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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsWhy 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, Gnomes, Tauren, Hunter, Paladin, Priest, Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Lore, Classes, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 6)
Anaughtybear Aug 30th 2009 2:17AM
Poor midgets. Tauren only started with four classes.
Turlagh Aug 30th 2009 6:56AM
And Plains Running!
Rylka Aug 30th 2009 7:20AM
Before Death Knights were introduced into the game, Gnomes and Taurens both had the lowest number of choices with 4 each, while everyone else had 5 or 6 choices:
Taurens - Warriors, Hunters, Shamans, and Druids (1 tank/melee DPS, 1 ranged DPS, 1 healer/ranged DPS, 1 tank/melee DPS/healer)
Gnomes - Warriors, Rogues, Mages, Warlocks (1 tank/melee DPS, 1 melee DPS, 2 ranged DPS)
As you can see, while Taurens and Gnomes may have had the same number of choices, they did not in any way have the same range of choices.
Tuarens had 2 tank choices, 2 healer choices, 2 melee DPS choices, and 2 ranged DPS choices.
Gnomes had 1 tank choice, 2 melee DPS choices, and 2 ranged DPS choices. Zero healer choices.
When Death Knights were added, both classes moved up to 5 choices each, but everyone else also moved up to 6 or 7 choices, leaving Taurens and Druids still at the bottom. Though Gnomes and Taurens gained 1 more tank and 1 more melee DPS choice, so did everyone else.
With Cataclysm, Gnomes will finally gain a healing class, priest, thus adding 1 healing choice and 1 more ranged DPS choice.
But Taurens will gain 2 more classes, priests and paladins. They are getting 2 more healing choices, 1 more tank choice, 1 more ranged DPS choice, and 1 more melee DPS chioce.
Gnomes will be left alone with only 6 class choices while everyone else gets 7 or 8 choices.
Not to put too fine a point on it, they will also have the least role choices as well.
slartibart Aug 30th 2009 10:50AM
Not to put too fine a point on it,
say I'm the only bee in your bonnet.
Narak Aug 29th 2009 9:23PM
I would like to see Troll Warlocks instead of Troll Druids, but I can understand why it won't happen. They want to give another Horde race the ability to be a druid. I personally think Blood Elves are a better choice but with them getting Warriors already it won't happen. So that just leaves Trolls.
Also, why are they creating more hunters? Isn't there enough of those already?
Nagi Aug 29th 2009 9:45PM
Troll druids already exist in abundance in lore, where troll warlocks, if there are any, are exceedingly rare. Just about every troll instance includes at least one boss that has a druidic animal familiar, and the troll idea of voodoo (though wicked and shadow-based) is much closer to communing with nature than consorting with demons. Trolls are animistic, not demonic.
Blood elf druids, on the other hand, make exceedingly little sense. Just because high elves and blood elves evolved out of night elves doesn't mean they retain the same close connection to nature. As night elves became highbourne, highbourne became high elves, and high elves became blood elves, they become more and more culturally distanced from nature and more rooted in the arcane and the supernatural until it literally became the only thing sustaining their lives. Sure, the farstriders still maintain some connection to nature, but it's a tenuous one at best, more like an idle respect for the natural world than a real, deep connection like the night elves, tauren, trolls, or even orcs have. The blood elves, with a few minor exceptions, have become far too estranged from nature to even come close to becoming druids.
Narak Aug 29th 2009 10:55PM
Good points. I can't argue with your assessment at all.
$am Aug 30th 2009 5:22AM
@Nagi
No you are very wrong
Blood Elves are Druids (check Botanica, Outland dungeon), High Elves are druids, Farstriders are still connected and can talk to nature, blood elves still can talk to trees (literally) like night elves
Trolls "druids" in game can shapeshift due to bloody sacrifice, druids do not use sacrifices to shapeshift, druids are friends of nature and kind to all spirits, Trolls society is based on savage ways
Blood Elves make a lot more sense to be druids, since they are already established in game BEFORE, not to mention that lore-wise high elves are druids BEFORE even wow came out (however high elves aren't playable race)
When Blood Elves came first I thought that they too hated nature, but Botanica shows otherwise, with resto-spec druid boss
jasonkidd1234 Aug 29th 2009 9:27PM
Why is everyone complaining about human hunters.
They've been in WoW for a LOOOOOOOOONG time.
Go to the plaugelands, or even SM, and you'll see humans that have hyenas as pets. The plaguelands scarlet hunters even used ranged weapons IIRC.
Same with Orc Mages, but they were fel or black orcs, no regular ones to my knowledge.
Ironically enough, there are NO regular orc hunters to my knowledge. There are Mok'Nathal hunters, but in azeorth, there are more HUMAN hunters than Orc hunter NPCS.
Odd, I know. Also, somebody told me there were Tauren Rogue npcs, but didn't state where. That'd be lulzy.
Ianator Aug 29th 2009 11:34PM
http://www.wowwiki.com/Thotar
Rhabella Aug 30th 2009 12:19PM
I'm not complaining about HUMAN hunters, as much as I'm just disappointed in more hunters overall. There are tons of hunters running around, do you really need to encourage more by extending the races who can choose them?
Every horde race can be a hunter now, AND everyone but the gnomes can be hunters? Is there really reason to encourage that many more hunters on the servers?
jasonkidd1234 Aug 29th 2009 9:32PM
Also, Trolls are a logical choice for druid. Look at the Drakkri, at least two of them can transform into animals, so as far as racial abbilities go, it's not a long shot at all to say they can be druids. They have mages and shamans so nature/arcane abbilities are a no-brainer.
Also, since trolls use the shadow side of nature, I think it'd be cool if Troll druids used Shadow based attacks in replacement of Arcane. It'd make sense, since Trolls have always been darker, using voodooism and cannibalism, and it'd change things up a little. They could do the same with worgs, to balance things out.
It makes sense on both sides actually. Humans have no nature abbilities, so maybe the Night elves taught the humans to use thier shadow magic in replacement of arcane, and the Trolls just naturally did it.
Also, Troll Raptor form wut.
vocenoctum Aug 29th 2009 10:22PM
I think the main issue there is that, like a paladin isn't just a spell-casting warrior, a druid isn't just some shape-changer. They are nature types, where most trolls seem to enslave nature or otherwise use & abuse. I'm sure they'll insert some lore for the occasion, but some of this reeks more of a "why not until now?" type deal, rather than "hey, this can't be!".
I mean, trolls have always shape-changed, why didn't they have druids before now?
Darthkirby707 Aug 29th 2009 10:52PM
Well, there are a lot of combinations I would like, but my biggest complaints are:
Undead Paladins: why not? As said, they're priests. And I know they "use the shadow" or whatever, but it seems like it'd be a lot easier to make an excuse for Undead Paladins than BE or Tauren Paladins. Argent Crusade found a way to let Undead use the light again- why not? They might have been paladins once already, they just have to learn to harness the light again. And I know Paladins were immune to the plague: they weren't immune to being killed and raised as an Undead. It makes a lot of sense, and would be greatly appreciated. I'm switching to Horde for Cataclysm, and my Draenei Paladin would much rather be Undead than Tauren or, god forbid, a BE.
Troll Warlocks: this I just don't get. They can be mages, but not Warlocks. Voodoo seems a lot closer to Warlock stuff. It's not even that I would play one, it just doesn't make any sense.
Six Aug 30th 2009 3:00AM
Undead of any kind can't use the Light. Lore wise, all Forsaken priests are shadow priests; rather than worshipping the light, they worship the Forgotten Shadow. Forsaken priests being able to use the Light is entirely a game mechanic for balance. The Light harms undead, period. The only exceptions found in lore for this are Sir Zeliek and ghosts, though ghosts follow entirely different rules from the physical undead. No undead in the Argent Crusade/Dawn can use the Light.
Troll warlocks would make sense, since a warlock is just a mage that uses the shadowy form of arcane magic and makes pacts with demons.
Aarkan Aug 29th 2009 11:20PM
They learned from their friends the Draenei.
Frank Aug 29th 2009 11:40PM
I'm wondering if Undead hunters will tame regular animals or something...different? It would be so call to have undead pets. A little restrictive if Blizz doesn't make some more but it would be worth it.
brucimus Aug 29th 2009 11:58PM
I hope they restrict undead pets to darker, scuzzier pets like spiders, hell hounds and bats...why would a noble Lion or Owl hang out with some undead crusty corpse.
maybesew Aug 30th 2009 1:51AM
I still don't understand why no Worgen Shaman. Ghost-wolf? They can be druids so they have a connection with nature spells. I hope this is one that is being considered. I realize Dwarves can now be shaman, but I think Worgen makes sense, and wouldn't you rather re-roll a new race, than a dwarf?
Mambaru Aug 30th 2009 5:16AM
I'd like to see Gnome Druids. Maybe when they change they could either be a teddy bear or an Ewok.