UA: New Race Options, Eladrin and Gith

The Eladrin ability score adjustment needs to be: +2 Charisma, +1 any other.

Charisma and all of its connotations [charm, innate magic, bardic song, etcetera] is what best represents the Fey Elf concept.

Intelligence is an accident of D&D only having Wizard class in the beginning, but it has merit in folklore too.

Dexterity is irrelevant.

Maybe handsized sprites connote Dexterity, but humansized spirits of magic, less so.



Edit.

Elves can work better this way:

Wood Elf: +2 Dexterity
High Elf: +2 Intelligence
Eladrin Elf: +2 Charisma

That is what the Elf feels like.



Edit.

High Elf
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence (!)
Trance
Investigation skill proficiency
Languages: Elven, Sylvan, and Common
Cantrip
Elven Armor (permanent Mage Armor, appears as supple chain armor or as invisible force)
High Elf Weapon Training (longsword proficiency, treat as finesse weapon and spell focus)
(Darkvision too?)



Edit.

Eladrin are a group of elves that are native to the Fey Plane. They feel like a separate race of Elf with their own four subraces. The concept of the Eladrin evolves across the editions, and their association with the four seasons seems to enjoy traction. They consolidate well into four kinds of Eladrin, each one corresponding to a season.

Eladrin Elf
• Spring: +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity (Ghael, Coure)
• Summer: +2 Charisma, +1 Strength (Firre, Bralani)
• Autumn: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence (Tulani)
• Winter: +2 Charisma, +1 Wisdom (Noviere, Shiere)

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Thanks Azzy. Wow - so a longbow is a d10 now. It is a two handed weapon I guess although ranged attacks are already at an advantage. Hmmm....

 

[Remathilis]

Thanks Azzy. Wow - so a longbow is a d10 now. It is a two handed weapon I guess although ranged attacks are already at an advantage. Hmmm....

Part of the reason they dumped it; while it encouraged races to use their racial weapons, it was because those weapons became almost overpowered in their hands. I mean, a halflings could dual wield d8 short swords, while a human would need a feat to dual-wield rapiers in the same manner.

Neat idea, but I wasn't sad to see it go.

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

I could definitely see that Remathilis. What I'm thinking of doing is perhaps adding a racial feat with certain 'exotic' racial weapons and also allowing this for those 'named' weapons. So an elf would get proficiency with something like the martial weapons: Elven Thinblade, Elven Courtblade; Elven Doublebow (making up names) and with longsword/longbow/shortsword/shortbow get the bigger damage die. The new weapons will have maybe some sort of additional maneuver or damage perhaps. I haven't really thought it through though...

 

[Alexemplar]

Part of the reason they dumped it; while it encouraged races to use their racial weapons, it was because those weapons became almost overpowered in their hands. I mean, a halflings could dual wield d8 short swords, while a human would need a feat to dual-wield rapiers in the same manner.

Neat idea, but I wasn't sad to see it go.

It's only an average of about +1 damage, and I doubt people would have complained as much about Elves, Halflings, and Dwarves recieving a +1 bonus to damage rolls when using their races' favored weapons.

Or maybe they would. People make a big hullabaloo over +/- 1's in D&D considering how much variance the dice usually impart.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

That's very much the intention, at least when it comes to Elves and Dwarves. It helps push them towards weapons that their people are known to favor above all others by making them more attractive than other weapons that- while usually superior mechanically- aren't commonly used by Elves/Dwarves.

Hmm. Most of the elven weapons and a lot of the dwarven ones are already the mechanically superior ones I feel. The only thing that is missing is a Great Weapon option.

I could definitely see that Remathilis. What I'm thinking of doing is perhaps adding a racial feat with certain 'exotic' racial weapons and also allowing this for those 'named' weapons. So an elf would get proficiency with something like the martial weapons: Elven Thinblade, Elven Courtblade; Elven Doublebow (making up names) and with longsword/longbow/shortsword/shortbow get the bigger damage die. The new weapons will have maybe some sort of additional maneuver or damage perhaps. I haven't really thought it through though...

Introducing new weapons is tricky: you have to explain why and how these weapons are different to ones already in the weapons table. If they have superior stats and/or capabilities, you also have to explain why these weapons aren't trained in and used widely.
(Excluding actual special/magical weapons of course.)

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Agreed Cap'n. I think having a feat for it may provide a gate to it and tying it to the race also may help there. Otherwise they attack at disadvantage without the feat perhaps. I guess I should start another thread as this now is somewhat off topic. My apologies to the OP.

 

[Mouseferatu]

The thing about racial weapon training is that there are all sorts of tiny little benefits you could include that are less potent (and potentially more interesting) than simple bonuses to attack or damage. Things that would justify the race leaning in that direction, but aren't so good that they would be overpowered, or would punish PCs for using different weapons than their race prefers.

Just for instance, off top of my head:

*You're just a hair faster with those weapons. +1 to Initiative if it's already in your hand, and +1 to hit with opportunity attacks.

*You're just a bit more accurate at distance. Add +10 feet to the short range increment if the weapon is shot or thrown.

*You hit just a bit harder when you land a solid blow. You gain a small bonus to damage on critical hits.

Little things like any one or two of the above would add more mechanical weight than just saying, for flavor, "dwarves like hammers" (or whatever), but wouldn't remotely unbalance anything.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Or, they could've simply said that elves can treat longswords as finesse weapons.

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

I like those Ari - thanks. I agree that I'd prefer more things like what you listed vs. strictly more damage - especially if there is no feat involved. If there is a feat involved, probably a little more damage should be added or maybe some sort of maneuver type of thing. I appreciate the input. I did start a separate thread for this so as not to take this one over. I appreciate your input.

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

This isn't a bad idea dropbear. Thanks for this!