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

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm OK with these elves, and I think 5e has been doing some interesting stuff with the cosmology of elves (at least until they send Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes into the memory hole).

I agree that thematically they shouldn't have darkvision but I doubt they will remove it since that is a core elf trait in the PHB, and even though they moved away from subclasses in favor of full writeups for each race, I think they will want to maintain continuity with the core race, at least until the new PHB in 2024.

Of course, since they are changing the core soon, there's no real reason why upcoming product has to match with the 2014 version.

 

[Weiley31]

Are they? I don’t remember Legolas ever teleporting or making orcs burst into flame.

Ya gotta watch the Extended Extended Extended Extended Edition of The Rings of Power.

 

[Yaarel]

I think high elf already makes a perfectly serviceable Spock for a space-D&D setting.

Well, half-elf for Spock. High-elf makes a fine Vulcan though; these racial traits just make them seem less Vulcan-like.

Yeah, with the ability score improvements separate from race, the high elf is actually a great way to build a Spock character. Spock is a high-Strength gish.

If there was some kind of "Mind Meld" cantrip to choose, it might be spot on.

 

[Havrik Stoneskimmer]

Of course, since they are changing the core soon, there's no real reason why upcoming product has to match with the 2014 version.

Perhaps you're right, several of the updated "subraces" in Monsters of the Multiverse omit or alter traits from the "base race".

 

[Yaarel]

I'm OK with these elves, and I think 5e has been doing some interesting stuff with the cosmology of elves (at least until they send Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes into the memory hole).

I agree that thematically they shouldn't have darkvision but I doubt they will remove it since that is a core elf trait in the PHB, and even though they moved away from subclasses in favor of full writeups for each race, I think they will want to maintain continuity with the core race, at least until the new PHB in 2024.

The point of deleting the design space of a "subrace", is each family of races, including the elf, can have each race be completely different from each other.

There is zero obligation to conform to the Players Handbook subraces.

If darkvision makes so sense, the particular elf race should be free of it.




I am unsure where the Tome of Foes lore will go. (Actually it does have some concerning issues, such as the only prominent nonbinary figure being a terrible dysfunctional parent. No character should be perfect, but problematic stereotype does concern.)

Anyway, maybe the future lore will perhaps work out as follows.

Corellon is a regenerating shapechanger who, thereby, parthenogenetically reproduces children from blood.

In some kind of family conflict. Some remain with them in the astral dominion, some follow Lolth into the material plane. And some relocate to the fey plane.

In the material plane, some then split away from Lolth before descending into the Underdark. Thus the material elves divide up into udadrow (Lolth gish), aevendrow (remain magic), and lorendrow (become materially physical). The aevendrow and lorendrow seem to be hiding from both Lolth and Corellon.

The wood elf tire of hiding and split away from the lorendrow, embracing the materiality of the natural wilderness. Some wood elves become sea elves.

Some time later, some wood elves reconnect with the fey elves, becoming high elves.

In the fey plane, fey elves pursue magic in many places, sometimes immigrating to elsewhere: astral elves, shadow shadar-kai, even into the material plane, as pallid elves, and 1e grey elves and valley elves.



Most of this diversity is evolving into different cultures. But there are at least three salient races with different features.

 

[Shardstone]

The point of deleting the design space of a "subrace", is each family of races, including the elf, can have each race be completely different from each other.

There is zero obligation to conform to the Players Handbook subraces.

If darkvision makes so sense, the particular elf race should be free of it.




I am unsure where the Tome of Foes lore will go. (Actually it does have some concerning issues, such as the only prominent nonbinary figure being a terrible dysfunctional parent. No character should be perfect, but problematic stereotypes does concern.)

Anyway, maybe the future lore will somehow work out as follows.

Corellon is a regenerating shapechanger who, thereby, parthenogenetically reproduces children from blood.

In some kind of family conflict. Some remain with them in the astral dominion, some follow Lolth into the material plane. And some relocate to the fey plane.

In the material plane, some then split away from Lolth before descending into the Underdark. Thus the material elves divide up into udadrow (Lolth gish), aevendrow (remain magic), and lorendrow (become materially physical). The aevendrow and lorendrow seem to be hiding from both Lolth and Corellon.

The wood elf tire of hiding and split away from the lorendrow, embracing the materiality of the natural wilderness. Some wood elves become sea elves.

Some time later, some wood elves reconnect with the fey elves, becoming high elves.

In the fey plane, fey elves pursue magic in many places, sometimes immigrating to elsewhere: astral elves, shadow shadar-kai, even into the material plane, as pallid elves, and 1e grey elves and valley elves.



Most of this diversity is evolving into different cultures.

This is an aside, but I love some of the words you use.

Yes, Corellon DOES reproduce via pathogenesis! How naughty word creepy is that?! This immortal, ever-changing, chaotic divinity can just bleed entire races of super-efficient creatures with the capability of being gods from each wound it suffers? And these children often WORSHIP Corellon, thus increasing its power, thus leading to more pathogensis.

Hideously creepy, through that lens, this self-replicating, constantly evolving, super-animal.

 

[Yaarel]

@Shardstone

It reminds me.

The grandparent of Óðinn is Búri. Búri appears to be the nonbinary progenitor of the Æsir family of nature beings. It is unclear how Búri has a son, when no one else like him is around. But I grew up with traditions assuming he is nonbinary and personifying both the male and the female capacity for reproduction.

Note, his primordial contemporary, the frost jǫtunn Ymir, is also nonbinary.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Elves are prone to mutations thanks to their adaptability.

Also strangely enough, Star Trek sort of admitted indirectly it's actually the Romulans who are more like Elves, as the name of the Romulan "Elnor" (who's basically a Monk in D&D) roughly translates to "Star Trek" in Sindarin Elven.

 

[Peter BOSCO'S]

Elves are prone to mutations thanks to their adaptability.

Also strangely enough, Star Trek sort of admitted indirectly it's actually the Romulans who are more like Elves, as the name of the Romulan "Elnor" (who's basically a Monk in D&D) roughly translates to "Star Trek" in Sindarin Elven.

Vulcans are High Elves, Romulans are Dark Elves, Mintakans are Wood Elves.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

Right? It's like, oh look it's yet another pale elf from another plane with misty step. Oh they renamed misty step I guess that's TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

WotC really living that 1990s "Check out my elves, they're TOTALLY DIFFERENT to your elves!" life.

Also trying to sell me Sacred Flame as a good cantrip, not a cantrip that is, 90% of the time, a waste of a perfectly good Action, is pretty silly stuff. It even points out that it targets Dex saves, which means, when the chips are down, it lands less often than attacking the AC of a lot of creatures. Very few creatures indeed have bad Dex saves, and I bet particularly few of those are found in Spelljammer. I mean, WotC, can you stop giving people combat cantrips and pretending they're anything but a good way to waste Actions? Give them utility cantrips. People would murder a man for Prestidigitation for goodness sake. That's a roleplaying cantrip, but most players are going to get more use out of it than Sacred Flame. Also I'm assuming "stellar cantrip" is a pun, because otherwise poor old Mike needs to be carted off to the D&D loony bin.

All that said, I don't hate them. They're just completely unnecessary and WotC's working too hard to pretend their dodgy abilities are actually good. It's okay WotC, most races have terrible abilities in 5E.

I was thoroughly into this preview, love the flavor and style, then read this post which left me feeling like some sort of freaky reality shift. I mean....I don't even....okay then.....

EDIT: and finished the posts. I feel for those who are overloaded with elf options (I survived the entirety of 2nd edition myself so I know!) but I just can't imagine Spelljammer without the space elves. These abilities fit well thematically (ime, ymmv) so I am all for it. And Sacred Flame has never even been a blip on the radar for my gang, who use it often, so once again YMMV.