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V
Documentation Area
Name:
ELf (Demihuman)
Stats:
No. Appearing : 20-200
Climate/Terrain: Temperate to subtropical forest
Frequency : Uncommon
Organization : Bands
Activity Cycle : Any
Diet : Omnivore
Description:
Though their lives span several human generations, elves appear at
first glance to be frail when compared to men. However, elves have a
number of special talents that more than make up for their slightly
weaker constitutions.
High elves, the most common type of elf, are somewhat shorter than men,
never growing much over than 5 feet tall. Male elves usually weigh bet-
ween 90 and 120 pounds, and females weigh between 70 and 100 pounds.
Most high elves are dark-haired, and their eyes are a beautiful, deep
shade of green. They possess infravision up to 60 feet. The features of
an elf are delicate and finely chiseled.
Elves have very pale complexions, which is odd because they spend a
great deal of time outdoors. They tend to be slim, almost fragile.
Their pale complexion and slight builds are the result of a constitu-
tion that is weaker than man's. Though they are not as sturdy as hu-
mans, elves are much more agile than them. Elven clothing tends to be
colourful, but not garish. They often wear pastel colours, especially
blues and greens. Because they dwell in forests, however, high elves
often wear greenish grey cloaks to afford them quick camouflage.
Elves have learned that it is very important to understand the crea-
tures, both good and evil, that share their forest home. Because of
this, elves may speak the tongues of goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, gnolls,
gnomes, and halflings, in addition to common and their own highly-
developed language. They will always show an interest in anything that
will allow them to communicate with, and learn from, their neighbours.
Combat:
Elves are cautious fighters and always use their strengths to advantage
if possible. One of their greatest strengths is the ability to pass
through natural surroundings, woods, or forests, silently and almost
invisibly. By moving quietly and blending into vegetation for cover,
elves will often surprise a person or party. As long as they are not
attacking, the elves hiding in the forest can only be spotted by some-
one or something with the ability to see invisible objects. The mili-
tary value of this skill is immense, and elves armies will always send
scouts to spy on the enemy, since such spies are rarely caught - or
even seen.
Although their constitutions are weak, elves possess an extremely
strong will, such strong wills, in fact, that they have a 90% immunity
to all charm and sleep spells. And even if their natural resistance to
these spells fails, they get a normal saving throw - making it unlikely
an elf will fall victim to these spells very often.
Elves live in the wild, so weapons are used for everything from dea-
ling with the hostile creatures around their camps, to such mundane
tasks as hunting for dinner. The elves' rigorous training with bows and
swords, in addition to their great dexterity, gives them a natural bo-
nus of +1 to hit when fighting with a short or long sword, or when
using a bow of any kind, other than a crossbow. Elves are especially
proficient in the use of the bow. Because of their agility, elves can
move, fire a bow, and move again, all in the same round. Their archers
are extremely mobile, and therefore dangerous.
Because of limitations of horses in forest combat, elves do not usually
ride. Elves prefer to fight as foot soldiers and are generally armed as
such. Most elves wear scale, ring, or chain mail, and almost all high
elves carry shields. Although elves have natural bonuses when they use
bows and swords, their bands carry a variety of weapons. The weapon
composition of a band of elves is: spear 30%; sword 20%; sword and
spear 20%; sword and bow 10%; bow 15%; two-handed sword 5%.
Elven fighters and multi-class fighters have a 10% chance per level to
possess a magical item of use to his or her class. This percentage is
cumulative and can be applied to each major type of magical item that
character would use - for each class in the case of multi-class charac-
ters. (For example, a fighter/priest of level 4 or 5 would have a 40%
chance to have a magical item useful to fighters and a 50% chance of
having an item useful to priests). In addition, if above 4th level,
elven mages gain the same percentage change to gain items, but gain 2-5
magical items useful to them if a successful roll is made.
For every 20 elves in a group, there will be one 2nd- or 3rd-level
fighter (50% chance of either). For every party of 40 elves, and in
addition to the higher level fighter, there will be a 1st- or 2nd-level
mage (again, 50% chance of either). If 100 or more elves are encoun-
tered, the following additional characters will be present: two 4th-
level fighters; one 8th-level mage; and a 4th-level fighter/4th-level
mage/4th-level thief. Finally, if over 160 elves are encountered, they
will be led by two 6th-level fighter/6th-level mage/6th-level thief.
These two extremely powerful leaders will have two retainers - each a
4th-level fighter/5th-level mage, and a 3rd-level fighter/3rd-level
mage/3rd-level thief. All of these are in addition to the toal number
of elves in the band.
Elven women are the equal of their male counterparts in all aspects of
warfare. In fact, some bands of elves will contain units of female
fighters, who will be mounted on unicorns. This occurs rarely (5%
chance), and only 10-30 maidens will be countered in such a unit. How-
ever, the legends of the destruction wrought by these elven women are
rampant among the enemies of the elves.
Habitat/Society:
Elves value their individual freedom highly and their social structure
is based on independent bands. These small groups, usually consisting
of no more than 200, recognize the authority of a royal overlord, who
in turn owes allegiance to a king or queen. However, the laws and res-
traints set upon elven society are very few compared to human society
and practically negligible when compared to dwarven society.
Elven camps are always well-hidden and protected. In addition to the
large number of observation posts and personnel traps set around a
camp, high elves typically set 2-12 giant eagles as guardians of their
encampments (65% of the time). For every 40 elves encountered in a
camp, there will be the following high level elves, as well as the lea-
ders noted above: a 4th-level fighter, a 4th-level cleric, and a 2nd-
level fighter/2nd-level mage/2nd-level thief. A 4th-level figher/7th-
level mage, a 5th-level fighter, a 6th-level fighter, and a 7th-level
cleric will also be present. Females found in a camp will equal 100%,
children 50%, of the males encountered.
Because elves live for several hundred years, their view of the world
is radically different from most other sentient beings. Elves do no
place much importance on short-term gains nor do they hurry to finish
projects. Humans see this attitude as frivolous; the elves simply find
it hard to understand why everyone else is always in such a rush.
Elves prefer to surround themselves with things that will bring them
joy over long periods of time - things like music and nature. The com-
pany of their own kind is also very important to elves, since they find
it hard to share their experiences or their perspectives on the world
with other races. This is one of the main reasons elven families are so
close. However, as friendship, too is something to be valued, even
friends of other races remain friends forever.
Though they are immune to a few specific spells, elves are captivated
by magic. Not specific spells, of course, but the very concept of ma-
gic. Cooperation is far more likely to be had from an elf, by offering
an obscure, even worthless, (but interesting) magical item, than it is
with two sacks of gold. Ultimately, their radically different perspec-
tive separates the elves from the rest of their world. Elves find dwar-
ves too dour and their adherence to strict codes of law unpleasant.
However, elves do recognize dwarven craftmanship as someting to be
praised. Elves think a bit more highly of humans, though they see
man's race after wealth and fleeting power as sad. In the end, after a
few hundred years, all elves leave the world they share with dwarves
and men, and journey to a mysterious land where they live freely for
the rest of their extremely long lives.
Ecology:
Elves produce fine cloths, beautiful music, and brilliant poetry. It is
for these things that other cultures know the folk of the forest best.
In their world within the forest, however, elves hold in check the dark
forces of evil, and the creatures that would plunder the forest and
then move on to plunder another. For this reason alone, elves are ir-
replaceable.
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