Best version of Eladrin?

[Byronic]

I'm curious, what kind of Eladrin do people like best?

We have the default version, perhaps best portrayed (fluffwise) here and in the "Races and Classes" book (although of course also shown in other 4th edition products).

I bet that people have made their own homebrewed versions. Could you tell me about them? How are the Eladrin in your world?

Personally I'm thinking of a version heavily inspired (read: ripped off) from the Eldar (from Warhammer 40.000).

For people unfamiliar with them, the Eldar are a long lived race with great intelligence and even greater psionic powers. Because of a interesting series of events too long for me to explain here (but explained here) their race destroyed themselves even only a small amount of Eldar left who changed their ways.

They have some simularities with the Eldarin (being the "Elves" of Warhammer 40.000 this is not surprising), they are both long lived, intelligent races that are famous for having otherworldly powers (one psionic, other arcane). They are both known for being somewhat arrogant and snobbish towards "lesser" races. And neither of them are (supposed) to have human morals, but rather their own alien kind.

The parts of Eldar I thought would be interesting to borrow would be:

1) The "extinct race" angle. Basically that the race does not enjoy the numbers it used to and as a race (culturally, but not necessarily the PCs view) consider keeping their race from extinction a rather high priority. While the Eldar have Farseers that can look into the future to aid them Eldarin civilisation might have their own rituals or cultural customs for this.

2)The "Path" system. It is a part of Eldar culture to choose a Path, this can be many different things although the Path of the Warrior, the Seer and the Artist are amongst the most popular ones. In any case in DnD this would mean the Eldarin would choose a path (for example Sculpturer) and persue that path until he has learned everything he can in it, and then choose another path (for example Swordmage). This all comes with a certain amount of pomp and ceremony

There are probably more things but I'm afraid I can't think of them at the moment (although if there are any Eldar players in the room, feel free to fill some of the blanks).

I'm interesting in this and other versions because I don't think there's enough fluff out there to make them culturally distinctive as a race.

So, what do you guys think of Eldar Eldarin? Tell me about your homebrewed versions!

 

[demiurge1138]

I like eladrin as CG, elven court inspired celestials. I like 4e's eladrin mechanically and flavorfully, but I wish they had called them something else.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Well for myself I like to ramp up the Fey-nature of the Eladrin. I take lots of influence from Changeling: The Lost.

-Their appearance can vary wildly some have deer horns, some have thorns growing across their bodies, etc.
-They live on the fringes of the Feywild, called the Hedge (directly stolen from Changeling). They were once the Fey that ruled the Feywild, however their inter-fighting that split the race caused them to fall from power and be replaced by other Fey.
-As their pushed farther to the edge of the Feywild they have begun to bleed over into the World and vice-versa. Thorns of their forest cover walls in alleys, towers of their castles appear in the shadows of a human fort, etc. They themselves have learnt how to use this weakness in the barrier to travel back and forth with ease.
-Few willingly live in the World however many are finding it impossible to live permeanently in the Feywild without the Feywild itself rising up against it. Only their kindgoms in the Hedge remain safe for them.
-They do however have many pockets of the Feywild in the World where they have created small sanctuaries. These are commonly identified by unusual arcane markings or growths.

 

[Rel]

I just got this sorted the other day for myself:

My world is one that has undergone a massive cataclysm in the distant past. The large majority of the world is no longer habitable except an extensive cluster of plateaus that protrude above a malevolent magical Mist. When this began to happen the Elves were divided over how to handle it. Some could not bear the thought of leaving their beloved forest homelands. Others felt that the world was doomed and the only hope for survival was to escape to another realm.

Hundreds of years later the Eladrin have returned from their self induced exile to the Feywild. They are changed from their long absense from the mortal realm and their Elven brethren have hardened in the interm as they dealt with the destruction of much of their homelands and the wars over the scarce territory that remains. They are now very clearly two races.

The Eladrin have access to magics that were lost when empires fell but they are few in number and regarded as strange by most. In particular many Elves consider them cowards who abandoned the world in its time of need and do not welcome them back now that they have carved out a new way of life.

Should be very interesting if I get an Eladrin and an Elf in the same party...

 

[blargney the second]

This is what my eladrin warlord looks like: 6'2" and a bit over 200 pounds. His eyes are an unusual crimson colour and quite reflective, seeming to shed light on their own.

The skinny little eladrin are the ones that are all about the book learnin'.
-blarg

 

[Oni]

He just needs a couple of scantily clad women clinging to his legs and he's good to go.

 

[Rel]

He just needs a couple of scantily clad women clinging to his legs and he's good to go.

Actually I think he might have a couple behind that shield.

 

[blargney the second]

Actually I think he might have a couple behind that shield.

IFKWIM... wait, you already went there, didn't you?
-blarg

 

[Jack7]

Actually I think he might have a couple behind that shield.

Made me laugh.


In my world, which is actually two geologically identical worlds, one in which humans live (our world) and one in which Elves, Eladrin, etc, live, the Eladrin being a sort of competitor to the Elves. So I'll describe the contrast.

The Elves, who call themselves the Sidhel, are very sophisticated, slow to reproduce (and so population is small), long lived, and master architects who build incredible cities. (Because of their small population they often invite others, such as friendly giants, dwarves, and so forth to live in their cities and will even make such others citizens who can eventually serve in the government if they prove themselves reliable - the Elves build cities far too large for themselves with the express purpose of attracting allied and dependable folk to live among them.) They tend for the most part to be urbanized (not like humans, - they are urbanized but to a large extent secretive - preferring to live in cities and population clusters where their low numbers are given advantage by grouping together), highly educated, master artisans and craftsmen, technologically oriented, and much of their Elturgy (magic) is geared towards things like manufacture, building, invention, and so forth. They have even developed a form of magic that allows them to produce living, or biologically oriented microorganisms, in effect giving them a bio-nanotech. They use their technologically geared magic in ways that give them advantages that allow them to compete with larger and stronger races (such as giants), with fiercely competitive technological races (dwarves, to whom they are cousins), with more fecund races, and with dangerous opponents and other users of magic. There is no Thaumaturgy, or Divine Magic in their world, so the Sidhel, or Elves tend to be fascinated and very attracted to the Thaumaturgy of the human world. The Elves want to learn how Thaumaturgy works and many think it would be a better replacement for Elturgy (the Elturgy versus Liturgy argument) as a system of magic to protect and progress them, others do not. However most elves, regardless of their position on Thaumaturgy are naturally curious about, fascinated by, and attracted to the supernatural. They are likewise fascinated by human beings. They are also very philosophical and spiritual and prefer diplomacy, intrigue and outsmarting enemies to outright hostilities. They are a clever and cunning people. Elves, as a general practice prefer hiring mercenaries to do their fighting, and hiring others to do their exploring for them. The Sidhel have a very ancient, unified language with few dialects and a very stable vocabulary.


The Eladrin, who are also related to the Sidhel, are anti-technological and to some extent anti-Elturgical. They are also long lived but because they eschew medicine they sometimes fall prey to serious injuries or disease that can kill them prematurely. They are also to some extent a violent folk. They prefer to live in the countryside, eschew cities and urban centers, reproduce more often and more easily than Elves or Dwarves, but face the disadvantage with hostile opponents that because they tend to be clannish and live in small groups, they are easier prey for enemies. However they have a natural tendency to inter-clan fighting and argument and do not band together easily, so theirs is more a guerilla, Indian-style warfare than the organized and disciplined fight promoted by the Sidhel and their allies. The Elves consider Eladrin wild, reckless, foolish and self-destructive, the Eladrin consider the Elves effeminate, overly-urbanized, sterile, feeble, and weak. When it comes to magic the Eladrin prefer what might be called in game terms, Druidic magic, but they also like the efforts of their own hand and labor. They are hard working but tend to be disorganized and often reckless and foolhardily brave in personal combat or in situations of physical danger. Eladrin tend to be split about the question of human Thaumaturgy. A minority are attracted to the idea, a majority are opposed to it as alien, untrustworthy, and otherworldly. The Eladrin also tend to get along better with giants and halflings. Typically speaking they are distrustful and suspicious of humans and the feeling is usually entirely mutual. The Eladrin are, as a rule a pragmatic and practical people, they either disdain or are frightened by the supernatural, and they prefer to do most everything for themselves. They tend not to "hire-out" preferring to learn any skill they need, and those skills and abilities most prized are survival skills. They are not diplomatic but rather very plain spoken and brash, quick of temper, and will not turn aside from a fight or matter of personal honor. They prefer action to theory and would rather be out in any kind of weather hunting, fishing, farming, or playing than philosophizing, thinking, or inventing. They make excellent explorers because many are thrill seekers and enjoy diverse forms of personal experience, and travel over great distances. They prefer hands-on education methods to book learning and although most can read and write they produce few scholars, historians, writers, artists, or architects, like the Elves do. They do not seek out information for information's sake. The Eladrin have a number of different dialects, some so varied that they appears almost as separate languages. Their vocabulary if often non-standardized and a single individual in a single clan might speak two or three different dialects during the same conversation depending on context. However, because of the complexity of their language they often make excellent and natural linguists, but they prefer language of a spoken or oral content to written forms. For this reason many can recite huge volumes of material that they have heard recited simply by us of their own memory.

These are of course just general racial traits. Individual Elves or Eladrin can be as they choose to be.

 

[Shemeska]

I like Eladrin as personifications of benevolent chaos. Primordial manifestations of Good and Chaos, whose forms might have been patterned upon the early fey upon the material plane, or possibly the opposite - with only their vanished creators from Mithardiir / The Waste of Pelion knowing the truth of the matter.

4e Eladrin are fine as a race of more fey'ish elves, but I truly wish the 4e design team hadn't hijacked the Eladrins' name and given it to them. There's a difference between reconcepting and reinvisioning a monster and just taking its name and giving it to a completely different monster.