Cantrips are not exactly a hot commodity, so you can count this bonus as a nothingburger.
Wood
Rating
[A+]
Perception and stealth proficiencies, some alright-ish weapon proficiencies, and, most importantly, extra movement speed. The whole kit is just plain nice for any melee.
Drow
Rating
[A]
Superior Darkvision, Perception, plus Darkness on tap. They’re great. Especially for Rangers and Casters, all of which can benefit from either of the two, unless you are planning for a Warlock dip.
Tiefling
Asmodeus
Rating
[A]
Pretty much drow that trade Perception and only get regular Darkvision for fire resistance. Pretty good still. Darkness is always nice to have, and Fire is everywhere. Good stuff.
Mephistopheles
Rating
[B]
Bonus spells are mediocre at best, so they squarely lose to their brethren.
Zariel
Rating
[A]
Nice spells for any pure martial, although with Rangers and Paladins being so good, it gets pretty hard to stick with them. Still not bad, though.
Human
Base
Rating
[B]
Shield proficiency and a flex skill are nice. That said, only the former will have any real effect as you can just grab a race with a useful skill like a wood elf and have some bonuses on top. If they’d be a variant human with a feat, they’d instantly be an S tier class, but that’s not a thing.
The only real way to use them is pure Wizards and Sorcerers, going for light armor and high dexterity (likely from the gloves), which doesn’t really deserve too much of a spotlight - just dip 1 level of War or Life Cleric on those and you get your armor proficiencies, while keeping the slot progression.
Githyanki
Base
Rating
[S]
Great initial proficiencies that lend themselves perfectly for a Warlock, given there are some +AC weapons out there you can use to great effect even if you don’t want to multiclass. Astral Knowledge is effectively 3+ skills, given you don’t invest any skills into one stat group, and the bonus spells will always remain relevant too.
Dwarf
Gold
Rating
[B-]
I’d normally score them higher, but flex stats make sure dwarves don’t enjoy their usual perks of great wisdom caster stats. Also, the +1HP per level for gold dwarves is less valuable, given the game doesn’t really hit hard enough that you’d need every bit of HP you could get.
Shield
Rating
[B-]
Discount gith as they’re slower, their weapon proficiencies cover fewer good early game weapons, and they don’t actually get shield proficiency to go with that medium armor as the name would imply.
Druegar
Rating
[A]
Enlarge is pretty handy, and Superior Darkvision is anything but unwelcome. Advantage against Paralysis is also excellent as that’s one of the worst debuffs you can be hit with in the game. They do great as Dex Rangers.
Half-Elf
High
Rating
[C]
Same as their elven and human counterparts, but without the extra skill.
Wood
Rating
[B+]
Unlike other Half-Elves, they do enjoy access to Stealth proficiency so they're not too bad compared to humans, which admittedly is not a high bar to pass.
Drow
Rating
[C+]
At least the spells are alright, I guess. No extra skills, nothing too special, except for the shield proficiency that humans can get with a skill attached. Just play a normal drow or a human instead.
Halfling
Lightfoot
Rating
[A-]
Advantage on stealth means they do well as gloomstalkers, who also cover their Darkvision issues. Warlocks are not a bad choice either, but you’d need to dip somewhere for armor/shield proficiencies and Warlocks like being in melee, where your speed would hurt some. Plus halflings reroll 1’s, which does wonders for consistency.
Strongheart
Rating
[B+]
Surprisingly enough, there isn’t all that much poison in the game, so they’re strictly worse than lightfoot halflings.
Gnome
Rock
Rating
[B]
Nothing too special. History proficiency and that’s it.
Forest
Rating
[C]
Speak with animals potions are so abundant that their racial isn't all that special, and they get nothing else.
Deep
Rating
[A]
Superior Darkvision, Advantage on stealth, AND then they get gnome advantage on mental saves, too. That’s a whole lot of good, if you ask me.
Dragonborn
Brass
Rating
[C]
Column template for breath is better and fire is common, so they enjoy being the best subrace of the worst race in the game... which ain't much as 2d6 is laughable, and resistance will not come up in every fight.
Black, Copper
Rating
[C-]
Acid resistance is harder to come by and enemies like using acid arrows.
Other Dragonborns
Rating
[D]
Simply the worst at everything. Breath gets no upgrades, takes an action, they don’t get literally anything of value.
Half-Orc
Base
Rating
[A+]
Juicy crits, intimidation proficiency, extra hit to go down, Darkvision… orcs are the best Paladins in the game, hands down. And Paladins are strong.
Wood half elf also get the extra movement speed just like wood elfs...the only difference between the two is proficiencies not sure why one is B+ and other A+ when they have the same stuff (proficiencies are case to case base so both are equal in value)
