Elf 5e: The Complete Species Guide

Elves are the most popular fantasy species in the world. They're tall, pointy-eared, graceful, and 700 years old. They don't sleep. They have opinions about everyone else's short lifespan. They make every piece of fiction they appear in feel more fantasy.

In 5e mechanics, they're also a strong pick for a ton of classes.

Base Elf Traits

All Elves get:

• +2 Dexterity.
• Age: 100 to 700+.
• Size: Medium.
• Speed: 30 feet.
• Darkvision (60 feet).
• Keen Senses: Proficiency in Perception.
• Fey Ancestry: Advantage on saves vs. charmed. Can't be put to sleep magically.
• Trance: Meditate for 4 hours instead of sleeping 8. Gain benefits of a long rest.
• Languages: Common + Elvish.

Then a subrace adds more.

High Elf

+1 Intelligence. One extra cantrip from the Wizard list (Int-based). Extra language.

Best for: Wizards (obviously), Bladesingers (non-SRD), Eldritch Knights, any caster. The free Wizard cantrip is surprisingly useful even on non-casters. Booming Blade or Green-Flame Blade (if available) turns anyone into a decent gish.

Wood Elf

+1 Wisdom. 35 feet speed. Fleet of Foot. Mask of the Wild (hide in light obscurement from natural phenomena).

Best for: Rangers, Druids, Monks, Clerics. The Wisdom boost and the stealth feature make Wood Elf ideal for wilderness-focused builds. 35 ft speed is an always-on bonus.

Drow

+1 Charisma. 120-foot Darkvision (Superior). Sunlight Sensitivity (disadvantage on attacks and Perception checks relying on sight in direct sunlight). Bonus cantrips (Dancing Lights, later Faerie Fire and Darkness) scaling with level.

Best for: Warlocks, Sorcerers, Paladins, Bards. The Charisma boost + Drow Magic is great flavor for casters. Sunlight Sensitivity is an underground adventurer's trait.

Class Combos

Elf + Ranger. Wood Elf is the flagship Ranger. Dex + Wis boost, 35 ft speed, stealth feature. Make an archer build.

Elf + Wizard. High Elf. Dex for AC + Int for spellcasting + free cantrip. Classic.

Elf + Monk. Wood Elf. Dex + Wis (both Monk stats), extra speed stacking with Unarmored Movement.

Elf + Rogue. Any subrace works. Wood Elf for stealth, Drow for Charisma social skills, High Elf for Int on Arcane Trickster.

Elf + Fighter. Any Dex-based fighter (archer especially). Wood Elf or High Elf both work.

Elf + Druid. Wood Elf for Wisdom and the natural vibes. Fits thematically.

Elf + Warlock. Drow. Charisma-based caster with Faerie Fire + Darkness combo potential.

Trance

Elves don't sleep; they trance. Gain long rest benefits in 4 hours. This is a narrative perk more than mechanical. You can take watch all night. You can rest in 4 hours instead of 8.

In solo play, Trance means you can long rest faster. Not a huge deal, but nice when you're on a tight time-pressured adventure.

Fey Ancestry

Charm resistance and sleep immunity. Charm spells are common (Command, Suggestion, Dominate Person). Sleep is a level 1 spell that's devastating at low levels. Elves counter both.

Darkvision

60 feet base, 120 for Drow. Lets you see in dim light as bright, in darkness as dim. Huge for dungeon delving, night scenes, underground adventures.

Elf in Solo Play

Elves are strong solo picks:

• Keen Senses (Perception proficiency) is always valuable.
• Fey Ancestry resistance to charm / sleep matters a lot when you're outnumbered.
• Darkvision is essential in dark environments.
• Trance lets you long rest faster.
• Subrace bonuses (extra speed, extra cantrip, bonus skills) all help solo versatility.

For more, see our classes ranked for solo play.

Final Verdict

Elf is an S-tier species for almost every Dex-based class. The subraces specialize further: High for casters, Wood for wilderness, Drow for dark environments and Charisma builds.

Start an Elf on The Endlessness with any Dex-focused class. Pointy-eared and lethal.