An alternative elf based on Norse legends

[Nyeshet]

Str rather than Con works for me also. Immunity to sleep is a necessity if they use trance rather than true sleep, in my opinion, so I would leave it there. +2 to Will saves vs magical effects is a good substitute for +2 to Enchantments. Some enchantments do not require will saves, so it seems an almost even exchange. If you wish to add a +2 to Wisdom, I would decrease the Str further rather than Con or Int. Elves are light given form and substance. It could be argued that they are a step above (or below) incorporeal spirits, from this standpoint. Decreasing Str accentuates this. But Str should not fall to -4 unless Wis is increased. I have a few other ideas as well.

Okay, my alterations would result in the following:

Light Elves
- Str -2, Int -2, Cha +4.
- Immunity to Sleep effects; 4 hours of trance rather than true sleep.
- +2 to Will saves against magical effects
- Low Light Vision
- Luminescence (Su): Elves glow with a soft and continuous light. They may repress this affect at will, but otherwise they radiate bright light to 20 ft and shadowy illumination for a further 20 ft. Note that due to their low light vision, to their eyes the distances are 40 ft and 40 ft, respectively. Once per day per Charisma bonus, they may increase the intensity of their radiance to the equivalent of a Daylight Spell. An elf may repress their inner light at will for an indefinant duration, but while repressing their luminescence their Light Resistance is lessened to only immunity to blindness by natural light.
- Light Resistance (Ex) (as previously stated by the poster)
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
- Inner sustenence (Ex/Su): Elves are creatures of light given form and substance. They have little need for food or drink. (Ex) Elves require only half the typical amount of food / drink for their size. (Su): Elves can subsist entirely on their inner light, but doing so requires a daily Will save. A single successful save removes hunger / thirst and all penalties due to such. DC 20 + Con. The Elf seeks to empower their baser body with the strength of their inner radiance. Those with a higher constitution have a stronger body to overcome. They cannot be repressing their inner light while making this save.
- Favoured Class: Sorcerer.
- Racial Proficiencies: Elves are innately proficient with all bows. *

* I would also include the Rapier in a more typical game, but if you are focusing on Norse mythology the rapier obviously does not fit in with it.

I made changes to Lumescence such that it can be used at will, and a few times per day increased for one round to the intensity of a day light spell. Inner Sustenence is new, granting the elves a further otherworldly characteristic. I added bows as a racial proficiency as their lower strength would encourage range weaponry, and I feel bows are well within the flavor of elves.

 

[Larksmann]

Why is it that none of the published races have a mod to cha?
I dont know, but it could be for a good reason.

wait; i take that back... some do.

 

[Erekose]

Thanks Nyeshet! That a really nice take on the race. However, I would modify it as follows:

- Str -2, Cha +4.
* I can see the rationale for –2 Int (I did have this as a suggestion in the original version!) but following on from Afrodyte’s comments I now believe this makes the race less viable for many classes, i.e. those that focus on skills and the Wizard class.

- Immunity to Sleep effects; 4 hours of trance rather than true sleep.
* Agreed!

- +2 to Will saves against magical effects (as previously)

- Low Light Vision (as previously)

- Luminescence (Su): Elves glow with a soft and continuous light. They may repress this affect at will, but otherwise they radiate bright light to 20 ft and shadowy illumination for a further 20 ft. Note that due to their low light vision, to their eyes the distances are 40 ft and 40 ft, respectively. An elf may repress their inner light at will for an indefinant duration, but while repressing their luminescence their Light Resistance is lessened to only immunity to blindness by natural light.
* I like the additional description you’ve added here! However, I think that daylight for a 1st level character (particularly for an elf with a 20 Cha) is too powerful. As I am setting a precedent with dwarves for an improved racial ability at 12th character level, I think doing the same here is probably the best way forwards.
* So . . .Once elves have gained 12 character levels they may release their inner light in a blaze of glory (the equivalent of daylight.

- Light Resistance (Ex) (as previously)

- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
* I can see why you’ve reinstated this but I don’t think they particularly need this bonus. It would be the first thing to go in terms of balance.

- Inner sustenence (Su): Elves are creatures of light given form and substance. They have little need for food or drink. (Ex) Elves require only half the typical amount of food / drink for their size. (Su): Elves can subsist entirely on their inner light, but doing so requires a daily Will save. A single successful save removes hunger / thirst and all penalties due to such. DC 20 + Con. The Elf seeks to empower their baser body with the strength of their inner radiance. Those with a higher constitution have a stronger body to overcome. They cannot be repressing their inner light while making this save.
* I really like this idea but I would simplify to something like . . . Elves are creatures of light given form and substance, they can gain some nourishment from natural light. While in natural daylight elves require only half the typical amount of food/drink for their size. However, if they spend less than 4 hours a day in natural light they need to consume the standard amount.

- Favoured Class: Sorcerer (as previously)

- Racial Proficiencies: Elves are innately proficient with all bows.
* Again, I understand why you’ve added this but I don’t think it’s essential.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Inner sustenence (Su): Elves are creatures of light given form and substance. They have little need for food or drink. (Ex) Elves require only half the typical amount of food / drink for their size. (Su): Elves can subsist entirely on their inner light, but doing so requires a daily Will save. A single successful save removes hunger / thirst and all penalties due to such. DC 20 + Con. The Elf seeks to empower their baser body with the strength of their inner radiance. Those with a higher constitution have a stronger body to overcome. They cannot be repressing their inner light while making this save.

This is definetely interesting, but I think you meant to say Fort instead of Will save. Here are a couple of feats to expand on this ability:

Radiant Sustenance [General]
Prerequisite: Alfheim Elf
Benefit: When making a fort save to give yourself the nourishment you need for a day you can apply twice your Constitution modifier to the end result.

Overpowering Aura of Light [General]
Prerequisite: Radiant Sustenance
Benefit: You are nourished entirely by your inner radiance without the need to make any Fort saves. A side effect of this is that you can no longer repress your inner light.

And here's a feat that expands on Luminesence:

Resplendant Luminesence [General]
Prerequisite: Overpowering Aura of Light
Benefit: Alfheim Elves that acquire this feat has the range of their luminescense doubled. Additionally any creatures within five feet of you are blinded.

 

[Erekose]

Thanks Frukathka, that's another interesting option! However, I think there's been some confusion over Nyeshet's ideas and my comments. To simplify things, the current version of the Norse Elf is as follows:

+4 Charisma, –2 Strength. Norse Elves have powerful personalities and personify beauty; however they are less tied to the physical world than other races.

Medium size: Norse Elves have a base land speed of 30 feet.

Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus to Will saves against magical effects.

Low-light vision (Ex): Norse Elves can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions.

Luminescence (Su): As luminescent beings, Norse Elves glow with a soft and continuous light. They may repress this affect at will, but otherwise they radiate bright light (the equivalent of a torch) to 20 ft and shadowy illumination for a further 20 ft. Note that due to their low light vision, to their eyes the distances are 40 ft and 40 ft, respectively. Once a Norse Elf has attained 12 character levels, once per day, he or she may release their inner light in a blaze of glory (the equivalent of the daylight spell using their character level as the caster level). Norse Elves may repress their inner light at will for an indefinite duration.

Light resistance (Ex): A Norse Elf cannot be blinded by natural or magical light. A Norse Elf only takes half damage from a spell with the light descriptor that causes damage (and no damage on a successful save when a successful save would normally cause half damage).

Light sustenance (Su): Norse Elves are creatures of light given form and substance, they can gain some nourishment from natural light. While in natural daylight Norse Elves require only half the typical amount of food for their size. However, if they spend less than 4 hours a day in natural light they need to consume the standard amount of food for their size.

Favoured Class: Sorcerer.

The real question is - is this still a LA+0 race?

Any other comments?

 

[monboesen]

The real question is - is this still a LA+0 race?

In shorthand. No.

Its a sorcerer/bards wet dream of a race.

+4 chr. Check.
-2 str. Who cares.
Less sleep. Check.
+2 will saves (allowing me to dump wis). Check.
Low light vision. Check.
Nifty light based abilities. Check.

Real disadvantages. None.

Not quite +1 ECL IMO, but too much for +0. Either decrease the charisma bonus to +2 or give out some more abilities for +1.

+4 charisma is really strong for bards and sorcerers and unless you are deadset on being a melee bard or sorcerer/fighter you have absolutely no need of str.

With standard array stats I would expect the following for any Light elf bard or sorcerer.

Str: 8, Dex: 13, Con: 14, Int: 12, Wis: 8, Cha: 17

 

[Erekose]

In shorthand. No.

Its a sorcerer/bards wet dream of a race.

+4 chr. Check.
-2 str. Who cares.
Less sleep. Check.
+2 will saves (allowing me to dump wis). Check.
Low light vision. Check.
Nifty light based abilities. Check.

Real disadvantages. None.

Not quite +1 ECL IMO, but too much for +0. Either decrease the charisma bonus to +2 or give out some more abilities for +1.

+4 charisma is really strong for bards and sorcerers and unless you are deadset on being a melee bard or sorcerer/fighter you have absolutely no need of str.

With standard array stats I would expect the following for any Light elf bard or sorcerer.

Str: 8, Dex: 13, Con: 14, Int: 12, Wis: 8, Cha: 17

Thanks for the comments. I'd rather not alter what we currently have. However, as an alternative what about a specific weakness?

I don't know what the mechanic would be (suggestions?) but perhaps more could be made of a disadvantage when the Norse Elf doesn't receive a minimum of 4 hours of natural light (or perhaps when in enclosed spaces?). This could be a real hindrance for dungeon delving! It would also nicely polarise the dwarf and elf even more. i.e. Norse Dwarves have problems in daylight or with the Norse Elf's daylight ability, conversely the Norse Elves have problems when they are away from natural light for prolonged periods (or alternatively when they are in enclosed spaces for long periods).

 

[ARandomGod]

Thanks for the comments. I'd rather not alter what we currently have. However, as an alternative what about a specific weakness?

I don't know what the mechanic would be (suggestions?) but perhaps more could be made of a disadvantage when the Norse Elf doesn't receive a minimum of 4 hours of natural light (or perhaps when in enclosed spaces?). This could be a real hindrance for dungeon delving! It would also nicely polarise the dwarf and elf even more. i.e. Norse Dwarves have problems in daylight or with the Norse Elf's daylight ability, conversely the Norse Elves have problems when they are away from natural light for prolonged periods (or alternatively when they are in enclosed spaces for long periods).

I like the darkness related idea.

How about, they become fatigued if they don't get at least 8 hours of natural light a day. That's enough so that it becomes a real hinderance, you can't just wait outside four hours and then go in.. and making it per day prevents them from becoming fatigued every night.

 

[Syndrome]

How about a weakness to Cold Iron? Have it affect them like a poison, maybe have contact do 1 point of CON damage per round of contact, or individual contact. So a fighter with a cold iron sword swinging twice a round is a nasty foe. Alternatively have cold iron weaponry deal +2d6 Damage against them, rather like a bane weapon does.

 

[monboesen]

Suffering from specific weaknesses to justify greater power does not work well IMO. By that reasoning you can also argue for a race with -6 str&cha but +6 int. That's balanced or even weak right ? Yeah right, until the moment you make a weakling antisocial wizard with int 24.

More than +2 to any attribute should (again IMO) not be for +0 ECL races. The potential for abuse is to high.