Elven Abilities (EoA)

Elven Abilities
Elves have natural abilities that make them unique among the intelligent races of Athas. To an elf, each dif- ference makes him that much better than his counter- parts in other races. While elves do not make a point of openly degrading the deficiencies in others, they do take great pride in their own inborn talents. Consummate merchants to all outward appearances, elves believe deep down that they are better than everyone else. They hold a secret contempt for those things that are not elvenfor those who are slower, less cunning, who do not know the songs of Athass nature. This contempt even stretches across tribal boundaries. For example, Sun Runners claim to be faster than Wind Dancers, and Wind Dancers boast they are craftier than the Silver Hands.
In the physical realm, elves believe that their form, speed, strength, and other natural abilities put them at least one step ahead of Athass other beings.
== What the Elves of Athas Have ==
All Athasian elves start with the following abilities:
Attack Bonus. As proud warriors with warrior tra- ditions, elves have mastered two specific weapon typesthe long bow and the long sword. This tradition translates into constant training from an early age, giving all elf characters a bonus of +1 to their attack rolls when using these weapon types. However, the bonus only applies to weapons crafted by the wielders tribe. An elf who uses a long sword or long bow crafted by anyone elseincluding a member of another elf tribereceives no attack roll bonus.
The bow and sword were the weapons favored by Coraanu Star Racer, the legendary first chief of the elf tribes. He chose them because they fit so well with his long-limbed frame, and in his hands they were deadly in the extreme. These weapons became the traditional arms of the elven tribes, and each tribe developed fighting styles to make best use of their individual crafting tech- niques. Though every tribe crafts weapons of elven design, each adds slight variations to make them uniquely their own. Such variations can be so small as to defy notice by non-elves, but they make all the difference to the wielder.
An elf child is trained to become one with his or her blade and bow, and tribal crafters balance weapons to a individuals specific strengths and weaknesses. This gives them attack bonuses when using the specially crafted weapons, bonuses that cannot be employed when using nontribal bows and swords.
Elf crafters can fashion weapons out of any material that is available, including metal, but the most common are crafted from bone and stone.
 Surprise Bonus. Because of their intimate ties with Athass wilderness and wastes, elves gain a surprise bonus over their opponents when in these areas. Alone or in the company of other elves, an elf can move with great stealth through the deserts and steppes of the Tyr region. Non-elves or mixed groups suffer a 4 penalty to their surprise rolls when approached by elves.
However, elves do not gain this surprise bonus against other elves, when they are in the company of non-elves, or when they are not in the appropriate terrain. This bonus reflects the fact that elves spend so much time learning the ways of the desert that they can blend into its natural flow.
 Infravision. Elvensight, or infravision, enables the desert runners to see up to 60 feet in darkness. This abil- ity, they believe, was developed during Coraanus race across the stars, although we know that elves of other worlds have elvensight as well. In addition, elves have extremely keen natural vision. They can see farther and with more clarity than a human or half-elf.
 Ability Adjustments. Being nimble and blessed with incredible speed, Athasian elves receive a +2 to their initial Dexterity scores. They also receive a +1 to their initial Intelligence, reflecting their natural genius. This intellect suffers from a lack of common sense, how- ever, giving them a 1 to their initial Wisdom scores. A high metabolism and relatively weaker physical nature tends to tire elves out faster (except when running; see Elf Run on the next page). This weakness is reflected by a 2 penalty to their initial Constitution scores.
 Resistance to Heat and Cold. Athasian elves are
less affected by their worlds temperature extremes than are other races. For this reason, elves do not suffer as greatly from the heat of the day or the chill of the nightand thus they appear less weathered than mem- bers of other races. The sun still bakes their flesh dark, and the cold still causes them discomfort, but not to the same degree as humans, dwarves, and halflings.
Until the temperature climbs above 110 °F or dips below 32 °F, elves exhibit no undue stress. They lose no body water to sweat until the heat of the day surpasses their tolerance limit, and they do not need to protect themselves from the night cold until it drops below freez- ing (a rare but not unheard of occurrence in the Athasian wastes). This resistance does not, however, extend to mag- ical or supernatural heat or cold.
 Natural Swiftness. While elves have the same base movement rate as humans and half-elves (12), they do not move at the same speed as the shorter, bulkier races. This inbred swiftness is related to the elf run, which courses through elven systems (see below). In game terms, elves receive bonuses to their base movement rate according to their Dexterity scores. Dexterity determines how swift elves are in normal movement situations (walk- ing, in combat rounds, etc.), while Constitution deter- mines swiftness when elves are engaging in long periods of overland movement.
To determine a particular elfs natural swiftness, find his or her Dexterity score on the table on the opposite page. This table gives a bonus that is then applied to the elfs base movement rate. So, while all elves start with a base rate of 12, most are naturally faster than this base rate indicates.
== (insaert table pg 13) ==
 Elf Run. If the elves of Athas have one ability for which they are primarily known, it is running. They con- dition themselves to speed over sandy and rocky terrain as their usual method of travel. To an elf, it is dishonor- able to ride either animal or vehicle when his or her own legs can do the job as well. (Or better, as most elves believe.) They attribute their marathon swiftness to a condition called the elf run.
Elves are swift-footed nomads who can cover as many as 50 miles per day when the elf run flows through their long, pumping legs. Individually and as a tribe, elves can induce this state of grueling endurance for as many as seven days in a row before fatigue begins to overtake them. Elf run is a state of mind that causes adrenaline to flow which inhibits the tiring nature of an elfs weaker constitution.
Elves receive 24 movement points to apply to overland movement (30 when undertaking a forced march). With the aid of the elf run, they can add their Constitution scores to the base movement to determine the distance they can travel in miles (or points) per day.
An individual elf can induce an elf run with a mini- mum of concentration (one turn) and a Constitution check. The Constitution check determines how many days the elf run lasts before fatigue sets in, as shown on the Elf Run Table below.
Elf groups of three or more (up to an entire tribe) can induce a mass elf run using the Constitution score of the lead runner as the basis for the check. (This is differ- ent from the rule for other racial types, and the leader must be either the tribal chief, a clan head, or the elf with the highest Charisma scorenot necessarily the elf with the highest Constitution.) The lead runner also grants all members of the group an additional number of movement points equal to his or her Constitution score. In a mass elf run, every individual must use the lead runners movement bonus, even if his or her own bonus would normally be higher. This reflects the fact that they have become as one for the duration of the elf run.
A mass elf run requires group concentration for one hour before beginning a trek, but the runners share each others strength, thus allowing for longer runs. (See the Mass Elf Run Leader Bonus table below.)
== (insaert table pg 13) ==
If elves must start an elf run with no preparation (as when they must flee a city marketplace, for example), they can still run for a full day before they start to fatigue. Once fatigue begins (after a number of days as determined by the Elf Run Table above), elves in an elf run receive a 1 penalty to all attack rolls for each day they engage in the elf run beyond their predetermined limit. A full days rest is required to remove one days penalty.
== What the Elves of Athas Don't Have ==
Athasian elves do not receive some of the abilities avail- able to elves of other campaign worlds. The common abilities not available to them are as follows:
 Spell Resistance. Athasian elves have no special resistance to spells, including sleep- and charm-related spells. As a race, the elves of Athas never had a chance to develop these resistancesor perhaps they lost them as the years of magic deprivation took a toll.
 Find Secret and Concealed Doors. The elves of Athas are nomads who dwell in the deserts and wastes. They shun settlements except for brief stops to trade or steal. Because of this, they never developed any special abilities for spotting hidden portals.
 Attack Bonuses. Athasian elves receive no attack bonuses other than those described above. Remember, the only weapons that grant them such bonuses are tribal elf-crafted long bows and long swords.
 Surprise Bonus. Only the surprise bonus described above is available to Athasian elves. It is terrain specific and does not apply to other situations.
 Communion. This ability, described in PHBR8, The Complete Book of Elves, faded away on Athas, per- haps because Athasian elves are so fiercely independent. It is not available to the desert runners.
 Manifestation. Another ability described in The Complete Book of Elves, manifestation never developed
for the elves of Athas. Athasian elves already have a daunting presence and do not need additional help to impress others.
 The Reverie. Athasian elves have much shorter life spans than the elves of other worlds. For this reason, they must engage in normal sleep patterns, complete with dreams and nightmares. While the condition known as the reverie (see The Complete Book of Elves) is not unheard of, it is extremely rare in Athasian elves and must still be supplemented by regular periods of sleep.