D&D (2024) 1D&D elf: Swing and a miss

[Remathilis]

Yeah, that's one of my issues, too. Either every elf has the same chassis, with adaptations for their environments, or every elf is a different unique butterfly (which is I'm sure what the elves would tell you is true). The fact that they're publishing incrementally means we get stuck with different stages of design philosophy. It'd be nice if we don't have to have a new version of eladrin again some time after 2023, but I suspect we will.

To be perfectly frank, i would never pick the high elf option over the eladrin or astral elf. The floating cantrip, free detect magic and free misty step per day isn't comparable to "misty step" prof a day, a fixed choice of three mildly useful cantrips and a floating skill and tool/weapon prof a day. The wood elf is better, but I still would prefer something rather than druidic bonus SLAs.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Differentiating wood and high elves would be an ideal use of custom backgrounds, actually. (And rock and forest gnomes too, for that matter.)

The problem with that is that then every elf and gnome essentially has the same job. There should elf soldiers and elf scholars, for example.

 

[Remathilis]

The problem with that is that then every elf and gnome essentially has the same job. There should elf soldiers and elf scholars, for example.

Yeah, and I wouldn't want "dwarf smith" and "elf acolyte" as backgrounds to be used to fix the problem either.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The problem with that is that then every elf and gnome essentially has the same job. There should elf soldiers and elf scholars, for example.

Yeah, it would realistically need to be a bunch of backgrounds. But a default wood elf background, a wood elf scout, etc.

I'm not sure what the best option is for the 1D&D PHB elf is, but the UA one isn't it.

 

[Marandahir]

The problem with that is that then every elf and gnome essentially has the same job. There should elf soldiers and elf scholars, for example.

That's why we should be having two pillars there. Background and Heroic Theme (names could change). One is your culture, the other is your non-classed identity (what you do when you're not a Fighter or Bard etc).

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's why we should be having two pillars there. Background and Heroic Theme (names could change). One is your culture, the other is your non-classed identity (what you do when you're not a Fighter or Bard etc).

Exactly like Level Up.

 

[JohnSnow]

I think there should be two elfs. Dark Elf with 60 darkvision. All other elfs with no darkvison. Currently there are 8 different elfs.

Even Drow kingdoms have phosphorescent fungi.

Down with Darkvision for playable ancestries! Nothing but low-light vision for everyone!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I don't think anyone's missed the grey or or valley elves in a very long time.

 

[GreyLord]

Once upon a time, AD&D had grey, high, wood, sea and valley elves, along with the "oh, these are mythical, they don't exist, ho ho, why are we even mentioning them in the Monster Manual" drow. I don't think anyone's missed the grey or or valley elves in a very long time. I don't know that we shouldn't just toss "wood" and "high" elves as more different than humans who live in the country or city into the dustbin of history.

That said, if astral elves are a distinct people with their own write-up, it seems silly to suggest drow and shadar-kai are not. I would be fine with having "elves," "drow" and "shadar-kai" as three distinct peoples with their own write-ups in the 2024 PHB.

Don't forget my favorite, the xenophobic (well, maybe not that, but more likely to eat you than welcome you) Grugach or Wild Elves.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If grugach actually ate people, they would be 100% more interesting than just being double wood elves.