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

[Horwath]

No no no. Two complicated and abusable. A few choice points and options, not a complex point system.

22 advantages and 4 disadvantages is too complicated?

If this is too complicated then D&D in general is really too complicated.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I like complex point systems. Why deny the option to those who want it? If it's abused, let the DM handle it.

We all know gorramn well that it can be hard for many DMs to deny or reign in official rules. People complain when a DM does not allow flying races. Do you think new DMs (or even seasoned DMs), will be always able to easily to deny hybrids that are essentially cherry-picking abilities?

I have players who also love complex point systems. And every one wants to break the complex point system and milk it, no matter what it looks like. Looks are cosmetic. Rules are what matter.

 

[Micah Sweet]

We all know gorramn well that it can be hard for many DMs to deny or reign in official rules. People complain when a DM does not allow flying races. Do you think new DMs (or even seasoned DMs), will be always able to easily to deny hybrids that are essentially cherry-picking abilities?

I have players who also love complex point systems. And every one wants to break the complex point system and milk it, no matter what it looks like. Looks are cosmetic. Rules are what matter.

That's on the DM. Make it clear in the book that it's their call, and let the DM stand up to their players if they're trying to browbeat them.

 

[Remathilis]

I like complex point systems. Why deny the option to those who want it? If it's abused, let the DM handle it.

Make it an optional rule in the DMG then. Keep any cherry picking options in the PHB simple.

 

[Scribe]

Make it an optional rule in the DMG then. Keep any cherry picking options in the PHB simple.

So, question.

Do you believe that there are official 5e options that need to be limited as well, for power reasons?

I just dont think highly enough of 5e balance to say no to this grab bag approach due to power level or min/max concerns. It offends me for other reasons, but if one is going to say no to this kind of thing, I imagine there are other options that are also too strong?

 

[Remathilis]

So, question.

Do you believe that there are official 5e options that need to be limited as well, for power reasons?

I just dont think highly enough of 5e balance to say no to this grab bag approach due to power level or min/max concerns. It offends me for other reasons, but if one is going to say no to this kind of thing, I imagine there are other options that are also too strong?

Of course I do. But the playtest already soundly rejected any attempt to fix them, so there is no point to litigating changes that have already been rejected.

 

[Mistwell]

I think one good solution to this issue is to have a new species name of Fey-Touched. Describe it as a person either transformed by fey magic or born that way due to fey ancestry. Could be Elven ancestor, or could be any other Fey source or source of Fey magic. Give them the Half-elf stats. But emphasize not the genetics part of it, but they Fey magic part of it. Now you've taken some racist elements out of the concept while still having the species as distinct from humans and elves.

 

[RareBreed]

Also makes me wonder about what's the experience of a half-elf born to two half-elf parents, rather than a human and an elf?

Once again are they the same as their parents or different again?

I remember my first girl friend, who was Vietnamese, asked why I often dwelled on being "different". She said "I am a minority, I know how you feel". I told her, "no you don't. You can walk into a room full of Asian people, and no one is going to give you a second glance. No matter where I go, there will be some people who will think 'why is that guy here?'".

i suspect that a child born of parents who are themselves mixed will have better insight into what their children will go through, and how the world will see them. Their parents went through the same, and they can guide them better. When your parents are each of their own culture/ethnic group, they won't be able to pick up on a lot of the things that their kids have to go through.

I have felt more kinship with other mixed race people, even if they are of different cultures than me, compared to those whose parents are of the same ethnicity. Secondly, I feel more in common with people who come from two (or more) different cultures. For example, one parent was Christian and the other was Jewish. Or someone who was adopted by parents of a different ethnic or cultural group than they are from. So I think other "mixed" parents would also be able to give insights to help their children.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Make it an optional rule in the DMG then. Keep any cherry picking options in the PHB simple.

So in other words hide it so you don't have to see it? Why in the world would you fo that?

 

[RareBreed]

I have wondered why people like to choose mixed race characters?

Is it for the game mechanic bonuses? Or maybe they want to be something kind of human, but not really? Maybe you are mixed yourself in some way (not necessarily mixed ethnicity, but maybe one parent is Muslim and another is Christian, or adopted by parents of a different ethnicity)? Or maybe you just think it's cool,;it must be great to be of two different worlds?