Stupid Elf Tricks?

[Kyle Foster]

I believe this applies only to natural surfaces. I think the things
you mentioned would still cause an elf the same problems as a human or
anyother race

Kyle
- --
"Some People Fly and some of us worry
I'd risk it all to have wings,
I know if I try I'll get where I'm going
keeping my eyes on the sky"
QueensRyche "Some People Fly"

[Bearcat]

>All right, a while ago on this list, I commented on the fact that the elven
>domains support level 6 provinces without any evidence of organized
>agriculture.

You've forgotten option 4:
The elves have a simple agricultural system, similar to the
Tupi-Guarani that lived here in the northeast of Brazil. The plant what they
will need among the trees, where ever there is space. Considering that the
elves are elves they could probably coax the food plants into producing
large amountsof food. Since this is a random, disorganized form of
agriculture it would be difficult to seethat one has walked into an elf
farm, or that there even is anything unatural about the place.

Bearcat
lcgm@elogica.com.br
Come visit Bearcat's Birthright Homepage at:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/6204

[Pieter A de Jong]

All right, a while ago on this list, I commented on the fact that the elven
domains support level 6 provinces without any evidence of organized agriculture.
So, I am know asking about how this might make sense. I see several
possibilities
1.) The elves trade for the food they eat
This one is difficult because the elves have lousy foreign relations
(for example the realm of Lluabright is completely closed). Not to mention
that transporting that much food could get a little difficult.
2.) The elves use magic to create the food they eat
All right this is at least in theory possible, with customized
wizard spells, or even simply with major creation spells. But, this implies
a lot of wizards; Do we really want that many elven wizards running around?
3.) Elves don't need to eat like humans do
This is also viable, what with elves being immortal creatures of
starlight and faerie dust. Maybe they just don't need as much food as
humans do, maybe they only eat because it tastes good, maybe they live off
starlight?

Okay, so there are the three possiblities that I saw, I would like to hear
from everyone, especially TSR folks, what do you think?


Pieter A de Jong
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

[Pieter A de Jong]

This is my second post under the heading stupid elf tricks. I was recently
rereading the racial descriptions and I got to the part about the elven
ability to ignore the surfaces that they are walking over. How far does
this extend, slick wet stones in a ford over a river, oil, ball
bearings/marbles,caltrops, oil of slipperiness? What say the netpeople?

Pieter A de Jong
Graduate Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

[James Ruhland]

> 3.) Elves don't need to eat like humans do
>
Elves are leaf-eatters and dandelion-devourers. They'll eat whatever fungus
and/or lichen the forest will provide.

[James Ruhland]

>
> This is my second post under the heading stupid elf tricks. I was
recently
> rereading the racial descriptions and I got to the part about the elven
> ability to ignore the surfaces that they are walking over. How far does
> this extend, slick wet stones in a ford over a river, oil, ball
> bearings/marbles,caltrops, oil of slipperiness? What say the netpeople?
>
it extends over terrain features; Elves, dispite their Messiah complex,
can't walk on water, or oils of slipperiness, caltrops, and the like.

[Clayton F. Hinton]

I run Birthright a little, and here's my explanation: Elves pick their own
food from the forest, and therefor the Forest is their Garden. Simple
enough for my campaign, anyway.

- -Clay Hinton
chinton@mail.utexas.edu


At 02:07 PM 5/12/98 -0600, you wrote:
>All right, a while ago on this list, I commented on the fact that the elven
>domains support level 6 provinces without any evidence of organized
agriculture.
>So, I am know asking about how this might make sense. I see several
>possibilities
> 1.) The elves trade for the food they eat
> This one is difficult because the elves have lousy foreign relations
>(for example the realm of Lluabright is completely closed). Not to mention
>that transporting that much food could get a little difficult.
> 2.) The elves use magic to create the food they eat
> All right this is at least in theory possible, with customized
>wizard spells, or even simply with major creation spells. But, this implies
>a lot of wizards; Do we really want that many elven wizards running around?
> 3.) Elves don't need to eat like humans do
> This is also viable, what with elves being immortal creatures of
>starlight and faerie dust. Maybe they just don't need as much food as
>humans do, maybe they only eat because it tastes good, maybe they live off
>starlight?
>
>Okay, so there are the three possiblities that I saw, I would like to hear
>from everyone, especially TSR folks, what do you think?
>
>

[Clayton F. Hinton]

I would say the slick wet stones would be treated like normal dirt for an
Elf, but the other examples the Elf would have to deal with it just like us
Humans. Caltrops could hurt just about anyone, and the Oil is designed to
do so. The Elven ability is a non-magical one, so I do not see how they
could avoid weapons or magic items with it.

- -Clay
chinton@mail.utexas.edu

At 02:10 PM 5/12/98 -0600, you wrote:
>This is my second post under the heading stupid elf tricks. I was recently
>rereading the racial descriptions and I got to the part about the elven
>ability to ignore the surfaces that they are walking over. How far does
>this extend, slick wet stones in a ford over a river, oil, ball
>bearings/marbles,caltrops, oil of slipperiness? What say the netpeople?
>

[Ryan B. Caveney]

> > ability to ignore the surfaces that they are walking over. How far does
> > this extend, slick wet stones in a ford over a river, oil, ball
> > bearings/marbles,caltrops, oil of slipperiness? What say the netpeople?
> >
> it extends over terrain features; Elves, dispite their Messiah complex,
> can't walk on water, or oils of slipperiness, caltrops, and the like.

A point I think is useful to make is the "natural setting"
condition: caltrops and ball bearings present an impediment to elves since
they re not natural formations. On the other hand, they can walk easily
up natural slopes consisting of damp pebbles and never get stuck in the
mud, as to do otherwise would violate their defined ability to pass
without trace. This also means that an elf hiking through the forest
never tears his clothes, or even gets them seriously dirty. He can,
however, get thoroughly soaked.

- --Ryan

[James Ruhland]

>
> A point I think is useful to make is the "natural setting"
> condition: caltrops and ball bearings present an impediment to elves
since
> they re not natural formations. On the other hand, they can walk easily
> up natural slopes consisting of damp pebbles and never get stuck in the
> mud, as to do otherwise would violate their defined ability to pass
> without trace. This also means that an elf hiking through the forest
> never tears his clothes, or even gets them seriously dirty. He can,
> however, get thoroughly soaked.
>
I'd like to offer a (minor) amendment to that, though:
Elves can walk up slopes, but they can't walk up cliffs. Nor are they
immune to, say, quicksand, or avalanches. However, that other junk, sure.