Half Races... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Half Races... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
rex_subterrae1008
07-17-07, 11:11 AM Ok, so there are half-elves and half-orcs, even half-fiends and half-dragons (even if they are templates...), but what about half-dwarves, half-gnomes, or half-halflings? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it's been kind of bugging me for a while... Also, would a half-halfling be called a "quarterling"? lol.
Apocolypse_77
07-17-07, 11:50 AM If i am not mistaken there is info on that stuff in their particular races book (ie: races of the stone, races of the wild, ect.) i believe (i think i heard this about the dwarf) that it states that their racial genes are so overpowering that any half half offspring with a dwarf will in all characteristics apear like a dwarf (with exceptions of half-race templates). But i could be wrong as i believe this was told to me and i have never actually read it.
Tim4488
07-17-07, 12:36 PM The Races books don't really cover that stuff. Unless you mean there's the Mongrelfolk, which is basically part human, part elf, part dwarf, part orc, and a couple other parts.

It's less that as some races seem more compatible than others. How a half-elf occurs makes sense. The two races are similar heights, and the human tends to idealize the elf. How a half-orc occurs makes sense, in another, less happy way.

A half-halfling... think about the size difference. Same for a gnome, and same for a dwarf. It just doesn't work. Not to mention, the cultures are less likely to produce individuals that would want someone from an outside culture, as opposed to elf and human culture.

If you really wanted to add more half-races, a gnome/dwarf would make more sense than adding human to anything else (from the PHB, anyway). And I'm sure I've seen all of these, even the ones that don't make sense to me, on these boards now and then.

Does that help?
rex_subterrae1008
07-17-07, 12:52 PM The Races books don't really cover that stuff. Unless you mean there's the Mongrelfolk, which is basically part human, part elf, part dwarf, part orc, and a couple other parts.

It's less that as some races seem more compatible than others. How a half-elf occurs makes sense. The two races are similar heights, and the human tends to idealize the elf. How a half-orc occurs makes sense, in another, less happy way.

A half-halfling... think about the size difference. Same for a gnome, and same for a dwarf. It just doesn't work. Not to mention, the cultures are less likely to produce individuals that would want someone from an outside culture, as opposed to elf and human culture.

If you really wanted to add more half-races, a gnome/dwarf would make more sense than adding human to anything else (from the PHB, anyway). And I'm sure I've seen all of these, even the ones that don't make sense to me, on these boards now and then.

Does that help?

Yep... Actually, I just thought it was kind of funny how there are some half races, but not others... lol.
gullas
07-17-07, 03:46 PM I've seen a dwarf/gnome race....
pretty resonable:)
Kadasbrass
07-17-07, 06:02 PM Because once you have too many half-somethings it really takes the fun/flavor out of it?
Peregrine_Wolf
07-17-07, 09:39 PM I've always wondered why there weren't things like half dwarf-half halfling......guess I shoulda known genetics would come into play.....ah well.....still fun to imagine what a half-elf mixed with a half-orc would produce......
Rezzo
07-18-07, 12:56 AM I remember a post about Half-Dwarf stats in a setting, might of been kingdoms of kalmar?

The physical difference between dwarves and humans is not so great, dwarves are broader, humans are taller, so maybe there's another reason why Half-Dwarves are not available in most settings?

I'd love a Half-Dwarf character :D
Phaseroth
07-18-07, 02:01 AM Half-Dwarves: It was tried, long long ago. The result? Those gully dwarves from Dragonlance. It didn't take more than one generation for the racial taboos to go into effect against dwarves interbreeding with other races :D (I just made that up. Gully dwarves are probably explained for real elsewhere.)

A halfling or gnome female trying to give birth to a child sired by a human/dwarf/elf/medium humanoid male would blow up real good. And also, with halflings and gnomes being roughly the size of a human child, the idea of them breeding with humans or elves would raise too many eyebrows amongst the offenderati, especially in today's world. Easier to say they're simply genetically incompatible.

It's entirely possible, I suppose, that orcs, humans, and elves are essentially the same species, with elves representing the ideal peak of the species, humans representing the average, and orcs the low end. Hence, they're genetically compatible.
SilvercatMoonpaw
07-18-07, 08:22 AM I'd say a half-dwarf wouldn't be unreasonable. In real life small people can have children with people much larger than then, whatever parent the dwarf is. Unless dwarves in D&D are really that different from humans (and if elves aren't then I don't think dwarves can be) then there's no reason you can't have the four medium races breeding. Half-dwarves might not be that different from humans, however, maybe just being sturdier and best represented by a good Con score.
rex_subterrae1008
07-18-07, 09:11 AM It's entirely possible, I suppose, that orcs, humans, and elves are essentially the same species, with elves representing the ideal peak of the species, humans representing the average, and orcs the low end. Hence, they're genetically compatible.

So, would that mean that a half-elf half-orc would be... a HUMAN?!? lol.
Manyfist
07-18-07, 09:15 AM Half-Dwarf or Mul have been a stable for Dark Sun since the beginning.
key
07-18-07, 10:27 AM A half-halfling... think about the size difference. Same for a gnome, and same for a dwarf.

A halfling or gnome female trying to give birth to a child sired by a human/dwarf/elf/medium humanoid male would blow up real good.

A halfling male and human female would definitely work.

I don't know if it would work the other way around. Did they have caesarean sections back then? :)

And also, with halflings and gnomes being roughly the size of a human child, the idea of them breeding with humans or elves would raise too many eyebrows amongst the offenderati, especially in today's world.

I don't know about that. A 120 year old elf might look more youthful than the halfling or gnome. Plus, in today's world, nobody has a problem with a person of normal height breeding with a little person (person suffering from dwarfism).

I've always figured the reason why they don't have half-gnomes, half-halflings, etc. is because they wanted to keep the number of races manageable. If you start coming up with every imaginable mix, then it sort of gets out of hand. The authors would have to write up a lot more descriptions, all the while asking themselves, "Is anyone really going to want to play a quarterling?" They figured a half-elf would sell, but not so much a quarterling.
2y1y1z2
07-18-07, 11:16 AM When it comes to keeping the races manageable, why not have a stable of base races and, if the player so chose, a rlues set/template system for crossbreeding the races?
PelorVsVecna
07-18-07, 11:46 AM There is a race of Half-giant in the expanded psionics handbook that is really cool
Seldriss
07-18-07, 11:53 AM A halfling male and human female would definitely work. I don't know if it would work the other way around. Did they have caesarean sections back then? :)
The answer is in your question.
The caesarian section's name comes from Caesar, yes, Julius Caesar, who was himself born from a c-section, in the old roman time.
If we consider that most of the D&D settings take place in a period equivalent to the middle ages, Renaissance or even later, then medicine and surgery probably have progressed further. Especially with clerics providing cure spells.
Lazigothi
07-18-07, 12:08 PM There is a race of Half-giant in the expanded psionics handbook that is really cool

The Half Giant also came from Dark Sun, and existed since the beginning along with the Mul. There are also Driders, Centaurs, Bauriars, Chimeras, Griffons, Owlbears, and a host of other creatures with traits of one or more creatures merged through various origin stories.

Keep in mind that in a high fantasy setting with magic, anything is possible. Legions of "monsters" have a template to transform into a playable race, so my guess is they limited the core PC races in the PHB to the most popular to save space. If you have an idea for a 1/2-whatever, go for it. The cross breed doesn't have to be "genetically" compatible, they just need "some" kind of reason to explain the result. Maybe it was just an expiriment gone wrong, with the original intentions lost to antiquity. There doesn't have to be a whole continent of a crossbreed when created either. When creating a crossbreed they can be as rare or as common as the DM envisions.

<snip>I don't know if it would work the other way around. Did they have caesarean sections back then? :)<snip>

I have no idea if caesarean sections happened in your campaign's history. In my game's campaign setting, the fantasy-magical-clerical technology absolutely allows c-section, but it's not called that since Julius Caesar is not a historical figure in my setting. I named the operation after the name of a Goddess of women and fertility who alleviated suffering by providing another means of giving birth, and is referred to as the "Curtain of Hiatea."

In some of these crossbreeds, the mother might die from the procedure for various reasons, but could still happen since the mother is not always in control of her body.
rex_subterrae1008
07-18-07, 12:25 PM Keep in mind that in a high fantasy setting with magic, anything is possible. Legions of "monsters" have a template to transform into a playable race, so my guess is they limited the core PC races in the PHB to the most popular to save space. If you have an idea for a 1/2-whatever, go for it. The cross breed doesn't have to be "genetically" compatible, they just need "some" kind of reason to explain the result. Maybe it was just an expiriment gone wrong, with the original intentions lost to antiquity. There doesn't have to be a whole continent of a crossbreed when created either. When creating a crossbreed they can be as rare or as common as the DM envisions.

Hmmm... Maybe that's where the Tarrasque came from...
AMGriffin
07-18-07, 01:20 PM I'm pretty comfortable with most half-breeds, but half-halflings and half-gnomes are pretty silly. Half-dwarves aren't all that unreasonable I suspect. I've homebrewed several half races.

My favorite being my elf/orc crossbreed.

Just don't get too carried away with it. Under no circumstances can I see gnolls or something like that breeding with ANYTHING. I'm also shocked nobody's mentioned the half-ogre yet.
warforgedMonkey
07-18-07, 02:14 PM I think its normal that a gnome and a dwarf breed..
they are related and are very alike..

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=787736&highlight=gnorf
here is my make on them.. long live the GNORF :D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rex_subterrae1008 07-17-07, 11:11 AM	Ok, so there are half-elves and half-orcs, even half-fiends and half-dragons (even if they are templates...), but what about half-dwarves, half-gnomes, or half-halflings? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it's been kind of bugging me for a while... Also, would a half-halfling be called a "quarterling"? lol.
Apocolypse_77 07-17-07, 11:50 AM	If i am not mistaken there is info on that stuff in their particular races book (ie: races of the stone, races of the wild, ect.) i believe (i think i heard this about the dwarf) that it states that their racial genes are so overpowering that any half half offspring with a dwarf will in all characteristics apear like a dwarf (with exceptions of half-race templates). But i could be wrong as i believe this was told to me and i have never actually read it.
Tim4488 07-17-07, 12:36 PM	The Races books don't really cover that stuff. Unless you mean there's the Mongrelfolk, which is basically part human, part elf, part dwarf, part orc, and a couple other parts. It's less that as some races seem more compatible than others. How a half-elf occurs makes sense. The two races are similar heights, and the human tends to idealize the elf. How a half-orc occurs makes sense, in another, less happy way. A half-halfling... think about the size difference. Same for a gnome, and same for a dwarf. It just doesn't work. Not to mention, the cultures are less likely to produce individuals that would want someone from an outside culture, as opposed to elf and human culture. If you really wanted to add more half-races, a gnome/dwarf would make more sense than adding human to anything else (from the PHB, anyway). And I'm sure I've seen all of these, even the ones that don't make sense to me, on these boards now and then. Does that help?
rex_subterrae1008 07-17-07, 12:52 PM	The Races books don't really cover that stuff. Unless you mean there's the Mongrelfolk, which is basically part human, part elf, part dwarf, part orc, and a couple other parts. It's less that as some races seem more compatible than others. How a half-elf occurs makes sense. The two races are similar heights, and the human tends to idealize the elf. How a half-orc occurs makes sense, in another, less happy way. A half-halfling... think about the size difference. Same for a gnome, and same for a dwarf. It just doesn't work. Not to mention, the cultures are less likely to produce individuals that would want someone from an outside culture, as opposed to elf and human culture. If you really wanted to add more half-races, a gnome/dwarf would make more sense than adding human to anything else (from the PHB, anyway). And I'm sure I've seen all of these, even the ones that don't make sense to me, on these boards now and then. Does that help? Yep... Actually, I just thought it was kind of funny how there are some half races, but not others... lol.
gullas 07-17-07, 03:46 PM	I've seen a dwarf/gnome race.... pretty resonable:)
Kadasbrass 07-17-07, 06:02 PM	Because once you have too many half-somethings it really takes the fun/flavor out of it?
Peregrine_Wolf 07-17-07, 09:39 PM	I've always wondered why there weren't things like half dwarf-half halfling......guess I shoulda known genetics would come into play.....ah well.....still fun to imagine what a half-elf mixed with a half-orc would produce......
Rezzo 07-18-07, 12:56 AM	I remember a post about Half-Dwarf stats in a setting, might of been kingdoms of kalmar? The physical difference between dwarves and humans is not so great, dwarves are broader, humans are taller, so maybe there's another reason why Half-Dwarves are not available in most settings? I'd love a Half-Dwarf character :D
Phaseroth 07-18-07, 02:01 AM	Half-Dwarves: It was tried, long long ago. The result? Those gully dwarves from Dragonlance. It didn't take more than one generation for the racial taboos to go into effect against dwarves interbreeding with other races :D (I just made that up. Gully dwarves are probably explained for real elsewhere.) A halfling or gnome female trying to give birth to a child sired by a human/dwarf/elf/medium humanoid male would blow up real good. And also, with halflings and gnomes being roughly the size of a human child, the idea of them breeding with humans or elves would raise too many eyebrows amongst the offenderati, especially in today's world. Easier to say they're simply genetically incompatible. It's entirely possible, I suppose, that orcs, humans, and elves are essentially the same species, with elves representing the ideal peak of the species, humans representing the average, and orcs the low end. Hence, they're genetically compatible.
SilvercatMoonpaw 07-18-07, 08:22 AM	I'd say a half-dwarf wouldn't be unreasonable. In real life small people can have children with people much larger than then, whatever parent the dwarf is. Unless dwarves in D&D are really that different from humans (and if elves aren't then I don't think dwarves can be) then there's no reason you can't have the four medium races breeding. Half-dwarves might not be that different from humans, however, maybe just being sturdier and best represented by a good Con score.
rex_subterrae1008 07-18-07, 09:11 AM	It's entirely possible, I suppose, that orcs, humans, and elves are essentially the same species, with elves representing the ideal peak of the species, humans representing the average, and orcs the low end. Hence, they're genetically compatible. So, would that mean that a half-elf half-orc would be... a HUMAN?!? lol.
Manyfist 07-18-07, 09:15 AM	Half-Dwarf or Mul have been a stable for Dark Sun since the beginning.
key 07-18-07, 10:27 AM	A half-halfling... think about the size difference. Same for a gnome, and same for a dwarf. A halfling or gnome female trying to give birth to a child sired by a human/dwarf/elf/medium humanoid male would blow up real good. A halfling male and human female would definitely work. I don't know if it would work the other way around. Did they have caesarean sections back then? :) And also, with halflings and gnomes being roughly the size of a human child, the idea of them breeding with humans or elves would raise too many eyebrows amongst the offenderati, especially in today's world. I don't know about that. A 120 year old elf might look more youthful than the halfling or gnome. Plus, in today's world, nobody has a problem with a person of normal height breeding with a little person (person suffering from dwarfism). I've always figured the reason why they don't have half-gnomes, half-halflings, etc. is because they wanted to keep the number of races manageable. If you start coming up with every imaginable mix, then it sort of gets out of hand. The authors would have to write up a lot more descriptions, all the while asking themselves, "Is anyone really going to want to play a quarterling?" They figured a half-elf would sell, but not so much a quarterling.
2y1y1z2 07-18-07, 11:16 AM	When it comes to keeping the races manageable, why not have a stable of base races and, if the player so chose, a rlues set/template system for crossbreeding the races?
PelorVsVecna 07-18-07, 11:46 AM	There is a race of Half-giant in the expanded psionics handbook that is really cool
Seldriss 07-18-07, 11:53 AM	A halfling male and human female would definitely work. I don't know if it would work the other way around. Did they have caesarean sections back then? :) The answer is in your question. The caesarian section's name comes from Caesar, yes, Julius Caesar, who was himself born from a c-section, in the old roman time. If we consider that most of the D&D settings take place in a period equivalent to the middle ages, Renaissance or even later, then medicine and surgery probably have progressed further. Especially with clerics providing cure spells.
Lazigothi 07-18-07, 12:08 PM	There is a race of Half-giant in the expanded psionics handbook that is really cool The Half Giant also came from Dark Sun, and existed since the beginning along with the Mul. There are also Driders, Centaurs, Bauriars, Chimeras, Griffons, Owlbears, and a host of other creatures with traits of one or more creatures merged through various origin stories. Keep in mind that in a high fantasy setting with magic, anything is possible. Legions of "monsters" have a template to transform into a playable race, so my guess is they limited the core PC races in the PHB to the most popular to save space. If you have an idea for a 1/2-whatever, go for it. The cross breed doesn't have to be "genetically" compatible, they just need "some" kind of reason to explain the result. Maybe it was just an expiriment gone wrong, with the original intentions lost to antiquity. There doesn't have to be a whole continent of a crossbreed when created either. When creating a crossbreed they can be as rare or as common as the DM envisions. <snip>I don't know if it would work the other way around. Did they have caesarean sections back then? :)<snip> I have no idea if caesarean sections happened in your campaign's history. In my game's campaign setting, the fantasy-magical-clerical technology absolutely allows c-section, but it's not called that since Julius Caesar is not a historical figure in my setting. I named the operation after the name of a Goddess of women and fertility who alleviated suffering by providing another means of giving birth, and is referred to as the "Curtain of Hiatea." In some of these crossbreeds, the mother might die from the procedure for various reasons, but could still happen since the mother is not always in control of her body.
rex_subterrae1008 07-18-07, 12:25 PM	Keep in mind that in a high fantasy setting with magic, anything is possible. Legions of "monsters" have a template to transform into a playable race, so my guess is they limited the core PC races in the PHB to the most popular to save space. If you have an idea for a 1/2-whatever, go for it. The cross breed doesn't have to be "genetically" compatible, they just need "some" kind of reason to explain the result. Maybe it was just an expiriment gone wrong, with the original intentions lost to antiquity. There doesn't have to be a whole continent of a crossbreed when created either. When creating a crossbreed they can be as rare or as common as the DM envisions. Hmmm... Maybe that's where the Tarrasque came from...
AMGriffin 07-18-07, 01:20 PM	I'm pretty comfortable with most half-breeds, but half-halflings and half-gnomes are pretty silly. Half-dwarves aren't all that unreasonable I suspect. I've homebrewed several half races. My favorite being my elf/orc crossbreed. Just don't get too carried away with it. Under no circumstances can I see gnolls or something like that breeding with ANYTHING. I'm also shocked nobody's mentioned the half-ogre yet.
warforgedMonkey 07-18-07, 02:14 PM	I think its normal that a gnome and a dwarf breed.. they are related and are very alike.. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=787736&highlight=gnorf here is my make on them.. long live the GNORF :D