ForceUser
Explorer
Bored with elves but enamored of all things fey, I have adopted the following race in my homebrew in lieu of elves and half-elves. I am interested in honest critique regarding the balance of the aelfborn's racial characteristics. Thanks!
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AELFBORN
Aelfborn are humans with fey ancestry that manifests itself in a variety of startling ways. An aelfborn descended of a dryad might have bark-like skin or green hair, while another with a sidhe ancestor may have pointed ears and lavender eyes; a third born of a satyr’s lust could have a single cloven hoof, small horns, and a six-fingered hand. Whatever their heritage, the aelfborn tend to share the fey susceptibility to cold-forged iron and the fey predilection for magic and music. They are often striking in their deformities, with charisma unmatched by other mortals. Indeed, although they have fey ancestry, the aelfborn are as mortal as any other player character race.
Among the Old Faith practitioners of the Ulvmann and Vangal tribes of the north, the aelfborn are seen as blessed with gifts from the Faire Folk of old, which the humans of northern Eriador once had a close relationship with. But with the conquest by the Thrycians from the south and their Celestine religion over the Old Faith peoples of the north, new converts began to actively hunt and kill any creatures that were considered unholy – including aelfborn. Since the time of the Redeemer, however, those born with fey traits are tolerated, but are considered cursed or disadvantaged by the spiritual descendants of the old Celestine faith. Thus, many aelfborn, feeling marginalized in or distrustful of human society, seek a greater understanding of their Faerie heritage in an effort to find their place in the world. Often looked down upon as throwbacks at best and demon-possessed at worst, some aelfborn, individualistic as they tend to be, find kinship among those with similar heritage. Although their fey ancestry often complicates their lives, it is not without its benefits.
AELFBORN RACIAL TRAITS
• +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution: aelfborn are alluring but frail.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, aelfborn have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Aelfborn base land speed is 30 feet.
• Fey: Aelfborn are humans with the fey subtype. Any ability or force that affects fey also affects the aelfborn.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment and illusion spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: An aelfborn can see twice as far as a normal human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Grace: An aelfborn can always choose to take 10 on a Balance check, even if distracted or endangered. Aelfborn are possessed of unearthly poise, a legacy of their fey ancestry.
• Crossroads Sensitivity: Being children of Faerie, the aelfborn are intuitively aware of the presence of the fey crossroads that dot the landscape of Eriador. When an aelfborn comes within 60 feet of a Faerie crossroad, she becomes instinctively aware of its location relative to herself. When viewing a crossroad, she recognizes it for what it is, and won’t be fooled by a false or illusory crossroad. This ability gives an aelfborn no information on where the backroad connected to the crossroad leads.
• Faerie Friend: Aelfborn are recognized by fey for what they are, and as such gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks when interacting with them.
• +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks. Aelfborn are naturally persuasive, which helps them stay alive in a world that is sometimes harsh to those who are different.
• Weakness to Cold Iron: Aelfborn take 1 extra point of damage per attack from cold iron weapons. Like all creatures of Faerie, the aelfborn are susceptible to weapons forged of this material.
• Automatic Language: Regional human language, usually Arbonnesse, Genovan, or Sturmmen. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Faerie, Gnome, Gobbledygook, and regional human language (Arbonnesse, Eloi, Genovan, Sturmmen, Ulvmann, Vangal, and Vistani). Aelfborn sometimes learn the language of their fey forebears, as well as the language of dragons. They feel a certain kinship with the magically adept gnomes and the marginalized goblins, and so often learn their tongues as well.
• Favored Class: Bard. A multiclass aelfborn’s bard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing (see XP for multiclass characters, page 60 of the Player’s Handbook). The magic of heart and song comes naturally to those born of Faerie.
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AELFBORN
Aelfborn are humans with fey ancestry that manifests itself in a variety of startling ways. An aelfborn descended of a dryad might have bark-like skin or green hair, while another with a sidhe ancestor may have pointed ears and lavender eyes; a third born of a satyr’s lust could have a single cloven hoof, small horns, and a six-fingered hand. Whatever their heritage, the aelfborn tend to share the fey susceptibility to cold-forged iron and the fey predilection for magic and music. They are often striking in their deformities, with charisma unmatched by other mortals. Indeed, although they have fey ancestry, the aelfborn are as mortal as any other player character race.
Among the Old Faith practitioners of the Ulvmann and Vangal tribes of the north, the aelfborn are seen as blessed with gifts from the Faire Folk of old, which the humans of northern Eriador once had a close relationship with. But with the conquest by the Thrycians from the south and their Celestine religion over the Old Faith peoples of the north, new converts began to actively hunt and kill any creatures that were considered unholy – including aelfborn. Since the time of the Redeemer, however, those born with fey traits are tolerated, but are considered cursed or disadvantaged by the spiritual descendants of the old Celestine faith. Thus, many aelfborn, feeling marginalized in or distrustful of human society, seek a greater understanding of their Faerie heritage in an effort to find their place in the world. Often looked down upon as throwbacks at best and demon-possessed at worst, some aelfborn, individualistic as they tend to be, find kinship among those with similar heritage. Although their fey ancestry often complicates their lives, it is not without its benefits.
AELFBORN RACIAL TRAITS
• +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution: aelfborn are alluring but frail.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, aelfborn have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Aelfborn base land speed is 30 feet.
• Fey: Aelfborn are humans with the fey subtype. Any ability or force that affects fey also affects the aelfborn.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment and illusion spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: An aelfborn can see twice as far as a normal human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Grace: An aelfborn can always choose to take 10 on a Balance check, even if distracted or endangered. Aelfborn are possessed of unearthly poise, a legacy of their fey ancestry.
• Crossroads Sensitivity: Being children of Faerie, the aelfborn are intuitively aware of the presence of the fey crossroads that dot the landscape of Eriador. When an aelfborn comes within 60 feet of a Faerie crossroad, she becomes instinctively aware of its location relative to herself. When viewing a crossroad, she recognizes it for what it is, and won’t be fooled by a false or illusory crossroad. This ability gives an aelfborn no information on where the backroad connected to the crossroad leads.
• Faerie Friend: Aelfborn are recognized by fey for what they are, and as such gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks when interacting with them.
• +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks. Aelfborn are naturally persuasive, which helps them stay alive in a world that is sometimes harsh to those who are different.
• Weakness to Cold Iron: Aelfborn take 1 extra point of damage per attack from cold iron weapons. Like all creatures of Faerie, the aelfborn are susceptible to weapons forged of this material.
• Automatic Language: Regional human language, usually Arbonnesse, Genovan, or Sturmmen. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Faerie, Gnome, Gobbledygook, and regional human language (Arbonnesse, Eloi, Genovan, Sturmmen, Ulvmann, Vangal, and Vistani). Aelfborn sometimes learn the language of their fey forebears, as well as the language of dragons. They feel a certain kinship with the magically adept gnomes and the marginalized goblins, and so often learn their tongues as well.
• Favored Class: Bard. A multiclass aelfborn’s bard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing (see XP for multiclass characters, page 60 of the Player’s Handbook). The magic of heart and song comes naturally to those born of Faerie.
