Making An Awesome D&D Character: Step 2

Table of Contents

• Step 0: Collect Information
• Step 1: Classes
• Step 2: Races
• Step 3: Backgrounds and Backstory
• Step 4: Ability Score Generation
• Step 5: Skills and Proficiencies
• Step 6: Spellcasting

Races

There are a three schools of thought when it comes to picking a race. You can pick the one that fits the flavour of your character, one that gives you the best mechanics in-game, and or a race have that has never been done before. Each of these have their merits. It comes down to play style and what’s important to you when you play. For example if your play style needs your character to be optimized for the best playing, then you may be best choosing a race that makes the most mechanical sense. If that’s less important, and story is more important, I’d recommend choosing flavour over mechanics.

Whether you’ve picked your class or need some help with races, you’ve come to the right place. Races in D&D can be overwhelming due to sheer number of Wizards of the Coast published races. Below, I will break down the ones in the System Resource Document (SRD), but will also list others and where to find my information on them.

Race Name	Mechanics	Typical Lore	Examples
Dwarf	Darkvision +2 Constitution and +1 Wisdom Resistant to poison and poison damage Automatically knows some Dwarven weapons such as battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer Gains proficinecy with Stonecunning to recognize origin or stonework. Some varieties such as the Hill Dwarf gain extra HP every level.	Known as stout and steady people, the dwarves are generally a lawful, well-ordered society with a sense of fair play and the benefits of society being just.	Glimi from Lord of the Rings Thorin Oakenshield from The HobbitBinwin Bronzebottom from Acquisitions Incorporated
Elf	Can see in the dark 60 ft as dim light +2 Dexterity and +1 IntelligenceProficiency in PerceptionThey don’t sleep and their minds are trained against charms. Knows how to use swords, bows, and a little bit of magic.	Elves are known for their love of freedom, their long lives, and their love of freedom, and self-expression. They value others freedoms as well.	Legolas from The Lord of the Rings Keyleth from Critial Role Elves from the Elder Scrolls franchise
Halfling	Fast and friendly: +2 Dexterity and +1 Charisma. Can reroll natural 1s Harder to be frightened Can move through the space of any creature that is a size larger than theirs Can hide behind creatures larger than themselves	Halflings are about half the size of a human, but are often seen as a friendly and kind-hearted race. They are known for their honour to tradition, their enjoyment of life, and community.	Frodo, Sam, and other Hobbits from Tolkien’s fantasy books Willow from the movie with the same nameAcorn from The 13th Kingdom
Human	Generalists: they gain +1 to every ability	I believe you’re very well acquainted with this race	Think of any heroic human on Earth
Dragonborn	Strong and forceful, they gain +2 to Strength and +1 to Charisma Gain access to breath weapon and damage resistance determined by colour of dragon	Dragonborn are dragon-like humanoids who often see the world in extremes.	Similar to Argonians in the Elder Scrolls franchise
Gnome	+2 to Intelligence and +1 to Constitution Darkvision Better at resisting mind-affecting magics Can tinker to create various toys and tools	The gnomes are a fun-loving, mischievous race who value freedom as much as the elves do. They are connected with the forest or mountains they call home and often spend time tricking outsiders with fantastic illusions or working on new inventions to keep their minds active.	The Earthmen from The Chronicles of Narnia Dobby and Critter from the Harry Potter series Gnomeo from Gnomeo and Juliette
Half-Elf	+2 Charisma and +1 to another ability of your choice Darkvision Can’t be put to sleep by magic and has advantage against being charmed Gains proficiency in two additional skills	The union of an elf and a human or another half-elf, the half-elves fit in everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They are charismatic and skillful, but are not as long-lived as elves, and don’t quite fit in with humans.	Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI Tanis Half-Elven from Dragonlance Gardic from The Lady of the Lake
Half-Orc	+2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution Darkvision Proficiency in Intimidation When you’re reduced to 0 hit points, you can drop to 1 hp instead once a long rest When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you deal one dice additional damage	The progeny of an orc and a human or a half-orc and a human, half-orcs are large, imposing humanoids with features that resemble an orc: notably skin and tusks. In orc culture, they are often seen as puny and weak while in human culture they are less trusted or even feared for their bloodline. As such, they have to work harder to be trusted and are often given more dangerous tasks.	Harruq from the Weight of Blood Agronak gro-Malog from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Nicolas Jakoby in Bright
Tiefling	Intelligence +1 and Charisma +2 Darkvision Resistance to fire You know spells due to your infernal legacy	Either through the pairing of another tiefling or due to an infernal pact with a devil, Tieflings are often depicted with horns and a tail. Because they are so visibly entwined with evil, they are often avoided in social situations.	Balthazar from Constantine Crowley from Supernatural Jester from Critical Role

For more options or information, check out the following resources below:

• Player’s Handbook
• Dungeon Master’s Guide
• Elemental Evil Player’s Guide
• Volo’s Guide to Monsters
• Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
• Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
• Southlands Heroes
• Planeshift: Zendikar