Eclipse – The Shadow Elves

   Next up we have a race which is currently coming into play – the Shadow Elves.

   The ancestors came to the Twilight Isles long ago. Perhaps they were already one people, perhaps they were of several variant races – but they were relatively few, and their children were soon enough a new race – the Shadow Elves.

   The Shadow Elves have, over the centuries, adapted somewhat to the continuous flux of magic in the Twilight Isles. The children who could handle that flow of power, or, better yet , instinctively channel it into personal augmentations, lived.

   The others burned out, and died young – usually before leaving any children to follow after them.

   Today, that magic is an inborn part of the Shadow Elves, so instinctive that most are not even aware of it – save for when they attempt to carry too many external magical devices. Charms and Talismans, which channel the energy they naturally radiate, are no problem. Relics, which amplify and focus their own abilities are no problem – although they can only use a limited number of such things before overload problems again rear their heads. External magic items, which pollute the natural flow of magic, are a bit like carrying around a personal cloud of toxic gas. The Shadow Elves can tolerate a few such items, but their tolerance for such things is strictly limited.

   Shadow Elf Racial Modifiers:

• Self-Development: +2 to any one attribute (12 CP)
• Nightsight: Occult Sense/Low-Light Vision (6 CP).
• Use of Charms and Talismans: Purchased as Shaping, Specialized and Corrupted for increased (level one and weak level two) effects/can only produce the effects for which the user has the appropriate foci ready, can only support a limited number (seven and three) of minor charms and more notable talismans at one time, charms and talismans are modestly expensive (and thus are limited by wealth and lifestyle) and take some time to attune for use (6 CP).
• Relic Use: Double Enthusiast, Specialized in Relics for Increased Effect (may use 4 CP worth of relics, 6 CP)
• Inherent Magic: Innate Enchantment, all abilities unlimited use-activated, personal-only (x.7 cost) where applicable. 12,000 GP base value (13 CP).
  • +2 Intelligence (1400 GP).
  • +2 Dexterity (1400 GP).
  • Immortal Vigor I (+2d6 – effectively 12 due to at-will use, +2x Con Mod HP, 1400 GP).
  • Warding Rune (1 + Caster Level/3, +4 max, resistance bonus on saves, 1400 GP).
  • Dancing Lights 1/Day (200 GP).
  • Detect Magic 1/Day (200 GP).
  • Faerie Fire 1/Day (400 GP).
  • Fast Healing 1 (up to a maximum total of 16 points of damage per day, 280 GP), and
  • Magic Weapon 1/day (400 GP).
    • Every Shadow Elf bears the heritage of a particular House – abilities which simply run in their bloodlines. The abilities are transmitted with reasonable consistency through the mother, although oddities do occasionally pop up – possibly starting a sport bloodline if in a female.
    • Enhance Attribute/+2 to Str, Con, Wis, or Chr (1400 GP).
    • Skill Mastery/+3 to a particular group of skills (1400 GP). Common groups include those linked to a particular attribute, stealth-related skills, scholarly skills, priestly skills, travelers skills, and many other groups.
    • Any single first-level spell permitted by the game master (2000 GP).
  • Immunity/Stacking limits when combining innate enchantment effects with external effects (Common, Minor, Trivial – only covers L1 effects, 2 CP).
  • Immunity/Dispelling and Antimagic (Common, Major, Epic, Specialized and Corrupted/only protects innate enchantments that provide personal augmentations, 9 CP).
  • Immunity/the normal XP cost of Innate Enchantments (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial [only covers first level effects at caster level one], Specialized/only to cover initial racial abilities, 1 CP).
• Environmental Awareness: Augmented Bonus/may add their Int Mod to their scores in wisdom-related skills (Heal, Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival, 6 CP). +2 bonus to Search (2 CP).
• Magic Resistant: Resist/+2 bonus to Saves versus Spells (3 CP).
• The Shadow Elves also suffer from a minor racial disadvantage; they are inherently enchanted, and so can be readily spotted – and their houses identified – by a simple Detect Magic spell unless they take special measures to prevent this (-3 CP).

   That has a net cost of 63 CP – normally resulting in a +1 ECL race. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, however, the entire package is Specialized/the Shadow Elves can only use Relics who’s cost can be covered by the points available from their Enthusiast allotment and can only tolerate (Con) “points” worth of regular magic items – and the “point” cost of any given item is up to the game master (as a rule, low-level single-charge items are little trouble, spell storing items are only moderately troublesome, and permanently active personal enhancement items are very troublesome). Annoyingly enough, this limit also affects temporary external spells – although their short-term nature means that the limit is increased by the user’s (Con Mod). That brings them down to 31 CP – right at the limit for a +0 ECL race.

   It’s a good thing that their innate abilities are fairly formidable, because they’re going to have to rely on them quite a bit more than most characters do – one reason why many of them buy the Empowerment ability, Specialized in their racial talents, so as to upgrade those abilities effective casting level.