How would you feel about a setting where humans are the only racial option?

[Dykstrav]

After several months of steady freelance work, I'm taking a bit of time to work on the ol' homebrew again. I keep returning to an issue that I've ran into with D&D settings over the years.

In short, I'd like to make a setting where humans were the only race available as a PC option--no elves, no dwarves, nothing but humans.

I'd like to have a setting that's more like Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age than Tolkien's Middle-Earth, where there aren't default "good" races (elves, dwarves, humans and other PC-types) or default "evil" races (orcs, goblins, gnolls, and so forth). There are distinct cultures, sure, but everyone is human. I'd allow players to use the racial abilities of different races if they like, but they're re-skinned as humans. I'd certainly come up with a venue sheet or brief player's guide and discuss expectations with the players before-hand.

Is the concept of a variety of Tolkien-esque races so ingrained into the core assumptions of the game that it's a deal-breaker for you? Would you play in a humans-only setting? Why or why not?

 

[radja]

sure, I'd play this. As a DM, I'd make various cultures or human races with different stats. to sum up some very different real human cultures that could have very different stat modifiers: inuit, desert nomads, pygmees (you could have a small human race), mongols, japanese and I could go on for longer. Humanity is varied enough, and in a fantasy world could be even more varied than the real world.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Well, to me fantasy is a variety of races, humanoid and demi-human. As for human-only, I think it could be done and done well. I would go with different subraces, but not as far as really distinct varieties as that just end up being elves or such by a different name.

 

[DnD_Dad]

I really like games where humans are the only option. You can split them into groups based on technology levels and or magic.

 

[Kinak]

It works fine. Just make sure your human groups are as easy to understand as elves and dwarves (with the understanding that we already know elves and dwarves).

Iron Heroes had a nice spin on this, where you chose some traits to replace your racial stuff, while also fleshing out your characters' backgrounds.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Aeolius]

It might be good for a one-shot, but it isn't my cup of tea. In this game we call life I HAVE to play a human, so I would be less inclined to play one in a roleplaying game. Also, during the Basic/Expert/1e days I played a human cleric for over four years, so I got that out of my system.

That being said, my past two campaigns have all but disallowed the use of core races, mainly due to environmental factors (underwater adventuring). I have an all-animal campaign concept I've been itching to run for years, as well.

 

[billd91]

As long as the rest of the ideas behind the campaign sound fun, I'd be as willing to play it as any other setting with the standard D&D races.

 

[SkidAce]

I actually do it in conjunction with some of the standard demi-races. (not to derail your thought).

Humans only is fine as long as you spend some time on culture and nationality differences.

I submit as an example...

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/alfaysia/wikis/humans

 

[Ahnehnois]

Most people play humans anyway.

 

[Scotley]

I'd play and I think there is ample president for this, but really this is a discussion to have with your players.