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

[Yaarel]

How is that simpler? The rules of D&D say that makes no sense.

Not sure which rules you find problematic.

It is simpler because it easy to say, "Innate Magic: choose two innate cantrips". It is like saying, Choose one language.

It is simpler because there is only a single entry, about half a page to represent every Elf that has ever existed.

 

[Yaarel]

I mean.... could solve that by making 'elf' a genus and not a species. Then each type of elf is a fully separate species. As closely related to each other as lions and tigers.

Yeah, in D&D the genus would roughly approximate the "creature type", like Giant and Dragon. The other creature types look like planar origins. The lore about First World suggests Giant and Dragon are aspects of the origin of the Material Plane. The Elf has a distinctive planar origin too.

 

[Yaarel]

With regard to hypothetical species of the Elf creature type.

The names for some of the species can come from repurposing the names of 2e Celestial Eladrin. These names originate as something like "subraces" where each forms a rank of government (kinda racist), but here have nothing to do with ranks, and are simply names for separate species. Something like.

• Eladrin ‹ High, Ghaele
• Tulani ‹ Astral, Grey, Sun (Norsesque, radically magical, skyey)
• Shierre ‹ Wood
• Drow
• Grugach ‹ Wild, Bralani
• Nixie ‹ Sea, Noviere, Nereid
• Avariel
• Naiad ‹ Moon, Nymph
• Hamadryad
• Oread ‹ Fierre
• Banshee


There would be overlap between an Elf creature type and the Fey creature type. In Scottish lore an "elf" is a humansized fairy. In Norse lore "alfr" is a specific creature, but in British lore "aelf" came to apply to various creatures including Greek nymphs. The characteristics that caused an other creature to be understood as an "elf" are: human appearance, extreme beauty, supreme wielders of magic, foreseeing fate, luck. The Norse alfr is prominently male (the female is valkyrja/dis/norn), the Greek nymph is female (mostly?) and French feie are prominently female (but male is part of the society). Of course, in D&D the gender can be anything.

Possibly, have the Dwarf be a member of the Elf creature type.

Other creatures, including various sprites like Gnome, Pixie, Goblin, would be Fey. Fey is mainly a planar origin and encompasses everything from Hag to Centaur.

Especially when it comes to translating the D&D Elf traditions into separate species, they would need to be completely unlike each other.


(That said. I do think it is simpler to have one Elf entry, to represent every Elf that has ever existed in D&D, and let the player choose its spells. When worldbuilding, the DM can choose the spells that prevail in a particular Elf community.)

 

[Vaalingrade]

Maybe it's time for the various and sundry elves... stop being elves.

The ones that just exist to get different stats can just get Thanos-snapped because they're no longer required to let you play an elf of the class you want. They're now just cultures (such as elves have a culture beyond espousing racial superiority to one another)

The terrain specific ones can become their own people -- except the sea elf, which let's be honest, we already have a ton of sea elves by another name like Tritons.

 

[Yaarel]

Maybe it's time for the various and sundry elves... stop being elves.

The ones that just exist to get different stats can just get Thanos-snapped because they're no longer required to let you play an elf of the class you want. They're now just cultures (such as elves have a culture beyond espousing racial superiority to one another)

The terrain specific ones can become their own people -- except the sea elf, which let's be honest, we already have a ton of sea elves by another name like Tritons.

Yeah. Once the ability improvement decouples from the species, there is little if anything salient to distinguish one type of Elf from an other.

One highly-flexible Elf design really can cover everything.

There might be a few cases where it is interesting to rethink. For example, the Avariel could be a multispecies community who descend from ancestors who are Oread ("mountain elf") and Aaracokra.

With regard to the "sea elf", it is already part of the 5e canon. But the first question should have been, "Why isnt this a Triton?" If there turns out to be a good reason, then go ahead and design a new species. Now the question should be, "Why arent Nixie, Nereid, and Novierre the same thing as a sea elf"?

 

[Scribe]

With regard to the "sea elf", it is already part of the 5e canon. But the first question should have been, "Why isnt this a Triton?" If there turns out to be a good reason, then go ahead and design a new species. Now the question should be, "Why arent Nixie, Nereid, and Novierre the same thing as a sea elf"?

Because, you are looking at a single platform (D&D) which functions in a way where different environments have a potential multitude of humanoid species.

This is not Earth. This is not real.

"Why are there multiple types of birds? The rainforest only needs 1."

 

[CreamCloud0]

while i would like elves reigned in a little to allow other niche species their place in the spotlight that doesn't mean i'd want the remaining elves all consolodated into a single statblock with 'pick your cantrips' being the distinguishing factor between them.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah. Once the ability improvement decouples from the species, there is little if anything salient to distinguish one type of Elf from an other.

One highly-flexible Elf design really can cover everything.

There might be a few cases where it is interesting to rethink. For example, the Avariel could be a multispecies community who descend from ancestors who are Oread ("mountain elf") and Aaracokra.

With regard to the "sea elf", it is already part of the 5e canon. But the first question should have been, "Why isnt this a Triton?" If there turns out to be a good reason, then go ahead and design a new species. Now the question should be, "Why arent Nixie, Nereid, and Novierre the same thing as a sea elf"?

"Why are there goblins and kobolds?"

If you don't want multiple creatures filling the same niche, decide to use one at your table. Don't asked for everyone's rules to be changed to suit you.

 

[Yaarel]

while i would like elves reigned in a little to allow other niche species their place in the spotlight that doesn't mean i'd want the remaining elves all consolodated into a single statblock with 'pick your cantrips' being the distinguishing factor between them.

Which Elf types would you like to see develop into a distinct species?

"Why are there goblins and kobolds?"

The D&D Kobold has nothing to do with reallife lore about the kobold.

The D&D Kobold is dragonish.

I view the name as deriving from a nickname. To refer to the "kobold dragon" is similar to saying the "gnome dragon", namely the dragon whose size and characteristics remind one of a kobold.

The Kobold could be a member of the Dragon creature type, but currently counts as a Humanoid.

There the species concept of a D&D Kobold is distinct enough from a Goblin and Gnome to justify a separate species.

 

[Scribe]

The D&D Kobold has nothing to do with reallife lore about the kobold.

We have identified your problem.

Your real life lore, Is not the source of truth. Full Stop.