So how do you play a Sun Elf?

[Douane]

Perhaps another twist of the "superiority complex" theme might a Sun Elf who, secure in the knowledge of own superiority, sees it as his/her duty to actively try to help the "lesser races" (and perhaps even get them to improve themselves).

I would imagine such an Elf as a calm, extremely confident being who has no problems working with a group. (Almost infinite patience with his "lessers")


Folkert

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Perhaps another twist of the "superiority complex" theme might a Sun Elf who, secure in the knowledge of own superiority, sees it as his/her duty to actively try to help the "lesser races" (and perhaps even get them to improve themselves).

I would imagine such an Elf as a calm, extremely confident being who has no problems working with a group. (Almost infinite patience with his "lessers")


Folkert

I have a Sun Elf Wizard in one game that is exactly that. She has no problem with others, and while completely confident in her own skills, strives to help others develop thier own. Very fun character. My first female character(non NPC) too.

 

[Aaron L]

Try being unintentionally arrogant, apologizing at times when you realize how you are acting. Be very confident in your abilities and proud of your elven heritage, and quietly bemoan your fate when you are stuck with coarse people, equipment, or surroundings. Always give at least the appearance of desiring a peaceful resolution to conflicts.

 

[Dark Jezter]

I agree. It's not exactly that they hate other races. They just like their own better, and want to preserve their traditions and ways, keeping foreign influences out. More like overly conservative.

No, they really do look down on other races.

From Races of Faerun... "Sun elf prejudice towards other races can be quite severe. Many sun elves won't even deign to speak to a human, and would rather leave a dying man to meet his fate than to save him."

 

[Kae'Yoss]

No, they really do look down on other races.

From Races of Faerun... "Sun elf prejudice towards other races can be quite severe. Many sun elves won't even deign to speak to a human, and would rather leave a dying man to meet his fate than to save him."

"can be quite severe", "Many[/] sun elves won't even..." It means that some ("many" whatever that means) are like that. Not all. I'd say "many" isn't even a majority, but just more than "a few". Those individuals probably make up the LE part of the sun elves (and maybe some from NE, CE, and LN).

I really think Herremann didn't want to have prejudice and overgeneralization in his posts. As I said: Sun elves might look down on other races, but not because they hate them, or think they are nothing. They just think of themselves as an exalted race.
So what the others said: Don't play them racist, play them patronizing. They think of others as children. They won't hate others for that, but indeed might want to help those races improve themselves.

RoF further says that the only race that they really hate are drow.

Hi Everyone,

Frankly, I have to say that I'm a little disappointed. I could not get even get past a single response before the "nazi" word came up. I really did not think that this thread would follow such a path.

I agree. It is always funny how fast people like to use that word. Especially since it could be considered political in nature, which is not allowed in the forums.

 

[Dark Jezter]

"can be quite severe", "Many sun elves won't even..." It means that some ("many" whatever that means) are like that. Not all. I'd say "many" isn't even a majority, but just more than "a few". Those individuals probably make up the LE part of the sun elves (and maybe some from NE, CE, and LN).

Considering that Races of Faerun chose to talk about how prejudiced the sun elves are rather than saying "sun elves are mostly well-disposed towards other races, with only a few bigots", I don't think it's a real stretch to believe that a majority of sun elves are prejudiced against other races.

I really think Herremann didn't want to have prejudice and overgeneralization in his posts. As I said: Sun elves might look down on other races, but not because they hate them, or think they are nothing. They just think of themselves as an exalted race.

If someone thinks of themself as being better than everyone else, then by definition they must think of everyone else as being inferior.

So what the others said: Don't play them racist, play them patronizing. They think of others as children. They won't hate others for that, but indeed might want to help those races improve themselves.

For an adventuring sun elf, this would probably be true. An adventuring sun elf might see the need to enlighten and educate the brutish, uncultured N-Tel-Quess (or "not people", as elves like to call nonelves). After all, if an adventuring sun elf was truly rascist against humans and the other lesser races, he probably wouldn't even be adventuring with them in the first place.

For the sun elves who live in Evermeet or Evereska, however, I'd say that most of them really are rascist against nonelves.

RoF further says that the only race that they really hate are drow.

Where does it say that? I can see a line that says "If there is one race that the sun elves hold in absolute contempt, it is the drow", but that's not the same thing as saying that drow are the only race the sun elves hate.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Considering that Races of Faerun chose to talk about how prejudiced the sun elves are

No, it doesn't. It says "can be". They don't say that all of them are extremely prejudiced because it is the default. Per default, people aren't prejudiced, at least from those races where good alignment dominates (which is afaik the case with gold elves)

rather than saying "sun elves are mostly well-disposed towards other races, with only a few bigots", I don't think it's a real stretch to believe that a majority of sun elves are prejudiced against other races.

Actually, it states that this goes against humans in particular, and the part about letting them die goes against humans alone. This is because humans have treated sun elves and their lands poorly in the past, and sun elves are very long-lived and have a good memory.

I think that they largely don't think about the other races at all. Most sun elves never meet members of that race, so they probably have no prejudice against them - they have no real opinion for them, other than the fact that they are no elves.

If someone thinks of themself as being better than everyone else, then by definition they must think of everyone else as being inferior.

What I want to say is that they don't think of the other races as animals. They think they are something more, and therefore the other races are, relatively speaking, inferior, but they are not Inferior (with the capital I). They are no "not-people" or "animal-people".

N-Tel-Quess (or "not people", as elves like to call nonelves).

A literal translation of n-tel-quess doesn't do the term justice. The elves call themselve "the People" (not "people"), like "the race", probably from the time in Fairy, where there were no intelligent non-elven races (other than orcs maybe). When they say n-tell-quess, they don't mean "not-people", they mean "not of our people".

For the sun elves who live in Evermeet or Evereska, however, I'd say that most of them really are rascist against nonelves.

Like I said: they probably don't think about them at all.

I might add that "most of them are racist" is a prejudiced remark in itself.

 

[Mystery Man]

Isn't the majority of Eldreth Valuuthra comprised of sun elves? That could be where the "racist" stigma comes from. These are a group of extremists.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Isn't the majority of Eldreth Valuuthra comprised of sun elves? That could be where the "racist" stigma comes from. These are a group of extremists.

Yea, that is so. Most members of EV are sun elves. The organization itself isn't wiedely known, but stories of sun elves (and sometimes other elves) raiding human settlements might be exaggerated (such stories often are) might be widely known. Of course, people often won't realize that it's only a fraction, and speak only of "murdering gold elves". In fact, most elves that know of the organization are embarrased about it, at the very least. Only a tiny minority sympathyses with them, and a roughly equally small group agrees with their outlook, but not with their methods.

 

[orangefruitbat]

It's always good to be a smug, condescending and superior sun elf when you're a wizard 1 with 3 HP....