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

[Vaalingrade]

Eldrich Knights lack the iconic ness need to fill the role properly, they feel like a gap-filling idea

They are a 'now shut up' option.

'You want a gish? Here's a half-hearted attempt. Now Stop asking and shut up.'

 

[Minigiant]

They are a 'now shut up' option.

'You want a gish? Here's a half-hearted attempt. Now Stop asking and shut up.'

Yeah

Neither TSR, WOTC, nor any other major publisher other than Paizo pushed a arcane warrior class.

 

[wicked cool]

I’m going to beat a dead horse here hoping Perkins or somebody sees this. This goes for shadow dark and daggerheart

I’m playing Bg3 like 1/2 of rpg gamers. The 1/2 has its place. It has its racism on both side Dee elf/human. I just created 2 days ago a 1/2 elf in Bg3 and I can’t imagine it being gone. Spoiler for vox machina if matters.

The beard option separates itself from say Skyrim or dragon age and it’s important

99% of time I don’t play this race but Monday morning quarterback it’s bull naughty word! Shame on you for eliminating this from roleplaying. Ask the the 2 players in vox machina how impactful being 1/2 elf is

 

[Micah Sweet]

true.

it is not the skill but the choice of weapons that matter, remember neither TSR nor wotc had control over what we think elves or orcs are thus magic knight is not the most elfly class unless you give it a magic bow

As I said, I got my idea of what's iconic from D&D, so yeah, they kinda did have control over it. Your image may have come from somewhere else. It's all subjective.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah

Neither TSR, WOTC, nor any other major publisher other than Paizo pushed a arcane warrior class.

They did in Basic. It was called, "Elf".

 

[Mind of tempest]

Yeah

Neither TSR, WOTC, nor any other major publisher other than Paizo pushed a arcane warrior class.

Paizo still feels lacking in setting place integration and some basic ideas of what you are and why you are not a damn multiclass but it at least turns on which is better than nothing.

They are a 'now shut up' option.

'You want a gish? Here's a half-hearted attempt. Now Stop asking and shut up.'

I do hate the half-hearted shut-up options, not trying to make the best of an idea that is not fundamentally wrong is a moral failing from where I stand.

As I said, I got my idea of what's iconic from D&D, so yeah, they kinda did have control over it. Your image may have come from somewhere else. It's all subjective.

I must have missed that post my apologies.
regardless of what formed our perceptions, we both have to admit fantasy does not have a core controller any more and that seeing where the wind blows and the varieties of expectations could not hurt the hobby.

They did in Basic. It was called, "Elf".

And Basic stopped being a thing with 3e and I do not want to make elves any more core than they already are, the magic-monopolizing jerks.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Paizo still feels lacking in setting place integration and some basic ideas of what you are and why you are not a damn multiclass but it at least turns on which is better than nothing.

I do hate the half-hearted shut-up options, not trying to make the best of an idea that is not fundamentally wrong is a moral failing from where I stand.

I must have missed that post my apologies.
regardless of what formed our perceptions, we both have to admit fantasy does not have a core controller any more and that seeing where the wind blows and the varieties of expectations could not hurt the hobby.


And Basic stopped being a thing with 3e and I do not want to make elves any more core than they already are, the magic-monopolizing jerks.

Fair enough. I'm not a big fan of elves either, but it is what it is, and I prefer Basic and the other TSR editions lore-wise to WotC.

 

[Remathilis]

I’m playing Bg3 like 1/2 of rpg gamers. The 1/2 has its place. It has its racism on both side Dee elf/human. I just created 2 days ago a 1/2 elf in Bg3 and I can’t imagine it being gone. Spoiler for vox machina if matters.

Can I address this specific point for a moment: Do we need "Racism, the species?" Do we need a species that's backstory paints elves and eugenic nazi's and humans as intolerant xenophobes? Is that story really worth telling and if it is, can't it be told with aasimar and tiefling just as easily? The idea that the half-elf is disowned by both its parent species is about as outdated as the nonsensical elf/dwarf hatred.

Honestly, even if they do introduce some variant of half-elf and half-orc (hopefully, in the context of some grander system of hybrid species) I hope the whole "you are hated/feared by your parent species" backstory gets chucked in the bin.

 

[TiQuinn]

I hope the whole "you are hated/feared by your parent species" backstory gets chucked in the bin.

It’s certainly tired and played out.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Can I address this specific point for a moment: Do we need "Racism, the species?" Do we need a species that's backstory paints elves and eugenic nazi's and humans as intolerant xenophobes? Is that story really worth telling and if it is, can't it be told with aasimar and tiefling just as easily? The idea that the half-elf is disowned by both its parent species is about as outdated as the nonsensical elf/dwarf hatred.

Honestly, even if they do introduce some variant of half-elf and half-orc (hopefully, in the context of some grander system of hybrid species) I hope the whole "you are hated/feared by your parent species" backstory gets chucked in the bin.

That is a story rife with drama and conflict, by which I mean story. It is by no means the only story you can tell here, but you personally not liking the narrative as a story element doesn't mean it should just be chucked out. There are unpleasant elements in many stories, and locking them out in general weakens and narrows storytelling.