Candlekeep Forum
Candlekeep Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Active Polls | Members | Private Messages | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Forgotten Realms Journals
 General Forgotten Realms Chat
 Realms Sub-Races as Characters (ala "Races of")
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Next Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic
Page: of 2

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2018 :  02:25:23  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Inspired by the Races of Stone/Destiny/the Wild, I thought I'd cover the sub-races of the core races of the Realms, including classes from other 3.5 Edition sources. To start with, here are Elf sub-races, starting with Aquatic Elves.

Barbarian: This class isn't quite as common among the aquatic fair folk as they are among terrestrial elves, and even so they are rare among them too. Those who do are from isolated cells or individuals of their kind who have deviated from the more regimented military of their kind to a more savage and bloodthirsty demeanor. Still, giving their ability score modifications, this race-class combination can work, and would most likely utilize the class's rage ability with a trident or more powerful aquatic-oriented weapon for considerable damage.
Bard: Bards are common amongst the Alu-tel-quessir, being one of the most common arcane spellcasting among their kind. Many - if not all - who do take the Sunken Song feat (Stormwrack). They usually utilize bardic instruments such as bells, drums made from waterproof materials or horns made from the shells of marine gastropods. Aquatic Elf Bards mainly focus on spells to shore up what their divine spellcasting counterparts may lack. For that matter, the Sublime Chord prestige class (Complete Arcane) is somewhat common to further compensate.
Beguiler:
Cleric: This is the most common spellcasting class amongst the Aquatic Elves. Practically all priests among their kind worship Deep Sashelas, their patron deity. Though they already can breathe water, many take the Ocean domain for the spells and the representation of their life. Spell-wise, they mostly focus on healing spells and spells that shore up their martial prowess.
Dragon Shaman: This is not overly common among Aquatic Elves, but those who do adopt this class likely revere Bronze Dragons but are generally Neutral Good in alignment, since this species live around the oceans they call home. While Black Dragons do have aquatic traits, they prefer marshes instead of oceans as well as being evil in nature, so their influence on this race is minimum if even existent. If the DM permits, any other aquatic- or ocean-themed dragon from other sources may be utilized.
Druid: Next to the Cleric, this the second most common spellcaster class for the Alu-Tel'quessir. These individuals consider themselves protectors of the sea. Almost all use aquatic or amphibious Animal Companions, and gravitate towards prestige classes like the Wavekeeper (Stormwrack) and the Waverider (Savage Species). Spell-wise, they focus on spells their other divine and arcane counterparts lack, and utilize damaging spells that can use underwater to cause cold, electricity or sonic damage.
Fighter: Being one of the most martial-oriented subraces of Elf, Aquatic Elf Fighters are one of the most common occurrences of all Elves. What they generally lack in usable armor, they make up for in bonuses to AC from dexterity as well as magic spells or items that supply deflection, natural armor and other bonuses. The most common weapons utilized include tridents, spears and various other piercing weapons. If the DM has Stormwrack and permits, they may allow them to commonly utilize aquatic longbows (Stormwrack). Aquatic elf fighters usually take fighter bonus feats that can be used underwater, namely many feats from Stormwrack.
Ranger: This is the second-most common class among the Alu-Tel-Quessir. These individuals act as scouts and skirmishers for their kind as well as fierce protectors of the oceans they call home. Like Aquatic Elf Druids, this race/class combo prefers the to utilize aquatic or amphibious animal companions. As far as Combat Styles, this gets a bit tricky, however. More than likely, they utilize the ranged combat style, utilizing a spear-like weapon that can easily be thrown, or (if the DM permits the use of Stormwrack) Aquatic Longbows. Concerning Favored Enemies, Monstrous Humanoids or the Aquatic subtype are the most popular, since they apply to their archenemies, the Sahuagin. Otherwise, they choose types of other vile creatures that threaten their existence, namely Abberations, Magical Beasts, Giants (because of Merrow and Scrags) or Undead (since there are numerous types of aquatic undead and even some non-aquatic varieties are unaffected by water). As far as prestige classes, one might expect the Beastmaster (Complete Adventurer), the Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape) or the Foe Hunter (Masters of the Wild) are common in occurance.
Rogue:
Sorcerer: Sorcerers are the second-most common arcane spellcasters among the Aquatic Elves, in part due to no need for a spellbook and due to the lack of ability penalties associated with spellcasting for this class. Those who do take up this class may claim heritage from Celestials, Outsiders of the Water subtype, aquatic Fey or aquatic Dragons. Almost all spells they use are ones that can be utilized underwater, especially the Water descriptor, though if they use spells of the Fire descriptor, it's likely in conjunction with the Steam Magic feat (Stormwrack). Those who take more activity by the surface (likely using feats, spells or wondrous items to help them breathe air) would possibly take up the Sea Witch or Stormcaster prestige classes (both from Stormwrack), but otherwise might take up the Elemental Savant prestige class (Complete Arcane) and favor the Water type above all else.
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard: This class is rare if even heard of among the Alu-Tel-Quessir. One of the biggest drawbacks to wizardry among them is the need for a spellbook, and most spellbooks aren't waterproof. Their racial penalty to Intelligence also hinders progression in this class. Those rare few who do take up this class likely act as sages and creators of arcane items for others of their race. Still, the latter services are just as likely if not more commonly acquired through trade with other races.
Wu-Jen: This class is unheard of amongst the Aquatic Elves. The player or DM would need a unique background for such. Like Wizards, there is the issue of spellbooks as well.
More to come.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 28 May 2020 02:32:25

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 26 Jul 2018 :  13:48:08  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Just to throw out there, we all think of things in terms of "oh, that's from there"... for instance, the Wu-Jen. Many of us go "oh, that has to be oriental". However, I could definitely see water focused wu-jen amongst the aquatic elves. Essentially, a wu-jen is just a type of elementalist, except that they see metal and wood instead of air. For an underwater race, a lack of focus on air as an element may even make more sense.

I'm also surprised, why don't you list monk and paladin in the above? In an underwater environment, I could see monk arts (more in the form of wrestling, pressure points, etc.. mind you) very much coming into play.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2020 :  21:51:52  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Been meaning to revive this at some point. I'll fill in some details I missed where and when possible. For now, here's the next in line.

Avariel (AKA Winged Elf)
Barbarian: This class is rather rare for the Aril-Tel-Quessir. Though the race lives in isolated pockets, they are still far too civilized amongst themselves to produce said individuals at large. Those who have this class are individuals further isolated, and though the penalty to Constitution is off-putting, this race/class combo can work if done right. Avariel Barbarians likely utilize thrown weapons alongside the Brutal Throw feat (Complete Warrior) or reach weapons and feats for attacking while flying. Since Barbarians utilize lighter armor (if any at all) than other classes, this can make said class more appealing for melee combat.
Bard: The Avariel do have a strong arcane tradition like many other sub-races of Elf, as well as a love of elegant art and song, so Bards are not unheard of. Those who take up this class tend to utilize their class abilities to supplement other classes, namely their Bardic Music and Bardic Knowledge. As far as skills besides Perform, Avariel Bards likely utilize dialogue skills as well as Knowledge skills and skills involving the understanding or using of magic items. Outside of adventuring, Avariel Bards often act as artisans, entertainers, teachers and sages amongst their kind.
Cleric: This is the favored class of the Winged Elves, and a strong tradition within their culture. In fact, two notable individuals of this race have levels in this class: Aerie from the game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (and its expansion, Throne of Bhaal) and Winged Father Aquilan Wingspan. Members of this race/class combo primarily worship their patron deity, Aerdie Faenya, and some may have domains focusing on their race's connection to the element of air, flight or birds. One of the main drawbacks, however, is the lack of available armor for said class, given their wings. A resourceful DM can always create a set of substitution levels akin to the Raptoran Cleric (Races of the Wild) that replaces the Avariel Cleric's efficiencies with Heavy and medium armor with some decent trade-off abilities, likely improved spellcasting perks or such. Otherwise, the character's AC needs to be supplemented with spells or magical accessories that improve AC, particularly Dexterity, natural, dodge, shield or deflection bonuses. Bracers of Armor could also work as long as no other party members need them, like more fragile arcane spellcasters.
Druid: This class is rare but not unheard of among the Aril-Tel-Quessir. Such individuals tend to focus on the elemental air and flying creatures, often using such where possible for their Wild Shape and Animal Companion class features. As far as spells, they
Fighter: Fighters are relatively common amongst the more warlike subculture of the Avariel, with the need to defend their resplendent homes. Like the Cleric above, however, the use of armor is an issue, so the DM home-brewing substitution levels like the Raptoran Fighter in Races of the Wild is a likely option, as well as utilizing the same magic items mentioned above. Avariel Fighters likely utilize reach weapons or ranged weapons, and in the latter case, have rather high Dexterity scores for using such weapons as well as improving their AC.
Monk: Any individual with this class is likely an outsider to Avariel society, since the Winged Elves have no monasteries of their own, let alone a tradition of unarmed combat. To most Aril-Tel-Quessir, getting in so close to such an enemy is considered dangerous if not suicidal. Those who do will likely utilize the Monk's ability to easily escape most danger to its fullest extent as well as any possibility to utilize ranged weapons.
Paladin: Like the Monk, Paladins are all but unheard of among the Avariel, but for a somewhat different reason. While kind, Avariel are far the most rigid personalities that denote the mindset of the traditional D&D Paladin. However, a DM could always permit the Paladin of Freedom as showcased in Unearthed Arcana to better fit the Winged Elf mindset. If such a character exists either way, they would likely prefer to use a reach weapon such as a lance and utilize a mount capable of both a run and fly speed, if they use a mount at all. Also, like the Cleric or Fighter, armor is a major issue, as is allocation of ability scores to supplement AC due to lack of heavy armor.
Ranger: This class is roughly as common amongst the Aril-Tel-Quessir as the Fighter. Since Rangers can function easily with light armor or no armor at all, this class is easy for the Winged Elves to adapt to. Most who do take up this class make use of their keen eyesight to make good use of the Spot skill and can become superior in roles as scouting or detecting hidden enemies. As far as other class features, Avariel Rangers most often utilize the ranged combat style to its fullest extent and tend to favor avian Animal Companions who often act as secondary scouts or additional combat support. Those who seek to utilize their Animal Companions adopt the Beastmaster prestige class (Complete Adventurer). As far as Favored Enemies are concerned, Dragons are most likely on the top of the list, given the damage done to the Avariel by creatures of that type in the past. Given the race's mountainous homes, Giants are another
Rogue: This class is very rare amongst the Avariel. Flight and stealth are hard to pull off, but if it was used, Avariel Rogues likely have ranks in Hide but few in Move Silently if at all and their wings would likely make it hard for them to pull off Disguise checks. Also, their wings may make it hard (if not impossible, due to space) to deal with dungeon terrain, so skills most utilized in dungeon crawling, namely Disable Device and Open Lock, might be rarely used. A Winged Elf Rogue most likely would utilize dialogue skills as well as Use Magic Device to act as either a party face or a supplemental user of magic items to help the party, if they exist at all.
Sorcerer: This class is not overly common amongst the Avariel but not unheard of, and those who do tend to claim sorcerous heritage stemming from Celestials (namely Angels or Eladrin), Outsiders of the Air subtype or Fey. Given their racial antipathy against said creatures, Draconic heritage is all but unheard of amonsg Avariel Sorcerers, and Fiendish heritage is equally rare. Those who do take up this class tend to stick to Conjuration or Transmutation spells but may utilize any spells they like, as are spells with the Air descriptor. As far as familiars, many favor flying creatures like hawks, given their race's reverence for birds.
Warlock: This class is rather uncommon amongst the Avariel. Those who do adopt this class are individuals who personally - or maybe their kin before them - made pacts with some denizen, most likely a powerful fey creature, to gain the eerie powers of this class. A Warlock's Eldritch Blast is rather appealing to an Avariel since it allows them to attack a foe at range, and apply additional effects to such to give it more punch. Most Avariel Warlocks would likely focus on Invocations that hinder their foes (Sickening Blast, Bewitching Blast, etc) and improve their Eldritch Blast (most Eldritch Essence or Blast Shape Invocations) over ones with effects that work best for the caster being on land (ex: Witchwood Step or the like).
Warmage: This class is exceedingly rare amongst the Avariel. Though they have both a strong arcane tradition as well as an existent martial culture, both don't blend in the Winged Elves' society like the culture behind this class. Those who do will likely prefer to use spells that utilize pinpoint accuracy - namely rays - to avoid friendly fire or collateral damage where possible.
Wizard: Wizards are very common amongst this race. Avariel Wizards tend to utilize spells from the Conjuration or Transmutation schools (namely those that create or alter objects) but do not have the specialization in such akin to Gnomes with Illusion magic. Also, spells with the Air subscriptor are highly common, and it wouldn't be unheard of to see an Avariel Wizard take up the Air subtype for the Elemental Savant prestige class (Complete Arcane). While the level adjustment due to their race's astronomical racial features stunts spellcasting progression, the Winged Elves' racial bonus to intelligence helps keep the DC of their spells a bit better than some classes at their ECL. Some of said individuals may also have levels in Cleric and further develop their spellcasting abilities with the Practiced Spellcaster feat (Complete Arcane) and may take up the Mystic Theurge prestige class. Bladesingers (Races of Faerun, Complete Warrior) also may arise from wizardly backgrounds.
Wu-Jen: This class is roughly as rare amongst the Avariel as are the Monk or Paladin. The Aril-Tel-Quessir have little to no contact with the Far East, so there's little opportunity for exposure or adoption to this class. If any unique individuals with this class exist, they would likely favor spells of the Air school above all else.

To Be Continued.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 07 May 2020 04:07:04
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 06 May 2020 :  22:10:01  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf

Though the race loves in isolated pockets



That's an odd kink!

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 07 May 2020 :  04:09:22  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf

Though the race loves in isolated pockets



That's an odd kink!



Fixed; wrote that on my Kindle and that device I found can be notorious for typos... Also finished up all the classes for that entry that I've posted so far. Will get to more for that, more for the Aquatic Elf entry, and get to more entries another day. Took me over an hour to add what I did just now... Phew.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 07 May 2020 :  15:26:49  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I know you can't cover ever possible 3.5 class with the races, but its worth possibly exploring a few other options for the avariel I think. For instance, while their primary favored class is cleric, I personally could see them as a race which favors spirit shamans. Given that they need to wear light armor and shields, but their culture has glassteel, I could see avariel spirit shamans of Sehanine Moonbow in particular (as a goddess of dreams, mysticism, and the spirits of the dead) wearing glassteel breastplates and wielding short bows. Granted, they don't have a bonus to charisma, but I still think they'd function well with this class, as it has a lot of versatility in its spellcasting since it uses the druid spell lists.

Another option, from Heroes of Horror, I could definitely see avariels who pursue the mystic theurge path using archivist and wizard, especially again those who might follow Sehanine. I get that Aerdrie Faenya is their primary god to worship, but I personally see Sehanine as the secondary main god within the avariel's purview (or maybe third after Corellon). As a goddess of the spirits of the dead and mysticism, this path kind of speaks to them (and the archivist class even says Elves tend to make the best archivists). Again, with glassteel armors , such as breastplates or chain shirts, they could overcome arcane spell failure and still have light armors, especially if they add the twilight property from BoEX and/or say feycraft from DMG II. I could see avariel "monasteries" wherein they scribe divine scrolls to pass down to other archivists so that they can have access to spells from numerous divine paths.

Both of these present another option besides cleric for these reverent people, and one pursues both the arcane and divine opportunities while lightly armored that their race seems to favor. Given their long racial life, time spent scribing scrolls to give their people a lot of versatility in divine casting would seem appropriate.

Anyway, sorry for dipping into your scroll, but as you present stuff by race, I think it might be interesting to look at some other options

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 07 May 2020 :  16:05:28  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

I know you can't cover ever possible 3.5 class with the races, but its worth possibly exploring a few other options for the avariel I think. For instance, while their primary favored class is cleric, I personally could see them as a race which favors spirit shamans. Given that they need to wear light armor and shields, but their culture has glassteel, I could see avariel spirit shamans of Sehanine Moonbow in particular (as a goddess of dreams, mysticism, and the spirits of the dead) wearing glassteel breastplates and wielding short bows. Granted, they don't have a bonus to charisma, but I still think they'd function well with this class, as it has a lot of versatility in its spellcasting since it uses the druid spell lists.

Another option, from Heroes of Horror, I could definitely see avariels who pursue the mystic theurge path using archivist and wizard, especially again those who might follow Sehanine. I get that Aerdrie Faenya is their primary god to worship, but I personally see Sehanine as the secondary main god within the avariel's purview (or maybe third after Corellon). As a goddess of the spirits of the dead and mysticism, this path kind of speaks to them (and the archivist class even says Elves tend to make the best archivists). Again, with glassteel armors , such as breastplates or chain shirts, they could overcome arcane spell failure and still have light armors, especially if they add the twilight property from BoEX and/or say feycraft from DMG II. I could see avariel "monasteries" wherein they scribe divine scrolls to pass down to other archivists so that they can have access to spells from numerous divine paths.

Both of these present another option besides cleric for these reverent people, and one pursues both the arcane and divine opportunities while lightly armored that their race seems to favor. Given their long racial life, time spent scribing scrolls to give their people a lot of versatility in divine casting would seem appropriate.

Anyway, sorry for dipping into your scroll, but as you present stuff by race, I think it might be interesting to look at some other options



I'm getting there. Just only so many hours in a day.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 07 May 2020 :  16:27:02  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Now for many people's favorite sub-race of Elf!

Drow/Dark Elf

Barbarian: This class choice is uncommon among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir as a whole but not unheard of. As a whole, some male Drow warriors have a level or two in Barbarian as a secondary class, especially those who endure the cruel wiles of the Underdark. Drizzt Do'Urden in particular has a level in the class that he acquired while surviving alone in the Underdark (in the book Exile), and will occasionally give into an aspect of his psyche he refers to as "the Hunter" (his moniker for his Barbarian Rage). Other Drow warriors with Barbarian levels likely worship the Drow demigod Selvetarm, whose portfolio includes warriors and espouses his worshippers give into bloodlust in battle. Any who do adopt this class will likely also take up prestige classes like the Drow Judicator (Underdark) or the Frenzied Berserker (Complete Warrior).
Bard: Bards are more common among Drow worshippers of Eilistraee, namely those living in Skullport or the Surface World, than anywhere else inhabited by the Dark Elves. After all, silence is more preferred to loud singing amongst most of those living in the usual Drow culture, since much loud noise can give you away to assassins or Underdark predators. In one case, however, a Drow Bard by the name of Brindlor Zidorion was showcased in the novel Windwalker who was a "Deathsinger," which in game terms meant he likely had levels in the Dirge Singer prestige class (Libris Mortis). In any case, Drow Bards among the Underdark likely work as agents, possibly even for organizations such as Bregan Daerth. Eilistraee-worshipping Drow Bards likely fill out more common roles for the class and revel in their goddess' love of song and dance.
Beguiler:
Cleric: Religion is a strong facet of Drow society, and this is the favored class of female Drow. No matter where they live and which deity they worship, expect to see many females among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir with at least one level in this class. Among most Underdark cities ruled by the Drow, worship of their chief deity, Lolth, is the norm, and in Menzoberranzan in particular, there is the infamous academy for priestesses known as Arach-Tilinth. All priestesses of the Spider Queen are schooled here, and many come from noble houses, including the ruling house of the city, House Baenre, the most infamous of them including the original Matron Mother, Yvonel and subsequently her daughters Triel, Quenthel, Bladen'Kerst, Vendes and Sos'Umptu. Male Drow in cities like Ched Nasad are allowed to become priestesses of Lolth, though most male Clerics among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir likely worship Vhaerun or - to a lesser extent - Kiaransalee or Ghaunadaur. Though not a requirement outside of the Arachne prestige class (Faiths & Pantheons), some Clerics of Lolth prefer to take domains that reflect on the nature of their goddess and their race, namely the Drow and/or Spider domains. Either way, Lolthite priestesses delight in misandry as well as chaos, deception and overall cruelty. Clerics of Vhaerun are generally secretive in nature, often seeking to undermine the hierarchy of Lolthite Drow society, as well as seeking to return to the "Night Above" (aka: the Surface) and engaging in overall thievery. Clerics of Eilistaee (many of whom are female, an ironic similarity to their deity's mother, Lolth) tend to extol atonement for their race's misdeeds as well as love of the surface of Faerun, beauty, hunting, dance and song. Ghaunadaur's clerics concerned themselves with being outcasts among their kind, even encouraging self-mutilation (namely the Willing Deformity feat [Book of Vile Darkness]) as well as familiarizing themselves with caustic and poisonous substances and creatures of the Ooze type. Worshippers of Kiaransalee were primarily focused on necromancy, including dark rites such as necrophilia (Yathrinshees [Player's Guide to Faerun] require the Lichloved feat [BoVD] to enter this prestige class) and pursuing transition to undeath, as well as gaining vengeance on the living and (especially) worshippers of Orcus, whose station the Revenancer craves.
Dragon Shaman: This class is highly uncommon among the Drow. Those who do take this up, if at all possible, adopt a totem of any subterranean based Dragon, namely Deep Dragons. Otherwise, Red or Black Dragons might fit for those living in the Underdark, but surface-dwelling Drow in the Forest of Cormanthor would likely revere Green Dragons (and likely be of Neutral Evil alignment).
Duskblade:
Druid: Druids are exceedingly rare (if even existent) among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir, their kind (especially those below ground) scorning the pull of nature due to its association with their mortal enemies, the Elves of the surface. If they do exist, they most likely associate with spiders, likely taking levels in Vermin Keeper (Underdark) or Vermin Lord (Book of Vile Darkness) and utilize spells, Animal Companions and Wild Shapes that are related to said creatures.
Favored Soul: Second to the
Fighter: This class is highly common among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir, especially in the city of Menzoberranzan. Most adherents to this class among the Drow are male and study at the city's school of combat, Melee-Magthere. Among some of the most famous individuals with levels in Fighter that graduated from that infamous academy are a few individuals of House Baenre, namely Dantrag and Berginyon and Dantrag's grandson, Tiago, as well as other individuals like Ut. However, two of the most famous individuals to do such are from House Do'Urden, namely Drizzt and before him, his father, Zaknefein, who is widely considered one of the greatest Fighters who ever lived, haven never been defeated in combat. Dual-wielding is highly common among Drow Fighters, namely Weapon Masters of noble houses as mentioned above, and often take the Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat and take levels in the Tempest (Complete Warrior). Another common PrC includes the Drow Judicator (Underdark). Aside from noble houses, many male Drow Fighters, namely those of destroyed noble houses, find themselves in the employ of Braegen D'aerthe.
Knight:
Monk:
Paladin: This class is uncommon among the Drow, but it can happen. Given Qilue Veladorn's status as a Chosen of Mystra as well as Eilistraee, some Drow living in Skullport may take up worship of the Lady of Mysteries and become Paladins of Virtue who serve her in sacred duties. Otherwise if you use Unearthed Arcana, a Paladin of Freedom who worships Lady Silverhair could exist or just as well a Paladin of Slaughter who most likely worships Selvetarm (Candlekeep's own Bladedancer actually designed a homebrew house with such a character involved as shown here: http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7106&whichpage=1), so it's not unfeasible. Those who do delve into this race/class combo, no matter what the circumstance, it could work if the DM can set up appropriate challenges to compensate for the character's +2 ECL. The racial bonus to Charisma combined with the higher Dexterity and Intelligence does indeed outweigh the penalty to Constitution, since the character has better use of many class abilities, slightly higher AC, and a slightly larger breadth of skill points.
Ranger: This class does occur but not in regular occurrence among the Drow of the Underdark. While Drizzt Do'Urden does have levels in this class and is considered the most famous example, he is not the norm, having trained in the class under the late Human Ranger Montolio De'Bruchee. Any others who do are likely surface-dwelling Drow who worship Eilistraee. Those who do likely have the following as Favored Enemies: Humanoids, namely Elves (since they likely oppose their Lolthite kin) or Orcs (an equally hated foe of all Elves), Shapechangers (since their faith also opposes Lycanthropes, namely those who worship Malar), or Aberrations (since Underdark denizens such as the Illithid or Aboleths are still a danger to them). Many Eilistraite Drow Rangers, given their goddess' love of dance, might take levels in the Dervish, or if they take the two-weapon Combat Style, the Tempest (both from Complete Warrior).
Rogue: This class is very common among male Drow living in the Underdark. Among their kind, stealth and secrecy are considered important to survival, whether it was from foul monsters or betrayal from foe, friend or family alike. Besides those who were members of noble houses in Menzoberranzan, male commoners may train themselves as Rogues to claim revenge on the cruel system that treats them like rubbish. Many male Drow Rogues, namely those of noble houses wiped out of existence, find themselves in the employ of the mercenary organization Bregan D'aerthe. As far as skills, Drow Rogues employ any and all that they need to accomplish their goals. Common options taken for Prestige Classes among Drow Rogues include the Assassin, Duelist or Shadowdancer.
Samurai: This class is completely unheard of among the Drow, so fitting such a race-class combo would require some reasoning between the player and the DM.
Shujenja: As above.
Sorcerer:
Spirit Shaman:
Swashbuckler: Such dashing and flamboyant fighting style is common among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir, so Swashbucklers do exist among them. Though official 3.5 Edition statistics have never been made for him, the most famous of all example for this class is none other than the leader of Bregan D'aerthe himself, Jarlaxle. His love of dashing swordplay combined with lithe, unarmored grace and uncanny charm make him a perfect fit for this class. Any like him could easily follow suit. Given the Drow race's love of light and deadly weapons like rapiers, such weapons could easily be used by their kind without an issue. Also, Drow racial ability bonuses means this race/class combo excels at utilize many of this class's functions, the only drawback being the +2 ECL. With suitable challenges thrown at said character, though, few rewards may outweigh the risk for such a character.
Warlock: This class is not unheard of among the Ssri-Tel-Quessir. Drow have a lust for power and will likely make pacts with fiends (usually Demons) or fey that they (or future generations) may or may not come to regret. Popular invocations are likely those that facilitate deception or instill chaos (Flee the Scene, Bewitching Blast, etc) but anything is possible. This class is more common among male Drow but not unheard of among females. Male Drow Warlocks may likely multi-class as Wizards and adopt the Eldritch Theurge prestige class while females tend to also be Clerics (usually of Lolth) and adopt the path of the Eldritch Disciple; both are from Complete Mage.
Warmage:
Wizard: This is the favored class of male Drow. Most Drow cities in the Underdark house schools of wizardry, including various arcane facilities in Ched Nasad and (most famously) the Sorcere in Menzoberranzan. In fact, one of the most influential male Drow in the history of Menzoberranzan, let alone the Realms, is none other than Gromph Baenre, who is a highly accomplished (and long-lived) Diviner and Archmage. Female Drow who take up the Wizard class are less common but not unheard of, notable Gromph's own rebellious daughter Liriel, protagonist of Elaine Cunningham's Starlight and Shadows trilogy (note, though, that Liriel also started with levels in Cleric and originally worshipped Lolth). Drow Wizards tend to run the gamut of spells, skills and feats, taking whatever they see fit to reach their goals, however nefarious and long-reaching they may be. Many who become the esteemed Master of Sorcere take levels in the Archmage prestige class to further build their superiority in their class. Given to their association with spiders and through them, silk and weaving, the War Weaver (Heroes of Battle) may not be unheard of among Drow Wizards, though the Arachnomancer (Underdark) is a more common choice.
Wu-Jen: As the Samurai.

Still a work in progress.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 01 Jun 2020 04:24:32
Go to Top of Page

Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 07 May 2020 :  16:41:43  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf

Now for many people's favorite sub-race of Elf!



You're doing Santa's elves?

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 07 May 2020 :  18:05:45  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf

quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

I know you can't cover ever possible 3.5 class with the races, but its worth possibly exploring a few other options for the avariel I think. For instance, while their primary favored class is cleric, I personally could see them as a race which favors spirit shamans. Given that they need to wear light armor and shields, but their culture has glassteel, I could see avariel spirit shamans of Sehanine Moonbow in particular (as a goddess of dreams, mysticism, and the spirits of the dead) wearing glassteel breastplates and wielding short bows. Granted, they don't have a bonus to charisma, but I still think they'd function well with this class, as it has a lot of versatility in its spellcasting since it uses the druid spell lists.

Another option, from Heroes of Horror, I could definitely see avariels who pursue the mystic theurge path using archivist and wizard, especially again those who might follow Sehanine. I get that Aerdrie Faenya is their primary god to worship, but I personally see Sehanine as the secondary main god within the avariel's purview (or maybe third after Corellon). As a goddess of the spirits of the dead and mysticism, this path kind of speaks to them (and the archivist class even says Elves tend to make the best archivists). Again, with glassteel armors , such as breastplates or chain shirts, they could overcome arcane spell failure and still have light armors, especially if they add the twilight property from BoEX and/or say feycraft from DMG II. I could see avariel "monasteries" wherein they scribe divine scrolls to pass down to other archivists so that they can have access to spells from numerous divine paths.

Both of these present another option besides cleric for these reverent people, and one pursues both the arcane and divine opportunities while lightly armored that their race seems to favor. Given their long racial life, time spent scribing scrolls to give their people a lot of versatility in divine casting would seem appropriate.

Anyway, sorry for dipping into your scroll, but as you present stuff by race, I think it might be interesting to look at some other options



I'm getting there. Just only so many hours in a day.



Yeah, not a knock, just as you present stuff, it makes me think about it, and as a result, I start thinking about options that I maybe never considered before (for instance, an avariel archivist/wiz/myst.theurge wasn't ever really on my radar, and now I'm picturing monasteries with them working like Deneirans to copy magic sources)

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2020 :  02:35:38  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
And here's the most common sub-race!

Moon Elves

Barbarian:
Bard:
Cleric:
Druid: Of all Elves, the Teu-tel-quessir are roughly the third most likely subrace of elves to become druids, given their tendency to live in various conditions including amongst verdant forests. Those Druids who worship the Seldarine most likely worship either Solonor Thelandria or Rillifane Ralathil. Few, if any, Moon Elf Druids worship the Beast Lord, Malar, given the Black-Blooded Pard's hostility towards the Tel-Quessir and their deities as a whole. These Druids are often adamant about the preservation of the wild while also adhering to the whims of nature, often being of Chaotic Neutral alignment. Still, any and all the best or worst can be found amongst this race/class combo.
Fighter:
Monk:
Paladin:
Rogue:
Ranger:
Sorcerer:
Swashbuckler: Of all the subraces of Elf, Moon Elves are the most common source of this class. Its use of ability scores like Dexterity and Intelligence for damage instead of strength is a boon for this race/class combination, and lacking a penalty to Charisma is no issue either. Moon Elf Swashbucklers tend to favor either the Rapier or (if the DM allows) the Elven Thinblade (Complete Warrior) for a weapon commonly utilize by the class.
Warlock: While somewhat rare, those who partake in this class among the Fair Folk trace back to ancestors, parents or the character themselves initiating a pact with a powerful Fey creature, given their race's innate connection with said creatures. Fiends are all but unheard of for pacts, save for the most desperate or daring; fiends, especially demons, are often associated with their evil distant kin, the Drow. Moon Elf Warlocks favor invocations that improve their perception or interaction with the world (All-Seeing Eyes, Witchwood Step, etc.) over invocations with more vile origins (Brimstone Blast, Hellrime Blast, etc.), but even they know that survival may involve some less than savory methods at times. Some of these warlocks may multiclass as Wizards and become Eldritch Theurges with Warlock/Cleric/Eldritch Disciples less common, though not unheard of, especially given the alignments of the Seldarine as a whole. Given the desire of many Moon Elves to research and develop new types of magic, however, this race/class combo may become increasingly common in the future.
Wizard: Being the favored class of Moon Elves, this race/class combo is plenty common. Their longevity tends to give rise to very powerful Wizards with spellbooks bursting with spells they may learn over the centuries. Some even reach epic levels and become the legendary Elven High Mage (Races of Faerun) that are known to have significant impact on the Realms as whole. As far as spells, Moon Elves like to use whatever they can acquire and make best use of at the time, so it's not uncommon for them to change out their memorized spells on occasion. Specialization is not unheard of but not overly common either, given how they favor versatility over solidarity.

Note to self: NEVER try to post anything like this on your Kindle EVER again. Too many headaches involved due to the tiny and sensitive touchscreen...

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2020 :  04:19:33  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Getting down towards the end with the Fair Folk!

Sun Elves (aka Gold Elves)

Barbarian: Of all the subraces of Elf, Barbarians are pretty much unheard of among the Ar-Tel-Quessir. Those that are, if they exist, are likely isolated savages from some far-flung region, but unless a player doesn't want to use such a race/class combination, no known examples of such exist as a primary class, let alone as a secondary class.
Bard: Bards are not uncommon among the Sun Elves. They primarily act as artists, entertainers and historians among their kind. Bardic Knowledge and Bardic Music are considered a valuable asset to the Ar-Tel-Quessir, namely to supplement oversights by members of other classes.
Beguiler:
Cleric:
Dragon Shaman:
Duskblade:
Druid:
Favored Soul:
Fighter:
Knight:
Monk:
Paladin: Surprisingly, Paladins are a bit more common among the Sun Elves compared to other subraces of Elf, given the Ar-Tel-Quessir's tendency towards Lawful Good alignment as well as Chaotic Good. Barring use of the previously mentioned Paladin of Freedom alternative, the standard Paladin of Virtue does come up in individual cases, likely an individual more tolerant of humanity who has come to worship a human deity with decent relations with Elves and their gods, namely Mystra, Helm, Torm or Tyr. Despite their race's penalty to Constitution, this race otherwise may make for a decent race/class combination, especially if utilizing mounted combat.
Ranger:
Rogue:
Samurai:
Shujenja:
Sorcerer:
Spirit Shaman:
Swashbuckler:
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard: This is the favored class of the Ar-tel-quessir, and for good reason. Many of the most feared epic-level Sun Elf Wizards take up the Elven High Mage prestige class and become major arcane movers and shakers of Faerun. In fact, numerous magic feats attributed to the Fair Folk come from Elven High Mages of Sun Elf stock. One of the most notable Sun Elf Wizards in the literary history of the Realms is none other than Araevin Teshurr of the Last Mythal Trilogy.
Wu-Jen:

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2020 :  12:08:25  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Just to go along with the "this brought something to mind for a base class that's not necessarily on the mind" theory, I could see there being a group of dark elven dread necromancers from Heroes of Horror for those dark elves whose Charisma is their prime ability score. They would make great individuals for controlling small groups of undead, that they can also heal with their charnel touch. While their spell list is limited from those of a sorcerer, they also KNOW more spells since they automatically know all spells on their spell list. Given the options for a person with that skillset (high charisma in a drow), I see this being more common than say sorcerer amongst dark elves, who would have no quandary with having dread necromancers that lead skeletal slaves around the city doing menial work. Also, especially in an area where Kiaransalee holds sway, I could see these being fairly common.

I also very much can see there being dark elven binders from Tome of Magic in societies that aren't matriarchal theocracies, so in like a city where there are mages in control, and I can see them very much promoting anima mages if a person can study both arcane and pact magic.

I also wouldn't be surprised to find in some martial schools for drow that they have swordsages or warblades from the Tome of Battle. In particular, wherever Vhaeraun holds some sway, I could see swordsages acting roguish. Crusaders of Kiaransalee would also fit the mold for the crusaders she had active in the Galenas in second edition with the devoted spirit stuff (for instance, crusader's strike you damage someone and heal yourself, almost like a life drain effect, though different mechanically) and the stone dragon stuff that focuses on enhancing or reducing bone/skeletal structure.


Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3736 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2020 :  20:01:46  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-I started doing that when we were writing Elves of Faerun, but it started getting overwhelming dipping into every 3e book and importing every core character class, especially when things started getting a little convoluted with like Tome of Battle, and we abandoned the idea. There might've been some of it in the WotC boards, but they're long gone at this point.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 15 May 2020 :  02:54:24  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Just for the record, I'm not bothering with a lot of the additional/alternate gameplay systems (Psionics, Incarnum, Tome of Battle, etc.) since IMHO, my friend Etyan Bernstein more or less covered those completely.

Now for one of my favorite subraces of Fair Folk. Note: Like the 3.X-Edition sources, I prefer to keep the Copper and Green Elves as separate subraces.

Wood Elves

Barbarian: The Or-Tel-Quessir are the second-most common subrace of Elf to produce Barbarians. Being as innately connected to the wild as they are, such savagery is not unheard of amongst them. Though their penalty to Constitution hurts their total HP and the duration of their Barbarian Rage, it's only be a small margin, and the bonus to Strength helps their damage-dealing capabilities while their Dexterity bonus helps with AC, especially while raging. Those Wood Elf Barbarians who take prestige classes often opt for the Frenzied Berserker (Complete Warrior) or the Wildrunner (Races of the Wild).
Bard:
Cleric:
Druid: Druids are the most common divine spellcasting class (that gain higher than 4th-level spells) among the Wood Elves and the second-most likely subrace of Elf to adopt this class overall. Of the Seldarine, most Wood Elf Druids revere Solonor Thelandira, though some may worship Rillifane Ralathil. Those who worship other deities, if they do at all, may worship one of the Faerunian gods of nature, be it Silvanus, Mielikki or Chauntea. Many Wood Elf Druids have working relationships with both creatures of the Animal and non-Evil varieties of the Magical Beast types, namely Giant Owls.
Fighter: This class is roughly as common as Barbarians among the Or-Tel-Quessir, if not a bit more so. Protection of their homes and the forest is highly important to the Wood Elves, and so many train with their kind in martial prowess. Their racial bonuses to Strength and Dexterity help immensely in this pursuit. Those who take up ranged combat above all else tend to use composite versions of longbows or shortbows with the highest Strength bonus they can use and/or acquire to help ramp up damage, and even those who don't may take up such anyway. Those who pursue melee combat will likely use massive two-hand weapons or possibly even use double weapons (namely two-bladed swords), the latter making good use of both ability bonuses. Shield use is not unheard of, but those who do take up feats for defensive purposes, but there is not as much emphasis of defensive combat as among Dwarves. Still, a Wood Elf Fighter is nothing to sneeze at overall.
Monk: Of all the subraces of Elf, Wood Elves are the second least likely to pursue the Monk class. The Or-Tel-Quessir are highly individualistic and wild in personality and tend towards Chaotic alignments on the Law-Chaos axis. Finally, no monastic traditions exist among their subrace. Those who do pursue this class route (if at all) are usual loners or (most likely if it happens) orphans raised in a Human monastery. Those who do, though, have little (if any) disadvantages for their ability scores, since they lack a penalty to Wisdom on top of their Strength and Dexterity bonuses. This means they can be devastating in melee combat while also making maximum use of Dexterity and Wisdom for AC and other purposes.
Paladin: As well as the Monk, Paladins of Virtue are all but unheard of among Wood Elves. Paladins of Freedom may possibly exist if the DM permits, but not as common as among Drow, Moon Elves or Sun Elves. Their penalty to Charisma hurts the pursuit of this class, although their Strength helps with damage. As far as deities, Paladins of Freedom would most likely worship Solonor Thelandira above all others, seeing themselves as hunters of evil in their forest homes.
Ranger: Being the favored class of the Or-Tel-Quessir, Wood Elf Rangers are fierce hunters and protectors of the forests they call home. As far as combat styles, this race-class combination is split 50/50 between two-weapon style and archery. Like Fighters of this race, Wood Elf rangers prefer composite longbows or shortbows above all else when it comes to ranged weapons. Those who pursue two-weapon fighting can be deadly, whether they take the Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat (Complete Warrior) to use two regular weapons in each hand, a double weapon, or any other usage. As far as animal companions, they will utilize any animal they may find in their native setting, but often prefer to have owls as companions to use as scouts. As far as prestige classes, many may become Beastmasters (Complete Adventurer), Justices of Weald and Woe (Champions of Ruin)(namely those associated with the Eldreth Veluthra), or those dual-wield may take up the Tempest (Complete Warrior).
Rogue: This class as not as common among this race as it is among Drow or Moon Elves, but it's not unheard of.
Sorcerer: Of arcane spellcasting classes, this is more common among this race than Wizards, given their less civilized approach to life than other Elves.
Warlock:
Wizard:

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 19 May 2020 :  05:15:41  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Meant to add these guys before, but here we go!

Star Elves

Ruar-tel-quessir

Barbarian: Though comfortable in the natural world, Star Elves are far from savage, so Barbarians are rare among their kind.
Bard: Being the favored class of this subrace, Star Elf Bards are highly common. The Ruar-Tel-Quessir have practically mastered blending beautiful songs with powerful magic, a feat seen almost nowhere else. Their bonus to Charisma helps with both dialogue skills, perform checks for Bardic Music and their spellcasting. In fact, the Spellsinger prestige class (Races of Faerun) is commonly adopted by this race/class combo, as are the Seeker of the Song and Sublime Chord (both from Complete Arcane).
Cleric:
Druid: Druids are relatively common among Star Elves. Having been secluded on their private demiplane of Sildëyuir, they had access to natural features akin to the real Yuirwood. In fact, Druids are more common among the Ruar-Tel-Quessir than Clerics, though any that do only pay lip service to the Seldarine, preferring more to
Fighter: While not overly militaristic compared to other Elves, Star Elves do take up the Fighter class to defend Sildëyuir and the Yuirwood. Those that do
Monk:
Paladin:
Ranger: Of the martially inclined classes, Rangers are the most common among the Ruar-Tel-Quessir. They patrol the forests and the demiplane they call home, striving to keep it safe from would-be despoilers. Most take up Humanoids (namely Humans, Orcs or [to a lesser extent] Goblinoids), Evil Outsiders, Monstrous Humanoids or Undead as favored enemies, since those types and subtypes in particular pose the most threat to their existence. Combat Styles of either type exist with no preference over either, as long as the character gets the job done. Some become Masters of the Yuirwood (Unapproachable East) while others may become Foe Hunters (Masters of the Wild).
Rogue: This class is almost as common among Star Elves as it is among Moon Elves. Though music is a common trait of the natives of Sildëyuir, silence and secrecy is not unheard of either, given their desire to protect the demiplane and the forest they hold dear. Most focus on stealth skills to get the drop on opponents and take them out, though dialogue skills (namely Diplomacy, Intimidate or Sense Motive to interrogate offenders) or Use Magic Device (and similar skills to facilitate the use of magical items) are usually taken up. Some may take up a form of the Perform skill (namely a variety that utilizes their voice) due to their race's penchant for song and music. Given their detachment from the lands of other humanoids, skills like Knowledge (Local), Gather Information or Sleight of Hand (at least as far as picking pockets) are not common, and dungeoneering-based skills are only taken up by those intent on exploring citadels of enemies with the intent of stopping their enemies if they have a citadel within threatening distance of the Yuirwood.
Sorcerer: Of the major arcane spellcasting classes, this is more common among Star Elves than Wizards. While they value arcane magic, it is only in the pursuit of protecting their homes. Those who achieve great enough power may take up the Elven High Mage prestige class (Races of Faerun) but those are a rare few compared to Sun Elves or Moon Elves. Still, given their renewing association with the former, that may be subject to change.
Warlock: This class is uncommon among the Ruar-Tel-Quessir. Those who take it up most likely make pacts with Fey rather than Demons or Devils. Past dealings with evil-aligned Outsiders have made the Ruar-Tel-Quessir far too wary of trafficking with such beings. Those who do take up this class are usually Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral alignment and prefer to utilize invocations dealing with sound or the natural world (Baleful Utterance, Witchwood Step, etc.) than other more sinister ones, but like other Elf Warlocks, they know that sometimes you have to go against your own moral grain to survive.
Wizard:
Hopefully will be all done with Elves soon...

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 21 May 2020 :  17:04:13  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf

Just for the record, I'm not bothering with a lot of the additional/alternate gameplay systems (Psionics, Incarnum, Tome of Battle, etc.) since IMHO, my friend Etyan Bernstein more or less covered those completely.

Now for one of my favorite subraces of Fair Folk. Note: Like the 3.X-Edition sources, I prefer to keep the Copper and Green Elves as separate subraces.

Wood Elves

Barbarian: The Or-Tel-Quessir are the second-most common subrace of Elf to produce Barbarians. Being as innately connected to the wild as they are, such savagery is not unheard of amongst them. Though their penalty to Constitution hurts their total HP and the duration of their Barbarian Rage, it's only be a small margin, and the bonus to Strength helps their damage-dealing capabilities while their Dexterity bonus helps with AC, especially while raging. Those Wood Elf Barbarians who take prestige classes often opt for the Frenzied Berserker (Complete Warrior) or the Wildrunner (Races of the Wild).
Bard:
Cleric:
Druid: Druids are the most common divine spellcasting class (that gain higher than 4th-level spells) among the Wood Elves and the second-most likely subrace of Elf to adopt this class overall. Of the Seldarine, most Wood Elf Druids revere Solonor Thelandira, though some may worship Rillifane Ralathil. Those who worship other deities, if they do at all, may worship one of the Faerunian gods of nature, be it Silvanus, Mielikki or Chauntea. Many Wood Elf Druids have working relationships with both creatures of the Animal and non-Evil varieties of the Magical Beast types, namely Giant Owls.
Fighter: This class is roughly as common as Barbarians among the Or-Tel-Quessir, if not a bit more so. Protection of their homes and the forest is highly important to the Wood Elves, and so many train with their kind in martial prowess. Their racial bonuses to Strength and Dexterity help immensely in this pursuit. Those who take up ranged combat above all else tend to use composite versions of longbows or shortbows with the highest Strength bonus they can use and/or acquire to help ramp up damage, and even those who don't may take up such anyway. Those who pursue melee combat will likely use massive two-hand weapons or possibly even use double weapons (namely two-bladed swords), the latter making good use of both ability bonuses. Shield use is not unheard of, but those who do take up feats for defensive purposes, but there is not as much emphasis of defensive combat as among Dwarves. Still, a Wood Elf Fighter is nothing to sneeze at overall.
Monk: Of all the subraces of Elf, Wood Elves are the second least likely to pursue the Monk class. The Or-Tel-Quessir are highly individualistic and wild in personality and tend towards Chaotic alignments on the Law-Chaos axis. Finally, no monastic traditions exist among their subrace. Those who do pursue this class route (if at all) are usual loners or (most likely if it happens) orphans raised in a Human monastery. Those who do, though, have little (if any) disadvantages for their ability scores, since they lack a penalty to Wisdom on top of their Strength and Dexterity bonuses. This means they can be devastating in melee combat while also making maximum use of Dexterity and Wisdom for AC and other purposes.
Paladin: As well as the Monk, Paladins of Virtue are all but unheard of among Wood Elves. Paladins of Freedom may possibly exist if the DM permits, but not as common as among Drow, Moon Elves or Sun Elves. Their penalty to Charisma hurts the pursuit of this class, although their Strength helps with damage. As far as deities, Paladins of Freedom would most likely worship Solonor Thelandira above all others, seeing themselves as hunters of evil in their forest homes.
Ranger: Being the favored class of the Or-Tel-Quessir, Wood Elf Rangers are fierce hunters and protectors of the forests they call home. As far as combat styles, this race-class combination is split 50/50 between two-weapon style and archery. Like Fighters of this race, Wood Elf rangers prefer composite longbows or shortbows above all else when it comes to ranged weapons. Those who pursue two-weapon fighting can be deadly, whether they take the Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat (Complete Warrior) to use two regular weapons in each hand, a double weapon, or any other usage. As far as animal companions, they will utilize any animal they may find in their native setting, but often prefer to have owls as companions to use as scouts. As far as prestige classes, many may become Beastmasters (Complete Adventurer), Justices of Weald and Woe (Champions of Ruin)(namely those associated with the Eldreth Veluthra), or those dual-wield may take up the Tempest (Complete Warrior).
Rogue: This class as not as common among this race as it is among Drow or Moon Elves, but it's not unheard of.
Sorcerer: Of arcane spellcasting classes, this is more common among this race than Wizards, given their less civilized approach to life than other Elves.
Warlock:
Wizard:



Yeah, totally get you not wanting to do all the oddball one-offs from other lore. That being said, every time you post one of these, my mind instantly goes "what oddball things WOULD fit them", so if you don't mind, I'll continue.

Wood elves... definitely I could see them doing the whole spirit shaman concept. Especially those who worship the tree god, Rilliane Ralathil, who absorbed a bunch of Yuir spirits.

Definitely can see them in the scout class as well.


Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 22 May 2020 :  05:07:35  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas

Yeah, totally get you not wanting to do all the oddball one-offs from other lore. That being said, every time you post one of these, my mind instantly goes "what oddball things WOULD fit them", so if you don't mind, I'll continue.

Wood elves... definitely I could see them doing the whole spirit shaman concept. Especially those who worship the tree god, Rilliane Ralathil, who absorbed a bunch of Yuir spirits.

Definitely can see them in the scout class as well.



Still hoping to cover a lot of the classes from the "Complete" books, Scout and Spirit Shaman included as well as those from PHB2, Heroes of Horror, and so forth. Warlock is just one of the ones from them that sticks out the most to me as being unique and the easiest to remember, as well as being one that got a lot of exposure thanks to Neverwinter Nights 2 (great game that I have yet to finish). If it weren't for my brother's kids being stuck home during quarantine, I'd have a few more hours a day to devote to this.

Now for one sub-race of Elf that's been burning a hole in my brain!

Fey'ri

Barbarian: This class is uncommon among the Daemonfey. Some who have been out and about in the wilds may take this as a secondary class to augment their fighting and survivability, and those who do likely feel a ferocious bloodlust within them stemming from their demonic ancestry. Sadly like most Elves, they suffer a -2 racial penalty to Constitution which hinders their number of hit points as well as the duration of their Barbarian Rage. Still, the
Bard: Surprisingly, this class is not overly common among the Fey'ri. It's not so much that they do not appreciate such talents as much as it is impractical for them.
Beguiler:
Cleric: Even more surprising than the lack of bards among them, the Daemonfey have few Clerics among them. For one thing, they do not receive any divine power from the Seldarine, who despise them and their forbears for their consorting with demons, and the feeling is close to mutual. Given their subraces' hostility towards Drow, though, some have turned their prayers to Shevarash, but the Black Archer considers them equally despicable in his eyes. Those Clerics among the Fey'ri usually worship deities of outcasts among any Elves, namely Fenmarel Mestarine or Ghaunadaur.
Dragon Shaman: This class is essentially unheard of among the Fey'ri since they have had little exposure to the worship of dragons both before and after their imprisonment in Hellgate Keep. Any who do would most likely worship Red Dragons as a totem due to their race's affinity for fire.
Duskblade: This class is relatively common among Fey'ri like numerous other Elves. This class has its origins long ago among the Fair Folk, so the tradition of blending martial prowess and arcane might gives rise to Fey'ri Duskblades. They just wear very light armor (likely mithral chain shirts or elven chainmail) to compensate for their wings.
Druid: This class is uncommon among the Daemonfey but more common than Clerics. Those who do utilize such are of Chaotic Neutral or Neutral Evil alignment and have rediscovered the elven affinity with nature. In general, most healers among the Daemonfey are likely this class.
Favored Soul:
Fighter: Given their desire to spill the blood of their enemies, which are many, Fighters are highly common among Fey'ri. Because of their lithe but frail bodies as well as their capability of flight, most wear light or no armor and utilize other sources of AC like Avariel do. As far as weapons, they prefer melee and ranged weapons akin to their begrudged Sun Elf ancestors. Tactically, they prefer to ambush their targets where possibly, going as far as to utilize guerrilla warfare over standard battlefield tactics. Still, a cornered Fey'ri Fighter is nothing if not potentially dangerous. Poison use is not unheard of among Fey'ri Fighters, especially if they have levels in the Blackguard prestige class, which is popular. Others may take some levels in an arcane spellcasting class (likely Sorcerer) and become Bladesingers (Races of Faerun, Complete Warrior) or the Arcane Archer.
Knight: Given their Elven and Demonic heritage as well as their poor opinion of Human culture, Knights are all but completely unheard of among the Fey'ri. It would take a DM's input to come up with a likely backstory for this race/class combo.
Monk: As above.
Paladin: Unless you utilize a Paladin of Slaughter from Unearthed Arcana, don't expect to see much of this.
Ranger: This class is highly common among the Daemonfey. Since their release, Fey'ri have become re-accustomed to the wilds around Hellgate Keep and numerous individuals have adopted this class. More so than Fey'ri Fighters, Fey'ri Rangers revel in ambush tactics, and generally prefer the ranged Combat Style to harass enemies from afar. Like Fighters, some may take levels in Sorcerer (or less often, Wizard) and become Arcane Archers. Other prestige classes are dependent on the player.
Rogue: Fey'ri Rogues are highly common. The need for stealth and secrecy is a common facet of their life. Like their hated distant kin, the Drow, Fey'ri relish in the use of Sneak Attack to easily dispatch opponents. Stealth-based skills are of the utmost priority to them, except for Disguise, since they have Alter Self as a spell-like ability they can use at will to pull off flawless disguises. Other skills are used where necessary, least of which being Disable Device and Open Lock unless they find themselves in a dungeon or other facility where locks and traps are an issue. The most popular prestige classes among Fey'ri Rogues include the Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Blackguard or the Shadowdancer.
Samurai: As the Knight.
Shujenja: As above.
Sorcerer:
Spirit Shaman:
Swashbuckler:
Warlock: This class is highly common among the Fey'ri. Their Demonic heritage possibly acts as a near-automatic pact for this race and allows them to slide into this class with ease. Those who do revel in the mayhem they can cause through insidious invocations that debilitate opponents as well as utilizing the pinpoint accuracy of their Eldritch Blast layered with effects without causing collateral damage to their beloved forests they call home. Blast Shape Invocations like Eldritch Spear or Eldritch Chain are often used in conjunction with Eldritch Essence Invocations like Brimstone Blast, Sickening Blast or Bewitching Blast as well as other offensive or utilitarian ones. Some may also have levels in Sorcerer and take up the Eldritch Theurge prestige class (Complete Mage). Eldritch Disciple is less common, but those who take it are likely Clerics of Fenmarel Mestarine or Ghaunadaur. If the DM wishes, they may actual alter the Fey'ri as a race and make Warlock the subrace's favored class instead.
Warmage:
Wizard: Surprisingly, this class is uncommon but not unheard of among the Daemonfey. Those who do likely function as item creation specialists and sages among their kind. Outside of that, those who do likely have more levels in the Sorcerer class and may delve into the Ultimate Magus prestige class (Complete Mage).
Wu-Jen: As the Knight and other oriental classes.


Only one subrace of Elf left that I can think of. Not going to bother with Celadrin (Dragon #350) since they were pretty much covered there.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 22 May 2020 :  14:50:13  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
OMG, I love the fey'ri too. THANK YOU. I was wanting to put a group of them in Katashaka that fled there long ago and having them serve a giant "primal spirit"/"god"/"primordial" bat going by the name Camazotz as warlocks and priests.

HOUSE RULES THAT I WOULD IMPLEMENT: I would recommend adding some additional "favored classes" to this race since you already have a big Level adjustment. Amongst the extra classes I would allot warlock... oh and just noticing you said the same thing in the above. I would also include binder and beguiler as options too.

Fighters: I would note that many Fey'ri fighters pursue the eldritch knight and spellsword prestige classes as well, focusing on light or medium armor and weapon finesse typically. With say wizard 3rd/fighter 2nd they can enter spellsword and then after gaining their 3rd level they can enter eldritch knight. This makes them very much a fighter type with fighter feats as well as a wizard who is only 4 levels behind in spellcasting ability, but a lot more hit points.

Other classes that come to mind that just scream "a Fey'ri might like this" are

Duskblade - this is considered a "traditional" elven class, and some fey'ri will be militant magicians. They may combine this with a spellcasting class like wizard as well

Warmage - as a more "blaster" type version for someone with high charisma, this makes an option, without having to submit to a patron.

The Binder from ToM would seem to fit these guys very well. Similar in mindset to warlocks, but able to change who and or what they're serving on a daily basis, this could prove interesting. In addition, for those interested in building multiple classes, a wizard/binder/anima mage is viable with just a single level of binder if the improved binding feat is taken. For those willing to go the extra mile, a wizard3/warlock3/binder1/anima mage/eldritch theurge option does exist which ends up significantly building both warlock and wizard, while also moderately building binder. At 20th level with wiz3/warlock3/binder1/eld theurge 10/ anima mage 3 you end up with wiz 16 casting/warlock 13/binder able to bind 4th level vestiges.

Archivist - As an occultist type group, I could see fey'ri who choose to focus on learning occult lore and learning divine magic not offered to clerics, etc... Many who enter this class would probably also consider the idea of also doing the wizard with mystic theurge option as well. These beings might follow demon lords for access to divine magic, but they may also follow deities like Deneir, Velsharoon, or even the drow deity Kiaransalee. In fact, since Kiaransalee existed prior to the drow's forced descent, they may not see her as a "drow" deity, but more a deity of "seeking dark knowledge and vengeance".

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 24 May 2020 :  17:58:48  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
BTW, meant to say I'm not concerned about Lythari since they are more or less similar to Moon Elves with some lycanthrope flavor. So this should be it for the Elves!

Wild Elves (Green Elves)

Barbarian: Unsurprisingly, the Sy-Tel-Quessir are the most common subrace of Elf to utilize this class. Savage at heart and fierce in defense of self and home in their wild jungle habitat, they exemplify the ferocity embodied in the Barbarian. While they lack the racial bonus to Strength that Wood Elves have, they also lack the Copper Elves' penalty to Constitution. This means that Green Elf Barbarians can maintain most of the level of damage with melee weapons that Copper Elves can while having a slightly longer duration of their Barbarian Rage, which may put both subraces on even ground, if not make the Green Elves excel their less savage cousins. As far as equipment, the most common weapons used are spears of various types, clubs or daggers for melee or bows for ranged combat, while hide armor is preferred to be worn but most often none at all. As far as skills, many Green Elf Barbarians take up Survival (for subsistence of self or community) or Intimidate (to demoralize intruders) above all else. The most common prestige classes pursued by Wild Elf Barbarians include the Frenzied Berserker (Complete Warrior), the Wildrunner (Races of the Wild) and - for those who having arcane spellcasting levels - the Rage Mage, the Spellsword (both also from Complete Warrior) or (rarely) the Eldritch Knight.
Bard: This class is relatively common among Green Elves. Most use simple instruments derived from natural sources, like drums made from animal hide stretched over frames of bone or broken branches or vines, or trumpets or bells made from animal horns. As far as skills besides Concentration (for spells) and Perform (for Bardic Music), most focus on dialogue skills, Knowledge skills, or skills related to spell-related items (Decipher Script, Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device). Some take up levels in the Sublime Chord prestige class (Complete Arcane) to supplement spellcasting where others of their kind may fall short.
Cleric: Of all the subraces of Elf, Clerics are rare among the Wild Elves but a bit more common than the Fey'ri, and for that matter, their religion is not organized. The most common of the Seldarine worshiped among them is Rillifane Rallathil, the elven god of nature. Otherwise, Human deities of nature, namely Silvanus and Mielikki get some worship from the Sy-Tel-Quessir, but not as much as the Or-Tel-Quessir. Skill-wise besides Concentration, Wild Elf Clerics often take up Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion) or Knowledge (The Planes) since they may possibly be the speakers of such matters unless a Bard is more readily available with such ranks combined with their Bardic Knowledge. Otherwise, Heal is essential for them since they likely will act as a physician of sorts for their tribe. Some take up levels in their favored class and become Mystic Theurges.
Dragon Shaman: This class is not unheard of among the Sy-Tel-Quessir, and those who do revere either Copper Dragons (and usually of Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral alignment) who lived in the mountains around their jungle homes or Green Dragons (and most often of Neutral Evil alignment) that may live in said jungles. The former may be capricious and stealthy while the latter are not very friendly to outsiders at all.
Druid: This is the most common divine spellcasting class among the Wild Elves, usually of Chaotic Neutral, True Neutral or Neutral Good alignment, rarely Neutral Evil and Lawful Neutral being rarest. Being primal in culture and belief, their bond with nature is one of the closest of all races, including both flora and fauna. As far as skills, most take up Heal since they often act as healers or medics among their kind, otherwise Knowledge (Nature) or Survival is very common. Some take up levels in Sorcerer or Bard and ten adopt either the Arcane Heirophant (Races of the Wild) or the Mystic Theurge.
Fighter: Fighters are not unheard of among the Sy-Tel-Quessir but not as common as Barbarians or Rangers. Those who do normally use same weapons and armor as mentioned in the Barbarian entry, and may not even wear armor at all, utilizing their natural Dexterity bonus combined with any enchantments or magic items they can get. Regardless, they are fierce defenders of their kind, mostly intent on stopping any threats to their isolated people's welfare.
Monk: Due to their savage isolationist nature, Monks are practically unheard of among the Sy-Tel-Quessir. Those who do have this class were likely orphans found and raised in a human monastery far away from their jungle homes.
Paladin: Though this class is rare, it's not as rare as Monks among the Green Elves. Those who take up the traditional Paladin of Virtue class are also Werelions living in the Shaar who worship Nobanion. Otherwise, the Paladin of Freedom from Unearthed Arcana may rarely pop up among their kind and despite their crude equipment are fierce defenders of their people.
Ranger: This class is very common among the Wild Elves. Those who do likely take up the ranged Combat Style to ambush opponents from the relative safety of natural settings (namely once they reach 13th or 17th level in the class) with bows and arrows or throwing weapons (usually daggers or spears). Any animals native to their region are most common for Animal Companions and usually work as either scouts or combat support. As far as skills, Handle Animal, movement-based skills (Climb, Jump, Swim), stealth skills, perception-based skills (Liten, Search or Spot) or skills related to nature are the most common. As far as multi-classing or prestige classes, some also have levels in Sorcerer and become Arcane Heirophants as described in the Druid entry, while those who want to get the most out of their Animal Companion or other creatures become Beastmasters (Complete Adventurer) or the Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape).
Rogue: This class is not overly common among this race. Those who take it up are stealth specialists who utilize guerrilla tactics to whittle down opponents or ambush intruders to drag away for interrogation. Stealth and dialogue skills are what they generally take up, lacking most if any trappings of civilization and overall unaccustomed to delving in traditional dungeons. Skills like Use Magic Device and related ones might be taken up by some individuals who want to shore up the use of magical items, but not always.
Sorcerer: This is the favored class of the Sy-Tel-Quessir and their primary arcane spellcasters. Due to their rather primitive nature, many take up the Primal Spellcaster feat (Races of Faerun). This race's penalty to Intelligence hinders skill selection, so those who do take this class often either take just a few ranks in a few certain skills or only take ranks in one skill at all. Profession is one skill that is practically never taken due to their tribal structures lacking stable economies that produce income, while the Craft skill is often used for items made from natural materials (clay, leather, wood, etc.). Concerning spells, Wild Elf Sorcerers prefer spells of the illusion school to facilitate hiding and duplicity, and - above all else - enchantment spells that incapacitate intruders or erase their memories. Of all spells, Programmed Amnesia (Complete Arcane) is the most desired if a sorcerer reaches 9th-level spells since it can complete remove any trace of said intruder's recollection of the Sy-Tel-Quessir's existence in a given area. Conjuration and Evocation spells, particularly those with area effects that can damage harmless objects, are the least desired since they can cause collateral damage to natural surroundings. As mentioned above, some may dabble in classes like the Barbarian and become Rage Mages while others go into classes like the Druid or the Ranger and take up the Arcane Heirophant.
Wizard: This class is rare, given the Wild Elves' loss of civilization and lack of formal education. Any who do take up this class are makers of magic items, keepers of any lore their community still has, and scribes.

Up next on the docket: Gnomes.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 28 May 2020 02:38:26
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 26 May 2020 :  05:06:56  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hopefully this should go much faster. Okay, so here we go!

Forest Gnomes

Barbarian:
Bard: It is highly common to find Bards among Forest Gnomes. Like many of their kind, Forest Gnomes have a love of humor, song and knowledge. Those who do take up this class among this subrace favor the use of Illusion spells most of all while
Beguiler: Like many Gnomes, Beguilers are highly common among this subrace. This class is the epitome of the trickster who helps themselves and their kind hide from danger. If the DM permits, this could be the favored class of this race instead.
Cleric: This class is not overly common but not unheard of either among Forest Gnomes. Those who do generally worship Baervan Wildwanderer, patron deity of their kind. Most take the Animal, Gnome or Plant domain and - if only one of those three is taken - Good being more popular than Travel, since Forest Gnomes prefer solitude to adventure. Most who take the Animal or Plant domain have ranks in Knowledge (Nature) due to their closeness to the wilds that surround them. Otherwise, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion) or Knowledge (The Planes) are relatively common, especially those dealing with magic, supernatural beings or occurrences, or matters of faith in general. As far as armor, Forest Gnome clerics prefer more natural materials such as leather or hide over metal. If the DM desires, they could possibly tailor-make substitution levels for this race/class combo that could restrict them to armor similar to a Druid while granting them some spells or abilities more akin to a Druid.
Dragon Shaman: This is not overly common among the Forest Gnomes. Those who do take up this class revere Green Dragons and are of Neutral Evil or Lawful Neutral alignment, Copper Dragons and are of Chaotic Good or Neutral Good alignment, or finally Silver Dragons and are of Neutral Good or Lawful Good alignment. The former are secretive misanthropes who seek to keep their forests free of outside influence, while the middle are more intent on tricking would-be intruders and the latter are most concerned of protecting their settlements and aiding visitors in need while remaining unnoticed.
Druid: Being close to nature, Druids are extremely common among the
Fighter: Surprisingly, Fighters are not overly common among Forest Gnomes. Those who do are only such out of defense of their homes. Due to their small size and Strength penalty, most stick to weapons applicable for the Weapon Finesse feat or ranged weapons.
Ranger: This class is also highly common among Forest Gnomes. Those who do generally stick to the ranged Combat Style and utilize Animal Companions based on animals that live nearby and perform scouting or combat functions. Some take up the Beastmaster (Complete Adventurer) while others become the Forest Reeve (Complete Champion).
Rogue:
Sorcerer: Sorcerers are not as common among Forest Gnomes as Beguilers or Wizards (namely Illusionists). Those who do most often use Illusion spells while also utilizing the Bluff skill to give opponents the slip. Some take up the Elemental Savant prestige class (Complete Arcane) and favor the Earth element.
Warlock:
Warmage: This class is practically unheard of among Forest Gnomes for a few reasons. First and foremost, Forest Gnomes disdains spells that cause damage over a wide spread that could damage their wild surroundings. Second, they lack the regimented military culture that fosters Warmages. Those who do take up this class among this subrace, if they exist, most likely take spells that fit under the Sniper archetype (Complete Mage) and likely utilize the Energy Substitution feat (Complete Arcane), preferably the Cold subtype which is least damaging to plants and animals.
Wizard: Wizards, particularly Illusionists, are the original favored class of this subrace, according to Races of Faerun. Those who do take up Illusion as their specialization generally take Evocation and Necromancy as forbidden schools. The former is generally forsaken due to its potential to easily damage their beloved forests while the latter has some overlap in effects (namely fear-based effects) and the general dislike of creating or controlling undead. As far as skills, Knowledge skills are the most commonly picked besides Concentration. Otherwise, any related to magic items or writing are usually taken up. While rather civilized, few take up Craft skills related to materials that are refined or synthetic in nature or the Profession skill since their settlements are not intent on industrial business.
Wu-Jen: This class is rare among this species of Gnome but not unheard of. Those who adopt this class learned from a master of the class from the Far East who somehow made contact with this race, likely due to mutual reverence of nature. Any Forest Gnome Wu-Jen most likely utilize spells of the Earth descriptor above all others, but are not using most, but spells of the Metal descriptor are likely the least used.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 28 May 2020 05:22:23
Go to Top of Page

TBeholder
Great Reader

2376 Posts

Posted - 26 May 2020 :  14:54:50  Show Profile Send TBeholder a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Drow: see "Champions and Heroes"

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
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 27 May 2020 :  05:35:16  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Now for the one of this whole race I've been itching to do the most!

Rock Gnomes

Barbarian: This class is rare among Rock Gnomes, given their civility and connection to other civilized cultures. A scant few individuals take up this class due to either being raised away from their kind or because they adapted to said practices living among barbarous peoples of other races. Most who do, however, are worshippers of the evil Gnome god Urdlen. The Crawler Below espouses bloodshed and vengeance as well as greed and v
Bard: Bards are highly commonplace among Rock Gnomes, and being the Faerunian equivalent of the standard Gnome presented in the 3.5 Edition core rulebooks, this is their standard favored class. Gnomes love trickery as well as a good tale or song, so they take to this class like a frog does to water as well as land. Given their limited spell selection combined with their racial aptitude for such spells, Illusion spells are a commonplace site for a Rock Gnome Bard. Otherwise, they take what spells suit them and the rest of their group.
Beguiler: Of all subraces of Gnome, Rock Gnomes are the most commonly associated of this class. They revel in all the deception this class has to offer, whether through manipulation of words, stealth, spellcasting or anything else the class offers. In fact, if the DM permits, this could be the actual favored class of this race.
Cleric: This is the most common divine spellcasting class among the Rock Gnomes. While quite a few worship the Human deity Gond (particularly on the isle of Lantan) or more often his Gnome aspect Nebelun the Meddler, all of the Gnome Pantheon is worshiped by the majority of their kind. Which deity is worshiped is dependent on the individual and/or the community, but the most commonly worshiped deities among them are the chief deity of all gnomes, Garl Glittergold, with Baravar Cloakshadow a close second. Others have significant pockets of Worship
Dragon Shaman: With how close they can be to some dragons due to their gregarious nature, Dragon Shamans are not unheard of among Rock Gnomes. Those who do generally worship Silver, Copper or Brass Dragons (and are most often of Neutral Good alignment) or otherwise Red or Green Dragons. The former are kind but dependent on the dragon totem in question can be subtle benefactors, rampant tricksters or vehement chatterboxes. The latter are either capricious would-be thieves or misanthropic loners.
Druid: This class does occur among Rock Gnomes, but not as much frequency as with Forest Gnomes. Rock Gnome Druids, like their Forest Gnome cousins, primarily worship Baervan Wildwanderer if they have a patron deity, while more subterranean-living Rock Gnome Druids liekly worship Segojan Earthcaller, but this is not always the case. Those who do take up this race/class combo make use of their ability to speak to burrowing animals to its utmost extent, so those are the most common Animal Companions. Knowing the usefulness of Wild Shape to become more formidable in combat, some may take up prestige classes like Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer), Nature's Warrior or the Warshaper (both from Complete Warrior).
Fighter: Rock Gnomes are known to delve into this class. Though they do suffer
Paladin: Of all subraces of Gnome, Rock Gnomes are the most common subrace to enter this class in the Realms. Most who do worship Baravar Cloakshadow or Gaerdal Ironhand. The former has a secret order named the Order of the Shadowy Cloak who subtly work to stem the tide of monsters who threaten gnome communities while the latter deity has the Shield of the Golden Hills who are the first line of defense while also acting as trainers of Gnome military. Though their race's small size and penalty to Strength hinders their melee performance, they shirk no responsibility in combating evil, doing all they can to fulfill their sacred duties. If the DM permits, the former order may be allowed to freely multiclass as Beguilers (PHB2) while the former may also be allowed to multiclass as Breachgnomes (Races of Faerun).
Ranger: While not as common as Forest Gnomes, the Ranger class is still highly common among their more well-known kin.
Rogue:
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard: With the advent of Third Edition (prior to 3.5), the Illusionist specialization of this class was the favored class of Rock Gnomes. Though this is no longer the case, it is still highly common for this subrace due to their enhanced skill at such a school of magic. Those who do take it up often forsake the Necromancy school first and foremost, though more so in this case due to the overlap in fear effects. Not having as much concern over harming delicate flora and fauna, Conjuration or Evocation is less often forsaken, namely if a good blast of flame or similar effect could get the job done. Otherwise, a Rock Gnome Illusionist might forsake Enchantment or Transmutation, preferring to use their illusions in place of either actual mind manipulation or real alterations to themselves or the world around them. Still, there is nothing forbidden from pursuing other specializations, so such can happen, but if otherwise specializing, they rarely if ever make Illusion a forsaken school. Popular prestige classes for Rock Gnome Wizards include many that are exclusive to Gnomes in other sourcebooks as well as those that utilize Illusion magic such as the Nightmare Spinner (Complete Mage).
Wu-Jen:

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 28 May 2020 :  05:16:22  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Svirfneblin (Deep Gnomes)

Barbarian: This class is relatively rare - if not unheard of - among Deep Gnomes. Those who do take this class are isolated individuals who have been forced to rough it out in the wilds of the Underdark. Even so, their Strength penalty and small size make it hard for this class to work. Though their Barbarian Rage compensates somewhat for this issue, it still doesn't allow them to muster as much damage from such as other races.
Bard: Bards are all but unheard of among the Svirfneblin for a few reasons. First off, their huge penalty to Charisma makes this class choice difficult since this means they cannot access all the spell levels of this class or make good use of Bardic Music. Most importantly, Deep Gnomes do not condone much raucous use of sound since such activity in the Underdark is dangerous, risking exposure to enemies as well as - under the worst conditions - risking events like cave-ins. Those who do take up this class likely function more as masters of lore through Knowledge skills and the use of Bardic Knowledge.
Beguiler: Of all the subraces of Gnome, Deep Gnomes are surprisingly rare for this class. Their penalty to Charisma makes it difficult to utilize many abilities and skills available to this class. Any Svirfneblin Beguilers are
Cleric: Clerics are highly common among the Deep Gnomes. Those who do at least pay lip service to most of the pantheon but most often worship their subrace's patron deity, Callurdan Smoothhands. Otherwise, some priests of Segojan Earthcaller exist while only a scant few worship Urdlen, and even those are generally secret cultists. Many priests of the Deep Brother often take up Cavern or Earth domain to represent their kind's connection to the earth and the Underdark, the former domain also being a incentive to multiclass as Rogues. Others may take up the Gnome domain and multiclass as Illusionists and from there Mystic Theurges to make the most use of their skills with Illusion magic. A scant few take up the Craft domain but those that do usually act as artisans for their kind. Not many Svirfneblin Clerics focus on melee combat, given their small size and penalty to Strength, which severely gimps their damage potential. Most prefer to hang from the back and utilize their spells to help their teammates.
Dragon Shaman: This class is almost unheard of among the Svirfneblin, given their lack of contact with Dragons underground. Those who do take up this class are likely loners and might revere a form of Dragon found underground, like Deep Dragons or Shadow Dragons and tend to be highly reclusive and even more unwelcome to outsiders than most of their race.
Druid: Druids are uncommon but not unheard of among the Svirfneblin. Those who take this up are members of a grove of Druids comprised of Underdark races, namely the Slyths (Underdark). Most Deep Gnome Druids prefer Wild Shapes and Animal Companions involving creatures native to underground regions and favor spells that can function underground (namely ones like Earthquake, Soften Earth and Stone, Spike Stones, etc.). Svirfneblin Druids see themselves as protectors of Underdark flora, fauna and the very earth that forms the subterranean world around them. Few pick up prestige classes, but those that do go for ones like the Earth Dreamer (Races of Stone) or the Cavelord (Underdark).
Fighter: Since the defense of their subterranean homes is important, Fighters are prevalent among Deep Gnomes. Those who do focus more on defensive feats to make use of their high AC due to their Dexterity and small size as well as feats that utilize tight spaces in defense. Popular feats include Tunnel Fighting and Stoneback (Races of Stone). In addition, they tend to use slightly lighter armor than normal to best make use of their higher Dexterity, including metal armor made from mithral if it can be acquired. Many who take this route multiclass as Breachgnomes (Races of Faerun).
Ranger: This is the second-most common martial class among the Deep Gnomes. Their reverence for nature in the Underdark is among the highest of the native races to that area of Toril. Those who do take up this class, despite their size and penalty to Strength, generally take up the dual-wield Combat Style since some tunnels are far too cramped to compensate for ranged weapons. As far as Animal Companions, animals accustomed to living underground are the gold standard for this race/class combo. As far as prestige classes, those Svirfneblin Rangers go for ones that deal with being underground, such as the Cavelord (Underdark), or the Dark Stalker (Complete Warrior).
Rogue: This class is the favored class of the Deep Gnomes as of the 3.5 edition update, and for good reason. Favoring stealth over flashy displays of power, Svirfneblin fit this class like a glove, especially given their racial Non-Detection perk. Deep Gnome Rogues focus on skills like Hide and Move Silently first and foremost followed by detection skills (Listen, Search and Spot). Only those who seek out the dwellings of their enemies or are actually adventurers take up traditional dungeon crawling skills. Dialogue skills aren't as common among Deep Gnome Rogues as other races given their penalty to Charisma and their overall distrust of other Underdark races as a whole. Use Magic Device and related skills are also rare, given their tendency to have others among their kind that easily use magic and can activate those items anyway, namely Wizards.
Sorcerer: Sorcerers are very rare among the Svirfneblin. For one thing, their penalty to Charisma stunts their capabilities in this class severely. In addition, few among their kind ever claim any source of sorcerous ability, namely the bloodlines of outsiders, dragons or fey. Those rare few who do are likely descended from intermingling with Fey or Dragons that live underground. Any Svirfneblin Sorcerers would most likely utilize spells of the Illusion school and would try to compensate for their penalty to Charisma with spells like Eagle's Splender or magic items with similar effects acquired through trade. Even so, that only improves spellcasting DC or modifiers to skills like Bluff, if they have ranks in such, not actual spellcasting level.
Warlock: Rare is the Svirfneblin that delves in this class. Those who do usually make pacts with powerful Fey since they associate fiends with their mortal enemies, the Drow. In addition, their steep penalty to Charisma greatly stunts their use of Invocations and their Eldritch Blast. Those who do take up this class prefer to utilize Blast Shape Invocations that utilize pinpoint accuracy and Eldritch Essence Invocations that ensnare their opponents or otherwise leave them unable to fight. They almost never use Invocations that are meant to be used on the Surface World, like Witchwood Step.
Warmage: Like Sorcerers and Warlocks, Warmages are also rare for Deep Gnomes. While they are highly regimented in protection of their community, this doesn't translate well into arcane spellcasting; they'd rather train to fight in melee or learn spellcasting through books and training with a Wizard than combine the two. Any who do take this class prefer to take spells for the Sniper archetype (Complete Mage) since the tunnels in parts of the Underdark make aiming spells with wide range difficult.
Wizard: This class is very common among the Deep Gnomes, and the Illusionist was the favored class of this race for 3rd Edition prior to the 3.5 update. Like their surface cousins, many Deep Gnome Wizards specialize as Illusionists. As far as prestige classes, any exclusive to Gnomes or that specialize in Illusion magic are common, but one is highly prevalent among the Svirfneblin: the Elemental Savant (Complete Arcane), and almost exclusively the Earth subtype is chosen.
Wu-Jen: This is unheard of given the Svirfneblin's lack of contact with the Far East.

Other than filling in the blanks here and there, that takes care of Gnomes! On to the Halflings!

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 28 May 2020 :  15:59:00  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Galuf the Dwarf

Now for the one of this whole race I've been itching to do the most!

Rock Gnomes

Barbarian: This class is rare among Rock Gnomes, given their civility and connection to other civilized cultures. A scant few individuals take up this class due to either being raised away from their kind or because they adapted to said practices living among barbarous peoples of other races. Most who do, however, are worshippers of the evil Gnome god Urdlen. The Crawler Below espouses bloodshed and vengeance as well as greed and v
Bard: Bards are highly commonplace among Rock Gnomes, and being the Faerunian equivalent of the standard Gnome presented in the 3.5 Edition core rulebooks, this is their standard favored class. Gnomes love trickery as well as a good tale or song, so they take to this class like a frog does to water as well as land. Given their limited spell selection combined with their racial aptitude for such spells, Illusion spells are a commonplace site for a Rock Gnome Bard. Otherwise, they take what spells suit them and the rest of their group.
Beguiler: Of all subraces of Gnome, Rock Gnomes are the most commonly associated of this class. They revel in all the deception this class has to offer, whether through manipulation of words, stealth, spellcasting or anything else the class offers. In fact, if the DM permits, this could be the actual favored class of this race.
Cleric: This is the most common divine spellcasting class among the Rock Gnomes. While quite a few worship the Human deity Gond (particularly on the isle of Lantan) or more often his Gnome aspect Nebelun the Meddler, all of the Gnome Pantheon is worshiped by the majority of their kind. Which deity is worshiped is dependent on the individual and/or the community, but the most commonly worshiped deities among them are the chief deity of all gnomes, Garl Glittergold, with Baravar Cloakshadow a close second. Others have significant pockets of Worship
Dragon Shaman: With how close they can be to some dragons due to their gregarious nature, Dragon Shamans are not unheard of among Rock Gnomes. Those who do generally worship Silver, Copper or Brass Dragons (and are most often of Neutral Good alignment) or otherwise Red or Green Dragons. The former are kind but dependent on the dragon totem in question can be subtle benefactors, rampant tricksters or vehement chatterboxes. The latter are either capricious would-be thieves or misanthropic loners.
Druid: This class does occur among Rock Gnomes, but not as much frequency as with Forest Gnomes. Rock Gnome Druids, like their Forest Gnome cousins, primarily worship Baervan Wildwanderer if they have a patron deity, while more subterranean-living Rock Gnome Druids liekly worship Segojan Earthcaller, but this is not always the case. Those who do take up this race/class combo make use of their ability to speak to burrowing animals to its utmost extent, so those are the most common Animal Companions. Knowing the usefulness of Wild Shape to become more formidable in combat, some may take up prestige classes like Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer), Nature's Warrior or the Warshaper (both from Complete Warrior).
Fighter: Rock Gnomes are known to delve into this class. Though they do suffer
Paladin: Of all subraces of Gnome, Rock Gnomes are the most common subrace to enter this class in the Realms. Most who do worship Baravar Cloakshadow or Gaerdal Ironhand. The former has a secret order named the Order of the Shadowy Cloak who subtly work to stem the tide of monsters who threaten gnome communities while the latter deity has the Shield of the Golden Hills who are the first line of defense while also acting as trainers of Gnome military. Though their race's small size and penalty to Strength hinders their melee performance, they shirk no responsibility in combating evil, doing all they can to fulfill their sacred duties. If the DM permits, the former order may be allowed to freely multiclass as Beguilers (PHB2) while the former may also be allowed to multiclass as Breachgnomes (Races of Faerun).
Ranger: While not as common as Forest Gnomes, the Ranger class is still highly common among their more well-known kin.
Rogue:
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard: With the advent of Third Edition (prior to 3.5), the Illusionist specialization of this class was the favored class of Rock Gnomes. Though this is no longer the case, it is still highly common for this subrace due to their enhanced skill at such a school of magic. Those who do take it up often forsake the Necromancy school first and foremost, though more so in this case due to the overlap in fear effects. Not having as much concern over harming delicate flora and fauna, Conjuration or Evocation is less often forsaken, namely if a good blast of flame or similar effect could get the job done. Otherwise, a Rock Gnome Illusionist might forsake Enchantment or Transmutation, preferring to use their illusions in place of either actual mind manipulation or real alterations to themselves or the world around them. Still, there is nothing forbidden from pursuing other specializations, so such can happen, but if otherwise specializing, they rarely if ever make Illusion a forsaken school. Popular prestige classes for Rock Gnome Wizards include many that are exclusive to Gnomes in other sourcebooks as well as those that utilize Illusion magic such as the Nightmare Spinner (Complete Mage).
Wu-Jen:



Beguilers should be a second favored class.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 30 May 2020 :  04:57:09  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Not sure how long I can keep up with these frequent updates and corrections. Getting to crunch time for my brother's kids for schooling from home and I am frequently needed to help out. Hopefully should be able to finish this all up by July.

Ghostwise Halflings

Barbarian: Nomadic and savage as they are in their unforgiving jungle home, Ghostwise Halflings bear this favored class well. Even with their small size and penalty to Strength, Ghostwise Halflings do not shirk the benefits of this class. This rare breed of the Hin prefers to utilize this class's talents to get a leg up on their larger opponents. After all, fooling their opponent's expectations of them can lead to a significant advantage on the battlefield.
Bard: Amazingly, Bards are rare among the Ghostwise Hin. Those who are scribes, historians and otherwise entertainers of their kind. Most focus on skills and spells other members of their tribes can't match. Still, given their race's natural telepathy, they would rather their foes not even hear them make a vocal sound most of the time.
Beguiler: This class is not common among this subrace. Those who do likely learned this talent elsewhere and use it to help fool their opponents.
Cleric: Surprisingly for a nomadic and somewhat primitive subrace, priests are highly common among Ghostwise Halflings. While each tribe may revere a certain deity of the Halfling Pantheon, most Ghostwise Hin Clerics worship either Sheela Peryroyl or Urogolan. Those who follow the former usually take the Halfling and/or Plant Domain above all else and focus on their kind's connection with nature. The latter take the Earth or Repose domain above all others followed by Halfling and try to deal with the end of life and atonement for their race's past mistakes. Both faiths make considerable use of the Knowledge skills they have as class skills, while the former may make use of Diplomacy to convince others to be kind to nature and the latter
Dragon Shaman: This class is relatively common among the Ghostwise Hin, given their more primal approach to life. Those who do are likely followers of Green Dragons or
Druid:
Fighter:
Monk: Interestingly, this class does exist among the Ghostwise Hin. Some in fact multiclass as the Fist of Zuoken (Expanded Psionics Handbook), given their subrace's apparent psionic potential.
Paladin:
Ranger:
Rogue:
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard: Of all spellcasting classes, this is the rarest among the Ghostwise Hin. Without the trappings of civilization, namely reading, practically no study of written arcane magic exists among them. Those that do have learned such elsewhere and function in a manner similar to Bards but predominantly would be in charge of magic item creation.
Wu-Jen: This class is practically unheard of, given the Ghostwise Hin's lack of contact with the Far East. A DM would have to find a way to shoehorn this race/class combo in.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2020 :  05:35:16  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Debating if I even want to cover races like Half-Elves, Half-Orcs or Humans. The latter two I may want to, but the former? Hardly worth the effort IMHO.

Lightfoot Halflings

Barbarian: This class is especially rare if even heard of among Lightfoot Halflings compared to their Ghostwise kin. Those who do were raised among savage cultures of other races or live in Halfling communities reduced to such lack of civility among the wilds of Faerun. Still, this race/class combo is not easy to pull off due to the lower damage potential caused by their small size and lower Strength scores compared to Medium or larger size creatures. What weapons would be best suited for a Lightfoot Halfling Barbarian to use with their Barbarian Rage is debatable since they will likely need to use weapons sized for them unless they utilize feats like Monkey Grip or the epic feat Wield Oversized Weapon (both from Complete Warrior).
Bard: Bards are fairly common among Lightfoot Halflings, given their tendency to a wandering lifestyle more than other races. This race/class combo makes good use of stealth skills and skills like Sleight of Hand alongside more traditional Bard skills. Don't be surprised if after a performance where a Lightfoot Halfling Bard gets shortchanged if they end up taking the rest of your money as compensation without you noticing until it's too late. Some Lightfoot Halfling Bards tend to adopt various scoundrel-based Prestige Class, but one popular one is the Luckstealer (Races of the Wild).
Beguiler: Many Lightfoot Halflings revel in this class more than others of their entire race due to their nomadic and trouble-making lifestyle. Though they are less about love of Illusion magic like Gnomes, they make up for it in their love of use of stealth and may be more apt to use the Enchantment spells provided by the class.
Cleric: Despite their more nomadic lifestyle, numerous members of this race feel the call of the divine beings. Most Lightfoot Halfling Clerics worship either Tymora, the human goddess of luck or her Halfling accomplice (or according to some rumors, lover) Brandobaris, Halfling god of thieves, or Yondalla, the chief goddess of the Hafling race. Other deities of the Halfling Pantheon may be worshiped, depending on the individual. Whether Daula Thaun (Races of the Wild) exists in some capacity and is worshiped by Lightfoot Halflings depends on the DM. Some priests of the deities of Green Fields may take the Halfling domain to act as a representative of their race as a whole, but otherwise, they take whatever domains suit the role they wish to fill, whether as a secondhand warrior, a would-be thief or whatever have they as well as to tailor their spellcasting. Some Lightfoot Halfling Clerics of Tymora or Brandobaris take up the Luck Domain and become Luckstealers (Races of the Wild).
Dragon Shaman: It wouldn't be a far cry to say Lightfoot Halflings may be involved in this class. Some Lightfoot Halflings come from communities close to Dragons and - depending on where they live - could revere almost any totem. Their personalities and skills reflect who they are, ultimately. They could be kind or cruel, sociable or reclusive, just champions or total scoundrels and live in any environment all dependent on their totem and location.
Druid: This class is uncommon but not unheard of among Lightfoot Halflings. Those who adopt this class often worship the Halfling goddess of nature Sheela Peryroyl, but it might not be unheard of for them to worship a Human deity of nature if any at all. This race/class combo would likely want to make use of both Animal Companions and Wild Shape when it comes to combat and the use of Prestige Classes.
Fighter: Despite how nomadic many Lightfoot Halflings are, the need for defense of self or the community at large is important to them. Some may take this class primarily (if not exclusively) or may only take a few levels in this, depending on what their goal is. Those who do often invest in feats to better utilize their Dexterity in melee combat, mounted combat, or the use of throwing weapons. Popular Prestige Classes for Lightfoot Halfling Fighters include the Halfling Outrider or the Master Thrower from Complete Warrior, (if multiclassing as a Rogue) the Whisperknife from Races of the Wild or the Warsling Sniper from Races of Faerun.
Paladin: Lightfoot Halflings are more likely to become Paladins than Ghostwise Halflings but less likely than the Stronghearts. Those who do are just as likely to be either Paladins of Virtue of Paladins of Freedom (Unearthed Arcana), depending on which deity they worship. The former are more likely to worship Yondalla (and a small chance of Arvoreen) while the latter most likely worship the Human deity Tymora. Those who do most likely compensate for their small size and lower than normal Strength by utilizing their bonuses to throwing weapons as well as the use of weapons like lances with their Sacred Mount. If the DM permits, Paladins of Yondalla or Arvoreen might be able to frequently multiclass as Halfling Outriders (Complete Warrior).
Ranger: Rangers are highly common among the Lightfoot Hin. Rampant wanderers like they are, the path of the Ranger suits them well, since traversing wild terrain is probable in a their lives. Those who do most likely utilize skills involving stealth, athletics and the know-how to traverse natural environments. As far as Animal Companions, Lightfoot Halfling Rangers will utilize any Animal they see fit, depending on which environment they find themselves in the most. Usually for Combat Styles, members of this race/class combo prefer to utilized ranged combat, given their higher dexterity and small size, which might limit the effectiveness of melee combat. In this case, this race/class combo will likely use thrown weapons or slings in conjunctions with the ranged Combat Style, pumping out as much of their respective ammunition as possible to mow down their enemies. In that case, the previously mentioned Master Thrower or Warsling Sniper may be viable Prestige Class options. Otherwise, the Beastmaster (Complete Adventurer) is highly viable for those who seek to best use their Animal Companion, which is a good idea given the potentially low damage melee output and possible need of a more useful additional combatant.
Rogue: Being the favored class of this subrace, Lightfoot Halflings are the de facto example of the core rulebook version of a Halfling and dip into this class if they want to no problem, be it one level or completely. They can come from anywhere and be almost anything they want to be. These small rapscallions practically represent this class to its fullest, skilled at stealth and larceny to boot. This race/class combo takes any skills the character (and through them, the player) desires. As far as weapons, those applicable for Weapon Finesse are a fair call, but to make most of their racial perks, it might be advised to make use of thrown weapons that can be used in applicable range for a Sneak Attack. Feats that capitalize on such tactics can turn such a character from potentially disadvantaged to deadly. Many different Prestige Classes can be used by Lightfoot Halfling Rogues, one Realms-specific PrC that sticks out being the Warsling Sniper while two non-Realms-specific ones to consider are the Master Thrower and the Whisperknife.
Sorcerer: This class is more common among Lightfoot Halflings than other subraces, namely those who come from around the infamous southern nation of Calimsham. While the planetouched Lightfoot Halflings known as the D'hin'ni (Dragon #350) are the most common source of this, other specimens of the race as a whole adopt this class. Those who do may claim heritage from Genies (usually Djinn or Efreeti), Dragons, Fey or whatever source, knowing their race's history of interactions (social or otherwise...) with various beings. Also, the wandering lifestyle of many Lightfoots makes this arcane spellcasting class more appealing to them since they don't have to worry about a spellbook, which may be a liability. Many who do utilize the Hin Wandermage feat (Races of Faerun). While they may use any spell they want, don't be surprised if Lightfoot Halfling Sorcerers have at least one spell in their repertoire centered around stealth or thievery. Some may multiclass as Rogues and become Arcane Tricksters, though one option exclusive to Halflings is the Luckstealer.
Warlock: Of all subraces of Halfling, Lightfoots are the most likely to delve in this class. Their tendency to come in contact with various beings include bartering pacts with Fey or (to a somewhat lesser extent) fiends by means to ensure their kind's survival or just for kicks. Those who do adopt this class often make use of Invocations that fool opponents or enhance their capabilities, particularly those that may help them evade trouble (Entropic Warding, Flee the Scene, Leaps and Bounds, etc) or enhance capabilities of travel (Path of Shadow, Witchwood Step and the like). No preference or reservation is made over origins of various Invocations, be they Abyssal, Infernal, Fey or what have they.
Warmage: Few Lightfoot Haflings adopt this class due to the general lack of a formal system that fosters this class. Those who do take this up were those communities that settled in the lands of a more established race - likely Humans, Elves or Half-Elves - that have an academy that trains in this class. Those who do take this up can be a force to be reckoned with, bombarding enemies with spells as potent as those of most other races who take up this class.
Wizard: Wizards are somewhat common among this subrace of the Hin, often learning from a certain arcane scholarly edifice and returning home upon graduation or (sometimes the case) washing out. Those who do adopt this are involved in the creation of magic items for their community as well as cartographers for caravans, among other roles commonly taken up by Wizards. Any and all spells are utilized by this race/class combo, but Abjuration spells (mainly ones that block scrying attempts), Divination spells, spells from the Illusion school that confer invisibility or fool scrying attempts and similar effects as well as Transmutation spells are common favorites. Like the Sorcerer entry above, the Arcane Trickster and Luckstealer are popular Prestige Class options among others.
Wu-Jen: Of all Halflings, this is the one subrace that is most likely to adopt this class, though that is not to say it is highly common. Any and all spells might be used by them, but the Giant Size spell (Complete Arcane or Oriental Adventures) can possibly help overcome the hangups of a Halfling Wu-Jen's small size.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 14 Jun 2020 05:07:11
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 15 Jun 2020 :  05:47:59  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
And now for the last of these. Not concerned about D'hinni since I'm pretty sure the aforementioned issue of Dragon I mentioned covered them.

Otherwise, my niece and nephew are apparently done with school until August, so I should be able to get back on track with this.

Strongheart Halflings

Barbarian: This class is the least common of this subrace. Though they are more militaristic than other subraces, they are also the most civilized and settled of all Halflings, and so Strongheart Halfling Barbarians are rare.
Bard: Bards are less common among the Stronghearts as they are among the Lightfoots, but they still somewhat commonplace. Those who do adopt this class act as performers, teachers or mediators among their kind and with visitors. Stongheart Halfling Bards value dialogue skills as well as Knowledge and related skills. Stealth-based skills are less common but not unused, but thievery-based skills are the least common. If skills such as Sleight of Hand are used by a Strongheart Halfling Bard, it is usually in the case of combat where one such character might retrieve a concealed light weapon on their person to gain the upper hand on an opponent. Concerning the use of Bardic Music, they prefer the uses of that class ability that improve morale or capabilities of allies above all else, namely Inspire Courage. As far as spells from the Bard list, buffing spells not covered by their Bardic Music are the most commonly picked followed by divination and healing magic in equal preference. Enchantment or Illusion spells that manipulate or deceive opponents are only utilized when necessary. Many of this race/class combo take up prestige classes such as the Seeker of the Song or the Sublime Chord from Complete Arcane.
Beguiler:
Cleric: Given their connection to the deities of the Green Hills, Stronghearts are the most likely of all Halflings to adopt this class. Most worship Arvoreen followed by Yondalla and - given their race's history of martial prowess and desire to defend Luiren - often take the War and/or Protection domains above all else from those deities (if the DM permits, my own Vigilance domain is also a viable option). Otherwise, the Halfling domain is often taken, especially by Clerics of Yondalla, to showcase their head deity's connection with their race. Cyrollalee also has a decent following among the Stouthearts, and those Clerics are often more community-minded and might take the Family domain. Many Strongheart Halfling Clerics take up the Warpriest (Complete Divine) or the Heirophant Prestige Class, among others.
Dragon Shaman:
Druid: Strongheart Halflings are more or less equally as inclined to this class as their Lightfoot kin, so they are not uncommon.
Fighter: Fighters are most common among Strongheart Halflings compared to other Halflings, namely due to their race's desire to protect their homeland of Luiren and their more structured society includes a hint of militaristic training. Even with their stunted damage potential in melee combat due to their size and low Strength compared to most races, it is not ignored by Strongheart Halfling Fighters. Thrown weapons are popular among this combination of race and class, and so the Master Thrower from Complete Warrior is likely taken up, but the Warsling Sniper (Races of Faerun) is a very likely option. Otherwise, any Prestige Class they see fit and qualify could be taken up by Strongheart Halfling Fighters.|
Monk: Surprisingly, this class is highly common among the Stronghearts. Those who do adopt this class are often members of the order known as the Hin Fist, centered around their homeland of Luiren. Hin Fist monks value the class's capabilities of mobility, given their race's small size, despite the penalty to damage caused by their small size and frequent lack of sufficient Strength modifier to melee damage. If they DM permits, the Halfling Monk substition levels can be adapted to go with this race/class combo to make such a character more viable. Given that members of the Hin Fist are able to freely multiclass as Paladins of Yondalla or Arvoreen, those are the deities they worship and most times take the Aesthetic Knight feat (Complete Adventurer) to help such a multiclass combination mesh well.
Paladin: Of all Halflings, the Stronghearts of Luiren are the most likely to adopt this class. In fact, if the DM permits, this could possibly be this subraces' favored class instead. Most (if not all) are the standard Paladin of Valor and worship either Yondalla or Arvoreen, often favoring the Favored Weapon of both deities, the shortsword. The main drawback, like other Halflings, is their small size and penalty to Strength, which makes melee combat difficult. Many take to mounted combat in part to compensate by use of reach weapons such as lances to close the distance with opponents while charging on their Sacred Mount (usually a warpony or war dog). If the DM also permits, Paladins of Yondalla or Arvoreen may frequently multiclass as Halfling Outriders (Complete Warrior) or the Wild Plains Outrider (Complete Adventurer).
Ranger: Among all subraces of Halfling, Stronghearts are on par with their more savage Ghostwise kin as far as the usage of the Ranger class. The Stronghearts are rather attuned with the land around Luiren, but even moreso, they value this class's capabilities at tracking and ability to maneuver the land around them, no matter how tame or wild it may be. Through this, Strongheart Halfling Rangers use this class's tracking and travel capabilities to facilitate defense of their homeland from rampaging monsters and similar threats. Numerous Strongheart Halfling Rangers become Luiren Marchwardens (Shining South) or - to a lesser extent - Horizon Walkers. Besides those, the previously mentioned Halfling Outrider and Wild Plains Outrider are somewhat common, due to the need for mobility, possibly by an Animal Companion that could be used as a mount. Otherwise, the occasional Beastmaster (also from Complete Adventurer) or Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape) is not uheard of.
Rogue: Though being more martially (and to a lesser extent, spiritually) enclined than their Lightfoot kin, the Stronghearts do value the talents of the Rogue highly and have such as their favored class. While less prone to trickery than the aforementioned subrace, Strongheart Halflings will use subterfuge when necessary to get the job done. Moreso than other Halflings, Strongheart Halfling Rogues focus more on combat capabilities (including Sneak Attack) and dialogue skills than their more nomadic kin. Cunning and courageous to a fault, they'd just as well talk down an opponent as they would stick a weapon in a weak spot to take a foe down a notch or two. Those who are adventurers may likely take up classic dungeon-crawling skills to take up the usual role as a dungeoneering expert, if needed. Some take up the Combat Trickster or Uncanny Trickster Prestige Class from Complete Scoundrel while others take up the Master Thrower as mentioned in the Fighter entry. Finally, there is the Whisperknife(Races of the Wild).
Sorcerer:
Warlock: While more likely to delve into this class than their Ghostwise lin, Strongheart Halflings are less likely than the more gregarious Lightfoots.
Warmage: Of all Halflings, the Stronghearts are the most likely to adopt this class. Concerned with protecting their homeland of Luiren, the militarization of their kind is paramount. While arcane might is not as common among them as other races or their Lightheart cousins, it does exist in some capacity, and this is likely the most common form of arcane spellcaster among them, namely offensive arcane power. Their spell selection depends upon which archetype they'd rather occupy, Blaster or Sniper (Complete Mage). Those who are more concerned with destroying large groups of enemies in open warfare take up spells geared toward the Blaster while those who are defending areas closer to home or nature use Sniper-oriented spells.
Wizard: While not the most arcane-inclined race, the need for various spells is not ignored by the natives of Luiren. Most Strongheart Halflings utilize spells from the Abjuration, Conjuration or Transmutation schools. Of those schools, they prefer spells that create effects or objects that improve quality of life. Otherwise, spells from those schools as well as Enchantment or Illusion that improve their well-being or enhance their capabilities of defense (either of self, friend, family or home) are most desired. Item creation feats are highly common as well, especially Craft Wondrous Item for the creation of stationary items that improve quality of life for the community.
Wu-Jen: This subrace of Halfling is about as likely to adopt this class as the Ghostwise Hin. Like Lightfoot Halfling Wu-Jen, the Giant Size spell is a boon for them, giving them a boost on reach as well as size-based checks for things such as reach or performing offensive grapple checks.

Next stop: ORCS! FOR THE HORDE- Oh, wait, wrong franchise.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 17 Jun 2020 05:06:48
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 21 Jun 2020 :  05:02:18  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Here we go with the next chapter

Gray Orc

Barbarian: Almost as common among this eastern subrace of Orc as their more infamous northern kin, Gray Orcs commonly adopt this class, namely the most warlike of their kind. While not quite as strong as their more brutal kin, they are still very dangerous with this class. Most Gray Orc Barbarians focus on feats that improve their combat prowess, namely Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Critical or Weapon Focus. Those who intend to lead a horde of their kind more likely have the Might Makes Right feat and take up the Orc Warlord Prestige Class, both found in Races of Faerun. Gray Orcs already having a faster movement speed by their race alone combined with this class's Fast Movement class feature most likely wear light armor and best utilize such speed to quickly ambush opponents and clear the distance between targets in combat. As far as skills, most utilize athletic-oriented skills, namely Jump, in combat as well as Intimidate, Listen and Survival. Feats namely curtail combat and damage, including but not limited to Power Attack, (Great) Cleave, Improved Critical and Weapon Focus. Ironically, a Gray Orc Barbarian does utilize weapons in decent shape as much as possible, especially axes such as Greataxes.
Bard: This class is rather uncommon among Gray Orcs. Though less distrusting in arcane magic compared to their more common kin, they still have little use of such skills in their brutal environment. Those who do usually use their magic and what spells they may know to supplement what more common classes lack.
Beguiler:
Cleric: Of all Orcs, Gray Orcs are the most devout and favor this class. While their penalty to Charisma hurts their ability to affect undead, they make up for it with their bonus to Wisdom for spellcasting and bonus to Strength for melee damage. Practically all Gray Orc Clerics worship a member of the Orc pantheon. The Strength pantheon is highly popular among the, namely those who worship Baghtru or Gruumsh. Otherwise, the Orc domain is very popular among all deities followed by a tie between the Destruction domain of Ilneval or Yurtrus and the War domain for Gruumsh or Ilneval. As far as feats and spells, metamagic feats that enhance their spells are popular, and little prejudice is made over what type of spells they use, dependent on what is needed at the time. Many take up warlike divine Prestige Classes like those found in []Complete Warrior[] and especially []Complete Divine[].
Dragon Shaman: Tribal, nomadic and brutal as they are, it may be plausible for Gray Orcs to take up this class. Those who do usually pick a totem for Chromatic Dragons, namely Black, Red or White Dragons, since they most closely match the race's native environs.
Druid: Ironically, druids are rare among Gray Orcs, despite their more savage lifestyle. Given their connection to the Orc Pantheon, this subrace sees nature as something more to exploit or plunder rather than something to cherish. Those rare few to take up this class though, obviously, take a different mindset and can be powerful defenders of the wild themselves.
Fighter: Though less common than Barbarians, Gray Orc Fighters are not unheard of. Those who do are usually self-trained but are dangerous, whether as fierce defenders of their tribe or skilled raiders against their enemies. Most take feats that improve damage with weapons as noted in the Barbarian entry, as well as feats along their train of thought that are exclusive to Fighters, such as Weapon Specialization and the like. Some may meet the prerequisites and become Blackguards. Others may take a level or two in Barbarian and become Orc Warlords.
Monk: This class is rare but not unheard of among Gray Orcs. Most who do are females (namely those past childbearing age) who worship Luthic and utilize their sharp, claw-like nails as weapons (likely utilizing a Feat of some sort to allow slashing damage from such as a weapon, at the DM's discretion) to prove themselves useful. Others, namely males, would likely worship Yurtrus and be members of the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge, if such were to have a monastery in the areas where Gray Orcs live, relishing in using their skills to spread disease, poison and overall misery to their foes. Given their race's greater movement speed combined with the bonuses from this class and the tendency to move without the encumbrance of armor, a Gray Orc Monk would likely outpace many other characters. Combining that with the race's Strength and Wisdom bonuses and only a +1 ECL, you have yourself a potential engine of destruction on your hands. Gray Orc Monks likely pick skills associated with stealth or religious matters, the former to get the drop on opponents and the latter to showcase their devotion to their faith. As far as feats, most go with ones that emphasize dealing damage, such as Power Attack, Cleave, or feats that improve damage with a Special Monk Weapon they utilize the most.
Paladin: Paladins of Virtue are practically unheard of among this subrace of Orc. Those who do are likely converts disillusioned with the ways of their kind as a whole. Otherwise, a Gray Orc Paladin of Slaughter per Unearthed Arcana would likely happen, most likely worshipping Gruumsh, Baghtru or Ilneval. Paladins of Tyranny from the same sourcebook are more rare, but would most likely worship Ilneval or Yurtrus. In the former case, they are just as bloodlusting and maniacal as Barbarians or Fighters, but combining such with unholy might. The latter would likely seek to crush all resistance, take prisoners and showcase their deity's superiority over others whether through skill of arms or divine power. Either way, if such variants of the class exist, they would make good use of their Strength and Wisdom scores, though the Charisma penalty and +1 ECL would hinder this class selection in other ways.
Ranger: Given to their nomadic lifestyle, the way of the Ranger is highly popular among Gray Orcs. Almost all who do are hunters for their kind, following animal herds to hunt so their tribe can feast where possible. Otherwise, they function as scouts for the tribe or ambush combatants in their warband. Many who do utilize axes for mele combat, likely one-handed varieties or the Orc Double-Axe if dual-wielding or two-handed if they used ranged weapons. For the Ranged Combat Style, longbows, namely Composite Longbows if possible, are most often used. As far as Animal Companions, regular or dire versions of wolverines, boars or rodents of any kind are most common. If they worship a deity of the Orc Pantheon, they most likely worship Gruumsh, given his connection to caves. As far as prestige classes, Gray Orc Rangers favor the Beast Master (Complete Adventurer), the Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape) or the Horizon Walker to best utilize their connections to the wild.
Rogue: Gray Orcs are not overly deceitful compared to other evil-aligned humanoids, but it's not to say that some Rogues are counted among their kind. Those who do are most likely scouts for their tribe, tracking enemy movements and committing ambush warfare if needed. Their bonus to Strength helps their damage with Sneak Attack, though their penalty to Intelligence and Charisma hinders their skill allocation as well as their use of skills that use those ability scores.
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard:
Wu-Jen:

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 25 Jun 2020 04:58:57
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 05 Jul 2020 :  04:30:13  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Finally, here's another!

Mountain Orc


Barbarian: The archetypal example of this entire race, Mountain Orc Barbarians are as common as they are feared.
Bard: This class is exceptionally rare if even heard of among Mountain Orcs.
Beguiler:
Cleric: While not as religious as Gray Orcs, Clerics are still relatively common among Mountain Orc tribes, especially Clerics of Gruumsh who act as spiritual advisors to the tribal leader.
Dragon Shaman: Of all Orcs, Mountain Orcs are the most likely to follow this class. Those who do take up this class usually revere any Chromatic Dragon that fits their mindset and alignment (usually Chaotic Evil or to a lesser extent Neutral Evil). Red Dragons are the most common followed by White, Black or Green Dragons. Only those that live near deserts usually revere Blue Dragons. They are greedy, selfish and easily prone to anger, responding to most threats with violence. Most who do follow this path act as leaders and healers among their kind.
Druid: Though not common, Mountain Orc Druids are still more common among their kind than their more priestly-oriented Gray Orc kin. Those who do are usually solitary individuals who bend nature to their will and otherwise assist Orc tribes and leaders of said tribes when called upon. Alignment-wise, most (if not all) Mountain Orc Druids are of Chaotic Neutral or Neutral evil alignment as mentioned in Races of Faerun.
Fighter: Almost as common among Mountain Orcs as Barbarians, Mountain Orc fighters are fierce indeed. Above all other skills, Intimidate is the most frequently utilized skills by this race/class combo, often cowing opponents into submission. Damage-dealing feats, namely Power Attack, Cleave and Great Cleave, Improved Critical and Fighter-specific weapon proficiency feats are the most commonly utilized by Mountain Orc Fighters. The need to inflict more damage upon opponents is always on the mind of such warriors. Of all Mountain Orcs, Fighters are the most likely to utilize the best armor they can get, usually what they loot from slain opponents that fits them. As far as weapons, axes are the most valued by them, especially Greataxes or Orc Double-axes.
Monk: Monks are uncommon but not unheard of among the brutal northern Orcs. Those who do take up this class most likely belong to the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Scourge and act as agents of their god, spreading suffering through their martial prowess combined with their love of utilizing diseases to hamper their foes' ability to fight back. Otherwise, female Mountain Orcs may often become Monks who worship Luthic and become members of an order known as the Runeclaws, as mentioned in the Gray Orc entry.
Paladin: Like Gray Orcs, Paladins of Virtue among Mountain Orcs are practically unheard of. Paladins of Slaughter are exceedingly rare compared to their eastern cousins as well but not totally unheard of. Those who do almost exclusively worship Gruumsh, as mentioned in the Cleric entry, and revel in being wanton ravagers of their enemies.
Ranger: Savage as many Mountain Orcs are, the Ranger is highly common among their kind for various reasons. Living among the wild, Mountain Orc Rangers are skilled scouts, trackers and opportunistic combatants. As far as Combat Styles, the divide is about evenly split, depending on what the individual believes will cause the most damage to their enemies. Concerning skills, Mountain Orc Rangers mostly focus on those involving tracking and traversing wild terrain, but otherwise stealth skills are popular to trail prey unnoticed. Popular Favored Enemies for Mountain Orc Rangers are subsets of the Humanoid type, namely Dwarves or Elves, and to a lesser extent Humans. The most common Prestige Class for this race/class combo is the Orc Scout (Races of Faerun), given their value as agents of Orc hordes. Some, if they meet the requirements, become Assassins or Blackguards.
Rogue: Of all full-blood Orcs, Mountain Orcs are the most likely of their kind to engage in this class. While not the most deceitful of monstrous races, Mountain Orc tribes do have need for spies, assassins and scouts. Those who do take this class among their kind tend to be the most cunning, opting for stealth-oriented skills (namely Hide and Move Silently) to stalk their prey or slip in and out of places unnoticed) and deliver a brutal Sneak Attack where possible. Some do take up traditional dungeon-crawling skills but more-so in the attempt of sabotaging enemy strongholds, not the lairs of monsters. Due to their usually high Strength score and less frequent access to more conventional weapons, the Weapon Finesse feat is less common for Mountain Orc rogues, and so they usually opt for feats that compensate for their lower Intelligence and Charisma scores to get their job done. Otherwise, feats that influence damage-dealing potential are common, such as Improved Critical or Weapon Focus. As listed in the Ranger entry above, many who take up this race/class combo take up the path of the Orc Scout. Otherwise, the Assassin is highly common, given the need to eliminate targets efficiently.
Sorcerer:
Warlock:
Warmage:
Wizard:
Wu-Jen:

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766
Go to Top of Page

Galuf the Dwarf
Senior Scribe

USA
485 Posts

Posted - 01 Oct 2020 :  03:58:05  Show Profile Send Galuf the Dwarf a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Apologies for the lack of updates. Found myself A LOT busier than I expected, even with the kids back in school.

Here's another entry I've been itching to get to
Orog (aka Deep Orc)

Barbarian: While not as common among these more powerful subterranean Orcs, Barbarians do happen. Most individuals with this class are from the fringes of Deep Orc society, savage and brutal to the extreme. More often, however, some Orog warriors take a few levels in this class to enhance their combat prowess and/or to qualify for levels in the Orc Warlord (Races of Faerun). Either way, such individuals prefer to use masterwork or magical two-handed weapons (generally just +1 to +5 enchantment, whichever they can get their hands on) to inflict as much base damage as possible. Armor for Orog Barbarians is generally the light or medium metal armor (if possible, a mithral version of Breastplate, Half-Plate or Full Plate) festooned with armor razors (Underdark) or armor spikes.
Bard: Of all Orcs, the Deep Orcs are the most likely to adopt the Bard class. In their mindset, they use such to take advantage of their strong personalities and to give their soldiers the most advantages possible. Concerning instruments, simple drums are the most common (if not exclusive) instrument used, the sounds reverberating in their cavernous homes for their warriors to easily hear. Concerning spells, healing and buffing spells are the ones most commonly used by Orog Bards, since their soldier's welfare and improved chance of victory matters most. As far as songs, Deep Orcs with this class prefer to sing ones such as Inspire Courage, Inspire Greatness, Song of Freedom or Inspire Heroics, with Inspire Competence only used if necessary. Songs or spells dealing with tricking foes are rarely used due to the desire to defeat foes and take their possessions rather than nonviolently subduing them. As far as Skills, Orog Bards usually utilize Bluff and Diplomacy to embolden their fellows in their military units
Beguiler: This class is among the rarest (if even taken up at all) among the Deep Orcs. Despite their strong personalities and cunning on par with the average human, this race is not overly accustomed to subtlety. They would rather conquer their foes through force if not outright slaughter them. If such an individual of this race and class were to arise, they would try to convince their allies that they would use their abilities to further such an agenda, likely through using any buffing spells of the Enchantment or Illusion schools they have to improve chances of victory.
Cleric: Though Orogs are not overly pious, religion has a firm hold on their society. Most Clerics of the Deep Orcs revere the chief deity Gruumsh, though some rebellious individuals have taken to the deity of outcasts and slimes, Ghaunadaur, who is mostly worshipped by Drow. The former most often take the Orc or Strength domain, but War is not unheard of and Cavern is far from totally ignored either, especially given their subterranean lifestyle. As far as spells, Orog Clerics of Gruumsh focus on healing and buffing spells and to a lesser extent damaging spells.
Druid: Of the divine spellcasting classes, this is the rarest of them. The call of nature is something rarely (if ever) felt by Orogs. They would rather either enslave a creature through force or slaughter it and skin it for making textiles or armor than befriend it. Even natural resources are seen as little more than such to the Deep Orcs, ripe for plundering and perusing towards conquest. Any Orogs who take up this class are likely doing so only to further the needs of their warbands. They would primarily be utilizing spells for healing or buffing allies or otherwise hindering (if not outright damaging) enemies. Still, with their kind's increasing presence on the surface, anything is possible.
Fighter: Being the favored class of Orogs, this is the most common class seen among their kind, and for good reason. Orog Fighters are often very well equipped with heavy metal armor of at least masterwork quality, often accessorized as mentioned in the Barbarian entry, sometimes even made from rare materials like mithral or adamantine if their city's smiths can acquire such. Weapons are of similar quality, usually greatswords and throwing axes, their swords in particular made with various cutting edges, spikes or hooks on them to better mutilate their foes, or at least look more intimidating. Skill-wise Deep Orc Fighters utilize Intimidate to cow their enemies and keep subordinates in line, and any of the craft skills for weapons or armor. As far as Prestige Classes, Orog Fighters often take up the Blackguard, Warrior of Darkness (Book of Vile Darkness) or take up a level or two in Barbarian to qualify for the Orc Warlord as described in the Barbarian entry.
Monk: Monks are all but unheard of among this subrace. Both Luthic and Yurtrus have little (if any) presence among the Deep Orcs, and worship of any other gods with monastic orders is almost completely unwarranted by their kind. Any who do are likely a rare orphan brought up at a foreign monastery.
Paladin: This class is rare but not unheard of among Orogs, particularly Paladins of Virtue, but exceptions do exist. In one case, there was a notable Orog Paladin of Torm called "Shield of Innocence." However, if Paladins of Slaughter from Unearthed Arcana are allowed in your campaign, then such Orogs who worship Gruumsh may likely be more common. In such a case, they use their combination of cruel faith and martial prowess to better destroy their enemies and reap loot for themselves. Deep Orc Slaughter Paladins are likely equipped similar to Fighters among their kind as well as having their holy symbol. A mount for one dwelling in the Underdark, however, is an issue. Unless the DM allows for a certain mount adapted to living underground, it would be wise to find a substitution for such an ability either found in other sourcebooks or invented by the DM themselves.
Ranger: At home among the deeper caves of the Underdark, some Orogs do take to the calling of the Ranger. Those who do likely act as scouts for Deep Orc armies, tracking enemies and keeping track of dangerous monsters to make sure they neither molest Orog settlements nor risk destroying their race's forces. This class is becoming increasingly common for those of this race living on the Surface World, seeing as they need to find various paths to other settlements to raid. Despite their penalty to Dexterity, the Ranged Combat Style is more common than Two-Weapon Style, since they can utilize a powerful two-handed weapon in melee after they whittle down an opponent from afar or in case such an adversary comes close. Most common Animal Companions include various animals adapted to living underground, such as (Dire) Badgers.
Rogue: Stealth is not the strong suit of Orogs, and for good reason. They're big and lumbering for their entire race and more prone to frontal assault than sneaking behind enemies to stab them in the back. Still, the need for reconnaissance, be it above ground or below, is not totally ignored, especially with their more recent excursions on the surface. Those Deep Orcs who do take this class tend to utilize dialogue and detection skills above all else, namely to moralize allies or interrogate prisoners with the former, and to detect enemies and traps they lay with the latter. Otherwise, Use Magic Device may not be out of the question, to help with healing or buffing themselves and allies or figure out how enemy magic items work. Those who infiltrate enemy citadels may take up Disable Device and Open Lock to help their comrades get through unhindered. Other skills are only taken up if necessary for victory. Equipment-wise they might not even bother with armor, given their bulky bodies being enough of a hindrance to stealth as is. Concerning weapons, Orog Rogues may be more likely to utilized their race's favorite throwing axes from a moderate distance above anything else, especially if combined with the Brutal Throw feat (Complete Warrior) or the Axethrower racial feat (Player's Guide to Faerun). Though not always condoned, a Rogue using a Sneak Attack is not entirely frowned upon either, especially if it means an opponent can easily be subdued or killed if it means obtaining loot or conquering a locale. After all, when you're a mean and cruel individual like an Orog, anything may be fair game.
Sorcerer: Though not overly common, Deep Orc Sorcerers do appear from time to time. With their strong personalities and their lack of distrust of arcane magic common among other Orcs, the Orogs use sorcery to their advantage. No preference for spells is known, so they can utilize whichever spells they fancy, whether it be damaging Evocation magic, glib Enchantment spells, or even Abjuration and Transmutation spells to help enhance the warbands of their kind. As far as origins of their sorcerous magic, nothing is definite but it might not be unheard of for a Deep Orc Sorcerer to claim descent from fiends, underground fey or dragons. Also, their high Charisma makes their use of the Bluff skill a useful tactic outside of combat, often utilizing such to unnerve opponents or trick them into revealing crucial secrets. This race's +2 ECL penalty, however, may make advancement in this class a challenge, unless the DM throws hard enough challenges to allow swift advancement.
Warlock: This class is even rarer than Sorcerers among the Deep Orcs, but not unheard of. Those who do most likely come from pacts with fiends, be it Abyssal or Infernal, most likely fresh ones for the individual than from past generations. Those Orogs who do adopt this class likely utilize their Eldritch Blast to its utmost extent and use Eldritch Essence and Blast Shape invocations as well as invocations. Those on the surface world might make use of a few nature-oriented invocations, but only if it suits their purpose.
Warmage: If Sorcerers are somewhat common among Orogs, then this class is just as likely if not more so. Deep Orc Warmages are terrors to behold, combining some of their race's military might with much highly destructive arcane power. This combination of race and class revels in destroying opponents with barrages of spells but making sure to at least leave enough loot behind to enjoy the spoils. Whether they use fireballs, lightning bolts or any other damage-inducing spells they acquire, expect them to show no mercy. Though this class lacks a true martial character's melee prowess, their high Strength scores would make them less fragile then members of others races in this class.
Wizard: Though Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks and Warmages do happen, Wizards are even less common, due to an Orog's relatively short life span (though somewhat longer compared to other subraces of Orc) and lack of patience. Those who do often serve as sages and creators of magic items to help their armies succeed and are less likely to see combat compared to the other arcane classes. As far as skills Deep Orc Wizards focus on Craft (usually Armorsmithing, Blacksmithing or Weaponsmithing), any Knowledge subsets, and Spellcraft skills above else, so they can facilitate their roles in creating what is needed
Wu-Jen: Given their lack of contact with the Far East, such a class is almost unheard of among the Deep Orcs. A unique background would need to be created by the player and the DM to allow this. Those who do would likely utilize spells of the Earth or Fire descriptor above all else.

Galuf's Baldur's Gate NPC stats: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8823
Galuf's 3.5 Ed. Cleric Domains: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14036
Galuf's Homebrew 4th Edition Races: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13787
Galuf's Homebrew Specialty Priest PrCs: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14353
Galuf's Forgotten Realms Heralds and Allies thread: forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8766

Edited by - Galuf the Dwarf on 04 Oct 2020 02:16:25
Go to Top of Page
Page: of 2 Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
Next Page
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Candlekeep Forum © 1999-2024 Candlekeep.com Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000