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Post by friartook on Mar 18, 2015 22:12:48 GMT
Below is a draft stat block and a little flavor text for a Half-Dwarf playable race. This is flavored for my world specifically, so may not apply across the board. Feedback most welcome.
Ability Score Increase: Half Dwarves have a +3 bonus to be split between Strength and/or Constitution. This bonus can be split to apply a +1 and +2 to either ability, but not a +3 to one ability.
Age: Half Dwarves come of age around 30 years old and may live as long as 150 years.
Alignment: Half-Dwarves tend to take the alignment of whichever culture they were raised in. If raised amongst Dwarves, Half-Dwarves tend toward Lawful alignments.
Appearance: Half-Dwarves tend to be slightly shorter and stockier than their human parents, but taller than their dwarven ancestors. Average height is around 5 feet, average weight is around 200 pounds.
Half-Blood Taint: As a result of their mixed human and demi-human blood, half dwarves are sterile and unable to reproduce with dwarves, humans, or other half-dwarves. Also, there is an 80% (roll percentile) chance that a Half-Dwarf will suffer from alopecia (hairlessness).
Languages: Half-Dwarves raised amongst humans know Common. Those raised amongst Dwarves know Common and Dwarven.
Physical Resilience: Half-Dwarves inherit their Dwarven ancestor's physical heartiness. They have resistance to poison and disease.
Demeanor: Half-Dwarves tend to be extremely stubborn and bull headed. It is difficult to change one's mind on an issue they have already decided on. They are tough negotiators and often act as traders between Dwarven tinkers and human settlements. Their inability to reproduce makes many Half-Dwarves greatly concerned with their reputation and making their mark upon the world. Many turn to a life of adventure in an effort to create a lasting legacy through fame and fortune. Others become soldiers for hire or retainers to royal human or dwarven houses.
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Post by insightfulhedgehog on Mar 19, 2015 22:51:09 GMT
Wow, this is a lot more well articulated then mine. The demeanor explanation I especially like. It has a lot of elements that I really like and I honestly think that this race is usable in most worlds as you've described it. I also like the way you approched the hairlessness. My only thought is that their stat addition is not quite balanced out by their racial features(I mean that the race doesn't get as much if a boost to ability scores as normally is the case. And that the races that have similar ability score boosts make up for it with some extra positive racial traits) but again thats just my opinion for my world and it might not be the case for you. Nice work, I'm definetly going to borrow some of your ideas for the Half-Dwarves of my world.
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Post by friartook on Mar 20, 2015 3:28:33 GMT
My only thought is that their stat addition is not quite balanced out by their racial features(I mean that the race doesn't get as much if a boost to ability scores as normally is the case. And that the races that have similar ability score boosts make up for it with some extra positive racial traits) This is probably sound feedback. I still feel weird about the lack of stat penalties to balance out the racial bonuses (think 3.5), so I probably downplayed the positive racial traits. Please feel free to take anything I post here and run with it. While I am proud of my intellectual property, I consider stealing my ideas to be a very high form of flattery. Besides, half my stuff is stolen for elsewhere and modified to suit my purposes, just like this stat block  |
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Post by insightfulhedgehog on Mar 20, 2015 18:51:27 GMT
Funnily enough I never actually played 3.5 fully. I (before 5e) exclusively played 3e (which is fairly similar) though so I know what you mean about the stat penelties. i was shocked by the sheernlack of minuses in the phb. However, in my mind if the system is based around that so are the monsters ect. Thats the only reason I thibk that it is a bit "nerfed" I guess. If it were me I would add a exclusive trait for the race that tued together the traits of their the two other races. Off the top of my head I guess I would add an ability that gave them survival proficiency based on their dwarven constitution as well as their human adaptability. Maybe this isnt the best example but small things like this can make a race appealing to someone trying to decide what to play and slightly reward them for picking a race that has some interesting traits. Again this is just my opinion and what I would change for my campaign, you are totally right in your thinking and I wpuldnt blame you if you didnt do something like this. All in all definetly a great job on tour part though, a lot better then the half idea I have so far.
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Post by joatmoniac on Mar 20, 2015 19:28:16 GMT
My take on it after looking at Human. Elf, Dwarf and Half-elf in the PHB and mixing them all together using the Half-elf as a guide.
Half-Dwarf
Your half-dwarf character has some qualities in common with dwarves and some that are unique to half-dwarves.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Age. Half-dwarves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 30. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 150 years.
Alignment. Half-dwarves share the lawful bent of their dwarven heritage. They value the rules and structure of a well-ordered society. They have no other leanings thanks to their human heritage.
Size. Half-dwarves are midway between humans and dwarves in size, ranging from 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your dwarf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.
Place In the World. Most dwarves are not accepting of the union between a human and dwarf, and do not trust half-dwarves because they are typically not raised within the dwarven culture. They often blend into human society and simply push aside comments about their size and stature. They lean towards manual labor through crafting, or guarding their homes against all who would attack their friends and family.
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Post by friartook on Mar 20, 2015 19:39:07 GMT
Nicely done Joatmoniac. I forgot about Darkvision, though I would make it low light vision instead.
I'm bristling at the +2 to Con and the +1 to TWO other abilities. It feels like a +4 ability bonus with no penalty and the crusty old DM in me is mad about it. So far, that is my only beef with 5e; I have this vague feeling there are too many positive racial and class features and no consequences in return. I liked the 3rd edition balance of a + here but a - there. Funny, I thought I had gotten over it, but this discussion and my attempt to build the White Walker race have made it rear up again.
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Post by joatmoniac on Mar 20, 2015 20:28:42 GMT
Haha, I tend to agree. It does seem weird that since 4E they have strayed from the negative racial traits. There has to be some bad at some point in a race. However the stat boost help take out a bit of the sting of low level play. Namely putting clerics who use Inflict Wounds in front of your PCs and its TPK central!
In a lot of ways the negatives bring with them roleplaying opportunities. As a dwarf with a negative to Cha I would still make it my dump stat. So much so that at one point I had a Dwarven Cleric with a Cha of 6, and made him out right crazy. At one point he acted like a manticore, another he covered himself in blue phosphorescent fungus, and culminating in his deity essentially being Pap Smurf.
Granted I am not a huge fan of the background, traits, ideals, and flaws. There isn't a ton in there that is conducive to group play, and there are rewards (inspiration) for playing up to those negatives.
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Post by dm_mainprize on Mar 20, 2015 21:58:06 GMT
It's interesting to me having only played 5e to read about the negatives of choosing a certain race. In my games the negatives of a race choice play themselves out through interactions with npc's not through mechanics. I wonder does that make 5e more racists or less racist than previous versions? is it better to culturally punish a race or genetically punish a race. interesting ideas.
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Post by joatmoniac on Mar 20, 2015 23:59:00 GMT
I would say that if we deem racial negatives as being racist then the older editions get progressively more racist the further you go back. 5E looks at only the good, and the flaws are from the role play aspects of the character. The flaws are tied to what a character has done to get where they are now (i.e. background) rather than the simple fact that they are a certain race.
Here are the race/class limitations that were in 2nd Edition, and 1st Edition was even more restrictive
Humans - Any class of any level. Any multiclass combination. Human mages may specialize in any school of magic.
Half-elves - Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Mage, Thief, Bard, Cleric (or Druid)/Fighter, Cleric (or Druid)/Fighter/Mage, Cleric (or Druid)/Ranger, Cleric (or Druid)/Mage, Fighter/Mage, Fighter/Thief, Fighter/Mage/Thief, Mage/Thief.
A half-elf mage may choose to be a general Mage, Conjurer, Diviner, Enchanter, or Transmuter.
Dwarves - Fighter, Cleric, Thief, Fighter/Cleric, Fighter/Thief.
Elves - Fighter, Ranger, Thief, Cleric, Mage (may not specialize), Fighter/mage, Fighter/thief, Mage/thief, Fighter/mage/thief.
Halflings - Cleric, Fighter, Thief, Fighter/Thief.
Gnomes - Fighter, Thief, Mage*
*While unable to become a general Mage, a gnome may choose to specialize in illusions (Illusionist).
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Post by insightfulhedgehog on Mar 21, 2015 1:53:03 GMT
DM Mainprize: I had no idea you had only played 5e. From your posts around the forums I assumed you were a veteran who had moved up to 5e. As someone who has played only 3, 3.5, 4, and 5e dnd I've gitta say although I love 3rd edition I really love 5e. As someone who has always been a fan of story over anything else it is nice that there are RP aspects that effect charecters traits. Something I love about 5e.
Joatmoniac(hopefully that is spelled correctly): This stat block is very similar to the stats I got from combining the two races with half-elves in mind. Nice to see that I wasn't the only one to go about it in this way. One thing I would note is the wording of the age portion makes it seem like humans reach maturity at age 30 which is the case not for humans but for dwarves. Humans are late teens according to the phb. other then that awesome. I also like the idea of them being loyal to friends and family. I thought this fit well with their lawful nature and also with the dwarvish lore. Nice explanations as well.
Friartook: As a former 3e player and DM I agree that the ability buffs are at first a bit disconcerting. However, realistically the way the game is designed it is a vital part to game balence. A +2 to con is not outragous by any means in 5e. In fact some classes offer a +2 to two stats. Not only that buhumans get a +1 to all 6 abilities. That is a total of +6 if you look at it head on. But think of it this way. What does a +2 really do? No matter your roll all it does is give you a +1 to your ability modifier. If that doesnt convince you(doubtful it willl it was a half-assed argument) think of it this way. A level 1 player in dnd 3e got to choose a feat. So, even though the minus was therenformally I thibk that the feat was replaced with ability pluses. I mean just go in the 5e phb and look at the human pages. Somewhere in there are optional rules for taking a feat in exchange for some ability pluses. To me although tt seems like a balence breaking mechanic in reality it makes the game flow better at low levels and also means that players get the low level aid that feats ised to offer them and replace it with a number that doesn't require then to have to read all of the feats before they even start playing a charecter. I thibk it is a mechanic added for people new to the game, but at the same time it makes PCs feel more powerful low level when in reality their enemies probablly have the same boosts.
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Post by dm_mainprize on Mar 21, 2015 14:04:46 GMT
DM Mainprize: I had no idea you had only played 5e. From your posts around the forums I assumed you were a veteran who had moved up to 5e. As someone who has played only 3, 3.5, 4, and 5e dnd I've gitta say although I love 3rd edition I really love 5e. As someone who has always been a fan of story over anything else it is nice that there are RP aspects that effect charecters traits. Something I love about 5e. Yep, I played a one off in 4e. It was literally a 3 hour session and we never played again. It was fun but I never had the chance to play again. When I heard news that a new edition was coming out I decided to go all in and get all the books myself and learn to play. So I am super green as a DM only been doing it since Oct 2014. So I am just sponging up all these words and thoughts from my elders. I have since inherited a copy of the 3.5 Players Handbook, but haven't even opened it. 5e just seems to have everything I need without giving me a headache. |
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Post by insightfulhedgehog on Mar 21, 2015 18:01:10 GMT
I think that is the great thing 5e has done. No matter people complaints about the system it is easiar for bother players and Dm's to leran and use. Making it a great stating edition. Although I love 3e and its rules sometimes they got in the way of play because arguments about mechanics would break out. 5e is simpilar in the way 4e was supposed to be in a way that also keeps returning players in mind. Atm it is my favorite edition and seems like it will stay that way. I would also just like to say that I am impressed by your knowledge and contribution considering you have only been playing 6 months. You stike me as a very competent and creative DM. So props to you for commiting for your players.
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Post by joatmoniac on Mar 22, 2015 3:01:40 GMT
Insightfulhedgehog is in fact very insightful. Dmmainprize, if you don't tell people how little time you have spent in the genre they would have literally no idea. I too was blown away by your knowledge and all around DM skills. In some way I feel sad you haven't been doing this for years, because I would love to see what Dmmainprize with 5 years of DM experience under his belt looks like. I really enjoy 5E and feel that it has something for everyone no matter their preferred edition, but that it will still come down to their supplemental products that they released. Hopefully one is full of other races!
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lorddundar
Commoner
Posts: 11
Favorite D&D Class: Fighter/Cleric
Favorite D&D Race: Dwarf
Gender: Male
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Post by lorddundar on Oct 20, 2019 16:56:03 GMT
Being a Half-Dwarf myself (hehe I'm 5.5 and 160lb's of muscle, with a beard and a very stubborn personality) I love this idea and am using one as a Fighter NPC in my current campaign. I use Borium to help the players when they are outmatched by an adventure or if a player can't make it to a game I can have him help out (We only have 3 players in my current campaign). I haven't told the players he is a Half-Dwarf and Borium only will let his closest friends know. He passes himself as a burly grizzled old fighter that has retired from the Legions and is looking to spend his waning years in peace.
Half-Dwarves are looked with mistrust in Dwarven society and Humans don't know much about them. In my world less than 500 are alive more or less. The parents are shunned from both Humans and Dwarves and normally Half-Dwarf children grow up in lone farms or outposts in the wildlands. As they get older they can pass themselves as Humans and a few begin adventuring or try to make names for themselves.
Most Half dwarves have Dwarven Mothers and Human fathers but sometimes it is the other way. This tempers the dwarven insticts when they are raised away from dwarven culture, they don't have the same burning hatred of Goblinoids, but they also don't understand stonecraft and metal working they way Dwarfs do. Most Half-Dwarves are fighters, and defenders of homes, some become great craftsmen. Magic doesn't come easy to Half-dwarves, and they shy away from the arcane arts.
Half-Dwarf
Your half-dwarf character has some qualities in common with dwarves and some that are unique to half-dwarves.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability scores of your choice increase by 1. You also gain one feat.
Age. Half-dwarves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 30. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 150 years.
Alignment. Half-dwarves share the lawful bent of their dwarven heritage. But due to being outcasts they many times are Neutral.
Size. Half-dwarves are midway between humans and dwarves in size, ranging from 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your dwarf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Dwarven Toughness. +1 HP per level, through adversity or just blood Half-Dwarves are tough.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.
This is how I'm using them in my campaign
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Post by letterlost on Dec 9, 2019 8:00:06 GMT
I understand that this thread is far past, and what I have to say has no bearing on the half dwarf race. I thought I would add what I know to the record.
I don't know if half-dwarves are necessary in the world, but thought it worth pointing out that while J.J.R. Tolkien did not write of half dwarves in his world (though he did include half elves, Elrond and his twin brother Elros who would need different racial statblocks, but they did get to choose which), C.S. Lewis did in Chronicles of Narnia. In Prince Caspian after humans took over the dwarves bred with them, producing offspring such as Cornelius, Prince Caspian's tutor.
I suppose it depends on how Tolkien your world is.
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