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Are the Races of D&D races of Human or seperate Species according to lore?
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<blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 7792084" data-attributes="member: 2209"><p>Originally a lot of D&D tropes were from Tolkien so we got half-elves and half-orcs in AD&D.</p><p></p><p>D&D has always been eclectic, inclusive, and self-contradictory so expect different views over different sources.</p><p></p><p>In the 1e Monster Manual it says:</p><p></p><p>Half-Orcs: As orcs will breed with anything, there are any number of</p><p>unsavory mongrels with orcish blood, particularly orc-goblins, orc-hobgoblins,</p><p>and orc-humans. Orcs cannot cross-breed with elves. Half-orcs</p><p>tend to favor the orcish strain heavily, so such sorts are basically orcs</p><p>although they can sometimes (10%) pass themselves off as true creatures</p><p>of their other stock (goblins, hobgoblins, humans, etc.).</p><p></p><p>Similarly in the 1e PH it says:</p><p></p><p>Orcs are fecund and create many cross-breeds, most of the offspring of such</p><p>being typically orcish. However, some one-tenth of orc-human mongrels are</p><p>sufficiently non-orcish to pass for human.</p><p></p><p>In early sources like 1e Deities and Demigods it says:</p><p></p><p>The god is also mighty in battle, and is said to have personally banished such demons as Lolth from the sunlit Upperworld. Elven lore states that the race of elves sprang from the drops of blood Corellon shed in this epic battle. </p><p></p><p>In the 1e Dragonlance Adventures and in certain Dragonlance Tales novels it states how the chaos of the unleashed Graygem changed some gnomes to become dwarves and kender.</p><p></p><p>DA also said how gnomes were created:</p><p></p><p>When Reorx created the world, he needed</p><p>the assistance of men to help him with the</p><p>work. To this end, one-eighth of all men and</p><p>their families followed Reorx across the sea in</p><p>hopes of learning his crafts.</p><p>For many years, men worked happily under</p><p>the guidance of Reorx. Inevitably (humans</p><p>being human), the men became proud of</p><p>their skills and used them for their own ends.</p><p>Reorx was angered. In his wrath, he remade</p><p>these men into a new race. As they had</p><p>become tinkerers, so they would remain for all</p><p>time. He took from them the crafts he had</p><p>taught, leaving only their burning desire to</p><p>tinker and build, invent and construct. He</p><p>made them into a small people-they became</p><p>the gnomes.</p><p></p><p>Dragonlance also has half-ogres.</p><p></p><p>In 2e Dark Sun there are half-dwarf half-human sterile half breeds called muls.</p><p></p><p>In the 2e Forgotten Realms Maztica novels [spoiler]I seem to remember it showing the creation of orcs by one of the gods transforming evil humans.[/spoiler]</p><p></p><p>In 3e Ravenloft half-orcs are actually humans cursed in the womb, they are renamed Calibans in the setting. There are normally no orcs in Ravenloft.</p><p></p><p>3e has Half-Dragons which arise from dragons strong magic and polymorphing ability.</p><p></p><p>Similarly for half celestials and half fiends in 3e which dilute down to planetouched after a sufficient generations.</p><p></p><p>In 1e there were Cambions for demon-human crossbreeding.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Voadam, post: 7792084, member: 2209"] Originally a lot of D&D tropes were from Tolkien so we got half-elves and half-orcs in AD&D. D&D has always been eclectic, inclusive, and self-contradictory so expect different views over different sources. In the 1e Monster Manual it says: Half-Orcs: As orcs will breed with anything, there are any number of unsavory mongrels with orcish blood, particularly orc-goblins, orc-hobgoblins, and orc-humans. Orcs cannot cross-breed with elves. Half-orcs tend to favor the orcish strain heavily, so such sorts are basically orcs although they can sometimes (10%) pass themselves off as true creatures of their other stock (goblins, hobgoblins, humans, etc.). Similarly in the 1e PH it says: Orcs are fecund and create many cross-breeds, most of the offspring of such being typically orcish. However, some one-tenth of orc-human mongrels are sufficiently non-orcish to pass for human. In early sources like 1e Deities and Demigods it says: The god is also mighty in battle, and is said to have personally banished such demons as Lolth from the sunlit Upperworld. Elven lore states that the race of elves sprang from the drops of blood Corellon shed in this epic battle. In the 1e Dragonlance Adventures and in certain Dragonlance Tales novels it states how the chaos of the unleashed Graygem changed some gnomes to become dwarves and kender. DA also said how gnomes were created: When Reorx created the world, he needed the assistance of men to help him with the work. To this end, one-eighth of all men and their families followed Reorx across the sea in hopes of learning his crafts. For many years, men worked happily under the guidance of Reorx. Inevitably (humans being human), the men became proud of their skills and used them for their own ends. Reorx was angered. In his wrath, he remade these men into a new race. As they had become tinkerers, so they would remain for all time. He took from them the crafts he had taught, leaving only their burning desire to tinker and build, invent and construct. He made them into a small people-they became the gnomes. Dragonlance also has half-ogres. In 2e Dark Sun there are half-dwarf half-human sterile half breeds called muls. In the 2e Forgotten Realms Maztica novels [spoiler]I seem to remember it showing the creation of orcs by one of the gods transforming evil humans.[/spoiler] In 3e Ravenloft half-orcs are actually humans cursed in the womb, they are renamed Calibans in the setting. There are normally no orcs in Ravenloft. 3e has Half-Dragons which arise from dragons strong magic and polymorphing ability. Similarly for half celestials and half fiends in 3e which dilute down to planetouched after a sufficient generations. In 1e there were Cambions for demon-human crossbreeding. [/QUOTE]
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