Common questions about Half-elf (Dungeons & Dragons)

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What is the origin of the half-elf race in Dungeons and Dragons?

The half-elf race originated from the literary works of J. R. R. Tolkien and Lord Dunsany, specifically the 1924 novel The King of Elfland's Daughter. Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, initially denied the influence of Tolkien but later admitted the strong impact of Tolkien's works on the game's development. The race first appeared as a player character race in the Greyhawk supplement to the original 1974 edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

When did the half-elf first appear in Dungeons and Dragons publications?

The half-elf first appeared as a player character race in the Greyhawk supplement to the original 1974 edition of Dungeons and Dragons. The race subsequently appeared in the original Player's Handbook in 1978 and the original Monster Manual in 1977. The half-elves of the Dragonlance setting were detailed in Dragonlance Adventures in 1987.

How do half-elves differ from khoravar in the Eberron campaign setting?

In the Eberron campaign setting, half-elves are known as the khoravar and consider themselves a separate people from humans and elves. The khoravar breed true and bear the dragonmarks of Storm and Detection, evolving to become a species of their own. Lead designer Jeremy Crawford stated that the khoravar have always objected to being called half-elves.

What are the most popular class combinations for half-elf characters in the 5th Edition era?

Data from the 5th Edition era reveals that the three most popular class combinations with the half-elf were bard with 1,808 characters, warlock with 1,401, and rogue with 1,325. These statistics were recorded between August 15 and the 15th of September 2017. Half-elves are popular because they are a great choice for those wanting to play as a fantasy race without stepping too far away from humanity.

What changes were made to the half-elf race in the 2024 Player's Handbook?

The 2024 Player's Handbook does not include rules for species with mixed ancestry, effectively removing half-elves as a distinct race. Lead designer Jeremy Crawford commented in 2023 that the half construction is inherently racist and stated that they are not comfortable with any of the options that start with half. The designers noted this revision to the core rules is backward compatible so players have the option of adapting the 2014 rules for half-elves and half-orcs.

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