D&D (2024) After my players tried to break it, we discovered that the new half-race rules are hilarious and terrible.

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Realized that WOTC really wants all the options, but again if everybody is special, nobody is.

That's not the motivation.

They don't want to be in the business of saying "X percentage of blood from ethnic group Y makes you big and bestial." That's a PR disaster waiting to happen, especially if they accomplish anything like getting a LotR or MCU level mindshare with the public. (The public currently knows D&D is a thing, but not the details.)

If you thought the Twitter blow up about how orcs were depicted in the Monster Manual and Volo's was bad, wait until it's cable news going after D&D for half-races.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There should be a poll on how many players want to play a hybrid race (other than Half-Elf or Half-Orc) for 1D&D.

Make one!

But if you mean WotC should, they won't, other than the UA feedback survey they already posted.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think, if you dissociate abilities from cosmetics, it is on you, not on wotc.
You can subvert any system.

Not that I particularily like the removal of half-elves. I think some feat support for half humans would help though.

 

[Li Shenron]

As much as I typically dislike half-races, I think the rule is working as intended.

With this rule you are free to create any combination, just don't expect it to feel unique. For a half race to have something unique, it needs to be designed individually, and I don't think they're going to remove half-elf and half-orc just because there is also this new option. If they do that, that would a very bad move, removing a valid option to force everyone to use the other. But I wouldn't be completely surprised if it ends up that way, I already have the feeling that WotC is on a path of dropping the original 5e principle of "support as many playstyle as possible" in favour of telling everyone how they should play the game.

If really 5e had a flaw, it was the inability of WotC to realise that most of the rules can be optional, without the game ceasing to feel like D&D. Had they labelled more stuff in the books as optional, and present 5e as a toolbox, there would be a much more friendly atmosphere around the game. This goes also for this particular half-race rule: label it as optional, and every group can choose if they want it or not.

 

[beancounter]

WoTC could make it's life a lot easier by ruling that only humans elves and orcs are genetically compatible. Or something along the lines that the gods made it that way.

This would also be a good opportunity for them to clarify that the different races are really different species...

 

[MarkB]

One of the first things I thought of after seeing the half-race rule was a humanoid / warforged combo flavoured as a cyborg.

 

[Sir Brennen]

Please, do tell how by picking the mechanics that exactly match what they could get otherwise but being able to change the fluff, you can mix-max "beyond the levels even the godhead intended".

I really want to know how the exact same mechanics are now ridiculously min-max when you can change the fluff.

I believe the min-maxing comment was in response to the idea of actually allowing the swapping of specific traits from the parent races (even if it’s just losing trait X and gaining trait Y, where X and Y are the only traits allowed to be swapped).

I personally like the idea, but could see, depending on what species traits are allowed to be swapped, that some players would look for the best synergistic combinations of races and their singular inheritable trait.

No one is saying the existing UA rules are min-max-able.

 

[Sir Brennen]

The 1dnd rules treat half races as if they were wizard experiments or mutants, randomly getting "traits" from either parent. (and actually, this is mostly a consequence of dnd looking at 19th century race science and saying, "hmm, what if our fantasy world actually did operate that way?" I suppose next they add a spell that allows you to determine blood quantum).

That being said, OP is a great idea generator for a science fantasy game

I think it’s quite the opposite. If anything, it’s all the previous editions (or really, any RPG with distinct humanoid species capable of interbreeding) that treat half races as “wizard experiments or mutants”. You have either a set list of “creatures born of these two races always have these traits” or a mix-and-match set of characteristics.

The 1D&D rules simplify this, for a lot of reasons, including social awareness, maximizing options for character concepts (see OP) while at the same time minimizing the game mechanics complexities that would crop up presenting options for all the different race combinations.

And I honestly don’t know how you get away from the more outdated ideas of race you mention, given the premise that races in fantasy worlds are actually distinct biological lines of creatures, unlike real world humanity.

Probably the only way to completely do that would be to not have half-races in the game at all.

 

[GuyBoy]

If your sole intent is to break something, you’ll probably succeed. RPG systems are no different in this regard.
I’m not sure this indicates any problem with the system

 

[Warpiglet-7]

If your sole intent is to break something, you’ll probably succeed. RPG systems are no different in this regard.
I’m not sure this indicates any problem with the system

It’s a problem often with the group unless you like that stuff.

In the old days someone could take a bunch of prestige classes. They could make a war slayer, baker, assclown comedy priest.

They should not do that if it messes with the groups fun. And the DM should say you have never been to clown school so no. I like playing raw/rai where possible but assume responsibility to not do goofy stuff. As DM, I am not afraid to say no if something will change other players’ experience to a negative.