Learn all about the magical Eladrin
Eladrin are Elves native to the Feywild. They are more whimsical and mischievous than their elvish cousins. The Eladrin resonate with emotions that are reflected by an affinity with one of the 4 seasons. The seasons and their associated emotions are:
Autumn – Peace and goodwill, when the harvest is shared with all.
Winter – Contemplation and dolor, for when the vibrancy of the world slumbers,
Spring – Cheerfulness and celebration brought about by the merriment of winter’s passing.
Summer – Boldness and aggression, a time of unfettered energy and calls to action.
The Eladrin were first introduced as a playable race in D&D 5e in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, but have since been updated (and improved) in Monsters of the Multiverse. Our guide will tell you everything you need to know to play as an Eladrin.
What are Eladrin?
The Eladrin are Elves that remained in the Feywild. While all Elves originated in the Feywild, many travelled elsewhere. For High Elves and Wood Elves, they travelled to the mortal plane, Astral Elves into wildspace, Shadar-Kai into the Shadowfell and the Drow into the Underdark. When these various Elves departed the Feywild, they took upon themselves aspects of those places and cultures they joined, losing some aspects of their fey nature. For the Eldarin though, they have remained in the Feywild and as such, enjoy a greater whimsy, a deeper connection with nature and a closer affinity with magic.
It should be noted that in previous editions of D&D, the Eladrin were not so much Fey Elves, but more ancient Elves that had persisted. This is no longer the case in D&D 5e and the Eladrin are not necessarily anymore ancient than other Elves (though by Human standards, most Elves seem ancient anyway with their 750 year lifespan).
Other elven subraces
Eladrin appearance
In many respects, the Eladrin appear like other Elves, they are slim, with pointed ears and a beautiful countenance. However, the Eladrin are more clearly Fey related, having slimmer bodies, eyes that sparkle and an appearance connected to their emotions, which is displayed by having the appearance of a season:
Spring – Eladrin that are feeling great joy and playfulness will appear like Spring. They have green skin and hair, flowers bloom from their body and they exhibit an energetic exhuberance.
Summer – Associated with passionate and confrontational emotions, when Eladrin embody Summer, their hair and skin turns golden and their bodies radiate heat. Summer is often radiated when Eladrin are angry, vengeful, motivated or threatened.
Autumn – When embodying Autumn, Eldarin are peaceful and calm, having orange or red skin and hair. In this state, Eladrin are level-headed, cooperative and thoughtful.
Winter – Eladrin embody Winter when they feel sad or melancholy. They develop blue and white features, appearing almost frosty. Eladrin radiating Winter tend to feel glum, sorrowful or regretful.
Eladrin can alter their appearance to match a different season if they choose, though some choose to remain in the form of a single season for their entire lives.
Eladrin personality
Like many beings of the Feywild, Eladrin are carefree beings exuding a more relaxed personality than the disciplined High Elves, the savage Drow or the technological Astral Elves. The Eladrin are intelligent beings, but care less for the organisation and civilisation that other Elves institute, feeling a greater connection to the natural world around them. For this reason, they are more akin to Wood Elves than any others but with a greater amount of whimsy and and a naturally magical presence.
Eladrin names
Eladrin are Elves and as such, their names are derived from the same language. Like Elves, they use surnames and these are equally as beautiful and descriptive as you’d expect from Elven beings.
Male Eladrin names: Bentus, Galiess, Irahorn, Javan, Brannis, Xandan, Lieaf, Quarie, Wiefin
Female Eladrin names: Automn, Birel, Ulqis, Beneth, Vaxis, Quezane, Gruvara, Lia, Shava, Thia
Eladrin surnames: Galanodel (Moonwhisper), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Siannodel (Moonbrook), Amastacia (Starflower)
How to play as an Eladrin
When playing as an Eladrin, you’ll want to avoid some of the typical Elven stereotypes. Eladrin generally aren’t austere like High Elves, and while intelligent, are not necessarily predisposed towards scholarly pursuits. Most Eladrin are joyful, displaying unbridled emotions.
This emotional display is most apparent with their changing appearance. You’ll likely do little to hide your emotions and may even choose to change your appearance to match certain overriding emotions (though you may also want to consider how this affects your tactics as your season affects some of your abilities). Instead, you’ll likely dance with joy when happy and sulk or rant when annoyed or angry, displaying all manner of much stronger emotions when an emotional response arises.
Eladrin Features in 5e
| Ability Scores | +2 to one ability score and +1 to another or +1 to 3 different ability scores |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Size | Medium |
| Lifespan | About 750 years |
| Speed | 30ft |
| Languages | Common and one other |
| Traits | Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Fey Step, Keen Senses, Trance |
| Book found in | Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes |
If you want to play as an Eladrin, your character will have the following traits and abilities:
Eladrin Traits
Darkvision – You can see in dim light for 60 feet as if it is bright light and in darkness as if it is dim light though you can only discern colours as shades of grey in such light.
Fey Ancestry – You have advantage on saving throws against the charmed condition.
Fey Step – As a bonus action, you can magically teleport 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
When you reach 3rd level, your fey step gains an additional effect based on your season; if the effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your intelligence, wisdom or charisma modifier (choose when you select this race):
Autumn – Immediately after you use your fey step, up to 2 creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you must make a wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute or until you or your companions deal any damage to the creature.
Winter – When you use your fey step, one creature of your choice within 5 feet of you before you teleport must succeed on a wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Spring – When you use your fey step, you can touch one willing creature within 5 feet of you. That creature then teleports instead of you, appearing in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you.
Summer – Immediately after you use your fey step, each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you takes fire damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
Keen Senses – You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Trance – You do not need to sleep and can’t be put to sleep magically. Instead, you rest by undergoing a trance and complete a long rest in 4 hours during which you retain consciousness.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can change your season and gain 2 proficiencies you don’t have with a weapon or tool of your choice from the Player’s Handbook. These proficiencies are acquired from your shared Eladrin memory and are retained until you next take a long rest.
Which classes are good for Eladrin?
The eladrin are a variety of Elf (arguably the original version of Elves). As such, they have some abilities in common with most Elves like Darkvision, Trance and Fey Ancestry. The real defining feature of the Eladrin though is their Fey Step which allows them to teleport across the battlefield as a bonus action for extra manoeuvrability.
On top this, their Fey Step gets an extra feature depending on the season they’re embodying at the time (you can change it every long rest). The best of these are great for crowd control, causing charm or fear effects on nearby enemies or a small amount of damage to a small group of enemies. This makes Eladrin better for martial classes that’ll likely be in the thick of battle.
For the non-martials, Eladrin can also gain proficiency in a weapon of their choice following a long rest which can be useful if you want to use a weapon not associated with your class.
Best Eladrin classes
Barbarian
Great option for Eladrin. Barbarians benefit a lot from being able to teleport into the thick of combat. Your spellcasting ability likely isn’t the best though so taking on your summer form is a good option for your Fey Step as it will deal straightforward damage rather than relying on your spell save DC for a saving throw like with Autumn or Winter. Only thing to consider is that some barbarians use their bonus action each turn for raging, though most subclasses don’t so choose wisely.
With typically poor wisdom, advantage on saves against charm is also helpful and proficiency in perception is useful for a barbarian.
Cleric
As a bit of a partial-martial, and with a high wisdom, Eladrin clerics can be great at getting into combat then teleporting out when the going gets too tough and leaving some enemies with charmed or frightened conditions behind. Clerics also don’t have proficiency in martial weapons so you can use one of these if you like too.
Druid
Similar to clerics really, get into combat and teleport out when things get too rough. Use your high wisdom to make sure enemies are charmed or frightened too. Fey Step isn’t a spell either so should be fine to use while in wildshape.
Fighter
Fighters gain similar benefits from an eladrin’s racial features as a barbarian. They shift round the battlefield easily with their fey step, adding in damage and condition effects plus they get advantage against charm. Where they benefit a little more is because fighters don’t tend to use their bonus action for class feature every turn so can make better use out of fey step.
Paladin
As a melee-focused class, paladins also benefit from fey step getting them into battle quickly and with so many abilities to focus on. Paladins tend to have great charisma which you can use as your spellcasting ability making them more adept than most martials with the autumn and winter abilities.
Average Eladrin classes
Rogue
Eladrin make decent rogues, Fey step is a great way to get out of trouble (which rogues are great at finding themselves in), but, while aslightly lesser ability, cunning action and disengage can give you a very similar benefit. You can at least gain proficiency in a few different weapons or skills.
Sorceror
Fey step is useful in an emergency, especially as it doesn’t use one of your precious spell slots, but most of the seasonal abilities will likely get little use, even if your charisma will make charmed or frightened conditions more likely.
Warlock
Fey step is useful in an emergency, especially as it doesn’t use one of your precious spell slots, but most of the seasonal abilities will likely get little use, even if your charisma will make charmed or frightened conditions more likely.
Wizard
Fey step is useful in an emergency, but most of the seasonal abilities will likely get little use, even if your intelligence will make charmed or frightened conditions more likely.
Worst Eladrin classes
Artificer
Artificers have a lot they’re using their bonus action for so Fey Step just ends up competing for a very congested part of your turn. There are some minor abilities that remain useful, and Fey Step is still handy in an emergency, but you might prefer controlling a gun turret or homonculus servant instead.
Bard
Similar to artificers, bards have a lot competing for their bonus action too from bardic inspiration to spells and various subclass options. This makes Fey Step less useful, even if it’s a good option to have in your back pocket.
Monk
The absolute worst class option for an Eladrin, monks have a lot competing for their bonus action and abilities like step of the wind make Fey Step less useful. They gain nothing from weapon proficiencies as don’t tend to use weapons and are already relatively tough to charm effects due to their high wisdom so there’s little an Eladrin offers to the monk class.
