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

[Morrus]

I don't want publishers to publish or DMs to homebrew their versions to the half orcs or half elves unless they are going really put effort on making better half orc or half elf content.

Publishers will publish what they want to publish. You can choose to buy it or not. You don't get to choose what publishers are allowed to publish.

By putting them in the SRD, it raises the level of quality need to convince others to accept their version over the free SRD version.

Of course it doesn't. What does that even mean?

 

[Minigiant]

Publishers will publish what they want to publish. You can choose to buy it or not. You don't get to choose what publishers are allowed to publish

Sure.

But I'll say it again.

If a publisher publish something that is worse or less interesting than the SRD then their sales will go down and they will be less popular.

Being less popular it is less likely as a DM that a player would request their product. And as a a player it will be less likely that ADM includes it in their campaign.

So by placing it in the SRD, it it increasing the quality standard of something I considered important to D&D in the community.

Or an even simpler terms by putting it in the SRD I have a lower chance of seeing the elf-blooded feat.

 

[Morrus]

If a publisher publish something that is worse or less interesting than the SRD then their sales will go down and they will be less popular.

Well, that's not true. Quality is rarely the primary driver of sales (sadly).

So by placing it in the SRD, it it increasing the quality standard of something I considered important to D&D in the community.

And also you're assuming here that WotC is in some way 'better' than other publishers, which is a premise I don't subscribe to. I'll agree they're more popular. But see my previous statement.

I fundamentally disagree with your view of the creators in our hobby. With respect, it's rather insulting.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sure.

But I'll say it again.

If a publisher publish something that is worse or less interesting than the SRD then their sales will go down and they will be less popular.

Being less popular it is less likely as a DM that a player would request their product. And as a a player it will be less likely that ADM includes it in their campaign.

So by placing it in the SRD, it it increasing the quality standard of something I considered important to D&D in the community.

Or an even simpler terms by putting it in the SRD I have a lower chance of seeing the elf-blooded feat.

Can't you just...not use material you don't like?

 

[Mistwell]

Having only Elf and Orc be "half" isnt worth it.

There needs to be a more inclusive approach.

Picking one parent for the mechanics works well enough.


I hope there are ways in the future to mix-and-match mechanics between any species.


Having a "Half-Elf" with stats that disresembled both parentages was annoying anyway.

It's offensive and exclusive to some people who identify as mixed in real life. The idea they're supposed to "pick one parent" as their identity is offensive and exclusive. This issue is not as pat and easy as you're making it out to be. There is no "inclusive" approach to this topic, baring including both methods.

 

[Minigiant]

Well, that's not true. Quality is rarely the primary driver of sales (sadly).

Sadly true.

And also you're assuming here that WotC is in some way 'better' than other publishers, which is a premise I don't subscribe to. I'll agree they're more popular. But see my previous statement.

I fundamentally disagree with your view of the creators in our hobby. With respect, it's rather insulting.

No. I'm not saying WOTC is better.

I am saying by them creating a standard it automatically creates an onus to make quality content in order to get it accepted.

You Morrus are a quality content creator and would want to make quality content in all of your products.

But this very discussion and thread displays that there are people who do not care much about they existence of half elves or half orcs and are willing to offer poor solutions for the lack of inclusion of thees species.

Can't you just...not use material you don't like?

Only if I'm the DM.

Who gets to choose to be an half elf or half orc PC, players or DMs?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sadly true.


No. I'm not saying WOTC is better.

I am saying by them creating a standard it automatically creates an onus to make quality content in order to get it accepted.

You Morrus are a quality content creator and would want to make quality content in all of your products.

But this very discussion and thread displays that there are people who do not care much about they existence of half elves or half orcs and are willing to offer poor solutions for the lack of inclusion of thees species.


Only if I'm the DM.

Who gets to choose to be an half elf or half orc PC, players or DMs?

Generally the player should have some say, particularly if the setting could logically include those species.

 

[Remathilis]

People say that like semantics aren't important or legitimate. Words matter. Definitions matter. What I am doing is not principle.

I was agreeing with you until you needed to prove yourself right. Now I'm fully willing to accept half-ancestry feats.

Sometimes you need to quit while you're ahead.

 

[Maxperson]

I was agreeing with you until you needed to prove yourself right. Now I'm fully willing to accept half-ancestry feats.

Sometimes you need to quit while you're ahead.

If that's the way you want to see it, but I was not trying to "prove myself right."

 

[Yaarel]

It's offensive and exclusive to some people who identify as mixed in real life. The idea they're supposed to "pick one parent" as their identity is offensive and exclusive. This issue is not as pat and easy as you're making it out to be. There is no "inclusive" approach to this topic, baring including both methods.

But to only allow certain "races" to be recognized in a "multiracial" parentage, while other "racial" mixes are erased, is even more exclusivist and in other reallife contexts, offensive.

It is misguided to only privilege Elf and Orc "races".

Every D&D "race" deserves inclusion and dignity as part of a characters mixed parentage.


The way that 2024 opens a multispecies character to any player species is the correct approach, even if only narrative.

I expect a mechanical way to represent a multispecies character will eventually become available. The main hurdle will be to maintain game balance and to avoid mechanics that enforce offputting stereotypes.