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

[Yaarel]

Fine, that's the main dispute here, and if you don't even disagree I don't know what to say lol.

My point is, the Human-Elf represents the 2014 Half Elf well enough.

So complaints about it being "gone" are faulty.

Meanwhile, the new option of an Elf-Human (using the Human as the base) allows further customization to build even more character concepts that relate to coming from both Elf and Human parentage.


What is true for the Human-Elf (or the Human-Dwarf) where the Background represents the Human parentage well, is less true for Nonhuman multispecies characters.

For example, a Dragonborn-Gnome would have more difficulty trying to mechanically represent both parentages. (In this case, I would probably have Gnome parents and the child transmogrifying under the influence of a nearby powerful Dragon. And I would probably use the Dragonborn as the base if the Breathweapon is the most salient character concept. Maybe choose the Magic Initiate feat to represent Gnomesque magic.) It is better to choose features from both parentages to build more satisfying mechanics for the character concept.


Meanwhile, it is better if the 2024 Human has list of great Species Feats to choose from, that feel "human". For example, the 2014 Half Elf "versatility" feels like something that should inherit from the Human parentage. Learning and mastering new skills is a telltale Human flavor. Flavors like tool use, skill learning, heroism, aggression, fatefulness and more can translate into distinctive Human feats. The Background already covers social groups well enough.

Then the player of a multispecies character who includes Human parentage can choose from these Human feats as well as the feats of the other species parentage.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So complaints about it being "gone" are faulty.

They're not mechanical complaints, that's what you're not getting here.

 

[Yaarel]

They're not mechanical complaints, that's what you're not getting here.

2014 core Half-Elf comes with flavor and mechanics. Both continue onward via the 2024 Human-Elf.

The salient difference is, now Human-Dwarf and more are core too.

 

[CleverNickName]

They're faulty in several ways, not just mechanical. I mean, unless I'm missing something, you can still play a half-orc or half-elf character if you want to. They're in the Creative Commons, along with the rest of the SRD...they aren't going anywhere.

 

[MoonSong]

2014 core Half-Elf comes with flavor and mechanics. Both continue onward via the 2024 Human-Elf.

The salient difference is, now Human-Dwarf and more are core too.

Not without a dedicated entry in the PHB, without that dedicated entry in the phb no Human-Elf NPCs ever again.

 

[Yaarel]

Not without a dedicated entry in the PHB, without that dedicated entry in the phb no Human-Elf NPCs ever again.

I suspect, the 2024 Players Handbook will call out the Human-Elf as an example for how to build a multispecies character. In this way, the "Half-Elf" (namely Human-Elf) will appear in the core rules.

Of course, a player can use the multispecies rules to build a different version of the Human-Elf. But the example will be a build that resembles the 2014 Half-Elf and be ready to play for any players who want to choose it.


Note, NPCs dont use player character rules. They use monster statblocks. So, an NPC Human-Elf will have whatever stats the designer or DM says it does.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I suspect, the 2024 Players Handbook will call out the Human-Elf as an example for how to build a multispecies character. In this way, the "Half-Elf" (namely Human-Elf) will appear in the core rules.

Of course, a player can use the multispecies rules to build a different version of the Human-Elf. But the example will be a build that resembles the 2014 Half-Elf and be ready to play for any players who want to choose it.


Note, NPCs dont use player character rules. They use monster statblocks. So, an NPC Human-Elf will have whatever stats the designer or DM says it does.

The point is, if the half-elf is no longer on the list, adventure writers won't include them. Heck, WotC would probably discourage them from doing so.

 

[Scribe]

The point is, if the half-elf is no longer on the list, adventure writers won't include them. Heck, WotC would probably discourage them from doing so.

If they are going back and changing the origin of pre-existing NPCs, why not.

Think "Han shot first." was bad, Tanis "Not what you thought he was"-Elven...

 

[Yaarel]

The point is, if the half-elf is no longer on the list, adventure writers won't include them. Heck, WotC would probably discourage them from doing so.

I agree with the concern. If Human-Elf individuals and communities disappear from core descriptions they will soon disappear from core setting assumptions. Future adventures will ignore or omit them. Traditions require effort to keep alive. They dont stay alive by themselves.

I expect the multispecies section of the 2024 Players Handbook can and will mention the Human-Elf. This is enough to keep the tradition "core".

I suspect the 2024 onward players will continue to include prominent fans of Human-Elf. And they will continue to feature in future official adventures.

(There are some rumors about future Phandelver omitting a Human-Elf community? I havent looked into that. But the designers should continue the Human-Elf presence − especially when multispecies is a core option in the 2024 Players Handbook.)

At the same time, other multispecies characters and communities will exist in 2024 as well. So, there will be fans of other multispecies, and more competition. Many permutations are possible.

 

[Scribe]

I expect the multispecies section of the 2024 Players Handbook can and will mention the Human-Elf. This is enough to keep the tradition "core".

Again, no it isnt. Hopefully BG3 shows WotC the error of their current path.