[Nocte]

I like the racial hide that Dark Elves get, and it's saved me from a more than a few total-party wipes after we got trained or whatever. Just click-stick everyone back up and continue.

The clicky-snare necklace is neat, but the cast time on it and the relatively small snare effect makes it more of a toy than a really useful thing. Your mileage may vary. If you like, you can also keep turning in the Master Whoopal's head to [I forget his name exactly] for a one-charge Illusion:Halfling mask, and that's kinda fun, too.

Aegis of Life will require lots of faction work to do (so much so that I haven't bothered with that particular quest).

Dwarves have an easier time carrying the plate armor in the early levels (hell, my 60 cleric still only has about 4-5 stones of weight before he's encumbered), and the flippy jump is cool I guess. Summoning beer is a less useful toy than an almost-useless snare, but I guess if you really like virtual beer, you've got that going for you. Faction and starting STR is probably a dwarf's best starting perk.