Unearthed Arcana Four New Elf Subraces in Unearthed Arcana

This month's Unearthed Arcana article gives us four new elf subraces to playtest. "After the positive response to the eladrin a couple of months ago in Unearthed Arcana, we decided to explore four more elf subraces: avariel (winged elves), grugach (the wild elves of Greyhawk), sea elves, and shadar-kai (deathly servants of the Raven Queen)."

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[MechaPilot]

Virtually every elf subrace is "(insert environment type here) Elf." Sky Elves, Water Elves, Forest Elves, etc.

Generally, I feel like elf subraces are sort of lazy: we get a new race, but not really, because it's just another elf, frequently with little to no real cultural differences in their descriptions. I'd have much rather gotten a merfolk race than aquatic elves. On the plus side, at least we got winged Tieflings and Air-a-Coca-Colas before getting winged elves.

 

[R_Chance]

Virtually every elf subrace is "(insert environment type here) Elf." Sky Elves, Water Elves, Forest Elves, etc.

Generally, I feel like elf subraces are sort of lazy: we get a new race, but not really, because it's just another elf, frequently with little to no real cultural differences in their descriptions. I'd have much rather gotten a merfolk race than aquatic elves. On the plus side, at least we got winged Tieflings and Air-a-Coca-Colas before getting winged elves.

To be fair, environment is a primary reason for biological diversity as species adapt to a different set of circumstances. On the surface, it makes sense to have different types of Elves etc. by environment. In an intelligent tool using species however, technology should, to an extent, insulate it from having to adapt biologically tp different environments. That's why I tossed war, magic, and de-civilization into the mix in my game worlds history to explain why intelligent species would see physical changes to adapt to environments rather than simply using technology (or in D&D magic) to mitigate environmental challenges or to bend the environment to their will.

Culturally Elf (or any other races) sub-races should have adapted their culture to suit their environment. The question here is how much is nature (biology) and how much is nurture (culture).

 

[Parmandur]

Elves origins in folklore as nature spirits has a lot to do with environmental theming, I reckon.

 

[MechaPilot]

To be fair, environment is a primary reason for biological diversity as species adapt to a different set of circumstances. On the surface, it makes sense to have different types of Elves etc. by environment. In an intelligent tool using species however, technology should, to an extent, insulate it from having to adapt biologically tp different environments. That's why I tossed war, magic, and de-civilization into the mix in my game worlds history to explain why intelligent species would see physical changes to adapt to environments rather than simply using technology (or in D&D magic) to mitigate environmental challenges or to bend the environment to their will.

Culturally Elf (or any other races) sub-races should have adapted their culture to suit their environment. The question here is how much is nature (biology) and how much is nurture (culture).

Elves origins in folklore as nature spirits has a lot to do with environmental theming, I reckon.

Sorry, but I believe you missed a significant part of my objection and why I call many elf subraces lazy. I have bolded it below.

Virtually every elf subrace is "(insert environment type here) Elf." Sky Elves, Water Elves, Forest Elves, etc.

Generally, I feel like elf subraces are sort of lazy: we get a new race, but not really, because it's just another elf, frequently with little to no real cultural differences in their descriptions. I'd have much rather gotten a merfolk race than aquatic elves. On the plus side, at least we got winged Tieflings and Air-a-Coca-Colas before getting winged elves.

Most elf subraces are basically this:
"They're ice elves. They live in the arctic, so they get different stat bonuses and have cold resistance. Culture? Ehhh, they're elves. But with ice."

 

[Lylandra]

Sorry, but I believe you missed a significant part of my objection and why I call many elf subraces lazy. I have bolded it below.

Most elf subraces are basically this:
"They're ice elves. They live in the arctic, so they get different stat bonuses and have cold resistance. Culture? Ehhh, they're elves. But with ice."

Yep, that's what I found lazy as well. And especially strange when compared to humans. (Yes, I know and already discussed why it is morally acceptable to have elves "mutate" to adapt biologically to their environment and why it would be yucky to do the same carbon-copied with humans. But that doesn't make it better for elves).

Now I know that AD&D introduced a LOT of elves, depending on setting and environment. I'm not sure why they did this (maybe because of setting diversity, maybe because of Tolkien or because of popular demand), but that doesn't mean that re-inventing all of them just because they existed in the 80's is necessarily a good thing.

Now I don't want to say all elves (or humans? or orcs?) in all settings should be the same culturally or biologically. Doing a Dark Sun setting? Include the DS elf culture and - if needed - stat adjustments into the setting book. Doing Eberron? Remember to mention that their Drow are different and how this impacts their race in the setting. Doing FR? Then please include all the elf- and dwarf- and human people (Netherese? Firbolg?) that existed there, if not in the campaign setting, then please in a special player's guide.

And maybe, just maybe, some of the "elves" can become fully developed races. Like Mecha Pilot mentioned earlier, merfolk or Undine (if you don't want fishtails) could easily replace "sea elves" and I really believe that Tolkien would forgive the devs for this step forward.

 

[Bitbrain]

I've always been of the opinion that the reason for all the different sub-races of elves in fantasy is because evolution is somehow accelerated for the elves.

Not sure how such a phenomena would be possible in real life.

 

[Lylandra]

I've always been of the opinion that the reason for all the different sub-races of elves in fantasy is because evolution is somehow accelerated for the elves.

Not sure how such a phenomena would be possible in real life.

"Accelerated evolution" is usually seen in species that reproduce rapidly and in masses, i.e. bacteria. Biologically speaking, evolution is random trial and error. So considering that elves live long, have long childhoods and reproduce slowly... it would be biologically more likely for goblins to have myriads of subraces. If you want to put RL biology on the table that is.

What you mean is adaptability. Which means that a species is able to quickly adapt to any given environment without having to alter the "base code" of said species (remember how "bald" domestic pigs grow masses of fur after three genereations in the wild? That's not evolution, that's re-activating already existing genes...). And by D&D standards, the race with the highest adaptability would be humans as their base stats allow for the biggest variances.

 

[Remathilis]

The problem is you are all thinking about it in terms of science. Think in terms of magic.

Elves are fey, and as such highly adaptable to the environment they live in. Couple this with the fact their Gods are highly chaotic, and you get deities changing elves to be "in thier own image", winged elves for the sky God, sea elves for the sea God, dark elves for the demon goddess, etc. The change isn't immediate, but over a few generations, the environment and deities can take a group of elves and remake them into a new sub-species.

 

[Hriston]

To take this a step further, the long-lived elves are closer to the divine as a race, and through their association and close communion with certain gods they take on the affinities of those gods. This happens primarily through developing their culture under the tutelage of some god, but because of the powerful divine magic to which they have access, their physical nature is changed as well. So we have wood elves resulting from an association with the God of the Hunt, and high elves resulting from an association with the gods of holiness that dwell in the high places. It might be interesting to develop a system of elven subraces based on the divine domains.

 

[SkidAce]

Its my opinion that the plethora of elven species is so DMs can pick and choose the right ones for their style campaign.

Not necessarily all types existing in the same world/game. Of course exceptions exist (FR).