Spelljammer Astral Elves: Spelljammer's Elves In Spaaaaace!

WotC has a preview of Spelljammer's upcoming Astral Elves over on D&D Beyond (following on from their preview of the Giff last week).

Astral Elves can teleport as a bonus action, use divine cantrips, and 'tap into the knowledge of the infinite multiverse' to pick up new proficiencies after a long rest.

Sneak Peek: Play as the Immortal Astral Elf From Spelljammer: Adventures in Space!

The astral elf is a timeless creature with a deep connection to the Astral Sea. Click here for a preview of the new race offered by Spelljammer: Adventu...

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[Yaarel]

It's a Solar Dragon.

I am unfamiliar with the solar dragon. Source? Isnt the solar dragon a Pathfinder property?

 

[Mind of tempest]

I am unfamiliar with the solar dragon. Source? Isnt the solar dragon a Pathfinder property?

I think he meant stellar dragon

 

[Benjamin Olson]

As fellow Inkling Hugo Dyson famously exclaimed when Tolkien was reading Lord of the Rings to the group, "Oh God, not another elf!"

 

[Yaarel]

I can summarize the concept of the 4e mithral dragon.

The mithral dragon is native to the astral plane. It glimpses the futures. This dragon is a creature of fate and a champion of causes. It is Unaligned, and like fate, inscrutable. It can be a dauntless ally or foe, but only fights at a time of its choosing.

In combat, the mithral dragon teleports at-will. Mechanically it has Speed teleport 50. And wields other teleportation effects as well. The breathweapon deals radiant damage. Like other dragons, the mithral causes fear. The prescience equates to something akin to at-will, imposing disadvantage or granting advantage.

Heh. Despite the extreme difficulty in taking a mithral dragon down, it rarely accumulates treasure, unless it is specifically for the purpose of some cause.

 

[Maxperson]

Heh. It sucks for me.

I love the astral elf.

But I sympathize with the groans about the bloat of elf races.

Yeah, but with a reboot of Spelljammer they were sort of a necessity with space elves being a major theme of that setting.

 

[Yaarel]

Yeah, but with a reboot of Spelljammer they were sort of a necessity with space elves being a major theme of that setting.

I agree. And they wanted to put Spock, somewhere, in Spelljammer.

But the elf race design space would be far more useful for everybody − player, DM, designer − if the elf race itself is customizable so as to serve the needs of different character concepts and different setting concepts, including for Spelljammer.

We dont need or want 100+ elf races. We just need 3, or at most 4.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I am unfamiliar with the solar dragon. Source? Isnt the solar dragon a Pathfinder property?

There was a Spelljammer Dragon called a Sun Dragon so this is probably the renamed version. The minis also confirm Lunar Dragons.

 

[Yaarel]

The 5e dragon might fuse both the 4e mithral dragon and the 2e stellar dragon into the same dragon. If one of the metallic dragons, it would be mithral, but it might go by other names because it is native to the astral plane.

In 2e, the spelljammers sail the ethereal phlogiston. The stellar dragon inhabits there. But in 5e, the spelljammers sail the astral plane. This implies that the stellar dragon would have to become an astral inhabitant in 5e.

At this point, the "4e mithral dragon" and the "2e stellar dragon" can easily become two names for the same 5e astral dragon.

The two dragon traditions have much in common. Mainly it is Neutral alignment but hyper interested the affairs of various races, while often rapporting with the inhabitants of the astral dominions.

There are some differences. The stellar tends to be aloof, where the mithral tends to take up a cause. The stellar "breathes" force damage, where the mithral radiant damage. But metallic dragons can have two breath weapons. So a both-and fusion is ok. Both involve teleportation effects.

− I just saw the post with the mini for a 5e solar dragon!

Hypothetically, this solar dragon merges the traditions of sun, stellar, and mithral.

 

[Parmandur]

The 5e dragon might fuse both the 4e mithral dragon and the 2e stellar dragon into the same dragon. If one of the metallic dragons, it would be mithral, but it might go by other names because it is native to the astral plane.

In 2e, the spelljammers sail the ethereal phlogiston. The stellar dragon inhabits there. But in 5e, the spelljammers sail the astral plane. This implies that the stellar dragon would have to become an astral inhabitant in 5e.

At this point, the "4e mithral dragon" and the "2e stellar dragon" can easily become two names for the same 5e astral dragon.

The two dragon traditions have much in common. Mainly it is Neutral alignment but hyper interested the affairs of various races, while often rapporting with the inhabitants of the astral dominions.

There are some differences. The stellar tends to be aloof, where the mithral tends to take up a cause. The stellar "breathes" force damage, where the mithral radiant damage. But metallic dragons can have two breath weapons. So a both-and fusion is ok. Both involve teleportation effects.

− I just saw the post with the mini for a 5e solar dragon!

Hypothetically, this solar dragon merges the traditions of sun, stellar, and mithral.

The Astral Elves do Radiant damage via Sacred Flame, would expect the Solar Dragon would also do Radiant.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The Astral Elves do Radiant damage via Sacred Flame, would expect the Solar Dragon would also do Radiant.

Things to do with the Sun also tend to do Radiant damage and Solar sounds sun related.