D&D (2024) Elf as a class

[Minigiant]

Or most DMs think that such settings suck.

I mean the DMs who like it typically can't display the benefits of said settings to those not enamored with them. That's why race as class isn't popular.

 

[Minigiant]

It occurs to me that if you say an elf is a class you could equally say a fighter is a race--in the sense that by doing so you have a new type of game content which can be filled by a race or a class. So really its neither; it needs a new name. 'Role', perhaps. Elf is a role, fighter is a role, dwarf is a role, wizard is a role.

There was a time back in the 3E days where I imagined each class and race as their own role. So there was no Dwarf Fighter. There was only the Fighter as a human only concept. A Dwarf would have to be a Guard or Highborn to have some of the fightery stuff but with its own pros/cons. Much how a Arcane Archer was elf only back then.

It would be an interesting look to see how someone would categorize each of the 5e "subclasses as race" into their own "roles" and see how one would divide them up.

 

[Bacon Bits]

It occurs to me that if you say an elf is a class you could equally say a fighter is a race--in the sense that by doing so you have a new type of game content which can be filled by a race or a class. So really its neither; it needs a new name. 'Role', perhaps. Elf is a role, fighter is a role, dwarf is a role, wizard is a role.

Pathfinder 2e was right. Everything is a feat.

No Dungeon World was right. Everything is a move.

No Savage Worlds was right. Everything is a trait or an edge.

Wait, maybe GURPS was right, and everything needs a point level that people will powergame to high heaven until the GM bans it.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Pathfinder 2e was right. Everything is a feat.

No Dungeon World was right. Everything is a move.

No Savage Worlds was right. Everything is a trait or an edge.

Wait, maybe GURPS was right, and everything needs a point level that people will powergame to high heaven until the GM bans it.

WoD was right everyone is a monster fighting there own inner struggle...

 

[pnewman]

WoD was right everyone is a monster fighting there own inner struggle...

Mechwarrior was right, everyone is the pilot of a giant robot.

 

[Mind of tempest]

it sounds like that what you want to make is the mystical arcane gish which no one has ever truly gotten to work

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I would put the elves traits (super accuracy, great sight, master archer, long life etc) as part of the main class and let the archetypes carry the burden of deciding if the elves is a gish or a ranger or whatever. Use the race traits and special feats from XGtE to create the features of the main class.

Class: Elven Hero
HD: 1d8
Prof: Light armor, Simple weapons + Bows and Longsword.
Skills: Perception + 2 others
etc

Archetypes:
Bladesinger (insert Bladesinger + fullcaster into the Elf class)
Green Seer (Mix of druid and bard)
Master Archer
Tomb Warden (Fighter + turn undead)
etc

 

[James Gasik]

Speaking with experience and the benefit of hindsight - race as class worked back in the day because character customization was essentially moot. Being able to play an Elf was basically a reward in the character creation minigame of stat rolling - were you lucky enough to be able to play the character who could use a sword and cast spells? Congratulations! You rolled really well and won't be stuck playing the cleric this time. As the character creation minigame fell out of favor and character modeling became the approach the majority wanted, the race-as-class choice became less interesting. Even by the end of BECMI there was a Dwarf Cleric class and an Elf Warrior class (among others) that had worked their way into the game via Gazetteers and the Hollow World boxed set to acknowledge that the race-as-class design of BECMI was just lacking something. (Separating Races and Classes in BECMI was always one of the big house rules I'd see people make back in the day too).

I think for 5e race-as-class foils one of 5e's core design elements, which is that players should be making a small number of big choices at character creation. Race, Class, Background - rolling Race and Class into one thing removes a big choice with no return.

Having said that - I think having a class that Elves can take that represents that traditional Elven Fighter/Wizard is an interesting idea. And I do agree that the Eldritch Knight isn't quite it, so I'm interested to see where you go with this.

I think this ship has sailed, a lot of people were unhappy that Bladesingers were presented as Elf-only when the SCAG came out. I don't expect to see a ton of race-specific options in the future.

 

[HammerMan]

Mechwarrior was right, everyone is the pilot of a giant robot.

We are all brains trapped in a moist mech suit that wasn’t designed well and made of flesh and bone.

 

[John R Davis]

One option, and a way to make piles cash is too make race/class combos ( needs a cool name). Career, Paths, et al.

So in PHB one for 5.5 ( 6th ed) are 30-60 of these things. So:
Human warlord.
Halfling cutpurse.
Orc warmaster.
Elf swordmage.
Elf Herald.
Dwarf stonepriest.
Dwarf Tinkerer.
Etc etc.
They have near set stat array, and are absolutely ready to play out the box.

Then in PHB Two you have 30 more.

Ad infinitum