Table of Contents
Half-Elf
Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elves. Some half-elves live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching friends and loved ones age while time barely touches them. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as children. Many half-elves, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.
Of Two Worlds
To humans, half-elves look like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. They range from under 5 feet to about 6 feet tall, and from 100 to 180 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-elf men do have facial hair, and sometimes grow beards to mask their elven ancestry. Half-elven coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and elf parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their elven parents.
Diplomats or Wanderers
Half-elves have no lands of their own, though they are welcome in human cities and somewhat less welcome in elven forests. In large cities in regions where elves and humans interact often, half-elves are sometimes numerous enough to form small communities of their own. They enjoy the company of other half-elves, the only people who truly understand what it is to live between these two worlds.
In most parts of the world, though, half-elves are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Some half-elves prefer to avoid company altogether, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.
Half-Elf Names
Half-elves use either human or elven naming conventions. As if to emphasize that they don’t really fit in to either society, half-elves raised among humans are often given elven names, and those raised among elves often take human names.
Half-Elf Traits
Your half-elf character has some qualities in common with elves and some that are unique to half-elves.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Age. Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.
Alignment. Half-elves share the chaotic bent of their elven heritage. They value both personal freedom and creative expression, demonstrating neither love of leaders nor desire for followers. They chafe at rules, resent others’ demands, and sometimes prove unreliable, or at least unpredictable.
Size. Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice.
Half-Elf Variants
Aquatic Heritage
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead choose a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Drow Descent
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead choose the drow's Drow Magic.
Drow Magic
You know the Dancing Lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Faerie Fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Keen Senses Variant
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Mark of Detection
The Mark of Detection is an inquisitive’s dream. It sharpens powers of observation and intuition, allowing the bearer to draw connections and interpret clues others might miss. By actively drawing on its powers, the bearer can detect poisons and study the energies of magic.
If your half-elf character has the Mark of Detection, the following traits replace the half-elf’s Ability Score Increase and Skill Versatility traits in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Deductive Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Magical Detection. You can cast the Detect Magic and Detect Poison and Disease spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the see Invisibility spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don’t require material components for them.
Spells of the Mark. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Detection Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of Detection Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Detect Evil and Good, Detect Poison and Disease |
| 2nd | Detect Thoughts, Find Traps |
| 3rd | Clairvoyance, Nondetection |
| 4th | Arcane Eye, Divination |
| 5th | Legend Lore |
Mark of Storm
Wind and water welcome the half-elves who carry the Mark of Storm, and some learn to call on the power of the storm itself.
If your half-elf character has the Mark of Storm, the following traits replace the half-elf’s Ability Score Increase and Skill Versatility traits in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Windwright’s Intuition. When you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or any ability check involving navigator’s tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Storm’s Boon. You have resistance to lightning damage.
Headwinds. You know the Gust cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Gust of Wind spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Mark. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Storm Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of the Storm Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Feather Fall, Fog Cloud |
| 2nd | Gust of Wind, Levitate |
| 3rd | Sleet Storm, Wind Wall |
| 4th | Conjure Minor Elemental, Control Water |
| 5th | Conjure Elemental |
Moon Elf Descent
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead choose the high-elf's elf's Elf Weapon Training or Cantrip.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Sun Elf Descent
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead choose the high-elf's elf's Elf Weapon Training or Cantrip.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Wood Elf Descent
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead choose the wood elf's Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, or Mask of the Wild.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.