Why Elf Names
Elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults, some time after the hundredth birthday, and before this period they are called by child names.
On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name, although those who knew him or her as a youngster might continue to use the child name.
Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members.
Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words.
Some elves traveling among humans translate their family names into Common, but others retain the Elvish version.
Child ELF Names:
- Ara,
- Bryn,
- Del,
- Eryn,
- Faen,
- Innil
- Lael
- Mella,
- Naill,
- Naeris,
- Phann,
- Rael,
- Rinn,
- Sai,
- Syllin,
- Thia,
- Vall
Male Adult Elf Names:
- Adran,
- Aelar,
- Aramil,
- Arannis,
- Aust,
- Beiro,
- Berrian,
- Carric,
- Enialis,
- Erdan,
- Erevan,
- Galinndan,
- Hadarai,
- Heian,
- Himo,
- Immeral,
- Ivellios,
- Laucian,
- Mindartis,
- Paelias,
- Peren,
- Quarion,
- Riardon,
- Rolen,
- Soveliss,
- Thamior,
- Tharivol,
- Theren,
- Varis
Female Adult Names:
- Adrie,
- Althaea,
- Anastrianna,
- Andraste,
- Antinua,
- Bethrynna,
- Birel,
- Caelynn,
- Drusilia,
- Enna,
- Felosial,
- Ielenia,
- Jelenneth,
- Keyleth,
- Leshanna,
- Lia,
- Meriele,
- Mialee,
- Naivara,
- Quelenna,
- Quillathe,
- Sariel,
- Shanairra,
- Shava,
- Silaqui,
- Theirastra,
- Thia,
- Vadania,
- Valanthe,
- Xanaphia
Family Names (Common Translations):
- Amakiir (Gemflower),
- Am astacia (Starflower),
- Galanodel (Moonwhisper),
- Holimion (Diam onddew),
- Ilphelkiir (Gem blossom),
- Liadon (Silverfrond),
- Meliamne (Oakenheel),
- Nai’lo (Nightbreeze),
- Siannodel (Moonbrook),
- Xiloscient (Goldpetal)
Haughty but Gracious
Although they can be haughty, elves are generally gracious even to those who fall short of their high expectations— which is most non-elves. Still, they can find good in just about anyone.
Dwarves: “Dwarves are dull, clumsy oafs. But what they lack in humor, sophistication, and manners, they make up in valor. And I must admit, their best smiths produce art that approaches elven quality.”
Halflings: “ Halflings are people of simple pleasures, and that is not a quality to scorn.
They’re good folk, they care for each other and tend their gardens, and they have proven themselves tougher than they seem when the need arises.”
Humans: “All that haste, their ambition and drive to accomplish something before their brief lives pass away—human endeavors seem so futile sometimes.
But then you look at what they have accomplished, and you have to appreciate their achievements. If only they could slow down and learn some refinement.”
Elf Traits
Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2
Age: Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience.
An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.
Alignment: Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos.
They value and protect others’freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.
The drow are an exception; their exile into the Underdark has made them vicious and
dangerous. Drow are more often evil than not.
Size: Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Accustom ed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Trance: Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining sem iconscious, for 4 hours a day.
(The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice.
After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar.
Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.
Subrace: Ancient divides among the elven people resulted in three main subraces: high elves, wood elves, and dark elves, who are commonly called drow. Choose one of these subraces.
In some worlds, these subraces are divided still further (such as the sun elves and moon elves of the Forgotten Realms), so if you wish, you can choose a narrower subrace.
High Elf
As a high elf, you have a keen mind and a mastery of at least the basics of magic. In many of the worlds of D&D, there are two kinds of high elves.
One type (which includes the gray elves and valley elves of Greyhawk, the Silvanesti of Dragonlance, and the sun elves of the Forgotten Realms) is haughty and reclusive, believing themselves to be superior to non-elves and even other elves.
The other type (including the high elves of Greyhawk. the Qualinesti of Dragonlance, and the m oon elves of the Forgotten Realms) are more common and more friendly, and often encountered among humans and other races.
The sun elves of Faerun (also called gold elves or sunrise elves) have bronze skin and hair of copper, black, or golden blond.
Their eyes are golden, silver, or black. Moon elves (also called silver elves or gray elves) are much paler, with alabaster skin sometimes tinged with blue.
They often have hair of silver-white, black, or blue, but various shades of blond, brown, and red are not uncommon. Their eyes are blue or green and flecked with gold.
Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Elf Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Cantrip: You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Extra Language: You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.
Wood Elf
As a wood elf, you have keen senses and intuition, and your fleet feet carry you quickly and stealthily through your native forests.
This category includes the wild elves (grugach) of Greyhawk and the Kagonesti of Dragonlance, as well as the races called w ood elves in Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms.
In Faerun, wood elves (also called wild elves, green elves, or forest elves) are reclusive and distrusting of non-elves.
Wood elves’ skin tends to be copperish in hue, sometimes with traces of green. Their hair tends toward browns and blacks, but it is occasionally blond or copper-colored. Their eyes are green, brown, or hazel.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Elf Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Fleet o f Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Mask of the Wild: You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Dark Elf (Drow)
Descended from an earlier subrace of dark-skinned elves, the drow were banished from the surface world for following the goddess Lolth down the path to evil and corruption.
Now they have built their own civilization in the depths of the Underdark, patterned after the Way of Lolth.
Also called dark elves, the drow have black skin that resem bles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair.
They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be mistaken for white) in shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, and blue.
They tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves. Drow adventurers are rare, and the race does not exist in all worlds.
Check with your Dungeon Master to see if you can play a drow character.
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Superior Darkvision: Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Drow Magic: You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once per day.
When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the darkness spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Drow Weapon Training: You have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.
The Darkness of the Drow
Were it not for one renowned exception, the race of drow would be universally reviled.
To most, they are a race of demon-worshiping marauders dwelling in the subterranean depths of the Underdark, emerging only on the blackest nights to pillage and slaughter the surface dwellers they despise.
Their society is depraved and preoccupied with the favor of Lolth, their spider-goddess, who sanctions murder and the extermination of entire families as noble housesvie for position.
Yet one drow, at least, broke the mold. In the world of the Forgotten Realms, Drizzt Do’Urden, ranger of the North, has proven his quality as a good-hearted defender of the weak and innocent.
Rejecting his heritage and adrift in a world that looks upon him with terror and loathing, Drizzt is a model for those few drow who follow in his footsteps, trying to find a life apart from the evil society of their Underdark homes.
Drow grow up believing that surface-dwelling races are inferior, worthless except as slaves.
Drow who develop a conscience or find it necessary to cooperate with members of other races find it hard to overcome that prejudice, especially when they are so often on the receiving end of hatred.