WoW: Cataclysm's New Race-Class Combinations
Players Get New Choices in World of Warcraft's Next Expansion
Sep 25, 2009
In Blizzard's massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, players can choose character race and class, during character creation, but only in certain combinations. The combinations generally reflected the lore of each race. For example, Orcs can be shamans because shamanism is an important part of their lore, but Humans cannot, because shamanism was never part of their history.
The Evolution of Warcraft Race-Class Options
In the original World of Warcraft release in 2004, the initial race-class combinations were set. There were some significant restrictions at the time; the shaman class was only available to Orcs, Taurens, and Trolls in the Horde faction, and the paladin class was only available to Humans and Dwarves in the Alliance faction.
When the Burning Crusade expansion was released in 2006, Blizzard addressed these restrictions not by expanding the race-class combinations, but by adding the Blood Elf race to the Horde faction, and the Draenei race to the Alliance faction. Blood Elves had the paladin class available to them, and Draenei had the shaman class available.
The Wrath of the Lich King expansion in 2008 added the Death Knight class, which is available to all factions, but did not add to the other race-class combinations.
New Race-Class Combinations in the Cataclysm Expansion
At Blizzcon 2009, the company announced the development of the next World of Warcraft expansion titled Cataclysm. As the name suggests, the world of Azeroth will undergo an upheaval, and it appears that the races themselves will endure some significant changes. One of the features of this expansion will be a significant increase in the available race-class combinations for characters to explore. The new combinations include:
- Blood Elf Warrior
- Dwarf Shaman and Mage
- Gnome Priest
- Human Hunter
- Night Elf Mage
- Orc Mage
- Tauren Paladin and Priest
- Troll Druid
- Undead Hunter
In addition to the new race-class combinations for the current races, two new playable races will be added to the world of Azeroth: Worgen on the side of the Alliance, and Goblins on the side of the Horde.
Many of these race-class combinations seem to go against the established lore for these races. However, some initial information provided by Blizzard has hinted at the justification for these new races. An in-game quest and conversation between non-player characters (NPCs), hints at the formation of the Tauren Paladin and Priest classes. Shamanism by the Dwarves is to be influenced by the Wildhammer Clan. As the release of the Cataclysm expansion grows closer (currently slated for 2010), players are likely to learn more about how these race-class combinations fit in with established lore and the unfolding events of Cataclysm.
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