Making Race Count

The first in hopefully many articles brings power support for dwarves, half-elves, halflings, and humans. In 4th Edition race became a much more meaningful choice due to the feat support and race-specific paragon paths, and adding powers to the mix (especially in light of the vryloka and shade) is a natural progression. Each race gets a utility from levels 2-16, and there is no "cost" to take them except that if you have a spellbook and take a racial utility, you do not get an extra wizard one.

Dwarf

• Avalanche Rush (level 2 encounter): When you bull rush a target, you can push them farther based on your Con modifier.
• Dwarven Pride (level 6 encounter): When you are subjected to most forms of forced movement, you gain a damage bonus for a turn based on the number of squares you were moved.
• Stone Stubborn (level 10 encounter): When you are dominated or stunned, you are instead dazed until the effect ends.
• Mountainborn Tenacity (level 16 daily): When you are dropped, you can spend a healing surge and gain damage resistance for a turn based on your Con modifier.

Half-Elf

• Help Is Here (level 2 encounter): You automatically use aid another on an adjacent ally.
• Sudden Switch (level 6 encounter): You swap spaces with a creature and gain combat advantage for a turn against all adjacent enemies.
• Lockstep (level 10 encounter): You and an adjacent ally shift 6 squares, and must end the movement next to each other.
• Persuasive Words (level 16 daily): You gain a bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Insight, and Intimidate for the rest of the encounter.

Halfling

• Happy Feed (level 2 encounter): When a creature starts its turn, you can shift.
• Minor Threat (level 6 encounter): A stance that you can trigger while bloodied, granting you a bonus to defenses and Stealth.
• Pay Your Debts (level 10 at-will): If a flanked enemy moves, an ally flanking it still has combat advantage for a turn.
• Underfoot Hustle (level 16 encounter): You shift your speed with a bonus, can move through enemy squares, and they grant combat advantage to you for a turn.

Human

• Extra Effort (level 2 encounter): You can reroll a save with a bonus, but the next save takes a penalty.
• Rapid Move (level 6 daily): As a minor action you can take a move action.
• Flush With Success (level 10 encounter): If you hit with an attack, you gain scaling temp hps and can shift a short distance.
• Courageous Determination (level 16 daily): If a en enemy bloodies you, or hits you while you are bloodied, you can burn a healing surge, shift your speed, and gain a defense bonus for a turn.

Holy crap a lot of these are really awesome. Sure, avalanche rush is best suited for characters built around forced movement and charging, but I could see a lot of halflings taking minor threat (which is also very thematic for them). The human spread is really nice all around. I am really impressed by how much I like this article despite playing almost none of the featured races. Now to wait and see when/if tieflings get any power love.