The Arms Race of Races

[LightPhoenix]

Don't think so. The elf gets a +1 speed, but other than that only armor slows you down I believe.

The KotS Halfling Rogue has a speed of 6, backing that statement up.

 

[cdrcjsn]

The more I think about it, the more I think that the +1 v bloodied enemies is probably the tiefling's best quality. A smart tiefling can turn that into a nearly permanent +1 to attack.

I've been playing for half a year now and I see bonuses to hit as rare and beautiful things, something to be cherished when you find them.

+1 to hit for about half the combat is HUGE, very much worth it to consider tieflings if any of your attacks are based off Cha/Int.

Everyone dissing humans and half-elves are also underestimating the tremendous versatility added at heroic levels of the extra at will (encounter for half-elves) as well as the power of the human racial feats. You'll get so many feats that almost every human/half-elf will probably take either human racial feat by 6th level. Yes, they're that good.

My opinion is that there is no "best" race. There is usually one or two "best" race for specific roles using specific classes however.

 

[Kitirat]

I've been playing for half a year now and I see bonuses to hit as rare and beautiful things, something to be cherished when you find them.

+1 to hit for about half the combat is HUGE, very much worth it to consider tieflings if any of your attacks are based off Cha/Int.

Everyone dissing humans and half-elves are also underestimating the tremendous versatility added at heroic levels of the extra at will (encounter for half-elves) as well as the power of the human racial feats. You'll get so many feats that almost every human/half-elf will probably take either human racial feat by 6th level. Yes, they're that good.

My opinion is that there is no "best" race. There is usually one or two "best" race for specific roles using specific classes however.

OK so that is a nice point on humans, but half-elves still seem to be bottom of the barrel here. Can you put out the complete stats of the half-elves? Do they get an encounter power and something else or is that it?

 

[MindWanderer]

OK so that is a nice point on humans, but half-elves still seem to be bottom of the barrel here. Can you put out the complete stats of the half-elves? Do they get an encounter power and something else or is that it?

We don't have them fully. We have +2 Insight and +2 Diplomacy, Group Diplomacy (allies within 10 get +1 Diplomacy), one bonus at-will power from another class usable as an encounter power, and they can take elven or human racial feats as well as their own. Stat mods are +2 Cha definitely, plus either +2 Con or (as others insist to my confusion) +2 to any stat.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally I'm seeing "getting to grab any 1 at-will as an encounter power" as pretty good.

I mean - if the dwarf's racial is so great because there are so many chances to shove people into lava and the like, then surely a 1/encounter "shove guy into lava" ability for a class which doesn't already have one is pretty nice.

 

[andarilhor]

If the half-elves are as we predict, I can foresee my third house rule for 4e (along Inspiring Words and Personality): Group Diplomacy is out (as is the equivalent elf ability) and free feat is in, BUT only a racial feat (from half-elf, elf or human list). This also will help to say if the character is more half-elf or half-human

 

[keterys]

Half-elves get +2 Cha and +2 Con, not a floating stat. And the half-elf warlock from DDXP didn't get much of anything out of its multiclassed power (ray of frost) so it was being a warlock with good stats that was cool, not the power. Prime Shot is a warlock ability.

Tiefling +1 when bloodied and fire resistance are quite powerful... the fire resistance can be game dependent, but it's a huge amount of fire resistance in this game. If you want to boost tieflings more, decrease their fire resistance some and give them some other benefit(s)

One quick idea:

Infernal Wrath (Encounter)
Minor Action
Ranged 10
Intelligence +2 or Dexterity +2 vs Reflex
1d8 + Charisma fire damage.
Special: Add the effect of the current infernal wrath