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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Elf subrace: Garnet elves (need a bit of advice)



Totema
2014-12-04, 06:04 PM
MASSIVE EDIT: I have totally overhauled this subrace to better suit my setting and finally ended up with something I'm happy with. Behold, the eagle elf!


Eagle Elf

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Natural Athlete. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. This trait replaces the Keen Senses elf racial trait.

Heightened Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with four simple or martial weapons of your choice. Three of these weapons must be either the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, or longbow.

Muscular Flourish. Whenever you make a Charisma-based skill check, you may choose to add your Constitution modifier to that skill check's result. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Rugged Toughness. Whenever you would gain one level of exhaustion, you may choose to ignore it. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions/comments/suggestions.

Amnoriath
2014-12-04, 08:42 PM
I've been working on a campaign setting for a while now, and one of the options I've been playing with is an additional elf subrace. (In my setting, one of the major political forces is a confederation of three elven nations, united against the drow.) I initially liked the idea of making them Charisma based, so this is what I came up with:



In addition to your everyday PEACH request, I also have another pressing concern. I'm a bit worried about conceptual overlap: We already have Cha-based elves (the drow, and half-elves also apply), and I was highly considering also adding the Aasimar (from the DMG preview). Is this too much emphasis on charisma? I had originally conceived of them as pacifistic and cultured to nearly the point of almost handicapping their other societal aspects, but I can completely retool them if I want to step away from their basis on charisma.

Thanks in advance, any feedback at all would be appreciated greatly.
Well I guess the question is it necessary in your campaign that they be as such? The Elven Politesse I could be seen on a wisdom based one if the second ability was changed and a little modification to the first.

Totema
2014-12-05, 01:22 AM
Well I guess the question is it necessary in your campaign that they be as such? The Elven Politesse I could be seen on a wisdom based one if the second ability was changed and a little modification to the first.

Really, the only necessity is that I have a fourth elf subrace. :smalltongue: I took the idea of an elf subrace that would be a good Paladin and I ran with it. The problem is that so many other things would also be good Paladins, but I have a bit of a hard time reconciling that an elf would not be naturally cerebral to some extent, be it through intelligence, wisdom, or in this case, charisma.

Human Paragon 3
2014-12-05, 11:09 AM
Those abilities seem overly complex and abusable compared to the other racial abilities. How about modeling them after the Drow instead?

Garnet Elves:

Ability Boost: Garnet Elves gain +1 to their Charisma score.
Born of Light: Garnet Elves love light and live in bright, sun-bathed cities. They do not gain Darkvision, and see half as far as normal in dim light.
Elven Politise: Garnet Elves gain proficiency in Persuasion.
Garnet Magic: Garnet elves can cast Friends as a cantrip. At level 3 they can cast Sanctuary once per long rest. At level 5 they can cast Healing Word once per long rest.


Another option would be to use the Eladrin subrace from the DMG.

Totema
2014-12-09, 10:47 PM
It's been a little while since I started this topic, but I've built a non mental-based elf subrace that I'm pretty pleased with. It has a lot fewer moving parts than the previous one, and is more in line with the abilities of other subraces (as per Human's suggestions). Please let me know what you think:


Garnet Elf

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Advanced Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow. You also have proficiency with another martial weapon of your choice.

Body Language. You add half of your Constitution modifier (rounded down) to any Charisma-based skill checks you make.

Defiant Reslience. Whenever you would gain one level of exhaustion, you may choose to ignore it. If you do so, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Amnoriath
2014-12-10, 10:25 AM
At most what this amount to is a +2 in charisma checks and a second Frenzy. What Human Paragon 3 did was sort of give an opposite Drow. I actually kind of like what you have here but it needs to add a little intrigue and flavor. How about this Garnet Elves unlike many others of their kind are a race of few words. So while they know Common and Elvish they have a secret 3rd language in which they only understand unless they specifically teach others to read them. Their body has a few points in which there is hard and shiny points in which they reflect or vibrate to create a sort of complex Morse code. Though even though others may not understand when coupled with language it allows them to insert a subtext. This would as the Message spell and Suggestion at higher levels(limited use) using your constitution score.

Totema
2014-12-10, 02:59 PM
I like the idea but it feels too limited, kind of like thieves' cant for rogues. Maybe it could benefit from a limited number of charm person effects instead?

Amnoriath
2014-12-10, 03:10 PM
I like the idea but it feels too limited, kind of like thieves' cant for rogues. Maybe it could benefit from a limited number of charm person effects instead?

It is actually better because you don't nor they need to speak or overtly move. Charm Person is really powerful and again it has to fit the flavor.