A Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition character has many components to them. Their class is the most iconic, deciding the bulk of their abilities from first level to twentieth. Backgrounds, skills, feats, and more all create something unique.
However, the character’s race, species, or lineage is another foundational part of their D&D 5e build. There are many reasons to choose a character’s species in D&D. Players might be drawn to an aesthetic, a piece of lore, or a particularly entertaining ability.
Alternatively, some players are drawn to sheer power. There is nothing wrong with this, assuming they’re sat at the right table for it (the wrong table will make it clear very quickly). Many D&D 5e races have vastly powerful and entertaining abilities that suit almost any build.
Custom Lineage and Variant Human Fit Any Build
We might as well get the obvious choice out of the way.
Humans are the default in many D&D 5e settings, not least because they’re the default in the setting of real life as well. The base D&D 5e human race is famously underwhelming, providing very limited boons. The Variant Human and the very similar Custom Lineage offer much more.
Variant Human offered flexible ability score increases before it was cool, suiting any class very well. Custom Lineage came with Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, the same book that opened up countless combinations by diversifying ability score bonuses.
The Variant Human gets a free skill proficiency (further condemning the base D&D 5e human to obscurity), while Custom Lineage can choose this or Darkvision.
The crown on top is that both these D&D 5e race choices get a free feat. There isn’t a single build in D&D 5e that isn’t improved by feats.
Many D&D 5e feats are incredibly powerful, but this comes at the high cost of an Ability Score Improvement, something that only happens every four levels. A free feat gets many builds off to a flying start while saving on costs later on.
The Satyr Gets Top-Tier Skills and Defences
Satyrs have been a part of D&D 5e since Mythic Odysseys of Theros, with a reprint in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. These classic mythological creatures more than carry their own weight.
Even the Satyr’s less useful abilities in D&D 5e, such as improved unarmed strikes and improved leaping, are still situational. They just pale compared to the reams of terrifying efficiency the rest of the race provides.
Satyrs get more mobility in the form of a 35ft movement speed. This might not seem like much, but it synergizes with many D&D 5e class features while helping almost any build. Fun fact, increased speed helps whether you’re running away from danger or face-first into it.
Satyrs also get free proficiency in Persuasion and Performance, because these goat-people are apparently quite attractive. Persuasion is a vital D&D 5e skill proficiency on any character, but especially Charisma classes like the Bard or Sorcerer.
Magic Resistance is almost as good by itself as most other D&D 5e races’ entire feature list. Advantage on all saving throws against magical effects is almost unmatched in its power, and the Satyr is one of only two races to get it.
So, if you want to play as a funny goat person in D&D 5e, understand that you’re actually a funny, fast, versatile, compelling, magically-resistant goat person instead.
Bugbears Help Certain Builds Break the Game
Many D&D 5e races are top-tier choices because of their wide bonuses to any build in the game. Bugbears instead occupy a dominant position for very specific builds.
D&D 5e Bugbears have many generally useful traits. Long-Limbed helps them dominate the battlefield on their turn (don’t ask why their arms shrink during other people’s turns), Sneaky gives proficiency in a skill that comes up in every campaign, and powerful build helps convince DMs that carry weight isn’t worth tracking.
However, Surprise Attack is the reason to choose the Bugbear over any of D&D 5e‘s other best races. When a Bugbear character hits an enemy who hasn’t taken a turn yet in combat, they deal 2d6 extra damage.
Damage is a rare feature for a D&D 5e race, but this can look innocuous. Until, that is, a clever player realizes how few limitations are on this. It can be doubled on a crit. More significantly, it’s not limited to once a turn like other similar abilities.
Bugbears are the . Many characters can apply vast amounts of extra damage with this trait. Fighters have a natural synergy, as do Warlocks (or Wizards trying to be as cool as them with Scorching Ray).
Unholy multiclass combinations of D&D 5e‘s Assassin Rogue and Gloom Stalker can get even more value out of this while theoretically critting with all of these attacks. The Bugbear’s potential to boost damage is limited primarily by your imagination, creativity, and sympathy for your DM.
The Autognome Just Gets to be Good at Things
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space was not well-received by the D&D 5e community for reasons of its general lacklustresness and poor quality. However, it did give optimizers the Autognome, an unassuming race that turns out to be very assuming indeed.
The Autognome lineage in D&D 5e is a little guy with a grab bag of features. Armored Casing gives them a better version of light armor at all times that cannot be removed. It’s invaluable on fragile casters and a good choice for Dexterity-focused Fighters, Rangers, Rogues, and basically anyone.
Autognomes are also Constructs in D&D 5e, meaning that they are immune to low-level crowd control spells like Hold Person. At the same time, they cheat, getting to benefit from healing spells due to their Healing Machine feature. This also lets them spend hit dice with the Mending cantrip.
Built for Success is the main reason to play an Autognome in D&D 5e, however. After rolling, the player can choose to add a d4 to any attack roll, ability check, or saving throw (read: most d20 rolls in the game), up to their proficiency bonus times per day.
This stacks with other boosts like Guidance or Bless, to reflect how the D&D 5e Autognome is literally built to be better at things than every other race.
Pair it with the Lucky feat if you want your DM to cut you out of the will.
Fairy Gets Unmatched Mobility
The D&D 5e Fairy lineage has significantly fewer abilities than many more recent race choices. In case you start to worry that it’s balanced, this is because those it has are some of the best in the game.
Like a handful of other races in D&D 5e, the Fairy gets at-will flight. This doesn’t require a spell slot, Concentration, magic item, or anything else that can give the DM a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Flight is invaluable in D&D 5e. It’s an unmatched mobility tool that bypasses any number of threats. Most terrain-based problems become trivial. The character almost never risks becoming trapped in melee combat (except in cases of suspiciously low ceilings cropping up a few levels in).
This does have a cost in that the character can’t wear armor other than light. Many D&D 5e characters don’t care about this. Even for those who do, the trade-off only stops being worth it when enemies begin pointing flak cannons at you.
The Fairy’s spells in D&D 5e are also well worth it. Druidcraft and Enlarge/Reduce are only so-so options, but worth it for characters lacking in magical flair. Faerie Fire, however, is an excellent spell to cast for free. Advantage on all attacks against several enemies, from a character who doesn’t need to risk Concentration because they’re 60 feet above their enemies? It’s perfect.
These are five of the best races, species, and lineages in D&D 5e. For more character creation tips, check out ‘‘.
If you’re a DM penning a villain to deal with your overpowered player characters, try ‘Four Villain Motivations That Aren’t Conquering the World ‘Just Because’.’
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