Exemplary Elves Part 3 High Elves

This is a continuation of a series that seeks to re-imagine the standard races of Dungeons & Dragons as more unique and fully developed cultures. The last article dealt with the Einolar, a Wood Elf culture that is deeply insular and protective of the forests, values community consensus building, and tends toward cannibalism (of non-elves at least). One of the most important parts of building the Einolar was considering how player characters of this race might have a motivation to leave their society and go adventuring. For the Einolar, this motivation stemmed from a feature of their consensus oriented society. IF a member of the community could not agree with a widely held consensus they might face a sort of public shunning known as “Dismissal” that would force them to leave the confines of their society and venture out into the greater world. Such culture specific rationales for adventuring provide great character hooks and background that can be woven into future adventures.

So, for the next group of elves, I started with the notion that I’d try to find a rationale internally consistent with the given mechanics of High Elves for members of the community to take up the adventuring lifestyle. Below you’ll see my thought process and the cultural practice that I came up with, and upon which I’d end up building the rest of their culture.

The Kuehlan and the Reaving

The second elven culture I’m going to develop, based on my previous discussion about what the game mechanics tell us about elves in the new edition, is a version of the high elves.  Again, I wanted to take what the 5th edition mechanics told me and create a culture around those characteristics that were inherently embedded in the game.  So, to start with, let’s look at what the rules tell us about High Elves.

The game mechanics tell us five critical things about high elves.

1. First off, they have the standard elf abilities which include a+2 bonus to dexterity.  They also get the other handy elven traits of long life span, Darkvision, a racial perception proficiency, advantage on saves against charm,  immunity to sleep inducing effects, and the racial language along with common.
2. They also get a +1 bonus to Intelligence.  This isn’t huge but it does mean they are as or more likely to be wizards than any other race except gnomes (and on par with humans, half elves, and tieflings, who all also get a +1 to Intelligence).
3. They have proficiency with the traditional elven weapons of shortsword, longsword, shortbow and longbow. More on the problem with this later.
4. They also have cantrips. Specifically, they get one from the wizard spell list.
5. Finally, they get an extra language.

Since I’ve already discussed the common elf traits elsewhere, let’s focus on the features specific to high elves, starting with their intelligence bonus. Again, this obviously means that high elves might have a significant number of  wizards in their society, but really no more so than standard humans do.  Still, thinking beyond the simple mechanics, this bonus to intelligence also means that high elf societies will likely encourage and benefit from education, rational policies, and advanced scholarship.  Working with these facts and the traditions of high elves being very civilized and urban in D&D, I’m inclined to see high elves as the most likely race (aside from gnomes perhaps) to do the traditional “replace science with magic” thing and create a culture of sorcerer science.

I very much like that idea, and I may return to it for another high elf culture build, but I’m also struck again (as I mentioned in my article on wood elf culture) by the inherently martial racial character of the elven ability to use some of the better weapons of the game, regardless of class. I’m seeing a synergy between the intelligence, weapon proficiency, and cantrip features together, along with some of the game’s traditional depictions of high elven culture, that speak to a fairly particular racial proclivity, the fighter-mage.  As I’ve said before, every elf is a combatant.  This explains how the long lived, traditionally outnumbered and slow-breeding elves can mange survive in such a hostile world. What’s more, such training, nearly the equivalent of the Weapon Master feat, tells us a great deal about the high elven culture. Societies that train every member in advanced combat techniques, which these weapon proficiencies represent, tend to be outnumbered and surrounded by hostile neighbors.  For my high elven culture, informed by their intelligence and clear love of learning, I’m going to assume that this training is the result of some form of mandatory military service they all engage in.  While every elf is a potential combatant, even the most martial society can be well served by having a differentiated active and reserve core.  My high elves will all have to take on some form of mandatory military service for a period of some years.  That sounds very organized and disciplined, two traits not always associated with elves, but I think I have a way of explaining such a characteristic while still giving these high elves the individualistic streak that their generally chaotic natures suggest.

The cantrip trait might also be the result of intense schooling and training, though it’s equally plausible to view this trait as a natural extension of the high elves magical nature.  However, the elven cantrips are taken specifically from the wizard list and they use Intelligence rather than Wisdom or Charisma, the stats with which more innate and natural abilities are often associated.  I think that speaks to intense schooling and training again, especially in conjunction with weapon proficiencies and the final trait, an extra language.

That last trait may not seem so significant, but to me it is the linchpin in understanding high elven culture.  Unlike wood elves, who have long been seen as isolationist, high elves seem to at least have some interest in the outside world.  Certainly, that language could be some arcane, scholarly tongue like Draconic, but I prefer to see it as an indication that high elves engage with the cultures around them, even if that engagement is often of the combative nature.

Taken all together, I now have a sense of a culture that strongly prioritizes skill, education, and training.  But these are no ivory tower academic elves.  They are capable combatants with both sword and spell, and they have a wide range of useful survival skills.  Again, I’m forced to consider what kind of culture would produce such a mix of traits, and also to consider how I can imagine that culture in a way that makes for compelling storytelling and interesting character development.

My answer is a specific cultural tradition that encapsulates those high elven features, and which also provides a profound rationale for those high elves to be out adventuring in the world. That tradition is “The Reaving,” and it is the feature around which I will then construct the rest of the Kuehlan culture, which is what I’m calling my own group of high elves.

The Reaving

The age of maturity in Kuehlan culture is not explicitly set at a particular year, but is rather determined by each individual in consultation with his or her Domis (the extended family or clan that serves as the main social unit in Keuhlan culture).  This usually occurs sometime between the sixth and seventh decade of life, but may be shortened or extended based on individual development and personal preference.  The decision is quite significant, as declaring oneself an adult initiates a traditional coming of age trial.

All young Kuehlan are expected to undertake a cultural practice known as the Reaving.  Upon declaring his or her maturity, a young Kuehlan leaves the Dominion and travels into the outside world, seeking to hone skills and garner experience.  The Reaving lasts for twenty years, or until the Kuehlan has slain twenty enemies in combat, though many stay away for the full twenty years or even longer.  Many wait until they have made at least their twenty kills, and even then some wait until they have taken down a particularly noteworthy foe. The martial nature of this tradition leads many young Kuehlan to seek employment as mercenaries and bodyguards who can use swords and spells with equal skill.  The culture’s famed martial and magical reputation makes such employment easy to find.  It also allows Kuehlan to learn the martial techniques, strengths and weaknesses of other cultures.

Only a third to half of Kuehlan survive the Reaving.  This is the true nature of the ritual’s name.  The “reaving” is not of enemies, but rather of unworthy Kuehlan.  The practice is viewed as the most effective way to ensure that the race is kept strong and fit. While it does keep down the population of the Kuehlan, it also ensures that every full member of the society is a practiced and proficient combatant.  Additionally, the Kuehlan’s long life span and strong sense of commitment to siring and raising children ensure that the population continues to increase.

Those who refuse to take part in the Reaving may never become Kuehlan citizens. Instead, those who refuse the ritual are known as the Unselected and are relegated to the secondary citizen class afforded to the half elves of the Dominion.

Those who do pass the Reaving are admitted into the Domis as full members and are also granted the right to marry and to pass on their lineage to their children.

And there’s my hook.  I now have a defining cultural ritual around which I can build the rest of the culture.  Their experience from the Reaving will make them powerful combatants, but it will also mean they all have experience with the outside world and other cultures. These aren’t isolationist elves, but they do see themselves as superior, likely both inherently and by virtue of their rigorous training and experience. These are going to be aggressive, militaristic elves who are all members of a warrior elite that mixes melee and magic to maintain dominion over a much larger, cosmopolitan realm inhabited by members of other races, particularly half elves, who have a valuable if second-class form of citizenship.

I’ll develop and flesh out the rest of the Kuehlan culture in my next installment, but before I get to that I have one more thing I need to address. There are two issues related to high elves that I just cant’ quite wrap my head around.  The first are the high elven racial abilities that are often made redundant by class features and the second is the much discussed problem of elves using longswords.  I always try to simple work within the rules as written as much as possible, but occasionally I will make a small house rule hack if I feel it’s truly justified.  In both these cases I think I’ve come up with two relatively minor and simple adjustments, alternatives really, that make high elves just a little bit more internally consistent and coherent.

Racial Bonus Overlap

Many of the racial bonuses, particularly the proficiencies, are utterly useless if you play an overlapping class that gets those abilities as well.  High elves are particularly screwed by this fact.  If they play a wizard, their inherent cantrip ability is a bit of a dud.  Sure, they get an extra one, but that’s not a really standout ability.  It’s even worse if they play any class that gives access to martial weapons; then the racial weapon ability is completely moot.

I’ve long thought that if the character’s class provides the same benefit there should be another option.  This makes sense both in terms of game mechanics and inherent logic.  It adds balance (which I agree is not an absolute need, but still a worthy goal) and it adds options.  My argument for the logic of this is that a character undergoing class training will likely be able to skip over stuff he or she has already learned from racial training.  A high elf isn’t going to just do the same basic training with swords and bows as everyone else. He or she will be enhancing and developing those skills or using the time to develop others.

Here are my house rules for dealing with Racial Bonus Overlap in the case of High Elves:

Alternative to High Elf the Cantrip Benefit: If your first class level provides access to wizard spell list cantrips already you may instead choose to become proficient with light armor.

Alternative to High Elf Weapon Proficiencies: If your first class level provides access to all of the weapon proficiencies listed under the high elf (shortsword, longsword, shortbow, and longbow) you may instead choose to become proficient in one of the following skills: arcana, history, nature, or religion, or you may choose another language to be proficient in.

I have one more house rule that relates specifically to the high elves that is worth mentioning here.  Many commentators on a variety of gaming forums (here is one from EN World and another from Giant in the Playground) have noted the fact that the longsword, in its current 5th edition iteration, is actually a bad fit for elves.

The problem, of course, rests on the fact that the longsword is not a finesse weapon, able to benefit equally from either Strength or Dexterity bonuses to hit and damage.  For elves, indeed for all varieties of elves, that makes it a terrible choice of weapon.  With their inherent dexterity bonus, even an elf with average stats will see a greater benefit from using a short sword than from using a long sword.

Compare the 10 Strength, 12 Dexterity elf wielding each weapon.  The elf wielding the shortsword  has a +1 bonus to hit relative to the longsword-wielding elf.  That’s significant. Damage is a bit of a wash. The average damage of a shortword is 3.5.  Add in the +1 Dexterity bonus and you have a 4.5 average damage output for a shortsword.  The average damage output for a longsword is also 4.5.  The only real difference is that the longsword can do (with equal probability) both more and less damage than the shortsword. The longsword can do a minimum of 1 point, whereas the shortsword always does at least 2.  Conversely, the shortsword maxes out at 7 points, whereas the longsword can do up to 8 points.

A number of commentators have noted that the rapier is actually a far better fit for elves, being a finesse weapon and doing the same amount of damage, although it is a puncturing instead of a slashing weapon.  A similar number have pointed out that the longsword has been a weapon culturally identified with elves since the earliest days of the game, and in that vein have argued that the choice of elves to use it over the rapier is a matter of tradition.  Sure, tradition makes people do some crazy things, but I can’t buy that it would make an entire race use a weapon that dramatically failed to take advantage of their main physical advantage.  Such a culture would not last long in a world as harsh, conflict oriented, and monster populated as most D&D settings.

The obvious answer, presented in multiple forms on multiple forums, and which I endorse in my own campaigns, is to imagine a new weapon.  The weapon balance in 5th edition is actually fairly clear, so it isn’t hard to create a fair, effective alternative to the traditional longsword that doesn’t handicap the entire race:

Elven Longsword             20 gp     1d8 slashing       2 lb.       Finesse

And that’s it.  It still uses the longsword proficiency, which I didn’t feel needed to be addressed by an additional properties descriptor as it is still, technically a longsword.  The only changes from a regular longsword are that it costs 5 gp more than a regular longsword (though that’s really just an aesthetic decision on my part), it weights one pound less (equivalent to a rapier) and it exchanges the Versatile trait for the Finesse trait.  I think anyone would be hard pressed to argue that this is at all unbalanced.  What’s more, I really like this idea of creating variant cultural weapons with a change in properties or damage type. Though technically more than a flavor hack, I think it’s a very defensible and productive approach.

Next time I’ll discuss the rest of the Kuehlan culture and provide a brief overview of the Kuehlan Dominion, the nation state within which nearly all Kuehlan and their dependent races, particularly an even larger half-elven enclave, live.