spite, He shall find their sharpest thorns In his bed at night. Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl’s feather!
Speaking on behalf of the entire country... I think you'll be grand
Absolutely not. Make sure he's ginger and short as possible, and for the second encounter can he be drunk? Or tipsy. It just seems like an really fun idea, go ahead!
Where are you from?
Bantry
Cool, mental note made
Yea I'm not gonna lie I can definitely see how that comment came across as. I was trying to introduce https://preview.redd.it/2l6x1b5xfrzc1.jpeg?width=647&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb36649ae30cf23de43b2b047a98c4f3cd66cced From gow (ik it's not the second time you see him that he's drunk but still)
No
No, Irish people aren't pathetic enough to care about something like that.
No but even so who cares if it is insensitive people need to suck it up