Half-Elf in Dungeons & Dragons 5e
PHB, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, Eberron: Rising from the Last War
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." -PHB
ability score increase:
Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice each increase by 1.
age:
Half-elves age at much the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood at 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 both value 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. They are good and evil in equal numbers, a trait they share with their human parents.
Size:
Medium
speed:
30ft
Languages:
You can read, speak, and write Common, Elven, and one language of your choice.
race features:
Standard Half-Elf:
Source: PHB, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes Darkvision. Thanks to your elven heritage, 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. Half-Elf Versatility. Choose one of the following traits:- Skill Versatility (General). You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
- Elf Weapon Training (High or Wood Elf Heritage). You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Cantrip (High Elf Heritage). You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
- Fleet of Foot (Wood Elf Heritage). Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
- Mask of the Wild (Wood Elf Heritage). You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
- Drow Magic (Dark Elf Heritage). You know the Dancing Lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Faerie Fire once, and it recharges after a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast Darkness once, and it recharges after a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
- Swim Speed (Sea Elf Heritage). You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Variant Half-Elf: Mark of Detection
Source: Eberron - Rising from the Last War If your Half-Elf has the Mark of Detection, these features replace the Ability Score Increase and the Half-Elf Versatility traits. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and one other Ability Score of your choice increases by 1. Deductive Intuition. Whenever you make a Intelligence (Investigation) or a Wisdom (Insight) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the total ability check. Magical Detection. You can cast the Detect Magic and the 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 either spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell 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 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 Spell List.| Spell Level | Spell Name |
|---|---|
| 1st | Detect Magic, Detect Poison & Disease |
| 2nd | Detect Thoughts, Find Traps |
| 3rd | Clairvoyance, Nondetection |
| 4th | Arcane Eye, Divination |
| 5th | Legend Lore |
Variant Half-Elf: Mark of Storm
Source: Eberron - Rising from the Last War If your Half-Elf has the Mark of Storm, these features replace the Ability Score Increase and the Half-Elf Versatility traits. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1. Windwright's Intuition. Whenever 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 total ability check. Storm's Boon. You have resistance to Lightning damage. Headwinds. You know the Gust cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the Gust of Wind spell with it. Once you cast this spell with this trait, you can't cast that spell again until you finish a Long Rest. Charisma is your Spellcasting Ability for this spell. Spells of the Mark. If you have the Spellcasting or 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 Spell List.| Spell Level | Spell Name |
|---|---|
| 1st | Feather Fall, Fog Cloud |
| 2nd | Gust of Wind, Levitate |
| 3rd | Sleet Storm, Wind Wall |
| 4th | Conjure Minor Elementals, Control Water |
| 5th | Conjure Elemental |
Description:
Forgotten Realms:
Half-elves (also called Cha'Tel'Quessir in elven) were humanoids born through the union of an elf and a human. Whether a half-elf was raised by their human parent or their elven parent, they often felt isolated and alone. Because they took around twenty years to reach adulthood, they matured quickly when raised by elves (who think they look like humans), making them feel like an outsider in either place. Most half-elves were descended from moon elves. Pairings of elves and other races also existed, though they were rare. Half-elves gained an unusual blend of abilities from their two heritages. More durable and more innately charming than either humans or elves, half-elves lacked the grace or wisdom of their elven parents, though they did have some of the versatility of their human ancestors. Half-elves had a natural ability to learn outside of their specialty, giving them a strength in adaptability. Half-elves, like their elven parents, worked well with others and could lend some of their own skill to friends or allies. Like their elven parents, half-elves were typically immune to the effects of the enchantment school of magic. Likewise, half-elves also inherited the ability to see keenly in low-light conditions, with little or no ill effect, and had enhanced senses of sight and hearing compared to their human brethrenEberron:
Half-elf are one of the common races. They descend from elves and humans but have since become a new unique race, distinct from both their elven and human ancestors. Half-elves refer to themselves as "Khoravar" and are found throughout the continent; they are not concentrated within a specific geographic region. The half-elves heirs of House Lyrandar bear the Mark of Storm. Lyran and Selavash were the first of the half-elves to develop the dragonmark of Lyrandar 2000 years ago, during the time of Karrn the Conqueror. The two half-elves told others of their race to embrace their culture, calling them Khoravar, or "Children of Khorvaire", referring to their origin on the continent. House Lyrandar is a powerful house and their development of elemental airship technology with the aid of the Zilargo gnomes and House Cannith has only enhanced their prestige. The half-elves of House Medani bear the Mark of Detection, giving them various powers of divination. The dragonmark was discovered by House Cannith during the War of the Mark, 1500 years ago. The Medani half-elves had been secretly using them for some time, but were convinced to join the other Houses.World Anvil: The Ultimate Worldbuilding Toolset & RPG Campaign Manager
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