Wood Elves

Culture

Wood elves, the most populous of the elven peoples, are also the most often seen in the lowlands. Either in cities with elves that left their ancestral forests long ago or in the large sprawling forest cities they call their home, wood elves share a near universal connection with nature and the wilds. Wood elven kingdoms are often collections of noble houses that form a council led by the eldest of each house, with great respect given based on age. Though normally being seen as xenophobic and inward focused, they also can be some of the most generous and caring of the elves, with the paradigm being best shone with the acceptance of the Damarans by the wood elven kingdoms, as well as the absolute disdain given to Chondath by the more militaristic wood elven kingdoms. Not as much focused on arcane magic as their high elven cousins, they focus more on divine and primal magics.

Physical Description

Wood elves were easily identifiable by their coppery skin and green, brown, or hazel eyes. Wood elven hair was usually black or brown, although hues such as blond or copper red were also found. Wood elves tended to dress in simple clothes, with a great number of earthy tones that blended into their natural surroundings. Accustomed to a harsh, naturalistic lifestyle, wood elves loved to wear leather armor, even when they were not under immediate threat. Wood elves were roughly identical to other elves in height and build.

Stats and Meta Info

Ability Score Modifiers: Wood elves are nimble and wise, but their bodies are frail. They gain +2 Dexterity and +2 Wisdom, but suffer –2 Constitution.
Size: Wood elves are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Wood elves are Humanoids with the elf subtypes.
Base Speed: Wood elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Wood elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Elven Paragons: Wood Elves receive a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks and a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge Nature checks. They may make Knowledge Nature checks untrained.
Plantsight: Wood Elves can see through plant matter as if it were transparent out to 60ft. Leaves, vinery, greenery, and undergrowth offer no concealment to their sight, though solid wood still blocks it.
Master Archers: Wood Elves may use DEX instead of STR for determining the damage done with composite bows.
Low-Light Vision: Wood Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim vision.
Weapon Familiarity: Forest Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.