D&D 5E Elven Race rewrite

[Chaosmancer]

So, I've got a new setting idea I've been playing around with, and one idea I've had for it is to reunify the elven races. I figure the sub-races could actually be the elves focusing on either Arcane Magic, Primal or Divine.

Arcane would be the High, Primal the Wood, and then Drow would cover the Divine. However, I'd want to get rid of sunlight sensitivity and their extra darkvision, which makes me worried they would actually end up a weaker race option. So, this is my current rough idea, thoughts on whether the three are mostly comparable?

All Elves
+2 Dexterity
30 ft movement speed
Darkvision 60 ft
Proficiency in Perception
Fey Ancestry
Trance
Proficiency in Rapier, Shortsword, Long and Shortbow (I know they are traditionally supposed to have longswords, but I don't like it, and 90% of the classes use Rapiers anyways, this would only give it to wizards and sorcerers really, maybe a few clerics)

High Elves
+1 Intelligence or Charisma (Covers Wizard, Warlock, Bard, Artificer)
One Cantrip from either the Wizard or Bard spell list, either Cha or Int casting stat
Extra Language

Wood Elves
+1 Wisdom or Constitution (primal magic, Druids get wis and I like con as a secondary)
+5 spd
Mask of the Wilds

Dark Elves
+1 Charisma or Wisdom (this was the start of everyone getting a choice, because I wanted wisdom for clerics and charisma for celestial warlocks and sorcerers)
Drow Magic (Dancing light cantrip, 3rd = Faerie Fire 1/d 5th = Darkness 1/day


Yeah, it looks like Dark Elves end up a little weaker this way. Advice?

 

[DND_Reborn]

Dark Elves aren't really weaker the way you have them.

All three subraces get a ASI +1 (so no difference there)

A cantrip (choice)
VS.
+5 speed and Mask of the Wilds
VS.
A cantrip, 1st level spell, and 2nd level spell (no choices)

Looks fine to me. If anything, give them Dancing Lights at level 1, Faerie Fire at level 2, and Darkness at level 3; so they get them a bit faster. Also, don't forget proficiency in hand crossbows.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Dark Elves aren't really weaker the way you have them.

All three subraces get a ASI +1 (so no difference there)

A cantrip (choice)
VS.
+5 speed and Mask of the Wilds
VS.
A cantrip, 1st level spell, and 2nd level spell (no choices)

Looks fine to me. If anything, give them Dancing Lights at level 1, Faerie Fire at level 2, and Darkness at level 3; so they get them a bit faster. Also, don't forget proficiency in hand crossbows.

I took the proficiency with Hand Crossbows out because I was unifying the race. Doesn't make sense to give them special training on top of the normal elven weapon training.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I took the proficiency with Hand Crossbows out because I was unifying the race. Doesn't make sense to give them special training on top of the normal elven weapon training.

That is your prerogative, but such training is cultural--and normally the dark elf culture uses hand crossbows a lot.

Of course, I wouldn't replace longsword with rapier, either, because the weapon is beyond what I consider the typical medieval fantasy setting.

IMO if the distinction is so minor, I would remove it entirely and just make elves:

All Elves
+2 Dexterity
+1 to INT, WIS, or CHA
35 ft movement speed
Darkvision 60 ft
Proficiency in Perception
Fey Ancestry
Trance
A cantrip of their choice from any class.
Proficiency in Rapier, Shortsword, Long and Shortbow (I know they are traditionally supposed to have longswords, but I don't like it, and 90% of the classes use Rapiers anyways, this would only give it to wizards and sorcerers really, maybe a few clerics)

 

[Chaosmancer]

I could go that route, but I do love Mask of the Wild.

Also, I'm altering the culture at a basic level, which is why I'm fine cutting the hand crossbows. Drow use them in normal DnD because of the ease of poisoning and assassinating with them, but these Dark Elves are going to have a different culture to follow.

I was mostly concerned that in losing their superior darkvision and having a single locked cantrip and two locked daily spells, it would make the Dark Elves a weaker race that people would not want to choose compared to any wizard or bard cantrip and an extra language, or mask of the wild and extra movement speed.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Well, I think the one variable cantrip vs. 1 cantrip, first, and second-level spells is pretty even. As a player, I would be fine with that myself. Also, you could make is dark elves can see in the darkness their spell creates?

You could keep Mask of the Wild by allowing each subrace to hide under different conditions, like Dark elves could hide in dim light, High elves might hide in crowds or something?

 

[tommybahama]

Are you doing this to publish a product or for a home campaign? If for a home campaign then why not ask your players? They are the ones most affected by you changing the lore.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Are you doing this to publish a product or for a home campaign? If for a home campaign then why not ask your players? They are the ones most affected by you changing the lore.

I'm building a new homebrew world for mself, but I don't exactly have a standard table of players, so no one to really ask about that.

Well, I think the one variable cantrip vs. 1 cantrip, first, and second-level spells is pretty even. As a player, I would be fine with that myself. Also, you could make is dark elves can see in the darkness their spell creates?

You could keep Mask of the Wild by allowing each subrace to hide under different conditions, like Dark elves could hide in dim light, High elves might hide in crowds or something?

Being able to see through the darkness is a little too powerful, as Shadow Sorcerer and Warlock have shown. Plus, I see this as more of a smokescreen for escape than an offensive tool, so not seeing through it isn't a major problem in the intention of it.

I'd be worried about adding additional hiding to all the subraces. I don't want to make them too much more powerful than they've been (I recognize the variable score and rapier do make them slightly more powerful already)

If removing sunlight sensitivity and reducing their darkvision to 60 ft keeps them fairly well balanced with the others, then I'm mostly happy. I will keep it in mind though as an option, because giving them even more ability to hide does make a certain amount of sense considering the idea of their origin comes from them being hunted.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

I was mostly concerned that in losing their superior darkvision and having a single locked cantrip and two locked daily spells, it would make the Dark Elves a weaker race that people would not want to choose compared to any wizard or bard cantrip and an extra language, or mask of the wild and extra movement speed.

While Faerie Fire and Darkness are generally considered pretty good spells I can see them losing value at higher levels for casters that would rather concentrate on spells they get from their class. In that sense I can see them being not as attractive as a cantrip that can remain useful at all levels.

A few ideas:
-Bumping the ability score bonus to +2 in either charisma or wisdom. Not completely unprecedented as the mountain dwarf is a subrace gives a +2 boost to an ability.
-Proficiency in a skill or tool relevant to their culture. This would equalize the language that high elves get as languages and proficiencies are treated as being equal.
-Open up the spells granted to a limited choice, maybe 2 options for each spell instead of them being set.

 

[Chaosmancer]

While Faerie Fire and Darkness are generally considered pretty good spells I can see them losing value at higher levels for casters that would rather concentrate on spells they get from their class. In that sense I can see them being not as attractive as a cantrip that can remain useful at all levels.

A few ideas:
-Bumping the ability score bonus to +2 in either charisma or wisdom. Not completely unprecedented as the mountain dwarf is a subrace gives a +2 boost to an ability.
-Proficiency in a skill or tool relevant to their culture. This would equalize the language that high elves get as languages and proficiencies are treated as being equal.
-Open up the spells granted to a limited choice, maybe 2 options for each spell instead of them being set.

Hmm, I really like the idea of giving them Weaver's Tools. I think I may end up doing that, too much good stuff there