D&D 3E/3.5 Wood Elves [3.5]

[luckystrike23]

dunno if its a revision or not, but having orc blood is quite an advantage.

orcs are common enemies, orcs have orcish items, half orcs can use these items after they dispatch the orcs.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

I've always found more "Orc-Slaying" items than ones specifically made to benefit an orc, and vice-versa for elves.

 

[CrimsonTemplar]

LG Wood Elves aren't changing

According to the Circle (the guys who run the Living Greyhawk campaign) Wood Elves aren't going to change their racial modifiers when the campaign switches to 3.5, so they'll still be just as crude as ever.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I thought LG has to use the core rules without any house rules?

 

[CrimsonTemplar]

I thought LG has to use the core rules without any house rules?

According to Dave C. they don't want folks changing their attributes during character conversion. If the new Wood Elf is used then old characters will suddenly find themselves an extra +1 from somewhere. Also new PC's shouldn't be allowed to have different racial packages from older PC's.

Since the Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook is where you get the racial bonus packages for character generation and not the MM it was effectively house ruled from the get-go. Also, they've changed how the Magic Item Creation Feats are implemented at least 3 times over the course of the campaign, so it's not like this will be the only deviation from the Core Rules they've ever done.

 

[niteshade6]

"In comparison, half-orcs still suffer from losing 4 points and gaining only two, but it's somewhat balanced out by their having orc blood."

Half orc blood is not a particular advantage, and it's the only thing half orcs get except dark vision.

Elves get weapon abilities, save bonuses, spell immunities, skill bonuses, lack of sleep time, secret door searching and probably some other things I'm forgeting about. Also in the DMG I can see more things where elf blood would be useful then orc blood.

So if anything an "elven half orc" should have worse ability modifiers not better.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Half-Orcs were supposed to be a race that's really easy to play: You get +Str, which helps playing a strong fighter (I know people who always play a fighter when first playing a new RPG or edition of the rules, cause it's usually the easiest character choice), they have -Int and -Cha, ability scores that are not important to the fighter. They have darkvision, so they don't need to worry about illumination. They have noe special qualities that are hard to keep track on (I often remind a DM that I automatically get a search check for secret doors when I play an elf.).

So it's a good choice for beginners and a good choice for brutes.

But I think that we really don't need another race for beginners, especially one that won't be welcome everywhere (he's half an orc, after all). So why not just let the human be the race for starters.

So they could have given the half-orc a couple of extra powers (maybe +2 racial bonus to intimidate and survival or something). Or they could have just left it out of the core rules (my favorite choice. I don't like half-orcs. I don't think that green races - even if it's a crossbreed and only "half-green" - should be core. Orcs are almost always the evil guys, and D&D standard are non-evil campaigns. They should have stuck to the other 6 races and made orcs (and half-orcs if you want them) another choice for "monsters as pc-races" like goblins and kobolds (and drow - another race that's not a standard pc race cause it isn't suited for a non-evil campaign).

 

[mzsylver]

Re: LG Wood Elves aren't changing

According to the Circle (the guys who run the Living Greyhawk campaign) Wood Elves aren't going to change their racial modifiers when the campaign switches to 3.5, so they'll still be just as crude as ever.

total jankness! i want my charisma!

 

[krunchyfrogg]

It does seem strange that LG won't follow a newer version of the rule. Oh well, I never played LG anyway.



Looks like I found a new munchy race without even knowing it! Any of the fighting classes benefit now, and Ranger is the favored class!

 

[The Souljourner]

I think people underestimate the suckiness that is -2 con. I've played elves, and often times I find myself wishing for those extra hitpoints. And Elven Wizards? Man, if you sneeze in the same *room* they fall over.

So, while +2 strength and Dex is good, that -2 con still hurts, and -2 int is really sucky for rangers who need every skillpoint they can scrounge up. I'm playing a human, which gives me 2 skillpoints more than an equivalent wood elf, and I'm still having to spread my skillpoints a little thin.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Wild Elves, they get +2 dex and -2 int... far better than normal elves, 1 skillpoint per level is a lot better to lose than one hitpoint. Everyone needs con, not everyone needs int.

-The Souljourner