The point of calling them species instead of race is because races are different types of one species. Species isn't exactly defined in any capacity, but we know that there is a line to draw, we just haven't figured it out yet. A horse is different from a Lizard, and we know why, but we can't really draw a line where the lizard-horse ancestor stopped being a lizard and a horse, and split into both of them.
The point of calling the "races" species is because it is more accurate. Humans aren't one "race" we're a species. The different types of humans are "races".
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Hey, PC races in my campaign world include but are not limited to:
Humans, Hin (halflings), Gnomes, Half-Gnomes, Elves, Half-Elves, Dwarves, Half-Dwarves, Goblins, Half-Goblins, Hobgoblins, Half-Hobgoblins, Orcs, Half-Orcs, Bugbears, Ogrillon.... Anything “Half-X” are treated as human by everyone, including many Ogrillon depending on if the non-Ogre half is Human, Orc, or Bugbear (never Hobgoblin, but there are reasons for that). Been that way since the mid ‘90s.
If there is no good definition of the word "Species" what is the point of using that instead of race or "sub-species"?
and Iamsposta If they were intelligent enough to speak, they are definitely sentient. It was something a lot of players never examined very closely, but has made a lot of newer players very uncomfortable.
Take Homo Erectus vs Homo Neanderthalensis. Both were sentient and capable of interbreeding but definitely very different physical and mental capabilities.
If there is no good definition of the word "Species" what is the point of using that instead of race or "sub-species"?
and Iamsposta If they were intelligent enough to speak, they are definitely sentient. It was something a lot of players never examined very closely, but has made a lot of newer players very uncomfortable.
Take Homo Erectus vs Homo Neanderthalensis. Both were sentient and capable of interbreeding but definitely very different physical and mental capabilities.
Yes, we bred with both of them, and you have DNA from your neanderthal ancestors in you, but they were different species. There is no doubt about it, they were intelligent, and we bred with them, they almost definitely had languages, but they weren't the same as us.
Species can be complicated to define, but they do exist, and we should use proper terminology in D&D.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Hey, PC races in my campaign world include but are not limited to:
Humans, Hin (halflings), Gnomes, Half-Gnomes, Elves, Half-Elves, Dwarves, Half-Dwarves, Goblins, Half-Goblins, Hobgoblins, Half-Hobgoblins, Orcs, Half-Orcs, Bugbears, Ogrillon.... Anything “Half-X” are treated as human by everyone, including many Ogrillon depending on if the non-Ogre half is Human, Orc, or Bugbear (never Hobgoblin, but there are reasons for that). Been that way since the mid ‘90s.
Cool. Nice lore in your games. I just want definitive answers for 5e that lets people play as a Half-Dwarf.
A system of rulings that let you choose which parents you have would be preferable.
Like, a table with human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, orc, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, goliaths, firbolg, and ogres. You can roll on the table, or choose which two races you want to be descended from. So, you get Gnome, and Goblin. From gnome, you get a +1 to Intelligence and Gnome Cunning for an example. From Goblin, you get a +1 to Dexterity, and Nimble Escape. You then choose one additional ability score modifier to increase by one depending on which two your race increased.
A system like that is probably the form I'd like to see with creating species hybrids.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Hey, PC races in my campaign world include but are not limited to:
Humans, Hin (halflings), Gnomes, Half-Gnomes, Elves, Half-Elves, Dwarves, Half-Dwarves, Goblins, Half-Goblins, Hobgoblins, Half-Hobgoblins, Orcs, Half-Orcs, Bugbears, Ogrillon.... Anything “Half-X” are treated as human by everyone, including many Ogrillon depending on if the non-Ogre half is Human, Orc, or Bugbear (never Hobgoblin, but there are reasons for that). Been that way since the mid ‘90s.
Cool. Nice lore in your games. I just want definitive answers for 5e that lets people play as a Half-Dwarf.
A system of rulings that let you choose which parents you have would be preferable.
Like, a table with human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, orc, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, goliaths, firbolg, and ogres. You can roll on the table, or choose which two races you want to be descended from. So, you get Gnome, and Goblin. From gnome, you get a +1 to Intelligence and Gnome Cunning for an example. From Goblin, you get a +1 to Dexterity, and Nimble Escape. You then choose one additional ability score modifier to increase by one depending on which two your race increased.
A system like that is probably the form I'd like to see with creating species hybrids.
Thanks!! A table like that could be cool for worlds that could use it. In my world Gnomes and Goblins don’t breed. Everybody breeds with Humans and Hin, Bugbears breed with both Orcs and Hobgoblins, but those two won’t breed with each other. Ogres will breed with Orcs, Humans/Hin, Bugbears, and Giants, but nobody else. There are no Goliaths. There’s a whole reason for everything, but if you want to know PM me.
Ogres, +2 to Strength, Darkvision, Powerful Build, giant language
I want a system like this. Also possibly one for the races that lay eggs, as long as it makes sense for them to mate, like Lizardfolk Dragonborn hybrids, Githyanki-Githzerai mixes, Gith-Lizardfolk mixes. Triton-Locathah, maybe.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Ogres, +2 to Strength, Darkvision, Powerful Build, giant language
I want a system like this. Also possibly one for the races that lay eggs, as long as it makes sense for them to mate, like Lizardfolk Dragonborn hybrids, Githyanki-Githzerai mixes, Gith-Lizardfolk mixes. Triton-Locathah, maybe.
Yeah, but I want an official version. I made that one in like 8 minutes, and it already has some problems that would need clearing up, like what if a small creature has Powerful build?
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Yeah, but I want an official version. I made that one in like 8 minutes, and it already has some problems that would need clearing up, like what if a small creature has Powerful build?
If a small creature has powerful build they could simply count as medium for lift/carry/encumbrance.
Yeah, but I want an official version. I made that one in like 8 minutes, and it already has some problems that would need clearing up, like what if a small creature has Powerful build?
Then you have a hench dwarf (I know that they are medium), which would be awesome... anyway I think we we may be starting to head off-topic...
back in previous editions when charisma also affected appearance, minues to charisma made some sense, but nowadays charisma is simply how good you can influence others, as well as force of will, how well you can intimidate, orcs and ogres being worse at intimidation than halflings due to racial bonues makes little sense.
also the homebrew half ogre i made had subraces used to represent things like dralegoloths or half rakshasa or other large size halfbreeds.
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Wow, everyone seems to have missed the point of what i was saying about racial/species bonuses and why so many people want to move away from them, why wizards even put out a guide for how to tie the bonuses to class instead.
Race/Class combos have been a thing since AD&D dropped in the forevers ago. It even pushed M:tG to adopt the race/class system that finally allowed the Lord of Atlantis to count as a merfolk. The only real issue with “race” in D&D is the stigma that currently surrounds the word. People need to get over looking for reasons to be offended.
You're right. There is nothing problematic with things like the Drow. An entire race (RACE) of dark skinned people who are definitely evil, because they worship the wrong god. They are also one of the few cannonically matriarchal races. I'm sure the fact that they are all evil doesn't sound like a commentary at all.
Or Orcs, who are capable of interbreeding with humans, but are all just savages and brutes who are stupid, and will kill you immediately. yeah, that doesn't sound like common rhetoric at all.
I know no one in your circle talks about this, but maybe consider that is because your circle is small. I have heard people who are offended by this, and feel targeted by this. I'm sorry if I'm more empathetic than others.
If the biggest thing people have to worry about is being offended by the conceptualization a fictional race of elves in a game, then they should watch the news (not FOX, the actual news) and realize that there are bigger things to worry about in the world. If they don’t like it, they can change the cannon in their home games, just like I did.
And if you’re gonna tale agains the “racism” of D&D, then check your facts, the Drow are a pale, ashen grey, not dark skinned.
Sorry, I must have gotten confused because they keep getting called "DARK elves".
check your privilege and grow some empathy.
Bite me. I have empathy coming out of my ears, what I don’t have is patience for people who think they have a right to go through life without being offended.
I’m Italian/American, and the son of an immigrant. On the other side of my family my grandparents came through Ellis Island. They were treated with “Irish need not apply” and “No WOPS allowed.”
The word “slave” quite literally comes from the word “Slav” an ethnicity of Eastern European peoples from whom I am directly descended.
I’m not saying that your friends don’t have a right to be offended, what I’m saying is they don’t have the right to hijack an entire hobby because of it.
I’m offended that we have a bigoted ******* Cheeto in a bad toupee in the White House. I’m offended that FOX is allowed to call its propaganda videos “news.” I’m offended that THOUSANDS of people are dying because the capitalist pigdogs are protecting the patent for the company who charges $10,000 a pop for the valve that goes into respirators when they could be 3D printed overnight for $1 a piece.
You want to get offended and break out the pitchforks, do it for something that actually matters. Why don’t you check your snowflake attitude and grow a sense of priority.
First: Every thing from "I'm Offended... through... $1 apeice" we agree with.
second: Oh, they shouldn't hijack your hobby. I guess you feel they just don't belong here if they are offended by the status quo. or do I misunderstand
Third: None of this is more important than the stuff we agree about in the first, not even close to it. Doesn't make it unimportant.
Fourth: yeah, that pedigree you just gave was "I'm white, descended from white, and white, but because one of the people I trace ancestory back through is also the root word for the english word 'slave' I understand what people of color go through.
Fifth: Snowflake? careful, sounding a bit like Fox-news yourself.
You're right. There is nothing problematic with things like the Drow. An entire race (RACE) of dark skinned people who are definitely evil, because they worship the wrong god. They are also one of the few cannonically matriarchal races. I'm sure the fact that they are all evil doesn't sound like a commentary at all.
Or Orcs, who are capable of interbreeding with humans, but are all just savages and brutes who are stupid, and will kill you immediately. yeah, that doesn't sound like common rhetoric at all.
I know no one in your circle talks about this, but maybe consider that is because your circle is small. I have heard people who are offended by this, and feel targeted by this. I'm sorry if I'm more empathetic than others.
Unless these people you speak of are Orcs, then how could they feel targeted. News flash, Orcs are not real. They are not a representation of anything other than a fictionalNeanderthal like species that pride themselves in the their physical might.
I am offended by the Idea that a Wizard MUST put their stat bonus into Int! What, I can't choose to play a wizard that works out? Are all educated people weak and physically incapable of becoming strong?
Or how about this, so Fighters can't be smart so they MUST put there stat bonus in Strength?! That is offensive! Why can't Fighters be smart? If they swing a sword does that make them incapable of reading a book?
The point of calling them species instead of race is because races are different types of one species. Species isn't exactly defined in any capacity, but we know that there is a line to draw, we just haven't figured it out yet. A horse is different from a Lizard, and we know why, but we can't really draw a line where the lizard-horse ancestor stopped being a lizard and a horse, and split into both of them.
The point of calling the "races" species is because it is more accurate. Humans aren't one "race" we're a species. The different types of humans are "races".
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Hey, PC races in my campaign world include but are not limited to:
Humans, Hin (halflings), Gnomes, Half-Gnomes, Elves, Half-Elves, Dwarves, Half-Dwarves, Goblins, Half-Goblins, Hobgoblins, Half-Hobgoblins, Orcs, Half-Orcs, Bugbears, Ogrillon.... Anything “Half-X” are treated as human by everyone, including many Ogrillon depending on if the non-Ogre half is Human, Orc, or Bugbear (never Hobgoblin, but there are reasons for that). Been that way since the mid ‘90s.
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Take Homo Erectus vs Homo Neanderthalensis. Both were sentient and capable of interbreeding but definitely very different physical and mental capabilities.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
Yes, we bred with both of them, and you have DNA from your neanderthal ancestors in you, but they were different species. There is no doubt about it, they were intelligent, and we bred with them, they almost definitely had languages, but they weren't the same as us.
Species can be complicated to define, but they do exist, and we should use proper terminology in D&D.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Cool. Nice lore in your games. I just want definitive answers for 5e that lets people play as a Half-Dwarf.
A system of rulings that let you choose which parents you have would be preferable.
Like, a table with human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, orc, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, goliaths, firbolg, and ogres. You can roll on the table, or choose which two races you want to be descended from. So, you get Gnome, and Goblin. From gnome, you get a +1 to Intelligence and Gnome Cunning for an example. From Goblin, you get a +1 to Dexterity, and Nimble Escape. You then choose one additional ability score modifier to increase by one depending on which two your race increased.
A system like that is probably the form I'd like to see with creating species hybrids.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Thanks!! A table like that could be cool for worlds that could use it.
In my world Gnomes and Goblins don’t breed. Everybody breeds with Humans and Hin, Bugbears breed with both Orcs and Hobgoblins, but those two won’t breed with each other. Ogres will breed with Orcs, Humans/Hin, Bugbears, and Giants, but nobody else. There are no Goliaths. There’s a whole reason for everything, but if you want to know PM me.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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So, something like this:
I want a system like this. Also possibly one for the races that lay eggs, as long as it makes sense for them to mate, like Lizardfolk Dragonborn hybrids, Githyanki-Githzerai mixes, Gith-Lizardfolk mixes. Triton-Locathah, maybe.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Hey look, you just made a system like that!
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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Yeah, but I want an official version. I made that one in like 8 minutes, and it already has some problems that would need clearing up, like what if a small creature has Powerful build?
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
If a small creature has powerful build they could simply count as medium for lift/carry/encumbrance.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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Then you have a hench dwarf (I know that they are medium), which would be awesome... anyway I think we we may be starting to head off-topic...
back in previous editions when charisma also affected appearance, minues to charisma made some sense, but nowadays charisma is simply how good you can influence others, as well as force of will, how well you can intimidate, orcs and ogres being worse at intimidation than halflings due to racial bonues makes little sense.
also the homebrew half ogre i made had subraces used to represent things like dralegoloths or half rakshasa or other large size halfbreeds.
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Wow, everyone seems to have missed the point of what i was saying about racial/species bonuses and why so many people want to move away from them, why wizards even put out a guide for how to tie the bonuses to class instead.
Race/Class combos have been a thing since AD&D dropped in the forevers ago. It even pushed M:tG to adopt the race/class system that finally allowed the Lord of Atlantis to count as a merfolk. The only real issue with “race” in D&D is the stigma that currently surrounds the word. People need to get over looking for reasons to be offended.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
You're right. There is nothing problematic with things like the Drow. An entire race (RACE) of dark skinned people who are definitely evil, because they worship the wrong god. They are also one of the few cannonically matriarchal races. I'm sure the fact that they are all evil doesn't sound like a commentary at all.
Or Orcs, who are capable of interbreeding with humans, but are all just savages and brutes who are stupid, and will kill you immediately. yeah, that doesn't sound like common rhetoric at all.
I know no one in your circle talks about this, but maybe consider that is because your circle is small. I have heard people who are offended by this, and feel targeted by this. I'm sorry if I'm more empathetic than others.
If the biggest thing people have to worry about is being offended by the conceptualization a fictional race of elves in a game, then they should watch the news (not FOX, the actual news) and realize that there are bigger things to worry about in the world. If they don’t like it, they can change the cannon in their home games, just like I did.
And if you’re gonna tale agains the “racism” of D&D, then check your facts, the Drow are a pale, ashen grey, not dark skinned.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Sorry, I must have gotten confused because they keep getting called "DARK elves".
check your privilege and grow some empathy.
Bite me. I have empathy coming out of my ears, what I don’t have is patience for people who think they have a right to go through life without being offended.
I’m Italian/American, and the son of an immigrant. On the other side of my family my grandparents came through Ellis Island. They were treated with “Irish need not apply” and “No WOPS allowed.”
The word “slave” quite literally comes from the word “Slav” an ethnicity of Eastern European peoples from whom I am directly descended.
I’m not saying that your friends don’t have a right to be offended, what I’m saying is they don’t have the right to hijack an entire hobby because of it.
I’m offended that we have a bigoted ******* Cheeto in a bad toupee in the White House. I’m offended that FOX is allowed to call its propaganda videos “news.” I’m offended that THOUSANDS of people are dying because the capitalist pigdogs are protecting the patent for the company who charges $10,000 a pop for the valve that goes into respirators when they could be 3D printed overnight for $1 a piece.
You want to get offended and break out the pitchforks, do it for something that actually matters. Why don’t you check your snowflake attitude and grow a sense of priority.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
First: Every thing from "I'm Offended... through... $1 apeice" we agree with.
second: Oh, they shouldn't hijack your hobby. I guess you feel they just don't belong here if they are offended by the status quo. or do I misunderstand
Third: None of this is more important than the stuff we agree about in the first, not even close to it. Doesn't make it unimportant.
Fourth: yeah, that pedigree you just gave was "I'm white, descended from white, and white, but because one of the people I trace ancestory back through is also the root word for the english word 'slave' I understand what people of color go through.
Fifth: Snowflake? careful, sounding a bit like Fox-news yourself.
Unless these people you speak of are Orcs, then how could they feel targeted. News flash, Orcs are not real. They are not a representation of anything other than a fictional Neanderthal like species that pride themselves in the their physical might.
I am offended by the Idea that a Wizard MUST put their stat bonus into Int! What, I can't choose to play a wizard that works out? Are all educated people weak and physically incapable of becoming strong?
Or how about this, so Fighters can't be smart so they MUST put there stat bonus in Strength?! That is offensive! Why can't Fighters be smart? If they swing a sword does that make them incapable of reading a book?
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master