A Hidden People
Often mistaken for nomads, the dune elves live conflicted lives. They are fond of other races, but a number of raids on their ancient cities for their gold, jewels, or even tomes on illusions has left them distrusting of outsiders. A typical Dune Elf is wary of strangers, but not unfriendly, preferring to take advantage of their long lives to get to know their companions personally.
As such, many Dune Elf settlements have used the illusory magic of the desert to conceal their territories. When happening upon a city or settlement, explorers often see little more than a blur in the distance. Although they often employ the use of illusion magic, those that live among dune elves say they are far from duplicitous, claiming them to be an honest people, though suspicious of outsiders.
Dune elves have skin that ranges from a sandy tan to a deep reddish-brown. Their hair is often a dark brown but can be black, braided to avoid desert winds and sandstorms. The oldest dune elves living in the desert can be distinguished by their sun-bleached white hair. Their eyes are golden, brown, or red.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution or Wisdom score increases by 1.
Desert Born. You are naturally adapted to hot climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. In addition, you can go twice as long without food and drink before risking exhaustion.
Resourceful Survivalist. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.
Discern Illusion. Your experience with desert mirages has made you skilled at detecting false images. You have advantage on skill checks and saving throws against illusions.
Dune Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the glaive, scimitar, spear, and shortbow.
Giving It Away
Asking for a roll with advantage can give away the use of an illusion. Illusion spells that do not use saving throws require an action to investigate the image. Whenever a player examines something to discern illusion, allow them advantage.
Dune Elf Magic
Prerequisite: Dune Elf
You are better attuned to the ancestral magic of the desert, granting you the following benefits:
- Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20
- You learn the Dust Devil or Blur spell and one 1st level spell of your choice. The 1st level spell must be from the illusion school of magic. You can cast each spell you chose without expending a spell slot. Once you cast either of these spells in this way, you can't cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. The spells' spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.
Credits
Cover by Sam Burley
Based on homebrew by SkitkaPad
Dune Elves in Westrule
The elven natives of the Estere Maro in southern Westrule have ancestral heritage that goes back generations in the desert. The sands of their home cover the grounds of a massive cataclysmic event that buried an ancient civilization, leaving bare rumors thousands of years later to the true history of the land.
Today, vast areas of the desert still hide treasures of the ages. The magical fallout of the catastrophe fuels the illusory nature of the Estere Maro, warping the dunes and keeping the area from being properly mapped. Occasionally, the moving desert reveals secrets long thought lost, and adventurers seek their fortunes beneath the surface.
The Dune Elves have settlements within the desert, sanctuaries hidden from the world that shift with the sands. Settlements along the Segura river remain anchored to the natural force of the life-giving estuary. Anduni, the largest Dune Elf city, lies in the Vida Delta on the cusp of the Dispute sea.