Awesome Races

When creating a character, you have a lot of choices to make. Choosing your class is very important, but choosing your race is at least as important. Combat/stats terms, your race determines what sort of support you will have for your class. In role-playing and character development terms, however, your race determines absolutely everything. Every race has its own ways to be awesome, but there are a ton of races to work through. Rather than tie the blog up for the next three months, I've decided pick my top five for one post. But first, an honorable mention:

Honorable Mention: Gnolls
"Why is everyone staring at me? You've never seen a hyena person before?"
The Gnoll could easily top this list. The only thing keeping them from doing so is they do not appear in any published material. They were detailed in an online article meaning that you can only use the race on a fully updated character builder (or with access to its online counterpart). The Gnolls are a classic monster race and its really cool to see them fleshed out and playable.

Why They're Awesome: The Gnoll has a lot of beast flavor to it. Your racial power is essentially a pouncing strike and you gain a damage bonus when striking bloodied enemies. If you're really into the feral combat, the Claw Fighter feat is for you. It gives your Gnoll a "claw fighter claw" (for fighting claw fighting) which is exactly what it sounds like: a beasty-bit for wrecking enemy faces. The claw can even be enchanted (and disenchanted)! My 3.5 readers will probably remember natural weapons and this is the new edition's equivalent.

Number Five: The Gnome
"You want a joke? Alright, what's black and blue and about to get hamstrung?"
When fourth edition first came out, something was severely lacking. Though the classic Elves and Dwarves and Humans (honestly, who plays a human?) were all spoken for, there was a distinct lack of Gnomes. Some people didn't think it mattered and others had the audacity to suggest that it was a good thing, but we true believers knew the truth: DnD isn't DnD without these little tricksters.

Why They're Awesome: The Gnomes are masters of illusion and deceit. Some say the Eladrin are the fey masters of magic, but who has a feat that give them all of the Wizard's cantrips? That's right, the Gnomes. Their encounter power allows them to vanish after they are attacked. Its an excellent way to escape, but a better way to sneak attack for bonus damage. The Gnome also has a feat that gives a stealth bonus to everyone in the party. You may be a prankster, but you still know how to work in a team.

Number Four: The Revenant
"Braiiiiiiiins... No, I'm kidding guys. Come out from under the table."
The Revenant have been online for a while, but they were finally published in Heroes of Shadow. They lie somewhere between life and death, considered to be both a living creature and an undead one. The Revenant are unique in being a template race. When creating one, you pick any other life to be your previous one and may take feats and paragon paths as if you were a member of that race.

Why They're Awesome: The nature of this race allows for a tremendous degree of flexibility and customization. Being somewhat dead just screams "interesting and complex back story." Their racial power allows you to grab the remnant energy of a defeated foe and use it to empower your next attack. In higher tiers, you can take a feat that allows you to no longer be considered a living creature. You no longer need to eat or sleep and you become much better at the Thriller dance.

Number Three: The Deva
"These ruins are about five hundred years old. Trust me, I used to live here."
The Deva are a perpetually reincarnated race of angels and divine servants who gave up their immortality. Each Deva can remember all of their past lives and continue to grow and build their knowledge across lifetimes. When a Deva does finally kick the bucket, their essence is cycled back into the world and they reappear in some scrap of wilderness.

Why They're Awesome: The Deva are well suited for Divine classes, but their racial stats make them adept at just about any caster. They excel as both Wizards and Clerics and their racial power gives them added accuracy when it counts. Their feats focus on making the most of the race's high wisdom and accumulated knowledge. The Deva are honest and good, but still complex enough to create interesting characters.

Number Two: The Dwarf
"I came here to kick ass and drink ale. I'm all out of ale."
The Dwarf is a Tolken classic, right up there with stuffy, long-lived elves. A race known for both their combat prowess and their drinking problems, dwarves embody all that is awesome. Fourth has made a few statistical changes to everyone's favorite subterranean warriors, but they still live underground and weild hammers. Really, that's all anyone could ask for.

Why They're Awesome: Dwarves are exceptionally durable. They resist forced movement and being knocked down, their second wind is a minor action, and constitution is a constant racial bonus. Their feats lend added bonuses to combat, proficiency and damage with both axes and hammers, and even increases to your healing surge value. If you're looking for a warrior who will not fall and packs a hefty punch in a small package, you're looking for a dwarf.

Number One: The Dragonborn
"Come at me, bro! I got dragon blood!"
The Dragonborn used to be a template race like The Revenant. People who were especially pleasing to Bahamut could build themselves an egg and transform into a kickass part-dragon warrior. In fourth, the Dragonborn are their own race with no alignment or deity requirements. They are the survivors of an ancient draconic empire and they eat, sleep, and breath awesome (and fire, lightning, poison, or acid).

Why They're Awesome: In case you missed it the first time, the Dragonborn are part dragon. They have breath weapons and they generally dominate other "lesser" being. Many of the Dragonborn's numerous racial paragon paths increase their potent breath and/or give them the ability to fly. Once bloodied, a Dragonborn flies into a rampage, gaining bonus to hit and (with some feats) damage. The Dragonborn have gotten their own book and their options are quite numerous because of it.