Wood Elf
| Species | elven |
| No. Appearing | 5–50 |
| Behaviour | clan |
| Range | taiga, woodland |
| Size | 5 ft. tall |
| Weight | 100 lbs. |
| Intelligence | 16 to 19 |
| Armour Class | 6 |
| Hit Dice | 2 |
| Action Points | 5 |
| Max. Stride | 8 |
| THAC0 | 20 |
| Hp/Die | d6 |
| Attack Forms | by weapon type |
| Damage | variable |
| Special Attacks | resistant to charm, +1 with bow and sword, experience levels, surprise on a 1–4 |
Wood elves are natives of deciduous forests in many parts of the New World, stretching from the Maritimes to the Missouri and Mississippi river valleys. While sharing many of the abilities of European, "winter" elves, they are distinct in culture, behavior, and their role in the game world. Thriving in the ever-changing rhythms of the hardwood forests, they have chosen to act as caretakers of the land, particularly in their dealings with native human tribes far beyond their own lines — sharing knowledge, and particularly counsel for those confronted by European settlers along the Atlantic coast.
Seeing themselves as stewards rather than rules of the land, wood elves consider themselves to be deeply entwined with the fate of the forests and those who inhabit them. Among human tribes, they are regarded as something between kin and legend — present for generations, often unseen, but never truly absent. Their knowledge is shared carefully, given to those who earn it, particularly in matters of survival, diplomacy, and the unseen forces of the land.
Their long history has taught them that survival is not merely a matter of holding onto old ways, but of knowing when to adapt and when to assert control. Their guidance is not given freely, but strategic, measured and purposeful, meant to shape events rather than simply react to them.
Advantages
Wood elves are naturally effective when using any kind of sword or bow, receiving a +1 to hit with these weapons. They are skilled clerics, druids, fighters, mages and rangers. Their presence of mind permits a +1 saving throw against charm spells for every 3 points of intelligence they possess. For example, a wood elf with an intelligence of 15 would have a +5 saving throw.
Wood elves also possess infravision, being able to see in the dark with relative clarity. Because of their experience moving through the outdoors, non-player character elves possess a natural stealth ability. Contrary to popular belief, wood elves don't possess any special abilities to locate secret and concealed doors.
History
Wood elves trace their origins to the ancient kingdom of Beringia, which flourished between 35,000 and 20,000 years ago. During the Upper Palaeolithic (approximately 12,000–15,000 years ago), various elvish tribes migrated into the New World as glacial retreat allowed passage across the ice bridge that once connected their ancestral lands. Some grey elves remained in Beringia, preserving their traditions and magic, while others established settlements in the north, becoming the winter elves. Another group moved into the temperate woodlands of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes region, where they became known as wood elves.
For a long period after these migrations, elvish communities remained fragmented, with little continuity between their settlements. However, during the Neolithic, these groups began to transition toward agrarian societies. By the 8th millennium BC, wood elves faced a demographic crisis due to declining birthrates, diminished food sources and the disappearance of large game. This period of instability prompted adaptations in their way of life, including changes in diet, the development of herbal medicine and increased cooperation within elvish communities and with neighboring human groups. Along the Sirion River — referred to as the Mississippi by others — small villages formed, marking the beginning of a more structured and interdependent society.
Through the Neolithic period, wood elves reacquired knowledge of archery and developed methods to manage large deer populations, ensuring a stable food source. As their numbers grew, winter elves to the north began repopulating Beringian lands, reestablishing ties that would later give rise to the Anduin people. Around 4500 BC, the foundations of Beleriand as an elvish cultural center began to take shape. Though their metallurgy remained in an early stage, elvish language reached a high level of sophistication, enabling nuanced communication within their own communities and with neighboring human tribes. This linguistic development facilitated the emergence of elvish ambassadors, who established relations with groups such as the Adena and Hohokam, among other early societies.
These interactions led to the gradual spread of elvish settlements beyond their core lands, with small groups establishing themselves in carefully selected locations from the southern bayous to the St. Lawrence basin. These settlements rarely exceeded a few hundred elves, yet their influence on local cultures was significant, shaping trade, diplomacy and the transmission of knowledge across the region.
Cultural identity among the elves, always a comfortably traditional people, remained relatively unchanged as the centuries passed. They continued to practice sustainable forestry, archery, deer management and localised agriculture. Their society remained distinct from human cultures, but they maintained diplomatic and economic relationships, even as the aforementioned native cultures declined. By the early medieval period, (c. 900–1300 AD), the Mississippian culture rose to prominence, developing complex urban centers such as Cahokia. The wood elves, while maintaining their independence, became active participants in the wider trade networks of this era, exchanging medicinal herbs, finely crafted bows and furs for goods from across the continent. The elves' ability to move freely between regions, aided by their mastery of woodland survival and their long-standing neutral reputation, made them valuable mediators between rival groups.
By the 15th century, as political shifts and migrations among human groups intensified, the elves maintained their presence in the forests of the Mississippi basin, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence region. They have successfully strengthened emergent tribal alliances such as the Iroquois Confederacy and the Algonquian-speaking nations, such that these formations are strong enough to contend toe-to-toe with Europeans; this has fostered, despite some expectation of the contrary, a strong foundation for trade, permitting Europeans in small numbers to travel into the wilderness to negotiate and exchange goods freely. The "disease transmission crisis" that others warned of was staved off by elven influence as well, so that no undue pestilence has occurred upon the Algonquin continent. In many cases, small-scale European settlements exist only at the pleasure of native leadership, which has minimised the influence of extreme religious factionalism throughout New England and Virginia. All this has been accomplished through the influence of wood elves.
As a final note, this has produced a different kind of colonial existence, one where religious movements do not have the unchecked ability to establish radical enclaves, nor the demographic dominance to impose their social orders. Without weakened native nations to absorb or supplant, puritanical elements that in another history might have flourished in isolation instead find themselves tempered by negotiation, moderation and the need to function within a broader and more powerful political landscape. Faith still plays a role, but it is a quieter one, less about domination and more about adaptation to a land that is not theirs to command.
See Bestiary
