Heroes are Remade, not Born
Elans, a psionic race introduced in D&D by Wizards of the Coast and brought back into Pathfinder by the wonderful Dreamscarred Press. A race that is immune to aging and adds to its ranks by selecting members of other races and turning them into Elans via a secret and mysterious process.
I’m going to be talking the options available to Elans from Ultimate Psionics in this little guide, using Treantmonk’s color rating system, and welcome any feedback or option I might miss or overlook.
Later on, I’ll even be adding a group of five Elans(a cryptic, psion, two different wilders, and a vitalist) for use in your own games, either as NPCs or pregenerated characters.
Now for our rating system!
Good - One of the best choices. Strongly consider keeping it.
Decent - It’s a good option, but there might be better ones.
Average - Situtational, or there’s something better that does the same thing.
Bad - No. No no no no. This is BAD.
Black - Not good or bad.
Racial Features
+2 to one ability score: A great ability, just like a human’s ability score.
Aberrant Blood: This opens you up to be vulnerable or empowered by things that target aberrations.
Medium: Higher damage weapons than Small creatures, but slightly less armor class and to-hit.
Normal Speed: The base speed of almost everything.
Aberrant Nature: A -1 to social checks against everyone not an Elan? That includes people that don’t know you’re an Elan.
Naturally Psionic: A bonus feat that gives you Power Points(Wild Talent) or gives you more Power Points(Psionic Talent)? Very, very good. Even more so because of the next three abilities...
Resistance: A big bonus to saving throws that you can activate before you need to make a saving throw(like seeing that Energy Ball power coming your way) is great. Costs 1PP and an Immediate action.
Resilience : There’s not enough blue for this if you’re a psionic class that gets PP, like Psion or Wilder. More Mundane classes, like fighter or non-Gifted Blade Soulknives won’t get much out of this though. Note: This isn’t damage reduction or energy resistance, but both. It stacks with them too.
Repletion : Useful in all manner of campaigns, especially if you think the food is secretly poisoned. Now you simply don't have to eat or drink!
Psionic Aptitude: Do you have power Points? This is good. Choose the hit point or skill point if you don’t.
Languages: Same as a Human, but not bad anyway.
Alternate Racial Features
Ultimate Psionics added some nice options for Elans, including something for those that didn’t make it through the process of becoming an Elan like every other member of their kind did…
Failed Transformation: This is a bad choice, plain and simple. You give up Resistance, Resilience, and Repletion for things like Slow and Steady or Darkvision and Ferocity. The best option is probably Halfling, giving you Halfling Luck and Keen Senses. I still wouldn’t take this option.
Haughty: This replaces Aberrant Nature and Resistance in exchange for a +2 versus mind-affecting effects and a -2 on all Charisma-based checks against non-elans. Decent if you don’t have the power points for Resistance.
Reconstruction: I’m rating this green because while it has it’s uses, I prefer the Resistance and Resilience abilities it replaces. For a Vitalist though, this is blue. It can be used to automatically stabilize you though, or even get you back into the fight, because you can activate it even while unconscious.
Smooth Talker: Replaces Aberrant Nature and Repletion with a +2 on Charisma based checks against non-mindless creatures. Very nice for a party face.
Strong Blooded: Another example of the process not being perfect, this replaces Resilience with the ability to spend 1PP and gain a small bonus based on the race you used to be, such as a Xeph turned Elan spending 1PP as a swift action to gain +10 to their movement speed for one round, or getting a Half-Giant’s Powerful Build ability for one round. You have to pick which race when you make your character though.
Favored Class Bonuses
Like all the psionic races presented by Dreamscarred Press, Elans have the option of choosing to gain 1 skill point, 1 hit point, or 1 power point each time they gain a level. In addition, they have the follow options I’ll talk about briefly..
Alchemist: Energy resistance that maxes out at 10, but you can chose another energy resistance after that.
Cryptic: Add half your level to the damage dealt with Disrupt Pattern.
Dread: Add half your level to Intimidate checks. Combos will with Smooth Talker.
Psion: Add half your level to concentration checks for Psion Powers. This is a big competitor for the best FCB in Psionics. It’s opposition? Soulknife.
Rogue: Add 1 your level to Disguise checks to appear human(or your original race if you took Failed Transformation or Strong Blooded) and half your level to Stealth checks.
Soulknife: Add half your level to critical confirmation rolls made with your mind blade. Unlike other FCBs that do similar, there is no +4 limit! It still doesn’t stack with Critical Focus.
Wilder: 1/4th of a power known really helps you out.
Wizard: This one is meh. +⅓ level vs Transmutation spells.
Archetypes
A work in progress. I’d welcome any input.
Ascendant Psion: Slowly continuing the process that turned you into an ELan in the first place, you eventually become pure psionic energy.
Menteur: A rogue with this archetype excels at infiltration and quick getaways.
Pattern Wielder: A cryptic that can temporarily sacrifice some versatility to gain more damage with her weapons or Empower/Extend a power she is about to manifest.
Elan Race Traits
Elans, like the other psionic races, get two new traits they can pick.
Fight through the Pain: A +2 Autohypnosis for caltrop wounds, secondary poison effects, and to stabilize. If you don’t have Reconstruction or a low Constitution, this could save your life.
Memories: Your penalty to Charisma checks don’t apply to people you knew before becoming an Elan. Unless it’s an urban game that stays in your character’s home city, don’t take this trait.
Meet the “E” Team!
Remember those 5 Elan characters I talked about? They’re going here, with a brief tidbit on their personality. Working on their character sheets comes later.
Edrienne, the Ember(Wilder)
A lady with hair as wild and red as the flames she burns everything down with, she’s quick to anger, but unquestionably loyal to her friends.
Christaph, the Colorful(Cryptic)
The quiet artist. Christaph likes to paint events no one knows he’s watching, often using his own skin as the canvas. He boasts of getting caught by a group of nymphs once if he drinks too much, but never confirms or denies it when sober.
Adyel, the Abomination(Wilder)
For this loud, often obnoxious Elan, the transformation was only the beginning.
Chirlot, the Creepy Chirurgeon(Vitalist)
Not all doctors are nice, and Chirlot doesn’t pull metaphorical punches when it comes to keeping her companions alive, even if it means taking life first...
Armend, the Ascendant(Psion)
Like his sister Adyel, becoming an Elan was just the first step for Armend. Unlike her, Armend prefers to alter his body by altering his mind. He also enjoys reading tomes of knowledge on any subject.