Plea to traditionalist fans: No more “half” races?

[Haldrik]

Plea to traditionalist fans: No more “half” races?

Plea: No more “half” races?

Its awkward treating “half” races as separate races.

Talking to the traditionalist players, can you handle getting rid of “half” races?

So instead of a “Half-Orc”, just play an “Orc”?

Its easy to use either Orc or Human mechanics and reflavor it as a hybrid.

If for roleplay reasons its important to mechanically express part human parentage, maybe select a “Half-Human theme” that grants some Human features, perhaps including humanoid shape and size in some cases.

 

[Shemeska]

If I'm playing a half-dragon, it's going to be really un-useful to try to use either straight up dragon stats or normal human stats. Similar for a half-fiend/cambion*.

And sometimes "half" races are literally distinct species** (horses and donkeys making mules for instance). What's the harm in keeping certain classic half-breeds?



*using the popular usage here, not the specific tanar'ri half-breed and its various subsets

**as arbitrary and fluid as that distinction can be in real life biology, neither here nor there in D&D terms

 

[UngeheuerLich]

No, sorry. Rather have no orcs as playable race. And I certainly don´t ever want to hear the word "reflavour" again.
I want my flavour with the rules.

I would however not mind, if they are not the most common race and be optional.

 

[Morrus]

Why not have both? Then you're not taking half-orcs and half-elves away from those who like them, but you don't have to use them.

 

[Derren]

Just have templates like in 3E.
That way you do not need half-races at all, but instead can create every mix you want to.

 

[Minigiant]

No way man, half my favorite PCs are half-ers.

Half Elf ranger who hates both humans and elves.

Half-giant wizard/barbarian/ranger who rages, mages, or cages.

Half-orc wizard who defies the stereotype. (DM made us roll in order. rolled 18 on Intelligence)

Human fighter.... he was turned into an intelligent owlbear

 

[delericho]

It seems unlikely that either half-elves or half-orcs will be in the core. And when it comes to non-core elements, I don't particularly mind if something is included or not - half-elves are no more controversial than dragonborn; if you don't like them, don't use them.

In any case, I'm afraid I can't agree with you. If we were designing the game again, I suspect I would argue for not including them (instead making them selectable traits for human characters). However, with thirty years of accumulated use, I think they now have sufficient pedigree that they should remain races in their own right.

(Oh, and incidentally - count me as another who doesn't want full orcs as a PC race in the core game. Again, I don't care one way or another if they show up in the expansions, but not in the core, thanks.)

 

[avin]

No more "half-races" would mean imposing a limit to DM's imagination with no good reason.

Why?

 

[fuindordm]

Speaking as a 40-year-old D&Der, I have a soft spot for half-orcs but wouldn't mind the disappearance of all half races.

When the 4E player's handbook had 3 flavors of elf but no gnome, I was disgusted. I've had enough of the elf spectrum.

 

[steeldragons]

From what they've insinuated by the recent "subraces" conversation, i.e. subraces could be applied via themes or backgrounds. It is entirely possible that half-races might be applied thus, as well.

I'm, not saying or advocating they not be there...and I highly think they will (and should: half-elves and half-orcs, at least, have a loooong standing place in the D&D historical record). But, just as a potential different road, which again allows inclusion or not, as the DM desires, they could conceivably do it with themes and backgrounds (now, whether these will be separate/additional "Racial Themes/BGs" we don't know...I don't think. But that is also not so far/terrible a possibility either.)

So you could have an Elf character...gets ABC special abilities. This would, presumably [to my mind] be a "High Elf" character.
Apply the "Wood Elf" theme/BG: swap out and/or add special abilities GHI.

Apply the 'Half-Elf" theme/BG: swap out ABC and/or add special abilities XYZ

Or, choose a Human character...apply the Half-Elf theme/BG with the same bells and whistles (or slightly adjusted ones since the "emphasis/base -presumably dominant- race is Human instead of Elf?)
Same for "Human" race with a 'Half-Orc" theme/BG ...special abilities KLM.

Honestly, as I'm thinking about it...Tieflings and Aasimar could be supplied this way, as well....and then, no doubt down the road in expansion material, your "half-giants" and "half-dragons" and "half-elementals" and whatever else you want. I seem to recall, waaay back in 2e, someone playing a "half-medusa" (male!, as I recall). But, yeah, I would imagine, once 5e gets rolling and the supplemental/expansion/additional material comes out, you'll see any and everything being plausible through the themes and backgrounds.

Someone mentioned, upthread, using "templates". I understand/have read lots of disappointment/disagreement on the implementation of "templates" as they once existed...but essentially, with Themes and Backgrounds, that is what the new game seems to be very well constructed for. It's just that instead of apply a single "template" you have the assumed width and breadth of other themes and backgrounds that still make your character, inherently, different (in at least some ways/abilities) than anyone else.

Also, depending on how they categorize/list/present the racial abilities, you could conceivably have one Half-Elf character with, say, "30' low light vision, 30% resistance to charm magic, +3 to Perception ("Elvin Senses", let's say just for the sake of example). The other Half-Elf character in the group might have/choose: "30' low light vision, X% move silently in woodlands, immunity to ghoul paralysis" (again, just guessing/making up possible racial abilities that could be chosen)...might be too much, too fiddly, but I kinda like the idea that taking a certain racial BG doesn't guarantee you the exact same abilities...particularly for half-races.

Just kinda rambling now, aren't I? hahaha.
Happy Friday all.
--SD