Hiding an Elan [Archive] - Wizards Community

Hiding an Elan [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Zankue
05-06-07, 12:17 AM So I play a Shaper Psion Elan. Elans are just like humans and just seem a little strange compared to other humans (hence the -2 to cha) Should I not let the other party members know that I'm an Elan, I see no reason to keep it from them, but no reason to tell it to them either. It doesn't really occur in conversation "oh ur a dwarf/human/elf right?" How long do you think it should be before the party finds out? (DM knows already)
VerdugoExplode
05-06-07, 01:01 AM Well, would they have an adverse reaction to you being an Elan would be another question. Realistically you are, for all intensive purposes a human, albeit a psychically charged, slightly awkward one. Any of the abilities that Elans have could easily be attributed to a psionic ability should the question ever arise. There are oodles of reasons why anyone would act awkwardly or outide of the bounds of normal society in a high fantasy game like D&D. Traumatic experiences, strange cultural traditions, magically experiments gone awry, magical experiments going exactly as planned and countless more would all leave their nigh inerasable tracts across the landscape of the average mind. Consider the kind of lunacy that you may have seen other characters create out of normal, straight from the PHB, humans. People may get suspicious but until a decade or so from now when they see your character hasn't aged will they become genuinely inquisitive.

Or you could just tell them straight off, your call really.
KillerGM
05-06-07, 02:29 AM Isn't that the race with the glowing things around their head?

I would say it depends on how common they are in the world.

Even amongst modern-day humans, people tend to assume a certain heritage based on how someone looks. I could see it being the same case with Elans - they look different from other humans (especially with a racial modifier to Cha), and people can/will see that and could assume Elan.

If they are the ones with the glowing symbols, then that's easy - it's obvious unless you hide it. It's a trait of your race (like pointy ears or being really short). It would give you away. If not, ignore that paragraph.

It also depends on the group - I'm sure if you've known someone forever, it's come up. If you're just meeting for the first time, and there's a reason for you to hide what you are, then things get a little grey.

Personally, I'd tell the group their characters know I'm X race. But that's just how I roll.

Eberron has a race called the Kalashtar. They get a +2 on Disguise to look human (because they basically look human). I'd use that as a model to say that near-human doesn't mean human on assumption. You'd have to use Disguise to pull off a human appearance.

At least, that's what I think.

Hope it helps!! :D
Tempest Stormwind
05-06-07, 03:37 AM No, elans are the race that *were* human but have been psionically transformed into something different, immortal, mentally empowered, but fundamentally disturbing. Some official sources (the Mind's Eye) have described them as being a little too... everything. Their skin, just a little too pale, their hair, just a little *too* red, their eyes, a bit *too* green... oh, and no pores on the skin whatsoever.

Personally? I just give them the +2 to disguise checks to look human. Same reasoning as the kalashtar.

(The glowing sigils, naturally, are illumians. Hard to remember the name, but easy to tell the two apart -- Elan is French for "life" (eternal life, life-preservation abilities), while Illumian obviously has connections to light (glowing sigils).)
Witch
05-06-07, 03:42 AM Elan is French for "life" (eternal life, life-preservation abilities)
Really? I don't seem to recall that meaning. Could you give me a source on that? My sources (and my memory, but that could be mistaken) tell me that "élan" means a dynamic, enthousiastic attitude.
KillerGM
05-06-07, 03:55 AM No, elans are the race that *were* human but have been psionically transformed into something different, immortal, mentally empowered, but fundamentally disturbing. Some official sources (the Mind's Eye) have described them as being a little too... everything. Their skin, just a little too pale, their hair, just a little *too* red, their eyes, a bit *too* green... oh, and no pores on the skin whatsoever.

Personally? I just give them the +2 to disguise checks to look human. Same reasoning as the kalashtar.

(The glowing sigils, naturally, are illumians. Hard to remember the name, but easy to tell the two apart -- Elan is French for "life" (eternal life, life-preservation abilities), while Illumian obviously has connections to light (glowing sigils).)

Ah, ok. I just thought Elan = glowing stuff. I think I got my wires crossed when I learned about the Illumians and that's what I always think now. :P

And if they are described as different, then yes, they would know.

I wouldn't give them a bonus to disguise - it's actually a part of the Kalashtar's racial abilities to look human (balance issues).

I'd just use the model to say that you'd have to make a Disguise check to pass off as human, rather than Elan. If you wanted to hide it, of course. ;)
Eikre
05-06-07, 04:29 AM Wait, wait, wait. We're bringing Disguise checks into this?

Those shouldn't come into play unless you're using the Disguise skills.

Obvious, yeah, but: If everyone is taking a glance at you and not stopping to wonder if you're really a human, then nobody should be entitled to finding out that you aren't. If you walk past a guard who's looking for signs of a weapon, he'll take you as a human by default. If, though, that guard is looking for two dudes, one a Kalashtar, and one an Elan, it just so happens that he's more likely to detect one over the other.

On a similar note, you'd gain a circumstance bonus to Hide from a guard several meters if you're in a large throng of people, right? Well, imagine that the guard isn't actually looking out across the crowd, and you're not making Hide checks- It's not like he's going to recall later that you passed by.

I digress. Yes, your buddies should be able to spot that you're not a human, but only if they actually care enough to wonder.

(Oh. Going on that Illumian tangent: As it turns out, Illumians are Humanoids (Human), so they don't actually require a check to look that way. Imagine that...)
spectralphoenix
05-06-07, 04:32 AM These threads always confuse me at first glance - I thought the answer was going to be convincing him not to yell "I GOT A FOUR" while sneaking...

Anyway, how well-known are Elans in your campaign world? If the other PCs don't know what they are, they'll probably think you're just a kind of weird human.
Thiez
05-06-07, 10:12 AM Why not treat an Elan as if he were a human for the Disguise skill? The -2 to Cha gives a penalty to disguise, so that could account for the 'Elans are human, but not quite...' thing.

Unless you tell your friends or use your elan powers, they never have to know. You look human enough, you're just a little... odd.
Zankue
05-06-07, 11:34 AM Ok, so basically the answer is what I thought. Until they realize that I haven't eaten or drank in 10 days, or until they see a sword cut into my stomach and not deal any damage, there's no reason why they should know.

Elans in this world have black hair, and gray eyes and psionics are pretty low in this world, so Elans are only found in bigger cities.

I was also wondering exactly how in-human are they when it comes to bravery? I know that the description says that they seem to be more brave than normal humans because of... something... Right now we're stranded on a peninsula dark forest, every one's too afraid to go into the middle, and we're pretty much just trying to get back to the main land. Am I the one to keep his cool and make the decisions, or am I the one that says "Let's go to the middle of the petrified forest and get the root that we came here for"
Tempest Stormwind
05-06-07, 01:33 PM Really? I don't seem to recall that meaning. Could you give me a source on that? My sources (and my memory, but that could be mistaken) tell me that "élan" means a dynamic, enthousiastic attitude.

I'd always heard it meant "vibrant and/or energetic" in the context of attitude, similar to the English expression "full of life". Then again, I only understand French; my speaking (and writing) skills with the language leave much to be desired. This means I can get by with "close enough" terms most of the time, although there are times when it comes back to bite me (like here).
Thiez
05-06-07, 02:38 PM I was also wondering exactly how in-human are they when it comes to bravery? I know that the description says that they seem to be more brave than normal humans because of... something... Right now we're stranded on a peninsula dark forest, every one's too afraid to go into the middle, and we're pretty much just trying to get back to the main land. Am I the one to keep his cool and make the decisions, or am I the one that says "Let's go to the middle of the petrified forest and get the root that we came here for"

They're brave, but they're not stupid. Unless an Elan's got something really important to do in that forest, I see no reason why he'd stay if there is reason to believe it is unsafe. Try to imagine them as staying calm in dangerous situations, without being suicidal. Suppose there is a huge monster comming to eat you while you are in, let's say, the sewers.
1) Panic and risk doing something stupid (like getting stuck at a dead end).
2) Run away as fast as you can and think of plan to make it out of there alive, such as hiding or finding a way to leavel the sewers.

Elans should pick option number 2 :)
Zankue
05-06-07, 02:52 PM from ARTFL French English dictionary:

ARTFL Project: French-English Dictionary

Searching for: élan

élan = momentum *[noun-masculine]
Check out our new site which features an updated interface for Webster's Dictionary, Roget's Thesaurus, the French-English Dictionary, and the French Verb Conjugator.

I don't know why it would be momentum... but that what it is according to this...
Witch
05-06-07, 05:52 PM I'd always heard it meant "vibrant and/or energetic" in the context of attitude, similar to the English expression "full of life". Then again, I only understand French; my speaking (and writing) skills with the language leave much to be desired. This means I can get by with "close enough" terms most of the time, although there are times when it comes back to bite me (like here).
"Full of life", in the sense of the expression is actually pretty accurate, yes - however, it doesn't really extrapolate to "life" itself. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Zankue 05-06-07, 12:17 AM	So I play a Shaper Psion Elan. Elans are just like humans and just seem a little strange compared to other humans (hence the -2 to cha) Should I not let the other party members know that I'm an Elan, I see no reason to keep it from them, but no reason to tell it to them either. It doesn't really occur in conversation "oh ur a dwarf/human/elf right?" How long do you think it should be before the party finds out? (DM knows already)
VerdugoExplode 05-06-07, 01:01 AM	Well, would they have an adverse reaction to you being an Elan would be another question. Realistically you are, for all intensive purposes a human, albeit a psychically charged, slightly awkward one. Any of the abilities that Elans have could easily be attributed to a psionic ability should the question ever arise. There are oodles of reasons why anyone would act awkwardly or outide of the bounds of normal society in a high fantasy game like D&D. Traumatic experiences, strange cultural traditions, magically experiments gone awry, magical experiments going exactly as planned and countless more would all leave their nigh inerasable tracts across the landscape of the average mind. Consider the kind of lunacy that you may have seen other characters create out of normal, straight from the PHB, humans. People may get suspicious but until a decade or so from now when they see your character hasn't aged will they become genuinely inquisitive. Or you could just tell them straight off, your call really.
KillerGM 05-06-07, 02:29 AM	Isn't that the race with the glowing things around their head? I would say it depends on how common they are in the world. Even amongst modern-day humans, people tend to assume a certain heritage based on how someone looks. I could see it being the same case with Elans - they look different from other humans (especially with a racial modifier to Cha), and people can/will see that and could assume Elan. If they are the ones with the glowing symbols, then that's easy - it's obvious unless you hide it. It's a trait of your race (like pointy ears or being really short). It would give you away. If not, ignore that paragraph. It also depends on the group - I'm sure if you've known someone forever, it's come up. If you're just meeting for the first time, and there's a reason for you to hide what you are, then things get a little grey. Personally, I'd tell the group their characters know I'm X race. But that's just how I roll. Eberron has a race called the Kalashtar. They get a +2 on Disguise to look human (because they basically look human). I'd use that as a model to say that near-human doesn't mean human on assumption. You'd have to use Disguise to pull off a human appearance. At least, that's what I think. Hope it helps!! :D
Tempest Stormwind 05-06-07, 03:37 AM	No, elans are the race that were human but have been psionically transformed into something different, immortal, mentally empowered, but fundamentally disturbing. Some official sources (the Mind's Eye) have described them as being a little too... everything. Their skin, just a little too pale, their hair, just a little too red, their eyes, a bit too green... oh, and no pores on the skin whatsoever. Personally? I just give them the +2 to disguise checks to look human. Same reasoning as the kalashtar. (The glowing sigils, naturally, are illumians. Hard to remember the name, but easy to tell the two apart -- Elan is French for "life" (eternal life, life-preservation abilities), while Illumian obviously has connections to light (glowing sigils).)
Witch 05-06-07, 03:42 AM	Elan is French for "life" (eternal life, life-preservation abilities) Really? I don't seem to recall that meaning. Could you give me a source on that? My sources (and my memory, but that could be mistaken) tell me that "élan" means a dynamic, enthousiastic attitude.
KillerGM 05-06-07, 03:55 AM	No, elans are the race that were human but have been psionically transformed into something different, immortal, mentally empowered, but fundamentally disturbing. Some official sources (the Mind's Eye) have described them as being a little too... everything. Their skin, just a little too pale, their hair, just a little too red, their eyes, a bit too green... oh, and no pores on the skin whatsoever. Personally? I just give them the +2 to disguise checks to look human. Same reasoning as the kalashtar. (The glowing sigils, naturally, are illumians. Hard to remember the name, but easy to tell the two apart -- Elan is French for "life" (eternal life, life-preservation abilities), while Illumian obviously has connections to light (glowing sigils).) Ah, ok. I just thought Elan = glowing stuff. I think I got my wires crossed when I learned about the Illumians and that's what I always think now. :P And if they are described as different, then yes, they would know. I wouldn't give them a bonus to disguise - it's actually a part of the Kalashtar's racial abilities to look human (balance issues). I'd just use the model to say that you'd have to make a Disguise check to pass off as human, rather than Elan. If you wanted to hide it, of course. ;)
Eikre 05-06-07, 04:29 AM	Wait, wait, wait. We're bringing Disguise checks into this? Those shouldn't come into play unless you're using the Disguise skills. Obvious, yeah, but: If everyone is taking a glance at you and not stopping to wonder if you're really a human, then nobody should be entitled to finding out that you aren't. If you walk past a guard who's looking for signs of a weapon, he'll take you as a human by default. If, though, that guard is looking for two dudes, one a Kalashtar, and one an Elan, it just so happens that he's more likely to detect one over the other. On a similar note, you'd gain a circumstance bonus to Hide from a guard several meters if you're in a large throng of people, right? Well, imagine that the guard isn't actually looking out across the crowd, and you're not making Hide checks- It's not like he's going to recall later that you passed by. I digress. Yes, your buddies should be able to spot that you're not a human, but only if they actually care enough to wonder. (Oh. Going on that Illumian tangent: As it turns out, Illumians are Humanoids (Human), so they don't actually require a check to look that way. Imagine that...)
spectralphoenix 05-06-07, 04:32 AM	These threads always confuse me at first glance - I thought the answer was going to be convincing him not to yell "I GOT A FOUR" while sneaking... Anyway, how well-known are Elans in your campaign world? If the other PCs don't know what they are, they'll probably think you're just a kind of weird human.
Thiez 05-06-07, 10:12 AM	Why not treat an Elan as if he were a human for the Disguise skill? The -2 to Cha gives a penalty to disguise, so that could account for the 'Elans are human, but not quite...' thing. Unless you tell your friends or use your elan powers, they never have to know. You look human enough, you're just a little... odd.
Zankue 05-06-07, 11:34 AM	Ok, so basically the answer is what I thought. Until they realize that I haven't eaten or drank in 10 days, or until they see a sword cut into my stomach and not deal any damage, there's no reason why they should know. Elans in this world have black hair, and gray eyes and psionics are pretty low in this world, so Elans are only found in bigger cities. I was also wondering exactly how in-human are they when it comes to bravery? I know that the description says that they seem to be more brave than normal humans because of... something... Right now we're stranded on a peninsula dark forest, every one's too afraid to go into the middle, and we're pretty much just trying to get back to the main land. Am I the one to keep his cool and make the decisions, or am I the one that says "Let's go to the middle of the petrified forest and get the root that we came here for"
Tempest Stormwind 05-06-07, 01:33 PM	Really? I don't seem to recall that meaning. Could you give me a source on that? My sources (and my memory, but that could be mistaken) tell me that "élan" means a dynamic, enthousiastic attitude. I'd always heard it meant "vibrant and/or energetic" in the context of attitude, similar to the English expression "full of life". Then again, I only understand French; my speaking (and writing) skills with the language leave much to be desired. This means I can get by with "close enough" terms most of the time, although there are times when it comes back to bite me (like here).
Thiez 05-06-07, 02:38 PM	I was also wondering exactly how in-human are they when it comes to bravery? I know that the description says that they seem to be more brave than normal humans because of... something... Right now we're stranded on a peninsula dark forest, every one's too afraid to go into the middle, and we're pretty much just trying to get back to the main land. Am I the one to keep his cool and make the decisions, or am I the one that says "Let's go to the middle of the petrified forest and get the root that we came here for" They're brave, but they're not stupid. Unless an Elan's got something really important to do in that forest, I see no reason why he'd stay if there is reason to believe it is unsafe. Try to imagine them as staying calm in dangerous situations, without being suicidal. Suppose there is a huge monster comming to eat you while you are in, let's say, the sewers. 1) Panic and risk doing something stupid (like getting stuck at a dead end). 2) Run away as fast as you can and think of plan to make it out of there alive, such as hiding or finding a way to leavel the sewers. Elans should pick option number 2 :)
Zankue 05-06-07, 02:52 PM	from ARTFL French English dictionary: ARTFL Project: French-English Dictionary Searching for: élan élan = momentum *[noun-masculine] Check out our new site which features an updated interface for Webster's Dictionary, Roget's Thesaurus, the French-English Dictionary, and the French Verb Conjugator. I don't know why it would be momentum... but that what it is according to this...
Witch 05-06-07, 05:52 PM	I'd always heard it meant "vibrant and/or energetic" in the context of attitude, similar to the English expression "full of life". Then again, I only understand French; my speaking (and writing) skills with the language leave much to be desired. This means I can get by with "close enough" terms most of the time, although there are times when it comes back to bite me (like here). "Full of life", in the sense of the expression is actually pretty accurate, yes - however, it doesn't really extrapolate to "life" itself. :)