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

[Bagpuss]

Which doesn't matter when it comes to making hybrids. If a PC wants to play a dwarf/dragonborn, it doesn't matter if magic was involved in the conception or not. The result is the same.

So the whole "this combo is off limits because they can't breed naturally" is a non-issue. Magic trumps it. Next.

Well you can read it two ways, one the DM doesn't need to allow any hybrids, unless they want to. But also any hybrid combo is possible, if you like so don't feel restricted to just mixing humans with orcs and elves.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Hmm... What if you could? Make the half-elf into a fey-touched race that appears both as the offspring of fey ancestry species but also children born by fey portals, children snatched by the fey, etc. You can keep the whole awe/fear elements due to people's opinions of the fey, and it could open the design space to include options not tied to elves or humans.

If a fey planetouched (I refuse to say feytouched) became a thing, I'd definitely want a shadowfell planetouched to be a thing too. The two realms are the opposites of each other.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I think it would help if half orcs and elves were viewed as their own separate species rather than a sub species or a hybrid.

None of the playable characters in D&D were ever really races. Just like dogs and cats, they are separate species.

Honestly this might be the best idea at this point. Like the Khorvar, both half-elves and half-orcs could be switched into being their own unique species, with their own mechanical traits and kingdoms. Rename them so that they are no longer called half-orcs and half-elves. But the background lore could easily mention that they initially came about from the mixing of human and elvish/orcish peoples.

If someone wants to play a first/second/third generation half-elf or half-orc they can use one of these two species.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Well I've always played "race" as species (using the old meaning of the word), so half-races were always infertile which it makes it hard for them to develop a independent society.

Remember in D&D race means species. There are no mixed-species people you would be taking human-gorilla crosses, (well technically there was interbreeding between Neanderthals and Denisovans with modern humans). Mixed-race people are all part of the human race, they aren't a separate species like humans and orcs.

Many hybrids of closely related species are fertile. The misconception comes from the most common hybrid which humans are exposed to (the mule) being infertile.

This is because equine chromsomes are.... a mess. They seem to split or move chunks about on a regular basis (on an evolutionary timescale). Some subspecies of zebra aren't fertile with other subspecies of zebra.

But their are tons which are fertile. Clymere dolphins are hybrids of spinner and striped dolphins, and are now a separate species with a human range. Eastern coyotes are hybrids between dogs, wolves, and coyotes, and have displaced regular coyotes in the regions they inhabit. Chinese salamanders are hybridising with japanese salamanders, with the resulting species outcompeting both.

We don't know if narlugas are fertile, but due to chromosome numbers they probably are. I just wanted to mention them as they're cool af.

 

[Minigiant]

Which doesn't matter when it comes to making hybrids. If a PC wants to play a dwarf/dragonborn, it doesn't matter if magic was involved in the conception or not. The result is the same.

So the whole "this combo is off limits because they can't breed naturally" is a non-issue. Magic trumps it. Next.

Then yoo/WOTC have/has no choice but to make a hybrid race subsystem.

Either you create the natural hybrids or support all magical ones.

 

[Horwath]

You realize that is dwelling VERY close to the language used by segregationists less than a century ago, right? The whole "like should stay with like" was the foundation of Jim Crow?

It's not a good look and I'd rather WotC stay silent than say "some species should stick with their own kind."

Just say that only hybrids between species of humanoids can be something with human.

or it can be like with many animal hybridization, that hybrids are infertile. Unless if they are half human. and any two half-human parents give fertile human child.

 

[MGibster]

My point is that such language could very easily be used for the same purpose, especially when dealing with sentient peoples and not animals, and I don't trust WotC to not step in their own vomit trying to say that.

Why should any of us be overly concerned that bad actors will twist things to suit their needs? Haters gonna hate and potatoes gonna potate. Pivoting around what they want gives them a lot of control.

 

[DarkCrisis]

NM already mentioned in another post

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I agree in the first case, but not in the second. I think it actually aids storytelling if the hobbits, are weaker than the dwarves and the humans, and the elves are more dexterous.

I totally understand and recognize that as a valid preference! Fantasy races are not rooted in reality in any way shape and form, and if I'm to be a bit more introspective, does not fill me with a fiery need to debate against it.

It is just that PCs are exceptional in that they have abilities and qualities beyond the norm. It is my preference that the rules allow for PCs (and DMs) to create characters with ability scores that are as high as any other mortal species. I am OK with a D&D universe orc getting a 20 intelligence or a halfling fighter getting up to the natural 20 strength cap if they choose to grow that way. For strength, all it an inherent quality of fantasy muscle structure that allows smaller halflings or gnomes, or slender elves, to be competitive with other mortal species, and have the ability (even if not the inclination) reach the pinnacle of natural strength. Size matters less than design (in D&D many species were created, not evolved over millions of years). Something that helped my cognitive dissonance in the past is that chimpanzees are smaller than humans and they are stronger in some ways.

 

[MoonSong]

If half-elves aren't in the PHB, hopefully a 1DnD Eberron supplement adds Khoravar as a playable species (with their own mechanics). Essentially adding half-elves via the back door.

Hopefully people don't object to that.

Why not then rename all half elves as Khoravar and let them remain a core option?