Dungeons & Dragons is all about creating a fantasy character and role-playing as if you were them. The game allows you to choose a species and class among many magical and unique options to fully realize who your character is and what they do. However, due to the gamifying of the world, some species receive statistical bonuses and abilities that make them a better fit for some classes than others.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook changed how ability scores are gained during character creation, making that aspect ruled by backgrounds instead of species. Still, the many abilities given by the species are still important to consider, hence why there are still perfect fits for each species and class, but remember to always pick whatever you find most fun!
Updated on October 3, 2024, by Alfredo Robelo: With the release of the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the way we understand species in Dungeons & Dragons has changed heavily. We’ve updated this article to not only contain the best species-class combos but also to help you use any species not present in the 2024 book since they are easy to adapt to the new rules.
17 Gnome/Artificer
Big Brain In A Small Body
Gnomes are clever and natural inventors that are accustomed to magic. Well, that is everything you want in an artificer. The species’ special traits fit perfectly with being an artificer and their species abilities are also supplementary to the class.
The artificer class can be found in the Eberron: Rising from the Last War sourcebook.
The ideal option for your artificer is the rock gnome variant, since they gain Mending and Prestidigitation. Mending’s utility for an artificer is obvious, but Prestidigitation works in a special way for these gnomes, letting them create a tiny clockwork invention able to do all sorts of harmless things, like starting fires or playing music.
16 Dragonborn/Paladin
Knight In Shining Scales
Dragonborn is one of the most stereotypically cool species in D&D. They are bipedal dragonkin that have elemental breath weapons and are honorable. What more could you want? Their true potential can be seen once they take an oath and become fully pledged paladins.
Their breath weapon gives them an option for area control, so they can save their spell slots for the classic divine smite. In addition, they get an elemental damage resistance which is always welcome. Add to that dragonborn culture all about being honorable and devoted, and you have the perfect species for a paladin. You’ll snugly fit in the de facto leader position in your party.
15 Goliath/Barbarian
An Avatar Of Raw Natural Power
These giant-looking fierce creatures already live barbarian-like lives before taking a level in a class. They live in clans high on top of mountains and use their physical prowess to survive. This lifestyle gives them increased endurance, a powerful build, and the ability to grow in size.
Note that the barbarian class has the potential to be one of the tankiest, and a goliath barbarian sounds like the perfect fit. Of course, this combo makes tons of lorewise sense as well, which is always lovely. For your Giant Ancestry, consider choosing either Fire’s Burn for damage or Stone’s Endurance for survivability.
14 Half-Elf/Bard
Everybody’s Sweetheart
If you plan on playing a bard in the classic sense, with your songs filling taverns and your stories bringing crowds together, you should absolutely consider playing a half-elf. The half-elves result from a relationship between two species and are thus the bridge between two worlds. This unique situation gives them tons of versatility.
Half-elves are from the 2014 rules, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
They were often picked for their Charisma bonus, but you can now get that from your background. Still, they gain all sorts of features useful for bards, like extra skill proficiencies, darkvision and their resistance to being charmed. Half-elves are already one of the best species in the game, and their versatility and customizable nature lend them to be great bards.
13 Dwarf/Cleric
A Devoted Warrior With Conviction
Dwarves are described as hardy, skilled warriors who are highly loyal and determined—all essential characteristics for the chosen warrior of a god. Their dwarven resilience and toughness is valuable for a frontline, tank-like role, while their tremorsense lets them avoid all kinds of devilish ambushes.
There are unique and interesting deities that are denoted as dwarven gods, meaning that picking a deity as a cleric will be all the more enjoyable when playing as a dwarf. Grab a shield, a holy symbol, and a trusty warhammer, which is undoubtedly a classic combination that will work out.
12 Aarakocra/Ranger Or Fighter
Shoot Your Enemies From Afar
Aarakocra is one of the more exotic species options, first introduced in the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion. They are bird people with great agility and the ability to fly. While they get very little else that makes them strong, their ability to fly naturally makes them extremely strong.
Aarakocra are from the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
You can get any class that excels in ranged combat and start shooting your enemies from a safe distance in the air. A Dexterity-focused fighter with a bow is extremely powerful, but the ranger class also fits this species incredibly well. If your Dungeon Master allows it, you could also consider the homebrew subclass Gunslinger, written by the one and only Matt Mercer.
11 Vedalken/Wizard
All About Progress And Knowledge
Vedalken is a recent addition to the playable species in D&D, added in the Guildmaster’s Guide To Ravnica supplement. Vedalken are described as being devoted to learning more and trying to improve themselves. They are so focused on progress and rationality that others see them as cold and distant.
Vedalken are from the Guildmaster’s Guide To Ravnica, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
Considering that wizard is a class all about learning and practicing, it makes sense for a vedalken to become one. Their species’ abilities also fit perfectly, being all about mental fortitude and skills that feed off Intelligence. This combo will allow you to be the swiss army knife that wizards excel at being.
10 Halfling/Rogue
As Nimble As It Gets
This may seem like a weird combo at first, since halflings are predominantly depicted as fun-loving, friendly, and warmhearted creatures. In contrast, a stereotypical rogue is the edgelord of any D&D campaign. Well, once you see past the stereotypes, halflings make great rogues, since they are small, agile, and lucky.
These are all things that make a rogue that much more effective on the field. Their natural features make them ideal for sneaking around or escaping a dangerous situation. Imagine a more business-minded rogue or a halfling that’s been through a lot, and you also have an exciting concept.
9 Tiefling/Warlock
Demonic Heritage And Divine Power
If a species was written with a specific class in mind, it must be the tiefling. These creatures have an infernal heritage and are cursed with a devilish appearance. Thus, they are usually met with prejudice and are approached with caution.
It makes sense for a tiefling to ask for a higher power for the ability to protect themselves, then, doesn’t it? Their species’ fiendish legacy and the resistance and spells that come with them are also great boons for a warlock. After all, there is a reason why most players choose to play this combination.
8 Human/Everything
Diverse And Customizable
As the jacks-of-all-trades, we have the humans. Yeah, we might not be as charismatic as a Dragonborn or as magically inclined as a Gnome, but what humans are is diverse. The game represents this by the versatile trait they gain at level 1.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook added plenty to the humans, with ways to gain heroic inspiration and extra lore that ties them to the center of the multiverse. Humans are best known for being adaptable and diverse, which is represented in D&D as well. You can match the human with any class in D&D, and your character will be decent at worst.
7 Lizardfolk/Druid
The Apex Predators
While a stereotypical druid may look more like the classic tree-hugging elf who is vegan, this combination of a cutthroat species and a generally peaceful class can lead to interesting scenarios. After all, nature is ruthless, with predators constantly feeding on the prey and creatures living in a constant cycle of death and danger of it.
Lizardfolk are from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
Lizardfolk, a very literal and pragmatic species, perfectly fits that aspect of nature. They use what they can to their advantage, whether that be bones of fallen allies or defeated enemies’ items. This may not be the tried and true druid, but it’s a very interesting take on it. You can even flavor your wild shape to always be something lizardly, like a scaly kind of bear.
6 Kenku/Rogue
An Unusual Infiltrator
There are a lot of species in D&D that can work well as rogues, either for their agility or expertise at remaining hidden. However, kenku carves itself a very niche spot for being a Rogue, thanks to its species abilities’ Mimicry and Expert Forgery.
Kenku are from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
You can sneak around, pick locks, and plant evidence like any good rogue. However, on top of that, you can forge highly believable documents, mimic the voices of important figures, and more. If you take the Keen Mind feat to remember any details you see, this is a sure way to annoy your DM with how effective it can be.
5 Tabaxi/Monk
Definition Of Speed
With the species’ feats Feline Agility and Cat’s Claws, tabaxi is likely the most mobile of any species, barring the ones with a flying speed. Even if they can’t fly, they can easily make up for that with pure movement and versatility in the type of movement.
Tabaxi are from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
A tabaxi monk can easily move in and out of danger, dishing out incredible damage with their Flurry of Blows. Thanks to the monk’s ability to Disengage as a Bonus Action, you won’t have to worry about Opportunity Attacks. This is simply one of the best species/class combinations for a pure monk experience.
4 Half-Orc Or Orc/Barbarian
When You Really Don’t Want To Die
There are already memes and rant posts about how barbarians are too hard to kill, thanks to their generally higher Hit Points and their resistance to damage as they rage. Well, if that’s not enough survivability for you, you can easily combine it with the half-orc or the orc for a truly resilient character.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook has orcs instead of half-orcs, but they work exactly the same.
Relentless endurance lets you stay at one Hit Point when you’re reduced to zero once per long rest. Especially if you have a healer in your party, this can mean several extra turns of action for your character instead of beginning to roll Death saving throws. If your orcish barbarian dies somehow, you should feel comfortable knowing it wasn’t meant to be.
3 Yuan-Ti Pureblood/Sorcerer
Intimidating Caster
Yuan-Ti Pureblood is a very interesting species. With a very rich lore and interesting unique features, they sit among the “weirder” species. However, their uniqueness is not a detriment to their abilities, but a boon instead. They make for absolutely great Sorcerers for a few reasons.
Yuan-Ti are from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, so if you want to use them with the 2024 rules, simply ignore the ability scores they offer and use all their other features.
The species feat Magic Resistance is what sets them apart though. Having advantage on Saving Throws against magical effects is invaluable, and will likely let you concentrate on your own spells for way longer. The innate spellcasting this species gets is just a big bonus on top of that.
2 Elf/Ranger
Each Ancestry Has Its Flavor
Elves come in three variants: drow, high elf, and wood elf. If you want to play a classic ranger, then the wood elf is for you, gaining the speed and spells needed to stay a safe distance away while you rain death with your arrows.
You might think that is the only elven variant worth it for rangers, but you would be mistaken since rangers have some rather interesting subclasses. A fey wanderer ranger gains fitting skills by being a high elf, while the gloom stalker rangers can reach their full potential by being drow, sneaking through the shadows.
1 Aasimar/Cleric
More Than Related To Your Deity
Aasimars make for perfect clerics since, more often than not, they are descendants of the gods themselves. This means that you can live the Greek fantasy of not only following a given god but also being related to it, deepening your bond with the celestial being.
Of course, you might be related to one godly patron while following another, making for some juicy in-game drama. The special traits of the species are also worth noting: they are powerful no matter your class, letting you radiate damage all around you, or sprout angelic wings that let you fly all around the battlefield.
