Analysis of the new stat pairs for elf, eladrin, dwarf, halfling

[mkill]

I would prefer Str/Int to make them better Wizards, Artificers and Swordmages. After all, they're related to arcane creatures.

 

[Nifft]

-- Elf --

The Elf gains a Dex/Int build, and becomes a competitor of Eladrin and Shadar-Kai. Dex/Int, however, isn't a very popular stat combo and only used by Wand Wizards and Cunning Sneak rogues.

(...)

The main benefit of the Int bonus is that the Elf now has +2 to the primary stat for a number of arcane classes - the Artificer, Swordmage, and Wizard - as well as a secondary stat for Bard and Warlock. The Eladrin, with his +2 racial bonus to Arcana, Fey Step and excellent feat support still reigns supreme here, though, unless there is a different race with a better stat match.

I have to disagree here. Elves were already a top-tier pick for Wizard, and for any other Controller, since for a Controller hitting is everything and even with a net -1 to attack, the re-roll on a brutally debilitating Daily or Encounter is more than worth the -5% accuracy.

Now that Elves get the +5% attack bonus, they're probably the best Wizards around. The +2 Dex isn't wasted, either: it means you can put an 11 in Dex, a 14 in Wisdom, and still qualify for Dual Implement Spellcaster in Heroic and Wizard Implement Expertise in Epic. That allows you to put an 18 in Int, to which you then get a racial bonus. Nasty.

Granted, Elf Wizards took a significant hit when the Orb nerf came in, but Wizards still have enough lockdown effects to matter.

-- Eladrin --

The Eladrin gains an Int/Cha option, which moves him on par with Changeling, Tiefling, Gnome and Shardmind.

There are builds in 4 classes with an Int/Cha pair: The Cunning Bard, Telepathic Psion, Fey / Dark / Infernal Warlock, and the Enchanter Mage / Orb of Deception Wizard. Except for the Infernal Warlock, which is pretty much written for the Tiefling, the Eladrin now takes the crown in all of these builds. Not only does their background fit very well, with Fey Step, a free skill, Arcana bonus, +1 to Will, and tons of feat support, they offer the best class features.

Don't forget about Lazy Warlords. There are some hilariously awesome things you can do with a high Int bonus as a Warlord, and throwing in a Charisma bonus only helps.

Lazy options are why Warlord hybrids well with pretty much everything, and Eladrin have some great support options for being Warlords already. A full-on Warlord going into Spiral Tactician or Battle Captain will greatly enhance any party -- make an Eladrin Warlord focused on Str/Int (16/16), while not neglecting Charisma (also 16, but not benefiting from level bumps).

On the other side, make an Int/Cha Eladrin (18/18), ignore Strength, and use lazy options (hybrid Int or Cha class | Warlord). You'll grant a lot of passive bonuses to your party, and you'll have some nice options for when your other class isn't appropriate -- like having the option to use Commander's Strike when you don't want to eat an OA for one of your ranged attack powers. Psion is a nice pick here, he likes both Int and Cha. Wizard & Warlock are snazzy too.

Either way, you'll benefit from strong Eladrin feats which were designed to compensate for their low Strength & poor stat synergy, which you will abuse by mostly ignoring Strength and having good stat synergy.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dan'L]

Yeah, except that isn't going to happen. Races will certainly get errata to conform to the essentials versions in the next build, but since essentials human doesn't get 2 +2s you aren't going to see that happening.

I think a big reason that humans didn't get an extra +2 was because it wouldn't retro-fit to existing PCs. If you have a pre-essentials dwarf, for example, it's easy to see it's compatible with the options presented in essentials products. However, a pre-essentials human would be defacto operating without the additional +2 option.

I'd be interested to try giving humans two +1 modifiers that they can place where they want them, including being able to stack them onto the same stat.

-Dan'L

 

[mkill]

I have to disagree here. Elves were already a top-tier pick for Wizard, and for any other Controller, since for a Controller hitting is everything and even with a net -1 to attack, the re-roll on a brutally debilitating Daily or Encounter is more than worth the -5% accuracy.

I'm not convinced. Stunlocking is a viable Wizard tactic, but to concentrate on shutting down one enemy per encounter (or at low levels, per day) is just one available option. A wizard who concentrates on shaping the battlefield with zones, conjurations and large area effects won't benefit from Elven Accuracy much. It also depends on how often your DM uses solos vs. armies.

And apart from that, there are now a number of other ways to secure that one important hit, such as leader buffs, action surge, memory of a thousand lifetimes, the new human racial utility, items etc. etc.

 

[Ryujin]

As a fan of floating stats, this makes me very happy. *crosses fingers* Here's hoping for a +2 Con tiefling option!

(Although I sense that feats like Dwarven Weapon Training will be errataed, or dare I utter the words, removed to account for the optimal stat options.)

A CON/CHA Tiefling would make the perfect Starlock and could easily be refluffed to "human warped by The Beyond"

 

[Ajar]

I'm not sure if that's so valuable, considering the well-known problems with the current Assassin, and the general question whether the jolly halfling nature fits a ruthless, stealthy killer (yes, I am aware of Belkar).

There's always Dark Sun. You could be a ruthless, stealthy cannibal.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Wonder what the others are going to be?

* Dragonborn: STR and Cha/Con?

I'd like Cha and Str/Con (with Cha being the Draconic Resilience booster instead of Con)

* Half-Elf: Cha and Con/Dex?

My thoughts are Con and Cha/Wis

* Half-Orc: STR and Dex/Wis?

I'm hoping for Dex and Str/Con

* Drow: CHA and Dex/Wis?

Dex and Int/Cha wouldn't surprise me (to keep it like elves and eladrin).

* Tiefling: Int and Cha/Con?

My hope as well.

 

[Mengu]

Dragonborn will likely be Str, Con/Cha. Their arcane nature is already covered by Cha (sorcerer) which is a lot more appropriate than Int. It may make the Con features of the race a bit potent, but look at the Dwarf... I wouldn't mind Cha, Str/Con.

My guess for Half-elf is Cha, Con/Wis. Charismatic is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the Half-elf. Wis is just speculation based on a Dragon article, but this also makes them great clerics and paladins, which I believe is warranted.

Half-orc I have almost no doubt will be Str, Con/Dex. They're typically portrayed as brutes.

Drow, no idea. Dex, Int/Cha? Dex, Wis/Cha? Cha, Dex/Int? Cha, Dex/Wis? All seem possible based on the drow fighter, ranger, cleric, and wizard archetypes.

Tiefling's might get Con in some manner and I know everyone is hoping for Int, Con/Cha. But I really wouldn't mind Cha, Dex/Int, probably because I like Tiefling Rogues. I also wouldn't be too surprised with Cha, Str/Int.

 

[Nifft]

I'm not convinced.

You don't have to take just my word for it. Elf has been a top-tier CharOp pick for Wizard for a loooooong time.

And apart from that, there are now a number of other ways to secure that one important hit, such as leader buffs, action surge, memory of a thousand lifetimes, the new human racial utility, items etc. etc.

Sure, they're nice. Action Surge is dandy. Now if only you could use it after you got to see all your attack rolls for a power! With one feat, you can do exactly that for Elven Accuracy -- pick and choose which ones you wish to re-roll, for example if you miss the BBEG and crit your ally, you can re-roll just those two attacks.

Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes is almost as good as Elven Accuracy -- but it doesn't have the same depth of feat support. And yes, being almost as good as Elven Accuracy is plenty good enough to make you a top-tier pick for Wizard.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Mr. Teapot]

(Although I sense that feats like Dwarven Weapon Training will be errataed, or dare I utter the words, removed to account for the optimal stat options.)

Why? Dwarves have been making weapon attacks using their racial stat boosts for a long time. It wasn't ever unbalanced when my dwarven Avenger got a bonus to his Wisdom based attacks or a dwarven Battlemind or Hexhammer Warlock made Con based weapon attacks. So why is it so broken for them to get the same exact bonus to an equal level stat when the stat is Str instead of Con or Wis?