D&D 5E Nonstandard Races You Love And Want Back

[Lanliss]

What is the other half?

Which (semiseriously) is the problem with half races. Since half human, half-X seems to be the assumption, I keep thinking that it would make more sense for the half races to be human subraces (maybe with a less restrictive name like "-blooded" ["multi-blooded" could be the default human]). It also might lead to more interesting traits and feats for poor humans, who tend to get the dull ones.

That is because humans are dull.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

That is because humans are dull.

Only because we keep assuming PC human=real world human. With all the half-this, and half-that's (not to mention horny abberations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, and fiends running around), the odds are actually pretty good that most (if not all) humans in most D&D worlds have a little something exotic in their DNA (and probably a lot of little something exotics). A real world human+50 foot drop is often ugly, but a 1/1,024th demon human can laugh at that.

For the record, if making "-blooded" worked for humans, I would be totally cool with elf-blooded dwarves, orc-blooded halflings, or any other such thing (although the specific subrace benefits should probably vary a bit depending on the dominant parent's race).

 

[Brandegoris]

What is the other half?

Which (semiseriously) is the problem with half races. Since half human, half-X seems to be the assumption, I keep thinking that it would make more sense for the half races to be human subraces (maybe with a less restrictive name like "-blooded" ["multi-blooded" could be the default human]). It also might lead to more interesting traits and feats for poor humans, who tend to get the dull ones.

Well If I was a Min-Maxer my answer would be whatever gives me the Most Bonuses? LOL
In This case its Halfling... LOL
Im so screwed. WHY MOM! Why!!!
She drank a lot and apparently a Halfling looks an awful lot lie a Gnome in the dark....

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Well If I was a Min-Maxer my answer would be whatever gives me the Most Bonuses? LOL
In This case its Halfling... LOL
Im so screwed. WHY MOM! Why!!!
She drank a lot and apparently a Halfling looks an awful lot lie a Gnome in the dark....

Once you go gnome, you will never roam.

 

[Lanliss]

Only because we keep assuming PC human=real world human. With all the half-this, and half-that's (not to mention horny abberations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, and fiends running around), the odds are actually pretty good that most (if not all) humans in most D&D worlds have a little something exotic in their DNA (and probably a lot of little something exotics). A real world human+50 foot drop is often ugly, but a 1/1,024th demon human can laugh at that.

For the record, if making "-blooded" work for humans, I would be totally cool with elf-blooded dwarves, orc-blooded halflings, or any other such thing (although the specific subrace benefits should probably vary a bit depending on the dominant parent's race).

I am working on something like that for my world, though it is mostly an off-the-cuff thing. If someone wants to play a Half-Dwarf/Half-Elf, I ask which race they want to be their base, and apply a little bit from the other Base race to that as a Subrace. For example, this Half-Dwarf/Half Elf can pick Elf as their base. Their subrace will give them +1 con, Dwarven Resilience, and one of the weapons from Dwarven Combat Training. Wish we played more often so that I had an actual library of Hybrids.

 

[Jeux Fictifs]

There's something similar in Decipher's Star Trek. Your character can have parents of two different species. The player must choose which of his parents is dominant and he takes the four best score and two other score from his other parent to have his 6 characteristics. And the powers of the species have half the effects or acquired only a limited number among the powers of his parents. Even his culture will depend on which of the parents he will have spent his childhood.

 

[cbwjm]

What is the other half?

Which (semiseriously) is the problem with half races. Since half human, half-X seems to be the assumption, I keep thinking that it would make more sense for the half races to be human subraces (maybe with a less restrictive name like "-blooded" ["multi-blooded" could be the default human]). It also might lead to more interesting traits and feats for poor humans, who tend to get the dull ones.

Half gnome and half another gnome.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Half gnome and half another gnome.

I have a half elf in my game who is actually 3/4 elf. His mother is a Tairnadal Elf (this is Eberron), his dad is a Half-Drow. He was...not raised with loving kindness, by her grandparents. They didn't even tell his that they were his grandparents. His mentor had to tell him as an adult. Someone also tried to keep him from finding out his patron ancestor, and thus from having a bond with said patron, but his mentor is helping him do that on his own. They have the same ancestor patron, who records failed to record, was a half-drow!

It's a fun character.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Its probably because I'm a dull person, but I love playing Humans and Halfling.

In my homebrew setting, humans are the are a self-made race: they have no patron deity and are generaly more resistant to divine magic. Someone mentioned on this thread the idea on stealing the theme of the Kuo-Toa who create their own gods thru sheer willpower and I will probably add this to my human. They are also the only race that can breed true with other races: half-orc, half-elf, half-dwarf are all mostly humans, but the human heritage steals from the the divine provenance of the other race to ''improve'' itself.

Halflings were created more or less recently by a now fallen empire of Ur-priests seeking a way to create a better slave race: smaller yet hardy so they require less living space, does not feel hunger (you see, Halflings do not spend most of their time eating because they are hungry, but because they're affraind they'll starve if they wait to feel hungry) and with a complete lack of imagination, curiosity and initiative toward the unfamiliar. Even after the fall of the empire that created them, they still occupy and work the fields among the ruins, because: what's else to do?

 

[Mecheon]

Back in the day I remember it specifically being mentioned that Earth Genansi were typically half dwarf half earth, rather than half human. So at least Genansi can work for most of the half-elemental stuff