D&D (2024) Half-race feats how would you design them?

[Mephista]

Other than a stat block that says "half-elf," what do people even want from a half-elf?

Lke, 3e started the trend towards them being the diplomat-elves instead of just being tied to a region. Which I think is a workable concept for an elf subrace, and it's what I think of when I hear "half-elf" more than "human-elf get."

Access to others's racial feats, learn Friends cantrip, then Disguise Self and then Detect Thoughts. Something like that.

This is what I think of. Blending in and making friends with the different mortals.

 

[Gorck]

I wouldn't be extremely upset if half races went away completely. Now that Orcs will be playable races in the 2024 PHB, I can remake my first long term character (and namesake).

Half-elves do have a history in D&D and fantasy in general. Tanis Half-Elven has been around since 1984.

 

[Yaarel]

I wouldn't be extremely upset if half races went away completely. Now that Orcs will be playable races in the 2024 PHB, I can remake my first long term character (and namesake).

Half-elves do have a history in D&D and fantasy in general. Tanis Half-Elven has been around since 1984.

The 1DD rules work well for a human-elf mix. It is easy to convert a half-elf from 5e and earlier into 1DD.

 

[Yaarel]

Other than a stat block that says "half-elf," what do people even want from a half-elf?

Lke, 3e started the trend towards them being the diplomat-elves instead of just being tied to a region. Which I think is a workable concept for an elf subrace, and it's what I think of when I hear "half-elf" more than "human-elf get."

Access to others's racial feats, learn Friends cantrip, then Disguise Self and then Detect Thoughts. Something like that.

This is what I think of. Blending in and making friends with the different mortals.

For example, a human-elf who takes the human mechanics, can easily:
• +2 Charisma
• +1 other
• Skillful: Persuasion
• Background: extra language
• PLUS THERE IS A FEAT!

There is no meaningful loss of information. Indeed, the feat can make the concept fuller.

 

[Slit518]

I don't know if I would have half-race feats, but for half-races I would do this:
Be any size between both races.
Average Age between both races.
Choose any two traits from both races (except Human, you get both Resourceful & Skillful, you do not get Versatile).
There you have it, your half-X/half-Y character!

 

[Charlaquin]

Other than a stat block that says "half-elf," what do people even want from a half-elf?

Lke, 3e started the trend towards them being the diplomat-elves instead of just being tied to a region. Which I think is a workable concept for an elf subrace, and it's what I think of when I hear "half-elf" more than "human-elf get."

Access to others's racial feats, learn Friends cantrip, then Disguise Self and then Detect Thoughts. Something like that.

This is what I think of. Blending in and making friends with the different mortals.

While I’m personally fine with mixed race characters being just “pick one parent’s race for your stats and mix and match description as you like,” I will say that I liked having half-elves as a more grounded, lower-magic elf option. It’s got the elven aesthetic with a bit more distance from their fey ancestors. Sometimes you want the pointy ears, wiry frame, and marble-chiseled cheekbones, without the inherent spellcasting or sleeplessness.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

While I’m personally fine with mixed race characters being just “pick one parent’s race for your stats and mix and match description as you like,” I will say that I liked having half-elves as a more grounded, lower-magic elf option. It’s got the elven aesthetic with a bit more distance from their fey ancestors. Sometimes you want the pointy ears, wiry frame, and marble-chiseled cheekbones, without the inherent spellcasting or sleeplessness.

They could possibly bake Half Elf into Elf as a lineage that gives some benefits other than a cantrip and 2 spells. That might reopen the box that they are trying to close with their new purely cosmetic take on half-races.

 

[Parmandur]

While I’m personally fine with mixed race characters being just “pick one parent’s race for your stats and mix and match description as you like,” I will say that I liked having half-elves as a more grounded, lower-magic elf option. It’s got the elven aesthetic with a bit more distance from their fey ancestors. Sometimes you want the pointy ears, wiry frame, and marble-chiseled cheekbones, without the inherent spellcasting or sleeplessness.

The only thing missing from the current setup I'm thebpacket is the Fey Ancestry trait. Amd the more I think about it, the odds that there won't be some 1st Level Feat, somewhere along the line, that doesn't give "Fey Ancestry" is pretty slim. Slap that on a Human, it's a standard Half-Elf. Slap it on a Dwarf, and you have a citizen of the Duarchy in Northern Wildemount.

 

[Lojaan]

This is what I would do:

Half-elves: On the material plane, any offspring between human and elven parents always results in a human child. People who are colloquially known as "half-elves" are humans that were heavily exposed to the feywild while they were in the womb. Despite the name, half-elves can have gnomish, saytr, nymph or any fey parentage, not just elven. Usually this exposure to the feywild happens intentionally, although it is not unknown for two completely human parents to end up with a half-elven child if the mother had been caught or lost in the feywild whilst pregnant.
Of all the known races, only humans are affected this way. No one knows why.
Half-elves use the human starting traits and exchange the "versatile" feature for the "fey ancestry" feat. They appear as human with slight differences that mark them as fey touched, such as elven or animal ears, cloven hooves, green or blue skin, or flowers growing in their hair, depending on their parentage.

Half-orcs: That humans and orcs can interbreed is a mystery to both species, leading some to conclude that they were at one time the same race. While most children take after one parent or the other, some blend the human adaptability with the primal fortitude of the orcs.
Half-orcs can use either the human or orc starting traits, or chose human and replace the "versatile" feature with "primal will" (a feat that gives the Relentless Endurance feature).

I would not include anything about any other races being able to interbreed, implying that it is not possible. WotC does not want to have to worry about all the possible different mixed parentage race combinations whenever they release something new. Leave that for homebrew and DMs Guild fan supplements. You want to play a half aarakocra, half lizardfolk? Totally cool. Talk it over with your DM.

 

[Haplo781]

I'd be amenable to each race having one or two features listed as swappable. Basically saying, "you can trade one of these for one from another race."