Tolkien / Humanist Elves?

[WayneLigon]

It depends on the campaign

1. Ashara: All the elves are dead, so it's a moot point They are the 'forerunners' of the campaign. People know they existed long, long ago. They all died somehow. The half-elves are still around, since elven 'blood' does not thin very much over the ages. Even though people have no idea what elves even looked like (most extropolate from half-elven features, which is kinda sorta close), they blame/attribute to them most of the wonders of the ancient world.

2. The Fallen: Elves here are a fallen people, and are pretty Tolkien-like in that they once had a proud history now come to ruin and they are slowly dying. Their huge city is now the home to a Great Wyrm Green Dragon, with his legions of lizardman and troglodyte followers. Where once elves were immortal, now they die, and they seem to die sooner every generation. All elves are very very close in physical appearance, like brothers and sisters all sharing the same parents. Which they do, kinda.

3. Dragonsong: All elves here are descedents from dragons, and are mostly Lawful in outlook. They are more fully described in a
d20 Weekly article I helped write a few weeks ago.

 

[ruleslawyer]

I use a more Tolkienian model, but that's also because I dislike the idea that anything that lives as long as a typical elf should be in any way merely on par with a short-lived human, halfling, or dwarf. I also dislike the way in which most players I've seen run elves, so giving them an ECL tends to aid less PC play of elves.

So, my elves (and, BTW, I run an FR campaign) are similar to Tolkien's. They have a long and tragic past, and their race was at its height when humanity's was in its infancy, but they have since diminished, worn away in battles with the drow and with other elven nations, and driven back before the tide of infinitely more numerous Men and Orcs. My elves are roughly equivalent to ColH's conversions of LotR Avari (wood elves), Sindar (grey elves), and Noldor (high elves), except that I don't award the mindlink ability, since I tend to see this more as a function of sorcerous ability than an inherent racial characteristic. I use ECLs of +1 (wood elves) and +2 (grey/high elves), which seem to adequately deter all but the most gung-ho roleplayers.

And yes, JRRT's elves most certainly have their peccadilloes. It's just that by the time LotR unfolds, the few high elves who remain have learned thousands of years' worth of hard lessons and deep wisdom, and thus are a bit wiser and less weak-willed than the infant Men who do most of the fighting and dying in the Third Age.

 

[Gothmog]

It all depends on the campaign setting. IMC, I use a human centered world, to the extent that PCs can only be human (although of 18 different cultural background- basically races). Elves are Fey creatures in my world, and are seen as dangerous and highly territorial supernatural entities (with spell-like abilities) who are often at odds with humans. They tend to stick to the wild areas of the world, and have little refined technology (bronze-age), but are deadly hunters and natural magic users. Humans and other races fear them, and often persecute/kill them if they can find them since they are so difficult to deal with. I recently got FFG's Monster's Handbook, and have slapped the Dark Fey template on a few- with frightening results.

 

[I'm A Banana]

As has been said, it's largely a campaign consideration.

It's my view that elves are no better or worse than any other race on the planet...they just *think* they are.

I tend to exaggerate the "fey" nature of elves, though. They're generally tree-hugging hippie wusses who find blood and voilence abbhorent, and rationalize their wimpy nature by saying that any who participate in it otherwise are "beneath them."

They're lovers of peace and beauty, and, not surprisingly, very condescending and arrogant to those who do not share their vision. At worst they're patronizing bigots who feel that none but the Elves should exist (my elves have a "racial supremacy" thing going on in the seedier elements of their society, and while the others don't like it, they also don't raise a hand to stop it). At best, they pity those who don't see the world like them, finding sorrow in their lack of capacity for the appreciation of elvish beauty and wonder.

They are cowardly and intellectual and rationalize it all away by saying "that's the way it's *supposed* to be, and you're doing it wrong!"

Their men and women look the same, act the same, dress the same -- it's a common tavern insult to call a burly warrior an "elf-friend," implying promiscuity and effeminate behaviour.

Mostly this is a reaction against the "kewlness" of elves. I find that if I make them prancing gumdrop princes, the race is less inclined to dominate.

Of course, I exaggerate dwarves to compensate. IMC, dwarves tend to be bloodthirsty and downright cruel to their enemies, isolationist and bitter, nearly fearful of change and alteration. They dismiss beauty as useless, and focus on utilitarian works. Things of value, here and now, rather than some ethereal, ephemeral wonder. Dwarves may be short, but torque one off, and you're asking for a world of trouble.

Elves are the whiny pretty-boy, boy-band male model girlie kids (of course, this stereotype ignores the great power of some elves, but those are the exception). They'll justify anything by saying "It's beautiful," and if you disagree, they won't even argue with you..."I'm affraid you're wrong...and there's really nothing I can tell your poor human mind to suit it." They see their long lives as a justification for their outright snobbery. Of course, they're still Good, and they can boast a number of ass-kickers, but even their ass-kickers are wussy in the world of mine (Hah! Archery! Ne'er has a more cowardly practice been thrust upon the earth!)....because I can't stand elves who are too kewl that they make other races virtually unplayable. ^_^ I also give them a +1 Cha, and take away their searching for doors thingy.

Dwarves are tougher than the stone they are supposedly made of, and as volatile as a volcano (ignoring the occasional gentle dwarf). Even their women are "manly" (the source of many bawdy tavern jokes itself). They'll never put down a challenge, and any challenge they know they can't win, they'll dismiss as being fivolty (it's as hard to win a dwarf's respect as it is to win an elf's). I give them a +1 Str, and take away Stonecunning.

But I'm ranting. Basically, elves and dwarves have been exaggerated, one to compensate for "look at me, I'm pretty and agile and can look good!", and the other to enhance "Gnarr! Our women have beards!"

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

In my opinion, elves are not Humanist, but Transhumanist...

 

[Afrodyte]

I tried to fill a different niche for elves in my campaign ideas that I don't frequently see in the RPGs that take their main influence from Tolkien. To a degree, I do humanize them by emphasizing the roles environment and culture play in their development (much like humans). In addition, I veer heavily into a pluralistic, multicultural vision of elves, one that gives them diversity. The reasons I do this are, naturally, a part of the specific campaign settings I created wherein elves are, for better or worse, essentially human beings.

Although I do not directly state it, I designed the elves in my homebrew setting (Winya Palurin) as the predecessors to humankind, so they possess the same needs and natures as human beings. However, the diversity and imagination that will bring about the ascension of humanity has yet to be developed, although it is on its way. For my post-apocalyptic d20 Modern setting, I treat them as the descendants of modern man, so they still have the same proclivities as humans do.

 

[sword-dancer]

As DM or PC, if you have the ability to create your own history and culture, do you use Elves more as a Forgotten Realms Elf (quite human like in nature, they are good, bad, can be drunks, gamblers, bullies, etc) who can have faults...

or

More as a Tolkien elf which are more ... Superior and refined? Would your Tolkien-esque Elves be capable of being found guilty of purse-snatching in the land of Rodnog?

]

maybe found guilty of massacring Elves to get their ships, or Kidnapping elven Princessess, or annihilating Elves for a gem.

 

[Maldur]

In my homebrew elves are paranoid, isolationalist, triggerhappy (ok arrowhappy) guerilla's.

Not nice people.

 

[Gez]

First: Tolkien elves are not übersuperiorbetterthanyouateverythingbarnone.

They aren't.

Tolkien elves that have seen the Light of Valinor are. But then again, Tolkien dogs who have seen the Light are also. (Read the Silmarillion.)

Elves from the balck forest, or whatever it's called in the Hobbit, are not especially special. Sure, they're a bit fairy (their feast appears and disappears instantaneously); but that's all. They get drunk and are not especially wise or powerful, dont detect Bilbo using the Ring (I remember people claiming that elves should sense when powerful magic is cast, becausetheyareattunedtotheweaveyaddayadda); don't even realize the barrels are full. They also are not extremely isolationnist, they trade with the nearby human city and send delegations to them frequently.



People tend to forgot D&D elves are chaotic good ECL +0 humanoids, and depicts them as lawful evil ECL +30 archangels. Boring.

 

[Arnwyn]

While I play in FR, I prefer to portray the elves closer to Tolkien elves than humans-with-pointy-ears. (Not exactly like Tolkien, mind you, just farther away from the humans-with-pointy-ears version.) I think their long lifespans probably have something to do with my particular bias.

Just my preference.