The Perfect Fit: Which Class is Best for Drow?

By Ralsu

Now that the drow are here and swarming the streets of Stormreach, it's time to assess their place in Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach. Drow get some nice benefits from Level 1: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, Magical Defense (natural spell resistance of 11), and +2 bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks. Their only drawbacks are a nearly inconsequential -2 Constitution and the favor a player must gain to unlock them (see our Patron System guide for that). Well, maybe there is one more drawback...picking the right class for my new drow!

The Case for Bard
I love playing a bard, but the racial traits of a drow really justify that choice, too! +2 DEX will make my drow bard harder to hit by giving him an extra point to armor class (AC). Also, it will improve his checks on some important skills: Tumble, Hide, and Move Silently. It will also help with ranged combat. The +2 INT will allow me to purchase more Skills with my drow bard. I could even open up those runes that have come to be labeled as "wizard runes." Finally, +2 CHA is perfect for a bard. Bards get extra spell points and more powerful spells from a high CHA score. Since so many of a bard's spells are enchantments involving mind-control, the extra difficulty my bard gains from CHA will be bolstered with the selection of drow on the character creation screen.

The Case for Rogue
Rogue is the perfect class to take advantage of all a drow has to offer. DEX and INT are the primary Abilities for rogues, and drow get bonuses in both! Disable Device and Open Lock, exclusive rogue Skills, benefit from DEX and INT, respectively. In fact, a bunch of Skills most rogues love benefit from DEX or INT. +2 CHA will help my drow rogue successfully use Bluff and Diplomacy more often. The former will lead to some terrific damage from the subsequent Sneak Attack, and the latter will help keep enemies off of my rogue when his Sneak Attack does too much damage. Additionally, the drow racial bonuses to Listen, Search, and Spot will make my drow rogue better at his job.

The Case for Sorcerer
Casting arcane spells in heavy armor is a huge gamble, so most sorcerers never learn to wear it. The extra +1 AC that comes from the +2 DEX drow Ability modifier will come in especially handy to sorcerers. The +2 CHA will produce 38 additional spell points over the life of my drow sorcerer. Those 38 points are enough to cast Lightning Bolt once or Hypnotize three extra times. That's the kind of thing that can turn a battle doomed to defeat into a tavern tale of triumphant valor.

The Case for Wizard
My drow wizard appreciates the extra AC afforded by the DEX bonus. The INT bonus leads to stronger spells and more spell points. The extra CHA means my drow wizard will have greater success with the Diplomacy skill. Magical Defense and the natural drow resistance to mind-altering spells will help protect my drow wizard from mind control even if I neglect the Wisdom score.

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It's Drow Week here at DDO ;@ Ten Ton Hammer, and I'm making a new drow character. What class should I play?

VOTE IN OUR POLL! The class that best suits a drow character is: Bard Rogue Sorcerer Wizard One of the other classes VOTE HERE