Half- races should be a template

[variant]

I think all half- races such as half-orc and half-elf should be combined into an optional template found in the DMG. Some worlds may not have certain combinations, while other worlds may have unique combinations. This will allow all kinds of variety in the "brooding half-breed that doesn't fit into society".

In the template section it could show a couple of examples: the half-elf and half-orc, since they are the most popular of the half-races.

 

[Ahnehnois]

As intuitive and simple as it seems, I have to disagree.

In biology, hybrids (and, conversely, speciation) are complex topics. It's not quite as simple to combine traits as one might think. Genes interact.

Furthermore, upbringing and culture does play into a race's abilities (at least that's how it's been done), and the way half-elves are brought up is very different from the way humans or elves are brought up.

A template also encourages way more cross-breeding than I ever want to see (half-elves and half-orcs have always been the exception rather than the rule), and encourages min-maxing to build the best race, which is not good either.

 

[variant]

As intuitive and simple as it seems, I have to disagree.

In biology, hybrids (and, conversely, speciation) are complex topics. It's not quite as simple to combine traits as one might think. Genes interact.

Furthermore, upbringing and culture does play into a race's abilities (at least that's how it's been done), and the way half-elves are brought up is very different from the way humans or elves are brought up.

A template also encourages way more cross-breeding than I ever want to see (half-elves and half-orcs have always been the exception rather than the rule), and encourages min-maxing to build the best race, which is not good either.

I am not sure about you, but I don't let players touch the DMG when creating a character unless I specifically introduce something in it to my world.

The template would be for the DM to create his own half- race, not for players to create their own half- race. The DM decides what culture the half- race grew up in and decide what abilities they obtain. The template there is to keep it balanced.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I am not sure about you, but I don't let players touch the DMG when creating a character unless I specifically introduce something in it to my world.

I let my players propose just about anything, PHB, DMG, 3PP, or stuff they make up, and although it's subject to approval, I don't veto things unless I have a pretty strong reason to. If half-race templates existed, I think people would use them.

On a broader level, I was not a DM in my early days, and I had a DM who had the approach of limiting the DMG and by extension, certain rules and ideas, to himself. Which is part of why I'm the DM now. My philosophy is that I'm not big on limits, especially metagame ones.

In any case. my point that a template just isn't the best way to represent hybrids is somewhat independent of the player-DM dynamic. I think each race needs its own separate entry and to be thought of separately, including the hybrid ones.

 

[variant]

I let my players propose just about anything, PHB, DMG, 3PP, or stuff they make up, and although it's subject to approval, I don't veto things unless I have a pretty strong reason to. If half-race templates existed, I think people would use them.

On a broader level, I was not a DM in my early days, and I had a DM who had the approach of limiting the DMG and by extension, certain rules and ideas, to himself. Which is part of why I'm the DM now. My philosophy is that I'm not big on limits, especially metagame ones.

In any case. my point that a template just isn't the best way to represent hybrids is somewhat independent of the player-DM dynamic. I think each race needs its own separate entry and to be thought of separately, including the hybrid ones.

Then I think 5e is going to be a nightmare scenario for you since it is suppose to be very modular and will probably have various options that will be completely broken unrestricted.

Magical items for example are not 3e where they are built into the character balance.

 

[exile]

5E could strike a nice balance by including the half-elf and half-orc in the PHB. Then in teh DMG (or even the MM) they could include rules for creating hybrids of other races, maybe including the mul as an example.

 

[variant]

5E could strike a nice balance by including the half-elf and half-orc in the PHB. Then in teh DMG (or even the MM) they could include rules for creating hybrids of other races, maybe including the mul as an example.

The problem in general with the half- races is that any depth given to them always seems pushed. While I don't like the half-orc, I am not against half-elf, but their "depth" is almost always "they don't fit into society" and their racial lineages. I still remember the gibberish that essentially made up the detailed descriptions of the half-elf in the 3e racial books.

I think they are just a waste of space, especially if they plan on expanding upon races with feats, racial classes, and other things. If you include a race, you will have to include those specific things for them which take up space. When really a half- race could take feats from the two races they are made up of and maybe some general half- race "vagabond" racial feats.

 

[TwinBahamut]

In biology, hybrids (and, conversely, speciation) are complex topics. It's not quite as simple to combine traits as one might think. Genes interact.

The classic example of this being the liger, a possible offspring of a tiger and a lion that is significantly larger than either parent could possibly be.

Generally, I'm not a fan of half-races myself... I prefer either races where a halfblooded race takes all the traits of one parent, or racial options that are exotic and interesting enough that the idea of racial interbreeding is nonsensical. That's just my preference, though, and I recognize that some things, like half-elves, are reasonably popular.

I don't think a template option works at all, to be honest. People who want to play a half-race will want a better option than that... Templates are rarely a good option for anything, anyways.

 

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

i don't like half races at all.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Then I think 5e is going to be a nightmare scenario for you since it is suppose to be very modular and will probably have various options that will be completely broken unrestricted.

Magical items for example are not 3e where they are built into the character balance.

I think you're mischaracterizing my point. I'm not worried all that much about balance. I don't like when things become too mechanical. A template makes sense for the concept of vampirism or to make your monsters a little more fiendish, but it was never great at representing interbred races.

I am quite happy to have options (including half races) and modularity, but I'm not on boatf eoyj half-races as templates.