Half-Elf
Basic Information
Biological Traits
To humans, half-elves look like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. Like humans, half-elves had a wide variety of complexions, some of which were inherited from the elven half of their heritage, such as a tendency for metallic-hued skin and inhuman hair colors. For example, half-moon elves typically exhibited a pale, bluish tint around the ears and chin, while half-sun elves had a color more reminiscent of bronze, with hair of gold. Male half-elves were capable of growing facial hair and often did so to distinguish themselves, in part, from their elven parents. Half-elven ears were about the size of human ones, but like elves, they were pointed on the ends.
Ability Score Increase: Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Speed: Base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: See in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Fey Ancestry: Advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and can’t be put to sleep by magic.
Half-Elf Versatility: Choose one of the following traits related to your heritage.
- Skill Versatility: Proficiency in two skills of your choice.
- Sea Elf Heritage - Swimming Speed: Have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
- Drow Heritage - Drow Magic Learning the dancing lights cantrip. At 3rd level, one can cast the faerie fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when finishing a long rest. At 5th level, one can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when finishing a long rest. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for these spells.
- High Elf Heritage - Elf Weapon Training: Proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- High Elf Heritage - Cantrip: Learn a cantrip from Wizard spell list. Intelligence is the spellcasting ability of this cantrip.
- Wood Elf Heritage - Elf Weapon Training: Proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Wood Elf Heritage - Fleet of Foot: Base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
- Wood Elf Heritage - Mask of the Wild: Can attempt to hide when lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Source: Player's Handbook
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Half-elves use either human or elven naming conventions. As if to emphasize that they don’t really fit into either society, half-elves raised among humans are often given elven names, and those raised among elves often take human names.
Common Dress Code
Half-elves adopt the dress and hairstyles of the culture among which they are raised. However, it was also fairly common for half-elves raised among humans to wear elven clothing in order to proudly display signs of their dual heritage. Regardless of what they wear, half-elves stand out in a crowd through the combination of physical distinctiveness and force of personality.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Half-elves, as a result of their unique heritage, exhibit confidence and strength of personality uncommon amongst both humans and elves, a result of the blending between elven perceptiveness and human passion and drive. Because of their reality of living in two worlds, half-elves are unusually open-minded. Many half-elves learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent ambassadors and go-betweens.
Half-elves generally like to be around others, the more diverse the better. Perhaps due to the circumstances of their birth, or to a simple drive towards diversity, half-elves are often found in large population centers where other races mingle freely. Half-elves naturally gather others around them, forming a large network of contacts that is both pleasing to their psyche and practical for other purposes. In spite of this love for forming connections, or perhaps because of it, half-elves rarely settle down for any length of time and possess a genuine sense of wanderlust, moving from place to place in a way that makes them very natural adventurers. However, whenever a half-elf returns to a place where they have already been, they would hunt down old friends and renew relations.
Technically, half-elves have no culture to call their own, although the culture of Aglarond may be said to be "half-elven" given the large influence of half-elves in the nation. Generally speaking, half-elves represent the culture into which they are born, though many half-elves wander from their homes, becoming truly cosmopolitan individuals. As a result, many half-elves lack a "true" accent or even a consistent cultural outlook, and a common name for pidgins in Faerûn is "the tongue of a half-elf."
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Half-elves often partake in the magical traditions of both humans and elves, for which they are equally suited. Half-elves have no true magical traditions of their own, however, although many from Aglarond take on specialization in the schools of evocation and transmutation, much as the nation's founder, the Simbul, had done.
Many half-elves worship the Seldarine in much the same way as their elven parents do, but others favor human deities such as Sune, whose gifts they might see as responsible for their birth. Khalreshaar, believed by half-elves to be the daughter of Silvanus and Hanali Celanil, and as such, the first truly half-elven deity, as seen a growing number of worshipers among half-elves. Other human deities to whom half-elves often feel drawn include Chauntea, Selûne, or Valkur. Prior to the goddess' death, many half-elves dwelling in Aglarond also took up the worship of Eilistraee, in spite of her affiliation with the drow, a practice common in particular amongst half-elven bards.
History
As long as humans and elves have interacted, there have been cases of half-elves being born between the two races. In spite of this, half-elves typically remain rare enough that, except in rare circumstances, they have not congregated together in large enough numbers to form true communities. Historically, half-elves have flourished when elven societies, such as the ancient empire of Cormanthyr, begin to decline, as they lose their territorial integrity and come into contact with human settlers. In more benign cases, half-elves are common where humans and elves have learned to live in harmony rather than in opposition, such as the nations of Luruar or Aglarond.
Why go on an adventure?
- Is it hard for you to fit into a settled community?
- How about that wanderlust that passed down from your elven parent?
- Or just enjoying the company of wondering folks?
- Maybe you are on some diplomatic mission for your patron?
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