+- The Comeback Inn (https://blackmoor.mystara.us/forums)
+-- Forum: The Garnet Room - Blackmoor General Forum (https://blackmoor.mystara.us/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=34)
+--- Forum: General Blackmoor Discussions (https://blackmoor.mystara.us/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Thread: The Cumasti per the MM? (/showthread.php?tid=2775)
The Cumasti per the MM? - aldarron - 11-19-2019
Meaning; what type of elves are the Cumasti in Monster Manual terms?
So far I've checked DA 1 and the Rules Cyclopedia and found only the generic elf and sea elves (in the RC), but I might have missed a clue.
It seems to me the Cumasti could be either "High Elves" or "Wood Elves" or even possibly Grey Elves. Probably High Elves, but I'm wondering if there is any clear cut clue or what you guys think.
Re: The Cumasti per the MM? - RobJN - 11-19-2019
Blonde elves?
DA modules predate the Cumasti/Westryn split, which was a 3.x thing, IIRC. BECMI elves are elves (even factoring in Gaz5), until PC3, Gaz 13, and the Hollow World set came along.
I don't even remember 3.x having much of a split-amongst-the-elves aside from the drow... (but then, I sometimes have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast the day before.....)
I think it depends on how granular you want to play it. You could argue either a broad brush "one is High, the other Wood" or you could have them mixed, the distinction being drawn among tribe/clan/family lines.
Re: The Cumasti per the MM? - Havard - 03-22-2020
Aldarron Wrote:Meaning; what type of elves are the Cumasti in Monster Manual terms?
So far I've checked DA 1 and the Rules Cyclopedia and found only the generic elf and sea elves (in the RC), but I might have missed a clue.
It seems to me the Cumasti could be either "High Elves" or "Wood Elves" or even possibly Grey Elves. Probably High Elves, but I'm wondering if there is any clear cut clue or what you guys think.
I've always seen them as High Elves, while the Westryn were a mix of Grugach (Wild Elves) and Drow.
-Havard
Re: The Cumasti per the MM? - Greg - 03-30-2020
Havard Wrote:I've always seen them as High Elves, while the Westryn were a mix of Grugach (Wild Elves) and Drow.
-Havard
This is how I envision the two types of Elves in 3.5-era Blackmoor. Elsewhere on these forums, I've seen the suggestion that the Westryn elves were probably based on Dave Arneson's hunter elves. If so, that's an obvious correlation with wood elves or wild elves.
I would say the Cumasti are a friendlier, open and less haughty version of high elves. The Westryn are a more xenophobic, reclusive and paranoid version of wood elves. In 5E terms, they would have the same traits and stats as their default D&D counterparts, but their lore and personalities are different. The 5E Unearthed Arcana PDF of Greyhawk's Grugarch or grey elves could be another alternative for the Westryn. https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/down ... braces.pdf
Re: The Cumasti per the MM? - Yaztromo - 03-31-2020
Well.... I wouldn't put too much emphasis on physical differences between Cumasti and Western, as, after all, they split very recently, for being Elves.
Differences should be mostly, if not entirely, cultural and behavioural.
Re: The Cumasti per the MM? - Havard - 04-01-2020
Greg Wrote:Havard Wrote:I've always seen them as High Elves, while the Westryn were a mix of Grugach (Wild Elves) and Drow.
-Havard
This is how I envision the two types of Elves in 3.5-era Blackmoor. Elsewhere on these forums, I've seen the suggestion that the Westryn elves were probably based on Dave Arneson's hunter elves. If so, that's an obvious correlation with wood elves or wild elves.
Good point. I'm not sure how clearly Dave defined his Hunter Elves, but he did use that term to describe some of the elves of Blackmoor; I assume the Westryn.
Reading through the d20 Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Sourcebook, I'm also getting the impression that the Westryn become more and more barbaric the farther removed they are from Blackmoor. The Westryn who live close to the Duchy of the Peaks seem to be all wolf skins, scorpion poisons etc.
Quote:I would say the Cumasti are a friendlier, open and less haughty version of high elves. The Westryn are a more xenophobic, reclusive and paranoid version of wood elves. In 5E terms, they would have the same traits and stats as their default D&D counterparts, but their lore and personalities are different. The 5E Unearthed Arcana PDF of Greyhawk's Grugarch or grey elves could be another alternative for the Westryn. https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/down ... braces.pdf
I think your description of the Cumasti fits very welll. I will take a look at those Grey Elves too
-Havard