Aquatic Elf

[suplee215]

Hello, I am slowly planning a heavy sea traveling adventure. 5e is the first edition I played so I am not familiar with older races. I figured aquatic elves will make perfect sense as a subrace but I am unsure if what I came up with is both balance and true to the history of the aquatic elf. Normal elf stuff of course, and then:

-ability score modifier con +2. (from what I read, aquatic elves in dnd are less magic based than other elves so a physical stat makes sense. I figured +2 con will mean heartier bodies. str is also a strong possibility just as swimming takes a lot.)
-30' swim speed and amphibious to breath air.

Due to the lack of magic and not stepping on the toes of Volo's Tritons I made a relatively simple elf subrace. I followed a page that gave point values to features and by that calculation this subrace is equal to a drow. What are your thoughts?

[JBPuffin]

Hello, I am slowly planning a heavy sea traveling adventure. 5e is the first edition I played so I am not familiar with older races. I figured aquatic elves will make perfect sense as a subrace but I am unsure if what I came up with is both balance and true to the history of the aquatic elf. Normal elf stuff of course, and then:

-ability score modifier con +2. (from what I read, aquatic elves in dnd are less magic based than other elves so a physical stat makes sense. I figured +2 con will mean heartier bodies. str is also a strong possibility just as swimming takes a lot.)
-30' swim speed and amphibious to breath air.

Due to the lack of magic and not stepping on the toes of Volo's Tritons I made a relatively simple elf subrace. I followed a page that gave point values to features and by that calculation this subrace is equal to a drow. What are your thoughts?

I'd make the Con bonus just a +1 and instead give them some weapon training (maybe not tridents and nets if you don't want to be too stereotypical, but they're available), maybe shape water as a free cantrip. Try not to give double bonuses to a subrace - it's atypical in 5e and intentionally so.

[suplee215]

I'd make the Con bonus just a +1 and instead give them some weapon training (maybe not tridents and nets if you don't want to be too stereotypical, but they're available), maybe shape water as a free cantrip. Try not to give double bonuses to a subrace - it's atypical in 5e and intentionally so.

Fair enough but as I said, I read that aquatic elves are not the most magical of elves so a free cantrip feels wasted. Plus, I want them to feel different than Tritons and Water Gensei.