D&D 5E (2024) Unconfirmed Dark Sun World Book

[Silam]

My issue would be that any system of mix and match is going to create better choices than others, and much like how multiclassing allows players to chimera powerful options, I wouldn't want everyone to be a hybrid species because it's better/more flexible than regular species (and everyone starts running Dragonborn/gnomes because they get the best resistances, for example).

Well… if you were the DM of a game with such multi-ethnic character creation rules, and you thought it was too powerful, or cheesy, or whatever reason for disliking it, there would be a pretty easy solution…

Just say that in your campaign world, the tyrannical forces that lead each nations are all deeply distrustful of mixed species individuals, and that in this world’s culture, mating with other species is up there in the list of unforgiveable sins, along with incest, etc.

And therefore, while the rules would technically allow these "forbidden love offsprings", they are in fact exceedingly rare, and bereft with negative social consequences for those who have such mixed ancestries.

In effect, you just need to DM a game of RAW 5e 2024 and you have what I just described …

 

[ECMO3]

Throwing a hot take out there… I find that eliminating the half-races / half-breeds / half-species / whatever you want to call it, from 5e 2024 is pretty racist…

As if people with mixed ancestry didn’t exist.

I have mixed ancestry IRL and I am proud of it.

I think the difference is all of your ancestors are human. In my mind there is a fundamental difference between ethnic groups and species groups.

IMO our IRL experiences are similar to a D&D character having a mix of Drow and High Elf ancestors, or having a human mother who is a native of Chult and a human father from Shou Long. It is not really similar to someone having Elf and Human ancestors IMO.

 

[Silam]

I think the difference is all of your ancestors are human. In my mind there is a fundamental difference between ethnic groups and species groups.

IMO our IRL experiences are similar to a D&D character having a mix of Drow and High Elf ancestors, or having a human mother who is a native of Chult and a human father from Shou Long. It is not really similar to someone having Elf and Human ancestors IMO.

For sure. But that is kind of a by-product of there being no other intelligent humanoids on this Earth (and as far as I know we can’t mate with octopi).

Although even that is controversial, since there appears to be evidence that homo sapiens interbred with neanderthals. We then killed them all (maybe because the holiday parties were too awkward or something?) so we can’t really know how they would feel about it if they were still here

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

What about the elflings?

Athas is in a different material plane, this was plane. This should mean the "common" languange of the region of Tyr isn't the same spoken in the rest of D&D multiverse.

If the sorcerer-kings wanted to produce more mulzen slaves.. they could build special magic chambers where mothers could survive the birth thanks healing magic.

Or maybe the sterility was intentional to avoid they could be "produced" by rivals or decreasing supply to increase price. But then sooner or later the mulzen discovered the trick and they could unlock the "curse" allowing to breed with some little "extra help" like some magic ritual.

My opinion is WotC is going to update the crunch without many details about the lore. Maybe there will be not monster stats for the sorcerer-kings. WotC doesn't want to sell sourcebooks about certain settings but generic, and using the subfranchises for other type of products.

I have got an idea for a possible spin-off or sequel:

It is the end of the Athaspace but some Athasians can enjoy the opportunity to escape, among other reasons elemental powers don't want to lose "loyal" worshippers. The Athasian sun not only is sentient but also a divine power. The survivors travel to a a near wildspace. This was the original home of the Athasian halflings.

The good new is this "new" Athas has recovered enoughly to allow the repopulation and the rebuilt of the Athasian civilitation. The bad new is there are also "settlers" from other wildspaces. In some places the coexistence is possible but not easy.