Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bohandas]

it makes the assumption that severe dilutions are at least as strong as pure samples

This is the crux of the matter. I don't know much about D&D, but from my point of view, unless the higher races constantly and massively crossbred with the more mundane species (very unlikely), the genetic advantage would rapidly dilute (and by definition weaken) to meaninglessness within a handful of generations. Half-dragons are mostly a shadow of real dragons, even being merely a generation away. Assuming an optimistic 50% of dragon genetic structure in the first hybrid generation, breeding with a pure mortal being would create a second generation that's a hopeful 25% dragon. Third gen would be around 12%, and fourth 6%. And this is all assuming all dragon genes are dominant enough not to be pushed aside by those of 'lesser' species, which needn't be the case.

I said that it would be diluted. My point was that the benefits conferred upon the first handful of generations would ensure that the supernatural bloodline was widely propagated into the general population by the time it reached the point where it no longer conferred a clear advantage; at which point it could then continue on momentum, as it were, due to being diffused throughout the local (and, due to migration and to analogous occurences in other locations, global) genepool.

[Bohandas]

semi-dragons, semi-demons and semi-celestials (et cetera) would have an evolutionary advantage over their fully mundane (or rather more fully mundane, as I will explain presently) conspecifics.

How? Why? That I'm aware of, literary "omnifertility" is limited to initial breeding only. A dragon may breed with anything, but a half-dragon / half-anything probably can't.

You misunderstand me. The omnifertility trait was not the advantage(s) which I was referring to. The advantages in question are the supernatural abilities inherited by hybrid and the first few generations of their offspring (in D&D 3.5e compare, Half-Dragon template, Half-Fiend template, Half-Celestial template, Draconic Creature template)

[LordBucket]

The omnifertility trait was not the advantage(s) which I was referring to. The advantages in question are the supernatural abilities inherited by hybrid and the first few generations of their offspring

Ok. But if we use your model rather than mine, who exactly is receiving that advantage? If we assume that the supernatural genes are "better" somehow, then it probably doesn't benefit the supernatural races for the mundance races to be acquiring those genes. Interbreeding with them doesn't improve them. It only improves their competition.

In this sense, omnifertility could be seen as a serious disadvantage, if used to the extent you propose

[Bohandas]

The omnifertility trait was not the advantage(s) which I was referring to. The advantages in question are the supernatural abilities inherited by hybrid and the first few generations of their offspring

Ok. But if we use your model rather than mine, who exactly is receiving that advantage? If we assume that the supernatural genes are "better" somehow, then it probably doesn't benefit the supernatural races for the mundance races to be acquiring those genes. Interbreeding with them doesn't improve them. It only improves their competition.

In this sense, omnifertility could be seen as a serious disadvantage, if used to the extent you propose

That's the beauty of it, group selection (benefit of the whole species as opposed to the benefit of the individual of that species, or rather, that individual's genes) is an extremely weak factor evolutionarily. Although, that being said, your point still most likely has some validity, particularly if there is no exchange of genes in the direction opposite of the one described in the OP (which may be reasonable, as each general infusion of foreign mundane genes into the genepool would require several generations of purebloods crossing with mixedbloods, likely at the same reduced rate at which they cross with mundane creatures) in which case the crossbreeding would not increase the supernatural parent's representation in its own species' genepool.

Additionally, half-demons and half-celestials often seem to occupy different socie-ecological niches than their supernatural parents.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

The game assumes you have some small amount of fiendish or celestial or whatever DNA. That's why 3E characters are more powerful than 2E characters of the same level. It's caused by the implications of the unique-and-precious-snowflake templates, which appeared in regular form in 3E. Sure some version might have come in a funky expansion in 2E but you know what I'm talking about.

Omnifertility benefits the parent species if the child halfbreeds have some affinity and friendliness with the parent. If not, I agree with Lord Bucket's last comment.