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

[FireLance]

The reason is even though RPGs I can't help but compare the story we're telling at the table to stories I've seen and read in other mediums and the vast majority of stories are mostly about humans (which makes sense). Even Star Wars had mostly human characters. I know RPGs are different but I can't help it. I want the game story to feel like a more traditional story and that means having humans in the party.

On the other hand, in one of the most iconic fantasy stories of all, the number of humans in the "adventuring party" was small considering that it seemed to be set in a human-dominated world.

I am, of course, referring to the Fellowship of the Rings from the Lord of the Rings. The Nine Walkers consisted of four halflings (Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin), one dwarf (Gimli), one elf (Legolas), one human-seeming celestial (Gandalf) and two humans (Aragorn and Boromir).

The adventuring party in the prequel, the Hobbit, was even worse: one halfing and thirteen dwarves.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Hold up.

Where on earth is this idea that optimizers don't like humans? I mean,if you're playing 2e, then yeah, that's true, but in all of 3e, in 3.x, and to the point of hilarity in Pathfinder, humans are more or less the best race to choose baring any specialized choices. And in 4e humans are basically awesome at just about every class, with a few races managing to be Slightly More Awesome because they're so specialized - and even then, humans are still really good at it.

If your optimizers are telling you that humans suck, they are so very terrible at optimizing.

 

[nightwyrm]

I find that humans with their extra feat, skill and at-will are a very good race for hybrids if your two hybrid halfs happen to have the same primary.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

And in 4e humans are basically awesome at just about every class, with a few races managing to be Slightly More Awesome because they're so specialized - and even then, humans are still really good at it.

The big exception is classes for which there are only two good at-will powers for a given build (Archer Ranger, Shielding Swordmage) and those for whom non-MBA powers are problematic (Essentials Knight, Slayer, Thief). Heroic Effort is nice, but it pales next to the huge advantage given by a third at-will to a Wizard, Fighter, Sorcerer and a few others.

 

[Dungeoneer]

I've always thought the third at-will humans get was pretty killer, myself.

I don't often get to actually play a character, but when I do get to pick out a class the choice is usually a binary one - flexible human build or extreme specialist using a race that has great stat synergy with the class. (I'm a bit of an optimizer, I guess)

Of course that's not how everyone picks races, but I do think the attraction is there.

But as I've said before, if it's really crucial to you that your party have lots of humans you need to make it worth your players' whiles. In game mechanical bonuses are the way to go. I thought that the idea of giving humans a larger point-buy pool was excellent. Alternatively you could give them a skill bonus, a feat bonus or even more starting gold.

I think even the biggest drama school player will give some thought to what kind of bonuses and powers a race gets him or her. An extra feat slot to drop on something like 'linguist' has got to be worth consideration to such a player.

Besides mechanics, you want your players to feel that they're picking an interesting race. Human tends to feel a little 'vanilla'. Coming up with a cool twist on the Human Story could help make them more attractive to players. Think of the Numenorians from the Lord of the Rings - they have extraordinary lifespans and they basically escaped from Atlantis. That's way more interesting than playing Generic Noble's Son #2.

I think humans are pretty cool as-is, but if you need them to be so cool that all your players seriously consider playing one, then you really ought to consider adding a little something special to them.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

The big exception is classes for which there are only two good at-will powers for a given build (Archer Ranger, Shielding Swordmage) and those for whom non-MBA powers are problematic (Essentials Knight, Slayer, Thief). Heroic Effort is nice, but it pales next to the huge advantage given by a third at-will to a Wizard, Fighter, Sorcerer and a few others.

I don't know that it pales. I think some of the classes you mentioned, and one or two others like Warlock, CAN really benefit. OTOH it depends on build. Heroic Effort is a pretty good power. I'd definitely consider it for an archer for instance. Rangers are though as usual an outlier class, being so utterly hand-in-glove fit to elves. In any case a human in one of the "it helps a lot to have a 3rd at-will" humans probably do tie for best race.

 

[Mapache]

The big exception is classes for which there are only two good at-will powers for a given build (Archer Ranger…

Rangers have a second at-will?

 

[sigfile]

The big exception is classes for which there are only two good at-will powers for a given build (Archer Ranger, Shielding Swordmage) and those for whom non-MBA powers are problematic (Essentials Knight, Slayer, Thief).

What do you consider the only two good at-wills for a shielding swordmage? In play, I tend to fire off Swordburst about half the time, with the other half split between Booming Blade and Lightning Lure. Forced movement on demand = handy. The one time I played a non-human swordmage I just about went nuts without the third at-will.

 

[gourdcaptain]

The big exception is classes for which there are only two good at-will powers for a given build (Archer Ranger, Shielding Swordmage) and those for whom non-MBA powers are problematic (Essentials Knight, Slayer, Thief). Heroic Effort is nice, but it pales next to the huge advantage given by a third at-will to a Wizard, Fighter, Sorcerer and a few others.

Wait - Archer Rangers have a SECOND at-will worth using?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

The big exception is classes for which there are only two good at-will powers for a given build (Archer Ranger, Shielding Swordmage) and those for whom non-MBA powers are problematic (Essentials Knight, Slayer, Thief). Heroic Effort is nice, but it pales next to the huge advantage given by a third at-will to a Wizard, Fighter, Sorcerer and a few others.

Yes and no. Certianly they aren't as awesome in those cases, but they're still pretty damn good.