Improbabilities of party make-up (an issue of race)

[RFisher]

You can go the cosmopolitan route--which many published settings (by the book) aren't.

You can go the "adventurer underground" ("water margin") route.

Even those make it hard for me to rationalize the party of 3 elves, 2 half-elves, & one human beginning their adventuring careers in a human-dominated kingdom. It becomes even harder the fourth or fifth time.

But I also hate the disappointment when you tell them there's no elves in this setting.

 

[diaglo]

Another reason why I love Eberron: it's cosmopolitan!
-blarg

i'm not much into mixed alcoholic beverages.

i prefer beer & pretzels.

so the tavern scenario works fine for me.


diaglo "ale and whores too" Ooi

 

[hong]

i'm not much into mixed alcoholic beverages.

He said cosmopolitan, mang, not necropolitan.

 

[Bagpuss]

How on Gords green Oerth do parties of dwarves, elves, and half-orcs come together so frequently to form parties.

THoughts?

They don't. In my experience parties are mostly human, with one maybe two other races (either dwarf, or elf; although usually both elves). Half-Orcs are rarely seen as they are too busy getting the shaft.

 

[buzz]

How on Gords green Oerth do parties of dwarves, elves, and half-orcs come together so frequently to form parties.

1. 'Cause the half-orcs make the best barbarians, the dwarves the best fighters, the elves the best wizards.

2. Because Player A has a big man-crush on Legolas, Player B always plays dwarves, and Player C just wants to drink beer and kill stuff, thus requiring a simple-to-play PC build (i.e., half-orc barbarian).

Or are you asking, "How do you justify, in-game, parties with elves, dwarves, and half-orcs in them?"

 

[Black_Swan]

It depends on the world you're playing in...

I've run games where elves were very rare so I only allowed one elven PC. I've also run games where any race in the PHB was up for grabs. It depends on the world and the game.

Choose a setting and we can probably give you a better answer.

 

[00Machado]

I'd think of it like building a commando team. You're planning to face danger routinely. You want the best people suited to a job. The leader's job is to forge them into a team. So long as you're able to work together, you're not going to turn away a highly qualified peer, because they're few and far between.

 

[RFisher]

Choose a setting and we can probably give you a better answer.

I thought he did:

How on Gords green Oerth