Unconventional Hybrids of D&D

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

We're all familiar with the Half-Elf and the Half-Orc, the iconic hybrids of D&D. We're all familiar with the many "Half-X" templates of 3rd edition - Half-Dragon, Half-Fiend, Half-Fey, etc. And yet... none of the other humanoid races in D&D ever seem to get hybridized. Why? I mean, in a world where humans have voluntary relationships with elves and orcs (ignoring all those "edgy" settings where both races are only born of rape), you'd think that human/dwarf relationships or elf/halfling relationships or whatever would be just as common.

Now, personally, I like both to add interspecies romance and to remove the Always Chaotic Evil trope from my settings. So, I'm very interested in the idea of hybrids other than the bog-standard ones. I was hoping that this forum would not be opposed to discussing such races and figuring out how viable they could be, perhaps even mechanically? After all, if you look back across D&D, we've actually had canonical half-gnomes, half-dwarves, elf-orc crosbreeds, dwarf-orc crossbreeds, half-gnolls, elf-halfling crossbreeds, half-githyanki, dwarf/gnome crossbreeds...

Anyone interested? To start things off, I figured I might present a list of possible "non-canon" hybrids and crossbreeds from D&D...

Human Hybrids:

Half-Dwarf
Half-Gnome
Human/Halfling
Half-Gnoll
Half-Ogre
Half-Nymph
Half-Satyr
Hagspawn (or Hagling)
Dhampir



Non-Human Humanoid Hybrids:

Elf/Dwarf
Dwarf/Gnome
Elf/Halfling
Elf/Orc
Dwarf/Orc


Now, these are almost certainly not the only potential hybrids out there. And I'm more than willing to add others to the list if folks suggest them. But these simply stuck out in my consciousness as some of the most likely and/or most common hybrids out there.

[Easy_Lee]

I wonder if we can't make a system of this.

Hybrid Races
Is your character the offspring of an unusual coupling? If so, you can (with DM permission) create a hybrid race of the two by doing the following:

Take the attribute bonuses, size, and movement speed of one parent race.
Take the other features of your other parent race.
Take the attribute bonus of a sub-race from one parent.
Take the other bonuses of a sub-race from the other parent.

Maybe something like that. The system wasn't designed for this, and this could be a problem with anything / variant human, just as one example. But it's an idea.

[Theodoxus]

Why should all these hybrids be viable heroic races? Why shouldn't a hagling get the worst of both parents and be so pathetic that the hag kills it outright, or at best, leaves it on the doorstep of some poor farmers house... and the hagling grows up having the equivalent of -4 to all stats?

That's just one example. But I don't see why every half-human / half-X offspring needs some super generous uber stats that humans don't get (I mean, seriously, half-elves have better stats than either humans or elves... why?)

[Khrysaes]

Half-Dwarf/Half-human exist in Darksun as the Mul.

I think there is a 3.5 template in Dragon magazine for Nymph, Ogre, and I know there is one for Dhampir

[Naanomi]

Half-Dwarf/Half-human exist in Darksun as the Mul.
Magically created half-giants as well

[Easy_Lee]

Why should all these hybrids be viable heroic races? Why shouldn't a hagling get the worst of both parents and be so pathetic that the hag kills it outright, or at best, leaves it on the doorstep of some poor farmers house... and the hagling grows up having the equivalent of -4 to all stats?

I'm sure the game world is full of creatures that no player would normally want to play in a heroic game. This reminds me of comments that Barbie dolls and He-man are unrealistic because most people can't look like that. Of course it isn't realistic. It's an ideal.

[Unoriginal]

We're all familiar with the Half-Elf and the Half-Orc, the iconic hybrids of D&D. We're all familiar with the many "Half-X" templates of 3rd edition - Half-Dragon, Half-Fiend, Half-Fey, etc. And yet... none of the other humanoid races in D&D ever seem to get hybridized. Why? I mean, in a world where humans have voluntary relationships with elves and orcs (ignoring all those "edgy" settings where both races are only born of rape), you'd think that human/dwarf relationships or elf/halfling relationships or whatever would be just as common.


Well, the explanation given in previous editions is not that there are no relationships between members of those species, it's just that they aren't compatible.

There was a table for who can reproduce with whom in the "Book of Erotic Fantasy".

[zylodrizzt]

Magically created half-giants as well


Half-Dwarf/Half-human exist in Darksun as the Mul.

I think there is a 3.5 template in Dragon magazine for Nymph, Ogre, and I know there is one for Dhampir
I'd like to add in dark sun novels there was a elf halfling hybrid as a main character

[Naanomi]

I'd like to add in dark sun novels there was a elf halfling hybrid as a main character
That actually makes a little sense, the official reason most races cannot reproduce is because their Racial Gods don't allow it... and Gods don't have any sway in Athas

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Well, the explanation given in previous editions is not that there are no relationships between members of those species, it's just that they aren't compatible.

There was a table for who can reproduce with whom in the "Book of Erotic Fantasy".

To be honest, that's more of a 3rd edition idea that spun out of traditionalism - heck, back in 2e, dwarves actually could and did regularly interbreed with humans, gnomes and halflings, it's just the offspring were considered to not be statistically different to dwarves - which itself was just done because the original game writers didn't want to think about it.

But D&D has moved on a lot from many of the original assumptions - "Blizzard Orcs" are just as popular as "Tolkien Orcs" in D&D these days for a reason, and a lot of people are uncomfortable with the original assumption that a half-orc HAS to have been conceived non-consensually. There's literally no reason to say we can't have half-dwarves just because AD&D didn't have them, and I find that reasoning laughable.

I have to hit the road and will be away from my internet for a while, so I can't post anything really elaborate about half-races yet, but I wanted to say this on behalf of the Mul/Half-Dwarf (which also appeared in Dragonlance and Kingdoms of Kalamar, incidentally):

In addition to the "forced breeding" aspect of Muls from Dark Sun - I'll share a "generic setting" racial fluff text for Muls I wrote up, which itself was inspired by an article from Dragon on adding Muls to Faerun as the result of dwarven slave-breeding experiments - one could always look at the half-dwarf origins from a more consensual angle. Humanity and dwarves are usually portrayed as getting on very well, or even being steadfast allies. Surely, there's been more than one male dwarf who earned the love of a human woman for his steadfast loyalty and devotion - dwarves may not be flashy lovers like elves, but they're heartfelt, true and passionate, even endearingly awkward when courting. Or a female dwarf who fell for the smoother tongue and charming gestures of a human man, so different to the relatively stoic and understated presentations traditional of her people. Half-dwarves can be just as consensually brought into being as half-elves. In fact, they may share the romantic tragedy overtones of half-elves; a dwarf would never abandon a human spouse, but that dwarf also will probably outlive their spouse.

Think about how that would affect the presentation of dwarves. If the typical "grumpy dwarf" is that way because he - or she - is still nursing the deep sorrow of losing a beloved human partner, who died decades ago whilst the dwarf is still strong and vital.

The ability of humans to crossbreed with other humanoid races is well-know; even if they are typically rare, few are completely oblivious to the existence of half-elves and half-orcs. But these are not the only example of humanity's diverse progeny. The Mulzhennedar, the Strong, are born from the union between human and dwarf, creating a race famed for its strength and stamina. All too often born under the lash of tyrants, muls are an uncommon race often possessed of a deep, gnawing loathing of themselves or their origins. Hard and driven by nature, they are natural pragmatists, and their tendency towards dark origins gives them both a natural calling to roam the land and a layer of callous caution that further alienates them from society.


Strength Through Blood
In the mul's form, one can see the best traits of both human and dwarf come together. A mul combines the stature, agility and mental flexibility of humanity with the strength, physical resilience and mental endurance of dwarfdom.

Muls are invariably powerfully built; averaging between five feet eight inches and six feet four inches in height, they invariably sport broad shoulders, narrow waists, powerful thighs and thick arms. Both sexes tend to sport rippling muscles, though males tend to be more heavy-set than females. Their general bodily configuration is human, rather than the short and stocky frame of dwarves, but their dwarf blood shows in their faces; muls have strong, stern features, and small, swept-back ears that come to subtle points, like a dwarf.

Distinctly unlike dwarves, though, muls tend to be completely hairless; though a small minority do sport darkly colored hair on their head, which is typically worn in a topknot, no mul ever grows facial or even body hair. Their complexion and eye color is as varied as that of their human parents, though muls tend towards copper and deep bronze skin-tones, and many have eyes of a startling honey-gold or green-gold color.


Escaping The Tyrant's Lash
Whilst half-elves may come from many origins, muls are not so lucky. Though humans and dwarves are rarely at open war with each other, dwarven culture is strongly traditional and conservative, meaning the kinds of interspecies dalliances that are accepted amongst elves are all but unheard of amongst dwarves. That does not mean that some muls aren't lucky enough to trace their descent back to a sincere union of love, just that these are a rarity.

Muls are most frequently brought about at the behest of cruel and tyrannical figures. Whilst mad sages performing perverse crossbreeding experiments have been the source of some muls, the majority trace their ancestry to kingdoms ruled by brutal figures who saw a useful resource to cultivate from the union of human and dwarf. Red dragons, the more tyrannical gold dragons, and drow elves are the beings most likely to see the creation of muls as a worthwhile pursuit, having the most use for their strength and durability whilst also having the longevity to make breeding them a worthwhile goal.

Muls at large in the world, then, are typically escaped slaves from these places, or the descendants of muls fortunate enough to have escaped in the past. There are few, if any, regions that muls can call their homeland, and many are not even aware muls exist.


Vengeful Outcasts
Muls have few allies they can turn to as a race. Most dwarf clans will not accept them, ashamed of what they represent, and some of the most traditionalist actively denigrate their half-human kin as abominations that must be destroyed. And humans, in the eyes of many muls, are too eager to exploit them as their creators did.

First-generation muls, at least those who escaped from slavery, tend to be bitter, violent misanthropes, or else suspicious and grasping; trust and friendship do not come easily to these scarred souls. Even those born to freedom, or fortunate enough to claim a happier lineage, tend to be sullen, self-centered or suspicious, unless they had truly miraculous origins. Still, muls do understand the concept of strength in numbers and forging alliances, and so they will work with others without a qualm. And once a mul's loyalty is won, it is unshakeable.

A deep and abiding loathing for authority in general and tyranny in particular is perhaps the most notorious aspect of mul culture - such as it is. They tore themselves from slavery, and will sooner die fighting than go meekly back to it. Slavers are amongst the most hated foes of muls, and many will kill a slaver on sight even if it costs them their life to do so. This further breeds alienation from their dwarven kin, as many slave-bred muls see the dwarven reverence for traditional as little better than tyranny wearing a pretty face.

[Kane0]

Hmm well I suppose in my gameworld i've already done this to an extent.

I use a build-a-race system basing point costs on ASIs and feats.

For example:
Regular Human: ASIs worth 12 points (2 per +1)
Wood Elf: ASIs worth 6 points, 1 Point for Darkvision, 1 point for speed increase, 1 point for darkvision, 1 point for skill proficiency, 2 points for fey ancestry + trance, 1 point for weapon proficiencies, 1 point for mask of the wild totalling 14 points.
Hill Dwarf: ASIs worth 6 points, 1 point for darkvision, 2 points for poison resistance, 1 point for weapon proficiencies, 1 point for tool proficiency, 1 point for stonecunning, 2 points for toughness for a total of 14.

Using this we can take or make abilities and mash them all together to build a race with a budget of around 14 points (some races get more than others when you break it down like this). This makes sense in my setting as there are only three 'races': redbloods (boring humanoids), greenbloods (goblinoids and orcs) and bluebloods (draconic and reptilian) and everything int he PHB, Volo's, etc are 'subraces' found within these bloodraces. Certain abilities are locked to particular blood types of course, only bluebloods can get a breath weapon for example.


Low point budget: 11
Regular point budget: 13
High point budget: 15

Universal abilities:
Ability Increase +2 (4 Points)
Ability Increase +1 (2 Points)
Skill Proficiency (1 Point)
Tool/Language Proficiency (1 Point)
60’ Darkvision (1 Point)
Speed Increase 5’ (1 Point)
Weapon Training, 2x Martial + 2x Simple (1 Point)
Armor Training, Light + Medium (2 Points)
Cantrip (1 Point)
Innate Spellcasting (3 Points): See Drow & Tiefling
Easily Hidden (1 Point): See Mask of the Wild (Elf)
Toughness (2 Points)
Brave (1 Point)
Nimble (1 Point): See Halfling Nimbleness (Halfling)
Damage Resistance (2 Points)
Wings (4 Points)
Powerful Build (1 Point)

Blueblood exclusive
Breath Weapon (2 Points): Bonus action, 2d6 damage (type and area by color, see dragonborn). 4d6 damage at level 6, 6d6 at level 11 and 8d6 at level 16
Spell Resistance (Saving Throws) (4 Points)
Hold Breath (1 Point)
Aggression (2 Points)
Slow Metabolism (1 point): Half the regular amount of food and drink required to survive

Greenblood exclusive
Poison Resistance (2 Points): See Dwarven Resilience (Dwarf)
Relentless Endurance (2 Points)
Savage Attacks (2 Points)
Natural Attack (1d4) (1 Point)
Amphibious (2 Points)
Stone’s Endurance (2 Points)

Redblood exclusive
Stonecunning (1 Point)
Fey Ancestry (2 Points)
Trance (1 Point)
Lucky (2 Points)
Long Reach (2 Points)
Determination (2 Points): Once per short rest can gain advantage on attack, check or save

[SaurOps]

To be honest, that's more of a 3rd edition idea that spun out of traditionalism - heck, back in 2e, dwarves actually could and did regularly interbreed with humans, gnomes and halflings, it's just the offspring were considered to not be statistically different to dwarves - which itself was just done because the original game writers didn't want to think about it.

But D&D has moved on a lot from many of the original assumptions - "Blizzard Orcs" are just as popular as "Tolkien Orcs" in D&D these days for a reason, and a lot of people are uncomfortable with the original assumption that a half-orc HAS to have been conceived non-consensually. There's literally no reason to say we can't have half-dwarves just because AD&D didn't have them, and I find that reasoning laughable.

I have to hit the road and will be away from my internet for a while, so I can't post anything really elaborate about half-races yet, but I wanted to say this on behalf of the Mul/Half-Dwarf (which also appeared in Dragonlance and Kingdoms of Kalamar, incidentally):

In addition to the "forced breeding" aspect of Muls from Dark Sun - I'll share a "generic setting" racial fluff text for Muls I wrote up, which itself was inspired by an article from Dragon on adding Muls to Faerun as the result of dwarven slave-breeding experiments - one could always look at the half-dwarf origins from a more consensual angle. Humanity and dwarves are usually portrayed as getting on very well, or even being steadfast allies. Surely, there's been more than one male dwarf who earned the love of a human woman for his steadfast loyalty and devotion - dwarves may not be flashy lovers like elves, but they're heartfelt, true and passionate, even endearingly awkward when courting. Or a female dwarf who fell for the smoother tongue and charming gestures of a human man, so different to the relatively stoic and understated presentations traditional of her people. Half-dwarves can be just as consensually brought into being as half-elves. In fact, they may share the romantic tragedy overtones of half-elves; a dwarf would never abandon a human spouse, but that dwarf also will probably outlive their spouse.

Think about how that would affect the presentation of dwarves. If the typical "grumpy dwarf" is that way because he - or she - is still nursing the deep sorrow of losing a beloved human partner, who died decades ago whilst the dwarf is still strong and vital.

The ability of humans to crossbreed with other humanoid races is well-know; even if they are typically rare, few are completely oblivious to the existence of half-elves and half-orcs. But these are not the only example of humanity's diverse progeny. The Mulzhennedar, the Strong, are born from the union between human and dwarf, creating a race famed for its strength and stamina. All too often born under the lash of tyrants, muls are an uncommon race often possessed of a deep, gnawing loathing of themselves or their origins. Hard and driven by nature, they are natural pragmatists, and their tendency towards dark origins gives them both a natural calling to roam the land and a layer of callous caution that further alienates them from society.


Strength Through Blood
In the mul's form, one can see the best traits of both human and dwarf come together. A mul combines the stature, agility and mental flexibility of humanity with the strength, physical resilience and mental endurance of dwarfdom.

Muls are invariably powerfully built; averaging between five feet eight inches and six feet four inches in height, they invariably sport broad shoulders, narrow waists, powerful thighs and thick arms. Both sexes tend to sport rippling muscles, though males tend to be more heavy-set than females. Their general bodily configuration is human, rather than the short and stocky frame of dwarves, but their dwarf blood shows in their faces; muls have strong, stern features, and small, swept-back ears that come to subtle points, like a dwarf.

Distinctly unlike dwarves, though, muls tend to be completely hairless; though a small minority do sport darkly colored hair on their head, which is typically worn in a topknot, no mul ever grows facial or even body hair. Their complexion and eye color is as varied as that of their human parents, though muls tend towards copper and deep bronze skin-tones, and many have eyes of a startling honey-gold or green-gold color.


Escaping The Tyrant's Lash
Whilst half-elves may come from many origins, muls are not so lucky. Though humans and dwarves are rarely at open war with each other, dwarven culture is strongly traditional and conservative, meaning the kinds of interspecies dalliances that are accepted amongst elves are all but unheard of amongst dwarves. That does not mean that some muls aren't lucky enough to trace their descent back to a sincere union of love, just that these are a rarity.

Muls are most frequently brought about at the behest of cruel and tyrannical figures. Whilst mad sages performing perverse crossbreeding experiments have been the source of some muls, the majority trace their ancestry to kingdoms ruled by brutal figures who saw a useful resource to cultivate from the union of human and dwarf. Red dragons, the more tyrannical gold dragons, and drow elves are the beings most likely to see the creation of muls as a worthwhile pursuit, having the most use for their strength and durability whilst also having the longevity to make breeding them a worthwhile goal.

Muls at large in the world, then, are typically escaped slaves from these places, or the descendants of muls fortunate enough to have escaped in the past. There are few, if any, regions that muls can call their homeland, and many are not even aware muls exist.


Vengeful Outcasts
Muls have few allies they can turn to as a race. Most dwarf clans will not accept them, ashamed of what they represent, and some of the most traditionalist actively denigrate their half-human kin as abominations that must be destroyed. And humans, in the eyes of many muls, are too eager to exploit them as their creators did.

First-generation muls, at least those who escaped from slavery, tend to be bitter, violent misanthropes, or else suspicious and grasping; trust and friendship do not come easily to these scarred souls. Even those born to freedom, or fortunate enough to claim a happier lineage, tend to be sullen, self-centered or suspicious, unless they had truly miraculous origins. Still, muls do understand the concept of strength in numbers and forging alliances, and so they will work with others without a qualm. And once a mul's loyalty is won, it is unshakeable.

A deep and abiding loathing for authority in general and tyranny in particular is perhaps the most notorious aspect of mul culture - such as it is. They tore themselves from slavery, and will sooner die fighting than go meekly back to it. Slavers are amongst the most hated foes of muls, and many will kill a slaver on sight even if it costs them their life to do so. This further breeds alienation from their dwarven kin, as many slave-bred muls see the dwarven reverence for traditional as little better than tyranny wearing a pretty face.


I'd imagine that any half-dwarfs outside of Athas would be different from Muls, on account of Muls being purpose-made for hard labor and gladiatorial combat via magic. You can't have Muls without the specific magical means used on Athas; they'd be something else, instead.

(Though, the Athasian dwarves being the way they are might also contribute to it.)

[Ventruenox]

[Dated Reference]Can we get Phil & Dixie to explain "Sex and D&D" on this thread?[/Dated Reference]

[Samzat]

I would assume that not only are some half breeds impossinle due to incompatibility, but some are so deformed as to be self destructive (like ligers whose bones cant support their muscles). The half breeds listed, therefore, are the ones whose traits are a decent mix (like a mule being the best aspects of horse and donkey).

[SharkForce]

That actually makes a little sense, the official reason most races cannot reproduce is because their Racial Gods don't allow it... and Gods don't have any sway in Athas

it makes even more sense when you realize that all demihumans on athas are actually mutated halflings :P


I'd imagine that any half-dwarfs outside of Athas would be different from Muls, on account of Muls being purpose-made for hard labor and gladiatorial combat via magic. You can't have Muls without the specific magical means used on Athas; they'd be something else, instead.

(Though, the Athasian dwarves being the way they are might also contribute to it.)

eh, half-giants are made with magic. muls are natural, just very risky pregnancy. it probably has to do with dark sun races being a little bit different :)

[90sMusic]

It's a hidden racial bonus for humans, they can breed with anything bipedal and produce viable offspring.

But in all seriousness...

Making Half-Human/Half-Whatever hybrids is taxing enough, but making hybrids between every race would be a real pain, especially in regards to balance.

Not all race traits are created equally, so even if you did a simple Template type deal where you swapped the +2 bonus of a race then swapped one trait for another, it could end up giving the new amalgamation a huge advantage over a pure bred.

For instant, a half-dwarf/half-dragonborn. Dragonborn have virtually NO traits. They simply get resistance and breath, that's it. A dwarf or elf gets a dozen traits each. So they could just swap something like dwarven combat training for the extra weapon proficiencies and pickup the dragon breath and boom, they're superior to both dwarves and dragonborn.

You can't have a simple rule like "replace the first trait" or anything like that either, because they aren't ordered in a way as to be strongest to weakest or anything like that, and even if they were it sitll wouldn't match up just right. It would all have to be done manually to try to find some semblance of balance.

You might as well dedicate that time to creating new races instead of meshing hybrids together.

[Nifft]

That actually makes a little sense, the official reason most races cannot reproduce is because their Racial Gods don't allow it...

News to me.

What book is that from?

[Naanomi]

News to me.

What book is that from?
Let's see... first reference I can find is Complete Book of Elves, explaining why Half Elves exist but not Orc/Elf hybrids (because their Gods hate eachother); and why Dwarves don't crossbreed at all (because their Gods are big on Dwarven purity in culture and body). Wouldn't surprise me if there is a source that touches on the concept earlier than that

Note that humans don't have a 'racial pantheon' to speak of, and can crossbreed with any other races whose Gods don't care

[Regitnui]

Half-Dwarf/Half-human exist in Darksun as the Mul.

I think there is a 3.5 template in Dragon magazine for Nymph, Ogre, and I know there is one for Dhampir


Magically created half-giants as well

Eberron has half-doppelganger (changeling), half-lycanthrope (shifter), and half-quori/nightmare spirit (kalashtar). The last is more a spiritual bonding than a reproductive one, since quori aren't even near humanoid.


[Dated Reference]Can we get Phil & Dixie to explain "Sex and D&D" on this thread?[/Dated Reference]

Captain America: I get that reference!

[Arkhios]

Eberron has half-doppelganger (changeling), half-lycanthrope (shifter), and half-quori/nightmare spirit (kalashtar). The last is more a spiritual bonding than a reproductive one, since quori aren't even near humanoid.

Technically kalashtar are just pure humans with two minds as one.

[Nifft]

Let's see... first reference I can find is Complete Book of Elves Ah that thing is to blame.

Okay, thanks.

The idea that a racial pantheon can prevent cross-breeding is clearly not accurate in a lot of settings -- Greyhawk's Derro, for example, were created by the Suel (there was a referendum). The Dwarf gods didn't prevent that magically mutated cross-breed from happening.

(One of the Suel gods left their pantheon in disgust, though.)


Note that humans don't have a 'racial pantheon' to speak of, and can crossbreed with any other races whose Gods don't care Off the top of my head, Suel do have their own pantheon, and they're baseline humans.

[Regitnui]

Technically kalashtar are just pure humans with two minds as one.

There's clearly some physiological differences caused by the merging, considering the description and stats given in the ECS. They're also treated as a separate race whenever they come up. The quori mind is also spread over about a hundred people at any given time, so I'd definitely categorise them as "half-quori" with the psionic influence having physically changed them.

[spinningdice]

I would probably just go with it being flavour, in most cases breeding two species together in D&D results in one or the other (perhaps with purely cosmetic/personality traits from the other species).

Should a player propose something different that made sense and wasn't overpowered, I'd probably allow it (same with say an Elf that was brought up in another culture may swap out his weapon proficiencies for something else). Though I would shut it down, if they were just after something for the sake of a bit of extra power.

For my part at least, creating a whole slew of extra races that are just variations of the base ones doesn't seem worth the payoff.

Fantasy Age has such a mechanic built in of course, where you pick one race but gain 1-2 random traits from the other.

[CaptainSarathai]

Eberron has half-doppelganger (changeling), half-lycanthrope (shifter), and half-quori/nightmare spirit (kalashtar). The last is more a spiritual bonding than a reproductive one, since quori aren't even near humanoid.


Those races aren't necessarily "half" anything, though. Kalashtar is already covered, but Shifters are their own race entirely, they breed amongst themselves and have their own culture. It's not like Half Elves or Half Orcs, who grew up in a parent culture and are "different."

Changelings I'm less sure of. I'm fairly sure that they're like the Shifters, in that they existed as their own species with a unique origin.

Then you've got stuff like Vyrlokas which are essentially "half vampires" except that it wasn't a mating between vampires and mortals; it was a curse thrown on a human civilization. They are their own race, although they don't have "natural" origins. If that makes sense, I guess

[Arkhios]

There's clearly some physiological differences caused by the merging, considering the description and stats given in the ECS. They're also treated as a separate race whenever they come up. The quori mind is also spread over about a hundred people at any given time, so I'd definitely categorise them as "half-quori" with the psionic influence having physically changed them.


Those races aren't necessarily "half" anything, though. Kalashtar is already covered, but Shifters are their own race entirely, they breed amongst themselves and have their own culture. It's not like Half Elves or Half Orcs, who grew up in a parent culture and are "different."

Changelings I'm less sure of. I'm fairly sure that they're like the Shifters, in that they existed as their own species with a unique origin.

Then you've got stuff like Vyrlokas which are essentially "half vampires" except that it wasn't a mating between vampires and mortals; it was a curse thrown on a human civilization. They are their own race, although they don't have "natural" origins. If that makes sense, I guess

Being partially quori (mostly psychically) doesn't exactly make you a half-quori. Half-races generally have equal parentage among the two races. However, Kalashtar are "genetically" humans, but their physiology has gone through some subtle changes because of their quori refugee counterpart. Still, I wouldn't categorize them as half-race. As Cpt Sarathai said, they are their own race with different origins than being a halfbreed. But, I suppose they qualify as hybrids either way.

[Naanomi]

Off the top of my head, Suel do have their own pantheon, and they're baseline humans.
Lots of human groups have pantheons, but the human race doesn't have a creator pantheon in the larger/planescape perspective

[Regitnui]

Those races aren't necessarily "half" anything, though. Kalashtar is already covered, but Shifters are their own race entirely, they breed amongst themselves and have their own culture. It's not like Half Elves or Half Orcs, who grew up in a parent culture and are "different."

Both half-orcs and half-elves also breed true. You can have half-elf families, as well as half-orc. The only hybrid that are explicitly stated to be only born from two different races without breeding true are Muls. Therefore, the shifters, who may originally been a unique occurrence when hidden lycanthropes had kids with normal humans, fall into the same category.


Changelings I'm less sure of. I'm fairly sure that they're like the Shifters, in that they existed as their own species with a unique origin.

Depending on who you listen to, changelings are either the result of doppelgangers breeding with humans, the result of a great working of magic in ancient Sarlona, or a group of people blessed by the Traveler. Or even some combination of the above. In any case, they're hybridised beings with human and nonhuman ancestry.


Being partially quori (mostly psychically) doesn't exactly make you a half-quori. Half-races generally have equal parentage among the two races. However, Kalashtar are "genetically" humans, but their physiology has gone through some subtle changes because of their quori refugee counterpart. Still, I wouldn't categorize them as half-race. As Cpt Sarathai said, they are their own race with different origins than being a halfbreed. But, I suppose they qualify as hybrids either way.

They're definitely hybrids. After all, a hybrid doesn't need to be created the messy way. Tieflings who were cursed with demonic heritage are still hybrids, as are the Inspired, who have human, elven, and fiendish blood engineered into them to make them ideal quori hosts/puppets.

Bringing up another; the mongrelfolk are apparently what happens if the genetics of every race get mixed together. So while they're not "half"-anything, they're definitely multiple-species hybrids.

[Naanomi]

If we are counting planar hybrids, then it also means figuring out modron-touched, Slaad-touched, rilmani-touched.... and that is just the outer planes

[strangebloke]

To my mind, the biggest reason that all possible crossbreeds don't exist is that there is no real point. Most of the popular combinatorics are already covered, at least in mechanics.

Half-giant? Just play a Goliath.
Half-dragon? Just play a refluffed dragonborn.
Half-dwarf? Just play a vhuman who's short, has a beard, and took the tough feat.

Does anyone really want to play a half tabaxi, a dwarf/elf, or a goblin/bugbear cross?

As a DM, I usually try to encourage people to play standard races unless they have a specific (non-optimization related) reason to play as that race. I don't like having a party consisting of a tabaxi, an arracokra, a kobold, and two deep gnomes. PCs are aspect turned up to eleven.

[PeteNutButter]

There could be a campaign idea for someone. No need to balance them if the whole party has the features of two races. Give them the full benefit of both races minus any stacking attribute bonuses (no +4 str!).

A party of outcasts, maybe trying to figure out why their prospective gods allowed their conception.

...I just want to play an orc/dwarf. Short, mean, green and burly.

[UrielAwakened]

I made a half-tarrasque a long time ago that was a result of genetic engineering done on the remains of a slain tarrasque.

They had an innate frenzy ability and a passive way to ignore damage resistance. This was 4e so I think they were +2 Con, +2 Str or Wis.

It'd be fun to make a 5e variant I guess.

[Nifft]

...I just want to play an orc/dwarf. Short, mean, green and burly.

All fear the mighty Dorc.

[SaurOps]

it makes even more sense when you realize that all demihumans on athas are actually mutated halflings :P



eh, half-giants are made with magic. muls are natural, just very risky pregnancy. it probably has to do with dark sun races being a little bit different :)

Half-giants were facilitated by magic roughly a thousand years prior to the present of the DS campaign setting and freely reproduce among their own. Muls are one-off events every time they happen. The reasoning is likely something that's ultimately outside the bounds of the story.

[Chugger]

This is DnD and so magic - I get it - but a consideration in half anything is chromosomes. Yes, I said a dirty meta word - fine. But horses and donkeys make mules which are sterile and can't reproduce. They're (horse and donkey) close enough to create viable offspring, but it can't reproduce (without cloning or magic).

That dragons and humans can breed and produce offspring - and they aren't "mules" (i.e. can possibly reproduce) - and that they live at all - is meta-level-really-silly to me. But I can say "magic/fantasy" and accept it.

I don't even want to think how half human/half ogres are made ... I really don't. I feel dirty already. It would have to be an Ogre mother (think about it - wait don't - don't visualize it...fugg too late...) and...gah...yeah let's move on.

I like the whole bizarre magic-science way of making these things because it implies a cool movie set instead of really disturbing other images - except for half elves n stuff. But half elf half dwarf ... no ... no I wouldn't allow that. Just no.... If you want to, fine. But not in my world. Some of these combos - I got other things to do w/ my fantasy world, thank you. But again if you really need and want to, I'm not judging - I hope you enjoy it.

[SharkForce]

Half-giants were facilitated by magic roughly a thousand years prior to the present of the DS campaign setting and freely reproduce among their own. Muls are one-off events every time they happen. The reasoning is likely something that's ultimately outside the bounds of the story.

muls are indeed sterile (which doesn't need any special explanation... it happens in real life. Mules, a crossbreed of donkey and horse, are also sterile).

but they are not magically created.

[JackPhoenix]

Changelings I'm less sure of. I'm fairly sure that they're like the Shifters, in that they existed as their own species with a unique origin.

Long ago there was a woman named Jes, and she had a hundred children. Her rivals conspired against her, and swore to kill her hundred children. These enemies numbered in the thousands and wielded dark magic, and the Children would never prevail against them. Jes begged the Sovereigns for help, but their only answer was the wind and rain. She sought the aid of the Silver Flame, but its keepers would not hear her. In the depths of her despair, a lonely traveler took her hand. ‘I will protect your children if they follow my path. Let them wander the world. None will know them. They will have no kingdom but the road, and no enemy will find them. They may be shunned by all the world, but they will never be destroyed.’ Jes agreed, and the traveler gave her his cloak. When she draped it over her children, their old faces melted away, and they could be whoever they wanted to be. And so it is until this day. Though the Children are shunned by all, the gift of the traveler protects them still, so long as they follow his path.


I don't even want to think how half human/half ogres are made ... I really don't. I feel dirty already. It would have to be an Ogre mother (think about it - wait don't - don't visualize it...fugg too late...) and...gah...yeah let's move on.

Are you, per chance, familiar with Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magic Obscura?

Wait, you don't want to think about it....

[GlenSmash!]

I wonder if we can't make a system of this.

Hybrid Races
Is your character the offspring of an unusual coupling? If so, you can (with DM permission) create a hybrid race of the two by doing the following:

Take the attribute bonuses, size, and movement speed of one parent race.
Take the other features of your other parent race.
Take the attribute bonus of a sub-race from one parent.
Take the other bonuses of a sub-race from the other parent.

Maybe something like that. The system wasn't designed for this, and this could be a problem with anything / variant human, just as one example. But it's an idea.

I think this is a cool idea. With variants for Tieflings and Half-Elves already I think it's doable.

[Regitnui]

Long ago there was a woman named Jes, and she had a hundred children. Her rivals conspired against her, and swore to kill her hundred children. These enemies numbered in the thousands and wielded dark magic, and the Children would never prevail against them. Jes begged the Sovereigns for help, but their only answer was the wind and rain. She sought the aid of the Silver Flame, but its keepers would not hear her. In the depths of her despair, a lonely traveler took her hand. ‘I will protect your children if they follow my path. Let them wander the world. None will know them. They will have no kingdom but the road, and no enemy will find them. They may be shunned by all the world, but they will never be destroyed.’ Jes agreed, and the traveler gave her his cloak. When she draped it over her children, their old faces melted away, and they could be whoever they wanted to be. And so it is until this day. Though the Children are shunned by all, the gift of the traveler protects them still, so long as they follow his path.


That's a story, but reading between the lines, we have an origin for the changeling involving magical mutation. Hybridisation with doppelgangers isn't outside the real of possibility.

[Nifft]

Long ago there was a woman named Jes, and she had a hundred children. Her rivals conspired against her, and swore to kill her hundred children. These enemies numbered in the thousands and wielded dark magic, and the Children would never prevail against them. Jes begged the Sovereigns for help, but their only answer was the wind and rain. She sought the aid of the Silver Flame, but its keepers would not hear her. In the depths of her despair, a lonely traveler took her hand. ‘I will protect your children if they follow my path. Let them wander the world. None will know them. They will have no kingdom but the road, and no enemy will find them. They may be shunned by all the world, but they will never be destroyed.’ Jes agreed, and the traveler gave her his cloak. When she draped it over her children, their old faces melted away, and they could be whoever they wanted to be. And so it is until this day. Though the Children are shunned by all, the gift of the traveler protects them still, so long as they follow his path.


Good old Jes, the infamous Doppelganger MILF.


(aka "The Doppelbanger")

[Regitnui]

Good old Jes, the infamous Doppelganger MILF.


(aka "The Doppelbanger")

Longer I look at this post, the better it gets. Can I sig this?

[Nifft]

Longer I look at this post, the better it gets. Can I sig this?

Of course.

[Joe the Rat]

Are we looking for options generically, or options to fit current fluff? Because fluff nips a lot of things in the bud. Hagspawn, for instance.

For Humans: Unless you really need to have extensive differences, VHuman base with an "X-Blooded Feat" could cover a lot of ground. Plane Shift: Innistrad is where I'm pulling this idea, only instead of "cultural group baked-in feat", you do "Racial subtype as feat".

Other crosses: My easy answer is trait dominance - children take after one parent primarily. Dworcs and Dwelfs would be Dwarves with minor orc/elf traits, or Orcs and Elves that run on the short and hairy side. Take your main traits from your primary; your subrace is mixed blood - use the Primary of the other race as your +1 (or their secondary, if both races have the same primary), and replace parent subtype features with comparable ones from the other race (If your Dwelf was raised by dwarves, you'd take Dwarven Weapon training; otherwise, take the appropriate Elf package).

If we are going this cosmopolitan on our parentage, eventually you'll need Mongrelfolk.


[Dated Reference]Can we get Phil & Dixie to explain "Sex and D&D" on this thread?[/Dated Reference]
That is dated. The BoEF included that particular long-awaited issue of "What's New".




So I hear.