Half-elves have the curiosity and ambition of their human parent, with the refined senses and love of nature of their elven parent, though they are outsiders among both cultures. To humans, half-elves look like elves. To elves, they look like humans. Half-elves are paler, fairer, and smoother-skinned than their human parents, but their actual skin tones and other details vary just as human features do. Half-elves tend to have green, elven eyes. They live to about 180 years.
Favored class (Any): When determining whether a multiclass half-elf suffers an XP penalty, his highest-level class does not count.
Special abilities[]
- Sleeplessness: Immune to spells and effects of the 'Sleep' subtype.
- Hardiness vs. Enchantments: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells.
- Partial Skill Affinity (Listen): +1 racial bonus to listen checks.
- Partial Skill Affinity (Search): +1 racial bonus to Search checks.
- Partial Skill Affinity (Spot): +1 racial bonus to Spot checks.
- Low-light Vision: Allows them to see better than normal in the dark.
PC default biography[]
"You inherited your elven parent's racial wanderlust, and that coupled with your natural human ambition makes you a born adventurer."
Notes[]
- Half-elf is one of the least popular race choices due to it usually comparing unfavorably to elf (or to human). An elf has the "special abilities" of a half-elf, plus keen sense, racial weapon proficiency, and full (stronger) skill affinities. The only benefits of playing a half-elf over an elf are the flexibility in favored class and the lack of a constitution penalty (offset by the lack of a dexterity bonus). Those looking for these benefits often find that the feat and skill point benefits of humans are more useful than watered-down elven abilities.
- One factor that leads some to play a half-elf is the desire to become an arcane archer. As humans do not qualify for this class, the two benefits of half-elf over elf become more significant. The favored class flexibility can be leveraged if using bard or sorcerer instead of wizard to meet the prerequisites of arcane archer. The lack of a constitution penalty can be leveraged by utilizing zen archery (thus reducing the impact of not having a dexterity bonus).