Shattered Kingdoms

I'm thinking about starting either a dwarf or centaur. Would anyone be able to suggest a good, or even challenging, class for either. I have not decided on alignment or starting kingdom yet so any class suggestion is welcome.

I would appreciate that with your suggestions you specify which race you intend it for and how hard it will be to level, find a mentor, survive alone while training etc.

I've never been a fan of centaurs, but if you're thinking dwarf as a possibility, I'd recommend a barb or mercenary. I happen to like dwarfs for their survivability (high constitution), and a hp barb would fit right up the alley of a dwarf. I would not suggest an MR barb for a new player, so I caution you against that route; I'd also caution against dwarven hellions - hellions are difficult enough as it is to place stats right - until you have a feel for dwarves, plotting out how to build a hybrid with one is going to make for tough work. You could also say the same for dwarven paladins, but less so.

Dwarf Paladin:
easy to find a mentor
high HP pool
start out with a mastered, damage dealing weapon skill
infravision

go for it

I occasionally contemplate what would happen if we gave a race an innate and slightly boosted "staff". But that's off topic and beside the point.

Please do. Add one-handed staff weapons of a pretty subtype (e.g., bo staff) and you'll see those suckers in widespread use all right.

I love playing centaurs. Especially as a priest or shaman. They're also fun scouts. Their armor alone can be a bit of a challenge. You have your hide, but your legs are always exposed unless you happen to get really lucky and find armor for them (I can't remember the name of it now).

Honestly I think any race/class combination can be challenging if you come up with a way to challenge yourself. A person who excels at mercenaries could try a new aura/tribunal/cabal to add some challenge to the character. This comes from a person who tries NOT to know everything about the game though. I'm not sure if it's true for people who are walking SK encyclopedias.

Gnomes come to mind.

Dwarf fighters are a very accessible build - a paladin is still highly viable, yet a tad more difficult to pull off successfully.

I've had some great times with a centaur shaman before - until I ran into a warlock . They are really great if you go for what I would classify as "the intuitive shaman build", which mixes spell casting and melee - that is not the route I would go as an experienced player, mind you. But I know that it was a lot of fun to have a true hybrid when I had it (quite a few years ago).

Gnome mercenaries are really depressing to play if you've ever played a human/giant/any other race besides halfling warrior. Going from Braxis (Human Barb) to Fink (gnome hammer merc) was possibly the most depressing change ever.

If you want sheer survivability, centaur paladin or shaman is pure win.

Either race will be fine with whatever class you choose. As a general rule, non-caster classes are easier for first timers to learn since they are pretty difficult to mess up and all of their skills are either automatic or easy to understand when to use.

Barbarian or mercenary would be a good starting class.