Faerûn is home to six major subraces of elves, which some sages believe were brought to this plane long ago by their gods. The moon elves, sun elves, and wood elves are joined in loose allegiance to the traditions and authority represented by the Elven Court, now located on the island of Evermeet, and in the person of Queen Amlaruil. Most drow elves treat other elves as despised enemies, and the wild elves usually ignore the decrees of the civilized elves of Evermeet. The sea elves are an aquatic people who rarely interact with their surface kindred. The racial name for elves is Tel-quessir1 (“the people”), with each subrace having a variant describing its particular kind of elf.
Drow
Descended from the original dark-skinned elven subrace called the Illythiiri, the drow were cursed into their present appearance by the good elve deities for following the goddess Lolth down the path to evil and corruption. Also called dark elves, the drow have black skin that resembles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be often mistaken for white) in shades of pale lilac, silver, pink, and blue. They also tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves. Most drow on the surface are evil and worship Vhaeraun, but some outcasts and renegades have a more neutral attitude.
Drow have a unique sign language, Drow Silent Language, that allows them to communicate silently with hand gestures at distances of up to 120 feet as long as they can see each other. Drow Silent Language is a bonus language for drow, and it counts as a normal language for others, who have to spend skill points to learn it. It has no alphabet or written form.
Regions
Menzoberranzan, home city of the famed exile Drizzt Do’Urden, is the most famous drow realm.
Racial Traits
- +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution. The drow have ruthlessly selected for agility at the expense of hardiness over countless generations.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
- Darkvision: Drow can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and drow can function just fine with no light at all.
- Weapon Proficiency: Drow are automatically proficient with the hand crossbow, rapier, and short sword.
- +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells and spell-like effects.
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf that merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
- Spell-Like Abilities: A drow with a Charisma score of at least 10 has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, daze, touch of fatigue. Caster level equals the drow’s class levels.
- Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
- Favored Class: Wizard (male) or cleric (female).
Moon Elf
Moon elves are the most common sort of elves in Faerûn. Also called silver elves, they have fair skin (sometimes tinged with blue) and hair of silver-white, black, or blue (human-like colors are rare, but possible). Their eyes are blue or green, with gold flecks. They are the elven subrace most tolerant of humankind, and most half-elves are descended from moon elves.
Regions
Moon elven domains can be found in the woodlands of the Dalelands (in Cormanthor), Evermeet, the High Forest, the North, Silverymoon, and the Western Heartlands. Evereska, on the western edges of Anauroch, is the strongest elven domain remaining in Faerûn.
Racial Traits
- +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution. Elves are graceful but frail. An elf’s grace makes her naturally better at stealth and archery.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf that merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
- Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass moon elf’s wizard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Sun Elf
Sun elves are less common across Faerun than moon elves, because most live on Evermeet, where nonelves are not allowed to tread. Also called gold elves, they have bronze skin, hair of golden blond, copper, or black, and green or gold eyes. These are seen as the most civilized and haughty elves, preferring to remain separate from humankind and other nonelven races.
Regions
Aside from Evermeet, where they are most common, sun elves can be found in the woodlands of the North, Silverymoon, and the Western Heartlands. The realm of Evereska is home to a number of powerful sun elven families.
Racial Traits
- +2 Intelligence, –2 Constitution. Sun elves value study and contemplation over the feats of agility learned by most other elves.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf that merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
- Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass sun elf’s wizard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Wild Elf
The very rare wild evles are rarely seen by others, because they live in the heart of thick forests and they have incredible skill at keeping hidden. Also called green elves, their skin tends to be dark brown, and their hair ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age.
Regions
Wild elves favor warm southern forests and jungles, such as the Chondalwood, the Methwood, the Forest of Amtar, and the Misty Vale.
Racial Traits
- +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. Wild elves are hardier than other elves, but favor physical action and feats of athleticism instead of learning to solve problems.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf that merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
- Favored Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass wild elf’s sorcerer class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Wood Elf
Wood elves are reclusive, but less so than the almost feral wild elves. Also called copper elves, they have coppery skin tinged with green, and brown, green, or hazel eyes. Their hair is usually brown or black, with blond and coppery-red occasionally found.
Regions
The High Forest is home to many wood elves. Smaller communities can be found in the forests of the Dalelands (especially Cormanthor), the Great Dale, the North, Tethyr, and the Western Heartlands.
Racial Traits
- +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Wood elves are strong but slight, and tend to be less cerebral and intuitive than other elves.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
- Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
- Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf that merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
- Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass wood elf’s ranger class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.