Encouraging Elven Player Characters

[Snowy]

I'm currently running an all elf campaign.

I set out a fairly specific game world.

From a small village in a forest, no money based economy, communal lifestyle. Set a pantheon of 3 gods (6 aspects) nature and ancestor revering.

So far we've had a lot of drumming shamanistic stuff, ritually eating of strong animals that they have killed and lots of flipping out and killing people because they have trespassed on their lands or done something insulting. They also have been big on making allies with other tribes (sometimes after some killing, sometimes after some scouting) they didn't want to pick a fight with the mountain cave dwelling minotaur tribe for some reason.

A whole bunch of people with positive dex and longbows is damn effective.

If you want to know more, let me know and I'll try and write it down consistently. I've tried to play up the traits I like and encourage them to, very in touch with nature (but tooth and claw as well as herbs and trees), very fast moving, stealthy woodland scouts and very good at murderinating things from a distance whenever they can.

 

[Kor]

Well this thread turned out to be more amusing than my post

And yes, for those that actually thought I was serious, *slap*, time to wake up and smell the coffee. The players in my campaign don't have issues playing elves at all (well okay, no "serious" issues). (Although the part about them calling elves Namby Pampy is true). As a die hard orc roleplayer who runs the largest orc roleplaying fansite on the internet, I would say that I do indeed agree -- elves are namby pamby whose only use is to stain the tusks of orcs as they drink their blood.

That aside, elves certainly are an interesting and dynamic race albiet somewhat over-used in fantasy literature (with the orcs lagging closely behind them as of late). Elves can fit pretty much fit any niche required in a campaign world -- or none at all. If only my players knew that the evil that will hunting them down has red beady eyes, sharp tusks and skin the color of leaves.

I must say I did like the comparison of Elves to the British

 

[Priest_Sidran]

Well you could always change them up and make them a Race that isn't so one with nature.

Put them somewhere between your Orc (Grim, gritty, warlike), think british empire over India annd urbanize them. Lower their age down even more to a more manageable region of time and then throw the loop at your players make Dwarves love trees.

But don't take it from me I play Halflings

 

[Nadaka]

IMC elves try, almost desperately, to be close to nature. It probably has something to do with thier unnatural origins at the hands of a necromancer king.

The ritual was supposed to turn the entire race into unstoppable undead killing machines.
It failed. Though they lost some constitution, and they stop aging after passing through puberty. Unfortunately for them, thier minds are unchanged, and the passage of centuries weighs heavilly on them. Elves have a tendancy to flip out and go insane after about a thousand years. The elves do have a ritual that can restore thier minds, it costs them all thier memories and experiences. This ritual is mandated by elven law, elves over the age of 900 that do not submit to the ritual are hunted down and forced to, or killed if no other option is available. Likewise elven law forbids an elf from seeking to recover the memories of past lives.

So yes, I changed the elven flavor because I was so tired of listening to elf fanboys (and girls) mewl about how awesome and superior elves are. Now elves are in thier place, long lived, burdened with inevitable insanity, with a connection to events from thousands of years ago that they can not remember. DURNIT! I failed. Elves are still cool.

 

[Kalshane]

In the new game world I'm developing, there are two types of elves: wood elves and sea elves. The wood elves are somewhat primitive, live in tree huts and generally want to be left alone. Any spellcasters among them are either druids or sorcerers. They get +2 to Dex and -2 to Int.

The sea elves are a society of mariner elves who fled a great catastrophe in their original homeland and then became adapted to life at sea during their search for a new home. They decided they prefer it to living in a forest and communing with nature, and considering the savage temperment of their tree-dwelling cousins, they think of it more as their primitive past rather than something they miss. They are similar to high elves barring some changes to their weapon proficiencies and their bonus to Search has been replaced with a bonus to Swim, since there's not a lot of searching going on living on a boat.

 

[Narsil]

I must say I did like the comparison of Elves to the British

Well it makes sense when you look at it, there's quite a few similarities:

Elves are arrogant, ruled by a monarch, often percieved as small in number and weak, but will kick your arse when it comes down to it. The British Empire was arrogant, ruled by a monarch, often percieved as small and weak (before they conquered a third of the World), but kicked arse when it came to it.

So it's not much of a leap, really. And it doesn't hurt my case when FR Elves mostly inhabit a secluded island to the west of the mainland, and are ruled by a Queen.

Elves are also usually undergoing a period of decline away from superpower-dom. The British Empire devolved into the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Kingdom, so it's no longer a superpower.

 

[EvilGM]

Elves in my campaign

Elves are an ancient race (access to lost magics, secrets and anything else really)

Elves are long-lived (they will have a lot of practical knowledge and skills)

Elves are strongly tied to nature (in the wilderness they are basically undetectable, they always know where you are, can manipulate the environment with magic, and are friendly to most nature spirits/fey)

Elves have an affinity with magic (even the youngest and inexperienced elf can work some kind of minor magic)

Elves have a strong sense of self while having a strong family bond (they will protect their way of life to the death; if you trifle with one, you are trifling with many)

---

NPC Elves always have levels of Wizard, Ranger, Druid, Cleric, and/or Fighter

Racial skills (always class skills): Balance, Heal, Hide, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local - elves), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival

Special Abilities: Every elf knows any one 0th-lvl spell (+1/Int bonus) and can cast them a number of times per day equal to their Cha bonus.

Weapon Familiarity: Elves can choose the following feats for the longbow or shortbow without meeting the BAB or fighter level prereqs: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, and Improved Critical. They can also choose Shot on the Run and Improved Precise Shot without meeting the BAB or Dodge/Mobility prereqs.
These feats must be purchased like any other feat - they are not granted for free

--

As usual... my campaign is heavily house-ruled, with every race and class getting more stuff and stuff at every level. This would not be balance for normal play!

 

[Stalker0]

I think mechanically elves are a bit weaker than most of the other races, mainly because of the con penalty.

A con bonus is good, but a con penalty is a huge loss. All PCs need hitpoints, no matter what class they are. There is no class an elf can take that is not hurt by his con penalty.

A dwarf fighter doesn't need charisma. A gnomish spellcaster doesn't need strength. An elven whatever needs con.

 

[mirivor]

This thread is, in and of itself, very good. I am very upset to see the amount of anti-elf sentiment out there, though I know why it exists.

Elves are an incredible role-playing challenge. To the nine hells with at one with the forest (although most are) and namby-pamby.

Let your players consider these tidbits:

- Elves live a thousand years or more with a low birth rate. Have your players ever really dwelt on that? The repercussions are astounding.
1) Elves cannot afford to have crime. They cannot afford murder or anything else of that nature within their own society.
2) Due to their long lifespan, elves must be extraordinairily cautious not to offend one another. An elven bloodoath is a serious thing and not to be taken lightly. Imagine how... polite.... elves have to be in order to sustain their fragile civilization? Each nuance, each emotion that plays across their faces must be carefully guarded. In a society where a grudge can hold for a few hundred years, imagine what a family feud would do. Entire elven groups wiped out by in-fighting.
3) Elves live a thousand years. What affect does that have on their outlook? Does it explain why elves favor ranged combat and sniping? Is the prospect of limb loss a dreadful one to the elves? I can only imagine. Hell. I will live to be about 80 or so and the prospect is still scary.
4) Elves appear haughty. Why? Are they afraid of the infectious stupidity that is so often demonstrated by other races, humans in particular? Do the non-elves in your world realize this? What face do the elves put on when they are asked for aid? Are they wise teachers?


These are just a few of the challenges that present themselves to would-be elf characters. I confess that they may be looking a little deeper into the RPing side then some might want to go, but they are presented just the same. I hope that you find them useful.

Later!

 

[comrade raoul]

A dwarf fighter doesn't need charisma. A gnomish spellcaster doesn't need strength. An elven whatever needs con.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. +2 Con/-2 Dex dwarves, and +2 Dex/-2 Wis elves, in terms of ease of implementation versus improvement of play, is one of the best house rules out there. Try it, and your game--back in the magical world of balanced player races--will thank you for it.