Spinachcat
First Post
Tell me why you like the 4e Half-Elf. Sell me on why they are equal choices overall compared to humans or other favorite PHB races.
Sell me on Half-Elves
- Thread starter Spinachcat
- Start date
Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
Half elves sort of have a free multiclass. This can be useful or not, depending on build.
For example, the secondary attribute for warlocks is Int. A Half-elf warlock can pick Scorching Burst what for to get a little AOE, Thunder Wave for crowd control, or Cloud of Daggers for a guaranteed minion popper.
It's also useful if you want to use the powers in wands or other magic items. The only requirement is the ability to use at least one power from that power source. Half-elf divine with a racial power from arcane can use any wand, staff, rod, orb, or holy symbol in the phb. That's not as impressive as it sounds, though, since a heroic character can only use one Daily magic item power per day.
Also, the ability to take Action Surge is nice.
They're not phenomenal, I'll give you that. But like any other race, with the right build they can be made to shine. Right now I like half elves for Cha Paladins and either sort of Warlock.
For example, the secondary attribute for warlocks is Int. A Half-elf warlock can pick Scorching Burst what for to get a little AOE, Thunder Wave for crowd control, or Cloud of Daggers for a guaranteed minion popper.
It's also useful if you want to use the powers in wands or other magic items. The only requirement is the ability to use at least one power from that power source. Half-elf divine with a racial power from arcane can use any wand, staff, rod, orb, or holy symbol in the phb. That's not as impressive as it sounds, though, since a heroic character can only use one Daily magic item power per day.
Also, the ability to take Action Surge is nice.
They're not phenomenal, I'll give you that. But like any other race, with the right build they can be made to shine. Right now I like half elves for Cha Paladins and either sort of Warlock.
Wik
First Post
Yeah, I'm with Zar, here. Half-Elves are great for combo-making. Half-elven paladin/warlock/cleric combo is one I sort of wanna try out. And the first character I made after opening the book was a half-elven rogue with ranger powers. Fun stuff.
I imagine they'd be great for smaller parties - your defender, for example, could easily pick up a handful of the controller's powers.
I imagine they'd be great for smaller parties - your defender, for example, could easily pick up a handful of the controller's powers.
Wik
First Post
Ha! I like the fact that elves aren't schizophrenic anymore. You have your wood elves, masters with the bow and hunting... and then you have the Eladrin, your basic wizard elf. Works fine for me.
Mind you, in my campaign, Elves, Drow, and Eladrin are all different facets of the same race, and an Elf can have Drow children...
Mind you, in my campaign, Elves, Drow, and Eladrin are all different facets of the same race, and an Elf can have Drow children...
SmilingPiePlate
First Post
Three reasons:
1. Some players really like to play dabblers. Someone with an often very well written and detailed backstory that justifies them knowing a lot about one thing and a little about a few others. Half-elves are a good fit for these kinds of characters since they can borrow a power from one class and then multiclass into another.
2. The idea of the half elf as an outgoing, network-building, everyone's second best friend is way more appealing and a better fit for DnD than the 3e idea which played up the angst.
3. Access to three races' worth of racial feats makes you much more likely to be able to take ones that fit your concept and support your character. Also Action Surge rocks.
1. Some players really like to play dabblers. Someone with an often very well written and detailed backstory that justifies them knowing a lot about one thing and a little about a few others. Half-elves are a good fit for these kinds of characters since they can borrow a power from one class and then multiclass into another.
2. The idea of the half elf as an outgoing, network-building, everyone's second best friend is way more appealing and a better fit for DnD than the 3e idea which played up the angst.
3. Access to three races' worth of racial feats makes you much more likely to be able to take ones that fit your concept and support your character. Also Action Surge rocks.
wingsandsword
Legend
Personally, I liked that dichotomy in elves, it meant that they were more than a single stereotype. I thought it added a measure of plausibility that elves were not all nature-themed or not all wizardish and magical, that elves have a wide variety of interests and styles and themes but tend towards one of those two archetypes.Wik said:
Splitting them into eladrin and elves just seems to be a racial analogue of the 4e niche protection philosophy: one race can't fill more than one niche or intrude upon the niches of other races. A magical race can't be nature-themed ect.
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
I agree, one and a half elves were plenty, IMO. Now we've got elf, not-quite-elf, and extra-elfy elf.thegrizz said:
But if I were going to sell you on half-elves, the only way I could do it was through flavor and not mechanics. You pretty much have to start with a specific character idiom or backstory in mind that involves mixed lineage, and then work backwards into the mechanics.
Because if you just crunch the numbers, half-elves are weaksauce.
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