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

[Yaarel]

How do you adequately cover species and class entries with zero setting assumptions? Seriously, I want an example.

The species description is discrete. But each species would be followed by three prominent Forgotten Realms cultures where the species is prominent. For the Elf, the Forgotten Realms cultures might be Everelsk (or the island of Evermeet) as examples of the traditional High cultures, the High Forest culture as the homeland of the Wood Elf cultures. Historically, both the High Forest culture and Everelsk and Evermeet cultures derive from the same elven Eaerlann culture in the land that is today Savage Frontier. But now these diaspora elven communities are distinct enough to warrant separate cultural descriptions.

At first I assumed the Underdark town of Menzoberranzan with its Lolth Uda culture would continue the Drow traditions. But now I am thinking it is probably better to have a more "normal" non-Evil culture to continue the "drow player race" traditions. Baldurs Gate mentions a Seldarine community. The Elf section might mention the culture of the small Drow enclave in the nearby High Forest. Its citizens might be Loren culture immigrants. Perhaps there is the Aeven culture that is prominent somewhere under the glaciers of the Ice Wind Dales region. Possibly a more distant Loren culture in Chuult is possible, and its tree-canopy there.

If Menzoberranzan is absent from the Players Handbook, it means it and its Uda citizens are controlled by the members of the theocratic Lolth faction that is "typically Chaotic Evil". There are still Good Elves who inhabit Menzoberranzan but they grow up with it being normal for the faction to be in power, and they fear it. The faction hidden away in the Underdark can be a locale from where the DM can introduce some of the more villainous Drow traditions.

We dont know enough about the various Drow cultures: Uda, Aeven, Loren, and High Forest might be its own distinct culture. I assume Drow are an elven ethnicity who share the same historical origin, but each culture of the diaspora evolves differently. Possibly, Uda, Aeven, and Loren are prominent branches, who historically separate from each other during a civil war in response to when Lolth transmogrified into a Fiend.

Notably, because these are Backgrounds, they wont be a genericized Forgotten Realms. The Backgrounds can be setting-specific and are free to refer to the minutia of the Forgotten Realms canon.

That said, the Forgotten Realms setting is rife with racism at every level, both reallife racist tropes and racist pseudoscience theories. The unofficial fan websites can be even worse. Some of the websites still refer to "Humanoid" in the sense of monstrous Orc and Goblin, rather than the sense of the 5e creature type that includes Human, Elf, Dwarf, and other humanlike Species as well. It seems difficult to free the Forgotten Realms setting from racism. The official books from 2024 onward must be nonracist. Maybe DnDBeyond can offer a free official guideline to help fan websites avoid racism.


Anyway, each species description is setting-neutral, but the three examples of cultures afterward are setting-specific to the Forgotten Realms. Each culture lists prominent backgrounds, which the players can find in the Backgrounds chapter. The Human Species will also list three specific cultures, perhaps one urban, one agrarian, and one nomadic.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The species description is discrete. But each species would be followed by three prominent Forgotten Realms cultures where the species is prominent. For the Elf, the Forgotten Realms cultures might be Everelsk (or the island of Evermeet) as examples of the traditional High cultures, the High Forest culture as the homeland of the Wood Elf cultures. Historically, both the High Forest culture and Everelsk and Evermeet cultures derive from the same elven Eaerlann culture in the land that is today Savage Frontier. But now these diaspora elven communities are distinct enough to warrant separate cultural descriptions.

At first I assumed the Underdark town of Menzoberranzan with its Lolth Uda culture would continue the Drow traditions. But now I am thinking it is probably better to have a more "normal" non-Evil culture to continue the "drow player race" traditions. Baldurs Gate mentions a Seldarine community. The Elf section might mention the culture of a small Loren Drow enclave in the nearby High Forest, or perhaps the Aeven culture is prominent somewhere in the Ice Wind Dales region. Possibly a more distant Loren culture in Chuult is possible, and its tree-canopy there.

If Menzoberranzan is absent from the Players Handbook, it means it and its Uda citizens are controlled by the members of the theocratic Lolth faction that is "typically Chaotic Evil". There are still Good Elves who inhabit Menzoberranzan but they grow up with it being normal for the faction to be in power, and they fear it. The faction hidden away in the Underdark can be a locale from where the DM can introduce some of the more villainous Drow traditions.

We dont know enough about the various Drow cultures: Uda, Aeven, Loren, and High Forest might be its own distinct culture. I assume Drow are an elven ethnicity who share the same historical origin, but each culture of the diaspora evolves differently. Possibly, Uda, Aeven, and Loren are prominent branches, who historically separate from each other during a civil war in response to when Lolth transmogrified into a Fiend.

Notably, because these are Backgrounds, they wont be a genericized Forgotten Realms. The Backgrounds can be setting-specific and are free to refer to the minutia of the Forgotten Realms canon.

That said, the Forgotten Realms setting is rife with racism at every level, both reallife racist tropes and racist pseudoscience theories. The unofficial fan websites can be even worse. Some of the websites still refer to "Humanoid" in the sense of monstrous Orc and Goblin, rather than the sense of the 5e creature type that includes Human, Elf, Dwarf, and other humanlike Species as well. It seems difficult to free the Forgotten Realms setting from racism. The official books from 2024 onward must be nonracist. Maybe DnDBeyond can offer a free official guideline to help fan websites avoid racism.


Anyway, each species description is setting-neutral, but the three examples of cultures afterward are setting-specific to the Forgotten Realms. Each culture lists prominent backgrounds, which the players can find in the Backgrounds chapter. The Human Species will also list three specific cultures, perhaps one urban, one agrarian, and one nomadic.

I didn't see a setting-free species or class description in any of that. Instead I saw a bunch of setting details and speculation, and a suggestion to add this to the description (the opposite of what you claimed to want), and then an attack on the Realms including a call to action to remove all the racism you see everywhere.

Let's make this simple: what does @Yaarel 's D&D Player's Handbook actually say about elves?

 

[Scribe]

How do you adequately cover species and class entries with zero setting assumptions? Seriously, I want an example.

You just need to make them excessively generic, with a 'multiversal' assumption.

The Tiefling Origin write up is how Wizards will likely do this, or Orcs from MotM.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You just need to make them excessively generic, with a 'multiversal' assumption.

The Tiefling Origin write up is how Wizards will likely do this, or Orcs from MotM.

Both bland as all get out. I see how it is. Pretty pictures and aethetic freedom over all then.

 

[Yaarel]

I didn't see a setting-free species or class description in any of that. Instead I saw a bunch of setting details and speculation, and a suggestion to add this to the description (the opposite of what you claimed to want), and then an attack on the Realms including a call to action to remove all the racism you see everywhere.

Let's make this simple: what does @Yaarel 's D&D Player's Handbook actually say about elves?

You are asking about how the 2024 Players Handbook will organize its content. Correct? Obviously predictions about 2024 are speculative. Even the designers might not have decided everything yet.

Something like.

Chapter: Species
Section: Elf
Approximately one paragraph about the Elf as a setting-neutral species concept: innately magical, physically beautiful, eternally youthful.
The mechanical traits of the Elf: choice of two cantrips, slot-1, slot-2, and choice of an "Adaption" (see above).
Three cultures in the Forgotten Realms setting: Each Elf culture functions according to longterm perspectives, including history of ancestors who might still be alive as well as fateful prophecies about the future. Elven cultures typically use magic to overcome challenges. The three examples of Elf cultures might be Everelsk, High Forest, and Aeven in-or-near Ice Wind Dales.
Each culture lists backgrounds. An Elf cultural background is a feat that recommends choices for the innate spells and Adaption, in addition to abilities, skills, tool, and language.

 

[Scribe]

Both bland as all get out. I see how it is. Pretty pictures and aethetic freedom over all then.

Yes. This accomplishes a number of Wizards goals. Its really no different from how most of the other 5e platforms have done species design since 2018-2020.

Generic "it could be this, or that, or that" which puts the power in the hands of the players or individual tables.

MToF was replaced as it was too 'definitive'.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Yes. This accomplishes a number of Wizards goals. Its really no different from how most of the other 5e platforms have done species design since 2018-2020.

Generic "it could be this, or that, or that" which puts the power in the hands of the players or individual tables.

MToF was replaced as it was too 'definitive'.

'we give you permission to imagine anything you want about our content'
'so you're giving me nothing?'
'No, of course not, we're giving you an infinite spring of creative potential!'

 

[Scribe]

'we give you permission to imagine anything you want about our content'
'so you're giving me nothing?'
'No, of course not, we're giving you an infinite spring of creative potential!'

A blank page does indeed have the most potential, from a certain perspective.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You are asking about how the 2024 Players Handbook will organize its content. Correct? Obviously predictions about 2024 are speculative. Even the designers might not have decided everything yet.

Something like.

Chapter: Species
Section: Elf
Approximately one paragraph about the Elf as a setting-neutral species concept: innately magical, physically beautiful, eternally youthful.
The mechanical traits of the Elf: choice of two cantrips, slot-1, slot-2, and choice of an "Adaption" (see above).
Three cultures in the Forgotten Realms setting: Each Elf culture functions according to longterm perspectives, including history of ancestors who might still be alive as well as fateful prophecies about the future. Elven cultures typically use magic to overcome challenges. The three examples of Elf cultures might be Everelsk, High Forest, and Aeven in-or-near Ice Wind Dales.
Each culture lists backgrounds. An Elf cultural background is a feat that recommends choices for the innate spells and Adaption, in addition to abilities, skills, tool, and language.

So you're saying that D&D should be the Forgotten Realms, or just that you think that's how WotC will present it? Because what you've described for the PH is exactly that.

 

[Remathilis]

WotC could have fixed this by focusing on one setting like every other major RPG (including its rivals like Pathfinder and TotV). But D&D insists on servicing a half-dozen different settings with decades of lore...