D&D (2024) D&D species article

[Maxperson]

Unless someone shows me some evidence proving that the 2024 elf was created with even a passing glance at the astral elf, I'm not inclined to believe this.

I think @Parmandur is correct in the sense that WotC math probably does rank them equally, but this is also the company that has never given us a workable CR system. They're not so great at ranking abilities. The rest of us are correct that they are not in fact balanced.

 

[Parmandur]

I think @Parmandur is correct in the sense that WotC math probably does rank them equally, but this is also the company that has never given us a workable CR system. They're not so great at ranking abilities. The rest of us are correct that they are not in fact balanced.

Nah, the game math works in practice.

 

[Maxperson]

Nah, the game math works in practice.

The CR system doesn't work as advertised. The game math can't work in practice, at least not completely, or CR would work perfectly. I think a lot of it works, but enough of the abilities are weighted incorrectly that CR is borked, as are some other comparisons like the one being talked about in my post.

 

[Chaosmancer]

The change would go up instantly on DDB, and they're planning on selling people "updated" material moving forward anyway to replace MMotM, so I don't see the problem.

So you think 3 species changing would be an equal amount of work and disruption to 24 species changing?

 

[Parmandur]

The CR system doesn't work as advertised. The game math can't work in practice, at least not completely, or CR would work perfectly. I think a lot of it works, but enough of the abilities are weighted incorrectly that CR is borked, as are some other comparisons like the one being talked about in my post.

CR works well enough for government work, as my Grampa used to sau, and works better with Monaters published from Van Richten's on.

The problems are not involved Ed with WotC undervaluing Elven Trance and Darkvision, at any rate.

 

[Chaosmancer]

You think they'll update the NPC statblocks with any of that information (for any species)?

Why would they need to? Those statblocks are generic and you are supposed to add those details yourself. Be really bizarre for them to insist on writing: Commoner, Human; Commoner, Orc; Commoner, Gnome; Commoner, Tiefling; Commoner, Elf; ect. and then do it for guards, entertainers, assassins, druids, nobles, scouts, ect

Or can you only accept something if WoTC prints it explicitly?

 

[Demetrios1453]

That's not Tolkien's half-elves. Tolkien's half elves never stopped having traits from both human and elf. They simply got to choose whether to be mortal or immortal and be counted as human or elf. Counted as, not become. That's why Elrond is still half-elven and Elros lived several hundred years. Humans didn't live several hundred years.

All Numenorens lived to be several hundred years, elf blood or no, at least at first. Those of the House of Elros tended to live a bit longer, but that, along with the long life for the Numenoreans in general, was the gift of the Valar, due to being descended from such heroes as Earendil and Beren.

 

[Micah Sweet]

So you think 3 species changing would be an equal amount of work and disruption to 24 species changing?

I don't think the difference is big enough to outweigh the benefits, IMO.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Why would they need to? Those statblocks are generic and you are supposed to add those details yourself. Be really bizarre for them to insist on writing: Commoner, Human; Commoner, Orc; Commoner, Gnome; Commoner, Tiefling; Commoner, Elf; ect. and then do it for guards, entertainers, assassins, druids, nobles, scouts, ect

Or can you only accept something if WoTC prints it explicitly?

Heck no, but unless some kind of accommodation is officially made (at least in a sidebar), a lot of folks are just going to go with what the book says.

 

[Maxperson]

CR works well enough for government work, as my Grampa used to sau, and works better with Monaters published from Van Richten's on.

The problems are not involved Ed with WotC undervaluing Elven Trance and Darkvision, at any rate.

I rest my case.