Poll: Do you think any race should be able to be any class?

[Thalamus]

Well, no.
Even if you ignore the rules, there are still some logical issues with certain combinations.
e.g Gnomish Archer.

Its interesting you used this example because in the D&d 5th edition PHB the picture of the gnome in its racial section is of one using a bow and arrow.


OT

Generally speaking i would allow any race/class combo. Of course you might be running a specific setting which wouldnt allow something, people have mention Dragonage with Dwarves not being able to use magic. But in a usualy D&D setting where you have all the races and all the classes i don't see why not. I also find some of the class/race restrictions stupid in previous editions like Elves cant be barbarians. Thats stupid! Sure its not a classical thing for them and they are frail but so what. Some might adopt that life style and the downside is going to be reflected in their stats.

Elven Barbarians?
just...WHAT???

An Elf child could be abandoned by it's parents, raised in the wastelands by humans. Or one that had their whole village wiped out, and as the sole survivor went half-mad and became savage to survive.

Lore lets you pull off a lot. Though I will admit, when I was reading Pathfinder's default characters seeing that the Dwarf Ranger "preferred tea to mead" I damn near snapped a tooth from gritting my teeth ("It kept his mind sharp").

So IMO, go off-base as your players are willing to believe, and as believable as you can make it.

For MMOs/videogames I don't mind either. I like playing as all classes and races anyway. So if I have to mix things up, I can dig it.

Well, this does seem fair, but I still have some problems with it.
Lore will let you go wild, but it will have it's restrictions.
Elves very rarely let go of their children, but when they do, they have a very good reason (protection until adulthood,etc.)
and they won't just leave the kid on the side of the road.
They either leave it to a trusted tribe/family, or under the protection of nature.
and they will leave a guardian with him, to protect him from any harm at all.
The case where the elven child is left, and is picked up by some other people and then all the other stuff...
that is very very very unlikely to happen!

Ah, fair enough. And even if the child was abandoned due to no fault of the parents (sudden death, etc) then "nature" as you said would look after the child. Their affinity for nature would mean an abandoned Elf would wind up as a Druid, right?

It does seem logical, yeah.