Volo's Guide to Monsters: Which playable Race Should You Play Flowchart

Love it!

 

[Uchawi]

Relax people, I'm sure this chart wasn't intended for a minmaxer audience.

True. But anyone that is not going down the dark side path of mix/maxer would probably ignore the chart

 

[Charles Rampant]

I sometimes wonder if the first rule of being a min/maxer is 'never have fun'. That certainly seems to be the way some posters represent it!

This chart was made in conjunction with Wizards, according to the chap to made it, so it also reflects both their views on the races, and also the style of the game - it was them who specified the black/red theme.

 

[CapnZapp]

I sometimes wonder if the first rule of being a min/maxer is 'never have fun'. That certainly seems to be the way some posters represent it!

A true minmaxer knows that every atom you spend on having a good time, is one atom less spent on improving your character's performance!

 

[GreenTengu]

Hobgoblins also make good Arcane Tricksters, partly for the same reasons as the Wizard, but also because you can use the 2 free martial profiencies to get range or finesse weapons that Rogues normally don't access too, like a longbow.

Hobgoblins Monks aren't bad either.

Nope.

Rogues already get all finesse martial weapons and light armor automatically. Yes, you can buy a long bow if you really, really want to-- but if you intend to be casting spells, having a heavy, two-handed ranged weapon is not as ideal as the one-handed light martial ranged weapon you already get proficiency in.

So, no. That class is also a waste of the proficiencies. Maybe you can make use of the attribute bonuses, but even then.... not really.

Relax people, I'm sure this chart wasn't intended for a minmaxer audience. It's a fun thing, and that's great.

Here's something more up Minmax Alley (re: the Hobgoblin):

"Con and int kind of pigeon-holes wizard. EK/AT could work, but 5e doesn't really have much else to offer for int based races. Very strong racial ability on short rest cd."​

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505096-Optimizer-s-First-Thoughts-on-Races-in-Volo-s

The ability is basically getting a Bless Spell or Bardic Inspiration cast on you once per a short rest. Its reliable in that you already know if it will be successful before you use it so long as you know your TN and your current roll... but on the other hand is complete crap in that it requires you to keep as many people you know within 30' of you at all times for purely mechanical reasons not remotely justified.

And given the sheer insanity of the power of the abilities Kobolds, Yuan-ti and Bugbears get? There really is no excuse to have written up Hobgoblins in a way to be such complete crap, particularly when they are effectively made into the absolutely worst possible choice for the very classes people like the one who made this chart presume they are supposed to be good at because of the fiction written around them.

Goblins and Orcs are also quite subpar, but at least they aren't created to epically fail at their presumed roles.

Whomever wrote up the PC entries in general is just completely inept at design. I am sure they use some lame-ass excuse like "hey, dey is just 'monster races' so they don't hafta be good design". Because if you can justify having done a total lazy and crap job by claiming you weren't even trying, I suppose that means everyone you screwed over ought to forgive you for it.

 

[Angelflavor]

How did you make the silhouettes for the image? I like the style and would like to use it

 

[Ancalagon]

very fun chart! I like it

 

[BadgerHammerstrike]

<3 FIRBOLGS FOREVER <3