What do you do for...half elves?

[IndyPendant]

I was--for once--a little more complex in my changes to the half-elf. I wanted something to differentiate them from humans and elves--something that just giving them extra skill points or a bonus feat would not do. So this is what I came up with:

Half-elves do not fit properly in either parent's cultures. They are forced to make their own place in society, and adapt their abilities to their environment, and thus have received the following changes:
--Half-Elves do not gain a +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and they do not gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
--Half-Elves may take a +1 racial bonus to any one attribute of their choice. If they do, they must take a -2 racial penalty to any one attribute of their choice. This choice cannot be changed once made (even if the choice is not to modify any attributes). This is an exception to the unwritten rule that attribute modifiers cannot be odd-numbered.
--Skill Affinity: Choose any two skills. These skills are treated as class skills for all the half-elf's classes. The skills cannot be changed once chosen.
--Skill Focus: Choose any two skills. These skills gain a +2 racial bonus. The skills need not be the same skills chosen for Skill Affinity, and they cannot be changed once chosen.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Half-elves are a template applied to humans.

 

[Destil]

I give 'em the human skill point bonus -- basically, "Half-Elf" is a feat that a Human can take at 1st level.

Elves can be antagonists, though -- there are plenty of Elfbane weapons out there, so the "Elf Blooded" thing isn't a pure bonus.

Cheers, -- N

A) I hear you on the 'Elf Blooded". I use "Mixed Blood:" An elf suffers all effects as if he or she were both an elf and a human. So while they are immune to a ghoul's paralizing bite they likewise can be killed by human slaying arrows.

B) I used to think my own soultion for half elves was about the most elegent thing I have ever devised as a DM:

Half Elf - As PHB but no bonus to diplomacy, instead you gain 1 extra feat at 1st level (also see Human Adaptavity).

Human Adaptavity
Prerequisites: 1st level only. Half-elf.
Benifit: You gain 4 bonus skill points at 1st level and 1 bonus skill point per level beyond first.

But... now that I've seen that... half elf as a feat. Damn that's a good idea.

Half-Elf
Prerequisites: 1st level only. Human only.
Benifit: You gain low light vision, +2 to Search, Listen and Spot. Racial immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects. A +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects. For all effect related to race, you are considered both an elf and a human.

I like it...

 

[Raven Crowking]

From http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=141007

Demi-Humans

The intermingling of humans with other species creates demi-humans. In most cases this is due to either a romantic liaison or rape (often the case with half-goblins), but in some cases (such as with changelings) the interference may be more insidious.

It is possible for a demi-human character to be a beast-touched half-elf caliban. In this case, the demi-human templates are said to be compounded. Each template describes the likelihood of offspring carrying the template, and the penalties for compounding one template with others. Some templates cannot be compounded.

All demi-human characters share these basic traits:

· Humanoid type and Human subtype (but may have other subtypes).
· Medium: As Medium creatures, demi-humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
· Demi-human base land speed is 30 feet.
· Adding a template to a base human racial type creates all demi-human characters. As a result, demi-humans are allowed to gain racial levels in their initial human type; however, they may only take two levels in their base human type and admixed demi-humans cannot take human type racial levels.
· Demi-humans do not gain additional skill points, or a bonus feat at first level, as do humans.

Half-Elf

Of all the fey, elves are perhaps the most likely to mate with humans and produce viable offspring. Half-elves may be of several human types, or admixed from the human types listed below. They are always of a single elf type, and can only take elven racial levels in the “class” of that elf type. Because of their strong human blood, half-elves are not specifically affected by cold iron, and can gain the benefit of divine miracles and rituals (although they cannot become Priests).

· Human Types: Alderhald, Fenlanders, Indrus, Lakashi, and Lakelanders
· Outcast Rating: +2.
· Low-Light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
· Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf. A half-elf is allowed to take up to one racial level in the elf type of his elven parent. The maximum of three racial levels still applies. Half-elves are considered elves for the purpose of prestige class requirements.
· Fey-Kin: In addition to the Humanoid type, a half-elf is considered to be of the Fey type for the purpose of any spell, feat, or special ability. In addition, the half-elf may take up to one racial level in the Seelie, Unseelie, or Wild Fey racial “class”. The maximum of three racial levels still applies. Half-elves are not considered Fey for the purposes of prestige class requirements.
· Bonus Languages: As human type, plus Sylvan.
· Favoured Class: Ranger.
· Other Core Classes Allowed: As human type, plus Druid, Magician, Psychic, Shaman, and Witch (Wood). Regardless of human type, this character cannot become a Priest.
· The offspring of a half-elf and an elf is an elf. The offspring of a half-elf and a human is a human. However, a half-elf may aquire additional templates from its human parent; these are limited to beast-touched and caliban. Each additional template adds to the ECL of the half-elf template. A beast-touched half-elf would have an ECL of +2, for example, and a beast-touched half-elf caliban would have an ECL of +3.
· Effective Character Level: +1.

 

[3d6]

I've dropped them from my game. (Don't care for half-races, generally.) If I wanted to keep them in, I'd probably give them -2 Constitution, +2 Charisma and the human's extra skill points. It would make them the best at interpersonal relations, which seems to be their "theme".

 

[Arkhandus]

For my Aurelia homebrew......

Medium Humanoid (Elf, Human)
Base Speed (40 feet)
+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution (Half-Elves possess much of the grace and swiftness inherant to their Elven bloodline, but also suffer from the slender frame and light bones of that heritage.)
Low-Light Vision (2 times as far as a human)
Elven Blood (treat as both an Elf and a Human for purposes of what affects them and what they may use)
Elven Likeness (+2 on Charisma and Animal Empathy checks to determine the initial reaction of animals, can use Animal Empathy untrained and regardless of class for that one purpose, immune to the paralyzing touch or stench of ghouls, shows no outward signs of aging, needs only 4 hours of sleep instead of 8)
Poor Leverage (-1 on checks to make or resist grappling, bull rushing, or tripping)
Stubborn Pride (Iron Will as bonus feat, -2 Diplomacy, -2 Gather Information, -2 Sense Motive)
+2 Listen, +2 Search, +2 Spot (no Elven automatic Search)
Automatic Language (Elven or one regional language)
Intelligence Bonus Languages (any except restricted languages)
Favored Class (highest-level class at any given time).


Of course, elves and humans are somewhat beefed up too for that setting. Elves get stuff like -2 Str/+2 Cha along with the +2 Dex/-2 Con, base speed 50 feet, a bonus on some Will saves, no Stubborn Pride quality, no Poor Leverage quality, greater low-light vision, and superior benefits from their Fey Likeness than the half-elf gets from Elven Likeness.

 

[Spatzimaus]

We tried something a bit different for our homebrew. This is a bit long and involved.

In our cosmology, there are seven Original races inhabiting the lower planes (which is where all the adventures take place), all descended from a group of common protohuman ancestors that figured out how to use magic to travel the planes. Humans, Salamanders (lizardmen), Nymphs (Elves), Sylphs (halflings with wings), Dwarves, Gargoyles (like the cartoon), and Shades. There are also three major subraces (Orcs are variant Salamanders, Drow are variant Nymphs, and Ferals are variant Gargoyles). Except for the Shades, all of them can still cross-breed, but only a Human half-breed has unusual stats; the cross between a Nymph and a Dwarf will have the stats of one or the other, with some physical differences that show their heritage.

Every race has Racial HD, during which they get their various bonuses, and the bonuses are all bigger than what D&D races get (especially the first HD, which is about twice as strong as the others). Of the Originals that can still mix, only Humans are a 1-HD race; all the others are 2-HD. So, a half-Human half-something else simply takes the first HD of the nonhuman parent, and then adds a "Half-Breed" HD that's basically a watered-down Human HD.

For instance, a pureblood Salamander has 40' movement, CON+2, INT+2, Hardness 1 (that is, DR 1/- that also works against elemental damage), Darkvision 30', Low-light vision x2, the Fire subtype, and a bonus Feat that gives them a little cantrip-level spontaneous magic.
A half-Salamander half-Human doesn't get the INT+2, the darkvision, or the bonus Feat; instead, on the second HD they get +1 skill point per level (retroactive to the first HD as well), partial Martial weapon proficiency, and the "Thin Blood" ability, which makes them more or less immune to anything negative that targets either parent race (Bane abilities, etc.).

Point is, by making every race a 2-HD one, it's really easy to do halves.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I split them into two different races, based on whether they grew up with elves or humans (or any other non-elves). Should also note I made favored class more lenient. Humans and Half-Elves simply don't have to worry about it. All other races pick one from a list, and any race can choose rogue or cleric in addition to the listed classes. Finally, I gave Elves +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Con, -2 Cha; so those adjustments get split between the two half-breeds.

Half-elves

Note: “Half-elves” are half-human, half-elves raised amongst humans, and are thus called “Half-elves” by the humans in their community.
The following completely replaces the PHB traits:
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
• Medium
• Base land speed of 30 feet.
• +2 racial bonus on enchantment saving throws
• +1 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot checks
• Low-Light Vision
• Able Learner: Half-Elves may purchase cross-class skills at the class skill rate of 1 rank per skill point, but the maximum ranks is still limited to one-half the class skill limit.
• Adaptable: The feat that the half-elf gains at first level (as all characters do, this is NOT a bonus feat) effectively becomes a “pseudo feat.” At the start of each day, the half-elf chooses what the feat will be for that day. He must meet all prerequisites for the feat he chooses, and the feat must be from the PHB only and cannot be an Item Creation feat. The “pseudo feat” cannot be used to meet prerequisites for other feats, unless the player chooses to make it a normal, static feat, in which case the decision is irreversible.
• Elven Blood
• Languages: Same as PHB.
• Typical Alignment: Any.
• Favored Class: Any. A half-elf may choose any class to be favored, and may change this choice at will in whatever manner that will result in no XP penalty or the least possible XP penalty. Furthermore, half-elves may freely multiclass in paladin, monk, and any other class with such restrictions and still take levels in other classes.


Half-Humans

Note: “Half-humans” are half-human, half-elves raised amongst elves, and are thus called “Half-humans” by the elves in their community.
• +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
• Medium
• Base land speed 30 feet.
• +2 racial bonus on enchantment saving throws
• Low-Light Vision
• +1 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot checks
• +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks
• Choose any one skill. It is always considered a class skill for the half-human.
• Partial Weapon Familiarity: Choose either the rapier, longsword, shortbow (regular and composite), or longbow (regular and composite). You gain proficiency with this weapon, and if you gain proficiency with it via a class or feat, you instead gain a +1 competence bonus to attack rolls with the weapon. Due to quickly reaching adulthood, half-humans only have enough time to adequately train with one of the elven weapons.
• Languages: Same as elves.
• Elven Blood
• Typical Alignment: Good. No preference between law and chaos.
• Favored Class: Bard, Druid, Ranger, Scout, Swashbuckler, Warmage, or Wizard.
• Special: Half-humans may take the Improved Racial Weapon Familiarity feat to gain proficiency with the Elven courtblade, thinblade, lightblade, and greatbow.

 

[green slime]

Tie them to a stake.

 

[bestone]

I love the idea that the pc race for elves as written becomes the rules for half elves, and full elves no longer become a pc race.