Forge of the Artificer is Technically Bringing Back Half-Elves

The 2024 rules refresh for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition was an eventful time for the TTRPG. Nearly every aspect of the game received a facelift in this update, from classes and spells to monsters and feats. Playable species – formerly known as races – also changed drastically, including the addition of two new core options with the Aasimar and Goliath. However, one of the most popular Dungeons and Dragons species was conspicuously absent from the updated Player’s Handbook: the Half-Elf.

The reason for this was straightforward; rather than having specific stats for mixed-heritage characters like Half-Elves or Half-Orcs in the new Dungeons and Dragons rules, players could simply borrow core traits from the species of their parents to create a personalized blend. However, these guidelines were unsatisfactory for some, as most species traits are not balanced against each other, easily enabling over- and under-powered combinations. Apparently, some part of Wizards of the Coast agreed – despite their initial position, Half-Elves are set to appear in Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, albeit under a different name: the Khoravar.

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The Khoravar – Half-Elves of Eberron in D&D

In Khorvaire – the main continent in the world of Eberron – people with both Human and Elvish ancestry are called Khoravar. Sometimes referred to as “the children of Khorvaire,” they are one of the most populous species on the continent, and can be found virtually everywhere either of their parent races live. Khoravar are commonplace enough that they can manifest hereditary dragonmarks that are vital to the Dungeons and Dragons world, such as the Mark of the Storm of House Lyrandar and the Mark of Detection of House Medani.

But despite their special name, Khoravar are literally Half-Elves; both the Eberron wiki and Keith Baker, creator of the setting, refer to them as such. Beyond the obvious differences in their culture, there is fundamentally nothing different from a Khoravar and a Half-Elf from the Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk.

Even their species traits are similar in some ways to the original Half-Elf from the 2014 Player’s Handbook. Both have Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, and Skill Versatility – though the OG Half-Elf version grants two skills, while the Khoravar’s manifests as one skill or tool that can be changed every day. They are further differentiated by the Half-Elf’s +1 bonus to a third characteristic, while the Khoravar get a free, changeable Cleric, Druid, or Wizard cantrip and resistance to being rendered Unconscious, both of which are traits drawn from their Elvish parents.

Khoravar Traits (Eberron: Forge of the Artificer) vs. Half-Elf Traits (PHB 2014)

Unfortunately, despite all of this, Khoravar are still technically a setting-specific species. Because they do not appear in the Player’s Handbook, a dungeon master would be well within their rights to forbid their use. Even Dungeons and Dragons‘ blog about Eberron: Forge of the Artificer referred to the Khoravar as “a unique playable species in the world of Eberron.”

That said, adapting the Khoravar to other settings seems like the most elegant approach to letting fans play Half-Elves in the new Dungeons and Dragons rules. While players could technically still use the “pick traits from each parent” method, the new option in D&D‘s Eberron: Forge of the Artificer sourcebook is a more balanced, consistent, and straightforward method of playing them.

However, the addition of the Khoravar begs the question: what about Half-Orcs? While Half-Elves are a fan-favorite species in Dungeons and Dragons – so much so that they were one of the most popular races in Baldur’s Gate 3 – Half-Orcs were in the original Player’s Handbook as well, even though most of their traits were simply transferred over to the new core Orc option. The Khoravar have technically opened up a floodgate that was supposed to stay closed in the 2024 Dungeons and Dragons rules, so maybe Half-Orcs will get the same treatment some day.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

1974

Designer

E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson