ELF

Elves are often considered flighty or frivolous, and this is the case when they do not believe a matter to be of import. They concern themselves with the natural beauty around them, dancing and frolicking, playing and singing unless necessity dictates otherwise. Because elves love nature, they are not fond of ships or mines, but of growing things and the lands under the sky. They do not make friends easily, but friend or enemy is never forgotten. 

Their humor is clever, as are their songs and poetry. Elves are brave but never foolhardy. They feast, but eat sparingly, drink mead and wine, but seldom become drunk from excesses. While they find well wrought jewelry a pleasure to behold, they are not overly interested in money or gain. Magic fascinates elves, however, and if they have a weakness it lies in this desire. If elves tend towards haughtiness and arrogance at times, they are not inclined to regard their friends and associates as anything other than equals.

Elven player characters are considered to be high elves, the most common sort of elf.

A character of elven stock can opt to be a fighter (maximum of 7th level), a magic-user (maximum of 11th level), a thief, or an assassin (maximum of 10th level). An elven character can also be multi-classed, i.e. a fighter/magic-user, a fighter/thief, a magic-user/thief, or a fighter/magic-user/thief.

If the character is multi-classed, the following restrictions and strictures apply: Although able to operate freely with the benefits of armor, weapons, and magical items available to the classes the character is operating in, any thieving is restricted to the armor and weaponry usable by the thief class. All earned experience is always divided equally among the classes of the character, even though the character is no longer able to gain levels in one or more of the classes.

These creatures are able to operate in two or more classes simultaneously, so fighter/clerics, for example, are possible. Note also that the level of proficiency may vary between the two or more classes one of these creatures is capable of performing in. They have only a loose social structure based on independent bands which owe allegiance to an overlord (duke, princess, king or queen). (MM, p.39)

[High] elves are slim of build and pale complected. Their hair is dark, and their eyes are green. Their garb is typically pastel and of blue or green or violet (but often covered by a greenish gray cloak). (MM, p.39)

Elven characters have a 90% resistance to sleep and charm spells, (if these spells are cast upon them a percentile dice roll of 91% or better is required to allow the magic any chance of having an effect, and even then the saving throw against spells is allowed versus the charm spell).

Secret or concealed doors are difficult to hide from elves. Merely passing within 10-ft. of the latter makes an elven character 16⅔% (1 in 6) likely to notice it. If actively searching for such doors, elven characters are 33⅓% (2 in 6) likely to find a secret door and 50% likely (3 in 6) to discover a concealed portal.

If alone and not in metal armor (or if well in advance — 90-ft. or more — of a party which does not consist entirely of elves and/or halflings) an elven character moves so silently that he or she will surprise (q.v.) monsters 66⅔% (d6, 1 through 4) of the time unless some portal must be opened in order to confront the monster. In the latter case the chance for surprise drops to 33⅓% (d6, 1-2).

Elves have the ability to see into the infra-red spectrum, so they are able to see up to 60-ft. in darkness, noting varying degrees of heat radiation.

When employing either a bow of any sort other than a crossbow, or a short or longsword, elven characters gain a bonus of +1 on their die rolls “to hit”.

As has been shown previously, elven characters add a bonus of +1 to their initial Dexterity score. Likewise, as elves are not as sturdy as humans, they deduct 1 from their initial Constitution score.

All elven characters are able to speak the following languages in addition to that of their chosen alignment: elvish, gnome, halfling, goblin, hobgoblin, orcish, gnoll, and the “common tongue” of mankind. Elven characters of above 15 Intelligence are able to learn one additional language for every point of Intelligence over 15, i.e. a character with an 18 Intelligence score could learn three additional languages.

Chance Of Hearing Noise: 3 in 20 (15%)

The composition of a band of elves by weaponing is given below: (They are usually in scale, ring, or chain mail, and most carry shields.) sword and bow (10%), sword and spear (20%), sword (20%), two-handed sword (5%), spear (30%), bow (15%)

Although elves do not favor horses, certain bands of elves will have female fighters who will be mounted on unicorns, although this is rare (5%) and only from 10-30 of such warrior elfmaids are typically encountered.

Gray Elf (Faerie): These noble elves are the rarest and most powerful of their kind. They are more intelligent than other sorts (+1 on dice roll for Intelligence), and those few with supra-genius abilities can become wizards. They are very reclusive, live in isolated meadowlands, and never associate with any other humanoids, other than elves, for long — or with frequency. They usually are armored with chain mail and shield, and all carry swords. Grey elves often (50%) have hippogriffs as steeds (70%) or actually use griffons (3-12) as guards/mounts (30%). They speak the same languages as do high elves. Grey elves have either silver hair and amber eyes or pale golden hair and violet eyes. The latter sort are generally called faeries. They favor white, yellow, silver, or gold garments. Their cloaks are often deep blue or purple. They live beyond the age of 1,500 years.

Wood Elf: Sometimes called sylvan elves, these creatures are very reclusive and generally (75%) avoid all contact. Wood elves are more neutral than are other elves. They are unusually strong for elves (add +1 to all [Strength] die rolls, treating 19 as 18), but they are not quite as intelligent (treat 18 Intelligence as 17). They usually wear studded leather or ring mail (armor class 6) and fully 50% of any band is equipped with bows. Only 20% carry swords. 40% of wood elves use spears. The lair of a band of wood elves is usually (70%) guarded by 2-8 giant owls (80%) or by 1-6 giant lynx (20%). They live in primaeval forests and distant woodlands. Wood elves speak only elvish and the languages of certain woods animals and treants. Their complexions are fair, their hair is yellow to coppery red and their eyes are light brown, light green, or hazel. They wear russets, reds, brown and tans. Their cloaks are usually green or greenish brown. Wood elves have a life span of centuries.