In my upcoming campaign I'm replacing drow with tentatively named Bright Elf/Dark Elf variants (the standard elf is the "Twilight Elf"). I want to modify the Drow Nobility feats to fit these new races and would like some feedback on whether the new SLA selections are roughly balanced (with each other and in general).
Drow generic spell-like abilities: Dancing Lights, Darkness, Faerie Fire 1/day
Drow Nobility - Detect Magic at will, Feather Fall, Levitate 1/day
Improved Drow Nobility - Use 1/day abilities 2/day and Darkness becomes Deeper Darkness
Greater Drow Nobility - Detect Magic constant, 2/day at will
Umbral Scion - Choose one of Suggestion, Dispel Magic, and Divine Favor 1/day
Improved Umbral Scion - all of the above 1/day
Bright Elf generic spell-like abilities: Dancing Lights, Daylight, Faerie Fire 1/day
Bright Elf Nobility – Detect Magic at will, Dazzling Blade, Levitate 1/day
Improved Bright Elf Nobility – Use 1/day abilities 2/day and Faerie Fire becomes Glitterdust
Greater Bright Elf Nobility – Detect Magic constant, 2/day at will
Bright Scion – Choose one of Searing Light, Dispel Magic, and Endure Elements 1/day
Improved Bright Scion – all of the above 1/day
Dark Elf generic spell-like abilities: Ghost Sound, Darkness, Liberating Command 1/day
Dark Elf Nobility – Detect Poison at will, Obscuring Mist, Protective Penumbra 1/day
Improved Dark Elf Nobility – Use 1/day abilities 2/day and Darkness becomes Deeper Darkness
Greater Dark Elf Nobility – Detect Poison constant, 2/day at will
Dark Scion – Choose one of Displacement, Vampiric Touch, See Invisibility 1/day
Improved Dark Scion – all of the above 1/day
For overall power I'm mostly worried about level 5 with Greater Nobility, when the characters would gain access to either Glitterdust or Obscuring Mist at will.
Interesting step away from the traditional formula. My own 'evil' elves hide within the greater body of elves, meeting in secret and using their kin's very natures to evil ends. Suggestion, Dazzling Blade and other spells are great variations.
The basic setting is one in which a powerful empire and a collection of tribes have been engaged in hot/cold conflict (war and uneasy truce) due in part to an ancient divine schism. The empire believes that the tribal land is cursed by demons, fey, and other foul creatures, and that it is their holy duty to cleanse the area and civilize its inhabitants. The tribes are having none of that and reacted violently both in defense and retaliation. Way back when the gods themselves were choosing sides, the bright elves aligned themselves with the empire while the dark elves chose the tribes. As a result, the two groups hate each other.
The bright elves are generally lawful. They have very strict rules of etiquette and are obsessed with genealogy. They hold wizardry in very high regard and also produce a number of skilled magi. Sorcery, alchemy, and witchcraft are considered "low-class," though not as bad as having no magic at all. They strongly support the imperial government and bright elven nobility frequently hold high positions.
The dark elves are generally chaotic. They are nomadic and value sensory experience, novelty, and poetry. They favour stealth and poison and make excellent bards and shadow-rogues (ninja), and fey bloodline sorcerers are particularly common among the race. Bands of dark elves are particularly close-knit, and children are raised by the group - they believe that individuals should be given equal opportunity to distinguish themselves regardless of parentage.
The twilight elves tend towards neutral good. They avoid getting involved in the conflict between the empire and the tribes, which they see as foolish and disruptive, and lament the rift it has caused between their kin. These elves have a closer spiritual connection to nature than the bright or dark elves and tend to be druids, rangers, or clerics of the earth mother goddess.
Evil elves are usually either dark or bright elves who cleave to dangerous and cruel extremes of xenophobia.
The real question is at what levels can you get this and how many feat will it take to get the chian 5 or 6? Cause if it 6 feat base PC only get 10 feat for level 1-20. If it 60% or 50% of my feats it is to much.
It's the same progression as the official Paizo Drow Nobility feat chain which ends in Improved Umbral Scion.
I am not making up an entirely new feat chain, just slightly modifying an existing chain because I split the race it was designed for into two distinct races. Yes, it's a lot of feats (5 for the entire chain), but it is based on a long line of feats in the official game (and it's still shorter than the 8-feat Kitsune Magical Tail line). I'm not worried about the concept, just the specific spells chosen and whether they're useful and balanced relative to the original feats and to each other.
The feats have no requirements other than the earlier feats, so you could take one feat a level and finish the chain at level 9. And even if you don't finish it I think it gets pretty interesting after three feats (as early as level 5), when you get either constant Detect Poison and Obscuring Mist, Protective Penumbra, and Deeper Darkness at will or constant Detect Magic and Dazzling Blade, Daylight, and Glitterdust at will.
A constant Detect effect and a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spell at will. As early as level 5.