'Dungeons & Dragons' Teases Revamped Abilities for Eladrin

Dungeons & Dragons has taken a deep dive into the lore and abilities of one of its more complex races.

Each week, D&D Beyond releases a new video discussing some aspect of D&D lore or gameplay. In this week's video, D&D Managing Editor Jeremy Crawford talks about the Eladrin race, one of the new playable races in the upcoming Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes publication.

The Eladrin have a long history in D&D lore, having first appeared in the game's second edition back in 1995. The Eladrin were originally presented as celestial beings, a sort of equivalent to elven angels. As time went by, D&D shifted the Eladrin to elf-like creatures that lived in the Feywild, a realm populated by fairies and other innately magical creatures.

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes clarifies the history of the Eladrin and their ties to both the elves and the celestial Eladrin seen in earlier editions. Basically, the Eladrin are the living ancestors of other elven races. When the elves were originally cast out of the celestial realm Arvandor by their creator Corellon, they moved into the Feywild as it most resembled their closest home. Many elves moved onto other realms and in turn developed into the elf subraces we know today. However, the elves that stayed behind became known as the Eladrin, and retain many of the original feylike abilities that other elf races eventually lost.

One notable change that Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes will bring to the Eladrin involves their connection to the seasons. As fey creatures, Eladrin have a deep magical relationship with the seasons and can actually shift their appearance to match the season that most matches their mood. When an Eladrin changes their season, they also gain additional magical abilities.

Crawford teased in the video that an Eladrin's fey step, a minor teleportation ability that all Eladrin characters share, will have different side-effects depending on what season an Eladrin's form is based on.

As for the original celestial version of the Eladrin, Crawford explained that they became so fey-like and divine that they were eventually welcomed back into Arvandor by their creator. Basically, the celestial Eladrin are elves that regained their fully favor with their god.

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes will feature tons of cool explanations about some of the more exotic character races and creatures found in the D&D world. Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes will be released on May 29th and will cost $49.99.