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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Esker" data-source="post: 7589664" data-attributes="member: 6966824">I agree that the benefits need to be weighed carefully against the cost, but OP specified standard array rather than point buy, so that increases the value; you can't start with two 16s and a 14 with standard array without being a vuman with a half-feat. Standard human gets 16/15/14/13/11/9, which is just ugly. You gain literally nothing compared to the variant human with 16/14/14/12/10/8 except for the chance to get a free half-feat in one of your secondary stats, which you're unlikely to want to do at low levels.So levels 1-3, shillelagh buys you +1/+1 to-hit and damage plus a magic weapon, if you spend your bonus action to cast it in the first round (or you were able to prepare for a round). At level 3 you're probably better off just casting spiritual weapon right away unless it's looking like a long battle. By level 4 it buys you +2/+2. Is that worth the opportunity cost of either war caster or being a race with darkvision and some other benefits? I don't know. But without shillelagh by level 5 you're probably going to want to just use a cantrip or a spell most of the time, and now you're no longer a gish really.In the wood elf's case as you note you can start with 16s in both WIS and DEX even with standard array, so you even out the to-hit chance prior to level 4, but elf clerics don't actually get rapier proficiency so if you want to be in melee you'll probably use a shortsword, shaving a point off your damage relative to shillelagh even with matched stats.The hill dwarf would start with 13 STR, not 14 STR, unless they take only 15 CON, so they're at -2/2 right from level 1 relative to the shillelagh user, going to -3/-3 at level 4.</blockquote>

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