D&D (2024) Elves without racism [+]

[Yaarel]

These examples of the Udadrow cities that displace their Lolth faction are instructive.

Even in the Forgotten Realms canonical lore of earlier editions, even the Udadrow Elves cannot be monolithic.

A community is inherently diverse. Individuals pursue their own ambitions. Expectations evolve differently. And all of this is part of the same shared identity of a collective culture.

The Elf species design can discontinue ethnic-stereotype mechanics, and instead focus the mechanics on what an individual Elf chooses.

Again, the fluidity of the Human species design, including its free feat, is a helpful model for how to design the Elf species as well.

 

[Emberashh]

Ive found that you can better represent biological diversity by making stat increases variable. Ie, instead of flat numbers, roll extra dice down the line. It's much closer to the variability these species would actually have and helps eliminate at least some of the correlations people make with IRL racial divides.

I also think species specific abilities do need to derive from biology; any other desirable ability that can't be rooted in biology either needs to be rooted in (and explicitly presented as) a cultural ability, or simply dropped as non-viable.

For example, my Goblins and Orcs both share a common trait of being biologically immune to magical fear, and as such being uncannily brave. This is because they are essentially humanoid tree seeds, that take root when they pass away, and so death for them is more a metamorphosis than a termination of life. They can only really feel fear when they're able to recognize that their bodies might not survive whatever danger they face.

But, with some allowances for an assumed human-like brain development, this doesn't mean that there aren't going to be individuals that would be cowards, or those that might have some kind of mental illness going on that inflicts anxiety or even genuine fear at times.

 

[Yaarel]

So if they were part of a Wood Elf community they would only be able to get one of the two Mythal traits....

so they would be sort of a half-elf? Erm....

Heh on the "Half".

That is the design taking liberties.

To be clear, the following would be a perfectly fine and balanced version of the Roam Mythal Feat: Speed 35 and Darkvision 60.

But. The feeling is if there are too many Mythal Feats, the bloat becomes unhelpful. So which Mythal Feats are available needs to be a judicious selection that are concise representations of salient elven tropes. When the Elf species is core, it is even more important to have an economical use of the design space budget.

There are already two Mythals that can see in the dark: Dark and Moon. If a player wants the concept, these are available.

I get it. The Wood Elf who both roams the night and does so quickly is an established concept. It might be worth reorganizing the Mythals where the option for Darkvision 60 is part of the Speed.

Tentatively, the option that combines Darkvision and Perception is thematically solid. It makes sense that a nocturnal creature would have both.


Possibly, updating the spell descriptions can be part of the solution. Currently, the Darkness spell is subpar for a slot-2 spell. It deserves to be a slot-0 cantrip. Or possibly a slot-1 spell but dubious even then. As a cantrip, it is an excellent cantrip, better than the Light cantrip, for example. If Darkvision remains at slot 2, it would be par if its duration increased to the "end of your next Long Rest", its range to 120 feet, and it additionally granted the capacity to see in magical darkness, the way that the Warlock Devilsight and the Dark Mythal do. Note, one can cast the Darkvision spell on an other target, and that can be great in situations requiring stealth. If so, there can also be a cantrip that grants simple Darkvision 60 to Self only.

In the context of an Elf character, a player who chooses the Roam Mythal, would also be able to choose either the cantrip Darkvision or the slot-2 Darkvision spell, for their innate spells.


Regarding the Roam Mythal. Its intention is to be able to rapidly Move thru a pristine wilderness, forest terrain, through the branches from tree to tree. And be useful in other contexts. I am unsure if the current version of the Roam Mythal can accomplish this. It might need more tweaking.

 

[Yaarel]

Re the Human/Elf multispecies character, the socalled "Half" Elf.

A Human species character can easily use the Human free feat to acquire a Mythal Feat, to represent an elven ancestry. The Elf/Human would need to be a member of an elven community, but if of mixed ancestry, the Human is already a member of ones elven parents community. It might be worthwhile to have an Elven Ancestor Mythal intended for a mixed species Elf, that grants: Trance, Charm Resistance, and a choice for the innate Cantrip. The mixed species Human can take this. Conversely, if using the Elf species for a Human/Elf character, one can use the Mythal Feat to gain one of the Human Feats instead.

(Hopefully, 2024 will have multispecies rules that can combine the traits of any Humanoid species. But at least for the Human/Elf the mechanics are already simple and straightforward.)


The Human/Elf is an important concept in D&D.

The world of Tolkien is a thought-experiment. He asks, what if all of the spirits of the folkbeliefs from lore and myth are actually human ethnicities who have a hint of magic? His world is very physical, very biological, and very human.

This concept of a Tolkien-esque Human ethnicity seems to inform some of the old school perceptions of what an "elf" is.

But the D&D Elf is more than a hint of magic. The Elf is fully a being of magic.

The Elves of the High culture and the Wood culture are members of the Material Plane. Their communities incarnate into material creatures of flesh and blood.

However, most Elves are ethereal spirits who are natives of the immaterial forces of the Feywild Plane. They are mercurially shapeshifting astral beings made out of thought stuff who chose to take on more durable forms within the forces of the Fey level of existence.

The Elf is magic itself.

The Human/Elf, by contrast, really is a Human with hint of magic. Some players find this concept easier to relate to.

The D&D Human/Elf is a better fit for the Tolkien Elf concept. When D&D players have popculture Tolkien movies in mind for their character, the Human/Elf is the go-to to do it.

It is correct to say the Human/Elf is "an Elf", because the person is. Also they are typically members of an elven community, even if elsewhere while an otherworldly elven parent watches over them. There can be an elven community whose members are mostly Human/Elves.

 

[Yaarel]

Legitimate playstyle preferences.

For example, my Goblins and Orcs both share a common trait of being biologically immune to magical fear, and as such being uncannily brave. This is because they are essentially humanoid tree seeds, that take root when they pass away, and so death for them is more a metamorphosis than a termination of life. They can only really feel fear when they're able to recognize that their bodies might not survive whatever danger they face.

The Orc feels Material and biological. But I prefer the versions of Goblin that are Fey beings.

The Halfling feels Material and biological. But I prefer the versions of Gnome that are Fey beings.

Actually, Gnome and Goblin seem counterparts within Feywild.

Ive found that you can better represent biological diversity by making stat increases variable. Ie, instead of flat numbers, roll extra dice down the line. It's much closer to the variability these species would actually have and helps eliminate at least some of the correlations people make with IRL racial divides.

For the character creation process, I prefer fixed numbers for stats. The stats are too important for building a character concept, and I want to be able to assign them where I need them. I never roll for abilities or hit points. I use the array for the abilities. Even when I use the point-buy method, I prefer to use it to calculate one or two more salient arrays, then refer to the arrays. I did that for a while, but now I am back to the simple array. It works fine.

For 2024, my preferences is, the Players Handbook makes array standard, with the stats: 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10. (So I dont need to deal with negative bonuses.) Then move both dice-rolling and point-buy to the DMs Guide as variant rules, where the many players who like these options can continue to use them.

The Elf is too human. It needs cultural sensitivity. Stereotype-based mechanics inevitably goes wrong, especially when the momentum of reallife racist tropes within the D&D Elf traditions of earlier editions are pushing the 2024 Elf to go wrong.

For things that are strictly nonhuman, like the Dragonborn, the "biological" typing seems less of a problem. Normally, the difference between one dragon and an other isnt too relevant to cultural sensitivity.

I also think species specific abilities do need to derive from biology; any other desirable ability that can't be rooted in biology either needs to be rooted in (and explicitly presented as) a cultural ability, or simply dropped as non-viable.

The concept of "natural" and "biological" is native to the Material Plane.

 

[Yaarel]

I don't know why D&D has an issue with a little bit of racial animosity between dwarves and elves.

Species-wide involuntary racist hate, is a nonstarter.

If you want to create a character who is a Dwarf who has a problem with Elves, that seems ok. On the character sheet, in the Personality Section, list "Problem with Elves" as the Flaw. Then come up with a backstory for where this irrational hate is coming from. Heh, but this is a "you" thing, and not a species thing.

Keep racism out of the core rules. It doesnt belong there.

 

[Bagpuss]

Tentatively, the option that combines Darkvision and Perception is thematically solid. It makes sense that a nocturnal creature would have both.

Biologically it makes sense, but I thought the whole point of these "Mytrals" was to get away from biology and make abilities come from the culture, not their biology?

 

[Bagpuss]

Species-wide involuntary racist hate, is a nonstarter.

True but a culture-wide animosity is pretty common and species and culture have been pretty much the same thing in D&D.

Then come up with a backstory for where this irrational hate is coming from. Heh, but this is a "you" thing, and not a species thing.

Could easily come from your character's culture.

Keep racism out of the core rules. It doesnt belong there.

If you are going to have cultures in the PHB why not also have negative aspects of those cultures?

 

[Yaarel]

True but a culture-wide animosity is pretty common and species and culture have been pretty much the same thing in D&D.

Could easily come from your character's culture.

If you are going to have cultures in the PHB why not also have negative aspects of those cultures?

The problem is, the D&D Elf is already a vehicle of reallife racism. It cant be the player species that pushes fantasy racism. It must discontinue it. In any case, racism cant exist in the core rules of all D&D.


And racism is Evil, specifically Lawful Evil (malicious predatory group-identity).

Despite its historical difficulties, I assume 2024 will continue some version of the demon-cult Lolth faction. This faction is known for its racism in earlier editions of D&D. However, Lolth herself is a Chaotic Evil Demon, and self-serving, doesnt care about Elves or any Species, and typically puts her own cultists in harms way.) The attribution of Chaotic Evil to the entire Drow culture, never made sense anyway. I am glad the Elves of the Drow communities are now officially "any alignment", like any other Humanoid.

For a player character, the Lolth Faction probably belongs in the DMs Guide, in the same category as the rest of the Evil player character concepts.

The Monster Manual can have monster statblocks for Lolth factionalists who are "typically Chaotic Evil". But even they are probably not racists, per se, unless they are Lawful Evil.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Actually, Gnome and Goblin seem counterparts within Feywild.

Headcanon

Gnomes are the halfling equivalent of elves. Goblins are the orcish equivalent of elves.