Why your (race) can't be a (class)
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 29th 2009 at 6:00PM
Kisirani is tearing it up on the forums recently -- ever since she dropped that Tauren Paladins would be called Sunwalkers, she has kicked off a round of speculation and excitement about all of the new race/class combinations soon to be available to us in Cataclysm. But the number one question on everyone's lips seems to be: "If (race) can be a (class), why can't my (race) be a (class)?"For that, Kisirani has an answer: because Blizzard doesn't want it to be. I have to say, I'm impressed so far with how Blizzard has tied these new class and race combinations into the lore of the world. We've only seen a little bit of how they'll do it, but while these new class/race combos could have easily just fallen into fan service (and that's definitely what I thought they were when Blizzard introduced them -- they'd abandoned all semblance of lore just to give players more options to play), it definitely doesn't seem that's the case. According to Kisirani, Blizzard is still thinking seriously about what races and classes fit together, and presumably all of the new combinations (yes, even Human Hunters, can't wait to see that one) will be explained in the end.
Good to hear. Of course, the reason they're including these combinations is partly fan service, and it's likely also meant to help folks rerolling to see all the new Cataclysm content. But knowing that there'll be lore behind all of the new combos is pretty darn exciting.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Human, Classes, Lore, Fan stuff, Analysis / Opinion, Priest, Paladin, Hunter, Tauren, Gnomes, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
eclipse3979 Aug 29th 2009 6:06PM
I agree with Blizz's new combos except for the undead hunters...from an rp standpoint, an animal would not want to be near something undead. Not to mention the stench! I guess the undead animals wouldn't mind too much though.
cj Aug 29th 2009 6:12PM
who knows, might be more undead animals in Cataclysm. Maybe animals go undead when they are trained by a undead hunter... time will tell.
Nazgûl Aug 29th 2009 6:24PM
"Tame Beast" becomes "Infect Beast With Plague"!
Anaughtybear Aug 29th 2009 6:37PM
I always thought it would be a cool thing for undead hunters to kill the beast, and then use a spell to raise it as their pet instead of skinning it. Perhaps it could have a small chance of failure as well, to make it a bit more interesting.
Mynarc Aug 29th 2009 8:22PM
the small chance of failing would kill most hunters
"ohh look theres that rare spirit beast that doesn't spawn for 3 days after you kill or tame it.I've always wanted one of those"
" You fail to ress/tame it " NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ect
Yada Blah Aug 30th 2009 10:14AM
I'm sure carrion birds don't mind.
And I'm sure the spell would be "Entice Fluffy W/My Leg Bone".
Mr42 Aug 30th 2009 4:19PM
in wow, hunters also represent marksmen, not just beastmasters. and since their leader is lady sylvanas, former ranger general of quel'thalas... it kinda starts to make sense.
Mynarc: OR, they could just ress a [any] corpse be it tagged by them or not ;) [still, that could provoke QQ as well, i guess they won't make them any special]
Autumnbear Aug 29th 2009 6:06PM
Funny how non-infected Humans and allies of the Night Elves can't be Druids, but humans infected with the Worgen curse CAN be Druids.
*Blows a big Raspberry at Blizzard*
devilsei Aug 29th 2009 6:13PM
You know, I never thought about that!
Here's another one.
If Humans can be paladins and priests, why are the undead only allowed to be priests?
Jack Spicer Aug 29th 2009 6:15PM
I really would like to see undead paladins.
Kemikalkadet Aug 29th 2009 6:20PM
Because priests don't draw their powers from a specific place like paladins. Paladins draw power from their worship of the light and only light following races can become paladins. Priests on the other hand draw power from the deity they worship, not the light specifically. That's why there was all the QQing about tauren paladins since they currently have no contact with the light, worshipping the earthmother instead. It would be feasible within current lore for a tauren priest that draws its power from the earthmother, but not for a tauren to be a paladin as there are no light worshipping tauren in the game (that i'm aware of).
outlier Aug 29th 2009 6:21PM
Personally I question each new race/class combination. I reserve my final criticism until I play them when I fully expect that Blizzard will work in explanations. If I were to guess why worgen can be druids, I'd say maybe they found nature in their seclusion. Maybe as ware-wolf type people they've learned to worship the moon?
Arbitor Aug 29th 2009 6:22PM
Ancient legends tell of the worgen druids who were once very important members of the cenarion circle, but they had all but disappeared, off to another dimension (hint hint Emerald Dream) off to fight the lords of the emerald flame (hint hint emerald nightmare/burning legion).
Quiz Aug 29th 2009 6:32PM
Worgens = Scythe of Elune = Elune = Druids.
Makes perfect sense, actually. You should blow raspberries at yourself for missing the obvious connections.
cmichaelcooper Aug 29th 2009 7:10PM
Except humans that are infected and become worgen aren't really worgen, genetically or culturally speaking, so would have no natural connection to moon worship or druidism.
Malachi Aug 29th 2009 7:36PM
"Records indicate that the worgen existed for a time in Kalimdor. In fact, more recent evidence suggests that their true origin might have a connection to the night elves and a secretive druidic order from Kalimdor's distant past. Yet until new evidence comes to light, this information remains speculative."
If you assume the curse affected individuals on a mental level some citizens of Gilneas could have went down the path of Druidism like those who infected them. Then they would just teach others the same things and suddenly you have Worgen Druids as a normal class among the race.
Grimmak94 Aug 29th 2009 10:52PM
Just to note, there is a already an Undead Forsaken hunter in the game. Nathanos Blightcaller, anyone?
Schadenfreude Aug 30th 2009 1:27AM
The one combo I think is missing is Draenei Warlock. It's pretty much analogous to Night Elf Mage. I'd love to roleplay a reformed Eredar.
Nazgûl Aug 29th 2009 6:06PM
This is the only Cataclysm announcement that has me disappointed, and only because people are so rigid and blind - the lore for these combos has existed (except for the Tauren and Night Elf combos, but those have been explained in game) for quite a while, but people choose to ignore them.
vocenoctum Aug 29th 2009 10:17PM
I don't personally have a problem with the choices added, though I think the gnomes get screwed over again, whatever.
But seriously, the Lore is there? No, the lore is added, or the lore is there for ANY race/class combo. Tauren paladins & priests? fine, but saying it's cool because some random NPC throws out a line about how "hey, you know, we like the Sun too" somehow is ancient lore that everyone is ignoring? Hey, there was a forsaken hunter once, so it's cool! Uh, right, because as long as there is one example of a class, it's fine, except when it's one of the non-approved ones...
So, yeah, night elf mages are cool, but telling people they're ignoring a small splinter cell in Dire Maul and thus are wrong about Lore... well, that's a bit overzealous in defense of the new options, IMO.