High/Gray Elf Skill Additions
issueid=4865 07-26-2017 04:27 PM
Junior Member
Number of reported issues by Tiksi: 1
High/Gray Elf Skill Additions

High Elf: add Archery, Music as racial skills
Gray Elf: add 2-3 of (Archery, Survival, Law) as racial skills

Dark Elves get Alertness and Find Weakness, and Mist Elves get Alertness and Necromancy. Their High and Grey cousins definitely appreciate Literacy and Dodge, but their skill set could use a little pop to further differentiate them not only from the crowd, but from each other.

Giving both Archery is a logical choice given their dextrous nature and racial affiliation with bows. Obviously Elven Archers and such will have it anyway, but making it racial gives classes such as Barbarian, Thief (and others like Healer that manage to find a sling/bow) better ranged and survival prospects early-game.

The other additions play into and substantiate the manual's claimed distinction between the two; High Elves are characterized as liking to "hunt, frolic, engage in musical and romantic affairs and generally have a good time", while Gray Elves seem to be more serious/"noble"/arrogant.
The italics show where Music for High Elves come from, and although it clearly wouldn't make High Elves overpowered, it would add some fun prospects should an instrument be found or bought. Music's cheerfulness contrasts the more somber additions of Law and Survival for their Gray cousins. I'm aware that Gray Elves start neutral, but they definitely seem the type to know the law and its ramifications even if they don't choose a lawful path. Even though High Elves start lawful, they don't seem the type to bore down on a law textbook or care intensely about the matter. Survival largely stems from the skill's aid in wilderness ambushes and this passage from the manual: "...generally disliked by most other races that have contact with them (which is next to no one on a regular basis... mostly you will meet Gray Elves in a chance encounter — if you notice them at all!).
Issue Details
Issue Number 4865
Issue Type Feature
Project ADOM (Ancient Domains Of Mystery)
Category All
Status Suggested
Priority 6
Suggested Version ADOM 2.3.0 (r73)
Implemented Version (none)
Milestone (none)
Votes for this feature 5
Votes against this feature 2
Assigned Users (none)
Tags (none)




07-26-2017 09:54 PM
ixi ixi is offline
Junior Member
I'm giving a vote for High Elves having both Archery and Music and for Gray Elves having survival and probably law (I kinda like the idea for the skill mainly being taught by sheriff hence not sure). Don't think it worth giving Archery to Gray Elves for free, they're pretty good already and this will keep Gray and High Elves similar - I'd rather see them distinct.

As a side note, if this is a racial skill only I suppose one shouldn't be able to improve it quickly and effectively Asif it was class skill. At least it should be implemented this way unless it's not a rule for racial skills already.

07-26-2017 11:59 PM
Junior Member
Giving HE Archery+Music and GE just Survival+Law would be fine with me, and it's justifiable (e.g. high elves practice it "leisurely" for competition and hunting), so I changed OP to include that possibility.

also lol just found a tambourine in the SMC as HE archer :^

07-28-2017 04:58 AM
Senior Member
Feels weird that they either doesn't at least have archery. Law seems weird, feels kinda shoehorned in. The reasoning for law in the OP seems weak too. I might consider Concentration (Elves are supposed to be quite into magic.)

My picks for skills would be some mix of:

Grey: Archery / Survival / Music
High: Archery / Music / Concentration

07-28-2017 06:58 AM
ixi ixi is offline
Junior Member
In order not to repeat someone else I'm sharing link for this issue also related to High and Gray Elves: 3595. I didn't like the OP in it's current form much but the issue contains a lot of arguments for making skills different rather than similar and has discussions related to their skills in general.

07-28-2017 05:03 PM
Junior Member
I wouldn't give grey music. I don't see the reasoning for it, and giving music to both messes up the distinction between the more musically inclined and "fun" high elves and the more "serious" grey elves

i'd think concentration would be more appropriate for grey if either got it, but i don't have a huge opinion on giving it to either as of yet besides a concern that it'd be an overly powerful addition

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