D&D (2024) Should 2014 Half Elves and Half Orcs be added to the 2025 SRD?

[Micah Sweet]

Plenty of good reasons. Stop the fantasy racism angles. If you want to be an orc, be an orc. If you want to be an elf, be an elf.

This assumes a specific view of what constitutes fantasy racism. Not everyone is in lockstep with your opinion on the matter. It is a game, after all.

 

[TiQuinn]

This assumes a specific view of what constitutes fantasy racism. Not everyone is in lockstep with your opinion on the matter. It is a game, after all.

Based on our previous conversations in the Greyhawk thread last month, I don’t see the point in discussing this with you. We don’t agree on really anything.

 

[Minigiant]

I enjoy playing a human with an extended lifespan and all that entails.

Which is FREE SKILLZ BABY

 

[TiQuinn]

People will write fantasy racism into their dwarven background, halfling backgrounds, human backgrounds, half-elf backgrounds, and more.

Yes but that’ll be their choice for their PC at their table.

 

[CleverNickName]

You're asking me what I want?

All I really want is a balanced framework for creating my own custom playable species, and a handful of examples. That would be perfect for me.

 

[Guest 7031328]

Plenty of good reasons. Stop the fantasy racism angles. If you want to be an orc, be an orc. If you want to be an elf, be an elf.

Could you expand upon this, I don't really understand but it's likely just an issue on my part here that's completely misinterpreting what you're attempting to say here. How does the simple existence of mixed heritage equate to requiring a racism angle? Because from my view, I don't think the answer to people incorrectly attributing problems of racism to the mere existence of mixed heritage is to wholesale remove it.

I understand that a fantasy species is not the same thing as real life races and such, but I do think a lot of us sort of keyed into it growing up with this game and it was kind of a cool thing to see included for it to suddenly disappear.

 

[Maxperson]

Yes but that’ll be their choice for their PC at their table.

Just like it's their choice for their PC if they use those things with the 2014 half-elf. There is nothing of fantasy racism or violence in birth in the 5e half-elven write-up. Nor anything in the 3e write-up. 4e is similarly lacking. You have to go back 25 years to 2e in order to find a smidge of racism and no violence of birth in the 2e PHB at least.

That means that nobody who started since 2000 or later has had those things inherently associated with the mixed races. You're fighting against something that's more than 2 decades gone.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I've seen multiple half elves played without any fantasy racism involved. In fact I've never seen one which includes the fantasy racism angle.

 

[Stormonu]

I'd say keep them. If its the name that's troublesome, give them a new one just like Goliath (Half-Giant), Dragonborn (Half-Dragon) and Tiefling (Half-Devil).

But I also think Drow should keep their sunlight sensitivity, so there's that.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I'd say keep them. If its the name that's troublesome, give them a new one just like Goliath (Half-Giant), Dragonborn (Half-Dragon) and Tiefling (Half-Devil).

But I also think Drow should keep their sunlight sensitivity, so there's that.

goliaths, dragonborn and tieflings aren't half-X's though so that comparison doesn't work like you intend it to, half-elves and half-orcs are explicitly mixed-blood offspring from two other existing player species, you're never going to get a tiefling from your parents being a human and a demon.