Things that have bugged you since 1E

[Tsyr]

Funny, the over-specialness of elves has always bugged me. 3E finally pulled them down to a level where they are reasonably balanced with the other races; in previous editions they were too good to be true (esp. in OD&D and 1E, where they could cast in armor).

I don't mean power, I mean... Different-ness.

I read books like Bedlams Bard, or The Dreaming Tree, or a number of other books, and elves are presented as something... alien. Unique. In DnD, they are people with pointed ears.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

Me three! I thougt I was the only one

Maybe we can start a new club

BASE

Bothered About Shrimpy Elves

All your BASE are belong to us.

Yeah, I'll fourth that "small elves suck" opinion.

The XP system has always bothered me. I like much more a Storyteller or Shadowrun-esque XP type system; gain a few points for the adventure (not dependant on how many beasties you whip up on) and spend the points to better your character.

 

[TheShoveller]

Hasn't Elf size traditionally fluctuated? Dark Sun (a 2e product) had their average height at 7 feet.

 

[the Jester]

Hasn't Elf size traditionally fluctuated? Dark Sun (a 2e product) had their average height at 7 feet.

Yeah, but that's the only 'tall elf' stuff I've seen in dnd, ever. Unless you count homebrewed stuff.

Since we're on the topic of different sized elves, Elfquest (the original series is the best comic ever) is great stuff for a look at different elven ethnicities, including size, magic level, etc. For some great inspiration regarding subraces, I recommend it highly.

Older elves were taller.

 

[Glyfair]

What's all this complaining about elves being too small???? D&D elves are too big. Elves are supposed to be able to sneak into cobbler's shops at night and make shoes. How are these 5 ft. creatures D&D calls elves supposed to do that? Also, for the 3.X versions, where is the skill focus: Profession/Craft - (Cobbler or Toymaking)?

 

[hellbender]

The only thing that has really bothered me all along is the non-specialness of elves. I want my elves to be more than just long-lived people who meditate instead of sleep, darnit. But DnD really doesn't convey that very well.

I totally agree there. Elves should be more magical, more than human. They are getting closer as the game grows, but elves could use more of a boost. Lets face it, Tolkien inspired DnD, no matter how many times various people want to deny it. Why not borrow more and give them an additional boost to set them apart?

hellbender

 

[Aitch Eye]

It's always bugged me that the only official clergy for sophisticated mainstream religions is the cleric class, though I can get my mind around pagan religions having their own versions of the crusader military orders as a subset of the priesthood. When I think of an Egyptian priest I think of a guy in a skirt performing daily rituals, doing magic, interpreting dreams and performing various beurocratic functions. I don't think I'm being too literal minded or too much of a stickler when I have trouble associating his functions in the scheme of the religion with the cleric class.

It wouldn't take much space at all to put in a generic NPC priest class that lost the combat related stuff and fortitude save but had the same spellcasting abilities and 4 skill points. I'd be entirely happy with the extra vermisilitude it would give if just that much were in the core rules, though it would be nice if it were elaborated a little more.

For our games I'd prefer a full PC class (or classes) but we can use our own or get them from other sources.

 

[Mark]

It wouldn't take much space at all to put in a generic NPC priest class...

More of a layman NPC Clergy perspective without giving up on all magic...

http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=currentprod&which=LCCCC

Hope that helps!

 

[Lhorgrim]

I would have to say encumbrance. Not so much the fact that it exists in the game, but the annoyance of having to keep tabs on it. We used to cheer when we defeated the BBEG, only to get brought down in deciding what treasure to take because we couldn't carry it all. Oh, and by the way "bags of holding" were something the DM never seemed to let us find...

 

[ColonelHardisson]

What's all this complaining about elves being too small???? D&D elves are too big. Elves are supposed to be able to sneak into cobbler's shops at night and make shoes. How are these 5 ft. creatures D&D calls elves supposed to do that? Also, for the 3.X versions, where is the skill focus: Profession/Craft - (Cobbler or Toymaking)?

Those are brownies. I've seen them referred to as that in many stories. The thing is, in folklore most any fey creature is referred to as an elf from time to time. In D&D, the fey have been more rigidly defined and classified for ease of play. Tolkien borrowed some of the characteristics for his elves from the Norse tales, in which some elves were man-sized. Since Tolkien seems to be the inspiration for D&D elves, at least in part (D&D used many of the same distinctions for various types of elf as Tolkien did), having D&D elves be man-sized or larger seems to make sense.

Yeah, I know that answer was far more serious than what I was replying to

By the way, Valley Elves, which appeared in Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and the 1e Monster Manual II, were as tall or taller than men, the only type of D&D elf to be so tall until Dark Sun's elves.