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

[Frozen_Heart]

5e races and 5.5e species were not designed for mix and match.

If you attempt to do it with them it would likely have boring or bland results. Or OP ones.

I'm saying that 5.5e species could have been designed with mix and match in mind, if they'd thought of that a year ago. But as they didn't think of that, yeah I agree that trying it now won't work.

But in 10 years time when a new edition appears, then there is nothing preventing a mixed trait system from being implemented then.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm saying that 5.5e species could have been designed with mix and match in mind, if they'd thought of that a year ago. But as they didn't think of that, yeah I agree that trying it now won't work.

But in 10 years time when a new edition appears, then there is nothing preventing a mixed trait system from being implemented then.

I agree.

5.5e core is done. It's too late for it. WOTC actually went out it's way to not have hybrid mechanics in 5.5e until they realized fans wanted hybrids and mixes still.

So doing it now would give bad results.

But when 6e happens, sure.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I agree.

5.5e core is done. It's too late for it. WOTC actually went out it's way to not have hybrid mechanics in 5.5e until they realized fans wanted hybrids and mixes still.

So doing it now would give bad results.

But when 6e happens, sure.

I'm still wondering if the UA hybrids sidebar even made it through, or if that's gone too.

There was no mention of it in the new species articles.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm still wondering if the UA hybrids sidebar even made it through, or if that's gone too.

There was no mention of it in the new species articles.

I doubt it.

I think WOTC used it as an out to get hybrids and mixes in without mechanics but failed to realize it was more offensive than the "half" name they sought to remove.

For anyone who doesn't get why you have sensitivity readers and editors in RPG design, this is it.

Likely WOTC will just tell players to use the 2014 mechanics sans ASI. The only question is the Half Elf extra +1.

 

[Remathilis]

5e races and 5.5e species were not designed for mix and match.

If you attempt to do it with them it would likely have boring or bland results. Or OP ones.

Which has been my concern with such a system from the jump. Level Up has a fine system, but it's 11 years too late to add it to 5e. The current system isn't designed to have it retrofitted without major retooling.

I'm saying that 5.5e species could have been designed with mix and match in mind, if they'd thought of that a year ago. But as they didn't think of that, yeah I agree that trying it now won't work.

But in 10 years time when a new edition appears, then there is nothing preventing a mixed trait system from being implemented then.

Which begs the question of what they do in the decade until the next revision. Do we ignore hybrids until then? (and will anyone even care in 10 years?) Do we kludge together something akin to a custom lineage and tell people to squint? Do we just rename the half-elf and half-orc and tell all other combos to slag off?

I agree the next edition will probably fix this problem, but what to do in the meantime?

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Which begs the question of what they do in the decade until the next revision. Do we ignore hybrids until then? (and will anyone even care in 10 years?) Do we kludge together something akin to a custom lineage and tell people to squint? Do we just rename the half-elf and half-orc and tell all other combos to slag off?

I agree the next edition will probably fix this problem, but what to do in the meantime?

I mean imo, the best option this edition would be have a hybrids sidebar in the DMG, which offers both the UA rules while also suggesting the DM can work with players to come up with a homebrew hybrid.

And then gives elf-human and human-orc species entries as examples.

I don't think that will happen though.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Which has been my concern with such a system from the jump. Level Up has a fine system, but it's 11 years too late to add it to 5e. The current system isn't designed to have it retrofitted without major retooling.Which begs the question of what they do in the decade until the next revision. Do we ignore hybrids until then? (and will anyone even care in 10 years?) Do we kludge together something akin to a custom lineage and tell people to squint? Do we just rename the half-elf and half-orc and tell all other combos to slag off?

I agree the next edition will probably fix this problem, but what to do in the meantime?

Which is why I would suggest that you either just play Level Up and get off the WotC train altogether (the best solution IMO) or at least replace WotC's species and background with A5e's origin system (heritage, culture, background, destiny). No need to wait ten years for WotC to maybe "fix" the issue (said fix being unlikely to satisfy anyone in any case).

 

[Minigiant]

Which begs the question of what they do in the decade until the next revision. Do we ignore hybrids until then? (and will anyone even care in 10 years?) Do we kludge together something akin to a custom lineage and tell people to squint? Do we just rename the half-elf and half-orc and tell all other combos to slag off?

I agree the next edition will probably fix this problem, but what to do in the meantime?

You create hybrids and mixed species by a case by case basis.

 

[Remathilis]

You create hybrids and mixed species by a case by case basis.

Oberoni fallacy strikes again?

 

[Minigiant]

Oberoni fallacy strikes again?

No.

It's more that The best way to create 50 hybrids is to create 50 separate species.

But wizards of the coast is never going to do that unless they make a book of mostly species.