D&D (2024) What do you want & expect to see in 2024's 5.5e?

[Parmandur]

I think they’ll go the opposite direction, and make the wood and high elf more distinct.

The rock gnome might disappear, but I think enough people prefer non-nature non-Fey gnomes that they’ll find a way to keep them.

Could go either way at this point.

 

[Yaarel]

Could go either way at this point.

I would rather have one flexible elf race, than a hundred inflexible ones.

 

[Yaarel]

Normal Darkvision can rewrite as a slot 1 spell, at level 1, whose duration lasts until the end of the next long rest.

The spell grants longer ranges with higher spell slots. Perhaps spell grants additional effects like seeing color and seeing thru magical darkness with additionally higher slot augments.

Many elf cultures might tend to pick Darkvision as an innate slot 1 spell. But the Udadrow culture typically picks it as an innate slot 2 spell.

The values of slot 1 spells and slot 2 spells, per short rest or per long rest, are well understood, and show up in feats in Xanathars and Tashas.

 

[Parmandur]

I would rather have one flexible elf race, than a hundred inflexible ones.

Well, we know from Monsters of the Multiverse that they were willing to split Sea Elves, Shadar-Kai and Eladrin into standalone Races. But they also crested a branching path for some others, like Kobolds. They have different tools available to them.

 

[Yaarel]

Well, we know from Monsters of the Multiverse that they were willing to split Sea Elves, Shadar-Kai and Eladrin into standalone Races. But they also crested a branching path for some others, like Kobolds. They have different tools available to them.

Yeah.

At the same time, with regard to Mordenkainens elf races, the sea elf, shadar-kai, and eladrin seem noncore and "supplimenting" the Players Handbook races, maybe even monstrous.

Meanwhile, the sea elf has a textbox that actually mentions the inherent "mutable nature" of the elf, and how its mutability will continually cause new kinds of elves to show up in the future.

"That [elf] blood is what causes them to evolve after spending centuries connected to a particular environment, so it is only a matter of time before other kinds of elves emerge."

The elf "evolves" − not by means of DNA − but inherently evolves by means of magic.

Elf evolution is to some degree a choice. The choices of features that adapt well to an environment tend to prevail. The ability to adapt is innate, not necessarily any particular chosen feature.

In other words, elves evolve as a "magical culture" whose individual magical choices tend to be fashionable trends − rather than evolve as a less mutable gene pool.



A core elf race should be highly flexible, to represent this "mutability". The elf player has decision points to build the players own concept of an elf character.

Meanwhile, traditional elf cultures, such as high, wood, and uda, are like convenient pregenerated choices for a traditional elf build. But a player can build their own concept, even when a member of a traditional culture. Players from different ethnic backgrounds can explore their own kinds of elf.

Meanwhile, the ability to mix-and-match cultures, allows character concepts like the child of high and drow parents, or wood and eladrin parents.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

If they plan to include more races in a new PHB I think it'll be the addition of Orc, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bugbear and Aasimar. I definitely see Orc being there above the rest, since I feel Half-Orc will be getting de-emphasized considering how much of the newer art of "typical PCs" include more Orcs than Half-Orcs.

 

[LadyElect]

If they plan to include more races in a new PHB I think it'll be the addition of Orc, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bugbear and Aasimar. I definitely see Orc being there above the rest, since I feel Half-Orc will be getting de-emphasized considering how much of the newer art of "typical PCs" include more Orcs than Half-Orcs.

I'm familiar with some of the more recent Orc and Goblinoid reimaginings, but have there been instances of that for Aasimar as well in recent updates? I'm not up to date on all the various settings.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah.

At the same time, with regard to Mordenkainens elf races, the sea elf, shadar-kai, and eladrin seem noncore and "supplimenting" the Players Handbook races, maybe even monstrous.

Meanwhile, the sea elf has a textbox that actually mentions the inherent "mutable nature" of the elf, and how its mutability will continually cause new kinds of elves to show up in the future.

"That [elf] blood is what causes them to evolve after spending centuries connected to a particular environment, so it is only a matter of time before other kinds of elves emerge."

The elf "evolves" − not by means of DNA − but inherently evolves by means of magic.

Elf evolution is to some degree a choice. The choices of features that adapt well to an environment tend to prevail. The ability to adapt is innate, not necessarily any particular chosen feature.

In other words, elves evolve as a "magical culture" whose individual magical choices tend to be fashionable trends − rather than evolve as a less mutable gene pool.



A core elf race should be highly flexible, to represent this "mutability". The elf player has decision points to build the players own concept of an elf character.

Meanwhile, traditional elf cultures, such as high, wood, and uda, are like convenient pregenerated choices for a traditional elf build. But a player can build their own concept, even when a member of a traditional culture. Players from different ethnic backgrounds can explore their own kinds of elf.

Meanwhile, the ability to mix-and-match cultures, allows character concepts like the child of high and drow parents, or wood and eladrin parents.

So, here's the thing: we know thst MotM is a preview of what they will do with the new ruleset. What we see are examples of some Races being keyed as part of "Race Families" (Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, and Goblinoids, specifically). Most of the Races don't belong to one of these, but this does appear to be something that they carry into the Core. So expect multiple Elves or other Races within groups.

 

[Faolyn]

"That [elf] blood is what causes them to evolve after spending centuries connected to a particular environment, so it is only a matter of time before other kinds of elves emerge."

The elf "evolves" − not by means of DNA − but inherently evolves by means of magic.

Elf evolution is to some degree a choice. The choices of features that adapt well to an environment tend to prevail. The ability to adapt is innate, not necessarily any particular chosen feature.

In other words, elves evolve as a "magical culture" whose individual magical choices tend to be fashionable trends − rather than evolve as a less mutable gene pool.

This is how I've always wanted it to be like.

It's also why I don't have a problem with subterranean elves being black-skinned: it's basically magical camouflage, in the same way that wood elves are typically green or brown, and sea elves are typically blue. (I do have a problem with the Always Evil race being black-skinned, but that's a different issue). I had always felt that elves would be able to change should they live in a different environment.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm familiar with some of the more recent Orc and Goblinoid reimaginings, but have there been instances of that for Aasimar as well in recent updates? I'm not up to date on all the various settings.

They got a mechanical overhaul where the types are just choices within a writeup rather than being presented as subraces.

So, here's the thing: we know thst MotM is a preview of what they will do with the new ruleset. What we see are examples of some Races being keyed as part of "Race Families" (Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, and Goblinoids, specifically). Most of the Races don't belong to one of these, but this does appear to be something that they carry into the Core. So expect multiple Elves or other Races within groups.

This is why i think we will see more distinct wood elves, at least. I could see high elves being "just play an eladrin, bro", because what even makes high elves interesting at all? But wood elves are narratively distinct enough to merit getting something like the wood elf magic feat baked in, or something like that.