I’m a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to that... though I do lean towards the stereotypical... I do try to have some sort of unusual twist for most of them though...
Catfolk Eldritch Scoundrel who just wants to be a Wizard...
Ratfolk Tinkerer Alchemist who sells fake potions...
Half-Orc Bloodrager with an Efreeti mother...
Goblin Sorcerer who thinks she’s a priestess... (this one has been very fun)
Mute Duskwalker Necroccultist...
Gnome Alchemist/Oozemorph... (Gestalt campaign)
Vanaara Picaroon Swashbuckler... (Hoping the campaign this one is in will pick up in pace... play by post is very slow...)
I'm generally a RPG darwinist. The stereotypical race/class combos are stereotypical because those races have racial traits suited for specific classes.
Playing against the weaknesses of a race just because isn't something I enjoy. I'm okay with playing a race that doesn't have the perfect racial ability modifiers for a specific class, but at that point I'm often taking the race for interesting racial options that wouldn't have been available to the better suited races. If they can't be stolen through Planar/Racial Heritage that is.
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Vanaara Picaroon Swashbuckler... (Hoping the campaign this one is in will pick up in pace... play by post is very slow...)
How did you solve all the Picaroon's problems? (No slashing grace, no Precise Strike)
It depends on my mood and what the focus of the character is. If I want to make a barbarian I would probably consider half-orc and if it matches up well with what I have in mind for the character then I would probably go for it and not really consider that this a "typical" combination.
On the other hand. Sometimes I'll pick a race/class combination because it's weird or seems like it shouldn't work. Just to "prove them wrong". Sometimes it works out and sometimes I discover why it doesn't work (which can be quite satisfying if the reason it doesn't work is different than what appears to be the issue on the surface)
I like seeing odd combos as long as there's still synergy in the build. Trying to make a dwarf sorcerer (without the empyrial bloodline) or an elf str barbarian is just going to be dumb.
Whatever makes a fun and interesting character as long as it's playable.
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Depends on a lot of factors for me...but I will say this: In P1, getting bonuses is so easy, race hardly matters for stats...even a race with a -2 in a classes primary stat can excel in that class with the right items and feats.
I generally go for the more unusual character concepts...mostly because after 40 years of play, all the stereotype character concepts just feel boring. I am mostly drawn to the uncommon races...but sometimes I will bring out a character that just goes against expectations.
My Strength focused Gnomish Monk is a fine example. Starting with a -2 Str and a reduced damage die isn't nearly the hurdle some people seem to think it is. Most of the damage in P1 comes from bonuses, not the die, and starting with a 16 Str instead of an 18 or 20 is only really an inconvenience for the first couple levels. Sure, the character could have been stronger if I build it as a medium race that could get a boost to Str...but even with it's flaws, it performs better than half the stereotypical builds I've played with.
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It's sort of interesting since there's a difference between the stereotype as suggested by the lore and the stereotype as suggested by the game mechanics.
Like in first edition, Dwarves make better Druids than Fighters. Is a Dwarf druid a stereotype? I've seen a lot of them.
Sometimes I end up in games where things are so exotic (And more power to players who love such I guess) that I almost feel rebellious playing a more 'typical' race class combo.
Game master-"Let's see, we've got a centaur acrobat, an Tiefling Oracle whose soul is tied to the abyssal chorus, and a gillman sorcerer with an elemental fire bloodline...we could use some melee type I guess but feel free to make annnnything you ..."
Me- "Dwarf fighter- With an axe."
Followed by gasps of what I can only assume is admiration for my hipster like choice of old school retro.
;)
But I DO have a thing for half orc bards and wizards.
Vanaara Picaroon Swashbuckler... (Hoping the campaign this one is in will pick up in pace... play by post is very slow...)How did you solve all the Picaroon's problems? (No slashing grace, no Precise Strike)
For starters, Slashing Grace is only a problem if not using a piercing weapon to begin with. Sure it doesn’t work with two weapon fighting or holding anything in your offhand for that matter. So nothing has been done about Slashing Grace because I don’t need the feat for the build.
As for Precise Strike... a simple matter of not misreading the ability. The wording only prevents use when attacking with an offhand weapon, it does not prevent use when having one in your hand unlike Slashing Grace. So when I need to utilize Precise Strike, I simply don’t attack with my offhand.
The only issue that remains is the inability to reload while wielding two weapons... though having a prehensile tail does seem to alleviate that issue as the tail could simply hold a weapon (not wield) while reloading or be the “free hand” for reloading. For DMs that believe precise strike to require a free hand (which is not what the ability says) a Vanara picaroon can similarly just hand the firearm off to be held by their tail as a free action when they precise strike.
The picaroon is not meant to be played the exact same way as any other swashbuckler, it has its own play style as a two weapon fighter. To make the most use of which, I’ve taken a pistol dagger as her firearm (partially due to campaign setting restrictions on firearms) allowing her to use it as a second melee weapon up close.
Anyways this is not the focus of this thread...
As for Precise Strike... a simple matter of not misreading the ability. The wording only prevents use when attacking with an offhand weapon, it does not prevent use when having one in your hand unlike Slashing Grace. So when I need to utilize Precise Strike, I simply don’t attack with my offhand.
The problem is that you never apply Precise Strike damage to your firearm attacks. And if you try to use both weapons in a full-attack you'd also lose the damage with your melee weapon.
The picaroon is not meant to be played the exact same way as any other swashbuckler, it has its own play style as a two weapon fighter.
This was the part I was curious about, because the archetype's intended playstyle as a two weapon fighter results in losing all your damage.
I am interested in unusual combinations if they seem like bad fits first, but have some redeeming qualities. For example a gnome barbarian can pick up Gnome Weapon Focus to get the same AB (together with Small) as a half-orc barbarian.
The Cha based dwarf sorcerer is a tough case, but might work out as a half-time frontliner, thanks to +2 Con, hardy and especially the good old battleaxe. Boreal bloodline might help with its low level martial buffs.
Count me in the mixed bag camp.
Conceptually, the stereotypical combinations are stereotypical because they are common, and if you have too many stereotype breakers, they cease to be stereotypical (although if the stereotype breakers are just concentrated among the PCs and merely sprinkled throughout the rest of the population, that's fine).
Mechanically, the the stereotypes can be hard to break, although sometimes the mechanics actually DON'T work in favor of the conceptual stereotypes -- for instance, Elves are supposed to be often Druidically inclined, but their ability score adjustments and other racial traits for the most part aren't much help for them to be Druids, and before the Changeling alternate racial trait (and eventually subraces) boosting Intelligence came out, Changelings were just outright worse than Halflings at being Witches.