OMG... you aren't *HUMAN*!!!

[Nemesis Destiny]

You sound like me. My non-human characters probably end up seeming pretty human to the other players, though honestly that is usually the case with their characters as well. Only those who can do good "character voices" seem to be able to convey the otherness of the non-human.

I know what you mean. I've been told that I do pretty decent voices and accents and mimicry, but it's hard to stay doing it all night sometimes, so in order to not strain my voice and everyone's disbelief, I try to limit the really oddball ones to NPCs.

That said, I try to have distinct manners of speaking for my characters when I am a player and supposedly, I rarely have to identify which character I'm voicing (we each have multiple characters all living in the same place) at any given time. My fellow players always know when I'm speaking as my lovestruck half-elf bard, jaded and bitchy human necromancer, or cold and aloof eladrin mage.

 

[gourdcaptain]

Eh, I've run into a lot of human characters - for some builds, having that extra at-will or feat really helps. (Mostly hybrids - I have seen more human hybrids than any other race).

What's bizarre is the Pathfinder group I play in, the entire group is two elves, three half-elves, and a changeling that spends all their time disguised as a half-elf.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Giving humans such a huge mechanical advantage as an additional +2 to any stat is basically forcing the players to all be human anyways, you're just doing it with better PR.

If you're going to give humans advantages, make them social ones, not mechanical ones.

Or just don't do it entirely and accept that Adventurers Are Weird. It's one thing to not have a race or species in your setting, it's another to have it and then tell players that can't be one because DM Said So. Nothing is more infuriating then a DM who has a story he wants to tell, and damn the players who don't want to play along.

 

[Ahrimon]

I think you also have to accept that some players don't give a crap about what race they play beyond what stat bonuses they get or what feats can be used to enhance thier build. Especially feats for me. I've had to twist a character concept or two for them. Otherwise I would probably play 90% humans. I don't even particularily care about the bonus feat/at-will. I just resonate more with human characters.

Unfortunately, racial feats can be the key to bringing a character concept to life sometimes.

 

[KahnyaGnorc]

Eh, I've run into a lot of human characters - for some builds, having that extra at-will or feat really helps. (Mostly hybrids - I have seen more human hybrids than any other race).

Maybe allow humans to have more Hybrid feats, like maybe allowing humans to have 2 hybrid talent feats (if they use their human bonus feat to take one) or some such. Encourage human hybrids, which goes with their versatility.

 

[Ahrimon]

Hmm, allowing the human bonus feat to be any feat (regardless of race or class) could really open up the human options. Stat/lvl restrictions would still have to apply of course.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Giving humans such a huge mechanical advantage as an additional +2 to any stat is basically forcing the players to all be human anyways, you're just doing it with better PR.

I don't just hand out that second +2--players have to give up one human trait to get it--but my players still play demihumans exclusively. And this includes two average optimizers and one serious power gamer.

 

[Nullzone]

Dwarves are the superior race anyway.

 

[Aegeri]

I find a party that is mostly human or (previous editions especially) all elves obscenely boring. The more variety the more interesting and the better for me.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

I don't just hand out that second +2--players have to give up one human trait to get it--but my players still play demihumans exclusively. And this includes two average optimizers and one serious power gamer.

Which traits are eligible for trade-in? Extra at-will? Extra feat? Extra skill training? +1 defenses?