Klaus
First Post
Is it the class a particular race is best at?
Since the only benefit of the favored class is allowing you to either:
A) dip into it a bit without hurting your main vocation
or
B) make it your main vocation but allowing you to dip into other skills
I tend to think that favored class doesn't mean, for instance, that dwarves are the bestest fighters in the world, only that they can either be great fighters who might have a sneak attack or rage tucked under their sleeve, or a rogue who can swing a waraxe and knows a few formal combat tricks.
That being said, favored classes can be used to flesh out racial characteristics:
Dwarves - Most dwarves, even wizards or bards, can don heavy armor, swing waraxes and polearms and know a combat maneuver or two, if needed.
Elves - Most elves, even paladins or monks, can whip up an arcane spell, read and scribe a magic scroll and have a tiny animal of exceptional intelligence following them.
Gnomes - Most gnomes, even barbarians or rangers, know a tune or two, specially magical tunes that can overcome sonic attacks or inspire others. They also have a vast repository of often trivial knowledge.
Halflings - Most halflings know how to hit you where it really hurts, and can be sneaky when desired, even if they are sorcerers or clerics.
Half-Orcs - Most half-orcs, even druids or wizards, can tap into their savage heritages, swing mighty weapons correctly and run almost as fast as a wolf.
Half-elves and humans, with favored class "any", are the unpredictable of the lot. They could be rangers with exceptional unarmed capabilities, or pious wizards that can mend a wound or two, or paladins who can throw a magic missile around if needed.
What say you?
Since the only benefit of the favored class is allowing you to either:
A) dip into it a bit without hurting your main vocation
or
B) make it your main vocation but allowing you to dip into other skills
I tend to think that favored class doesn't mean, for instance, that dwarves are the bestest fighters in the world, only that they can either be great fighters who might have a sneak attack or rage tucked under their sleeve, or a rogue who can swing a waraxe and knows a few formal combat tricks.
That being said, favored classes can be used to flesh out racial characteristics:
Dwarves - Most dwarves, even wizards or bards, can don heavy armor, swing waraxes and polearms and know a combat maneuver or two, if needed.
Elves - Most elves, even paladins or monks, can whip up an arcane spell, read and scribe a magic scroll and have a tiny animal of exceptional intelligence following them.
Gnomes - Most gnomes, even barbarians or rangers, know a tune or two, specially magical tunes that can overcome sonic attacks or inspire others. They also have a vast repository of often trivial knowledge.
Halflings - Most halflings know how to hit you where it really hurts, and can be sneaky when desired, even if they are sorcerers or clerics.
Half-Orcs - Most half-orcs, even druids or wizards, can tap into their savage heritages, swing mighty weapons correctly and run almost as fast as a wolf.
Half-elves and humans, with favored class "any", are the unpredictable of the lot. They could be rangers with exceptional unarmed capabilities, or pious wizards that can mend a wound or two, or paladins who can throw a magic missile around if needed.
What say you?
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
