Blood Elf (5e Subrace)

Elf Subrace

Physical Description

Blood elves have developed longer ears as to stay keen even with the lack of agility. They also tend to have lighter colored eyes and a white tone to their hair. They are tall and slender with usually soft features. They also have lines across their bodies showing their veins from the curse set upon them. The veins are silver in color. When cut their thick silver blood leaks from their body. They have more chiseled bodies than regular elves that limit their agility in exchange for hardiness and more accented features.

History

Among the many, many groups of elves living in Faerun, there was a peculiar school of high elves who delved into fantastical alchemical research. They were fanatical about a possible breakthrough that would grant them the ability to manipulate their own bodies as they might freely a mineral. This would greatly not only expand their physical capabilities, but also extend their reach of magic and increase efficiency while reducing wasteful energies. The research was based off rumors of a famed experiment by a wicked witch who weaponized a child's blood, making it black, with the ability to change to weapons.

They attempted their experiment after much conjecture, revisions and delays. It backfired horribly. The second they performed the alchemical rite, the transmutation circle they had set up emitted an eerie light which enveloped their entire school. The elves who emerged from the light were changed, with lighter hair, eyes and veins that throbbed and pulsated painfully under their skin. Their usual dextrous elven bodies felt leaden, weighed down by the new blood which coursed through their veins. In horror and shame, these elves fled from their site of failure in eternal shame.

Society

Blood elves live in small villages isolated from most of the world due to the shame they feel as having not only failed their experiment horribly, but having lost their elven siblings respect. Much abuse was brought upon them by other elves when they initially sought help from their self-inflicted plight. The other elves shunned them, even if they were family, for their new form made them a completely new and other being. As such, these exiled elves left and sought others affected like them, eventually recouping enough numbers to make a small village, which would be their first refuge of many.

Since then, blood elves have grown a small network of small villages, comprising their society. Having lost much of their elven grace, they focused more on mental development. In villages, they create tight families who pass down generations of knowledge. They also have small groups of the more charismatic people in the villages who go out in search of more knowledge, similar to wise men or scholars. People unaware of the blood curse inflicted on these elves mostly generalize them with elves in general and so they are not wholly stigmatized.

Blood Elf Names

Blood elves have the same naming system as any who speak elvish, having kept their language.

Male: Caloun, Aredhel, Arwen

Female: Quenya, Elbereth, Aerin

Blood Elf Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Silver Spark. The silver blood coursing in their veins does indeed have magical amplification abilities. When casting a spell that deals damage and requires a ranged magic attack roll, you may add an extra damage die to the totaling damage upon a successful hit. You may use this trait once before needing to complete a long rest to use it again.
Heavy Blood. You have thick, metallic blood coursing through you, hampering you slightly. When you stand up from being prone, you must expend all of your movement speed to do so, instead of just a half.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Character Options → Subraces