What makes elves fun to play?
Something I've been puzzling over with my #homebrewdnd stuff is about the classic #dnd elf. I don't really know what makes the Elves a compelling race to play. I'm thinking of changing them quite significantly for my campaign, but how far can I change them until they no longer hit the same buttons?
@Shkshkshk Isn't that kind of the whole point of the exercise, though?
Because Legolas was cool.
Obviously everyone in the Fellowship was cool, but some people like the elf style.
they’re snooty motherfuckers
@Shkshkshk @dnd
I play a wood-elf monk in my current campaign, and part of the power fantasy for me is being fast, lithe, and graceful. I think people may go for high elves for the majestic, pristine, timeless feels. And Drow for a sort of “tainted perfection” vibe? Not sure.
Long time skips in the story
Old, innate magic, wisdom, aloof.
Those are the things I think of for elves.
Don’t know if that helps, but hopefully it’s a touch of insight!
@Shkshkshk what are the things that don't make them interesting to you and what changes do you want to make?
I am often drawn to elves and I think the elements I like are playing into some of the Tolkien adaptation tropes of being mercurial and detached/self involved.
@Shkshkshk Sounds like you need to decide 1) what roll do they need to fill in your campaign world and 2) how do you need to change current elves to fit that gap.
Do you need a long lived race but don't want the bonuses against sleep and charm spells? Is it the nature loving side of elves that don't work for you? What doesn't work for you?
@cynical13 the role I am planning on them filling is essentially like the Changelings of folklore. Once in a blue moon, a child will be born as an elf. Whether human or dwarf or orc or halfling or otherwise , they will lack all the natural affinities of their bloodline. Instead, they will not grow old and will instinctively pursue knowledge and mastery in a particular area of their interest. They also will eventually attract the attention of an entity called a Mentor, of which little is known.
@Shkshkshk They sound more like the elves from Tolkien in that they are ageless and focused on an art or craft.
Mechanically, you could probably keep the long lived/ageless as it's not likely to have a mechanical bonus in game. Maybe give them the ability to select any bonuses based on their chosen area of mastery; intelligence for a scholarly task, dex or charisma if it's artistic or performative, etc. The Mentor sounds like it could be similar to a warlock patron. Would that give them mechanical bonuses or would it be something that would come up later as a story hook?
@cynical13 The Mentor is a story hook. It's part of their coming-of-age rituals.
Here's the conundrum for the Mentors: they are in general peaceful, generous, and Lawful critters. However, they do not have power in our physical world until a mortal grants them some semblance of identity, on purpose or on accident. The easiest way to do this is to impersonate someone the Elf knows. I think you can imagine how the Mentor feels about their situation lol