I like where
@Yaarel's head is at with this idea. Because there have been players who have stated quite clearly that they need Elves to have a +2 to Dexterity in order for their Elf to feel like an Elf... the idea that you can just make an "Elven Background" can give you what you want (the +2 to DEX for being an Elf) even if that +2 doesn't appear in the the Species write-up. That is a really lovely work around.
Within the D&D Elf traditions, the High Elf is the main version. All D&D editions inform it. For 2024, I see at least five prominent backgrounds for the High culture of the Elf species. The Eldritch Cadet is highly prominent and conveys the flavor of Dexterity and Intelligence.
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Eldritch Cadet (Dexterity and Intelligence, wizardly or gishy)
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Witch Artist (Charisma, and either Intelligence or Wisdom, bardic, wizardly, or druidic)
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Fey Page (Charisma and Intelligence, bardic or wizardly)
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Wild Mason (Wisdom and Intelligence, druidic)
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House of Corellon (Wisdom and Charisma, clerical)
The High culture of the Elf species is traditionally militaristic. High Elves are an army of Wizards. Each High town has its own military, and towns can unite to form a shared High national military. Most towns require citizens to participate militiary service and remain in reserves. There are two military forces: the Eldritch Knights comprising infantry and cavalry and the Bladesingers comprising artillery and intelligence. Both do special operations and full war. The
Eldritch Cadet is a teen studying at a military academy for one of these two forces. Cadets research Arcana for the arcane military sciences, and utilize Dexterity for gymnastic Athletics, including to jump and climb. A choice of a longsword treated as finesse or a longbow can replace the background toolset proficiency. An Eldritch Knight cadet can consider feats including: a Griffon as a cavalry flying mount, elven chain (an enhanced
Mage Armor spell) with a combat cantrip, Fey Step teleportation, or Elven Accuracy. In addition to the knightly feats, a Bladesinger cadet might also consider a feat that emphasizes advanced magical research, spellcasting artillery, divination for military intelligence, or covert special operations. At higher tiers, Bladesingers involve the community magic of Mythals. While most High citizens fulfill military duty, a prestigious minority study in the military academies and enter military careers.
For civilian life, the
Witch Artist wields magic for artistic effects and High cultural events. They bring beauty and mindfulness − and joy and magic − to every aspect of the High people and places. They are proficient with Persuasion and Performance, choosing a feat for their artistic medium, including Crafter to make magic items, or a feat for spellcasting musical performances, spectacular illusions, or elemental special effects. (Strixhaven has inspiration for artistic mage themes.) The Witch Art communities comprise Bards along with Wizards and Druids, emphasizing the mystery of magic, its delight, curiosity, and sacred creativity. Many leaders of sacred communities come from the Witch Artists.
Each High town forms its own Fey Court as the local government. The Court is typically a paliament whose members are "courtiers", but each local tradition titles them with dignified poetic terms, such as the "Fates", "Songsters", "Archons", and so on. Some Courts elect a chief courtier, occasionally styling as a monarch tho still removable by a confidence vote. Town citizens are typically Elf majority with other species as well. Note, only "adult" High citizens of age 100 and up can vote and can become courtiers. Human courtiers are rare indeed. Courts are magocracies, where magical power and its responsible use tend to determine the electeds. Monthly, the town Courts send representatives to form the High Court to vote on High national interests. Annually, Fey Courts across the Feywild, the Material Plane, and virtually every other plane of existence, send representatives to assemble the Seelie Court. A
Fey Page is often a persuasive precocious teen apprentice of a Fey courtier. The page is magically competent, and knowledgeable about the concerns, conflicts, crises, and intrigues among the Fey Courts of the town, High nation, and Fey multiverse. Courtiers often send their pages on secretive missions to avoid public awareness.
Most High towns are an advanced civilization of elegant treehouses, high in the air, linking via walkways of branches. The
Wild Mason shapes new structures for palatial residences and for civil engineering projects, out of the living wood of trees, in harmony with nature. Also, Wild Masons engage magical wildfarming to preserve the complex natural ecology, while harvesting abundant produce for the mainly vegetarian citizenry. A High wildfarm seems little more than a fertile area in the dense forest wilderness, while the town high above can go unnoticed by passerbys.
Clerics are known among the
House of Corellon. The House comprises individuals who maintain an intimate friendship with their ancestor Corellon. They gain close ties with the Astral Plane, especially the dominion of Avandor. Corellon themself is a genderfluid shapeshifter, and many of their House members exhibit genderfluid shapeshifting. Typically, High citizens identify with a specific gender, whether masculine, feminine, both, or neither. But the individuals who are fluid enjoy a revered sacred status, as living representatives of the divine origins of all Elves. All of the House are fountains of positive energy. The House exists across many Elf cultures, and can serve as defacto embassadors and adjudicators between their communities. The Clerics among the House of Corellon emphasize ancestor veneration and the mysticism of magic. The eternal youth of Elves allows distant ancestors to remain alive alongside their descendents. The veneration is love and loyalty to ones great parents.
As one contemplates how a High town community funtions, the applications of magic, the utilization of resourcs, etcetera, as well as the diversity between High towns, many backgrounds become plausable. Here are five that dig deep into the High Elf flavors of earlier traditions: Eldritch Cadet, Witch Artist, Fey Page, Wild Mason, and House of Corellon.
