This is mostly just a flavor thing to make character a more interesting but it caused an arguement during my irl D&D. A new member of the group is a big fan of tue Forgotten Realms books and has read some where half orcs did not just have a human as their other parent. Due to this he wanted to say that his half orc ranger had an elven parent with this only really affecting the physical description of the character while the stats and everything else stayed the same. Several people at the table got very upset over this and it derailed the entire game for the night and chased off a new D&D player who just wanted to do something interesting. They left before the Dm said if he was fine with it
Does anyone see why that would be a problem or does it seem like the other players at my table overeacted to this?
I'm a big fan of playing half orcs. While it's a little bit unconventional to have an elf as a parent, if it's just for story, then who even cares? Let them have fun. I wonder if there was something else going on at the table between the existing players and the new person.
This is not the discussion I expected to see on a thread about half orc parentage. I expected it would go more into the implied assault that usually plays into the mixed parentage of half orcs in role-playing games. I have always found this to be boring at best and completely inappropriate at worst. That's why my half orc characters tend to have two half orc parents and I like to give them a happy home life. Half orcs have it rough in this world as it is. I don't mind giving them a break.
Thanks for the feedback. I didn't mean to go as much into the thing about the table but was mostly just asking about if it really is a problem to do that. I kind ofnlike the idea myself ofmplaying a half orc or half elf that has a parent that is not always a human. Mechincally I say it should fine as long they keep the same stats of the regular race but make it so their strange parentage plays a part in the game.
Lore wise I do beleive outside of just the D&D lore of the Forgotten Realms there was a half drow half orc character. If memory serves I think he was a side character in the series that followed War of the Spider Queen.
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Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
It had honestly never occurred to me to go non-human as the other half of any of the 'half' parentage races. I think it should have been done. I might have been surprised but I would not have had a problems with it. I would make sure to point out to your table that when you tell them they WAY overreacted to this that they discouraged a brand shiny new player from having the time of their life! Well, that might be a slight overstatement but you get the gist.
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Thank you. ChrisW
Ones are righteous. And one day, we just might believe it.
I have seen half-x races treated in these forms the past decades at my and other tables (it makes no difference between half elf or half orc here: - split parentage: mother is of one race, father of the other; this was reserved for rather rare occurrences with the half-races not very prominent in the world - "designed" race in the past: perhaps a bit controversial; In one case, the ancient Elves needed more soldiers to fight off a demonic prophecy and due to their slow phase of reaching adulthood, they took humans as their "second companion" for a limited time and had children that were trained for battle against the prophecy; - established mixed race society: the mixed race very much forms a cultural society over many generations, because they were isolated from the (mostly human dominated world). This is pretty much how the ethnicity of people in the Caribbean would be described today. They live in distant mountain valleys, on islands or in special parts of a large city. The parents would have a mixed heritage and anything between "a quarter this and three quarters that" would generally qualify for that type.
The behaviour at your table is kind of disturbing for me.
a- what is wrong with the people at your table b- im a dm running a game with a half orc/half elf. we''ve been running it much the same, with physical differences and no stat changes. he does go into a trace instead of sleeping, but that's such a minor thing. i really don't understand why your table would have a problem with it, honestly.
Like pretty much everyone else here, ima say: Nothing wrong with having a flavor/backstory thing that affects nothing but your character's looks. The other people are ******** BIG TEETH BIG EARS
Ive seen people homebrew different half-race traits, and while I can see not allowing that if the group wants to go more strictly by base DnD.... but for backstory?
Unless there is something VERY significant in what was said or done by the new player, or some MASSIVE miscommunication, it seems like the other players are COMPLETELY overstepping their boundaries. Honestly might be better for the newer player overall if they find a different group entirely.
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This is mostly just a flavor thing to make character a more interesting but it caused an arguement during my irl D&D. A new member of the group is a big fan of tue Forgotten Realms books and has read some where half orcs did not just have a human as their other parent. Due to this he wanted to say that his half orc ranger had an elven parent with this only really affecting the physical description of the character while the stats and everything else stayed the same. Several people at the table got very upset over this and it derailed the entire game for the night and chased off a new D&D player who just wanted to do something interesting. They left before the Dm said if he was fine with it
Does anyone see why that would be a problem or does it seem like the other players at my table overeacted to this?
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Kayassa Level 3 | Satyr | Warlock (Cleath13's LMoP)
Bertolt Silentlash Level 3 | Variant Human | Bard (Our Little Lives Kept in Equipoise: Death House)
Daerthe Narcion Level 4 | Drow | Rogue (Karmoli's Great Upheaval)
I think that whether or not the idea itself was okay, the attitude of the table was very much in the wrong, and should be addressed immediately.
I'm a big fan of playing half orcs. While it's a little bit unconventional to have an elf as a parent, if it's just for story, then who even cares? Let them have fun. I wonder if there was something else going on at the table between the existing players and the new person.
This is not the discussion I expected to see on a thread about half orc parentage. I expected it would go more into the implied assault that usually plays into the mixed parentage of half orcs in role-playing games. I have always found this to be boring at best and completely inappropriate at worst. That's why my half orc characters tend to have two half orc parents and I like to give them a happy home life. Half orcs have it rough in this world as it is. I don't mind giving them a break.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Thanks for the feedback. I didn't mean to go as much into the thing about the table but was mostly just asking about if it really is a problem to do that. I kind ofnlike the idea myself ofmplaying a half orc or half elf that has a parent that is not always a human. Mechincally I say it should fine as long they keep the same stats of the regular race but make it so their strange parentage plays a part in the game.
Lore wise I do beleive outside of just the D&D lore of the Forgotten Realms there was a half drow half orc character. If memory serves I think he was a side character in the series that followed War of the Spider Queen.
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Kayassa Level 3 | Satyr | Warlock (Cleath13's LMoP)
Bertolt Silentlash Level 3 | Variant Human | Bard (Our Little Lives Kept in Equipoise: Death House)
Daerthe Narcion Level 4 | Drow | Rogue (Karmoli's Great Upheaval)
It had honestly never occurred to me to go non-human as the other half of any of the 'half' parentage races. I think it should have been done. I might have been surprised but I would not have had a problems with it. I would make sure to point out to your table that when you tell them they WAY overreacted to this that they discouraged a brand shiny new player from having the time of their life! Well, that might be a slight overstatement but you get the gist.
Thank you.
ChrisW
Ones are righteous. And one day, we just might believe it.
I have seen half-x races treated in these forms the past decades at my and other tables (it makes no difference between half elf or half orc here:
- split parentage: mother is of one race, father of the other; this was reserved for rather rare occurrences with the half-races not very prominent in the world
- "designed" race in the past: perhaps a bit controversial; In one case, the ancient Elves needed more soldiers to fight off a demonic prophecy and due to their slow phase of reaching adulthood, they took humans as their "second companion" for a limited time and had children that were trained for battle against the prophecy;
- established mixed race society: the mixed race very much forms a cultural society over many generations, because they were isolated from the (mostly human dominated world). This is pretty much how the ethnicity of people in the Caribbean would be described today. They live in distant mountain valleys, on islands or in special parts of a large city. The parents would have a mixed heritage and anything between "a quarter this and three quarters that" would generally qualify for that type.
The behaviour at your table is kind of disturbing for me.
a- what is wrong with the people at your table b- im a dm running a game with a half orc/half elf. we''ve been running it much the same, with physical differences and no stat changes. he does go into a trace instead of sleeping, but that's such a minor thing. i really don't understand why your table would have a problem with it, honestly.
Like pretty much everyone else here, ima say:
Nothing wrong with having a flavor/backstory thing that affects nothing but your character's looks.
The other people are ********
BIG TEETH BIG EARS
Ive seen people homebrew different half-race traits, and while I can see not allowing that if the group wants to go more strictly by base DnD.... but for backstory?
Unless there is something VERY significant in what was said or done by the new player, or some MASSIVE miscommunication, it seems like the other players are COMPLETELY overstepping their boundaries. Honestly might be better for the newer player overall if they find a different group entirely.