D&D 5E Race/Class combinations that were cool but you avoided due to mechanics?

[Ancalagon]

This is very different to D&D where many people don't even have portraits of their PCs, and certainly not ones that everyone is looking at all the time you're playing

Just an aside - people really should draw their characters, even if they are terrible at drawing. It engages different parts of your brain and enhances the creative process.

 

[R_J_K75]

playing against type and playing things that do not ‘fit’ makes for cool characters.

Brownie Barbarian, that's my next PC.

 

[Ancalagon]

Brownie Barbarian, that's my next PC.

There you go

 

[R_J_K75]

There you go

View attachment 125178

Hey, those are the guys I saw raiding my pantry.

 

[Haldrik]

I think the types are far too deeply ingrained in the genre to be eroded by something as simple as removing ability score adjustments. As long as people are reading/watching Lord of the Rings, nimble elven archers and stout dwarven warriors will be the baseline from which people deviate.

Nothing lasts for ever. Nothing endures without effort.

If nimble archer elves are important to you, there needs to be a strategy to preserve the concept.

The concept of plant-life elf-shot elves doesnt resonate with me personally, but I imagine there are British folklorists and LotR fans, even Shakespeareans, who find the concept significant. So, there needs to be a strategy to keep the concept relevant, especially when competing alongside other concepts that are now coexisting.

The challenge is to figure out how to keep one identity alive without oppressing other identities.

 

[Haldrik]

long term I think removing mechanical disadvantage will remove the ability to play against type.

I agree, types (and playing against types) can erode in the longterm.

But to oppress the options of other types, seems a price too high. Especially, if the types have unintentionally derived from stereotypes.

Ultimately, each type has to be able to stand on its own merit.

 

[Haldrik]

It occurs to me, Drow was once "playing against type".

At some point, it became humorous when there were an onslaught of "rare special Drow" and only 1 normal Elf.

 

[Campbell]

I have played Shadarkai when I wanted to play Drow because Sunlight Sensitivity on a PC is dumb.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I don't avoid any race/class combos because I don't find that I need a + to the primary or secondary attributes for my class in order to make an effective character. The biggest thing that I find myself running into is trying to multiclass two character classes that don't have either both the same primary stat, or at least have one class that uses as a secondary the same that the other uses as the primary.

For example...I think a wizard/monk would be a really fun combination of things that I have never seen in action, but to create one I have to have DEX and INT and at least some WIS and some CON. You can't do this if you are using the standard array very easily. Maybe it would be possible by only taking wizard spells with no saves, but that's a very limited build of wizard that doesn't quite work.

 

[Todd Roybark]

Not bad isn't really the same as good, though, and as you go on with playing them, the situation gets worse - the Halfling can never get GWM, which if Feats are in the game, is going to be a huge source of damage to any 2H Barbarian with the faintest hint of optimization

A dual short sword wielding AC 16 Stout Halfling1st level Barbarian has more AC and is doing more General DPR then a 1st level Vhuman GWM Barbarian.

The interaction between Lucky and multiple attacks adds up to some real DPR. Critical Hits on offhand weapons translates into extra damage dice that can be multiplied. The extra damage from GWM is roughly equivalent to an extra 3d6 damage.
Thus even a single critical hit from an offhand shortsword is about 2/3rds of the way to equaling GWM's +10 to damage.

A halfling absolutely can use GWM and a Heavy Weapon. Reckless Attack can be used to cancel Disadvantage from a Heavy Weapon. Advantage can be had from the effects of actions from your friends, or in the case of a Totem Barbarian, from the Help Action from the beast you woo'd with Speak with Animals and Animal Handling.

Lucky and the Bonus Action attack from GWM has a nice synergy. Also Halfling Barbarians are very effective chargers....they can move through anyone's square.