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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 9466448" data-attributes="member: 7026594">I think you're misremembering, or maybe just generalizing from Tanis' traumatic background specifically because the elves in Dragonlance were portrayed as particularly racist, and/or because the original fluff was that his conception was a product of SA.  Later elaborated on with his mother dying after the birth from the trauma of it all, and her relatives resenting infant Tanis. (Later still, that was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanis_Half-Elven" target="_blank">ret-conned in another novel</a>).  I'm stretching my memory of the novels now, but I think people in Ansalon may also be generally portrayed as kind of xenophobic, and that Tanis, while not a Ranger, inherits some of Strider/Aragorn's reputation as being thought of as a little suspicious by the rubes, being a bit of a traveler and wanderer.The first description we get of half elves, in the 1E Monster Manual (and explicitly pointed to by the half elf entry in the PH), says "They are handsome folk, with the good features of each of their races." and "They mingle freely with either race."  This text is carried forward into the 2E Players Handbook.The 2E PH does also say that "Half-elves do not form communities among themselves; rather, they can be found living in both elven and human communities. The reactions of humans and elves to half-elves ranges from intrigued fascination to outright bigotry."So 2E is saying it varies quite a bit, but bigotry sounds more like the exception than the rule, given that they live and "mingle freely" with either people.FWIW 1E Unearthed Arcana also gives Half Elves a +1 to Comeliness, and the 1E PH and expanded UA Racial Preferences charts both generally show half elves as being well-regarded except by traditionally evil-aligned (Drow and Half Orcs) or particularly xenophobic (Wild Elves) folks.Not really. See their descriptions in 1e and 2e.  Actually giving a Charisma bonus didn't happen until 4E, but there were less obvious bonuses and indications in the text going back to 1977, when we first get any relevant description (1975 Greyhawk gives purely mechanical info; I checked). And the AD&D rules do include the racial preferences charts giving them relatively good modifiers for henchman loyalty, and that +1 to Comeliness.Mechanically it seems like it simplified over time.  +2 to Gather Information and Diplomacy is functionally a +4 to Charisma for the purposes of those specific skills, of course.  It's accompanied in the 3.5 race description with the text "Half-elves get along naturally with all people."Correct.  Perhaps interestingly, as a point of reference, OSE Advanced gives their Half Elf race class a Charisma minimum of 9.  (Elves just have an Int min of 9).Right.  My recollection is that Tanis had natural leadership qualities and humility in part because of having to bridge two cultures and due to the prejudices of and mistreatment by his elven relatives.</blockquote>

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