Homebrew Elf Expanded Species Details

Created by the god Corellon, the first elves could change their forms at will. They lost this ability when Corellon cursed them for plotting with the deity Lolth, who tried and failed to usurp Corellon’s dominion. When Lolth was cast into the Abyss, most elves renounced her and earned Corellon’s forgiveness, but that which Corellon had taken from them was lost forever.

No longer able to shape-shift at will, the elves retreated to the Feywild, where their sorrow was deepened by that plane’s influence. Over time, curiosity led many of them to explore other planes of existence, including worlds in the Material Plane.

Elves have pointed ears and lack facial and body hair. They live for around 750 years, and they don’t sleep but instead enter a trance when they need to rest. In that state, they remain aware of their surroundings while immersing themselves in memories and meditations.

An environment subtly transforms elves after they inhabit it for a millennium or more, and it grants them certain kinds of magic. Drow, high elves, and wood elves are examples of elves who have been transformed thus.

Drow

Drow typically dwell in the Underdark and have been shaped by it. Some drow individuals and societies avoid the Underdark altogether yet carry its magic. In the Eberron setting, for example, drow dwell in rainforests and cyclopean ruins on the continent of Xen’drik.

High Elves

High elves have been infused with the magic of crossings between the Feywild and the Material Plane. On some worlds, high elves refer to themselves by other names. For example, they call themselves sun or moon elves in the Forgotten Realms setting, Silvanesti and Qualinesti in the Dragonlance setting, and Aereni in the Eberron setting

Wood Elves

Wood elves carry the magic of primeval forests within themselves. They are known by many other names, including wild elves, green elves, and forest elves. Grugach are reclusive wood elves of the Greyhawk setting, while the Kagonesti and the Tairnadal are wood elves of the Dragonlance and Eberron settings, respectively.

Sun Elf

Sun Elves are a D&D elven subrace known for their nobility, beauty, and deep affinity for magic. They have golden or bronze skin, often blonde or copper hair, and brightly colored eyes such as green, gold, or amber. They generally live in isolated societies, favoring arcane knowledge, elegance, and pride in their lineage. They are often perceived as haughty by other peoples, but are also respected for their exceptional magical skills and accumulated wisdom over the centuries.

Moon Elf

Also called silver elves, Moon Elves are a kind, curious, and often wandering elven race. They have pale skin with blue or silver highlights, dark or white hair, and eyes that shine like stars. Lovers of freedom and beauty, they tend to be more open-minded and tolerant than other elves. They have a strong connection to magic and the cycle of the moon, and often travel the world driven by wonder and compassion.

Astral Elf

Native to the Astral Plane, Astral Elves are ancient and charged with cosmic energy. Their bodies seem to shimmer with starlight, with ethereal skin and eyes that reflect the infinity of space. Descendants of planeswalking elves, they bring with them an otherworldly calm and a deep sense of destiny. They are mysterious, aloof, yet incredibly powerful, with an innate connection to the astral and divine forces.

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Elf Traits

Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (about 5–6 feet tall)
Speed: 30 feet

Elf Expanded Traits

As an Elf, you have these special traits.

Darkvision

You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Elven Lineage

You are part of a lineage that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a lineage from the Elven Lineages table. You gain the level 1 benefit of that lineage.

When you reach character levels 3 and 5, you learn a higher-level spell, as shown on the table. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the lineage).

Elven Lineages

Lineage	Level 1	Level 3	Level 5
Drow	The range of your Darkvision increases to 120 feet. You also know the Dancing Lights cantrip.	Faerie Fire	Darkness
High Elf	You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace that cantrip with a different cantrip from the Wizard spell list.	Detect Magic	Misty Step
Wooden elf	Your Speed increases to 35 feet. You also know the Druidcraft cantrip.	Longstrider	Pass without Trace

Moon Elf

Your Speed increases to 35 feet. You also know the Minor Illusion cantrip. You are proficient in the Stealth skill. In addition, you can attempt to hide while you are only obscured by dim light.

Sleep

Moonbeam

Sun Elf

You know the Word of Radiance and you can swap this with the Light cantrip whenever you finish a Long Rest. You have proficiency with the History skill. You have resistance against an incoming radiant damage, this ability can be used a number of time equal to your proficiency bonus and recharged at dawn.

Blur

Scorching Ray

Astral Elf

You know the Elementalism or Dancing Lights cantrip, you can swap whenever you end a long rest. Whenever you finish this trance, you gain proficiency in one skill of your choice and with one weapon or tool of your choice, selected from the Player's Handbook. You magically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from shared elven memory and the experiences of entities on the Astral Plane, and you retain them until you finish your next long rest.

Zephyr Strike

Hold Person

Fey Ancestry

You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Insight, Perception, or Survival skill.

Trance

You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.