The Quendi: Noldor, Sindarin, and Silvan Elves

Here we have my conversion of the Elves of Middle-earth.  There is no attempt at balance here, so if you wish to use these races, you'll need to figure out Level Adjustments yourself.

 

All Elves have certain traits and those appear first followed by write-ups and racial traits for the specific divisions of the Quendi.

Elven Racial Traits (shared by each sub-race)

 

• Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Fast Speed: Elves have a base speed of 40 feet.
• Blessing of Arda: As the firstborn, elves have a special relationship with Arda, or Middle-earth.  They receive a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws to resist the effects of all natural hazards such as the effects of extreme heat or cold, drowning, and so on.
• Deathless: Elves are immortal.  They can only die by violence and will be re-embodied in that event.
• Elfcraft: Elves treat their ranks in Craft and Profession skills count as their caster level for the purposes of qualifying for item creation feats. Elves can create magic items using these feats, substituting their ranks in the appropriate skill as their total caster level. Elves must use the appropriate skill for the check to create the item (instead of a Spellcraft check). The DC to create the item still increases for any necessary spell requirements (see the magic item creation rules in Magic Items).
• Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to disease and sleep (whether magical or mundane). They also receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against all spells as well as spell-like and supernatural abilities.
• Elven Sight: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks, and can make out visual details as much as 15 to 20 miles away.  In addition, Elves can see in moonlight or starlight as well as a Man can in the light of day.  In torchlight (or other low-light conditions) they can see four times as far as Men
• Fairness of the Quendi: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on all interaction skills with Men and Hobbits.
• Fear no Shade: Elves are immune to spells with the [fear] descriptor, and any fear effect created by undead.
• Lightfooted: Elves receive Nimble Moves as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites.
• Natural Empathy: Elves are attuned to all natural life and receive a +2 to racial bonus on Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Ride, and Survival checks.
• Sleepless: Elves do not require sleep.  They need only rest for 4 hours a day to recover from fatigue and refresh their abilities.
• Weapon Familiarity: Elves treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.

 

Noldor
Noldor (singular Noldo, meaning those with knowledge), are the only elves in Middle-earth to have returned from the Undying Lands.  There, in Aman, their skills in all things became great, but still not as great as their desire for knowledge.  They excel in warfare, craft, lore and language, but are also the most proud of the Firstborn.  Their lust for knowledge led them to heed the lies of Melkor who hated and envied them above all of the Children of Ilúvatar, and their pride led them back to Middle-earth to seek vengeance when Melkor stole the Silmarili.  Because of the time they spent in Aman, the Noldor have greater abilities than the other elven peoples of Middle-earth.
Physical Description: The Noldor are the tallest (males averaging six and half feet, females over six) and sturdiest of all the elves in Middle-earth, though still slimmer than Men.  They are usually dark haired with proud grey eyes, though some Vanyar blooded Noldor are fair haired with blue eyes. Noldor wear rich, finely crafted clothing and carry themselves with an air of confidence that may extend to arrogance.
Society: The Noldor are the most orderly of all elves, seeking to build and improve communities and states.  They favor rule by monarchy.
Relations: Noldor are somewhat dismissive of non-elves, and they fail to understand those of their own race who would wander or while away their time without specific ends in mind. Noldor respect some works of other races, acknowledging Dwarven smith craft, for example. They regard humans as children to be taught wisdom and pity those who do not heed their counsel.  They have little feeling for Halflings one way or another.  Like other elves and all those who love beauty, freedom, and life, they hate orcs and all the servants of the Enemy, slaying them on sight without mercy.
Alignment and Religion: As craftsmen, they revere Aule, and having awoken under the starlight, they have great love for Varda.  Their practice of religion is either somewhat informal, consisting of some communal ceremonies, but mostly they practice private meditation.  Noldor keep their personal lives as ordered as their society.  They admire beauty, and respect life as well as all of the works of Eru.  Nearly all Noldor are lawful good.
Adventurers: Few Noldor leave their communities, and for many of these immortals they are retired from many adventures already.  Still, they may quest in search of lost knowledge or treasure, and take rumors regarding the Enemy and his servants seriously.  Noldor pursue many paths, but they favor classes emphasizing knowledge such as bard, expert or wizard.  Nearly all have levels in either aristocrat or fighter, as the Noldor returned to Middle-earth to wage war on Melkor, the Black Enemy, and did so with the finest arms and armor ever crafted. 
Noldor rogues are unheard of and barbarian is prohibited to Noldor, as it is for all elves.

 

Noldor racial traits

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Blessed by their visitation to the undying lands, the Noldor are fair, sagacious and nimble in both body and mind.
• Elves of Light: The Calaquendi have seen the light of the Two Trees and are immune to the effects of light-based blindness and dazzle effects.
• Light of Aman: Noldor can see and interact with creatures in the Plane of Shadow and are immune to fear.
• Skilled in Craft: Noldor receive Skill Focus for any two craft skills as bonus feats.
• Those with Knowledge: Heal, Knowledge (history), and Knowledge (nature) are always considered class skills for Noldor.
• Languages: Noldor begin play speaking Quenya, Sindarin and Westron. Noldor with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Adûnaic, Black Adûnaic, Black Speech, Kuduk, Old Entish, Orkish.

Silvan Elves

The Quendi now called Silvan Elves are descended of the Nandor who heeded the call to the west, but dared not cross the Misty Mountains and turned back to reside in the vales of the Great River (Anduin).  The Nandorin language and culture faded entirely in the early Second Age when they took the Sindar as their lords.  The Silvan Elves are less wise than other Eldar, and indeed, there is little that separates them from the Avari.

Physical Description: The skin tone of Silvan Elves is either light with a ruddy cast or olive, their hair dark.  They favor green, grey and brown for their garments which vary from simple to fanciful depending on the individual.  They are the slightest of all the elves and average near Man height.  Despite these generalities, Silvan Elves have a great variety in appearance due to their mixed heritage.
Society: The Silvan Elves are multicultural, mixing elements of Nandorin, Sindarin, Noldorin, and even Avarin customs and blood.  They are independent, and tend to create only small rustic communities, but as the arm of the Enemy has stretched across Middle-earth, more and more of the Silvan Elves settle in the lands ruled by the Noldor and Sindar.  As their names imply, Silvan Elves are masters of the woods.
Relations: Silvan Elves are distrustful of Dwarves, but friendly with Men.
Alignment and Religion: Silvan Elves revere Varda and Oromë, the Lord of Trees.
Adventurers: Silvan Elves see a journey as an end in itself and may wander for ages.  Of all the Elves, they are the most likely to seek adventure and many would join any group of Elves or Men simply to partake in the excitement.  Silvan Elves are rarely lawful, and are most likely to be chaotic good.

 

Silvan Elven Racial Traits

 

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma: Silvan elves are quick and fair.
• Attuned Senses: Silvan elves receive Alertness as a bonus feat.
• Folk of the Woods: Silvan elves gain favored terrain (forest) as the 3^rd level ranger ability.
• Music of the Woods: Perform (sing) is always considered a class skill for Silvan elves and they gain Skill Focus (sing) as a bonus feat.
• Weapon Familiarity: Silvan elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), shortbows (including composite shortbows), shortswords and spears.
• Languages: Silvan Elves begin play speaking Sindarin and Westron. Silvan Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Adûnaic, Black Speech, Dalish, Orkish, Rohirric.

Sindar
The Sindar (singular Sinda, meaning Grey People in Quenya) heeded the call to journey to Aman, but never crossed the Great Sea.  Therefore, they are less learned than the Calaquendi, and lack the gifts granted by the light of the Two Trees, yet they are great in wisdom and compassion and their voices are fair.  In the time they spent away from their kin, they developed their own version of Telerin, which was unintelligible to the Noldorin exiles who returned to Beleriand.  The Noldor learned well the language of Sindarin and it was known as the Noble Tongue thenceforth.  Now Sindarin is the common language of the Elves and also of the Númenóreans.
Physical Description: The Sindar nearly as tall as Noldor, though a bit slighter.  They are fair haired with pale eyes of blue or green.  Their colors are grey and silver and though their clothing is finely made, it is subtle and more functional than that of the Noldor.
Society: Sindar love the company of others and are as eager to teach other races as they are to learn from them.  They tend to be quiet and less emotional than the Noldor (whose passion brought them back from the Blessed Realm), but their feelings run deep and when roused a Sinda can never be swayed.
Relations: Sindar are the most cooperative, kindly and open of all the Elves.  They enjoy the company of good-folk of all races equally and have an active interest in the lives of all.
Alignment and Religion: As with other Elves, Sindar observance is informal.  They revere Varda the most of all the Vala, but also have a special relationship with Ulmo due to his dominion over the sea, for which the Sindar have a great love and affinity.  The Sindar have always practiced monarchy, but unlike the Noldor, have no interest in the creation of states, or imposing their societal norms on others.  Sindar are almost always good in alignment and lean away from chaotic, neutral good being the most common among them
Adventurers: Sindar are much more likely to seek adventure than the Noldor, as they would more readily journey with those of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.  Like the Noldor they fight the Enemy where he is found, but are perhaps more likely to seek out his works.  Sindar excel in all classes but tend to prefer bard, fighter, ranger, sorcerer, and occasionally paladin.  Sindar rogues are rare and those use their skills to penetrate the Enemy’s holdfasts and waylay his servants.  As with all elves barbarian is prohibited to Sinda player characters. 

 

 

 

Sindar racial traits

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Of those who never arrived in Aman, the Sindar are the wisest of the free-peoples.
• Blessing of Ulmo: Sindar receive Skill Focus in their choice of Craft (shipwright), Profession (sailor), or Swim as a bonus feat.
• Integrated: Sindar are skilled in the art of integrating themselves into a community as if they were natives, as well as making visitors to their communities feel welcome. Sindar gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge (local) skill checks and grant allies within 30’ a +1 bonus to their Diplomacy checks.
• Sociable: Sindar are skilled at charming others and recovering from faux pas. Sindar receive a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy check.  In addition, if a Sinda with this racial trait attempts to change a creature’s attitude with a Diplomacy check and fails by 5 or more, she can try to influence the creature a second time even if 24 hours have not passed.
• Songs of Arda: Perform skills are always considered class skills for Sindar, and they receive Skill Focus (perform), as a bonus feat.
• Languages: Sindar begin play speaking Sindarin and Westron. Sindar with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Adûnaic, Black Adûnaic, Black Speech, Dalish, Kuduk, Old Entish, Orkish, Quenya, Rhovanic, Rohirric