D&D 5E (2024) Solasta 2 and the 1/2 elf

[Scars Unseen]

Tanis is a pretty bad example, since there is nothing, other than his words, that indicate that he is not 100% human. Infravision? 30% Charm resistance? Never mentioned in the novels. Multiclassed ranger/cleric (the only unique feature and main reason for playing a half elf in 2nd edition)? Nope, vanilla fighter (ignoring the level cap).

Novels aren't really a great source of data for a mechanics-focused argument one way or the other due to novel characters not needing to adhere to game mechanics in the first place.

Personally, I don't see this as an argument that can be resolved. Some see the mechanical representation of traditional half-races and important, and some see it as superfluous. No amount of examples or rationale is going to convince anyone to change their stance on that. If I had two people with opposing viewpoints on this at my table, I'd give preference to the one wanting inclusion due to the fact that they would likely be the one wanting to play such a character (not that the other might not want to play a half-elf; they just likely wouldn't mention anything at a 2024 edition game because they already had what they wanted). But what happens at the table and what goes into a book are two different discussions, and I wouldn't tell either party they were wrong in regards to that.

If I had a say in the matter, I'd rather go the route with the greatest number of options. Maybe divide races up into core and minor features, and say that you can switch the minor features of one race with another to create a half-anything (which means you got to choose which core and minor combination you got for any pair of races). I might also go a step further and throw in racial feats that can be taken, possibly with some being only allowed to half-races so they could have something unique to themselves.

 

[Thagdal]

It's not unprecedented in D&D. Setting aside the obvious race-as-class from Basic D&D, 3.5E had the Savage Species book, which allowed you to play monstrous characters and level them up as their race. There was also the Unearthed Arcana book, which gave little 3 level racial paragon classes. Nothing will really have as much impact as a good DM and group of players leaning into the characters and shared world, but that's true of practically every aspect of the game. If there was enough interest in more mechanically prominent racial features, it could definitely be done without leaving D&D's lane.

AD&D had races that gained features as they leveled, instead of all abilities at first level (eg thrikreen, drow) as another example.

 

[Thagdal]

I suspect it's a lot older, at least in concept. For example: Iolanthe - Wikipedia. I can't remember the exact text, but I'm pretty sure elf and fairy are used interchangeably in that source.

Which raises the key question: which half is elf, the top or the bottom?

The right side of course.

 

[Thagdal]

You all act like you can't just get a mod that adds half elf on day one.

That is actually unlikely on day one, though a mod at some point in inevitable. At least going by the history of Solasta 1 modding.

I also think no one really cares that much about Solasta, its moved to be more about if they should be in D&D24.

 

[Thagdal]

Everything was done to discourage players from playing half orcs in 1st edition, even though they were the only “big guy” trope option. The art was seriously ugly, they were stupid and almost always evil. And assassins were “NPC only” (even though everyone ignored that rule). Gygax included them as a sop but clearly didn’t want anyone playing one.

Of course it was Warhammer that completely changed orcs and made them sexy.

Is assassins being NPC only a second edition rule after they removed them? In first edition players, its very specifically talks about how a player character assassin doesn't need to join a guild like a NPC, with rules about what happens when PC assassin does an unauthorized assassination.

The art is subjective, but they werent meant to be pretty with -2 char. First edition also calls out that player half orcs are the top 10%, so not the 90% stupid and evils ones.

I think saying Gary didnt want anyone playing one is a reach. Even says the assassin/cleric combo that only half-orcs has good defense and HP.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I also think no one really cares that much about Solasta, its moved to be more about if they should be in D&D24.

And the answer to this is that they should be in any specific 5E24 game if that game's DM wants them to be and makes/finds a Half-Elf species design to incorporate into it. If specific Half-Elf game mechanics are that important to that DM, then that DM can add them.

But if the question is whether WotC should add Half-Elves to 5E24... right now the answer is 'no' because they have not yet done so. If/when they decide to add any half-species to the game (in an Everything splatbook or a setting book etc.)... then the answer at that time will be 'yes'.

Does 5E24 have to have Half-Elf mechanics? Well, of course the answer is 'no', because it currently doesn't and there are many thousands of players across the globe who are playing 5E24 just fine. Would some of those players want 5E24 Half-Elf mechanics? Sure. But so what? Lots of players want lots of things that WotC have up to this point not published in a WotC-produced book.

 

[Thagdal]

My answer is these types of things (extra races) tend to get added over time, but otherwise agree with it being a table call while there's a wait.

But tbh I've got no real horse in the race, currently the only 5th ed I play is solasta, and I'm content for them (Solasta game devs) to know what will fit best for their campaign world.

 

[SkidAce]

Tanis is a pretty bad example, since there is nothing, other than his words, that indicate that he is not 100% human. Infravision? 30% Charm resistance? Never mentioned in the novels. Multiclassed ranger/cleric (the only unique feature and main reason for playing a half elf in 2nd edition)? Nope, vanilla fighter (ignoring the level cap).

pretty sure they mentioned his unnatural beard capacity at some point...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

pretty sure they mentioned his unnatural beard capacity at some point...

I think that's compared to an elf! There really isn't anything very elvish about him at all. I think he should get a DNA test.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Tanis is a pretty bad example, since there is nothing, other than his words, that indicate that he is not 100% human. Infravision? 30% Charm resistance? Never mentioned in the novels. Multiclassed ranger/cleric (the only unique feature and main reason for playing a half elf in 2nd edition)? Nope, vanilla fighter (ignoring the level cap).

Um, have you actually read the novels? Tanis' non-human vision is clearly mentioned on several occasions.