How many elves are too many elves?

[generic]

Hylians and Christmas Elves need to make an appearance...

 

[Jer]

I come from B/X and BECMI roots, so I've never really gotten why there need to be so many different mechanical differences between various elven subraces. I mean I get why they exist - Tolkien set the pattern and D&D took it up - but you can explain them all with setting fluff - they don't really need the crunch behind them. But of course people expect wood elves to have a different realization mechanically from high elves, and dark elves are very different from either, so you end up with all of these special cases.

 

[TwoSix]

And remember, elves are like a buffet.

But, you need to try at least one dipped into the cheese sauce. Scrumptious.

 

[Ancalagon]

The OP will be delighted to know that in my campaign there is *exactly * 0.5 elf. Elves avoid Yoon Suin like the plague.

The OP will be sad to hear that this half elf is a paladin...

 

[Coroc]

As long as not every weirdo subrace is considered official canon in every campaign world do as you like. But I do not want shadar kai or athasian elves in greyhawk just for diversity.

 

[Coroc]

Addendum: Depending on the setting I often only allow half elf as a PC for maximum, because elves are to different in their whole manners or thinking / already on the verge of extinction etc.
I sometimes do that with dwarves also. My players prefer mostly human parties anyway, so why should I create a dozen elf subraces.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Ancalagon]

Could be worse-

The Paladin in question could be half drow, half gnome.

Like, um, drome. Or gnow.

A dromadin might be darkest timeline.

There was a true elf but the player had to leave campaign due to time constraints. The party had allies keeping the body on ice (i.e. gentle repose) for them, but they then had to leave town...

....then their allies realized that they needed elven blood to repair an important warding rune one of the other PC had damaged. So, they sort of juiced the body...

 

[Ratskinner]

Like these examples?

I was just about to say that my memories of Talislanta were that there were definitely not any elves.....

800 races that looked like variant character sketches of Jareth (David Bowie) in Labyrinth...but no elves

I mean sure, you can play a skinny near-immortal over-magical over-dexterous glam-rock-band refugee with pointed-ears....but definitely not an elf.

no elves....definitely not....especially elves with anemia...none of them...no matter how pale.

 

[Lidgar]

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

On behalf of the shrimp, I demand an apology sir.

On the other hand, Shrimp Elves with cocktail sauce sounds quite delicious.

What to name it though? Oh yes, "gnome".