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

[JVisgaitis]

One though we use non-core races. Honestly, in hindsight, I'm kinda mad that we do have a crossbreed. You should basically just get the looks of either race (your choice) and the mechanics of either race (your choice). Makes things so much easier. Actually, now that I think about it, I may end up scrapping our crossbreed...

 

[Gez]

I've removed half-elves and half-orcs from my game. No crossbreeding at all (baring magical experimentations). That's why they're considered different races.


However, the rules are always bended by inherently magical creatures, such as dragons or outsiders. So there are crossbreed templates for some of the most fantastic creatures. Despite all their pretenses, elves are not among the "most fantastic creatures" -- in fact, I've always found them quite boring.

 

[JVisgaitis]

So there are crossbreed templates for some of the most fantastic creatures.

There's an idea. crossbeeds retain the looks of either race (player's choice) and the mechanics of either race (player's choice). If it is some crazy crossbreed that mixes powers or has a strong blood lineage, it should use a template instead and provide a level adjustment. Nice and simple.

 

[Goblyns Hoard]

Half-elves, Half-orcs and Half-dwarves are all possible, they're all fairly rare and they're all sterile - incapable of having children of their own. Elf-Orc crossbreeds also possible with the same constraints - however it's never actually happened.

Other races I haven't considered yet, but any similar interbreeding would probably also fall within the same guidelines - sterile offspring.

There is a difference with any matings involving magical creatures. Dragons, outsiders, possibly some other creatures are capable of having children which then can go on and have children of their own. Basically creatures of this type have a fluid karyotype, rather than a defined karyotype like non-magical creatures. The child therefore inherits genes from the magical parent but in a coalesced karyotype. As a result a half-dragon half-human is effectively human in terms of their own ability to produce children.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

In my current D&D campaign, we use the Realms, so there's no unusual crosbreeding going on.

I have some ideas for a homebrew setting (where elves are the central race, dwarves are elementals/outsiders, and humans a minor race of savages - I don't like that most campaigns follow the same storyline: in the past, there were great elven empires, but now humans run the show. And since we have elf-less campaigns, I think it's time for a campaign where the elves didn't wane) and while I haven't thought too much about it, I guess I'd just leave out half-breeds.


If you want an interestinc half-breed concept, go read up on Midnight:
There, the big races (sans humans) are all decended from the elder fey. Since they have the same origins, they can mate amongst each other, but not with humans (or at least, they're not interfertile). No half-human/half-elves, no half-human/half-orcs.

There are three crossbreeds, though:

Elflings: Elves and halflings are always considered "cousins" since they're generally more similar to each other than to the other fey. And with the jungle elves being smaller even than normal elves, interbreeding between jungle elves and halflings occurs, with elflings being the result. They're extremely agile, but share their parents' frailty and weakness.

Dwarrows: Gnomes and Dwarves Are also somewhat similar, at least physically (generally, the taciturn Mountain Fey have not that much in common with the marcantile and socially adept River Fey), so crossbreeds between those two are numerous enough to give them a name: Dwarrows. They share some characteristics of each parent race, how much of what depending on where they were raised.

Dworgs. It is rumored that orcs were once dwarves who have been corrupted by the shadow. The dwarves of course refuse to even consider any kinship with their hated enemies, but the fact that the two races can crossbreed seems to lend the argument some weight. No race is physically more impressive than dworgs, no race is more pitiable than these results of war crimes against dwarves, and no race harbours more hatred towards the orcs - not even the dwarves (and that counts for a lot).

 

[Wombat]

In D&D? Pretty much 100%. Gnome-Half-Orc? Why not! I mean, the game already has magic shops, hundreds of predators species in every ecological niche, and a great number of other oddities...

In anything else? Very rare, if at all. Some elf/faerie-human crossovers, but even that is highly irregular.

 

[Nyaricus]

In my Ascension Campaign Setting (which draws upon European folklore, mythology and religion for inspiration, rather than core D&D [which means that names, while similar, likely mean different things than D&D terms]) has the following line-up of crossbreeds:

• Giants crossbreeded with Orcs in a past war, spawning Ogres.
• Orcs and goblins are a part of the same race, and often-enough crossbreed with humans, spawning Half-Orcs and Goblin-Men.
• Elves and humans sometimes get together and have children; several prominent bloodlines have tracess of elvish in them.
• Ogres were a dieing race until reconcilled with their long-lost Orckin. They are now interbreeeding and creating a race of fell creatures named 'Orogs'.

Dwarves never get interested enough to breed with other races, so it is unknown if they would breed true. Orcs and goblins mate with everything so there are plenty of crossbreeds. Giants and humans do not breed true, however. Hobbits may be able to have children with humans, but there have never been any record of this happening.

Gnomes are not featured IMC.

 

[Umbran]

How do you explain it in your own campaign? Or is it even worth delving into?

In the campaign I've currently got, elves and humans are cross-fertile, but there are so few elves about it hardly matters. I'm taking a touch of inspiration from Tolkien - there are little humanoids and big humanoids, but the PCs are not aware of any species distinctions between them. And human-humanoid crosses are possible.

Why can this happen? One need not explain that which the PCs have no methods of discerning. The PCs don't know from genetics, after all. Unless I intend to make some plot point hinge on the reason why interbreeding is possible, it need not be explained.

(What?! - No halfling-gnome love relationships?)

Dude, you're confusing the ability to have an emotional relationship with the ability to produce children.

 

[TheNovaLord]

Orcs, wood elves and humans have all been drawn together in my camapign because of overwhelming other threat. Wood elves and orcs get on well because of equal stength and enjoy rough games and such. One patrty member has one parent who is a offsrping off orc-elf union, the union offspring of orc-human offsrping, and so he is an half orc (with 2 quarter other bits). Havent decided whether he is capable of breeding yet!

JohnD

 

[Kesh]

My homebrew world only has four major PC races: humans, elves, dwarves and gnolls. Dwarves, I've decided, are capable of breeding with humans and elves, but only ever produce dwarves.

Half-elves happen, but are generally shunned by both societies for various reasons. Mostly because humans and elves are always poised on the edge of war with each other.

I'm considering introducing half-gnolls as a PC race, as normal gnolls have a level adjustment. Gnolls that breed with humans or elves produce half-gnolls, while dwarves result in no offspring. Half-gnolls would breed true with other half-gnolls, but not other races, even gnolls.