Player Race check

[DeTess]

For an upcoming campaign, I'm considering limiting the existing races to Humans, Halfings and goliaths(these three would be the 'human races') and Elves (no Drow), Half-elves and gnomes (these would be the 'elvish races'). The other races would either be extinct (dragonborn), or never existed at all (no orcs, no DnD style extra-planar stuff).

Is there any mechanical niche these 6 don't fill?

[hwem]

I guess selection for wis based classes would be weak.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I guess selection for wis based classes would be weak.

There are very few wisdom races, but wood elves are as good as any. The only other core wisdom race is Hill dwarf.

[Tanarii]

If you got variant humans, you already cover all mechanical niches except darkvision. And I suspect if you don't have dwarf races, there won't be much underground adventuring.

[Throne12]

For an upcoming campaign, I'm considering limiting the existing races to Humans, Halfings and goliaths(these three would be the 'human races') and Elves (no Drow), Half-elves and gnomes (these would be the 'elvish races'). The other races would either be extinct (dragonborn), or never existed at all (no orcs, no DnD style extra-planar stuff).

Is there any mechanical niche these 6 don't fill?

Str: human +1, goliath +2 , half elf +1
Dex: human +1,elf +2,halfelf +1,f-gnome +1,halfling+2
Con: human+1, goliath+1, halfelf+1, s-hafling+1, r-gnome+1
Int: human+1, h-elf+1, gnome+2, half elf +1
Wis: human+1, w-elf+1 half elf+1, g-halfling+1
Cha:human+1, half elf +2, L-halfling+1


Con and wis suffer with not having any race provide any +2 too there stats. You could have a human pick up a feat that adds a +1 too any stat or you can change the based human to have +2 to any stat and +1 to any stat then have a choice of a weaker feat like actor but they dont get the +1 to stat from feat.

You also nerfed str and cha choice selection hard. Where they only have three choices when every other have 4+. Where Dex is still king in 5e.

[Naanomi]

Svirfneblin also get DEX

[hwem]

There are very few wisdom races, but wood elves are as good as any. The only other core wisdom race is Hill dwarf.

+2 wis is something they will lack and I think that’s something to consider. With variant human that wouldn’t be as big deal though

[PhoenixPhyre]

+2 wis is something they will lack and I think that’s something to consider. With variant human that wouldn’t be as big deal though

AFAIK, the only +2 WIS races are non-core. The firbolg is the only one I can think of offhand.

[hwem]

There are very few wisdom races, but wood elves are as good as any. The only other core wisdom race is Hill dwarf.

There is that gith also. Is gith not considered from a core source? There are more wis characters in some others including MTF if that is allowed but I guess not in PHB

[Naanomi]

Wis races:
+1:
Human
Aaracokra
Protector Aasimar
Centaur
Hill Dwarf
Wood Elf
Water Genasi
Half Elf
Ghostwise Halfling
Kenku
Lizardfolk
Loxodon
Simic Hybrid
Tiefling (Legacy of Phlegethos)
Tortle
Vedalkin

+2:
Firbolg
Githzerai

[thoroughlyS]

There are a few +2 WIS races in the various Plane Shift (https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Plane_Shift) articles. There's also the wildhunt shifter. Without knowing the exact reason behind limiting the races, I don't know the best recommendation to make.

[OzDragon]

If you got variant humans, you already cover all mechanical niches except darkvision. And I suspect if you don't have dwarf races, there won't be much underground adventuring.


Why do you need Dwarves to have underground advntures?

As for the OPs question. You run your world how you want. Any race class combo can work and work well. You don't need to have a +2 bonus to make any class/race be good.

[DeTess]

I'd like to thanks everyone for their input, especially the breakdown by Throne has been pretty helpful as an evaluation tool.

I'll be looking into the Shifter at least, as a possible addition to the roster, as it gives another solid wisdom options in addition to variant human, and also expands the options for strength and Charisma. Unlike some of the other alternatives it also doesn't break the two overarching-species I'd initially established.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Orcish endurance is a bigger deal imo than a potential 1 bump in Wisdom.