Why cant high elves be assassins. If it's a questions of goodness, they can be theives can't they? Doesn't make any senes to me.

Elves love life to dearly to focus on such. Do a forum search, the imms have answered this more eloquently than me on more than one occassion.

Then shouldn't high elves be too classy to steal? And I've seen a fair share of good assassins.

This one has been fairly well discussed.

From my little point of view, and trust me, it's not much, these are my thoughts. A elf can steal, nothing wrong with that. As for a practice for pure death, that is far from the life of an elf. They are suppose to be the most goodly of races, and dealing in only death, well, I just don't see it.

cytherea@carrionfields.com

Chopping someone up slowly and painfully (elf warrior), causing horrific and fatal skin/bone/flesh mutations (elf trannie) arepreferable to killing someone quickly and painlessly (nonexistent elf assassin)? I don't really buy it either. If it's done in the service of the light, who cares the means you employ.

If you don't you don't, and that's fine, in your line of thinking there isn't any reason elves can't be assassins. But I do see a different mindset required in training to learn how to assassinate someone, and traing to learn how to be a warrior. It is the former that just doesn't fit with my view of the way elves think.

I understand that a pure elf would probably be frowned upon wallowing in the likes of assassins; (and though I have seen very good assassins) I can see what you mean that elves wouldn't stoop so low. But I see the same thing for thieves, then. If we're preventing high elves from becomming assassins then why not prevent them from the greedy life of a thief? And still, I wouldn't shocked by seeing a elven fortress thief, but it would be even less shocking then an elven fortress assassin...

By lack of imm response I take it it has to do with overpowering... swiftstrike plus assassins already high dex... they'd be pretty bad ass... until you got hit with iron

burrrn

This idea was discussed and dismissed again and again many years before swiftstrike or even inherents were a twinkle in CF's eyes. The way I see it, is look at the backstory. Elves are supposed to be very goodly. So much so, that certain things will corrupt them unquestioningly.

Now think about the backstory of your character. Thief "I learned how to steal so that I could take the edge off of the dark one before he even knew he'd lost it." Warrior "I learned how to defend myself and if need be, make the first strike to protect the goodness around me." Assassin "I killed zounds of people so that I'd be good at killing. Oh, and I know how to kick as well."

One of these things does not belong, and I bet you can tell which. There are solid RP reasons that high elves do not become assassins. Half elves, those of less pure blood and descent, can.

The problem isn't that assassins can't be or do good, it's that they're far from the purity level of a high elf. On the note of elven purity, I've seen a handful converted to neutral and get reamed with the penalties associated for not _acting_ high elven. With the benefits of being a high elf, there is implied pureness responsibility. This conflicts with the concept of assassinations.

Note: The above is all my opinion, but answered this riddle for me years ago.