Races

Overview
A Race is a type of humanoid creature, that a player can choose for their Player Characters. Currently there are 14 races in the game, 10 based on the Eberron campaign settings from Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 and 4 based on the Forgotten Realms campaign setting from Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition. Free to Play players must purchase Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Warforged and Iconics of Bladeforged, Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin), Morninglord (Sun Elf), Purple Dragon Knight, and Shadar-kai in order to play them, and the Drow race can either be purchased or unlocked on a server by achieving 400 favor with a single character.

When creating a character in Dungeons & Dragons Online, it's important to consider what a given race would entail for your desired class. Any race in the game can be any class, and they all can multiclass as well. This page gives a brief overview of each race's capabilities, however it is recommended to view each individual race's page before deciding on the race and the classes you wish to play. Some races are better qualified for certain classes, and may be somewhat less ideal for certain others.

Summary of the races and their allowed starting ability ranges:

Bladeforged

 * Stats:
 * Benefits:
 * Flaws:
 * Favored Classes:
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin)

 * Stats:
 * Benefits:
 * Flaws:
 * Favored Classes:
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Drow Elf
The Drow of Eberron are not like the Drow of Faerun (aka Forgotten Realms), they are more akin to the normal Elves of Eberron but have different starting ability scores. They cannot be created as a 32-point build because of the extra ability scores they receive at character creation.
 * Stats: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution.
 * Benefits: +2 to saves against Enchantment spells, inherent Spell Resistance, +2 to Listen, Search, and Spot skills, and bonus racial weapon proficiencies (rapier, shortsword, and shuriken).
 * Flaws: Lower Constitution, averaging fewer hit points than most other races, and having a score of less than 12-14 may exclude you from some parties due to your in-ability to meet hit point requirements.
 * Favored Classes: They make great Sorcerers, Wizards, Artificers, or Rogues with their extra stat points, they also excel at being a Bard, Ranger, or even a Paladin.
 * Inherent Racial Feats: Shuriken Expertise
 * Free to Play: This race can be chosen at the Character Creation screen as long as one of two conditions is met. Either you have reached 400 Favor with a single character on the server you wish to create the race on, or you purchase the race from the DDO Store which will unlock its use on all servers without having to reach 400 Favor. This race is not automatically available to VIPs.

Dwarf

 * Stats: +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
 * Benefits: Racial Toughness enhancements, Spell Point enhancements, bonuses to saves against spells and poisons, bonuses when fighting giant or goblinoid type creatures, bonuses to Search and Balance.
 * Flaws: Penalty to Charisma makes them less attractive to Charisma-based classes, like Sorcerers.
 * Favored Classes: Dwarves make great Fighters and Barbarians because of their extra Constitution, they can also do well as a Cleric. As well as a Monk since they do not use Charisma.
 * Free to Play: This race is free tof all players.

Elf

 * Stats: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
 * Benefits: Immune to Sleep, +2 to saves against Enchantment spells, +2 to Listen, Search and Spot skills, racial weapon proficiencies (longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow). Elven Wizards also gain access to the Elven Arcanum enhancement line for more spell points, and Elven Clerics can take the enhancement Undying Call by being a Follower of the Undying Court, gaining the ability to raise dead party members at level 6. Elves also have their own Arcane Archer prestige class, independent from the Ranger class.
 * Flaws: Lower Constitution, averaging fewer hit points than most other races, and having a score of less than 12-14 may exclude you from some parties due to your inability to meet hit point requirements.
 * Favored Classes: They make great Rangers with their extra dexterity. They also excel at being Clerics, Rogues, and Wizards.
 * Free to Play: This race is free to all players.

Gnome

 * Stats:
 * Benefits:
 * Flaws:
 * Favored Classes:
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Halfling
One of the smallest of all the playable races, dexterous and agile. Able to sneak about and hide in corners if they so choose.
 * Stats: +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
 * Benefits: +1 size bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus to attack rolls with thrown weapons, +2 to Jump, Listen and Move Silently skills, and +4 to Hide. Halfling also get +1 to all saves and +2 bonus to saves against Fear. They also gain limited healing abilities with the Mark of Healing Dragonmark feats. In addition, Halflings gain the Cunning and Guile enhancement lines, which greatly increase their attack bonus when flanking and their Sneak Attack damage, respectively.
 * Flaws: Halflings only have 75% carrying capacity when compared to other races, and their racial penalty to Strength can be a slight detriment to their damage dealing ability.
 * Favored Classes: Halflings have great synergy with the Rogue class due to their bonuses to Hide and Move Silently as well as their +1 to all saves/attack rolls, and several specialized enhancements lines. They can also excel at the Monk class.
 * Free to Play: This race is free to all players.

Half-Elf
A combination of Human and Elven parents, Half-Elves are typically shunned by the Elven community. They mainly live in Human cities.
 * Stats: No changes.
 * Benefits: Half-Elves receive a free Dilettante feat, which they may select to provide some of the abilities of a class. They also have access to both Human and Elven enhancements.
 * Flaws: None.
 * Favored Classes: Half-Elfs, due to their Dilettante Feats, make a good racial choice for any class, just like Humans. Like Elfs they can become Arcane Archers via race, which allows for interesting class combinations.
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the Character Creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Half-Orc
The product of Human and Orc parents, savage and brutish in their nature. They boast extra Strength over the other races, but are not as intelligent or charismatic.
 * Stats: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
 * Benefits: Higher Strength provides bonuses to attack and damage melee rolls. Also enhancements favor the use of two handed weapons.
 * Flaws: Penalty to Intelligence and Charisma result in less effective to some classes like Sorcerer, and Wizard.
 * Favored Classes: Half-Orcs make good all-round melee characters with bonuses to strength and very high damage, they are particularly good at two handed fighting Barbarians, Fighters.
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Human
A well-rounded race that can excel at any class, with no outstanding benefits and virtually no flaws they are an excellent choice for any player new to the Dungeons & Dragons gaming system and the world of Eberron.
 * Stats: No changes.
 * Benefits: One extra Feat at 1st Level. Also, Humans get 4 additional Skill Points at creation and 1 additional skill point per level. Humans get race-specific enhancement lines such as Human Adaptability and Human Greater Adaptability, and Human Versatility.
 * Flaws: None.
 * Favored Classes: Being the only race that can unlock the full potential of the Chimera's Fang, Humans make particularly good Fighters or Paladins. They make great Clerics due to the ability to take an extra point in Wisdom with Human Adaptability or Human Greater Adaptability, but a Human can do well as any class in the game.
 * Free to Play: This race is free for all players

Morninglord (Sun Elf)

 * Stats:
 * Benefits:
 * Flaws:
 * Favored Classes:
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Purple Dragon Knight

 * Stats:
 * Benefits:
 * Flaws:
 * Favored Classes:
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Shadar-kai

 * Stats:
 * Benefits:
 * Flaws:
 * Favored Classes:
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.

Warforged
These are known as living constructs and are unique to the world of Eberron, the Warforged that a player plays are sentient beings and are regarded as a race on equal footing with the same rights as any other race. Warforged do not wear the body armor that other races are able to wear, instead they have inherent armor and use Docents to give them extra abilities.
 * Stats: +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
 * Benefits: Immune to Poison, Sleep Effects, Negative Levels, Paralysis, Hold Person/Monster, Flesh to Stone, Disease, Nausea, Fatigue & Exhaustion. Sorcerers and Wizards (including Hirelings that can Repair Warforged) can use Repair spells to heal Warforged. Do not breathe underwater and have an inherent stacking 25% fortification. Has the effects of the Diehard feat by default. Swapping docents is instantaneous and they do not have to wait for the timer that other races get when changing armor.
 * Flaws: Cure and Heal spells from Divine Casters have a -50% penalty when cast upon Warforged. Rust monsters will do more damage against a Warforged, have a chance to stun them with every attack, and will seek them out in battle. Warforged are vulnerable to the Deconstruct spell that is carried by artificers.
 * Favored Classes: With their bonus constitution they make good Fighters and Barbarians. They also make excellent Sorcerers, Artificers, and Wizards because of the arcane caster's ability to use Repair spells which are effective on Warforged. While a somewhat niche choice, Warforged Favored Souls can attain multiple types of DR, since their level 20 DR works with their DR from enhancements and the various Warforged DR feats.
 * Free to Play: This race must be purchased from the DDO Store to be able to create one at the character creation screen. Once purchased it unlocks the race on all servers.