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

[DarkCrisis]

I mean... everyone gets a level 1 feat now automatically. Everyone turning into tieflings at level 4 would be odd, unless a story event caused it.

Cue Shadowrun

 

[Scribe]

For example, the Lorendrow who live under a rainforest canopy instead of in the Underdark. In this quite different environment, they might have different spells ... thus defacto be a separate "lineage" with its own entry separate from the Udadrow entry.

Too many elven entries!

They would only have those spells after they 'attune' over generations to their environment, at which point they are no longer drow.

 

[Yaarel]

They would only have those spells after they 'attune' over generations to their environment, at which point they are no longer drow.

Nowhere says "generations". Plus how would one represent such a gradual transformation, does the player get to swap out one innate spell for an other? Then kids of that PC swap out an other one again? This would turn a hundred plus elven entries into a thousand plus elven entries!


Just let the player pick the spells. Done!

One Elf!

Pick its spells.

 

[Scribe]

There is only an "Elf species". That is it. One.

False, Astral Elves are a distinct species as are Sea Elves.

You are basing your subjective view on outdated information. The objective truth as of the current templating, is that each various species, is a distinct 'species', and not a subtype.

Plus how would one represent such a gradual transformation, does the player get to swap out one innate spell for an other?

There is no need to look at the game at such a granular level. It breaks under inspection.

It is a Chicken and Egg question, and just like the fixation on certain other aspects of the lore or rules, it doesnt bear the weight of scrutiny.

There is not one Elf, but many types.

 

[Yaarel]

False, Astral Elves are a distinct species as are Sea Elves.

You are basing your subjective view on outdated information. The objective truth as of the current templating, is that each various species, is a distinct 'species', and not a subtype.



There is no need to look at the game at such a granular level. It breaks under inspection.

It is a Chicken and Egg question, and just like the fixation on certain other aspects of the lore or rules, it doesnt bear the weight of scrutiny.

There is not one Elf, but many types.

I dont want 5e to have a 100+ different kinds of elves!

Not even seven!

Choosing a different spell, does not a separate species make.


Mordenkainen Presents is "compatible" with 2024, but its nomenclature of "races" is already obsolete, and it was written before the introduction of the terms "species" and "lineage".

There is only one Elf species.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

There is not one Elf, but many types.

Yeah let's see how that plays out in the 5E PHB.

The Origins UA packet very much had a unified elf with three "lineages" as it put it - Drow, High, and Wood.

So I think we'll see them continue that approach, rather than having each of those three in as a separate species in the PHB. Astral Elves, being in a different book, will remain distinct of course, but I really suspect WotC is heading back to "one elf, many lineages".

(I note all three got kind of de facto buffed, because they lost their so-so weapon proficiencies and all have three spells and an ability)

 

[Scribe]

The High Elf cannot breath under Water. The Sea Elf can.

The Sea Elf is still "counts as an elf".

You may not like it, but there are plenty of things I dont like, and we still get to accept them or change them as we must.

The Origins UA packet very much had a unified elf with three "lineages" as it put it - Drow, High, and Wood.

So I think we'll see them continue that approach, rather than having each of those three in as a separate species in the PHB. Astral Elves, being in a different book, will remain distinct of course, but I really suspect WotC is heading back to "one elf, many lineages".

Certainly could be, the templating Wizards has done in the past is terrible and a huge waste of space, but we shall see.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Certainly could be, the templating Wizards has done in the past is terrible and a huge waste of space, but we shall see.

Agree re: previous templating - it's notable the templating was more aggressive here. But god knows how much of the Origins UA will make it to release.

 

[Yaarel]

The High Elf cannot breath under Water. The Sea Elf can.

The Sea Elf is still "counts as an elf".

You may not like it, but there are plenty of things I dont like, and we still get to accept them or change them as we must.



Certainly could be, the templating Wizards has done in the past is terrible and a huge waste of space, but we shall see.

Water Breathing can be rewritten as a cantrip.

If necessary, Water Breathing can be rewritten as a slot-1 spell.

In any case, Water Breathing is subpar for slot 3.


Darkvision is a slot-2 spell. Albeit it too can be rewritten as a cantrip instead.


Then a player who wants an Elf who has darkvision and breathes water can PICK THOSE SPELLS.

 

[Scribe]

Water Breathing can be rewritten as a cantrip.

If necessary, Water Breathing can be rewritten as a slot-1 spell.

In any case, Water Breathing is subpar for slot 3.


Darkvision is a slot-2 spell. Albeit it too can be rewritten as a cantrip instead.


Then a player who wants an Elf who has darkvision and breathes water can PICK THOSE SPELLS.

Of course it could be rewritten.

MotM is '2024 ready' I believe Wizards has indicated. It is not a spell. It is not a cantrip. It is a biological/magical difference. This is undeniable.

Now of course it COULD all change. Wizards could change anything (alignment no longer exists, oh wait yes it does) at any time, from one book to the next and they indeed have done so MULTIPLE times even in the last 4 years.

To pretend that Wizards has a coherent plan, a design methodology, that they will adhere to, is folly.