So far, watching the video and reading the PDF, I like most of the changes and not bothered by the rest. It is UA after all, and JC did say this was an experiment. And things will change between now and 2024 anyway.
As far as how the UA is handling the "Children of Different Kinds" I feel it is just kind of lazy. It's been something many DMs/Players have been doing for years already.
Each race has "special traits" that they get.
Humans have 3: Resourceful, Skillful, and Versatile.
Ardlings have 3: Angelic Flight, Celestial Legacy, and Damage Resistance.
Dragonborn have 5: Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon, Damage Resistance, Darkvision, and Draconic Language.
Dwarves have 5: Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Toughness, Forge Wise, and Stonecunning.
Elves have 5: Darkvision, Elven Lineage, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses, and Trance.
Gnomes have 3: Darkvision, Gnomish Cunning, Gnomish Lineage.
Halflings have 4: Brave, Halfling Nimbleness, Luck, and Naturally Stealthy.
Orcs have 4: Adrenaline Rush, Darkvision, Powerful Build, and Relentless Endurance.
Tieflings have 3: Darkvision, Fiendish Legacy, and Otherworldly Presence.
Would it be too OP or too gamey or too complicated if the rules for "Children of Different Humanoid Kinds" was:
Use the size category from one parent
Use the Speed from one parent (other than Wood Elf Lineage, they're all 30)
Use the Lifespan rules already in the PDF (Average of the two parent's life spans)
Select 3 special traits from the parent's options.
Maybe this would lead to "optimal" parentage combos, but it was just a thought.
Maybe OP. The alternatives are either a point based system where each ability is worth so much and you get so many points to use (which is complicated but could lead to a good custom race mechanic) or each race contributes certain attributes when they are one of the parents. So an Orc might contribute Relentless Endurance, so any Half Orc will have it. Elves might contribute Trance, so a Half Orc Half Elf will have both Relentless Endurance and Trance (the details are just made up for illustrative purposes, but you get the idea). It's much simpler and controlled, but more generic.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The most likely alternative is feats for Elven, Orcish, etc. heritage. If you want your character to express both sides of their parentage, you take the feat. It's simple, fits into the current mechanics, and is easy to balance, because you're giving up on a different feat to have it.
This is just WotC back peddling from being pushed into a corner but these racist groups. It is stupid, dumb and only a matter of time before all this type crap bites them in the ass.
I don't know exactly what you mean, but the concept of being "half something" only makes sense in an outdated and biased conception of the taxonomic categories of race and species. Today the concept of race is not even considered a taxonomic category anymore, so imagine how outdated the term is. In any case, what difference does it make to you that there is no longer a template for half-elves or half-orcs? You can still play a semi whatever in your games if it fits your ideology. But WoTC does well to remove that problematic concept that can rightly offend many people.
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So far, watching the video and reading the PDF, I like most of the changes and not bothered by the rest. It is UA after all, and JC did say this was an experiment. And things will change between now and 2024 anyway.
As far as how the UA is handling the "Children of Different Kinds" I feel it is just kind of lazy. It's been something many DMs/Players have been doing for years already.
Each race has "special traits" that they get.
Humans have 3: Resourceful, Skillful, and Versatile.
Ardlings have 3: Angelic Flight, Celestial Legacy, and Damage Resistance.
Dragonborn have 5: Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon, Damage Resistance, Darkvision, and Draconic Language.
Dwarves have 5: Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Toughness, Forge Wise, and Stonecunning.
Elves have 5: Darkvision, Elven Lineage, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses, and Trance.
Gnomes have 3: Darkvision, Gnomish Cunning, Gnomish Lineage.
Halflings have 4: Brave, Halfling Nimbleness, Luck, and Naturally Stealthy.
Orcs have 4: Adrenaline Rush, Darkvision, Powerful Build, and Relentless Endurance.
Tieflings have 3: Darkvision, Fiendish Legacy, and Otherworldly Presence.
Would it be too OP or too gamey or too complicated if the rules for "Children of Different Humanoid Kinds" was:
Maybe this would lead to "optimal" parentage combos, but it was just a thought.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Maybe OP. The alternatives are either a point based system where each ability is worth so much and you get so many points to use (which is complicated but could lead to a good custom race mechanic) or each race contributes certain attributes when they are one of the parents. So an Orc might contribute Relentless Endurance, so any Half Orc will have it. Elves might contribute Trance, so a Half Orc Half Elf will have both Relentless Endurance and Trance (the details are just made up for illustrative purposes, but you get the idea). It's much simpler and controlled, but more generic.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The most likely alternative is feats for Elven, Orcish, etc. heritage. If you want your character to express both sides of their parentage, you take the feat. It's simple, fits into the current mechanics, and is easy to balance, because you're giving up on a different feat to have it.
This is just WotC back peddling from being pushed into a corner but these racist groups. It is stupid, dumb and only a matter of time before all this type crap bites them in the ass.
I don't know exactly what you mean, but the concept of being "half something" only makes sense in an outdated and biased conception of the taxonomic categories of race and species. Today the concept of race is not even considered a taxonomic category anymore, so imagine how outdated the term is. In any case, what difference does it make to you that there is no longer a template for half-elves or half-orcs? You can still play a semi whatever in your games if it fits your ideology. But WoTC does well to remove that problematic concept that can rightly offend many people.