half-elves & dragonmarks

[darkbard]

so, a player in my soon-to-start eberron campaign and i have a difference in interpretation in the wording of the racial write-up for half-elves. she believes since half-elves are produced in two ways [true breeders or through the union of elf and human] and the ECS mentions that there may be rare half-elf individuals of the latter variety in dragonmarked elf or human houses, it is possible, albeit rare, that a half-elf can possess a dragonmark normally associated with only human or elf houses. i disagree: i feel that it is quite possible that a half-elf could exist in a human or elf house but that this individual would never bear a dragonmark.

who is right?

 

[Geoff Watson]

They can't have human or elf dragonmarks, but they can be related to (or work with) humans or elves with dragonmarks.

Geoff.

 

[Unseenlibrarian]

Officially, you're right, they can't have human or elf dragonmarks, but on the other hand, that was one of the first things I house ruled. Half-elves have so few things going for them that throwing them that minor bone doesn't seem so horrible, and might actually get one of my normally Human-only players to try them out.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Officially - only have the half-elf dragonmarks. They are pretty cool dragonmarks though, so I don't see that as really being a problem.

What might be interesting is a half-elf who is a well-thought of member of one of the other houses (Tharask, say), but then develops a dragonmark of storm (since he is a half-elf, that is the kind of dragonmark he gets).

Don't forget, although dragonmarks have a degree of heredity to them they are not genetic, and who knows where a bloodline might arise from

 

[darkbard]

thanks for the responses ... and confirming my reading of the text [do i sound like an academic or what?!?].

 

[Spatula]

Half-elves have so few things going for them

Well, they do have their own exclusive dragon marks. If they can take human or elf marks in your game, then why can't humans or elves take the half-elven marks?

 

[Tatsukun]

Well, they do have their own exclusive dragon marks. If they can take human or elf marks in your game, then why can't humans or elves take the half-elven marks?

Because a human or elf can never have a 1/2 elf parent.
I like the flavor of it, and agree that the poor 1/2 elf needs a boost where ever it can get one. In other words *NOINK - Stolen House Rule!*

-Tatsu

 

[Sandain]

Sure a Human or Elf can have a Half-elven parent.

Say a Half Elf marries a Human girl and have children, according to game rules they would be pure human. Yet they would have some half-elven/elven genetics.

 

[Spatula]

Half-elf and human have a kid. What race is it? That child marries a human and has children. What race are they?

The same scenario exists with a half-elf and elf having a kid. What race is the child? When the child mates with an elf, what race are their kids?

 

[Tatsukun]

The same scenario exists with a half-elf and elf having a kid. What race is the child?

If they are brother and sister, I'm pretty sure their kids are Dwarves.
-Tatsu