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

[MGibster]

Like with all this focus on race/species, is having a polymorphic species ok? Similar to how ants have different sized individuals? (but not in a colony and with proper free will unlike ants).

In anthropology they called that sexual dimorphism. In the various D&D books with illustrations showing size differences, women have typically been depicted as smaller than males of the same species and with different featuers. I haven't heard anyone complain about that yet. There are no rules preventing a human woman from being 6 foot 4 inches or a man being 5 foot six inches.

 

[Irlo]

Everything they describe about the races and classes, everything in the magic section, is part of the default in 5e. Now, I really liked how they provided examples of different characterizations by drawing on the settings in the PH. It was one of the things that made me love the 5e PH, that they were seemingly embracing the many settings of the game (little did I know how much they would backtrack on that respect from my point of view). I think it would be great if they went back to showing different ways to handle stuff like species and culture by way of examples, in the PH, from the settings.

This approach to the PHB and Monster Manual would make those books much more valuable to me. Short illustrative options for species, cultures, classes, equipment, monsters, magic … all of it, really … to stoke the imaginations of DMs and players without seeming to lock down particulars as a default. That’s my dream D&D.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

I really think the only way for the community to get what were known as "half-elves" or "half-orcs" reinstated into the 2024 PHB is on social justice grounds. Either accentuate how problematic it is to erase character options of mixed heritages or point out how much just choosing the features of one parent parallels the "one-drop" issue.

The 30 minute videos on how "WOTC Cucks for Wokes" on this issue that are trashing up my YouTube feed at the moment is not going to change WOTC's mind on this. The voices that are arguing for retaining the inclusion of these options need to be respected in the community, reasoned and credible.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Like with all this focus on race/species, is having a polymorphic species ok? Similar to how ants have different sized individuals? (but not in a colony and with proper free will unlike ants).

A non-humanoid species that is born different and displays a non-binary set of genders but without the weirdly fascistic or caste system undertones of common 'hivemind' species?

I mean the Secret Service might get involved because you'd be printing money, but...

 

[Bagpuss]

Like with all this focus on race/species, is having a polymorphic species ok? Similar to how ants have different sized individuals? (but not in a colony and with proper free will unlike ants).

Hmm considering having dimorphic male/female is contentious to say the least...

But yeah I'd really like to see some dimorphic or polymorphic races, anything that isn't humans with a different skin, which seems to be what WotC is determined to turn all races into.

 

[Incenjucar]

Like with all this focus on race/species, is having a polymorphic species ok? Similar to how ants have different sized individuals? (but not in a colony and with proper free will unlike ants).

Why wouldn't it be? Just don't shove a bunch of weird unnecessary sexism stuff in there.

A good example of sexual dimorphism in a fantasy species is the imps from the Helluva Boss cartoon series. The biologically male imps have one horn pattern, and the biologically female imps have another. One of the characters has a sister who has the biologically male horns, indicating she is a trans woman. There's no comment on it, there's no stereotyping, no jokes made about it, etc., because she's just herself regardless of the roll of the genetic dice, even if it's on full display for all to see. Respectful representation does not prevent species from having different physical forms.

 

[SteveC]

The sensitivity of the current times makes me quite nervous to even attempt a homebrew setting for dnd. If an entire team of professionals can't manage to handle delicate topics, what chance do randoms with far less knowledge and experience have?

I've got quite a narrow experience of the world, and no matter how much research I do there are always more viewpoints and experiences I'm finding out from people. It feels like literally anything I write could be culturally or racially insensitive to someone.

I really would not be. Wizards is both held to and holds itself to standards that no small designer ever could, would, or should be held to. They are part of Hasbro which is a multi-billion dollar company. Their concerns are fundamentally different from anyone else in gaming.

There are many rpgs created by single creators that are highly successful, and don't try to hold themselves to the Wizards standards. They do make a huge variety of games that have things in them that people approve of or not. The key is to be a decent person, and be true to your intended audience. If they like it, what do the opinions of anyone else matter? I'm not saying that you should try and be an "edgelord," but your game can be itself. As I've learned from recent threads, there are fan made Mystara or Dark Sun games that exist and are just fine chugging along. People who are interested in them are playing them and seem pretty happy. If that's what you're trying to do, I suspect you'll be just fine.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Hmm considering having dimorphic male/female is contentious to say the least...

But yeah I'd really like to see some dimorphic or polymorphic races, anything that isn't humans with a different skin, which seems to be what WotC is determined to turn all races into.

Oh wasn't talking about male/female. Both morphs would have a male and female of that morph with only minor differences like humans or elves have.

More like ants have workers and majors, except unlike ants they're fully free willed and not programmed to do one job in society.

So there would be morph A, with both male and female. And then morph B, which also has male and female. The different morphs are completely separate to gender.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Why wouldn't it be? Just don't shove a bunch of weird unnecessary sexism stuff in there.

A good example of sexual dimorphism in a fantasy species is the imps from the Helluva Boss cartoon series. The biologically male imps have one horn pattern, and the biologically female imps have another. One of the characters has a sister who has the biologically male horns, indicating she is a trans woman. There's no comment on it, there's no stereotyping, no jokes made about it, etc., because she's just herself regardless of the roll of the genetic dice, even if it's on full display for all to see. Respectful representation does not prevent species from having different physical forms.

I've not seen that but it sounds adorable! Love it!

 

[Bagpuss]

Oh wasn't talking about male/female. Both morphs would have a male and female of that morph with only minor differences like humans or elves have.

Yeah because god forbid we reflect reality, where many species have sexual dimorphism.

More like ants have workers and majors, except unlike ants they're fully free willed and not programmed to do one job in society.

Yeah but it really wouldn't make sense for a solider ant to try and do the job of say a farmer one would it or the reverse.