Publication:Unearthed Arcana/Half-Elf Paragon

Half-Elf Paragon
Although their mixed heritage rarely leaves half-elves embittered, many can find it difficult to call any community home. Humans and elves move through the world at very different paces and have extremely divergent tastes and habits, and neither quite fits a half-elf's innate preferences and attitudes. Half-elf paragons are those half-elves who reconcile these two sides of their nature and create an outlook that is wholly their own.


 * Adventures

Half-elf paragons turn to adventuring for many reasons. Like members of any other class, many half-elf paragons adventure out of a simple desire for wealth, fame, or personal power. Because they are less attached to their communities than any other racial paragons (except perhaps for half-orcs), half-elf paragons rarely adventure to defend a home or further the interests of their race as a whole—instead, they often turn to adventuring as a means of finding their own place in the world.


 * Characteristics

Half-elf paragons are a strange blend of curiosity and introspection. Half-elf paragons share the adaptable and inventive nature of their human parents with the refined senses and penchant for long, careful thought of their elf parents. Half-elf paragons are accomplished in both combat and stealth, and one often fills the role of scout or sentry in an adventuring party. Although it might seem to some that half-elf paragons lack focus, it is in a half-elf paragon's nature to fit her skills to the job at hand-and it is precisely her blend of skills that makes her capable of overcoming a wide array of challenges.


 * Alignment

Half-elf paragons can be of any alignment, but most are chaotic and many are good. Freedom appeals to half-elves—perhaps, because they seldom have firm roots in a community, they find free choice and an open mind appealing. Although a half-elf's mixed ancestry is occasionally the result of an evil act, most half-elves exhibit the better aspects of their parent races' natures.


 * Religion

Half-elf paragons tend to have extreme views on religion. Many shy away from it, seeking clerics and other servants of the gods only when need arises. A few gravitate toward religion, devoting themselves to a specific deity, an entire pantheon, or a philosophy. Such individuals find, in religion, the sense of belonging and purpose they don't get from their communities. Half-elf paragons who are drawn to religion often follow a deity of travel or freedom, finding the road and its endless challenges a compelling change from their homes.


 * Background

The background of most half-elves, paragons included, tends to be one of extremes. Either a half-elf finds unusual acceptance and peace throughout her life, or she finds herself faced with near-constant upheaval and turmoil. Whatever their individual circumstances, adult half-elves rarely have strong ties to a place or community, and many choose a life of adventure and travel.


 * Races

Half-elf paragons are reserved in their views on other races. They get along well with members of most races, but the two races to which they are closest — humans and elves — are also the two most likely to provoke strong feelings from a half-elf paragon. Events in an individual half-elf paragon's life are likely to shape attitudes about one or the other of those races — usually for ill.


 * Other Classes

Half-elf paragons are among the most open minded adventurers to be found. They value the skills of other classes equally, although their elven heritage gives them a slight preference for wizards and rangers. Because half-elf paragons often multiclass as rogues and rangers, they share some of the predilections of those classes, valuing less subtle companions when battle is joined but occasionally finding them a nuisance when stealth is called for.

Game Rule Information
Half-elf paragons have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Equally adept at melee and ranged combat, half-elf paragons benefit from high Strength and high Dexterity scores. Wisdom and Charisma, because of their importance to the half-elf paragon's most useful class skills, are also valuable to the class.

Race: Half-Elves.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills
The half-elf paragon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Half-elf paragons are proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor.

Spells per Day
At 2nd level, a half-elf paragon gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic or item creation feats, bard or assassin abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of half-elf paragon to the level in the spellcasting class, then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became a half-elf paragon, she must decide to which class she adds the level of half-elf paragon. If a half-elf paragon has no levels in a spellcasting class, this class feature has no effect.

Bonus Feat (Ex)
At 1st level, a half-elf paragon gains a bonus feat. The character must meet the feat's prerequisites normally.

Divided Ancestry (Ex)
Unlike other racial paragons, half-elves can take levels in more than one racial paragon class. After gaining at least one level as a half-elf paragon, a character can take either elf paragon levels or human paragon levels (but not both).

Elven Vision (Ex)
At 1st level, a half-elf paragon's visual acuity improves to match that of an elf's. A half-elf paragon's racial bonus on Search and Spot checks increases to +2.

Persuasion (Ex)
A 2nd level half-elf paragon's racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather information checks increases to +3. She gains a +2 racial bonus on all other Charisma-based skills.

Ability Boost (Ex)
At 3rd level, a half-elf paragon increases one ability score of her choice by 2 points.