D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Maxperson]

Nonbiological reproduction is correct for D&D 5.5.

Both are correct. There still exist races that have biological reproduction to them. Aasimar and Tieflings for example.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Part of the problem is that D&D (up to 4e) had seven races it used as core. (Half-orc disappeared for one edition in the middle, even further diminishing it). You have to go to 4e to get two new races in the PHB, and there is a highly resistant strain of DMs who cannot accept anything but the original PHB races (and let's be honest, gnomes and halflings are often ignored and half-elves and half-orcs defined by their lack of place in society. So we're really talking humans and elves with occasional dwarves). 50 years in and I still rarely see gnome or half-orc NPCs, let alone tieflings and Dragonborn. And a some fans throw hissy fits just seeing Dragonborn NPCs, because they are "too modern".

I've reached the point that I would prefer those elements shoved down every setting's throat, continuity be damned. I want Baldur's Gate to have a Dragonborn regiment. I want a tiefling mayor, and an aasimar pirate. I want tabaxi thieves, aarakroca acrobats (aarakrocabats?l and a gnome evil mastermind to rival a Bond supervillain. In Greyhawk. In Faerun and Krynn. In Ravenloft. And even in Athas. Make few exceptions for certain settings (like subbing kender for halflings on Krynn) and go nuts. I don't want the Star Wars cantina, I want the bloody galactic senate.

Let's break this habit of only having human NPCs and the occasional demihuman. Bring the menagerie.

'bring the menagerie' is perhaps a step too far for my liking, but i would agree with all of the PHB options being cemented into the various settings, for all of them to have established roots throughout, if i wanna play a dragonborn, a halfling, or a goliath, i don't want the nearest settlement for their species to be halfway across the continent.

 

[Yaarel]

I guess, dragonborn in Mesopotamia isnt so bad. The area is known for its very many different kinds of composite creatures.

Here are examples of Mushkhushu, with and without wings, a blend of snake with lion and eagle. It can be bipedal with handlike lion claws. Even the Dragonborn energy wings can make sense if wings temporarily appear.

 

[Minigiant]

I just want a stinking setting where dragonborn, aasimar, tiefling, and goliath nations do as much as the dwarf, human, elf nations.

And for the gnomes and halflings to actually do something cool.

 

[Yaarel]

Both are correct. There still exist races that have biological reproduction to them. Aasimar and Tieflings for example.

Definitely not Aasimar or Tiefling.

Celestial and Fiend reproduce nonbiologically with any flesh-and-blood creatures.

Analogously, when the Celestial Zeus sires children among humans, Zeus can do so whether in a human form, an eagle, a bull, or a shower of gold. The reproduction is strictly nonbiological.

Even in a situation where the magic happens to coincide with sex, such as between parents who are Elf and Human, it is strictly magical reproduction involving shapechange, not actually biological sexual reproduction.

 

[Scribe]

I just want a stinking setting where dragonborn, aasimar, tiefling, and goliath nations do as much as the dwarf, human, elf nations.

And for the gnomes and halflings to actually do something cool.

Unless it's regional, that's a whole lot going on yeah?

 

[Maxperson]

Definitely not Aasimar or Tiefling.

Celestial and Fiend reproduce nonbiologically with any flesh-and-blood creatures.

We've been through this. There are objectively physical(genetic) transferences with Aasimar and Tieflings. Your desires for how reproduction happens cross-race doesn't change that fact.

Analogously, when the Celestial Zeus sires children among humans, Zeus can do so whether in a human form, an eagle, a bull, or a shower of gold. The reproduction is strictly nonbiological.

No. It's strictly biological in any form a GOD takes. He has the ability to genetically reproduce no matter the form.

Even in a situation where the magic happens to coincide with sex, such as between parents who are Elf and Human, it is strictly magical reproduction involving shapechange, not actually biological sexual reproduction.

You can keep repeating it, but you won't be correct. Aasimar can be descended(that's biological) from Angels. Tieflings say this...

"Tieflings are either born in the Lower Planes or have fiendish ancestors who originated there. A tiefling (pronounced TEE-fling) is linked by blood to a devil, a demon, or some other Fiend."

The fact is, and it is a fact, cross-race reproduction in 5e AND 5.5e is biological. 5.5e adds non-biological as an additional way.

 

[Minigiant]

Unless it's regional, that's a whole lot going on yeah?

Not really

Is 12 nations that hard to track?
For D&D players?

 

[Yaarel]

"Tieflings are either born in the Lower Planes or have fiendish ancestors who originated there. A tiefling (pronounced TEE-fling) is linked by blood to a devil, a demon, or some other Fiend."

"... linked by [planarly infused / magically altered] blood ..."

A human can be a "descendant" of fire, or have a mountain as an "ancestor". In the context of folkbeliefs, these terms mean magical shapechange - whether the nonbiological shapeshifts into a biological human form, or the human buds parthenogenetically.

 

[Maxperson]

"... linked by [planarly infused / magically altered] blood ..."

You're inventing fiction that isn't there. It doesn't say that, so it isn't that. For whatever reason you can't or don't want to see what the truth of 5.5e is.