Racial Selection Guide (Needs Review)

The races fall in 2 categories: good and evil. Good races can group with each other and evil races can group with each other. The different sides cannot group with each other. Keep this in mind: the mud is effectively divided into two sides.

Every race has some advantages and disadvantages. For example: Gnomes are very smart - they memorize and cast spells fast. However, they are also small and weak, thus they cannot carry many items, and they don't get very much damroll which makes them poor hitters. Read the helpfiles on the races available when choosing things for more information. Keep in mind that there are fewer evil players and they have a rougher time starting out, with the exception of drow who have a really easy hometown. Evil races generally have some stronger innates (natural strengths), but also drawbacks. Note: Elves are a good aligned race, yet they have a harder time starting out since they are confined to the island of Evermeet for the first 20 (!) levels!

If you are new, it is probably best to choose a human and start in Waterdeep (WD). Even if other races attract you much more, this is very beneficial: WD is a populated place and you will learn and see many things much faster. Play a character there for a few levels to learn the ropes before rolling anything else. Don't worry about choosing the wrong race or class for now - once you've been around for a few weeks you'll probably see another race and class you prefer to play instead, and with the knowledge/equipment you gained with your first character it will be easier to level! (see towns)

General race indications: Easy races to start with are humans, dwarves, half elves, ogres and drow.
 * Humans - the standard race by which all others are measured. No particular strengths or weaknesses. Good casters and rogues. Average warriors, but poor when compared to barbarians and dwarves. Good antis and paladins. Live in Waterdeep.
 * Dwarves - shorter and much stronger than humans, but not as intelligent. Live long and thus wiser than humans. Good warriors and clerics. Have innate infravision (see red shapes in the dark). Live in Mithril Hall.
 * Barbarians - taller and swarthier than humans, but slower and duller. Good warriors and shamans. Have bodyslam innate. Live in Griffon's Nest.
 * Halflings - small and very fast, but weak even though they have decent hitpoints. Make excellent rogues. Live in Beluir.
 * Grey Elves - frail and thin. Very intelligent, quite fast. Good casters and rangers, bad warriors. Innate infravision. Live in Leuthilspar.
 * Half Elves - frailer than humans but stronger than elves. Excellent rangers. Innate infravision. Can live in Waterdeep or Leuthilspar.
 * Gnomes - a short, smart race, but also weak. Gnomes tend to fidget around and invent things. Consequently, they make good mages. Live in Ashrumite.
 * Trolls - tall, thin but strong and very fast. Good strength and even better constitution and agility, but fire based spells destroy them and they are stupid as a rock. Good warriors. Have infravision, bodyslam and regenerate innates. Live in Ghore.
 * Orcs - shorter but perhaps a tad stronger than humans. Good shamans. Have innate summon horde and infravision. Live in Bloodtusk.
 * Ogres - huge and enormously strong, but slow and stupid as a rock. Excellent warriors. Innate bodyslam, infravision and doorbash. Highest hitpoints and strength of any race. Live in Faang.
 * Drow - Evil elves, aka dark elves. frail but smart and fast. Good casters and rogues. Innate levitation, faerie fire and ultravision (don't need a light to see in dark, but blind during the day). Live in Dobluth Kyor.
 * Duergar - evil dwarves. Short and inordinately strong. Not too intelligent, but wise like dwarves. Second in strength only to Ogres. Good clerics, warriors and rogues. Innate invisibility, enlarge, strength and ultravision. Live in Gloomhaven.
 * Yuan-ti - snake/human hybrids that have the lower body and head of a snake yet the torso of humans. A bit faster and smarter than humans, but they lose 4 eq slots because of their build, gaining a tail slot to make up for it. Good clerics and casters. Innate tailsweep, befriend reptile, scaleskin and vipermind. Live in Hyssk.
 * Illithids - the weakest of all races, however they are highly intelligent and have immensly powerful minds. Limited to psionicist as their only class. Innate levitation and ultravision. Live in Ixarkon.