How do you decide what race to play?

[jaappleton]

There's no wrong answer here.

Do you decide it based on backstory? Well, sometimes backstory is independent of race. So what's your motivating factor then?

Perhaps by mechanical benefits? "I want to be an Archer so something with Dex?" is as valid a reason as any.

How do you decide?

[Spectrulus]

My current character is a half-blind lizardfolk shaman (mechanically wizard theurgy grave).

I usually start with a "what is a fun build," then go back from there. I decided on squish-resistant Wizard. Lizardfolk have Natural Armor, and a bonus Constitution so I thought that's a good start. Then I chose a School that fit the concept, and wrote a backstory to explain it.

After I had a good start, I felt a little cheesy for what I made, so I rewrote losing an eye, and voluntarily gave him thr Cyclop's Poor Depth Perception trait. Piling on physical/character flaws is my favourite part, I only tend to stop once I've added at least seven.

Most of my character building comes down to "Is this build interesting? What race/class combo can add to it via racial traits(to a lesser degree stats)? What is a personality I would like to explore?"

Off the cuff, I think a Firbolg Rogue is far more interesting idea to explore than a Elf Rogue. Free Disguise, Invisibility etc. vs +1 to Dex checks.

[Jophiel]

I usually get an idea in my mind's eye that could work within a range of races and narrow it from there. So I want a human-esque sword poker and decide on swashbuckler and then half-elf for the cantrip but I wouldn't start there and then go lightfoot halfling because I envisioned a more human look (half-elf works but halfling would not). But I might envision a halfling caster and decide that gnome mechanically works better while still preserving most of my initial vision of a tiny cheerful caster.

[micahaphone]

I usually start with some ability or concept I want to be able to do, hope I can come up with a personality or story to a character, and then from there I check what races work for both. For example, I've got a character idea for a strength based rogue, based off the Bounty Hunter from Darkest Dungeon, and I'm planning on going Mountain Dwarf. In another thread, it's been pointed out that Bugbear makes a good strength rogue, but I'm having difficulty matching bugbear to a personality, culture, or adventuring reason, especially with the whole monstrous nature/appearance, or at least mountain dwarf seems like a better fit for a stern tracker who hunts humans in the name of the law. But half orc or human could also work.

[Sigreid]

I do it on a whim.

[ScoutTrooper]

Very Whimsical like, usually it starts with a character archetype I might want to Roleplay as. If the Campaign doesn't influence the class I choose. It might fall to Racial quirk I'd want to roleplay with.

It's been a very long time since I've piloted a Human/V.Human, I'm usually aiming for exotic races. Mostly out of Volo's and coming up with a simple unique backstory that brings that individual into society by happenstance. The tie-in also explains class choice.

examples.

-enslaved Vanara, rescued and taken in to a monastery to be a monk
-abandoned Lizardfolk, whom was icy cold to touch, discovered by mercenaries to have sorcerer abilities.
-Kobold survivor of a decimating volcano that destroyed the den and forced the Kobold to board a vessel and find a way to live within society.(Ranger/bounty hunter)

Currently working out how a Kenku would be a Barbarian adventurer.

[diplomancer]

Usually just mechanics, though I have a decided preference for the "traditional" races. Other races just feel weird to me (honestly, I find roleplaying even non-humans a very big challenge; so easy to fall into caricatures. So, basically, humans, half-elves, half-orcs, and halfings are my favorites).

[HappyDaze]

Above all, I ask the DM what is appropriate for the campaign. I don't care what the story or mechanical factors a race brings, if the DM says it's a poor fit, I won't take it (and I expect the same from players when I am the DM).

[Demonslayer666]

Process of elimination.

I start by avoiding the races I dislike: drow, dragonborn, tiefling, gnome, and anything not in the PHB.

Then I try to avoid what I recently played.

And I tend to favor humans and dwarves, so I have been avoiding those recently.

My latest character is an elf, so my next one will likely be a halfling.

[MaxWilson]

There's no wrong answer here.

Do you decide it based on backstory? Well, sometimes backstory is independent of race. So what's your motivating factor then?

Perhaps by mechanical benefits? "I want to be an Archer so something with Dex?" is as valid a reason as any.

How do you decide?

Roll stats, look at shape of stats, see what emerges. Usually based on mechanical synergies, but sometimes just whimsy or something I've recently been reading about, if it inspired the right roleplaying concept. E.g. right now I'd be more than usually likely to make a Beasthide Shifter or a Bugbear even though mechanically they're terrible, e.g. a Bigfoot ("Bugbear") Thief with DEX/Int stats and morals reminiscent of Han Solo's is something I would get behind. The idea of a hulking seven-foot-tall sneakthief just seems exactly like Bigfoot, so I'd play him as laconic, easygoing, larcenous, and a bit gluttonous but good-hearted.

I guess you could say I choose races based on either how much fun they'd be to roll in combat (if I'm in a 5E-mechanics mood) or how much fun they'd be to act in character (if I'm in a I-wish-I-were-playing-AD&D-instead-of-5E mood).

[Grey Watcher]

I think I've always chosen race on the basis of story reasons rather than mechanical ones. At some point, either as part of the initial inspiration or just as the story elements start to coalesce, a race will just sort of unconsciously creep into my mental picture of the character: the mistrustful drow ninja-assassin, the raucous dragonborn gladiator, the plucky halfling swordsman, etc.

If that doesn't happen, I just default to human. They're the most "blank slate" race in terms of fluff, so if race doesn't feel integral to the character somehow, it's just... there.

That's not to say there haven't been cases where I got a specific image that happened to be human. If anything the "human by default" thing is rare for me, but it is nonetheless what happens.

[carrdrivesyou]

I build off of the story and setting. But in games where anything goes, I just figure out what the defining characteristics of the character are, and build backwards from there.

So: define personality, figure out how this person handles their problems (spells vs melee), then figure out which race matches the personality that fits into a party.

Example: Tom the Commoner was a nice guy until Jerkface McGee stole his cheese wheel. Tom signed a pact with Levistus to get his cheese wheel back. Levistus had made Jerkface McGee steal the cheese wheel so he could eat it himself on his throne in hell. Tom the Commoner finds this out and so he is a distrustful sot with dark powers. Tom is actually a warlock masquerading as a cabbage salesman. Halflings are known for their great farms in the setting, so now Tom the Warlock Cabbage Salesman is a Halfling.

Hope this helps.

[Theaitetos]

From any inspiration.

Sometimes I'm inspired by a race – e.g. when I first read about Tritons, I wanted to play one – and then I go from there and see what kind of build largely fits – e.g. Paladin for the Triton – and then make details & flesh out some background (often with the helpful tables in the DnD sourcebooks).

Sometimes I'm inspired by a certain build, and then I try to check which race roughly fits, e.g. at least a primary attribute should fit. I prefer to use more exotic races to work with in such cases, though not too monstrous (no centaur, orc, bugbear, …), i.e. it should be possible in human societies like a Half-Orc or Yuan-Ti. The exotic species is supposed to spice up the initial build for flavor and roleplay.

Generally, I tend to avoid humans as they're either too bland (non-variant) or op (variant), and I dislike small races, so I've never played a dwarf, gnome, halfling, or baby yoda. :smalltongue:

[MagneticKitty]

1. Pick desired class
2. Look at lots of pictures that could be that class
3. Race is what picture inspires me most for a character

Or
find cool mechanics I want to try.
Like my kobold beast master ranger revised who rode a wolf. Double pack tactics.

Or cool concepts.. kenku raven queen Warlock pact of the tome. A kenku who has a raven on each shoulder, one from subclass one from find familiar. They give him advice but only he hears it cause he's crazy. Like a soldier angel/devil. One is albino/amelinistic (white) the other is black.

[Imbalance]

"Well, I haven't tried one of those yet."

[CapnWildefyr]

For me, no pattern. I usually start with what races are allowed, and then what classes, and then I roll and think of character concepts. I don't like anything too offbeat (monsters) because I have a hard time concocting what I feel is a believable backstory for a bugbear or kobold. Giff, lizardman, gnome, ok, but monster types don't interest me. I sometimes game the race a bit for stats or class but never if it doesn't fit the concept. So sometimes I might think "i want to roll up an X", and sometimes race is secondary to class or concept.

[Bobthewizard]

I'm a visual person so when I look for pictures for my existing characters, I inevitably find pictures of other characters I want to make. Most of my characters now are just me trying to make mechanics to fit a backstory I made up for a picture I saw.

Strangely, after I've made the character to fit a picture, I sometimes find a new picture for them based on the mechanics and adjust the character a little if needed. It's all a circular process for me. Image, backstory, mechanics, and then repeat to refine.

I mostly play humans, magic humans (aasimar, elves and half-elves) or rough humans (half-orcs), and sometimes little humans (halflings and dwarves), or even little magic humans (gnomes and goblins). It's rare for me to play something less human than those.

[Witty Username]

Race is usually my third decision, my first tends to be background and second class. I usually end up picking human. I have liked contradictory characters, like half-orc wizards and such. Race is mostly visual for me though like one character I made a while back a mild mannered, well dressed, lawful neutral half-orc rogue modeled off of a tax collector.

[Tawmis]

There's no wrong answer here.
Do you decide it based on backstory? Well, sometimes backstory is independent of race. So what's your motivating factor then?
Perhaps by mechanical benefits? "I want to be an Archer so something with Dex?" is as valid a reason as any.
How do you decide?

Honestly, it varies for me. If I am going into an existing game; I see what races and classes are currently in the party.
In one game, I came into - there was a lot of non-human characters (2 tieflings, 1 half-orc, 1 goliath, 1 assaimar) - so I made a Human (Fighter).
In another game (friend of that DM), there was a lot of different non-humans, so I opted to do something wild - and did a Kenku (Rogue).
I am, if it's a game, I am in on the start on, typically favor Human or Half-Elf type characters (Fighter, barbarian or Ranger) types.

[Lyracian]

Usually I am more of a mechanical player, especially in a point-buy game, and pick the race that gives me the best bonus. Dwarven Cleric or Half-Elf Bard that sort of thing. If we are rolling stats I am more likely to go outlandish such as a Dwarven Wizard.

Sometimes I come up with a cool concept or want to play something off beat, such as a dex based Halfing Barbarian. I also tend to reuse characters, especially if we are playing ad-hoc one shots.

[Nagog]

Depends on a lot of things. The build, the story, the intended playstyle, occasionally it starts with the race itself. For example, one character I created recently was an evil, warmongering GOOlock for a campaign with heavy political intrigue. Even though he's disguised 24/4 with Mask of Many Faces, I decided he'd be a Hobgoblin due to his beliefs and the like. It fit the theme, so it fit the character.
In another build, I chose Warforged for their integrated tools.
In another, I chose Halfling for the stat allocations (and because a 3 ft tall 80's rocker was a fun aesthetic)
And lastly, there is the all encompassing Variant Human, chosen for the obvious reason.

[NecessaryWeevil]

It's difficult to generalize about my process. Sometimes it's mostly about mechanics.

I've been wanting to play a summoner for a long time, so when our new campaign started I decided I was playing a Shepherd Druid. Oh, it's Dragon Heist. Huh. Okay. We'll have to figure out how a druid fits into that. I need a race...I briefly played a Tabaxi recently and got addicted to their crazy mobility. Seems useful for a class that's highly focused on not failing Concentration checks; the best way to pass a check is to not make one. Now I have a Tabaxi Shepherd Druid in Waterdeep...he's a street kid: an alley-cat who ministers to alley cats!

But sometimes it's more concept:

I already have my next character planned: I've also wanted to play a Redemption Paladin for a long time, but what about one who is kind of reluctant? What about a Scourge Aasimar who is always barely restraining himself from just burning the miscreants into ash? Inspired by the Sir Peter Fairgrave story - "Are you going to make mad enough that I Fall and take you with me?"

[Pex]

I default to Variant Human. I find I must, must have the feat whatever the feat is I need for my character. In the off chance a character doesn’t absolutely must have a feat or I can wait then I consider whatever else.

[Misterwhisper]

I come up with a concept and then go backwards to get a race and class that fits it the best.

Ex.

Not long ago we were playing a game set in a large city in a massive crater with a river and cave system under it.

We were all playing street people who formed a gang to get by and took it from being lowly street scum to eventually being dimigods who stole part of a portfolio from a dying god.

I wanted to play the thug of the group who was also pretty sneaky and inconspicuous.

I went with a mountain dwarf barbarian who did not wear armor, and he just carried a pick axe. He was a miner. Both profession and even in combat.

Nobody looks funny at a dwarf with a pickaxe in a mountain town based on mining.


Before that I wanted to play a guy who did everything with magic because he was just so lazy and knew magic was the key to making life easy.

I went with a variant human arcana cleric with magic initiate Druid just so he could gooseberry his food and prestidigitation it to taste like steak, and auto clean his stuff.

[Spectrulus]

I default to Variant Human. I find I must, must have the feat whatever the feat is I need for my character. In the off chance a character doesn’t absolutely must have a feat or I can wait then I consider whatever else.

Tables I DM or play at always start with the Starting Feat, stacking with Variant Human. We get a large variety of characters. I understand what you mean.

[Ertwin]

I actively avoid playing as humans (because I play one in RL)

[Zhorn]

I think of a personality type that I'd like to play first (something I'd be comfortable to commit to long term), then go for a class and race that aligns with it.
I like to do voices and really dig into my characters (I'm a DM more often, so I get to experiment through NPCs).

Had a DM say 'no' purely based on not wanting any class/race THEY didn't have on DNDbeyond (it was a pen'n'paper game and his account never got used for the whole campaign), so I opt for a human fighter with the personality of a potato... Becomes the party face with a charisma of 5, and the story evolves to focuses on my character's backstory when the other 4 players default to lol-random murderhobos without any longterm goals. Not sure who won in that exchange :smallconfused:

[Ertwin]

I think of a personality type that I'd like to play first (something I'd be comfortable to commit to long term), then go for a class and race that aligns with it.
I like to do voices and really dig into my characters (I'm a DM more often, so I get to experiment through NPCs).

Had a DM say 'no' purely based on not wanting any class/race THEY didn't have on DNDbeyond (it was a pen'n'paper game and his account never got used for the whole campaign), so I opt for a human fighter with the personality of a potato... Becomes the party face with a charisma of 5, and the story evolves to focuses on my character's backstory when the other 4 players default to lol-random murderhobos without any longterm goals. Not sure who won in that exchange :smallconfused:


That sounds like an accidental "old man henderson"

[Tawmis]

I actively avoid playing as humans (because I play one in RL)

Yes, but are you besieged by orcs and goblins? And saying some of your co-workers can be classified as such, doesn't count!
Well, how about fighting regenerating trolls? OK - and saying internet trolls who keep coming back for more doesn't count!
Are you faced against a dragon protecting it's hoard? Ok... saying an mother/father-in law being protective about the person you're dating/married to, doesn't count!
OK - let's try something else...
Do you ever find yourself in a maze? And saying trying to find your way around on the freeway doesn't count!
Fine! Do you use magic?
And saying Apps on your SmartPhone don't count.

Fine.

I get why you don't play a human...

[dehro]

It varies a lot. Sometimes I let the setting or campaign details the DM gives us guide me, but more often I start with a character concept, a backstory. Once I've determined what the character's origin story, goals and core class are I pick a race that fits the purpose and concept.
Then I look at the result and change the class, or class progression to fit the role I by then have determined is like him to fill. If that brings up an idea for a better race to fit the purpose, I'll change it again, but usually race is pretty established once I pick one.
Some other times my idea for a character starts with a cool image, and that would more often than not be of a specific race.

[Wizard_Lizard]

welp turn out all o my pcs re secretly the same changdling- I mean what... no... thatd be dumb. I normlly gowith what seems fun, preferably with mild synergy with whatever class I feel like (which i most often bard/rogue so minly tabaxi/changeling/half elf.) Itend to concept firstand hen design a backstory later.
exmple
Aderyn. He is a half eladrin feybladelock, I was gonna go with eladrin but switched to half elf because SKILLS. His patron is his dad (sort of adopted/kidnpped/indoctriated ito vampireassassin cult)Kannoth the vampire archfey. all of that stemmed from wnting to play a feybadelock. normllyI o class first then race and bakstry as both of hem tend to be slighly minhled.

[Spriteless]

If it's not a one race campaign, I look at what other players are playing, and play someone who contrasts against them, but not so much it seems adversarial. Everyone playing a bunch of tough guys? I'll play an elf. Everyone playing a bunch of delecates? I'll play a dwarf. Everyone playing a special? I'll play a human. Monster party? Is lizardfolk taken yet?

[Grey Watcher]

Do you ever find yourself in a maze? And saying trying to find your way around on the freeway doesn't count!

Never been to Boston, have you? :smallwink:

[jaappleton]

Never been to Boston, have you? :smallwink:

Where 128 North is ALSO Route 95 South!

[DigoDragon]

I generally play races that I can draw in cute or fun ways. So, lots of Tabaxi, as you can imagine. XD



Never been to Boston, have you? :smallwink:

I had my first Minotaur encounter at Logan international.

[Eldariel]

As much as I hate it, I generally end up playing Variant Human since there are lots of cool feats and I wanna get to pick interesting ones beyond the most obvious. ASIs and Feats are so limited that an extra is just generally more interesting to me than race (as much as I hate humans, I can just alter myself).

[Tanarii]

Bfore I started DMing all the time, I played a bunch of characters where the first thing I did was roll race on the reincarnate table. Several of them I also randomly rolled class and/or background next.

Most of them never made it out of T1, sometimes never more than 2 sessions. But there were some fun combinations.

[KorvinStarmast]

To answer the OP:
Honestly, when selecting character race, I try to look at the campaign, my background and prospective class, and see what strikes me as fitting. For my own reasons, since I like to mess about with back stories, it needs to feel like it fits.


Caveat: I will not play a tiefling, nor a gnome, for personal reasons having to do with disagreeing that either of these races were ever needed. Also, I have played so many halflings and hobbits over the years since OD&D that I am not likely to ever play one again. But a halfling bard or druid is not out of the question

My highest level PC so far in 5e has been a half orc Fighter, Champion. Sword and board.

I like Life Clerics; I am on my third.
Tempest clerics? Great fun. That one was human.

My Shadow Sorcerer vHuman I wish was still active (campaign died).

Each character decision is made in an iterative process, and I like to make sure that it fits the game world.

For one shots, my only restriction is: no tieflings, no gnomes. Anything else is fine.

[Kane0]

I used to roll a d12 but now there's more than that to choose from...

[MrStabby]

Its pretty tough and quite restrictive to be honest.

1) I want a character that can do many different things: This basically pushes me towards caster
2) I want turns in combat to be different to each other: an overlap with 1, but having played a warlock this is important.
3) I want a character that has rich turns, with uses for actions but also bonus actions and reactions (hard to get, but it does point to spell lists with good reaction spells)
4) My preference is for a character that is focused on the enemy - controlling, debuffing, damaging, rather than on my own team. A criterion that often must be relaxed.


I try and play something the table has not seen in a while. Given that the people I play with most often seem to have similar tastes to myself this poses a problem.


I cant get into warforged, yuan-ti, lizardfolk... I just don't want to RP them.


This is why I a) crave new content and b) usually DM instead.

[Witty Username]

I have made a few characters at this point based on mtg, one a wizard focused on blue themed abilities, a few as concepts based on specific cards, like goblin guide for example.

[Yakmala]

It varies.

Often, it starts with the campaign setting, theme and backstory. I think about what would be cool to play that ties in well to the campaign as a whole.

Other times, I just get an idea for a personality, or a voice and I pick the race that best suits the vision.

Still other times, I want to try out a specific character build and I'll pick the race that best suits it.

[Bosh]

It often starts with "what would be a fun thing to do in a D&D game." Then it goes to "what kind of character would do that thing." Then goes to race.

[Potato_Priest]

Normally I have some idea of what I want the character’s fluff to be- what they should be capable of and where they come from. From this, I pick a race that fits within those proficiencies and backstory.

For instance, if I’m playing a character renowned for their endurance and capacity to survive, dwarf, stout halfling, or half orc are the go-tos since they have relevant abilities.

If I’m making someone who’s been the servant of the same noble house for as long as anyone can remember, I need long life, so probably an elf.

Amusingly, when I was designing a character to imitate a vampire’s abilities as best I could (A sort of vampire fanboy, if you will) I settled on Aasimar for the necrotic resistance and the darkvision.

[Porcupinata]

For me it's mostly visual. I normally choose a class first, and then imagine characters of different races (and genders and social classes etc.) doing what that class does. When I get a mental image that sticks, I'll flesh out the race/gender/class into something more solid and choose a background that would go well with the combination.

[Evaar]

Largely it's impulse driven.

Maybe I have a story idea that demands a certain race's themes, and I'll figure out the mechanics later.

Maybe I'm interested in a particular build that's better supported by the mechanics of a particular race, and I'll figure out the story later.

Maybe I just saw a cool piece of art and I want to make a character based on it, and I'll figure out what the story and mechanics are later.