what to do with half-elves?

[Cyberzombie]

I'm split on giving something else to half-orcs. Darkvision and +2 Str are both pretty good already. I do let them take Scent as a feat though.

That's probably enough. Scent is *very* powerful. It all depends on what you think your half-orcs should be.

 

[maggot]

I do like this idea. Would you just make this change and leave everything else the same?

Everything else is exactly the same.

 

[Relic]

My campaign is pretty much a straight-forward FR game so I'm not looking to reinvent the wheel (or the half-elf) here.

I like the idea of removing the GI/Dipl bonuses and giving them skills as per human. It makes deciding between the bonus human feat and the other minor abilities of the half-elf a tough decision.

I'm split on giving something else to half-orcs. Darkvision and +2 Str are both pretty good already. I do let them take Scent as a feat though.

Half elves in my game receive:

• -2 Cha, +2 Dex (Half Elves, though stockier than elves, still possess excellent hand-eye coordination and agility. Due to their dual blood, half elves often struggle with their own identity and have trouble relating to their ancestry.)
• Medium-sized
• Base Speed: 30 ft
• Low light vision
• +2 racial bonus vs Enchantment spells or effects.
• +1 racial bonus to Search, Spot, and Listen.
• +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive and Handle Animal. (Half elves spend a great deal of time searching for answers to their own identity. Their soul searching gives them insight into the behavior of others.)
• Detect Secret/Concealed Doors within 5’ feet; may make a Search check as if actively searching
• Weapon Familiarity: Half Elves consider either the Bastard Sword or the Elven Thinblade as a martial weapon.
• Latent Psionics: The mixing of human blood and the elven blood has mutated the elf’s natural talent with magic. Half elves possess one random latent psionic power, rolled on the Wild Talent table of the Psionic handbook. Power Points are calculated in accordance to the default stat of the psionic power a half elf possesses and never progress unless the half elf advances in a class that has psionic powers.
• Elven Blood
• Automatic Languages: Elf and Common
• Favored Class: Choice of any one class

The psionic wild talent is usually one or two random 0-level powers...

Half orcs in my game receive:

• -2 Int, +2 Str
• Base Speed: 30 ft
• Darkvision 60’
• +1 racial bonus to Fortitude save
• +1 racial bonus vs Poisons (stacks with Fortitude bonus)
• +2 racial bonus to Survival
• Orc blood
• Savage Heritage: Due to the mixing of human blood and orc blood, half orcs have difficulty controlling their aggressive nature. Whenever the half orc suffers damage he may enter a rage (as per the barbarian class ability) once per day. This rage grants the half orc +4 strength, +4 constitution, and a +2 bonus to will saves while penalizing the half orc with a –2 armor class penalty. The rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to the half orc’s constitution bonus (the increased constitution with the rage bonus) + 3. Savage Heritage stacks with the barbarian’s rage ability: For example, a 1st level barbarian half orc would be able to rage twice a day.
• Weapon Familiarity: Half Orcs consider the Bastard Sword as a martial weapon or receive the Armor Proficiency (tower shield) feat for free at 1st level.
• Automatic Languages: Orc and Common
• Favored Class: Barbarian

 

[chris7476]

Relic, those are definitely some cool concepts but I think you took the half-elf and half-orc from being borderline weak to too powerful.

Weapon Familiarity: Half Elves consider either the Bastard Sword or the Elven Thinblade as a martial weapon

I'm really not sure what these weapons have to do with being a half-elf. I can see if the half-elf was raised by elves he might know an elven weapon but the bastard sword? Is that if he was raised by humans?

+2 racial bonus to Sense Motive and Handle Animal. (Half elves spend a great deal of time searching for answers to their own identity. Their soul searching gives them insight into the behavior of others.)

I do like this concept but I'm not sure Handle Animal would fit. Other than that, this is realy a campaign choice as to how half-elves are viewed.

Savage Heritage

This is way too much IMO.

Weapon Familiarity: Half Orcs consider the Bastard Sword as a martial weapon or receive the Armor Proficiency (tower shield) feat for free at 1st level.

Unless this is specific to orcs in your world, I once again fail to see why they would learn how to use the bastard sword, nevermind a tower shield.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

In my games, they have the standard Half-Elf racial abilities plus the PHB Elf racial modifiers. (Elves add -2 STR/+2 CHA to their modifiers.)

I think my Gestalt variant rules add a lot more power to FC: Any, and access to two Paragon classes is good for those who take it.