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

[doctorbadwolf]

Another side thought based on the changes in TCoA and the decoupling of several racial features from races. Has anyone thought of a cool concept of a PC they wanted, but when creating the character, saw that the mechanics of how racial features didn't really support it well from a mechanical standpoint? I'm not just talking about optimization, but in general. With bounded accuracy, every modifier counts, so have you ever been swayed to avoid a particular concept that you would do if features were decoupled?

I actually think that with bounded accuracy a point or two difference doesn’t matter, but it rather is felt more acutely on a purely emotional level.

You can start with no stat above 14 and the game works just fine, but still having math on your sheet that does nothing to support your concept and boost stuff that is totally tangential to it…just kinda sucks. It isn't an actual mechanical problem, but it still matters because we aren’t rational actors.

Forest Gnome Ancients Paladin. It feels like an obvious choice, but seeing all that wrong math…

Mountain Dwarf Thief Rogue.

 

[Oofta]

I actually think that with bounded accuracy a point or two difference doesn’t matter, but it rather is felt more acutely on a purely emotional level.

You can start with no stat above 14 and the game works just fine, but still having math on your sheet that does nothing to support your concept and boost stuff that is totally tangential to it…just kinda sucks. It isn't an actual mechanical problem, but it still matters because we aren’t rational actors.

Forest Gnome Ancients Paladin. It feels like an obvious choice, but seeing all that wrong math…

Mountain Dwarf Thief Rogue.

Funny you mention the mountain dwarf rogue ... sound like my PC from my wife's last campaign. Except mine was a rogue arcane trickster. Might as well hit a couple of "non-optimal" check boxes (dex and intelligence) while you're at it.

He was a lot of fun to play. I did eventually get his dex up to 16 because we played to 20th level. With expertise, he was still stealthy enough especially once reliable talent kicked in.

 

[ccs]

If you don’t intend to make use of your friggin’ Class features then why the heck are you a Barbarian?! That’s just being lame for the sake of being different

Not hitting things with another + is far from not using the characters Class features.
I assure you that my 14 str halfling barbarian makes use of rage, DR, saves, skills, and her Ancestral Guardian features.

Why did I pick Barbarian?
Because when I wrote up the character that's the class that best fit. That best reflects her backstory.

*yes, I realize this response is about a year late.

 

[Undrave]

Not hitting things with another + is far from not using the characters Class features.
I assure you that my 14 str halfling barbarian makes use of rage, DR, saves, skills, and her Ancestral Guardian features.

Why did I pick Barbarian?
Because when I wrote up the character that's the class that best fit. That best reflects her backstory.

*yes, I realize this response is about a year late.

I guess if there is a Barbarian subclass where you can suck at hitting things and still have something to contribute in a fight, then Ancestral Guardian is it.

 

[Maxperson]

Another side thought based on the changes in TCoA and the decoupling of several racial features from races. Has anyone thought of a cool concept of a PC they wanted, but when creating the character, saw that the mechanics of how racial features didn't really support it well from a mechanical standpoint? I'm not just talking about optimization, but in general. With bounded accuracy, every modifier counts, so have you ever been swayed to avoid a particular concept that you would do if features were decoupled?

Not since 3e when there were stat penalties. Back then I wouldn't take a class with a penalty in my class's main stat. In 5e, though, I don't avoid anything. You don't need a bonus in your prime stat. No bonus and you're still perfectly fine.

 

[Helpful NPC Thom]

Another side thought based on the changes in TCoA and the decoupling of several racial features from races. Has anyone thought of a cool concept of a PC they wanted, but when creating the character, saw that the mechanics of how racial features didn't really support it well from a mechanical standpoint? I'm not just talking about optimization, but in general. With bounded accuracy, every modifier counts, so have you ever been swayed to avoid a particular concept that you would do if features were decoupled?

Not even once. I love "non-optimal" combinations and 5e has done considerable (and sufficient) work to make race/class combinations viable. Some are less optimal than others, but 3e/Pathfinder exhausted me on number-crunching to the point where I don't even look at the racial mods until I've already decided.

 

[Shair-afiyun]

when I build a character, I don't entirely toss out the baby with the bath water when building against type. I just view the attributes that may go to waste as 'features' of the character. Like you could have a mountain dwarf wizard walk around in full plate by 4th level. Obviously they are much dimmer than other wizards with only 15 INT instead of the potential 18 INT by that level, and they at minimum have 11 strength (maybe 18 STR if you invest your starting points into it). But that is where I find interesting.

 

[aco175]

I have allowed a dwarf rogue to ditch the dwarf weapon training to gain finesse with hand axe. It was cool when he gained a magical hand axe that would return when thrown.

 

[Scribe]

Not since 3e when there were stat penalties. Back then I wouldn't take a class with a penalty in my class's main stat. In 5e, though, I don't avoid anything. You don't need a bonus in your prime stat. No bonus and you're still perfectly fine.

And here I was playing lineage/class combos WITH active penalties, and managed just fine.

The world didn't need Tasha's being made the 'one true way' and it actively makes the game worse imo.

 

[Eltab]

I may be repeating myself (not going to review 13 previous pages of thread) but ...

I started with the concept of 'chief trickster': Trickery Cleric / Arcane Trickster Rogue. Then looking for a race that would give me a +1 or better for spell attack rolls and spell Save DCs. Hmmm, this character is 4-attribute-dependent. Finally took Forest Gnome - which has its own built-in trick capability. The character worked.