D&D 5E (2024) Half Race Appreciation Society: Half Elf most popular race choice in BG3

[Horwath]

Also makes me wonder about what's the experience of a half-elf born to two half-elf parents, rather than a human and an elf?

Once again are they the same as their parents or different again?

Would a child of two half-elves always be a half elf?

We could now debate genetics here, but it could be hard coded for the game that two half elves have:
50% chance for a half elf child
25% chance for an elven child
25% chance for a human child

or we can get into in real humans complexity of huge number of dominant and recessive genes... that is not gamelike material.

 

[Remathilis]

Would a child of two half-elves always be a half elf?

We could now debate genetics here, but it could be hard coded for the game that two half elves have:
50% chance for a half elf child
25% chance for an elven child
25% chance for a human child

or we can get into in real humans complexity of huge number of dominant and recessive genes... that is not gamelike material.

I would really like the game to avoid anything that looks a measure of bloodlines. That just opens the door to allow some very racist thinking in. If half-elf is going to be a race, it needs to breed true with itself.

 

[Horwath]

I would really like the game to avoid anything that looks a measure of bloodlines. That just opens the door to allow some very racist thinking in. If half-elf is going to be a race, it needs to breed true with itself.

Well, it the "species" gene is hard coded it could give some fun outcomes in offsprings.

The term Half in meant of mix with humans as we are humans and we look the game from humanocentric view.

Half-orc and half-elf child

25% half-orc,
25% half-elf,
25% human
25% elf-orc

 

[Remathilis]

Well, it the "species" gene is hard coded it could give some fun outcomes in offsprings.

The term Half in meant of mix with humans as we are humans and we look the game from humanocentric view.

Half-orc and half-elf child

25% half-orc,
25% half-elf,
25% human
25% elf-orc

I think that should be something a DM implements, not a core rule.

 

[TwoSix]

I think that should be something a DM implements, not a core rule.

Yea, I don't think it does anyone any favors to codify and gamify race/ancestry rules, especially rules about making "hybrids". The 5e race/ancestry rules carry so little weight that it's easy to lightly houserule that matches a particular player's vision, and not having codified rules means any one player's request is probably coming from a place of desired character concept, not snapping together an elf-dwarf-orc-minotaur for the combination of bonuses.

Granted, I'm not against powergaming, but race/ancestry is one of those decision points where prioritizing aesthetic preferences are a higher priority than allowing another path for mechanical optimization. Basically, 5e should do everything possible to make sure race/ancestry is something people choose because they like the concept, not the bonuses.

 

[Remathilis]

Yea, I don't think it does anyone any favors to codify and gamify race/ancestry rules, especially rules about making "hybrids". The 5e race/ancestry rules carry so little weight that it's easy to lightly houserule that matches a particular player's vision, and not having codified rules means any one player's request is probably coming from a place of desired character concept, not snapping together an elf-dwarf-orc-minotaur for the combination of bonuses.

Granted, I'm not against powergaming, but race/ancestry is one of those decision points where prioritizing aesthetic preferences are a higher priority than allowing another path for mechanical optimization. Basically, 5e should do everything possible to make sure race/ancestry is something people choose because they like the concept, not the bonuses.

I agree with you and I worry any hybrid system ends up being players shopping for the best combination of traits and fluffing the lore later (yes, my mom was a drow elf and my dad a firbolg. I don't know how they met but 120 ft darkvision AND Invisibility!).

 

[TwoSix]

I agree with you and I worry any hybrid system ends up being players shopping for the best combination of traits and fluffing the lore later (yes, my mom was a drow elf and my dad a firbolg. I don't know how they met but 120 ft darkvision AND Invisibility!).

Yep. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on board with the firbolg/drow PC, I just want to make sure they're doing it for the right reason, which is for the lulz.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Would a child of two half-elves always be a half elf?

We could now debate genetics here, but it could be hard coded for the game that two half elves have:
50% chance for a half elf child
25% chance for an elven child
25% chance for a human child

or we can get into in real humans complexity of huge number of dominant and recessive genes... that is not gamelike material.

I'd prefer it to just be something like if they have 2/3 elven heritage they count as elves, 2/3 human heritage they count as humans, and the 1/3 in the middle counts as half-elf. But either could work.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Yep. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on board with the firbolg/drow PC, I just want to make sure they're doing it for the right reason, which is for the lulz.

If I was DM'ing I probably wouldn't have issues with a firbolg-drow. Both species look very alike and so could plausibly be related.

If someone tried to make a yuan-ti-thri-kreen or something along those lines then I'd expect a damn good explanation for how such a hybrid appeared though...

 

[TwoSix]

If I was DM'ing I probably wouldn't have issues with a firbolg-drow. Both species look very alike and so could plausibly be related.

If someone tried to make a yuan-ti-thri-kreen or something along those lines then I'd expect a damn good explanation for how such a hybrid appeared though...

Polymorph/alter self cure a lot of problems.