Afternoon people at paizo, so i've been working on my own campaign setting for a while now and im currently trying to work out a couple things having to do with races.
At the moment i want to make an elven race a little more savage, less "Magic Missle" more druid.
I was thinking something along the lines of the elves from "Elf Quest", a deeper bond with nature, with animals, etc.
Anyway, i was wondering if anyone would have any suggestions. I was also contemplating doing desert elves as well. Elves who became stuck in this vast desert after the gates to the homeland were destroyed in a giant arcane cataclysm. They have been stuck in this desert for thousands of years.
I have a couple ideas, but suggestions are welcome.
I could see elves fitting more nature inspired rather than magic inspired, even though the sidhlien elves of the Birthright campaign setting are my favorite elves of any published setting, are the opposite in being so magically oriented that they do not worship gods at all, rather worship magic.
That said, myself, I'm far more interested in creating races based on ethnic folklore fitting especially unique eco-systems. In most of my settings elves don't exist at all, usually something more mythically appropriate.
So when someone asks what kind of elves would you put in the desert. Answer, I wouldn't, I'd use gnolls (or something else) - even a civilization of gnolls more advanced than typical gnolls in standard campaign worlds. Gnolls fit the desert concept, elves never would.
Thank you for the insight, i can definitely use that. Not what i was looking for, but i can use that. Questions still kinda stand though. Thank you gamer-printer.
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For start you could switch the stat bonus from Int to Wis to favor druids over wizards.
Also you could trade out elven magic (3 RP) for treespeech (2 RP) and Terrain Stride (Forest) (1 RP)
just play around with the race builder it's fun.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedRaceGuide/raceBuilder.html
Not exactly what your looking for but the elves in my campaign's are like this:
Elven Racial Traits
(0 RP) +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Constitution: Elves are nimble, both in body and mind, but their form is frail.
(0 RP) Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
(1 RP)Fast Speed: Elves have a base speed of 40 feet.
(1 RP) Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
(2 RP) Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
(2 RP) Nimble: Elves are incredibly nimble this gives them +2 racial bonus on all acrobatics.
(2 RP) Musical: Elven culture is very musical all elves gain a +2 racial bonus to all perform checks and additionally perform is always considered a class skill for elves.
(2 RP) Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), shortbows (including composite shortbows), longswords, and shortwsords. Additionally the katana and wakisashi are treated as martial weapons not exotic weapons.
(0 RP) Languages: Elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Human, Dvergar, Orcsih, Sylvan, or Draconic.
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Empire of gnolls, half-elven and human slaves... yeah... its going to happen. Oooo... elementally inclined gnolls.
Thanks Bardarok i will definitely check that out :)
I went something similar to one of my elven races. This is what I gave them instead of the typical elf stuff from the CRB:
Affinity toward Nature: Elven sorcerers and bloodragers with the fey bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer and bloodrager spells and class abilities. Elven spellcasters with the plant or animal domains use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level.
Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.
Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
Stealthy: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks. Elves also reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 5, and can make Stealth checks while running at a -20 penalty (this number includes the penalty reduction from this racial trait).
Their score modifiers are +2 Dex and Wis, -2 Con. I added in bloodrager, since that class will be used when it gets released.
Also, I have modified all the races to be between 10-12 RP. Yes, I know, the Race Builder isn't the best, but... *shrugs*
Adjule, i like it. Thats pretty cool :)
Alright, rough draft time. Nothing terribly unusual here, but i would like any thoughts.
Humanoid (elven)
Medium
Speed - 30 ft.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Constitution
Xenophobic - Elven (Common)
Elven Immunities - Immune to magic sleep, +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against enchantment spells and effects.
Treespeech - converse with plants as if the subject of a continual "speak with plants" spell
Forest Stride - Can move through difficult forested terrain at normal speed. Magically altered terrain affects them normally.
Nature Affinity - Elven sorcerers with the fey bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Elven spellcasters with the plant or animal domains use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level.
Shadow Hunter - Elves gain a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks. Elves also reduce the penalty on Stealth while moving by 5, and can make Stealth checks while running at a -20 penalty.
Keen Senses - Elves recieve a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
Low light vision - Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Oh! and I'm trying to think of a name...
Tried, but true, Sylvan elves - sylvan meaning forest. Why choose a fiction word?
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Looks good. Of course, I may be a bit biased as much of what you used, I also used for my elf. And I agree with gamer-printer about "sylvan elves". Or you can look at a few different online dictionaries. I have done that myself for the names of a few of my races. If you wanted to not go generic.