D&D (2024) Half Race Appreciation Society: Half Elf most popular race choice in BG3

[MGibster]

My interpretation of half-elves and even half-orcs was that they were few and far between. They weren't so rare that you'd never run into one, but you weren't going to find a whole village or a nation whose inhabitants were mostly half-elves. Depending on the specific setting, Tieflings might also be few and far between. One of the narrative purposes the half-elf served was to be a character that didn't exactly fit in to either elf or human society. That outsider role seems to be something that resonates with some people.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think my main issue with a pick n' mix hybrid trait option, is that every single dnd guide will start with something like 'play as a centaur-thri kreen hybrid'.

And then some unholy 12 limbed centipede of a playable will end up as the most commonly played creature (they always pick sorhexadin for story reasons of course).

The current most popular race and class are standard human and champion fighter.

 

[Scott Christian]

The mix and match will not work for a game that strives to have balance.

As far as seeing yuan-ti, the second it came out, I (Edit for clarity: They were not my PCs. Others played them.) had one in each of my two groups. I rolled with it because it's D&D, and D&D seems to cantina based. But to say players wouldn't do it is ludicrous. The medium mechagodzilla would indeed be a thing for many players if it gave them a way to game the system.

For many, they wouldn't care. For others it might ruin their table experience.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

The current most popular race and class are standard human and champion fighter.

I hang out on r/3d6 too much then.

Literally any 'how can I build' question is answered with people saying hexadin.

 

[Horwath]

The current most popular race and class are standard human and champion fighter.

In almost 10 years of 5E in any of the games I have played, I have not seen a standard human or champion fighter(as a single class).

Only time I have seen it is with an elven scout-rogue as you need to make a decent Ranger somehow when WotC are incapable of.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The mix and match will not work for a game that strives to have balance.

Good thing D&D doesn't with races!

As far as seeing yuan-ti, the second it came out, I had one in each of my two groups. I rolled with it because it's D&D, and D&D seems to cantina based. But to say players wouldn't do it is ludicrous. The medium mechagodzilla would indeed be a thing for many players if it gave them a way to game the system.

For many, they wouldn't care. For others it might ruin their table experience.

So you ruined two table experiences or you didn't? You're basically obviating your own argument lol.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I think my main issue with a pick n' mix hybrid trait option, is that every single dnd guide will start with something like 'play as a centaur-thri kreen hybrid'.

It won't, though.

It'll probably be "Play an Orc" for every single melee class without exception, and some other race for most casters.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I hang out on r/3d6 too much then.

Literally any 'how can I build' question is answered with people saying hexadin.

Sure, CharOp forums will CharOp. They don’t represent what people actually play.

In almost 10 years of 5E in any of the games I have played, I have not seen a standard human or champion fighter(as a single class).

Only time I have seen it is with an elven scout-rogue as you need to make a decent Ranger somehow when WotC are incapable of.

And I’ve never seen a PC without a feat within the first 10 levels, or a party with no MCing, or a party without either a gnome or halfling (or both). I think I’ve seen 2 elves.

Our anecdotes have no bearing on the statistical reality.

 

[Scott Christian]

Good thing D&D doesn't with races!

I beg to differ. They did try to keep it balanced when they published the PHB. They did exactly what they set out to do: make the wood elf a good ranger, make the half-orc a good fighter, make the dwarf a good cleric, etc. So it was balanced, just not how you wanted it.

So you ruined two table experiences or you didn't? You're basically obviating your own argument lol.

I am not obviating anything. I am merely making a statement about the argument at hand. The claim is valid.

 

[Scott Christian]

Our anecdotes have no bearing on the statistical reality.

This is true, but it is all we have to go on. The data given to us is "beyond" flawed, and the data we acquire with our own eyes is too small a sample. So really, none of us know. We speculate, and some try to use it to win arguments. (Some even use it when it suits them and disregard it when it doesn't.)
The only thing we can debate is the truism of our own bubble. Unfortunately, this means you'll never lose a debate and neither will your opponent.