Elves

Elves mingle freely in human lands, always welcome yet never at home there. They are well known for their poetry, dance, song, lore and magical arts. Elves favor things of natural and simple beauty. When danger threatens their woodland homes, however, elves reveal a more martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and battle strategy.

Elves do not sleep as member of other races do. Instead, an elf meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours a day. An elf resting in this fashion gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While meditating, an elf dreams, though these dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice.

Since 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.

Wood Elves, Oerth

The Wood elves of Oerth are even more reclusive than the Gray Elves of that world, avoiding even other elves when possible. They avoid mixing with the organized societies of other races on any regular or repeated basis, living deep in the forests.

The Wood Elves have darker skin than the other Oerthian elves, and hair colours ranging from yellow to a coppery red. Their heights range between 4'7" and 5'5", and they are more muscular than other elves, weighing 85 to 155lbs. Their clothing is of dark shades of green and earth tones to better blend in with their natural surroundings.

Wood Elves, Faerun

Wood elves, also called copper elves, are calm, serene, and difficult to surprise. Their patience is legendary. They live at ease with nature, using what naturally occurs in the world to shelter or defend themselves. Many wood elves have come to believe that buildings of stone are transitory in nature, and that in time, the forest returns to overgrow even the greatest cities. Of all the elven races, the wood elves have the least fascination with arcane magic.

Wood Elves have coppery green-tinged skin and brown, green, or hazel eyes. Their hair is usually brown or black, though can occasionally be blonde or copper-red. Wood elves prefer to dress in simple, rustic clothing of brown, green and other earth tones. They favor a simple cut tunic or dress, set off by common embroidery in naturalistic designs. Wood Elves average the same height as other Faerunian elves, but more heavily built. They are between 5'0" to 6'6" tall and weigh 105 and 260lbs, with the women generally 5" shorter and 20lbs lighter.

Wood Elves, Mystara

Called "Wood Elves" or "Forest Elves" by the humans of Minrothad, these Mystaran elves maintain their ancestral way of life, called Dainrouw, or "The Forest Way." Their major settlements are Wendar (Geffronell Clan), Minrothad (Verdier Clan), the Isle of Dawn (Trueflower Clan) and Thyatis (Vyalia Clans).

Most Wood Elves have brown hair and blue or brown eyes, though the Vyalia Clans have pale skin and white or silvery hair. They are short and slim, standing about 4'6" to 5'6" tall and typically weighing 95 to 135lbs, with elf men the same height and only marginally heavier than elf women.

Racial Traits

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
• Sleeplessness: Immmune to magical sleep effects
• Hardiness vs. Enchantments: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells
• Low-Light Vision: A wood elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions
• Keen Senses: A wood elf is always considered to be in Detect Mode. They apply their full listen, search and spot skills even when making a passive search
• Skill Affinity: A wood elf receives a +2 racial bonus to the Listen, Search and Spot skills
• Weapon Proficiency: Elves are proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow.

• Create your character with the Elf race, and use the Subrace Setter in the start area.
• This race will require a DM to modify your ability scores.
• The ability score modifications, compared to the standard Elf, are: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence