D&D (2024) Half Race Appreciation Society: Half Elf most popular race choice in BG3

[strawbellebelle]

Half-elf's popularity, whether in 5e proper or BG3, is largely due to two factors: mechanical strength, and "regular" appearance. (Especially in regards to BG3, but there's plenty to dissect regarding the game's attitude towards and treatment of "regular" races versus "minority" races in said game, in light of the kind of people who are the game's clear target audience and heavily favoured by the game.)

The proposed solution is simple, easy, and gives flexibility to players who want to play mixed-race characters. It also avoids problematic circumstances regarding races in terms of strengths or moral compass, both things D&D has been trying to build away from.

 

[Epic Meepo]

Interesting... Perhaps choose either a Single species, or a Hybrid of 2 species.

1. Choose a single Species: You get all the abilities of your species, as well as Four (4) +1 Ability score mods, which can be stacked up to +2 per ability if you wish.
2. Choose two Humanoid Species that represent your mixed parentage, or chimeric origin: You get the Species abilities for both those Species. The tradeoff is that you get no Ability Score modifiers at level 1.

(There are NO benefits if there is an overlap of abilities like Darkvision or Flight. You only take one option, and there is no ability to swap things out.)​

Yep, something along those lines was what I was thinking.

The idea (in general, not specific to anyone's implementation) is a bit kludgey because Species and Ability Score Increases aren't designed around those assumptions, but it works in a pinch. Maybe add that a character who ends up with at least one pair of redundant traits gets an extra Skill Proficiency, or something. I don't know for sure.

In any case, you could add that system on top of the existing rules with maybe one page of explanation, tops.

 

[Horwath]

We just need better custom lineage:

1. Drop all racial/lineage ASIs and features. Just retain Common + one language of choice.
2. Drop all background features.
3. Everyone gets same ability array: 16,16,14,12,12,10
4. Everyone gets four feats to pick at 1st level.

 

[Valetudo]

No

 

[Aldarc]

Half-elf is a good example, precisely because it got mechanical benefits that the parent races didn't. For several editions, it had a Charisma bonus that its parent races lacked, narratively explained by the combination of elven grace and otherworldliness, tempered by human ambition and pragmatism.

This is why I often say that the half-elves are probably mechanically closest for the past few editions to how Tolkien describes the Numenoreans and Dunedain.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I wish they'd give us an update on the hybrid rules.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I wish they'd give us an update on the hybrid rules.

They're probably just going to axe the entire concept.

 

[Alzrius]

They're probably just going to axe the entire concept.

You mean in favor of going back to the existing method, or simply forgoing all mention of half-races at all?

 

[Scribe]

You mean in favor of going back to the existing method, or simply forgoing all mention of half-races at all?

Hopefully

1. Commit to Half Elf and Half Orc, as grandfathered options.
2. Implement a better 'Custom Lineage' option for those who want to mix and match.

Lord knows, its not an impossible task to accomplish both.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

You mean in favor of going back to the existing method, or simply forgoing all mention of half-races at all?

The latter. They'll decide that the concept of mixed raced people is too problematic and remove the entire concept. And looking at what they did to the Phandelver and Below, will retcon out existing half-elves and half-orcs.