Races & Classes

What is a race in D&D?

Your choice of character race provides you with a basic set of advantages
and special abilities. In addition, each race has different quirks to their
personality. It provides the first cues for building your character’s story.

These slides contain the perks, languages, and subraces of each race. The
Player’s Handbook (PHB) will have more details on personality, physical
traits, and much more.

Choose wisely!
Dwarf

Constitution: +2

Darkvision, Dwarven Resistance against

poison, Tool proficiency, Stonecunning

Languages: Common & Dwarvish

Subraces
Hill Dwarf: Wisdom +1, HP +1

Mountain Dwarf: Strength +2

Elf
Dexterity +2

Darkvision, Perception skill, Fey Ancestry (resistant

against charms and sleep spells)

Languages: Common, Elvish

Subraces
High Elf: Intelligence +1, one extra cantrip
(channels through Intelligence)

Wood Elf: Wisdom +1, Mask of Wild (ability to hide

well in nature)

Dark Elf (Drow): Charisma +1, dancing lights &

darkness (channels through Charisma)
 Halfling
Dexterity +2

Lucky reroll if roll a 1, Brave advantage against being

frightened,

Languages: Common, Halfling

Subraces
Lightfoot: Charisma +1, Naturally Stealthy hide behind
anyone larger

Stout: Constitution +1, resistance against poison

Human
Each Ability +1

Languages: Common and one other of your choosing

There are nine Human ethnicities. Their differences are

primarily physical and their origin.

See the Player’s Handbook pg. 30-31 for more details.

Dragonborn
Strength +2, Charisma +1

Languages: Common, Draconic

Breath Weapon

Draconic Ancestry determines what type of

damage your Breath Weapon inflicts

See the Player’s Handbook pg. 34 for details.

Gnome
Intelligence +2

Languages: Common, Gnomish

Darkvision, Cunning advantage on Int, Wis,

Cha magic saving throws

Subraces
Forest Gnome: Dexterity +1, Minor Illusion
cantrip (channels through Intelligence),
Communicate simple ideas with small
creatures

Rock Gnome: Constitution +1, Artificer’s Lore,

Tinker (pg. 37)
Half-Elf
Charisma +2, Choose two other abilities +1

Darkvision, Fey Ancestry (resistance against charms

and sleep spells), Proficiency (+3) in two skills of your
choice (pg. 174 for list)

Languages: Common, Elvish, one extra language

 Half Orc
Strength + 2, Constitution +1

Darkvision, Intimidation skill +3, Relentless

Endurance, Savage Attacks (with a critical hit, you
can roll again for one weapons to add extra damage)

Languages: Common, Orc

Tiefling
Intelligence +1, Charisma +2

Darkvision, Resistance to fire damage, thaumaturgy

cantrip, hellish rebuke, darkness spell

Languages: Common, Infernal

What are classes?
People have jobs, but adventurers have classes. Class defines an adventurer’s
skillset: Wizards do magic, druids interface with nature, and barbarians hit
things. Not a job or an area of study, classes are more like occupations or
callings.

Think about how you want to participate in a D&D game, the kinds of things
you want your character to do or what you want their personality to be. How
will you interact with your party and with the world around you?
 For those who enjoy combat strategy and high-adrenaline fights. They
Barbarian rely on instinct, pick fights and often put themselves in risky situations.

Primary Abilities: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation,

Nature, Perception, Survival

Weapons: simple or martial weapons

Perks: Rage for one turn as a bonus action, Reckless Attack, Danger
Sense

Primal Paths
Path of the Berserker: You thrill in the frenzy and chaos of battle, regardless of
your safety. (pg. 49)

Path of the Totem Warrior: Accepts the guidance of a spirit animal as your guide
and protector. (pg. 50)
 For people who love to role-play and enjoy talking their way
Bard out of problems. They’re natural-born storytellers who channel
their magic through music.

Primary Abilities: Charisma, Dexterity

Skills: Proficiency (+3) in any 3 skills

Weapons: simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords,

rapier, shortsword, musical instrument

Perks: Any two cantrips from the Bard Spell list (suggestions
under Quick Build), Bardic Inspiration as a bonus action

Bard Colleges
College of Lore: Pursuit of beauty, truth, and art. Gain proficiency of 3
skills.

College of Valor: Keep alive the stories of great heroes and venture to
seek new tales. Gain proficiency with certain weapons.
Cleric For people who love to have big goals and wield big weapons.
They are conduits for divine power who are a balance of
healing combat training.

Primary Abilities: Wisdom, Strength/Constitution

Skills: Choose two from History, Insight, Medicine,

Persuasion, and Religion

Weapons: simple weapons, shield, holy symbol

Perks: Channel Divinity to heal those around you

Divine Domain: These are the powers you gain from your
deity.

Choose one: Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, War

 For people who love animals, enjoy resourceful, magic-based
solutions to complicated questions and believe in the balance of the
Druid elements in nature.

Primary Abilities: Wisdom, Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature,
Perception, Religion, and Survival

Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars,

sickles, slings, spears

Perks: Speak Druidic, Wild Shape transform into an animal for a short period
of time

Druid Circles (pg.67-69)

Circle of the Land: Mystics who safeguard ancient knowledge through oral
tradition. Gain one extra Druid cantrip

Circle of the Moon: Fierce guardians of the wilds, gathering only under the full
moon.
 Fighters are for players who enjoy experimenting with different combat styles and
Fighter dealing lots of damage. Fighters are diverse—they can wield all sorts of weapons
and come from all sorts of backgrounds—so they’re great for players who want to
carve out their own path.

Primary Abilities: Strength/Dexterity, Constitution

Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight,
Intimidation, Perception, and Survival

Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons

Perks: Hone your skills with a specific fighting style

Martial Archetypes (pg. 72-75)

Champion: Focuses on physical power. Critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20

Battle Master: Focuses on martial technique and history. Gain Combat Superiority.
(pg. 73)

Eldritch Knight: Martial mastery along with basic study of magic. (pg. 75)
 For players who enjoy combining magic and physical strength, fighting only
when it’s worth it, following cultural traditions and coming up with full and
involved backstories.
Monk
Primary Abilities: Dexterity, Wisdom

Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Religion, and
Stealth

Weapons: simple weapons, shortsword

Perks: Unarmored Defense, Mastery of martial arts, Ki mystic energy,

deflect or catch a ranged attack, reduced falling damage

Monastic Traditions (pg.79-81)

Way of the Open Hand: Ultimate masters of Ki, use energy to attack and
heal

Way of the Shadow: Value stealth and often are referred to as ninjas.

Way of the Four Elements: By focusing your Ki, you harness the strength of
the elements around you to attack and heal.
 For players who want to have lots of hit points and risk themselves to selflessly
protect their allies. They’re oath bound crusaders against evil and deal with
Paladin questions of morality.

Primary Abilities: Strength, Charisma

Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion,

and Religion

Weapons: simple, martial weapons, chain mail, holy symbol

Perks: Divine Sense detects nearby fiends and undead, Lay on Hands is a
blessed healing touch, Unique fighting styles, deals radiant damage, immune to
disease

Sacred Oaths (pg. 85-88)

Oath of Devotion: Bound by lofty ideals of justice, virtue, and order.

Oath of the Ancients: Bound to tenets as old as the fey and elves. Believes in
the light and respects life-giving things of the world.

Oath of Vengeance: A oath to punish those who have committed great evil.
 For tactically-minded players who might enjoy role-playing loners,
Ranger fighting from a distance, and using the game’s landscape to their
advantage.

Primary Abilities: Dexterity, Wisdom

Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight,

Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival

Weapons: Simple, martial weapons

Perks: Favored Enemy gives you extra knowledge about a

specific foe of your choosing, Natural Explorer prevents your
party getting lost, Primeval Awareness

Ranger Archetypes (pg. 93)

Hunter: Specialize in combat techniques against forest threats

Beast Master: Fight alongside a Medium sized animal companion

 For people who want to be the first to smell danger (i.e., sense traps), steal

Rogu things, fight using precision and planning rather than brute strength and blur
moral lines.
e Primary Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma

Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation,

Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Weapons: simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortsword

Perks: Sneak Attack, Thieves’ Cant allows secret communication between

rogues, Cunning Action

Roguish Archetypes (pg. 97-98)

Thief: Hone your skills in the art of stealing

Assassin: Training on the grim art of death. Deadlier when attacking from above

Arcane Trickster: Enhance your stealth skills with magic and illusion
 For people who may want to act impulsively, wield enormous power,
weave an intricate backstory and customize their character’s
Sorcerer personality based off a list of spells. Born with magic.

Primary Abilities: Charisma, Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation,

Persuasion, and Religion

Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows

Perks: Lots of powerful spells, twist the spells slightly to suit your
needs (pg. 102)

Sorcerous Origin (pg. 102-104)

Draconic Bloodline: Your bloodline was infused with Draconic Magic. Fluent in
Draconic language.

Wild Magic: Chaotic magic surges within you. There will be times that you will
not be able to control your ability (see Wild Magic Surge pg. 104)
 For players who enjoy learning about D&D’s demons and
Warlock interplanar beings, harboring secrets, and wielding great power.
Magic gained by making a pact with mysterious being.

Primary Abilities: Charisma, Constitution

Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History,

Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion

Weapons: simple weapons

Perks: Pact Boon is a creature or object gifted from your patron

Otherworldly Patrons (pg. 108-110)

The Archfey: Your pact is with a whimsical, sometimes petty, fey

The Fiend: Your pact is with an evil fiend, such as a Demogorgon

The Great Old One: Your patron is an omniscient, mysterious

entity without any known origin
 For players who enjoy appearing intelligent (not necessarily being
Wizard intelligent), piecing together repertoires of spells, and offering knowledge
on a variety of topics. Magic is studied and learned.

Primary Abilities: Intelligence, Constitution/Dexterity

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine,

and Religion

Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows

Perks: Powerful spells

Arcane Traditions (pg. 115-119)

Focus on an area of study; there are several schools you could follow.

Abjuration (blocking), Conjuration (produce objects), Divination (see the

future), Enchantment (entrance others), Evocation (powerful attacks),
Illusion (mind tricks), Necromancy (manipulate death), Transmutation
(modify energy and matter),
pg. 45
How do I choose?
It is best to try to find a race/class combination that compliments each other.
Some of it is logical (a tiny gnome would make a terrible barbarian due to its
size), but it is best to look at how their stats/perks help each other.

For example, a Halfling has Dexterity +2. This would be a good match for a
rogue, since its most important Ability is Dexterity.

Also, think about how you want to play your character! If you want some who
will ‘smash things,’ then a half-orc barbarian may be a good fit.

That being said… make it fun for yourself!

If you want to be a Half-Orc Bard, go for it! :)
You may always ask Ms. Saal to choose any subrace/ class specialization.
Ask and seek out help!
There is a lot that goes into this game! There are tons of rules, limitations, and
aspects that go into it. Reading relevant sections of the Player’s Handbook is
absolutely necessary and extremely useful.
Dndbeyond.com has tons of helpful, easy to look up information.

However, much of it can be confusing at first glance.

Please seek out help from Ms. Saal and your fellow players.
We are all here to help and support each other!