Elf
Elven Upbringing
An elf not raised by or among their people may have different traits than those described below. If you wish to have a different upbringing for your character—an elf raised by halflings, for example—consult with the DM.
- Elf Weapon Training – Surface elves have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Reverie – Elves typically enter a state of meditation called reverie instead of sleeping. Under normal circumstances, an elf doesn’t need to sleep—though they can choose to do so—but they sleep when injured badly enough they lack the mental capacity to reach reverie. Reverie usually lasts for 4 hours. While meditating, an elf can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, an elf gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
A surface elf raised among their own kin will speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other cultures. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires. The written form of Elvish uses a flowing script called Espruar.
With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to most other humanoids. They tend to be more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Male and female surface elves are about the same height, with males often only marginally heavier than females.
Elves have no facial and little body hair. Surface elves favor elegant clothing in bright colors, and they enjoy simple yet lovely jewelry.
Elves of the Sword Coast
Elves in Faerûn come in a few different subtypes—some more common on the Sword Coast than others—and they each have different traits outlooks on the role their people play in the world. Elves are descended from creatures who left the realm of Feywild many thousands of years ago, but still bear with them some of that magical and otherworldly heritage.
Dark elves, also called drow, are rarely found on the surface of Faerûn, but two sizable populations have appeared on the Sword Coast in recent years.
Elf Names
Surface elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults sometime after their hundredth birthday, and before this period they are called by child names. On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name, although those who knew him or her as a youngster might continue to use the child name. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words. Some elves traveling among humans translate their family names into Common.
Child Names: Ara, Bryn, Del, Eryn, Faen, Innil, Lael, Mella, Naill, Naeris, Phann, Rael, Rinn, Sai, Syllin, Thia, Vall
Male Adult Names: Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Carric, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Himo, Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Theren, Varis
Female Adult Names: Adrie, Althaea, Anastrianna, Andraste, Antinua, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Drusilia, Enna, Felosial, Ielenia, Jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Lia, Meriele, Mialee, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Theirastra, Thia, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia
Family Names (Common Translations): Amakiir (Gemflower), Amastacia (Starflower), Galanodel (Moonwhisper), Holimion (Diamonddew), Ilphelkiir (Gemblossom), Liadon (Silverfrond), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Naïlo (Nightbreeze), Siannodel (Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal)
Elf Traits
An elf has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.
Age
Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. A surface elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.
Size
Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Their size is Medium.
Speed
An elf’s base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, surface elves have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. A surface elf can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. An elf can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Keen Senses
Elves have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey Ancestry
Elves have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put them to sleep.
Elf Subtype Traits
Moon Elf and Sun Elf
In the Sword Coast, the most common subtype of elves are the moon elves, who are generally seen as more friendly to the shorter-lived heritages than their sun elf and wood elf kin, but are often seen as flighty for their tendency to form only short attachments before moving on to their next relationship or experience.
A little less common than moon elves are sun elves, who are often viewed as arrogant and self-important by other cultures—including other elven subtypes—and they are far less likely to leave the beautiful and magical communities they’ve built for themselves than are moon elves.
Appearance
Moon elves, sometimes called silver elves, tend to be between 4½ and 5½ feet tall with fair skin ranging from light brown to white to pale blue, and silver, blue, or dark hair, though blond, brown, and red hair are also possible. Most have eyes in hues of green or blue, often flecked with gold.
Sun elves, sometimes called gold elves, tend to be a little taller than their moon elf counterparts—between 5 and 6 feet tall—with golden or bronze skin and blond, brown, or red hair. Most have eyes which are gold, silver, or black, though some also have green eyes.
Alignment
With an inquisitive and adventurous nature, moon elves tend to have a chaotic alignment.
More studied and staid than their moon elf kin, sun elves tend more toward neutral or lawful alignments.
Cantrip
Moon elves and sun elves know one cantrip of their choice from the arcane spell list; Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is their spellcasting ability for it, chosen at character creation.
Wood Elf
Wood elves seldom leave their woodland homes. They often view moon elves as too willing to embrace non-elven cultures, while sun elves are too rigid in their traditions. They consider both moon elves and sun elves to be dangerously arrogant with magic.
Appearance
Wood elves, sometimes called green elves, have the same height ranges as moon elves, skin ranging from ruddy copper to a greenish tinge, and hair which is red, brown, or black, and their eyes tend toward hazel, green, and brown.
Alignment
Because they reject the structured ways of the sun elves and prefer independent living in the wilds, wood elves tend toward neutral or chaotic alignments.
Fleet of Foot
A wood elf’s walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Mask of the Wild
A wood elf can attempt to hide even when only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.