Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Elf Paragon

Elf Paragon
Accomplished with both spell and blade, elves move through the world at a pace removed from that of shorter-lived races. Long-standing champions of good, the elf race is storied beyond telling and peopled by heroes beyond counting. As mighty as the elf race can be, it is not often that elves turn to warfare or combat, preferring instead the paths of poetry, dance, song, and lore. With their long life spans and many talents, elves excel in numerous areas and classes, but a few exemplify to an even greater degree the complex and powerful nature of their race.

Adventures: Elf paragons retreat from the world less readily than most elves, seeing much of the nature of the elf race in the form and shape of the world. They enjoy travel and interaction with other races, learning as much about themselves in the process as they do about those they meet. Elf paragons are aware that voluntary isolation from other good-aligned races poses a great danger to the elven race—although such self-absorption lessens the pain and frustration involved in dealing with other races, it leaves an elven community vulnerable to stagnation and decline.

Characteristics: Elf paragons are curious, patient, and, when roused to action, deadly. They are swift and stealthy and have amazingly acute senses, allowing them to react far faster than opponents might expect. Their aptitude in both stealth and weapons makes them excellent at attacking from ambush, and their propensity to take rogue and ranger levels in addition to their paragon levels accentuates these strengths.

Alignment: Elf paragons can be of any alignment, but most are neutral good. They see the world as a place of harmony, a place that can provide bounty to all those willing to live in peace—so long as society is not pushed to extremes of law or anarchy.

Religion: Although elves as a whole can be as religious as members of any other race, elf paragons rarely concentrate on religion. Instead, they focus their attention and devotion on the mortal members of their race.

Background: Most elf paragons come into their abilities through a strong love of their people and the work of an influential mentor. Although this mentor may be of any class, it is often the lorekeepers and wizards of the elf race who seek to foster the skills of fledgling elf paragons, knowing that one young elf turning to the path of the paragon can benefit the race for nearly a thousand years.

Races: Elf paragons are, for the most part, open and gracious when dealing with members of other races. Even if she secretly looks down on shorter-lived and less gifted folk, an elf paragon knows that other races can offer her the one thing that most elves lack: a sense of urgency. As an elf paragon grows in power, she becomes more and more apt to look upon members of other races as curiosities to be studied rather than as peers—but she remains gracious and trusting, striving to learn how the virtues of other races might benefit the elf race.

Other Classes: Like most racial paragons, elf paragons tend to think more in terms of relations with other races than they do about interactions with other classes. Elf paragons relate best to characters who revere nature or seek to live in harmony with the world around them. They find common philosophical ground with monks and common cause with many paladins, but they are most comfortable around wizards, rangers, and druids. Although elves are as religious as any other race, elf paragons often mistrust clerics’ reliance on divine guidance, and heavily armored warriors have an approach to combat that elf paragons sometimes have a hard time appreciating.

Race: Half-Elves, Elves, and all elf subraces except Drow.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills
The elf paragon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the elf paragon class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Elf paragons are proficient with all simple weapons, rapiers, longswords, shortbows, and longbows, and with light armor.

Spells per Day
At 2nd and 3rd level, an elf paragon gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in wizard. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of elf paragon to her level in wizard, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If an elf paragon has no levels in wizard, this class feature has no effect.

Elfsight (Ex)
An elf paragon has exceptional visual acuity. Her racial bonus on Search and Spot checks increases to +4. In addition, an elf paragon's low-light vision increases in range, allowing her to see three times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.

Resist Enchantments (Ex)
An elf paragon's racial bonus on saves against enchantment spells or effects increases by 2.

Weapon Focus (Ex)
At 2nd level, an elf paragon gains Weapon Focus as a bonus feat. This feat must apply to either the rapier, longsword, shortsword, shortbow, longbow, composite shortbow, or composite longbow.

Ability Boost (Ex)
At 3rd level, an elf paragon's Intelligence score increases by 2 points.