D&D General Humans are Blind

[Tonguez]

This is quite real-worldish. Compared to most real species human senses are lousy. They replace them with technology and a symbiotic relationship with another species (dogs). It turned out to be an effective survival strategy.

On earth we're lucky there isn't an effective competitor in our "social Builder" niche, however DnD humans don't get that luxury, they compete with all kinds of social, creative races as capable as they are - so how do they remain dominant?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

On earth we're lucky there isn't an effective competitor in our "social Builder" niche

At one time there were plenty of competitors for that niche. Luck? Maybe, but if one of the other early hominids had won, would there be any significant difference?

Of course, the idea that a planet can exist with multiple advanced tool users could exist is nonsense. One would inevitably have “out competed” all the others long ago. But it’s unlikely the deciding factor would be being able to see in the dark. Once fire is discovered that ceases to matter, giving the edge to the species that does not spend biological resources in that.

 

[Maxperson]

On earth we're lucky there isn't an effective competitor in our "social Builder" niche, however DnD humans don't get that luxury, they compete with all kinds of social, creative races as capable as they are - so how do they remain dominant?

Overwhelming numbers and despite all the PC parties consisting of a tortle, a dragonborn, a tabaxi and manbearpig, humans have most of the adventurers, including high level adventurers.

 

[occam]

This is quite real-worldish. Compared to most real species human senses are lousy. They replace them with technology and a symbiotic relationship with another species (dogs). It turned out to be an effective survival strategy.

That's not the case for vision, though; in the real world, there are very few species that surpass human beings in terms of visual acuity and color perception. Vision is a human superpower in the real world, so it's funny to consider that in a D&D world, most intelligent species might feel sorry for (or look down upon) their human and halfling neighbors that suffer from such a serious disability.

 

[Dausuul]

Numbers. Humans tend to have greater numbers.

This is half of it; the other half is organization.

In D&D, you have species like elves and dwarves, who have ancient storied civilizations but whose populations are small and slow-growing. And you have species like orcs and goblins, whose numbers grow swiftly but who don't establish stable settlements and rely on raiding and pillaging. Humans hold a sweet spot in the middle; reproducing swiftly enough to overwhelm the elves and dwarves, and building powerful kingdoms with strong fortifications to fend off the orc and goblin hordes.

 

[Dausuul]

That's not the case for vision, though; in the real world, there are very few species that surpass human beings in terms of visual acuity and color perception.

If you consider "virtually all birds" to be "very few species."

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Why humans?

Well, as James Tiberius Kirk (the bestest Star Trek Captain) always let us now- we are awesome.

To paraphrase a certain movie .... HUMANITY! HECK YEAH!!!!!!!

 

[Shardstone]

Humans are better at figuring out how to out compete the competition.

 

[Oofta]

Neanderthal were probably just as intelligent as us and stronger. However, they may have had a less varied diet requiring more meat and indications are that they formed smaller social groups. So it may well be that races like orcs and goblins simply aren't as good at organization and extended social bonds. Throw in potentially a shorter lifespan (not sure if the current version talks about this, but in previous version a 40 year old orc was old) so you have less opportunity to pass down the wisdom of the elders to the young.

As far as the dozens of races that FR has, there's a reason I limit the number of intelligent humanoids in my campaign world.

 

[Vaalingrade]

We also have the advantage of being that actual authors of the books where we win out.