My Half-Elves

[maggot]

After seeing 3.5, here are my house-ruled half-elves, I'm looking for comments:

Half-Elves, as in 3.5 PHB, but without +2 racial to diplomacy and gather information. Instead, each half-elf gets one bonus feat at first level that must be choosen from the following list: all feats that grant +2 to two different skills, or skill focus in a craft, a profession, or a knowledge.

My take: not as good as the human's bonus feat because skill feats are in my experience rarely taken. Humans still get +1 skill point/level to offset the half-elf's other advantages.

 

[Kemrain]

Isn't there a +2/+2 feat for Diplomacy and Gather Information somewhere...?

- Kemrain the Amused.

 

[AeroDm]

Seems fair. I don't think it'll make many people jump on 1/2E, but then those that are already planning to take it will be happy. I think it is a nice change overall.

 

[Norfleet]

Personally, I'd give them the human skill bonus, but not the free feat or the diplomacy/gather information thing. Their innate abilities take up that space of the feat.

 

[Grayhawk]

Personally, I'd give them the human skill bonus, but not the free feat or the diplomacy/gather information thing. Their innate abilities take up that space of the feat.

I used to disagree with this approach, as I saw the half elf's bonuses as being worth more than a feat (low light vision, skill bonuses, save bonuses, etc.), instead I made my own variant where a half elf could choose between +2 bonuses to Diplomacy and Gather Information or to Bluff and Sense Motive.

Lately I've made a new variant, giving the half elf the human skill bonus, but reducing one of his other powers. Since only elves don't really sleep, it makes sense to me that they're the only ones immune to Sleep spells. Hence half elves loose their Sleep immunity, but retain a +2 bonus vs Sleep effects, from their elven heritage.