D&D (2024) Does the concept of subspecies of Elves come across as racist to you

[Yaarel]

All elves share the same traits for age, size, speed, Darkvision, Trance and Fey Ancestry. The only traits that do differ are cultural traits.

If Eladrin traits and Drow traits are cultural, then the child of an intermarriage between them would learn features from both cultures.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Edit: Double post

 

[Scribe]

If Eladrin traits and Drow traits are cultural, then the child of an intermarriage beween them would learn features from both cultures.

Thank the Gods it isnt cultural, as 'Culture' as a rules concept doesnt exist.

Species
Class
Background
Feats

You can continue to mangle the language in an effort to obfuscate the truth, but its really that simple.

You have 4 rules containers in 5e. Culture isnt one of them.

 

[Corinnguard]

If Eladrin traits and Drow traits are cultural, then the child of an intermarriage beween them would learn features from both cultures.

An Eladrin and a Drow are both elves. As for culture, it really depends on where the child is raised.

 

[Yaarel]

An Eladrin and a Drow are both elves. As for culture, it really depends on where the child is raised.

Exactly.

Elf is a species. Eladrin and Drow are both members of the same species.

Members of a same species normally reproduce offspring together.

So, if they have different traits that are unable to intermix, it means they are racially segregated from each other.

 

[Corinnguard]

Thank the Gods it isnt cultural, as 'Culture' as a rules concept doesnt exist.

In Level Up, Culture as a rules concept does exist. But you are right, it doesn't exist in 5e or One D&D.

 

[Corinnguard]

So, if they have different traits that are unable to intermix, it means they are racially segregated from each other.

So which traits do you want your Eladrin/Drow hybrid to have?

 

[Scribe]

In Level Up, Culture as a rules concept does exist. But you are right, it doesn't exist in 5e or One D&D.

Thats Level Up. Which I own. This is not the Level Up forum. There are multiple options for what a segment of the playerbase wants in terms of multiple trait mix and match systems.

5e is not that system.

 

[CreamCloud0]

no, subspecies are not racist, they're just diverse biological specialisations within a species on a scale beyond that which humanity exhibits

 

[Yaarel]

So which traits do you want your Eladrin/Drow hybrid to have?

The playtest Elf diversify via "lineages". The Elf species exhibits the ability to cast innately without spell components.

Each lineage is a choice of which spells to learn to cast innately.

Let the player decide whatever spells the player wants for the innate casting.

Then lineages are spell choices that are "typical" in an elven community.

Then it is easy for a player who is a child of both a Drow and an Eladrin, by choosing spells from both cultures.