D&D (2024) Half-race feats how would you design them?

[Yaarel]

currently, Variant human for me is:

+2/+1 or +1/+1/+1 abilities,
common language,
skilled: +2 skill proficiencies
tools of the trade: 4 proficiencies in any combination of languages, tools or weapons
hidden talent: gain expertise in one skill or tool
on top, I can just add bonus feat for 1D&D.

That is pretty close to the 1dd Human race. And flavorwise identical.

What I specifically want from the Human is a choice of a skill or tool, along with expertise in it. Humans with tool expertise should be common and powerful.

I also see an affinity between the Human race and the Fighter class, especially in the sense of being a tool user, with aggressive and adventurous connotations.

as for elves, I like the idea that after "trance" you gain proficiency in any two tools, languages or weapons as you access some kind of shared elven memory while you "dream"

I agree, the astral elf feature to swap proficiencies at each trance is cool.

But on reflection, proficiency swap isnt cool enough to justify the existence of a separate Elf race, or instantly ten different kinds of Elf races begging to become stats for the over one hundred different kinds of elves across the D&D traditions.

also if races have innate spells, I would make them similar to 3.5e "spell-like abilities" that is, those spell do not require Material(non costly), Somatic and Verbal components. And possibly they do not have concentration trait(this should be approached carefully).

5e has been doing "Innate Spellcasting" since day one, in the 2014 Monster Manual. Innate Spellcasting can also gain the "Psionic" tag.

 

[Horwath]

5e has been doing "Innate Spellcasting" since day one, in the 2014 Monster Manual. Innate Spellcasting can also gain the "Psionic" tag.

this is the way of aberrant mind sorcerer with those 2 spells from levels 1-5.

but for races, it should be made clear in description.

 

[Yaarel]

The only thing missing from the current setup I'm thebpacket is the Fey Ancestry trait. Amd the more I think about it, the odds that there won't be some 1st Level Feat, somewhere along the line, that doesn't give "Fey Ancestry" is pretty slim. Slap that on a Human, it's a standard Half-Elf. Slap it on a Dwarf, and you have a citizen of the Duarchy in Northern Wildemount.

Heh, I was surprised the Fey Touched feat in Tashas didnt already grant Fey Ancestry. But at least an Elf-Human with Human stats, can take the feat and write "Fey Touched" on the character sheet.

Besides, the Elf itself doesnt really have Fey Ancestry either. According to the current (Forgotten Realms) origin story, the Elf actually has "Celestial Ancestry". Their midway sojourn in the feywild makes them more like "fey touched".



Huh. A "Human-Elf" has Elf stats, an "Elf-Human" Human stats.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I would just make a generic feat for being half-blooded, it would let you take from your ‘other species half’ statblock
-their native language
-one of: a sense(Darkvision, blindsense, tremorsense, ect), a individual skill or proficiency from a trait or a trait that gives a resistance/immunity
-a trait
-creature size(if taken at character creation)

So for examples from the (5e PHB) Tiefling you could gain:
-Infernal language
-Darkvision OR Hellish resistance(Fire)
-Infernal Legacy
-Medium size

From a (again 5e PHB) Halfling
-Halfling language
-Brave(fear) OR Stout Resistance(poison)
-Lucky OR Nimble OR Naturally Stealthy
-Small size

From a (Volo’s basic) Orc
-Orcish language
-Darkvision OR one proficiency from Primal Intuition(Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Survival)
-Aggressive OR Primal Intuition OR Powerful Build
-Medium size

 

[Horwath]

I would just make a generic feat for being half-blooded, it would let you take from your ‘other species half’ statblock
-their native language
-one of: a sense(Darkvision, blindsense, tremorsense, ect), a individual skill or proficiency from a trait or a trait that gives a resistance/immunity
-a trait
-creature size(if taken at character creation)

So for examples from the (5e PHB) Tiefling you could gain:
-Infernal language
-Darkvision OR Hellish resistance(Fire)
-Infernal Legacy
-Medium size

From a (again 5e PHB) Halfling
-Halfling language
-Brave(fear) OR Stout Resistance(poison)
-Lucky OR Nimble OR Naturally Stealthy
-Small size

From a (Volo’s basic) Orc
-Orcish language
-Darkvision OR one proficiency from Primal Intuition(Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Survival)
-Aggressive OR Primal Intuition OR Powerful Build
-Medium size

nice ideas, are those considered half-feats?
they are too weak to be full feats.

 

[CreamCloud0]

nice ideas, are those considered half-feats?
they are too weak to be full feats.

If you think it needs to be, I’ve never been great at judging power,
1DnD species have a single inherent ASI right or is that just me getting mixed up with something I’ve read here on enworld? They would get that ASI with the Feat.