Homebrew Desert Elf Species Details

The dunes and steppes are home to thousands of tribes of nomadic elves. While each tribe is very different culturally, the elves within them remain a race of long-limbed sprinters given to theft, raiding, and warfare. Running is the key to acceptance and respect among elves. Elves that are injured and cannot run are often left behind to die.

Slender and Cunning

An elf stands between 6 and 7 feet tall. They are slender, lean, and generally in terrific physical condition. Their features are deeply etched into their weather-toughene faces, and their skin made rugged by the windblown sands and baking sun of the wilderness. Elves typically dress to survive in the desert environment.  Even when at an oases or in the cities, elves tend to prefer their native garb, designed to wrap the wearer against the brutality of the elements.

Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes like pools of liquid gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor natural fabric and pelts for clothing, and they enjoy using small rocks, feathers and bones as jewelry besides the real ones. 

Desert Runners

Individually, tribal elves are swift, sure, and selfreliant in the extreme. An elf is conditioned to run quickly over sandy and rocky terrain, sometimes for days at a time — an elf warrior can cross better than 50 miles per day. An elven war party on the move is a deadly force of endurance and maneuverability. Elves use no beasts of burden for personal transportation, though they do sometimes engage desert dweling creatures for baggage or raw materials transport. It is dishonorable among elves to ride on an animal unless wounded and near death —even pregnant women and old elves are expected to keep up with the tribe or be left behind. 

Elf Names

Whether slave or free, elves prefer to keep Elven names. Tribe members take the tribe name as surname. Elves treat the naming of young runners as a sacred responsibility, naming the children of the tribe after the first interesting thing that they do while learning to run. Elves believe with the appropriate name, a child can grow to greatness, but with the wrong name, qthe elf may vanish in the wastes. Sometimes a child’s name is changed because of an extraordinary deed performed during an elf’s rite of passage.

Male Names: Botuu (Water Runner), Coraanu (First Elf, the Warrior Thief), Dukkoti (Wind Fighter), Haaku (Two Daggers), Lobuu (First Runner), Mutami (Laughs at Sun), Nuuko (Sky Hunter), Traako (Metal Stealer).

Female Names: Alaa (Bird Chaser), Ekee (Wild Dancer), Guuta (Singing Sword), Hukaa (Fire Leaper), Ittee (Dancing Bow), Nuuta (Quiet Hunter), Utaa (Laughing Moon)

Tribe (Clan) Names: Clearwater Tribe (Fireshaper, Graffyon, Graystar, Lightning, Onyx, Sandrunner, Seafoam, Silverleaf, Songweaver, Steeljaw, Wavedivers, Windriders clans); Night Runner Tribe (Dark Moons, Full Moons, Half Moons, Lone Moons, New Moons, Quarter Moons clans); Shadow Tribe; Silt Stalker Tribe (Fire Bow, Fire Dagger, Fire Sword clans); Silver Hand Tribe; Sky Singer Tribe (Dawnchaser, Dayjumper, Twilightcatcher clans); Swiftwing Tribe; Water Hunter Tribe (Raindancer, Poolrunner, Lakesinger clans); Wind Dancer TribeTribe (Airhunter, Breezechaser clans)

 

Desert Elf Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 3 (and your maximum by 2, to a total of 22).

Age

Elves reach physical maturity at the same rate as humans but must pass the tribe’s rites of initiation before being recognized as adults, typically around 20. Elves can live to 140 years. 

Size

Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to travel under the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Elf Run

You add your Constitution score to the number of miles you can travel in a day. You have advantage on forced march saves.

Mask of the Wild

You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by terrain, weather, or other natural phenomena.

Elven Resilience

You are conditioned to the extreme weather of the wastelands and have advantage on Constitution saves against extreme heat and cold.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.