Alternate DF Elf template
 

Working on an alternate Elf template, and looking for some advice/opinions before finalizing it.

ST -1 [-10], DX +1 [20]
Per +1 [5]
Appearance (Attractive) [4]
Infravision [10]
Forest Guardian 1 [5] (I liked Kromm's writeup of this, I'll let the swords ability be taken care of by higher DX)
Language Talent [10]
Magery 0 [5]
Resistant (+8) to Magical paralysis and sleep effects [5]
Elven Gear [1]
Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15]

Now, to round the package out to a whole 50 points, would Less Sleep 5 [10] be enough to cover the whole "elves don't actually sleep, but go into a trance for three or four hours" thing?

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

Depending on how easily they snap out of this trance, I might call it Doesn't Sleep with a "Must Meditate" limitation for slightly more points.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

I don't really think of "heat vision" as a trait associated with elves. Maybe some extra Per or Telescopic Vision would be better?

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

It's an old school D&Dism, although now that I think about it, I think that was UV-vision, back when the TSR folks thought there was some bizarre amount of UV light at night.

Heat vision isn't really associated with any of the mythic humanoid monsters either, it just showed up in D&D or AD&D when they tried to rationalize "Can see in the dark"

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

It's an old AD&D meme. Basically, if it was good at seeing in low light (or was just non-human), it got infravision. Tolkien's elves certainly never had it, but the dungeon crawl genre owes more to Gygax than Tolkien anyway.

EDIT: Curse you, ninja!

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

I like the less sleep idea. I used it myself for making elves. Though inspired by Lord of the Ring elves, mine are actualy not, they are different. But less sleep is somethjing I did use.

And the equipment perk is good as well. Though for mine, I made a 5 point unusual background and it was an option for the player if they wanted it or not. But my 5 points included the equipment, a free level of common tongue and a small claim to hospitality among elves.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

I would cut Infravision entirely (a total non-sense), and I agree with Xenophile here.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

I like the idea of "heat vision" but how does that come about? Are they the famous lost 13th tribe of the Krytonians? <giggles>

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

I totally like Infravision, but that's because it's on my TOP TEN LIST OF POWERS I REALLY WANT in real life. ;)

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

Since they're not usually an underground race, I could pretty easily be persuaded to depart from Gygaxland and embrace the Tolkienism of Elves first showing up when the only light in the sky was from the stars, therefore replacing Infravision with Night Vision in the 5-9 range. They'd still be able to see considerable distances in the dungeon using only ambient light or something like a shuttered lamp with a candle as the light source.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

Doesn't Sleep is the equivalent of Less Sleep 8 (if that trait extended so far). Since the four allowed levels of LS cost only 2 points each, I have ruled that the other four (virtual) levels should be worth 3 each.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

This would of course, be the equivalent of Less Sleep 4 [8] + Less Sleep 4 (Cosmic, +50%, can have additional levels over 4) [12].

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

If you aren't really trying to model a certain other game precisely, I would probably recommend going that way. It makes things more interesting, for one, and helps differentiate them from the races that *can* see in total darkness.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

Of course, Less Sleep 4 [8] would probably be enough to cover the effect - well, that and the racial Resistant to sleep and paralysis.

Re: Alternate DF Elf template
 

Revised per suggestions:

Gygaxian/Tolkienian DF Elf [50]:
ST -1 [-10], DX +1 [20]
Per +2 [10]
Appearance (Attractive) [4]
Forest Guardian 1 [5]
Language Talent [10]
Less Sleep 4 [8]
Magery 0 [5]
Night Vision 7 [7]
Resistant (+8) to Magical paralysis and sleep effects [5]
Elven Gear [1]
Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15]

Specific subraces may have additional abilities such as IQ+1 [20], Perfect Balance [15], Animal Empathy and/or Animal Friend, additional levels of Forest Guardian, and so on, but this is the base.

Meant for a 300 point DF campaign where everybody can take a professional template plus a racial template, professional template plus a lense from DF 3, or just slam 50 more points into professional template abilities for a truly focused character.