Human - the strong race

[Frostmarrow]

Humans in D&D are always versatile. More feats and skills at the cost of ability score bonuses. I wonder why that is? Couldn't humans just be stronger than other humanoids? I mean, we need a strong race so we keep introducing half-orcs. What's the point? Why can't humans be stronger than halflings, elves and dwarves. Humans are larger and heavier than elves and halflings, and humans are taller than dwarves (who are pretty strong too, but they get Con).

 

[Blackwarder]

I think it's because humans are the base line, they are the most numerous of the races and generally are the dominance race in most D&D settings.

Warder

 

[Sunseeker]

I really don't see humans as the "strong race" especially if we're allowing playable Orcs, Goliaths, or even Dragonborn. Even half-orcs strike me as naturally stronger than generic humans.

 

[dkyle]

Because Human variety is a pretty consistent trope in any fantasy (or scifi) with other races/species.

There's, of course, no particular reason why it couldn't work the way you suggest, but Human as the "strong race" raises the question of why are all the non-Human races so weak? I think it feels more natural for Human to be "average", and for other races to tend to have all sorts of ways they differ, as opposed to all races differing from Human in a single direction.

Also, extra Feat/Skill is a good way to balance out various exotic traits other races have, without making a strong statement of what makes a Human, a Human, and avoids needing to invent new "exotic" traits for Humans.

What's wrong with Half-orc as the "strong race"? What's the point of not having that when it's been a part of the game from nearly the beginning?

 

[Grimmjow]

i like using the human as a race to introduce the game to new people because they are so versatile. They are easy for new people to understand because, in the world we live in, human is the dominate race. The versatile part makes it easy for them to take this familiar race and be what ever they like with it.

I personally want humans to stay the same

 

[Klaus]

Humans in D&D are always versatile. More feats and skills at the cost of ability score bonuses. I wonder why that is? Couldn't humans just be stronger than other humanoids? I mean, we need a strong race so we keep introducing half-orcs. What's the point? Why can't humans be stronger than halflings, elves and dwarves. Humans are larger and heavier than elves and halflings, and humans are taller than dwarves (who are pretty strong too, but they get Con).

Even in the real world humans aren't the "strong" race (chimps, orangoutangs and gorillas would beg to differ).

In most fantasy stories, the big mark of humans is their free will. Their propensity for innovation and their capability for both good and evil are hallmarks of the race.

 

[hafrogman]

The central idea for the ability score system has always been that the scores of 3-18 represent the human range, with the average human being 10-11 (the average roll on 3d6). Even as the scores used by PCs in the game have shifted around, this has been a constant. So if you gave humans a bonus to strength, that would throw all that out. Humans traditionally don't get set attribute bonuses because they define what it means to be average with respect to the game's math.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Even in the real world humans aren't the "strong" race (chimps, orangoutangs and gorillas would beg to differ).

In the real world humans would be the Con race. What we lack in aggessiveness and natural weaponry we more than make up for with stamina. A man can run for days, a feat few creatures our size are capable of.

 

[Grimmjow]

Also think of it this way: Throughout history of real life and gaming, humans have always been verstile.

Every dwarf you see will be short, and big.
Ive never seen an elf that isnt fast and agile.
A skinny orc?

Humans can be anything and be good at it. You've got the wizards of old. The wise priests, and the mighty warriors. Humans have always been leaders, thinkiners, and warriors, sence day one

 

[GSHamster]

It's just the way we see ourselves. You see this a lot in science fiction too. Look at Star Trek for a perfect example.

Humans aren't the strongest or the fastest or the smartest or the most beautiful species. But we're usually very adaptable, the glue between the other species. We aren't the best at anything, but we make everyone else better.