D&D 5E The Fall Of The Dwarves: What Races Do People Actually Play?

What races are people actually playing, and how much of it is Tolkien fantasy as against other stuff?

Fortunately D&D Beyond provides a better source of data than we've ever had. The most recent data from less than a week ago in December 2020 alas does not provide percentages.

1. Human
2. Half-Elf
3. Dragonborn
4. Tiefling
5. Half-Orc

In February 2019, using stats found via this very site:

1. Human
2. Variant Human
3. Half Elf
4. Tiefling
5. Dragonborn
6. Wood Elf
7. High Elf
8. Half-Orc
9. Goliath
10. Mountain Dwarf
11. Lightfoot Halfling
12. Hill Dwarf

Which is a bit of a change from what people were creating in launch month for D&D Beyond (mid 2017)

1. Human
2. Elf
3. Half-Elf
4. Dwarf
5. Tiefling
6. Dragonborn
7. Genasi
8. Halfling
9. Half-Orc
10. Gnome
11. Goliath

The percentages are presented in different ways in 2019 and the launch month, with launch month merging the various subraces. So to compare like with like:

• Wood elves and high elves taken together in the 2019 data are more popular than half-elves (or variant humans)
• Meanwhile if we split the wood elves and high elves from 2017 they are probably both behind tieflings and dragonborn
• Dwarves taken together in 2019 are only just behind dragonborn. They've still fallen from ahead of tieflings and dragonborn to behind them
• Halflings combined in 2019 are neck and neck with half-orcs and ahead of goliaths
• Genasi combined in 2019 are a little behind goliaths and slightly ahead of combined gnomes

Interesting that dwarves have fallen so heavily out of favour - and half orcs have climbed so strongly into favour; I guess there's been a lot of talk here. The thematics of tieflings and dragonborn (entirely unsurprisingly IMO) have made them core races and even the dwarfs are disappearing in favour of half-orcs (which IMO is a surprise).

 

[Neonchameleon]

This also leads to the question about what should be counted as a race for stats purposes. IMO the high elves and wood elves should be by default not aggregated because the concepts you get from one are very different from the other. But the dwarves and the halflings should be merged because hill vs mountain dwarf isn't that strong a conceptual difference for most people. And likewise stout vs lightfoot halflings isn't a "you get the concept just on the race".

 

[Zeromaru X]

Interesting. Given how weak (mechanically speaking) dragonborn are, I find interesting that they are among the top 5 most played races in the official site...

 

[TwoSix]

I anticipate we'll see a bump for dwarves in a post-Tasha's 2021. I think the general dwarven aesthetic isn't that compelling, and their racial features are good but not compelling enough to push them up.

Once the +2/+2 becomes floating, that plus the free medium armor proficiency will make them much more popular for lightly armored casters, I think that will be enough to push them over half-orcs. Dragonborn and tieflings will stay popular purely on the strength on their aesthetics.

I'm projecting, but I think the overall popularity of animalistic and monstrous races means that we'll see more of them in some far-future 6e core product.

 

[Puddles]

I personally love Dwarves. My gut response is to say, Dwarves are probably more popular with male players than female and non-binary players (generally speaking), and as the percentage in the playerbase of the latter 2 rises (which is great!), Dwarves are going to fall down the rankings as a result, while the races they resonate more with will rise in popularity.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Interesting. Given how weak (mechanically speaking) dragonborn are, I find interesting that they are among the top 5 most played races in the official site...

The look at the classes and subclasses show popularity to very much be theming over mechanics; the hunter ranger is really high up and the most popular subclasses (dominating their main class) are life cleric, dragon sorceror, and fiend warlock.

Also I'm reminded of how many attempts there were to get a playable dragonborn into 3.X. There was a +3LA Monster Manual option, there was a prestige class, there was a Savage Species option, and at least one other. People want to play a humanoid dragon in dungeons & dragons.

 

[Oofta]

It will be interesting to see if the changes from Tasha's has any impact because in theory they're now a better choice for several options.

I mean, it doesn't matter to me personally because I still love playing dwarves. Mostly because of the bad accent, but still.

 

[Minigiant]

Interesting. Given how weak (mechanically speaking) dragonborn are, I find interesting that they are among the top 5 most played races in the official site...

Not surprised at all. People have been wanted to a dragonman for a long while. If Shifters had actual alternate form, they'd crack top 10 easy.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Minnesotan, right?

I think Tasha's will likely have an impact on these metrics, though I suspect the free feat of variant humans will still have a strong appeal. Human and variant human definitely are popular at my tables.

It will be interesting to see if the changes from Tasha's has any impact because in theory they're now a better choice for several options.

I mean, it doesn't matter to me personally because I still love playing dwarves. Mostly because of the bad accent, but still.

 

[Oofta]

Minnesotan, right?

Yep, you betch'a. Hold on a sec, gotta go check my tater tot hotdish don't ya know.