"You're a half elf? Really?" From the P.A. Podcasts

[Storminator]

You know, speaking of Chris Rock....ok, time to paraphrase Eladrin are basically the snooty high elves and elves are what prior editions termed wood elves. Well, how do the 2 elf races look at each other? Do Eladrin see themselves as the law-abiding, civilized types and the Elves are uncouth and untrustworthy? Borrowing from Chris Rock (and made appropriate to the conversation): "An Eladrin didn't steal your TV, an ELF stole your TV!"

In those same podcasts someone calls Wheaton's character an elf and he says (I paraphrase) "I'm an eladrin. Elves are our hill-billy cousins."

PS

 

[tuxgeo]

. . . Eladrin are basically the snooty high elves and elves are what prior editions termed wood elves. Well, how do the 2 elf races look at each other? Do Eladrin see themselves as the law-abiding, civilized types and the Elves are uncouth and untrustworthy?

According to the 4E PHB, "the two races hold each other in high regard" (page 39). This suggests to me that Eladrin would think of Elves as being simple and mundane yet still trustworthy, while Elves would think of Eladrin as being complicated and exotic yet still trustworthy.
If anything, I would think that Eladrin are more Chaotic than Elves, not more Law-abiding; but this may be due to impressions that I got from earlier editions (with all of the Seldarine being either Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral).
(Of course, all players are free to play Elf and Eladrin characters however they wish.)

 

[SSquirrel]

I was just kind of throwing something out there Tux, I have no real attachment to how they are setup. They likely are more chaotic, this happens when you are the decadent higher class who believes laws are made for those who can't govern themselves. At least, that could be one way of looking out of an Eladrin's eyes.

That is really funny tho Storm. City elf, country elf.

 

[Jack99]

In those same podcasts someone calls Wheaton's character an elf and he says (I paraphrase) "I'm an eladrin. Elves are our hill-billy cousins."

PS

I am so going to use that IMC.

 

[malraux]

How can a character's race not be relevant?

Really. How can it not have ever come up? Isn't a character's species about as relevant as its gender and, at the very least, general appearance?

The problem here is that, by the standard definition of species, elves, half-elves and humans are all the same species.

 

[Leatherhead]

The problem here is that, by the standard definition of species, elves, half-elves and humans are all the same species.

One of the reasons I dislike half-races. Especially when you get headaches such as orcs and humans being able to mate, elves and humans can mate, but elves and orcs can't.

I know, "it's magic." But the entire purpose of magics existence is to do the impossible.

 

[Dire Bare]

The problem here is that, by the standard definition of species, elves, half-elves and humans are all the same species.

Species is a scientific designation to classify living organisms, and like everything in science, isn't as ironclad as some like to think it is. Race is a social construct to help people classify "others" and therefore making it easier to deal with them (i.e. stereotypes).

None of that really matters when it comes to D&D races, which are fictional and don't quite match either concept . . . actually kind of fall inbetween. D&D looks at races from a fictional and mythic point of view, and it works fine for the game and the fiction it is based on (and the fiction based on it!).

However, it is beyond silly to criticize someone for not playing an elf "correctly". Or even to criticize someone for not roleplaying a black person "correctly". I have black friends who live up to the stereotypes in some ways . . . and I have black friends who, if you closed your eyes, you would never know their "race". But, maybe, they aren't doing a very good job of being "black". I hope they never roll up an elf or half-elf in one of my games! (heavy sarcasm)

 

[Umbran]

Especially when you get headaches such as orcs and humans being able to mate, elves and humans can mate, but elves and orcs can't.

Penguins.

As you go around the shore of the continent of Antarctica, there's a series of colonies of one type of penguin. Colony A can breed with Colony B. Colony B can breed with colony C, and so on around the continent. But by the time you've come full circle, you find that Colony Z cannot successfully breed with colony A!

If you wiped out several colonies in the middle (say, K through Q), you'd say there were two closely related species. But in this case, there is a continuous chain of successful breeding - though the two populations at the ends cannot interbreed, it is not possible to draw a clear line between them as species.

Which is to say, genetics is not, in general, transitive. And if the natural world can and does provide us with a matching analogy, we should not complain about it overmuch in our fantasy fiction.

 

[Hussar]

/snip

Never post when grumpy. Apologies.

Needless to say, I find the idea that people would defend this sort of play to be very strange. I play RPG's to play a role. Part of that includes whatever race my character is, whether it's a real world race/ethnicity/whatever, or a fictional one. Now, it doesn't have to be the front and center part, but, it is a part of that role. In my mind, I would consider it rather insulting if another player turned to me and said, "You're a what? Since when?" I would consider that a pretty big fail on my part.

Hey, whatever floats your boat. It doesn't float mine.

 

[Starbuck_II]

However, is there ever a point in time when you honestly turned to one of your black friends and said, "Dude, you're BLACK!???! Since when???"

I've said that to my asian friends in Real life. I thought he was just tanned different.