Gray Elf
Gray Elves are a forgotten D&D subrace that is portrayed as the elfiest of the elves: smarter, more magical, more reclusive, even longer lifespans, and even more condescending. 5th Edition retcons them as endemic to Greyhawk, but before that they were setting neutral.
If you're wondering what the difference is between these guys and High Elves... well, not much. In fact, they are often folded together in post-AD&D editions, since the generic Elf statblock tends to be used interchangeably for both the High Elf and Wood Elf subraces. There are some differences. For starters, Gray Elves like to live in the mountains, whereas High Elves prefer the forests. Most importantly, gray elves are dicks. Like, "keeping wood elves as slaves" dicks.
PC Stats
AD&D 2nd Edition
- Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 3/17, Dexterity 7/19, Constitution 5/16, Intelligence 8/20, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 8/18
- Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -1 Strength
- Racial Class & Level Limits: Cleric 12, Fighter 12, Mage 15, Ranger 15, Thief 12
- Special Advantages:
- Infravision 60 feet
- 90% Resistance to Sleep- and Charm-related spells, can still make saves vs. such spells even if the immunity check fails.
- When passing within 10 feet of a secret door, an elf will detect it on a d6 roll of a 1.
- When searching a 10ft square area, an elf will detect a secret door on a d6 roll of a 1 or 2.
- An elf can find concealed doors on a d6 roll of a 1-3.
- +1 bonus on To Hit rolls with bows and crossbows.
- +1 bonus on To Hit rolls with shortswords and longswords.
- In forests and natural terrain, an elf that wishes to move stealthily can only be detected if it attacks or by effects that would detect invisible creatures.
- Elfin stealth imposes a -4 penalty on their enemies' surprise rolls (-2 if a door must be opened), provided the elf is wearing nonmetal armor and either moving alone, at least 90 feet away from other beings, or only traveling with other elves or halflings in nonmetal armor.
- Special Disadvantages:
- Gray elves experience a -3 penalty to reaction rolls with non-elf races, and a -1 penalty to reaction rolls with elves of any subrace other than Gray Elf.
- Gray elf PCs increase all experience costs to advance in level by +15%, and do not gain the normal experience adjustments for having high ability scores.
3rd Edition
- Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution
- Medium Size
- Base Land Speed: 30 feet
- Immunity to Sleep spells and effects.
- +2 racial bonus to saves vs. Enchantment spells or effects.
- Low-Light Vision
- Racial Weapon Proficiency: Longsword, Rapier, Longbow, Composite Longbow, Shortbow, Composite Shortbow
- +2 racial bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks.
- An elf who passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to make a Search check to notice it as if they were actively looking for it.
- Favored Class: Wizard