High Elves

This is a variant racial class for D&D and retro-clones--you should be able to make it work for any version of D&D with demihuman races, instead of race/class combinations.  I wrote it because I wanted to run a Tolkienesque D&D campaign, which is harder than it sounds.


This version of the Elf is well-suited for DMs and players whose campaigns don’t accommodate the organized religions implied by the Cleric class, but who still feel a need to fill the party role of healer and bane to the undead.  High Elves are best suited to settings where Elves are closely allied with natural forces and have an inherently spiritual nature.  They are intended to replace the Cleric class, and like Clerics they can attain 10^th level.  GMs may want High Elves to replace standard Elves, or they might allow them to exist alongside the standard Elf racial class.  In such a case the standard Elf might represent Half-Elves, Dark Elves, or Elves who live in close contact with humans. 

Swords & Wizardry White Box

Table 8.1 High Elf Advancement

Level	XP	HD	BHB	ST
1	0	1	+0	15
2	2,500	2	+0	14
3	5,000	3	+1	13
4	10,000	3+1	+1	12
5	20,000	4	+2	11
6	40,000	5	+2	10
7	60,000	6	+3	9
8	120,000	6+1	+3	8
9	240,000	7	+4	7
10	480,000	8	+4	6

High Elf Class Abilities

Weapon/Armor Restrictions:  High Elves do not wear armor heavier than chain mail.  They never use shields or crossbows, and they tend toward bows and swords.  A High Elf would typically rather use a weapon in each hand than a two-handed weapon.

Spellcasting: High Elves cast divine spells from the standard Cleric spell list as per the Clerical Spell Advancement Table (Table 4 in S&W WB).  High Elves do not sleep, but they quietly commune with the earth for several hours each day and emerge from their meditations with spells prepared.

Turn Undead: Since they are closely allied with the forces of life, High Elves can turn undead like Clerics at the same level (see page 15 in S&W WB).

Hereditary Foes: High elves gain +1 to hit goblins, orcs, intelligent undead, and lycanthropes.  Because elves are inherently magical, they can always strike creatures who can only be struck by magical weapons.

Keen Detection: High elves are good at spotting hidden and concealed doors.

Saving Throw: High elves get +2 on saving throws versus magic, death, and poisons.

Languages: High elves are able to speak orc, goblin, hobgoblin, and gnoll.

Labyrinth Lord

In Labyrinth Lord, use the Cleric’s abilities and level progression for the High Elf, with these modifications:

Requirements: CHA 9

Prime Requisite: WIS

Hit Dice: 1d6

Maximum Level: 15

High Elves can wield any weapon except the crossbow and wear up to chain mail armor.  Elves never use shields.  High Elves use the spell progression and lists for Clerics and they can turn undead as a Cleric of the same level.  A High Elf with Wisdom of 13 or better gets a 10% bonus on experience. High Elves use the Magic-User level progression table for experience points (page 12).

High Elves have infravision to 60 feet and they can find hidden and secret doors on a 1-2 on d6 if they are actively searching.  They are unaffected by ghoul’s paralysis and they can speak their alignment language, common, elvish, gnoll, hobgoblin, and orc.

Reaching 9^th Level: High elves can establish a stronghold in a natural setting as described in the Elves description on page 11 in the LL rulebook.

Swords & Wizardry Standard

In the standard edition of Swords & Wizardry, you can use the Cleric’s abilities and level progression for the High Elf, with these modifications:

Prime Attribute: Wisdom, 13+ (5% experience)

Hit Dice: 1d6+1/level (Gains 2 hp/level after 9th.)

Armor/Shield Permitted: Chain, no shield.

Weapons Permitted: Any except crossbow.

The High Elf has darkvision to a range of 60 ft and has a 4 in 6 chance to find secret doors when searching.  They are are also immune to the spells Charm Person and Sleep.

Use Table 6 for Hit Dice, Saving Throws, and Spells, but use the Magic-user experience point progression from Table 8.