Grey Elves in Eberron?

[Mercule]

So, I'm starting up an Eberron game and noting to everyone that it's a "kitchen sink" setting -- that all core bits are supported. It comes up that grey elf might be a really good race for one of the characters. Trouble is, I'm not sure where that race would fit in.

Is that what the Aerenal elves are? Are grey elves interspersed with high elves in Aerenal and Valenor? Are the grey elves still on Xen'drik, along with the drow?

Any insights? Suggestions? Official bits?

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

While Eberron is pretty much a kitchen sink setting, it doesn't ALWAYS work that way. For instance, with the exception of drow *spits* there are no sub-races. Sure, there are Khorvoarian, Valenar and Aerenal elves, but physically, they are identical. Their stats are the same.

Introducing an elf sub-race with different stats is not much different than introducing an entirelly new human sub-race with different stats, which is to say, a pretty big shock to the setting.

In my campaign, if I had to include them, they'd be from one of the other more mysterious continants and be so rare they wouldn't work as a PC race.

To be perfectly honest, you'd be better off going with a Realms game, where you can't throw a stick without hitting one of the 32 flavors of elf.

 

[Mercule]

To be perfectly honest, you'd be better off going with a Realms game, where you can't throw a stick without hitting one of the 32 flavors of elf.

Ughh... Never, ever, ever will I run a Realms game. I'd rather stop gaming. Besides, half the point of the new campaign is to try out Eberron and see how we like it.

But thanks for the ideas on grey elves. I'm generally going down that road, myself. If it was really important to me, I'd probably make the Aerenal elves the grey elves, but that'd be pushing it a fair amount.

 

[Desdichado]

I'd just make the grey elves a specific caste within Aerenal society or something like that.

But yeah, I'd most likely not use them at all, as others have pointed out. That's a very notable exception to Eberron being "everything in core D&D"--the subraces really don't exist there.

 

[ARandomGod]

I'd just make the grey elves a specific caste within Aerenal society or something like that.

But yeah, I'd most likely not use them at all, as others have pointed out. That's a very notable exception to Eberron being "everything in core D&D"--the subraces really don't exist there.

Or, even better, don't call 'em Grey Elves. Call him an Elf. Treat him as an Elf. His parents wer Elves. ... He can use the stats for Grey Elf if he wants to. He's just born "special".

There are probably lots of 'grey elves' in the setting. They're just not formally recognized. It's a relatively common mutation.

 

[Henry]

I wouldn't, if I were you, but if you're going to, try Aerenal as the best place; you might even go so far as to make the Valenar Valley Elves or Wood Elves (the whole "strength is supreme" thing plays in here).

 

[Mercule]

I wouldn't, if I were you, but if you're going to, try Aerenal as the best place; you might even go so far as to make the Valenar Valley Elves or Wood Elves (the whole "strength is supreme" thing plays in here).

Well, I know she actually wanted to play a Shifter, but Warmage really interested her, so it was a trade-off. I actually suspect the point is moot and she'll play a Goliath (which I think are incredibly easy to work into Eberron), but we'll see. Besides, I do find it an interesting question on its own.

 

[Klaus]

I would not turn the Valenar into Wood Elves. Like Keith Baker said, if you want to play a strong PC, play a half-orc. If you want to play an agile, albeit frail, PC, play an elf.

If you MUST have a gray elf, just say the character was in Cyre on the Day of Mourning and was mutated by whatever cataclysm wiped out the nation. He became even paler than most elves, and reminds any Cyran that looks at him of the Dead Gray Mists that envelop the Mournland.

As for goliaths, they could hail from Droaam easily enough (in fact, any monstrous PC race could come from either Droaam or the Mournland).

 

[Mercule]

As for goliaths, they could hail from Droaam easily enough

Exactly my thought. They are perfect for living in the mountains between Droaam and Breland.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

I think that I'd also put goliaths in as mighty guardians of the mountain routes to Kalashtar monastaries.

And yeah, elf subraces are one of (to me) two notable D&D things that don't fit in Eberron.

The other's the Gith races. Many disagree, though