D&D 5E Half Elf variant abilities in SCAG

[GMforPowergamers]

I think that the high elf cantrip will see a lot of play in my games

 

[JohnLynch]

It's not that tricky to come up with something, though.

• +1 to an ability score (Con? Wis?)
• Weapon Training: Spears and tridents?
• Amphibious: can breathe air and water
• Swim speed of 30 feet

How's that?

I also gave them the shape water cantrip.

 

[jrowland]

The problem with Aquatic Elves is they get the "Wet Behind the Ears" trait which imposes a -50% xp penalty...

 

[Marandahir]

For my campaign, I'm switching that option for Keen Senses with Fey Ancestry. Half-Elves can choose Skill Versatility, Fey Ancestry, or one of the subracial traits listed.

What I found most funny is that they have added a rule for a half-elf whose parent is an aquatic Elf, but they have deemed Sea Elves as too rare to have rules for themselves.

I think this is mostly because Half-Sea Elves are a relatively important subrace of Half-elf, while Sea Elves are less important as a sub-race of Elf. For example, last edition, we only saw Half-Sea Elves, emulated through a racial feat for Half-Elves. There was no official way to make a Sea Elf in 4th Edition, but there was a whole nation of Half-Sea Elves (known as Thaliessan Half-Elves) in the "Conquest of Nerath" Campaign Setting (as revealed in an article in Dragon #401, "Nerathi Legends: Merindaelion, Barony of the Emerald Blade").

This is giving players of 4th Edition Half-Sea Elves a way to port their character. That's good.

 

[Demetrios1453]

What I found most funny is that they have added a rule for a half-elf whose parent is an aquatic Elf, but they have deemed Sea Elves as too rare to have rules for themselves.

Sea elves aren't rare, but land-dwelling adventurer-types are. In most previous editions, sea elves can't stay out of the water too long or they begin to suffocate. That really puts a crimp into any long-term adventuring career right there...

 

[Eltab]

The problem with Aquatic Elves is they get the "Wet Behind the Ears" trait which imposes a -50% xp penalty...

There is also the problem when you (the Aquatic Elf) ask your high-powered buddies to help save your home / village from monsters, and all your friends want to FLEE back from whence they came (due to Drowning checks) after just 5 minutes of travel...

 

[CapnZapp]

What I found most funny is that they have added a rule for a half-elf whose parent is an aquatic Elf, but they have deemed Sea Elves as too rare to have rules for themselves.

That is perfectly understandable and not surprising in the least.

 

[Marandahir]

Sea elves aren't rare, but land-dwelling adventurer-types are. In most previous editions, sea elves can't stay out of the water too long or they begin to suffocate. That really puts a crimp into any long-term adventuring career right there...

And there we go. Best reply. Sea Elves Adventurers are like Merfolk out of water. In fact, if I was going to make a Sea Elf race, I'd use Merfolk from the 5e MM as a model, and add the universal elf traits to it.

Great race to play in an underwater campaign. MIGHT be useful in a Swashbuckling Pirate Ship campaign, because you can swim alongside the boat or take a dive now and then (maybe you have an attached water-filled submersible). But really not that useful in ANY other kind of campaign. The Little Sea Elf's love-child with Prince Eric, however, would be perfectly suited to both underwater and out of water campaigns, making him or her the best of both worlds, quite literally.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

For my campaign, I'm switching that option for Keen Senses with Fey Ancestry. Half-Elves can choose Skill Versatility, Fey Ancestry, or one of the subracial traits listed.

Half-elves already have Fey Ancestry.

Sea Elves Adventurers are like Merfolk out of water. In fact, if I was going to make a Sea Elf race, I'd use Merfolk from the 5e MM as a model, and add the universal elf traits to it.

Merfolk don't suffer any penalties out of water in 5e, so it makes little sense to impose them on sea elves.

I don't actually care if they put out sea elves as a PC race or an entry in the next monster book, but they need to be represented somewhere. They are one of the very few creatures mentioned in the MM that has no mechanical representation anywhere.

 

[Marandahir]

Half-elves already have Fey Ancestry.

Crap, you're right. Ex-nay on the upidstay.

Merfolk don't suffer any penalties out of water in 5e, so it makes little sense to impose them on sea elves.

I don't actually care if they put out sea elves as a PC race or an entry in the next monster book, but they need to be represented somewhere. They are one of the very few creatures mentioned in the MM that has no mechanical representation anywhere.

Merfolk don't suffer penalties outside of water - except that they can't walk, since they have a big giant tail fin instead of legs. And while 5e may not force them to breath via gills, a lot of settings do. "The Little Mermaid" certainly did.

In any case, wild elves and winged elves (and star elves, unless those are supposed to be Eladrin in the 5e Realms) aren't represented yet in D&D yet either. Let's not single out just Sea Elves, and instead be consistent. The reason Half-Sea Elves got to join was because they've been a much more consistentpart of the game.