Common half-elves are descended from humans and moon elves, sun elves, wild elves or wood elves. While these people can be found all over Faerûn, this section describes the half-elf culture of Aglarond, the land where the largest number of common half-elves live.
Common half-elves blend human and elven features, influenced by the subrace of their elven parent and the ethnicity of their human parent. Moon half-elves have pale skin tinged bluish around the ears and chin, framing their lower faces. Sun half-elves have bronzed skin, and hair of gold. Wild half-elves have brown skin. Wood half-elves have coppery skin tinged with green highlights.
Most common half-elves are a bit distant, used to being cast in the role of outsiders. In the Yuirwood, this isn’t so: The half-elves make up the majority and have a long and proud history. Many half-elves come to the Yuirwood once they are old enough to leave home. Here, at last, is a place in which they can hope to be accepted.
Half-elves are more slender than humans, and more heavily built than elves. Since the elves of Faerûn are taller and more sturdily built than the elves of other worlds, Faerûnian half-elves are very close to human size and weight.
History: The Yuirwood, home to many thousands of half-elves, is located in Aglarond in the Unapproachable East. The Yuirwood was once populated by a large number of wood elves. In 756 DR, however, humans arrived in the area and began establishing settlements. At first the two cultures clashed, but they eventually banded together against the mutual threat of the monsters that then lived in the woods. The two races living in the Yuirwood intermingled for centuries, eventually blending to form a true half-elven culture.
In 1065 DR, the half-elves of the Yuirwood made peace with the humans living long the coast between their lands and the Sea of Fallen Stars, and the nation of Aglarond was born. Those humans who refused to make peace left for the western tip of the Aglarondan peninsula, and formed their own country, Altumbel. Aglarond was ruled by half-elven monarchs for generations. About fifty years ago, the royal line died out, and the last queen passed the throne on to her apprentice, the Simbul. Under her rule, the people of Aglarond prospered in the face of Thayan aggression, and through their stalwart defence of their land have forced their powerful neighbours to abandon (at least temporarily) the dream of expanding to the Sea of Fallen Stars.
The Yuirwood is unique among forests, in that it is impenetrable by detection and scrying magics. This has been a great advantage to the Simbul and her people, as it makes it impossible for hostile forces to monitor the movement of people and troops within the forest that covers most of Aglarond. Relkath’s Foot is the largest settlement of half-elves in the Yuirwood (and all Faerûn, for that matter). It is home to some 5,080 people, most of whom are half-elves.
Outlook: While elves and half-elves are respected and admired in many parts of Faerûn, humans in lands where elves are not commonly encountered can be resentful of elven blood. Elves are graceful, attractive, long-lived, mysterious and skilled with mighty magic, and humans who do not know them well can easily come to regard elves — and, by extension, half-elves — with envy and fear. In places such as Silverymoon or the Dalelands, a half-elf’s race is nothing remarkable, and she faces little or no bigotry. In lands where there is a long history of elven-human conflict, such as Tethyr or Sembia, her elven blood marks her as different and dangerous, with all the fears and suspicions one might expect.
Many half-elves respond to the suspicions and slights of their human neighbours by staying well away from human civilization, preferring a solitary life in the wildernesses of Faerûn. Others instead take up a life of travel, never staying in one spot long enough for racial prejudices to distance them from the folk around them.
As the homeland of a mixed society of elves, humans and half-elves, Aglarond is unique among the lands of Faerûn. In Aglarond, a half-elf’s race is unremarkable, and a half-elf is judged by her own actions and accomplishments, not her kindred. Aglarondan half-elves are a quiet, thoughtful and courteous folk, slow to befriend outsiders, but unfailingly loyal to the friends they’ve made. Many half-elves from other lands journey to Aglarond at least once in their lives, and more than a few remain there, enriching the Simbul’s realm.
Characters: The half-elves of the Yuirwood are a diverse community who welcome immigrants. Among them can be found people of every character class and nearly every multiclass combination, for flexibility is a key trait among half-elves.
Favoured Class: The highest class a half-elf has is considered to be his favoured class.
Prestige Classes: Common half-elves can use any prestige classes open to humans. They also have access to the arcane archer, spellsinger and bladesinger prestige classes.
Society: Aglarondan society is generally free and open. Despite being caught between the reclusive people of Altumbel and the aggressive zulkirs of Thay, Aglarond has known peace in recent years. However, the Aglarondans know that the price of their freedom is eternal vigilance. Only their resolve, courage and skill hold Thayan conquest at bay. Any folk of good heart who are willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the defence of their homes and their liberty are welcomed in Aglarond, and over forty years of the Simbul’s rule, Aglarond has been greatly strengthened by the immigration of half-elven crafts-folk, foresters and adventurers.
In Aglarondan, humans, half-elves and elves live side by side, each accepting of their neighbours’ ways. The half-elves here reach adulthood at about age 20 and then take on whatever role they feel best suited for in their society. Many work in the woods, hunting wild animals, collecting pelts, harvesting rare woods and herbs, and gathering nuts and berries. Aglarondan foresters take care not to despoil the Yuirwood, and go to great pains to avoid taking too much game or felling too many living trees.
Elders are respected in Aglarond for the wisdom they have presumably gained over the years. Once a half-elf is too old to work, he is cared for by his family or his village until he passes on.
When outside a place like Aglarond, half-elves are loners and often keep to themselves. Some treasure the camaraderie and the sense of family they get when travelling with a group of adventurers.
Language: The half-elves of the Yuirwood speak Common, Elven and Aglarondan. Aglarondan is a relatively young language that developed from the blending of Elven with the Damaran tongue of the human settlers who colonized the Yuirwood’s coasts five hundred years ago. For bonus languages, half-elves often choose Chessentan, Damaran, Draconic, Elven, Mulhorandi, Orc or Sylvan.
All common half-elves are literate, except for barbarians.
Magic: Common half-elves can use the racial spells of both humans and elves. They have no spellcasting traditions of their own, however. Aglarondan arcane spellcasters often follow the Simbul in the choice of magical schools in which she concentrates: Evocation and Transmutation.
Religion: Common half-elves can choose any human or elven deity as a patron. Many favour Sune for the love that brought their parents together. Aglarondan common half-elves favour Chauntea, Selûne, Valkur, and the elven pantheon (the Seldarine). Those good-aligned half-drow who live in Aglarond have brought the worship of the Lady of the Dance with them. The worship of Eilistraee has spread beyond those with drow blood in their veins, and many common half-elves who enjoy midnight revelries — mostly bards, it has to be said — choose Eilistraee as a patron.
Relations: The common half-elves of Aglarond get along well with most of the major races of Faerûn. They favour their own kind first and foremost, but they happily work with both humans and elves too, as well as dwarves, gnomes and halflings. The half-elves of Aglarond show a marked tolerance of half-orcs. On the other hand, Aglarondans are deeply suspicious of Thayans, Mulhorandi and Untherites. These old, corrupt empires have sought to control the Aglarondan peninsula for centuries, and even though Mulhorand and Unther no longer have territorial aspirations in the area, the free folk of Aglarond have long memories.
Equipment: Common half-elves have no unusual racial equipment of their own. However, they can make use of any equipment or weapons specific to humans or elves.
Animals and Pets: Common half-elves often raise animals and keep pets of the sort that both humans and elves do. Since many Aglarondan half-elves are rangers or druids, they often have unusually smart, strong and loyal animal companions. Wolves, hawks and eagles are common in Aglarond.
Regions: Aglarond, The Dalelands, Silverymoon, The High Forest, Waterdeep
Source: Races of Faerûn (Page 59), Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Page 17), Player’s Handbook (Page 18)
Your character can be either male or female.
Every player character starts as an adult. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class (see Table: Starting Ages). Your character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his or her race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on Table: Starting Ages.
Alternatively, refer to Table: Starting Ages and roll dice to determine how old your character is.
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | +1d6 (21—26) years | +2d6 (22—32) years | +3d6 (23—38) years |
1 This category includes barbarians, rogues and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, fighters, paladins and rangers.
3 This category includes clerics, druids, monks and wizards.
With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way.
| Middle Age1 | Old Age2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 years | 93 years | 125 years | +3d20 years |
1 -1 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
2 -2 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
3 -3 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
When a character reaches venerable age, the DM secretly rolls his or her maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on Table: Aging Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table, and records the result, which the player does not know. A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM.
The maximum ages are for player characters. Most people in the world at large die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before getting to venerable age.
Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the appropriate race description or from the ranges found on Table: Height and Weight. Think about what your character’s abilities might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character may be thin. A strong and tough character may be tall or just heavy.
Alternatively, roll randomly for your character’s height and weight on Table: Height and Weight. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4’ 10" | +2d10 (5’ 0"—6’ 6") | 110 lbs. | ×2d4 (114—270 lbs.) |
| Female | 4’ 5" | +2d10 (4’ 7"—6’ 1") | 80 lbs. | ×2d4 (84—240 lbs.) |
Source: Player’s Handbook (Page 109), Races of Faerûn (Page 59)