[4e]A thought about half-elves...

[NeoVid]

After recently hearing something that would have been unthinkable in earlier editions ("Your character would be more powerful as a half-elf.") I got to thinking about the race in general, and I had a sudden realization:

Wouldn't some half-elves actually be half-eladrin? I don't know why this never crossed my mind before, but it got me wondering. Even though there likely wouldn't be any mechanical differences, there would be cultural and societal ones I'd like to hear ideas about.

Edit: Wait, dammit... half-elves can take human or elf feats, so there is a mechanical problem with this idea. Still, I'm not willing to give up on something with so many possibilities.

[Theodoric]

The way I see it, Elves are Eldarin that have lost their connection to the Feywild, and instead have a stronger connection to 'the world', hence the +2 Wisdom and the synergy with Primal classes. Any Eladrin/Human offspring would automaticly 'lose' that special connection with the Feywild, in the same way Elf/Human offspring don't have the special connection with 'the world'.

Ofcourse, They have their own hybrid vigour to make up for losing that connection, so it's a fair trade-off.

[NeoVid]

Yeah, I figured there wouldn't be any difference ruleswise, but I was thinking of how different the mindset for a half-elf who was raised more like an eladrin would be. Are there enough of them to have their own cultural identity? How differently would they think from other half-elves? Would the views on them be different from regular half-elves?

[DragonBaneDM]

I don't understand your conclusion.

Why half-eladrin?

[NeoVid]

Well, why not? It's got setting potential that having every single half-elf be part human and part elf doesn't.

[Nightson]

This is my understanding of the situation.

After the Eladrin, the Drow and the Elves split off they all became separate races.

Later on Humans emerged from Elves and then Orcs emerged from Humans. Whether these emergences were natural or supernatural who knows.

But this allows Elves and Humans to create viable half breeds, and Humans and Orcs to create viable half breeds.

[Don the Bastard]

Why not half-drow as well then, we've had them in past editions

[Swordgleam]

Yeah, I don't really see why half-eladrin are any more likely than half-anything else. I still find it a little silly that certain halfbreeds are their own race, but I understand the reasons.

I'd rather they have racial hybrid templates like they do for classes. Want a tiefling/eladrin kid? Take the racial templates from each.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Yeah, I don't really see why half-eladrin are any more likely than half-anything else. I still find it a little silly that certain halfbreeds are their own race, but I understand the reasons.

I'd rather they have racial hybrid templates like they do for classes. Want a tiefling/eladrin kid? Take the racial templates from each.

The rules specifically state that while tieflings can breed with other races, the resulting child is always a tiefling. Tieflings aren't the way they are because of genetics, but because of the ancient pacts their ancestors made with the Nine Hells.

[Swordgleam]

That makes sense for humans and maybe even the more humanoid ones, but dragonborn? Goliaths? Gnomes? Wouldn't you just get a scaly (or huge or tiny) infernally-cursed being? I don't see why they'd keep the round eyes and pointed ears and narrow range of skintones and heights.

[R. Shackleford]

In one of my group's campaigns, my Half-Elf Bard is half-Eladrin, based on the same logic as you. I didn't feel like broaching the subject mechanically, since it was purely fluff.

Half-Eldarin would, as far as feats go, probably be more useful, because I don't think there are any Elf-feats that a Half-Elf can benefit from. Then again, Half-Elves got a Dragon update recently that is pretty strong... so I don't think they really need the racial buff.

[Thajocoth]

A Half-Elf could also be half Drow.

The Elf feats that are VERY tied to being an Elf are worthless for a Half-Elf anyway... Add 1d4 to Elven Accuracy? You don't HAVE Elven Accuracy. So I don't think any conflictions are really too conflictatory as to be problematic thematically.

[Katana_Geldar]

Honestly, I favour the half-elf because of the extra encounter power which is why the Half-Elf Bard works so well, particularly when you can take that Paragon feat (forget the name) to make it At-Will. Add a touch of Multi-classing and you're laughing.

As for Half-Eladrin, not sure how that would work in the crunch department. Same with Half-Drow.

[Hzurr]

In a 4E PbP game I'm running here on the forums, one of the PCs reflavored himself as a half-eladrin (even though stat-wise, he's half-elf). It's added some interesting fluff bits, but no mechanical difference. It's worked out well so far.