Level Adjustment, Races, and You-Introduction-~Written for the NWN1 3.2 PRC from a Single Player Perspective~I'd been playing with the PRC since around the 2.0 release, maybe earlier. Somewhere between then and 3.0, I was fiddling around with the switches and noticed a bunch of them called "Simple LA". After reading a bit about "Level Adjustment" in a few PnP sources, I decided I liked using it.
With the metric ton of races that were just released in the 3.2 version of the Player Resource Consortium, it can be mind-boggling figuring out what to pick, with all these races that possess so many different abilities ranging from +attribute modifiers to immunities.
However, these fancy new races not only have (mostly) highly beneficial traits, they also have a Level Adjustment to prevent them from being cheesier than they already are.
In response, I started writing up some stuff to use as a self-reference, and it eventually ballooned into something else entirely... Which I'll now show to you guys so you can pick it apart.
-What is Level Adjustment?-Technically speaking, Level Adjustment increases a character's ECL, or Effective Character Level. If a character that is Level 1 is a Drow, he'll have a Level Adjustment of +2. This +2 LA increases his ECL from Level 1 to Level 3.
Mechanically speaking, he'll be treated as a Level 3 character despite having the stats of a Level 1 Drow. How, you ask? In his experience gain. In effect, he'll be gaining less experience than other Level 1 characters.
For the PRC's Simple LA switch, a character with level adjustment gains experience at a rate of:
(C/(C+LA))x(EXP)
Where C=character level, LA=level adjustment, and EXP=experience points gained.
For our Level 1 Drow, if he kills a creature for 100 exp, he doesn't actually get 100 exp. Instead he gets:
(1/(1+2))x(100)... In other words, 1/3 of 100 experience.
-The Severity of Level Adjustment-This might look serious to you-- it might not. After all, the reduction per exp gain will become lighter as you gain more levels. A Level 5 Drow would gain experience at a rate of:
(5/(5+2)), or 5/7. Not so bad.
But at lower levels, you might find yourself at a significant disadvantage as a melee class. Any ability boosts you have to attack bonus or HP might be negated by the fact that you're not getting the proper BAB and class hitdie that other characters at similar points of the game would have.
Casters are hit even harder. On +2 LA races alone, every bit of lost experience builds up such that you're probably going to be one spell level behind your peers. You'll find yourself stuck with Fireball while your friends are already throwing out Ice Storm.
Level Adjustment doesn't hurt so bad in hack-and-slash modules where the increasingly difficult enemies give you increasing amounts of experience in proportion to your regular character level rather than your ECL, and hurts more when you've got a quest-heavy module with set amounts of experience rewards.
-Why turn it on in the first place?-By default, Level Adjustment is off, and from what I've said, there appears to be no practical reason at all to turn on the Level Adjustment options for the PRC. In fact, anyone who predominantly plays casters will probably be even more discouraged from switching LA on. However, reasons DO exist for using it:
1) To be closer to the feel of PnP D&D.
2) To feel far less cheesy. I mean, you're telling me you don't feel guilty wading through the game as a Rakshasa with that DR, SR, and huge CON boost?
3) To have a reason to use some of the "lesser" races. I mean, if you can just pick an Illithid to become a supercaster, why would you ever want to be a Human? With Level Adjustment, you've actually got an incentive to pick someone a bit lower down on the ladder rungs, like the Air Genasi.
-General Guidelines-Without Level Adjustment, the best races are rather easy to point out.
For Non-Casters:Troll - Massive Strength, similarly massive Constitution (+12), and high regeneration rate make playing Neverwinter Nights incredibly easy. Seriously, walk up to something, hit it until it's dead, move on. If you take too much damage, rest/wait around until you're up to full HP. These guys are the PRC's Easy Mode.
Zakya Rakshasa - Slightly less Strength and Constitution (+10) than a Troll but still disgustingly overpowered, Zakya make up for it with having no attribute penalties and a host of other abilities, not the least of which is SR and DR.
Naztharune Rakshasa - The Dexterity equivalent of the Zakya, starting with a Sneak Attack and HiPS that makes you the equivalent of a Rogue 6/Shadowdancer 1 from the get-go.
Bralani Eladrin - Equally powerful in Strength and Dexterity (+8), Bralani also have a plethora of at-will spell-like abilities and the typical Outsider qualities including SR and DR.
For Casters:Illithid - Having the highest Intelligence (+8) of the PRC races alone is enough to make the Illithid one of the kings of casting.
Nymph - Sharing the highest Charisma (+8) bonus with only one other Race, Nymphs also have Unearthly Grace that boosts their AC and saves equal to their Charisma mod.
For Gishes:Drider - Respectably good bonuses in casting (Int/Wis/Cha +4/+6/+6), Driders also have a large +6 Constitution, SR, and +AC to make them very durable as well. Then there's the +4 Str/Dex that makes them impressive combatants outside of casting.
Rakshasa - High Charisma (+6), high Con (+6) +AC, DR, and the highest Spell Resistance out of all PRC races (27). You'd not only make a good caster, but you're a tank against anything.
With Level Adjustment, though, what's considered a "good" race or not becomes a bit of a blurrier line. I generally follow the guidelines below.
For Non-Casters:No Level Adjustment - So long as the physical attribute or attributes that affect important sub-abilities are either unaffected or gain a boost, you should be fine here.
+1 Level Adjustment - In general, you want some combination (at least +2) of +Dex, +Str, and +Con. +AC would also be nice. Alternatively, attribute bonuses to stuff like Wisdom or Intelligence or having things like Elemental Resistances with no/few penalties would be nice as well.
Recommended Examples: Scro, Catfolk, Half-Giant.
+2 Level Adjustment - You should go after some serious +Dex/+Str, +Con, +AC, Elemental Resistances, SR, or Immunities to make up for the fragility that comes from being some levels behind.
Recommended Examples: Githyanki, Orog, Flind.
+3 Level Adjustment and above - Races with some incredible combination of enormous +Dex/+Str (at least +6), high +Con, high +AC, great Elemental Resistances, Immunities, Spell Resistance, Spell-Like Abilities, or something else that makes the race stand out are the only ones that are seriously viable-- otherwise, you're might as well be walking glass.
Recommended Examples: Troll, Zakya Rakshasa, Naztharune Rakshasa.
For Casters:No Level Adjustment - The most preferred amount of Level Adjustment. So long as you don't get a penalty in your main casting attribute, the race works. Though it would be better to have an attribute increase in said casting attribute, a +Con/+Dex/+AC boost that doesn't simultaneously affect that attribute, or something that's distinctly useful. Or maybe a combination of any of that.
Recommended Examples: Deep Imaskari, Neraph, Elan.
+1 Level Adjustment - +1 LA is worth it if you can get at least +2 to your central spellcasting stat, or if the race has stuff that'll help you survive (+AC, +Con, SR) without having a detriment to your spellcasting at the same time.
Recommended Examples: Aasimar, Water Genasi, Viletooth Lizardfolk.
+2 Level Adjustment - +2 LA is what I consider the stopping point before your spells start to suck too much. You either want at least a serious boost in your central spellcasting attribute, or getting significant improvements to your suvivability (high +AC, high +Con, Immunities, etcetera).
Recommended Examples: Volodni, Dragonkin.
+3 Level Adjustment and above - Almost never worth it.
For Gishes:No Level Adjustment - If you're concerned more about spellcasting or at least keeping casting balanced with physical combat, then at the very least you want a race that does not take a hit in either your central spellcasting attribute or your main physical attribute (Dex or Str).
+1 Level Adjustment - You'll want either improved durability (+Con, +saves, +AC, SR), better attacking (+Dex, +Str), a +2 to your spellcasting attribute, or some combination of those three while not sacrificing anything/too much in any of them.
+2 Level Adjustment - This is pushing it for your spells. You should be looking for high +AC, +Con, +Dex/+Str, +Int/+Cha/+Wis, Resistances, SR, Immunities, or anything else useful while trying to avoid -Con, -Dex/-Str, and -Int/-Cha/-Wis unless it's worth it.
+3 Level Adjustment and above - At this point, your spells are relegated to just buffing. You should be looking for some combination of very large amounts of +Dex/+Str, high +AC, high +Con, SR, Immunities, Spell-Like Abilities, Elemental Resistances, etctera. Once you have this, you can take at most a -2 in your main spellcasting attribute since you're not going to be slinging spells at foes until you start reaching serious Epic levels, and -2 is the cutoff point before your casting becomes seriously hampered in just getting the needed attribute score to use spells.
-Race Comparison-If you're interested in one person's ranting, then we can get to looking at my opinion of each individual race choice. We'll only be looking at races introduced by the PRC, and each race entry will have this format:
[Race Name and Type(s)]
[Favored Class]
[Level Adjustment]
[Special Conditions (If any)]
[List of Abilities]: All stat boosts, racial abilities, and such.
[Race as Non-Caster]: An evaluation of the race outside of spellcasting.
[Race as Caster]: An evaluation of the race in terms of spellcasting, emphasizing 9th level spellcasters.
[Race as Gish]: An evaluation of the race as a hybrid melee-caster. Base Class examples include Cleric and Wilder, and Class combination examples include Psion/Sanctified Mind.
[Caveat]: Some [other] things that might be wrong with a race. Usually relates to Racial Hitdie, which I personally leave turned off. Call me a cherrypicker when it comes to PnP options.
[Personal Notes (If any)]
Alright then, let's get to it. In alphabetical order...
Aasimar - Outsider, Human
Favored Class: Paladin
Level Adjusment - +1
+2 Charisma, +2 Wisdom
Darkvision
Skill Affinity (Spot), Skill Affinity (Listen)
Cold Resistance 5, Acid Resistance 5, Electrical Resistance 5
Level 3 Light - 1/day
Race as Non-Caster: Aasimar make solid Paladins, and the relatively minor level adjustment is not bad for a tradeoff of better stats that help precisely the stats that Paladins' support abilities use, along with darkvision and some elemental resistances-- all of which are against quite common elements.
Race as Caster: Nice stat boosts for casters that use those stats, and again, the level adjustment is relatively minor. However, the early levels can be rough regardless.
Race as Gish: An Aasimar's stat boosts primarily help spellcasting while having no penalties to any physical attribute. I'd say that's pretty good, though there might be more attractive gish options.
Air Genasi - Outsider, Human
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - +1
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom
Darkvision
+1 Saving Throws against air, sonic, and electricity spells (another +1 every 5 levels)
Immune against Drown
Air Genasi Clerics must have the Air domain
Race as Non-Caster: Dexterity and Intelligence means that the Air Genasi are geared towards Rogues, and they're really not bad at it. Furthermore, the immunity to Drown is not something to scoff at-- Water Elementals may be fought quite early depending on the module, and if you're like me, you'll usually roll a 1 on the saving throw against their Drown. Not having to worry about it at all isn't bad.
Race as Caster: Air Genasi make an interesting caster. The +1 LA on top of Charisma and Wisdom loss discourages plenty of casting types, but the improved AC and spell DCs from Dexterity and Intelligence can help Psions and Wizards immensely in both survival and spellslinging/manifesting.
Race as Gish: Dexterity and Intelligence are on the upper end of stats important to both casters and melee for purposes of Armor Class and spell DC. In that respect, Air Genasi aren't bad as a gish race. Cautious recommendation.
Aquatic Elf - Elven
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - +1
+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence
Immune to Sleep-type spells
+2 to saving throws against mind-affecting spells
Immune to Drown
+2 to Listen, +2 to Search, +2 to Spot
Search checks are automatic with no movement penalties
Low-Light Vision
Race as Non-Caster: Aquatic Elves are suited towards dex-based dual wielders, but not necessarily for Rogues. -2 Intelligence hits them in the skill points department. As I've said previously, Drown is not bad if you're expecting Water Elementals. Other than that, these guys aren't anything to write home about.
Race as Caster: No direct benefits to most casting classes, and a -2 Intelligence and a +1 LA that really make this race a horrible choice for the remainder. Regular Elves are a far superior choice.
Race as Gish: Very meh. -2 Intelligence with +2 Dexterity runs contrary to many gish builds I can think of, while the rest of an Aquatic Elf's traits are just unspectacular for the rest of them. However, unlike most Elven races, Aquatics do not take a Constitution hit. This may prove to be better for gish builds that don't use Intelligence-based spellcasting and/or have a greater emphasis on physical fighting.
Arctic Dwarf - Dwarven
Favored Class: Ranger
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma, -4 Dexterity
+2 to Search underground
Darkvision
+2 to saving throws against Poison, +2 to saving throws against Spells
+1 AR against Orcs, +1 AR against Goblinoids
+4 AC against giants
+2 to Lore, +2 to Craft Armor, +2 to Craft Weapon, +2 to Appraise
Immunity to Cold
Small Stature
Race as Non-Caster: No Level Adjustment for +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, and Immunity to Cold? With one negative being in Charisma of all things? Unless you're playing a Roguish/Dex-based character, Arctic Dwarves are definitely an interesting choice to look at.
Race as Caster: The Dexterity loss hurts for most Intelligence/Charisma-based casters, since you're likely going to be forced to wear robes and traditionally have a dependency on Dexterity for your AC woes. Although, Immunity to Cold is really nice... But you might want to go back to regular Dwarves for casting anyway.
Race as Gish: Arctic Dwarves are uniquely suited to becoming armor-wearing casters like Psychic Warriors or Druids. +2 Str, +2 Con, with no loss of Wisdom... Use this to your full advantage.
Caveat: Arctic Dwarves currently have +4 Strength and -2 Dexterity, rather than the much less beneficial stats that they're supposed to have. That might be awesome now, but it's likely to be corrected later.
Asabi - Reptilian Humanoid
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom
50' base speed
Darkvision
+4 to Jump
+2 to Natural Armor AC
1d4 Bite Attack
Proficiencies: Shield, Simple Weapons, Creature
Race as Non-Caster: Oh-ho, wow. No Level Adjustment for a plethora of useful stat boosts, an armor class boost, and the best movement speed in the game (if you turn on PnP Racial Speed). Plenty of benefits with no drawbacks makes Asabi one of the cheesiest races to pick in the game. Perfectly suited for not just melee, but hit-and-run tactics.
Race as Caster: +2 Intelligence and +2 Wisdom with no LA? That speaks for itself. Then there's the free shield proficiency, which you can use freely on a Psion. Very cheesy stuff.
Race as Gish: Armor, bonus to casting stats, etcetera... Again, speaks for itself.
Caveat: If you turn on Racial Hitdie, Asabi are a LOT worse than how they look, because they're forced to take Monster classes that are not only pretty bad compared to the regular classes, but also go towards the 40 level/3 class limit.
Athasian Dwarf - Dwarven
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Darkvision
+2 to saving throws against Poison, +2 to saving throws against Spells
Race as Non-Caster: These guys are like Dwarves, except with less skill boosts. I suppose you'd be forced to use them regardless if you were going for a thematic Dark Sun feel, or playing in a Dark Sun module. The fact that they have a great, all-purpose stat like Constitution that is offset by Charisma still exists... But yeah, I can't think of a reason why you would use them over regular Dwarves.
Race as Caster: See above.
Race as Gish: See above.
Athasian Elf - Elven
Favored Class: Rogue
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
40' base speed
Proficiencies: Shortbow, Longbow
+2 to Listen, +2 to Search, +2 to Spot
Search checks are automatic with no movement penalties
Low-light Vision
Cold Resistance 1, Fire Resistance 1
Race as Non-Caster: I'd say that Athasian Elves are slightly better than Elves. The only loss from going for the Dark Sun version of Elves are the reduced proficiencies-- Longsword and Rapier, which you're likely going to receive in the starting weapon proficiencies of most classes, anyway. The tradeoff for 40' speed and minor resistances is worth it in my opinion.
Race as Caster: Again, Athasian Elves are slightly better Elves. 40' speed and minor resistances are nice to have for casters that get into situations where they need to put some space between themselves and incoming meleers.
Race as Gish: Once more, I reiterate that Athasian Elves are basically Elves except a little better.
Caveat: Athasian Elves lose out on immunity to Sleep. This can be a problem in certain early-level modules, so keep that in mind.
Athasian Half-Elf - Elven
Favored Class: Any
Level Adjustment: None
+2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
+1 Listen, +1 Search, +1 Spot, +2 Animal Empathy
Search checks are automatic with no movement penalties
Low-Light Vision
Race as Non-Caster: I like these guys are a LOT better than regular Half-Elves. No Level Adjustment, with a negative in a stat that's unimportant in a lot of non-casting builds, and a Dexterity boost to make up for it? Very nice. The lack of a Favored Class makes them suitable for anything except classes that rely on Charisma, such as Paladins or Marshals.
Race as Caster: Charisma loss is bad for quite a few casting characters, but not so much for Intelligence-based casters. For them, the Dexterity boost is quite welcome.
Race as Gish: They combine the Elves' Dexterity boost with the Dwarves' Charisma loss. Just stay away from Charisma-based casting and they make a solid choice for a hybrid fighter-caster.
Caveat: I list them as having an Elven type, but like Half-Elves and Half-Drow, they likely do NOT qualify for Baelnorn. Also, they're missing Immunity to Sleep, so that might be a problem in low-level modules.
Athasian Half-GIant - Giant
Favored Class: Barbarian
Level Adjustment: +1
+8 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -4 Intelligence, -4 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
40' base speed
Large Creature
+2 Natural Armor
Darkvision
Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Race as Non-Caster: They're somewhat limited in the optimized options that they have-- basically, they've got to go all-out melee if you want the best results. However, if they do, they're damn good at it. +8 Strength means they hit hard, +4 Constitution means they last long despite the AC loss from -2 Dexterity and Large size, and they get 2/3rd's of all weapons in the game available to them without spending a single feat.
Race as Caster: -4 to EVERY traditional casting stat is pretty damn crippling, I'll admit. However, I think you could pull off a Dragonfire Adept (CON as main stat~) reasonably well, and for the lowest of Level Adjustment penalties.
Race as Gish: Hmm. Physical-leaning gishy classes like Psychic Warrior could be pulled off okay, but otherwise, the only reason you'd ever use spells is for buffs rather than anything else.
Caveat: They've got Racial Hitdie, so if you turn that on, you're losing out on two regular class levels and using up part of your 3-class limit... and in return, you're forced to dip into a pretty bad class. Oof.
Athasian Halfling - Halfling
Favored Class: Ranger
Level Adjustment: None
+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength
Small Stature
-2 Persuade, +2 Move Silently, +4 Listen, +2 Jump
+2 to saving throws against spells
+1 to Attack Bonus for Throwing Weapons
Race as Non-Caster: I don't like these guys, since they lose out on the regular Halfling's more general saving throw boosts. On the other hand, because their Favored Class is Ranger, it'll be easier for them to play a Ranger-based build. Overall, though, I prefer regular Halflings.
Race as Caster: Like regular Halflings, they don't make bad casters. The Strength penalty means little compared to the AC boost from Dexterity and being small, but they do lose out on general saving throws, which once again causes me to prefer regular Halflings.
Race as Gish: Again, regular Halflings edge them out, but they're still okay at it.
Avariel - Elven
Favored Class: Cleric
Level Adjustment: +3
+4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Constitution
Immunity to Sleep
+2 to saving throws against Mind-Affecting Spells
Proficiencies: Elven
+2 Listen, +2 Search, +2 Jump, +4 Spot
Search checks are automatic with no movement penalties
Special Attacks: Dive (+2 to AB, -2 to AC for one attack)
Low-Light Vision
Race as Non-Caster: I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of elves. Avariel might make for interesting Dex-based builds, roguish characters, and/or scouts. Having that special attack (Dive) also gives them an interesting, but risky attack option that does double damage damage with piercing weapons automatically-- which can be very useful early on. But then, you get such a hefty Level Adjustment, which along with that Constitution loss makes me wonder if, after you get through the troubles of low-level encounters, you'll fare too well even past that.
Race as Caster: Oof. +3 Level Adjustment means you're behind a full level of spells, and then some. Though if you're gonna try to play full-on casters as an Avariel anyway, the +2 Intelligence and +2 Wisdom are certainly better than nothing... But I really would recommend some other type of Elf.
Race as Gish: They make questionable gishes-- the +4 Dexterity is nice, but -2 Constitution with a Level Adjustment that big relegates your spells to support or buffing and makes you very fragile.
Azer - Outsider
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - +4
+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Darkvision
Spell Resistance 13 (+1 Per Level)
+6 Natural Armor
+1 Fire Damage per hit
Immunity to Fire
-50% Vulnerability against Cold
Race as Non-Caster: Eh... Unimpressive stats that are too spread out, with an Immunity and Vulnerability that will either make or break them depending on the module. What saves them is the +6 AC and the Spell Resistance, which makes them a problem for enemy casters and non-casters alike.
Race as Caster: +4 Level Adjustment is bad. Like, two levels of spells behind bad. Without any huge boosts to any particular spellcasting stat, playing a caster is an uphill battle for an Azer.
Race as Gish: Hmm... Broad stat boosts is okay. The natural armor and spell resistance are okay. It's a lot more of an accessible route than going full caster with an Azer, at least.
Caveat: Azer have Racial Hitdie, but at least they get it in a monster class that is a cut above the rest; Outsiders get full BAB and saving throws, which may actually help some Non-Caster builds.
Baaz Draconian - Draconic
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - +1
+2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom
Darkvision
Spell Resistance 8 (+1 Per Level)
+2 to Natural Armor AC
1d4 Bite Attack, 1d4 Claw Attack x2
Immunity to Sleep, Paralyzation, Disease
Proficiencies: Simple Weapons
Race as Non-Caster: Hm. They get a lot of nifty stuff that has immediate use in early game as it relates to battles (all the extra attacks, Immunities to cripplingly bad types of attacks like Paralyzation and Disease) but the Intelligence loss does impose limits on the versatility of certain types of Non-Casters (Rogues, for one) which you're going to be feeling later on. Make no mistake though, Baaz Draconians are pretty hardy; +2 Constitution, pre-existing Natural Armor AC, and scaling SR are nothing to scoff at.
Race as Caster: Baaz Draconians would make okay Sorcerers and good Dragonfire Adepts-- otherwise, most casting classes are a bad choice for them because of the loss to Intelligence and Wisdom, which along with the +1 Level Adjustment is horrendous. What spellcasting they can optimize in is therefore pretty limited, but options exist.
Race as Gish: You'll have to compensate for the casting stat in most builds, but otherwise I'd say Baaz Draconians make good gishes-- even more so when you think about the fact that their natural bite/claw weapons can be affected by things like Metaphysical Claw.
Caveat: Racial Hitdice are something the Baaz Draconians have if you switch it on, which will go towards their class limit; BUT, they get the Racial HD in Dragon, which is in the upper tier of Monster classes with full BAB and saving throws. Hurts to have it, but some Non-Caster builds don't suffer too much.
Bladeling - Outsider
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - +1
+2 Dexterity
Darkvision
+4 to Natural Armor AC
Immunity to Acid
Fire Resistance 5, Cold Resistance 5
Damage Reduction 5/+1
Metal Hide (Cannot be damaged by rust attacks, cannot wear armor heavier than light)
Special Ability: Razor Storm 1/day (15' cone that does 2d6 Damage | 10+Con Reflex DC | Natural Armor drops by 2 after use)
Race as Non-Caster: With a cursory glance, it's clear from the wide variety of bonuses that Bladelings look well-suited for a lot of different types of non-casting builds-- Dex-based and roguish builds in particular. However, having the inability to wear armor heavier than light hurts Strength-based builds in mid-magic modules, as the lack of heavier armor means lower AC and the Natural Armor is either similar or outdone by casting or equipment-based Natural Armor boosts.
Race as Caster: +1 Level Adjustment hurts, of course, but the combined resistances, DR, and AC boosts may be worth it. That along with the fact that Bladelings lose nothing in any of the spellcasting stats, and you've got a rather durable casting race on your hands.
Race as Gish: Gish-type builds that have a little bit of a dependence on heavy armor will suffer from not being able to wear them, but otherwise, Bladelings make a fine choice for casters that mix with more Dex-based/roguish classes.
Bozak Draconian - Draconian
Favored Class: Sorcerer
Level Adjustment - +3
+2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma
Darkvision
Spell Resistance 14 (+1 per level)
+8 to Natural Armor AC
1d6 Bite Attack, 1d5 Claw Attack x2
Immunity to Sleep, Paralyzation, Disease
Proficiencies: Light Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons, Longsword, Longbow, Shortsword
Race as Non-Caster: +2 Strength, +8 Natural Armor, scaling SR with a very nice starting number, and lots of nice (if redundant) proficiencies... +3 LA is quite a price to pay for all of that, but I'd say it's not a bad tradeoff.
Race as Caster: Their favored class is Sorcerer, but you're gonna have a really hard time with that high Level Adjustment, which puts you at a disadvantage of more than one level of spells-- which is too much to even think about multiclassing. You could get away with meleeing because of your Natural Armor and Strength boost, but that drops off as you advance. I don't recommend playing them full-on casting.
Race as Gish: This is a lot better than going straight spellcasting. No reduction of spellcasting stats, nice physical boosts, SR... And the Light Armor and Shield proficiencies benefit any gishes that are starting out as Psion since Psionics doesn't have failure penalties.
Caveat: If you choose to turn it on, these guys have Racial Hitdice, but it's in Dragon-- they get full BAB and good across-the-board saving throws. Having a Monster class taking up part of your class limit is not ideal, but it's a better monster class than most.
Bralani Eladrin - Outsider
Favored Class: Fighter
Level Adjustment - +5
+8 Strength, +8 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, +4 Charisma
40' base speed
Darkvision
+6 to Natural Armor AC
Damage Reduction 10/cold iron
Immunity to Electricity, Petrification
Spell Resistance 17 (+1 per level)
Spell-like Abilities at Will: Blur, Charm Person, Gust of Wind, Mirror Image
Spell-like Abilities: Cure Serious Wounds 2/day, Lightning Bolt 2/day
Race as Non-Caster: Bralani join the Rakshasa varieties, Trolls, Illithid, and a handful of other races as having some of the most ridiculous stats of races available in the PRC. What they gain for the +5 LA is worth it; the +8 Strength, +8 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, Natural Armor, DR, useful immunities, infinite casts of Blur and Mirror Image (amongst other spells), and SR are incredible-- they make you hard to hit, and hard to touch. There are few non-casting builds with which you can go wrong as a Bralani... The only thing of concern are classes that are dependent on skills, such as Rogues or Ninjas, whose skill levels will lose out from the Level Adjustment. Otherwise, they're outdone only by Trolls in certain types of builds, and then either matched or outdone only by the Rakshasa variants in others. Bralani are definitely one of the better cheesy races introduced through 3.2.
Race as Caster: The Bralani will probably not look too hot once you get past all the stats and realize that most of their benefits focus on physical aspects, and what does go towards casting is not enough to make up for the +5 LA. Although, you COULD get away with "gishing" it out without really trying-- that's just how good their stats are. Considering that's no longer in the realm of spellcasting, I'd skip these guys if you're after pure spellcasting/manifesting.
Race as Gish: Bralani make fine gishes insofar as they'll be mighty warriors with buff spells to supplement their already immense physical capabilities. You can achieve some very serious damage and your enemies will have trouble even landing a hit, always forced to cap out at 80% chance to hit max because of an *at will* Blur-- and this is before non-racial buffs. Just don't expect to be using your spellcasting as anything other than support for the physical aspect of being a gish.
Caveat: Bralani will be forced to take a 6 level dip in Outsider if you turn Racial Hitdie on, which does dull their awesome stats a bit-- though Outsider is a pretty strong "Monster"/"Enemy" class with full BAB and good all-around saves.
Brownie - Fey
Favored Class: Wizard
Level Adjustment - +4
-6 Strength, +10 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
+2 Craft Weapon, +2 Craft Armor, +2 Craft Trap, +2 Listen, +2 Spot
Uncanny Dodge
Evasion
Hide in Plain Sight
Spell-Like Abilities: Level 7 Confusion 1/day
Race as Non-Caster: Brownies make awesome Dex-based sneak attackers-- +10 Dexterity along with Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, and HiPS for free? Sign me up. They otherwise make pretty bad combatants since -6 Strength is a significant blow to not just damage, but also most Strength-dependant builds. Don't play a Brownie expecting to be the best Devastating Crit'er in the world, and DO expect to pick up Weapon Finesse.
Race as Caster: +4 LA is a bit rough for any spellcasting class, especially with no high spellcasting boons to match that Level Adjustment. I'd skip Brownie in favor of a different race.
Race as Gish: A gish Brownie will have to focus on ways of damage-dealing to compensate for the damage loss and options resulting from their comparatively low Strength. Otherwise, they've got potential.
Bugbear - Goblinoid
Favored Class: Rogue
Level Adjustment - +1
+4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Darkvision
+4 Move Silently
Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Light Armor, Shields
+3 to Natural Armor AC
Race as Non-Caster: One of the better goblinoid races. Boosts to every physical stats and a boost to AC for only +1 Level Adjustment is too good to pass up. They're well suited to pursuing any class you'd like.
Race as Caster: Almost ditto for this section; -2 Charisma does, of course, hurt the relevant spellcasters, and even +1 Level Adjustment is a hump for any spellcaster. However, they've got worthwhile durability, and the plethora of proficiencies are much appreciated for Psions.
Race as Gish: Again, Bugbears make a fine choice with their almost disadvantageless benefits. Go crazy.
Caveat: Racial Hitdie, if switched on, force Bugbears to take class levels in a rather bad Monster class. Reduces their versatility and effectiveness a LOT.
Buomman - Outsider
Favored Class: Monk
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Low-Light Vision
+2 Listen, +2 Perform
Vow of Silence (Must take Silent Spell to cast spells with a verbal component)
Race as Non-Caster: Buomman certainly have an interesting flavor to them, and their stats are positively slanted while remaining a +0 LA race. +2 Wisdom, besides the improvement to Will saves, is nice for Rangers and other warrior classes with scant spellcasting. Nothing too special overall, but the Charisma isn't a serious penalty unless you're playing something like a Paladin.
Race as Caster: There are an enormous number of spells in NWN that require a verbal component... I'm going to go ahead and say that Silent Spell is a must, and being forced to take a feat for it when you otherwise wouldn't sucks. On top of that, Silenced Spells take a spell slot one level higher... Yeah. Though Buomman make average Psions.
Race as Gish: Buomman make good Psychic Warriors and Druids because of the Wisdom boost, without losing out on physical stats. I'd say they make pretty good gishes, but the -2 Charisma hurts them in other choices, like Wilder.
Catfolk - Monstrous Humanoid
Favored Class: Ranger
Level Adjustment - +1
+4 Dexterity, +2 Charisma
Low-Light Vision
+2 Listen, +2 Move Silently
+1 to Natural Armor AC
Race as Non-Caster: +4 Dexterity, +1 Natural Armor... Catfolk are well-suited to fulfilling rogueish duties, or playing towards Dex-based builds without being more-or-less restricted to them like Brownies or other races. +1 Level Adjustment isn't too much of a price to pay, all things considered.
Race as Caster: Catfolk have an obvious slant towards Sorcerers with +2 Charisma, and gishier spellcasters like Warlocks and Wilders. However, the AC boosts may or may not be enough to make up for the +1 LA as far as other spellcasters are concerned.
Race as Gish: As I said above, gishier spellcasters like Warlocks and Wilders have the most obvious benefit from a Catfolk's stat increases. Other than that, you can play up to Dex-based gishes or simply use that as a supplement for other things considering you don't suffer any penalties-- in other words, Catfolk make flexible gishes.
Changeling - Shapeshifter
Favored Class: Rogue
Level Adjustment - None
+2 to saves against Mind-affecting Effects
+2 to Bluff, +2 to Intimidate, +2 to Sense Motive
Minor Shape Change
Race as Non-Caster: Oh, I like these guys. Besides the boost to saves against Mind-affecting stuff, the Minor Shape Change allows for some tricks. Since Minor Shape Change allows type changes, you can change into a shape such that you aren't affected by spells. Then, the fact that you have MSC plus the fact that you're a Shapeshifter race means that you qualify for PnP Shifter without needing a polymorphing/shapechanging spell. All you'd need is the casting and relevant feats-- and all of a sudden, you get a lot more options for going into one of the PRC's stronger Prestige Classes.
Race as Caster: Changelings are pretty meh here. No LA and no stat penalties mean they're not exactly bad as a caster, but they aren't good either.
Race as Gish: Again, meh. No LA and no stat penalties mean you won't make a terrible gish, but there's not exactly anything that stands out about them either.
Personal Note: Changelings have Shapeshifter as a type. You might find yourself being unaffected by some spells, which is quite nifty.
Chaond - Outsider
Favored Class: Any
Level Adjustment - +1
+4 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Darkvision
+2 to Tumble
Acid Resistance 5, Sonic Resistance 5, Cold Resistance 5
Race as Non-Caster: Dexterity AND Constitution? The Resistances and ability to have any Favored Class are just icing on the cake for those. For most builds, the Charisma doesn't hurt that much at all. I'd say they're worth the +1 Level Adjustment, and they don't have too many restrictions-- though the Charisma loss may be bothersome for some classes that have have a use for Charisma, such as Paladins.
Race as Caster: The Charisma loss hurts the relevant casters, but otherwise, the Dexterity and Constitution are quite welcome for making casters more durable, especially as none of the other spellcasting stats take a hit. Still, it's +1 LA, and you don't have an actual advantage in any spellcasting stats except Constitution for DFA, which isn't really a traditional spellcaster. It's a case of whether you want to be better at casting or be more durable.
Race as Gish: I give Chaonds the thumbs-up. Dex, Con, Resistances, Tumbling... Just stay away from Charisma-reliant casting (Warlocks, etc.) and you'll do fine.
Dark Dwarf - Dwarven
Favored Class: Rogue
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Constitution, -4 Charisma
+2 to Search in subterranean areas
Darkvision
+2 to saving throws against Poison, +2 to saving throws against Spells
+1 AB against Orcs, +1 AB against Goblinoids, +4 Dodge AC against Giants
+2 to Lore, +2 to Hide, +2 to Move Silently, +2 to Craft Armor, +2 to Craft Weapon, +2 to Appraise, +2 to Listen
Light Sensitivity (-2 AB, Saves, and Skills while in bright light; i.e., sunlight)
Race as Non-Caster: Lots and lots of free skill affinities with a +2 to Constitution make Dark Dwarves rather versatile both in combat and outside of it. However, if you're going to be in modules that involve you being outside in the sun a lot... Dark Dwarves are hurt pretty bad by their Light Sensitivity. Having to deal with that situation might not be enough of a tradeoff.
Race as Caster: The -4 Charisma is crippling for spellcasters reliant on that stat. That along with Light Sensitivity may make Dark Dwarves a very unattractive choice.
Race as Gish: Again, there's Light Sensitivity and the fact that the -4 Charisma essentially removes a lot of gishy spellcaster options like Wilder. If anything, I'd just recommend regular Dwarves unless you like Krynn's flavor.
Deep Halfling - Halfling
Favored Class: Rogue
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength
Small Stature
Darkvision
+2 to Search in subterranean areas
+2 to Listen, +2 to Craft Armor, +2 to Craft Weapon, +2 to Appraise
+1 to all Saving Throws
+2 to saves against Fear
+1 to AB for throwing weapons
Race as Non-Caster: You're a Halfling with a different skillset and Darkvision. Inside combat, treat yourself as a halfling. Outside of it, play to the Deep Halfling's natural strengths as a crafter and haggler and improve the relevant skills. Otherwise, nothing special that a regular Halfling can't do.
Race as Caster: Again, you're just a halfling with a different skillset and Darkvision.
Race as Gish: "Halfling with skill differences and Darkvision", ad nauseum.
Deep Imaskari - Human
Favored Class: Wizard
Level Adjustment - None
+2 Intelligence, -2 Dexterity
+2 to Hide
+4 to Hide while underground
Low-Light Vision
Race as Non-Caster: One of the few +0 LA races with an Intelligence boost, but the Deep Imaskari pay for it. A loss of Dexterity is pretty bad. Not crippling, but pretty bad-- if you're going to pick any kind of warrior build, go for one that relies on heavy armor. The Intelligence will be welcome in expanding anyone's skillset.
Race as Caster: +2 to Intelligence plays well into the strengths of Psions and Wilders, who'll have solid AC-boosting powers to compensate for the Dexterity hit.
Race as Gish: The Intelligence and Dexterity boosts conflict with each other as far as certain types of gish builds are concerned-- if anything, go with casters that have nice AC-boosting powers (Psionics-based caters) or wear heavy armor, and you should be fine.
Dragonkin - Reptilian Humanoid
Favored Class: Barbarian
Level Adjustment - +2
+8 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +4 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Large Creature
20' base speed
Darkvision
+7 to Natural Armor AC
Special Attacks: Dive (Make an attack at +2 AB, -2 AC)
Race as Non-Caster: Wow, these guys are powerhouses. +8 Strength with +7 to AC... And only a +2 Level Adjustment. With no stat penalties, Dragonkin aren't necessarily even restricted to Strength-based builds, so they're flexible as well. I'd say these guys need Racial Hitdie to be properly balanced, but I'll leave that for the Caveat section below. ONE thing to note-- if you're going to play a primarily melee character, you'd better have a missile weapon as backup. 20' base speed, if you have PnP Racial Speed switched on, means that you're slow as hell and modules with certain AI patches will allow the enemy to run away or in circles around you.
Race as Caster: +2 LA means you're basically one spellcasting level behind, but you not only get a nice AC boost, but also a +4 to Wisdom. You could make an okay divine spellcaster that trades proper spellcasting scaling for being resilient.
Race as Gish: +8 Strength and +4 Wisdom. You're going to make an excellent Cleric, Druid, etcetera... Even outside of classes with obvious synergies, that high strength alone is a huge boost to your melee capabilities.
Caveat: A 7 level dip in the Dragon monster class, if you switch Racial Hitdie on. Bad if you're planning to be a spellcaster, but not so much if you're going a warrior route-- consider that levels in Dragon net full BAB and good saving throws.
Drider - Aberration
Favored Class: Sorcerer
Level Adjustment - +4
+4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, +4 Intelligence, +6 Wisdom, +6 Charisma
Darkvision
+6 to Natural Armor AC
Spell Resistance 11 (+1 per level)
+4 to Hide, +4 to Move Silently
Special Attacks: Poison Bite (Fortitude DC 18, 1d6 Strength Damage twice over the course of a certain period of time)
Spell-Like Abilities: Level 6 Darkness 1/day, Level 6 Detect Good 1/day, Level 6 Detect Law 1/day, Level 6 Faerie Fire 1/day
Race as Non-Caster: +4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, +6 to AC, SR Starting at 11, and ability to use Darkness when you've got Darkvision... Hard to say no to that, even with the hefty +4 Level Adjustment. You're gonna be durable, and regardless of what kind of build you go, you'll be able to hit fine and hit hard.
Race as Caster: +4 LA. Sure, you've got excellent boosts to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma... ALL the conventional casting stats... But, it's +4 LA. Can't recommend Drider.
Race as Gish: Driders aren't a bad choice, but as is the case with most characters with numerous advantages but a significantly high LA, spells are going to be relegated to buffing yourself or secondary support, while you rely on smashing or stabbing the enemy's face to affect combat.
Caveat: 6 level dip in Aberration if you use Racial Hitdie... In a Monster class that is *very* bad (3/4 BAB with Will as the only good save...).
Dromite - Monstrous Humanoid
Favored Class: Wilder
Level Adjustment - +1
+2 Charisma, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom
Small Stature
20' Base Speed
Sonic Resistance 5
+3 to Natural Armor AC
1 Free Power Point
Psi-Like Abilities: Energy Ray 1/day
+2 to Spot
Blind-Fight
Race as Non-Caster: I don't know about these guys. They have some nifty abilities, but I'm not sure if it's worth the penalties. -2 Strength? -2 Wisdom? +1 LA? 20' speed? This is not to say that the +3 AC and Blind-Fight aren't nice. They make Dromites uniquely suited to fighting enemies that have concealment/invisibility without needing the feat investment. Then there's Energy Ray as a nice opener, and the virtual Wild Talent feat opens up some great choices like Warmind and Pyrokintecist... But you're trading away damage and will saves, and taking an LA hit. I'm on the fence for these guys.
Race as Caster: Dromites are one of the few races that have Wilder as a Favored Class. That along with the +2 Charisma and extra power point should make them uniquely suited for the Wilder, but there is the matter of LA. For certain other types of spellcasting, the Wisdom hit hurts. However, everyone benefits from the AC boosts. For the less physically inclined casters, the Blind-Fight feat is far less useful. Basically, if you're gonna play a spellcaster, be inclined more towards the gishy spellcasters that have Charisma as the main stat. Otherwise, Dromites are pretty far down on my list of potential casters.
Race as Non-Caster: +Natural AC, Blind-Fight, Charisma, free PP... Dromites are inclined towards obvious class choices like their Favored Class, but they have solid advantages on both the physical and casting front, even if they do lose Strength. I cautiously recommend them for Wilders, and maybe other Charisma-based spellcasting gishes.
Drow - Elven
Favored Class (Female): Cleric
Favored Class (Male): Wizard
Level Adjustment - +2
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
Immunity to Sleep
+2 to saves against Mind-Affecting effects
Iron Will (+2 to Will saves)
+2 to Listen, +2 to Search, +2 to Spot
Search checks are automatic with no movement penalties
Darkvision
Spell Resistance 11 (+1 per level)
Light Blindness (1 round of Blindness upon entering bright light such as sunlight | -1 AB, Saves, and Skills while in bright light)
Spell-Like Abilities: Level 3 Darkness 1/day, Faerie Fire 1/day
Race as Non-Caster: Drows make excellent rogues and scouts with their stats and spell-like abilities, while the free Iron Will feat and the scaling SR add nice layers of defense against spells that are balanced towards the Level Adjustment. But of course, the Constitution loss does hurt, especially more so since the Level Adjustment is +2-- you'll be squishier than already-squishy Elves of the same ECL. Otherwise, I think they're okay.
Race as Caster: Intelligence, Charisma... Maybe if these guys had at least a +4 in those stats, I'd recommend them, but that +2 Level Adjustment is pretty harsh.
Race as Non-Caster: +2 Charisma and +2 Dexterity work for certain kinds of gishes, but again... +2 Level Adjustment. Your spells are going to be trailing behind, so you'll be focusing on using spells for buffing.
Continued...
