D&D 5E SCAG Half-Elf Variant

[BoldItalic]

In the sidebar on p.116 of SCAG, there is an option that allows half-elves to forego Skill Versatility (two skills of your choice) and take Keen Senses (Perception Skill) instead.

Am I reading this wrongly, or is that a pointless option? If you want Perception you can take that and any other skill anyway. Why throw away your second free skill?

The other options presented in the sidebar make sense, but I'm puzzled by that one.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

It was a mistake possibly pulled over from playtest era stuff. Ignore it. Use any of the other options.

I would actually be willing to let a player trade out perception for two other skills or proficiencies as long as they didn't pick-up perception from a background or a class. I don't really see many players going for that though.

 

[Radaceus]

In the sidebar on p.116 of SCAG, there is an option that allows half-elves to forego Skill Versatility (two skills of your choice) and take Keen Senses (Perception Skill) instead.

Am I reading this wrongly, or is that a pointless option? If you want Perception you can take that and any other skill anyway. Why throw away your second free skill?

The other options presented in the sidebar make sense, but I'm puzzled by that one.

Nice catch, oddly enough, when i read through this I substituted 'and' for 'or'. In my mind, assuming you give up two skills of your choice, for 'Keen Senses and a trait based on your elf parentage:...'

perhaps errata?

 

[Mephista]

Considering you can be a half-drow with all the advantages and none of the drawbacks of being a dark elf, I fail to see why this one little thing bothers people. Half-elf is powerful.

 

[Redthistle]

Considering you can be a half-drow with all the advantages and none of the drawbacks of being a dark elf, I fail to see why this one little thing bothers people. Half-elf is powerful.

Per a recent Sage Advice, this was touched on:
[MENTION=13127]chrisp[/MENTION]erkinsDnD What's a good build for half drow. Also would they receive lolthtouched powers?

— Roderick D. Gainey (@UndyingGotunks) November 6, 2015

I would treat them as half-elves (because that's what they are). No drow magic but also no sunlight sensitivity. https://t.co/Zi6e9r2bHf

— Christopher Perkins [MENTION=13127]chrisp[/MENTION]erkinsDnD) November 6, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

 

[Mephista]

Per a recent Sage Advice, this was touched on:

@chrisperkinsDnD What's a good build for half drow. Also would they receive lolthtouched powers?

— Roderick D. Gainey (@UndyingGotunks) November 6, 2015

I would treat them as half-elves (because that's what they are). No drow magic but also no sunlight sensitivity. https://t.co/Zi6e9r2bHf

— Christopher Perkins @chrisperkinsDnD) November 6, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Too bad the variant half-elf stuff in the SCAG gives them drow magic.

"Some half-elves in Faerun have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
...
A half-elf of drow descent can choose the drow's Drow Magic."

 

[Redthistle]

Too bad the variant half-elf stuff in the SCAG gives them drow magic.

"Some half-elves in Faerun have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
...
A half-elf of drow descent can choose the drow's Drow Magic."

... and there it is, SCAG p.116.

I stand corrected.

 

[akr71]

Too bad the variant half-elf stuff in the SCAG gives them drow magic.

"Some half-elves in Faerun have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
...
A half-elf of drow descent can choose the drow's Drow Magic."

I don't want to derail the thread, but what about elves of mixed parentage? One of my players created a character with one Drow parent and was raised on the surface. I am leaning toward allowing the Drow Magic, but toning down the sun light sensitivity. Thoughts?

 

[BoldItalic]

I don't want to derail the thread, but what about elves of mixed parentage? One of my players created a character with one Drow parent and was raised on the surface. I am leaning toward allowing the Drow Magic, but toning down the sun light sensitivity. Thoughts?

Elves of mixed parentage are .. half-elves

If you started from half-elf (drow variant) and swapped Skill Versatility for Drow Magic you wouldn't suffer Sunlight Sensitivity, so it seems fair that you could arrive there from the other direction.

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Jeremy Crawford already touched on this on Twitter.

"The half-elf's Keen Senses option in the SCAG is, alas, superfluous. Take one of the juicy options below it. #DnD"

https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/664308174560690176