I think there's a term to describe your question, but I can't think what it is. Your question is similar to "Okay, you get +2 on all attacks. Now, once again, what additional benefit does this provide?" Huh? The additional benefit is the reskinning itself! I mean, you're only reskinning FOR the mechanical benefits, nothing else. The act itself is the benefit. Do you not see this?
Not really, because you can get the same mechanical benefits without reskinning. In the example above, the only difference is that you call yourself an eladrin instead of a drow (or an elf, in the case of Nifft's example). Remember, you are mechanically a drow (or an elf) even though you call yourself an eladrin, so you can't take feats which require you to be an eladrin, etc. So again, what's the benefit?
I don't understand your comment. How can you get the same benefits of a different race without reskinning? That makes zero sense to me. The example above IS reskinning, so how are you arguing the opposite of that? Please explain why you think "you can get the same mechanical benefits without reskinning" and yet somehow call an elf an eladrin.
I see a conflict in these statements. If the supporting fluff for elves "failed utterly to support their mechanics" then how is it possible that you would consider them so easily interchangeable? Fwiw, I don't. I see them as differently as halfling and dwarves (for example), or race banana vs. race apple. I see races, as defined in D&D, as non-grayscales. They do not overlap.
To get the benefits of being an elf without reskinning, call yourself an elf.
You seem to be confusing two different editions.
Half-Elves do.
Sure, why not. If "Shifty" describes what your critter ought to be able to do, then you're using a fine mechanical package. (In fact, for a DM, it's much easier to reskin, because you don't ever have to remember that your original critter was a kobold -- unlike the PC case, where you have to remember which set of feats you have access to, and you need to reskin those feats.)
because the drow bonuses are the perfect match and you don´t want to look like an evil race?
yes, have your cake and eat it...To get the benefits of being an elf without reskinning, call yourself an elf.
The difference I am talking about is between the two scenarios:
1. Without reskinning - your character is mechanically an elf. In game, he looks like an elf and calls himself an elf.
2. With reskinning - your character is mechanically an elf. In game, he looks like an eladrin and calls himself an eladrin.
Is there any substantive difference between the two?
i expected a comment to the better paragon multiclassing than paragon path... i consider this a surrender
There's your answer. You don't seem to be responding to my point, or maybe I'm not explaining it well.
Yes, a huge one. It's the reskinning itself. I think you might be biased by a personal view that you think eladrin is so close to elf that they're interchangeable. Instead, look at as if I wanted to be a dwarf but reskinned as elf. If you were to be consistent, then you would have no problem with this as a DM. I, on the other hand, would have a problem with it. What's the purpose? To gain some benefits that you desire for a particular build without regard to the fluff. What's the difference? Why, look at the default racial benefits of course!
