Remove stat bonuses. What race do you pick for your class?

[jaappleton]

All UA and books available.

So let's say your DM says to you, "Forget stat bonuses. Pick +2 to any stat, and +1 to another."

Half-Orc with +2 Charisma and +1 Intelligence if you want it.

What do you make?

I'd go for an Aasimar Kensei Monk. No, I haven't watched too much anime...

[jaappleton]

Yuan-Ti Totem (Bear) Barbarian

Magic Resistance on top of the Bear resistance? Yes. All of the yes. All of it.

[MustacheManny]

As far as role-playing goes, a very powerful halfling barbarian would be a lot of fun. I also just really like half-orcs, I'm doing a half orc Cleric right now but I'm missing that +2 wis from other races.

[Hrugner]

variant human? I think that's the right answer.

[JeenLeen]

Probably a dwarf (the type that gets medium armor proficiency) caster or a half-orc caster. Combinations of darkvision and the medium armor/"not die the first time" seem rather good.

Interestingly, I think this would make me almost never want to take dragonborn. I'm using them as a paladin now because the ability scores meshed nicely, but I find their class features and lack of darkvision rather mediocre.

[jaappleton]

Probably a dwarf (the type that gets medium armor proficiency) caster or a half-orc caster. Combinations of darkvision and the medium armor/"not die the first time" seem rather good.

Interestingly, I think this would make me almost never want to take dragonborn. I'm using them as a paladin now because the ability scores meshed nicely, but I find their class features and lack of darkvision rather mediocre.

Absolutely agreed on Dragonborn. The lack of Darkvision is something that's prevented me from liking them at all in 5E. If they had it, I'd love them as Paladins. A decent AoE on a class that sorely lacks it? Yes, please.

[Callin]

Goblin. I just love the Goblin for some reason. Probably because nobody lets me play them

[GhorrinRedblade]

Just like in Glengarry Glen Ross, Always Be Half-Orc.

That is the line, right? That's how I remember it, anyway.

[lonewulf]

Kobold. No -2 to STR? +2/+1 to whatever I want!? KOBOLD BABY YEAH! Don't even care what class IM A KOBOLD WHOOO!

[Hrugner]

Absolutely agreed on Dragonborn. The lack of Darkvision is something that's prevented me from liking them at all in 5E. If they had it, I'd love them as Paladins. A decent AoE on a class that sorely lacks it? Yes, please.

I can't make an excuse to play one and I'd really like to. Other than making one as a rogue to be funny, I can't think of why I would though.

[lonewulf]

I can't make an excuse to play one and I'd really like to. Other than making one as a rogue to be funny, I can't think of why I would though.

I made a Dragonborn Warlock once. The group had pretty much everything covered so I was able to pick whatever I wanted without worry. Was it an optimal Warlock? Nah. Was it hella fun? Yeah buddy. I love me some Devil's Sight and Dragonborn benefits from it more than just about any race.

[Ravinsild]

Still Half-Orc Barbarian....I'm lame :(

[Naanomi]

Half-Elves, Non-Variant Humans, some Mountain Dwarves and Tritons... cry at their mysterious nerf

Mountain Dwarf casters are probably a good choice

Races with hard-to-reconcile stay bonuses (yuan-ti, non-feral Tieflings, Bug-Bears) probably don't mind the boost either

[Oramac]

Absolutely agreed on Dragonborn. The lack of Darkvision is something that's prevented me from liking them at all in 5E. If they had it, I'd love them as Paladins. A decent AoE on a class that sorely lacks it? Yes, please.

100% agreed. I actually love the concept of Dragonborn, but really dislike that they don't get Darkvision, even though every ****ing dragon in the book has it.

Anyway, /rant.

To the OP: It depends a lot on the character I'm making, but I'd most likely play Volo's Aasimar.

[Ravinsild]

100% agreed. I actually love the concept of Dragonborn, but really dislike that they don't get Darkvision, even though every ****ing dragon in the book has it.

Anyway, /rant.

To the OP: It depends a lot on the character I'm making, but I'd most likely play Volo's Aasimar.

Literally all Dragonborn have is:

+2 Str, +1 Cha
Breath Weapon
Resistance

That's it. Literally. They are the most threadbare race in the entire game.

[Maxilian]

Well... i like the idea of reflavoring races into something else (like Arakoccra into Harpies), i guess i would take the Vuman stats and be something else, like an Orc or something like that

[Asmotherion]

My now-default is Tiefling Variant with Wings.

I sometimes play a Half Elf, but I would definitelly rather be a High Elf in those cases, if there was a +2 Cha bonus option.

Other than that, once in a wile I like to play a Dragonborn but I find that their breath weapon is not consistent enough wile is on par with cantrip damages.

If I were to play in a good campain I may go for the Winged Aasimar option, with prefearance to the consistant one (from UA) than Volo's.

I always play a Warlock or Warlock dip either way so Cha is the first thing I'm concerned about (especially if I multiclass into Sorcerer). And truth is that the races I mentioned are just perfect for it. I'd however probably wish to have a +2 Cha elf, mostly to RP as a 300 YO elf who looks in his late twenties. Oh well, can't have everything I suppose?

[8wGremlin]

Winged Tiefling - Arcane Domain Cleric

[Theodoxus]

Why the love/hate for darkvision (as in, love to have it, hate races that don't)?

When 5E first came out, I was saddened by the arbitrary placement of darkvision - but even more so by the removal of low-light vision. Then I read darkvision, and it just is low-light vision with a silly hanger-on for 3.x darkvision that's actually pretty tame.

It wasn't until we started Out of the Abyss and were running around in the underdark that our table really got into the nuts and bolts of light levels and vision ability. It wasn't until we were actually playing and not just theorycrafting, that the nifty way Skulker dealt with the dim light effect was apparent.

Outside of a very niche stealth build where I'm trying to ambush people in the dark, darkvision is actually a hindrance! Certainly in a group where even 1 person is dependent on a light source, DV becomes nigh useless.

Since darkvision turns darkness into dim light, and dim light still imposes disadvantage on perception checks for vision, I'd far rather have a lantern than deal with that! Bonus points if the foes we're facing have sunlight sensitivity and I have a sun blade (like OotA) or the Daylight spell (ditto).

I get what they were going for - but I'd actually rather they had gone back to 2E's Infra and Ultravision instead of this goofy mashup that's arguably worse than not having vision.

Given this, to the OP, I'd play a halfling. Halfling Luck has saved my bacon more times than I can count. In games with critical fumbles, rolling a pair of 1s on a d20 is super rare, and that's an ability worth the weight of a halfling in gold.

[Addaran]

Str-based fighter halfling or tiefling lady. In PotA there's a cute halfling lady in armor and in SCAG, it's a cute tiefling lady in armor. I'd want to play one of them, but both races lack str so it's a bit sad to start with 14 str.

[jas61292]

Since darkvision turns darkness into dim light, and dim light still imposes disadvantage on perception checks for vision, I'd far rather have a lantern than deal with that! Bonus points if the foes we're facing have sunlight sensitivity and I have a sun blade (like OotA) or the Daylight spell (ditto).

Totally agree. Darkvision is super overrated if you are actually playing by the rules as written. Sure, you can see in the dark, but not well. Even when I have darkvision, I always have torches, lanterns or the light spell. Its nice in theory for letting you sneak up on creatures that lack darkvision. But in practice, you are not actually good at seeing things in the dark, and it just makes you complacent. And in dungeons, one of the main places that lack light, noticing things, such as traps and secret doors, is super important, while not having light is not, since most things that live in the dark there have ways of seeing in the dark, often better than you.

[Mechaviking]

Idk, Aasimar fighter, cause I had a planetouched Aasimar fighter in AD&D and it was awesome(or that is how I choose to remember it).


Str-based fighter halfling or tiefling lady. In PotA there's a cute halfling lady in armor and in SCAG, it's a cute tiefling lady in armor. I'd want to play one of them, but both races lack str so it's a bit sad to start with 14 str.

Could start with 15 and go Heavy Armor mastery on 4, thats what I did with a rock gnome fighter(It was pretty awesome).

[EliteChoboHax]

Drow - regardless of stats and any special abilities. I love their thematic flair too much

[Mortis_Elrod]

Lizardfolk Paladin of Treachery. Lizardfolk warlock. Lizardfolk Ranger. Lizardfolk barbarian.

Lizardfolk Bard (the stories who could tell, through the alien mind perspective)

Lizardfolk are my new favorite race.

[Anderlith]

If we are talking no bonuses of any kind, no features or feats, no extra skills or abilities....?

Human, i just like playimg humans, even if i have to go featless
Half Elf
Aasimar
Dragonborn if i felt the need to be dragonish

Yep im kinda boring race wise but i always base my character on cool concepts not class race combos, like a wild elf barbarian & such

[Addaran]

Totally agree. Darkvision is super overrated if you are actually playing by the rules as written. Sure, you can see in the dark, but not well. Even when I have darkvision, I always have torches, lanterns or the light spell. Its nice in theory for letting you sneak up on creatures that lack darkvision. But in practice, you are not actually good at seeing things in the dark, and it just makes you complacent. And in dungeons, one of the main places that lack light, noticing things, such as traps and secret doors, is super important, while not having light is not, since most things that live in the dark there have ways of seeing in the dark, often better than you.

People stressing the disadvantage of having disadvantage in total darkness are the one exagerating IMO. You just have a much harder time noticing small details or hidden stuff. You still see enough to notice enemies, fallow the path, not fall into a giant hole, etc. Compared to the ones who's totally blind, is easier to hit, have a hard time even knowing where the enemy might be, if there's even one.

Using torch/light in a dangerous zone is insane risk. Everyone will see you from pretty far. Even if you're fighting people without darkvision, that light just made it so they can hit you without disadvantage, while you don't know where they are.



Could start with 15 and go Heavy Armor mastery on 4, thats what I did with a rock gnome fighter(It was pretty awesome).

At that point, 14 or 15 doesn't really matter, you have +2 and will only get +3 at lvl 4. HAM seems fun, but if the campaign is supposed to last, i'm not sure i'd take that as a feat. Seems +2 to another stat to get a bigger bonus is better.

[Hrugner]

Why the love/hate for darkvision (as in, love to have it, hate races that don't)?


Group composition and odd man out problems. If one player requires a light source, then you have a light source with your party in the dark and are easy to spot. It's similar to being the odd man out in an otherwise stealthy group, except there's no roll and fewer ways to mitigate the problem without expending resources. However, with the dragonborn specifically, you have a dragon like race that can't see in the dark, he's a weird counter example in an otherwise full phylum of darkvision having creatures. That and of course there's not much to the dragonborn race to begin with, tacking on better vision wouldn't hurt their balance.

Halflings are probably the coolest race though, I agree there.

[Little boy]

Tiefling every time. Any moment can feel serious and epic or a light hearted romp and still feels in character.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Literally all Dragonborn have is:

+2 Str, +1 Cha
Breath Weapon
Resistance

That's it. Literally. They are the most threadbare race in the entire game.

I agree. They seem cool though (fluff wise). My teenaged players (I DM for a HS club group) always have at least one or two dragonborn. I always give them darkvision though (after they've picked the race).

[ChildofLuthic]

Literally Half-Orc anything still. Relentless Endurance is so great, whether you're trying to tank harder or playing a squishy wizard that doesn't want to die.

I'd probably go assassin, because that extra crit dice would come up all the time. Or a charisma class, like bard or sorcerer, so I could have a high enough charisma to make that intimidation worth it.

[Hawkstar]

Also - Darkvision doubles the effectiveness of light sources. I like it BECAUSE it's low-light vision from 3.5

[Potato_Priest]

Hmm. We play with size modifiers to grapple checks, so I wouldn't go halfling barbarian right out of the gate. I'd probably play elf barbarian or elf bard, each with focus on grappling. I love grappling.