Fantasy Genetics: Half-breeds

[garyh]

While discussing a Half-Dragon (Copper) templated Half-Orc PC I hope to run in a PbP thread here, I came up with the following thought, which I'm now posting here so as not to hijack the PbP reqruitment thread. Here goes:

Here's a lineage stumper:

What would you call a character whose grandparents were a Half-Elf and Celestial on one side (resulting in a Half-Celestial templated Half-Elf) and a Half-Orc and a Dragon on the other side (resulting in a Half-Dragon templated Half-Orc)?

Lineage would be 1/4 Dragon, 1/4 Celestial, 1/4 Human, 1/8 Elf, and 1/8 Orc.

Name that bad boy!! And as an added challenge, stat the template up and assign it an ECL.

So, any takers?

 

[Xarlen]

I'd say it's impossible.

I have trouble concieving a Half template on a half orc. To get a half orc, you need one parent a human, the other an orc. How do you fit a dragon into that, to get not only a half-orc, but half a dragon? That's 1/2 Dragon, 1/4 Human, 1/4 Orc.

No half-orc Half-dragons (Or half-elf half dragons) in my game. Or half -anythings-.

Equally, a half-elf and a half-orc aren't getting any children. Likely the genetics are waaay to spread apart. A half-orc and an orc, half orc and human, half elf and elf, or half elf and human, sure.

Human, basicly, is the melting pot.

But, if I must, I'd call that A Planetouched Quarter.

I'd add the abilities of an Aasimar to the Half-dragon template.

Then, have the person pick one or the other (Half elf, orc, whatever), or force them to take human since it's half-elf and half-orc.

Then, I'd give them a roundabout +4 to +6 ECL.

 

[Umbran]

Name that bad boy!! [/i]

Name it? Easy - Abomination This isn't what templates are designed to accomplish. Templates are there to help you quickly manufacture some generic types of critters, not to stat up ones of unique and convoluted bloodlines.

Honestly, you wanna know where things that get "abberration" type in the MM come from? It's breedings like this.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Equally, a half-elf and a half-orc aren't getting any children. Likely the genetics are waaay to spread apart. A half-orc and an orc, half orc and human, half elf and elf, or half elf and human, sure.

That's why I've always had a problem with the concept of half dragons.

 

[garyh]

I'd say it's impossible.

I have trouble concieving a Half template on a half orc. To get a half orc, you need one parent a human, the other an orc. How do you fit a dragon into that, to get not only a half-orc, but half a dragon? That's 1/2 Dragon, 1/4 Human, 1/4 Orc.

No half-orc Half-dragons (Or half-elf half dragons) in my game. Or half -anythings-.

See, since Dragons and Celestials are so magical, they can breed with anything, thus they can breed with Half-Orcs (at least going by the MM - in your campaign is a different matter, of course). The result is a Half-Dragon templated Half-Orc. The template and the base race thus reflect both parents.

 

[garyh]

Re: Re: Fantasy Genetics: Half-breeds

Name it? Easy - Abomination This isn't what templates are designed to accomplish. Templates are there to help you quickly manufacture some generic types of critters, not to stat up ones of unique and convoluted bloodlines.

Honestly, you wanna know where things that get "abberration" type in the MM come from? It's breedings like this.

Good point on the template issue. At that poing you'd be past templates perhaps.

One day, I'll have see if a DM will let me play such a character.

 

[Xarlen]

Well, think of Half dragons (Fiends, Celestials and the like), are like Zues.

Zues can hump anything, and BOOM, kid. These suckers have Magical ... DNA. Yeah. When you're dealing with elves, orcs, they're pretty much ruled by genetics and science. However, when you're dealing with Dragons (Who kinda break our concept of science on several levels), the fact they are Magical beings come into play.

And that's even More obvious when you take into account extra-planar beings.

Then again, I find it sad there's not a way to get two halves of something. Like a Dragon/succubus.

 

[garyh]

Well, think of Half dragons (Fiends, Celestials and the like), are like Zues.

Zues can hump anything, and BOOM, kid. These suckers have Magical ... DNA. Yeah. When you're dealing with elves, orcs, they're pretty much ruled by genetics and science. However, when you're dealing with Dragons (Who kinda break our concept of science on several levels), the fact they are Magical beings come into play.

And that's even More obvious when you take into account extra-planar beings.

Then again, I find it sad there's not a way to get two halves of something. Like a Dragon/succubus.

True on the DNA. With my example, there'd be so much magic flowing, who knows? I'd tend to agree that normal HO's and HE's can't interbreed, or if they did it'd be "human," at least for game terms.

I started this thinking trying to see how one could directly jam half-celestial AND half-dragon templates on the same creature. But then there's no room for the "base creature" parent. It would either have to be a Celestial with the HD template or a dragon with the HC template.

Even better - the two characters above could be siblings.

 

[Xarlen]

Who said you need a base?

I'm talking about a dragon and a fiend getting jiggy, and the results therein.

Which would be scary... If a Dragon got the HF template... Since half-fiends are ran by HD for their powers, my God the powers a HF Dragon would have.

I once had a little dumb game at school, and threw a half-fiend dragon, a CR 4 green dragon, at a party. It could've pulled up to Blasphemy off. (Of course, they were all evil...) Not bad for a CR 6 creature.

It was destroyed by a combined effort of stunning Via Psionic ability, and a touch attack by a spellfire wielder.

 

[garyh]

Well, Xarlen, your HF/HD would be the eeeeevil mirror of my HC/HD.

I'd love to see a battle between a HC Gold Dragon and a HF Red Dragon, though!!

From a safe distance, of course.