Tiefling and half-orc should not be in the PHB

[variant]

I didn't like it when the half-orc appeared in 3e, and I liked it even less when i saw Tiefling in 4e. These types of half races should just be stuffed in some addon book somewhere. Give me the basic races in the PHB: Human, elf, halfling, and dwarf.

The reason is that I usually don't play with half-monster races, and I am tired of hearing "but it's in the Player's Handbook..." anytime I form a group to play in my local book store.

 

[delericho]

For the starter set, I certainly agree with restricting the set to Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling.

For the Core Rulebook, they could probably get away with sticking with that set, but if they're going to go beyond it, they should do so strictly based on the popularity of the races (which they know pretty exactly, thanks to the DDI). My guess would be that the half-elf comes pretty high on that list.

(Although it should be noted that, apparently, it's only a very tiny minority who play anything outside the 'big 4'.)

 

[Minigiant]

I like the half orc and tiefling. There should be a race with a bonus to each of the ability score.

Half-orc easilty fits the "Strong" race. I believe any setting with a bunch of races should have a "Strong". And Half-orcs also fills the "Big idiot" role.

Tieflings are the smart race.

With Humans being the no adjustment, I want a race with a bonus for each ability score. And if they do penalties, there should be a race for each racial ability penalty. And with Halflings and Elves both being Dex classes, then we need 8 core races.

 

[Danzauker]

I didn't like it when the half-orc appeared in 3e, and I liked it even less when i saw Tiefling in 4e. These types of half races should just be stuffed in some addon book somewhere. Give me the basic races in the PHB: Human, elf, halfling, and dwarf.

The reason is that I usually don't play with half-monster races, and I am tired of hearing "but it's in the Player's Handbook..." anytime I form a group to play in my local book store.

So, because YOU don't have the strength of will to enforce the decisions you make in your campaigns, EVERYBODY else must miss something?

 

[Libramarian]

I like the half orc and tiefling. There should be a race with a bonus to each of the ability score.

Nah. Too much symmetry is ugly.

 

[Buugipopuu]

Tieflings (and Aasimar) should be special, making them +1 LA races was fine (although they probably weren't good enough to warrant the +1 LA, but that's just because WotC overestimated almost every single LA they printed), I never liked things like 'lesser Drow' or 'lesser Aasimar' for people who wanted to play exotic races but didn't want to pay for them. Half-Orc is fine as a standard race, they seem like they should be rarely common, what with Orcs and Humans being some of the most populous of races. Tieflings should be too rare to be presented as a standard option in most campaigns. Also Dragonborn can go suck a lemon.

What I'd like to see would be a generic half-breed system, that lets DMs generate the racial stats of half-whatevers or quarter-whatevers from the monster in question's stats (maybe with a little fudging). Things like Half-Orc and Tiefling could be presented as examples in this system. This'll never actually be done though.

 

[Bedrockgames]

For the Core Rulebook, they could probably get away with sticking with that set, but if they're going to go beyond it, they should do so strictly based on the popularity of the races (which they know pretty exactly, thanks to the DDI). My guess would be that the half-elf comes pretty high on that list.

()

There are two pitfalls with this approach. First, DDI is mostly 4E fans, so the impression may be skewed. It is possible pathfinder, 3e and old school folks have different preferences on races. If they want to unify the base, they need to make sure the race selection works for all these groups.

The second is this: just because a race or option is rarely used, that doesn't mean people dont want it to be there in the core book. There are races I play only rarely but very much like and want in the core game.

 

[delericho]

I like the half orc and tiefling. There should be a race with a bonus to each of the ability score.

I have no objection to half-orcs and tieflings, but ability score adjustments should go away. All they do is encourage min-maxing, leading to really bland parties where races are chosen not because the player actually wants to play an elf, but because they want to get that Dex bonus.

And ability penalties are just as bad, making the cost of playing against type too great to ever really be considered.

All of the ability score generation methods that are being seriously talked about allow the player to assign stats to scores as he or she sees fit. That being the case, modelling the 'strong' race is trivial - assign your best score to Strength. (And, incidentally, the exact same logic applies to gender adjustments and aging adjustments - if you want them, assign the stats accordingly. There's just no need for specific modifiers.)

 

[Ichneumon]

If the barbarian and warlock will be gracing the PHB, it'd be a crime not to have the half-orc and tiefling on board.

They'd be optional, of course, and any DM is entitled to omit them as a PC choice. But optional doesn't have to mean "outtasite".

 

[Khaalis]

So, because YOU don't have the strength of will to enforce the decisions you make in your campaigns, EVERYBODY else must miss something?

I have to agree here. More options for races is better than fewer. By the restriction argument, Humans should be the only "core" race and everything else is an "additive" as humans are the only race in 99% of every fantasy setting. There is no 1 Elf to rule them all. Some setting have no halflings. Etc.

Personally I would like to see a wide range of "base" races as well as a codified race building system, somewhat like Fantasy Craft. Something along the lines of "all races are built with X build points and here is a list of possible racial abilities and their costs". I would also like to see Sub-races done as racial feats.