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Giant Snake
Seeker
74 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Nov 2023 : 17:29:02
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Are these rare for anyone else to have in their party? I feel like being a Wood Elf gives you a lot more freedom to be your own character without necessarily being a renegade. I think they’re a lot of fun. A good story with the hidden elf village as opposed to a hidden kingdom lends itself well to some more relatable wood elves. What do you think about them for your next character?
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3740 Posts |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
74 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2023 : 06:07:59
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| I think they’re capable of being heroic and ideal but they are also relatable because they’re a little more expressive. If I’m not mistaken, they’re not only deep in the forests but sometimes they live near settlements of Men too. It is sort of hard to imagine the more refined elves getting black out drunk every night (for all those who got started with Tolkien before moving on to FR). |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2470 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2023 : 06:41:30
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| I haven't played one, but that's because I'm cursed to be an eternal DM. My brother, on the other hand, played a wood elf ranger once. He had a concept in mind (he wanted to play a Legolas-esque character). |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
74 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2023 : 16:11:15
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I don’t know if you guys have used 5etools but it is so great for helping you balance the game. I have always been the kind to have character first, game second. So if you make a non-optimized character it doesn’t matter, because the tools site balances your encounters around what you have. You’re then challenging the players within the context of the encounter instead of what’s on the paper.
What I would like to see is the party sets out from the wood elf kingdom or village and the cities of Men are then presented in a new light. If doing a one-shot it could be something as simple as slaying a monster that has moved in to the woods. |
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Irennan
Great Reader
Italy
3805 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2023 : 17:23:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I haven't played one, but that's because I'm cursed to be an eternal DM.
Same. If I ever got the chance to play (which is unlikely, since no one in my group seems to be even remotely interested in DM-ing), I'd make a witchy, woodsy elf kind of character. Well, I'd actually prefer to play as a dryad of sorts, but a wood elf would be close enough if dryads were off the table. |
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. |
Edited by - Irennan on 09 Nov 2023 17:34:09 |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2419 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2023 : 17:23:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Giant Snake
Where have all the wood Elves gone
In the woods. 
quote:
I feel like being a Wood Elf gives you a lot more freedom to be your own character without necessarily being a renegade.
I suspect Wood Elves suffer the same problems as the original joke class and some other specialists. Such characters sound like a fine concept, but either they belong in the specific campaign (in a group with more than 1 ranger or druid, etc), or it risks to turn into a lose/lose/lose deal.
In the woods they are supposed to be too good, the character gets to run circles around everyone else.
Elsewhere, fish out of water. Which is apt to cause attention-grabbing even if not intended at all. If that's played up, the result will resemble that old /tg/ horror story about a player who first insisted on bringing druid character into city campaign, and then tried to walk around butt-nekkid. Elves are already widely disliked for being the most common choice for Speshul Snowflakes.
And if not played as mostly-savage, this will be a purely decorative attribute, which is both boring and looks like a failed attempt at attention-seeking.
quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I haven't played one, but that's because I'm cursed to be an eternal DM. My brother, on the other hand, played a wood elf ranger once. He had a concept in mind (he wanted to play a Legolas-esque character).
Also, this. In small and/or sane circles it may be amusing, but...
Drizzt clones get more infamy, sure, but every time a LOTR movie was released, the great and terrible Legolas clone factory spun up. The terrible stories are still told about the World of Warcraft expansion with blond elves, immediately followed by Legolas and Sephiroth clone infestation.  |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
74 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2023 : 17:53:38
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| There is no class to save a character from an unimaginative or edgy player. In that case it is even more of a good thing to have a derivative character who follows the archetype. Archetypes aren’t a bad thing. A good player can do well with the most plain backstory. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11798 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2023 : 15:07:58
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Where have all the wood elves gone?
Well, they usually "go" behind a tree that has big broad leaves... but leaves that are suitable for wiping... though some have been successfully house trained. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Azar
Master of Realmslore
1308 Posts |
Posted - 01 Dec 2023 : 09:15:18
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| I was contemplating creating a Wood Elf priestess of Lady Goldheart. Hm...wasn't Aribeth part Wood Elf? |
Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Earth names in the Realms are more common than you may think. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 01 Dec 2023 : 22:54:58
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| When I think of Wood Elves I think of the elf Crow from the old movie Hawk the Slayer. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Azar
Master of Realmslore
1308 Posts |
Posted - 02 Dec 2023 : 03:28:46
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They are probably the second most approachable Elf offshoot, right after Moon Elves. If I had to rank The Children of Corellon in terms of their affability towards the N-Tel-Quess, it would go something like the following ->
- Moon Elves (canonically, they are noted as being the most likely to mingle with Humans).
- Wood Elves (they are not as proud as Sun Elves, but they prefer the seclusion of ancient forests).
- Sun Elves (they openly believe in their superiority, yet they are still basically good and often encountered in the lands that Moon Elves frequent).
- Aquatic Elves (more because of their environment than actual attitude).
- Avariel (they are highly reclusive in general).
- Drow (keep away, lest you become a slave, sacrifice or target practice).
Sun Elves and Aquatic Elves can easily be swapped. |
Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Earth names in the Realms are more common than you may think. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2419 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2023 : 01:26:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Azar
If I had to rank The Children of Corellon in terms of their affability towards the N-Tel-Quess, it would go something like the following ->
- Moon Elves (canonically, they are noted as being the most likely to mingle with Humans).
- Wood Elves (they are not as proud as Sun Elves, but they prefer the seclusion of ancient forests).
- Sun Elves (they openly believe in their superiority, yet they are still basically good and often encountered in the lands that Moon Elves frequent).
- Aquatic Elves (more because of their environment than actual attitude).
- Avariel (they are highly reclusive in general).
- Drow (keep away, lest you become a slave, sacrifice or target practice).
Sun Elves and Aquatic Elves can easily be swapped.
Depends on where. And exactly with whom.
With the gnomes? Maybe.
With the humans, the Wood Elves most often interact via projectile weapons. They don't initiate contact, and when it's initiated by the other side, it's on their territory and immediately provokes territorial behaviour. There are odd groups of humans who get along with them much better than the average. But typically the relations are non-existent or poor.
Avariel? They avoid even other elves, as a rule. They may be more "approachable" for the aaracokra or giant eagles, but that's about it.
Drow? Most won't respect anyone outside either way, of course. And remain opportunistic backstabbers. but they trade with anyone, including creatures who would eat them just as eagerly. Now, there are not many humans willing to take the risks involved, and even less of anyone else (except other Underdark dwellers) put together, but it's another problem. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Azar
Master of Realmslore
1308 Posts |
Posted - 06 Dec 2023 : 10:29:21
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quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder
With the humans, the Wood Elves most often interact via projectile weapons. They don't initiate contact, and when it's initiated by the other side, it's on their territory and immediately provokes territorial behaviour. There are odd groups of humans who get along with them much better than the average. But typically the relations are non-existent or poor.
I may be off the mark here, but official sources gave me the impression that they're not big on xenophobic attitudes or flaunting superiority compared to certain cousins of theirs. Plus, they tend to get along with Humans (the respectful kind, anyhow) about as well as their lunar kin.
quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder
Drow ... they trade with anyone, including creatures who would eat them just as eagerly.
That is a willingness contingent on the ability of the other party to defend itself; they will "negotiate" (stacking the deck in the process) if naked opposition is too costly a price, but they will happily seize by force in the event predicted losses are minimal to nonexistent. |
Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Earth names in the Realms are more common than you may think. |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
74 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2023 : 00:43:12
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| They seem quite brave to me for the most part. |
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Azar
Master of Realmslore
1308 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2023 : 13:19:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Giant Snake
They seem quite brave to me for the most part.
I wonder if there is a preponderance of Wood Elves in Deepingdale: tied to nature, but knowing little of wider politics. |
Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Earth names in the Realms are more common than you may think. |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
74 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2023 : 11:29:16
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| If there is a consistent point about them it’s their contempt for the outside world’s disputes. Unless maybe there is some bigger woodland realm type situation somewhere. |
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Where have all the wood Elves gone
