Half-elves and +2 CON

[Grom Stonekin]

I know this is rather subjective, but does it strike anyone as odd the Half-elf gets a +2 bonus to Constitution? Neither race in the Half-elves' "gene pool" have high constitutions as a trait (well, 1 in 6 Humans would) yet the Half-elves, as a racial group, have constitutions on par with the legendarily hardy Dwarves. Give that the fluff text describes the Half-elf as being very sociable, a +2 to Charisma would seem more apt. However, there seems to be an unwritten rule that PC races shall have a bonus either to "body" ability scores (STR, DEX, CON) or to "mind" (INT, WIS, CHA). No race (thus far) has two bonuses in the same category. I'm considering a house rule to let Half-elf PC chose either +2 DEX or +2 CHA as their racial bonus.

 

[Ragnar69]

Halflings and Tieflings already have Dex+Cha, another race would be overkill.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

I would consider the " Half elves are sturdier then elves", and the "Ultimately Half elves are survivors, able to adapt to almost any situation" as clues to the fact that they are bodily hearty. A lot of their write up talks about how they move from place to place to make new friends and rekindle old relationships. All in all a nomadic type people with no real culture of their own and love to travel and get exposure to other cultures and the likes.

They are set up to endure the lives of a race of people who are split between at least two cultures, and this is reflected in their social ability ( CHA and skill bonuses) and their physical heartiness ( CON, no skill bonuses because it would be imbalanced to toss more skill bonuses on I guess )


Sidenote in relation to topics above: I thought Tieflings had INT + CHA?

 

[Ottergame]

No one seems to have a problem with the fact neither eladrin or elves have a CHA bonus, yet everyone gets their panties into a wad over the CON bonus. Would you prefer they have a STR bonus instead? Because there's enough +DEX races as it is.

 

[Grom Stonekin]

Halflings and Tieflings already have Dex+Cha, another race would be overkill.

Well that supports my point. The bonuses assigned to the Half-elf are based on some abstract notion of game balance rather than the "fluff" aspects of the race. Based on their background, there is no reason wy Half-elves should be as hardy as Dwarves. It seems all the other bonus "combos" were assigned to other races by the time they got to the Half-elf.

No one seems to have a problem with the fact neither eladrin or elves have a CHA bonus, yet everyone gets their panties into a wad over the CON bonus. Would you prefer they have a STR bonus instead? Because there's enough +DEX races as it is.

I suggested DEX or CHA (players choice) Why would Elves or Eladrin have a CHA bonus based on their fluff bios?

p.s. my underpant are in good order, thank you very much

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

Except for the things I pointed out above.


If we don't have pics of your underpants I don't know if we can just assume you are telling the truth that they are in good order.

 

[Grom Stonekin]

I would consider the " Half elves are sturdier then elves", and the "Ultimately Half elves are survivors, able to adapt to almost any situation" as clues to the fact that they are bodily hearty. A lot of their write up talks about how they move from place to place to make new friends and rekindle old relationships. All in all a nomadic type people with no real culture of their own and love to travel and get exposure to other cultures and the likes.

They are set up to endure the lives of a race of people who are split between at least two cultures, and this is reflected in their social ability ( CHA and skill bonuses) and their physical heartiness ( CON, no skill bonuses because it would be imbalanced to toss more skill bonuses on I guess )


Sidenote in relation to topics above: I thought Tieflings had INT + CHA?

The fluff suggests that Half-elves are survivors because the are socially adaptive not because they are tough.

 

[Danzauker]

When you cross a male lion with a female tiger you get a liger, which is bigger than both his parents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger#Size_and_growth

Sometimes gene-crossed hybrids manifest qualities that are not just "halfway" between the parents, so the fact that a half-elf could be sturdier than his elf and human parents, scientifically (well, as scientifically you can put it before incurring into Hong's wrath ) is plausible.

This reminds me of Dark Sun muls (humans / dwarves).

 

[theNater]

Half-elves need to be able to live in each of two different societies. This includes being able to interact with many different kinds of people socially(cha bonus) and not dying to the local diseases in either place(con bonus).

The half-elves that become adventurers are the ones who succumb to neither the human disease cholera nor the elven disease moonbright fever.

 

[Patlin]

I think whoever answered "hybrid vigor" as a reason for the +2 Con in the other thread wins.