4E: Best race for each class: ranking

[TerraDave]

Below are my takes at ranking each race according to how well it works for a particular class. I also put a break in where there seemed to be a "drop off" in the effectiveness of the race(s).

Comments, and your own rankings, welcome.

Cleric
Human
Dwarf
Elf
Dragonborn

Half Elf
Halfling
Tiefling
Eladrin

Fighter
Dwarf
Dragonborn
Human
Elf
Eladrin

Half Elf
Tiefling
Halfling

Paladin
Dragonborn
Human
Half Elf
Dwarf
Tiefling
Halfling

Elf
Eladrin

Ranger
Elf
Human
Dragonborn
Eladrin
Halfling
Dwarf

Half Elf
Tiefling

Rogue
Halfling
Human
Eladrin
Elf
Tiefling
Dragonborn

Half-elf
Dwarf

Warlock
Tiefling
Half-elf
Human
Halfling
Dragonborn
Dwarf

Eladrin
Elf

Warlord
Tiefling
Dragonborn
Human
Half-elf
Eladrin
Halfling

Dwarf
Elf

Wizard
Eladrin
Human
Tiefling

Dwarf
Half-Elf
Elf
Halfling
Dragonborn

 

[renau1g]

Yes...although I'd rate the Halfling higher than the human for warlock, but that's just me

 

[garyh]

Hmmm... I'd go:

Cleric - Dwarf / Elf / Dragonborn / Half-Elf / Human / Tiefling / Halfling / Eladrin

Fighter - Dragonborn / Dwarf / Human / Elf / Half-Elf / Eladrin / Halfling / Tiefling

Paladin - Dragonborn / Half-Elf / Halfling / Dwarf / Tiefling / Human / Elf / Eladrin

Ranger - Elf / Dragonborn / Human / Eladrin / Halfling / Dwarf / Half-Elf / Tiefling

Rogue - Halfling / Elf / Human / Eladrin / Dragonborn / Tiefling / Half-Elf / Dwarf

Warlock - Half-Elf / Tiefling / Human / Dwarf / Halfling / Dragonborn / Eladrin / Elf

Warlord - Dragonborn / Tiefling / Human / Eladrin / Half-Elf / Halfling / Dwarf / Elf

Wizard - Human / Eladrin / Tiefling / Elf / Dwarf / Halfling / Half-Elf / Dragonborn

 

[FireLance]

As a player of an elf paladin, I find it odd that elf was rated the second worst race for paladin twice so far, and listed after the "drop-off" by Terradave.

Elves get a bonus to Wisdom, which affects many paladin powers as a secondary stat. Although elves don't get a bonus to either Strength or Charisma, the elf racial power gives them a good chance to hit with their best power once per encounter. This makes elven paladins very flexible; they don't need to specialize in a single "attack" ability score to be effective.

 

[AtomicPope]

As a player of an elf paladin, I find it odd that elf was rated the second worst race for paladin twice so far, and listed after the "drop-off" by Terradave.

Elves get a bonus to Wisdom, which affects many paladin powers as a secondary stat. Although elves don't get a bonus to either Strength or Charisma, the elf racial power gives them a good chance to hit with their best power once per encounter. This makes elven paladins very flexible; they don't need to specialize in a single "attack" ability score to be effective.

You bring up an excellent point. There are more to classes than Primary Stats. Furthermore, it depends on the "builds" a person is choosing. Warlocks and Wizards have several different stats to choose from when determining builds. For instance, dwarves make excellent Staff and Orb wizards. Dwarves are also perfect for Blood Mage paragon because their Minor Action Second Wind grants an uber attack at 16th level. Yet, Dwarves do not receive an Int bonus.

 

[TerraDave]

I guess the hope was that you could have a range of interesting builds...but still...for paladins charisma just seems more important then wisdom...and for wizards, int. is just king. They don't actually have that many powers that key off other abilities.

But I also think it varies by class, a warlord, for example, allows for a wider range of effective builds, and hence, races, then say the int. focused no melee wizard.