Half-elves and +2 CON

[Henry]

That, and noting that many species in real life, including humans, are more resistant to certain diseases and conditions if they are genetically diverse. So it may have a mechanical origin, but it's not implausible that a half-elf would be tougher than any given human or elf, because they're more resistant to diseases, etc.

 

[med stud]

I houseruled tieflings and half elves by switching their attribute bonuses. Tieflings are heavier than humans (without any indications that they would be fatter) so Con makes sense from that POV and it also fits in with the warlock archetype. They don't seem brighter than average in the racial description (not that they are dumber either ofc).

As for half elves, they are changed in the fluff to being half eladrins or changelings, explaining their intelligence bonus.

 

[Grom Stonekin]

Props to people for using real world genetics to support their arguments but I think that misses the point. Half-elves are slighter that humans and have no bonuses vs. disease (like Dwarves vs. poison). The +2 CON bonus really only makes sense as a game balance choice by the designers. The fluff about Dwarves goes on and on about how tough and stoic they are (hence +2 CON). Not so for Half-Elves. The fluff just doesn't match well with the stat bonuses.

 

[theNater]

Here's the relevant fluff:

Half-elves rarely settle down for any length of time. Their wanderlust makes them natural adventurers...

Note that this indicates large amounts of travel, generally on foot or on horse. Anybody who spends that much time walking or riding is going to develop some solid endurance.

No, it's not the recurring mentions of stoicism and hardiness the dwarves get, but it's as much as elves and eladrin get explaining their dex bonuses(in the race writeup in the PHB).

 

[Puggins]

Props to people for using real world genetics to support their arguments but I think that misses the point. Half-elves are slighter that humans and have no bonuses vs. disease (like Dwarves vs. poison).

.... they DO have a bonus to disease with a +2 con, they just don't have a specific resistance to it. They're just plain healthier- more hit points, less susceptible to illness, etc.

The +2 CON bonus really only makes sense as a game balance choice by the designers. The fluff about Dwarves goes on and on about how tough and stoic they are (hence +2 CON). Not so for Half-Elves. The fluff just doesn't match well with the stat bonuses.

I'm of the opinion that half-elves are (once again) the weakest race in the PHB. If you're opposed to the fixed +2 con, then make it +2 cha and one floating +2. It'll make them better and more "in line" with their human parents (though I personally don't consider it an issue).

 

[Aservan]

Halflings and Tieflings already have Dex+Cha, another race would be overkill.

Umm. Teiflings don't get a bonus to Dex. They get a bonus to Int and Cha. Which also invalidates the assumptions about one body and one mind bonus. Several of the monster races in the MM also get bonuses so the same types of attributes.

It is a game people and just because half elves are not legendarily tough like dwarves does not mean they aren't tough. It just means people don't know they are tough.

Chimps get loads of credit for being smart. Dogs though can perform many cognitive tasks chimps find elusive. Does that mean chimps are smarter then dogs or that they both are smart but in different ways?

Obviously you can house rule things in your game to be the way you like, but when you do so you run into the rule of unintended consequences.

Take the proposed teifling half elf stat switch. Teiflings may have been the discoverers of infernal warlockery but that doesn't mean they are its greatest practitioners. The Chinese discovered gun powder but it took infernally clever Europeans to make actual guns. So who was the master of gun powder? Neither actually, but that's beside the point

Teiflings are heavier then humans becuase they have a friggin tail. Tails being full of bones and flesh have weight.

 

[Grom Stonekin]

Yeah Half-elves seem like the last race the designers worked on. +2 WIS and +2 CON was all that was left

 

[sidonunspa]

sucks because I love playing half-elves

Now if I play one I will be playing the worst race in tha game, I guess some things never change.

just take a look at what the Dragonborn can do and see the half-elf...

I have no idea what the designers where thinking

 

[arcanaman]

Oh they have pluses now odd

 

[LowSpine]

When you cross a male lion with a female tiger you get a liger, which is bigger than both his parents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger#Size_and_growth

Sometimes gene-crossed hybrids manifest qualities that are not just "halfway" between the parents, so the fact that a half-elf could be sturdier than his elf and human parents, scientifically (well, as scientifically you can put it before incurring into Hong's wrath ) is plausible.

This reminds me of Dark Sun muls (humans / dwarves).

When you combine them the right way (tiger/lion) the Liger has no growth stopping gene so it just keeps growing.

I imagine a Tigron (I can't remember what they are called exactly) has 2 growth stopping genes. Of course that doesn't mean it can stop growing twice as shortly.

The eunuchs were castrated before puberty. The hormones that stop growth were now missing so they never truly stopped growing and were ridiculously tall. So make up can be enviromental as well (living out in the wilderness on your own shunned by either side?)

Crossbreeds, moggys, etc always end up living longer. Selective breeding breeds in weakness and genetic disorders.