How many elves are too many elves?

[Dannyalcatraz]

“How many elves are too many elves?”

To quote a German friend of mine, “Elf.”

 

[Imaculata]

0.1 elves is already too many elves.

 

[Bitbrain]

I am fine with the current number that we have now, but if Mordenkainen's has a few more options, then I am fine with that too.

Honestly, the biggest complaint I have with the elves is that I believe they should have been +2 charisma instead of dexterity.

 

[rgoodbb]

3

"Shalt thou count to three. No more. No less.
Three shalt be the number thou shalt count,
and the number of the counting shall be three.
Four shalt thou not count,
nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three.
Five is right out.
Once the number three, being the third number, be reached,
then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thyne interloping Elves, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."

 

[MoonSong]

So, the recent thread about renaming Drow ("Drizztlings") got me thinking?

How many elves are too many elves? Is one elf enough, or is D&D a car, and elves are clowns, and they will just keep spilling forth?

So, to refresh everyone's recollection, here is the parade of elves!

Core Rules
High Elf
Wood Elf
Dark Elf

Somewhere in 5e
Avariel (Winged Elf)
Grugach (Wild Elf)
Sea Elf
Shadar-Kai


Remember When?*
Eladrin Elf (heh)
Aquatic Elf
Armachnesti Elf
Athasian Elf
Blackmoor/Blacklore Elf
Cerilian Elf
Dargonesti Elf
Darkon Elf
Deep Elf
Dimernesti Elf
Elf on a Shelf
Ghost Elf
Gold Elf
Green Elf
Grey Elf
Kagonesti Elf
Keebler Elf
Low Elf
Lucanesti Elf
Lythari (Wolf) Elf
Melf's Minute Meteros
Moon Elf
Painted Elf
Poscadar Elf
Qualinesti Elf
Shadow Elf
Silvanestri Elf
Sithicus Elf
Snow Elf
Star Elf
Sun Elf
Svartalfar Elf
Valley Elf
Zakharan Elf


....and, dang, I'm not close to done. This is like that shrimp speech from Forest Gump.

So, do we need more elves, or must we stop the Elf infestation?

*Yes, there are arguable redundancies, e.g., Moon/High, but that's just because you can't trust an elf.

0 elves are a thousand too many

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

From my point of view in Eberron, there are only two mechanically-different subraces of elf required: Elves and Drow.

I don't know why there was such a proliferation of elves in FR/Greyhawk. I would guess a combination of character optimisation and image. Simply portraying different cultures wouldn't require mechanical differences for example. Wanting to optimise a strength-based character, but don't want to think of them as ugly like a half-orc? There'll be an elf subrace available.

 

[Ath'kethin]

Like these examples?

Listen, if we don't call them elves THEY AREN'T ELVES, OK?

 

[HalfOrc HalfBiscuit]

I don't see the need for any more than one set of racial stats for elves (or for any other race) different cultures/backgrounds foregrounding different skills is fine, but I don't see why that should bleed over into ability scores

 

[SkidAce]

And remember, elves are like a buffet.

You don't need to use any or all of them on the plate of your homebrew world or even cosmos.

Pick a couple you like and move on.

 

[Sunseeker]

This is what I was going to say, if it had not already been said. So we need an elven variant for every real world human cultural and regional variation, both current and extinct. Of course, this is also why I do not like Drow as a player race because of the obvious comparison some people make with the superficialness of skin color. Is there even a dark-skinned elf race anywhere in D&D that is not evil and not Drow?

It doesn't help the Drow's case that in the old material they were much more brown and african jungle-queen styled.

I'm hard pressed to think of a dark-skinned D&D race that isn't evil.