D&D (2024) New Jeremy Crawford Interviews

[Charlaquin]

It's an attempt avoid backlash, I respect the attempt, but it won't work.

I mean, none of it is untrue. Half-elf and half-orc are still entirely playable according to the guidelines we’ve been told the new PHB gives on using older content, and they did use those extra two species slots to bring more diverse species into the PHB. I only say it “feels like there’s some spin going on” because he doesn’t acknowledge the presumption that they didn’t want to include “half-species” for sensitivity reasons. Can’t say I blame him.

 

[Scribe]

Video 2 directly confirms that half-elves and half-orcs are still playable options (since they aren’t reproduced in the new PHB, the old version is still usable with the new rules). Jeremy says they were left out because they wanted to use the 10 species options in the new PHB to express a very wide range of character archetypes, and felt half-orc and half-elf were too close conceptually to orc and elf respectively, and they decided to use that space for other species that were more distinct from the others in the book. Feels to me like there’s a bit of spin going on there, but it does at least make clear that half-elves and half-orcs still exist and can be played.

I mean he's not completely wrong, in some regards, but he is completely wrong in Half-Orc/Elf being 'too close' to Orc/Elf. They are telling completely different stories, and just because they (Wizards) have decided to make the mechanics as bland as possible, doesnt mean they are conceptually close.

It just means Wizards has done a boring job at breaking out the various options, some of which have literal decades of history and context to draw from.

Weak Crawford, weak.

 

[FrogReaver]

I like seeing the thought going into allowing use of 2014 subclasses. Will have to see more details, but makes me feel better about that option.

Previous spells and feats will be options. That’s interesting. So I guess booming blade isn’t really gone?

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I mean he's not completely wrong, in some regards, but he is completely wrong in Half-Orc/Elf being 'too close' to Orc/Elf. They are telling completely different stories, and just because they (Wizards) have decided to make the mechanics as bland as possible, doesnt mean they are conceptually close.

It just means Wizards has done a boring job at breaking out the various options, some of which have literal decades of history and context to draw from.

Weak Crawford, weak.

I guess I disagree. I’ve always thought the half things were weak conceptually. I’m happy to see they take a back burner to more interesting choices.

 

[Oofta]

Do we know if "half-X" races are in the new book? I remember there was some testing of being able to mix any species so you could have a half elf half gnome all annoying PC or whatever. If that's still the case we don't need specific rules for one set of mixed species, even if half-elf and half-orc have a special niche.

 

[Oofta]

I guess I disagree. I’ve always thought the half things were weak conceptually. I’m happy to see they take a back burner to more interesting choices.

to me they fit the outsider that doesn't feel like they fit in anywhere trope. There are some species that may fit the fish out of water trope depending on the campaign, but that's a bit different.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I mean he's not completely wrong, in some regards, but he is completely wrong in Half-Orc/Elf being 'too close' to Orc/Elf. They are telling completely different stories, and just because they (Wizards) have decided to make the mechanics as bland as possible, doesnt mean they are conceptually close.

It just means Wizards has done a boring job at breaking out the various options, some of which have literal decades of history and context to draw from.

Weak Crawford, weak.

I mean if I had to choose between Aasimar, Orcs, and Goliaths being in the PHB or Half Orcs and Half Elves I'd pick the former, but the truth is races take up little space, so they could have done both or make them human lineages.

 

[FrogReaver]

I guess I disagree. I’ve always thought the half things were weak conceptually. I’m happy to see they take a back burner to more interesting choices.

IMO. In settings where the members of a race were treated more homogenously halving a couple of races that were explicitly for the outcasts was very conceptual.

I think they are turning away from those ideas more and more toward individualism for members of the races. In that worldview, you don’t need a race to play an outcast, as an individual from any race can do so.

 

[FrogReaver]

Do we know if "half-X" races are in the new book? I remember there was some testing of being able to mix any species so you could have a half elf half gnome all annoying PC or whatever. If that's still the case we don't need specific rules for one set of mixed species, even if half-elf and half-orc have a special niche.

From the 2nd video above - if you want to play half-orc use the 2014 version since there’s not a 2024 replacement. That seems to be general idea behind, feats, subclasses, spells, etc.

 

[Parmandur]

Got another one from Dungeon Dudes, really appreciate that this round of PR has helped me find some gamer channels that are not toxic weirdos: