Homebrew Athasian Elf Species Details

Swift and Beautiful

The Athasian elf is a race of long-limbed nomads. Elves are tall and slender, reaching 6 or 7 feet in height, and weighing an average of 120 pounds.

Elves have features that set them apart from other races; their angular features are etched into their faces, they have pointed ears, and they cannot grow facial hair. Other races like humans and tieflings awe at the beauty of elves.

Carpe Diem

Other races consider elves to be lazy and dishonest. In general, this is correct; elves prefer to live short, happy lives rather than long, sad ones. Elves often provide for their tribes by hunting or herding, which they do not consider hard work. Strangely though, elves will haggle with potential customers for hours on end.

Elves focus on the present—or, the Now as they call it—rarely planning for or expecting consequences. They also extend this temporal attitude to their and others’ belongings. Elves are natural thieves and will steal whatever they can get their hands on. They often choose to flaunt their stolen treasures—in front of their previous owners, no less—and consider it poor form if their victim does not applaud the act.

Elves trust only the members of their own tribe. When faced with outsiders, elves will devise secret “tests” to determine if a stranger is worthy of their confidence. The test may be as simple as leaving their possessions in the open to see if the stranger takes advantage of them, or as intricate as allowing themself to be captured to see if their potential ally will come to their aid. If the stranger passes these tests, they earn the trust of the elf forever. If that trust is betrayed, however, it can never be earned again.

Nomadic Tribes

Athasian elves form distinct tribes, each with their own dialect and history. These tribes roam the Athasian deserts, having little in common other than certain aspects of their language, power structure, occupations, and belief systems.

All members of an elven tribe are equals—except the chief. Each tribe’s methods for instating a chief may be different. Elves remain loyal to their tribes and their chief, considering all others, even other elves, to be outsiders.

The occupation of a tribe depends on the type of land they claim. All tribes have, at one point or another, tried their hand at all these pursuits. Raiding tribes claim lands intersecting trade routes, trading tribes wander without claim, and herding tribes claim grazing lands. Elves see the entire wilderness as their land, often claiming much wider swaths of land than they occupy. However, because elves loathe to settle or build, they can hardly enforce their claims.

The Run is a set of beliefs and practices that make up tribal life. Elves are sprinters, and the Run requires that each tribe member be able to keep up on their own or be left behind. Injured elves are often left to die. An elf is named after their first interesting act while learning to run.

Elven culture is rich and diverse. Elven song and dance are the most captivating in the world, elves having turned celebrating into an art form. Their songs and celebrations honor current and ancient members of the tribe, and they have special ceremonies for successful hunts and marriages. They worship Coraanu Star Racer, “First Elf—warrior thief”, as the ideal elf, using his life as their calendar and committing song and dance in his name. Elves also worship the elements, particularly air, which they associate with freedom, swiftness, and song. Elves swear by the moon that brings the night, allowing elves to gain the upper hand on foes who cannot see in the dark. Out of all the races on Athas, elves have the greatest affinity for and acceptance of magic.

Fortune, Fame, and Travel

Elves often become adventurers out of wanderlust, finding their tribal lands too limiting for their free spirits and desire for travel. Other elves may seek treasure, renown, or an enemy’s head. Elves love to boast, enjoying nothing more than to have their deeds put into song and dance. They keep mementos of their adventures: their foe’s prized weapon, a patch of their clothing, a caster’s spellbook, among other items. Elves may also choose to follow a group who has earned their trust out of loyalty.

Athasian Elf Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of your fey ancestry and tribal teachings.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1.

Age

Elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, and can live to be 150 years old.

Alignment

Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. In terms of good and evil, elves lean toward neutrality. However, they value and protect their tribe, even to the point of self-sacrifice. While elves will steal whatever they can get their hands on, they only strike when there is no alternative--and they always strike first.

Size

Elves range from under 6 to over 7 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

You are part of a fast and dexterous race. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Blessing of Coraanu

When you make a successful attack against an enemy, you do not provoke opportunity attacks from that enemy for the rest of your turn.

Darkvision

The moon gives blessing to your sight. 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.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Nimble Fingers

You have proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill.

Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Tribal Weapon Training

Your tribe has raised you in the way of Coraanu. You are proficient with slings, shortbows, daggers, and scimitars.

Languages

You speak Elvish, a beautiful language of clipped words, subtle intonation, and staccato pace that makes it difficult for novices to understand. Each tribe has its own dialect of elvish. You also speak Common. Elves loathe the slow and tedious languages of other races; you would never let another elf hear you utter a word that wasn’t elvish.