Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
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 2 of 12)
evanmbunnell Aug 24th 2009 1:06PM
I'm excited to level through the new Azeroth as a Dwarven Shaman! Not so much through Outlands and Northrend again, though.
Daniel Aug 24th 2009 1:46PM
kegs for totems sounds good, but i think the race of stone (dwarfs) should have Easter Island's Moai for totems
ash Aug 24th 2009 6:56PM
Maybe dwarven totems can be little Stonehenge type things. Another could be if each element is represented by a certain type of stone architectural style, like fire could be Egyptian looking while Water could look greek/ionian, etc.
calderstrake Aug 25th 2009 6:20PM
If Dwarves and Draenei get to hae seperate custom totems, then the existing Horde races deserve new ones as well. I could see if Orc/Troll were the same since they share a starting area and identical quest lines, but Tauren and Goblin should be different.
Scones Aug 24th 2009 8:10AM
I thinknight elf mages do make sense as they were the original mages but god how does a Tauren paladin fit?!? I'm not saying people will love it but blizzard has some splaining to do! I think that a lot of the others make some sense, human hunters for example but blood elf warriors do not. They are too flimsy. End of story. Still interested on how blizzard will explain these combos.
jealouspirate Aug 24th 2009 8:16AM
Tauren Paladins (and Priests, for that matter) will likely get their powers through worshiping the Sun. The lore is already starting to be put in place for this in patch 3.2.2, already on the PTR. The first Tauren Paladin will likely be Aponi Brightmane. So while it may not make sense based on their past, it is starting to make sense based on the direction their people are beginning to take.
As for Blood Elf warriors, it's simply silly to say that they're too flimsy for it. They already are powerful Paladins wading into the melee wearing plate, there's no reason they can't do the same as warriors. Not to mention gnome and goblin warriors, as well.
Knyle2 Aug 24th 2009 8:27AM
LOL BE are too flimsy, but gnome warriors are legit??
I was pumped when I got home with BC to roll a BE warrior, and I finally can!
Tauren Pally is gonna be filthy,
I think some of the racials should be changed, like a human hunter will be a bit rigged in PVP, so will a tauren pally.
Falcon6 Aug 24th 2009 8:27AM
Blood Elves are flimsy, but how do you explain that small Gnomish Warrior tanking XT?
Fightstar Aug 24th 2009 8:37AM
http://www.wowwiki.com/Spellbreaker
Jason Aug 24th 2009 8:50AM
Personally, I don't like this. I think Blizzards original goal was to limit them so you would try out all the races, not just pick the same one because it can be so many classes. Night elf mages? I thought Night elves abandoned magic after they abused it. Worgen druids? They can turn into wolves, not a bear/cat/tiger thing/fish thing/whateveramoonkinis/tree. Some are okay, like Human hunters and Dwarf shamans. But people will start playing only their favorite race, which is good since it's their favorite, but takes away part of the game from them.
But I'm excited for Gnome priests. A group of a priest, warrior, DK, mage, and warlock. Tiny group :]
Elmo Aug 24th 2009 8:54AM
so what is the source of holy power then?
Belief in a good cause? Naaru? or the sun god Mu'sha?
or maybe Mu'sha is or has connections with the Naaru.
I do want some good explaination for this from Blizz.
other than that, Retbull with wings ftw!
UIGuy Aug 24th 2009 9:45AM
I would have been happier to see Goblin Pallys - perhaps as a part of their world being destroyed, they 'see the light'.
I am a huge Tauren fan, but I kind of regard a pally Tauren - especially for a tank - as a joke. "er, dude, a little to the left there so we can see what you're hitting please".
The racials work, but...
JamieG Aug 24th 2009 9:06AM
Take one look at Silvermoon City and you're almost completely swarmed by blood elf warriors patrolling the place. Not only that, their leaders are gaurded by about a dozen at all times.
shkss Aug 24th 2009 9:55AM
@elmo
There is no source of holy power. The Light that paladins and priests use, is meant to be a universal force. The naaru are beings made of light, and other creatures only ever wield it. The Light manifests itself only in those that truly believe in it.
As for taurens, I 1) think this is awesome beyond belief, and 2) think that although their past is not intertwined with light worship, after fighting in Northrend with, and in cases even in, the Argent Crusade it's inevitable that some Tauren would eventually choose paladinism as a life style.
And blood elf warriors. Please. Lore-wise, every person in history can pick up a weapon and beat people with it. And the guards of Silvermoon are quite clearly warriors too. Lore-wise, every race on Azeroth and beyond can have warriors.
I'm looking forward to the class combinations. And I reeeaaally want paid race changes. Blood elves are okay, but imo nothing can beat the mountain sized armour of a tauren.
kabshiel Aug 24th 2009 10:01AM
Elune empowers both Night Elf Druids and Priests. Is it that far-fetched to believe that Anshe could empower both Tauren Druids and Priests? And since paladins are just priests with martial training, I don't see how Tauren Paladins are any less believable.
Lemons Aug 24th 2009 10:50AM
@kabshiel...you are glib. Priest =/= as paladin.
In WoW...priests can get their power from whatever god or deity or force their particular race worships. This used to be apparent in the form of a unique priest spell for each race (fear ward for dwarves...devouring plague for undead), that has since been changed for game-balancing reasons, but the lore still remains the same.
Paladins, however, are monotheistic...they derive their power ONLY from the light (a manifestation of which is the Naruu). If you are to have a paladin's powers u must use the holy light...end of story.
Robert M Aug 24th 2009 12:10PM
It's also important to remember that the "SUN"well is now empowered by M'uru's "HOLY" power and no longer that of the arcane as it once was. If, through a vision, the tauren are led to learn about the sunwell, it's only logical that they learn of holy powers, the same kind of power that empowers both priests and paladins.
CapnSkillet Aug 24th 2009 8:12AM
I like the idea of troll druids. They already have great ties with nature and shapeshifting into animals, so it only makes sense that some would feel the call to druidism and seeking balance. I hope they have new forms for trolls, like Amani bear form and maybe a tiger for cat form. Then I'd like to see something completely different for trolls than moonkin.
Aubrecia Aug 24th 2009 8:11AM
I'm quite excited for all of the combinations, honestly, and I think that, before anybody brings up past lore, they need to realize that Cataclysm is upsetting everything about how the world works. Night elves hold off using arcane magic to try and save the world, but hey, it doesn't work, so why not give it a whirl again? This goes without mentioning of the in-game conversations indicating the changes, which I think we'll be seeing more of with 3.2.2 (the Highborne conversation, obviously) and 3.3 (though they're likely to be overlooked in favor of Arthas), and possibly any smaller patches in between.
The great thing about WOW is that the lore is changeable and adjustable, and the REALLY great thing about these changes is that they don't even "fly in the face" of any lore. Dwarf shamans exist in NPC factions. Dwarf mages were originally in the beta. There are undead and human hunters in lore already. Troll raid bosses practically are druids already. The changes that are more difficult to stomach, Blizzard is carefully laying the foundations for in conversations like the one with Aponi.
Mostly, I think that people need to wait and see before they start waving the LOLore signs and talking about Blizzard forgetting about the lore. The expansion has barely even been announced and we're already seeing the groundwork. Give it time. We've got probably another year on our hands, after all.
(As for me, I'll be rolling a Tauren paladin and never looking back.)
Jeremiel Aug 24th 2009 9:23AM
You just said everything I wanted to say, only you did it more eloquently!
Thank you!
I'm getting tired of having to explain my enthusiasm for Troll Druids and Highborne Mages in Guild Chat every day to the "OMGthey'rekillingthelore!" club. From now on, I think I shall just link them to your post.
Also, I think the new race/class combinations are a great way of encouraging people who might not be too excited about Goblins or Worgen to experience levelling in post-Cataclysm Azeroth. Sounds like it's going to be a whole new experience.