How many humanoid species are cross-breedable in your campaign?

[Driddle]

For some odd reason, it's generally accepted that humans share enough genetic similarities with orcs and elves to be able to produce viable offspring who can likewise reproduce. But very little has been canonized regarding halflings, gnomes, dwarves and other humanoids mixing with each other. I would assume their differences involve more than our outdated concept of "race" and actually imply separate species.

How do you explain it in your own campaign? Or is it even worth delving into? (What?! - No halfling-gnome love relationships?)

 

[frankthedm]

For some odd reason, it's generally accepted that humans share enough genetic similarities with orcs and elves to be able to produce viable offspring who can likewise reproduce. But very little has been canonized regarding halflings, gnomes, dwarves and other humanoids mixing with each other. I would assume their differences involve more than our outdated concept of "race" and actually imply separate species.

How do you explain it in your own campaign? Or is it even worth delving into? (What?! - No halfling-gnome love relationships?)

No halflings
No Gnomes
Elves can no longer crossbreed
Dwarves have little desire to breed in the first place, usually having children at clan's request.
Orcs can crossbreed with most bipeds and some larger simians. Only elves are spared this indignity.
Minotaurs are a cursed race, only males. They sire hooved minotaurs by mating with bovines, while minotaur born with feet come from matings with humaniod females. Certian crimes against nature also sire hooved minotaurs.
Ogres can cross breed with humans.

 

[Mallus]

In my homebrew World of CITY, none.

One race, the Shirac, allow other races to 'join' their "Great Ummab". But the Shirac are an amalgam of distinct biological (and semi-coporeal) races joined together by a shared metaphysical system, philosophy, and goal. Shirac from the non-dominant Shirac species are often refered to half-Shirac, but only by outsiders. That's as close as I get to "half-races"

 

[Ilium]

I use the stock PHB races and cross-breeds. No others exist.

In my world this is explained by the fact that all the humanoid races were the result of voluntary genetic tinkering by a long-vanished civilization. Humans, orcas and elves were all derived from the same stock (regardless of their obvious differences) and can still interbreed.

Theoretically orcs and elves could interbreed, but elves are so infertile and the opportunities for doing so are so rare, that it has never been recorded.

There are no humanoid races beyond the PHB races, orcs and goblins.

 

[Voadam]

IMC the half breed races are distinct subraces of one of the parents, half orc stats are grey orcs, half elves are a fully elven subrace, etc. Half things like half dragon are formed by a creature being infused by draconic power through some supernatural means, not draconic hanky panky. Races are species IMG. No viable human elf cross breeds or half-gnome half-goblins.

 

[Voadam]

For some odd reason, it's generally accepted that humans share enough genetic similarities with orcs and elves to be able to produce viable offspring who can likewise reproduce.

Tolkien.

 

[Rothe]

humans can breed with elves producing sterile offspring;
humans can breed with orcs producing sterile offspring;
it is rumored elves can breed with orcs producing sterile offspring.

That's it, no other "half breeds." Explaination is simple, genetics, different species cannot breed, almost the very definition of species. Closely related sub-species, like horses and donkeys can, but produce sterile offspring (mules).

 

[lukelightning]

None.

I run an Arcana Unearthed game; the races are humans, giants, faen (similar to gnomes and halflings), sibeccai (dog/jackal people), litorians (lion people), verrik (reddish-skinned humanish), and mojh (humans who've transformed into dragonpeople that are explicitly neuter and sterile, though they can "give birth" to kobolds).

None of the races can interbreed, and inter-racial pairings are very rare. Even though humans and giants appear very close (the giants are actually medium-sized, like 7-8' tall unless they take racial levels), they don't intermarry or otherwise get involved in romantic/sexual relationships. There are several famous bawdy songs about human-giant um, "romance" that always end in a tragic-yet-humorous manner, and one particularly humorous song about a male faen in love with a female giant who, um, gets lost in there.

 

[Vorput]

I guess I'm in the minority here, and while it's only ever rarely come up- I allow most all bipedal humanoids to mate with each other. Any race in the phb certainly.

 

[Huw]

IMC they're all homo sapiens, so they can all breed if physically possible. Many, of course, are magically changed. This applies to nearly all humanoids, giants and fey. Notable exceptions are trolls, gnolls and obviously reptilian, amphibious and avian races.