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

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[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

 

[BoldItalic]

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

Ah, thanks. That makes sense.

 

[akr71]

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.

Err, I should have been more clear. I had originally typed that the character has a drow mother and high elf father, but then edited before submitting as she has never stated whether the father is high elf or wood elf. The character doesn't know, so the player hasn't put much thought into it.

So... if a drow and surface elf have children, will they have surface elf characteristics or drow characteristics?

If you meant exactly that, then my apologies...

 

[Sword of Spirit]

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.

"Customizing a Background
You might want to tweak some of the features of a
background so it better fits your character or the
campaign setting. To customize a background, you can
replace one feature with any other one, choose any two
skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies or
languages from the sample backgrounds. You can either
use the equipment package from your background or
spend coin on gear as described in chapter 5. (If you
spend coin, you can’t also take the equipment package
suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two personality
traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a
feature that matches your desired background, work with
your DM to create one." - Player's Basic Rules, p. 36 (also PHB)

For the sake of players not getting unintentionally shafted by the DM, I have to point out that this is the default rule--it isn't even listed as a variant. You can create your own background or freely modify them. A background gives you any two skills. That's what it does. The listed backgrounds are only options.

This is even Adventurer's League legal.

"Select the following additional details to help define
your character, as presented in your allowed rules:
• Name
• Alignment
• Ideals
• Bonds
• Flaws
• Background (select one or create a custom one)
• Faction (optional)" Adventurer's League Players Guide, p. 3

 

[BoldItalic]

Err, I should have been more clear. I had originally typed that the character has a drow mother and high elf father, but then edited before submitting as she has never stated whether the father is high elf or wood elf. The character doesn't know, so the player hasn't put much thought into it.

So... if a drow and surface elf have children, will they have surface elf characteristics or drow characteristics?

If you meant exactly that, then my apologies...

Ah, sorry, I did misunderstand.

Seems to me that Sunlight Sensitivity is a penalty rather than a benefit, so if you drop it, you ought to drop a benefit to balance things out. The obvious candidate is Superior Darkvision. If you start with Drow and drop both of those, you get something that is culturally a Drow (with Drow Magic and Drow Weapons Training) but with eyesight adapted to surface-dwelling.

Also, it avoids deciding whether the missing parent was a High Elf or Wood Elf

 

[Krakenspire]

And thus was born sunlight sensitivity option to shut up the fanboys and get rid of all the drow rangers cluttering up the tabletop. I personally play a Drow knife fighting rogue. He just wears a really big hat, all the time. There are those who go for power and those who go for character. As long as I'm not knife fighting at high noon outside I'm usually pretty good. Especially in a dungeon crawl focused campaign.

 

[akr71]

The player created the character as a full Drow and created the surface elf father as a background thing to help explain why she's surface dwelling and non-evil. We're talking about a LN monk in this case. The player asked if wearing a hooded robed would mitigate the sunlight sensitivity. I agreed, but said that if the character was not raised in the Underdark, she should not get Drow weapon training.

I thought about diluting the sunlight sensitivity by only having it kick in during mid day (11-2) or particularly bright sunny days. Then I realized how much work that would cause me... so I'm back to:
Yes to Drow Magic
Yes to Sunlight sensitivity, but a hood or big floppy hat will mitigate the effects
No Drow weapon training

Thanks for everyone's input. I feel better about what the player and I decided now.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

"
For the sake of players not getting unintentionally shafted by the DM, I have to point out that this is the default rule--it isn't even listed as a variant. You can create your own background or freely modify them. A background gives you any two skills. That's what it does. The listed backgrounds are only options.

This is even Adventurer's League legal.

"Select the following additional details to help define
your character, as presented in your allowed rules:
• Name
• Alignment
• Ideals
• Bonds
• Flaws
• Background (select one or create a custom one)
• Faction (optional)" Adventurer's League Players Guide, p. 3

Absolutely. My point is that I would let players take 4 skills from their half-elf race (if one of them wasn't Perception - house rul) or they could take 3 if one of them was perception (default).

In fact, I might just give any player who doesn't pick perception as a skill a bonus skill no matter what their background or class are. Every player who customizes their background seems to pick perception as their replacement or just picks a background with perception. Maybe other DMs are not seeing this though.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

In fact, I might just give any player who doesn't pick perception as a skill a bonus skill no matter what their background or class are. Every player who customizes their background seems to pick perception as their replacement or just picks a background with perception. Maybe other DMs are not seeing this though.

It seems like just about every PC in my games had taken Perception up until my current campaign. This is a long one where there is a lot of up front character design, backstories, etc. And about half of the party did not take Perception this time around. I think it's because of the additional emphasis on character concepts. For a short game, you're more likely to just take the best or most obviously useful skills.

 

[BoldItalic]

It seems like just about every PC in my games had taken Perception up until my current campaign. This is a long one where there is a lot of up front character design, backstories, etc. And about half of the party did not take Perception this time around. I think it's because of the additional emphasis on character concepts. For a short game, you're more likely to just take the best or most obviously useful skills.

It occurs to me that perhaps different DMs will see different trends, depending on their own unconscious bias for certain adventuring styles. Players will tend to take Perception if they know the DM likes to play "Ambushes and Accidents" whereas if the DM rarely calls for a Perception check, his regular players will sensibly take some other skill.

 

[CapnZapp]

All of this has already been discussed:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?472295-Half-Elf-variant-abilities-in-SCAG