DId WotC make a mistake? (Half-Elves)

[rowport]

I would guess that Half-Elf is a full race for two reasons: first, because keeping it that way suits the "flavor" of D&D, in the same way that nearly every Wizard (i.e. "Magic-User") throws Fireballs and second, because the use of templates has dramatically increased since 3.0 was originally developed. That said, I personally would prefer to see it as a template, since I most enjoy flexible character creation, so I love templates, multiclassing, feat choices, variant classes, etc. I chalk that up to personal preference (and years of playing HERO rules).

 

[Brown Jenkin]

If we wern't in the middle of a campaign I would ask our DM how he is doing all of his half-orcs. One of our groups recuring villians is a family of Half-orcs. They all share a powerful (teen level ar least) Orc father and each has a different race for a mother. We have elf/orc, halfling/orc, human/orc and probably others we haven't identified. Last thing we heard was that he had been trying to mate with an Aasimar.

 

[mattcolville]

In my game, Half-Elf and Half-Orc are templates added to a base race.

Because, in my game, Elves and Men are different races, they cannot interbreed successfully without the aid of magic. You can also be a half-dwarf.

Half-elves and half-orcs are in D&D because they were in The Lord of the Rings, though of course, they do not function in D&D the way they do in Tolkien's work.

The idea of a game that presents templates to deal with Half-races, then presents the Half-elf and Half-orc as independant races, seems not only silly to me, it smacks of bad design.

 

[MEG Hal]

Because, in my game, Elves and Men are different races, they cannot interbreed successfully without the aid of magic. You can also be a half-dwarf.

That was why I developed the Nevae for Bluffside etc... half high elf, half drow, that made sense to me not half human and half elf.....it is fantasy but come on

 

[Black Omega]

If we wern't in the middle of a campaign I would ask our DM how he is doing all of his half-orcs. One of our groups recuring villians is a family of Half-orcs. They all share a powerful (teen level ar least) Orc father and each has a different race for a mother. We have elf/orc, halfling/orc, human/orc and probably others we haven't identified. Last thing we heard was that he had been trying to mate with an Aasimar.

There were rumors of a Half-Fiend half-orc. Just wait until you meet the Half Celestial Half-orc.

 

[Taelorn76]

my understanding of the original post was a question of human + plus other race, not cross breeding elves with other races. If the latter (human) is the case then a template would make sense.

 

[hunter1828]

For what it's worth, Elflings are (also) in Midnight.

I'll have to check that out, especially since I can't find the web site I found the elfling I use anymore.

Thanks,

hunter1828

 

[Grazzt]

Half-elves should remain as they are...no template.

 

[jester47]

The reason there is no half elf template is because the race is the blend with elf and human. Anything else half blooded with elves simply has an appropriate half-template added to an elf. Thus half elf and half dragon is an elf with the dragon template. I have always thought that if you had a half elf/half orc that the resulting creature would be most likely mistaken for a human.

Aaron.

 

[Nightfall]

Ash,

Elflings are fine, but then that's also cause it Midnight and it SHOULD break traditions.