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

[MGibster]

And why aren't Elves the ones doing that? Elves have often been depicted as killing humans who enter their forests, so they would clearly be killing human loggers and hunters. Why are nature-based creatures like Dryads, Fey, and Elves who kill loggers who enter their territory not kill on sight enemies too?

Porbably for the same reason we saw Captain Kirk fighting with the Klingons and Romulans rather than the Vulcans or Tellerites. Kirk had 99 problems, but Vulcans destroying Federation outposts next to the Neutral Zone wasn't one of 'em. Elves killing intruders encroaching on their territory, cutting down their trees, and probably littering is largely acceptable behavior. The very human Duke of Earl might do the same thing to anyone who dares to cut down the trees in his duchy without permission. Elves, other than the Drow, dont' typically raid your town and slaughter your people just because they want to take some of your stuff.

And anyway, even if orcs aren't kill on sight, killing things and taking their stuff is still the bread & butter of D&D game play.

 

[Incenjucar]

There really isn't a need to have enemies that aren't capable of being anything else because baddies can announce themselves sufficiently through behavior. A friendly beholder or mind flayer or demon or gnoll or arcanoloth or whatever makes for an interesting encounter.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

There really isn't a need to have enemies that aren't capable of being anything else because baddies can announce themselves sufficiently through behavior. A friendly beholder or mind flayer or demon or gnoll or arcanoloth or whatever makes for an interesting encounter.

I'd argue that there is value in having always evil enemies. For example the Tyranids in 40k. There is no 'good' tyranid. Ever.

 

[Faolyn]

Typically elves aren't the ones raiding nearby villages and doing evil stuff. But if it were elves, sure, I'd be just as happy to kick down their doors, kill 'em, and take their stuff.

Sure. And why aren't elves the one raiding and pillaging? Because they're not pretty. Because, ages ago, some people arbitrarily decided that orcs were ugly and stupid and evil and deserve to die, and because, even now, some people don't want to put in the effort to figure out other bad guys.

If you're the GM, how often do you choose to have elves be the ones raiding? A while ago, I had the BBEG be a halfling, a servitor of Vecna posing as a charismatic preacher (and his disguised-as-a-halfling greenhag girlfriend).

 

[Faolyn]

Does playable make them off limits for you - in terms of having fun?

That was more in response to Bedrock being upset that I called them a race. Instead of, I suppose, a monster or a thing. Because you can kill monsters and things just fine, but it's wrong to kill people.

Sure. We generally do not kill things which are pretty, unless they are harmful.
It's why there is the trope of a hag disguising herself as a beautiful maiden.

And that's pretty disturbing, actually, even in-game, to say that ugly things deserve to die. Reminds me of a line from the Discworld novel Lords And Ladies: "If cats looked like frogs we'd realize what nasty, cruel little bastards they are."

 

[Incenjucar]

I'd argue that there is value in having always evil enemies. For example the Tyranids in 40k. There is no 'good' tyranid. Ever.

Tyranids are just space locusts in most cases. I'm not even sure that evil is the right term for most of them since they don't have much use for intelligence or sapience 99% of the time. You can get the same amount of story from a rapidly-spreading fungus unless you're talking gene stealers.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Sure. And why aren't elves the one raiding and pillaging? Because they're not pretty. Because, ages ago, some people arbitrarily decided that orcs were ugly and stupid and evil and deserve to die, and because, even now, some people don't want to put in the effort to figure out other bad guys.

If you're the GM, how often do you choose to have elves be the ones raiding? A while ago, I had the BBEG be a halfling, a servitor of Vecna posing as a charismatic preacher (and his disguised-as-a-halfling greenhag girlfriend).

I think you've got it backwards. Someone made a 'bad guy monster', and then as part of that made them look horrifying and scary. They didn't pick the horrifying and scary thing and then turn them into the 'bad guy monster'. The ancient roots of the word 'orc' all refer to evil devils and spirits. Over time the depictions of orcs changed until in modern DnD, they are no longer 'evil spirits' but green people.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Tyranids are just space locusts in most cases. I'm not even sure that evil is the right term for most of them since they don't have much use for intelligence or sapience 99% of the time. You can get the same amount of story from a rapidly-spreading fungus unless you're talking gene stealers.

The thing about tyranids is that they are intelligent. Far smarter than anyone else in the setting in fact. An individual Tyranid may be dumb, but their thoughts merge together into what's essentially a gestalt god.

 

[Incenjucar]

The thing about tyranids is that they are intelligent. Far smarter than anyone else in the setting in fact. An individual Tyranid may be dumb, but their thoughts merge together into what's essentially a gestalt god.

Which opens up a Seven of Nine/Clayface Offspring story of a hivemind-stranded good tyranid or hive of tyranids trying to avoid being joined back into the evil entity.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Which opens up a Seven of Nine/Clayface Offspring story of a hivemind-stranded good tyranid or hive of tyranids trying to avoid being joined back into the evil entity.

Even when separated, they're just programmed to attack everything. They just lose their intelligence and ability to coordinate or use tactics.