Half-Elves

Half-elves are often viewed as natural diplomats, capable of getting along with almost anyone. Many people assume that half-elves enjoy the best qualities of both humans and elves, and therefore have easier lives than either. Most half-elves would disagree. While they often find acceptance in many places, they rarely feel entirely at home in any of them.

Half-elves tend to be slightly taller than elves, but somewhat shorter and leaner than humans. They inherit traits from both sides of their lineage, although no two half-elves look exactly alike. Half-elven culture places great value on flexibility and understanding. Many half-elves learn from an early age how to navigate different customs and expectations, making them excellent merchants, negotiators, travelers, and leaders. Their education often reflects both human practicality and elven curiosity, producing people who are knowledgeable in many subjects rather than masters of only one.

Half-elven communities are uncommon, as most half-elves live among either humans or elves. Because of this, half-elves tend to place more value on personal relationships than on laws or traditions. They are generally cooperative people, preferring compromise over conflict. Criminals exist among half-elves as they do among any people, but half-elven communities often favor mediation and restitution over harsh punishment.

When half-elves do establish settlements of their own, they tend to build them along trade routes or near the borders of other peoples. Their communities often borrow architectural styles from their neighbors, resulting in towns that feel familiar to many different cultures at once. Half-elven homes are generally comfortable and welcoming, designed to accommodate visitors from many walks of life.

Half-elves tend to favor practical clothing decorated with small personal touches. They are less flamboyant than elves, but more expressive than most humans. Hairstyles, jewelry, and clothing often reflect both sides of their heritage. Many half-elves collect keepsakes from places they have visited, and it is not uncommon for a half-elf’s appearance to tell the story of their travels. Half-elves are often quick to adopt new fashions, but rarely follow any one style for long.

Half-Elf Gameplay

All half-elves share the following gameplay elements.

Ancestry Traits

Half-Elf Features

As a half-elf, you automatically gain access to all features below.

Dual Heritage

Silver Heart

Class Keyword Features

After selecting your class, you gain access to an additional ancestral feature based on your selected classes keyword. If your class has multiple keywords, or you are a multi-classed character, you can select 1 of the keywords granted to you by your class, and gain the feature with that keyword listed below.

However, as a half-elf, you can select any valid class keyword feature from either the Elf or Human ancestry, and gain that feature.

Half-Elf Ages

Half-elves age unevenly, their human swiftness and elven patience never quite in harmony. They hold their prime longer than humans, yet never with the ease of elves, always caught between two rhythms of time. In old age, they often stand apart, shaped by years that never fully belonged to either world.

To randomly roll your starting age, you must first determine your class keywords. If you have 1 class keyword, take the Base Age for the keyword, and add the result of the Roll for the keyword as well. If you have more than 1 class keyword, you use the highest base age for your keywords, but roll all dice in the roll column for each class keyword you have.

Class Keyword	Base Age	Roll
Arcanist	20	4d8
Adept	13	2d8
Priest	18	3d8
Soldier	13	2d6

After determining your age, you apply all age factors below for your current age, and every age lower. Thus, an elf who starts in their prime must step through all Young and Prime attribute adjustments. Note that some age requirements are optional.

As a reminder, during character creation, your attributes cannot go above 19, nor below 6 due to aging bonuses and penalties. Simply ignore any bonuses or penalties that would adjust your attributes so.

Some age breakpoints overlap; and when aging a character, once you hit the age breakpoint, you can choose to delay your attribute adjustments for up to 1 year, but must apply the attribute adjustments before you reach the age that doesn’t overlap. For example, 25 is both Young and Prime. Once you reach 25, you can choose to apply the attribute adjustments for being Prime, but you do not have to. During any rest between age 25 and 26 you can decide to apply the attribute adjustments, but it must be done by the time you turn 26, or it is done the first rest you have once you turn 26.

Young Half-Elves (15 - 25)

Young half-elves are seen as uncertain and unplaced; often treated as outsiders in any community they enter, expected to “choose a side” even when they cannot.

As a young half-elf, you have the option to make the following attribute adjustments. If you do, you must apply all of the adjustments listed.

Select any attribute. Increase the selected attribute by +1.
Select a different attribute that you didn’t select above. Reduce the selected attribute by -1.

Prime Half-Elves (25 - 80)

Half-elves in their prime often serve as useful intermediaries and adaptable workers; respected for versatility, although they are rarely granted deep trust or permanent belonging.

As a half-elf in your prime, you have the option to make the following attribute adjustments.

Select any two different attributes. Increase the selected attributes by +1.

Mature Half-Elves (80 - 110)

Mature half-elves are quietly relied upon for diplomacy, travel, and judgment; respected, although they are still subtly viewed as transient.

As a mature half-elf, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

Select two attributes from the following list: Heartiness, Agility, Precision, Logic, Reason, Savvy and Presence. Increase the selected attributes by +1.
Select two attributes that you didn’t select above. Reduce the selected attribute by -1.

Aging Half-Elves (110 - 140)

Aging half-elves become increasingly rootless figures; communities respect their experience but assume they will not remain long enough to matter politically, even when they have been in a community for multiple generations.

As an aging half-elf, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

Your Logic, Reason, Savvy, and Presence attributes are increased by +1.
Your Brawn and Heartiness attributes are reduced by -1.

Elderly Half-Elves (140+)

Upon reaching the Elderly age, roll 4d20 and note the result. Add this result to 140, and you find the age you will die of old age. Elderly half-elves are treated as living contradictions; often deferred to for wisdom, yet rarely included in the living fabric of any one society.

As an elderly half-elf, you must make the following attribute adjustments.

Your Logic, Reason, Savvy, and Presence attributes are increased by +1.
Your Brawn, Heartiness, Agility, and Presicion attributes are reduced by -1.

Height and Weight

To randomly determine your charact’s height and weight, start with rolling a 2d8, and note this as “extra inches”. Then roll a 2d4, and multiple the result of this roll by your “extra inches” to get your “extra weight”.

If your half-elf is a male, add your “extra inches” to 55 inches to get how tall you are in inches, additionally, add the “extra weight” to 100 lbs. to get your starting weight. If your half-elf is female, add your “extra inches” to 53 inches, and add your “extra weight” to 75 lbs.