Elf
You are a strong, slender demi-human native to woodlands and shaded forests. You avoid the provincial oafs of the younger races, with their bumbling war-making and crude superstitions. Against the noisy backdrop of their empires rising, falling, and rising again, your magical enclaves advance the study of arts and crafts millennia in the making.
Elves live for more than a thousand years in small cities of like-minded individuals. Reproducing
and maturing slowly, and likewise studying and practicing with great patience over
many years, each elf masters his chosen area of expertise at a level of competency no man
can hope to achieve. Those elves who study the martial or magical arts may find themselves
in search of an arcane relic, a divine token, or a legendary weapon. These seekers comprise
the rare elven adventurers encountered by humans.
Elves divide their race into castes not always evident to outsiders, each speaking specific
sub-dialects of a common, ancient tongue. There are forest elves and plains-dwelling elves,
undersea elves and elves who dwell on floating cloud-cities. A fallen race of black-skinned
dark elves shuns the glare of sunlight.
Elven longevity, combined with their skill with magic, has created many legends about their
racial roots. Whether elves really have traffic with demons and gods is for them to know and
the other races to discover.
Elves can cast spells as wizards do. An elf of the same power level as a human wizard also
has many decades of combat experience. As such, elves typically cast their spells just as
competently as human wizards and also have martial skills.
Hit points: An elf gains 1d6 hit points at each level.
Weapon training: An elf is trained in the use of the dagger, javelin, longbow, longsword,
shortbow, short sword, staff, spear, and two-handed sword. Elves often wear armor of
mithril, even though it affects their spellcasting.
Because of their sensitivity to iron (as explained below), elf characters are trained from an
early age with mithril weapons. Before they depart on a life of adventure, they have acquired
mithril equipment. At 1st level, an elf character may purchase one piece of armor and
one weapon that are manufactured of mithril at no additional cost. Mithril armor weighs
slightly less than iron or steel armor of the same type and can be worn by the elf without the
pain normally associated with metal armors.
Alignment: With their multicentenarian lifespan and proclivity for observation over action,
elves tend toward chaotic and neutral alignments. Because they outlive many institutions of
authority, elves are not often of lawful alignments.
Magic: Elves practice arcane magic sustained by traffic with otherworldly creatures. More
so than human wizards, they form relationships with specific demi-beings and can directly
request aid from beyond. Where a human wizard may cast a spell to summon a demon a
few times in his life, an elf may converse repeatedly with the same demon so many times
over so many centuries that long-term arrangements become feasible. All elves have one or
more extraplanar patrons who sustain their magic. As such, their spells tend more toward
those associated with elemental or demonic powers.
Elf spells are determined randomly like a wizard’s, except for invoke patron and patron bond, as described below. Caster level: Caster level is a measurement of an elf’s power in channeling a spell’s energy. An elf’s caster level is his level as an elf. For example, a 2nd-level elf has a caster level of 2.
Supernatural patrons: Like wizards, elves can invoke
supernatural patrons. An elf automatically receives the
spells patron bond and invoke patron at 1st level in addition
to his other spells.
Infravision: An elf can see in the dark up to 60’.
Immunities: Elves are immune to magical sleep and paralysis.
Vulnerabilities: Elves are extremely sensitive to the
touch of iron. Direct contact over prolonged periods
causes a burning sensation, and exposure at close distances
makes them uncomfortable. An elf may not wear
iron armor or bear the touch of iron weapons for extended
periods. Prolonged contact with iron causes 1 hp of
damage per day of direct contact.
Heightened Senses: Elves are astute and observant. All
elf characters receive a +4 bonus to detect secret doors.
Moreover, when simply passing within 10 feet of a secret
door, elves are entitled to a check to detect it.
Luck: With their long lifespan, elves have ample opportunity
to practice their magic craft. At first level, an
elf’s Luck modifier applies to spell checks on one spell of
his choosing. That modifier does not change as the elf’s
Luck score changes.
Languages: At 1st-level, an elf automatically knows
Common, the elven racial language, and one other language.
An elf knows one additional language for every
point of Int modifier. Additional languages are randomly
determined as specified in Appendix L.
