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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 5807913" data-attributes="member: 32164">I think that race should be significant, but I'd very much like to see WotC take a step back to each race's fantasy fiction roots, and see what can be gleaned about said race that makes it "special." And they should try to separate out the cultural baggage of a particular work of fiction as much as possible to get at what is truly the iconic "core" of the race. I'll take a stab at 3 of them...Elves:In every work of fiction, elves are possessed of unearthly grace and dexterity. Whether it's their skill with bows or their preternatural acrobatic skill, elves are epitomized by grace. It's their hallmark statistic. Woodsy-ness and skill with magic are also part and parcel of just about every version of elves out there. Elven senses are also legendary. Mechanically?- Dex Bonus- Low-light vision- Increased base speed- Bonus to perception, nature and survival checks- Some "light step" abilityDwarves:Just as elves are graceful, dwarves are tough. So constitution goes with dwarves like dexterity goes with elves. Dwarves are also, always, associated with undergound areas, mining and metalwork. Sometimes they're magical, sometimes not. They're a warrior culture. Those things are just always true of dwarves. You can call it a stereotype, but there it is. Dwarves also have short legs, but they're sturdy. So, what should set them apart mechanically?- a Con Bonus- low-light vision- reduced base speed- dwarves make light of burdens (the "no armor speed penalty," for example)- stonecunning- Something to represent dwarven durabilityHalflingsThere's really only one source of halflings, other than D&D itself. So, in order to get more options, we have to consider Tolkien's "Hobbits," Dennis McKiernan's "Warrows," Weiss & Hickman's "Kender" and the long history of the D&D halfling. Let's see. Lucky seems to fit. So does "sturdy" - Tolkien's hobbits endure wounds and carry cursed items that would have destroyed those of other races. All versions of the little folk seem good at hiding and using ranged weapons. A dex bonus might be in order, but that pushes the halfling into elven territory. Certainly, there should be a strength penalty for being small. Mechanically? I'm out of ideas.</blockquote>

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