Choose My Adventure: Off to Never, Neverwinter land

Twenty-four hours after voting for this round of Choose My Adventure started, I had no idea who was going to win. All the games were neck-and-neck. But on the last day of voting, Neverwinter pulled out ahead of the pack with 40.8% of the vote. A friend of mine who will likely be joining me for my quest suggested that you voted for Neverwinter because I said I would make a Foundry quest with your help. I am interested in why that was your final decision, so let me know in the comments why you voted for Neverwinter too.

Of course, I need to create a character before I actually step into this world. And unlike most MMOs that attempt to be balanced in every possible way, Neverwinter isn't afraid to dole out impactful choices at the very beginning. Even my character's race matters in Neverwinter. Not only does each race have its own set of abilities, but it also has its own stat bonuses. Now, I'm assuming that in the endgame that these bonuses turn into quality-of-life additions, but at the beginning of the game, they are more meaningful. And this is before we even choose my class, which we are also going to do today.

Half-Orc - In a recent Elder Scrolls Online column, I talked about the "ugly" races and how these races tend to be ostracized by "prettier" races. (Thank you, JRR Tolkien.) The same holds true in the Dungeons and Dragon's universe, and although we cannot play a full Orc in Neverwinter, we can step into the shoes of a Half-Orc. Because of the brutishness of this race, many of its racial abilities and bonuses revolve around strength and dexterity:

• Furious Assault - Your critical hits do an additional 5% damage.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Dexterity, and either +2 Constitution or +2 Strength

• Swift Charge - You gain a 10% bonus to Runspeed for 3 seconds when you enter combat. This effect can only occur once every 20 seconds.

Human - Dungeons and Dragons tends to follow many Tolkien tropes. This includes the human trope that they are jacks-of-all-trades. The character creator screen says this about humans: "Of all the civilized races, humans are the most adaptable and diverse. Human settlements can be found almost anywhere, and human moral, customs, and interests vary greatly." The racial abilities certainly reflect that, too:

• Versatile Defense - Increase your Defense by 3%

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 to any Ability Score.

• Heroic Effort - You gain an additional Heroic Feat point at levels 10, 15, and 20.

Dwarf - The proud, bearded race of Dwarves, like the Orcs, also focus on strength, but Dwarves seem to prize a balanced of strength between offense and defense. I enjoy that stats of the different races are based on lore. For instance, Dwarves have pluses to Constitution and Strength, but also Wisdom because its an ancient race.

• Stand Your Ground - You have 20% increased resistance to Knock and Repel effects.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Constitution, and either +2 Strength or +2 Wisdom.

• Cast-Iron Stomach - You have 10% increased damage resistance to Damage Over Time (DoT) effects.

Halfling - I like Halflings. My highest level character in Neverwinter right now is a Halfling. I like that they are short and dexterous but not stout like the Dwarves. They seem to be able to move quickly and make for great Trickster Rogues because of their size.

• Nimble Reaction - Your small stature and quick movements grant 3% chance to Deflect incoming attack.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Dexterity, and either +2 Charisma or +2 Constitution.

• Bold - Your fearless nature increases your resistance to Crowd Control effects by 10%.

Tiefling - I know the least about Tieflings. But this line from the bio makes me curious: "Burdened by their race's past, Tieflings walk through life haunted by their dark and sinister bloodline." If you choose this race for this adventure, I will certainly have to explore more about this seemingly sinister race.

• Bloodhunt - You deal an additional 5% damage to targets below half health.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Char, and either +2 Const or +2 Intelligence.

• Infernal Wrath - Whenever you are hit, you have a 10% chance to lower the Power of the attacker by 5% for 5 seconds.

Elves - Although there are more races of Elves in Dungeons and Dragons, Neverwinter gives us four choices. We can choose to mix our blood with humans with the Half-Elf. The Wood Elf is the wily sprite of the forest. Then the majestic Sun Elf counters the other choice of the Drow, the Dark Elves. I really don't have a preference here myself, but I have a feeling that Drow are extremely popular. Here's how the stats for all four Elves break down:

Half-Elf

• Dilettante - Grants +1 to a non-class Ability Score. This bonus is automatically determined by you class.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Constitution, and either +2 Charisma or +2 Wisdom.

• Knack for Success - You are just naturally better at many facets of life, gaining +1% Deflect, +1% Critical Severity, and +1% Gold Find.

Wood Elf

• Elven Accuracy - Increases your chance to Critically Strike by 1%.

• Ability Scores - +2 Dexerity, and either +2 Intelligence or +2 Wisdom.

• Wild Step - You have a 10% resistance to effects that Slow your movement.

High (Sun) Elf

• Inner Calm - Your inner peace and serenity cause you to focus more clearly on the task at hand. +2 Action Point gain.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Intelligence, and either +2 Dexterity or +2 Charisma.

• Sun Elf Grace - Your bottomless grace increases your resistance to Crowd Control effects by 10%.

Drow

• Darkfire - You have a 5% chance when attacking a foe to apply Darkfire for 4 seconds, reducing its Defense by 10%.

• Ability Scores - Grants you +2 Dexterity, and either +2 Charisma or +2 Wisdom.

• Trance - You recover at campfires twice as quickly.

Each class has its own group role as well as a unique gathering skill. I've taken the information from the character creator and placed it here. The descriptions give a good idea of what it feels like to play that class, but they don't really give you a good idea of which role the classes play. So I've placed the role and gathering skill next to the name of the class.

Trickster Rogue (DPS, Thievery): The master of stealth and misdirection, the Trickster Rogue maneuvers across the battlefield and strikes from the shadows with paired daggers. The Trickster Rogues dodges in and out of melee, inflicting massive damage on foes with a flurry of deadly blows.

Devoted Cleric (Healer, Religion): The Devoted Cleric is a devout healer, committed to preventing injury, restoring health, and faith in the divine. As he is capable of enforcing discipline on the battlefields with a combination of territory control and righteous holy damage, precise zone placement and strategic calculation are necessary traits for the Devoted Cleric.

Control Wizard (DPS, Arcana): Control Wizards harness powerful arcane energies to restrict, crush, and debilitate their foes. Wielding a magical orb, they are capable of Unleashing torrents of damage and use ice and force to manipulate the movements of unwitting creatures.

Great Weapon Fighter (DPS, Dungeoneering): The Great Weapon Fighter is an unstoppable force of damage and steel, skilled in using the weight of a greatsword to dispatch those who stand in the way. The epitome of strength, the Great Weapon Fighter is also resilient enough to defend allies in need.

Guardian Fighter (Tank, Dungeoneering): The Guardian Fighter is courageous and stalwart, superior at defensive maneuvers, and no stranger to hand-to-hand combat. Heavy plate armor and shield make the Guardian Fighter a durable mainstay on the battlefield, while a trusty longsword and focused aggression cut through foes that stand in the way.

There you have it. Of course, I want you to vote, but also let me know why you made that choice in the comment. And vote fast; the poll closes on Friday, and I'll kick off my first livestream on Saturday. Don't miss it!
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Larry Everett loves MMOs, but sometimes when he gets stuck in one particular MMO, he loses sight of everything else he's missing. Direct his game time in Choose My Adventure on Wednesdays and on The Stream Team.