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

[Not a Decepticon]

There is already a feat that gives you a connection to the outer planes (Scion of the Outer Planes) and to giants (Strike of the Giants), neither of which turn you into a tiefling/assimar or goliath nor do they replace the need for the other. If you WANT to use the giant feats from Bigby's in place of the goliath, be my guest.

I'm more thinking of turning Tiefling, Goliath and Aasimar into something that gives you visible ancestry as a feat, as far as we know Bigby Feats aren't even on the table anymore anyway.

 

[Minigiant]

So it does work since again, they really haven't.

Only in certain niche situations that have been mostly ignored or downplayed are they anything more than replacement orcs; the orcs we have at home

And 5e exists as pretty much the same thing. That's why Volo's.

And that's my point

It's not that half orcs ever thought of being something other than playable orcs and as their own physical and mental species....

.. It's that anytime this idea ever appears in D&D, D&D reverts it to go attract people who don't even play anymore by reversing to pre2000's lore.

WOTC writes half orcs and half elves not for the fans they have but the fans they lost. And this will affect the SRD..

Half elves and half of RCS can't be elflings or city elves and orclings or finders or ragekind. Because we must stick to the lore of AD&D and it is problematic.

Tieflings can be pink with 3 legacies and dwarves can be arcane archers. But half elves cannot become their own species of ultra versatile, fey kissed, experts.

 

[mamba]

Tieflings can be pink with 3 legacies and dwarves can be arcane archers. But half elves cannot become their own species of ultra versatile, fey kissed, experts.

if they were their own species they would no longer be half-elves, wasn’t the point of keeping them around specifically the mixed heritage part?

 

[Minigiant]

if they were their own species they would no longer be half-elves, wasn’t the point of keeping them around specifically the mixed heritage part?

Both races have unique mechanics, physical attributes, and mental attitudes outside of being mixed species.

They can sit sub for mixed species in settings that demand it.

But you can now create new settings with them in no problematic niches.

 

[Minigiant]

I'm more thinking of turning Tiefling, Goliath and Aasimar into something that gives you visible ancestry as a feat, as far as we know Bigby Feats aren't even on the table anymore anyway.

The bigsby feeds are too powerful to be orange in feet anyway.

That's kind of the problem with the whole origin feat replacing planar touched and monster descended species.

Origin feats are among the weakest by design.They are really not supposed to change you at that level.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm more thinking of turning Tiefling, Goliath and Aasimar into something that gives you visible ancestry as a feat, as far as we know Bigby Feats aren't even on the table anymore anyway.

No thanks. You have the you option to take those feats at level one (both are tied to backgrounds and intentionally do not have the level 4 prerequisite, they are origin feats in all but name) and you can describe your character however you like. We don't need to replace a dozen species with lackluster feats.

 

[pemerton]

Both races have unique mechanics, physical attributes, and mental attitudes outside of being mixed species.

This isn't true for 4e D&D. It's not really true for AD&D. I can't comment on 3E or 5e.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This isn't true for 4e D&D. It's not really true for AD&D. I can't comment on 3E or 5e.

The standard 3ed half elf gets a free “skill focus” feat, dark vision, keen senses, sleep and charm resistance, and perhaps most significant, they don’t get the constitution penalty that elves got (that really hurts, no matter what your class).

So, basically, a human with elf perks but no drawback.

 

[Mecheon]

IGoliaths were another "now shut up" race for people who wanted to play Orcs or ogres, imo. 2024 Goliaths in particular made me put them in the same category as Aasimar nd Tieflings - this should be something any species should take to reflect celestial/fiendish/giant herritage in their veins, not a full species

Goliaths, ever since 3.5E, have always been "Half giants with the psionic weirdness stripped away"

The giant thing is just going back to their roots.

Both races have unique mechanics, physical attributes, and mental attitudes outside of being mixed species.

They can sit sub for mixed species in settings that demand it.

But you can now create new settings with them in no problematic niches.

Choco-vanilla and choco-mint may taste nice, but if you offer me 8 unique ice cream flavours and half of them are just mixes of the other four, I think I'm well in the right to call out that they're not actually unique.

Unique mechanics doesn't make a race, their flavour makes them the mix of their two parent species, and due to that they honestly don't deserve to be in the starter book alongside basic stuff like "Human" and "Halfling", where you're throwing the simple basic options to show how to play the game. Making complicated stuff like "Oh your parent were X and Y" should be for down the line and later products, you don't need to know how to make them on the basic starter book

Tabaxi and goblins deserve to be in the PHB well before half elves and half orcs because 'cat person' and 'goblin (affectionate)' are widespread, recognisable niches that are unique and stand out as options. Half orcs and half elves are just variants on the existing ones at their core.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

The bigsby feeds are too powerful to be orange in feet anyway.

That's kind of the problem with the whole origin feat replacing planar touched and monster descended species.

Origin feats are among the weakest by design.They are really not supposed to change you at that level.

I think I may look for a way to balance that, will make an attempt later

No thanks. You have the you option to take those feats at level one (both are tied to backgrounds and intentionally do not have the level 4 prerequisite, they are origin feats in all but name) and you can describe your character however you like. We don't need to replace a dozen species with lackluster feats.

I do have that need. I see something that boils down to "I got this abilities due to my ancestors or contact with something special and think "Why exactly is this limited to on group of people, when such things can happen to anyone?" That's what bugs me.

Goliaths, ever since 3.5E, have always been "Half giants with the psionic weirdness stripped away"

The giant thing is just going back to their roots.

Well, even more reason for me to put them in "if all special about you is having specific ancestors, that's not really a full playable species" bracket.