Herobizkit
Adventurer
@ Aus_Snow: Speak to me of these magic-addicited "Blood" Elves... 
Magical elves
- Thread starter rawgt3
- Start date
Gilladian
Adventurer
I created a four or five level (can't remember which at the moment) racial levels that elves can take.
IMC elves live mostly on a plane similar to the ethereal in standard DnD. It's connected to the material, but not quite like it. Elvish racial levels give them the ability to "shift" back and forth with more and more ease. There is also a natural light generation capability, and some freedom of movement (it is hard to grapple or tie up a person who can "go partly ethereal" and slip away.
Mostly these changes are cosmetic, because I've never had a PC take advantage of them; the party was once driven crazy by an elf druid who could slip away from them at the drop of a hat.
Making their abilities racial levels allows me to apply as much or as little to any given NPC as I want.
IMC elves live mostly on a plane similar to the ethereal in standard DnD. It's connected to the material, but not quite like it. Elvish racial levels give them the ability to "shift" back and forth with more and more ease. There is also a natural light generation capability, and some freedom of movement (it is hard to grapple or tie up a person who can "go partly ethereal" and slip away.
Mostly these changes are cosmetic, because I've never had a PC take advantage of them; the party was once driven crazy by an elf druid who could slip away from them at the drop of a hat.
Making their abilities racial levels allows me to apply as much or as little to any given NPC as I want.
But it really does'nt seem right to give them spell-like abilities because not all elves know magic, just the majority. And since they're so old would'nt they have more levels anyway (NPCs) like, your average elf instead of being a 3rd lvl. commoner he might be a 4th lvl. comm. and 1st lvl. adept. And on the topic of waking up the rest of the party he instead he could just read a book on the subject or practice a skill like open lock with a padlock that he carries around or practice use rope or even just do push-ups and stretch. To even the score you could rule that any race could spend one hour a day for x days to get 1 point in a skill or stat. to even out the elf advantage you could rule that they must spend one hour a day harmonizing with nature. Although is'nt that how druids and rangers get spells anyway? by meditating on nature. just guessing 
Herobizkit
Adventurer
All Drow get spell-like abilities, regardless of class. How and why they get them is entirely up to you as DM: Underdark "radiation", favors of the Spider Queen, elven essence of mana, demons, whatever. Same thing for your elves. Innate spell-like abilities are simply that: innate. They are naturally occuring, requiring no training, and "just happen", like breathing.rawgt3 said:
Sure, if that's how you want elves to work in your game. As I asserted earlier, elves are lazy aristocrats who laze around all day and night, drink wine, frolic, and just "be". As such, the majority simply don't pick up a "trade", per se, let alone earn enough XP doing said trade to matter over the span of 2-300 years.
Just because he only REQUIRES 4 hours of sleep doesn't mean that he can't or won't sleep/meditate more. (Most)Humans do this all the time, and many that don't, wish they could. Besides, sleeping less only means double guard duty for they who sleep more.
I don't see the point, but you COULD have a mechanic in place to give a "floating" +2 to one skill, once per day, to represent the elf's constant tinkering with stuff.To even the score you could rule that any race could spend one hour a day for x days to get 1 point in a skill or stat. to even out the elf advantage you could rule that they must spend one hour a day harmonizing with nature. Although is'nt that how druids and rangers get spells anyway? by meditating on nature. just guessing
Well, I know as DM I can do whatever but I like to stay close to the guidelines (less work ) and a big part of my DM style is realism.
player- "Why do elves have innate magically abilities?
ME- "Magic!"
player-"No,really"
Me- "Uhh, radiation in the soil caused by... Irenicus. Yeah thats right,Irenicus."
player- But why would he do this?"
Me- He's evil.
player- "but irenicus is'nt even in this campaign and that still does'nt explain why he would radiate the soil instead of just turning the place into a dungeon and where did he get pichtblend and carnitite anyway?
Me- Look there he is now! Go ask him!
player- where?
Me- To late, your all dead! HaHAhahahaha.
Me(thinking)- Whew that was a close one! I almost had to say that I had no earthly idea.
It might make sense for drow to be radioactive, but normal elves just use to many spells.
(fly, animal messenger, sending, light, open/close, floating disk, ect.)
and like I said in the books it says that not all elves know magic,just most.
yes...no..maybe?
) and a big part of my DM style is realism. player- "Why do elves have innate magically abilities?
ME- "Magic!"
player-"No,really"
Me- "Uhh, radiation in the soil caused by... Irenicus. Yeah thats right,Irenicus."
player- But why would he do this?"
Me- He's evil.
player- "but irenicus is'nt even in this campaign and that still does'nt explain why he would radiate the soil instead of just turning the place into a dungeon and where did he get pichtblend and carnitite anyway?
Me- Look there he is now! Go ask him!
player- where?
Me- To late, your all dead! HaHAhahahaha.
Me(thinking)- Whew that was a close one! I almost had to say that I had no earthly idea.
It might make sense for drow to be radioactive, but normal elves just use to many spells.
(fly, animal messenger, sending, light, open/close, floating disk, ect.)
and like I said in the books it says that not all elves know magic,just most.
yes...no..maybe?
Herobizkit
Adventurer
Realism doesn't belong in a fantasy world full of dragons, elves, and magic. Physics, maybe. Chemistry, some. Biology, after a fashion (flora, fauna, and a plethora of bizarre animals/beasts/vermin)... exactly how much realism do you want before magic starts to assert itself on all of these examples?
Elves favor Wizards in the PHB because "most" Elves dabble in magic... or do they all STUDY magic? Or do the simply "pick up" magic along the way because it's everywhere? Or is in in their blood? Maybe you could make Elves favor Sorcerers instead, and give them free access to the Magic domain like priests. Or, let them choose other Domains and have them learn bonus spells.
I still believe innate spell-like abilities are the way to go.
BTW, I think Drow are CORE. How much more "like the rules" do you want?
Elves favor Wizards in the PHB because "most" Elves dabble in magic... or do they all STUDY magic? Or do the simply "pick up" magic along the way because it's everywhere? Or is in in their blood? Maybe you could make Elves favor Sorcerers instead, and give them free access to the Magic domain like priests. Or, let them choose other Domains and have them learn bonus spells.
I still believe innate spell-like abilities are the way to go.
BTW, I think Drow are CORE. How much more "like the rules" do you want?
Phlebas
First Post
Interesting solutions:
Add racial levels, add spell like abilities, change the LA etc etc. I'm actually a big fan of racial levels and i think that elves as a long lived race are perfect for this treatment. To keep PC elves balanced you could make it an age related progression so that PC elves can only dip one or two levels in a normal game.
'Simple' solution: (as in already in the rules)
Make your 'default' NPC elf 3rd level default (eg Warrior 1 / Expert 1 / Adept 1 rather than a 1st level commoner) to reflect the extra years they've spent. create one NPC (or a couple if you want a few options) and you're sorted.
This gives you a magically active kingdom (and PC's will show more respect to Elven NPC's) but without having any issues re-balancing elf PC's
Add racial levels, add spell like abilities, change the LA etc etc. I'm actually a big fan of racial levels and i think that elves as a long lived race are perfect for this treatment. To keep PC elves balanced you could make it an age related progression so that PC elves can only dip one or two levels in a normal game.
'Simple' solution: (as in already in the rules)
Make your 'default' NPC elf 3rd level default (eg Warrior 1 / Expert 1 / Adept 1 rather than a 1st level commoner) to reflect the extra years they've spent. create one NPC (or a couple if you want a few options) and you're sorted.
This gives you a magically active kingdom (and PC's will show more respect to Elven NPC's) but without having any issues re-balancing elf PC's
Herobizkit
Adventurer
If your players are questioning everything, maybe they should be playing Texas Hold 'Em or something with much fewer rules.
Point is, you're the DM. You don't HAVE to explain everything, but if they're new players, they'll WANT to know everything. You could take this as a positive thing; it allows you to train your on-the-spot creation process. Just make sure you record everything you make up so you're not contradicting yourself down the line.
As for *why* elves get special abilities outside of the rulebook, explain to the players that, as players, the PHB is THEIR rulebook. You're the DM, and as DM, anything pretty much goes. That's why you have your own book that they don't get to see. Tell them that the world is full of mysteries and many of them simply cannot be discovered without a lot of effort.
Or...
In a D&D game full of magic, "magic" is oftentimes the reason for anything. Why can dragons fly despite their mass? How do giants exist without crumpling under their own weight? How do Beholders float? How come everyone isn't a wizard if magic is so much better than science? Why isn't it MORE common? Why haven't guns been invented yet? Why is the world stuck in a perpetual medieval society? ... you see my point.
So, why do elves get magical abilities outside the core books? Because you say so.
Or...
Elves are a magical race, and while many are wizards, not all of them are. In THIS area of your world, Elves DO get magical abilities, and pretty much all of them ARE wizards. Heck, you could even drop the Elven weapon skills and give them the spell-like abilities, saying that "these" Elves devoted ALL their time to studying magic.
Point is, you're the DM. You don't HAVE to explain everything, but if they're new players, they'll WANT to know everything. You could take this as a positive thing; it allows you to train your on-the-spot creation process. Just make sure you record everything you make up so you're not contradicting yourself down the line.
As for *why* elves get special abilities outside of the rulebook, explain to the players that, as players, the PHB is THEIR rulebook. You're the DM, and as DM, anything pretty much goes. That's why you have your own book that they don't get to see. Tell them that the world is full of mysteries and many of them simply cannot be discovered without a lot of effort.
Or...
In a D&D game full of magic, "magic" is oftentimes the reason for anything. Why can dragons fly despite their mass? How do giants exist without crumpling under their own weight? How do Beholders float? How come everyone isn't a wizard if magic is so much better than science? Why isn't it MORE common? Why haven't guns been invented yet? Why is the world stuck in a perpetual medieval society? ... you see my point.
So, why do elves get magical abilities outside the core books? Because you say so.
Or...
Elves are a magical race, and while many are wizards, not all of them are. In THIS area of your world, Elves DO get magical abilities, and pretty much all of them ARE wizards. Heck, you could even drop the Elven weapon skills and give them the spell-like abilities, saying that "these" Elves devoted ALL their time to studying magic.
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