Why is there so much hate?

[Li Shenron]

They are probably hated by...

...powerplayers who cannot understand how it's possible to play a non-optimized character. Although he doesn't hate them really, he simply ignores them completely (until an accessory books comes out with a totally broken prestige class for half-elves only).

...gamers who hate the game not having perfectly balanced and symmetrical options. They cannot conceive having a player race weaker than the others. All races MUST be designed equal (as should all classes, all spells, all feats, all weapons, all alignments, all...). Doesn't matter if no one in fact in their games plays that race (the gamer in question has been so strongly advocating his hate about half-elves for years, that the others are afraid for their personal safety to try play one), he simply can-not-suffer-the-existance-of-asymmetries-in-universe.

...players who loved the benefits of half-elves in a previous edition, and feel that the "original flavor" (= cheese?) has been watered down.

 

[Drowbane]

I don't need a race for something that could just be a bit of backstory-fluff. Choose race A, describe some traits from race B and there you have your "special half-breed" PC.

I really don't like how half-elves and half-orcs are considered common enough to warrant thier own population listings for cities... (much less thier own Dragonmarked Houses).

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Half-elves are what gnomes and dwarves were in previous editions.

They need a retrofit.

 

[Darklone]

Hmm. I don´t agree. Half-elves may be a little bit on the weak side, but given the right choice of class, they can rock as any other char.

The half-elf cleric in the shortstory in my sig was the unreputed group leader. Not only because he was a nice guy, he could take care of himself in almost any situation. He was the rock the group build their tent on to take shelter in any storm.

And anyone who plays a secondary spellcaster could take two racial paragon classes and gain twice +2 to his favorite stat. Nothing to sneer at.

 

[nittanytbone]

The best part about being a half elf is access to the Half Elf paragon and Human paragon classes. Unfortuanetly, this pretty much rules out spellcaster classes (losing 3 caster levels STINKS). But, its not bad for melee or roguish types. Having +4 to an ability score by level 6 is pretty decent.

 

[Driddle]

They're not less powerful than humans. It's just that a few minor tweeks have already been added -- at the expense of a feat and skill points -- that a lot of players get grumpy about. Their racial benefits ARE approximately equivalent to a human feat investment and skill point per level, but that takes away a small amount of choice from the git-go.

 

[Awakened]

Because everyone is a racist. What a sick world.

Nah, I have nothing valuable to contribute. I agree with the second post, the half-elf is like a faded, muddled combination of both races.

Has anyone house-ruled in anything to make half-elves cooler?

 

[Particle_Man]

The best part about being a half elf is access to the Half Elf paragon and Human paragon classes. Unfortuanetly, this pretty much rules out spellcaster classes (losing 3 caster levels STINKS). But, its not bad for melee or roguish types. Having +4 to an ability score by level 6 is pretty decent.

But then they lose out on BAB, which partially nullifies the gain in the ability score unless you are going strictly for the sneaky stuff.

I would say that half-elves don't have a niche. Humans do the "customizable class combo" thing and elves do the elf thing. Half-Elves don't have much they can do, that either humans or elves don't do better. Maybe with 3.5 half-elves can do the "Face" thing a bit, but humans will win out in skill points over all (Diplomacy and Gather info are nice, but Bluff and Sense Motive help a lot too, for example).

However, with more base classes available, at least half-elves can do some class combos into "elf only" prestige classes that elves would have difficulty with because of the wizard favoured class. So a Sorcerer/Ranger/Arcane Archer (alas, the AA got nerfed in 3.5 and its abilities are too limited to be attractive). Maybe the Eternal Blade from Bo9S if you think the elven blood ability allows half-elves into the class.

But see how contrived I have to get? This is really "at the margins" stuff, just to find something for half-elves to do.

This is what "Aragorn" has come to? One could weep.

 

[pawsplay]

OK, why is there so much hatred for half-elves? Seriously, every DM and most of the players I know mass so much hatred on them, and I cannot see why for the life of me! They say it's one of the worst races, and I think it's actually one of the better ones!

Unfortunately, you're wrong.

They get half of what an elf gets, and nothing of what a human gets (except favored class, which is an option, not an advantage). In 3.5 they received a skill bonus.

Since their stats are all average, they can't even do the "demihuman dump" for a higher primary ability score.

 

[Evilhalfling]

You may be misinturpreting some of the hate.
I hate them because they should be rare, elves and humans are differernt enough that they would rarely voluntarily produce childeren. I mean would you be able to marry and settle down with someone who you knew was going to die before you reached 35? I also dislike rapes being common enough to spawn and entire race.

I allow them in my games, but do nothing to ecourage thier use. They do not have great advantages, and should not get them, and the same goes for 1/2 orcs. Its like playing a kobold, if you are going to play a kobold, it should not be for mechanical benifits.