High Elves and Forest Gnomes Are the Best Races for a Scribe Wizard
As a long-time Dungeons & Dragons player who loves optimizing spellcasters, I‘ve carefully theorycrafted what I believe are the best races for the Scribe wizard subclass. With the customization options introduced in Tasha‘s Cauldron of Everything, Scribes can reach their full potential regardless of abilities boosts. However, some race options provide noticeable advantages.
My Top 3 Picks
Based on extensive testing and number crunching, my personal top picks are:
- Mark of Warding Dwarf
- High Elf
- Forest Gnome
Let‘s analyze why these three reign supreme for mastering the magical librarian subclass.
Mark of Warding Dwarf
The Mark of Warding Dwarf stands above other Scribe wizard race options for a few key reasons:
- +2 Intelligence – Increases spell attack bonus and save DC
- +1 Dexterity – Boosts AC and important dexterity saves
- Innate abjuration and ritual spells – Armor of Agathys, Alarm, Mage Armor
- Bonus proficiencies – Better concentration saves
With an effective +3 intelligence bonus and extra durability, the Mark of Warding Dwarf edges out classic choices like High Elves. The defensive spells also synergize perfectly with signature Scribe wizard features.
High Elf
As one of the best wizard races in 5E already, the High Elf makes a strong case here too:
- +2 Intelligence
- Extra Wizard Cantrip – More options known
- Advantage vs. charmed, immunity to sleep magic
- Darkvision
The combination of boosted intelligence and an additional cantrip fuels the Scribe‘s magical mastery. Being able to grab something like green-flame blade or booming blade makes High Elves extremely versatile.
Forest Gnome
While they seem unassuming at first, Forest Gnomes have nice special traits for Scribes:
- +2 Intelligence
- Minor Illusion Cantrip – Unique battlefield control
- Speak with Small Beasts – Scouting/information gathering
- Natural illusion resistance – Synergizes with Psychic Defenses
Forest Gnomes may not get as many goodies as High Elves or Mark of Warding Dwarves, but minor illusion and speak with small beasts provide some uniquely useful utility. Their intelligence boost also fuels the core wizard chassis.
Full Race Breakdown and Analysis
Delving deeper, here is an exhaustive look at every race option and how they fare for Order of Scribes wizards:
| Race | Key Scribe Benefits | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Mark of Warding Dwarf | Innate abjuration spells, +3 Intelligence, extra durability | S+ Tier |
| High Elf | Extra wizard cantrip known, advantage vs. charms, +2 Intelligence | S Tier |
| Forest Gnome | Minor Illusion, Speak with Small Beasts, +2 Intelligence | A Tier |
| Tiefling | Innate magical abilities, darkvision, spell resistance | A Tier |
| Half-Elf | Skill Versatility, +1 Intelligence, darkvision | B Tier |
As we can see, races that directly fuel the Scribe wizard‘s mental stats, magical repertoire, or defensive abilities excel the most.
The Mark of Warding Dwarf is in a league of its own due to its intelligence boost and prepped spells. High Elves and Forest Gnomes both inflate the Scribe‘s capabilities too. Tieflings make incredible survivable blasters with their innate magics. And skillful Half-Elves still bring nice benefits through all-around ability improvements, darkvision, and their mixed heritage.
From Orc wizards slinging spells in the midst of battle to scholarly Genie-bound Gnomes unraveling eldritch mysteries, Scribes can adopt many personas. But optimized races with intelligence enhancements or supplemental magic logically perform the best.
Closing Thoughts on Mastering the Scribe Wizard Subclasses
Hopefully this breakdown gives newer Scribe wizard players guidance on selecting races. And for seasoned veterans, perhaps it provided some unconventional insights too!
Remember, with the Customizing Origin rules introduced in Tasha‘s Cauldron of Everything, you can place a +2 intelligence boost in any race. So feel free to get creative with your backstory! An eccentric Tabaxi Scribe or insightful Loxodon could make for captivating characters too.
As always, don‘t hesitate to reach or provide your own hot takes! Now if you‘ll excuse me, my Duergar Scribe wizard needs me to proofread her new manifesto on undermining those foolhardy surface dwarves…
