Player Races

Essentially, they are their 4e counterparts with vaguer backgrounds, dragonborn are still pretty close to what they were. +2 Strength, +1 Charisma, and choose one Chromatic or Metallic Dragon; they get a breath weapon shape, breath weapon damage, and damage resistance based on what they chose (cold for Silver Dragonborn, acid for Black, etc). Your standard dwarf. Short and stout, grumpy but loyal, love digging, and tough as an old boot sandwich. They get a +2 bonus to Constitution, have Darkvision, protection against poison, training with axe and hammer weapons, training with several kinds of artisan's tools, the usual dwarven armored movement and stone knowledge. They get two subraces; Hill and Mountain
 * Dragonborn
 * Dwarf

Hill dwarves are wiser (+1 Wisdom) and even tougher than regular dwarves, giving them extra maximum hit points equal to their character level

Mountain dwarves are more warlike, getting +2 Strength and free proficiency with light armor and medium armor. The *only* subrace to offer two +2 bonuses now, balanced by the fact that the armor training will almost certainly be completely redundant to any class that would realistically make use of those stats. However, it's a good choice for a squishy character who wants melee a bit, like a blade-pact warlock. Still pretty standard; graceful, eerie, beautiful, mary-sueish bastards. Grace translates to a +2 bonus to Dexterity, keen senses give them Darkvision and proficiency in Perception, they are resistant to charming and immune to sleep, and they trance instead of sleeping. They get three subraces; high, wood and dark.
 * Elf

High elves are the magically adept elite. They get +1 Intelligence, proficiency with long & short swords and bows, an extra language, and the ability to cast one wizard cantrip of the player's choice.

Wood elves are the iconic forest-dwelling primal elves. +1 to Wisdom, same weapon proficiency as High Elves, even quicker (they have base speed 35 feet, making them the fastest of the default races), and they're extra adept at using natural phenomena for hiding. Half-Elves gain +2 Charisma, making them natural diplomats, but also get +1 to two other ability scores of their choice, are automatically proficient in two skills of their choice, as well as retaining the darkvision and resistances to charming and sleep of their elven ancestors. They can also grow beards, something that may have been in previous editions, but is directly addressed in this one. The best PHB race for any Cha-based class, due to their tremendous versatility.
 * Half-Elf

The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide includes rules for half-elf racial variants, allowing them to have sub-races like several other races. Basically, they can trade out their bonus skill proficiencies for the other elf races' bonuses.

Any kind of half-elf can trade for an upgrade to darkvision and proficiency in perception, half-high elves can gain a wizard cantrip, half-wood elves can gain a five foot speed boost or an improved ability to hide in the wild, and both of the above can gain elf weapon training. Meanwhile, half-drow gain drow magic, while half-Aquatic Elves have a 30-ft swim speed. (Whew!) Big scary bruisers, half-orcs get +2 strength and +1 constitution, have darkvision, are automatically proficient in the Intimidation skill, are harder to kill than other races, and deal much nastier criticals with melee weapons. This effectively makes them the best barbarians in the game, and gives barbarian-lite abilities to any other classes. New design eliminates the culturally awkward standard of male orcs forcing themselves on human women, to the point of actually raising the idea that the race could be used for playing a half-dwarf, half-orc. Small, cheerful, practical creatures, halflings try to make friends with anybody. They usually don't have any greater goal beyond a simple, pleasant life. They get +2 Dexterity, they're Small sized, their Lucky trait lets them reroll various results of 1, they're resistant to fear effects and they can move through spaces occupied by creatures that are Medium-sized or bigger. Their two subraces are lightfoot and stout.
 * Half-Orc
 * Halfling

Lightfoot halflings are sneaky even by Halfling standards, able to use Medium-sized or bigger creatures to hide behind and gaining +1 Charisma.

Stout halflings are rumored to have dwarf blood, and so they get +1 Constitution and identical poison protection Humans are the versatile race once again. +1 to all stats Basic racial profile is +1 Dexterity, Darkvision, and Shifting (bonus action, lasts for 1 minute, gain temp HP equal to level + Constitution bonus and a sub-race derived bonus, can shift once per short rest). Gotta pick a sub race from the following:
 * Human
 * Shifter
 * Beasthide: +1 Constitution, shifting grants +1 AC. Boring, but hey. A +1 AC bonus is more than it sounds like in this edition.
 * Cliffwalk: +1 Dexterity (so +2 Dex total), shifting grants a 30 ft climb speed. Nice utility, as all alternative movements are.
 * Longstride: +1 Dexterity (so +2 Dex total), shifting grants ability to Dash as a bonus action. Good for other Dex-based classes, completely redundant for a rogue.
 * Longtooth: +1 Strength, shifting grants a 1d6 bite attack that automatically initiates a grapple when it hits. Good for a control fighter and the like.
 * Razorclaw: +1 Dexterity (so +2 Dex total), shifting grants claw attacks, which can be used as bonus actions to make Dex-based unarmed strikes that deal slashing damage. Unarmed strikes may only deal a single point damage, but the real power of this ability is essentially two-weapon fighting without needing the fighting style to add the ability score modifier to the damage roll.
 * Wildhunt: +1 Wisdom, shifting grants advantage on all Wisdom-based checks and saving throws. Good for mage-hunting and utility.

Same old magic robots. Very simple, yet very effective: +1 Strength and Constitution, a flat +1 AC bonus, and the benefits of being a robot. They don't need to eat or breathe, trance for 4 hours per day instead of sleeping for 8 hours, and immune to disease. All of these are somewhat abusable, so your DM might tone them down. On the plus side, they no longer have healing penalties and such. Birdman! +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom -1 Strength, only 25 ft landspeed but a 50 ft fly speed (which doesn't mix well with armor heavier than light), and are automatically proficient in unarmed strikes, and unarmed strikes do 1d4 slashing damage). Your hands are attached to your wings so unless you're a verbal caster or have a magic device to use items for you, when you fly you're essentially useless.
 * Warforged
 * Aarakocra

Variant - Owl Aarakocra: +2 Wisdom +1 Dexterity -1 Strength Earth, Air, Water and Fire. All genasi get +2 Constitution and racial magic (usually of the cantrip and/or "once per long rest" spells variety) determined by their subrace, which uses their Constitution.
 * Genasi
 * Air genasi gain +1 Dexterity, have Unending Breath (can hold their breaths indefinitely when not incapacitated) and can cast levitate.
 * Earth genasi gain +1 Strength, ignore movement penalties from earth/stone-based difficult terrain, and can cast pass without trace.
 * Fire genasi gain +1 Intelligence, darkvision, fire resistance, and can cast the produce flame cantrip, plus burning hands at level 3.
 * Water genasi gain +1 Wisdom, can breathe water and air, have acid resistance and a 30 ft swim speed, and get the Shape Water cantrip, plus create or destroy water at level 3.

Yet another big bruiser race, goliaths get +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, proficiency in athletics, the unique ability to use a reaction upon taking damage to roll a D12 and reduce that damage by [result + Constitution modifier] once per short rest, count as one size larger for carrying, dragging, pushing and lifting and are automatically acclimated to high altitude and naturally adapted to cold climates if your DM's using those rules. They get a +1 to Strength, and then a +1 to either Strength, Intelligence, or Wisdom depending on which of the "three virtues" the character aspires to. They also have horns, which they are automatically proficient with, that deal 1d10 piercing damage, offer advantage on shoving checks, automatically shove when used as part of an Attack action, and can be used to gore an enemy as a bonus action even after a Dash. +2 Dexterity OR +2 Charisma
 * Goliath
 * Minotaur
 * Yuan-Ti pureblood

The Yuan-ti are descended from humans whose bloodlines have been mingled with those of snakes. Their evil, cunning, and ruthlessness is legendary. Yuan-ti constantly scheme to advance their own dark agendas. They are calculating and suave enough to form alliances with other evil creatures when necessary, but they always put their own interests first. Yuan-ti that can pass for humans with suitable clothing, cosmetics, and magic are known as purebloods. These creatures are usually charged with infiltrating humanoid societies and managing covert operations that require direct contact with humans. There are 4 type of Kami;
 * Kami

Octopus/Squid Kami - Looks the most like a human, if not for the four tentacles attached to their face, not able to do complex tasks like using items outside of the water

They have advantage on grapple checks

Can eject black ink once per long rest with a DC16 save for being blinded

Puffer Kami - For the most part vaguely humanoid, except for the small spikes that run all the way up and down their body

They are a faint green colour and generally do not leave the ocean.

Can inflate during a bonus action to extend the spines and grow one size category larger

Spines do 1d6 damage with a DC 12 CON saving throw

Shark Kami - Can locate creatures even when blind within 20 feet if they are moving

Has advantage on perception checks involving smell

They have a bite option which is 1d6+4, and counts as one size category larger than the Kami

Shell Kami - Gets (5+ Con modifier) when not wearing any armour - Doesn't stack with any other unarmoured AC feats or spells

Can filter water to clean it, even though filtering water through another being is a little gross +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
 * Orc

Low Light Vision 60 feet

You all know what orcs are. -4 Strength, -2 Constitution, +4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence
 * Orlessian

The orlessians are the small alchemist beast people that live in colonies surrounding the human settlements

they are exceptional alchemists and that is their only reason for their natural survival, due to their small size and weak physique

They are small orange creatures like halflings but more like anthropomorphic cats, with large ears and bipedal, and are nearly hairless

+3 to Perception

Fellip cannot speak any language but their own musical whistling language
 * Fellip

They can, however, understand all other languages

Their base walking speed is 20 feet, but get +20 walking speed in the celestial planes

(+2 Wisdom OR +2 Intelligence) +1 Charisma

Fellip are almost always Lawful good

Susceptibility to necrotic damage