Elf Racial Template

Elf

70 points

Elves are the quintessential fantasy race: very similar to humans (and cross-fertile with them, in many settings), but exceptionally beautiful, ageless, and naturally magical. Some descriptions make them superb artists, while others say that they ultimately lack creativity; this version avoids either option, while making them sensitive to the beauty of landscapes and living creatures. Elves normally live in forested areas. They use their magic to enhance the growth and fertility of their forests. Survival rolls in an elven forest are at +1 or better. They find clearing the land repugnant, and since elven leaders have centuries of skill in warfare, elven forests tend to stay forested.

Elves are comparatively slender, relying on speed and agility more than raw strength. Determine their height normally from their ST and add 2".

Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per+1 [5].

Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Magery 0 [5]; Perfect Balance [15]; Telescopic Vision 1 [5]; Unaging [15]; Voice [10].

Racially Learned Skills: Connoisseur (Natural Environments) (A) IQ-1 [1]-9.

Variations

Nobody is certain how many kinds of elves there are, or exactly how they differ – and the fact that they're haughty and won't tell anybody doesn’t help – but most people have at least heard of gray, green, high, mountain, sea, shadow, winged, and wood elves. For a secretive bunch, they're widespread. Whenever the players think they've finally figured out elves, the GM should invent a new sort.

These templates describe the varieties of elves likely to go adventuring with humans. All are slender (find height normally for ST, add 2", and leave weight alone), magically attuned (Magery 0 primarily means "can sense magic items," but does make it 5 points cheaper to play a wizard), and have Technicolor hair. They're also long-lived, but this has no effect in dungeon fantasy – monsters with aging attacks always afflict victims in proportion to racial life expectancy. Thus, elf templates listed here omit Unaging.

The majority of elves have Sense of Duty (Nature), which can be fairly limiting. It's functionally equivalent to Charitable and Pacifism toward any plant or animal that isn't actively in the process of eating the elf, and extends to beast-men, faeries, wildmen, and other non-technological races. If an elf plays against type in this regard, the GM is free to award him fewer points for the adventure.

Most (but not all) elves also have a special perk:

Elven Gear: 10% off the final price of gear qualified as "elven" – armor, rations, weapons, etc.

Finally, elves may buy up to four levels of a racial Talent during character creation (wood elves start with two levels):

Forest Guardian: You're the product of eons of selective breeding for the task of sneaking around in the bushes, peppering litterers with arrows. This Talent adds to Bow, Camouflage, Fast-Draw (Arrow), Stealth, and Survival (Woodlands). Only elves can have it. Reaction bonus: Druids, faeries, and bunnies. 5 points/level.

Half-Elf

20 points

Choice Professions: Scout, Wizard.

Marginal Professions: None.

Half-elves are the most common variety of "elves" encountered by common folk (which speaks volumes about the virtue of elves...). They resemble slender humans with vivid dye jobs. Elves don't extend them the courtesy of elven gear, and half-elves reciprocate by kicking the occasional bunny.

Attribute Modifiers: DX+1 [20].

Advantages: Magery 0 [5].

Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Half-Breed) [-5].

Features: Any hair color but a reasonable human one.

High Elf

20 points

Choice Professions: Bard, Druid, Wizard.

Marginal Professions: Barbarian.

High elves are the ones in splendid clothing who go about singing laments and being ominous. They like little better than to stride into the inn, pull back their hood, and say something deep and lyrical that puts a damper on the merrymaking. They do make good bards and wizards, though.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; IQ+1 [20].

Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Magery 0 [5]; Musical Ability 1 [5]; Voice [10].

Perks: Elven Gear [1].

Disadvantages: Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15].

Features: Gold or silver hair.

Mountain Elf

20 points

Choice Professions: Scout, Thief, Wizard.

Marginal Professions: None.

Mountain elves are reclusive highlands dwellers. They're famed for their keen vision, sure feet, eternal glowering, and freaky blue hair. While fine-featured, they aren't exactly attractive. Maybe it's the hair.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+1 [20].

Advantages: Acute Vision 2 [4]; Magery 0 [5]; Perfect Balance [15]; Telescopic Vision 1 [5].

Perks: Elven Gear [1].

Disadvantages: Loner (12) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15].

Features: Electric-blue hair.

Sea Elf

20 points

Choice Professions: Scout, Wizard.

Marginal Professions: None.

Sea elves have gills and webbed extremities, allowing them to function unhindered underwater – a useful gift for an adventurer. On the other hand, sea elves are so freaked out by fire that they won't walk within 5 yards of torches, lanterns, etc. And the gills ruin their elven good looks.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX]]+1 [20].

Advantages: Amphibious [10]; Doesn't Breathe (Gills, -50%) [10]; Magery 0 [5]; Nictitating Membrane 1 [1]; Pressure Support 1 [5].

Perks: Elven Gear [1].

Disadvantages: Phobia (Fire) (9) [-7]; Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15].

Features: Pastel-blue or -green hair.

Shadow Elf

20 points

Choice Professions: Scout, Thief, Wizard.

Marginal Professions: None.

Shadow elves are probably the reason why dark ones can claim to be related to elves. Like dark ones, shadow elves are just a little unsettling, and tend to pursue creepy professions. Other elves normally avoid them. Rumors that they worship a scantily clad spider goddess from Hell are apocryphal, however.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+1 [20].

Advantages: Magery 0 [5]; Silence 2 [10].

Disadvantages: Callous [-5].

Features: Cobweb-gray or jet-black hair.

Winged Elf

25 points

Choice Professions: Scout, Thief, Wizard.

Marginal Professions: Barbarian.

Winged elves possess the gift of flight – a truly wonderful thing for any adventurer faced with lava pits, diamond-encrusted statues in niches 50' up a wall, etc. Wings have their drawbacks, though; see Winged Races. In addition, torso armor for winged elves must be specially designed, and isn't interchangeable with armor for wingless folk.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-2 [-20]; DX+1 [20].

Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Flight (Winged, -25%) [30]; Magery 0 [5].

Perks: Elven Gear [1].

Disadvantages: Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15].

Features: Snow-white hair. Torso armor isn't interchangeable with human torso armor.