My Half-Elf House Rule
I just thought I’d quickly remind of you of my half-elf house rule, which I’ve borrowed from Unearthed Arcana. Basically, I find half-elves to be a little underpowered - perhaps deliberately so, since they are among the rarest of the core races. They’re basically humans, but get a few skill bonuses instead of a bonus skill point per level, and low-light vision with sleep immunity and +2 to saves against one school of magic. If you ask me, that’s not an optimal trade when you consider what that feat can buy.
I balance this weakness by giving the half-elf the extra skill point, as per the human - as it’s phrased, “4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.” The human is still a viable race in comparison because it’s the only core race to get a bonus feat at first level.
I consider this balance especially important in Eberron, where the half-elves are one of the more common races in the setting, with most being the descendents of other half-elves for several generations–such half-elves are known as khoravar, according to one of Keith Baker’s Dragonshards.
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:00 am
If you take a glass of chocolate milk and a glass of regular milk, then mix them-what does it taste like? Dilluded! Mixed races in my opinion should collectively be less powerful than their whole parents.
March 24th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Diluted. And no. In fact, genetically speaking, the melding of two differing and viable but compatible creatures should actually yield a stronger, better individual.
Now, in the case of magic and whatnot, not to mention game balance, this doesn’t necessarily hold true. But in this case, I’d agree that the half-elf getting a good piece of the human parents’ adaptability (skill points) as well as a reduced degree of the elven parents’ resistances and skill bonuses, without getting the feat or all of the elven bonuses, is a much more fair deal.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
two points -
!) Hybrid Vigor?
2) Elrond was a half elf