D&D (2024) How did I miss this about the Half races/ancestries

[Bawylie]

Close. How about:

You X amount of Lineage points to build your ancestry from. Below are a number of abilities you can pick to represent your species and culture. Each ability has a cost. You may purchase these abilities to create your specific character. You can physically resemble one of the myriad of folk from the D&D world or be a unique creation.

Yeah - I think we have an agreement in principle.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I generally saw the half-elves niche as similar to the Dunedain or Numenoreans or even Atlanteans. They were not as long-lived as elves, but they lived longer than ordinary men. Similarly, in Tolkien's view of things, they were often more charismatic than either regular humans or even some elves, usually Noldor precluded there.

WotC's change regarding half-elves also seems a bit at odds with the identity of the Khoravar (half-elves) in Eberron, who saw their own identity as not half-elves or half-humans per se but as the distinct children of Khorvaire, with both elves and humans being migrants to the continent of Khorvaire from Xen'drik and Sarlona, respectively. The whole idea of mixed heritages like the Khoravar having to choose either elf or human as their species kind of flies in the face of that narrative of having a separate and distinct identity from either elf or human.

So probably put them in the same book as the updated Artificer?

I still think, having the khorvaire people as example for mixed heritage characters right in the PHB might not be the worst idea.

You can even use "people of khovaire" as the header of the example stat block.

Also mixing human and elf is rather easy:

From elf:
Fey ancestry with
sleep and charm resistance,
Darkvision
Percepion skill

From human:
Extra skill point
Inspiration at dawn



Half Orcs would be easy too:

Lose powerful build
Gain extra skill point.

Maybe use a template:
Gain 1 signature ability
Gain 4 nonsignature abilities

Of course some people might still comlain, that not being able to chose signature abilities from all ancestors might be limiting. But balance should be regarded.

An alternate approach might be:
Gain 7 build points.

Human extra feat is worth 4 points
Inspiration at dawn is 2 points
Extra skill is 1 point

The half elf above has:

Sleep and charm resistance (1)
Darkvison (2)
Perception skill (1)
Extra skill (1)
Inspiration at dawn (2)

It won't be perfect. But workable.

 

[Horwath]

D&D (2024) - Custom lineage for 5.5E. Build your own race:

Inspired by custom lineage from Tasha's, but let's take it a bit further. PF1 style. Pick your racial traits; you have 6 trait points: skill proficiency, max 2 times combination of 3 tools, languages and/or weapons, max 2 times expertise in one racial tool or skill darkvision 60ft darkvision...

www.enworld.org

I'm just going to add this here...

 

[delericho]

These days I'm inclined to the view that a character's race/species/heritage/whatever should have the same mechanical weight as their ethnicity, gender, or sexuality - that is, none.

Instead, convert the various racial traits into feats (or half-feats) and let players choose an appropriate number for their character, which they can then justify however they want - maybe Gimli has darkvision because of his dwarven ancestry, Geralt has it because of his mutations, and Arya has it because of a brutal training regimen. (And perhaps your dwarf doesn't have it because she lived her entire life on the surface and so the talent atrophied.) Ultimately, it's the same trait, but the 'why' can vary - and that's fine.

Optionally, the DM could be advised when world-building that some species do have particular universal traits (the Warforged's not needing food, for example), and so they can require all players choosing to portray such characters to choose the appropriate traits. But that should be done very rarely, and probably not for any of the standard species.

 

[John R Davis]

They do lose uniqueness by just picking from a parents rather than being a thing all on their own. Just give them a new name if half is to scary to use.
Loads mixes in media aside from LOTR, with Spock being the most well known I guess. He is unique. Torres from voyager is her own unique thing. As is Starlord.
Does this also mean halfling needs to go as I'm sure that implies something too.
Just pick a term that offends nobody. Add it to the word orc, elf, goliath, etc and make that a species with its own unique stuff.

 

[Corinnguard]

Instead, convert the various racial traits into feats (or half-feats) and let players choose an appropriate number for their character, which they can then justify however they want - maybe Gimli has darkvision because of his dwarven ancestry, Geralt has it because of his mutations, and Arya has it because of a brutal training regimen. (And perhaps your dwarf doesn't have it because she lived her entire life on the surface and so the talent atrophied.) Ultimately, it's the same trait, but the 'why' can vary - and that's fine.

This is what Pathfinder 2nd edition did for their ancestries. To be a Dwarf, you needed to take Dwarven ancestry feats at key levels.
I prefer how Level Up handles it.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Does this also mean halfling needs to go as I'm sure that implies something too.

Halfling here relates to size, rather than being a half and half species.

But I kind of wish halflings would get a different species name. As to halflings they're not half sized. They're regular sized. Everyone else is just big.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

This is what Pathfinder 2nd edition did for their ancestries. To be a Dwarf, you needed to take Dwarven ancestry feats at key levels.
I prefer how Level Up handles it.

Yeah I love how pathfinder 2e has handled species. Also I like how things like aasimar, tieflings, and genasi are templates which can be applied to any species.

 

[Horwath]

Yeah I love how pathfinder 2e has handled species. Also I like how things like aasimar, tieflings, and genasi are templates which can be applied to any species.

aasimar, tiefling, genasi, shifter and warforged should be 1st level feats in 1D&D, with a 4th level feat to expand the traits if preferred.

 

[Corinnguard]

Yeah I love how pathfinder 2e has handled species. Also I like how things like aasimar, tieflings, and genasi are templates which can be applied to any species.

I did like the idea of versatile heritages in Pathfinder 2e. But they were de-feat-ed by all of the feats they wanted the players to use for their characters. It's why Pathfinder 2e went by the nickname of Featfinder. Ancestry feats, Skill feats, Class feats, Archetype feats, Lineage Feats, Etc.