How do you role-play: An Elf? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How do you role-play: An Elf? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Edrick_Malichi
06-26-03, 12:55 AM This thread is set up to give advice to players who want to role-play an elf. These mystical beings have different perceptions of the world around them, and often times players believe them to be too difficult to play properly.

I for one, a DM of (only) 5 years still have trouble with these magnificent creatures. Please, share your thoughts, tips, and ideas of how an elf should be played. Talking about specific types, such as high, wood, etc. are appreciated as well.
Cthulthoth_the_Callin_Chaos
06-26-03, 01:01 AM As my first elf character was a surly braggart with a love of ticking off authority, hard drinks, fried foods (spellcasting burns a lotta calories), and coming up with new and more interesting ways to swear... AND she was/is a "her"...I feel compelled to keep my mouth shut.

She liked/likes kobolds too. "Wai! <^^>"
illwizard
06-26-03, 05:53 AM just as with every race(though i do admit elves tend to be a bit more constant than many others), there is a lot of deviation, but as they tend to be chaotic good one can act in that fashion in general.
They also (as far as i know ) are a rather supercilious race and yes, very mystical and magic loving.

Wild and Sylvan elves on the other hand, Due to their lack in intellingence and charisma are probably more druidically inclined nature lovin hippies, while also especially for wild elves being rather uncouth and uncivilised(compared to other elven communities though).
Alll elves do have a certain bond with nature(forget drow though unless underground and even then I doubt it) and are free spirited as nature itself is.

rather messily written but yes
Jon the Smith
06-26-03, 07:05 AM rule #1 for playing an elf in D&D:

Do not try to play a tolkien elf. That is a totaly different creature, dispite the name.

rule #2

imagine you're a human, but your lifespan is longer. That would give you a start in playing an elf. a START i said.

rule #3

frolic (hey! that never hurts!)

rule #4

look onto others like you would look to a 15 years younger brother/sister. act by it.

rule #5

buy a pencil sharpener and use in on your ears, just to get in character.
KITKATmeeoow
06-26-03, 08:12 AM A few notes to remember when role-playing an elf.

1. By nature, most tend to have close relationships with forests. A few exceptions though.

2. Always look at the short description for each type. A high elf is different than a wood elf mainly because of it upbringing. They are like people. Depending on how and where they were raised, there are always slight differences.

3. They hate undead. Granted, there have been people who have played elf necromancers, but both 2ED and 3 ED made it a point to state they do not like undead. I am unsure about 1ED because I never played that version.

4. They are like people, you do not have to be identical to every other elf in the world, just like not every human is alike. Too many people try to make every race’s personalities identical except for humans.

5. Many are overly confidant and some can be down right braggarts.

6. Many seem slightly snobbish when it comes to outside races. They do not trust others as easily, but that should be somewhat obvious since they packed up and moved far away from the more destructive human settlements.

7. Last note, they are also more drawn toward the humanities, like music, poetry and art. If I remember right, this has something to do with their longer life spans. They are not in as much of a hurry to get everything done so instead they take time to enjoy the beauty in the world.

Obviously though, if any of this does not apply to the type of character someone wants to play, they can simply refer to #4. These are more stereotypes although they are some of the most common personality traits you find in the ones that stay at home or work in the cities.
Count Arioch the 28th
06-26-03, 10:58 AM My campaign advice for plaing elf, devided by culture:

(Note that all of these are simply sultural names, all elves in my game have standard PHB mods, no subraces in my game, with a few exceptions.)

High Elf: Arrogant and snotty. Humans are barely more than children. Half human elves are littel better, but are better than humans. Halflings are beneath your notice. Dwarves are to be respected, as well as gnomes, for they know the wieght of the years you carry as well. Orcs are foul beasts, to be enslaved or slaughtered at the first chance. And the Hobgoblins are never to be forgiven for driving us out of our ancestral home.

Sun Elf: the ancient elf way have failed us. To survive, we must dwell with the shorter lived races, for even humans and orcs have something to teach us. Be gracious and humble guests, aid all who ask for it, and learn all you can. Do not interfere with their affairs, but give a hand if asked. Hlaf-human elves are to be envied, for they hold both the human's cleverness and the elve's grace.

Dusk Elf: Embrace the wild. The elven empire fell due to their reliance on the lazy and weakening force known as magic. Do not allow the trappings of civilization ensnare you, for true wisdom is in the wilderness, the enldess forests, the burning deserts, the deep blue sea, and the tall cold mountains. Withdraw from civilation, and live free, as our creator intended.

Star Elves: The fall has shown us even our ldays are numbered. therefore, we must make merry, and live all life to the fullest. Sample all the pleasures life has to offer, and share willingly our knowledge. Life can be a cruel place, let's make the best of it!

Drow: We are meat fo the table. We are to live onlly as long as it suits our dark queen, no longer. All males are to be crushed, save the Orcs, whom our patron has honored by taking their deity as a consort. Learn the orcish bestialness, while teaching them ruthlessness and cunning. Only after then, will we unite and crush those who stole what is ours. We will crush the hobgoblins for driving our ancestors away, we will crush the humans for taking that land after driving out the Hobgoblins, and we will crush those elves too weak to know that now is the time for vengeance.
Farland
06-26-03, 11:14 AM I asked a question very similar to this and I got some quite good responses. If you want to read them, they are HERE (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50305) and HERE (http://azure.bbboy.net/niftymessageboard-viewthread?forum=6&thread=356).

Granted, it isn't quite the same question, but responses were good.
Edrick_Malichi
06-26-03, 12:17 PM Thank you, Farland. Those really are excellent links.
I thank everyone for their input. This is very helpful to me and my players. I hope that others will read this and learn something new, too.
Andion Isurand
06-26-03, 01:54 PM Here is some words I have to describe a facet of most elves.

While most often driven by devotion in the heart (Chaotic), elves are less often driven by disicpline in the mind (Lawful). Many elves grow bored with things they are not passionate about.

They are much more likely to drum to thier own beats, rather than conform to a rule or regualtion. For them, ideas behind laws (Chaotic), rather than the actual letter of it (Lawful), is what is most important.

Elves live their lives with a lot of feeling (Chaotic), whether this can be seen or not. They take their time to follow what they are most passionate about.
rockfall22
06-27-03, 03:20 AM Sometimes, however, the way elves are portrayed world-to-world can change. For example, we have been running a campaign in the AEG world of Warlord: Saga of the Storm. Elves are wild, greedy and vicious creatures with a knack for necromancy. Almost all of them strive for immortality and one of their warlords, Morghen Dythanus, is a really powerful lich (we're talking the Szass Tam type-lich here). Also, they only live about 30 years.

We also played a campaign a few months ago in the Chainmail setting. The high elves there are an imperious group, but their empire has been collapsed into nearly non-existence. However, that imperious attitude still holds true.

But, personally, when I play an elf, I usually make him some sort of dueling/spellslinging type. They're never pure fighters, but I makes sure they are experts in melee and ranged combat, buffed up by spells
Augustus Semaphore
06-27-03, 11:04 AM I think of every person that I hate, and mimic them.
Otto the Bugbear
06-27-03, 10:33 PM Just go to my place... Otto's Pub and Grub. Finest fried elf in the Land!... and wait your turn in the kitched with the other entrees. :devil:

If that's not what you want for your elf, maybe another suggestion is in order.

Think of how a human might act if they lived 10 times longer than they do now. Nothing would be urgent. Everything could wait for tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month. Or next year.

Rely on your short-span friends (life span that is), to keep the adventure flowing at a good pace. Never be the one to utter phrases like:

"We better hurry and get there before the moon rises and Zargo the evil human priest raises his army of undead to destroy the village of Posen!"

After all, Zargo is hardly a real threat to an entire realm. It's likely that if you wait long enough, Zargo will be worm poo before you know it.

After that, just decide how you play a human and you'll see the problem with stereotyping how elves, dwarves, or any other race is played.

Cheers

Otto :)
Fiantha
06-29-03, 01:30 PM I see elves as a mixture of lawful and chaotic. I know it sounds weird, but any culture that is around for as long as elves in bound to develop some traditions and customs. True, elves value freedom and independence, but I imagine age old ceremonies for life events, like marriage or birth. I also played an elfmaid who would never cut her hair, because it was the custom in her village for a girl not to do so until she was an adult (my character was about 12)
On another note- what's so bad about Tolkien elves? I've always loved to play wise, graceful and serene elves. The Hobbit gave me my love of fantasy books, and the epic quest of Lord of the Rings has been an inspiration to me as a DM and a player. I know that D&D is not Middle Earth, but for someone who started in 1st edition and never got out of the 2nd edition mindset, I don't see any reason to make elves more like humans. I understand that a lot of people would rather not play a being as mysterious and ineffable as a Tolkien elf, so I don't force them to agree with me. If I want to play such a person, I say she's a "fundamentalist" elf; isolated band, little contact with humans, sticking to the old ways. I don't force my concept of elves on others, and if my DM says that my elf doesn't fit with his world, I won't play her. Sorry for rambling so much.
--Fiantha
Andion Isurand
07-09-03, 02:04 PM I do find that people often stumble on the lawful/chaotic alignment axis when they start talking about individuals and the socities in which the live.

And remember this, every elven god (in Faerūn at least) has a chaotic alignment.

consider the following words:

Lawful vs. Chaotic

Structured vs. Unfettered
Planned vs. Spontaneous
Thinking vs. Feeling
Disciplined vs. Devoted
Reasonable vs. Intuitive
Fairness vs. Reputation

This alignment axis has less to do with society, and more to do with the individual. (and of course, individuals are affected by society) However, character alignment is a measure of that character's alignment, not a measure of the ideals inherit within the society of which they are a part. Even tribal socities of barbarians can have long standing traditions.

Just a few of my cents.
Sevik
07-09-03, 09:14 PM There is one simple key to role-playing an elf, regardless of whatever elf you play, there is one thing that all elves have in common....

You are better then everyone else.

Whether played subtle or extremely blunt, it never fails that elves are always "confident" in themselves.

:b:
ShadeGirl
07-09-03, 09:36 PM Do you think that the elven confidence thing might just be a cliche commonly repeated by players, or an actuality with the elves?
Sevik
07-10-03, 03:06 AM I honestly believe that it is an actuality with the elves.

Not to say that this example is by any means the standard, but take the simple relationship between Gimly and Legolas for example. When the orcs are sieging Helm's Deep, and Gimly cheerfully anounces that he's killed 2 already, Legolas replies with the same cheeriness that he's killed 17.

It just goes to show that even in simple conversation, elves can't help but let "it" slip out.

Then again, the fact that most people in the world are vain and self-centered could be the attraction players have to elves in the first place.

I'm not cynical, really....

:b:
ShadeGirl
07-10-03, 06:51 PM Not to say that this example is by any means the standard, but take the simple relationship between Gimly and Legolas for example. When the orcs are sieging Helm's Deep, and Gimly cheerfully anounces that he's killed 2 already, Legolas replies with the same cheeriness that he's killed 17.

That part in the movie irked me for reasons that I cannot explain. I like the 'idea' of elves, and for me there is a mystical fascination surrounding them, but I cannot *stand* the 'typical' elf, if that makes sense.

I only like elves that don't let their race define who they are. Personal preferance! :cool:
Kharne
07-10-03, 09:58 PM I would suggest Elaine Cunningham's FR novels to those who want to play elves. Specifically, "Elf Song" and "Elf Shadow" in the Harper Series. There may also be another book she wrote (not the Dark Elf books). I'm sure there are other great books out there...it's just a matter of reading them.

If other people know of any novels that deal well with elves, it might be worth suggesting. I think a few good novels could get it across much better than any number of posts we could make here. :D

Edit: Also, the 2nd ed "Complete Book of Elves" might be helpful for this as well. One more edit...a friend reminded me of another VERY helpful Cunningham book...Evermeet (the entire book is about the elven history and it could help a lot to understanding the elven mindset. Heh, this thread has me about to read this book finally. I've never really played an elf before because I felt that I couldn't do them justice. :P
Caterane
07-14-03, 07:02 AM Or just read Evermeet - Island of Elves from E.Cunningham

After that book you`ll know how to play one
Gellion
07-15-03, 08:04 AM Originally posted by Otto the Bugbear

After all, Zargo is hardly a real threat to an entire realm. It's likely that if you wait long enough, Zargo will be worm poo before you know it.

Human:Oh no Zargos just became a lich
Elf:Sh*tbeans

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Edrick_Malichi 06-26-03, 12:55 AM	This thread is set up to give advice to players who want to role-play an elf. These mystical beings have different perceptions of the world around them, and often times players believe them to be too difficult to play properly. I for one, a DM of (only) 5 years still have trouble with these magnificent creatures. Please, share your thoughts, tips, and ideas of how an elf should be played. Talking about specific types, such as high, wood, etc. are appreciated as well.
Cthulthoth_the_Callin_Chaos 06-26-03, 01:01 AM	As my first elf character was a surly braggart with a love of ticking off authority, hard drinks, fried foods (spellcasting burns a lotta calories), and coming up with new and more interesting ways to swear... AND she was/is a "her"...I feel compelled to keep my mouth shut. She liked/likes kobolds too. "Wai! <^^>"
illwizard 06-26-03, 05:53 AM	just as with every race(though i do admit elves tend to be a bit more constant than many others), there is a lot of deviation, but as they tend to be chaotic good one can act in that fashion in general. They also (as far as i know ) are a rather supercilious race and yes, very mystical and magic loving. Wild and Sylvan elves on the other hand, Due to their lack in intellingence and charisma are probably more druidically inclined nature lovin hippies, while also especially for wild elves being rather uncouth and uncivilised(compared to other elven communities though). Alll elves do have a certain bond with nature(forget drow though unless underground and even then I doubt it) and are free spirited as nature itself is. rather messily written but yes
Jon the Smith 06-26-03, 07:05 AM	rule #1 for playing an elf in D&D: Do not try to play a tolkien elf. That is a totaly different creature, dispite the name. rule #2 imagine you're a human, but your lifespan is longer. That would give you a start in playing an elf. a START i said. rule #3 frolic (hey! that never hurts!) rule #4 look onto others like you would look to a 15 years younger brother/sister. act by it. rule #5 buy a pencil sharpener and use in on your ears, just to get in character.
KITKATmeeoow 06-26-03, 08:12 AM	A few notes to remember when role-playing an elf. 1. By nature, most tend to have close relationships with forests. A few exceptions though. 2. Always look at the short description for each type. A high elf is different than a wood elf mainly because of it upbringing. They are like people. Depending on how and where they were raised, there are always slight differences. 3. They hate undead. Granted, there have been people who have played elf necromancers, but both 2ED and 3 ED made it a point to state they do not like undead. I am unsure about 1ED because I never played that version. 4. They are like people, you do not have to be identical to every other elf in the world, just like not every human is alike. Too many people try to make every race’s personalities identical except for humans. 5. Many are overly confidant and some can be down right braggarts. 6. Many seem slightly snobbish when it comes to outside races. They do not trust others as easily, but that should be somewhat obvious since they packed up and moved far away from the more destructive human settlements. 7. Last note, they are also more drawn toward the humanities, like music, poetry and art. If I remember right, this has something to do with their longer life spans. They are not in as much of a hurry to get everything done so instead they take time to enjoy the beauty in the world. Obviously though, if any of this does not apply to the type of character someone wants to play, they can simply refer to #4. These are more stereotypes although they are some of the most common personality traits you find in the ones that stay at home or work in the cities.
Count Arioch the 28th 06-26-03, 10:58 AM	My campaign advice for plaing elf, devided by culture: (Note that all of these are simply sultural names, all elves in my game have standard PHB mods, no subraces in my game, with a few exceptions.) High Elf: Arrogant and snotty. Humans are barely more than children. Half human elves are littel better, but are better than humans. Halflings are beneath your notice. Dwarves are to be respected, as well as gnomes, for they know the wieght of the years you carry as well. Orcs are foul beasts, to be enslaved or slaughtered at the first chance. And the Hobgoblins are never to be forgiven for driving us out of our ancestral home. Sun Elf: the ancient elf way have failed us. To survive, we must dwell with the shorter lived races, for even humans and orcs have something to teach us. Be gracious and humble guests, aid all who ask for it, and learn all you can. Do not interfere with their affairs, but give a hand if asked. Hlaf-human elves are to be envied, for they hold both the human's cleverness and the elve's grace. Dusk Elf: Embrace the wild. The elven empire fell due to their reliance on the lazy and weakening force known as magic. Do not allow the trappings of civilization ensnare you, for true wisdom is in the wilderness, the enldess forests, the burning deserts, the deep blue sea, and the tall cold mountains. Withdraw from civilation, and live free, as our creator intended. Star Elves: The fall has shown us even our ldays are numbered. therefore, we must make merry, and live all life to the fullest. Sample all the pleasures life has to offer, and share willingly our knowledge. Life can be a cruel place, let's make the best of it! Drow: We are meat fo the table. We are to live onlly as long as it suits our dark queen, no longer. All males are to be crushed, save the Orcs, whom our patron has honored by taking their deity as a consort. Learn the orcish bestialness, while teaching them ruthlessness and cunning. Only after then, will we unite and crush those who stole what is ours. We will crush the hobgoblins for driving our ancestors away, we will crush the humans for taking that land after driving out the Hobgoblins, and we will crush those elves too weak to know that now is the time for vengeance.
Farland 06-26-03, 11:14 AM	I asked a question very similar to this and I got some quite good responses. If you want to read them, they are HERE (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50305) and HERE (http://azure.bbboy.net/niftymessageboard-viewthread?forum=6&thread=356). Granted, it isn't quite the same question, but responses were good.
Edrick_Malichi 06-26-03, 12:17 PM	Thank you, Farland. Those really are excellent links. I thank everyone for their input. This is very helpful to me and my players. I hope that others will read this and learn something new, too.
Andion Isurand 06-26-03, 01:54 PM	Here is some words I have to describe a facet of most elves. While most often driven by devotion in the heart (Chaotic), elves are less often driven by disicpline in the mind (Lawful). Many elves grow bored with things they are not passionate about. They are much more likely to drum to thier own beats, rather than conform to a rule or regualtion. For them, ideas behind laws (Chaotic), rather than the actual letter of it (Lawful), is what is most important. Elves live their lives with a lot of feeling (Chaotic), whether this can be seen or not. They take their time to follow what they are most passionate about.
rockfall22 06-27-03, 03:20 AM	Sometimes, however, the way elves are portrayed world-to-world can change. For example, we have been running a campaign in the AEG world of Warlord: Saga of the Storm. Elves are wild, greedy and vicious creatures with a knack for necromancy. Almost all of them strive for immortality and one of their warlords, Morghen Dythanus, is a really powerful lich (we're talking the Szass Tam type-lich here). Also, they only live about 30 years. We also played a campaign a few months ago in the Chainmail setting. The high elves there are an imperious group, but their empire has been collapsed into nearly non-existence. However, that imperious attitude still holds true. But, personally, when I play an elf, I usually make him some sort of dueling/spellslinging type. They're never pure fighters, but I makes sure they are experts in melee and ranged combat, buffed up by spells
Augustus Semaphore 06-27-03, 11:04 AM	I think of every person that I hate, and mimic them.
Otto the Bugbear 06-27-03, 10:33 PM	Just go to my place... Otto's Pub and Grub. Finest fried elf in the Land!... and wait your turn in the kitched with the other entrees. :devil: If that's not what you want for your elf, maybe another suggestion is in order. Think of how a human might act if they lived 10 times longer than they do now. Nothing would be urgent. Everything could wait for tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month. Or next year. Rely on your short-span friends (life span that is), to keep the adventure flowing at a good pace. Never be the one to utter phrases like: "We better hurry and get there before the moon rises and Zargo the evil human priest raises his army of undead to destroy the village of Posen!" After all, Zargo is hardly a real threat to an entire realm. It's likely that if you wait long enough, Zargo will be worm poo before you know it. After that, just decide how you play a human and you'll see the problem with stereotyping how elves, dwarves, or any other race is played. Cheers Otto :)
Fiantha 06-29-03, 01:30 PM	I see elves as a mixture of lawful and chaotic. I know it sounds weird, but any culture that is around for as long as elves in bound to develop some traditions and customs. True, elves value freedom and independence, but I imagine age old ceremonies for life events, like marriage or birth. I also played an elfmaid who would never cut her hair, because it was the custom in her village for a girl not to do so until she was an adult (my character was about 12) On another note- what's so bad about Tolkien elves? I've always loved to play wise, graceful and serene elves. The Hobbit gave me my love of fantasy books, and the epic quest of Lord of the Rings has been an inspiration to me as a DM and a player. I know that D&D is not Middle Earth, but for someone who started in 1st edition and never got out of the 2nd edition mindset, I don't see any reason to make elves more like humans. I understand that a lot of people would rather not play a being as mysterious and ineffable as a Tolkien elf, so I don't force them to agree with me. If I want to play such a person, I say she's a "fundamentalist" elf; isolated band, little contact with humans, sticking to the old ways. I don't force my concept of elves on others, and if my DM says that my elf doesn't fit with his world, I won't play her. Sorry for rambling so much. --Fiantha
Andion Isurand 07-09-03, 02:04 PM	I do find that people often stumble on the lawful/chaotic alignment axis when they start talking about individuals and the socities in which the live. And remember this, every elven god (in Faerūn at least) has a chaotic alignment. consider the following words: Lawful vs. Chaotic Structured vs. Unfettered Planned vs. Spontaneous Thinking vs. Feeling Disciplined vs. Devoted Reasonable vs. Intuitive Fairness vs. Reputation This alignment axis has less to do with society, and more to do with the individual. (and of course, individuals are affected by society) However, character alignment is a measure of that character's alignment, not a measure of the ideals inherit within the society of which they are a part. Even tribal socities of barbarians can have long standing traditions. Just a few of my cents.
Sevik 07-09-03, 09:14 PM	There is one simple key to role-playing an elf, regardless of whatever elf you play, there is one thing that all elves have in common.... You are better then everyone else. Whether played subtle or extremely blunt, it never fails that elves are always "confident" in themselves. :b:
ShadeGirl 07-09-03, 09:36 PM	Do you think that the elven confidence thing might just be a cliche commonly repeated by players, or an actuality with the elves?
Sevik 07-10-03, 03:06 AM	I honestly believe that it is an actuality with the elves. Not to say that this example is by any means the standard, but take the simple relationship between Gimly and Legolas for example. When the orcs are sieging Helm's Deep, and Gimly cheerfully anounces that he's killed 2 already, Legolas replies with the same cheeriness that he's killed 17. It just goes to show that even in simple conversation, elves can't help but let "it" slip out. Then again, the fact that most people in the world are vain and self-centered could be the attraction players have to elves in the first place. I'm not cynical, really.... :b:
ShadeGirl 07-10-03, 06:51 PM	Not to say that this example is by any means the standard, but take the simple relationship between Gimly and Legolas for example. When the orcs are sieging Helm's Deep, and Gimly cheerfully anounces that he's killed 2 already, Legolas replies with the same cheeriness that he's killed 17. That part in the movie irked me for reasons that I cannot explain. I like the 'idea' of elves, and for me there is a mystical fascination surrounding them, but I cannot stand the 'typical' elf, if that makes sense. I only like elves that don't let their race define who they are. Personal preferance! :cool:
Kharne 07-10-03, 09:58 PM	I would suggest Elaine Cunningham's FR novels to those who want to play elves. Specifically, "Elf Song" and "Elf Shadow" in the Harper Series. There may also be another book she wrote (not the Dark Elf books). I'm sure there are other great books out there...it's just a matter of reading them. If other people know of any novels that deal well with elves, it might be worth suggesting. I think a few good novels could get it across much better than any number of posts we could make here. :D Edit: Also, the 2nd ed "Complete Book of Elves" might be helpful for this as well. One more edit...a friend reminded me of another VERY helpful Cunningham book...Evermeet (the entire book is about the elven history and it could help a lot to understanding the elven mindset. Heh, this thread has me about to read this book finally. I've never really played an elf before because I felt that I couldn't do them justice. :P
Caterane 07-14-03, 07:02 AM	Or just read Evermeet - Island of Elves from E.Cunningham After that book you`ll know how to play one
Gellion 07-15-03, 08:04 AM	Originally posted by Otto the Bugbear After all, Zargo is hardly a real threat to an entire realm. It's likely that if you wait long enough, Zargo will be worm poo before you know it. Human:Oh no Zargos just became a lich Elf:Sh*tbeans