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

[Frozen_Heart]

(They might also be desperately be avoiding Dark Sun as they know it would make people ask for a Psion class, and 5e is deathly allergic to new classes).

 

[Scribe]

Details about the setting and how a species fits into the setting belong in a Setting Guide. Core rules are setting-neutral.

The Tiefling species is factually Humanoid, has free will, and can be "any" alignment. So obviously no species-wide judgment.

No arguement.

"The earliest Tieflings joined with Nontieflings to repel the fiendish incursions, earning the trust of those who might have mistaken them for Fiends."

The only thing that distinguished the Tiefling from other fiends is their ethical behavior.

Conjecture.

"The earliest Tieflings" suggests the origin story of the Tiefling species is a mass-rebellion against the Devils who created them.

Conjecture.

You really need to understand that your speculation is fine, but that is all it is. The text does not support your statements.

Its 4 lines.

Of those Tielfings born in the Lower Planes, often they leave. Its Hell. So...fairly simple judgement.
The decendants of Tieflings, are scattered across the multiverse. Again, simple. No grand revelations possible.

So lets just move on from these 2 lines as there is really nothing being said about any kind of morality of the Tiefling species. You have 2 lines left.

The earliest tieflings joined ranks with non-tieflings to repel fiendish incursions on many worlds, earning the trust of those who might otherwise have mistaken them for Fiends.

Lets pick this apart.

The earliest Tieflings. Ok, so we are talking ancient history, the origins of the species.

Joined Ranks with non-tieflings. Now, I am sure some could find a way to argue this is Evil, or at least undefined, but to 'join' others of those outside your own species, would reflect a acceptance of others. I dont see how this can be spun as anything but 'Good'.

To repel fiendish incursions ON MANY WORLDS. Interesting. So not just are they LEAVING the Hells. They are also on MANY WORLDS across MANY CULTURES, joining with others to fight AGAINST Fiends. This is firmly, squarely, undeniably 'Good'.

Earning the trust. Now, this is actually not a commentary on Tiefling. Its a commentary on OTHERS. Amusing. This could be an 'Evil' but if it is, its OTHERS, not Tieflings!

Thanks to the victories and sacrifices of these legends, tieflings throughout the multiverse enjoy widespread acceptance.

Honestly, I wont belabour this one. In no world is this able to attribute "Evil" or "Bad" or even Neutral, on Tieflings. This is outrageously, gloriously, victoriously, Good.

In no way whatsoever, is this a 'nuanced' take, for any sane "pre2020" definition of nuanced.

The Tiefling, is a force of Good in the Multiverse.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'd hope that if they're scrubbing all lore in the core books (and anything in forgotten realms) of anything even touching on evil, then they'd be willing to introduce settings with plenty of things on the evil side of the alignment.

But they've already said they're not touching Dark Sun or anything similar with a barge pole from now on.

Often the reason you're fighting the 'bad guys' is because they're doing evil things. If a bad guy is practicing slavery, then the heroes want to go and stop the bad guy. But now bad guys seem to be not allowed to do 'bad bad' things, and when they go back over those modules like LMoP they strip any mention of them, as well as deleting half-species because apparently racial purity is required now.

Cosmopolitan cults of evil legacy gods. Maybe some undead. And actual demons (probably). That's about it as far as bad guys are concerned. And even they aren't allowed to actually do anything evil on-camera, they can just have evil plans and look scary.

 

[Scribe]

Cosmopolitan cults of evil legacy gods. Maybe some undead. And actual demons (probably). That's about it as far as bad guys are concerned. And even they aren't allowed to actually do anything evil on-camera, they can just have evil plans and look scary.

Dont forget Far Realm aberrations!

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Dont forget Far Realm aberrations!

Only until mind flayers get retconned to be a good guy playable species, and the brain eating ones are just a tiny cult who do it by choice.

 

[Remathilis]

and when they go back over those modules like LMoP they strip any mention of them, as well as deleting half-species because apparently racial purity is required now.

To be fair, we don't know WHY WotC changed him from a half-elf to a drow. It could be they haven't settled on the terminology they want to use on hybrids and it was easier to remove it until its settled upon,, it could be they wanted more than one drow besides the traditionally evil one in the module, or whatever. I seriously doubt it is because they have been overtaken by the Scarlet Brotherhood.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Dont forget Far Realm aberrations!

My mistake...for now.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

To be fair, we don't know WHY WotC changed him from a half-elf to a drow. It could be they haven't settled on the terminology they want to use on hybrids and it was easier to remove it until its settled upon,, it could be they wanted more than one drow besides the traditionally evil one in the module, or whatever. I seriously doubt it is because they have been overtaken by the Scarlet Brotherhood.

I guess we'll have to wait and see where it goes over the next few years. Though getting a comparison as clear as a direct remake of an existing adventure and character probably won't be common. We'll have to essentially wait for a named hybrid character to appear again post 2024. And how many named hybrid characters are there? Probably not a huge amount.

 

[Yaarel]

Honestly, I wont belabour this one. In no world is this able to attribute "Evil" or "Bad" or even Neutral, on Tieflings. This is outrageously, gloriously, victoriously, Good.

Because the Tiefling is a "Humanoid" species of "any" alignment, the species description avoids "attribute to Evil or Bad".

Meanwhile, the Tiefling as a species are "outrageously" any alignment.

 

[Scribe]

Because the Tiefling is a "Humanoid" species of "any" alignment, the species description avoids "attribute to Evil or Bad".

Meanwhile, the Tiefling as a species are "outrageously" any alignment.

Nothing within the text would indicate that Tiefling are anything but Good, full stop. If Tiefling can be Evil, please outline any Evil, or negative, or even ambiguous text from the description provided.

It would have been as simple as saying "and some Tiefling who joined the Fiends of their own free will" but no, it isnt in the text is it?