The Elven Approach (very long post)
Let me try explaining the Elven Condition from the perspective of Coping With Pain.
You will not find this in the RAW. This is a home concept. But consider it for what it's worth. It's a dark tact to take, but here it is.
Let's assume that Coping with Pain is the baseline for everything else. It is, in other words, something like the 6 core stats, in terms of where we start from.
The ability to cope with pain is a stat, and how well one copes, physically and psychologically, is as important as their strength or intelligence scores.
There are many other ways to express the words coping with pain.
One of them is to say: coping with adversary. A very popular approach.
Another way is to say: Adaptation. This is a big one. Adaptation can be thought of as something wholly different, but I am basing it on a fundamental core: adaptation to pain.
Other ways to express the condition include such words as: battle, struggle, fighting, competing, winning, achieving, surviving, prospering, overcoming, becoming supreme, self-actualizing, triumph, victory, and similar words.
Yet other words include tribes, cities, towns, villages, civilization, tools, industry, the information revolution, aircraft, submarines, spacecraft, and even the automobile. Homes, couches, lazyboy chairs, pictures, books, television, video games, and yes games.
All of these are references to coping with pain. Most people do *not* think of it that way, including - I am guessing - most of you. I am asking that you assume, just for a moment, that coping with pain is the baseline anyways. Now for some reasons why ...
Physical pain comes to one who is hungry. Or thirsty. Or cold. Or hot. Or engaging in physical exercise to hunt for food. Historically, the result of this pain was the evolution of the tribe, which made it easier to be warm and have a full stomach. And tribes evolved into civilization, which makes it easier yet. Civilization evolved into the giant affair of nations and cultures we have today.
Loneliness produces pain. Paradoxically, interaction with other people causes pain too. But those who formed tribes choose the later over the former, considering it less painful (I honestly think most modern people would prefer dealing with others, than being totally alone ...) Now, in civilization, dealing with others is requisite. Some are better at it than others ... which means, some are better with coping with the pain of human interaction (as in, the boss chewed my butt off yesterday, but it's no problem ... or ... I just got broadsided by someone running a red light, but I feel congenial anyways.)
What produced crops? Ingenuity and a need to eat. What produced homes? Ingenuity and a need to get out of the sun, rain, cold, and heat. What produced buildings otherwise? Civilization with all it's grandeur and problems ... and what produced civilization? A new, unique, and fascinating way in which mankind - and only mankind - has managed to so adapt to reality that he has ... well, he has created a whole new and different meaning for the word adaptability.
When man sails the seas, that is adapting. When man travels under the sea in submarines, that is adapting. When man drives down the road at 55 mph (or 85 mph ... ) that is adapting. When man flies through the sky, that is adapting.
There are flags and footprints on the moon, because man is so adaptive. It all started with tools, and tools were humanity's answer to reality, humanity's answer to the necessity of adaptation, ultimately humanity's answer to pain.
We are all human, of course. We deal with pain everyday. We cope with it. We cope with adversary. We adapt. We do it all the time, we see it being done all the time, and we read and watch on TV as it is done, all the time.
This is the baseline for humanity, our own experiences in coping with pain, or - if you prefer - dealing with adversary, adapting to things, overcoming problems, fighting the good fight, ruling the workplace, avoiding the traffic jam, and suffering a thousand minor and most annoying deprivations from your fellow workers (such as the mess they left in the bathroom that other day.)
The baseline for humanity in D&D reflects this. Now, that is not in the RAW. Indeed, modern reality is not in the game at all, usually (modern d20 is an exception.)
But I think the spirit of it is there. And in novels based on D&D.
There are differences. There may be profound differences in your home campaign. That's not my point.
My point is that the baseline is implied. I see it in all versions of the Player's Handbook, implied. I see it in all versions of the Dungeon Master's Guide, implied. I see it even in the various Monster Manuals, implied. And in the supplements and 3rd party material, implied.
If you disagree with me, that's fine. But allow me to continue, based upon the assumption that I am correct, and this baseline exists within the game. Coping with pain, the resulting baseline for humanity, as the underlying reality.
In 1st and 2nd Edition, arbitrary restrictions were placed upon non-humans to make humans a more attractive race to play. These restrictions existed within the game mechanics, and have - in THIS post only - nothing to do with the subject at hand. They are game mechanical aspects only, not underlying themes such as coping with pain or the human baseline.
What is relevant, and the reason I mention these restrictions, is because they do *not* exist in 3rd edition. In 3rd edition, be it 3.0 or 3.5, any race may be any class, combination of classes, or prestige class, and may rise as high in level as they wish (even Dragonlance kender may do so, regardless of whether you want a kender as Head of the Conclave or not.
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This lifting of rules, puts elves on an even footing with humans in many respects. It brings the elvish baseline, as it were, closer to the human baseline. Yes, there are still differences, such as the longer elven life expectancy, and these are very important. But in the RAW, there is nothing to indicate that the elven baseline is not pretty close, indeed, to the human baseline.
Let's assume then, that the two are close enough that I can speak for them both as one. That's not entirely true, but let's assume that for a minute.
If the elven baseline is as per the human baseline, or close, then elves face reality much as humans do. And so we real life humans, can look at the fantasy elves, and say: hey, these guys are much like us. Or hey, they are almost just like us. And they face the problems we face ... or rather, they face the problems our human Player Characters face.
Meaning, in this post, that elves must cope with pain, face adversary, and adapt, just as humans must cope with pain, face adversary, and adapt.
That's right: elves must cope with pain, face adversary, and adapt, just as humans must do so. I'll say it again, and again, if need be. Because although it's not in the RAW, that's what is implied in 3rd Edition.
I'm guessing a lot of players would say: that's how it should be.
Others would say: We already knew that. Why even bring it up?
And yet others would say: Wait a minute. Elves are elves, not humans. You are making elves out as humans. We want something different.
So, you want something different, eh?
Well then, you must house rule that elves are ... different. The RAW won't do it for you. You have to do it. And, very importantly, *you* have to deal with the consequences. Such is the life of a DM. Or any writer.
For example, you decide that elves live in forests. And do not clear them. Fine. You've now given us, and your players, the WHAT of the scenario. But now, answer the WHY of it. And most importantly of all, please answer the HOW of it.
That's not so easy, is it? It's one thing to say elves live in the forest and do not clear it. It's quite another to say why - that requires a backstory. It's still quite another to say how - that requires one of several answers:
- You simply do not answer the Why.
- You answer with vaguity.
- You go to the RAW, and find a mechanical answer.
- You use house rules, and find a mechanical answer.
- You use both the RAW and house rules, and find a mechanical answer.
- You use Fluff for an answer.
- You use the RAW, house rules, and Fluff for the answer (which I think, is the best answer of all.)
What has this thread been an argument about, if not how the RAW, house rules, and Fluff relate to the elven condition, or do not relate, are or are not relevant, or which one or combination of several is the best answer?
And that's because everyone has their own opinion. Which they should. Which they have a right to.
But the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook and 3rd Edition DMG - the Core Rules of 3rd Edition - do not grant the answers to the elven baseline. They do not offer any answers. They do not offer optional answers. They imply much, but they do not give *concrete* solutions.
Probably, they do not do this because it would require a hundred pages of text, just to offer a series of possibilities for the elves alone. A hundred more, for the dwarves. And so on. Because although the human baseline is pretty well understood, the ALIEN baseline is just that, alien, and if it diverges much from the human baseline then that is going to take a lot of explaining, clarifying, mechanical adjustments, backstory, and so on.
This is why we have those things called *supplements.* But supplements are generally viewed as optional, not core, and then there is a whole new mess because core is core and optional is not core (not to mention, not everyone has the supplement in question.)
So now, if we go with a particular interpretation of elves (below), then the questions arise:
- Elves live in forests. The What, given in generality. Now, any details of the What? Can you give the Why? Can you give the How? Backstory? RAW or optional rules, please?
- Elves are communal. The What, given in generality. Now, any details of the What? Can you give the Why? Can you give the How? Backstory? RAW or optional rules, please?
- Elves are flighty and frivolous. As above.
- Elves like to dance, sing, and frolic. As above.
- Elves are magically adept. As above.
- Elves are very fine combatants with the sword. As above.
- Elves are very fine archers. As above.
- Elves are chaotic good. As above ... and what, exactly, is Chaotic Good? (that is, let's do the alignment thing out ... major, major headache, but hey, the players want to know ...)
- Elves are reclusive and shy. As above.
- Elves do not get along with dwarves. As above.
That's one possible (and perhaps, not very good) elven baseline, derived from how elves cope with pain (in this case, it all starts from an effort to cope with pain ... just ask the elves of Elfquest!
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There are many, many others, from the Noldor to the Melniboneans to the Dargonesti to the Olvenfolk to Shakespeare's Faerie Elves.
The 3rd Edition Player's Handbook could never build templates for all of these. Never. But it could build templates for just a few, write up RAW for them, offer optional RAW for them, give backstories, and thus give players a skeletal framework to work with.
It would make a poor DM's life easier. As this thread shows, nobody can agree on elves. That includes players and DMs alike.
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Now ... WHY do *I* think 3rd Edition elves are doomed? (the almighty Doomed!)
Because, in the RAW, no special capabilities for coping with pain - and thus facing adversary, adapting, progressing, fighting, winning, self-actualizing, etc., etc., etc. - are granted to them. (Or, from a harsher approach: That's right, the poor babies don't get any special privileges today.)
HUMANS do not get any special coping mechanisms - humans get no special abilities at all. If there is one thing I think of as fundamental to humans, is that they start with nothing. RAW or implied, humans start with nothing, nill, null, and 0. (Standard starting equipment, an extra feat, and being 1st level in a class are irrelevant, I'm talking about the general conception here.)
Well, elves don't get anything special either. The poor babies, don't you feel sorry for them?
When the settings were updated to 3rd Edition, the situation for the elves - based on 1st and 2nd edition realities - was not updated to reflect the new reality of the elven baseline.
For example, in 3rd edition elves are still stuck in Qualinesti and Silvanesti Forest, on Krynn. They are still stuck in Celene, Veluna, Highfolk, the Vesve, the Lendores, and isolated other places on Oerth. They are still relegated to Evermeet and Evereska on Toril (with one change: they have Cormanthor back.) They are still driven from their lands on Aebrinis. Still just one more cosmopolitan race in Zakhara. Still nomadic tribesmen on Athas. And still killed on sight in Ravenloft. Eberron? I don't know ... but I'm guessing they aren't the majority race there, are they?
All other things being equal, this presents a problem, for in these settings:
- Humans outnumber the elves greatly.
- Humans outpower the elves martially, greatly.
- Humans outpower the elves magically, greatly, except on Toril.
- Humans reproduce faster.
- Humans are generally on the aggressive, oftentimes against the elves.
- Other races are sometimes on the aggressive, oftentimes against the elves.
- Monstrous races are sometimes on the aggressive, oftentimes against the elves.
- Monstrous races oftentimes outnumber the elves, very greatly.
- Monstrous races oftentimes outpower the elves, very greatly.
- Monstrous races oftentimes are vastly brighter than the elves.
If the human baseline and the elven baseline are equal, the coping with pain situation equal, then the elves are ultimately crushed and annihilated in this scenario.
I will hazard something here. I hope this is not taken wrongly. If the settings were updated to 3rd Edition as I think they should be, then the situation with the elves might look like this:
On Oerth (Greyhawk) the elves are the majority race and rule in: Keoland, Veluna, Furyondy, Nyrond, and Urnst. They have large outholdings elsewhere.
On Krynn (Dragonlance) the elves are undisputed masters of Ergoth and one third of Solamnia. Prior to the Cataclysm, they are in a power struggle for control of Istar with the other races.
On Toril (Forgotten Realms) elves control Baldur's Gate, jointly control Candlekeep, have refounded Arvandaar in the High Forest, healed the land and refounded Miritar, are undisputed masters in Amn and Tethyr (regrowing the lost forests and rekindling their ancient realms there), rule Aglarond, contest for Thay with other Thayvians (that is, some elves are Tharchions of Thay), contest for control of Mulhorand, share in the ruling council of Halruaa, form a sizeable part of Shade Enclave, and otherwise are here and there being most annoying to all the other races.
In Zakhara (AL-QADIM), elves strive against dwarves, halflings, kobolds, and even gith to control the government.
In Aebrinis, the elves are holding on to their lands quite nicely, thank you. The invading humans were slaughtered.
On Athas, the elves threw back Rajaat in the Cleansing Wars. Combining with forces with those of wrathful dwarves, halflings, pixies, orcs, and others, they cleansed Athas of Rajaat (and Athas isn't a ruined desert, either ... unless the elves became mighty Defilers and even Dragons, and helped ruin it.)
Get it? See how different that would be?
The designers said it, though: Creating a believable alien fantasy world is a staggering challenge for the writers of fantasy and science fiction.
So they concluded: the game should feature humanity, to make the game easier to set up and play.
That assumption has been discarded in 3rd Edition, so now we have - or should have - alien fantasy settings.
Yet I see that humans still predominate.
If humans predominate, when elves are on an equal footing with them in the RAW, then something is seriously wrong with the elves. What could that be?
It's nothing in the RAW. But ...
Elves are still depicted as having only a handful of children per millennium.
Elves are still depicted as arrogant, haughty, and oftentimes downright nasty, which translates to: they wouldn't do well in a Diplomacy game. And aren't many of the other races (such as humans) not playing that Diplomacy game QUITE well?
Elves are still depicted as preferring sanctuaries to live in. Their posture is heavily defensive. But how long can any standing wall last, folks, when a constant hurricane is blowing on it?
Elves still have those pesky drow on their backs. This results in regular loss of elvish life. It's a handicap, although other races have to put up with the nuisance as well.
Elves are still depicted, as oftentimes feuding with each other, or even ready to go to war with each other. And elven prejudice from one elven subrace against another elven subrace is widespread and highly counterproductive. The elves must deal with this counterproductive situation IN ADDITION to dealing with ALL the other races and threats and problems.
Elves are oftentimes depicted as refusing resurrection, a game mechanic that could soften the blow of low numbers.
And other things, which I cannot think of off the top of my head at the moment.
These portrayals, are not in the RAW. But they are implied, in the settings, in the 3rd edition settings (if there are exceptions, my mistake), and in many novels based on the settings.
What it comes down to, grimly and simply and in the final conclusion, is that elves are inherently less capable of coping with pain than humanity. Thus, they are less adaptive, less strong against adversary, less as fighters, less as winners, less as people able to achieve self-actualization, less able to create, less able to build, less able to enjoy life (one cannot have much pleasure when one is in pain), less able to achieve, less able to succeed, less able to win, to triumph.
Were elves on a par with humans, they would rule those nations I mentioned. They would have an equal place as humans in the settings (once updated to 3rd edition, of course.) They would have an equal chance, compared to the human race, of taking over and dominating the setting.
Were elves on a par with humans, they might have all the flaws I mentioned above, but those flaws would not hold them back ... anymore than such flaws hold back humans (they do hold back humans ... it is a matter of holding back both races equally.)
And thus, 3rd edition elves are doomed.
Edena_of_Neith
