How Can I Keep the Eladrin Balanced?

[Azara5]

Hi everyone, I’m currently rolling up an Eladrin Fey Wanderer for an upcoming campaign, but for plot reasons he would almost always be in his Spring form. This causes him to lose out on some of his versatility, and he will be objectively weaker than if I ignored this restriction. Pending DM approval, what can I do to make sure that he isn’t behind the power curve?

[PhantomSoul]

Honestly, he'll be plenty capable regardless; this won't make you significantly inferior, and most power comes from other things anyway (mainly class/subclass/spells) and the Eladrin is a plenty solid base to begin with even with just the Spring form. But really, you don't generally need to optimise much at all for 5e!

[Pixel_Kitsune]

Your power is essentially having Misty Step 2-6 times per day on top of your spells. Specially if you end up at higher level when Fey Wanderer gives it to you again. What is ultimately 12 Misty Steps per day before using resources you are nightcrawler.

[No brains]

I think you have it backwards. Spring form IS the way to make sure you stay as strong as possible. I'm not sure if the other seasons new or old could compete with being able to throw a friend 30 feet through another dimension.

[Chaos Jackal]

Like others have said, it's not really a big deal; the power of Fey Step is primarily on the multiple uses of a bonus action teleport every day, the riders are just icing and even one of them is great. Look at shadar-kai; they're arguably better than eladrin using all of their forms even though they have just one rider. But it's one great rider and the core of 2-6 short-range teleportations is still there.

Spring is arguably the most useful of the four Fey Steps anyway and the one I'd usually end up with personally. Is the race weaker overall if the other three seasons aren't a consideration? Yeah, but only very slightly so and the eladrin is already a top-tier race; going from S to S- isn't much of a drop. Would've been a bigger difference if you could change your season more easily (say, short rest instead of long rest) but even in that case it would only be relatively bigger. You'd have an even stronger base race, nerfed down to what is still a strong race.

Don't worry too much about the power curve with this. Its shift towards flat will be barely noticeable.

[Skrum]

Eladrin with no seasonal forms at all, just elf + misty steps, would still be top 10% of races. You have absolutely no cause for concern.

[LudicSavant]

Hi everyone, I’m currently rolling up an Eladrin Fey Wanderer for an upcoming campaign, but for plot reasons he would almost always be in his Spring form. This causes him to lose out on some of his versatility, and he will be objectively weaker than if I ignored this restriction. Pending DM approval, what can I do to make sure that he isn’t behind the power curve?

I’m playing an Always-Summer Eladrin right now.

No need for changes, really. It’s one of the stronger races in the game even if it doesn’t switch, particularly if you’re using the updated version.


going from S to S- isn't much of a drop.

This, basically.

[Damon_Tor]

How Can I Keep the Eladrin Balanced?

Well if it bothers you, you could consider giving other players in the party their own second-level spell equivalent they can cast with reduced restrictions a number of times per day equal to their proficiency modifier with extra benefits tacked on whenever they use the ability.

[Hytheter]

I think you have it backwards. Spring form IS the way to make sure you stay as strong as possible. I'm not sure if the other seasons new or old could compete with being able to throw a friend 30 feet through another dimension.

Even if they could compete, Spring to me has always seemed like it would be the most fun. :smallbiggrin: