How many elves are too many elves?

[ClaytonCross]

I am ok with lots of elves. You have to have something to feed the Goblins. : D

 

[Zardnaar]

We had this discussion in 2E. Basically it is LG for Paladins to go forth and elves count as evil for smiting purposes.

I was actually being semi serious the Elves were basically the East India company and a Paladin killed their Emperor fragmenting the empire.

 

[AmerginLiath]

The answer is five. In the usual adventuring party of six characters, having five elves means that you’ll likely end up with them all speaking to each other in elven, making elvish in-jokes, and otherwise making that other non-elf party member feel left out. Regardless of alignment, that’s just wrong.

 

[rgoodbb]

Maybe you do only need the one Elf.

Spock the High-Elf for instance in a federation of humans is enough.
Just like 7 of 9 the Warforged
or Odo the Changeling
or Warf/Worf the Half Orc
or Neelix the.............WTF...............Kobald? with bad hair and prestidigitation???

I have no idea where I was really going with this post. So I shall just have to open the second bottle of Red. Elves man.....Who needs them...........
..........Answer.........Orcs.

 

[Yaarel]

[double post]

 

[Yaarel]

Maybe you do only need the one Elf.

Spock the High-Elf for instance in a federation of humans is enough.

Spock is from the vulcan subrace of elf. But there is also the romulan subrace of elf.

Kes the ocampa in Star Trek Voyager, seems like a more Fey subrace of elf, with mind magic.

And of course, the Star Trek universe has many different kinds of elf.

 

[Shasarak]

And remember, elves are like a buffet.

I like Elves but I dont think that I could eat a whole one.

 

[Yaarel]

I was just looking at 13th Age.

It has:

• High Elf with +2 to Charisma or Intelligence
• Wood Elf with +2 to Dexterity or Wisdom

These two are totally separate races.



That is a pretty good minimalist presentation for elf.

 

[guachi]

The overabundance of elves is only a result of the developers not wanting to create racist "human subraces" based on various IRL human cultures and races. Which is probably for the best.

I was going to write (almost) this exact thing. All the elf subraces are just proxies for not being able to do anything with humans. Though I actually find it creepier and more bothersome that elves are used as a stand-in for human races.

Sure, have different elven cultures but no need for different stats.

 

[superstition]

• High Elf with +2 to Charisma or Intelligence
• Wood Elf with +2 to Dexterity or Wisdom

That is a pretty good minimalist presentation for elf.

I'd say the minimalist presentation of elf is to have them be restricted to NPCs and to only have one type. I don't really get the "wood elf" at all. It seems like an excuse to pretend that everyone of one race is haughty and everyone of another is friendly (and less intelligent, which is amusing). Elves live in forests. Why then have a "wood elf"?

Elves are elves. Personally, I'd make the Drow albino from living underground, too.