Dungeons and Dragons

Are you making a character and don’t know what race to pick? There are a lot of options in the Player’s Handbook, but where do you start? Unless you’re trying to make the most optimal character, race and class combinations don’t matter. Pick something that you like the sound of or are interested in playing. It’s your character after all. If you’ve never played before, here’s a brief explanation of Elves (without all the confusing numbers attached to it).

What can you expect from an Elf?

Elves has cemented themselves in the history of fantasy much like the dwarves, and over the years, they have come in many shapes and sizes. These elves are more like the traditional ones most people are used to. Tall, graceful and almost ethereal in their appearance. They are one of the oldest races in D&D and can live well over seven hundred years, giving them a unique perspective on life. A hundred years in the eyes of an elf is nothing, so the life of an adventurer is an appealing one. A few centuries roaming the world, learning all they can, fighting through unknown realms, finding lost cities; the possibilities are endless for them. They are known to live within their woodland realms. Great cities dwellings within the midst of ancient forests. Intricately woven natural materials used to create homes, or wonderful silvery spires illuminated by twinkling faerie lights. They are natural born artisans of crafting fineries like jewellery and clothing, but do not misinterpret them as a completely peaceful race. They are well trained in martial fighting, being both masters of the bow and sword.

How does this translate to your character sheet?

In terms of base stats (I will go into the extra things you get as part of subraces in the next section), you have a variety of wonderful traits. As an elf, you are one of the most nimble and graceful of all the races. Dexterity and flexibility are the core of the elven race. Age isn’t an issue to elves, and they consider those who have yet to reach their one hundredth birthday to be children. Like many of the other races, elves have an average walking speed (30ft). As guardians of their woodland realms, elves have gained the ability to see in the dark, and with their keen senses, it makes that job even easier. Their vision is black and white in darkness rather than the usual full colour spectrum during the day. With elves being magical in nature, magically attempting to charm them is much harder, and it’s impossible for them to be put to sleep by magical means. Unlike other races, elves don’t sleep, instead they put themselves into a meditative state. They can dream in this state, but most use it as a mental exercise from years of practice. Of course, last but not least, they have the ability to speak common and elvish.

Subraces:

There are three subraces of elves. Starting with the High elves, they have keen minds and a mastery of the basics of magic, making them a little more intelligent then the other elves, because of this they see themselves to be superior than they other races, including other elves. With this intellectual advantage, they have been known to pick up and learn other languages. Just because they are book smart, doesn’t mean they aren’t fighters. High elves are trained masters of the sword and bow.

Next are the Wood elves, who are what most people think of when the word elf comes up. They have keen senses, are intuitive and fleet of foot, making them the fastest of all the races. Just like their High elven kin, they are trained in bow and blade. It is their knowledge and intuition when it comes to their terrain that separates them from the other subraces of elves. They are masters at concealing themselves in foliage, heavy rain or snow storms, mists or other natural phenomena.

Finally we have the Dark elves, otherwise known as the Drow. Unlike the other elves, they live underground in a place called the Underdark. Like the other elves, Drow have the ability to see in the dark, but due to their extensive time underground, they can see much further in the darkness. This does come at a cost though; Drow have a much harder time walking around in sunlight, as it’s far more that they are used to. They take some traits from the High elves, in the way that they have access to innate magic, magic that has helped them survive over the years. Lastly, they have trained with weapons, but chose a different array compared to the other subraces, choosing to specialist in rapiers, shortswords and hand crossbow, preferring to fight up close and personal.

What class should I pick for an Elf?

One of the most common example would be Drizzt Do’Urden (from the R.A. Salvatore books) who is a Drow Ranger. Elves make great Rangers or Rogues with their heightened Dexterity and ability to hide in the terrain around them, but with the subraces like Drow and High elves, they could easily fit into the class of Wizard or Sorcerer, making them one of the most versatile race.

Does that mean there are more varieties of Elves?

Yes, there are a lot more elves. Some are the ones above, but are known by different names in different locations. Elves have had a long history in D&D and it is reflected in the variety that you can chose from.