Me and three other people in my group are play testing the combat system I wrote for my tabletop game. I'm having to characters fight each other so I can focus on the combat mechanics.
@DragonKing when I first saw that one it reminded me a little of Aribeth (from Neverwinter Nights) [...]
Colors cheme, both are using chromatic hue, and both do have openings that = death if there opponent knows how to aim.
They both are elves also.
I had that impression myself. Love the story of the character, it's one of the best things of NWN 1&2 imo. But I have to correct you on one thing: Aribeth is actually a half-elf. Yes, I am fun at parties.
Meh. Half-dragons are half dragon. A half-elf is half elf. They're not quite the same. Otherwise, a half-elf would be both human and elf, and humans and elves are separate things. If Half-elf = Elf Then Half-elf = Human Then Half-elf = Elf = Human
A=B and B=C; therefore A=C.
Not quite elves and not quite dragons. They just have some shared heritage and features.
Meh. Half-dragons are half dragon. A half-elf is half elf. They're not quite the same. Otherwise, a half-elf would be both human and elf, and humans and elves are separate things. If Half-elf = Elf Then Half-elf = Human Then Half-elf = Elf = Human
A=B and B=C; therefore A=C.
Not quite elves and not quite dragons. They just have some shared heritage and features.
Their elves and dragons, just because they aren't full blooded, doesn't remove them from what they are as far as I'm concerned.
Okay, let's try to think about this scientifically. If humans and elves are separate species, which they could be observed as (depending on your definition of 'species', which is another topic altogether), then half-elves are similar to mules in that they have parents belonging to two separate species.
So the question follows: are mules horses as well as donkeys? I'm no expert, but from what I understand of biology, the answer could be a little bit harder than it seems. According to the modern rules of taxonomy an organism belongs to all of the biological classifications that each one of its ancestors had belonged to. E.g. parrots are birds, parrots are vertebrates, and yes, parrots are dinosaurs as well. (Though not necessarily in that order.)
So if mules have horse ancestors, does that make them horses too? And are half-elves elves? Honestly, I have no idea. It would help if I knew what I was talking about.
Two animals belong to the same species if they can breed and produce viable, fertile offspring. Elves and humans are therefore the same species, but we still might differentiate them as different races.
Mules would be their own species, as they cannot breed with either horses or donkeys. Though they can't breed successfully with each other, either.
Two animals belong to the same species if they can breed and produce viable, fertile offspring. Elves and humans are therefore the same species, but we still might differentiate them as different races.
Same goes for gnomes and halflings with elves (as can be proven by Aerie / Charname).
Honestly, and this is a huge dick move on my part, it would help if I actually cared. Elves, especially those modelled after/ inspired by J.R. R. Tolkien's design of them are in my top 5, possibly number 1 least liked fantasy race. Which DnD elves are. Some things might have changed over the years but the inspiration is still there none the less.
Then again, my annoyance with them, come alot from their over fucking use fantasy now a days... Like fucking really? Thousands of fantasy races in Asian, African, Native American mythology... But put constantly rehash elves. Like a midevil fantasy won't work if you actually tried to bring something new instead of the already over used... Then again if I started bitching all the stuff I'm tired of seeing I'd be here for years... Starting with the overuse of Greek/Roman/Egyptian mythology. Hundreds of cultures, hundreds of gods, I favor the Loa and Orisha myself. Many interesting stories to pull inspiration from. Yet we reuse the already down a thousand times, and half the time the story isn't told in a different or interesting way. Just a rehash of what I've seen none stop already.
I remember in concept design class, we had to design concepts. Ironically enough, I chose to design elves. Think about everything you know about elves, all the over used tropes, and toss them out the window because when I got a hold of them, nobody new wtf they were and even tried to argue what a elf is. An elf I'd w/e the creator of that world says an elf is, and I took a scaple and syringe to them.
Wish I could find the concept art...
First thing I did was scrap the humanoid appearance. They had some ugly faces, like a monkey face.with how some of the features looked. Their whole body was covered in a thick coat of hair, similar to chewbacca. Extended from their hands were 3-4 talons which they used to dig through the ground. They never stops straight up, they always walked on all fours and sat on their hind rear legs, which sitting up made them about 6ft tall, and they weren't skinny.
Their whole society lived underground, digging tunnels that connected their cities...
Dammit, you got me ranting... I want to redraw them again because I doubt I can find the original concept art anymore.
Yep, now to get us off DK' dislike of elves, and back to the point of this thread. I'm pretty sure I have enough people who don't like me already as or is.
Oh thank you so much for that link! That was the most unfair question I've ever seen! No bias there. It's a wonder we get any new people. We are a scary bunch. . .
EVERY TIME my thief says there are no traps. . .
We've been burnt by this before Imoen. . . look harder. . .
Comments
Me and three other people in my group are play testing the combat system I wrote for my tabletop game. I'm having to characters fight each other so I can focus on the combat mechanics.
Or
You now know what that 1 gp is for.
Yes, I am fun at parties.
A half elf is still a elf
If I acknowledge half dragons as still being dragons, the same logic applies to elves.
If
Half-elf = Elf
Then
Half-elf = Human
Then Half-elf = Elf = Human
A=B and B=C; therefore A=C.
Not quite elves and not quite dragons. They just have some shared heritage and features.
Okay, let's try to think about this scientifically. If humans and elves are separate species, which they could be observed as (depending on your definition of 'species', which is another topic altogether), then half-elves are similar to mules in that they have parents belonging to two separate species.
So the question follows: are mules horses as well as donkeys? I'm no expert, but from what I understand of biology, the answer could be a little bit harder than it seems. According to the modern rules of taxonomy an organism belongs to all of the biological classifications that each one of its ancestors had belonged to. E.g. parrots are birds, parrots are vertebrates, and yes, parrots are dinosaurs as well. (Though not necessarily in that order.)
So if mules have horse ancestors, does that make them horses too? And are half-elves elves? Honestly, I have no idea. It would help if I knew what I was talking about.
I'd be interested to find out the answer, though.
Mules would be their own species, as they cannot breed with either horses or donkeys. Though they can't breed successfully with each other, either.
donkey = Equus asinus
mule = Equus asinus × Equus caballus
God damn it science. Thanks for nothing
Honestly, and this is a huge dick move on my part, it would help if I actually cared. Elves, especially those modelled after/ inspired by J.R. R. Tolkien's design of them are in my top 5, possibly number 1 least liked fantasy race. Which DnD elves are. Some things might have changed over the years but the inspiration is still there none the less.
Then again, my annoyance with them, come alot from their over fucking use fantasy now a days... Like fucking really? Thousands of fantasy races in Asian, African, Native American mythology... But put constantly rehash elves. Like a midevil fantasy won't work if you actually tried to bring something new instead of the already over used... Then again if I started bitching all the stuff I'm tired of seeing I'd be here for years... Starting with the overuse of Greek/Roman/Egyptian mythology. Hundreds of cultures, hundreds of gods, I favor the Loa and Orisha myself. Many interesting stories to pull inspiration from. Yet we reuse the already down a thousand times, and half the time the story isn't told in a different or interesting way. Just a rehash of what I've seen none stop already.
I remember in concept design class, we had to design concepts. Ironically enough, I chose to design elves. Think about everything you know about elves, all the over used tropes, and toss them out the window because when I got a hold of them, nobody new wtf they were and even tried to argue what a elf is. An elf I'd w/e the creator of that world says an elf is, and I took a scaple and syringe to them.
Wish I could find the concept art...
First thing I did was scrap the humanoid appearance. They had some ugly faces, like a monkey face.with how some of the features looked. Their whole body was covered in a thick coat of hair, similar to chewbacca. Extended from their hands were 3-4 talons which they used to dig through the ground. They never stops straight up, they always walked on all fours and sat on their hind rear legs, which sitting up made them about 6ft tall, and they weren't skinny.
Their whole society lived underground, digging tunnels that connected their cities...
Dammit, you got me ranting... I want to redraw them again because I doubt I can find the original concept art anymore.
(I apologize to isthar_art for totally ruining that picture.)
(details here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/42831/not-exactly-new-but#latest)
EVERY TIME my thief says there are no traps. . .
We've been burnt by this before Imoen. . . look harder. . .
( Context here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/668959/#Comment_668959 )