Cheese and elven whine

[GRWelsh]

Cheese isn't really a house rule of any kind, just a derogatory expression used for anything perceived as 'cheesy.' Of course, this is very subjective. Is power-gaming cheesy? What about DM's who give away lots of magic and treasure? Cheese refers more to style, than any actual rules.

But I think we are all familiar with the elven whine, and arguments why it is simply not fair (stomp foot) that elves cannot go higher in level than humans! Why, it's as unfair as people of certain persuasions not being able to get married! Raise those limits now, they demand. The other demihumans plant their hands on their hips when the elven whine really gets under way, and there are many high-pitched comments such as "You go, girl!" and "Ain't nobody gonna keep us down!"

The elven whine is a 1st edition house rule that means either raised level limits, or racial class limits that have been done away with entirely.

The cheese just seems to go really well with it. For example, a 21st/20th/20th gray elf cleric/fighter/magic-user with multiple artifacts.

[Lord Cias]

Ya know, I think we're going to get along just fine, Grashyewl.

[GutboyBarrelhouse]

It's a humanocentric world, ye elvish pukes.
Stick those demihuman level limits in yer pipe and smoke 'em, Mr. lives-a-thousand-years.
Prance in yer forests congratulating yerselves that ye're the pinnacle of the races - us humans shouldn't be much bother to ye, what with being busy mastering all of the Oerth and then, the Planes.

[DragonFire]

Well, we just did away with the racial limits all together. But our campaign is not the human-dominated one of Greyhawk. (Humans only make up about 18% of the main population.) To offset the racial bonuses that other races get and humans don't, we give the human characters a +5% on experience. Some of our more "exotic" races get up to a -15% penalty due to extra racial powers.

We don't have elven whine or cheese, but lots of Ale and Mead.