D&D 5E Half Elf vs Human

Snapdragyn · Aug 19, 2014

Paraxis said:
I will just add this, I consider myself to be a min/maxing optimizer who builds his character and doesn't create them, for an upcoming campaign I am playing a half-elf bard.

Bard, because they are some of the most versatile casters in the game maybe the best, and can gish eventually pretty well. Half-elf because they make amazing bards, sorcerers, and warlocks.

One of the other players was sad, when he realized none of the races has a +2 wisdom modifier for his cleric.

I have to say, this is making me consider half-elf for my warlock.

OTOH, it's pretty hard to give up Medium Armor Proficiency feat at 1st level by going Human - that's like an additional +4 on my AC (2 from better armor, 2 more from a shield), & would eventually be +5 when I can afford the best of the medium armors.

sidonunspa · Aug 19, 2014

Rydac said:
I think you need to re-do the point buy math....I'm coming up with 29 to buy those stats and one only gets 27 for point buy.
to get the above before the racial modifiers the stats would be:
CHA 12 = 4
DEX 15 = 9
CON 15 = 9
WIS 11 = 3
STR 10 = 2
INT 10 = 2
Total = 29

Easy fix is making either STR or INT an 8

hell no...

Start with 3 10's, 12, 14, 15... hard choice to do with dex or con.. seeing my first feat could give me +1 Dex and proficiency in dex saves.

I rather lower another stat... a charming idiot does not make a good face... and 8 strength can backfire as a fighter real quick.

Quartz · Aug 19, 2014

See my thread here.

Humans as is fail the rule of cool. Stat bumps aside, dwarves get darkvision, resistance to poison, the automatic ability to wear armour, resistance to poison; dragonborn get breath weapons and damage resistance; tieflings get fire resistance and spells; half-elves get darkvision and skill versatility; and so on. Humans get nothing in the Basic Rules, or 1 feat and 1 skill in the PHB, neither of which are cool.

However, the Resilience feat caught my eye. It would be just-about-cool if humans had an extra save in which they were proficient. Three instead of two. (It would be cool if humans were proficient in all saves but that's rather OTT.) So, I suggest humans get the standard +2/+1 stat bumps in stats of choice, take Resilient in a 3rd stat (getting the +1 bump as well for +2/+1/+1, no stacking), and then get 2 skills of choice (q.v. Skilled feat). This is pretty much the half-elf package with extra freedom and swapping darkvision for proficiency in a stat.

I think it's worth repeating: humans as is fail the rule of cool.

I've read in another thread that racial bonuses engendered much debate during the playtest - I'd like to learn about that.

doctorhook · Aug 19, 2014

Quartz said:
See my thread here.

Seconded. There was a fairly in-depth discussion of human vs. half-elf over there. Personally, I'm not satisfied that we've achieved any kind of resolution yet.

Here's my suggested human fix from that thread:

doctorhook said:
In terms of trying to balance the human and half-elf against each other, we have to consider that both races might be unbalanced. Without nerfing the half-elf, I'm starting to like the following for variant humans:

+1 to any four ability scores; and,

Proficiency in two skills; and,

One feat.

This arrangement avoids having humans "step on the toes" of other races with a +2 to any score--this was previously a major point of contention. As for non-variant (read: "non-feat" humans), go with +1 to all six ability scores as well as proficiency in two skills and one set of tools.

Critiques?

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?357975-A-tweak-for-humans/page4#ixzz3ArZbAIJH

Please provide feedback.

trentonjoe · Aug 19, 2014

Quartz said:
I think it's worth repeating: humans as is fail the rule of cool.

Feats aren't cool? Your mantra isn't exactly a widely accepted fact.

Quartz · Aug 19, 2014

trentonjoe said:
Feats aren't cool? Your mantra isn't exactly a widely accepted fact.

In the Basic Rules, there are no feats.

TwoSix · Aug 19, 2014

Quartz said:
In the Basic Rules, there are no feats.

In the Basic Rules, there are no half-elves.

Mistwell · Aug 19, 2014

Quartz said:
See my thread here.

Humans as is fail the rule of cool. Stat bumps aside, dwarves get darkvision, resistance to poison, the automatic ability to wear armour, resistance to poison; dragonborn get breath weapons and damage resistance; tieflings get fire resistance and spells; half-elves get darkvision and skill versatility; and so on. Humans get nothing in the Basic Rules, or 1 feat and 1 skill in the PHB, neither of which are cool.

However, the Resilience feat caught my eye. It would be just-about-cool if humans had an extra save in which they were proficient. Three instead of two. (It would be cool if humans were proficient in all saves but that's rather OTT.) So, I suggest humans get the standard +2/+1 stat bumps in stats of choice, take Resilient in a 3rd stat (getting the +1 bump as well for +2/+1/+1, no stacking), and then get 2 skills of choice (q.v. Skilled feat). This is pretty much the half-elf package with extra freedom and swapping darkvision for proficiency in a stat.

I think it's worth repeating: humans as is fail the rule of cool.

I've read in another thread that racial bonuses engendered much debate during the playtest - I'd like to learn about that.

There is no rule of cool, since cool is subjective so does not make good material for a rule.

Bryk · Aug 19, 2014

Sadras said:
Half-Elf
+2 on Charisma, +1 on TWO other abilities.
Lives Longer
Darkvision
Proficiency in TWO skills
Fey Ancestry
Languages Common, Elvish and ONE other

Versus

Human # 1
+1 on all abilities

or

Human # 2
+1 on TWO ABILITIES
Proficiency in ONE skill
ONE feat.

I'm thinking unless Charisma is going to be a dump stat, Half-Elf everytime.
I mean feats are gorgeous, but a feat does not possibly equate to a +2 Cha boost, Elvish, 1 additional skill proficiency, longer life, fey ancestry & darkvision.

Seems grossly unfair. What say you, what have I missed?

Human's +1 language as well. A feat is the equivalent to +2 to a stat, and some might argue more so.

Unless you are MCing into a class that needs CHA, I think it makes more sense to go Human to take the free feat.
It helps drastically with theme characters, for instance I am making a Human Knowledge Cleric, Divination Mage, with the lucky feat. Should be a really fun character, 1/3rd luck, 1/3rd skill, 1/3rd magic

Jer · Aug 19, 2014

Mistwell said:
There is no rule of cool, since cool is subjective so does not make good material for a rule.

Or the rule of cool is a house rule, and you should expect every table to have a different one.

D&D 5E Half Elf vs Human

Snapdragyn

Explorer

sidonunspa

First Post

Quartz

Hero

doctorhook

Legend

trentonjoe

Explorer

Quartz

Hero

TwoSix

Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer

Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)

Bryk

First Post

Jer

Legend

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