Race-Class-Matchup

[Thanee]

I wrote up this Race-Class-Matchup table, let me know what you think and where you think I should change it (and why).

The table is meant to show how good a race and a class fit together. The more benefits the class (at least one of the ways to play the class) gains from the race, the better the value. It's assumed that you choose a path within the class that plays to the strengths of the race/class combination.

LEADER       Dragonborn   Dwarf    Eladrin     Elf    Half-Elf  Halfling    Human   Tiefling
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Battle       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Battle
Cleric       |  ++/+   |  ++/+   |    -    |    0    |    0    |    -    |   +/0   |    -    | Cleric
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Devoted      |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Devoted
Cleric       |    0    |  ++/+   |    -    |  ++/+   |    0    |    -    |   +/0   |    -    | Cleric
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Inspiring    |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Inspiring
Warlord      |   ++    |    -    |    -    |    -    |    +    |    0    |   +/0   |    +    | Warlord
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Tactical     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Tactical
Warlord      |    +    |    -    |    0    |    -    |    0    |    -    |   +/0   |    +    | Warlord
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

DEFENDER     Dragonborn   Dwarf    Eladrin     Elf    Half-Elf  Halfling    Human   Tiefling
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Great Weapon |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Great Weapon
Fighter      |   ++    |    +    |    -    |    -    |    0    |    -    |   ++    |    -    | Fighter
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Guardian     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Guardian
Fighter      |    +    |    +    |    0    |    0    |    0    |    -    |    +    |    -    | Fighter
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Avenging     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Avenging
Paladin      |   ++    |    +    |    -    |   0/-   |    +    |    0    |   +/0   |    0    | Paladin
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Protecting   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Protecting
Paladin      |   ++    |    +    |    -    |   0/-   |    +    |    0    |   +/0   |    0    | Paladin
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

STRIKER      Dragonborn   Dwarf    Eladrin     Elf    Half-Elf  Halfling    Human   Tiefling
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Archer       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Archer
Ranger       |    -    |   0/-   |    +    |   ++    |    -    |    +    |   +/0   |    -    | Ranger
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Two-Blade    |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Two-Blade
Ranger       |   +/0   |    +    |    0    |   +/0   |    -    |    -    |   +/0   |    -    | Ranger
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Brawny       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Brawny
Rogue        |    +    |    -    |    0    |    0    |    -    |    +    |    +    |    -    | Rogue
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Trickster    |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Trickster
Rogue        |   0/-   |    -    |    +    |  ++/+   |    0    |   ++    |    +    |    0    | Rogue
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Deceptive    |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Deceptive
Warlock      |    +    |    -    |    0    |    -    |   ++    |    +    |    +    |   ++    | Warlock
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Scourge      |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Scourge
Warlock      |    0    |    +    |    0    |    -    |   ++    |    0    |    +    |    +    | Warlock
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

CONTROLLER   Dragonborn   Dwarf    Eladrin     Elf    Half-Elf  Halfling    Human   Tiefling
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
Control      |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | Control
Wizard       |    -    |    0    |  ++/+   |    +    |    -    |    -    |   ++    |    +    | Wizard
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
War          |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         | War
Wizard       |   0/-   |    0    |   ++    |   +/0   |    -    |    -    |   ++    |   ++    | Wizard
             |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
             +---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

Legend           ++ perfect match     + good match        0 alright           - no good match

Bye
Thanee

 

[deleteme123456]

It would be helpful to know your evaluation criteria. Looks like attribute bonuses, although why then Human gets a ++ to Wizard and only a + to anyone else, I don't know. I suppose if you subscribe to the Wizards-only-need-int camp.

Also I would get the table size down by abbreviating classes and using one line not 3 for each, and then I would have room to include the MM racial templates that people like to use (Drow Rogue, for example).

 

[Thanee]

Everything, not just attributes. It's certainly not perfect yet, and there are some combinations I am not really sure of.

For example: The Dragonborn Wizard - Attributes are pretty much a total mismatch, but the Dragonborn racial features are pretty good to cover the Wizard's weaknesses and you can always put a high value on Int. Hence a '0' an not a '-'.


I thought about adding the MM racial templates, but for now restricted it to the PHB races on purpose, but will later expand it most likely.

It's a bit unfortunate, that the code tags only allow a limited amount of space, so some scrolling might be necessary, though you can always copy and paste the table into Notepad for easier reading.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Conjurer]

For example: The Dragonborn Wizard - Attributes are pretty much a total mismatch, but the Dragonborn racial features are pretty good to cover the Wizard's weaknesses and you can always put a high value on Int. Hence a '0' an not a '-'.

I don't see why. The dragonbreath is pretty much wasted on a class that can create blastas and bursts at will and other more powerfull such effects with its dailies or per encounter abilities.

The bloodied bonus and CON bonus to Healing Surges nice... but they're nice for every single class, and given the HPs of a wizard, I wouldn't want to get bloodied in the first place.

 

[garyh]

It would be helpful to know your evaluation criteria. Looks like attribute bonuses, although why then Human gets a ++ to Wizard and only a + to anyone else, I don't know. I suppose if you subscribe to the Wizards-only-need-int camp.

I'd think humans as great wizards would be because the third at-will does the most good for a wizard, combined with the only-need-Int thinking.

 

[Thanee]

I don't see why.

So a '-' would be more fitting then? TBH I have switched between '0' and '-' a few times already, as I'm not so sure about it.

Any more input? Where do you (everyone ) think I should change something?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

I'd think humans as great wizards would be because the third at-will does the most good for a wizard, combined with the only-need-Int thinking.

Exactly. Wizards get the most out of the human extra At-Will and only having one attribute increased is not much of a downside, since Wizards have a very clear primary attribute.

For other classes, it's still good to have the most important attribute increased, though they typically need multiple attributes much more than the Wizard (the Wizard also makes use of secondary attributes, of course, just not as much), and the extra At-Will is mostly just nice, not really that great.

Extra Feat/Skill/Defenses are good for every class.

Humans are good for every class, but they are especially good as Wizards.

At least, that's what I think.

Bye
Thanee

 

[small pumpkin man]

Question: Why Dragonborn Ranger gets 0 when every other choice which gets a bonus to a possible primary stat gets a +?

 

[Gloombunny]

Yeah, dragonborn make as good TWF rangers as anyone in the PHB, since there's no Str/Wis or even Str/Dex race. And they'll get a lot more use out of Dragon's Breath than the human will out of the extra at-will. Dragonborn also make fine melee clerics... you get the essential Str bonus, and the Cha bonus is still useful, which is something dragonborn fighters can't say for themselves.

I find it odd that you rate humans so consistently high. ++ for wizard, certainly... but I don't think humans have much to offer for clerics or paladins. The extra at-will is useless to a cleric unless you're doing a hybrid melee/ranged build, and then having only one +2 attribute becomes a significant drawback. Paladins have a similar problem. I'd rate humans 0 at best for those two classes. + for warlocks, maybe, as long as they're not fey-pact.

 

[ac_noj]

I think your table oversimplifies things, because it doesn't take into account different builds. Dwarves for example, make better Guardian Fighters and Dragonborn but worse Great Weapon Fighters.