D&D: The Five Best Elves
For a game about both Dungeons & Dragons, there sure are an awful lot of elves. So many in fact, that we’ve ranked them.
Dungeons and Dragons is a game of heroic fantasy. And that means elves. It also means dwarves, but let’s face it – when was the last time you played a dwarf? And looking at the sheer numbers and variety, D&D is an elves’ game. There are more elves across 5th Edition than there are variants of anyone else.
There are space elves, water elves, fae elves. But which elves should you play? While the real answer is “whatever the heck you want” this is the internet and that’s not how we do things here. So these are the best elves in 5th Edition.
Pallid Elves
Introduced in the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, Pallid Elves are moon elves that really lean into the whole “moon” thing. They come with an advantage on Investigation and Insight checks, just for existing. And on top of that, they gain bonus spells as they level up, starting with the light cantrip, then getting sleep at 3rd level and invisibility (self only) at 5th level for free, once per long rest with the trait.
This makes them quite powerful, and easy contenders for one of 5E’s best elves.
Shadar-Kai
These are elves native to the Shadowfell, which has suffused their nature with darkness and the gifts of the Raven Queen. It is said that they are her agents. And maybe some are. But many more become adventurers in their own right
With their innate ability to teleport up to 30 feet as a bonus action up to their proficiency bonus times per long rest, they’re a great pick for just about any class. At higher levels, this teleport gives them resistance to all damage when they teleport, which makes for a great opener in any fight. On top of that, they get necrotic resistance, making them one of 5E’s best elves.
Eladrin
The Feywild counterpart to the Shadar-Kai, Eladrin are elves from the bright reflection of the Prime Material plane. Full of magic as fluid and changing as that realm, these are some of 5E’s best elves because of their unique ability to change their “season” after every rest.
They can be Autumn, Winter, Spring, or Summer. All of this adds an extra effect to their signature teleport ability, which they can also do up to their proficiency bonus times per long rest. Their fey step can charm nearby creatures, make them frightened, swap an ally instead, or deal fire damage to anyone nearby.
Astral Elf
The space elves are a newer addition to D&D, appearing in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space. These elves benefit from the long, steady transition to a more powerful 5.5 Edition with One D&D raising the power level bar. Like the two prior elves, they can magically teleport up to 30 feet as a bonus action, but they don’t get any rider effects.
Instead, they get extra spells. Specifically, they can pick from dancing lights, light, or sacred flame as bonus cantrips, using whatever spellcasting ability they choose. On top of that, they can gain proficiency with a skill of their choice and a weapon or tool of their choice after any long rest.
Elf Bearing the Mark of Shadow
From the pages of Eberron, Rising from the Last War, come the Mark of Shadow Elves. These Elves all bear a signature Dragonmark which grants them magical abilities that put them a cut above the other elves.
Notably, they can add a bonus d4 to Performance and Stealth checks just for existing. And on top of that, they gain minor illusion as a cantrip and can cast invisibility without a spell slot or components once per long rest at 3rd level and up.
They also gain a series of bonus spells if they have either Spellcasting or Pact Magic, making them perfectly suited to stealth, scout, and trickery.
What’s your pick for best elf in 5th Edition?
