Transmog yourself into an Avenger!
6 blue posts to read before Diablo 3's launch
Cross-realm zones coming soon
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What do you think of new race and class combos?
by Lesley Smith 
Aug 24th 2009 at 8:00AM
One of the big things announced at BlizzCon were the new class and race combinations. These were originally datamined from patch 3.2.2 and include everything from Gnome Priests and Goblin Rogues to Worgen Druids. I'm especially excited about the last one.For years, the race you played has been indelibly linked with the class and defined how you play the game. Say, for example, you like playing Night Elves, you're limited class-wise to rolling Druid, Priests, Hunters, Rogues and Warriors. On the other hand, if it's a specific class then you are sometimes limited to a particular race. So Draenei are the only Alliance race which can current become Shamans while the same is true, Horde-side, for Blood Elves becoming Paladins.
From a lore perspective, there is little preventing any of these combos. This is especially true as Azeroth expands and the game evolves. But readers, this is new territory for us, as WoW becomes more open. What do you think of the possibility of lore-centric or even playable class and race combinations?
Filed under: Druid, Paladin, Shaman, Patches, Blizzard, Breakfast Topics, Expansions, Draenei, Blood Elves, Lore, Classes, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
klink-o Aug 24th 2009 8:04AM
One small step away from pick any race and any class and see what happens.
Take that lore!
Seraphna Aug 24th 2009 9:43AM
Funny, since there's a perfectly justifiable explanation for each one.
Daniel Aug 24th 2009 1:45PM
sorry Seraphna, if everything is explainable by lore, then anything is possible. someone had to be the first dwarf shaman, someone had to be the first troll druid, someone had to be the first of everything. are you saying that players arent capable of being the first just because no one in the past has done so?? ridiculous
Mr. Tastix Aug 24th 2009 2:41PM
I won't be surprised if Blizzard make all classes available to all races. Even if it breaks lore they're really only doing it for the players benefit. Some people don't like being stuck to one race for their class (in particular, Draenei Shamans or Blood Elf Paladins). What annoys me the most is they won't allow race changes, so if you wanted a Tauren Paladin over a BE one you're out of luck for now.
Only one race/class combo annoys me: Night Elf Mages. It's highly possible, doesn't mean I like any more.
norm Aug 24th 2009 3:19PM
Actually, shortly after faction changes come, they will be implementing same-faction race changes as well.
tim Aug 24th 2009 5:10PM
All the new combinations make perfect sense to me, with two possible exceptions:
1. Worgen druids; and
2. Goblin shamans.
Why do those not "fit," if night elf mages do? Because night elf mages have a long, existing history. Worgen are basically cursed humans. Druidism seems like something that takes a good amount of dedication to nature to develop, and humans just haven't had time for this.
Similar for goblin shamans. Goblins love gold, not the elements or nature.
Of course, I still might roll one of those combos, simply because it sounds interesting. Besides, Blizzard can always work in the lore after the fact. /shrug
DemonWolf Aug 24th 2009 8:09AM
While I am pleased to see dwarves getting shamans, I'm dissapointed that the worgen won't have paladins. That won't stop me from test driving one, and overall the new changes give a bit of new life to some old races that were getting stale or boring to me. There's only so many times you can level through Dun Morogh.
Eternauta Aug 24th 2009 11:23AM
@Jason: Your point is valid from a gameplay PoV, but from a lore perspective, they already begun establishing how all of these makes sense.
Night Elf Mages: In the Onyxia patch (3.2.2) PTR there's a quest on the Temple in Darnassus where a Highborne (yes, a Highborne, like those in Dire Maul) is seeking for an audience with Tyrande Whisperwind. While he's waiting, a temple guard harasses him and basically calls him "traitor scum". This opens interesting possibilities...
@Elmo: The lore for Tauren Paladins is currently in game. See that quest near the Dalaran Horde portals called "A Injured Colleague"? When you complete it, you can stay there and listen to a conversation between The Druid Tahu and the Warrior Aponi (A pony?). He talks about the imbalance in the Tauren belief system that basically imitates the Night Elven one, without taking the Sun (An'She) in consideration. Many speculated at that time that this would open the door for Tauren Palas and Priests. Now Blizzcon confirmed this.
I, for one, welcome our new Holy Cow overlords.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Aug 24th 2009 2:14PM
If I'm understanding correctly, the Taurens are looking at how balanced the Nightelves are which is why their beliefs shift to include the priests and paladins now, but NE don't have paladins... unless there's something I'm missing?
Carver Aug 24th 2009 3:17PM
@Deadly. No, I think they're saying that Night elves are unbalanced. Nelfs only worship the moon, whereas Tauren worship the Earth Mother who encompasses the sun and moon as her eyes. So far it's only been expressed through the druids (moon worship) which is what the two NPCs are talking about.
Lore-wise the priests from different races use different means to heal. The spells are the same because of the necessity for the game mechanics, but they get their power from different sources. Nelfs use the moon, Forsaken use the 'forgotten Shadow', Trolls use the energy of the world via Loa spirits or voodoo magic.
jealouspirate Aug 24th 2009 8:08AM
I think they're all great, and it'll certainly have me creating more alts!
Also, I've really wanted Dwarf Shamans ever since the Wildhammers joined the Alliance way back in TBC. So, I think that race/class combo is particularly overdue.
Aedilhild Aug 24th 2009 8:58AM
At this point, looks alone keep the Draenei as my preferred choice.
So all we need now is Blizzard's promise to update and improve character textures.
sprout_daddy Aug 24th 2009 11:49AM
Drawf shammies are likely to be the big draw for me - I love everything about my draenei pally - except that he's a draenei - awesome questing in the starting zone and the hit is great, but all in all I hate the aesthetics of the draenei. I've wanted to learn a shammy for a while now, but the idea of a drae shammy was too much for me.
I guess the same goes for worgen druids - I'm more likely to roll a druid now - but I do worry about that class choice along with two others - tauren pally and elf mage - neither of which seem at the surface to be supported by KNOWN lore, and particularly the tauren pally, which I think might just be a little OP in the end.
smcn Aug 24th 2009 12:28PM
I feel like I can finally accomplish my desire to have one of every healer class!
Tauren Paladin (the only BE I can stand to play is a female rogue)
Troll Druid (I've already had two level 80 Tauren Druid, I have no desire to roll another)
Goblin Shaman (obviously need a goblin)
Along with my Undead Priest (which I may race-change to Tauren in the future for the lulz)
Preston Aug 24th 2009 1:35PM
You guys realize none of this is new content, right? New races aren't new content. New class combos aren't new content. Along with everything else that's getting recycled in this expansion as well as only 5 new levels and a ridiculously stripped-down stats system, this is going to be a bigger disappointment than WotLK.
jealouspirate Aug 24th 2009 1:52PM
@ Preston
First of all, there are seven new zones, not five. This may not be as many zones as WotLK, but they also clearly stated that Cataclysm will have more 5-mans and raids than any other expansion so far. So that's a lot of content.
New races IS new content, because they come with their own starting zones and lore.
New class/race combos isn't new content exactly, but it certainly is enjoyed by a lot of people.
As for 'recycled' content, old Azeroth getting completely redesigned to make it easier to level 1 - 60, with graphical updates, is a huge undertaking. Also, it's technically not even expansion content- you'll get those changes whether you buy the expansion or not.
The stats system is being stripped down for ease of use (which is a good thing!) in some ways, but the new path of the titans system allows for greater character customization and development.
Not to mention a new profession and robust guild leveling system.
So you can still complain, you'll just be wrong. But I can see that you're disappointed with Wrath too. Oh well, QQers will QQ. Such is life.
terminaltrip421 Aug 24th 2009 3:44PM
@jealouspirate
80-85 = 5 new levels. hence their not saying 'zones'.
race changing my human priest to gnome finally. hate human models so may very steer clear of worgen unless you *can* stay out of human form at all times. maybe oly as a druid?
would be nice if they upped the character-per-server-cap by a little thoguh i doubt it'll happen. still have had ten toons since before wrath and had to delete my lock when it hit thanks to blizz's claims of dk's not taken up a character slot which obviously ended up not being the case. anyway going to roll a goblin lock to get my ten horde rolling ...already have ten allies under my belt.
oddballism Aug 24th 2009 8:09AM
Dwarf shaman=win nuff said
Reinhold Aug 24th 2009 9:08AM
Totems = KEGS
Otherwise, that'll be unnacceptable!
Haohmaru (PSN - DimmuBurgerKing XBL - A Real Puppet ) Aug 24th 2009 9:38AM
Dwarf shaman totems = Viking-like runestones, probably.