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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Haldrik" data-source="post: 8040501" data-attributes="member: 6694221">[USER=6987520]@dnd4vr[/USER]The Elf-Orc Grugach is moreso a synthesis across all of the editions of D&D.In 1e, the Grugach aka Wild Elf, is like Wood Elf, except even stronger. More xenophobic, even more nature oriented. But note the normal Intelligence.However, via 2e Forgotten Realms, the 3e "Wild Elf" becomes tougher than other elves, but lower Intelligence and lacking any special Strength. In 3e, +Dex −Int.By 4e, the Wild Elf and Wood Elf merge into the "Elf", contra "Eladrin", and all Elf are uniformly +Dex +Wis. (Altho +Dex +Int later becomes possible, this strays from the Wild Elf flavors across editions so far.)Now in 5e Forgotten Realms, the "Wood Elf" includes the Wild Elf and continues the merge of the 4e Elf, and remains +Dex +Wis.The original 1e Wild Elf with the exceptional Strength is long gone.Thus the Elf-Orc Grugach is a way within 5e Forgotten Realms, to return to the original concept. Strength. The Elf parentage continues the love of nature, plants, animals, especially trees, and the Dexterity acrobatics. Plus elven magic. The Orc parentage continues a culture of hunting and gathering, paleolithic tools, anti-civilization, roaming, and Strength athletics. Meanwhile the Orc culture of rage within the Elf culture of aloofness, morphs into an aggressive xenophobia.Looking at the 1e Grugach druidry, it seems worthwhile to invite the +2 and +1 to any of Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom. This likewise continues the 4e Wild Elf with the Wisdom bonus, and success at druidry.The Wood Elf is rural and occasionally ventures far into the wilderness, where tribal Elf and tribal Orc sometimes cooperate to survive a harsh environment, especially during unusual scarcity. Grugach culture descends from such an ancient tribal merger.Even in the 1e Greyhawk setting, the Elf-Orc Grugach retcons seemlessly. Little was known about them, and they look Elven ... but stronger and ... wilder. It feels plausible to "clarify" that Grugach ancestry in fact comes from Elf-Orc parentage. Compare how the Drow in the 1e MM was vague but clarified later in Fiend Folio. Also compare the Elf-Orc to the 1e Elf-Human that is likewise treated as an Elf group, while being of dual parentage. For obvious reasons, more was known about Elf-Human ancestry. Less was known about Elf-Orc ancestry.The dual-parentage Grugach blends well to rebuild the 1e Grugach tropes within the 5e Forgotten Realms setting. It also covers the tropes across all of the editions of D&D.</blockquote>

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