Editing Half-Elf


[[File:Half_elf_female.jpg|right|250px|thumb|A mage]]
'''Half-Elves''' are, (duh) the children of [[humans]] and [[elves]].  They maintain many of the characteristics their elvish and human parents, only watered down: For example, they live a wee bit longer than humans (they don't hit venerable until they're over 100 years old) but remain vigorous to the end like the elves.  

Typically the combination is human father/elven mother (for reasons outlined on the elf page), though notably the most famous half-elf; Arwen, had a human mother and an elf father. 

Like [[half-orc]]s, enjoy a lot of the versatility of [[human]]s in [[Pathfinder]], with a floating +2 bonus to any stat they like, free skill focus in any one skill, and the ability to select multiple classes as "favored" for the purposes of [[multiclassing]], while getting elven bonuses to their Will saves and low-light vision.  One particularly cool alternate ability lets them trade in skill focus to gain training in any one [[exotic weapon]] they like, just in case you always wanted to ''try'' an urumi or falcata but didn't wanna spring the feat for it.  

[[File:Half_elf_female_2.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A rogue]]

In [[4e]], they have a +2 Constitution (from their human parentage), and a choice of +2 Wis or +2 Cha (presumably from Elven parentage). They make shitty rangers, which is also bizarre considering they're descended from the one race that can do it right. They do make pretty amazing [[bard]]s, and half-elf bards have a specific paragon path dedicated to them. On the other hand, they can warlord like a boss and they get a free encounter power from any class other than their own. If you like trawling through setting guides and back issues of magazines (or have CBLoader), half-elves are the class for you. The only downside is, you're playing a race with "elf" in the name, and nobody wants that.

In 5e, the dev team held them down, got out bottles and bottles of anabolic steroids, and didn't let them up until they'd turned into the Hulk.  They are ''easily'' the most powerful race in the base book, and just for comparison, look at what they get compared to the poor dragonborn:

A +2 to Charisma, and two +1s in any two other stats, making them good at being Sorcerers and Bards, as they are the only race other than Tieflings who get a full bonus to Charisma. They also retain many elven traits. Also, they can grow beards, which is explicitly mentioned in the PH. This makes half-elves twice as manly as regular elves (two times zero is still zero). The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide lets you switch out the free pair of skill proficiencies for increased Elfy traits - do ''not'' take the Keen Senses option, as it's a load of bullshit (Darkvision + Perception proficiency, when you already got Darkvision + 2 free skill proficiencies before). You can, however, take a bunch of more interesting elf traits; the Elf Weapon Proficiency (which is free proficiency with some extra weapons), a 35ft base movement speed, a free cantrip from the [[Wizard]] spell list, the [[Drow]] Magic trait or, weirdly, a Swim speed of 30 feet to reflect Aquatic Elf ancestry. Despite no Aquatic Elf racial stats showing up in the game so far.

An interesting example of half-elven people are the race of Numenor in the Silmarilion, whose king was Elros Tar-Minyatur son of Eärendil and Elwing, both half elves. The Numenorians were characterized by their tall height, having extremely long lives and a judgment-impairing fear of death, being tricked by Sauron into warring with the gods for immortality (which got their home destroyed Atlantis-style), and are the race from whom Aragorn and the people of Gondor descended.

As you've probably seen by now on this page, they are ''also'' typically sexy ladies.  This is not at all uncommon, and is probably some quirk in the breeding process.

[[File:Half_elf_female_3.jpg|right|300px|thumb|A bard]]

{{D&D4e-Races}}
{{D&D5e-Races}}
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons Races]]