D&D (2024) Do you think they will add more races to PHB2024 to make up for dropping other stuff?


log in or register to remove this ad


In OG Planescape Tieflings, Genasi, and Aasimar could pretty much look like whatever you wanted them to look like, but appearance was completely unique, as long as they had the usual arrangement of limbs (plus tail) and such for humaniods you were fine (although original Tieflings, Aasimar, and Genasi were Not concider humaniods, they were Outsiders or in current terms, Fiends, Celestials, and Elemental, it was only later in 3.5e when they because a major Forgotten Realms races, that they released a humanoid version, one that also didn't a level adjustment).
After seeing Ifrit's from pathfinder (their version of fire genasi), I built a fire genasi character with horns. I hate how 5e has basically turned genasi/aasimar into just 'red humans/blue humans/gold humans'.
 

So, in so many words, tradition.

As I’ve said, if hybrid species are a thing, it makes sense to support more than just those two specific combinations. And there just ain’t room to include full species write ups for every combination. So, a simple, generic system to accommodate whatever combination the player might want makes sense. Also, removing their write ups opens up page count, so now we get full-blooded orcs and Goliaths in the PHB. Win-win.
That's why I'd like to give half-elves and half-orcs their own species names, and assume the hybridisation happened a long time ago. Basically making them their own full fledged species. This is especially important for eberron where this is explicitly the case.

Entirely new species can come from initial hybrid populations irl too. For example the clymene dolphin was once a hybrid between striped and spinner dolphins. But now it's a fully unique species with many thousands of individuals.

If treated like this, you can still make a 'half-elf' using either the mixed species rules like everyone else, or by the the 'Khoravar' species entry. Could even have them in an Eberron book rather than the PHB.

And one thing I really object to (if the DnD Beyond info is accurate), is scrubbing half-elves/orcs from the lore entirely. With NPC's of those species being replaced with NPC's of other species.
 

Who said Ardlings scored well? Not WotC, that I can recall. Quite the contrary.
They were under 70%, but apparently we're broadly liked: just not "put thst in the PHB liked. Crawford said they would revisit them in some form...and I suspect they may make it into the MM, because Celestisls have a lot of slots to fill to meet the "options at every tier" threshold.
 



After seeing Ifrit's from pathfinder (their version of fire genasi), I built a fire genasi character with horns. I hate how 5e has basically turned genasi/aasimar into just 'red humans/blue humans/gold humans'.
Agreed. There are % tables in Blood of Angels and Blood of Fiends that would allow you to customize your Aasimar's or your Tiefling's looks (much more than what even 3e offered). The Geniekin (the PF equivalent of the Genasi) sadly don't have their own % table for you to customize your character with. But I think you could borrow the % tables of the other two for 5e without any problem.


That's why I'd like to give half-elves and half-orcs their own species names, and assume the hybridisation happened a long time ago. Basically making them their own full fledged species. This is especially important for eberron where this is explicitly the case.
The Dragonkin (Kobold Press' take on the Dragonborn) are good example of hybridization that happened a long time ago. Originally they were Half-Dragon humans. So why not make the Half-Elves and Half-Orcs into races that bred true? ;)
 

What species are most notably missing in 5e that have been in previous editions? 5e is the edition I have most been engaged with so I don’t exactly know what went on in older editions all that thoroughly, I’m aware the minotaur existed as a player species and the deva i think? Dryads have been a personal favourite creature for me but I don’t know how they existed in DnD...
 

Minotaurs and Devas became playable races in 4e. As for Dryads, I vaguely remember seeing a mention for an Unbound Dryad. I think they were Dryads who were no longer bound to a tree.
 

Remove ads

Top