Homebrew Athasian Elf Species Details

While the last remnants of civilization huddle around pools of brackish water and clumps of withered vegetation, the elves of Athas run free. Elf villages are even less likely to be found than a pool of clear water in the desert, for elves only stop running when they fall down and die. Silver Spring, of course, is a notable exception. Otherwise, elves gather in nomadic tribes that revel in theft, raiding, and warfare. Elves are excellent merchants, though they have no concept of fair trade practices. Anything goes when dealing with an elf trader.

Athasian elves stand between 6 1⁄2 and 7 1⁄2 feet tall. They are slender, lean, long- limbed, and usually in excellent physical condition. They aren’t the pale-skinned, deli- cate elves of other worlds. Their features are deeply etched into their weather-toughened faces, and their skin is as rough and rugged as the bark of an agari tree. Yet their flesh is as varied in hues as the other races, and as affected by the baking sun and scouring wind. Elves grow no body hair, save for the hair on their scalp. The locks are long, full, and come in all colors.

Elves are generally lazy and deceitful. They strive to lead short, happy lives as opposed to long, sad ones. For an elf, the future is a dark, deadly place, so he struggles to make every moment (every now, as the elves speak of it) as enjoyable and full as possible. Elves will do whatever is necessary to keep themselves and their tribemates alive and prosperous, but no more. When the work is done, and not a moment later, the fun begins. They engage in long periods of frenzied feasting and raucous revelry. Elf tribes do work, however, mostly at hunting and foraging, for they don’t farm. They detest hard labor and never construct anything larger or more permanent than a market tent, but they will spend long hours haggling over the price of a single trade good.

Blessed with lightning-fast reflexes and uncanny speed, elves are natural runners. They are swift, sure, and extremely self-reliant. In the cities, elves represent their tribes in the trading bazaars and market districts. Usually too fast and canny to be caught by slavers, the elf that finds himself locked away usually dries up and dies like a darcu fruit cut from its vine.

Athasian Elf Traits

Athasian Elf Traits

Keen Sense

Perception proficiency and +2 to Bluff, Perform, and Perception checks.

Temperature resilience

Elves suffer extreme heat and cold as if it were only very hot or cold.

Desert Craft

Elves have +4 bonus on Stealth checks in sandy or arid areas

Elf Run

After a minute of warm-up and a pass a DC 10 Concentration check adding level and charisma modifier as bonuses.  If successful, the elf can can move twice the normal travel distance for 8 hours.  If the check fails the elf moves at twice the normal speed for 1 hour and then receives 1 level of exhaustion.  For every day the elf attempts to move at the elevated pace without a day at normal pace, the DC increases to 15, 20, 30, 40.  While exhausted, for any reason, the elf cannot attempt the 'Elf Run'.  When with a group of elves, the runners add their leader's Charisma bonus to their checks.

Low light vision

Elves can see twice as far as humans in low light.