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

[MoonSong]

Follow up question: does it matter the form that mechanical representation takes? For example, does it matter if a witch is a class or a background or if a half-elf is a species or an origin feat? Because it does to some people.

It matters as much as it influences visibility and accessibility. What I mourn the most is the loss of that two-page spread on half-elves, and that I expect them to just vanish from all future adventure and setting material as NPCs. The way they went through meant lip service to mask a complete removal. Yes, now you can "optionally" refluff your fully elf into a half-elf, and your fully gnome into a half-whatever, but it has meant that what used to be a full-fledged option now is a sidebar in the DMG that nobody will see and get to use. What was a very accessible option now means having to ask for permission every time, which means it will be a one time character with the right group and then nothing ever again. The efforts to have the ability to play an anything mix meant we no longer have reliable and visible mixes. The parts are now less than the sum of the parts -way less-. Worse, the way the designers went with the removal means that now you need to fight munchkin stigma and be perceived as racist just for the crime of wanting to play a character that feels like you, one that represents you.

Edit; Also, remember Names matter, and so does visibility and representation.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think WotC's approach is utterly vile and extremely offensive, I completely agree with this post above, but I think it doesn't make sense to have stuff in an SRD that's not in the rules the SRD is referencing.

Good thing then that none of us are required to use the latest version of WotC's rules.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

Wasn't literally the first Half-Elf in D&D canon, Tanis Half-Elven, a product of human male assaulting Elven woman?

Also, I felt Half-orcs sole purpose was always to push people away from playing full Orcs, which rubbed me the wrong way.

It is entirely possible (I just couldn't get in to Dragonlance so have a lore-deficit there), but that emphasizes the real issue not being half elves, but being the lore itself focusing exclusively on negative connotations rather than positive.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

Yeah. I wasn't saying or implying that half-elves haven't taken on a life of their own and gained popularity for their own sake. I was saying that the reason half-elves are a thing now is because they were put into the game due to Tolkien. At that point their popularity began and has moved on, but without Tolkien, there is a very good chance that they would never have appeared in the game to gain their popularity.

I wonder, though, if any half elves made their way in by way of the various infamous tomes of Appendix N. Your point is well taken, though....it's just that, much like orcs in general and so many other things (halflings fer ex, and Balors who once long ago were actually balrogs) Tolkien's contributions to OD&D inspiration led to these things taking on a life of their own.

 

[Stormonu]

I wonder, though, if any half elves made their way in by way of the various infamous tomes of Appendix N. Your point is well taken, though....it's just that, much like orcs in general and so many other things (halflings fer ex, and Balors who once long ago were actually balrogs) Tolkien's contributions to OD&D inspiration led to these things taking on a life of their own.

Isn't Elrond "half-elf"? I think Aragorn might be (or is it just "high man") also?

 

[Stormonu]

so how did you model the katana differently from a sword?

One thing I did was create a "curved" trait, increasing the Crit range by one. Applied also to cutlasses, jambiya, khopesh, tulwar and the like.

 

[Xeviat]

How do the Half-Elf and Half-Orc line up with the Human, Elf, and Orc in 5.24?

Orc
Speed: 30 feet
Adrenaline Rush. You can take the Dash action as a Bonus Action. When you do so, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 120 feet.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 Hit Point instead. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Half-Orc (minus ability bonuses)
Speed. 30 feet.
Darkvision. You have darkvision with a range of 60 ft.
Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

So Half-Orc gets intimidation proficiency, and savage attacks. Orc gets Adrenaline surge and +60 ft to their darkvision. That could be a fair trade off.

 

[Micah Sweet]

How do the Half-Elf and Half-Orc line up with the Human, Elf, and Orc in 5.24?

Orc
Speed: 30 feet
Adrenaline Rush. You can take the Dash action as a Bonus Action. When you do so, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 120 feet.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 Hit Point instead. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

Half-Orc (minus ability bonuses)
Speed. 30 feet.
Darkvision. You have darkvision with a range of 60 ft.
Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

So Half-Orc gets intimidation proficiency, and savage attacks. Orc gets Adrenaline surge and +60 ft to their darkvision. That could be a fair trade off.

The problem here is that both sets of mechanics thematically represent the same thing. That isn't orc and half-orc. That is orc and slightly different orc.

 

[Minigiant]

The problem here is that both sets of mechanics thematically represent the same thing. That isn't orc and half-orc. That is orc and slightly different orc.

This is because the orc in 2024 cannibalize the half orc of 2014 and replaced its bad parts with the good parts of the half orc

 

[mamba]

The problem here is that both sets of mechanics thematically represent the same thing.

whatever happened to

The existence of both is not about mechanical rstionale,