Elf

Elf Humanoid

As an ancient people, elves have seen great change and have the perspective that can come only from watching the arc of history. After leaving the world in ancient times, they returned to a changed land, and they still struggle to reclaim their ancestral homes, most notably from terrible demons that have invaded parts of their lands. To some, the elves are objects of awe—graceful and beautiful, with immense talent and knowledge. Among themselves, however, the elves place far more importance on personal freedom than on living up to these ideals.

Elves combine otherworldly grace, sharp intellect, and mysterious charm in a way that is practically magnetic to members of other ancestries. They are often voraciously intellectual, though their studies delve into a level of detail that most shorter-lived peoples find excessive or inefficient.

Valuing kindness and beauty, elves ever strive to improve their manners, appearance, and culture.

Elves are often rather private people, steeped in the secrets of their groves and kinship groups. They’re slow to build friendships outside their kinsfolk, but for a specific reason: they subtly and deeply attune to their environment and their companions. There’s a physical element to this attunement, but it isn’t only superficial. Elves who spend their lives among shorter?lived peoples often develop a skewed perception of their own mortality and tend to become morose after watching generation after generation of companions age and die. These elves are called the Forlorn.

If you want a character who is magical, mystical, and mysterious, you should play an elf.

You might…

• Carefully curate your relationships with people with shorter lifespans, either keeping a careful emotional distance or resigning yourself to outliving them.
• Adopt specialized or obscure interests simply for the sake of mastering them.
• Have features such as eye color, skin tone, hair, or mannerisms that reflect the environment in which you live.

Others probably…

• Focus on your appearance, either admiring your grace or treating you as if you’re physically fragile.
• Assume you practice archery, cast spells, fight demons, and have perfected one or more fine arts.
• Worry that you privately look down on them, or feel like you’re condescending and aloof.

Physical Description

While generally taller than humans, elves possess a fragile grace, accentuated by long features and sharply pointed ears.

Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, featuring large and vibrant-colored pupils that make up the entire visible portion of the eye. These pupils give them an alien look and allow them to see sharply even in very little light.

Elves gradually adapt to their environment and their companions, and they often take on physical traits reflecting their surroundings. An elf who has dwelled in primeval forests for centuries, for example, might exhibit verdant hair and gnarled fingers, while one who’s lived in a desert might have golden pupils and skin.

Elven fashion, like the elves themselves, tends to reflect their surroundings. Elves living in the forests and other wilderness locales wear clothing that plays off the terrain and flora of their homes, while those who live in cities tend to wear the latest fashions.

Elves reach physical adulthood around the age of 20, though they aren’t considered to be fully emotionally mature by other elves until closer to the passing of their first century, once they’ve experienced more, held several occupations, and outlived a generation of shorter-lived people. A typical elf can live to around 600 years old.

Society

Elven culture is deep, rich, and on the decline. Their society peaked millennia ago, long before they fled the world to escape a great calamity. They’ve since returned, but rebuilding is no easy task. Their inborn patience and intellectual curiosity make elves excellent sages, philosophers, and wizards, and their societies are built upon their inherent sense of wonder and knowledge. Elven architecture displays their deep appreciation of beauty, and elven cities are wondrous works of art.

Elves hold deeply seated ideals of individualism, allowing each elf to explore multiple occupations before alighting on a particular pursuit or passion that suits her best. Elves bear notorious grudges against rivals but these antagonistic relationships can sometimes blossom into friendships over time.

Alignment and Religion

Elves are often emotional and capricious, yet they hold high ideals close to their hearts. As such, many are chaotic good. They prefer deities who share their love of all things mystic and artistic.

Names

An elf keeps their personal name secret among their family, while giving a nickname when meeting other people. This nickname can change over time, due to events in the elf’s life or even on a whim. A single elf might be known by many names by associates of different ages and regions. Elven names consist of multiple syllables and are meant to flow lyrically—at least in the Elven tongue. They so commonly end in “-el” or “-ara” that other cultures sometimes avoid names ending in these syllables to avoid sounding too elven.

Sample Names Aerel, Amrunelara, Caladrel, Dardlara, Faunra, Heldalel, Jathal, Lanliss, Oparal, Seldlon, Soumral, Talathel, Tessara, Variel, Yalandlara, Zordlon

Adventurers

Many elves adventure to find beauty and discover new things. Typical backgrounds for an elf include emissary, hunter, noble, scholar, or scout.

Elves often become rangers or rogues, taking advantage of their dexterity, or alchemists or wizards, exploring their intellectual curiosity.

Heritages

Elves live long lives and adapt to their environment after dwelling there for a long time. Choose one of the following elven heritages at 1st level.

Ancient Elf

Source PLOCG

In your long life, you’ve dabbled in many paths and many styles. Choose a class other than your own. You gain the multiclass dedication feat for that class, even though you don’t meet its level prerequisite. You must still meet its other prerequisites to gain the feat.

Arctic Elf

You dwell deep in the frozen north and have gained incredible resilience against cold environments, granting you cold resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1). You treat environmental cold effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible cold becomes extreme, extreme cold becomes severe, and so on).

Cavern Elf

You were born or spent many years in underground tunnels or caverns where light is scarce. You gain darkvision.

Desert Elf

Source PLOCG

You live under the desert’s blazing heat, gaining incredible resilience to warm environments. You gain fire resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1), and environmental heat effects are one step less extreme for you (incredible heat becomes extreme, extreme heat becomes severe, and so on).

Seer Elf

You have an inborn ability to detect and understand magical phenomena. You can cast the detect magic cantrip as an arcane innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.

In addition, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Identify Magic and to Decipher Writing of a magical nature. These skill actions typically use the Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion skill.

Whisper Elf

Your ears are finely tuned, able to detect even the slightest whispers of sound. As long as you can hear normally, you can use the Seek action to sense undetected creatures in a 60-foot cone instead of a 30-foot cone. You also gain a +2 circumstance bonus to locate undetected creatures that you could hear within 30 feet with a Seek action.

Woodland Elf

You’re adapted to life in the forest or the deep jungle, and you know how to climb trees and use foliage to your advantage. When Climbing trees, vines, and other foliage, you move at half your Speed on a success and at full Speed on a critical success (and you move at full Speed on a success if you have Quick Climb). This doesn’t affect you if you’re using a climb Speed.

You can always use the Take Cover action when you are within forest terrain to gain cover, even if you’re not next to an obstacle you can Take Cover behind.

Ancestry Feats

At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As an elf, you select from among the following ancestry feats.

1st Level

Ancestral Linguistics Feat 1

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

Prerequisite(s) at least 100 years old Over your extensive lifespan, you’ve studied many languages. During your daily preparations, you can recede into old memories to become fluent in one common language or one other language you have access to. You know this language until you prepare again. Since this knowledge is temporary, you can’t use it as a prerequisite for a permanent character option.

Ancestral Longevity Feat 1

Elf

Prerequisite(s) at least 100 years old

You have accumulated a vast array of lived knowledge over the years. During your daily preparations, you can reflect upon your life experiences to gain the trained proficiency rank in one skill of your choice. This proficiency lasts until you prepare again. Since this proficiency is temporary, you can’t use it as a prerequisite for a skill increase or a permanent character option like a feat.

Elemental Wrath Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Elf

You are so attuned to the land that you can call forth a bolt of energy from your surroundings. When you gain this feat, select acid, cold, electricity, or fire. You can call to the land to cast the acid splash cantrip as an innate primal spell at will, except the spell has only verbal components and deals the type of damage you chose instead of acid damage; the spell gains the trait appropriate to its damage instead of the acid trait. A cantrip is heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.

Elven Aloofness Feat 1

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

As much as you might care for them, you’ve come to terms with the ephemeral nature of non-elves, and it makes their threats feel less troublesome. If a non-elf rolls a failure on a check to Coerce you using Intimidation, it gets a critical failure instead (and thus can’t try to Coerce you again for 1 week). When a non-elf attempts to Demoralize you, you become temporarily immune for 1 day, instead of 10 minutes.

Elven Lore Feat 1

Elf

You’ve studied in traditional elven arts, learning about arcane magic and the world around you. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Arcana and Nature. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Elven Lore.

Elven Verve Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Elf

While all elves are immune to the paralyzing touch of ghouls, you can shake off flesh-numbing magic of all kinds. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against effects that would impose the immobilized, paralyzed, or slowed conditions. When you would be immobilized, paralyzed, or slowed for at least 2 rounds, reduce that duration by 1 round.

Elven Weapon Familiarity Feat 1

Elf

You favor bows and other elegant weapons. You are trained with longbows, composite longbows, longswords, rapiers, shortbows, and composite shortbows.

In addition, you gain access to all uncommon elf weapons.

For the purpose of determining your proficiency, martial elf weapons are simple weapons and advanced elf weapons are martial weapons.

Forlorn Feat 1

Elf

Watching your friends age and die fills you with moroseness that protects you against harmful emotions. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against emotion effects.

If you roll a success on a saving throw against an emotion effect, you get a critical success instead.

Know Your Own Feat 1

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

You’ve spent countless hours studying the history of elves on your world and beyond and are a studied expert in your people’s ways. If you critically fail a check to Recall Knowledge about elves, elven society, or elven history, you get a failure instead.

Nimble Elf Feat 1

Elf

Your muscles are tightly honed. Your Speed increases by 5 feet.

Share Thoughts Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Elf

Prerequisite(s): Regional ethnicity (see official campaign setting for details)

You have an uncanny knack of communicating with other elves without speaking, though this habit that is often uncomfortable to observers. You can cast Wisdom as an innate occult spell once per day, but you can target only other elves or half-elves.

Otherworldly Magic Feat 1

Elf

Your elven magic manifests as a simple arcane spell, even if you aren’t formally trained in magic. Choose one cantrip from the arcane spell list. You can cast this cantrip as an arcane innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.

Unwavering Mien Feat 1

Elf

Your mystic control and meditations allow you to resist external influences upon your consciousness. Whenever you are affected by a mental effect that lasts at least 2 rounds, you can reduce the duration by 1 round.

You still require natural sleep, but you treat your saving throws against effects that would cause you to fall asleep as one degree of success better. This protects only against sleep effects, not against other forms of falling unconscious.

Wildborn Magic Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Uncommon Elf

Access Regional ethnicity (see official campaign setting for details)

You have learned to access the old magic of wild places. Choose one cantrip from the primal spell list. You can cast this cantrip as an innate primal spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell level equal to half your level rounded up.

Woodcraft Feat 1

Source PLOCG

Elf

You have a innate familiarity with forested areas. When in a forest or jungle environment, if you roll a critical failure on a Survival skill check to Sense Direction, Subsist, or Cover Tracks, you get a failure instead, and if you roll a success, you get a critical success instead.

5th Level

Ageless Patience Feat 5

Elf

You work at a pace born from longevity that enhances your thoroughness. You can voluntarily spend twice as much time as normal on a Perception check or skill check to gain a +2 circumstance bonus to that check. You also don’t treat a natural 1 as worse than usual on these checks; you get a 40 critical failure only if your result is 10 lower than the DC. For example, you could get these benefits if you spent 2 actions to Seek, which normally takes 1 action. You can get these benefits during exploration by taking twice as long exploring as normal, or in downtime by spending twice as much downtime.

The GM might determine a situation doesn’t grant you a benefit if a delay would be directly counterproductive to your success, such as a tense negotiation with an impatient creature.

Ancestral Suspicion Feat 5

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

Long-lived elves have seen civilizations rise and fall, often at the hands of outside forces. As a result, they have developed a wariness of others who might seek to influence or control them. You’ve been trained to resist such manipulation, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws against effects that would make you controlled, such as dominate, and to Perception checks to Sense Motive when trying to determine if a creature is under the influence of such an effect. When you roll a success on a saving throw against such an effect, you get a critical success instead.

Defiance Unto Death Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Uncommon Elf

Access Spiresworn elf

You loathe the alghollthus and their mind magic, and you’ve been trained to be willing to die rather than give into mental manipulation. If you would start your turn confused, controlled, or fleeing due to a failed Will save, you can attempt a Will save against the same DC; on a success, you become paralyzed until your next turn, rather than act against your will.

Elven Weapon Elegance Feat 5

Elf

Prerequisite(s) Elven Weapon Familiarity

You are attuned to the weapons of your elven ancestors and are particularly deadly when using them. Whenever you critically hit using an elf weapon or one of the weapons listed in Elven Weapon Familiarity, you apply the weapon’s critical specialization effect.

Elven Instincts Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Elf

Your senses let you react rapidly. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks made as initiative rolls. Additionally, if your initiative roll result is tied with that of an opponent, you go first, regardless of whether you rolled Perception or not.

Forest Stealth [one-action] Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Elf

Prerequisite(s): Expert in Stealth

Requirements You are in a forest or jungle environment near an environmental feature that would allow you to Take Cover

You are skilled at quickly hiding behind bits of underbrush or foliage. You Take Cover and then use that cover to Hide.

Martial Experience Feat 5

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

You’ve crossed blades with a wide variety of foes wielding a wide variety of weapons, and you’ve learned the basics of fighting with nearly any of them. When wielding a weapon you aren’t proficient with, treat your level as your proficiency bonus.

At 11th level, you become trained in all weapons.

Wildborn Adept Feat 5

Source PLOCG

Elf

Prerequisite(s): Wildborn Magic

The whispers of the jungle grant you more diverse access to simple primal magic. You can cast dancing lights, disrupt undead, and tanglefoot as innate primal spells at will.

If you chose one of those spells with Wildborn Magic, you can select a new spell for Wildborn Magic.

9th Level

Brightness Seeker Feat 9

Source PLOCG

Elf

Once per day, you can spend 10 minutes studying your surroundings in search of omens related to a particular course of action to cast augury as an innate divine spell. Unless the result of the augury was “nothing,” you gain the following reaction for the next 30 minutes:

Call Upon the Brightness [reaction] (concentrate)

Trigger You attempt an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw while performing the course of action from your augury, but you haven’t rolled yet; Effect You gain a +1 status bonus to the triggering check, or a +2 status bonus if the result of the augury was “woe” and you proceeded anyway.

Elf Step [one-action] Feat 9

Elf

You move in a graceful dance, and even your steps are broad. You Step 5 feet twice.

Expert Longevity Feat 9

Elf

Prerequisite(s) Ancestral Longevity

You’ve continued to refine the knowledge and skills you’ve gained through your life. When you choose a skill in which to become trained with Ancestral Longevity, you can also choose a skill in which you are already trained and become an expert in that skill. This lasts until your Ancestral Longevity expires.

When the effects of Ancestral Longevity and Expert Longevity expire, you can retrain one of your skill increases. The skill increase you gain from this retraining must either make you trained in the skill you chose with Ancestral Longevity or make you an expert in the skill you chose with Expert Longevity.

Otherworldly Acumen Feat 9

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

Prerequisite(s) at least one innate spell gained from an elf ancestry feat

The arcane magic you possess grows in power and complexity. Choose one common 2nd-level spell from the same tradition as an innate spell you previously gained from another elf ancestry feat (from the arcane list if you have Otherworldly Magic, for example). You can cast that spell as an innate spell once per day, using the same tradition as the list you chose the spell from.

Your magic is adaptable. By spending 1 day of downtime, you can change the spell you chose to a different common 2nd-level spell from the same tradition.

Sense Thoughts Feat 9

Source PLOCG

Uncommon Elf

Prerequisite(s): Share Thoughts

You have an even stranger knack for knowing what other people are thinking. You can cast mind reading as an innate occult spell once per day.

Tree Climber Feat 9

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

You’ve spent much of your life among the treetops and have become an expert at quickly and safely climbing them. You gain a climb Speed of 10 feet.

13th Level

Avenge Ally [one-action] Feat 13

Source PRG2:APG

Elf Fortune

Frequency once every 10 minutes

Requirements You are adjacent to an ally with the dying condition.

Though you know that you will eventually outlive your companions, seeing them at death’s door brings clarity to your attacks. Make a Strike. Roll twice on the attack roll and use the higher result.

Elven Weapon Expertise Feat 13

Elf

Prerequisite(s) Elven Weapon Familiarity

Your elven affinity blends with your class training, granting you great skill with elven weapons. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency in longbows, composite longbows, longswords, rapiers, shortbows, composite shortbows, and all elf weapons in which you are trained.

Universal Longevity [one-action] Feat 13

Elf

Prerequisite(s) Expert Longevity

Frequency once per day

You’ve perfected your ability to keep up with all the skills you’ve learned over your long life, so you’re almost never truly untrained at a skill. You reflect on your life experiences, changing the skills you selected with Elven Longevity and Expert Longevity.

Wandering Heart Feat 13

Source PLOCG

Elf

Prerequisite(s): arctic elf, cavern elf, desert elf, woodland elf, or any other elf heritage based on adapting to an environment

While all elves adapt to their environments over time, you have traveled so widely and become attuned to so many environs that your body now changes more rapidly than other elves. After spending a week in an environment associated with an elf heritage (such as snow for arctic elf, or a forest or jungle for woodland elf) your heritage automatically changes to become that heritage. This never causes you to change to an elf heritage that isn’t related to an environment, such as ancient elf, seer elf, or whisper elf.

17th Level

Magic Rider Feat 17

Source PRG2:APG

Elf

Your people used powerful magic to travel between distant worlds, and the remnants of that magic make such transportation easier for you. When you are the target of a teleportation spell that transports more than one person, it can affect an additional person beyond the normal limit, chosen by the caster. Additionally, when you’re the target of a teleport spell, you and the other targets arrive no farther than 1 mile off target, regardless of distance traveled.