D&D 5E MTOF: Elves are gender-swapping reincarnates and I am on board with it

[Bagpuss]

It might explain why they are often depicted wearing long, flowing robes.

Yes I guess if you have no idea of what size, shape or sex you will be next time around you would tend to wear loose clothing.

 

[Bitbrain]

I'll mention that ever since I read China Mieville's criticism of Tolkien, I've wondered if halflings need shaken up a little. Mieville points out that hobbits are a romanticized version of a rural Englishman . . . But I also like the attempts in 3rd and 4th edition to set up some alternate halfling cultures, crafty nomads without being just straight ripoffs of "gypsy" stereotypes.

D&D has been doing alternatives to Tolkien Hobbits for quite a while.

DRAGONLANCE - they're called "Kender", and they are a) mostly good-natured kleptomaniacs and b) love to explore the world beyond their own border. Both concepts are at odds with the stereotypical Tolkienesque Hobbit.

EBERRON - Prairie Nomads that ride dinosaurs instead of horses.

DARK SUN - cannibals who usually live in the forest. Honestly, I think these guys were inspired by the evil dwarves in the 1930s Tarzan the Ape-Man film.

 

[gyor]

I have played older editions.

The 1e grey elf enjoys a +1 Intelligence in a gaming system where in 1e a +1 to a mental ability score for a spell caster is considered broken even by 1e standards.

The 1e grey elf has extremely powerful intelligence.

The 3e grey elf is +2 Intelligence. (The Pathfinder elf, likewise, is +2 Intelligence.)

I remember the 3e sun elf, standard in Forgotten Realms and is +2 Intelligence and −2 Constitution. (It lacks Dexterity improvement.)

I remember the 4e eladrin elf, +2 Intelligence and +2 Charisma. Finally an elf that is actually is good at performance checks to write poetry, sing songs, charm others.



The 5e Players Handbook claims the mediocre intelligence of the high elf is the same thing as a grey elf and a sun elf. Fail.

The 5e elf sucks.



The AVERAGE 5e human gets +1 to all ability scores. The 5e elf is either average or crap.



The 5e grey elf is fail.

The 5e sun elf is fail.

The 5e eladrin elf is fail.

If the Gnome can start with an Intelligence of 17 compared to a High Elf which can start with 16 in intelligence can only max out its intelligence at the exact same level the High Elf can. Both have the exact same modifier. Both can have no more then 20 max in a stat.

Because of bounded accuracy racial mods are not as important as in previous editions.

Even a an Orc who has -2 in intelligence can eventually end up with 20 in an ability score, it just takes longer, its a learning disablity, not a lack of pitential.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

D&D has been doing alternatives to Tolkien Hobbits for quite a while.

DRAGONLANCE - they're called "Kender", and they are a) mostly good-natured kleptomaniacs and b) love to explore the world beyond their own border. Both concepts are at odds with the stereotypical Tolkienesque Hobbit.

EBERRON - Prairie Nomads that ride dinosaurs instead of horses.

DARK SUN - cannibals who usually live in the forest. Honestly, I think these guys were inspired by the evil dwarves in the 1930s Tarzan the Ape-Man film.

Even in FR, the Halflings of Luiren built a nation that is remote from the usual Tolkien-esque trope. I usually use the tolkien-esque Halfling for the small communities outside Luiren where the inhabitant have forgotten the way of the Hin and accept to be called ''halfling'' by the other race, living a lazy life because they know the others will protect them.

 

[gyor]

Even in FR, the Halflings of Luiren built a nation that is remote from the usual Tolkien-esque trope. I usually use the tolkien-esque Halfling for the small communities outside Luiren where the inhabitant have forgotten the way of the Hin and accept to be called ''halfling'' by the other race, living a lazy life because they know the others will protect them.

The Ghostwise are more different then even that, being nomadic telepaths who like to ride Giant Owls.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

The Ghostwise are more different then even that, being nomadic telepaths who like to ride Giant Owls.

Remind me the next time I run Red Hand of Doom in FR to have Ghostwise halflings riding giant owls as potential allies instead of the usual elves riding owls for some reason. It makes more senses and Luiren isnt not far away from the place the campaign takes place when set in FR. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

Heaven forbid humans actually be good at stuff...

Human's are the DUFF in D&D - the Designated, Ugly, Fat Friend. They let everyone else look good by comparison.

Joking aside, I don't think the mechanical bonuses elves get in 5E make or break them. Further, the gender flipping thing is clearly an option - players and GM may use it if they choose to do so. It is not weaponized, in that it cannot apparently be used on a character against their will. If it make some people happy to play the game, great. But as noted above, real-life trans people are a better judge of that than I am.

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

I'll mention that ever since I read China Mieville's criticism of Tolkien, I've wondered if halflings need shaken up a little. Mieville points out that hobbits are a romanticized version of a rural Englishman...

I thought that was Moorcock, not Mieville. Or did they both hit the same point? In any case, I am usually a fan of variations on a theme.

 

[Azzy]

More WotC pandering. Way to go.

Any inclusion you people don't like is always "pandering". It can never be simply inclusion "just because" because including something different is always bad with you people.

 

[Ganymede81]

Any inclusion you people don't like is always "pandering". It can never be simply inclusion "just because" because including something different is always bad with you people.

I'm amazed how we still see this stuff here now that it is explicitly against forum rules.

You MAY NOT use the terms "agenda", "ideology", "politics", or "propaganda" in relation to the inclusion of people slightly different to you in gaming products or other media, use pejorative terms such as "social justice warrior" or "virtue signalling" to dismiss the opinions of those you disagree with, or post any message which is discriminatory towards those who differ to you in terms of skin colour, gender, gender identification, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, age, religion, or any other personal attribute.