[RPG] How to create a D&D 3.5 player character race for Poison Elves

character-creationdnd-3.5e

The Poison Elves of Drew Hayes' comic book series differ in several significant ways from their D&D counterparts:

  • they are immune to poison (although they can still develop an addiction and suffer the side effects of withdrawal)
  • they are mostly immune to disease (although this resistance is lessened in the middle-aged and elderly elves)
  • they have big, pointy ears (presumably only a cosmetic difference)
  • many Poison Elves (Luse in particular) have not had the sylvan upbringing that is typically assumed of the High Elves, Wood Elves, and other varieties of D&D elf. Rather, they spend their entire lives in human cities, avoiding the outdoors as much as possible.

I think that they would make a great player character (or NPC) race, but I'm having a few problems translating these qualities into D&D 3.5 mechanics. The biggest problem is what Level Adjustment would be appropriate, and whether or not to water down "immunity" to a large saving throw bonus (thereby reducing the ECL of Poison Elf characters).

Best Answer

As my copy of savage species is absent, I'll be using the variant race rules from Unearthed Arcana and some inspiration from Races of Destiny.

The first task is to find an urbanized elf. While they don't exist, the various guidelines from the terrain/environmental races is useful, and basically says "exchange abilities for equal value."

The Elf is:

+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.

Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass elf’s wizard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

A con penalty doesn't seem appropriate for a "poison resistant" race. So we'll swap out con for -2 strength.

Base speed is fine.

We'll trade immunity to magic sleep effects and +2 racial against enhancment for:

"Immunity to nonmagical poison and poison effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against magic poison, and all kinds of disease."

Drop the weapon proficiency line, due to the scope of the posion versus sleep. (Force the player to take a class/burn a feat for that like everyone else)

And I think it's quite fair as a race. Useful for those who want to use poison, but not horribly broken unless designed that way, and certainly no more broken than most other elves.

Poison Elf:

+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.

Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Elf base land speed is 30 feet.

Immunity to nonmagical poison and poison effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against magic poison, and all kinds of disease.

Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A poison elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.

Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan.

Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass posion elf takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count. The huge diversity of experience in cities have broadened the Poison Elves traditions relative to their more focused forest cousins.

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