Savage woodland elves - I need ideas

[Snowy]

I used to post her ages ago, haven't done for ages just been lurking.

I'm about to start running a campaign to run in between our shadowrun game sessions on thursday nights.

I had a pile of splat books (all the complete books bad psion and divine) and wanted to see them in use, didn't want it to turn into too loony tunes a style campaign (odd races odd classes odd feats odd prestige classes) and wanted a strong flavour to keep the moderately large group together and give them drive.

So elves - straight from the phb less their automatic sword proficiencies with favoured class any.

They live in a forest near a fjord at the base of a range of mountains.

heavy tribal respect elders shamanistic lifestyle.

No wizards no metal armour.

hunter scavengers.

3 gods - the hunter (totem animals carnivores) - the nurturer (totem animal herbivores) - the elder (totem animals birds)

two main aspects of each hunter - savage/tracker
nurturer - tribe/mother
elder - druid/father

all the player seem fired up for it - got barbarians, an arcane archer wanna be, a druid, a scout, a bard (shaman with drums) and a ranger/paladin twf dex based.

its all looking pretty cool - but i need to make sure I have all the tribal ideas

its gonna start with a spirit summoning (commune spell) by the high shaman to find out whats happened to a hunting party thats been gone too long gathering medicinal herbs and the party being despatched to find out.

The bear warrior elder is going to take the mad pary cleric aside and tell him asa follower of the hunte rhe must throw himself into fights to appease the savage lest he anger and drive him mad.

the druidess elder is going to equip them and give them some cryptic warnings and tell the druid that the party is too far from the druid and the tracker and they must take care to be wise and to use stealth.

I was figuring a wolves encounter and either a grey render/tendriculous or something similar this week then finding the hunters had gone into some caves in a cliff. then some dungeoneering next week.

 

[Nyaricus]

what, in specific, do you want. You have some ideas, but I can't see the lack therein for them.

IOW, what do you need help with?

 

[Snowy]

Hmmm, very very true, That is a very confusing post - thats the effect of getting fired up about something and then posting very very quickly from work.

I was basically looking for ideas for other key little scenes I could play out or titbits of information I could feed them to enhance the tribal feel.

I know theres so many people out there who manage to set the scene and draw the players in much better than I can - I was just being a talent leech.


The players were amazing last night - all the characters fitted well with what I imagined.
The party is actually

ranger 2 paladin 2 - no intent to go for a prestige class yet -protector of the tribe ( houseruled out the restriction for paladin)

fighter 1 Bard 3 - shamanistic drummer no intent to go for prestige class

sorceror 1 fighter 3 - arcane archer as soon as possible

Scout 4 - woodcutter with a greataxe intends to stick with scout

barabrian 2 cleric 2 - ritually scarred, grown claws has scent follows the barely controlled savage god of the tribe very animalistic howls and snarls

First the tribe shaman cast a commune (bonfire mind altering herbal paste, visions of all the players ancestors appearing to them) to find out what had happened to a hunting party and it didnt go too well fire exploded shaman collapsed.

The party is sent out to follow the hunting party and find out what has happened to them and to collect the rarae herbs they were after.

Tracking check galore - set up camp for the night, set a fire, see wolves killing a deer just outsde the camp.

next night less good campsite attached by wolves led by a dire wolf it gets away

they rest all day travel next night then they use cunning craft traps, knowledge nature, woodcutting, survival etc to set a trap for the wolves and manage to drive the lesser ones of and to kill the alpha.

theres more involving a huge viper in a pond and an evil gem poisoning the lake where the herbs they are meant to be collecting are. Hopefully they'll work out that the lakes on the same river as their villages water supply- i'll write it up sometime into a storyhour rather than boring people here.



Anyway - forest encounters and good fey ones maybe?
Cool situations they all are good climbers I think - itd be nice to have some scenario where that pays off.

Basically I want to keep the flavour that they've started so well at
and I want to reward them for taking all the skills they have first tiem ive seen a paladin with prof(herbalist).

 

[Kunimatyu]

theres more involving a huge viper in a pond

Sounds like a great time to use an afanc/addanc, a lake-dwelling serpent demon of Celtic and Welsh mythology. The most compelling description I've heard for an afanc is a huge lake-dwelling serpent, covered with pond slime, with two small waving tentacle-like "horns" above its nostrils. That'll freak out your players more than a Huge viper will.

You might not need the gem to poison the lake -- perhaps the afanc is an evil spirit that's taken up residence in the pond and blighted the waters.

As for other plots/encounters:

There are a few fun ways to take the "violation of nature" theme, depending on which mythlogies you want to borrow from. An invasion of Formorian giants(another Celtic myth-creature) could mess with the land and allow evil spirits to gain a foothold again. Another one could simply be an invasion by a dark reflection of your tribal elves(that may or may not be dark elves) -- these evil elves are civilized, militaristic, and powerful with arcane magic, and they're systematically destroying the forest and depleting its resources.

Wood Woads (MM3, and they're in the MM3 preview on the WotC website) would be an excellent encounter -- they're basically mini-treants that can treewalk like dryads. They're brutish, savage, and take a strong dislike to any humanoids, especially elves, in their territory.

Hope I gave you some ideas!

 

[Snowy]

Sweet - I hadn't considered Formor (I'm welsh as are the rest fo the players, I come from Swansea - so theres a strong gaelic feel already to the tribal if you get what i mean)

I was trying to decide on a BBER to be the initial protagonists. I was thinking derro (sic. teh mad dwarf like things) they can wait until the party goes further afield.

Any ideas on stats for fomor or attitudes for that matter - I usually think of them as sort of corrupt water fey (malevolent water trolls) - links nicely with the poisoning water supplies theme.

Wood woads is just the sort of thing I was looking for - the dire wolf was pretty much a side quest sort of thing not linked to the main plot the poisoned water supply and plants. I want to emphasis that the deep dark forest is a bad and dangerous place where the unwary get in trouble and it takes stealthy skilled hunters like them to pass through it, wood woads fit that nicely.

I think trolls or possibly a grey render baby with the mother around somewhere might be a nice encounter.

 

[Sound of Azure]

If you have humans in your world, your group could have the first encounter with them. Or, if humans are known, the party could be sent to drive human hunters or loggers away... using all those tactics elves are known for.
Of course, the same could apply to orcs, goblinoids or some other type of humanoid the elves don't want on their lands.

There's also the option of exploring the nature of elves. What happens in an Elf's trance? Do they still have a strong connection to fey? The characters can reach a growing connection to their lands, and the denizens that live there.

Just some ideas... good luck with your campaign!

 

[Mark Plemmons]

I was basically looking for ideas for other key little scenes I could play out or titbits of information I could feed them to enhance the tribal feel.

Well, it's not free, but I have to pimp Friend and Foe: the Elves and Bugbears of Tellene. Incredibly detailed cultural info for the elven subraces, that you could use for any setting.

Here's two short samples from the wood elves:

Tactics and Strategy

"Never fight on your enemies' terms."
- Wood elf saying.

Wood elves, like their wild kin, rarely fight pitched battles in the traditional sense of two armies facing each other over an expanse of open ground. The forest is their battleground and ally, with stealth and mobility their strategies. However, if their high elf allies plan to fight in a pitched battle, then wood elves will accompany them.

Lacking the heavy armor of their kin, and generally inexperienced at facing row after row of foes, they are normally utilized as skirmishers, operating on the flanks to stop outflanking maneuvers and rain arrows on advancing foes. Unless they are fighting in deserts or in high mountains, their druids and clerics can turn nature against their foes, giving the elven army a second magical resource of which to draw.

The hardest task for any high elf commander is keeping wood elf troops in formation. Their preference for operating in small groups and using hit-and-run tactics is of little use on the battlefield, where concentrated missile fire is far more effective. Wood elf units are usually given a high elf "liaison officer," placed to make sure the aralarai stick to the game plan. Few commanders are pleased when they see their flanks disintegrate into small groups operating independently of each other.

Unless a foe takes up residence in a ruined building or a cave, wood elves rarely use siege warfare. Foes ensconced within their territory are a heavy drain on resources, for they force the use of sentry groups that are needed elsewhere. The usual tactic is to hire forest gnome mercenaries to attack them, or use druids and clerics to pound them with spells - especially ones that weaken walls or collapse roofs. If all else fails, a controlled forest fire is used to flush them out, though this is the last resort of a desperate community.

Communication is maintained through bird and animal calls, limb runners (see Prestige Classes in Chapter 7: Elf Characters for details), and animal messengers. Druids employ the animal messenger spell or simply convince creatures to help them through speak with animal spells and kind words. Aralarai have fewer wizards than high elves, but when available they use message and whispering wind spells to relay information over distances. Druids of sufficient skill can interrogate the trees and plants, gaining useful information on approximate directions and distances of travel of intruders. Screecher arrows are rarely used; most wood elves prefer to use their arrows for killing, not signaling.

Many wood elf rangers and druids, not to mention infiltrators, are fluent in the forest gnome language of shonbrith, and use it to leave messages for each other and their gnome allies. This common tongue allows ranger bands of both races to leave warnings for other rangers operating in the area without needing to locate them.

Supply lines are rarely needed, for wood elves are skilled at finding edible plants and hunting small game. Wood elves fear long battles, for any enemy that can survive their repeated ambushes and still be eager for a fight is a danger to their communities. Wood elf rangers can operate for almost a week without food or water by chewing nijimphal.

DIET

Wood elves live primarily by tending orchards and groves and practicing limited hunting, rather than intensive agriculture and animal husbandry. Their skill as horticulturists, combined with clerical and druidic magic, ensures that they do not need to plow the soil or live extensively off wild crops. In this respect, they are similar to both wild elves (who live solely off the land) and high elves (who grow vegetable gardens).

All manner of fruits, berries, and nuts grow in wood elf lands, even those not normally found in the climate. Much of their diet is based around these crops, which are eaten raw. One should not think of elven meals of just being bowls of unpeeled fruit, however, for they are skilled at making a variety of dishes. Fruits and berries are also used to make preserves, made sweeter by adding honey, or dried for snacks or in bread making.

Bees are one of the few creatures wood elves domesticated in large numbers. The honey is used in food, medicine, and to create mead, a popular drink among the aralarai.

Wild grains are collected to make bread, or else wheat and barley are traded for with friendly neighbors. Wheat is ground to make flat bread, seasoned with fruit, berries or crushed nuts. Few wood elves ever eat plain bread, for they consider it bland. Bread receives different names depending on what other ingredients are used, but the most popular is cholileff, or "apple bread," which they value because of its texture. It is often flavored with spices, such as nutmeg.

Wood elves do grow vegetables, but not to any great extent. Most communities have small areas set aside for this purpose, but produce only enough to pick once or twice a week, usually for a thin stew seasoned with herbs. Extra vegetables are imported as needed, but they do not form a large part of their diet.

Though wood elves do not practice large-scale animal husbandry, most communities have small numbers of goats and sheep. These tend to be wild varieties rather than domesticated ones, the elves rounding them up when they need milk or wool. Milk is used as a drink or to make cheese. Wood elf cheeses tend to be very strong, the most notable of which is olovphinoss ("rich aroma"), jokingly referred to as "dwarf's breath."

Few of these animals are eaten for food, for wood elves prefer to hunt. As with all elves, hunting is a way of life and not a sport. Typical prey includes rabbit and deer, though wild pig may be killed during the fall, when its flesh is particularly succulent. Meat is always well cooked or preserved. Typically, it is roasted over hot coals, for wood elves dislike meaty stews, finding them too thick for their taste. Rarely is meat eaten without herbs or fruit sauces, for wood elves enjoy varied tastes and textures. Preserved meat may be smoked or simply left to dry, though the former is much more flavorsome.

Wood elves drink wine, made from succulent grapes and fruits, and mead rather than beer. The best wines are norninanelith ("summer meadow"), a pale golden wine noted for its fruity bouquet, theltheno ("fading sun"), a deep red wine of some potency and a fruity taste, and cernholli ("nut wine"), a dark wine made from acorns and an acquired taste. Mead is drunk by all members of society, and is commonly known as, "golden field," for its crisp yellow color. Wood elves are quite happy to trade this wine with those they trust, for it has a good exchange rate in terms of raw goods and foodstuffs. They drink water, which is collected from springs or streams.

A typical breakfast consists of fruit bread dipped in weak wine, perhaps with a small bowl of barley porridge in the winter to warm the blood. Lunch may consist of a small amount of preserved meat, more fruit breads and a handful of dried fruits or nuts, washed down with wine or mead, but rarely in large quantities. Dinner is the main meal and comprises cooked meat, perhaps a small bowl of vegetables, plenty of fresh fruit, berries, and nuts, preserves served with bread (usually so the flavors contrast slightly), and copious amounts of wine or mead.

Wood elves eat from wooden bowls or plates, often decorated with leafy motifs, and use knives and spoons. Drinks are drunk from wooden goblets, or more rarely, leather tankards made waterproof with pitch. Vegetables are cooked in small metal pots, suspended over fires, whereas bread is baked in specially prepared bread ovens. As mentioned before, meat is cooked over hot ashes, much like a barbecue.

Wood elves do not own individual orchards, but tend them for the good of the community. Food is divided by the clerics of the Raiser, who ensure that all families receive equal amounts. The same applies to meat, but in this case the clerics of the Great Huntress are responsible for dividing it evenly. Access to the community stores is forbidden to non-clerics of these deities, though few elves suffer from gluttony as a rule.

 

[The_Gneech]

Actually, the Warhammer Wood Elves line has some cool stuff that might give you inspiration/ideas. I particularly like the "wood spites" -- wicked little fey creatures that the wood elves summon to help them in battle. Nice, creepy, not-what-you-think-of-as-elvish twist.

-The Gneech

 

[Nyaricus]

Celtic Mythology, okay, I bite

Sounds like a great time to use an afanc/addanc, a lake-dwelling serpent demon of Celtic and Welsh mythology. The most compelling description I've heard for an afanc is a huge lake-dwelling serpent, covered with pond slime, with two small waving tentacle-like "horns" above its nostrils. That'll freak out your players more than a Huge viper will.

You might not need the gem to poison the lake -- perhaps the afanc is an evil spirit that's taken up residence in the pond and blighted the waters.

the Afanc has many different descriptions, one of which is that it almost resembles a crocodile-like creature. However, that is a pretty neat description, so run with it There is also a large tradition of Evil water cows and bulls, like the Each Uisge, Crodh Mara, Cabyll-ushtey and Tarra Ushtey, all varients of a similar theme.

There are a few fun ways to take the "violation of nature" theme, depending on which mythlogies you want to borrow from. An invasion of Formorian giants(another Celtic myth-creature) could mess with the land and allow evil spirits to gain a foothold again.

Fomorians were large, demonic, deformed, sea-faring pirates who never settled, but always raided and pillaged. They are one of the many peoples in the Celtic Cycles who invaded their lands. IMC, these are the first giants, who came from the sea and were mostly repeled, but spread out through all the lands and all other giants (from Norse to Arabic) spawn from them. Really neat race

Wood Woads (MM3, and they're in the MM3 preview on the WotC website) would be an excellent encounter -- they're basically mini-treants that can treewalk like dryads. They're brutish, savage, and take a strong dislike to any humanoids, especially elves, in their territory.

That sounds like another good one. For the record, here are a few more:

• Beithir, a long-tailed, spectral bear that shoots lightning-bolts from it's mouth and haunts caves & corries. Nice 9th-14th level encounter, by my measure. See the MM Behir for a different incarnation.
• Cu Sith - a dark-green furred fairy-dog that has great, wide paws. Very Shaggy. I have him statted up, if you want it (CR 1). See Complete Adventurer for the Devoted Tracker feat that stacks animal companion and pallys warhorse levels for your Ranger/Paladin, and you'd have a great animal companion for him, and there are more than few great ways to bring in this critter. An elven druid in one of my games had this for his animal companion
• Gaborchend - a monstrous, goat-headed people. Cool NPC antagonist race.
• Mermaids and Mermen were common in Celtic Mythology
• Ankou - a skeletal, spectral figure with white hair and a head that can turn 360 degrees and whom portends death.
• Athach - a large creature with one leg, one hand in it's chest, one eye and rough, spiky hair. Haunts gorges and lakes. Also called a Direach or a Fachan.
• Sianach - a large, malevolent, demonic and predatory deer.
• Biast Bheulach - a demon that emits frightful shrieks and can shapeshift from a one-legged man to a greyhound.
• Coblynau - an 18 inch-tall goblin, is friendly and helpful but very ugle and who knows where ore is to be found.
• Boobrie - a giant water-bird (akin to a northern diver, or a loon) that can gobble up sheep and cattle. Has a terrible roar. I ahve this one stted up, with a scenario too boot
• Banshee - a female wraith that fortells (but does not necessarily cause0 death; wears w hite gown and has a silver comb. Her eyes are red from crying and has a terrible wail that has sometimes been said to kill men. The Bean Nighe and Cadineag are varients on this - the Bean Nighe is a small woman who washes blood-stained clothing at fords who portends death, and the Cadineag is a Bean Nighe that wails at the base of waterfalls.

I have gotten most of this infro from the Oxford Celtic Dictionary and similar sorces. Highly recommended Hope that helps

 

[Snowy]

theres a reason that I love enworld and things like this are it!!!!

Mark Plemmons - that book sounds amazing so much detail is great.

I'd already pointed the paladin towards the devoted tracker - hes planning on that and expanding upon his combat reflexes feat - hold the line and others that are about gettign between bad things and his friends and tribe - he's had less dnd experience than the others so I'm trying to make sure he sees all the feats and prestige classes that suit his concept (though loads of roleplay experience, we all play shadowrun and do various kinds of larps).

I had been pondering what animal suited them - i've already said that horses don't exist in the wood or anywhere near it - had been thinking of possibly a stag or a wolf if you could send me or post the stats for the Cu Sith I'd be very greatful - It'd push the "different" aspect even more.

I do like the idea of a banshee - change the description to make her more green and leaf coloured, wailing the distress of the woodland and fortelling the death of the tribe, that should go a long way to freak them out.