A double-bladed scimitar is a martial weapon, weigh
ing 6 pounds and dealing 2d4 slashing damage on a hit.
It has the two-handed property and the following spe
cial property:
If you attack with a double-bladed scimitar as part of
the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus
action immediately after to make a melee attack with
it. This attack deals ld4 slashing damage on a hit, in
stead of 2d4.FEAT: REVENANT BLADE
Prerequisite: Elf
You are descended from a master of the double-bladed
scimitar, and some of that mastery has passed on to you.
You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity or Strength score by 1, to a
maximum of 20. - While you are holding a double-bladed scimitar with
two hands, you gain a + 1 bonus to Armor Class. - A double-bladed scimitar has the finesse property
when you wield it.
ELVES OF THE FIVE NATIONS
Throughout history, elves have occasionally migrated to
live among the other peoples of Khorvaire. On rare oc
casions, entire families have relocated (as House Phiar
lan did, almost three thousand years ago), but more
often wanderers and exiles have come to Khorvaire and
made their way there. Many of the finest wizards and
most renowned artisans in the Five Nations are high
elves. Wood elves are found among the rangers and
druids of the Eldeen Reaches and stalking the darkest
alleys of Sham.
As an elf born and raised in Khorvaire, your charac
ter has grown up among the shorter-lived races. Yo u
might not be as concerned with history and tradition as
the Aereni and Tairnadal; you could even live your life
entirely in the moment, with no care for your family or
your legacy. Or you could be fascinated by the history
and traditions of your ancestors and try to relearn the
ways your family has forgotten.
Consider also whether you've outlived human friends
and how that might affect you. Did you know the par
ents or grandparents of another member of your party?
Are you trying to repay a debt or fulfill a promise to
that long-dead friend, or are you trying to recapture
some spark of the friendship you felt years ago? Do you
remember a time before the Last War? Did you fight
in the war?
DROW OF XEN'DRIK
Long ago on the continent of Xen'drik, the first drow
fought beside the giants against the other elves. Tens
of thousands of years have passed, and drow and other
elves remember each other only as figures in their leg
ends. The Undying Court and the patron ancestors of
the Tairnadal remember the drow, but they have little
occasion to teach their living descendants about these
shadows of the distant past.
CHAPTER 1 I CHARACTER CREATION
When the elves fled to Aerenal, the drow remained on
Xen'drik as subjects of the giants, and they were caught
in the collapse of giant civilization. Today they linger
on Xen'drik and have set their own course, free of the
giants' malevolent influence.
Three distinct drow cultures formed after the fall of
the giants. The most numerous are the Vulkoori, hunt
ers dedicated to a scorpion god called Vulkoor. They
hunt giants and other dangers in their lands. Led by
powerful druids and wizards, the Sulatar cling to tradi
tions of elemental shaping that date back to the Age of
Giants. They live in a handful of obsidian cities across
Xen'drik, and believe that they are destined to cleanse
the world in a fiery apocalypse. Finally, the Umbragen
are descended from drow who fled into the depths of
the earth when the giant civilization fell. They wield so
phisticated magic in their unceasing battles against the
daelkyr and the other aberrations of the underworld.
When creating a drow character, think about how
you came to Khorvaire. Are you a Vulkoori hunter who
accompanied an expedition home to Khorvaire, now
seeking your way in this strange new world? Are you an
Umbragen seeking powers that can help your people in
their endless war? Or are you a Sulatar pursuing a per
sonal path to glory?
How do you react to meeting members of other elven
cultures during your journeys? Yo u might quickly rec
ognize that most bear little resemblance to the terrors
described in your people's legends, or you might have an
almost instinctive reaction of distrust. You might have
overcome your initial prejudices by the time the cam
paign begins, or perhaps you're working to build trust
with another elf member of your adventuring party.ELVES AND DRAGONMARKS
The Mark of Shadow first appeared among the elves
of the Phiarlan line, and the house quickly turned the
mark's powers of shadow and illusion into an economic
dynasty. The suspicion of their kin drove them from
Aerenal to Khorvaire, and the house splintered during
the Last War, giving rise to House Thuranni. The two
houses of shadow control the business of espionage
throughout Khorvaire, but they also operate more legiti
mate ventures related to art and entertainment.
Phiarlan blood still runs among some of the Aereni
elves, and the Mark of Shadow appears once or twice in
each elven generation. Elves bearing this mark are al
ways inducted into the elite force of the Cairdal Blades
an espionage agency in the service of Aerenal's Sibling
Kings (see chapter 2).GNOMES
FIVE WORDS CAN DEFEAT A THOUSAND SWORDS.
-Zil proverbThe average gnome has a love of knowledge that bor
ders on obsession, a curiosity that admits no limits, and
a vast collection of potentially useful information on ev
ery personal acquaintance. Most gnomes detest physical
violence and prefer to solve their problems with words-