Sea Elf

[Evil Dad]

I am considering applying for a sea-elf character as I think these will be very interesting to play.  But, I have a few minor questions ...

1. Their version of elvish is meant to me slightly different, so when using the /dm [...] command should I mis-spell things to try and give it that flavour?
2. Would they actually know common?  So should I work through Hlint just talking elvish until I find an elf that can translate for me and maybe go through a learning process for common?  This could be quite hard as you hard have to ignore everythign being said and how would you gauge what you knew/didnt konw?
3. You would only eat fish as you would be unused to human foods and animal meats? is this right?
4. They are classed as agile hunters in the description.  When I think of hunters, I think of Rangers but this would be wrong.  So is fighter the best starting class? or maybe cleric?
5. It states they dont where metal armour as it inhibits them underwater.  What about on land?  You know you are surviving on the surface now, so wouldnt you want the best protection you could? or would you stick to leathers?

oh! a final question (or 2) on weapons ...

The trident is a medium weapon d8 and x2 crit.  The spear is a large weapon d8 and x3 crit.  I tried equipping the trident on my current elf, with a shield and it wouldnt let me.  I thought medium weapons were 1-handed for elves.  Is this a bug with the description or the implementation?  If it is actually a 2-handed weapon, then i see no benefit to using it over the spear.  Other than roleplay of course.

What ranged weapon would a sea-elf use?  I presume they might learn to use the bow for defence and hunting if a fighter type.

Sorry .. more questions than I had anticipated

thanks

[Diamondedge]

I don't know if it's the same here, but in my PnP campaign, the sea elves don't have missle weapons, since you can't really have much of an effective one in water. After all, blood attracts sharks, so even if you were to have a bow or something, you'd attract sharks. Thus, I don't think the sea elves can really know how to use them until learning perhaps from another elf how to actually fire a bow or loose a sling. Even throwing weapons might be somewhat new to them.

Again, I don't know if this is the case, just how I run things in my personal Campaign, so it's an idea to throw up there.

[Evil Dad]

i am thinking she would have learnt the bow during her limited time on the surface

[EdTheKet]

Evil Dad - 9/8/2005 2:16 PM I am considering applying for a sea-elf character as I think these will be very interesting to play. But, I have a few minor questions ... 1. Their version of elvish is meant to me slightly different, so when using the /dm [...] command should I mis-spell things to try and give it that flavour?

 That's a nice idea, maybe you can try and come up with something that works (make some combinations of letters and add them at the end of some words or something.
  [quote[2. Would they actually know common? So should I work through Hlint just talking elvish until I find an elf that can translate for me and maybe go through a learning process for common? This could be quite hard as you hard have to ignore everythign being said and how would you gauge what you knew/didnt konw? [/quote]
  I don't think many would know common, I've seen quite a few elves (mostly wild elves) that only speak elvish and have an elf translate. Of course it would be hard, but it would also be fun. Just something you need to get in to I think.
 

3. You would only eat fish as you would be unused to human foods and animal meats? is this right?

 Yeah, if you've only eaten fish and seafood all your life, you're probably not adapting to meat and stuff soon. Nice thing is that there's plenty of areas in game where you can fish.
 

4. They are classed as agile hunters in the description. When I think of hunters, I think of Rangers but this would be wrong. So is fighter the best starting class? or maybe cleric?

 There are no restrictions on class. But for cleric, Shindaleria would be the deity to pick.
 

5. It states they dont where metal armour as it inhibits them underwater. What about on land? You know you are surviving on the surface now, so wouldnt you want the best protection you could? or would you stick to leathers?

 I don't think you'd want the best protection you could, you'd want whatever preserves your natural agility. If you were used to swimming all your life, you're not very likely to put yourself into an infexible, not to mention heavy, metal armor.
 

oh! a final question (or 2) on weapons ... The trident is a medium weapon d8 and x2 crit. The spear is a large weapon d8 and x3 crit. I tried equipping the trident on my current elf, with a shield and it wouldnt let me. I thought medium weapons were 1-handed for elves. Is this a bug with the description or the implementation?

 I have no idea
 

If it is actually a 2-handed weapon, then i see no benefit to using it over the spear. Other than roleplay of course. What ranged weapon would a sea-elf use? I presume they might learn to use the bow for defence and hunting if a fighter type. Sorry .. more questions than I had anticipated thanks

Eventually a bow or crossbow I think. But I can also see them with slings or darts, nice, easy and not cumbersome.

[Variable]

1.There is now a new Aquatic ear for Sea Elves
  2. They would not know common since they should not have been on land for long, (they first came onto land about 1 year ago (IG time))
  3. I believe they would try most foods since they are more common on land.
  4. I think fighter would fit the best since there are no aquatic companions. Clerics of Shindaleria also fit. My sea elf is a fighter/cleric.
  5. They should not wear metal armor at all, they should only wear leathers.
  6. You cannot wield a shield with a trident, But I think it would make sense if you use a shield with a trident, It is in the Sea elf write up that they often use Sea Turtle Shell Shields
  7. I do not Sea elves can use any ranged weapons, These are the only proficiencies that a a sea elf recieves: Proficiency in Trident, longspear, and daggers
    EDIT: Ah Beat me to it Ed

[Evil Dad]

Thanks guys some great answers.

I will bumble along with trying to communicate in common/elf/signals.  Could be good fun to role-play.

With foods, I will leave it until she is really really hungry before trying anything other than fish.  Tis way she would have tried it out of desperation.

I will go fighter.  The ranger sounds right for a hunter, but they are all about nature, so it doesnt fit.  Cleric might be a good multi later on.  Or maybe a weapon master or bard.  I don't see too many other options for her.

I will stick with leather as best I can.  She will have good dex anyway, so plate is particularly needed.

Even in the pnp book, trident is a medium weapon so you should be able to wield it 1-handed.  I think I will go with spear for now, but leave off weapon focus/spec just incase it is deemed a bug and fixed.

A final question about starting feats.  As a fighter, she starts with 2 feats.  I am thinking either ... dodge+mobility or power+cleave.  I think because of her agility dodge+mobility might be best to start with.  It will also give her better defence.

Also, what about skills?  Would she have learnt tumble?  I think so, as she would need to turn and dive underwater so it would be quite natural to her.  Things like taunt, intimidate, persuassion would be out.  It is unlikely you can taunt a shark.  Discipline is likely as she is a fighter.  Maybe heal as she would have been taught this as a hunter I think.  Or maybe spot/listen.

Thanks again ... i am really looking forward to starting her now ... just need to get her approved

[Dorganath]

Variable - 9/8/2005 5:42 PM   1.There is now a new Aquatic ear for Sea Elves
 

  I just want to clarify one thing here....This aquatic/underwater language ear is not a form of elvish.  It doesn't look or sound anything like elvish.  It's intended to sound like whale/dolphin songs and other sounds, clicks, etc. that would seem to be easy to make underwater as well as that would travel well through the water over distance.
  Oh, and I'm not sure whether or not it's being automatically given out to sea elf characters on login, so if you are a sea elf and don't have this ear, ask for one from a GM.

[Vincent]

I find that with any given fighter the Cleave feat is one of the strongest possible feats you can take.  Since I'm going to assume you can do a relatively large amount of damage and most of the low-level creatures can be taken down in 1-2 hits, Cleave will effectively give you 2 attacks/round at full BAB.  That's a huge difference, and is the main reason my fighter/monk is WAY stronger than my fighter/wizard.  My fighter/wizard [no cleave, but has dodge/mob] still gets killed in the Sewers.  Both are level 6.

So I'd personally recommend Power Attack/Cleave more than Dodge/Mobility.

[Evil Dad]

I just want to clarify one thing here....This aquatic/underwater language ear is not a form of elvish.  It doesn't look or sound anything like elvish.  It's intended to sound like whale/dolphin songs and other sounds, clicks, etc. that would seem to be easy to make underwater as well as that would travel well through the water over distance.

Now this might make it interesting to play as a bard later on.

[Dorganath]

Er...maybe...  Though out in the open (meaning in the air vs. the water) I doubt the language sounds very good at all...Lots of screeching and squeeking, clicking and popping.
  Hard to draw a crowd when you're hurting people's ears.

[Talan Va'lash]

If you're playing a fighter I'd probably use a spear and see if I could make it look like trident and RP as one (or even if you can't, a spear is a very similar weapon, especially if you can get a barbed tip or something good for fishing

The reasoning for this is not the crit multiplier, its that you can't take weapon focus/spec for custom base weapons (like trident or heavy pick.)  If you were playing a cleric or whatnot and weren't going to take those feats anyway then I'd use the trident for RP value, but as a fighter its a bit more critical.

-TV

[Evil Dad]

@Dorganath: you could be right but my wildelf barbarian is a big fan of Glokk's work ... so it does take all sorts

@Talan: i never realised that ... but the spear is an acceptable weapon anyway for the seaelf and the piccy i have of her has her carrying a spear.  i did wonder about a halberd and customising it to look like a slimmer weapon (like one of those oriental weapons) ... but for now i will go with spear anyway and this char is more about roleplaying than power

thanks

[Olme]

Might a sea-elf be able to craft armor out of say a whale hide or shark skin  ?
Or perhaps a giant clam type armor that would mimic metal ?
I know these don't exist but they might possibly be role played ..
(changing the appearance of normal armor ? )

[Evil Dad]

in the description is says about turtle shells ... so they should be able to

[Diamondedge]

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Losing sleep and such. For shame you guys, making a guy with a mind as fragile and underused as mine... think!

I believe that a ranger would in fact be an acceptable class to play as, really for anyone. And it doesn't have to fit into the norm, either.

For gnomes, Rangers are supposedly more common than fighters. So rangers are probably the militia-men. For halflings, they're rogues that didn't turn to thiefly acts. (Or in the case of one character, buxom young orc hunters) Dwarfs know 'em as Cavers, because that's the environment they know very well.

Really, the only stipulation is that they know something that not many others do about the environment they work in. A sea elf, therefor, would know exactly where to look in the coral for that tastey little fish, or they'd know how to take thorns from a sea urchin and craft them into effective hunting gear.

So, just to clarify for all those wanting to make a sea elf, Rangers are a viable class.