Why do people hate Elfkind?

[ProfessorCirno]

As others have said, it's that perception of "Anything humans can do, elves can do better, and have been doing it better for thousands of years."

 

[Nifft]

I love elf-kind!

They're the primary antagonists of my next campaign!

Cheers, -- N

 

[Merkuri]

As others have said, it's that perception of "Anything humans can do, elves can do better, and have been doing it better for thousands of years."

That's my reason, but hate is a strong word.

This was the reason I put down the Eragon books. At the end of the second book I was horrified when

Spoiler

the main character, instead of somehow overcoming all of his human handicaps with wit or perseverance or something else that the underdog always does, he actually has to become an elf to have any chance of winning.

It totally spoiled the series for me and I have no desire to read the third book.

I actually like how they split elves into two races in 4e. It makes them a little less "I'm good at everything and better than you!" It kinda spoiled an idea I had for a campaign setting that revolved around the idea that elves were not all that they seemed. But overall I think it made the game better, so I'm all for it.

 

[Ranger REG]

So why do people hate the various races of elves (Elves, Eladrin, Drow etc).
Does Tolkien have anything to do with it?


And why oh why don't you change them until you like them again?

Not many people hate elves, unless you're a gnome fan.

 

[Terwox]

I like elves... although in 3E terms, I sort of wish they were a high level adjustment race.

Like how the drow are level 11+ foes in 4E. Just do that w/ elves. But, people want to play them, so they had to balance them out...

 

[CoatRackOfDoom]

I don't hate elves. OH, wait... I'm thinking of Vulcans.

Elves... elves... those pointy-eared guys? meh. Elf chicks, now. They're hawt.

 

[DandD]

I dislike D&D-elves. I actually like The Dark Eye-Elves (although the more they copied from D&D, the worse it became), or Shadowrun-Elves (except those dumb meta-variants, but they're noted as deviant freaks), or other elf-races in other games.

It's just that in D&D, they are totally illogical (needing a hundred years to mature, in game terms meaning to be level 1... what?), and the game developers crammed a ton of absurd-idiotic subraces into the books (I'll not start to list them again. I'm tired of it). And then there was the really bad background lore (I did read "The complete book of elves" of AD&D 2nd ed).

Toning down those bajillion elf-types into four races is a start. Hopefully, they get reduced to half again (elf and half-elf), and then later, only one elf-race remains (elf). Why can't eldar eladrin, wood elf and dark elfdrow not be simply something culturally, like in Warhammer? Oh well, time will tell.

 

[Plane Sailing]

So why do people hate the various races of elves (Elves, Eladrin, Drow etc).
Does Tolkien have anything to do with it?


And why oh why don't you change them until you like them again?

Why are you interested in this question?

I ask because I'd hate to think that someone was just stirring, yet it isn't clear to me what you hope to get out of this discussion.

From the way you phrase the question it doesn't seem that you hate races of elves, and although some people do, other people don't - which sets up the potential argument.

Even your closing clause isn't really helpful, since I imagine that most people who do hate elves have already changed them until they like them (or ruled them out of the game, or whatever).

So please, if there is more to your question please state it openly and without attempting to lay judgements against the people you are talking too!

Thanks

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

Possibly because elves don't have……………I can't find the right word for it. I want to call it "primal factor" a sort of deep down aspect that shows they're still linked to the animal world (using evolutionary-type language, "they're still mortal" is another way to say it). Dwarves and orcs have chest thumping passion; gnomes and halflings have laughing sneakiness. Elves?

They hug trees.

Yeah, that sounds like a whole lot of fun.

 

[Rechan]

Possibly because elves don't have……………I can't find the right word for it. I want to call it "primal factor" a sort of deep down aspect that shows they're still linked to the animal world (using evolutionary-type language, "they're still mortal" is another way to say it). Dwarves and orcs have chest thumping passion; gnomes and halflings have sing sneakiness. Elves?

They hug trees.

Yeah, that sounds like a whole lot of fun.

I'd argue that elves are all about the sex. Given how we have a race of half-elves, and all those sub races, and well, I won't get into the elf porn on the internet...