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Typhon
2017-08-24, 04:53 PM
Curious what the best race class combinations are for the different classes/subclasses. I know what I like but what do others prefer?

For race, non optimal, I like the base human and not the variant.. But for fighter (champion) I think that goliath is far better.

Classes are basic for me. Standard thief, fighters, or a nice alteration wizard.

smcmike
2017-08-24, 05:12 PM
I think you need to be more specific about what you want.

Variant human is probably the best all around race, but you don't like that. Other race/class combos are largely defined by their best stat.

Grod_The_Giant
2017-08-24, 05:25 PM
Variant Human. Other races have their occasional niche (Half-Orc Barbarian/Champion critfisher, say), but... vHuman always does it best. Get exactly the stats you need, and the feat you need to get your concept moving/power flowing. It's a four-level head start.

Sans.
2017-08-24, 05:35 PM
Half-Elf is always amazing for any class that uses Cha, and Aarakocra just feels like cheating on classes like Monk and Ranger. Beyond that, it's stat matchup really.

Mortis_Elrod
2017-08-24, 05:43 PM
A lot of the time it's stat match up, which means that Vhuman is always considered. if a feat isn't needed for whatever reason then I go for a race that can do weird stuff. Wings, bonus action bite, a hard to get resistance, etc. I hate playing human but I'll do it for mechanical reasons if I need that feat pre-fourth level.

Specter
2017-08-24, 05:50 PM
Variant Human is the best at low levels, but after everyone has pumped up the stats they need, they're just bland.

Naanomi
2017-08-24, 05:54 PM
-Vhuman for lots of stuff
-Flying Races for flying
-Half-Elf for Charisma + Con + (attackstat/defensestat)
-Dwarf for Armor access/less Armor restrictions
-Pureblood for magic resistance

Everything else is about specific optimization goals...
-svirfneblin abjurer for racial feat use
-aasimar for single-hit damage maximization
-halfling for 'lucky' accuracy sharpshooter boost
-etc

CaptainSarathai
2017-08-24, 10:37 PM
Typically when I find myself optimizing, I end up going VHuman, because I'm usually also[/] MCing and using at least one Feat somewhere.
That said, if you're looking to match classes to races:

1. Anything that wants to spank people with a Weapon: Half Orc. It's got the same Racial mods as a Goliath, but instead of carry weight and cold resistance, it grabs an improved Critical.
1.5 Anything that wants to Tank: Goliath. Racial damage reduction, if available. Otherwise, Hill Dwarf for extra HP, or just stay Half Orc.

2. Dex Character: Stout Halfling gets +2, with a +1 to Con, and all the benefits of being small, etc.
Otherwise, Elf can get +2 but no +1s in combat stats, and the Drow is god-awful.

3. Wisdom Caster: VHuman with Resilient Wis is the only way to get +2 out of the PHB.

4. Int Caster: VHuman with Feat is again, the only +2.
Edit: and Gnomes, I guess (I hate gnomes). They do get Dex or Con though, which can both be good for Wizards as they affect AC or HP and Concentration checks.

5. Cha Caster: Half Elf, hands down. The SCAG variants just make this [I]even better, and they're also your only +2. The floating +1s mean that they also fit perfectly well with any dual-stat class which uses Cha.

To go beyond that you're getting into UA, Volo's, etc; which I don't have time for, and you're getting into whether you want to use Racial abilities or Feats in strange or unique ways, which is obviously very build specific.

Rynjin
2017-08-24, 10:54 PM
Half-Elf is a good runner-up for best all-round race. Good stats, more proficiencies (which are desperately scarce in 5e, it's my least favorite part about it), and darkvision makes a solid package.

It's also IMO the best Warlock and Paladin race if we're talking class/race synergy.

Naanomi
2017-08-24, 10:55 PM
4. Int Caster: VHuman with Feat is again, the only +2.
Poor gnomes...

Also, Resilient: WIS means never getting Resilient: CON, important for many builds of both Wisdom casters... perhaps Observant might be a better pick in such cases?

CaptainSarathai
2017-08-24, 11:16 PM
Half-Elf is a good runner-up for best all-round race. Good stats, more proficiencies (which are desperately scarce in 5e, it's my least favorite part about it), and darkvision makes a solid package.

It's also IMO the best Warlock and Paladin race if we're talking class/race synergy.
The thing about Half Elf is that Darkvision is pretty well wasted on a Warlock (still, Half Elf is their best option) since they can get Devil's Sight.

Ironically, this is what makes Tieflings so stupid. They get racial Darkness, but just end up blinding themselves. Short of some very specific builds where casting Darkness without burning slots could lighten your load, the Tiefling and Drow are just extremely lackluster.


Poor gnomes...

Also, Resilient: WIS means never getting Resilient: CON, important for many builds of both Wisdom casters... perhaps Observant might be a better pick in such cases?

All true. Forgot that Crawford ruled Resilient as a 1-of, and honestly forgot that Observant was the other +1 Wis.
Gnomes aren't a real race; they're just ugly Halflings...

Rynjin
2017-08-24, 11:28 PM
The thing about Half Elf is that Darkvision is pretty well wasted on a Warlock (still, Half Elf is their best option) since they can get Devil's Sight.

So you save that Invocation and get one of the other good ones instead.

Zene
2017-08-24, 11:34 PM
Kobold. Pack tactics is super abusable.

Ravinsild
2017-08-24, 11:36 PM
Races I like an usually are good: Half-Orc, Minotaur, Goblin, Tiefling, All Elves including Drow, Duergar

Races I keep wanting to play but never feel like they're the best option: Kenku, Tabaxi, Lizardfolk, Goliath, Hobgoblin

Races I wish had official support and would be good: Revenant from 4e, Vrykul from 4e, Gnolls from 4e.

Classes I like: Ranger, Sorcerer, Cleric, Barbarian #1, Fighter, Rogue, Monk

Classes I keep looking at but never play: Wizard, Paladin

Classes that frustrate me because I liked the 4e version more but still look at a lot: Warlock

Everything else is basically ignored. I would never play a human or a gnome or a Firbolg or one of those Trident water dudes. I would also never play a Druid for instance.

I tend to prefer gish type characters and Melee, especially Melee. I prefer Blasters for casters over well rounded "I have an answer for everything" type characters. I guess I usually try to optimize or ask for help on stupid niches that aren't actually overall the best and most optimized option in the general scheme of things.

I also typically like dual wielding because it's cool but IRL and even in this game is substandard.

So I optimize stupid and bad things I guess lol.

Tanarii
2017-08-25, 12:48 AM
I try to spend most of my time on the DM side of thinking about the game now. But sometimes I'll spend a while waiting an hour smoking a cigar and doodling theoretical builds.

I've noticed I like to Race and/or Background skill (at least one) to match my secondary or tertiary stat.

Recent Examples:
Wood Elf Barbarian Criminal (Str 15, Dex 15, Con 14)
Dragonborn Valor Bard Sailor aka Vikingborn (Str 16, Con 13, Cha 16)
Mountain Dwarf War Cleric Soldier (Str 16, Con 15, Wis 15)
Rock Gnome Eldritch Knight Sage (Str 15, Con 14, Int 16)
Half-Orc Infernalock Outlander (Str 16, Con 14, Cha 15)

It does mean I tend toward using Str or Dex races/backgrounds with full casters, and the Int/Wis/Cha ones with martials.

Edit:


Gnomes aren't a real race; they're just ugly Halflings...Youre eternal soul is endangered by such heresy. :smallbiggrin: 5e made Gnomes awesome. Just as 3e made Halfings awesome. (Technically 4e made gnomes awesome, but unlike 5e I never saw anyone play them.)

MxKit
2017-08-25, 02:42 AM
Variant Human is great for every class at early levels, as people have said. I'm not personally fond of it, though, so if you want to pick something other than:


Variant Human
Default Human, since +1 to every stat is also pretty solid for every class
Half-Elf, which isn't great for many builds but for ones where Charisma benefits you and you'd still like to boost two other stats rather than just one, it's just as good as or better than the Default Human

I went through the PHB and all of everything else, and made note of a few races that really shine in each class!

If you're wanting to make an awesome Barbarian, Half-Orcs are of course great, but Mountain Dwarves are also astonishingly good, given their +2 to both Strength and Constitution.
If you step outside the Player's Handbook, Duergar can also be pretty good; though you can't really do anything with their magic while raging, enlarge while you're not raging or invisibility before you do can be amazing, and the saving throw advantages are always nice. Bright sunlight might be a problem, though. Goliath is amazing, frankly, with its damage negation feature and its automatic Athletics proficiency (great for grapplers, especially!). Bugbear is actually great too, giving you improved reach and some extra damage on one surprise attack.
If your DM allows Unearthed Arcana, Minotaurs give you only a +2 to Strength, but a lot of neat melee stuff you can do with your horns.

For Bards, Lightfoot Halflings do really well, but surprisingly, so do Drow.
Outside the PHB, well. Half-High Elf gets you an extra cantrip, which can be really nice, and Half-Drow gives you the same stats as a Drow and access to their magic (I know I said I wouldn't cover Half-Elves, but this is an exception!). Tabaxi gives you both stats you need and lets you be a fast little bugger.
And if your DM allows Unearthed Arcana, Changelings are pretty damn good for your purposes, especially if you can think of a million ways to take advantage of that polymorph racial ability.

With Clerics, it depends a bit on what domain you're going to be going with; sometimes you want to pump Strength and Constitution, or Dexterity. Wood Elves are a great pick if you want a Dexterity bonus, and Hill Dwarves are great for upping your Constitution and giving you more hit points and better saves there.
Stepping outside the PHB is really the only way to get both a Wisdom and a Charisma bonus without going Human or Half-Elf! The version of the Aasimar from the Dungeon Master's Guide is pretty much perfect for Cleric purposes, and the Protector Aasimar from Volo's Guide is, IMO, even better, especially if you're going Life or Light Domain. Aarakocra might not be perfect for all builds, but being able to drop Cleric spells from the sky can be pretty great, especially if you can benefit from pumping Dex as well (and most builds can).

Druids are hard, but I'd say Wood Elves are by far your best bet, especially for Circle of the Land Druids. Tieflings suffer from not boosting your Wisdom, but can still make good Circle of the Moon Druids given that their boosts are solely to mental stats, which are the only ones you really need to worry about as Circle of the Moon anyway.
Outside of the PHB things don't get much more interesting, unfortunately. Water Genasi can make really fitting Coastal Land Druids, especially with their extra spells. Kenku and Lizardfolk can also make decent Land Druids -- Lizardfolk is especially fitting. Circle of the Moon is hard to optimize, but luckily, so long as you're pumping Wisdom in some way or another, you don't need to. Just go with a race that raises only mental stats, and you'll be good. DMG Aasimar and Protector Aasimar are, again, a pretty good bet for that, and Yuan-ti Pureblood isn't half bad.
If your DM allows Unearthed Arcana, Minotaurs are surprisingly fitting Land Druids -- again, probably Coastal.

With Fighters, again, it depends on whether you want to go for a Strength or a Dex build. It also depends on if you want to be an Eldritch Knight (and specifically if you want to be an Eldritch Knight that uses any spells that actually depend on your Intelligence score). For a Strength build, Mountain Dwarves and Half-Orcs are great, and Dragonborn can do really well as a Battle Master especially. For a Dex build, Halflings are astonishingly good (Lightfoots especially for Battle Master, again, and Stouts for any subclass), and High Elves and Forest Gnomes make good Dex-based Eldritch Knights, High Elves especially.
Going outside the PHB, you have a LOT more choices that are actually really good. If you want a Strength build, Duergar and Earth Genasi are both solid, and Goliath is really good. Bugbear is also great for either a Dex or a Strength build, but especially shines with Strength, because that small boost to Dexterity only helps even a Strength-based combatant. For Dex builds you'd be better off going with an Air Genasi or, actually, a Goblin, because Goblins and their racial traits are surprisingly good for a lot of stuff. Eladrin and Feral Tieflings are great Dex-based Eldritch Knights -- Feral Tieflings are maybe even better than High Elves!
If your DM allows Unearthed Arcana, Minotaurs actually make great Strength-based Fighters in general, but are also your strongest contender for a Strength-based Eldritch Knight.

For a Monk, Wood Elves are hands-down the most optimal choice in the Player's Handbook. You could do worse than a Stout Halfling, and there are some Strength-based Monk builds, usually based around grappling, where you might even want to go Hill Dwarf, but if you're just wanting to be the best damn default-Dex-based Monk you can be, Wood Elves got it.
Outside the Player's Handbook, you have a bit more elbow room. You also have the race that is hands-down better than literally any other Monk option including the Wood Elves. Aarakocra are ridiculously suited to being Monks; they raise both the stats you need most, you have flight which is almost broken on any class including the Monk (especially if you can get a grapple in), and you have more versatility to your unarmed strikes with those talons. If you can pass up the siren song of the Aarakocra, though (or if they're not allowed in your game), Kenku also make surprisingly good Monks (and suitably thematic Shadow Monks especially).
If your DM allows Unearthed Arcana, and if you actually are going for a Strength-based grappler Monk, Minotaur is a great race for you, better than Hill Dwarf. But that's a lot of 'if's.
But seriously. Aarakocra, though.

For Paladins, you want a Dragonborn if you're going Strength build (especially if you want to multiclass), or you want a Drow or Lightfoot Halfling if you're going Dex-based. Hill Dwarves aren't bad for Strength-based builds by any means, but they're definitely not optimal in the same way as the others are.
Outside the Player's Handbook, Fallen Aasimar actually make damn solid Strength-based Paladins. Keep with the theme and really take advantage of your abilities to scare the pants off people by going Oath of Vengeance. Alternately, Tabaxi make solid Dex-based Paladins and grant you some very nice racial features that it's always good to have (a climb speed, ability to double your speed, automatic proficiency in Stealth AND PERCEPTION).

With Rangers, Wood Elves are kind of the obvious pick, but that's because they really are the most fitting and most optimized. Hill Dwarves and Stout Halflings can also do pretty damn well, but you'd be putting one of your ability increases into Constitution rather than Dexterity (Hill Dwarf) or Wisdom (Stout Halfling). Stout Halflings are Small, though, which means that if you want to make a Beast Master Ranger with a large number mounts they can ride into combat, a Stout is probably the best class for you anyway!
Looking outside the PHB actually gets you other races that can pump both your Dexterity and your Wisdom, other than just the Wood Elf! Again, the Aarakocra are an amazing choice -- maybe the most amazing choice -- especially as you're likely good at long-ranged combat as a Ranger, and/or wanting to let your beast companion do the fighting for you anyway. Just like with Monk, the Kenku also shows up as a surprise option; being able to mimic animal sounds is flavorful, and being able to pick up proficiencies in both Acrobatics and Stealth is honestly pretty damn good. Plus, of course, the bonuses to your two needed stats. Kobolds are an even bigger surprise option, especially in campaigns that take place inside dungeons, in the Underdark, etc., because their Pack Tactics are great especially with the Beast Master Ranger.

Rogues are maybe the easiest to optimize, since they are alllll about Dexterity. Any Elf or Halfling would do great as a Rogue, and Forest Gnomes would be pretty darn good too. If you're going Arcane Trickster, Forest Gnome gets even better, and is one of the best picks along with High Elf.
Step outside the PHB and you have even more choices! Tabaxi and Goblin make great Rogues for various reasons, bumping good secondary stats, giving you some great racial features (Darkvision is great to have; Tabaxi makes you very stealthy and you can go a party face route if you want, and the Goblin's Fury of the Small and abilities to disengage and hide as bonus actions are great). If you're going Arcane Trickster, though, you might even want to choose the Feral Tiefling or the Eladrin over the Forest Gnome! Tieflings of course have that magic (you're already being a trickster, drop darkness into the middle of enemies!), and the Eladrin's ability to use misty step is amazing, as well as granting you access to the shortbow and the more powerful longbow (remember that you can use ranged weapons for your Sneak Attack!).

There are a few ways you can go with a Sorcerer. You could do way worse than a Drow or a Lightfoot Halfling, especially if you go Draconic Bloodline, therefore winding up with a hopefully super high AC. And, of course, with Draconic Bloodline, Dragonborn actually do synergize nicely, what with their breath weapon and (more thematic than helpful, admittedly) damage resistance. Go with Gold ancestry for both -- especially if your DM rules that your Elemental Affinity applies to your breath weapon -- and pick up the Elemental Adept feat at some point.
Outside the PHB... Well, this is another place where Half-Elf variants are some of your best bets; go with the Half-Drow for some extra magic to make it just as good as the actual Drow up there. The Scourge Aasimar is also really, really good, giving you some nice resistances, some healing, and a decent source of radiant damage and ability to add radiant damage to your attacks sometimes. Even though Intelligence isn't at all important to you, you might want to go with the Yuan-ti Pureblood anyway, for its darkvision, its resistances, and some nice extra spellcasting options.
If your DM allows Unearthed Arcana, the Abyssal Tiefling is a fine choice, too, giving you a bit better HP and some randomized access to a decent spell list as racial traits.

With Warlock, once again, it depends on what kind of Warlock you want to be. If you're going Bladelock and want to be able to get up in the scrimmage, you could do pretty well as a Drow, Dragonborn, or Lightfoot Halfling; those first two are pretty thematically appropriate for a Fiend Patron, too. Drow and Lightfoots can also be sneaky and agile if you wanted to sneak around with some Invocations and maybe the Archfey Patron. And Tieflings are going to be your best bets for a more "charming" type that really takes advantage of what the Great Old One Patron lets you do.
Outside the DMG, again, it depends on what you wanna do. The DMG Aasimar and Protector Aasimar make solid all-around Warlocks, and the Scourge Aasimar makes a decent Bladelock (you probably don't want to take the Fiend Patron, especially as a Volo's Aasimar, in case your DM says it makes you fall!). And Yuan-ti Purebloods might be worth it just for the excellent resistances and extra spellcasting; +1 to Intelligence isn't ideal, but you'd still make an incredibly solid Tomelock or Chainlock of the Great Old One or Archfey.

And finally, Wizards... Gnomes make astonishingly good Wizards, as it turns out! I feel like Dexterity is more important in 5e than Constitution, so I'd probably go with Forest Gnome over Rock Gnome, but they're both solid options. You could also do well with a High Elf, of course, but nothing's quite as good as a Gnome.
Going outside the DMG for the last time actually doesn't give you that many good options. Svirfneblin are just as great at being Wizards as Forest Gnomes, especially if you know you're going to be in rocky/stony areas a lot -- ie, a lot of dungeon crawls. The Eladrin is as good as the High Elf, maybe even better with its ability to use misty step, and the Fire Genasi gives you some nice magic stuff as well as a boost to your Constitution, which is always to the good; Fire Genasi is a step up from Rock Gnome, I'd say. The Hobgoblin also makes a surprisingly good Wizard, again boosting your Constitution and also giving you access to light armor, and letting you turn a miss or failure into a hit occasionally. Yuan-ti Pureblood, again, gives you some majorly good magic resistance as well as a bit of increased spellcasting, even if you don't need the Charisma.

I'm also going to have to agree that in general, if you're not in a campaign where Sunlight Sensitivity is going to absolutely cripple you all the time, Kobolds are shockingly abusable. Any build where you're standing back and making ranged attacks while your melee party members go melee it up? Pack Tactics is going to do some major work for you, and the +2 to Dex is only a good thing, whether for your ranged weaponry or your AC or both. And anything with a flight speed is going to be pretty tempting for any class, as a rule.