Forest elf
Racial Traits
Forest elf characters have racial traits identical to those of the core elf race as specified in the Players Handbook [PHB], except as follows:
* Regions: While Mystaran forest elves mingle freely with the other
races throughout The Known World they are most likely to be found in
the following regions: Alfheim; Darokin; Karameikos; Glantri;
Minrothad (esp Alfeisle); Thyatis (ESP Vyalia County); Wendar.
* Ability Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution: Mystaran forest
elves value study and contemplation over the feats of agility learned
by many elves of other worlds.
* Automatic Languages: Local Regional Language, Local Common (if
different from Local Regional Language) and Elven.
* Bonus Languages: Draconic, Sylvan, and Local Regional and Goblinoid
languages. Exact list of available bonus languages varies with region.
* Magical Training:† To many outsiders, it almost seems as if every
elf, regardless of profession or role, has been trained in the use of
some small amount of arcane magic. In point of fact, traditional
forest elf society has a great deal of respect for those who take it
upon themselves to learn even the most basic tenets of wizardry. Thus,
members of any traditional elven society — whether membership is by
birth or adoption — who also have the aptitude for wizardly magic
(Intelligence 10+), meet all the prerequisites for the Elven Magical
Training regional feat.
* Fighting Magi:† Traditionally, forest elves place an equally great
emphasis on the skilled use of both arcane and martial training. As a
result, any individual who has been trained in their first level of
Wizard by a member of a traditional elven society (or by someone else
who was so trained) are always taught the skill of casting arcane
magic without fear of failure due to the restrictions of armor.
Result: Instead of gaining the Scribe Scroll feat at 1st-level,
elven-trained Wizards automatically gain the Still Spell feat, and
thus immediately gain the ability to memorize any spell in a spell
level slot one level higher in order to cast it without fear of
failure due to physical restrictions of any kind (including those of
worn armor). Note that at first level, the elven-trained wizard may
only apply this feat to cantrips.
There are several regions in Mystara that are specifically known to be
strongholds of traditional elven society. Where this is the case, it is
noted where the relevant regions are described in detail. A DM may define
any community of forest elves as a "traditional elven society" simply by
having it supply the benefits, and adhere to the restrictions, specified
for these two traits.
Vital Statistics
Mystaran Elves mature at a faster rate than standard 3E Elves, and their average height is about 2" taller. Additionally, most Mystaran elves feel the "call of the forest" after adventuring for a century or so and return home from their wandering, although some may continue adventuring for several centuries if they are able to do so.
Replace the information for standard elves found in Tables 6-4, 6-5 and 6-6 of the Player's Handbook [PHB] with the information in the following tables.
Table 6-4: (modifications) Random Starting Ages
Brd Clr
Brb Ftr Drd
Rog Pal Mnk
Race Adulthood Sor Rgr Wiz
Elf 20 years +4d6 +6d6 +10d6
Table 6-5: (modifications) Aging Effects
Middle Maximum
Race Age Old Venerable Age
Elf 350 years 525 years 700 years +4d% years
Table 6-6: (modifications) Random Height and Weight
Base Height Base Weight
Race Height Modifier Weight Modifier
Elf, man 4'5" +2d8 85 lb. x (1d6) lb.
Elf, woman 4'5" +2d8 80 lb. x (1d6) lb.
Mystaran forest 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 favor 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: Forest Elves are more often amused than excited, more likely to be curious than greedy. With such long lives, they tend to keep a broad perspective on events, remaining aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether an adventurous 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. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.
Physical Description: The forest elves of Mystara are short and slim, standing roughly 4 2/3 to 5 3/4 feet tall and typically weighing 85 to 150 pounds, with elven men the same height as and only marginally heavier than elven women. Mystaran Elves have the same sleep requirements as other races and cannot rest via meditation/trance.
The forest 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, forest 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.
Forest elves live naturally to between 600 and 800 years old. A very few have reached 1000 years old; and more have died of disease or violent deaths before their 600th birthday. They take about 20 years to grow to full size, then have a free-spirited "adolescence" of about 80 years.
Relations: Dwarves. Forest 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 ephemeral 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 have so much adaptability, flexibility and ambition amazes the elves. Yet it is amazement mixed with fear, for the elves still remember the tales of ancient history. 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 tolerate what they think of as "their" orcs). Records in the Mealidor Library suggest that the mutual 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.
Elven Lands: Most elves traditionally live in woodland villages containing from 200 to 500 souls. Their well-hidden villages blend into the trees, doing little harm to the forest. By human standards a typical elven town is a sprawling, lightly populated community. While a human settlement may occupy a few acres, its elven counterpart can be a half-mile square.
Elven villagers hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, their skill and magic allowing them to support themselves amply without the need for clearing and plowing land. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though some few elves make a good living trading finely worked elven clothes and crafts for the metals that elves have no interest in mining.
It is also possible to find a few elven towns which may hold from 500 to 3,000 elves. In addition to being larger than the villages, and much more permanent in nature they have special features, such as government buildings, storehouses, and perhaps the Tree of Life belonging to one of the elven clans and the Tree Keepers necessary to tend it. Towns must usually rely on trade with the surrounding villages to supply it with some of the food it needs.
Major elven homelands (i.e. regions in the Known World of Mystara where elves form the dominant culture) include Alfheim, Wendar, and County Vyalia in Thyatis.
Other traditional elven clanholds found in the Known World include the Callarii and Vyalia clans in Karameikos, the Erewan and Belcadiz clans in Glantri, and the Forster, Wraight and Shuter clans of Guild Verdier in the Minrothad Guilds. These clans maintain the customs of major elven homelands to varying degrees but in all cases they have resisted a complete assimilation into the other cultures that surround them.
Finally, the following regions of the Known World have significant elven minorities: the Republic of Darokin and the Metropolitan areas of Thyatis. The elves of these nations have been mostly assimilated into the dominant cultures of those nations so, while they retain the normal elven interest in all things arcane, they do not necessarily observe any regional restrictions or gain any regional benefits that are associated with elves from traditional elven cultures.
Mystara has a few elven homelands that are considerably larger than those described in the 3E PHB. For example, Alfheim had a population of over 180,000 Elves organized into seven major clans and numerous minor clans prior to the Shadow Elf conquest. For most Forest Elves, the traditional clan relic is a Tree of Life.
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
Religion: Immortals favored by Elves include Calitha, Eiryndul, Ilsundal, Mealiden, 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.
Names: The names suggested in the 3E PHB and in the Hero Builder's
Guidebook are acceptable for most Mystaran Elves. Gaz 5 and the
Player's Survival Kit (2E accessory) give other suggested traditional
names. Mystaran Elves generally don't distinguish "child names" from
"adult names", especially since most Elf adventurers are still children
by Elf standards.
In Mystara, all human/elf offspring can be referred to as half-elves with the
physical features of both races, but some have all human racial abilities,
some
have all elven racial abilities and some have standard 3e half-elf racial-
abilities. All half-elves, however, have the 3e half-elf elven-blood racial
ability and languages dependent on whether they grew up with Elves or Humans.
Similarly, whether they substitute Still Spell for Scribe Scroll when becoming
wizards will depend on whether they learned their wizardry in an Elven or
Human
community.
As per GAZ 5, human female and male elf matings always produce offspring with
human racial features while male children are stillborn. When a female elf
mates with a male human, the male children always have elf or half-elf racial
features and the female children always have human or half-elf racial
features.
Any half-elf can produce any type of half-elf offspring of either gender.
Earth gnome characters have racial traits identical to those
of the gnome race as specified in the Players Handbook,
except as follows: † These abilities replace the standard gnome abilities
and bonuses related to illusion magic (i.e. illusion based cantrips each day,
+2 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Illusions). Mystaran gnomes have no particular
affinity for illusion magic, and are far more interested in gems, inventions
and engineering. Mystaran earth gnomes mature at a faster rate than standard
3E Gnomes, and their average height is also several inches taller. Replace the information for standard gnomes found in Tables 6-4, 6-5 and 6-6
of the Player's Handbook with the
information in the following tables. Skygnome characters have racial traits identical to those of
the Mystaran earth gnome race, as specified in the "Races of Mystara"
section of the Mystara 3E Web Site, except as follows: † These abilities replace the standard earth gnome
abilities and bonuses related to earth, stone and metal: saving throws vs. earth
based magic, stonecunning, appraisal, stone and metal craft and the language
ability to speak with animals. Mystaran skygnomes have abandoned most
of their ancestral affinity for earth and metal in exchange for their affinity
with the air and sky. ‡ These abilities replace the standard earth gnome
abilities and bonuses related to combat with the traditional enemies: attacks
vs. kobolds and golblinoids and AC bonus vs. Giants. Mystaran skygnomes have
virtually no contact with the "traditional" enemies of their earth
gnome cousins and so no longer emphasize the skills required to attack and defend
against them effectively. Instead they have refocused their natural skills and
abilities towards dealing with the dangers they do encounter regularly, and
thus gain an increased effectiveness and awareness in precarious locations. Mystaran skygnomes mature at the same rate as their earth gnome
cousins, and have the same height.. Add the information given for skygnomes in the following tables to the information
found in Tables 6-4, 6-5 and 6-6 of the Player's Handbook Half-elf
Gnome (earth)
Earth Gnome Vital Statistics
Earth Gnome Racial Traits
Table 6-4: (modifications) Random Starting Ages
Brd Clr
Brb Ftr Drd
Rog Pal Mnk
Race Adulthood Sor Rgr Wiz
Gnome, earth 20 years +2d4 +3d6 +4d6
Table 6-5: (modifications) Aging Effects
Middle Maximum
Race Age Old Venerable Age
Gnome, earth 50 years 75 years 100 years +5d20 years
Table 6-6: (modifications) Random Height and Weight
Base Height Base Weight
Race Height Modifier Weight Modifier
Gnome, earth, man 3'0" +2d6 40 lb. x 1 lb.
Gnome, earth, woman 2'10" +2d6 35 lb. x 1 lb.
Gnomes (sky)
Sky Gnome Vital Statistics
(The Known World) The Mystaran skygnome subrace is almost exclusively
confined to the floating city of Serraine, thus an adventuring skygnome will
most likely from that city;
(The Hollow World) The Mystaran skygnome subrace is almost exclusively
confined to the House of Oostdok on the floating continent of Valoin-Flamaeker,
thus a adventuring skygnome from the Hollow World will most likely not only
be from that floating continent, but also from that House;Skygnome Racial Traits
Table 6-4: (additions) Random Starting Ages
Brd Clr
Brb Ftr Drd
Rog Pal Mnk
Race Adulthood Sor Rgr Wiz
Gnome, sky 20 years +2d4 +3d6 +4d6
Table 6-5: (additions) Aging Effects
Middle Maximum
Race Age Old Venerable Age
Gnome, sky 50 years 75 years 100 years +5d20 years
Table 6-6: (additions) Random Height and Weight
Base Height Base Weight
Race Height Modifier Weight Modifier
Gnome, sky, man 3'0" +2d6 40 lb. x 1 lb.
Gnome, sky, woman 2'10" +2d6 35 lb. x 1 lb.
Glenn Butcher / knight