Concept: +1 Dex, -1 Con to half-elves?
- Thread starter Jeph
- Start date
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Jeph said:
CRGreathouse cringes
Racial bonuses to skill checks can be odd; there are plenty of examples of this. (See duergar for an example: MM 81.) Ability score modifiers, by contrast, should not be odd -- it causes major problems, both for min/maxing and unlucky rolls.
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Re: Re: Re: Concept: +1 Dex, -1 Con to half-elves?
Sure. By putting bonus and penalty into odd stats, you don't feel the effect of the penalty but feel the effect of the bonus. If a player rolls stats and has only one odd stats he/she can't hide the penalty. If all of the stats are even the character suffers from the penalty but doesn't get the bonus (no increase in the modifier).
Jeph said:
Sure. By putting bonus and penalty into odd stats, you don't feel the effect of the penalty but feel the effect of the bonus. If a player rolls stats and has only one odd stats he/she can't hide the penalty. If all of the stats are even the character suffers from the penalty but doesn't get the bonus (no increase in the modifier).
Playable Half-Elves
Half Elf
- Medium Sized
- Base Speed is 30 feet
- 1 extra "racial"* feat at first level
- Lowlight Vision 60ft
- Immunity to Sleep and +2 racial saving throw against Enchantment
- +1 racial bonus Listen, Search, and Spot
- Elven Blood
- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven
- Bonus Languages: Any (except special)
- Favored Class: Any
*- This feat must have some application to the character's persona and may not be anything combat or magic related. Good examples are Alertness, Skill Focus, or Endurance.
I would play this half-elf, but though Ive tried I cant force myself to play the phb version. Ive seen 1 get played in roughly 3 years of 3ed. Pretty sad. As far as odd ability modifiers, I agree with CRGreathouse. Even with point buy, it just seems like a clunky mechanic.
Technik
Half Elf
- Medium Sized
- Base Speed is 30 feet
- 1 extra "racial"* feat at first level
- Lowlight Vision 60ft
- Immunity to Sleep and +2 racial saving throw against Enchantment
- +1 racial bonus Listen, Search, and Spot
- Elven Blood
- Automatic Languages: Common and Elven
- Bonus Languages: Any (except special)
- Favored Class: Any
*- This feat must have some application to the character's persona and may not be anything combat or magic related. Good examples are Alertness, Skill Focus, or Endurance.
I would play this half-elf, but though Ive tried I cant force myself to play the phb version. Ive seen 1 get played in roughly 3 years of 3ed. Pretty sad. As far as odd ability modifiers, I agree with CRGreathouse. Even with point buy, it just seems like a clunky mechanic.
Technik
CRGreathouse
Community Supporter
Re: Playable Half-Elves
Yeah, your half-elf looks pretty good. Should there be a list of OK feats?
Low-Light vision, by the way, doesn't have a range.
(Oh, and Technik4 -- did you have any suggestions on my latest grey elf revision?)
Technik4 said:
Yeah, your half-elf looks pretty good. Should there be a list of OK feats?
Low-Light vision, by the way, doesn't have a range.
(Oh, and Technik4 -- did you have any suggestions on my latest grey elf revision?)
Matt_Walsh
First Post
I give each half-elf a choice at first level:
*Human-raised half-elves receive 4 additional skill points at first level as humans do, but do not receive +1 at each additonal level;
*Elf-raised half-elves receive free weapon proficiencies as their elven parent.
Seems to work. I've had 3 half-elves, two human-raised and 1 elf-raised.
*Human-raised half-elves receive 4 additional skill points at first level as humans do, but do not receive +1 at each additonal level;
*Elf-raised half-elves receive free weapon proficiencies as their elven parent.
Seems to work. I've had 3 half-elves, two human-raised and 1 elf-raised.
jgbrowning
Hero
Re: Playable Half-Elves
Why play a human?
joe b.
Technik4 said:
Why play a human?
joe b.
LOL
Sigh.
1) Ok, first of all humans get more than just a starting feat, they get 4 bonus skill points. A human in certain classes can buy more than what they lose against the half-elf back in skill points, and every level afterwards will reap 1 additional skill point.
2) The other bonuses arent really that great. Sure at low levels having low-light or darkvision is really good, but by 5th or 6th it wont be much of an issue. Immunity to Sleep? Another low-level concern. The only other thing a half-elf "has" over humans is elven blood, which is a dubiously powerful "ability" at best.
3) There is usually much stigma that goes with playing a bastard race. Half-elves are notoriously not well-received with either parental community, they are tolerated at best. They receive as much derision as humans normally toss on elves, and the haughty elves are little better. This is in stark contrast to humans, who at least have a strong tie to their own, generally.
4) Their bonus feat is weaker than a humans. A human may take things like Point Blank Shot or Dodge. A half-elf must take a racial (or regional) feat, more along the lines of Alertness, Endurance, or Skill Focus.
5) From a game mechanics point of view it isnt an unbalanced race. A party of 4 humans and a party of 4 half-elves would have an equally easy/difficult time against nearly every encounter. Exception is maybe one based off of Sleep spells when the party is level 1.
Basically, there are plenty of very good reasons to still play a human. This simply allows a half-elf to be competitive.
And to respond to Matt_Walsh, thats a good idea as well. The 1 I saw get played was when 3ed first hit. He didn't mind, but eventually recognized that racially, he got the shaft. Course he was a fighter and a badass, so it didnt matter much.
Technik
Sigh.
1) Ok, first of all humans get more than just a starting feat, they get 4 bonus skill points. A human in certain classes can buy more than what they lose against the half-elf back in skill points, and every level afterwards will reap 1 additional skill point.
2) The other bonuses arent really that great. Sure at low levels having low-light or darkvision is really good, but by 5th or 6th it wont be much of an issue. Immunity to Sleep? Another low-level concern. The only other thing a half-elf "has" over humans is elven blood, which is a dubiously powerful "ability" at best.
3) There is usually much stigma that goes with playing a bastard race. Half-elves are notoriously not well-received with either parental community, they are tolerated at best. They receive as much derision as humans normally toss on elves, and the haughty elves are little better. This is in stark contrast to humans, who at least have a strong tie to their own, generally.
4) Their bonus feat is weaker than a humans. A human may take things like Point Blank Shot or Dodge. A half-elf must take a racial (or regional) feat, more along the lines of Alertness, Endurance, or Skill Focus.
5) From a game mechanics point of view it isnt an unbalanced race. A party of 4 humans and a party of 4 half-elves would have an equally easy/difficult time against nearly every encounter. Exception is maybe one based off of Sleep spells when the party is level 1.
Basically, there are plenty of very good reasons to still play a human. This simply allows a half-elf to be competitive.
And to respond to Matt_Walsh, thats a good idea as well. The 1 I saw get played was when 3ed first hit. He didn't mind, but eventually recognized that racially, he got the shaft. Course he was a fighter and a badass, so it didnt matter much.
Technik
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