Elves vs. Vulcans

[your father is]

There are some similarities between Vulcans and elves, and some obvious differences. Are there campaigns out there where the elves are more like their spacefaring cousins (ie. tend toward dispassion, etc, like Elrond in LotR)? Also, what do you find essential about elves in a fantasy setting -- is it the magic, the ears, the grace?

Thanks in advance for sharing

 

[Turanil]

The most important thing are the ears of course!

Has anyone ever played an elf as something else than a human with pointed ears?

In any case, there is no resemblance between Vulcans and elves except for the ears. However, after having seen so many Star Treks, I think it would probably be easier to roleplay a Vulcan that would not just resemble a human with pointed ears. I think it's also easier to roleplay a dwarf that's different from a human, than to roleplay an elf (even after having seen the LotR movie which are not about D&D elves).

In fact the side question to this thread could be: how to roleplay an elf, so it wouldn't just look like a human with pointed ears?

 

[your father is]

^Thank you!

That's one of the things I was trying to get at (I'm just not all that articulate sometimes): What is essential about elves in your campaign -- what makes them not just humans with pointed ears?

 

[Dark Jezter]

I noticed such similarities a while ago. Vulcans and D&D elves both have pointed ears, hair that is usually black, long lifespans, and tend to be haughty and aloof. Unlike elves, however, Vulcans are a highly logical race that have given up emotions.

Also, what do you find essential about elves in a fantasy setting -- is it the magic, the ears, the grace?

A battleaxe lodged firmly in their skulls.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

Don't let the ears and the meditation fool you, Elves and Vulcans are severely different.

Vulcans devote their lives to controlling their emotions and acting logical
Elves, at least in my homebrew world, are absinthe-swilling free-spirited highly-emotional, highly-compassionate gypsy stoners.

That’s why I did away with the meditation instead of sleep crap, didn’t fit my idea of Elves. They’re really not disciplined enough, despite the long age.

Dwarves, on the other hand…

 

[Beowolf]

Look at this a bit diffrently

if anything githzeri (spelling?) are more similer to vulcans than elves not only in out look but in abilities aswell the only difference is appearance. also the Romulans would be comparable to the githyanki but with a slightly different outlook

that made me feel extrodanaraly geeky but i admit it was somthing i have thought about before.

 

[Gez]

Given that a Vulcan is a regular at the Elf Only Inn, but so are a clone of Duke Nukem, a "deamon", a tentacle monster known as "the eternal sweeper" and a munchkin from DBZ; nothing conclusive can be extrapolated.

IMC, there's three cultures of elves: the barbaric (N, living in forests, over-emotional, fickle, as likely to frolick with a traveler as they are to hunt him and feed him to their wolves -- or sometimes even to themselves), the civilised (CG, sea-going, avoiding most other civilisations but always behaving friendly and politely when they meet other people), and the decadent (LE, living in the cities they rule, ruthless oppressors who masquerade as divine beings).


The only thing that would be essential is the grace. They are always lithe and dextrous. Not necessarily beautiful, though, with their sharp, angulous features, they can look somewhat insectoid... Look at some pics of Mialee, you'll see what I mean.

Pointed ears? D&D elves have, but then again, lots of races have pointed ears in D&D. Magic? Ah! They wish! Gnomes have magic, but not elves. The only contender in magical elfdom are the Drow -- who conveniently don't exist IMC!

 

[Eosin the Red]

They fill the same literary role as "Ancient Masters." Vulcans, Mimbari, Elves, Ogier, and probably a dozen more just like them are cut from the same basic cloth which is why even when they are different, they seem similar.

They are just like M&Ms - different colors on the outside but all the same on the inside - no matter what you call them or the shape of their ears.

The essential similarity is that they are old and have access to knowledge and history unknown to men. Usually the ancient masters help ready the hero for the showdown with the BBEG but only on their own terms.

 

[Greenstone]

I think it's up to the DM to inject 'something' into the elves (and other races) of his world to make sure that they aren't just 'pointy-eared humans' (and to ensure that dwarves aren't all drunken Scotsmen).

I've stolen two ideas for elves in the past, both of which worked quite well...

The first was to make the elves far more barbaric (but in a fey kinda way) than the D&D norm, as per the Birthright setting. In this kind of campaign the elven forests are as dangerous for humans as they are for goblins. The idea ties in well with the elves' close ties to nature, making them less human and far more primal, and allows for lots of elf vs. human conflict, with Mankind's "civilised" progress, tree-felling etc. all adding to the elves' hatred of this upstart race.

The second idea is to go the opposite route... to make the elves far more civilised than humans... as per the elves in Weiss and Hickman's Sovereign Stone trilogy. In this setting, the elves are very oriental in mood (think well-tended gardens and estates, highly important honour codes, mind-numbingly complex social rules, etc.). This also works well... surely a race as long-lived as the elves would be as patient/socially graceful as the stereotypical oriental?

Anyway, I think these two examples illustrate how the DM must define his campaign's races to make them different - after that, it's up to the players to pick up on these ideas and role-play them well.

 

[Ranger REG]

I noticed such similarities a while ago. Vulcans and D&D elves both have pointed ears, hair that is usually black, long lifespans, and tend to be haughty and aloof. Unlike elves, however, Vulcans are a highly logical race that have given up emotions.

Nope. Vulcans haven't given up their emotions entirely. They just learn how to suppress them, which compared to human's are too intense, too passionate.

To be void of any emotion would be to master the discipline of Kolinahr.