If this has already been asked, I apologize, but...
I have been playing a wood elf druid for some time, and wanted to create a new character. I was thinking a high elf rogue, and was just wondering: Can these two elves be related? Can they be siblings, or are they two completely different races that have nothing to do with each other?
The rules and lore books really don't go into much detail about this but I think it's pretty safe to assume all members of a given race can reproduce with each other (if they reproduce sexually at all.) Subraces are often just ethnic groups.
Human more different from elves than elf subraces are from each other, yet they can still produce half-elves.
Biologically? I think it would be feasible for them to be related. If they had a high elf and a wood elf parent, the siblings could "take after" one more than the other, granting the racial traits of each to the one who takes after that parents race.
Culturally or Historically? This would be up to your DM, so I'd ask them.
Depending on the setting lore, you'll have different answers. In some settings it is even possible for an elf to theoretically transition from one type to another, or at least was possible long ago in the history/myth. Elves are generally considered mutable and reflect the nature of their environment, living so harmoniously with it that it changes them to their core. Wood elves, living in deep forests, take on traits to reflect the wildness they inhabit. High elves, in their magical cities, take on elements of arcane magic itself. Dark elves, deep in the shadows of the earth, take on aspects of the underground environment. Eladrin, still in the feywild, take on the aspects of the seasons and fey emotional influences, very literally changing appearance and abilities according to their mood. The lore here is rich, and different settings have different explanations for the subraces... but it reasonable to assume it could be possible for two subspecies of elf to be related. Maybe they were simply raised in different settings/locations and changed in different ways from one another. I'd imagine a baby of even a pair of High elves, adopted at birth and raised by wood elves, would be indistinguishable from the other wood elves. But then again, not so in all settings.
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I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Story-wise, it's up to the DM or the group as a whole. Mechanics-wise, I'd probably say that if you had an Elf of mixed blood, I'd allow them to choose at character creation any Elf subrace that they got at least a minimum amount of their DNA from. I'd let it be less than 50%, but no less than 25%. But honestly, it's not gonna break anything so as long as it's ok with the group and doesn't make the DM's eye twitch trying to justify it, then knock yourself out :)
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If this has already been asked, I apologize, but...
I have been playing a wood elf druid for some time, and wanted to create a new character. I was thinking a high elf rogue, and was just wondering: Can these two elves be related? Can they be siblings, or are they two completely different races that have nothing to do with each other?
The rules and lore books really don't go into much detail about this but I think it's pretty safe to assume all members of a given race can reproduce with each other (if they reproduce sexually at all.) Subraces are often just ethnic groups.
Human more different from elves than elf subraces are from each other, yet they can still produce half-elves.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Biologically? I think it would be feasible for them to be related. If they had a high elf and a wood elf parent, the siblings could "take after" one more than the other, granting the racial traits of each to the one who takes after that parents race.
Culturally or Historically? This would be up to your DM, so I'd ask them.
Your answers were of big help! Thank you both 😃
Depending on the setting lore, you'll have different answers. In some settings it is even possible for an elf to theoretically transition from one type to another, or at least was possible long ago in the history/myth. Elves are generally considered mutable and reflect the nature of their environment, living so harmoniously with it that it changes them to their core. Wood elves, living in deep forests, take on traits to reflect the wildness they inhabit. High elves, in their magical cities, take on elements of arcane magic itself. Dark elves, deep in the shadows of the earth, take on aspects of the underground environment. Eladrin, still in the feywild, take on the aspects of the seasons and fey emotional influences, very literally changing appearance and abilities according to their mood. The lore here is rich, and different settings have different explanations for the subraces... but it reasonable to assume it could be possible for two subspecies of elf to be related. Maybe they were simply raised in different settings/locations and changed in different ways from one another. I'd imagine a baby of even a pair of High elves, adopted at birth and raised by wood elves, would be indistinguishable from the other wood elves. But then again, not so in all settings.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
Story-wise, it's up to the DM or the group as a whole. Mechanics-wise, I'd probably say that if you had an Elf of mixed blood, I'd allow them to choose at character creation any Elf subrace that they got at least a minimum amount of their DNA from. I'd let it be less than 50%, but no less than 25%. But honestly, it's not gonna break anything so as long as it's ok with the group and doesn't make the DM's eye twitch trying to justify it, then knock yourself out :)