criticalstriker
2011-06-26, 05:40 AM
Here is an elf as part of a new campaign setting I'm working on. Regular elves exist, though technically they are a genetic dilution of the original species, that broke into another, almost unique species. Half-elves are a further dilution of the original blood (explaining why they suck so much :smalltongue: )
Any thoughts are welcome. I'm really not sure what the challenge rating on these guys should be. They don't have much HP, but it's hard to land a scratch on them.
Pureblood Elf
When sentient life was first created on the Material Plane, six progenitor races were created, each one with a mate. Among the six races were two elves whose names have long since been lost to history. The elves were beautiful when compared to the other races, but they possessed a cruel longing - to be even better.
These two elves called to the Gods, and one decided to answer back. Eberkanezzer, the Lord of Magic, from whom all magic flows, turned his gaze upon the two elves. They asked him to give to them physical perfection. He agreed, under one condition: That they may never again use magic. They agreed, thinking that their children would simply fill the magical gap, but keep their beauty.
And so Eberkanezzer granted them their wish, they were made into creatures of stunning beauty and strength. In return, he also took from them his prize: their ability to use magic. They were made unique, as all trace of magic was removed from their existence, and could never flow through their veins again. The elves did not expect, however, that their perfection came at a much larger price than they had thought previously. The foundations of the universe were partially built upon the fabric of magic. As such, certain biological functions are incredibly difficult without the ambient magic that normally seeps into a creature's body. Most of these effects are minor, such as occasionally not being able to smell the scent of one specific item, or their racial inability to perceive an extremely precise shade of red. The cruelest of these side effects, however, is that the elves are the closest to being sterile without actually being sterile. It can take an elf couple upwards of 300 years to conceive a child.
Further, the elves were wrong to think that the curse of no magic would not apply to their children. When Eberkanezzer cursed them, he cursed their entire species. Even with these odds, elves have managed to survive -albeit in terribly small numbers. Those numbers were cut down from the 2,000 that existed to only 300, when the elves held back the entire Pyran Legion, during the Blackadder War. Today, exact numbers of elves are unknown, and the estimates range from 45 to 297 (an oddly specific and somewhat dubious number came to by a questionable divination "expert").
When they do manage to conceive, the life cycle of an elf is extraordinarily bizarre. They will remain within their mother for 3 years (growing to the same size as a human baby, but much more slowly). When birthed, they will age extremely slowly - both mentally and physically. A 6 year old elf is still an infant, and will remain that way until roughly 12 years of age. By this time, they will be around the size and mental acuity of a human toddler. It will take another 50 years for the child to become a teenager, physically and mentally, and won't be a fully matured adult until 120 years of age. At this point, their agelessness begins and they will never age again.
Pureblood Elf
Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Hit Dice:8d8 +32 (68)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 28 (+5 Dex, +6 +1 Mithral Breastplate, +4 Natural, +3 +1 Mithral Heavy Shield) Touch 15, Flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+13
Attack: +1 Mithral Elven Thinblade +15 (1d8+8) or Darkwood Composite +8 Longbow +12 ranged (1d8 + 8)
Full Attack: +1 Mithral Elven Thinblade +15/+10 (1d8 + 8) or Darkwood Composite +8 Longbow +12/+7 ranged (1d8 + 8)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Elven Wrath
Special Qualities: Aura of Awe, Perfection, Damage Reduction 5/-, Ageless, Magic Incapable, Quickness
Saves: Fort +6, Reflex +12, Will +4
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 22, Con 19, Wis 14, Int 16 Cha 27
Skills: Knowledge (Nature) +4, Jump +11, Move Silent +10, Hide +10, Swim +11, Intimidate +20, Perform (Dance) +13, Spot +13, Listen +13
Feats: Improved Initiative, Ability Focus (Aura of Awe), Weapon Focus (Elven Thinblade)
Environment: Any; primarily forest
Organization: Solitary; 2-3 (Gathering)
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Varies
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -
Combat
Elves prefer to fight in forested or urban areas, where they can make maximum use of their mobility and speed. When faced with great numbers, they will often retreat to a defensible bottleneck, or make hit-and-run attacks against enemies. If an elf is fighting with 1 or more elves, these will often go back-to-back to cover their blind-spots, and threaten as many assailants as possible. If, somehow, 10 or more elves gather together, they will fight in a phalanx formation.
Elven Wrath (Ex): When threatened, pureblood elves may enter a combative state of zen-like calm, during which they are not truly conscious. While in this state, they won't attack allies, but they cannot be spoken to. They will retain the last memories they received (such as "kill the general!") and will pursue that, but new orders cannot be given to them. While in this state, an elf gains +4 to Strength and Dexterity, as well as a +4 Dodge bonus to their Armor Class, and may not be effected by mind-affecting spells or effects. This lasts for a maximum of 10 rounds, after which the elf must rest for at least one hour before entering it again.
Aura of Awe (Ex): Creatures within 30 feet of a pureblood elf, with HD equal to or less than the elf, must make a DC 22 Will save or be completely overwhelmed by the physical perfection of the elf. Such victims are Stunned for 2d4 rounds. Non-humanoids or monstrous humanoids have +4 to this save. A pureblood elf may suppress or resume this aura as a free action. This ability cannot affect other pureblood elves.
Perfection (Ex): Pureblood elves embody physical perfection. A pureblooded elf is immune to the effects of poison, disease, all toxins, sleep, ailments, and ravages. Further, they will never succumb to natural heat or cold (assuming this is not the heat of the sun or the cold of a heat-less universe). They sleep only when they desire to, and eat only when they decide to. A pureblood elf can survive twelve times longer than normal before risking drowning, cannot suffer from Massive Damage, and will always stabilize if an attack would reduce them to between -1 and -9. They still die at -10 hit points.
Damage Reduction (Ex): The skin of an elf has been compared to living steel. Cutting it is incredibly difficult, by even magical means. As such, elves possess Damage Reduction 5/-.
Ageless (Ex): The body of an elf is a remarkable thing. After reaching maturity, they will no longer show physical signs of aging, nor do they suffer the physical ill-effects thereof. Unless by violent means or an accident, an elf will never perish. As such, while aging spells do technically affect them, it is only in the most trivial of ways, as it will have no effect on their ability to move or attack (as they are likely to do, if one tries to age them to death).
Magic Inept (Ex): Due to their deal with the god of magic, elves can never use any form of magic. All attempts to cast any spell, arcane or divine, use any power, psionic or truespeak or binding or shadowmagic, will all fail. An elf may, in no way use any technique that would not be possible through physical means. However, an elf may use magic items that have been created by other races; as long as such items do not rely upon channeling magic through the user (such as in the case of ability-boosting items).
This magical void inside of elves also has the curious effect of rendering them entirely invisible to spells such as Detect Life. Since such spells rely on detecting the inherent magic inside of most living creatures, pureblood elves simply don't appear at all.
Magic Immunity (Ex): An elf has a unique form of magic immunity. Because no magic is capable of flowing through, or even over them, they are made immune to the effects of all spells. This is not limited to those spells that would grant Spell Resistance. If blasted with a wave of conjured (as opposed to evoked) fire, there will be a pocket formed around the elf, in the shape of their body, where the summoned fire simply cannot pass.
This also has the curious effect of making it so creatures who have been summoned temporarily, unable to damage an elf. Their claws will pass right through the elf.
Quickness (Ex): Elves are extremely fast. An elf may take an extra standard or move action each round.
Any thoughts are welcome. I'm really not sure what the challenge rating on these guys should be. They don't have much HP, but it's hard to land a scratch on them.
Pureblood Elf
When sentient life was first created on the Material Plane, six progenitor races were created, each one with a mate. Among the six races were two elves whose names have long since been lost to history. The elves were beautiful when compared to the other races, but they possessed a cruel longing - to be even better.
These two elves called to the Gods, and one decided to answer back. Eberkanezzer, the Lord of Magic, from whom all magic flows, turned his gaze upon the two elves. They asked him to give to them physical perfection. He agreed, under one condition: That they may never again use magic. They agreed, thinking that their children would simply fill the magical gap, but keep their beauty.
And so Eberkanezzer granted them their wish, they were made into creatures of stunning beauty and strength. In return, he also took from them his prize: their ability to use magic. They were made unique, as all trace of magic was removed from their existence, and could never flow through their veins again. The elves did not expect, however, that their perfection came at a much larger price than they had thought previously. The foundations of the universe were partially built upon the fabric of magic. As such, certain biological functions are incredibly difficult without the ambient magic that normally seeps into a creature's body. Most of these effects are minor, such as occasionally not being able to smell the scent of one specific item, or their racial inability to perceive an extremely precise shade of red. The cruelest of these side effects, however, is that the elves are the closest to being sterile without actually being sterile. It can take an elf couple upwards of 300 years to conceive a child.
Further, the elves were wrong to think that the curse of no magic would not apply to their children. When Eberkanezzer cursed them, he cursed their entire species. Even with these odds, elves have managed to survive -albeit in terribly small numbers. Those numbers were cut down from the 2,000 that existed to only 300, when the elves held back the entire Pyran Legion, during the Blackadder War. Today, exact numbers of elves are unknown, and the estimates range from 45 to 297 (an oddly specific and somewhat dubious number came to by a questionable divination "expert").
When they do manage to conceive, the life cycle of an elf is extraordinarily bizarre. They will remain within their mother for 3 years (growing to the same size as a human baby, but much more slowly). When birthed, they will age extremely slowly - both mentally and physically. A 6 year old elf is still an infant, and will remain that way until roughly 12 years of age. By this time, they will be around the size and mental acuity of a human toddler. It will take another 50 years for the child to become a teenager, physically and mentally, and won't be a fully matured adult until 120 years of age. At this point, their agelessness begins and they will never age again.
Pureblood Elf
Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Hit Dice:8d8 +32 (68)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 28 (+5 Dex, +6 +1 Mithral Breastplate, +4 Natural, +3 +1 Mithral Heavy Shield) Touch 15, Flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+13
Attack: +1 Mithral Elven Thinblade +15 (1d8+8) or Darkwood Composite +8 Longbow +12 ranged (1d8 + 8)
Full Attack: +1 Mithral Elven Thinblade +15/+10 (1d8 + 8) or Darkwood Composite +8 Longbow +12/+7 ranged (1d8 + 8)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Elven Wrath
Special Qualities: Aura of Awe, Perfection, Damage Reduction 5/-, Ageless, Magic Incapable, Quickness
Saves: Fort +6, Reflex +12, Will +4
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 22, Con 19, Wis 14, Int 16 Cha 27
Skills: Knowledge (Nature) +4, Jump +11, Move Silent +10, Hide +10, Swim +11, Intimidate +20, Perform (Dance) +13, Spot +13, Listen +13
Feats: Improved Initiative, Ability Focus (Aura of Awe), Weapon Focus (Elven Thinblade)
Environment: Any; primarily forest
Organization: Solitary; 2-3 (Gathering)
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Varies
Advancement: -
Level Adjustment: -
Combat
Elves prefer to fight in forested or urban areas, where they can make maximum use of their mobility and speed. When faced with great numbers, they will often retreat to a defensible bottleneck, or make hit-and-run attacks against enemies. If an elf is fighting with 1 or more elves, these will often go back-to-back to cover their blind-spots, and threaten as many assailants as possible. If, somehow, 10 or more elves gather together, they will fight in a phalanx formation.
Elven Wrath (Ex): When threatened, pureblood elves may enter a combative state of zen-like calm, during which they are not truly conscious. While in this state, they won't attack allies, but they cannot be spoken to. They will retain the last memories they received (such as "kill the general!") and will pursue that, but new orders cannot be given to them. While in this state, an elf gains +4 to Strength and Dexterity, as well as a +4 Dodge bonus to their Armor Class, and may not be effected by mind-affecting spells or effects. This lasts for a maximum of 10 rounds, after which the elf must rest for at least one hour before entering it again.
Aura of Awe (Ex): Creatures within 30 feet of a pureblood elf, with HD equal to or less than the elf, must make a DC 22 Will save or be completely overwhelmed by the physical perfection of the elf. Such victims are Stunned for 2d4 rounds. Non-humanoids or monstrous humanoids have +4 to this save. A pureblood elf may suppress or resume this aura as a free action. This ability cannot affect other pureblood elves.
Perfection (Ex): Pureblood elves embody physical perfection. A pureblooded elf is immune to the effects of poison, disease, all toxins, sleep, ailments, and ravages. Further, they will never succumb to natural heat or cold (assuming this is not the heat of the sun or the cold of a heat-less universe). They sleep only when they desire to, and eat only when they decide to. A pureblood elf can survive twelve times longer than normal before risking drowning, cannot suffer from Massive Damage, and will always stabilize if an attack would reduce them to between -1 and -9. They still die at -10 hit points.
Damage Reduction (Ex): The skin of an elf has been compared to living steel. Cutting it is incredibly difficult, by even magical means. As such, elves possess Damage Reduction 5/-.
Ageless (Ex): The body of an elf is a remarkable thing. After reaching maturity, they will no longer show physical signs of aging, nor do they suffer the physical ill-effects thereof. Unless by violent means or an accident, an elf will never perish. As such, while aging spells do technically affect them, it is only in the most trivial of ways, as it will have no effect on their ability to move or attack (as they are likely to do, if one tries to age them to death).
Magic Inept (Ex): Due to their deal with the god of magic, elves can never use any form of magic. All attempts to cast any spell, arcane or divine, use any power, psionic or truespeak or binding or shadowmagic, will all fail. An elf may, in no way use any technique that would not be possible through physical means. However, an elf may use magic items that have been created by other races; as long as such items do not rely upon channeling magic through the user (such as in the case of ability-boosting items).
This magical void inside of elves also has the curious effect of rendering them entirely invisible to spells such as Detect Life. Since such spells rely on detecting the inherent magic inside of most living creatures, pureblood elves simply don't appear at all.
Magic Immunity (Ex): An elf has a unique form of magic immunity. Because no magic is capable of flowing through, or even over them, they are made immune to the effects of all spells. This is not limited to those spells that would grant Spell Resistance. If blasted with a wave of conjured (as opposed to evoked) fire, there will be a pocket formed around the elf, in the shape of their body, where the summoned fire simply cannot pass.
This also has the curious effect of making it so creatures who have been summoned temporarily, unable to damage an elf. Their claws will pass right through the elf.
Quickness (Ex): Elves are extremely fast. An elf may take an extra standard or move action each round.