Close
Close
Advanced Search

The Half-Race HandbookClick to magnify
Quick Preview
/gs_flipbook/flip.php?xml=/demo_xml/299114.xml&w=500&h=324
Full‑size Preview
https://watermark.dmsguild.com/pdf_previews/299114-sample.pdf

The Half-Race Handbook

ADD TO WISHLIST >

The Half-Race Handbook (5e)

A Modular System for Creating Unique Half-Races

The Half-Race Handbook contains 33 different races (not counting the included subraces), deconstructed into three categories: ability score modifiers, major features, and minor features. With the rules provided, you can combine these 3 categories to create just about any half-race that you can imagine. Each race has been broken down with balance in mind, so that it should be difficult to create a truly overpowered race. You can see all races and subraces that have been included in this supplements preview. 

Included with the modular system are 3 examples of half-races: the Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Koboldfolk, and Yuan-Ti Halfblood. There are also two new family-oriented backgrounds: Blended Family, and Adopted.

 half elf, half orc blended family

For any questions or comments on the material found in this or any of the my other works, you can find me on Twitter @LydiaVanHoy1

OTHER WORKS BY THE AUTHOR: 

Budding Baba's Growing Hut Tormund's Travel Guide Titles of Power Humble Beginnings : Classes for Commoners 

pixel_trans.gif
 
 More from this Title's Contributors
pixel_trans.gif
 
 Customers Who Bought this Title also Purchased
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif
Reviews (5)
Discussions (11)
Customer avatar
Michael S April 28, 2023 6:28 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi Lydia, I really liked the concept of your book and you had me hooked by the opening page. As a RL half race, the anti-discrimination message took me by surprise, but also delighted me. I recently completed some art for the dnd campaign I’m playing in, and I’d like to offer it to you for use in a future half race handbook update for $1. https://instagram.com/p/CrktiG3u1bY/

Let me know if you’re interested, but even if not, I wanted to say thanks for doing what you’re doing.
Customer avatar
Mitchell M August 24, 2020 4:06 pm UTC
PURCHASER
1. The tiefling is a dominant race.
2. When choosing 2 dominant races, the tiefling is always dominant.
3. Major ability modifiers apply to the dominant race, while minor ability modifiers apply to the recessive race.

If tiefling is always dominant, the minor ability modifiers will never apply. Unless I'm missing something, can you elaborate?
Reply
Customer avatar
Lyde H August 24, 2020 6:02 pm UTC
CREATOR
The tiefling has minor ability scores because, just because /I/ say the tiefling is always dominant, does not mean I expect everyone to use it that way. That is why there are major and minor options for all races (aside from those left out on accident, which I have already told you will be corrected with an update when I have the time to spare).
Customer avatar
May 30, 2020 3:27 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Major Features: Elf: Drow is missing (it is, however, listed under Ability Score Modifiers).
Customer avatar
Jack R May 12, 2020 2:12 pm UTC
The Goliath is missing from the Ability Score modifiers table, should be in there with +2 Str / +1 Con
Customer avatar
Jussi S April 29, 2020 7:50 pm UTC
PURCHASER
QUOTE: Some minor features allow you to take a second, in which case the second minor feature you take can be from either race: if one of your parents was also of mixed race, your DM may allow you to select your second minor feature from a relevant third race. :END QUOTE

I think I know the answer, but I'll ask anyway. Example: If I were to make a Goliath-Loxodon (Golodon?). I would take Goliaths Str +2 and Loxodons Wis +1 as traits. Major would be Goliaths BUT minor gives me problems... Could I take Loxodons Keen Smell and Loxodon Serenity AND Goliaths Natural Athlete + Mountain Born? Or is it just Keen Smell and one other from either race?

PS. Anymore of this goodnes in the (near)future?
Reply
Customer avatar
Lyde H May 04, 2020 7:15 pm UTC
CREATOR
I think I finally know how to answer this! Sorry for the delay. Loxodon Serenity can be chosen for the minor feature, but doesn't allow you to take a second (no + sign). Keen Senses does allow you to choose a second, and it could be either Natural Athlete OR Mountain Born! You could take both Goliath minor features, but you would need to take the Loxodon major feature instead (to avoid just making a Goliath).
Reply
Customer avatar
Jussi S May 04, 2020 7:23 pm UTC
PURCHASER
As I thought it wiuld gi. Thnx.
Reply
Customer avatar
Jussi S May 04, 2020 7:49 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Apparently I can not type...
Ment to say: As I thought it would go.
Customer avatar
Tucker A April 09, 2020 8:33 am UTC
PURCHASER
My homebrew world I'm in the process of creating actually just had a near genocide waged against humans making them extra rare and (hopefully) discouraging them from being the "default" race. Would this be a good document to bring more diversity in to the world?
Edit: I've just purchased it but haven't had a chance to read it yet since I'm dealing with some technical issues with DM's Guild/DriveThruRPG at the moment. Looking forward to reading thru it. :)
Reply
Customer avatar
Lyde H April 09, 2020 9:28 pm UTC
CREATOR
I might be biased, but I'd say absolutely! (:
It was made partly to avoid the default "half-human" races, and give them more variety, so I definitely think it would help replace them.
Customer avatar
Ben A February 29, 2020 3:26 am UTC
I was just taking a look through the preview and I'm very interested in this, however I'm a little confused about some aspects:

So, say I was making a Earth Genasi/Bugbear. Genasi would be Dominant, Bugbear would be recessive.
1. What Ability Modifiers should be used, as both races have Major/Minor AB Modifiers?
2. You have that Earth Genasi allow you to select the Earth Genasi Major feature as well as the other races major feature if they have a subrace. I can see that Bugbear do not, so do you only get the Earth Genasi Major features, or do you still get both?
Reply
Customer avatar
Lyde H February 29, 2020 2:05 pm UTC
CREATOR
Thanks for the interest! You use the major score from the dominant race, and the minor score from the recessive race! For the genasi major feature, it allows you to select it with another major feature if both features have the "+" symbol in the corner of their description. This is all detailed in the respective sections ☺️
Customer avatar
Italo I February 12, 2020 10:51 am UTC
I took a look at the preview, I'm sure the book is good but the authores could have avoided to lecture her readers and fellow players about discrimination in imaginary worlds. Some settings are more realistic than others and show more evil than others. Discrimination in fantasy is not real, it's just a trope to tell more stories and it's very dangerous, and not really brilliant, to confuse it with the real world.
Customer avatar
Damian F January 12, 2020 11:43 am UTC
I was interested in this, but I don't appreciate the fact that you choose to lecture people in the opening pages (looking at the preview), much less to moralize in order to tell people to not include something realistic because of feelings. It seems particularly egregious since discrimination is a fact even of basic D&D. Drow detest non-drow. Yuan-Ti detest non-Yuanti (and both in fact enslave those who are not of their race). The Dwarves take a long time to become friends with others, and so on.

IRL it is a terrible thing, sure. But it is still a fundamental driving force of conflicts between peoples and in a fantasy world it would only be more prevailant. It's entirely up to each DM, naturally, but you do a disservice to the game as a whole by moralizing to people.
Reply
Customer avatar
sun A January 15, 2020 3:01 am UTC
PURCHASER
i think this is a rather silly take. is it really moralizing if all they are asking you to do is consider your friends at the table? is it moralizing to make sure your players are comfortable? yeah, there are certain things written about different races in the source material. the source material also says to take everything they say with a grain of salt and focus on the story you wanna tell.

you're right, though. it is the dm's decision. and ultimately, we hope the dm chooses his players over what's written down to the last letter.
Reply
Customer avatar
Damian F January 16, 2020 5:57 pm UTC
"is it moralizing to make sure your players are comfortable"
No. But it IS moralizing for the author to, in this document, tell DMs what their morality should be and that they shouldn't run the game one way because of "feelings". Having things be good for your players is something DMs arrange themselves. And therein lies the issue.
Reply
Customer avatar
Christopher B January 23, 2020 7:59 am UTC
PURCHASER
You need to consider why you are getting so worked up over an author exercising her right to state her views in her own creative work, which (A) you haven't even purchased, and (B) you are under no obligation to purchase. She is not posting a think piece to a discussion forum, rather you are peeping into a preview of her work and then telling her not to "moralize." So, who exactly is the one moralizing here, Damian? It sure seems to be you. And, it is a big laugh that you are trivializing feelings by putting snarky quotes around them when it is obvious your "feelings" sure seem hurt over an innocuous passage from a book. If this isn't your cup of tea, then pass and move on.

Finally, consider why you are so upset about an author merely asking her readers to think about how their actions or words might impact others. Generally, people who are truly secure in their words and deeds don't get upset over someone suggesting they take a moment to consider the impact of their actions...See more
Reply
Customer avatar
James J January 24, 2020 2:13 am UTC
PURCHASER
I agree with Damian and I paid for the pdf (regretfully), so remove that from your argument at least. And, the idea that "well she's just expressing her views in a creative work" is interesting. Would you make that argument if say the author was an out and out racist? Not saying you would, just pointing out that that argument either always applies or never applies. Also I'd ask that you don't hide behind "oh well she's just asking for you to be considerate", when there is a sense of accusation in the paragraph towards any who would dare include something the author doesn't like inn their game. As for real world impact, realistically there is no impact on the real world from a tabletop game played between about 4 or 5 people where they just want to have fun. Please explain to me what the "real life impact" is. Past that "no, you are insecure because you disagree with me" is not an argument.
Reply
Customer avatar
Christopher B January 30, 2020 9:53 am UTC
PURCHASER
James, what are talking about? First, she is not an "out and out racist," so stop making specious, and frankly, stupid arguments. She is merely saying in the introduction to be considerate of other people's experiences and feelings. If you find that concept problematic, then you need to take stock of your life. And, if you feel "accused," perhaps it is because you are insecure about your own behavior. People who are secure in their beliefs and actions don't tend to feel accusations are being made against them, especially by strangers who are addressing a general audience with mere suggestions. And, the real life impact of pushing a story and/or game elements that your players are uncomfortable with or find offensive just because "I am the DM" is that the players will (A) not have fun (the main purpose of playing in the first place), (B) find you to be an inconsiderate or perhaps even intentionally hurtful person, and (C) likely not want to play with you in the future, and perhaps...See more
Reply
Customer avatar
Italo I February 12, 2020 10:53 am UTC
Yes , it's moralizing.
It's moralizing to assume that the only way to make players feel comfortable is your own way.
Reply
Customer avatar
James J April 15, 2020 3:41 am UTC
PURCHASER
I didn't say she was an out and out racist. I asked if you would defend her if she was. Please read thing before reply to thing. As I said in my first reply, "being considerate to other people's experiences here" is an excuse for hide behind, and rather than argue why that's not the case, you just repeated yourself. I don't find much problematic. I'll leave that to the people that tend to use that word so often. I don't so much feel "accused" as much as the writer is clearly making the accusation to those who would include themes she doesn't like like in their games, and I happen to be one such person who would include such things, though even if I weren't, I would still make the argument on basic principle. It's not a matter of insecurity on my part, as much as principle, but please think as you may. Mere suggestions, sure, but that doesn't really mean anything, nor does it make it less annoying. For example "if you happen to be x race, then you might not want to be associated with my...See more
Customer avatar
Adam O January 11, 2020 2:08 am UTC
PURCHASER
My copy is failing to download.
Reply
Customer avatar
Lyde H January 11, 2020 4:30 am UTC
CREATOR
This seems to be happening across several titles at the moment. I'll be reuploading the files in just a few minutes to try and fix it.
Reply
Customer avatar
Adam O January 11, 2020 7:16 am UTC
PURCHASER
It's fixed. Thanks.
Reply
Customer avatar
tuukka M January 20, 2020 8:13 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I still had this problem, but managed to get it to download when i copied the download link and pasted it into an incognito window. Disabling all addons and trying to download in a normal window didn't work.
Customer avatar
Lucas B January 08, 2020 7:47 pm UTC
The ppreview isn't working. I tried on my phone, and on my chromebook.
Reply
Customer avatar
Lyde H January 09, 2020 5:03 am UTC
CREATOR
The files have been updated and it should work for you now!
Reply
Customer avatar
Lucas B January 13, 2020 1:25 pm UTC
Thanks!
Narrow Results
$ to $
 Follow Your Favorites!
NotificationsSign in to get custom notifications of new products!
 Recent History















Product Information
Platinum seller
Community Content
Author(s)
Rules Edition(s)
Pages
29
Format
Original electronic Click for more information
Scanned image
These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.

For PDF download editions, each page has been run through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to attempt to decipher the printed text. The result of this OCR process is placed invisibly behind the picture of each scanned page, to allow for text searching. However, any text in a given book set on a graphical background or in handwritten fonts would most likely not be picked up by the OCR software, and is therefore not searchable. Also, a few larger books may be resampled to fit into the system, and may not have this searchable text background.

For printed books, we have performed high-resolution scans of an original hardcopy of the book. We essentially digitally re-master the book. Unfortunately, the resulting quality of these books is not as high. It's the problem of making a copy of a copy. The text is fine for reading, but illustration work starts to run dark, pixellating and/or losing shades of grey. Moiré patterns may develop in photos. We mark clearly which print titles come from scanned image books so that you can make an informed purchase decision about the quality of what you will receive.
pixel_trans.gif
Original electronic format
These ebooks were created from the original electronic layout files, and therefore are fully text searchable. Also, their file size tends to be smaller than scanned image books. Most newer books are in the original electronic format. Both download and print editions of such books should be high quality.
File Last Updated:
January 01, 2020
This title was added to our catalog on December 31, 2019.