Inventing Fire Elves...

[tassander]

PLAYERS KEEP OUT

Hi everyone!

I'll soon be starting a new campaign and I'm counting on your help!

I need to develop Fire Elves. Well, I sort of did most of the work some years ago: Fire Elves are chaotic neutral, they are nomadic, and they have a long and rich history (which I would post, except that it's written in German).
They have an affinity for fire (surprise!) and thus have "protection from elements: fire" as a spell-like ability.

Alignment: usu. cn,
Religion: Elemental Lords of Fire
Language: Abair
Racial Traits:
 +2Str, -2Dex
 Medium-size
 Base-speed 30ft.
 +2 saving throw against fire based attacks & spells
 Low-light vision
 Proficient with Greataxe or Greatsword
 Automatic language: Abair. Bonus Language: Ignan, Westron, Ostron, Dunkle Sprache, Gnoll, Giant.
 Favored Class: Sorcerer or Barbarian
Spell-like ability: protection from elements(fire) 3/day
ECL: +1

(please don't go wild bunch on me if you don't like the stats - I'm just posting them to give you an idea of what I'm talking about).

Their culutre is dominated by regularly held meetings of warriors, but the Feuerhexer, special fire- sorcerers have a huge influence, as well.
Fire Elves are nomadic.

Well, my question is twofold: first, as they are nomadic, which animals do they follow? I thought about some kind of dinosaurs, but that's a little too cheesy for me. Any interesting ideas?

And secondly: I established that they are at odds with most races, mostly due to their strange cultural habits/behaviours/customs. However, there are some people who know enough about the Fire Elves customs to be able to deal with them and to even cooperate. Basically, there's a tribe of Fire Elves that's allied with some city.

What would these customs/habits/behaviour be? Again, any suggestions?

Thanks a lot for any answers!

 

[arwink]

Creatures to Follow

a) They don't actually follow creatures, but some form of natural phenomenon. They may chart obscure trajectories to follow, based on the position of the sun (a great fire orb). They may follow the movements of some kind of Aurora Borealis that manifests in their region, with suitable alterations to make it more flamelike.

b) Create a small subspecies of dragon, only about 2 HD and non-intelligent, that still breathes fire for 2d6 points of damage or so. These creatures become the natural herd animal for the fire elves to follow. Similarly, they may choose to follow fire monsters like hellhounds as they roam accross the mortal planes.

c) If you've got access to the Manual of the Planes, they have a fire element template that can be put accross any normal creature to make it an appropriate choice.

d) Fire beetles.

Society

i - Fire elves may believe that the other races don't show the necessary respect to fire, treating it as a tool rather than the living/breathing thing they see it as. The reason they have such an advantage against heat is because they can speak with fire, treat it as a living thing, and convince it to flow around them rather than burn them. THeir creation myths all talk of the elves being born out of fire, and the way it still inhavits thir souls. The cities they ally themselves with are those that have significant fire cults within them, allowing them to have some common ground with the elves.

ii - The fire elves don't use fire for cooking, prefering to eat raw meat and eat cold meals. This may be associated with the suggestion above. Alternately, they may choose to overcook their food due to their natural resistance.

iii - Fire elf legend may tell them not to trust any man who cannot hold scalding water in his mouth - it is the flames gift that allows them to identify those who would mean the elves harm or tell them falsehoods. Cities which ally with the elves have special diplomats who have learned this secret, usually men with mangled mouths and terribly burned tongues from their repeated attempts to gain the elves trust.

iv - Fire elves are star-gazers, filling a certain kinship with the firey orbs in the night sky. They do only as the skies tell them too, regardless of the right or wrong of the decision. Usually this puts them at odds to other races, but it can also mean they will change aliegances or plans in as quickly as a night should the location of stars change. Those that are allied to a city are doing so at the stars bidding, for reasons they don't know, but they are nervous allies for the city at best.

 

[Cyclops]

I would give them the Bloodline of Fire as a bonus feat. +4 to all fire saves, and +2 to the DC of all fire based spells.

Their race could have lived on the plane of fire in the distant past, and wheras they cannot go there now, they still worship the elemental lords.

The animals they follow don't really need to be fire related. But I would place the fire template (Man of the Planes) on Dire Elk from MMII.

Give them elven horses with a fire template, and riding dogs with the fire template (not to ride, but as war dogs).

They keep fire bats as familiars. And their rituals involve dancing thru bonfires (using up the 3 elemental protections).

OR, you could just make the elves: native outsiders with a permanent Fire Resistance 10. that way cold spells would be very usefull against them...And they would be immune to any fire. The migrations could go to the plane of fire and back to the material world.

Maybe they could have a war with intelligent, talking winter worgs.

 

[tassander]

thanks a lot for your input!
These ideas are absolutely great!

I like the "stargazing" idea, - I decided to create a knowledge(fire elves) skill that can be taken so that people are able to deal with them.

And I completely forgot about the fire template as well. Riding dogs with the fire templates.. sounds pretty impressive!

Great ideas so far! Keep them coming!

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Pyromancy.
Their elders are seers who have seen the destruction on their world and part of what they do is designed to prevent the worlds destruction. They have odd habbits that make no sence to others but to them, it will help to prevent death.

They should dress like they want the warmth. even when it is blazing hot where your PCs are the fire elves should be bundled up.

 

[The Blue Elf]

Do fire elves get spell- like fire abilities?

 

[Robbert Raets]

Are Fire Elves just like Fire Ants?