D&D 5E Dwarfs, Elfs, and Memory

[Umbran]

Maybe, or a sorcerer, or a Paladin, or nearly any class.

Moradin isn't primarily a god of magic, so I'm not sure that narrative works for a sorcerer, or any arcane caster, really. And I think it is a por fit for several other classes - rogue sticking out like another sore thumb there. But paladin? Sure, that works.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Moradin isn't primarily a god of magic, so I'm not sure that narrative works for a sorcerer, or any arcane caster, really. And I think it is a por fit for several other classes - rogue sticking out like another sore thumb there. But paladin? Sure, that works.

The intended implication is that it’s not really a class concept. It just makes for an exceptional person. A rogue smith fits just fine. Being able to remember Moradin’s memories doesn’t erase the individual’s own life, it could just mean they are a naturally exceptional craftsperson.

In a game where supernatural gifts and feats at level 1 are being used, giving such a character a Gift of fire resistance and expertise in Smith’s tools and another artisans tool would make sense.

Beyond all that, access to Moradin’s memories, if that means power, absolutely fits the sorcerer. Either Divine Soul, or a custom subclass, would directly model the concept.

Another concept with a lot of potential mileage would be exactly an atypical class choice like rogue or Druid or Ranger or Wizard, recalling elements of Moradin’s nature that have largely been forgotten by your people, causing, as you level and gain notoriety, a commotion within the faith of Moradin.

the hyper nebulousness tends to create a feeling that classes do not really exist at all leading to classless systems, to have fixed classes means that they must have a definition.

The original idea didn’t reference any class for a reason.

 

[Umbran]

The intended implication is that it’s not really a class concept.

Um... it was my intended implication when I mentioned the cleric. I thought it was a cool idea.

The original idea didn’t reference any class for a reason.

Are you testing people for telepathic ability, or something?

And do you figure "Any thoughts?" is supposed to be read as "Any thoughts that stick closely to my unspoken predetermined restrictions?"

Never mind. I thought it was a cool idea, but not worth swimming upstream for.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Moradin isn't primarily a god of magic, so I'm not sure that narrative works for a sorcerer, or any arcane caster, really. And I think it is a por fit for several other classes - rogue sticking out like another sore thumb there. But paladin? Sure, that works.

maybe the old rune caster fits best?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Um... it was my intended implication when I mentioned the cleric. I thought it was a cool idea.



Are you testing people for telepathic ability, or something?

And do you figure "Any thoughts?" is supposed to be read as "Any thoughts that stick closely to my unspoken predetermined restrictions?"

Never mind. I thought it was a cool idea, but not worth swimming upstream for.

No, I was just clarifying that I don’t see the idea as constrained to a class. I also then engaged directly with your idea by pointing out that other classes can work directly with the concept quite well, by showing a side to Moradin that people don’t expect, and noting how the Sorcerer is as natural a fit as cleric.

 

[hopeless]

When I was developing my elven cleric I wondered about this.
I ended up explaining she aged very slowly about 7.5 years to 1 in human terms emerging from her Feywild home roughly about 13 in human terms (98 years old) by the time she entered the game she was 148 years old (almost 20 in human terms) had been briefly married only to be abandoned when her husband unable to believe she was actually an elf and he was the father of their son.
She had to raise their son alone until he enlisted at 16 and she returned to her original career as a cleric keeping an eye on her son and the family he married into.
The idea was that she had been reborn, but unlike other elves who had plenty of others to help them she was left alone with a Lantern Archon as a Guardian for most of her childhood and found she could recall her previously lives a bit too much for her own liking.
She had to get used to being an exile of her own people such that few if any actually knew about her and was often mistaken as human or half elvish at best when they didn't realize who they were talking to.
Those who did either tended to avoid her or showed genuine pity as even her own tribe recognized they were wrong to treat her like they did.
Sorry tried several ways of typing this hope I didn't wander too far off the thread of this discussion.
Never considered the dwarven version of this.

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

I like Keith Baker's solution for this: his idea is that elves mentally mature at the same rate humans do up until age 70 or so, and then get stuck there in that old age mindset for the rest of their lives. This is based on the perception that old people both have difficulty with learning and adapting to new trends and generally choose not to because of a preference for what's familiar; I have no idea how accurate this is, but it's certainly an idea that could hold purchase in-universe even if it ultimayely turns out to not be true.

From my understanding, elves don't reach mental maturity (at least from a cultural standpoint), until they are in their 100s (probably around 120-150). So 70 might be a bit young for an elf to have reached that "old age" mindset, as at that age many elves are still in that, "I want to explore and learn new things" mindset.

And many elves do continue to learn new skills throughout their lives (or at least seek complete mastery of a set of skills).

 

[PsyzhranV2]

From my understanding, elves don't reach mental maturity (at least from a cultural standpoint), until they are in their 100s (probably around 120-150). So 70 might be a bit young for an elf to have reached that "old age" mindset, as at that age many elves are still in that, "I want to explore and learn new things" mindset.

And many elves do continue to learn new skills throughout their lives (or at least seek complete mastery of a set of skills).

The idea I was referencing was part of Baker's worldbuilding that is specific to the Eberron setting; I just thought it was neat and thought it would be interesting if expanded to a general rule. He's discussed it a few times but most recently here:

IFAQ: Elven Miscellany

My last article discussed the impact the long lifespan of elves has on the elves of the Five Nations. This brought up a few other points I’d like to discuss. Elves are Old for a Long Time The…

keith-baker.com

IIRC, Baker has also put forward the idea that elves who live in the multiracial Five Nations generally consider themselves "adult" by physical maturity. Meanwhile, the Aereni and the Tairnadal, cultures of purely elves, do have the "100 years of childhood + adolescence", but they spend all that time in hyperspecialized training for the role that they were chosen for by their elders.

 

[lall]

So, I’ve been thinking about the assumption that elves and dwarves aren’t born knowing how to fight with their weapons, or brew, or smith, and I had an idea that challenges that, and I think makes a lot of sense.

So, Dwarfs. I’ve always seen them as people who naturally view themselves as part of a larger whole, more than as individuals, and that plays a part here. What if the reason they are like that isn’t because of how they live, but rather they live like they do because of their nature, because a dwarf isn’t really a complete individual.

What if dwarves remember their ancestors lives? What if they know how to work stone and use axes because their ancestors did?

And then with elfs, it’s right there in the 5e lore. Elves recall past lives. Why wouldn’t that mean they can pick up a bow and just use it intuitively, if most elves use bows?

Any thoughts?

Drow may not reincarnate, right? (A drow might argue one life as a drow is worth an infinite number of non-drow lives.) So they may not be born with those skills, but they could order their slaves to teach them whatever.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Drow may not reincarnate, right? (A drow might argue one life as a drow is worth an infinite number of non-drow lives.) So they may not be born with those skills, but they could order their slaves to teach them whatever.

I don’t really like the exclusion of Drow, especially because giving them memories of past lives is even more interesting than for other elves.