Sylvan Serenity: Discover the Graceful Wood Elves
What are Wood Elves?
Wood Elves are a subrace of Elves deeply intertwined with nature and the wilderness. Renowned for their agility and speed, they excel as hunters and trackers, wielding bows with unparalleled skill.Their keen senses allow them to navigate dense forests effortlessly while staying attuned to hidden dangers.
Preferring a life of seclusion within the depths of a forest, Wood Elves maintain a harmonious relationship with nature, living in communities that honour the balance of the natural world. With their Elven heritage granting them longevity, grace and innate magical abilities, Wood Elves embody a mystical connection to the forests that few can match.
Other Elven Sub-Races
Elves came from the Feywilds many centuries ago and have settled across the many settings of the D&D universe from the Forgotten Realms to Eberron and all of Wildspace in between. There are many types of Elves that populate these settings with many Elven groups splitting off and becoming their own subspecies. Many of these subspecies have become playable races in D&D 5e, these include:
At a glance
Choose a Wood Elf if you like…
- Being quick (Wood Elves move faster than most races)
- Having a close bond to the natural world
- Being a great scout
A Wood Elf might not be for you if…
- Want to fight with strength rather than dexterity
- Prefer being loud and brash rather than subtle
- Hate Elves
If you think a Wood Elf isn’t for you, not to worry, there are dozens of playable races for you to pick from, just check out our races guide to find out about all of them. For a different elven subrace, you could consider an Eladrin or an Astral Elf.
Wood Elf racial traits
| Ability Scores | +2 Dexterity; +1 Wisdom |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Size | Medium |
| Speed | 35ft |
| Languages | Common and Elven |
| Traits | Darkvision, Keen Senses, Fey Ancestry, Elf Weapon Training, Fleet of Foot, Mask of the Wild, Trance |
| Proficiencies | Perception |
| Resistances | Charmed, sleep, longsword, short sword, shortbow and longbow |
| Darkvision | Yes |
| Innate Spellcasting | None |
| Book found in | Player’s Handbook |
If you want to play as a Wood Elf, your character will have the following traits and abilities (as found in the SRD for D&D 5e):
- Darkvision: Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
- Trance: Elves do not sleep. Instead they meditate deeply, remaining semi-conscious, for 4 hours a day. The Common word for this meditation is “trance.” While meditating, you dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive after years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.
- Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Elf Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
- Fleet of Foot: Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
- Mask of the Wild: You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Wood Elf Tactics
Wood Elves possess fairly generalised abilities that lend well to many situations, but could be useful in some specific ways:
Ambush and Surprise: Use your proficiency in Perception to scout ahead and detect enemies before they detect you. Take advantage of your Darkvision to ambush foes in dimly lit or dark environments, catching them off guard.
Stealth and Evasion: Take advantage of your heightened dexterity and the Mask of the Woods trait to remain hidden from enemies, allowing you to set up ambushes or evade detection while manoeuvring on the battlefield.
Attack with Flourish: Wood Elves’ increased dexterity means you’ll likely be most effective investing in this ability score and classes that utilise dexterity a lot. Consider ranged weapons or finesse weapons for melee attacks and allow yourself to save on investing in strength so you can increase ability scores elsewhere.
Which classes work well for a Wood Elf?
Increased dexterity and wisdom stats form a great combination that work well for several classes. Wood Elves are quick and have a lot of stealth abilities so leaning into classes that need to maneuver around the battlefield and operate as scouts will work best.
Below I’ve put together a score for how well each class works with a Wood Elf based on how well the ability score increases and racial traits work with each class:
Artificer⭐⭐⭐
Barbarian ⭐⭐⭐
Bard ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cleric ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Druid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fighter ⭐⭐⭐
Monk ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Paladin ⭐⭐⭐
Ranger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rogue ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sorcerer ⭐⭐
Warlock ⭐⭐⭐
Wizard ⭐⭐
*Star ratings scored out of 5
Best classes for a Wood Elves
Your best choice of class revolves around the ones that benefit from the stat boosts to dexterity and wisdom and from classes that engage in stealth and scouting.
Druid: The innate boost to dexterity is important for the Druid’s armour class, as they aren’t able to wear metal armour, and the increased wisdom is also useful as this is the Druid’s spell-casting ability.
Rogue: Rogue’s are reliant on strong dexterity for successfully using a lot of thier key skills, hitting attacks and shoring up thier AC. As such, the Woold Elves boost to dexterity comes in very useful. Rogues need to maneuver around the battlefield a lot so extra speed is great. Perception is important for scouting traps and you’re a bit better at hiding.
Ranger: Wood Elves feel made for rangers with their dexterity boost and wisdom (their spellcasting ability). Increased scouting abilities obviously help the party’s natural scout.
Worst classes for a Wood Elves
There aren’t necessarily any bad classes for a Wood Elf as dexterity is easy to make useful in most builds and at least wisdom is great for saving throws. However, you don’t want sorcerers and wizards operating at the front as scouts and their skills lend themselves poorly to this function.
About Wood Elves
Appearance
Wood Elves possess an ethereal appearance reflecting their deep connection with nature. They are generally shorter and more slender than their human counterparts, with an agile and graceful build suited for their forest habitats. Their skin tones range from light to dark.
Wood Elves typically have strikingly vibrant eyes in shades of green, gold, or brown, and their hair varies from earthy tones like browns and blacks to the occasional autumnal reds and golds. Their attire is usually made from natural materials, with designs that blend seamlessly into their woodland surroundings, enhancing their ability to move unseen through the trees.
Personality
Wood Elves are often characterised by their strong connection to nature, which heavily influences their personality. They tend to be protective of their forest homes, valuing the balance and health of their natural surroundings above all else. They are typically wary of outsiders and slow to trust, preferring the company of their own kind and the creatures of the forest.
Wood Elves are known for their wisdom, calm demeanour, and deep understanding of the natural world. When threatened, they can be formidable and cunning adversaries, using their intimate knowledge of the forest to their advantage.
Roleplaying a Wood Elf
Embrace Nature:
- Frequently mention your character’s interactions with their environment, like listening to the whispers of the trees or identifying animal tracks.
- Use nature metaphors in your speech, such as comparing a situation to the changing of seasons or the behavior of animals.
- Show a preference for outdoor settings, becoming visibly uncomfortable indoors or in urban areas.
Reclusive and Wary:
- Keep a physical distance from new acquaintances, often staying at the edges of groups or in shadows.
- Be cautious in sharing information about yourself or your homeland, offering only vague answers or diverting the conversation.
- Display signs of distrust when in unfamiliar territories, such as scanning surroundings for potential threats or setting up protective wards.
Loyalty and Guardianship:
- Prioritise protecting nature over other quests, insisting on dealing with threats to nature first.
- React strongly to signs of ecological damage, showing visible anger or sadness when encountering deforestation or pollution.
- Offer your assistance to animals in distress or intervene when someone harms a creature, even if it puts you at risk.
Wisdom and Serenity:
- Provide thoughtful advice during group discussions, often referencing nature or past experiences.
- Maintain a calm demeanour in stressful situations, using soothing tones and gestures to de-escalate conflicts.
- Engage in meditative practices or rituals that promote inner peace, such as silent reflections at dawn or communing with nature spirits.
Stealth and Agility:
- Use descriptive language to illustrate your character’s stealth, like slipping through the underbrush without a sound or blending into the foliage.
- Demonstrate quick, graceful movements in combat, emphasising dodges and precise strikes.
- Take initiative in scouting missions or recon, leveraging your ability to move unseen and gather information.
Natural Attire and Tools:
- Describe your character’s clothing as being made from leaves, vines, and leather, with patterns that mimic the forest.
- Use weapons crafted from natural materials, such as a bow made from a sacred tree or a dagger carved from bone.
- Personalise your gear with charms or tokens from nature, like feathers, stones, or carved wooden talismans.
Cultural Practices:
- Perform specific rituals before and after important events, such as a ceremonial dance before a hunt or a prayer of thanks after a successful mission.
- Use traditional greetings and farewells in Elvish, incorporating phrases like “Mae govannen” (well met) or “Navaer” (farewell).
- Celebrate seasonal festivals, honoring the solstices and equinoxes with special activities or gatherings.
Conflict with Outsiders:
- Show suspicion or reluctance when dealing with non-elves, questioning their motives and intentions.
- Be vocal about the importance of respecting the forest, correcting others who show disregard for nature.
- Engage in heated debates or confrontations with those who exploit natural resources, advocating for sustainable practices.
Archery and Magic:
- Use archery in combat, describing how your character takes careful aim and utilises the terrain for advantage.
- Integrate nature-based spells into your actions, such as summoning roots to entangle enemies or calling upon the wind to obscure your presence.
- Train regularly, practising archery and magic in ways that harmonise with the environment, like shooting targets that resemble predators or channelling spells through natural objects.
Balance and Harmony:
- Make decisions that promote ecological balance, avoiding actions that would cause long-term harm to the environment.
- Mediate disputes by finding solutions that benefit all parties, drawing on natural analogies to illustrate your points.
- Reflect on the consequences of your actions, ensuring they align with the principles of harmony and sustainability.
