DCC Greyhawk - HIgh Elves and Sylvan Elves

OK, so I've got my base human magic-user class worked out to feel more like Greyhawk.  What do I do with the Elf class?  Greyhawk elves aren't like Melnibonean ancient sorcerors with pacts to elder gods beyond comprehension, they are 5'6" folk with an inclination to magic or the forest.

In the original Greyhawk gazetteers it described High Elves and Sylvan Elves as the primary groups of elfinkind (I'm not going down the rabbit hole of Grey Elves, Valley Elves, Ice Elves, Sea Elves and Drow -- just the two options for player characters).  So I'll make two base classes and put those two types of elves on the occupation table.

High Elves were easy -- take the base Elf class from DCC Core rules, take away the iron sensitivity and automatic Patron Bond spell, and pretty much done.  Some folks in the DCC community felt the Elf was a better choice than Wizard in the Core rules, so I don't think I've made my High Elf less playable.

Sylvan elves were *way* harder to figure out -- how to make an interesting class that a player might want to play that felt a lot different than a high elf (or any other class, giving them a niche to succeed in an adventuring role).  I ultimately came up with the idea of a scout, with increased movement, speed, and versatility.  I did not want to make them spellcasters in any way (although I allow in my games a character with a racial occupation to take a base class, so a Sylvan Elf could be a Cleric, Druid, Warrior, Magic-User, etc).

I kept the base elf abilities of heightened senses, immunity to sleep and paralysis, etc.  I bumped up to their Hit Die to a d8 since they were more of a warrior class (but not as good as a Dwarf), gave them their level bonus to Initiative (so they can more often go first), and gave them a limited Luck burning ability -- 2 for 1 inside the woods, 1 for 1 outside, and a range of what they can spend it on, such as movement or withdrawing from combat without a free parting attack on them.  I also gave them a bonus to a Wildcraft skill to survive in the wild.  To me, this feels slightly better in class features than a Halfling, with the unique ability to move, hide, and go first.

Thoughts?  Drop me a note to archadethered@gmail.com ...

High Elf

You are a strong, slender demi-human native to woodlands and shaded forests. You avoid the provincial oafs of the younger races, with their bumbling war-making and crude superstitions. Against the noisy backdrop of their empires rising, falling, and rising again, your magical enclaves advance the study of arts and crafts millennia in the making.

High elves live for more than a thousand years in small cities of like-minded individuals. Reproducing and maturing slowly, and likewise studying and practicing with great patience over many years, each high elf masters his chosen area of expertise at a level of competency no man can hope to achieve. Those elves who study the martial or magical arts may find themselves in search of an arcane relic, a divine token, or a legendary weapon. These seekers comprise the rare elven adventurers encountered by humans.

Elves divide their race into castes not always evident to outsiders, each speaking specific sub-dialects of a common, ancient tongue. There are sylvan elves, undersea elves, and a fallen race of black-skinned dark elves that shun the glare of sunlight.

Elves can cast spells as magic-users do. An elf of the same power level as a human magic-user also has many decades of combat experience. As such, elves typically cast their spells just as competently as humans and also have martial skills.

Hit points: An elf gains 1d6 hit points at each level.

Weapon training: An elf is trained in the use of the dagger, javelin, longbow, longsword, shortbow, short sword, staff, spear, and two-handed sword. Elves often wear armor of mithril, even though it still may affect their spellcasting.

Alignment: With their multi-centenarian lifespan and proclivity for observation over action, elves tend toward chaotic and neutral alignments.  Because they outlive many institutions of authority, elves are not often of lawful alignments.

Magic: High elf spells are determined randomly like a magic-user’s, except they use their own chart for selection (page XX).  High elves know their spells innately and have no need for spellbooks or memorization.

Caster level: Caster level is a measurement of a high elf’s power in channeling a spell’s energy. A high elf’s caster level is his level as an high elf. For example, a 2nd-level high elf has a caster level of 2.

Infravision: An elf can see in the dark up to 60’.

Immunities: Elves are immune to magical sleep and paralysis.

Heightened Senses: Elves are astute and observant. All elf characters receive a +4 bonus to detect secret doors.  Moreover, when simply passing within 10 feet of a secret door, elves are entitled to a check to detect it.

Luck: With their long lifespan, elves have ample opportunity to practice their magic craft. At first level, an elf’s Luck modifier applies to spell checks on one spell of his choosing. That modifier does not change as the elf’s Luck score changes.

Languages: At 1st-level, an elf automatically knows Common, the elven racial language, and one other language. An elf knows one additional language for every point of Int modifier. Additional languages are randomly determined as specified in Appendix L.

Action dice: An elf’s action dice can be used for attacks or spell checks at any level. At 5th level, an elf can cast two spells in a single round, the first with a d20 spell check and the second with a d14; or he can make two attacks, the first with a d20 attack roll and the second with a d14; or he may combine an attack with a spell check.  Note that the results of mercurial magic supersede the action dice, so an elf with a particularly high (or low) spell check die from mercurial magic uses that result instead (with his total actions still limited by his level).

Table 1-16: High Elf

Level	Attack	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice	Known Spells	Max Level	Fort	Ref	Will	Title
1	+1	1d6/II	1d20	3	1	+1	+1	+1	Wanderer
2	+1	1d8/II	1d20	4	1	+1	+1	+1	Seer
3	+2	1d8/II	1d20	5	2	+1	+1	+2	Quester
4	+2	1d10/II	1d20	6	2	+2	+2	+2	Savant
5	+3	1d10/II	1d20+1d14	7	3	+2	+2	+3	Elder
6	+3	1d12/II	1d20+1d16	8	3	+2	+2	+4
7	+4	1d12/II	1d20+1d20	9	4	+3	+3	+4
8	+4	1d14/II	1d20+1d20	10	4	+3	+3	+5
9	+5	1d14/II	1d20+1d20	12	5	+3	+3	+5
10	+5	1d16/II	1d20+1d20+1d14	14	5	+4	+4	+6

Sylvan Elf

You are a shadow in the forest, a spirit of the woodland, you are as quiet as the sound of wind through the leaves, and you know all the trails, the streams, and the mighty soaring trees.  You have lived in harmony with nature for centuries, and you know how to pass unnoticed and silent, a dedicated hunter and scout.

Sylvan Elves, unlike their cousins the High Elves, are less inclined towards magic and more towards the arts of war and survival.  You can spot a hidden foe more easily, can move unhindered by difficult terrain, and you know the ways of nature.

Hit points: A Sylvan Elf gains 1d8 hit points at each level.

Weapon training: A Sylvan elf is trained in the use of the dagger, javelin, longbow, longsword, shortbow, short sword, staff, and spear. Sylvan elves often wear leather or studded leather armor, but some have armor of precious mithral, although it may impede their movement slightly.

Alignment: With their long lives and tendency to protect their small bands and villages rather than getting involved in larger conflicts, Sylvan elves lean toward chaotic and neutral alignments.  Because they outlive many institutions of authority, Sylvan elves are not often of lawful alignments.

Infravision: An elf can see in the dark up to 60’.

Immunities: Elves are immune to magical sleep and paralysis.

Heightened Senses: Elves are astute and observant. All elf characters receive a +4 bonus to detect secret doors.  Moreover, when simply passing within 10 feet of a secret door, elves are entitled to a check to detect it.

Initiative: A sylvan elf adds their level to any initiative check.

Wildcraft: Like druids, a sylvan elf’s wldcraft encompasses all of the skills necessary for survival in the wild. Tracking, trapping, hunting and gathering, and finding useful herbs or secure campsites. Druids use this skill to safely traverse obstacles such as crossing wild rivers or climbing mountains. Wildcraft is modified by Intelligence. See the Druid class for further information.

Swift and Silent: Sylvan elves are unnaturally quick and quiet, and are paramount scouts, spies, hunters and warriors. A Sylvan elf gains additional bonuses when expending Luck, as follows.

Sylvan elves can spend luck to affect their own rolls, each point spent granting a +1 to any given roll.  When in a forested or woodland area, a Sylvan Elf doubles the effect of Luck spent, for every 1 point of Luck expended, a sylvan elf gains a +2 to any given roll.

Second, unlike other classes, a Sylvan Elf recovers lost Luck to a limited extent. The sylvan elf’s Luck score is restored each night by a number of points equal to their level. This process cannot take their Luck score past its natural maximum. (The process works similar to how the thief ability is described, above.)

A Sylvan Elf can spend to affect any of their own attack rolls, damage rolls, saves, spell checks, or skill checks.

As well, a sylvan elf can burn one point of luck to withdraw from combat without incurring a parting attack from their opponent., and can burn Luck to increase their movement, one point of Luck adding 5 feet of movement that action.

Languages: At 1st-level, a sylvan elf automatically knows Common, the elven racial language, and one other language. An elf knows one additional language for every point of Int modifier. Additional languages are randomly determined as specified in Appendix L.

Action dice: A sylvan elfs action dice can be used for attacks or skill checks.

Table S-1: Sylvan Elf

Level	Attack	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice	Fort	Ref	Will	Wildcraft	Title
1	+1	1d6/II	1d20	+1	+1	+1	+2	Scout
2	+2	1d8/II	1d20	+1	+1	+1	+2	Hunter
3	+2	1d8/II	1d20	+2	+1	+2	+3	Skirmisher
4	+3	1d10/II	1d20	+2	+2	+2	+4	Bowman
5	+4	1d10/II	1d20	+3	+2	+3	+5	Forst Lord
6	+5	1d12/II	1d20+1d14	+4	+2	+4	+5
7	+5	1d12/II	1d20+1d16	+4	+3	+4	+6
8	+6	1d14/II	1d20+1d20	+5	+3	+5	+7
9	+7	1d14/II	1d20+1d20	+5	+3	+5	+8
10	+8	1d16/II	1d20+1d20	+6	+4	+6	+10