Elven Favored Class?

[SALADIN THE JUST]

Just ditch favored classes entirely. They serve no apparent reason besides punishing those players who don't want to play the clichéd race/class combinations, IMO. Simply stating that "the majority of elves are wizards" should suffice.

And yes, I think wizard is more fitting than sorcerer, at least for high elves. Wood/Wild elves do gravitate towards ranger-y/fighter-types, I'd say.

DITTO!!

- SAL

 

[Felon]

I agree that favored classes add no real benefit to the game in general. It's just something that's there to make humans innately more flexible. I don't think humans actually need it to be palletable to players though.

And an elf's racial features certainly don't make for a good wizard, and in fact some of the traits work directly against being effective in that class. The Con penalty hurts not only hit points, but Concentration checks as well. The ability to go without sleep is useful to everyone except arcane spellcasters.

There have been threads in the past that touched on this respect, such as one on Races of the Wild where folks complained that the elf's wizard substitution levels gave the elf more benefits than it traded off. I believe it was Sean Reynolds who actually posted that the designers themselves have accepted for quite a while now that the elf is one of the worst standard races to pick for a wizard (humans, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes are all quantifiably superior choices), that he hadn't seen anyone actually play an elven wizard in years.

EDIT--Say, does anyone else think that it would be reasonable to give a race a couple of favored classes for a player to choose from? Drow already do that, sort of.

 

[Victim]

And I would agree with you. The standard D&D elves love art, magic, and swordplay, and this is the exact definition of the bard class. Plus bardic knowledge would please those who like the idea of elves remembering lots of stuff from their long life.

And honestly, I can more easily see a singing and dancing elf than a singing and dancing gnome. To me, gnome arts would be more pictural -- painting, sculpting, etc.

I agree.

 

[Aus_Snow]

The only situation where this is personally relevant is my Realms campaign. In that, each creature and subrace (except all human types) has a choice of two favoured classes, the better to represent different societal roles.

For example, Moon Elves (in the HRAW) may choose either Ranger or Mage (i.e. Wizard) as their favoured class, prior to starting play. Foreverafter it is set. As they exist in my campaign, this allows members of that subrace to play their typical parts fairly well. I suppose it's a bit like the Drow in the RAW, being divided along gender lines. A couple of other races are too, IMC.

Nearly all of the base classes I have access to are included in the mix (excepting those that are over- or underpowered or simply ridiculous); e.g. Ninja has been relabelled Assassin for cultural reasons, and is one of the favoured classes of several races/subraces.

So, in the end, I am both for and against Wizard as the f/c for elves. Or not. :\

 

[beaver1024]

Favoured class doesn't mean that the race advances in that class better than other races, it simply means that the race can easily mix that class with other classes.

I have seen it come into effect lots of times. If a character of any other race tried to combine weird and wonderful base classes together to get some benefit if they're not using their favoured classes, they get hit with xp penalties. This enforces good roleplaying and doesn't shaft the half elf as badly. Eg. Paladin/Sorc, Ranger/Rogue, Fighter/Rogue etc.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Okay, why is the favored class for elves the Wizard? Wouldn't Ranger or even Bard be more appropriate? What does yous guys think?

Elves should have sorcerer as their favored class (although bard and ranger are also fitting).

 

[Evilhalfling]

There is an elven thief in my game with a 4 CON and a a 20 int. (grey elf subrace)
he is a researcher and archeologist - The only way to make him even remotly viable was to multiclass as fighter for and take improved toughness. Which he did at my suggestion.
techincally I should slap him with the 20% xp penalty - But eh really he has enough problems, and will die off sooner or later anyway.

There is also a monk (4th) who is working on a cleric level. Both are good players and well developed characters, and its not like they are munkins, the builds are clearly not chosen for power.

So I may just be jettisoning preferred classes.

Now Grey Elves have a good case for prefered wizards, its hard to do much else with -2 str, and con, +2 dex and int.

 

[Felon]

I have seen it come into effect lots of times. If a character of any other race tried to combine weird and wonderful base classes together to get some benefit if they're not using their favoured classes, they get hit with xp penalties. This enforces good roleplaying and doesn't shaft the half elf as badly. Eg. Paladin/Sorc, Ranger/Rogue, Fighter/Rogue etc.

Please elaborate on how favored classes enforce good roleplaying. Specifically, I want to know why being an elven rogue with a couple of ifghter or ranger levels is bad roleplaying, but doing the same thing with a halfling is not.

 

[CrusaderX]

The Ranger is the favored class for Elves in my game.

 

[Stormborn]

The way I invision standard DnD elves Druid is actually a better Favored class that Wizard. For elves that have more to do with humans or other civilizations then Bards.