D&D 5E Pedantic pet peeves

[Dannyalcatraz]

I suppose that you could argue that elf eco-specialisation represents a hint that not only are individual elves long-lived, but that their species is also extremely venerable. If individual elves live a few thousand years, there is still sufficient time for eco-specialisation if elves have been around a few 100 million years.

Or alternatively, that elf eco-specialisation is not due to evolution via errors in differential reproduction, but is the result of deliberate (or accidental) elf-engineering by magic/science at some point in the past.

You could make that argument, but for dwarves and gnomes as well? Against a backdrop of comparatively little speciation in the “mayfly” races?

My gut feeling is that, if asked, the game designers’ response would be that the elves actively used magic to help them adapt.

But magic like that is kind of out of character for dwarves & gnomes. Sooooo...divine intervention?

Which just begs the question of why the gods of the orcs, goblins, etc., didn’t intervene on behalf of their “children”. Especially when we have creation stories of how Gruumsh reacted about orcs being cheated...

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, if we're looking for explanations, one could simply argue that the elven connection to nature allows them to change/adapt at a supernaturally swift (relative to normal evolution, I mean) pace. Hell, maybe just being born in a given environment is enough to make an elf the "proper" type; that might be kind of cool, especially within a community that's recently had to flee its homeland.

 

[cbwjm]

Well, if we're looking for explanations, one could simply argue that the elven connection to nature allows them to change/adapt at a supernaturally swift (relative to normal evolution, I mean) pace. Hell, maybe just being born in a given environment is enough to make an elf the "proper" type; that might be kind of cool, especially within a community that's recently had to flee its homeland.

I've heard this as an explanation before and I quite like it. Elves as a superadaptable species due to their connection to their environment is a cool thought.

The signature of champions.

 

[Lehrbuch]

You could make that argument, but for dwarves and gnomes as well?

The species-engineering elves did it to them? (hence the stereotypical antagonism)

Against a backdrop of comparatively little speciation in the “mayfly” races?

"Mayflies" came from somewhere else and the era of the species-engineering ancestor elves predates the arrival of the "mayfly" races.

Or the species-engineering ancestor elves didn't care enough about the "mayflies" to bother.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Explanations can be made, but it still bugs the sahuagin out of me.

 

[BoldItalic]

In D&D, if there is an ecosystem, there is an elf subrace to fit it. Dwarves and gnomes also have a few subraces as well, but not so many as the elves. Not so with the other sentient races.

I know in FRPGs, RW science gets ignored as is convenient, but this kind of “speciation” typically happens more slowly in longer-lived species. We should expect more variety in humans, orcs, goblins, etc. than elves, dwarves and gnomes. So this is turning Darwinist evolution on it’s head.

You did that on purpose, didn't you? To see if anyone noticed?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Nah. It’s an error, and one I usually catch. I’ll blame it on inattention or possibly AutotCorrect.

 

[Azzy]

Nah. It’s an error, and one I usually catch. I’ll blame it on inattention or possibly AutotCorrect.

Blame it on the elves. They deserve it.

 

[jasper]

Elves are evil genius. They took poor little gnomes and made them lawn gnomes. The horror the horror.

 

[Tanin Wulf]

Not half as grating as all those U.S. books that write 'die' when they mean 'dice' - the missing 'u's I can gloss over, but this is just plain wrong and nasty

"Alea iacta est."

It sounds much better if you use the correct singular of die when translating it.

This must be one of those U.K. things that bothers the hell out of some people across the pond... such as when grammar historians say that we Americans pronounce words closer to Shakespeare than modern U.K. English speakers.