How Far Should Classes Go For Race Acessibility?

Community General Discussion
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I want them to be the way they are now, with lore stuff. The reason is that it “forces” me to play another race I’d not normally play.

For example the hefty, female Kul’tiran can be a Shaman. So if I specifically WANT to be a Shaman, that is kind of a fun choice. If my “go to” Night Elves, Gnomes, or whatever “Vanilla Alliance Race”, could be Shaman then I’d pick one of those. Dark Iron Dwarves can also be Shaman, which makes them another “fun/unique” Alliance choice.

Limiting what races can be what makes our world more cosmopolitan, as opposed to just seeing Humans, Night Elves, Blood Elves, Orcs and Undead running around. I was actually very surprised when they allowed Human Hunters; a key reason why they were not allowed them, originally in Vanilla, was so that everyone was not playing a “Human.”

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22

Like I would make goblin paladins, and monks (because like they really need more tank options imo). I wanted to try pandaren warlock and druid, those aren’t options. Did make a fire mage though just haven’t leveled it and dk.

Like I wanted nightborne druids ever since we saw the botanists in nighthold : /.
I absolutely love going gilgoblin on my paladins and druids, I wish those were options and the kelfin themselves. You are just limited so much if you want to play certain classes for what seems boring rp reasons.

Like all horde druids are either trolls or tauren, not the nightborne nor blood elves who would be botanists, more arcane focused druids forcing nature. Or undead kultiran druids with the cool wicker forms, or maybe like a goblin lightning based paladin, that uses lightning nature magic instead of holy magic. I would like a shaman based paladins so we can get stuff like burning blade shamans using 2h weapons, and a lightning based paladin because I absolutely love lightining magic and it could be something based of Lei’shi’s paladin lightning tier set.

Like I wouldn’t even mind if they reskinned the magics to make some classes work. Like dranei warlocks using mechs instead of demons and arcane magic instead of fel.

The classes are just fun to play but are limited to few races due to rp and that feels bad.


Like many horde races would be cool with a fire paladin skin instead of the holy paladin. Meaning we could get stuff like maghar fire paladins, maybe for them they would be burning blade shamans, and get stuff like a shaman tank spec but with paladin kit. Stuff like that would be cool.

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23

Class skins could also add new effects and colors to races and combos that we can glyph/barber. For example, EK priests (humans, blood elves, dwarves, etc) may use the regular light color, while Night Elves, Nightborne, and Worgen (because their curse is druidic) have a white light color (like moon light). Tauren (Both regular and HM) can have sunny colored light (as they get it from the sun), and trolls (regular and zandalari) could have bright gold (to represent the Loa like Rezan). Pandaren could have red-colored light as their Light is based on the Celestials, specifically Chi-Ji the Red Crane.

Expanding on class skins, maybe there should also be racial-themed class armor?

I’ve seen plenty of cool concepts for racial-themed class armor, so they could be a nice touch to identity.

For example, I’ve seen a Void Elf rogue armor concept where the user’s face is concealed by a veil of darkness, as well as one of a Dwarf paladin where the right shoulder spaulder is a metal ram’s head (I’d show links, but for some reason, the forums won’t let me put them up)

They could also add flavor to new combos, such as this idea I had for a Night Elf Paladin armor:

The helmet would be modeled after a Nightsaber (either just the top, or complete like Anduin’s lion helmet), while the armor is pearly white like moon light. There is a choice of long flowing robes for pants, or pants with a veiled belt. The spaulders resemble wings while the finger tips have talon-like protrusions.

Furthermore, should this idea be implemented, I think these class armors should not be racially locked, but can be worn by any race with that class. It would further player identity and such (like a player could say his human paladin trained night elf trainees and gained the armor as a reward).

Though I admit this would be a great undertaking, and probably not come all at once. (like either packs for one class or one race at a time).

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Turning race/classes into an allocate/buffet is basically making it so that choices are able to be made w/o consequences. It is odd in a way since the Horde will end up with nothing but Blood Elves in their population; real diversity in action.

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im a everything can be everything, kind of guy. even the goofy ones. like Rogue Tauren/highmoutain… or Paladin VoidElf or Druid Nome (forms can be Mechs!! and lets face it would be so freaking cool)

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The excuse of “Just because race/class npc exists, doesn’t mean race/class players can/should exist”/Lore has grown stale over the years. Remember when Gnomes couldn’t be hunters for the longest time until Legion? What’s the excuse for Holy VElf/Undead priests? What’s the excuse for Shadow LFDraenei? Let more classes open up for other races already, I wanna see a Tauren mage or a NElf Paladin.

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Not everyone loves the blood elves. Heck blood elves have already some niche races like demonhunters or paladins. If those options were available to more races you may actually see less blood elves.

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I see it as a big gray area.

On one hand, having restrictions adds complexity and may mitigate players from piling up rolling just one race as some have said and spread players across. On the other hand, I played other MMOs where having race or gender-locked classes hampered the game’s growth or turned off players from playing. I don’t personally think having open availability would make everyone pile up on one race, as some players have said. Even the restrictions didn’t stop the humans from having the dominant population on ally side. There could be other factors/reasons that players may choose a different race outside of class restrictions:

  • They may not care to play humans at all because they see enough of it iRL
  • Some players play a race for their story, physical aesthetics, or culture
  • Some play for the racials

I didn’t bother rolling a warlock on Alliance since I started in vanilla until void elves came along.

As the OP said, the lore can be expanded and I’m open to races being able to be certain classes as long as there is a lore-friendly reason for doing so, as some of the combinations we see now are either from being a part of a mini faction within a race by lore or taught by that faction. Like how shaman Dwarves we see now are assumed to be Wildhammer; Night Elf mages are the Dire Maul Highborne Night Elves. The Draenei learned shamanism from the Broken. Something may be able to be done with the other races.

We also have players trying to push other combinations based on what they’ve seen in-game:

  • Night Elf Delas Moonfang becoming a paladin
  • Being Draenei rogues from the Rangari in WoD, since they have rogue/
    assassins in their ranks (fate unknown given what Yrel did. Did some survive and in hiding…?)
  • Having some “twisted” version of preexisting classes to accommodate a race’s behavior/culture (Void Elf paladins…? When did Umbric’s expedition team leave…before or after BEs became pallies? If after, would a former BE pally turn VE and make a void version of that class…?)
  • Having preexisting classes theme under a different name based on a race’s culture (BE pallys are “bloodknights”)
  • Draenei warlocks are a real stretch and wouldn’t be Draenei but Man’ari - probably would have to come up with something like former Legionnaires joining ranks and turning a new leaf.

Another understanding of combinations is being able to separate gameplay from lore. The undead can be priests, but by lore, they’re only shadow priests. Since restricting 2 of 3 specs would be an issue with players, holy and discipline is only by gameplay.

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Yeah, I feel while some classes for races do have some plausibility at a base, there may be other external factors involved.

For example, while gnomes and goblins can be priests, they currently can’t be paladins. Now theoritically, they can be infused with the light just like humans and blood elves, they may not have the will and dedication for traditions like other races.

Gnomes are a very “progressive and on-going” race since they’re always inventing stuff, while goblins are more of a “profit-focused” mindset. Neither may have the full on dedication in the numbers to justify them undergoing the rituals and developing the mindset for them to have playable paladins.

Now that being said, I could see lore where they use their brains to skip the steps and use a machine to infuse themselves with the light.

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I would much prefer it remain true to the lore. It just doesn’t feel like an RPG anymore when every race can be every class. There really should be limitations in that regard considering the game has taken lots of inspiration from D&D like other rpg games have.

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The Abbey of Northshire isn’t the same as the Paladin order. Yes, they both use the light, but the comparison is essentially force witches or force sensitivies vs actual jedi masters.

Now, it’s stupid because they themselves have violated even the most basic lore on a constant basis, with night elf paladins for example - both of the Moonfangs - but the restrictions currently in place aren’t that bad.

Kul Tirans should be able to be every class, that much is easily arguable from WC 1- 3. Any species that was in the alliance in those games should be able to be a Paladin so that includes Kul Tiran - who are just humans - Lordaeron humans, Azeroth humans, High Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, sure we’ll even include Draenei although they shouldn’t be in the game to begin with. That said, I agree Gnomes and Goblins shouldn’t be able to be Paladins, too. A mechagnoime paladin would be cool, since there are mechagnome Death Knights, but ehhhh.

The light isn’t “somewhat antithetical” to the Undead. This is foundational fantasy lore that goes back 48 years, crosses boundaries between all RPGs, not to mention all fantasy lore. Holy magic kills the Undead - period. It’s been that way since 1974 in D & D and there’s doubtless a source for it in Tolkien.

There shouldn’t be Undead priests at all, much less Paladins, and the fact that they put Undead paladins in the game in WOTLK as well as Void Paladins is utterly ridiculous - even as enemies that you can’t play as.

Instead of more class restrictions, I’d be more interested in them backpedaling some of the ridiculous nonsense they put in the game like dissecting the Blademaster and Mountain King and reconstituting the pieces as Warrior.

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The class restrictions don’t feel bad to me at all, for me the game would feel worse without them. I don’t mind occasional story-relevant NPC exceptions and I don’t think their existence undoes any of what I like about the current restrictions.

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33

That’s not lore changing. That’s Blizzard butchering the lore and putting their incredibly bad writing into overdrive.

Kul Tiran Tidesages were always a lore thing, so they get a pass.

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34

Demon hunters are an iffy class atm to add new races to, if you ask me. They were originally created by Illidan to help him fight the Burning Legion; he choose specifically night elves (because they were his kind) and blood elves (because they were loyal to him before they defected to the Horde or Kael’thas and the Burning Legion) to fuse with demons.

But to add new races would mean there would be a sudden need for new demon hunters. Currently, while the Burning Legion still exists, its no longer the huge massive threat it once was with the lost of all its leaders (Archimonde, Kil’jeaden, and especially Sargeras). For a reason for the Illidari to start recruiting from other races, it’d have to be the demons are once again a grave threat.

That being said though, there are two options that would fit new Demon Hunters outside of NE/BEs. As I said in other threads, the two races that could work as new DHs are the Broken (if they were made playable) and orcs.

Broken joined the Illidari, after Akama sided with Illidan, as they shared the common enemy of the Burning Legion. They eventually left him after Illidan locked Akama away, and only rejoined during Legion.

There were orcs left on Draenor after it shattered into Outland, and many joined the service of Illidan. They drank even more demon blood and turned from fel green to blood red.

These two races have served Illidan and the Illidari and would likely be the first two choices of recruits to be new Demon Hunters if there was ever a case where they were needed against a resurgence of the Burning Legion.

Going on that note, Allied races do present the oppurtunity to give races new class choices without disrupting lore too much. Many Allied Races aren’t as lore heavy as base races and have the flexibility to have new stuff added. In addition, since some are the same race as a base race (but with some cultural and/or physical differences), it can be interpreted to give that race a class that the base doesn’t have.

Such was the deal for Kul Tirans getting to be druids and shamans. While they’re the same as Stormwind and Gilnean humans, their culture and backgrounds allow them the lore friendly reasons to be those classes.

So, going on from the Broken, if they were added to the game, they could be an excuse to give us (technically) Draenei warlocks and rogues without disrupting the racial lore. Unlike their non-mutated cousins, the Broken aren’t as Light-focused (regardless of what side you’re on if Broken can actually use the Light or if they’ve been cut off). The trade off for not being priests or paladins can be that Broken players can be rogues or warlocks (which would fit, considering their harsh lifestyles and how they’d be fighting their mortal enemies, the demons)

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In tabletop games like D&D, there is no race/class restriction. And there’s hardly even a race restriction. I’m in favor of playing as whatever race and class combo the player desires. I’d even go a step further, and allow players to choose their faction.

To address your question, if an Infernal Paladin makes sense in D&D, an Undead/Void Elf/Murloc Paladin can make sense in WoW.
Maybe racial abilities would have to be tuned if this became a reality, but in the words of Captain Picard…

Make it so.

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36

I just personally want them to rectify their mistake on not giving zandalari their warlocks. Need I remind you people that there is a zandalari warlock elite in Vol’dun.

I also think they should allow night elf paladins to be a thing but maybe have some sort of moonlight spin on it as a class skin.

While it would be a bit silly I reckon mag’har paladins could be a thing if they are taught about the differences on how the light is wielded despite their views on the Lightbound (yes alternate Draenor is still a thing and I’m all for it). I’m sure the Horde can teach them much about paladins.

Worgen should totally be able to be monks because by the end of the Gilneas they are able to control their rage. Maybe worgen monks can only start at Exile’s Reach because there are no monk trainers in Gilneas.

I’m sure there are some other class/race combos that can fit the lore without being too ridiculous.

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The Highborne of the Eldre’thalas, are there to mentor the young Kal’dorei, not to be one. That was the purpose of the deal that was made between Tyrande and Mordent Evenshade, Kaldorei resistance will never accept the Highborne practicing the arcane unless they obey and have something to take. I am going crazy when people say Nightelf mages are Highborne, no they are not. Being a mage, in general, does not make you a Highborne. Highborne can be anything, warrior, archer, priest, as long as you have the nobility. Night elves had the chance to learn arcane even before the sundering without being a Highborne, and could master the arcane equivalent to the Highborne, Illidan is one of the examples. Right now, the cycle just continues.

Highborne is given title to the Royal and Noble people, which we all know Kaldorei Resistance lacks. Which Night elf Highborne is respected like it was before? None. Heck, they even whisper that they are the Highborne, cannot even say it out loud.

The true and only Highborne, and maybe beyond the Highborne are the Shal’dorei, the ones who kept their true traditions, and the hierarchy of the nobles, there are levels of the commoners and the highborne.

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Pretty much summed it up in a nutshell - I know I was a little brief with mine. XD

Now if someone like Silverleigh would take note of what you said…

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Please do not get my words aggressive, it is just how I tend to explain.

Are they the ones who were saying Quel’dorei are Thalassian thing?
If so, I have no time to argue with them, their knowledge of the lore has shown to me they are unworthy of my time.

Edit: No it is not them, then I have no clue who is Silverleigh.

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Oh no, you’re fine - you only just elaborated more on the background lore.

That person is from post #15 earlier in the thread. I noticed them around GD saying Nelf mages shouldn’t be a thing.