This week we continue our exploration of ancestry in Realm of Runes with the Elf, and its art by Nikki Smith-Cielo. As a basic ancestry, Elves can be played separately or freely combined with hybrid ancestries like Dhampir or Elemental-Kin. Elves have a strong tradition in fantasy, and Realm of Runes presents a version of the ancestry that is inclusive of the many different ways that they have been expressed, while also allowing for a great deal of individual flexibility within the ancestry itself.
From the rulebook: "Generally tall and lithe, elves also possess a physical frailty that contrasts with their incredible longevity. A typical elf can live for nearly fifteen hundred years, and some have been known to celebrate a three thousandth birthday. Yet while elven lives persist for so long, the typical elven mentality is surprisingly flexible and individuals and societies will reinvent themselves every few decades in order to stave off stagnation. This paradox of long-term perspective and short-term malleability make elves difficult for others to relate to.
"Most elven cultures prioritize a coexistence with the natural world that can frustrate those with an affinity for technological progress. This outlook tends to yield craftsmanship that blends natural form and function, and can even yield items that are themselves fully alive.
"Elves have a reputation for being aloof and disinterested in others, but this is largely due to an incompatibility in perspective. It can be difficult for elves to become attached to those that do not share their longevity, and many elves learn this through the repeated heartbreak of witnessing friends and loved ones live and die over what feels like mere moments. Similarly, it can be difficult for others to process living an entire lifetime while someone close does not change much at all."
As a basic ancestry, Elves have a full suite of ten available ancestry feats to choose from, as well as a few special abilities that are common to all members of the ancestry. Low-Light Vision lets Elves see clearly in areas of moonlight and as long as they have line of effect to a light source, even if outside of that light source's bright light radius. Their Keen Eyes increases the size of the distance increments by which their distance penalty is determined for Perception, which allows them to see great distances with exceptional clarity.
Elven ancestry feats tend to focus on enhancing your character's maneuverability, and in making your exceptional longevity work for you. With the smallest number of bonus Hit Points, six, and an inherent flaw to Endurance as well, Elves tend to have their best synergy with classes that like to stay far from the front lines like spellcasters and ranged weapon enthusiasts. Their naturally enhanced mobility also makes skirmishing melee combatants especially effective, since you don't lose Hit Points if your foe can't reach you to hit you back. Let's take a closer look at each of the Elf's available ancestry feats. Those with the biology trait are exclusive to Elves, while those that lack this trait are available to those of other ancestries through the use of the Adopted Ancestry universal feat.
AGELESS PATIENCE ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Elf]
You move at a considered pace that those with shorter life spans might find frustrating. When you perform an activity in combat that requires a check, you can spend additional actions on that activity to make sure it is done well. For each extra action you spend on an activity this way, you gain a +2 un-typed bonus to the check.
When a job needs to be done well, taking your time provides a nice bonus that always stacks with any other bonuses you might be getting. This can be especially useful against combatants with an abnormally high Armor Class, where any amount of Multiple Attack Penalty is too much to reliably score a hit. This ability becomes especially devastating if you find yourself with extra actions from sources like alchemical amphetamines or the haste spell.
LONESOME ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biological, Elf]
Watching friends age and die has filled you with heartache that dampens other feelings. You have a +1 un-typed bonus to checks and DCs against emotion effects.
Many debilitating effects in Realm of Runes have the emotion trait. These can run the gamut from things that make you afraid, to those that directly control your behavior. Keeping control over your emotions can make the difference between felling the enemy or being forced to flee in supernatural terror.
INCREDIBLE STEPS ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Elf]
Your graceful moves take you farther than most would expect. When you Step, you can move up to 2 hexes as long as you are not impeded. If you are a master of Acrobatics, you can step up to 3 hexes.
This ability lets you safely cover a lot of ground. A Step never triggers hostile reactions when used, but typically only lets you travel into an adjacent space. Being able to Step farther can safely move you into and out of reach of even bigger foes with extended threatened areas, too. This feat improves with your Acrobatics proficiency, and pairs exceptionally well with the Acrobatics Skill Feat Quickstep, which lets you Step as a Reaction on your turn instead of requiring an action every time.
KEEN HEARING ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Elf]
You can use hearing as a precise sense within 6 hexes.
Elves are more frequently known for their eyes, but their large ears should not be overlooked. Having an alternative type of precise sense allows many elves to function without a loss of capability when blinded, or if the target has a means of becoming invisible to vision.
MONSTROUS SKIRMISHER ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Elf]
If an aberration has resistance to damage you deal, reduce that resistance by your level. If an aberration is weak to damage you deal, increase that weakness by your level. You do not need to know that a target is an aberration for this ability to work.
Elves have a deep connection to the natural world, and therefore have a natural enmity with those creature that twist and pervert it. Aberrations, as a creature type, tend to have many unexpected sources of damage reduction, including a resistance to critical hits that can be extremely frustrating when it nullifies a clutch high roll of the dice.
NIMBLE ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Elf]
Increase your Speed by 1 hex. When you move, ignore up to 1 hex of difficult terrain. If you are a master of Acrobatics, ignore up to 2 hexes of difficult terrain instead.
Elves already have an exceptional 6-hex speed, and this feat makes it even harder for others to keep up with you when you want to create some space. If you can use one action to move far enough that your foe requires two to catch you, that's an excellent trade in action economy. Ignoring a small amount of difficult terrain whenever you move can allow you to Step in even the most adverse of conditions, or really put some distance between yourself and less mobile foes.
OTHERWORLDLY MAGIC ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Elf]
Choose one arcane or occult Cantrip. You can cast this spell at will. You are trained with this spell unless you would have better proficiency otherwise. Use Intelligence or Charisma as the Key Ability for this spell, whichever is better.
Cantrips in Realm of Runes maintain their utility throughout your character's adventuring career, so having more of them is always handy. Primary spellcasters can always use more Cantrips, and magic utility can add a great deal of versatility to even the most weapon-focused combatant.
SENESCENT INSIGHT ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Elf]
Each time you prepare, you can become trained with a skill of your choice until the next time you prepare. At 10th level you can choose two skills or become an expert in one. This proficiency does not count for meeting the prerequisites of feats.
Not every party always has every skill covered, so being able to use your exceptional life experience to fill in those gaps can make a huge difference. Being able to change which skill(s) this applies to on a daily basis can make otherwise insurmountable challenges doable with just a little bit of advance knowledge and preparation.
UNWAVERING COMPOSURE ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Biology, Elf]
When you increase your scared or dizzy value, increase it by 1 less. If you roll to determine your disposition while confused, add 1 to the result. You still require Rest, but can meditate instead of sleep and you cannot fall asleep against your will.
Dizzy and scared are exceptionally debilitating conditions in proportion to their accumulated value. While scared reduces itself over time in the scale of combat, dizzy only reduces itself (slowly) with Extended Rest. Adding 1 to the result when confused means that you never have to worry about accidentally turning on your allies in the heat of combat, which will absolutely save the lives of your comrades at some point in an adventure.
WEAPON FAMILIARITY (ELF) ANCESTRY FEAT
[Ancestry, Elf]
Your heritage lends you to favor elegant weapons. You gain an esoteric proficiency boost to bows and swords. If a weapon has the elf trait, it does not have the exotic trait for you, and you treat it as common. You can always use an elf weapon to Riposte.
Extra proficiency increases greatly expand your capabilities, especially if you pick a class (like the Cleric or Sorcerer) that doesn't get many to begin with. Ignoring the exotic trait also makes those weapons easier to use altogether. Finally, Riposte is a great way to punish foes that gamble on their lowest-bonus attacks. Normally only available as a reaction if you wield a weapon with the parry trait, this feat helps ensure that you're always ready to take advantage of a foe's weakness with the preferred weapons of your people.
Whether you plan to be a full-blooded Elf or expand your horizons by adding a hybrid ancestry, Elves make for flexible and ingenious characters that don't let their frailty hold them back. No matter what kind of character you build, the Elf is there to help that character excel at it with the wisdom that comes with age. Next week we'll continue our ancestry exploration with an extremely related hybrid ancestry, Half-Elves.
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