Nature vs. Nurture

[Wizards of the Coast]

Are you ready to tackle the topic of diversity in nonhuman races? Jon is, and heâ??s very interested in what you have to say.

Read Nature vs. Nurture on D&D Insider here!

 

[Grimmjow]

broken links?

 

[GX.Sigma]

The links are always broken for the first few hours.

 

[Grimmjow]

sad

 

[GX.Sigma]

Anyway, how do you feel about the issues he brings up?

I believe there should be no Elves who are not in perfect shape, but that's just because I'm in love with Tolkien's Elves, and they're divine beings who are supposed to be better than humans.

 

[Grimmjow]

im waiting on pictures to read but i read some of the comments. Elves are magical creatures, fey. They should be fit unless some sort of magic changed them.

nothing wrong with a fat elf but as long as its the result of some spell or curse placed on the elf, that would be a funny encounter.

 

[Alexander Bauhdric]

I think having a medium-sized range under which an archetype falls is a good idea; in short, I agree with the author. This is mainly to do with the fact that racial bonus's just don't make any sense if this isn't the case! High-er dexterity implies being slender, and flexible. Low-er con means being less built like a brick. This isn't to say that all elves should be supple, and that all elves should be twigs ready to be snapped; but there should be a pre-disposition towards those two features simply because of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the race.

Now, /other/ racial benefits make no sense, like just stating that all dwarves are good with stone, or all gnomes are good against giants etc. They are products of a subject's nurture entirely...But I digress.

 

[Klaus]

I voted for narrower range than humans (for humanoids), and for small cosmetic changes based on environment (for nonhumanoid monsters).

 

[Mattachine]

I think many races should have some variation, but less than humans. Part of the human "characteristics" is high variability, after all.

For monsters, I prefer a base example, with maybe an alternate, or even just some text mentioning variants. My arctic owlbears are always based on polar bears and snowy owls. Likewise, bugbears found in arctic zones might be white, while those found in a jungle might have shorter, darker hair.

 

[avin]

His column always has broken links...