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Do We Really Need Half-Elves and Half-Orcs?
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<blockquote data-quote="Shiroiken" data-source="post: 7530519" data-attributes="member: 6775477"><p>I find the OPs premise rather silly. Do we need half-races? It depends on how you define "we" and "need." The game is better for them existing in the PHB. They are not necessary for any setting, but then again neither is any class/race/background/feat/spell/etc. </p><p></p><p>In my setting, 10% of half-elves can pass as pure elf, while 10% can pass as pure human. In most areas, half-elves are treated as human by elves, and elves by humans. 10% of half-orcs can pass as pure (if ugly) human, including all PCs because otherwise they'd be killed on sight by most civilized people. The races are far more insular, so inter-racial couples are very uncommon, often shunned. This keeps the half-breed population low, except in certain areas where there is a large amount of elf-human cohabitation, and half-breeds seldom find a mate themselves. Because of this, the PCs represent a rather large percentage of the half-breed population for most areas, and I seldom use half-breed NPCs.</p><p></p><p>You are the DM. It is your setting. You are the one who decides what is "needed" and what is not. The only real limitation you have is how far you can go before the players decide to play a different campaign.</p><p></p><p></p><p>P.S. half-orcs were not always considered to be product of rape, even early in the game. In the 1E adventure "The Sentinel" there is an ugly female magic user with three half-orc sons. The description gives every indication that she had an orc mate, rather than them being a product of rape. The rape trope was simply the easiest method to use, and many DMs and players can be lazy. Conversely, to believe that rape is uncommon by a race as evil as orcs is simply inconceivable (of course, I would figure the orcs would usually kill them afterwards).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Shiroiken, post: 7530519, member: 6775477"] I find the OPs premise rather silly. Do we need half-races? It depends on how you define "we" and "need." The game is better for them existing in the PHB. They are not necessary for any setting, but then again neither is any class/race/background/feat/spell/etc. In my setting, 10% of half-elves can pass as pure elf, while 10% can pass as pure human. In most areas, half-elves are treated as human by elves, and elves by humans. 10% of half-orcs can pass as pure (if ugly) human, including all PCs because otherwise they'd be killed on sight by most civilized people. The races are far more insular, so inter-racial couples are very uncommon, often shunned. This keeps the half-breed population low, except in certain areas where there is a large amount of elf-human cohabitation, and half-breeds seldom find a mate themselves. Because of this, the PCs represent a rather large percentage of the half-breed population for most areas, and I seldom use half-breed NPCs. You are the DM. It is your setting. You are the one who decides what is "needed" and what is not. The only real limitation you have is how far you can go before the players decide to play a different campaign. P.S. half-orcs were not always considered to be product of rape, even early in the game. In the 1E adventure "The Sentinel" there is an ugly female magic user with three half-orc sons. The description gives every indication that she had an orc mate, rather than them being a product of rape. The rape trope was simply the easiest method to use, and many DMs and players can be lazy. Conversely, to believe that rape is uncommon by a race as evil as orcs is simply inconceivable (of course, I would figure the orcs would usually kill them afterwards). [/QUOTE]
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