Desert Elf Alternate Racial Traits

Racial Variants

Pale Elf: Take the "Urbanite", "Maelstrom Vision", and "Secretive Socialite" Alternate Racial Traits.
As mysterious as they are reclusive, the Elves of the Dreaming Tower, also known as "Dreamseers" or "Pale Elves", make their home in the Dreaming Tower, a strange and ancient looming tower built near the center of the dangerous and rarely traveled Riptide Nexus. They rarely leave and are always seen wearing uniform masks...and violently and effectively drive all those who dare to come near far away from their small and rocky isle. Locked away inside their spire, these Elves spend their days dreaming and seeing into the past, into the era before the north and south chunks of the continent sunk...and once their dreams bear fruit, they scour the nearby ocean and seafloor for ruins of that long-lost time, to preserve and keep them safe.

Blood Elf: Take the "Jungle Striders", "Tezcahuital Blood Hunter", and "Terror in the Shadows" Alternate Racial Traits.
The Tezcahuital Elves of the Mundus Forest are a barbaric and tribal lot, one more commonly called "Blood Elves" by those who know of them or who have lived through one of their attacks to tell the tale...painting their bodies in ritualistic lines of red paint and sometimes even actual blood, these Elves stalk the forests as silent hunters and keep it safe from outsiders with often brutal methods. They hide their towering temples well, and though they are sworn enemies of Tamamo and her Imperium, they expertise with which they defend their borders and hide their true power centers has frustrated their attackers for centuries. Capturing those who dare defile their home forest and those who intrude upon their lands with lethal efficiency, these violent Elves drain the blood from their victims into massive offering bowls, where it is used to power rituals to keep the forest healthy and vibrant, and potentially for other purposes as well. Often, they range outside of their forest home on expeditions as a right of passage into adulthood, to brave the perils of the outside world, accomplish some notable deed, and prove themselves mighty. In this way, they earn their ritualistic lines they paint upon their skin and become truly one of their people. They are notoriously lawful for Elvenkind, and have a strictly organized society with clear laws and ranks that make them foreign and odd to other Elves.

Winter Elf: Take the "Frozen Hunter", "Freezing Sight", and "Icebody" Alternate Racial Traits.
Hidden far away to the north of the continent, The Øthir, or Winter Elves, are a conclave of brutal, cold, and unyielding but otherwise Good-Hearted survivalists that long ago broke off from the mainland elves and retreated to the north, where they live among the frozen forests and mountains of the iceblasted Frozen Spire Island. Reclusive and violently protective of their Isolation, the Øthir are a people content to let those who desire to pass through their terrain do so unhindered, but will often make these travelers pay a toll to them for their passage. They respect shows of force and tend to only become violent once it is used against them, and are otherwise content to be left alone and leave others alone if they are allowed. They guard even their names from outsiders, so reclusive are they, and often give cryptic and vague titles or falsities in their place. They are a brusque and suspicious people who are highly xenophobic even in regards to other elves, and this has garnered them a reputation as phantoms in the snow, and deadly boogeymen who can freeze flesh on sight and who devour creatures whole as cannibals...though many of these rumors are false, the Øthir enjoy taking advantage of them when they deign to make contact with outsiders.

Mountain Elf: Take the "Cragtop Travelers", "Fleet-Footed", and "Monastic Scholar" Alternate Racial Traits.
Disciplined and monastic, the Zelthuro, better known as the Mountain Elves of the Nine-Tailed Peaks Mountain Range in the Eastern Imperium, are a people who live among the highest peaks of the world, building small communities around large monasteries and shaving their heads and bodies bare in a display of their dedication to the breaking of tradition and the following of the newer monastic ways of their kind. Ordered, respectful, but brusque and brutally honest with others, these Elves can come off as prickly and uncaring to outsiders due to their seldom displayed emotion, but they are generally a well-intentioned people who place more importance on the gathering of knowledge and the betterment of one's soul through collection of knowledge, experience, and wisdom than they do on morality or social contact. They believe that, through careful refinement and dedication, each life brings them closer to spiritual perfection, as they are reborn anew in bodies after their death and eventually reach 'perfection' after many lifetimes. It is this that they strive towards, and seek out their entire lives; It is not uncommon to see Zelthuro traveling outside of their homes on monastic quests, or to simply explore and gather a deeper breadth of experiences to perfect their souls.

Alternate Racial Traits

Urbanite: You gain a +4 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when you are in the Urban terrain. Additionally, when traveling normally you leave no trail and cannot be tracked (though you may leave a trail if you so choose). This functions as Favored Terrain for the Urban Terrain. If you would get Favored Terrain from a class ability, it replaces this one once the bonus to these terrains rises higher than listed here. Replaces Well-Acclimated.
Having grown up in cities or civilized areas, some Elves are simply more accustomed to life in the streets and on paved roads than they are in the forest.

Maelstrom Vision: You gain mistsight out to 120ft, and mist, stormy conditions, or inclement weather no longer offer concealment from your sight. Replaces Weapon Familiarity.
Living lives near the coast or out on the ocean, the Elves who grow up near the coast or on the ocean find their eyes growing accustomed to storm conditions, and misty environs.

Secretive Socialite: You gain a racial +2 on Diplomacy and Stealth skill checks, getting one of them as a class skill(Player Choice). Replaces Keen Senses.
Personable but secretive, many Elves are well-versed in the ways of the masquerade, and of wearing a 'face' to others while they hide their true nature beneath it. Sneaky but charismatic, they know when to talk and when to move unseen.

Ancestral Form: Racial Ability scores become (+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength). Alters ability scores.
Though rare, some Sand Elves when they are born possess forms with less innate durability, but instead have some innate radiance and charisma that shines alongside their innate dexterity. Some say this magnetism is feyborn in nature, a calling to their ancient ancestors, but the truth of this is dubious at best.

Sandshaper: Gain ability to cast Gaseous Form as a free action spell-like ability 3/day, but instead of mist/gas you become a cloud of sand. The caster level of the spell is equal to your HD(Minimum 1). (This replaces Nimble Striders.)
Some Desert Elves are so in tune with the sand they can even adopt its form, and become a swirling mass of sand. They are less adept at navigating the difficult desert environs, and instead navigate it by becoming one with it. Though it isn’t quite known how these strange elves have become so in tune with their native habitat, they are nonetheless strange individuals, and most are treated with suspicion and wariness by both their brethren and others alike...though, they are undoubtedly in possession of odd, yet useful, abilities.

Planesblasted: Gain Knowledge Planes as class skill, gain +2 to Knowledge Planes checks, and gain the ability to cast Blur 1/day as a spell like ability. The caster level of the spell is equal to your HD(Minimum 1). (This Replaces Desert Elven Magic and Keen senses.) In hushed voices and quiet whispers, the Desert Elves speak of those amongst them who carry traces of the sundering, the great catastrophe that wiped their home from this plane. These Elves are unnatural, and barely belong in the mortal coil, for they carry within them innate knowledge of the realms beyond the mortal, and carry a spark of it within them, which they can use to make themselves tougher to hit.

Legacy of Martial Discipline: Racial ability bonuses become (+2 CON, +2 DEX, -2 CHA). May choose to receive one of the following as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the requirements: (This Replaces Desert Elven Magic and Elven Immunities.)

• Lightning Reflexes

• Dodge

• Improved Initiative

Though rare in the current times than they were, some desert elves carry within them the blood of their once-mighty warriors, known for their quick wits, reflexes, and blindingly fast speed. These Elves are mighty warriors, and small glimpses into the power of the Desert Elven army that once was. They are known for being nimble, hard to hit, and prefer to strike their enemies before they can even realize what hit them.

Jungle Striders: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when you are in the Jungle or Forest terrains. Additionally, when traveling normally you leave no trail and cannot be tracked (though you may leave a trail if you so choose). This functions as Favored Terrain for the Jungle and Forest terrains. If you would get Favored Terrain from a class ability, it replaces this one once the bonus to these terrains rises higher than listed here. Replaces Well-Acclimated.
Having grown up in dense jungles instead of verdant forests, some Elves are more accustomed to swinging from jungle vines and darting from one titanic tree to another than they are moving through the thick underbrush of a forest.

Tezcahuital Blood Hunter: You gain scent out to 100ft against living creatures, which increases to 200ft against injured creatures(Below Max HP). Whenever you deal bleed damage, you deal an amount of extra bleed damage equal to 1/3 your total HD(Minimum 1). Replaces Weapon Familiarity and Nimble Striders.
Having grown up, lived near, or been trained by one of the notoriously tribal and brutal Blood Elves, some elves are masters of the secret techniques of the Tezcahuital, daubing their bodies with dark red paint in ritualistic lines and symbols as they learn to smell blood as the Blood Hunters do...and how to draw forth more blood from each strike as they do.

Terror in the Shadows: You gain a racial +2 on Intimidate checks, and it is always a class skill for you. Replaces Keen Senses.
You are an expert with the inner workings of other's minds, and know how to perfectly act and position yourself to elicit maximum terror from your targets.

Free Spirits, to the End: Gain racial +2 to Acrobatics, Athletics, and Escape Artist checks, one is always a class skill; Replaces Nimble Striders.
True to their origin, the Desert Elves yet keep a part of their freer, more chaotic selves within. Even after so much they have endured, some among them embody the truest values that the Desert Elves once strove to live for, and are wild, free beings as unpredictable, chaotic, and wild as a typhoon. These such Desert Elves are are nimble, athletic, and quiet adept at escaping any situation they find themselves in, their free, wild spirits unable to be contained or restrained by anyone. They are flighty, carefree, and unpredictable, and treasure their personal freedoms above all else. To these Desert Elves, the sadness of their situation is even more a reason to be as true to themselves as possible; what better way to show the world who you are than to be expression in its most unrestrained form?

Unfettered by Catastrophe: Gain racial +2 to will saves, +4 to resist fear effects; Replaces Keen Senses and Nimble Striders.
Having seen the soul-crushing madness of the sundering and lived to tell the tale, the desert elves are a broken people. However, some among them, having stared into the face of such a calamity, steeled themselves and were better for it. These Elves are stoic and stalwart, and little can faze them one way or another….they are infamous among their people for rarely, if ever, smiling. Indeed, they seem to feel little at all...to these Elves, they’ve seen the worst the planes can throw at them...they’ve seen their home lost, their people splintered, and their race in decline. To them, not even a dragon’s roar could shake their hearts, which stand as firm as adamantine in the face of danger and terror...and as such, only the most potent of effects can affect their minds.

Frozen Hunter: You gain a +4 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when you are in the Cold terrain. Additionally, when traveling normally you leave no trail and cannot be tracked (though you may leave a trail if you so choose). This functions as Favored Terrain for the Cold Terrain. If you would get Favored Terrain from a class ability, it replaces this one once the bonus to these terrains rises higher than listed here. Replaces Well-Acclimated.
Having grown up in the freezing cold of the tundra and the northern mountains, you have become more adept at darting unseen through fields of snow and ice than through forest underbrush.

Freezing Sight: As a standard action a number of times per day equal to your INTMOD +1(Minimum 1), you can force any creature within your line of sight to make a fortitude save(DC 10 + 1/2HD + INTMOD) or have their movement speed reduced by half and any cold resistance they have dropped by 10(If they have immunity, it lowers it to Resistance 20) to a minimum of Resistance 0. This effect lasts for 1d4+1 rounds, and on a successful save the target ignores the lowered cold resistance, and the speed reduction lasts for only 1 round. Replaces Weapon Familiarity.
Their eyes frozen and icy blue, the Winter Elves are legendary in the north as cannibalistic boogeymen who eat eyes for sport...the truth of that is dubious, but regardless, their eyes are filled with potent magic and are capable of freezing the veins and bones of those they focus on...meaning that for those who earn their trust or who manage to kill one and take their eyes, learning the secrets of this technique can be incredibly beneficial.

Icebody: You gain cold resistance 5, and gain a racial +2 on Perception checks. Survival is always a class skill for you(If it is already due to your class, gain a +2 on it instead). Replaces Keen Senses.
Having grown up in the blistering cold most or all of your live, your skin has taken on a pale white color, and you have grown inured to the cold compared to others of your kind. Additionally, this adaptation has allowed you to excel in hunting and foraging in those same locales.

Blessings of the World Tree: Gain a racial +2 bonus to heal, and it is always a class skill. In addition, Gain the following as spell like abilities: Replaces Desert Elven magic.

• 1/day: Speak with animals, Speak with plants, Goodberry(Caster level equal to HD for both)

While their home, the legendary world tree which one stretched miles into the sky above the desert, may now be gone, some among the Desert Elves retain a connection to their home. Blessed with an innate connection to nature that even the Forest Elves envy, these Desert Elves are living heroes to their people, idols made manifest and proof that their beloved home is not lost forever...that one day, their people might see the light of prosperity again. These elves are warm, and comforting, and are capable of soothing even the most stubborn of hearts...they also possess a natural affinity for the healing arts, the natural gifts their connection to their home gives them letting them produce infinitely valuable food in the dry, dry desert. Whenever they appear, they quite regularly take on the role of sages, healers, and shamans to their kind...and while most may remain in the secret village of their kind, some have gone on journeys of self-discovery, seeking to use their connection to the world tree to bring it home to their people at long last.

Entrepreneurial Spirit: Gain Racial +2 bonus to Appraise, Sense Motive, and Diplomacy, one is always a class skill; Replaces Keen Senses
While most Desert Elves in the current day are content to wither away in their hidden village, some are more defiant. These Elves are cocksure, and sure that their destiny, and the destiny of their people, lies out in the wider world. They learn to face the perils of the world, and easily find they are quite capable at bartering, negotiating, and the ways of the aspiring businessman.They are charming, and in possession of a keen eye for both an item’s worth and the truth in the words others speak...to them, the world is infinitely larger than the depressing, heavy atmosphere within their secret home, and even should they be unable to bring their home back, they will live their lives how they wish, and to the fullest.

Cave-Born: Gain Darkvision out to 60ft. Gain a climb speed equal to your base land speed. You gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking. Replaces Well-Acclimated.
Having lived most of their lives underground in their sheltered cavern city, many Sand Elves become much more used to the ways of underground life than some of their fellows are to life aboveground beneath the blistering sun. Their eyes adapt to the stonework and the darkness, and they become almost dwarflike in underground survivability.

Planar Orphan: Gain Undercommon as a starting language, and gain Telepathy(120ft). Gain a racial +2 to all saves made to resist Enchantment effects. Aberrations start one step friendlier to you than normal. You automatically detect planar portals to The World Below when you come within 250ft of them. Replaces Well-Acclimated.
Spirited away as infants through the natural planar portals that dwell within the caverns of their home, some Desert Elves are whisked away to the city of Zct'Thysk, the eponymous City of a Million Eyes...raised by the city's monstrous and terrifying eldritch monstrosities they often return to their home different, and alien...their skin is tinged purple and they are cold and calculating, thinking in terms of collectives and the whole and putting little emphasis on the self. Their minds are terrifyingly powerful, and they all yearn to return to their adoptive home…

Grey Immunities: Gain immunity to paralysis. Gain a racial +4 to resist phantasms and poison, and a racial +2 on all saves against spells and spell-like abilities. Replaces Elven Immunities.
Born as children on the Material Plane that in some way wandered too far from their homes into the caverns beneath their home, some Sand Elves find themselves spirited away to a land of harsh, unending labor where grey-skinned dwarves toil unendingly far beneath the earth...raised by the Grey Dwarves who call such a brutal hellscape their home such that they even adopt some of their defenses, these Elves grow up as cruel and cold tyrants, returning to their home plane with desires to bring order and law to their people…

Cold Soul: Gain Cold Resistance 10 and a racial +4 to all spells and spell-like abilities with the [Emotion] descriptor. Replaces Elven Immunities.
So hopeless is the life of most Sand Elves, bereft of home and future, that many simply give up on life in general and become little more than walking corpses in all but title. Some Sand Elves give up so entirely on their hopeless existences that their bodies go cold and grey, their emotions deadening and their feelings blunting until they become cold, uncaring husks. Though unnerving, their cold bodies are highly resistant to the cold and their deadened emotions make them resistant to effects that would manipulate their emotions.

Slip Between Worlds: 3/day, you may vanish from your square and reappear in an unoccupied square within line of sight. This is a supernatural ability, and does not provoke AoO. Replaces Weapon Familiarity.
A remnant of their time spent in their home, The World Tree, some Sand Elves still retain the ability to utilize the branches of the enormous tree to slide between planes for a few seconds, appearing elsewhere in the blink of an eye.

Wandering Warrior: Gain a racial +4 to your CMD. Gain the "Weapon Familiarity" racial trait of another race in place of the base Sand Elven version.(Example: Replace Weapon Familiarity with the Goliath Race's Weapon Familiarity)
Leaving their isolated Village Behind to travel the world, many Sand Elves, being natural warriors themselves, frequently travel across the land learning the fighting techniques of those they encounter to both learn more about the world and add to their own formidable array of battle skills.

Cragtop Travelers: You gain a +4 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when you are in the Mountain terrain. Additionally, when traveling normally you leave no trail and cannot be tracked (though you may leave a trail if you so choose). This functions as Favored Terrain for the Mountain Terrain. If you would get Favored Terrain from a class ability, it replaces this one once the bonus to these terrains rises higher than listed here. Replaces Well-Acclimated.
Whether you were raised among them or perhaps simply spent a majority of your long life in the mountains and rocky locales of the world, you are more at home on the highest peaks than you ever were in the forest.

Fleet-footed: You gain Run as a bonus feat and gain a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks. Replaces Weapon Familiarity.
As fast as lightning and twice as reactive, you are so incredibly nimble and light of foot that others of your kin cannot hope to match your speed.

Monastic Scholar: Gain two Knowledge skills of your choice as class skills, instead gaining a +2 bonus on two if you have all Knowledge skills as class skills. You gain darkvision 120ft. Replaces Keen Senses.
Having studied with the Zelthuro in their grand mountaintop monasteries, you gained an appreciation for the vast amounts of knowledge they have collected, and took much of it to heart.