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

[CreamCloud0]

Pretty sure big chunky space marines aren't the ones programming their computers.

It depends i guess, when the locked doors use electronic keypads, the security systems are cameras and motion detectors and you search for information in a firewall protected mainframe you might want your space-SWAT team to have some decent computational know-how.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Spelljammer is not in the PHB.

Space marines don't use plate armour and glaive-guisarmes. They use powered armour or (in Classic Traveller) ballistic cloth, and they fight with blast-y guns or (in Classic Traveller) with cutlasses and revolvers.

Even if you "refluff" you won't get a game of space marines. There are no rules for computers or computer programming, for all the other technical tasks involved in operating a space ship, for quickly generating new planets, for how to handle explosive decompression, etc, etc.

Yeah. I use sci-fi rules for my sci-fi 5e.

 

[Maxperson]

Spelljammer is not in the PHB.

So what. Why does it all have to be in the PHB?

Space marines don't use plate armour and glaive-guisarmes. They use powered armour or (in Classic Traveller) ballistic cloth, and they fight with blast-y guns or (in Classic Traveller) with cutlasses and revolvers.

Excellent. Reflavored plate armor is power armor, or if you want more make it magic plate armor that has a magical ability that is similar to power armor. The PC can take firebolt and reflavor that as a blasty gun. Cutlasses would be short swords or longswords reflavored. Revolvers are already in D&D. Firearms are in the DMG and I've seen nothing that would lead me to believe that they will be removed from the 5.5e DMG.

Even if you "refluff" you won't get a game of space marines. There are no rules for computers or computer programming, for all the other technical tasks involved in operating a space ship, for quickly generating new planets, for how to handle explosive decompression, etc, etc.

Computers are fluff. The DM can just stick those and programming in the setting. The same with running a spaceship. There also don't need to be rules for the quick generation of new planets or explosive decompression.

At this point you've jumped the shark and are no longer just asking to be able to play a space marine. You've moved the goalposts to trying to recreate the game of Traveler. That isn't necessary to play a space marine in D&D.

 

[Micah Sweet]

So what. Why does it all have to be in the PHB?

Excellent. Reflavored plate armor is power armor, or if you want more make it magic plate armor that has a magical ability that is similar to power armor. The PC can take firebolt and reflavor that as a blasty gun. Cutlasses would be short swords or longswords reflavored. Revolvers are already in D&D. Firearms are in the DMG and I've seen nothing that would lead me to believe that they will be removed from the 5.5e DMG.

Computers are fluff. The DM can just stick those and programming in the setting. The same with running a spaceship. There also don't need to be rules for the quick generation of new planets or explosive decompression.

At this point you've jumped the shark and are no longer just asking to be able to play a space marine. You've moved the goalposts to trying to recreate the game of Traveler. That isn't necessary to play a space marine in D&D.

I disagree. Sci-fi rules just make for better immersion and logical consistency than simple refluffing. Every one of the things you said don't need rules for or are fluff is better with actual rules IMO. I would have a very hard time even taking a D&D-style sci-fi game with no new rules seriously.

 

[Maxperson]

I disagree. Sci-fi rules just make for better immersion and logical consistency than simple refluffing. Every one of the things you said don't need rules for or are fluff is better with actual rules IMO. I would have a very hard time even taking a D&D-style sci-fi game with no new rules seriously.

And that's fair. I'm not arguing that refluffing is the only way or even the best way to do it. I'm arguing that you can in fact do it under the current rules by refluffing.

I could run a space marine campaign under the 5.5e rules with nothing more than refluffing and using ability checks if a programming(or other sci-fi) check needs to happen.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And that's fair. I'm not arguing that refluffing is the only way or even the best way to do it. I'm arguing that you can in fact do it under the current rules by refluffing.

I could run a space marine campaign under the 5.5e rules with nothing more than refluffing and using ability checks if a programming(or other sci-fi) check needs to happen.

Ok, but why would you? There are so many sets of svi-fi rules out there for 5e.

 

[jayoungr]

Computers are fluff. The DM can just stick those and programming in the setting.

Arcana check?

 

[Maxperson]

Ok, but why would you? There are so many sets of svi-fi rules out there for 5e.

I wouldn't. I play D&D to engage the fantasy aspect. Even firearms are not in my game.

@pemerton argued that new rules would be needed to play space marines in D&D, though, so I showed how it could be done without any new rules. That was the point of the exercise.

 

[Maxperson]

Arcana check?

Or an intelligence check. Or an investigation check. There are definitely ways to run sci-fi with nothing more than 5.5e rules and refluffing. Space marines included.

 

[RhaezDaevan]

As I don't have the new PHB, can someone who does tell me if there's a section like in older editions that list average heights, average lifespans, max lifespans, etc.? If there is such a section, are Half-Elves listed there?