D&D 5E Long time DM, first time player. Need help choosing a race and "DNA" ability scores.

I finally ended a long campaign and I am joining another game as a player. My campaign had many generations of NPCs having children, expanding my world and extending the adventure. So my PC is a child of the last generation of my campaign. My PC is 75% human and 25% elf, but is it a half-elf? I also took the average ability scores of my PC's grandparents to make my PC's parent's ability scores and then my PC's ability scores. (Rounded Down) P.S. comment and criticism welcome. (Sorry about format)

Jack Vanguard (Veteran)(NPC)(Grand Father)(100% Chondathan)
Laday Pleasant-Vanguard (Guard)(NPC)(Grand Mother)(100% Calishite)
Andrew Foxhunter (Scout)(NPC)(Grand Father)(100% Chondathan)
Misty Rainmaker-Foxhunter (Druid)(NPC)(Grand Mother)(100% Grugach)
Alexander Vanguard (Commoner)(NPC)(Father)(50% Chondathan / 50% Calishite)
Sai Lia Foxhunter-Vanguard (Commoner)(NPC)(Mother)(50% Chondathan / 50% Grugach)

Arden Evendel Vanguard (Unknown)(PC)(50% Chondathan / 25% Calishite / 25% Grugach)

Skin: Copperish, or Dusky Brown
Hair: Brown, Black, Blond, Copper, or Dusky Brown
Eyes: Green, Brown, Hazel, or Dusky Brown

Jack Vanguard (STR 16)(DEX 13)(CON 14)(INT 10)(WIS 11)(CHA 10)(Veteran)(NPC)(Grand Father)
Laday Pleasant-Vanguard (STR 13)(DEX 12)(CON 12)(INT 10)(WIS 11)(CHA 10) (Guard)(NPC)(Grand Mother)
=Alexander Vanguard (STR 14)(DEX 12)(CON 13)(INT 10)(WIS 11)(CHA 10)(Commoner)(NPC)(Father)

Andrew Foxhunter (STR 11)(DEX 14)(CON 12)(INT 11)(WIS 13)(CHA 11)(Scout)(NPC)(Grand Father)
Misty Rainmaker-Foxhunter (STR 10)(DEX 12)(CON 13)(INT 12)(WIS 15)(CHA 11)(Druid)(NPC)(Grand Mother)
=Sai Lia Foxhunter-Vanguard (STR 10)(DEX 13)(CON 12)(INT 11)(WIS 14)(CHA 11)(Commoner)(NPC)(Mother)

Alexander Vanguard (STR 14)(DEX 12)(CON 13)(INT 10)(WIS 11)(CHA 10)(Commoner)(NPC)(Father)
Sai Lia Foxhunter-Vanguard (STR 10)(DEX 13)(CON 12)(INT 11)(WIS 14)(CHA 11)(Commoner)(NPC)(Mother)

=Arden Evendel Vanguard (STR 12)(DEX 12)(CON 12)(INT 10)(WIS 12)(CHA 10)(Unknown)(PC)(Son)

Athletic, Slim, Healthy, Forgetful, Well-informed, Harsh

Data 03/14/2019

75% Human/25% elf - sounds like a human to me. But the person you should really be asking is your DM.

How you arrived at your characters ability scores - this is definitely something you need to discuss with your DM.
They might well have some specific method(s) already in place....
Likewise with your characters NPC lineage etc - your character should fit the world your DM is running 1st

ccs said:

75% Human/25% elf - sounds like a human to me. But the person you should really be asking is your DM.

How you arrived at your characters ability scores - this is definitely something you need to discuss with your DM.
They might well have some specific method(s) already in place....
Likewise with your characters NPC lineage etc - your character should fit the world your DM is running 1st

Click to expand...

Please vote in the poll, my DM was one of my players, so he knows these NPCs and thrust my judgment. His group is at second tier level 5 characters so my character will be level 5 when done but I was told to make a level 0 character. He is making a prologue for my PC were he is train by the other 5 PCs.

My PC's grandparents scores are from the NPCs in the MM. Took the average of the grandparents scores rounded down to get the parents scores. Then got the average of the parents scores rounded down to get the PCs scores. Hope that make sense? Just saw how this looks on a phone , really sorry.

Baring some pre-campaign limitations from a DM, the race of a character should be up to the player. In the OP's case, if they want a 1/2 elf, its a 1/2 elf. Just assume the elven genes were dominant. If the player wants a human, then assume the elven genes were recessive. Didn't see any game system mentioned but consider taking some feats, traits, advantages, etc that clarify the character's dominant heritage. These choices should influence any children the character has going forward.

The DM may trust your judgement, but I think your judgement may be more focused on NPCs than creating a PC. I don't say that maliciously, but the math of the game for PCs really assumes you have range of ability scores that don't max out at a +1 modifier because you'll be outside bounded accuracy. Assuming the rest of the group used standard array, point buy, or rolled I don't think you'll be able to hold up your end of supporting the group; the PC will be worse then any replacement character made from those methods.

I would strongly suggest using a standard ability score generation method and just fitting it to the character. "He's strong like Grandfather Jack, and has his eyes as well" is perfectly valid from a descendant point of view.

As for Half-Elf vs. Human - well, you're right on the cusp between them to pick. For me personally, I think fey ancestry can show up for generations so I'd head towards half-elf, but that's just me.

Koloth said:

Baring some pre-campaign limitations from a DM, the race of a character should be up to the player. In the OP's case, if they want a 1/2 elf, its a 1/2 elf. Just assume the elven genes were dominant. If the player wants a human, then assume the elven genes were recessive. Didn't see any game system mentioned but consider taking some feats, traits, advantages, etc that clarify the character's dominant heritage. These choices should influence any children the character has going forward.

Click to expand...

Using a dominant genes vs. recessive genes method; My PC is 57% Chondathan / 43% Grugach with STR 16, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 15, CHA 11. I think this infomation is a good start for making Arden a half-elf and it feels more "organic" than meta. P.S. comments and criticism welcome. (I hope you understand the data and like the format)