Common Races - Elves
Duncehack Edition
Re: Skipped Preamble
Refer to the first part of this series (or the link dump) if you're interested in that.
Obligatory Natural Crit Plug
Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.
Obligatory /tg/ Plug
The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build it into something that wasn't bad and stupid.
Balance Rationale
Main thing is: Races are worth approx. 3 feats + 2 lanaguage proficiencies.
For the purposes of this I'm working on a 'build point' system that assumes races are worth 18 build points.
If you care about the specifics of my balance metrics, they're included at the end.
So, what's wrong with Elves?
Aside from the sheer number of subraces? Not much really. Elves are already in a good position.
So, what to do?
Mostly small things to just round the power up to something closer to Eladrin - gotta knock the special mary sue subrace off its pedestal just a little.
Elf
- Ability Scores: Dex +2
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
- Trance. Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. If you meditate during a long rest, you finish the rest after only 4 hours. You otherwise obey all the rules for a long rest; only the duration is changed.
- Languages. Common and Elvish.
High
- Ability Score: Int +1
- Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Cantrips. You know two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. Their spellcasting ability is Intelligence.
- Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choosing.
Wood
- Ability Score: Wis +1
- Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Fleet of Foot. Your move speed is 35
- Mask of the Wild. You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
- Climb Speed: You have a climb speed of 35 ft.
Drow
- Ability Score: Cha +1
- Superior Darkvision: Your darkvision extends out to 120 ft.
- Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
- Drow Magic. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the darkness spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
- Drow Weapon Training. You have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.
Changes:
No changes to the base race?
What changes would I make? Everything that's needed is here.
High
Extra Cantrip Two cantrips instead of one simply to round out its power compared to Eladrin.
Wood
Climb Speed was added because a wood elf would be good at climbing trees, no?
Stealth Proficiency was added, partly because of how it was handled in Baldur's Gate 3, partly because the rest of the feature is functionally worthless without having some investment in the ability to sneak to begin with.
No Drow Changes?
Drow already stack up perfectly on the balance point I'm after.
Sea
- Ability Score Con +1
- Sea Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the spear, trident, light crossbow, and net.
- Child of the Sea. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.
- Friend of the Sea. Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with any beast that has an innate swimming speed.
- Extra Language. Aquan.
- Knifefish Skin: While you are completely submerged, you have 10 ft of Blindsight. This does not extend outside the surface of the water or into spaces that don't contain water (such as a submerged watertight container). You also gain the shocking grasp cantrip.
- Sea Native: You have immunity to any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
Shadar-Kai
- Ability Score: Con +1
- Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
- Blessing of the Raven Queen. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.
Eladrin
- Ability Score: Cha +1
- Seasons. Choose your eladrin's season: autumn, winter, spring, or summer. When finishing a long rest, any eladrin can change their season.
- Fey Step. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. When you reach 3rd level, your Fey Step gains an additional effect based on your season; if the effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier:
Fey Step Seasons
- Autumn Immediately after you use your Fey Step, up to two creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute, or until you or your companions deal any damage to it.
- Winter When you use your Fey Step, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you before you teleport must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
- Spring When you use your Fey Step, you can touch one willing creature within 5 feet of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you.
- Summer Immediately after you use your Fey Step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage).
Changes
Sea
Knifefish Skin. I don't know why, I can't quite let go of the electric eel angle. Maybe it's a sign I need help.
Anyway, the point here is to give Sea Elves a reason to actively want to be in their native environment to flex some kind of advantage the rest of the party don't have, rather than just being 'elves that are good at swimming'.
Sea Native. This is a Ribbon and your DM probably did this anyway, but I felt it necessary to point out because someone always brings up how the depths get to a point where they're literally crushing you.
Optional Rule: Flight/Swim speed from Multiple Sources
If it's an issue for your table: "If you would get the same flight or swim speed from multiple sources (such as from your class) you instead gain an extra 10 feet of flight or swim speed.
Shadar-Kai
Blessing of the Raven Queen is now a short rest feature. Because for some reason theirs wasn't but the Eladrin version was for no good god damned reason despite being functionally almost the same thing.
No Eladrin Changes?
Eladrin was the benchmark for the rest of the elf subraces to recieve buffs, so no.
Pallid
- Ability Score: Wis +1
- Incisive Sense. You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight) checks.
- Blessing of the Moon Weaver. You know the light cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the sleep spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the invisibility spell (targeting yourself only) once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Casting these spells with this trait doesn't require material components. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Tajuru
- Ability Score: Cha +1
- Skill Versatility. You have proficiency with any combination of two other skills or tools of your choice.
Mul Daya
- Ability Score Str +1
- Mul Daya Magic You know the chill touch cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hex spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
- Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
- Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Gravetender: you gain advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks to determine cause of death as well as Intelligence (Arcana) checks to identify magic and effects from the Necromancy school.
Avariel
- Flight. You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing heavy armor. If you are wearing medium armour, this speed reduces to 30 feet instead.
- Glide. If you are wearing heavy armour, or otherwise unable to fly, you can instead glide. While gliding this way, you have a 30 ft flight speed, however you cannot ascend and at least 5 feet of that movement each turn must be spent descending. If you're unable to spend 5ft to descend slowly (e.g. your movement speed is reduced to zero), you fall instead. In addition, while falling, you can spend your reaction to reduce falling damage by half.
- Standing Leap. Your long jump is up to 25 feet and your high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start, so long as you're able to beat your wings at least once during the jump. Your strength modifier is doubled when determining extra feet added onto these distances.
- Languages. You can speak, read and write Auran.
- Eye in the Sky. You have +5 to your passive perception while flying.
Changes:
No Pallid Elf Changes?
They stack up to being slightly over half a feat more powerful than the other subraces.
If that's an issue add in the following drawback, playing up the whole 'elves who were cloistered away from the wider world for so long that they out of the loop' thing.
Naivete. Once per session, the DM can outline a lie, misunderstanding, or mistruth that your character believes about the wider world. Until the misunderstanding is corrected, your character has disadvantage on Intelligence (History) checks recall information about the subject at hand. The same topic cannot be chosen by the DM twice.
Alternatively, if you're not happy with that, they are underground dwellers so Sunlight Sensitivity is also appropriate.
No Tajuru Changes?
Tajuru are actually slightly overloaded. Good news is that it's an extremely easy fix if it's an issue.
Change Skill Versatility to read as 'You have proficiency with one skill or tool of your choice. In addition, you have proficiency in a tool proficiency of your choice.'
Mul Daya
Gravetender to encourage Mul Daya to emphases the whole 'death touched' thing.
Mul Daya: Change Gravetender to remove either the advantage on Arcana checks, or the advantage on Medicine checks (either way)
This is the result of indescision on my part. Mul Daya elves thematically could go either way.
Avariel
Flight Now usable in medium armour with a drawback.
Glide and Standing Leap Are there so that heavy armoured Avariel are still useful.
Eye in the Sky Avariel are more comfortable in the air than on the ground and wanted to show that.
Yeah, I know, I broke my 'no UA' rule, but Adventurer's League seems to be the focus of 5e at present which has a hard 'no flying' rule and the rest of the UA in question is orphaned.
What if I think flight's too strong?
Well, if you haven't already banned flying races at your table, then just limit it to the rules outlined in the Glide feature until 5th level.
Optional Elf Rules
DMG Eladrin
They're basically High elves.
If you're determined to represent them, I think they'd be better put in as an optional rule:
"When you select High Elf, you may give up your Cantrips and your extra Language. If you do, in their place you gain access to the misty step spell. You regain usage of this version of the spell after a short or long rest."
Vadahar
Also basically High Elves but from Kaladesh.
"When you Select High Elf, you may exchange your +1 Intellect for +1 Wisdom. If you do, your choice of Cantrips is restricted to the Druid spell list instead of the Wizard spell list."
Valenar
They're just Wood Elves with different Weapon Proficiencies and from Eberron.
"When selecting Wood Elf, you may change your Weapon Proficiencies to: scimitar, double scimitar, longbow, and shortbow."
Grugach
They're the weird middle ground of Wood and High elf, I think they're from Krynn.
"When selecting Wood Elf, you may replace your Fleet of Foot and Mask of the Wild features for 2 Druid cantrips of your choice (Wisdom is the casting modifier). You may also replace your +1 Wisdom bonus for a +1 Strength bonus. You also gain proficiency in the Sylvan language."
Aerini
Eberron overdid their High Elf buffs, but that's why this is an optional rule (it brings the weight to something like half a feat more powerful than Eladrin, do I don't recommend it).
"When Selecting High Elf, you may replace Elf Weapon Training. If you do, you gain a skill or tool proficiency of your choice. That skill or tool proficiency gains Expertise (double proficiency modifier)."
Social Stigma
If you want to further pull back on the 'weird outsider Elf Subraces' here's an optional penalty on them:
"Social Stigma. In your travels, you find some people are cold, aloof, or even outright hostile towards you. Once per game session, the DM may force you to reroll a successful social skill roll that you make."
What about...
Any of the others not mentioned in this entry are just Wood Elves with different names.
I need generic elves for names! Like how Dark Elf is for Drow!
I gotcha.
- Shadar-Kai = Shadow Elves
- Mul Daya = Grave Elves
- Tajuru = Plains Elves
- Eladrin = Fey Elves
- Avariel = Wind Elves/Winged Elves
Also worth noting, Drow is a really old word and not actually copyrighted.
Elven Racial Feats
Half feat just means it costs one of the two points you'd normally gain on an ability score increase
Elven Accuracy (Half-Feat)
Your attuned elven senses give you an uncanny aim when you need it the most. When you roll an attack roll, you may reroll one of the dice used. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. You regain usage of this feature after a short or long rest.
Fey Teleportation (Half-Feat)
Your study of high elven lore has unlocked fey power that few other elves possess, except your eladrin cousins. Drawing on your fey ancestry, you can momentarily stride through the Feywild to shorten your path from one place to another. You gain the following benefits:
- You learn to speak, read, and write Sylvan.
- You learn the misty step spell and can cast it once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast it in this way when you finish a short or long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Limber (Half-Feat)
Elves are notably more limber than other humanoids, and can even appear unsettlingly 'boneless' with how unearthly graceful they can be in their movements. When you take this feat, you appear that 'unsettlingly bonless' even to other elves, gaining the following benefits:
- You can push your body through any space that can fit your head.
- You have advantage to Strength (Atheletics) checks to squeeze through small spaces, and advantage to Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks for acts of contortion.
- You bend in ways that would damage others, being able to slip out of restraints that aren't tailored to your range of movement. You have advantage on, Strength (Atheltics) and Dexterity (Actobatics) to escape the grappled or restrained conditions imposed, as well as Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Theives' Tools checks to escape bindings (this includes, but isn't limited to, objects that bind hands and feet such as manacles, objects that reduce speed such as hunting traps, and any object that would impose the grappled or restrained conditions)
Sunlight Acclimation (Half-Feat)
You no longer suffer the effects of Sunlight Sensitivity.
No Revenant Blade?
Why is it gated out to only elves?
Yeah, I was going to allow a form of that for everyone. So for now just scrub off the 'elf' prerequisite.
Elven Accuracy
Opened it out to non-advantage attacks, and attacks that don't use dex, int or wis, but at the cost of being capped to prof. mod uses per short rest - a strong enough restriction to justify lowering its cost.
My thoughts on the original version: I hate this feat so much. It's the single cause of all my major headaches in balancing finesse weapons against strength based weapons - as every step of the way has been 'but if we factor elven accuracy...' and I'm done with it.
So this is one of the few places where I break my 'no nerfs' conceptualisation. Here's the original writeup if you want to set it back though, because I won't fault you if you did.
Elven Accuracy (Original Writeup)
The accuracy of elves is legendary, especially that of elf archers and spellcasters. You have uncanny aim with attacks that rely on precision rather than brute force. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Whenever you have advantage on an attack roll using Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, you can reroll one of the dice once.
Fey Teleportation
Unlocked it from High Elves only, and reduced it to a half-feat (that is, made it only cost one ability score point). If all elves are meant to have a shared heritage, why is it only one subrace is allowed to get it? because they're the 'closest'? Elves already operate on crazy fae magic, any justification for locking it down is flimsy at best.
Limber
Here, we can stop arguing about the mechanical edge cases of Elven flexibility now.
Sunlight Acclimation
Going to be a generic option for anyone who has Sunlight Sensitivity
Elven High Magic (Full-Feat)
You have a closer attunment to your magical heritage than other elves. The type of spells you gain is determined by your subrace.
Anything listed in bold is the player's choice.
High Magic
| Subrace | At-Will | 1st Spell | 2nd Spell | Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avariel | alarm | zephyr strike | warding wind | Wisdom |
| Drow | detect magic | levitate | dispel magic | Charisma |
| Eladrin | Bard Cantrip | enthrall | crown of madness | Charisma |
| High | mage armor (self-only) | identify | mind spike | Intelligence |
| Mul Daya | Cleric Cantrip | cause fear | see invisibility | Charisma |
| Pallid | identify | earth tremor | find traps | Wisdom |
| Sea | sanctuary (self-only) | thunderous smite | blur | Wisdom |
| Shadar-Kai | illusory script | mirror image | shadow blade | Charisma |
| Tajuru | Wizard Cantrip | unseen servant | rope trick | Intelligence |
| Wood | Druid Cantrip | longstrider | pass without trace | Wisdom |
Each of the spells may be used without using a spell slot. You cannot use the spells this way again until you finish a long rest, with the exception of those in the 'at-will' column which may be used without this restriction. The spells listed are cast this way at their lowest level.
They are added to the spells you know however and spell slots may be used on them. At-will spells listed as 'self-only' do not retain that restriction if you spend a spell slot for their use.
Elven High Magic
Of the racial feats this was the hardest to wrap my head around, because it doesn't follow the 'cantrip, 1st level, 2nd level' restriction normally applied to racial magic, nor does it introduce things by level.
What it does do, instead, is give precedent for the use of 1st level rituals in place of cantrips and allows even a choice of cantrips in the case of the wood elf.
Avariel
Theme here is wind (of course). Alarm at-will to play up the whole perceptive thing I was going for with Avariel. Zephyr Strike is exploitable by flyers and Warding Wind for utility.
Drow and Wood
Unchanged from the original writeup.
Eladrin
Leaning on the fae harder. Enthrall and Crown of Madness I see as two sides of the same coin ("nothing but me exists for you" vs. "nothing but me can be allowed to live"). Bard cantrip list is almost entirely utility.
High Elf
Mage Armour as a self only feature is basically an unarmoured defense feature, while the other two are functionally focused on 'knowledge' as a theme.
Mul Daya
Cleric cantrip and cause fear sticks on their whole 'death' theme while see invisibility allows people to see ghosts with the line that lets you see into the ethereal plane.
Pallid
Identify to really play up the curiosity, earth tremor to play up the fact they've been stuck underground for so long, find traps to play up their whole perceptive shtick.
Sea
Sanctuary because the ocean's full of things that want to eat you. Maybe I'm stupid, but blur and thunderous smite fit an ocean theme in my mind.
Shadar-Kai
Sticking to a shadow/illusion theme, illusory script for utility, mirror image for defense, shadow blade for offense.
Tajuru
Focus was more on them being the most 'mundane' of the elven subraces, 'Wizard cantrip' for instance generally means mage hand or prestigiditation for most people - though it also gives access to things like booming blade. Unseen servant and rope trick then are pure utility.
Build Point Weights
This section exists exclusively for people who want to check my work.
The assumption I'm following under is that races are worth 3 feats + 2 language proficiencies.
So 18 is considered the balance point for everything.
19 is considered 'acceptable' as this is where Tieflings stack up, but any more should be actively avoided.
Elven Racial Balance
- Ability Scores: +6
- Darkvision. +2
- Keen Senses. +2
- Fey Ancestry. +1
- Trance. Ribbon
- Languages. Free
Final Weight: 11
High
- Ability Score: +3
- Elf Weapon Training. Ribbon (+3 if we ascribe a number)
- Cantrip. +4
- Extra Language. Ribbon
Subrace Weight: 7 (+2 Choice Taxes)
Final Weight: 19
Wood
- Ability Score: +3
- Elf Weapon Training. Ribbon (+3 if we ascribe a number)
- Fleet of Foot. +1
- Mask of the Wild. +2 (The proficiency is the only thing worth weighting, as the rest is only as useful as the character's ability to sneak in the first place).
- Climb Speed: +1
Subrace Weight: 7
Final Weight: 18
Drow
- Ability Score: +3
- Superior Darkvision: +1
- Sunlight Sensitivity. -3
- Drow Magic. +6
- Drow Weapon Training. Ribbon (+2.25 if we ascribe a number)
Subrace Weight: 7
Final Weight: 18
Sea
- Ability Score +3
- Sea Elf Weapon Training. Ribbon (+3 if we ascribe a number)
- Child of the Sea. +1
- Friend of the Sea. Ribbon
- Extra Language. Ribbon
- Knifefish Skin: +3.5 (decimals round down).
- Sea Native: Ribbon
Subrace Weight: 7
Final Weight: 18
Shadar-Kai
- Ability Score: +3
- Necrotic Resistance. +1
- Blessing of the Raven Queen. +3
Subrace Weight: 7
Final Weight: 18
Eladrin
- Ability Score: +3
- Seasons. Ribbon
- Fey Step. +3
Pallid
- Ability Score: +3
- Incisive Sense. +2
- Blessing of the Moon Weaver. +6
Subrace Weight: 11
Final Weight: 22
Optional Downside? -3 (for 19)
Tajuru
- Ability Score: +3
- Skill Versatility. +4
Subrace Weight: 7 (+2 for Choice Taxes)
Final Weight: 20
Optional Restriction: 18 (as tool proficiencies are considered ribbons).
Mul Daya
- Ability Score +3
- Mul Daya Magic +6
- Sunlight Sensitivity. -3
- Elf Weapon Training. Ribbon (+3 if we ascribe a number)
- Gravetender: +2
Subrace Weight: 8
Final Weight: 19
Avariel
- Flight. +6
- Glide. Part of Flight
- Standing Leap. Ribbon on a race with Flight.
- Languages. Ribbon
- Eye in the Sky. +1
Subrace Weight: 7
Final Weight: 18