Elves, elves, elves!
Time for Party #2: The Elves of Eytheranea. Keep the rules in mind:
- I've created these parties at 1st level, then leveled them up to 6th to take a snapshot of their progress.
- Each party is composed of four members, each of whom fills one of the traditional D&D roles. Each team has a fighter (note the lower-case "f"), a divine-magic-user, an arcane-magic-user and somebody who can deal with traps and locks.
- Each race's favored class is represented in its party.
The Party
Eytheranea Chase is an ancient elven protectorate that holds many secrets of natural and arcane magic. The vast forest is dotted with diverse elven settlements who have no central government, but who band together to keep the forest free for the traditional elven way of life. This means fighting encroachment by other powers (notably a neighboring human empire), joining together for self-defense when necessary, and maintaining careful diplomacy to keep the varied elven settlements in harmony with each other and with the land. The Elves of Eytheranea are a very loose collection of elves who dwell in the wild of the vast Eytheranea Chase, rather than in any particular settlement. As citizens of Eytheranea itself, they often find themselves traveling together to address mysteries and threats that involve the whole woodland. They are allies but not consistent teammates -- they usually operate alone, joining together only for common interests, and as a result they are not as close-knit as more organized parties that sleep, eat, fight and travel together everyday.
My thematic goal with the Elves of Erytheranea was to create a loose, character-oriented group designed for wilderness adventures. These characters have distinct personalities and lives outside of adventuring; at the risk of sexism, they remind me of the sort of characters that female gamers often prefer, in that they are individuals first and "adventurers" second. I designed them with the Ars Magica style of play in mind, where each story arc would take place years apart (with the intervening downtime spent on whatever tasks suit the individual characters). Mechanically, this a party with self-sufficient members that emphasizes stealth, mobility and situational control (battlefield control spells, high Spot checks and abilities that encourage creative tactical movement).
Members
Amalyen
Bio
Amalyen's talent for guerrilla combat was discovered in her adolescence when she volunteered to fight an (ultimately unsuccessful) battle against an encroaching human settlement. Her strong showing earned her years of training with elder defenders of the borderlands. Though other elves see her as a dedicated professional, her personal motives for her chosen task are uncompromising independence and unwillingness to submit to elven morality that values peace above freedom and pride. She prefers a self-sufficient, amoral life that permits her to live directly off of the land and to stalk her enemies without philosophy getting in the way. Amalyen is competent and habitually silent, traits that make her easier to work with than she would otherwise be; those who know her, though, eventually find her to be haughty, suspicious and frighteningly lacking in conscience. Because she is confrontational by nature, she sometimes turns on other elves and chooses sides quickly in disputes. Some fear that one day her aggressive independence will turn her against the loose elven community that she eschews yet is supposed to protect.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Amalyen is the group's martial character but also an archer, which is not a style that lends itself to toughness nor to high damage output. Instead, Amalyen is built to hit consistently, to defend herself through stealth and to support the whole party in combat. (The low stats that I rolled for her had something to do with all of this). At first level she's a straightforward archer with humans as a favored enemy, a choice that will serve her well through every encounter level. She is very effective at setting up ambushes and will be able to snipe effectively early on in her career; this will help her to get a head-start on damage. By 6th level she's got a great Hide score and the Woodland Archer tactical feat, which allow her to consistently hide while moving and shooting. Distracting Shot will also permit her to effectively flank 2 or 3 enemies at once if need be, helping her teammates to score hits against well-armored foes.
Level 1 Write-up
Ranger 1
Elf
Chaotic Neutral
HP: 8
AC: 16, 13 flat-footed, 13 touch
Initiative: +3
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 12
Dex: 16
Con 11
Int: 11
Wis: 12
Cha: 11
Fort: +2
Ref: +5
Will: +1
Skills:
Climb +5
Hide +7
Listen +7
Move Silently +7
Search +2
Spot +7
Survival +5
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -1
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Track
Class Features:
Wild Empathy
Favored Enemy: +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival and weapon damage checks against humans
Attacks:
Longbow +4 (1d8)
Longsword +2 (1d8+1)
Armor and Gear:
Studded Leather
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Level 6 Write-up
Ranger 6
Elf
Chaotic Neutral
HP: 30
AC: 18, 15 flat-footed, 13 touch
Initiative: +3
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 12
Dex: 17
Con 11
Int: 11
Wis: 12
Cha: 11
Fort: +5
Ref: +8
Will: +3
Skills:
Climb +10
Hide +12 (+17 with Cloak of Elvenkind)
Listen +12
Move Silently +12
Search +2
Spot +12
Survival +10
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -1
Feats: Able Sniper, Endurance, Manyshot, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Track, Woodland Archer
Attacks:
+1 Composite Longbow (STR +1) +10 (1d8+2) or +10/+5 (Full Attack)
Masterwork Longsword +8 (1d8+1) or +8/+3 (Full Attack)
Class Features:
Wild Empathy
Favored Enemy: +4 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival and weapon damage checks against humans. +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival and weapon damage checks against magical beasts.
Distracting Shot
Spells per day:
2 1st Level
Armor and Gear:
+1 Mithral Chain Shirt
Cloak of Elvenkind
Heward's Handy Haversack
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Galladren
Bio
Since childhood, Galladren has dreamed of traveling the world and has trained accordingly. While he spent most of his childhood living with his parents in a quiet fishing village, he spent the summers of his adolescence traveling alongside noted elven diplomats and messengers, helping them to gather vital intelligence from locations throughout and beyond the elven woods. Galladren long planned to become a traveling community leader like his greatest heroes. One summer, though, he met the druid Naiali in the depths of Eytheranea Chase; he fell in love with her on sight and resolved then to see her again. The next summer he left home as a lowly messenger, carrying messages between settlements and to a nearby gnome city in the hills. He now lives on the hospitality of his various patrons... including the druids, who have frequent call to employ a messenger. Galladren is a clever, brave and curious scout, but is very young (the equivalent of a human 17-year-old). He has a boy's innocence and lack of true confidence. He is easily awed, occasionally naive and unshakably goodhearted, especially to the humble folk of any race. (Note that my wife, the artist, objects to the face at left. I thought it captured the character really well, so I insisted on using it.)
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Galladren finds and disables traps for the group, but he has many other uses. He's got an excellent Spot score and is a potent secondary ranged attacker. In a relatively open wilderness environment, he should be able to remain mobile and continue scoring Skirmish damage for the length of most battles. His Scout functions are rounded out by Sense Motive, Hide and Knowledge: Geography. In general, he'll function as trap insurance, as a powerful harasser in combat and as the team's primary reconnaissance asset in both combat and non-combat situations. His high mobility will also help to achieve synergy with other teammates and to avoid being outdistanced in the open battlefields of the wilderness.
Level 1 Write-up
Scout 1
Elf
Chaotic Good
HP: 8
AC: 15, 12 flat-footed, 13 touch
Initiative: +3
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 11
Dex: 17
Con 10
Int: 13
Wis: 13
Cha: 13
Fort: +0
Ref: +5
Will: +1
Skills:
Disable Device +5
Hide +7
Knowledge: Geography +5
Listen +3
Move Silently +7
Search +7
Sense Motive +5
Spot +7
Tumble +7
Survival +5
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): 0
Feats: Dodge
Class Features:
Skirmish +1d6
Trapfinding
Attacks:
Longbow +3 (1d8)
Longsword +0 (1d8)
Armor and Gear:
Leather Armor
Thieves' Tools
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Gnome
Level 6 Write-up
Scout 6
Elf
Chaotic Good
HP: 30
AC: 19, 15 flat-footed, 14 touch
Initiative: +5 (+4 when wearing medium or heavier armor)
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 11
Dex: 18
Con 10
Int: 13
Wis: 13
Cha: 13
Fort: +3 (+2 when wearing medium or heavier armor)
Ref: +9
Will: +3
Skills:
Disable Device +10
Hide +12
Knowledge: Geography +6
Listen +7
Move Silently +12
Search +12
Sense Motive +10
Spot +12 (+17 with Eyes of the Eagle)
Tumble +12
Survival +10
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -1
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Shot on the Run
Attacks:
+1 Longbow +9 (1d8+1)
Masterwork Longsword +5 (1d8)
Class Features:
Trapfinding
Skirmish +2d6, +1 AC
Battle Fortitude +1 (Factored into stats)
Fast Movement +10 ft. (40 ft. total speed)
Trackless Step
Evasion
Flawless Stride
Armor and Gear:
+1 Chain Shirt
Eyes of the Eagle
Masterwork Thieve's Tools
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Gnome
Mallona
Bio
Mallona is an intellectual poet who has dedicated her life to the sacred arts of elven culture. Though she is a poet first, she takes the long view of her art that is typical of elves; she believes that she must pursue a wide variety of interests to descry the true pattern of existence that leads to great art. She is trained as a wizard, seeing arcane magic as mental exercise and as a way to attune herself to the natural world (for this reason, she has a special affinity for elemental magic). Mallona carries herself with the almost-palpable dignity of her millennia-long heritage; she is, in appearance and personality, the quintessential elf. Though Mallona is very intelligent, she is by not purely cerebral. She is a passionate person who longs to learn the secrets of the natural world, which is why she spends most of her time in secluded study in her cabin in the woods. Mallona practices swordplay nearly as avidly as magic and has the peculiar sensual love of the duel that is unique to elves; speaking of sensuality, she's also free with romantic love in a way that only other elves can appreciate. Though she's not much for politics, Mallona cares about Eytheranea Chase and relishes the chance to join with other exceptional elves on occasion to defend it or to plumb its mysteries.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Mallona is a wizard/fighter, a tough archetype to build in D&D. She required me to dig much deeper into non-core sourcebooks than is my usual practice. She starts as a very unremarkable wizard with an Intelligence of only 14 (I rolled horrible stats for her, just about the worst possible set that doesn't permit a reroll). As she levels, she gains combat proficiency, melee feats and levels of wizard spellcasting, until at 6th level she strikes a potent balance between 2nd-level arcane spells and combat prowess almost worthy of a single-class fighter. The idea is that Mallona can support the team and control the battlefield using her spells, then use the leftovers to buff herself and dive into melee. Typically a team's melee specialist is its primary fighter, but because each member of this team is self-sufficient, Mallona isn't obligated to be a full-time tank. She can inflict decent damage and hit reliably while still casting spells that are useful at her character level; notably, she can cast True Strike and then take a full Power Attack, hitting reliably and doing lots of extra damage. This gets even better once she picks up Leap Attack. Unfortunately for the purposes of this project, Mallona doesn't really take off mechanically until 7th level, when she qualifies to take a level of Spellsword. After that she switches to Abjurant Champion from Complete Mage. Those two prestige classes both grant full BAB progression and wizard spellcasting; Mallona will gain a level of wizard spellcasting and a +1 BAB every level from 7 through 12, in addition to picking up lots of neat magical abilities and gaining the ability to ignore her mithral shirt's Arcane Spell Failure chance. Finally, I took a Wand of Knock just because no one on the team has Open Lock. I don't envision it coming up much in a wilderness campaign, but you want your bases covered.
Level 1 Write-up
Mallona
Wizard 1 (Elf Substitution level from Races of the Wild)
Elf
Chaotic Good
HP: 4
AC: 12, 10 flat-footed, 12 touch
Initiative: +2
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 13
Dex: 15
Con 10
Int: 14
Wis: 10
Cha: 10
Fort: +0
Ref: +2
Will: +2
Skills:
Concentration +4
Knowledge: Arcana +6
Knowledge: Nature +6
Listen +4
Search +4
Spellcraft +6
Spot +4 (+7 in bright light)
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): 0
Feats: Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll
Attacks:
Longsword +1 (1d8+1)
Shortbow +2 (1d6)
Spells: 3 0-Level per day, 3 1-Level per day
Spellbook:
0-Level Spells:
All
1-Level Spells:
Burning Hands
Mage Armor
Mount
Obscuring Mist
Sleep
True Strike
Familiar: Iatha the hawk (Alertness bonus figured into stats, Spot bonus in bright light noted with Skills)
Armor and Gear:
None
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Sylvan
Draconic
Level 6 Write-up
Mallona
Elf Paragon 3, Fighter 1, Wizard 2 (In order: Wizard (Elf substitution level), Fighter, Wizard, Elf, Elf, Elf)
Elf
Chaotic Good
HP: 31
AC: 17, 15 flat-footed, 12 touch
Initiative: +2
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below, some enhanced by Elf Paragon levels):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +4 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see three times as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, +4 to Search and Spot
Str: 14
Dex: 15
Con 10
Int: 16
Wis: 10
Cha: 10
Fort: +3
Ref: +5
Will: +4
Skills:
Concentration +6
Hide +4
Jump +10
Knowledge: Arcana +9
Knowledge: Nature +8
Listen +2
Move Silently +4
Search +5
Spellcraft +9
Spot +4 (+7 in bright light)
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): 0
Feats: Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll, Improved Toughness, Power Attack, Weapon Focus: Longsword, Leap Attack
Attacks:
+1 Longsword +8 (1d8+3 or 1d8+4 two-handed)
+1 Longbow (STR +2) +7 (1d8+3)
Spells: 4 0-Level per day, 4 1-Level per day, 4 2-Level per day
Spellbook: 3
0-Level Spells:
All
1-Level Spells:
Burning Hands
Mage Armor
Magic Weapon
Mount
Obscuring Mist
Shield
Shocking Grasp
Sleep
True Strike
2-Level Spells:
Bull's Strength
Cat's Grace
Gust of Wind
Invisibility
Resist Energy
Scorching Ray
Web
Whispering Wind
Arcane Spell Failure: 10%
Familiar: Iatha the hawk (Alertness bonus figured into stats, Spot bonus in bright light noted with Skills)
Armor and Gear:
+1 Mithral Shirt
Wand of Knock (25 Charges)
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Sylvan
Draconic
Naiala
Bio
Naiala was born into one of the worst famines ever to strike Eytheranea Chase. As was the custom during times of famine and drought, her parents gave her to one of the druids that inhabited the deepest reaches of the forest. Unlike other children given to druids to raise, Naiala took to the druid lifestyle easily and has never desired to return to society; after her mother/mentor died, Naiala lived alone for years before even the other druids discovered her presence. Naiala exudes serenity and keen perception. She seems to intuitively understand everything that happens around her, giving her a natural kinship to all living things. Despite her powerful presence and dark beauty, she is painfully shy; in most cases, she'll literally run away if forced to interact with a stranger. Naiala's shyness isn't so extreme with other elves who live in the woods, including other druids, rangers, etc. Naiala embodies a sense of natural benevolence. She is no crusader, but tends to the welfare of other beings with the same concern that she applies to her extensive garden and to the animals that inhabit it.
Full-Body Illustration
Mechanics
Naiala is a pretty sub-optimal druid, but druids are potent enough to get away with weak builds. She's not built for offense, so she simply uses shortspears for both ranged and melee combat. He strength is in her spellcasting -- due to her high Wisdom -- and her high AC. Because the party has no cleric, Naiala will serve primarily as a healer, supporting the party with spells and miscellaneous combat support when her healing isn't needed. As Naiala levels, she becomes a more well-rounded character thanks to Wild Shape (which will make her a powerful melee combatant), her animal companion (who can aid in combat while Naiala is otherwise occupied) and the Spontaneous Healer Feat (which will allow her to memorize non-healing spells with confidence that she can still cure when necessary). Her saves and her spell save DC are also exceptionally high, making her a surer bet against single, tough opponents than her teammates.
Level 1 Write-up
Druid 1
Elf
Neutral Good
HP: 8
AC: 17, 14 flat-footed, 13 touch
Initiative: +3
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 8
Dex: 16
Con 10
Int: 12
Wis: 17
Cha: 9
Fort: +2
Ref: +3
Will: +5
Skills:
Concentration +4
Handle Animal +3
Heal +7
Knowledge (Religion) +3
Listen +5
Search +3
Spot +5
Survival +7
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -2
Feats: Spell Focus: Transmutation
Class Features:
Nature Sense
Wild Empathy
Spells per Day:
0 Level - 3
1 Level - 2
Attacks:
Shortspear (melee) -1 (1d8-1)
Shortspear (thrown) +3 (1d8-1)
Armor and Gear:
Leather Armor
Large Wooden Shield
4 Shortspears
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Sylvan
Druidic
Level 6 Write-up
Druid 6
Elf
Neutral Good
HP: 30
AC: 20, 17 flat-footed, 13 touch
Initiative: +3
Racial Abilities (all bonuses factored into totals below):
Immune to magic sleep effects, +2 to save vs. enchantment spells and effects
Low-Light Vision; see twice as far as humans in low light
Proficient with longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow
+2 to Listen, Search and Spot
Str: 8
Dex: 16
Con 10
Int: 12
Wis: 20 (18 +2 from Periapt of Wisdom)
Cha: 9
Fort: +5
Ref: +5
Will: +10
Skills:
Concentration +9
Diplomacy +3
Handle Animal +8
Heal +10
Knowledge (Religion) +5
Listen +12
Search +8
Spot +12
Survival +14
Armor Check Penalty (not applied above): -2
Feats: Spell Focus: Transmutation, Scribe Scroll, Spontaneous Healer
Class Features:
Nature Sense
Wild Empathy
Woodland Stride
Trackless Step
Resist Nature's Lure
Wild Shape 2/day
Spells per Day:
0 Level - 5
1 Level - 4
2 Level - 4
3 Level - 3
Animal Companion: Korik the black bear (this tougher-than-usual animal companion reduces Naiala's effective Druid level by two for purposes of companion special abilities)
Attacks:
Shortspear (melee) +3 (1d8-1)
Shortspear (thrown) +7 (1d8-1)
In melee, Naiala usually wildshapes into a panther (use the leopard stat block), providing these attacks:
Bite +6 (1d6+3)
2 claws +1 (1d3+1)
Rake +6 (1d3+1) (must first hit with bite, then successfully grapple)
(Note that panthers can pounce; if Naiala charges an opponent, she can attack with her bite and both claws at the end of the charge)
Armor and Gear:
+1 Hide Armor
+1 large darkwood shield
Periapt of Wisdom (+2)
Speaks:
Common
Elven
Sylvan
Druidic
The Elven Party Overall: Pros and Cons
Elves tend to be all-around characters, which makes it both easy and difficult to construct a party full of them. On the one hand, the character lack the weaknesses typical of their classes; the wizard can wield a longsword in a pinch, the fighter can detect secret doors, the cleric is nimbler than his class would indicate, etc. On the other hand, it's tough to minmax. Each character is bound to have some racial abilities that don't help her. In sum, the elven party is a collection of discrete characters who are well-rounded in themselves rather than functioning as a seamless group. I tried to capture that dynamic both thematically and mechanically with the Elves of Eytharanea.
Dexterity is a very useful Ability and it serves as the greatest strength of an elven party. The boost to AC and ranged attack are both very useful at low level. A high Dexterity has the side-effect of making light armor more appealing even for martial characters, which in turn keeps the party mobile. None of the Elves of Eytharanea Chase have a speed under 30 ft., which is a major asset to an outdoors party. Against a force of dwarves, gnomes or heavily armored humans, this party would be impossible to escape if they were winning and very difficult to catch if they were losing an engagement. Ranged combat is another of the party's strengths, due not only to high Dexterity but to the elven proficiency with the longbow. Finally, it's important to note than none of these characters are screwed if caught without backup, yet they synchronize very nicely due to their ability to use tactical positioning. This permits them full use of their mobility, stealth and ranged offense; they don't have to worry about sticking close together when it's not advantageous.
The most glaring weakness of the elven party is its dearth of hit points. -2 to Con hurts any character, but it is particularly rough on wizards (who have too few HP to begin with) and martial characters (who are expected to absorb punishment so that their teammates don't have to). If the Elves of Eytheranea Chase were pinned down as a group and somehow prevented from evading attack (through stealth, distance, etc.) they would have a difficult time surviving the damage output of level-appropriate enemies. The other weakness of this party is excessive overlap. All of the characters have nature-related skills, stealth abilities and Feats blown on combat effectiveness; no character is able to focus exclusively on one of the classic adventuring party roles, with the result that they aren't as good at their primary roles as character of other races would be. Partly this is due to elven racial abilities, which can become redundant quickly. Characters with martial weapon proficiency gain only +1 to AC, +1 to ranged attacks and some other minor bonuses from choosing elf as a race. Those bonuses don't scale with level and become irrelevant later, whereas the race's Constitution penalty continues to cost an elf 1 hit point every level for the duration of her adventuring career.
Overall, the Elves of Eytheranea Chase are a very flexible party capable of dealing with a wide variety of encounters. They would be an exceptionally fun party to play because each character has a distinct personality and skill set, yet each character has something to do in any encounter. Though none of them have the kind of raw power than one can wring out of more specialized races, the party can make up the difference by adapting to environmental circumstances; they are probably at their weakest in a standard dungeon crawl where the environment offers few options. They party's greatest overall strength is one of playability. The point of this project was to create groups where each player can play his character without being constrained by the other PCs. Each member of this party can stay perfectly true to character without diminishing the effectiveness of the unit, a major but intangible achievement.
