Holiday Present - The Elf PHB entry

[Aristotle]

I think there is enough evidence that the heights/weights would be fine for a slight people. More muscular, or overweight, characters would exceed the listed weights just as I'm sure the human equivalents in real life will exceed the weights listed for humans in the PHB.

I don't have much to say about the whole "never cuts wood" thing. I'm okay with hand waiving it. I really like the idea of a relic that is a "living bow" with vines and/or flowers growing on it. Once I see the magic item rules I may have to have a go at making that.

 

[med stud]

On the "never cut down a tree"- policy; it's quite possible that elves have a spell for healing trees. They take a big branch of a tree and then heal it so it doesn't die from it. That way they solve the problem of needing fresh wood without killing a tree.

 

[Anthtriel]

I haven't even gotten started. I've just put on some old Rollins-era Black Flag, and now I'm really getting my hate on!

For instance, I didn't mention how much I HATE Tieflings as a core race. Or how much I HATE removing Gnomes from the PHB. Or how much I HATE the idea of a Golden Wyvern Adept. Screw it, I think I HATE just about everything that I've read about 4th edition, including the idea that a 4th Edition was needed at all.

That felt good.

I can just imagine how you will walk into your local RPG shop on release date, pick up ten copies of all handbooks and then proceed to shout at them and smash them against each other.

To each his own I guess. Wizards surely won't mind. If you wouldn't love to hate it, you wouldn't be so active here.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

Consider that alignements is downplayed.

I guess the other such more fluffy bits will be downplayed - I guess it's more a cultural thing, and that there will be 'deviants' and such.

 

[Sir Brennen]

I have been working on something along these lines for about three weeks now.. what I have been trying to work out is culture > race > background > profession/class each step gives you X, Y, Z. Its in a very rough outline form until I see 4e.

Iron Heroes, which is a human only setting, does something like this with each beginning character selecting "traits". They receive 2 traits total from the categories of Background, Mental or Physical (only 1 Background trait max, tho.)

Presuming each PHB race has a beginning Racial Power like the elf, I could see offering characters the option to replace it with another cultural trait or feat if their background warrants it.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this:

1) You've effectively nixed any racial feats which have the racial power as a prereq (just like the Elven Precision feat in the article). Additional house-ruling could allow the power to be selected later like a normal feat, tho.

2) Allowing other races this much latitude at creation steps on the flexible human shtick. Humans having an option of selecting from multiple "racial powers" to reflect a diverse culture I can easily see being an option. Allowing other races to do this makes this particular human trait less special.

 

[Sir Brennen]

On the "never cut down a tree"- policy; it's quite possible that elves have a spell for healing trees. They take a big branch of a tree and then heal it so it doesn't die from it. That way they solve the problem of needing fresh wood without killing a tree.

The article says "never cut a tree", but "never cut down a tree" would make more sense. I mean, don't you prune plants to keep them healthy?

 

[Plane Sailing]

If you read the Elf Fluff article, it almost sounds like Drow might only have a Dex bonus,

Sounds to me like the Drow get Dex and Charisma bonus - "Although they are no taller than eladrins, they have a presence that often makes members of other races feel smaller and on edge"

Sounds like Cha to me.

Cheers

 

[Plane Sailing]

Regarding age of races, there is a nice line in Races & Classes about Eladrin that goes like this

Human diplomats find it hard to negotiate with the high elf realms because they're often told "If we're at an impasse, that's fine: We'll bring the matter up with your grandchildren"

 

[jasin]

The article says "never cut a tree", but "never cut down a tree" would make more sense. I mean, don't you prune plants to keep them healthy?

If this makes so much more sense (and it does), doesn't it make sense to just assume that's what was meant?

 

[HeinorNY]

I hope one of the designers clarify the "never cut a tree" issue before it becomes an international crisis!