HALF-ELVES
An elf who looks upon a half-elf sees a human, and a hu-
man who beholds the same person sees an elf. Though
this characterization is simplistic, it gets to the heart of
what it means to be a half-elf in Faerftn.
To elves who have an extreme viewpoint on the mat-
ter, half-elves are emblematic of the decline of elven civi-
lization, a dilution of the race's heritage and culture that
will lead to its eventual dissolution. To the humans at
the other end of the spectrum, ha lf-elves have an unfair
advantage over their fully human peers, and are seen
as privileged or favored regardless of the actual circum-
stances of their birth.
For most folk in Faerftn, the issue isn't so cut and
dried. Half-elves are generally tolerated wherever they
go, or wherever they take up residence- with the proviso
that a society that doesn't look kindly on elves or hu-
mans is likely to feel the same way about someone who
has the blood of both races. Conversely, a society that
holds humans or elves in high esteem doesn't usually
bestow the same status on half-elves (though s uch indi-
viduals are generally not ostracized).
YOUNG RAC~ OLD ROOTS
In the distant past, half-elves were scarce because
humans and elves came into contact only infrequently.
The ancient elven kingdoms of Cormanthyr and Myth
Drannor had s ignificant populations of half-elves. It is
CHAPTER 3 I RACES OF THE REALMSonly in the past thousand years or so, as the races have
intermingled more and more, that the number of half-
elves has increased so that they are now found through-
out Faerftn.
Not surprisingly, half-elves enjoy the company of
others of their kind, such that where half-elves congre-
gate, they are likely to be joined by others. Most of the
half-elves in the North and along the Sword Coast are
of moon elf heritage mixed with Illuskan or Tethyrian
blood. In other parts of Faerftn, half-elves have signif-
icant communities in the Yuirwood and throughout
Aglarond. Aquatic half-elves are found along the coasts,
including near Aglarond, the Dragon Coast, Impiltur,
Sembia, and the Vilhon Reach. Drow half-elves are
most numerous in the nation of Dambrath, which was
conquered by the dark elves years ago, and in the Un-
derdark, where House Ousstyl of Menzoberranzan is
particularly infamous for having mated with humans.MIXED HERITAGE
Half-elves are a diverse lot, given the number of combi-
nations of elf subraces and human ethnicities in their
ranks. Most of them consider their dual nature a bless-
ing more than a disadvantage, because it gives them a
set of capabilities and a perspective on the world that
full-blooded humans a nd elves can't hope to match.
At the same time, the mixed heritage of ha lf-elves
dictates that they make an effort to fit in with humans
or elves when possible. For instance, half-elves born
and raised in human settlements tend to have human
names, while half-elves in elven communities generally
have elven names. In some places half-elf children are
named according to the "other" parent, or with a mix of
human and elven names, as a way of setting half-elves
apart from the rest of their community.
Half-elves speak both Common and Elvish. In addi-
tion, half-elves from the Yuirwood commonly speak
Aglarondan.
Half-elves in Faerftn have the racial traits of half-elves
in the Player's Handbook, although some variations are
possible; see the "Half-Elf Variants" sidebar.THE Gans OF Two PEOPLES
There are no half-elven gods, so half-elves follow el-
ven or human deities of their choosing-although just
as many religious half-elves believe that their gods
choose them. Half-elves often revere the gods of the
culture in which they were raised, although some r ebelHalf-Elf Variants
Some half-elves in FaerOn have a racial trait in place of
the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf
character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf
trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:- A half-elf of wood elf descent can choose the wood elf's
Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, or Mask of the Wild. - A half-elf of moon elf or sun elf descent can choose the
high elf's Elf Weapon Training or Cantrip. - A half-elf of drow descent can choose the drow's
Drow Magic.
A half-elf of aquatic heritage can choose a swimming
speed of 30 feet.