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Version
1.0
: 2001/Feb/18
Elves, Mystaran
Mystaran elves mingle freely with the other races throughout the Known
world. They are well known for their poetry, dance, song, lore, and, especially,
their magical arts -- in Mystara, everyone "knows" that even
the lowliest elf is capable of arcane spellcasting. Most elves favour
things of natural and simple beauty, although there are some Mystaran
societies where elves have come to not only understand but respect and
pursue the materialistic and complicated ways of humans, such as those
found in Darokin. Whenever danger threatens them and theirs, whether they
are in the woodland homes of their traditional lands or the towns and
cities of their adopted homes, they quickly reveal a strong martial streak,
demonstrating skill with sword, bow and battle strategy.
Personality: Elves
are more often amused than excited, more liekly to be curious than greedy.
With such long lives, they tend to keep a broad perspective on events,
remaining aloof and unfazed by petty hapenstance. When pursuing a goal,
however, whether an adventurious mission or learning a new skill or art,
they can be focused and relentless. The are slow to make friends and enemies,
and even slower to forget them. The reply to petty insults with disdain
and to serious insults with vengeance.
Physical Description: The
elves of Mystara are short and slim, standing about 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet
tall and typically weighing 85 to 135 pounds, with elven men the same
height as and only marginally heavier than elven women.
The elves of Mystara have delicate features and
pointed ears and are generally fair-skinned and fair-haired; they tan
lightly and never sunburn.
In general, elves prefer simple, comfortable clothes,
especially in pastel blues and greens, and they enjoy simple yet elegant
jewelry. Elves possess unearthly grace and fine features. Many humans
and members of other races find them hauntingly beautiful.
Elves live naturally to between 400 and 600 years
old. A very few have reached 800 years old; and more have died of disease
or violent deaths before their 500th birthday. They take about 20 years
to grow to full size, then have a free-spirited "adolescence"
of about 80 years. It is during this time that an elf chooses whether
to remain in the forests of her birth or follow the wandering path of
the adventurer.
Relations: Elves
relate to the other common races in the following ways:
Dwarves. Elves do not understand the
dwarven work ethic or the dwarven need to create only things that last,
just as the dwarves cannot comprehend the elven need for the emphermeral
pleasures of hunting and playing. In essence, there exists between elf
and dwarf a deep misunderstanding resulting from total racial incompatibility.
Gnomes. To elves, gnomes are more
reasonable than dwarves. Gnomes like the forest, work with things other
than rock and metal, have a lot of imagination, and a sense of humor.
Moreover, gnomish inventions never fail to fascinate and amuse the elves...
even if they don't always work.
Halflings (Hin). If there is a race
that the elves truly like, it is the halflings. The short folk seem to
have an elf-like joie-de-vivre, even without having elf-like lives. True,
the halflings are entirely too tied up in taming the land rather than
living with it, but that is obviously the influence of the humans. If
halflings had the proper influence of elves around, they would probably
be good foresters. It's a pity about that human influence though.
Humans. Elves are often in awe of
humans. That short-lived beings can achieve such skills with magic and
weapons amazes the elves. yet it is amazement mixed with fear, for the
elves still remember tales of Blackmoor, of wrongful technology ... and
the punishment of the Rain of Fire, all brought on by humans. It happened
once, it will happen again.
Humans now like to think of elves as their friends.
yet given the choice, [most] elves would choose not to deal with humans.
When they do deal with humans, they are often aloof, distant, even insulting,
expressing pity in a negative way; attitudes which mask the elven fear
and distrust of this prolific, powerful, and unpredictable race.
Orcs. Orcs hate elves, elves hate
orcs (though the cosmopolitan elves of Alfheim Town have learned to telerate
what they think of as "their" orcs). Records in the Mealidor
Library suggest that the mutal hatred predates even the oral tradition
of history.
Wherever elves go, it seems that orcs soon follow
(or vice versa). Some scholars believe the orc/elf struggle may have cosmic
significance. In all likelihood, the truth lies buried under the southern
polar ice cap in what was once Evergrun, the elven homeland.
Half-Orcs. When Mystaran elves encounter
half-orcs in civilized regions, they regard them with unrelenting suspicion.
Half-orcs raised among their orcish relations are reviled and hated as
much as their orc parent would be.
Half-Elves. Most Mystaran elves consider
half-elves to be a figure of legend. These fabled creatures are thought
to have all the benefits of both elf and man, with none of the problems.
In truth, throughout most of the Mystaran continent
of Brun, in the area identified as "The Known World", the true
half-elf is virtually unknown. Occationally, there are elf-human matings.
Apparently the two races are sufficiently similar to be interfertile.
However, the product of such unions are either elves or men, though their
outward appearances sometimes fool watchers.
As far as can be told, the elven traits are inherited
through the femal line. The product of a union between human female and
male elf is always human. Moreover, the male children are always stilborn.
When female elf mates with male human, the male
children are always elves, the female children always human.
Of course, all of these female "human"
children have the potential for growing up to bear elf or human children
of either sex, depending on the genetic make up of their partner.
Alignment: Elves
love freedom, variety, and self-expression. They lean strongly toward
the gentler aspects of chaos. Generally, they value and protect others'
freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.
Elven
Lands: {Need something here, merging
details from Gaz5 and the 3E PHB}
{Should also mention the existance of "humanized"
elves found in areas such as Darokin and Minrothad}
Religion: Most
elven religious life among the elves in Alfheim is tied to the worship
of the first elven Immortal, Ilsundal. Some elves, especially in the Mealidil
clan, extend their worship to Mealiden, who followed Ilsundal's path to
Immortality.
Other Immortals favored by elves throughout the
Known World include Calitha Starbrow, Eiryndul, and Ordana. Generally,
most elves in a single clan or group follow the same Immortal.
Since most elves practice arcane magic rather than
divine magic, many elves see no need for any patron Immortal.
Language: All
Mystaran elves speak a single common elven language, a fluid language
of subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Slight differences in dialect
reveal the origin of the speaker but do not interfere with mutual understanding.
While Elven literature is rich and varied, it is
the language's songs and poems that are most famous. Many bards learn
Elven so they can add Elven ballads to their repertoires. Others simply
memorize Elven songs by sound. The Elven script, as flowing as the spoken
word, also serves as the script for Sylvan, the language of dryads and
pixies.
Names: {Need
to create a write up based on the Celtic/Norse naming tradition of Mystaran
Elves, with a mention of the Spanish influence of the Belcadiz}
{Should also discuss the concept of "use name"
as a means of keeping ones "true name" secret for "magical"
reasons.}
Male Names: {pick out male names from Gaz
5 p47}
Female Names: {pick out male names from Gaz
5 p47}
Clan Names: Alfheim: Chossum, Erendyl,
Feadiel, Grunalf, Long Runner, Mealidil, Red Arrow. Glantri: Belcadiz.
Karameikos: Callarii. Thyatis: Vyalia. (Any
others?)
Adventurers: Elves
take up adventuring out of wanderlust. Life among humans moves at a pace
that elves dislike: regimented from day to day but changing from decade
to decade. Elves among humans, therefore, find careers that allow them
to wander freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy demonstrating
their prowess with the sword and bow or gaining greater magical powers,
and adventuring allows them to do so. Good elves may also be rebels or
crusaders.
Elven Racial Traits
- +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution: Mystaran elves value study and contemplation
over the feats of agility learned by most elves of other worlds.
- Medium size: As Medium-size creatures, elves have no special bonuses
or penalties due to their size.
- Elven base speed is 30 feet.
- +2 racial saving throw bonus against all Enchantment spells or effects.
(Note the lack of an immunity to magic
sleep spells and effects. Mystaran
elves also lack the ability to trance for only four hours and
must sleep a full eight hours like all other common races.)
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and spot checks. And elf who merely
passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a
Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for the door.
And elf's senses are so keen that she practically has a sixth sense
about hidden portals.
- Elves with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher may cast the 0-level
spells (cantrips) daze, detect magic, and prestidigitation,
each once per day. These are arcane spells, and as such the elf suffers
spell failure penalties for wearing armour. Treat the elf as a 1st-level
caster for all spell effects dependent on level. See the spell descriptions
in the Player's Handbook for more details.
- Low-light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as a human in starlight,
moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.
The retain the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these
conditions.
- Proficient with either longsword or rapier; proficient with shortbow,
longbow, composite longbow and composite shortbow. Elves esteem the
arts of swordplay and archery, so all elves are familiar with these
weapons.
- Automatic Languages: Local Regional Language, Local Common (if different
from Local Regional Language) and Elven. Bonus Languages: Additional
Regional Languages, {etc... }
- Favoured Class: Wizard. A multiclass elf's wizard class does not count
when determining whether she suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing
(see "Experience for Multiclass Characters", Player's Handbook,
page 56). Wizardry comes naturally to elves (they sometimes claim to
have invented it), and fighter/wizards are especially common among them.
Vital Statistics [Age,
Height and Weight]
Mystaran Elves mature at a different rate than standard 3E Elves. Replace
the information for standard elves found in Table 6-4 and Table
6-5 on page 93 of the Player's Handbook with the following
information.
Table 6-4: (modifications) Random Starting Ages
Brd Clr
Brb Ftr Drd
Rog Pal Mnk
Race Adulthood Sor Rgr Wiz
Elf 20 years +1d6 +1d10 +2d10
Table 6-5: (modifications) Aging Effects
Middle Maximum
Race Age Old Venerable Age
Elf 200 years 350 years 500 years +4d% years
Elves mature at the same rate as humans up to the
age of 6. This slows to 2/3rds of the human maturation rate until they
reach their early 40's when they are roughly as mature and as capable
as any human at age 30. At this point their maturation rate slows yet
again, so much, in fact, that to a casual, non-elf, observer, they do
not appear to age at all for more than 300 years. Around the age of 350
years they are, in fact, similar in maturity and physical capability to
humans in their early 40's. At this point, their aging rate actually increases
again, but only to 1/5th that of human maturation rates. As a result,
it isn't until roughtly the age of 500 years that they become as venerable
as a 70 year old human.
Although female elves can actually bear children
from about the age of 17, most elves do not begin breeding until well
after their mid-40's, when their "slowing" has taken hold. They may have
several children over their life, but they will rarely be closer than
20 years apart, and never less than 10 years apart. Additionally,
most elf couples will usually stay together for a period of between 40
and 60 years and then agree to break off their long term relation ship
and take their lives in separate directions. As a result, most elves will
have at least two, if not three or four significant, long term, relationships
during their lives and it is not at all uncommon for a given elf to have
several step-siblings and half-siblings as well as (or even instead of)
full-blood siblings. Note that this practice of "mutual separation" is
seen as perfectly normal behaviour among almost all elf communities, and
it is often pointed out to those who chastise elves for their tendency
toward "infidelity" that elves of both sexes frequently stay with each
one of their many long-term partners longer than many human marriages
even last.
Notes
This conversion assumes that elves raised in traditional elven societies/regions
also gain access to the following special rules and feats:
Rule Modifications:
Fighting Mages: Traditional elves place a great emphasis on equal
use of arcane and martial training. As a result, those they train in the
ways of the Wizard class are taught the method of casting arcane magic
while wearing armour with no fear of failure rather than the methods of
how to construct spell scrolls.
Prerequisite: You have been trained in your
1st level of the Wizard class by members of a traditional elven society,
or someone else so trained.
Result: Rather than gaining the Scribe
Scroll feat as a 1st-level Wizard, you gain the Still Spell
feat instead, enabling you to instantly cast any cantrips while wearing
armour of any kind.
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