D&D (2024) D&D species article

[Yaarel]

I am happy with the Elf.

New Elf cultures in future products can do much by deciding which spells to use as building blocks for the narrative concept. So can DMs for homebrew cultures. It makes sense enough to correlate these environmental spells with the culture that the Elf grows up in. Perhaps this can also be a subculture within a culture. For example, a Drow from a certain House might grow up more familiar with different spells than the rest of the community.

The Keen Senses seems ok, but a bit off. These are a choice of Wisdom skill: Perception, Survival, or Insight. Heh, Elves are many things but is "wise" one of them? I suppose, Perception means having the heightened anatomical senses of an animal, such as pointed wolf ears. Survival is attuning nature. Insight is more human-oriented for social and urban aspects, and perhaps relates well enough to "fate".

I might prefer the Elf instead have innate Arcana proficiency for intuiting and discerning magic, or Persuasion of charming Fey.

 

[Charlaquin]

I am happy with the Elf.

New Elf cultures in future products can do much by deciding which spells to use as building blocks for the narrative concept. So can DMs for homebrew cultures. It makes sense enough to correlate these environmental spells with the culture that the Elf grows up in. Perhaps this can also be a subculture within a culture. For example, a Drow from a certain House might grow up more familiar with different spells than the rest of the community.

The Keen Senses seems ok, but a bit off. These are a choice of Wisdom skill: Perception, Survival, or Insight. Heh, Elves are many things but is "wise" one of them? I suppose, Perception means having the heightened anatomical senses of an animal, such as pointed wolf ears. Survival is attuning nature. Insight is more human-oriented for social and urban aspects, and perhaps relates well enough to "fate".

I might prefer the Elf instead have innate Arcana proficiency for intuiting and discerning magic, or Persuasion of charming Fey.

Wisdom is pretty much just awareness in 5e - be it sensory, social, or instinctive. Definitely a trait it makes sense for elves to have in abundance.

 

[Yaarel]

Re the Large Form trait of the Goliath.

I feel the height should always stay the same. If the Goliath is 10 feet tall then that is its height consistently.

However, the mechanical benefits of the Large Form (Strength check Advantage and increased Speed) can be temporary − that is fine, a kind of berserking.

The way to make Large work in 5e is by the Large Size in itself lacking mechanics, but other mechanics might refer to it.

 

[Parmandur]

Heh, Elves are many things but is "wise" one of them?

As Beren looked into her eyes
Within the shadows of her hair,
The trembling starlight of the skies
He saw there mirrored shimmering.

Tinúviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering.

Long was the way that fate them bore,
O’er stony mountains cold and grey,
Through halls of iron and darkling door,
And woods of nightshade morrowless.

The Sundering Seas between them lay,
And yet at last they met once more,
And long ago they passed away
In the forest singing sorrowless.

 

[Yaarel]

Wisdom is pretty much just awareness in 5e - be it sensory, social, or instinctive. Definitely a trait it makes sense for elves to have in abundance.

Depends on the concept.

In experience, the anatomical senses are less relevant to the Elf concept. Despite Perception being the best skill, it feels the least elven.

Elves can be keenly aware of the fate of each human, and aware of which fate a human merits. So, I am ok with Insight being elven. But I feel Insight itself − in the sense of empathy − is a social skill that should have Charisma as its main go-to ability.

The Survival instinct feels especially British relating to fairy who associate fertile soil, whence groves and forests, whence hunting and wilderness. Less so a Norse thing. Some alfr do shapeshift into animals, but the wilderness itself feels less relevant.

Arcana and Persuasion feel elven.

Nature would be more helpful for upper atmosphere above clouds. It would also help with elemental, alchemical skills, including metallurgy. I would be fine if Nature and Survival merged into a single skill that either Intelligence or Wisdom utilizes depending on what action one does with this competence with Nature.

 

[Yaarel]

Tinúviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering.

Here Elven-wise, might mean -wise in the sense of "in the direction of" (clockwise), "in the manner of" (otherwise), "with regard to being elven", immortal in the elven way of being immortal.

Even here the "fair" quality of the Elf, the aura of superhuman beauty, relates to its magic persuasiveness, and enchantingness. The Persuasion skill.

 

[Parmandur]

Here Elven-wise, might mean -wise in the sense of "in the direction of" (clockwise), "in the manner of" (otherwise), "with regard to being elven", immortal in the elven way of being immortal.

Even here the "fair" quality of the Elf, the aura of superhuman beauty, relates to its magic persuasiveness, and enchantingness. The Persuasion skill.

Elven-wise is an appellation used for Arargorn and Elrond's advisors. It means wisdom in this context.

Being wise, and attuned to the world, is like Elves whole deal.

 

[Yaarel]

Elven-wise is an appellation used for Arargorn and Elrond's advisors. It means wisdom in this context.

Being wise, and attuned to the world, is like Elves whole deal.

Again, it depends on the concept.

To me, the fiction of Tolkien feels tangential to the reallife cultural archetypes of Elf.

 

[Parmandur]

Again, it depends on the concept.

To me, the fiction of Tolkien feels tangential to the reallife cultural archetypes of Elf.

Honestly, for most people real life cultural archetypes of Elf feel tangential to Tolkien's fiction...? Thst was true in the 70s, still true frankly.

 

[Yaarel]

Honestly, for most people real life cultural archetypes of Elf feel tangential to Tolkien's fiction...? Thst was true in the 70s, still true frankly.

Maybe for American popculture. But D&D would normally try to downplay Tolkienisms anyway.