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

 

[Yaarel]

A choice of innate spellcasting, like a cantrip, is enough to convey a hint of the flavor that something about this race is magical. Elves are manifestations of magic.

There is constraint in the design space for race. Besides the standard allotment of score improvements, size, speed 30, and an extra language, the design space has about 1½ feats to play with.

When a "½ feat" of design space is spent for "elfy" traits that all members of the race have in common. There is not much room left. For example:

• Trance
• Charm Resistance (hinting at the full-on Magic Resistance perhaps available as an other feat at higher level)
• plus a choice of cantrip

Is almost a ½ feat by itself. A choice of an unusually powerful cantrip, like Guidance, Minor Illusion, or Eldritch Blast, makes it a solid ½ feat.

Then there is 1 "elf feat" left over to allow the player to choose which of the many elf themes one wants for their character concept.

• Astral Knowledge
• Misty Step per short rest

Is already worth about a solid feat. If the slot 2 spell is per pro bonus, it becomes very strong feat at higher levels.

Notice that this list of features doesnt even have room for Darkvision and Perception proficiency, which together are a solid ½ feat. But Darkvision is hypothetically a cantrip choice, and Perception is accessible via Astral Knowledge.

Heh, and if I had to choose between a either a choice of cantrip or darkvision to decide the FLAVOR of a race, obviously the innate cantrip is more flavorful and feels more elven.

The result of the above "magic elf" race design has the standard amount of power − what every race should have. But it might even be − slightly − underpowered. It would be forgivable if the basic "magic elf" traits also added a choice of a slot-1 spell per long rest. It would be − slightly − overpowered, but acceptable for a race. The plot protection and the versatility are worth it. If the additional "elf feat" is unusually powerful, the extra spell could be sacrificed for it.

"Magic Elf" Race

• Trance
• Charm Resistance
• choose cantrip from any spell list
• At level 3, choose slot-1 spell per long rest (gain spell knowledge and one casting without slot)
• choose feat with an elven theme that you and your DM agree is appropriate for this concept of elf

 

[Parmandur]

How many times am I expected to be misty stepping per day WotC?!?!?! Argh!!

Proficiency bonusbtimes per day.

 

[Yaarel]

Unlike the "magic elf" race, the "physical elf" race would look something like following, but this is tentative, since the final race needs to allow more player choice in order to represent various kinds of physical elf.

"Physical Elf" Race

• Trance
• Charm Resistance (Fey Ancestry)
• Darkvision

• Perception (Keen Senses)
• Athletics. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill and can also use it in place of any Acrobatics check.

• Elven Accuracy



Each cluster of features is worth about a ½ feat. Trance, Charm Resistance, and Darkvision are slightly underpowered. Perception and Athletics+ may or may not be slightly overpowered depending on how skills work in your campaign. Elven Accuracy from Xanathars is a solid ½ feat. It might be forgivable to add one more minor feature, maybe even a lesser cantrip, such as a new cantrip called "Shape Wood", that can grow and reshape living plants including for the purpose of constructing treehouse homes, or perhaps an ability to communicate with animals. The "physical elf" should cohere well with themes relating to fertile soil and the life of lush vegetation, and tend toward nocturnal or twilight.

 

[Mind of tempest]

look do you know what bugs me about the elves they get a million subtypes to fill up the magical smart people race slot, but we make a million different big strong hard to kill guys, could we not split the difference or something? like make a million variations of dwarf or goliath and at least a couple new magical smart guy options?

 

[Weiley31]

I don't mind a bunch of elven subraces to be quite frank. (Okay okay quit all that booing guys and dolls.) The ONLY ones that I still don't agree with as being an Elf are the Shadar-Kai. To me, they are still the bastard children of the Shadowfell fey and humanoids after a couple of Rule 34 sessions.

So far, the Shadar-Kai, Eladrin, and Astral Elves seem to be my fave of the 5E Elves.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I don't mind a bunch of elven subraces to be quite frank. (Okay okay quit all that booing guys and dolls.) The ONLY ones that I still don't agree with as being an Elf are the Shadar-Kai. To me, they are still the bastard children of the Shadowfell fey and humanoids after a couple of Rule 34 sessions.

So far, the Shadar-Kai, Eladrin, and Astral Elves seem to be my fave of the 5E Elves.

so either way an elf as what is an elf if not related to fae?

 

[Weiley31]

so either way an elf as what is an elf if not related to fae?

Booty does weird things to people. shrugs

 

[Mind of tempest]

Booty does weird things to people. shrugs

what does a pirate's stash of gold have to do with this?

 

[Weiley31]

what does a pirate's stash of gold have to do with this?

Well Space Pirate Adventures of the Spelljammer variety WOULD probably involve said pirate's stash of gold.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Well Space Pirate Adventures of the Spelljammer variety WOULD probably involve said pirate's stash of gold.

been done.