Half-Elf Ideas

[pukunui]

Hi there,

I'm going to try my hand at tweaking the half-elf here. I just want to begin by saying that the half-elf has always been my favorite D&D race, at least conceptually. I really identify with the idea of being from two different worlds (for a number of reasons that I won't get into here). I've also always been attracted to the reluctant hero style of character typified by Tanis from Dragonlance. However, I felt that with 3e, half-elves were neglected. I also didn't like the whole "half-elves are everybody's friends and as such they get lots of bonuses to social skills and the like" shtick. I'm disappointed to see that 4e has treated them little better and has continued with the "natural diplomat" thing. I'd prefer half-elves to be more versatile, so that you can play more maligned characters who aren't natural diplomats because neither the humans nor the elves like them, etc etc. (Yes, I realize that "diplomacy" is WotC's official niche for half-elves and that if I really want to play an angsty character I'm supposed to choose the tiefling but still ... )

Anyway, thoughts on fluff aside, here are some more mechanical ideas ...

1) I'd like to make their stat bonuses +2 CHA and +2 any one other.

2) I'd like to give them the choice of being a half-elf, a half-eladrin, or a half-drow (at least theoretically, since there are no drow racial feats at this time -- and I'm not sure if I'm going to include drow in my campaign world anyway). To this end, I'd also alter the dilettante feature so that they can choose to take their fey parent's racial encounter power instead of an at-will class power.

3) I'd like to replace the sucky group diplomacy feature with the Jack of All Trades feat (+2 to untrained skill checks) or the player's choice of a multiclassing feat for free. Not sure which yet.


Thoughts?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I am actually using the dislike as the reason why Half-Elves know Diplomacy well and have +2 Charisma. Since they basically need to be for daily life.

Your general Half-Elf has to deal with having to worm past town guards, bigots, have to barter to get a cheaper price on rooms and meals, etc.

So as such they have simply in general learnt to be better at diplomacy and their social skills, so they can live at all normally.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

There are a few threads in the house rule forums with lots of great ideas.

 

[tallyrand]

1) Giving another race +2 to a set stat, and +2 wherever you want kinda pisses all over the humans, who only get the +2 wherever while all the other races get a +4 racial modifier.

2) as to access to eladrin or drow feats, maybe depending on heritage determined at creation, but not access to all 3 all the time.

3) meh...

 

[Zweischneid]

I am actually using the dislike as the reason why Half-Elves know Diplomacy well and have +2 Charisma. Since they basically need to be for daily life.

Your general Half-Elf has to deal with having to worm past town guards, bigots, have to barter to get a cheaper price on rooms and meals, etc.

So as such they have simply in general learnt to be better at diplomacy and their social skills, so they can live at all normally.

By that reasoning, 4e Half-Orcs better get +6 Charisma and Diplomacy boni like there's no tomorrow

 

[mattdm]

1) Giving another race +2 to a set stat, and +2 wherever you want kinda pisses all over the humans, who only get the +2 wherever while all the other races get a +4 racial modifier.

This is exactly why I prefer the idea of making it instead that the Dilettante power can use Con or Cha.

 

[Ashanderai]

1) Giving another race +2 to a set stat, and +2 wherever you want kinda pisses all over the humans, who only get the +2 wherever while all the other races get a +4 racial modifier.

2) as to access to eladrin or drow feats, maybe depending on heritage determined at creation, but not access to all 3 all the time.

3) meh...

I agree 100% with these statements. I think option two as replied to by tallyrand is all that is needed to "fix" the half-elf. I would love to play a half-eladrin.

 

[rhm001]

I agree 100% with these statements. I think option two as replied to by tallyrand is all that is needed to "fix" the half-elf. I would love to play a half-eladrin.

This! Half-eladrin of the world unite!

 

[kmfdm]

I think I will allow the Half-"elf" to choose any 2 races and one doesn't have to be chose at creation. That way it will allow some interesting breakthrough later in the campaign.

Just call em Mul or Metis.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

2) What if half-elves also got access to eladrin and drow feats?

I like this one.