Fixing the Half-Elf?
- Thread starter IndyPendant
- Start date
Evilhalfling
Adventurer
I think half-elves would be far more popular without the +2 to diplomacy and GI
and instead + 1 skill point per level.
I actually think that 1/2 races suck and offend my sense of genetics. In tolkien where all this comes from there were what 3 elf/human pairings ever? plus thier decendants. Their decendets were by no means outcasts. Okay perhaps there is the folklore of changelings .....
I have left the 1/2 elf as is. I see no reason to encourage flawed concepts.
and instead + 1 skill point per level.
I actually think that 1/2 races suck and offend my sense of genetics. In tolkien where all this comes from there were what 3 elf/human pairings ever? plus thier decendants. Their decendets were by no means outcasts. Okay perhaps there is the folklore of changelings .....
I have left the 1/2 elf as is. I see no reason to encourage flawed concepts.
Zephyrus
First Post
I had issues with half-orcs and half-elves too..
for half-orcs. In addition to the standard racial qualities. I gave them a +4 save vs poison & disease. +3 HP at 1st level and +1 HP every level after 1st. This made them tougher to match their strength and all around made sense for them to be more durable. Their taking a double hit to abilities.
for half-elves. I stripped out the bonus to spot/listen/search and to diplomacy and gather information. Instead I gave them a +2 CHA and a penalty to CON. Their are varient races all over with +2 INT or +2 WIS but nothing that is ECL +0 with a +2 CHA. I also gave them their choice of 'select any one skill to become a class-skill regardless of class, suffering a -1 penalty to this skill checks with this skill unless the they take ranks in this skill from a class that has it as a class skill'. Alternatly they could could select up to 3 skills to gain a +1 racial bonus to these checks. they need not be class skills and the same skill could be selected more than once, resulting in a single skill at +3, a Skill at +2 and +1 or three skills at +1.
This way at least Half-Orc's are attractive for something other than their extra strenght going for them, after all now you could be a half-orc caster type (such as a druid or cleric most likly) and have the some extra durability.
As for the Half-Elf. Now it creates a race with +2 CHA for Bard's and Sorcerer's (while my Grey Elf Warmage kicks butt! using Sun Elves and Grey Elf power caster's is getting old) as well as gives the presumable versitle elves some actual flexibility. I may instead of a -1 penalty cause a -1 max rank to 'always a class skill' but so far I havent encountered a problem with it as is.
for half-orcs. In addition to the standard racial qualities. I gave them a +4 save vs poison & disease. +3 HP at 1st level and +1 HP every level after 1st. This made them tougher to match their strength and all around made sense for them to be more durable. Their taking a double hit to abilities.
for half-elves. I stripped out the bonus to spot/listen/search and to diplomacy and gather information. Instead I gave them a +2 CHA and a penalty to CON. Their are varient races all over with +2 INT or +2 WIS but nothing that is ECL +0 with a +2 CHA. I also gave them their choice of 'select any one skill to become a class-skill regardless of class, suffering a -1 penalty to this skill checks with this skill unless the they take ranks in this skill from a class that has it as a class skill'. Alternatly they could could select up to 3 skills to gain a +1 racial bonus to these checks. they need not be class skills and the same skill could be selected more than once, resulting in a single skill at +3, a Skill at +2 and +1 or three skills at +1.
This way at least Half-Orc's are attractive for something other than their extra strenght going for them, after all now you could be a half-orc caster type (such as a druid or cleric most likly) and have the some extra durability.
As for the Half-Elf. Now it creates a race with +2 CHA for Bard's and Sorcerer's (while my Grey Elf Warmage kicks butt! using Sun Elves and Grey Elf power caster's is getting old) as well as gives the presumable versitle elves some actual flexibility. I may instead of a -1 penalty cause a -1 max rank to 'always a class skill' but so far I havent encountered a problem with it as is.
GreatLemur
Explorer
Yeah, they do tend to sound a bit silly, especially once dragons start getting involved. But I can buy the idea of humans, elves, and orcs being as closely related as horses and donkeys.Evilhalfling said:
Klaus
First Post
Let's see...
Elf: +2 Dex/-2 Con; Immune to sleep; +2 save vs. enchantment; Low-Light Vision; +2 Search, Spot, Listen; Detect Secret Doors; Proficiency in longsword, rapier and bows; Fav. Class: Wizard
Human: +1 feat; +1 skill point per level (x4 at 1st); Fav. Class: Any
Half-Elf: No stat adjustments (as human)
+1 save on enchantment (1/2 elf bonus)
Low-Light Vision (as elf)
+1 Search, Spot, Listen (1/2 elf bonus)
+2 skill points (1/2 human bonus at 1st level) OR Bonus Skill Focus feat (mixes the bonus human feat and the bonus human skill points into one benefit)
Proficiency in bows (1/2 elf proficiencies)
Elf Blood (counts as elf)
Fav. Class: Any (as human)
The +2 skill points (akin to the Open Minded feat) represents the longer lifespan coupled with the humanlike drive.
Elf: +2 Dex/-2 Con; Immune to sleep; +2 save vs. enchantment; Low-Light Vision; +2 Search, Spot, Listen; Detect Secret Doors; Proficiency in longsword, rapier and bows; Fav. Class: Wizard
Human: +1 feat; +1 skill point per level (x4 at 1st); Fav. Class: Any
Half-Elf: No stat adjustments (as human)
+1 save on enchantment (1/2 elf bonus)
Low-Light Vision (as elf)
+1 Search, Spot, Listen (1/2 elf bonus)
+2 skill points (1/2 human bonus at 1st level) OR Bonus Skill Focus feat (mixes the bonus human feat and the bonus human skill points into one benefit)
Proficiency in bows (1/2 elf proficiencies)
Elf Blood (counts as elf)
Fav. Class: Any (as human)
The +2 skill points (akin to the Open Minded feat) represents the longer lifespan coupled with the humanlike drive.
devoblue
First Post
Worth mentioning that there is a WOTC suggested/official fix/house rule to the half-elf. Down the bottom of page 40, Unearthed Arcana, in a House Rule sidebar, is the suggestion to use the human style skill point bonus. This is in the middle of the section on racial paragons, and is barely noticable. Unfortunately, there are no suggested fixes for the half-orc in this chapter.
Viktyr Gehrig
First Post
I think, perhaps, that the bonus skill feat should be expanded to include other skill feats, such as Cosmopolitan, Educated, or Jack of All Trades. I also think that this should be in addition to the +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Gather Information.
Combine that with the +2 DEX/-2 CON, and I'd say Half-Elves would be actually fairly playable.
Combine that with the +2 DEX/-2 CON, and I'd say Half-Elves would be actually fairly playable.
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