D&D 5E (2024) Should 2014 Half Elves and Half Orcs be added to the 2025 SRD?

[Remathilis]

The fact that they are gone. There is no half-elf in the 2024 PHB. If it's there(and I thought they pulled their crappy idea), it's an elf or human with pig lipstick painted on it. You can paint lipstick on a pig(elf or human) to try and make it look half-elven, but it will still be pig(elf or human).

Someone once told me I could roleplay as a witch with a katana, but when I looked at my character sheet, it was just a wizard with a longsword and lipstick on it... [emoji24]

 

[Maxperson]

And others would say that rather than your claim that the narrative of saying your character is half-elven is the "lipstick" here... it's the four stupid game mechanics that are the "lipstick".

It goes both ways.

And they would be objectively wrong. Having unique mechanics(no other race has that combination) cannot be lipstick on a pig. Lipstick on a pig is explicitly illusionism where only the appearance is changed. You can disagree with the mechanical implementation of half-elves since 3e and think they didn't do it very well, but you can't say it's lipstick on a pig and be correct.

 

[Maxperson]

Someone once told me I could roleplay as a witch with a katana, but when I looked at my character sheet, it was just a wizard with a longsword and lipstick on it... [emoji24]

Yep. I hate reskinning, too. If I'm going to play a witch with a katana, I want mechanics for a witch and za katana, not a reskinned wizard and longsword.

 

[DEFCON 1]

And they would be objectively wrong. Having unique mechanics(no other race has that combination) cannot be lipstick on a pig. Lipstick on a pig is explicitly illusionism where only the appearance is changed. You can disagree with the mechanical implementation of half-elves since 3e and think they didn't do it very well, but you can't say it's lipstick on a pig and be correct.

Well, then you using that metaphor specifically so you HAVE to be in the right is pointless then. No one need bother listening to your metaphor. You're basically saying "I'm in the right, and here is a self-proving metaphor that reiterates that I'm right".

 

[DEFCON 1]

...a longsword and lipstick on it... [emoji24]

Sword-swallowing is a very popular circus performance.

 

[CreamCloud0]

And others would say that rather than your claim that the narrative of saying your character is half-elven is the "lipstick" here... it's the four stupid game mechanics that are the "lipstick".

It goes both ways.

those few mechanics might be a feeble foundation for differentiating them as a species but at least they ARE a real tangible foundation, just reskinning their parent species is to me about as good a foundation as 'SOURCE: Hey Trust Me Bro'.

 

[Remathilis]

Sword-swallowing is a very popular circus performance.

Hey now, this isn't Baldur's Gate 3, this is a grandma friendly board!

 

[AK_Ambrian]

Well I have a physical copy of the new Player's Handbook and I don't see a single mention of the words 'half-elf' or 'half-orc' in it.

I'm not saying that I hate everything about the book. But for you guys to act like the half-races/species have not been deliberately removed is ridiculous. You say that the 'concept' is still in the game but I don't see any mention of it?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Because all races have to be identical.

I love how people(not singling you out here) are like, "Races can't have +2 strength or intelligence, because that's superiority over other races and bad!", while at the same time being like, "We can give them powerful build instead, so that that they are are stronger than other races and not superiority, and that's good!"

The self deception involved with being okay with one and not the other is astounding. Being stronger than other races is being stronger, no matter how you represent it. +2 to to intelligence is the same as more skills, which is the same as perfect memory, which is the same as...

You can't have racial abilities of any kind that other races do not have without having the "superiority" that people are against with stat bonuses. I put the superiority in quotes, because there is no such superiority in D&D. D&D gave elves +2 dex, dwarves +2 con, etc. which made all the races equal on those grounds. The same with the other racial abilities like the extra skills vs. fire breath vs. halfling luck, etc.

Right. As long as there is any representation of different capabilities between species in any area, then it will mean that there is biologically essentialist "superiority" regarding that thing. And not wanting to have that is a coherent stance, but then let's be honest about what it actually means: all species mechanics must be removed, species can only be cosmetic.

 

[Remathilis]

Well I have a physical copy of the new Player's Handbook and I don't see a single mention of the words 'half-elf' or 'half-orc' in it.

I'm not saying that I hate everything about the book. But for you guys to act like the half-races/species have not been deliberately removed is ridiculous. You say that the 'concept' is still in the game but I don't see any mention of it?

I don't see the words "necromancer" or "tempest domain" either, but I'm pretty sure the concepts are still in the game. They just aren't in the PHB.