An idea for shadow elves
David Knott
One point that the 4E Manual of the Planes reminded me of is the similarity of the shadar-kai to the eladrin, with very similar racial abilities whose differences reflect their planes of origin (Shadowfell vs. Feywild). However, the Monster Manual version of the shadar-kai race is much weaker than the PHB eladrin. Still, that race does give us a way to carry over the two caste system of surface elve to their underground rivals as follows:
For all Shadow Elves, I am suggesting changing their effective origins from fey to shadow. They would have darkvision instead of low-light vision and would be adapted to see best in dim light - they would see about as well in bright light or complete darkness as humans do in dim light. Optionally, they could be vulnerable to sun sickness - a potentially fatal disease caused by direct exposure to the sun. They would receive a bonus feat as compensation for this vulnerability.
Noble Shadow Elves would have the racial traits of eladrin, with their eladrin will and fey step abilities replaced by the corresponding shadar-kai abilities.
Common Shadow Elves would have the racial characteristics of drow, with the racial skill bonus to Intimidate shifted to Acrobatixs. (It wouldn't do to give the lower social class a bonus to Intimidate!)
While the surface elves have a close to even split between the two sub-races, among the shadow elves the noble variety could be a distinct minority, between a quarter and a tenth of the overall population - but note that both Shadow Elf sub-races have magical abilities.
Anyway - please pick holes in these ideas.
David Knott
I notice that this group have been inactive for the past few months --
I aplogize for not doing more to keep things hopping. However, I
have gained a fresh appreciation for many nuances of 4E from
actually playing it -- I have found that the eladrin tactical warlord
multiclassing as a wizard that I have been playing really feels like
a Basic D&D elf tn many ways.
Before I continue, I would like to thank Havard for his posting
about 3E Mystara material in Dragon magazine on the Wizards
boards -- it prompted me to revise my listing. I was appalled
at how much stuff I missed on my first pass.
The previews of PHB2, which is coming out next month, have
spurred me to get back to work on various conversion files. One
thing I found is that the doubling in the number of available classes
makes variant classes less necessary -- with the sole exception
of the martial controller, we now have something for every
conceivable combination of role and power source imaginable.
The only Mystaran class not yet represented is the mystic/monk.
The five new races seem ot fill a variety of niches as follows:
Deva: Most likely representation for Ochaleans.
Goliath: The mountainous regions of Mystara are not very well
explored as I recall -- part of the reason I placed the dragonborn
there. Goliaths would be their even more mysterious neighbors.
Gnome: Mystarans refer to this race as brownies. Mystaran
gnomes are a different race altogether.
Half-Orc: A minor part of the Mystara setting, mentioned in 2 or 3
of the gazetteers as I recall.
Shifter: Supposedly a "half-lycanthrope", this race would provide
a middle ground between humans and lycanthropes.
The last known item of interest in PHB2 is a system of regional
backgrounds. It will be interesting to see how it meshes with the
backgrounds already published for the Forgotten Realma and
Scales of War.
A month after PHB2, we have Arcane Power coming out. So
far, its most interesting preview gives information about a type of
magic conspicuously absent from the intial 4E release -- summoning!
So -- Have there been any interesting 4E discussions elsewhere?
I plan to check the Piazza board next....
David Knott
Now I see why this group has been so quiet -- a couple of you have been
very busy at the Piazza, haven't you? Great work!
David Knott
As members of the Mystara4E group, you are the first to be notified
(by at least a full minute) of the set of custom Character Builder campaign
files that I have uploaded to our files page:
http://groups.google.com/group/mystara4e/files?&sort=name
Start with the file "Customizing Character Builder for Mystara 4E". That
file will guide you to the other Mystara 4E text files and to the custom
campaign files, six of which are now available.
Please feel free to comment or offer suggestions. I plan to update these
files monthly, within a week after each official Character Builder update.
I will also post this announcment over at the Piazza, where I think I will
reach a larger audience.