Post by ripx187 on Aug 4, 2018 19:58:56 GMT -5
While the classic D&D elf is fun to play, and has become a trope which defines a genre; one of the big perks of world building is that you can set your own standards. Now, the way that my world works is that before a player can choose a class or a race, this class or race must be discovered. I mean, I could just add the familiar elf race, but that is boring.
At the root of the issue with D&D elves is that they started with all of this bonus stuff, and to pay for it we had level limitations which are one of the hotly debated subjects, why was this done? Wouldn’t it make more sense to give humans their own bonuses, and balance it out that way? I think so. Another way of doing it is to have Race as Class which I also like, but this leads to murky waters because it tends to place unnatural limitations on the system, which I want to avoid.
I love Tolkien elves. I do! But those elves don’t make good models for RP systems. Tolkien elves were angelic in nature, and are seen as more than human. Gygax says that we can play any race as long as we start out relatively weak and build up as we gain levels, so that is what I intend to do.
In my homebrew there are remnants of lost cultures for the players to explore and loot, and just like normal D&D, there once was a highly advanced civilization of creatures here, on of these is the elf. We aren’t playing during the age of Elves, our setting is much later, after the fall of elven-kind and takes place in the age of men.
Elves live three times as long as men do, yet it is the elf that is restricted? This makes no sense, so I am going to cap the race at the standard level, but PC’s have no such restrictions. I am also going to insist that these elves aren’t true elves. The elves of yore have all gone the way of magic. They are lost, where they went to is a mystery. Those who stayed to fight along side or against men were all beaten. This was their land, but it was aggressively taken from them. While Tolkien went the angelic route, I want mine to go more in line with Native Americans. These would be wood elves, a race that didn’t fight against nature, but became one with it.
While Tolkien’s elves worshiped themselves, my elves will have knowledge of spirits, elementals, and call upon old gods. Before they were outnumbered by men, they taught them; these men from the East. They taught them how to survive here, they gave them religion, and friendship. This was long ago, and the great-grandchildren of those first men wanted more. These men wanted what the elf had, and they took it. Through the centuries the elves had fought back, and paid for it in blood. Most of the wood elf blood-lines have been wiped out, those that remain either live where they are told to, or they see this folly for what it is and fight. Hiding in the ancient forests; always moving, always planning. Some punish mankind for what was done to them; these the people focus on and in turn punish the elves who harm none.
While the ancient wood elves were one with nature, it was the high elf that built advanced cities using high magic which has been lost. Well, that is one theory, but there is evidence of Elven structures. The wood elves teach us that this mighty race boarded ships and left. The few which remained for whatever reason either died in battle or became hermits, though no one has seen a high elf there are reports of them. The wood elf believes that one day the High Elf will come back and destroy the humans! This is probably just a dream, as they also say that the High Elf would restore order and return everything back to normal. The fact is that the High Elf is gone, and nobody knows where they went to. The continent that the wood elves speak of does not exist.
Elves as Player Characters
STAT Requirements: WIS & DEX must be 15 or higher.
Pros: +1 with wood based weapons including bows and they don’t have to track ammo. Superior knowledge of nature. Moves silently, sees normally by moonlight.
Cons: dislike of metal, -2 whenever used. CHA is -5 when dealing with human NPCs, racial enemy of all goblin-types.
Much of this will be factored in during play. The point is that they have a racial background that is unique to them. They have a bit more knowledge of the purpose of lay lines and circles as they claim that it was their ancestors that set them.
Players can “unlock” this race by discovering that Royalty has forced elves to stay in “Exclusion Camps”, these places are hellish slums constructed in worthless land, yet is better than what the goblin-types were banished to. Player Character Elves will be beta-tests and have no knowledge of life outside of this Exclusion Camp but what the elders have managed to teach them.
Owning weapons and hunting is illegal for the elf, they will discover a natural talent once they obtain a bow. The glory days of the Wood Elf are over, but it is the goal of a PC to discover what was lost. This character will follow a progression path which is Paladin-like but is an agent of chaos.
The exact spells will be unique to the wood elf, primarily clerical but will include wizard-like talent with elementals which must be discovered.
MAGIC ITEMS
Wooden Swords: these swords were constructed of very hard wood, the technique has been lost, as has most of the trees. In the hands of men, these items are useless, but in the hands of wood elves, their true power is unleashed. A good wooden sword is thinner and more ornate than human weapons, designed to capitalize on speed. Most are sabers with sharp edges that grant anything from +2 to +3, but a few are rapiers whittled down to a fine +4 or +5 point.
Elven Chainmail: Woven from thin willow branches and enchanted by a technique which is lost. The current weaves act as leather armor, those that are enchanted properly can be as strong as plate.
At the root of the issue with D&D elves is that they started with all of this bonus stuff, and to pay for it we had level limitations which are one of the hotly debated subjects, why was this done? Wouldn’t it make more sense to give humans their own bonuses, and balance it out that way? I think so. Another way of doing it is to have Race as Class which I also like, but this leads to murky waters because it tends to place unnatural limitations on the system, which I want to avoid.
I love Tolkien elves. I do! But those elves don’t make good models for RP systems. Tolkien elves were angelic in nature, and are seen as more than human. Gygax says that we can play any race as long as we start out relatively weak and build up as we gain levels, so that is what I intend to do.
In my homebrew there are remnants of lost cultures for the players to explore and loot, and just like normal D&D, there once was a highly advanced civilization of creatures here, on of these is the elf. We aren’t playing during the age of Elves, our setting is much later, after the fall of elven-kind and takes place in the age of men.
Elves live three times as long as men do, yet it is the elf that is restricted? This makes no sense, so I am going to cap the race at the standard level, but PC’s have no such restrictions. I am also going to insist that these elves aren’t true elves. The elves of yore have all gone the way of magic. They are lost, where they went to is a mystery. Those who stayed to fight along side or against men were all beaten. This was their land, but it was aggressively taken from them. While Tolkien went the angelic route, I want mine to go more in line with Native Americans. These would be wood elves, a race that didn’t fight against nature, but became one with it.
While Tolkien’s elves worshiped themselves, my elves will have knowledge of spirits, elementals, and call upon old gods. Before they were outnumbered by men, they taught them; these men from the East. They taught them how to survive here, they gave them religion, and friendship. This was long ago, and the great-grandchildren of those first men wanted more. These men wanted what the elf had, and they took it. Through the centuries the elves had fought back, and paid for it in blood. Most of the wood elf blood-lines have been wiped out, those that remain either live where they are told to, or they see this folly for what it is and fight. Hiding in the ancient forests; always moving, always planning. Some punish mankind for what was done to them; these the people focus on and in turn punish the elves who harm none.
While the ancient wood elves were one with nature, it was the high elf that built advanced cities using high magic which has been lost. Well, that is one theory, but there is evidence of Elven structures. The wood elves teach us that this mighty race boarded ships and left. The few which remained for whatever reason either died in battle or became hermits, though no one has seen a high elf there are reports of them. The wood elf believes that one day the High Elf will come back and destroy the humans! This is probably just a dream, as they also say that the High Elf would restore order and return everything back to normal. The fact is that the High Elf is gone, and nobody knows where they went to. The continent that the wood elves speak of does not exist.
Elves as Player Characters
STAT Requirements: WIS & DEX must be 15 or higher.
Pros: +1 with wood based weapons including bows and they don’t have to track ammo. Superior knowledge of nature. Moves silently, sees normally by moonlight.
Cons: dislike of metal, -2 whenever used. CHA is -5 when dealing with human NPCs, racial enemy of all goblin-types.
Much of this will be factored in during play. The point is that they have a racial background that is unique to them. They have a bit more knowledge of the purpose of lay lines and circles as they claim that it was their ancestors that set them.
Players can “unlock” this race by discovering that Royalty has forced elves to stay in “Exclusion Camps”, these places are hellish slums constructed in worthless land, yet is better than what the goblin-types were banished to. Player Character Elves will be beta-tests and have no knowledge of life outside of this Exclusion Camp but what the elders have managed to teach them.
Owning weapons and hunting is illegal for the elf, they will discover a natural talent once they obtain a bow. The glory days of the Wood Elf are over, but it is the goal of a PC to discover what was lost. This character will follow a progression path which is Paladin-like but is an agent of chaos.
The exact spells will be unique to the wood elf, primarily clerical but will include wizard-like talent with elementals which must be discovered.
MAGIC ITEMS
Wooden Swords: these swords were constructed of very hard wood, the technique has been lost, as has most of the trees. In the hands of men, these items are useless, but in the hands of wood elves, their true power is unleashed. A good wooden sword is thinner and more ornate than human weapons, designed to capitalize on speed. Most are sabers with sharp edges that grant anything from +2 to +3, but a few are rapiers whittled down to a fine +4 or +5 point.
Elven Chainmail: Woven from thin willow branches and enchanted by a technique which is lost. The current weaves act as leather armor, those that are enchanted properly can be as strong as plate.
