D&D 5E Changing a player's race mid campaign

[alienux]

I have a player who is fairly new to D&D (she's been playing since the playtest). During the playtest, she created an elf fighter who's primary weapon was a longbow, and she really enjoyed playing her. Once we'd finished a short campaign and the final game rules were released, that group created new characters based on the final rules for a new campaign.

This particular player wanted a new character, but she liked her previous character so much, that she made the new one very similar, although the newer one is a different class. Like the previous character, she is an elf who uses a bow, but she is a rogue. The player has expressed several times that she isn't have as much fun as she did with the other character, but everyone else in the group has been having just as much fun with their newer characters. This campaign has been going on for quite awhile, and she finally told me that the reason she isn't have as much fun is because the newer character, even though she's a different class, feels like a lesser copy of her playtest character, because she's too much like her. She said her main issue is that she's the same race and uses the same weapon primarily. I asked her if she wanted to bring the older character into this campaign with the final 5E rules/build, and she said she'd rather not do that. So I asked her if she'd be happy if we made this character more distinctive. She said that she'd be really happy if she could just change the race and weapons, and that she'd be excited to play again if the character had those differences.

So, my primary interest for her is to have as much fun as everyone else is, and I told her I'd come up with a way to do this. My ideas are as follows:

• She has been a human all along, whose parents left her in the care of the elves. She was raised as an elf, and someone had magically altered her her appearance, including her ears. The party will then meet an elf from where she was raised, who will reveal the truth to her and restore her human appearance.
• The weapon change is easy to deal with, so no real story reason needed there.

or

• She actually is an elf, but during a battle, a high level enemy casts true polymorph on her, causing a permanent change. I'd need a good reason for this enemy to change her from an elf into a human. Possibly his reason is that he despises elfs and changes her on a whim because of that.

Of course I'll give her the option of which she prefers. Any other thoughts on this? How would you handle it, assuming you'd allow it (which obviously, I am). Any other ideas of a good way to allow this to happen?

 

[Horwath]

Why not? She is not asking any game bonuses.

You can role play it via enemy caster and polymorph or just do Deus ex machina and say she's and human/gnome/goblin/whatever.

Just make a note that people should not make a habit of it and make one race/class change per session.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

You could arrange with the player to have the the character go out in a blaze of glory, and then reincarnated by a friendly druid npc.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Have you asked her what race and character she would prefer to be? "Not an elf." is a little open-ended.

 

[alienux]

Have you asked her what race and character she would prefer to be? "Not an elf." is a little open-ended.

Yes, I actually meant to mention that. She wants this character to be human, but with the same name/class/stats that she has now. Obviously, there might be a slight shift due to racial traits, but I don't think that will be a big deal.

 

[alienux]

You could arrange with the player to have the the character go out in a blaze of glory, and then reincarnated by a friendly druid npc.

Interesting idea. I'll add that to the list and see if she likes it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The life and game are too short to force someone to play something they don't. And no narrative is so precious that a retcon of "She was actually human all along!" should ruin anything. And if someone thinks it does ruin everything, they need to get over themselves.

She's been a human rogue all this time, and only recently has decided to change weapons from a bow to something else. Done and done.

 

[pdzoch]

I would let her change the character to Human, swapping out the racial bonuses and traits. Allow her to use current wealth to purchase new weapons, and go from there. As for story continuity, I would just say that her character "sure looked like an elf all this time, but she was a human after all." In the same line of "dude looked like a lady."

I agree with DEFCON1, there is no reason to force her to play a character she is not enjoying. The weapon swap is easy. The racial swap is a bit more work, but these are not massive character changes -- only adjustments to a character she likes. It is not like she is asking for a features and traits that are not playable.

 

[Hathorym]

Has there been an elven presence in the campaign so far other than her? if not, you could throw her into an issue with the Elven court or whatever where she is supposed to know the ritualistic responses. When she doesnt, shes forced to reveal that she has been human all along, and only wore the ears, changed her hair, etc. for x reason. Play shocked soap music for added effect.

Then, follow along with the story.

 

[knasser]

If she wants to change and she's new to the game, she should change. Rather than high level mages finding reasons to cast True Polymorph, or illusions cast as a child, a far more fun one I think would be for her to be exposed as human. She's a rogue, right? Maybe she's an exceptionally slight of build human who has been masquerading as an elf for roguish purposes. Maybe she was trying to romance an elf boy, maybe she was trying to steal the elf clan's magic acorn, who knows. But it will be far funnier and a great role-playing moment if someone catches her putting on her elf ears or barges into her tend before she has sipped her change self potion in the morning.

Are there any other elves in the party? If not, maybe she could meet some elves and they start speaking to her in elvish and she's all... "um... fallal-de-lol tua tua thiriel..."

Best thing is that the other players wont know that she planned it all along!