D&D (2024) How did I miss this about the Half races/ancestries

[Incenjucar]

I could see the early DnD pre-playable orcs not having invented farming. But the current version of orcs is clearly an intelligent species with would be capable of farming and other advanced things like metalwork.

Starting off as hunter-gatherers who then had to rapidly adapt as the other species started settling in the lands they used to roam freely, perhaps.

 

[Faolyn]

Eh? Humans are defined in-game by being able to pick up more skills and feats than most. Dragonborn are defined by breathing and resisting energy and being generally tough, etc.

I may have written that badly.

Since most D&D races have a hat, they all represent human aspects. So gnomes taking over a human role isn't at all unusual.

 

[Incenjucar]

I may have written that badly.

Since most D&D races have a hat, they all represent human aspects. So gnomes taking over a human role isn't at all unusual.

It's mainly that being skillful is the specific hat for humans in D&D. Per the OD&D playtest:

HUMAN TRAITS
Resourceful. You gain Inspiration* whenever you finish a Long Rest.*
Skillful. You gain Proficiency in one Skill of your choice.
Versatile. You gain the Skilled Feat or another 1st-level Feat of your choice.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I could see a niche for gnomes in being able to break skills to do something a bit impossible, kind of like how 40K orks are able to believe a red vehicle is faster. This would make for a counter-point to halfling luck.

In the interest of keeping this discussion from going back to racism, that's actually pretty cool, but I'd still like to advance that 'species that got cut from the PH twice' is also a niche.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Nordic peoples included farmers and traders, and not just vikings. Roman people included farmers and traders, and not just conquering armies. Orcs can have farmers and traders, and not just raiders.

Sure, but one does not describe Romans as barbaric raiders. They were a civilisation that invented and improved technology, and added to the arts and sciences.
My conversation with Faolyn included flipping the script on races, so for instance a setting where orcs were not simply barbaric raiders.

 

[Incenjucar]

Sure, but one does not describe Romans as barbaric raiders. They were a civilisation that invented and improved technology, and added to the arts and sciences.
My conversation with Faolyn included flipping the script on races, so for instance a setting where orcs were not simply barbaric raiders.

I mean, Romans did not describe themselves as barbaric raiders, sure.

<insert Spider-Man pointing meme>

 

[Frozen_Heart]

A way to make everyone unhappy would be turning gnomes into half-elves....

As in half-halfling, half-elf.

 

[Faolyn]

Ok so THIS is what I was after since our initial convo was about lazy design of the fluff and the racism, not to say that your template idea isn't a good one. It is! We could likely fill an entire book with templates for various tiers and I would certainly be interested in one.

But getting back to this - I actually like your idea of these 3 "alignment" variants, are you happy with the current technological depiction of orcs or would that also factor into these 3. For example, orcs are usually depicted with the barbaric slant and that has its own clichè trappings, if you know what I mean or is that not an issue anymore? Given that we are reflecting evil elves and halflings (evil pretty variants)

Sure. I mean, you could do that less with statblocks and more with just descriptions. Or possibly a statblock like the ones in the summon <monster> spells, where there's a basic statblock but a specific ability based on the specific type of monster you summon. Like in summon beast where you can choose if you're summoning a land, air, or water beast spirit. That would make a single statblock larger but cut down on the number of statblocks in total.

So if the basic orc statblock is a warrior, then the good version could be an Orc Guardian with maybe Indomitable or Second Wind; the bad version could be an Orc Raider with an ability like Pack Tactics or Brute; and the neutral version could be Orc Mercenary who has advantage on saves against being knocked prone or being charmed/frightened. (just blue-skying here) For an elf the good might be a ranger/green knight, the bad might be a ruthless eco-terrorist type, and the neutral might be typical scout. Since elves are magical could have different spell lists or SLAs, depending on their type.

 

[Faolyn]

I could see the early DnD pre-playable orcs not having invented farming. But the current version of orcs is clearly an intelligent species with would be capable of farming and other advanced things like metalwork.

I can see orcs being less farmers and more ranchers, since it's generally assumed orcs have a more carnivorous diet.

Which would in turn create orc cowboys. And how awesome is that?

 

[Incenjucar]

I can see orcs being less farmers and more ranchers, since it's generally assumed orcs have a more carnivorous diet.

Which would in turn create orc cowboys. And how awesome is that?

I would honestly really love to see orcs get a feel of an Athasian rancher with weird giant bugs and reptiles eking out a living in otherwise inhospitable land where the other species wouldn't be able to make it.