As an exercise in contrast (and, again, taking some liberties), I've given the shoal elf features to reinforce the importance of dreams in their culture,
while conversely giving racial features that explicitly take that away from the harrow. I'm kinda happy with how it looks so far and want to try it in
play.
Harrow Elves have been mostly rewritten (with the LA dropped and the major spell-likes regulated to feats). I've also (kind of) made them the "smart wizard race" which shoal no longer are, though a wisdom bump and some monk-ish racial features would have fit just as well.
Default Pathfinder stats (for generic elves at least, harrow elves are their own animal): http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/races.html
ELF, SHOAL
Shoal elves are not as skilled at magic as their (now extinct) high elf kin were, but they do have their own racial "magic" tied to dreams and visions. In Ptolus, the phrase "waiting on dreams" has come to mean senseless or excessive procrastination, referring to the shoal habit of delaying some undertaking for months or years while they look for an encouraging omen. Those who use the phrase derisively tend to overlook the fact that these undertakings, once finally undertaken, tend to go very well for the elf.
Shoal Elves use the Pathfinder stats for elves, except as follows:
+2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
Elfdream: A shoal elf who takes ten minute after waking to contemplate his dreams may attempt a DC 15 wisdom check. Shoal elf spellcasters add half their caster level to this check. If successful, he infers some meaningful portent which grants him a +4 insight bonus to a single d20 roll of the player's choice. This roll must be made some time during the following day.
At the DM's discretion, a given dream may instead carry a more specific or lasting portent, giving the shoal valuable information should he make this check (which might have a higher DC than usual). This may be as simple as duplicating an augury spell or as complex as a crucial clue concerning the character's destiny.
Sailor's Lore: Shoal elves receive a +2 racial bonus to profession (sailor), knowledge (geography), and swim checks.
These replace the "Elven Magic" racial feature.
ELF, HARROW
These creatures were elves many generations ago, before they were captured then horribly deformed and corrupted by Ghul the Half-God: an ordeal that lives on in the racial memory of all harrow elves. Whereas dreams have great spiritual importance to other elves, harrow elves know only nightmares.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
Dark Magic: Harrow elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, harrow elves receive a +2 racial bonus to intimidate and use magic device checks and to skill checks used to create magic items.
At creation, a harrow elf chooses 3 0th-level spells from the wizard/sorcerer list, usable as spell-like abilities once per day. These use intelligence as their key ability score. One who has or later gains the "cantrips" class feature adds these spells to her normal list of spells known/prepared.
Harrow elf sorcerers of the abyssal, infernal, aberrant or undead bloodlines treat their charisma score as 4 points higher for purposes of all sorcerer class features (including spells).
Sleepless: A harrow elf can get by on essentially no sleep; she always recovers the normal amount of hitpoints each night and has no trouble preparing spells or recovering spell slots no matter how horrid the conditions (she need only abstain from combat or strenuous activity during "rest" periods). In fact, harrow elves cannot sleep restfully even if they want to (see below), and do not have the option of doubling their recovery rate with complete bed rest.
Harrowdream: Harrow elves suffer a -2 penalty to saves verses sleep spells and effects. A harrow elf who is forced unconscious for any reason (including being reduced to below 0 HP) remains shaken for 1 minute after awakening.
Vermin Resilience: Harrow elves gain a +2 racial bonus to saves verses disease and a +1 racial bonus to saves verses all spells and spell-like abilities, except sleep spells (see below).
Languages: Harrow elves begin play speaking Common and Elvish. Harrow elves with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Elder Elvish, Gnoll, Gnomish, Goblin, and Halfling.
Elf Racial feats:
CORRUPT TENACITY
The twisting of the harrow elves was a terrible ordeal, and it was only by Ghul's vile and unmerciful magic that they survived the process. Some echo of that magic has awakened within you.
Prerequisites: Harrow Elf
Benefit: If you would be killed outright by any effect (except having your constitution reduced to 0), including both normal damage and death effects, you do not die immediately but instead take 1d6 points of constitution damage per round until your constitution reaches 0. A character whose hitpoints are still positive (for instance, one who fails a save against a death effect) remains conscious but is staggered.
If this was triggered by having your hitpoints reduced to below the negative of your constitution score, you may be stabilized by any effect which brings your hitpoints above this threshold (though this may be difficult, as constitution damage will lower your hitpoints even more). If you instead succumbed to some instant death effect, you can only be stabilized by an effect which restores at least 1 point of lost constitution damage.
DREAM READER
You are talented at deciphering the mystical meanings of dreams.
Prerequisite: Shoal Elf, caster level 5th
Benefit: If you attempt a wisdom check to discern the meaning of your own dream and your check result is 20 or more, you also manage to read a deeper or more subtle omen underlying the first. During the following day you gain two uses (rather than one) of the elfdream insight bonus.
If another shoal elf tells you about a dream that they had, you may attempt a wisdom check against the same DC +5 (so, usually 20) to read their dream for them. If you succeed, you may grant them the benefits of the omen or portent even if their own check failed.
You can even recognize when a non-elf dream has meaning (though this is rare) and attempt to read that.
DREAM ARCANA
Your phantasmagorical dreams are a mystery which, if fathomed, may yield untold eldritch secrets.
Prerequisite: Shoal Elf, Dream Reader, Arcane caster level 11th
Benefit: If you roll 25 or higher on your check to decipher one of your own dreams, you gain the elfdream insight bonus on three rolls during the next day, rather than just two.
If you roll 30 or higher, then in place of all of the elfdream's normal benefits, you may temporarily learn a new spell. If you cast spells spontaneously, you add this to your spells known for 24 hours. If you prepare spells, you may spontaneously convert (as a good cleric converts cure spells) a prepared spell of the same level to the spell in question up to 3 times during the next 24 hours.
This spell is chosen by the DM (though the player can offer suggestions), but it should be at or close to the highest level that the character can cast and should be likely to prove useful in the next 24 hours.
If this spell is on your class's spell list, you are free to try to record it so that you can add it to your actual spells known at a later date. If it is not, you understand that this is a fleeting bit of inspiration which you may never be able to duplicate.
HARROW BLOOD
Few alive today are as physically deformed as the first harrow elves, nor as magically powerful: these perversions have grown less pronounced with each passing generation. You are an exception.
Prerequisites: Harrow elf, character level 1st only
Benefit: Choose one 1st-level sorcerer/wizard spell. You may use this as a spell-like ability once per day. In place of this ability, you may cast a spell that you already know without consuming a spell slot. In either case you suffer 2 points of wisdom damage every time you use this ability.
Special: Your appearance is considerably more gruesome than that of even other harrow elves, and you suffer a -1 penalty to all charisma-based checks (except intimidate) unless you take some effort to physically cover or magically disguise your flesh.
HARROW CORRUPTION
Long practice, research, and foul meditation have honed your magical talents.
Prerequisite: Harrow Blood, spellcraft 7 ranks
Benefit: Choose a 2nd level sorcerer/wizard spell- you may use this spell as a spell-like ability in place of the one you chose when you took Harrow Blood, and may cast either one a second time per day. You may still cast a spell that you already know (without consuming the slot) in place of a daily use of these spell-like abilities, and still suffer 2 points of wisdom damage when doing either.
HARROW DEPRAVITY
While your ancestors had corruption forced upon them, you have actively pursued it: a path that has lead to great power but also made you an abomination in the eyes of your fellows.
Prerequisite: Harrow Corruption, spellcraft 14 ranks
Benefit: You may choose a 3rd level sorcerer/wizard spell to add to your list of spell-like abilities, and gain a 3rd daily use of said abilities.
Whenever you choose to cast a spell that you already know in place of a spell-like ability, the spell deals 2 points of ability damage (of your choice) to any targets who fail their save. These spells also gain the evil descriptor.
Harrow Elves have been mostly rewritten (with the LA dropped and the major spell-likes regulated to feats). I've also (kind of) made them the "smart wizard race" which shoal no longer are, though a wisdom bump and some monk-ish racial features would have fit just as well.
Default Pathfinder stats (for generic elves at least, harrow elves are their own animal): http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/races.html
ELF, SHOAL
Shoal elves are not as skilled at magic as their (now extinct) high elf kin were, but they do have their own racial "magic" tied to dreams and visions. In Ptolus, the phrase "waiting on dreams" has come to mean senseless or excessive procrastination, referring to the shoal habit of delaying some undertaking for months or years while they look for an encouraging omen. Those who use the phrase derisively tend to overlook the fact that these undertakings, once finally undertaken, tend to go very well for the elf.
Shoal Elves use the Pathfinder stats for elves, except as follows:
+2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
Elfdream: A shoal elf who takes ten minute after waking to contemplate his dreams may attempt a DC 15 wisdom check. Shoal elf spellcasters add half their caster level to this check. If successful, he infers some meaningful portent which grants him a +4 insight bonus to a single d20 roll of the player's choice. This roll must be made some time during the following day.
At the DM's discretion, a given dream may instead carry a more specific or lasting portent, giving the shoal valuable information should he make this check (which might have a higher DC than usual). This may be as simple as duplicating an augury spell or as complex as a crucial clue concerning the character's destiny.
Sailor's Lore: Shoal elves receive a +2 racial bonus to profession (sailor), knowledge (geography), and swim checks.
These replace the "Elven Magic" racial feature.
ELF, HARROW
These creatures were elves many generations ago, before they were captured then horribly deformed and corrupted by Ghul the Half-God: an ordeal that lives on in the racial memory of all harrow elves. Whereas dreams have great spiritual importance to other elves, harrow elves know only nightmares.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
Dark Magic: Harrow elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, harrow elves receive a +2 racial bonus to intimidate and use magic device checks and to skill checks used to create magic items.
At creation, a harrow elf chooses 3 0th-level spells from the wizard/sorcerer list, usable as spell-like abilities once per day. These use intelligence as their key ability score. One who has or later gains the "cantrips" class feature adds these spells to her normal list of spells known/prepared.
Harrow elf sorcerers of the abyssal, infernal, aberrant or undead bloodlines treat their charisma score as 4 points higher for purposes of all sorcerer class features (including spells).
Sleepless: A harrow elf can get by on essentially no sleep; she always recovers the normal amount of hitpoints each night and has no trouble preparing spells or recovering spell slots no matter how horrid the conditions (she need only abstain from combat or strenuous activity during "rest" periods). In fact, harrow elves cannot sleep restfully even if they want to (see below), and do not have the option of doubling their recovery rate with complete bed rest.
Harrowdream: Harrow elves suffer a -2 penalty to saves verses sleep spells and effects. A harrow elf who is forced unconscious for any reason (including being reduced to below 0 HP) remains shaken for 1 minute after awakening.
Vermin Resilience: Harrow elves gain a +2 racial bonus to saves verses disease and a +1 racial bonus to saves verses all spells and spell-like abilities, except sleep spells (see below).
Languages: Harrow elves begin play speaking Common and Elvish. Harrow elves with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Elder Elvish, Gnoll, Gnomish, Goblin, and Halfling.
Elf Racial feats:
CORRUPT TENACITY
The twisting of the harrow elves was a terrible ordeal, and it was only by Ghul's vile and unmerciful magic that they survived the process. Some echo of that magic has awakened within you.
Prerequisites: Harrow Elf
Benefit: If you would be killed outright by any effect (except having your constitution reduced to 0), including both normal damage and death effects, you do not die immediately but instead take 1d6 points of constitution damage per round until your constitution reaches 0. A character whose hitpoints are still positive (for instance, one who fails a save against a death effect) remains conscious but is staggered.
If this was triggered by having your hitpoints reduced to below the negative of your constitution score, you may be stabilized by any effect which brings your hitpoints above this threshold (though this may be difficult, as constitution damage will lower your hitpoints even more). If you instead succumbed to some instant death effect, you can only be stabilized by an effect which restores at least 1 point of lost constitution damage.
DREAM READER
You are talented at deciphering the mystical meanings of dreams.
Prerequisite: Shoal Elf, caster level 5th
Benefit: If you attempt a wisdom check to discern the meaning of your own dream and your check result is 20 or more, you also manage to read a deeper or more subtle omen underlying the first. During the following day you gain two uses (rather than one) of the elfdream insight bonus.
If another shoal elf tells you about a dream that they had, you may attempt a wisdom check against the same DC +5 (so, usually 20) to read their dream for them. If you succeed, you may grant them the benefits of the omen or portent even if their own check failed.
You can even recognize when a non-elf dream has meaning (though this is rare) and attempt to read that.
DREAM ARCANA
Your phantasmagorical dreams are a mystery which, if fathomed, may yield untold eldritch secrets.
Prerequisite: Shoal Elf, Dream Reader, Arcane caster level 11th
Benefit: If you roll 25 or higher on your check to decipher one of your own dreams, you gain the elfdream insight bonus on three rolls during the next day, rather than just two.
If you roll 30 or higher, then in place of all of the elfdream's normal benefits, you may temporarily learn a new spell. If you cast spells spontaneously, you add this to your spells known for 24 hours. If you prepare spells, you may spontaneously convert (as a good cleric converts cure spells) a prepared spell of the same level to the spell in question up to 3 times during the next 24 hours.
This spell is chosen by the DM (though the player can offer suggestions), but it should be at or close to the highest level that the character can cast and should be likely to prove useful in the next 24 hours.
If this spell is on your class's spell list, you are free to try to record it so that you can add it to your actual spells known at a later date. If it is not, you understand that this is a fleeting bit of inspiration which you may never be able to duplicate.
HARROW BLOOD
Few alive today are as physically deformed as the first harrow elves, nor as magically powerful: these perversions have grown less pronounced with each passing generation. You are an exception.
Prerequisites: Harrow elf, character level 1st only
Benefit: Choose one 1st-level sorcerer/wizard spell. You may use this as a spell-like ability once per day. In place of this ability, you may cast a spell that you already know without consuming a spell slot. In either case you suffer 2 points of wisdom damage every time you use this ability.
Special: Your appearance is considerably more gruesome than that of even other harrow elves, and you suffer a -1 penalty to all charisma-based checks (except intimidate) unless you take some effort to physically cover or magically disguise your flesh.
HARROW CORRUPTION
Long practice, research, and foul meditation have honed your magical talents.
Prerequisite: Harrow Blood, spellcraft 7 ranks
Benefit: Choose a 2nd level sorcerer/wizard spell- you may use this spell as a spell-like ability in place of the one you chose when you took Harrow Blood, and may cast either one a second time per day. You may still cast a spell that you already know (without consuming the slot) in place of a daily use of these spell-like abilities, and still suffer 2 points of wisdom damage when doing either.
HARROW DEPRAVITY
While your ancestors had corruption forced upon them, you have actively pursued it: a path that has lead to great power but also made you an abomination in the eyes of your fellows.
Prerequisite: Harrow Corruption, spellcraft 14 ranks
Benefit: You may choose a 3rd level sorcerer/wizard spell to add to your list of spell-like abilities, and gain a 3rd daily use of said abilities.
Whenever you choose to cast a spell that you already know in place of a spell-like ability, the spell deals 2 points of ability damage (of your choice) to any targets who fail their save. These spells also gain the evil descriptor.
