Races of EQII: The Good

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With a new expansion freshly out of the gate, it's time to take a fresh look at this MMO and it's content to see if it's time to join it, or maybe re subscribe. With that in mind, here is one of several upcoming articles reviewing the many parts of EQ2.

This is part one of a three part guide to EQ2's races, broken down by alignment. This guide should give you a clear idea of what you want to play and what they can do.

First off, don't worry even a little bit about racial stat modifiers. The class-specific equipment you gain as you play more then compensates you for whatever minor deficiencies you have in the first few levels due to your race, so worrying too much about picking a bad race for a class shouldn't be a concern. Your real decision should be, do I like the race enough to keep looking at its back side for eighty levels? If the answer is no, don't pick it! Having said that though, there are some differences that may affect your decision beyond, 'will I look awesome in end-game gear?'

Secondly, a race in EQ2 is more then it's starting stats. Racial Traditions are a unique list of powers associated with a particular race that you can choose from every ten levels, i.e. 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, up to 80th, the level cap. 

All the good races start on either the Isle of Refuge, the newbie-land for the good guys, or Greater Feydark, near Kelethin. 

On the Isle, there are three collection quests you can complete, and plenty of content to level you up to sixth without much work. If your too jaded for 'tutorial island', you can leave at any time by taking the ship to your mainland. The trip will land dwarves in Greystone Yard, Halflings in The Baubleshire, Froglocks and High Elves in Castleview Hamlet, and Wood Evles in The Willow Wood. Each zone has a distinctive flavor, and the quests in each can help get into the head of your chosen race. Dwarves, High Elves, and Wood Elves can opt to start in Kelethin, along with the Fae, who have to. Kelethin is a great spot for any of those races and, while not giving as good of a low level racial role flavor, lead to plotlines and areas directly relating to those races' history and background.

Dwarves are the stout protectors of justice and mead, and with that in mind have been given "stumpy's tonic", a strong alcoholic beverage that restores endurance/mana at a good pace and gives you a swirling spinning drunken view for a bit, so my advice is to use it in moderation. This racial trait will scale as you level to remain useful, like many other combat abilities.  They also have Ultravision, a form of nightvision that turns the view to a high-contrast purple. Lastly, 'mining expertise'  a one second reduction that automatically applies to mining attempts. Like all EQ2 races, they also gain more ability choices, called traditions, every ten levels. Dwarven traditions are mostly centered around survivability, combat or metal crafting. Lastly, Dwarves either start in Qeynos or Kelethin, so you can enjoy the newer content while sticking with an 'old school' race.

Dwarven Racial Traditions

• Fury of Blades: A low damage area affect melee attack, usable once every few minutes. Scales with level.
• Dwarven Fortitude:  Adds 5 points to Stamina.
• Deffender of Kaladim: Adds 5 to defense skill.
• Rush Into Battle: Increases sprint speed by 10, reduces cost to sprint by 25% power.
• Body By Butcherblock: Buff usable every 10 mintues, raises strength and out of combat health regeneration.
• Short but Strong: Increases max health by 3% permanently.
• Strong Heart: Raises mitigation versus disease damage by 3 points.
• Aggressive Strike: Increases Heal crit chance by 2%, and the Ministration skill by 5 points.
• Master of the Tumpy Tonic: Increases Artistry skill by 5 points.
• Weapon Forger: Raises success chance of Weaponsmithing by 5%.

Fae are the original inhabitants of Kelethin, playable with the Echoes of Faydwer expansion. Small and butterfly winged, the Fae start with a short duration speed boost that is quite powerful, slow fall, which allows them to safely glide down any distance, and infravision an ability that allows you to see the warm glow of a body against a colder blue background. Their racial traditions are pretty diverse, and reflect their otherworldly nature. They can only start in Kelethin, which can make low-level teaming with your human friend a pain.

Fae Racial Traditions

• Escaping Dive: Decreases threat from an aggroed mob, teleports fae to a random spot in 10 meters, only works in combat.
• Fae Fire: Low damage AoE damage over time effect centered on the fae, scales with level.
• Aerial Dodging: Increases ranged and melee crit chances by 1% and raises defense by 5 points.
• Magic of the Fae: Increases max power of caster by 3%.
• Glide: The Fae can jump farther and glide longer, doesn't work while mounted.
• Toxic Protection: Increases mitigation versus poison by 3 points.
• Fae Flight: Increases movement speed in and out of combat by 5%, stacks with magical effects, but not mounts.
• Fae Dexterity: Raises agility by 5 points.
• Magical Teachings: Raises Scribing skill by 5 points.
• Forest Knowledge: Raises Fletching skill by 5 points.

Froglocks are natural born Paladin's, honorable and chivalrous to a fault. A Froglock's starting abilities showcase their amphibious nature, allowing them to breathe underwater, see without the water distorting their vision, and walking at a normal pace on the bottom of any sea bed, river bed, or lake bed you can find. All of these starting abilities are very handy when getting those quests to find who knows what at the bottom of any water way. Sadly, the Fae don't allow other short races to start in Kelethin, so your stuck in Qeynos.

Froglock Racial Traditions

• Marr's Glorious Blade: A low damage AoE melee attack, scales with level.
• Natural Acrobat: Raises Agility by 5 points.
• Astounding Leap: Reduces aggro from an attacking mob, randomly teleports user somewhere within 10 meters.
• Soft Landing: Reduces falling damage by 25%.
• Crusaders Respite: Buff usable every 10 minutes, raises strength and out of combat health regeneration.
• Spontaneous Metamorphosis: Raises health by 3%.
• Cold Blooded: Raises mitigation versus all elemental damage by 2 points.
• Valor in Battle: Raises heal crit chance by 2%, raises ministration skill by 5 points.
• Fervor of Marr: Lowers power cost of metal working skills by 10%.
• Zealotry of Marr: Increases success chance when weaponsmithing by 5%.

Halflings are good natured, but mischievous, loving food only slightly more then practical jokes, and because of this their starting abilities revolve around eating.  Halflings are always prepared with a pie they can summon whenever they need to fill an empty food slot, and they also get an increase of 25% to their food duration. Halflings also have Infravision  which is the only ability not associated with food, but handy none the less. Like some of the other races, Halflings can only start in their home city which is the shire in Qeynos.

Halfling Racial Traditions

• Mischevious Strike: A melee attack that debuffs the targets crushing, piercing, and slashing skill by a small amount, scales with level.
• Wisdom of Rivervale: Raises Wisdom by 5 points.
• Protection of the Jum Jum: A short duration ward that protects against 15 points of damage.
• Poison Expertise: Poisons used can trigger 25% more times.
• Light on Feet: Buff usable every 10 minutes, raises agility and out of combat health regeneration.
• Jum Jum Regimen: Raises health by 3%.
• Rivervales Protection: Raises mitigation versus mental damage by 3 points.
• Vale Protector: If a Fighter or Scout, raises melee crit chance by 2% and piercing skill by 5 points.
• Pants Patcher: Lowers power cost of tailoring skill by 10%.
• Niami's Tutelage: Increases percent chance of provisioning skill checks by 5%.

High Elves are one of the wisest and most magically gifted races in Norath. Their Fae ancestry allows them to safe fall from any distance (but this has to be toggled on), and their long lives gives them a reduced cost in power while crafting. The advanced traditions available to them focus largely around spell casting and crafting. High Elves can start in Either Qeynos or Kelethin, since Feydwer in their ancestral home. 

High Elf Racial Traditions

• Fury of Felwithe: Ranged AoE fire attack, scales with level.
• Elven Wisdom: Reaises wisdom by 5 points.
• Graceful Movements: Raises Defense and Parry skills by 5 points.
• Harmonious Mind: Buff usable evry ten minutes, raises wisdom and out of combat power regeneration.
• Connoisseur of Fine Wines: Increases the duration of Drinks by 25%.
• Arcane Knowledge: Increases max power by 3%.
• Tenet of Takish'Hiz: Raises mitigation versus magic damage by 6 points.
• Training of the Koada'Dal: Increases damaging spell crit chance by 3%, and raises Disruption skill by 5 points.
• Esoteric Study: raises Scribing skill by 5 points.
• Gilding of Felwithe: Increases Artificing skill by 5 points.

Wood Elves have a special bond with nature. Because of this, they have a natural "camouflage" that allows them to be invisible for a short duration, even within the cities. Being an expert in all things botanical they get a one second reduction in gathering time when foraging, which can really help speed things up when your searching for that one rare harvesting drop (i.e. rough coral, yarrow, and severed alder) to name a few. Like many other races, they receive Infravision. They have a fair selection of racial traditions for casting or melee once they level, and can start in either one of the good aligned cities, Kelethin or Qeynos.

Wood Elf racial Traditions

• Forest Fire: Ranged AoE fire attack, scales with level.
• Wisdom of the Faydark: Raises wisdom by 5 points.
• Light Footed: Reduces Slow effects by 25%.
• Natural Recovery: Buff usable every ten minutes, raises stamina and out of combat power regeneration.
• Elvish Spirits: Increases the duration of drinks by 25%.
• Vitality of the Fier'Dal: Increases max power by 3%.
• Shield of Nature: Raises mitigation versus disease damage by 3 points.
• Faydark's Champion: Increases ranged crit chance by 2% and ranged skill by 5 points.
• Gift of the Faydark: Reduces woodworking power costs by 10%.
• Faydwer Fashions: Increases tailoring success chance by 5%.