Races and Race/Class Combinations FAQ
When creating a character, how many races can I choose from in EverQuest II?
There are 19 character races in EQII. Of these, 14 were playable in EverQuest: frogloks, halflings, dwarves, high elves, wood elves, iksar, trolls, ogres, dark elves, barbarians, erudites, gnomes, half elves, and humans. The vah shir are no more, but you can play one of their cousins, the kerra. We have also introduced a rat-like race called the ratonga.. The fairy races called the fae (Good) and the arasai (Evil) were introduced with the Echoes of Faydwer expansion. The half-dragon sarnak were introduced with the Rise of Kunark expansion.
Which city can my character call home?
Depending on which race you choose, you will complete either the Queen's Colony or the Outpost of the Overlord. Frogloks, halflings, dwarves, high elves, and wood elves will then head to Qeynos. Iksar, trolls, ogres, ratonga, and dark elves will take up residence in Freeport. Kerra, barbarians, Erudites, gnomes, half elves, and humans can choose which city to call home.
Three other starting locations have been added since the beginning of the game. One of those cities is "good" in alignment, one is "evil," and one is "neutral" (but with evil tendencies). Kelethin, the "good aligned" city is the tree-home of the fae, where dwarves, high elves, wood elves and half elves can begin their adventures. Neriak, the "evil-aligned" city, is the original home of the dark elves, where the arasai were first spawned and where iksar, ogres, ratonga and trolls can start their adventures in Hate's Envy. Gorowyn, the "neutral/evil" city, is on the island where the Sarnak make their homes. Barbarians, erudites, gnomes, half elves, humans and kerra can begin their adventures in the starting area of Timorous Deep.
Please read the Cities FAQ for more information on Qeynos and Freeport.
What are the possible race/class combos?
When planning our race/class combinations, we wanted the character possibilities to be as revolutionary and exciting as the game world itself. Our designers have come up with a unique new approach that fits perfectly with our theme of rebuilding and discovery. The world as it was known has been ripped apart. The races have to join forces and work together to build a new future. From out of this chaos comes a new society filled with new alliances and new opportunities. In our game, any race can become any class, under certain circumstances. While the inherent traits of some races will allow them to excel at certain professions, there is no restriction on what class you can play. So does that mean a troll can become a paladin? A high elf can become a shadowknight? A dark elf can become a ranger? Yes, yes, and yes.
Do note though, to start an evil race will mean that you shall need to start out in an "evil" location with an "evil" class, but then you can choose to "betray" that home city for one with an opposed alignment. The troll that was just brought up would need to start out as a shadowknight (the evil side of the crusader coin) in either Freeport or Neriak, but then betray that city for one with a "good" alignment, such as Qeynos or Kelethin. When the city betrayal action is complete, the character in question is then considered the class alignment of that location, and only until then. That then means that our troll shadowknight, having now completed the betrayal from Freeport to Qeynos will now be a paladin.
Are all classes available in both cities?
Some classes are categorized as good, others evil, and some as neutral. Good classes can only train in Qeynos, evil classes can only train in Freeport, and neutral classes are available in both cities. The division of classes is:
Good only: monk, paladin, templar, mystic, conjuror, illusionist, swashbuckler, ranger
Evil only: bruiser, shadowknight, inquisitor, defiler, necromancer, coercer, brigand, assassin
Neutral cities: guardian, berserker, warden, fury, wizard, warlock, troubador, dirge
Can I be a monk in Freeport or a necromancer in Qeynos?
No. To be a monk, you must be a Qeynos citizen. To be a necromancer, you must be a Freeport citizen. While any race can play any class, some of them must betray their home city before they may take up residence in a new town. All races have the option to change their citizenship through the betrayal quest, but the majority of subclasses are specific to one city or the other.
However, this rule only applies to PvE servers. Recently all classes, all alignments was opened up on the PvP servers, Nagafen and Vox.
Will races have certain attributes unique to their race?
Yes. Besides appearance and size, the chief differences among the various player races are starting stats, vision types, languages, and innate resistances. Some classes are more suited, through their innate racial abilities, to certain professions, but that doesn't hinder their ability to be any class they wish.