Best race for each class?

[HammerFist]

They did nothing to change the status of halflings, half-orcs, and gnomes, effectively making these races even worse compared to elves and dwarves.

I disagree here. Not only do Gnomes make better Wizards, Sorcerers, and Bards now (they basically have Spell Focus: Illusion for free), but some of the smaller sized weapons do more damage than they used to (a small greataxe does 1d10 damage instead of a normal battleaxe that does 1d8, which is what you would have had to use in 3.0, as noted above).

 

[Silver Moon]

I've always been partial to the Centaur race, and find that they make excellent clerics and druids. In a current campaign I also have one who is a Paladin-like fighter.

 

[mooby]

What's the ECL on a Centaur?

 

[diaglo]

What do you think is the most powerful/best core race for each class in 3.5?

Human.

 

[Gnome Berzerker]

bump!

 

[Norfleet]

Have you looked at 3.5? Half-elves got bonuses to stuff that basically applies to bards and the occasional rogue only. Bards have abilities only dreamed of by 3.0 bards. Half-elves are the only race that actually gives bonuses to bards, even if they are minor bonuses. They are now a perfect fit.
Besides, people malign both for being combat ineffective. Bards aren't about combat effectiveness, they are about social interaction and buffing. No race helps the buffing part, but the interaction is what half-elves are good at.

Unfortunately, the bonusses are, naturally, very small. They're certainly NOT worth the loss of a free feat and 23 skill points. The problem with tiny one-time bonusses like +1/+2, is that early on in a character's career, they're simply swamped by the noise factor of the d20, and later on, the number of ranks they've plowed into the skill is the primary factor in causing signal to appear over noise, not tiny little racial bonusses.

Half-elves aren't just combat-ineffective. They're simply inferior to your two obvious alternative choices in practically any situation. It's a long way to fall from 2E.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Human.

There. That's the end. I'm goin' ta bed.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Don't rule out the dwarf for wizard. That +2 CON is a 25% hit point bonus for that class.

I agree, I've seen nasty Dwarven Wizards...

 

[MrFilthyIke]

They did nothing to change the status of halflings, half-orcs, and gnomes, effectively making these races even worse compared to elves and dwarves.

--Axe

I'd agree, but I'm still HIGHLY partial to 1/2orcs...all bonuses of elves/dwarves aside.

 

[Gnome Berzerker]

I agree, I've seen nasty Dwarven Wizards...

Yeah, but a Gnome is clearly a better choice than a dwarf, from a min/max viewpoint. Gnomes have a better AC, the same HP, a few more spells per day (albeit cantrips) and the stat penalty is a dump stat, just like it is with Dwarves.