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

[Scribe]

I guess I just can't be optimistic where WotC is concerned. That meeting about D&D being "undermonitized" really stuck with me, and the OGL of course made it worse. I no longer expect them to take any action that doesn't directly lead (from their perspective) to their shareholders making more money, and any other benefit is nice but unimportant to them.

I mean, it is. There are clearly products out there (you carry a banner for one!) which Wizards COULD have been providing. There are REAMS of material, of products, out there that are all part of the 5e ecosystem which Wizards doesnt get a direct penny from.

If Wizards/Hasbro got smart, they would just look at BG3 money, and realize that great games are essentially printing cash for them. Theres your 'monitization goals' Wizards.

It does when people are wondering why dnd has no human subspecies.

Because of tradition? Because various fantastical species exist to fulfil tropes, and act as a foil for Humanity which is actually the centralized character choice as we, the players, are human?

 

[Micah Sweet]

They support the narrative of the DIY DM that makes their own setting and adventures. They don’t discourage their products from being modified to fit particular tables’ needs. But they aren’t targeting those DMs and tables with marketing or product development.

The default D&D player is assumed to be a D&D Beyond user who plays at tables that are running one of the current adventures.

Which means that's what they want, not for us to make our own worlds.

 

[Cadence]

It does when people are wondering why dnd has no human subspecies.

And now I'm googling and glad the only Neanderthal character options are 3PP. <Insert deflection of essays on irl taxonomy>

 

[Micah Sweet]

It does when people are wondering why dnd has no human subspecies.

I always assumed that was politics, but the biological explanation works better. For humans.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Which means that's what they want, not for us to make our own worlds.

if they could monetize that, they'd want us to

Like, if the new VTT has awesome 'build your own world' tools for the price of an upgraded subscription. They'd totally be down with Real DMs make their own worlds!

(TBF, I have no clue what sort of tools those'd be. )

 

[TwoSix]

Which means that's what they want, not for us to make our own worlds.

I imagine their ideal is that you use all their stuff, but if you don’t, they hope at least you keep considering yourself a “D&D player” and buy some of their products.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I mean, it is. There are clearly products out there (you carry a banner for one!) which Wizards COULD have been providing. There are REAMS of material, of products, out there that are all part of the 5e ecosystem which Wizards doesnt get a direct penny from.

If Wizards/Hasbro got smart, they would just look at BG3 money, and realize that great games are essentially printing cash for them. Theres your 'monitization goals' Wizards.



Because of tradition? Because various fantastical species exist to fulfil tropes, and act as a foil for Humanity which is actually the centralized character choice as we, the players, are human?

A lot of folks seem to think humans shouldn't be the centralized character choice, despite virtually all our stories featuring humans in leading roles. Hence the Cantina Effect.

 

[Micah Sweet]

if they could monetize that, they'd want us to

Like, if the new VTT has awesome 'build your own world' tools for the price of an upgraded subscription. They'd totally be down with Real DMs make their own worlds!

(TBF, I have no clue what sort of tools those'd be. )

They haven't even talked much about DM side stuff right?

 

[Cadence]

You said they want us to make our own worlds. An endless stream of APs somewhat speaks against that.

Aren't they spitting out:

• A bunch of books with small adventures that can be spliced into lots of places (like Yawning Portal)
• A bunch of "setting books" that don't have a lot of depth but give them an excuse to provide races, subclasses, and spells that people on Beyond can plug into their own campaigns if they fit (like the MtG ones)

 

[Scribe]

A lot of folks seem to think humans shouldn't be the centralized character choice, despite virtually all our stories featuring humans in leading roles. Hence the Cantina Effect.

People can think whatever they like. I'd argue that people who like a given species above Human, have reasons which are based on what it is those species represent (some times only to them!) almost directly because that is how those species were intended to invoke the tropes which defined them.

Humanity is still central however, because that is the baseline, thats what makes the other options distinct and different, and interesting.

Which actually brings us back to the actual topic. Half Elf exists, because Humanity is centered, and its a distinct option that puts it one foot in an otherwordly state, which is seen by some as representation for how they feel in their own lives.