Humans as the most common race?

[Gargoyle]

I don't think this is something the game rules can dictate to you.

Game rules influence player choices. It's this influence I'm referring to...I know I can change the rules or ignore them, and that I can design any sort of campaign I'd like.

 

[Gort]

Game rules influence player choices.

That said, despite dwarves being very powerful in 3rd ed (hard to argue with bonus con and +2 against all magic), they weren't all that popular. Elves are, in my opinion, pretty weak due to their con penalty, but we still saw a bunch of them because elves are cool.

I'd say that game rules influence player choices in the case of the popularity of humans vs nonhumans (say, humans versus elves), but not so much in the case of nonhuman race A vs nonhuman race B (such as elves vs dwarves). Flavour is very important in those cases, since a lot of players who like elves would very rarely play a dwarf.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I hope so, as I have always preferred a "humanocentric" view of the typical setting..

Always hated that. Would love a game where humans are a minority.

 

[Kaodi]

Humans should be no more numerous than the rest of the PHB races combined, tops.

 

[Howndawg]

That said, despite dwarves being very powerful in 3rd ed (hard to argue with bonus con and +2 against all magic), they weren't all that popular. Elves are, in my opinion, pretty weak due to their con penalty, but we still saw a bunch of them because elves are cool.

I'd say that game rules influence player choices in the case of the popularity of humans vs nonhumans (say, humans versus elves), but not so much in the case of nonhuman race A vs nonhuman race B (such as elves vs dwarves). Flavour is very important in those cases, since a lot of players who like elves would very rarely play a dwarf.

Interesting because in groups I played in dwarves were the most popular race after humans!
After that half-orcs and then believe it or not gnomes.

Howndawg

 

[Eric Tolle]

Always hated that. Would love a game where humans are a minority.

Play AD&D. You'll end with a party consisting of an Elven Fighter/Mage, Eleven Fighter Thief, Elven Magic-user Thief, and Elven Fighter/Magic-user Thief. And a dwarf.

 

[Thundershield]

That said, despite dwarves being very powerful in 3rd ed (hard to argue with bonus con and +2 against all magic), they weren't all that popular. Elves are, in my opinion, pretty weak due to their con penalty, but we still saw a bunch of them because elves are cool.

This may also be due to thematics. Dwarves were always seen as a "Fighter"-type race. Some of the racial abilities are tailored for the dwarf to become a Fighter, and seeing how Fighters were severely underpowered in 3.x (in a 5-minute workday-type game) nobody wanted to play "the race that inevitably becomes Fighters"..

Of course there are exceptions, and some players realize that dwarves also make great Clerics, Monks, Wizards, etc. but far more often you don't think "dwarf" when you decide you want to play, say, a Wizard. Likewise, when you wanna play a "deviant fighter" such as a Spellsword or Fist of Raziel (AKA smite-a-holic) picking dwarf as the race for your character isn't the first thing to pop into your mind.

Using "you" in generic reference above, mind.

It's, as you say, a matter of popularity, but also stereotyping and general impressions in the community. Just look at the iconic characters in the PHB. The only dwarf is.. *drumroll* .. Tordek the Fighter.

 

[Clavis]

Interesting because in groups I played in dwarves were the most popular race after humans!
After that half-orcs and then believe it or not gnomes.

Howndawg

On the other hand, in 23 years of DMing I have never had a player remotely interested in playing a Dwarf! I personally dislike them, and evidently so do the kind of people who have played with me.

The most popular non-human race in my campaigns has always been half-elf. The group I am DMing right now is mostly non-human, but the Campaign world is overwhelmingly human.

And Gnome love gnows gno bounds! One day all Gnomes and Flumphs will band together in a mighty empire that will crush the puny kingdoms of men. Then they'll have lunch.

 

[Aage]

For my campaign setting, which I hopefully will start up with my gaming group after the release next summer, Humans represent roughly one-fifth of the total population... I personally prefer to play non-humans, since I find Humans really boring...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Play AD&D. You'll end with a party consisting of an Elven Fighter/Mage, Eleven Fighter Thief, Elven Magic-user Thief, and Elven Fighter/Magic-user Thief. And a dwarf.

That's too high a price to pay for getting a game that is not centered on humans.


Anyway, I thought more about a game world (forgot to add "world" there) or any fantasy world where humans aren't the bigwigs, never were, and never will be.