Stupid elf question!!!!

[Sodalis]

Gargoyle: Too often, players try to make their characters interesting by choosing an odd racial mix, instead of using the vast possibilities for personality traits that are present even in an all-human campaign.

TSK, TSK, TSK.

even in an fantasy game, there exists racism... (jk)

I don't see why players should be restricted to only the core races. Interestign mixes will make interesting games...

That said- I think that orc/ elf is an impossible combination because they are mortal enemies- and its not just a racial issue. Elves are magical beings- graceful and wise. orcs are barbarians- brutish and coarse.

Unless you accept that elves go through the rebelious stage, and a young teen elf likes an orc for his renegade ways- they will never get together...

 

[Hedgemage]

[troll]
If you crossed an elf with a half-orc would you get a PC race that isn't overpowered and didn't get the shaft?
[/troll]

 

[Gargoyle]

TSK, TSK, TSK.

even in an fantasy game, there exists racism... (jk)

I don't see why players should be restricted to only the core races. Interestign mixes will make interesting games...

Not necessarily. Good players and DMs make interesting games.

I guess my point is that allowing all sorts of off the wall combinations isn't going to enhance roleplaying. An orlf portrayed with little personality is much less interesting than a plain old human from an interesting culture.

 

[Sodalis]

Gargiyle: Not necessarily. Good players and DMs make interesting games.

i understand that a player is what makes the character interesting. But a character with an interesting twist in itself can make the game inetersting as well (especially for players that don't RP well)

A player may have trouble seeing how to play a human cleric with stats 14,10, 16, 13, 19, 14 (repsectively)- because humans are so varied and diverse in character. he may have trouble seeing how to connecta nd use each skill to make his char fun to play-

but a dwarven cleric has a personality already in place (kind of a stereotypical model) where he is coarse, rude and ready to fight.

The race determines somewhat how a player has to (not necessarily) play a char. And that takes the edge off some players to just come up with wonderful char concepts when he can just use and exploit the one that is already in place.

I am sorry about the racism thing. i meant it as a joke. hope you didn't take it seriously.

I understand that the entire game is based around this premise. Societies where races stick together and two races that HATE each other- and all of one race gets this racial bonus.... but I just thought it would be funny to point that out.

 

[Gargoyle]

I am sorry about the racism thing. i meant it as a joke. hope you didn't take it seriously.

No offense taken.

And I see you're point of view, I'm really just playing devil's advocate. Too often to me it seems that DM's allow all kinds of races, and pay little attention to detailing cultures of the existing races.

 

[Sodalis]

I DM a game where I allowed all sorts of races to play. i found that most people would prefer to use human (bonus feat and skill pt) over any other race.

I think the problem was that theyw ere sacred of dealign with special abilities of the other races. where they would just have to play the char as they would act...

I feel that in a world filled with magic and wonder, an all- human kingdom is a rarity. There has to be other races, be it minotaurs, gargoyles, and liches, or just the core races- they have to be in abundance.

But I do understand that having a player come up with these outrageous half everythings can be cumbersome- especiallyf or a DM that has to keep track of all this.

With a lot of the wacky races allowed, I usually ban the half templates. For some reason, a half dragon, fiend is such a rare occurance that I would like to reserve that character for an NPC. i can do alot more than a player is willing to. I can make him a wiz/ftr/clr/rog/necromancer...whereas a player will just take cleric.

but a player playing a certain race is completely fine by me. the halfies are what bothers me... but of course taht was the problem to start with wasn't it?

 

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

That said- I think that orc/ elf is an impossible combination because they are mortal enemies- and its not just a racial issue. Elves are magical beings- graceful and wise. orcs are barbarians- brutish and coarse.

Unless you accept that elves go through the rebelious stage, and a young teen elf likes an orc for his renegade ways- they will never get together...

maybe that's exactly why there could be this race. The orc carried of some elves for "breeding" stock. I know it's offensive but it is not a pretty world and that's why there are adventurers. We go go forth and avenge these wronges and smite evil!

 

[Sodalis]

Dareoon: maybe that's exactly why there could be this race. The orc carried of some elves for "breeding" stock. I know it's offensive but it is not a pretty world and that's why there are adventurers

but this happens so nfrequently, and that so dispersely, that there cannever be a society of half elf/orc. They are shunned, even hated by both societies,a nd will never be taken in. As children, they will die because of their freakiness....

but of course they can live among the humans. they seem to take in anything, and sleep with anything.....

I can understand that in theory, it can work, but I don't see it being practical in any way.

Edit:
The only way I can see it happening is if a powerful wizard decided to breed them for some super army that is strong and dexterous with magic abilities.... so that they can be mage/warrior class and have innate strengths in both aspects...

 

[Deedlit]

Personally, I believe orc/elf mixes would exist, bot not be products of romance. I believe that, when a race is as evil as orcs, there are plenty of rapists among them. And as a rule, elves are among the most beautiful of any race. I can easily see an orc raping an elf, causing a child.

 

[Bonedagger]

For the orc/elf hybrid, you can go the Arcady way and says that each aspect balance each other, and produce a being that is intermediate between elf and ork: human.

Hey. I don't think that the mathematical princip of 2 minus = 1 plus would count here