Popular races in your games

[Elder-Basilisk]

Looking in an online database for a rather large shared campaign, I found the following breakdown of PC race choices:

Human 810 (50.09%)
Elf 171 (10.58%)
Dwarf 166 (10.27%)
Halfling 125 (7.73%)
Half-Orc 99 (6.12%)
Gray-Elf 96 (5.94%)
Gnome 75 (4.64%)
Half-Elf 72 (4.45%)
Other (certed) 3 (0.19%)

Does that match with other peoples experience over a variety of D&D games? Are about half of the PCs human? Or do the players you know consistently pick a different mix.

Naturally, this only applies to more or less standard settings where a variety of races is an option.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, I can't say if the actual figures are accurate to my experience, but that does appear to match my own experience in terms of rank order. I might reverse the order for elves and dwarves, I might stick "other" above half-elf (at least in 3E), and I'd have to remove "gray elf" since we don't use sub-races. But for the most part, that looks like the right order to me.

 

[MerricB]

I'd have to say that over half the characters in my games have been Human. Elves are the next popular, and all other races are rare.

Cheers!

 

[johnsemlak]

Looking in an online database for a rather large shared campaign, I found the following breakdown of PC race choices:

Human 810 (50.09%)
Elf 171 (10.58%)
Dwarf 166 (10.27%)
Halfling 125 (7.73%)
Half-Orc 99 (6.12%)
Gray-Elf 96 (5.94%)
Gnome 75 (4.64%)
Half-Elf 72 (4.45%)
Other (certed) 3 (0.19%)

Does that match with other peoples experience over a variety of D&D games? Are about half of the PCs human? Or do the players you know consistently pick a different mix.

Naturally, this only applies to more or less standard settings where a variety of races is an option.

Certainly gives an interesting perspective on the potential popularity of the 'Races of ..." line of splattbooks.

 

[Crothian]

We have a high percentage of humans, elves, and half elves. Its been years since I've seen anyone play a dwarf, we have our first halfling in almost as long. We've had more others then half orcs and gnomes since no one ever seems to play them.

 

[Turjan]

Well, my experience is not really statistically relevant, but I also see more than 50% humans, the occasional elf, and one player has always gnome characters who are played like a kender...

 

[Geoff Watson]

I'd say about 90% human. There have been occasional non-humans, but usually only one at a time, and sometimes not even one.

Geoff.

 

[kolikeos]

in all the games i ran (not too many) there where more elves then anything else.
in games i played in there were more humans, including my character.

 

[SteelDraco]

Well, the breakdown for my two current groups is...

Wed nights right now is six humans and one half-elf in a group of seven. Previous characters have been predominantly human, with a single strange shadow-halfling-thing.

Previous game for that group was a human, a gnome, a natural werewolf, an elf (half drow, half surface elf), a half-orc, and a changeling (from Eberron). But the DM requested that we try and play non-humans, so the dynamics are very much screwed up from what's normal.

In my Rokugan game, we've had mostly humans. Of 12 PCs, eight were humans. The other four were a Nezumi, a Naga, a hengeyokai, and an air genasi.

Overall, I'd say about two-thirds to three-quarters of the PCs I've seen since 3e have been human.

 

[the Jester]

*Scratches head*

*Starts making a list while looking through campaign records*

After a few moments' contemplation, here are the 'first impression' numbers I get from my campaign's pcs to date. Note that I made big lists of pcs imc, but I'm sure I missed a ton.

Humans: 30.
Sheva, Sybele, Rex, Laodegan, Edward, Chobain, Inoke, Sir Maxwell, Rhoda, Angelfire, Pandos, Proctor, Horbin, Telemundo, Magus, Desgren, Zonzor, Dexter, Lyr, Rajah, Galligher, Grisly, Oedipus, Lochenvare, Mikroft, Julio Titan, Ingen, Lady Charlotte, Delilah, Therena.

Elves: 20.
Alcar, Liana, Morden, Lillamere, MacNard, Siglenisten, Tchall, Nalit, Vrruth, Anri, Chrysama, Chanti, Oarin, Cyrax, Drelvin, Klaus, Ilyara, Rinardo, Ryneva, Urik.

Dwarves: 8.
Morlon, Jenner, Ruwena Chudstone, Belmondo, Urdor, Stone, Roberts, Nutcrusher

Gnomes: 9.
Zeebo, Malford, Gepp, Boddynock, Haart, Gwelf, Turdlen, Thimbleton, Threepio.

Halforcs: 3.
Tharizdun, Umgah, Barek.

Halflings: 12.
Aramos, Coco, Timothy, Naomi, Lita, Brother He, Ed, Trinia, Martini, Benny, Sandy, Beau

Half-elves: 7.
Lester, Wilken, Vito, Lucidemacs, Kegara, Therighast, Glorkien.

Other: 10
Akakathan, Flipper, Sh'Larn, Grumpy Fluffbottom, Hobbes, Maybell, Vosh, Malador, Vail, Red

My experiences are probably somewhat bent from normal probability though, since we are playing or have played all-halfling and all-dwarf parties at one point or another.

Oh, and 'other' includes a blue, several tabaxi, a half-voadkyn and some merellin (custom race). And a doppelganger.

This is just from my campaign, mind you.