Picking Your D&D Species

You've picked your class but don't know which D&D species has the best traits to match?

You know the deal! Here's some heady help in choosing what kind of hero (or villain) you want to be. So lock in while I break it down (and roll it up 🍃) for ya!

Why is the species important?

Your character's species can enhance the class you chose:

• Special abilities and traits like darkvision, flight, breath weapons, etc.

• Physical characteristics including size, speed, and appearance

• Cultural flavor meaning depending on where you might come from, new townspeople might react different to you (aka just another day for a blerd)

• Unique mechanics that make playing different species' feel, well ... different

Think of it this way: your class determines what you do, and your species determines how you experience the world while doing that thing you do (also, GREAT movie).

Ok, NOW let's jump in!

The 2024 PHB gives you 10 species right out of the gate and each one is its own special little cinnamon roll. Let's look through the lineup with some real talk about what you're signing up for:

Aasimar

You've got celestial blood running through your veins which gives you resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, darkvision, the light cantrip, and healing hands. At level 3, you unlock celestial revelation, which lets you transform for one minute and either heal allies, deal extra radiant damage to enemies, straight-up sprout wings and fly, OR become a menacing necrotic shroud. Oh! And you can choose which transformation to use each time, so you're not locked into one option.

Good for: Clerics (obvious divine vibes), paladins (holy damage dealers), warlocks (great if you chose a celestial patron); or anyone who mains Angela in Marvel Rivals

Dragonborn

You're part dragon, get a breath weapon that scales with your level (1d10 at level 1 to 4d10 at level 4), and resistance to one damage type based on your dragon ancestry. At level 5, you can sprout 'spectral wings' and fly (fly speed equal to your speed).

Good for: Paladins (breath weapon + smite = divine chaos), fighters (extra attacks + breath weapon), sorcerers (dragon bloodline can really make your sorcerer more fun to play), and barbarians (resistance + tanky tank vibes); dragonborn are versatile and fun AF to play

Dwarf

Sturdy, tough, and built like a brick shithouse. Dwarves now move at 30 feet (not 25 like in 2014), and instead of just knowing about stonework, you can activate tremorsense to detect vibrations through the ground. Plus, you get resistance to poison damage and advantage on saves against poison.

Good for: Fighters and paladins (armor proficiency is clutch), clerics (hill dwarf HP + healing = unkillable support), or barbarians (poison resistance + HP boost)

Elf

Elves have darkvision, fey ancestry (advantage against being charmed, immunity to magical sleep), trance (only need 4 hours of rest), and proficiency in perception, insight, or survival. They come in three flavors: drow (120 feet of darkvision and no more sunlight sensitivity!), high elf (Prestidigitation cantrip that's swappable for another wizard cantrip), and wood elf (35 foot movement speed, druidcraft cantrip).

Good for: Any class, honestly. Elves are a classic species pick for a reason...

Gnome

Gnomes are slightly taller than halflings and wildly good at resisting magic effects. Seriously. You get gnomish cunning which gives you advantage on all INT, WIS, and CHA saving throws, which is one of the best defensive abilities in the game. Gnomes also get darkvision and a subspecies choice between forest gnomes (who can talk to small animals) and rock gnomes (who are great with tools and clockwork).

Good for: Wizards (item knowledge), rogues (tinkering with traps), artificers (tinkering in general), rangers (animal communication will come in handy if you get a beast companion), and bards (illusions for days)

Goliath

Goliaths are big ole warriors with giant ancestry, and you get to pick which type of giant (cloud, fire, frost, hill, stone, or storm), which gives you unique abilities. All goliaths can use Large Form to temporarily become Large size, gaining advantage on Strength checks and extra movement speed.

Good for: Barbarians (large form + rage = pure terror), fighters (extra damage on attacks), paladins (smite + giant powers), and monks (mobility + reach tricks when large)

Halfling

Small, lucky, and impossible to keep down! Halflings get the luck trait, which lets you reroll any d20 that lands on a 1. You're also naturally stealthy and can move through spaces occupied by larger creatures (get reeaaaaal sneaky sneaky). Plus, you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Good for: Rogues (luck on sneak attack crits? Gimme), bards (never fail an important Persuasion check), rangers (lucky shots), and monks (luck on saving throws keeps you alive)

Human

Humans may sound basic compared to all the other fantasy options BUT they’re the jack-of-all-trades species. You get an extra feat at level 1 (on top of the one everyone gets), a bonus skill proficiency, and you regain heroic inspiration after every long rest. Humans might not have flashy abilities like flight or darkvision, but that extra feat makes you incredibly versatile.

Good for: Literally any class. The extra feat at level 1 lets you customize your character however you want.

Orc

Orcs get relentless endurance (drop to 1 HP instead of 0 once per long rest ... dayum), adrenaline rush (dash as a bonus action AND gain temp HP), and 120 feet of darkvision. The 2024 version made orcs into more of a "tough survivor" which, as you can see, is a pretty dope change from just like a really angry strong dude.

Good for: Barbarians, fighters (dash + attack combos), paladins (smite, smite the enemy SO HARD), and rogues (dash for positioning in combat)

Tiefling

My first D&D character (pictured) was a tiefling and I'm gonna be real: I love tieflings so, sooo damn much.

Tieflings have darkvision, fire/poison/necrotic resistance (depending on subtype), and some spicy innate spells at levels 3 and 5. Oh! And tieflings now come in three varieties: abyssal (poison resistance and poison spells), chthonic (necrotic resistance and death-flavored spells), or infernal (fire resistance and fire spells). Well, four if we don't forget about the variant which has bat-like wings and gains some pretty sweet spells to replace some of the infernal legacy traits you would normally get.

Good for:  Sorcerers, warlocks (fiendish pact baybeee), paladins (resistance keeps you alive in melee), and bards (a class so nice, I've played it twice)

Wait a minute, what about half-elves and half-orcs?

The only limit is your imagination, you little weirdo

Ah, great question! In 2024, there are no separate half-elf or half-orc species, so instead, you can be any combination of two species. Want to be half-goliath, half-halfling? I mean, sure it's logistically questionable, but if you brought that to my table I'd allow it :)

Here's how it works: pick one species and use all their traits, but describe your character as having physical features from both species. So you could play an orc mechanically but describe your character as having some human features and call them a half-orc. It's all about flavor.

How do I actually choose?

Ask yourself these super easy questions:

What do I think is cool?

Seriously. If you think breathing fire is awesome, play a dragonborn. If you want to be small (but not as small as a gnome) and suuuuper sneaky, play a halfling.

What kind of story do I want to tell?

Are you a celestial-touched hero destined for greatness? The scrappy underdog who refuses to quit? The misunderstood outcast looking for redemption? Your species can help boost your character's story.

Do I need darkvision for this campaign?

This might sound silly, but darkvision comes up a lot in D&D. If your whole party has darkvision except you, you'll be the one holding the torch while everyone else sneaks ahead. Not a dealbreaker, but worth considering and definitely worth asking your DM.

Species with darkvision: Aasimar (60 ft), Dragonborn (60 ft), Dwarf (120 ft), Elf (60-120 ft depending on lineage), Gnome (60 ft), Orc (120 ft), Tiefling (60 ft)

Species without darkvision: Goliath, Halfling, Human

What is the campaign's setting?

Some species fit certain terrains and towns better. For example, if you're in a campaign set in the frozen north (like Icewind Dale), a goliath or dwarf might feel more at home than a gold dragonborn.. If you're in the Forgotten Realms, maybe stick closer to core options unless your DM says otherwise.

Pick the species that makes YOU excited to sit down and play.

Now go forth and cause some chaos!