HALF-ELF RACE
Requirements: None
Ability Modifiers: None
Ability Min/Max: STR 3/18 (17), DEX 6/18, CON 6/18, INT 4/18, WIS 3/18, CHA 3/18
Half-elves are the result of the union of human and elf, and as such they seldom fit into either society. They often inherit a love of nature from their elven parent and a vibrant curiosity and ambitiousness from their human parent. In some lands there are settlements of half-elves, where elves and humans mingled for long centuries.
The child of a half-elf with a half-elf, elf, or human is a half-elf. Half-elves and half-orcs can have children; however, only 1 in 4 survives birth, and such children are always human (perhaps with slightly pointed ears, enlarged canine teeth, elvish or orcish eyes, or other remnant of their other-than-human heritage).
Half-elves have pointed ears like elves and are slighter of build than humans of the same height. Half-elves average 5½ feet tall and typically weigh 140 pounds. Half-elves typically live for 250 to 350 years. Half-elf skin, hair, and high color are highly variable, depending on the nature of their human and elven parents.
Male half-elves have a base height of 5’6”, females 5’3”. To this (d10) 1-2 Subtract 1d6”, 2-5 Subtract 1d4”, 6-8 Add 1d4”, 9-10 Add 1d6”.
Male half-elves have a base weight of 140 pounds, females 110 pounds. To this (d6) 1-2 Subtract 2d6 pounds, 3-5 Subtract 1d8 pounds, 6-8 Add 1d8 pounds, 9-10 Add 2d6 pounds.
Half-elves start out at the following ages based on class: Assassin 20+5d4, Cleric 30+3d4, Half-Elf 35+12d4, Fighter 20+4d4, Magic-User 35+3d4, and Thief 20+5d4. When multiclassing, take the highest base age and add modifiers from all classes.
Age provides the following modifiers to 1st level characters:
• Adolescent (24 to 44) -1 to Wisdom and +1 to Constitution.
• Adult (45 to 99) +1 to Strength and +1 to Constitution.
• Middle-Aged (100 to 179) +1 to Intelligence and +1 to Wisdom.
• Elderly (180 to 249) -2 to Strength, -1 to Dexterity, -1 to Constitution, +1 to Intelligence, and +2 to Wisdom.
• Venerable (250 to 350) -3 to Strength, -2 to Dexterity, -2 to Constitution, +2 to Intelligence, and +3 to Wisdom.
These numbers include all cumulative adjustments.
To determine skin, hair, and eye coloration, choose from the elf and human lists, or roll d6 for each category separately, 1-3 as per human parent, 4-6 as per elven parent. Use similarly for elf/half-elf, half-elf/half-elf, half-elf/half-orc, and human/half-elf mixes.
Half-elves have 60’ Infravision.
If actively searching, half-elves can detect hidden and secret doors with a roll of 1-2 on 1d6.
Half-elves have inherited a resistance to the paralyzing effect of ghouls, receiving a +4 to saving throws against this effect.
As a strange side effect of the merger of elf and human blood, half-elves have a significant chance of possessing psychic abilities. This chance is equal to the sum of their Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores as a percentage, rolled once at character creation. Psychic half-elves can use the message spell once per day per level. At 3rd level they gain the ability to use ESP once per day per three levels. At 5th level they gain the ability to use clairaudience/clairvoyance once per day. Non-psychic half-elves gain a +2 bonus to save against any mind-affecting spells or other such effects.
Half-elves speak their alignment language, Common, Elvish, Gnoll, Hobgoblin, and Orcish.
Half-elves may select from the following classes, with the indicated level limits:
Half-elves have the widest range of multi-class possibilities among the demi-human races. Combinations include assassin/cleric, assassin/fighter, assassin/magic-user, assassin/minstrel, cleric/fighter, cleric/fighter/magic-user, cleric/magic-user, cleric/magic-user/ranger, cleric/minstrel, cleric/ranger, druid/magic-user, druid/magic-user/ranger, druid/minstrel, druid/ranger, fighter/magic-user, fighter/magic-user/thief, fighter/minstrel, fighter/thief, magic-user/minstrel, magic-user/ranger, magic-user/thief, minstrel/ranger, minstrel/thief, and ranger/thief. Assassin/minstrels and minstrel/thieves gain an additional +5% bonus to their climb walls, hide in shadows, and pick pockets abilities.
Half-elf assassins, minstrels, and thieves receive the following bonuses to thief abilities:
HALF-ELF RACIAL CLASS [MINSTREL]
Requirements: Dexterity 12, Intelligence 12, Charisma 12
Prime Requisite: Intelligence and Charisma
Hit Die Type: d6 (d8 Advanced Option)
Racial Level Restrictions: Half-Elf 12
HD at 1st Level: 1d6 (1d8 Advanced Option)
XP Needed to Attain 2nd Level: 2,735
Attacks: As Thieves, THAC0 19.
Saving Throws: As Elves: Breath Attack 15, Poison or Death 12, Petrify or Paralyze 13, Wands 13, Spells or Spell-Like Devices 15.
Allowed Armor: Minstrels may wear padded, leather, studded leather, ring mail, and chain mail armors.
Allowed Weapons: Minstrels may wield the long bow, short bow, club, light crossbow, dagger, dart, javelin, quarterstaff, scimitar, sling, spear, bastard sword, long sword, and short sword.
Alignment: Minstrels are usually Neutral, but some are either Lawful or Chaotic. All are dedicated first and foremost to their art.
MINSTREL CLASS ABILITIES
Musical Instruments: At 1st level a minstrel must choose three musical instruments in which she is expertly skilled, which she uses with most of her minstrel abilities (those marked with an asterisk (*)). She may choose an additional instrument at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th levels. Whenever using an instrument in which she is not expertly skilled, the minstrel halves her base chance, rounded down.
Cunning Linguist: A minstrel learns one additional language every odd level, including 1st level. A minstrel can learn Thieves Cant and the secret languages of druids and illusionists if she can find a teacher. Due to the minstrel’s extensive travel and interaction with strange folk, she can also attempt to communicate in a strange language, read unusual writing or runes, or read a magic-user scroll. Cunning Linguist skill starts at 20% chance at 1st level.
Charm*: Once per day per level, the minstrel can attempt to use her musical talents to charm an individual or small group of beings. The song requires two rounds, plus one round per target beyond the first. At the end of the song, the minstrel rolls against her chance to charm roll. If successful, the targets must make a saving throw against spells, or are charmed as per the 1st level magic-user spell, charm person. At 3rd level, this ability can be used to charm mammal, as per the 2nd level druid spell. At 5th level, this ability can be used to make a suggestion, as per the 3rd level magic-user spell. At 7th level, this ability can be used to charm monster, as per the 4th level magic-user spell. A minstrel may try to charm any one target only once per day. Charm skill starts at 35% chance at 1st level.
Counter-Song*: A minstrel can use a song to counter the ill-effects of hostile sounds, whether the sounds are songs, chants, wails, or even commands and suggestions from magical spells. Only one such attempt may be made per effect. Increase the chance of success by 5% every level the minstrel has greater than the level/HD of the opponent; similarly, decrease the chance by 5% for every level/HD the opponent has on the minstrel. If successful, the minstrel must continue singing as long as the opponent uses the effect. Counter-Song skill starts at 35% chance at 1st level.
Influence*: This is the minstrel’s base chance to alter the reaction of a group, favorably or otherwise, to the minstrel and her group or toward others. Success means the targets are influenced one step toward friendship or one step toward hostility, depending on the results desired by the minstrel. An attempt requires three rounds of uninterrupted song. Failure indicates the group is unaffected; a 96-100 on the roll means the opposite of the desired effect occurs. A minstrel may continue to influence any group until failure occurs. Influence skill starts at 40% chance at 1st level.
Inspire*: The minstrel may sing a rousing song or emote a heroic couplet for two rounds, then roll to see if she succeeds at inspiring her allies. Success increases morale of allied NPCs by +1 and grants all allies a +1 bonus to hit and to saving throws. Inspiration lasts for one minute per level. When the duration ends, or even before, the minstrel can attempt to inspire allies again. Failure indicates the minstrel cannot again inspire her allies again during this battle. Inspire skill starts at 50% chance at 1st level.
Lore: Minstrels learn a little about everything in their travels and interactions with others. Lore represents the ability to know something about local history, politics, society, heraldry, the underworld, and gossip; the higher a successful roll, the more the minstrel knows about that person/place/thing/event. Lore is also the chance for a minstrel to recognize a named, unique magic item, relic, or artifact, and know some or all its abilities, potentially including command words and curses. Lore skill starts out at a 15% at 1st level.
Perfect Pitch: Minstrels have a +2 bonus to save against any form of sonic, sound, and/or music-based attacks.
Perform*: This is the minstrel’s base ability to perform, singing and playing her instrument to entertain crowds. Success indicates the crowd is entertained; the higher the successful roll, the better. A performance requires a full turn (10 minutes) at base chance. Rolling 96-100 is always a failure. If successful, divide the final roll by 10 (round up) and roll that many six-sided dice to determine the coins that the crowd gives the minstrel; low class is in cp, middle class is in sp, and upper class is in gp. Failing by 20 or more means rotten tomatoes and other vegetables are thrown at the minstrel, at the very least. Perform skill starts at 60% chance at 1st level.
Repartee: A minstrel can utter a witticism, jest, or jibe of such potency, that it can stun, paralyze, render unconscious, or even kill those who hear it. Utterance of a witticism requires one round, and it can only affect intelligent creatures who can hear and understand the language in which it was spoken. A successful witticism requires those who hear it to make a saving throw versus Death. Those of low Intelligence are at an advantage; apply any Intelligence modifier as a penalty to the saving throw (thus, a penalty becomes a bonus, a bonus becomes a penalty). At 1st level, a successful witticism stuns for 1d4 rounds; at 4th level, it paralyzes for 1d4 rounds; at 8th level, it renders victims unconscious for 1d4 rounds; and at 12th level, it kills. A minstrel must make a saving throw against her own repartee, though she gets a +4 bonus to the saving throw.
Stealthy: Minstrels can climb walls, hide in shadows, and pick pockets as a thief of the same level.
STARTING EQUIPMENT [MINSTREL]
Armor: Studded Leather Armor (AC 7).
Weapons: Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Long Sword, or Short Sword; 2 Daggers; Short Bow and 20 Arrows or Long Bow and 20 Arrows.
Special: Three musical instruments (the same three in which the minstrel is expertly skilled at 1st level).
Special: 1 Adoring Groupies (1d3), 2 Book of Limericks (targets save at -1 to Repartee), 3 Fine Riding Horse with Saddle and Tack, 4 Magical Musical Instrument (+5% to all skill checks), 5 Map to a Random Treasure, 6 Satyr/Satyress “Companion.”
Fast Pack: Choose one: Dungeoneer’s Pack, Mercenary’s Pack, Traveler’s Pack, or Wilderness Pack.
Clothing: Three suits of Commoner, Courtier, Fancy, Fine, Minstrel, Rustic and/or Stealth clothing, plus hat and full-body cloak with hood.
Wealth: 1d10 each of gold, silver, and copper pieces. You have a chance equal to three times your Charisma score as a percentage of having an additional d100 each of copper, silver, and gold pieces from recent successful performances.
