New Design article: Elves

[gothmaugCC]

This development makes me happy. It gives us a playable, down-to-earth, humans-in-funny-suits elven race.....

*weeps*

Heh, i've been trying for YEARS to strip that cliche from people. Evles are elves, Not humans of a different color. I know its difficult people to put your mind into that of another sentient race, but elves should act like elves. Why bother to play one if your just going play a human in a funny suit? Play a damn human and sweet talk your GM into giving you the racial stats for goodness sakes!

Sadly though in 18 years of gaming, i can probably count the number of people who were actually able to pull off a convincing elf (whether tolkienesque, dragonlance, Ect) on 2 hands.

Ok enough of my ranting. YEah it looks like htey are shifting 4th ED elves from Tokeins "high elves in Lothlorien" to Tokiens "wood elves in mirkwood". Eladrin willrpbably become the celestial counterpart to the tieflings with a elven twist (Ie tolkiens high elves).

Gothmaug

P.S. and yes, our current gamer centric view of elves and dwarves is still rooted in Tolkien. Though I must admit WoTC did a good job of crossing Hobbits and Kender to make the 3rd edition halfling a race in its own rite, with very few ties to traditional fantasy literature.

 

[Branduil]

Hmmm, sound like elves are taking an intelligence hit this edition. Maybe also a Charisma hit.

Is there any reason to believe there will still be stat penalties for races in 4e? Maybe races will only get a bonus.

 

[Ashardalon]

I'd be really surprised if they gave them a +2 Str, though.

Yeah, I was speaking from a 3.X viewpoint, there, what they get now.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I like. It makes elves... Well, it makes them match the way I've usually seen them played. I mean, if they're forest-dwellers and natural casters, why make them wizards? (And yes, I did always house-rule it in my own campaigns. Depending on the setting, the elven favored class was either sorcerer, ranger, or druid.)

And I like the idea of a "high elf" race being a truly separate race, so those who still want their class elves will have 'em.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Hmmm, sound like elves are taking an intelligence hit this edition. Maybe also a Charisma hit.

Better then con eh?

 

[Rechan]

The Eladrin in the playtest was a ranger, which seems odd.

 

[the_myth]

Linky.

The hell, Eladrins and Elves are related?

Also, looks like they're ditching the whole Elves=Magical Race that 3e had (Favored class: Wizard). Looks more like they're rangers and druids first, anything else second.

In Monster Manual 3.0, the Eladrin representatives, The Ghaeles, are described as "easily ... mistaken for noble elves if not for their opalescent eyes and radiant aura" (p. 32).

As others have noted, the name "Eladrin" is notoriously similar to the word "Eldar," which is a name given for the elves by Tolkien and used in Warhammer RPG (among others). Is it similar to WoW? Sure....cuz they got it from other places too.

Like others, I like this move. The Elf has always seemed to be more Ranger-ish than Wizard-ish (which is really only a 3rd edition creation). Which image is more common: An Elf with a Bow, or an Elf with a Wand?

In OD&D, elves were Fighter/Magic-users only. In 1st edition AD&D, Magic-User was one of their best classes (seriously, who else played anything other than a Fighter/Magic-User, Magic-User/Thief, or Fighter/Magic-User/Thief???); Unearthed Arcana expanded their options (wasn't Druid Unlimited for them to advance in???).

In second edition, Mage and Ranger were the high level limit classed (15), but Cleric was really close (12). Somehow in 3rd edition the Elves suddenly were thought to be the best Wizards (even if Gnomes worked better mechanically as Wizards) because Wizard was a favored class (which I always took to mean they were inclined to dabble in Wizard more than any other class might).

So, in 4th edition, they'll get back to nature. Other games already have that connection, and it makes sense for their flavor text ACROSS edition; Druids (and other divine magic users) don't have to be weakling healers. Plus, we don't even know if there will even be a "favored class" mechanic, do we? I'd enjoy seeing it drop away...

I like it. So far, I'm kinda liking the proposed changes for 4th edition. This move for the Elf might be excellent.

Prediction:
The reference to "Elves rely on hard-won intuition and senses tuned to an arrow’s point" probably foretells a bonus to Wisdom, as does "Elves possess a profound, intuitive connection to the natural world they inhabit, and often perceive things others have not the skill or aptitude to notice." No clear reference to Elves being especially graceful or agile seem to have been made...No bonus to Dexterity???

The reference to "instead of reason, intellect, or debate as eladrin are more wont to do" most likely just means Eladrin have bonuses to Intelligence (and maybe Charisma), not that Elves get a penalty.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

Well, I love the new description of elves. Hopefully the stats will match. I'll be disappointed if they simply regurgitate the idea of "high elves" and slap it on the eladrin. They may be cousins, but I'm still holding out for something different. I don't need or want three Elf races in the core book.

But I'm guessing (hoping) the word cousin implies a physical similarity and little else.

 

[Aldarc]

It does make a bit of sence in the "points of light" model. This time the 'Elder race' is divorced from the material world. They have thier degenerate off-shoot, the elves, living in the material world, while their great empire lies Elsewere. The real world can slip into decay since 'the Uber Race' is too distant to save it.

This is not a novel concept, but I do prefer this version of elves than the prior one.

 

[Dark Jezter]

These tribes are less concerned with relationships or lineages than with proven forestcraft and hunting prowess, and usually choose the wisest and most perceptive member of a tribe to lead. In very large tribes, this “elf chieftain” is instead described as an “elf king” or “elf queen.”

Bah. Even when elves are ruled by kings, they're still ruled by queens.