Popular races in your games

[Teflon Billy]

My players seem to gravitate towards Humans and Dwarves...might be a function of the campign setting though (Elves are closer to Moorcock's Melniboneans and halflings are closer to a slave race)

 

[diaglo]

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

i'll have to go back and look some time tonight. but my guess is this is about right for my notes too.

 

[MonsterMash]

My campaign is about 75% human and I'd probably find it staying around that proportion, but I do use subraces in the humans.

 

[Psiblade]

The majority of characters in our campaigns are human also. However, dwarves are by far the second most common choice.

-Psiblade

 

[Li Shenron]

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%)

That is quite similar to what I have seen so far (adding together elves and grey elves, which makes them the 2nd most popular).

As a note, IMXP Half-Elves are very popular on RP-oriented gamers and almost completely overlooked by action-oriented gamers

 

[Dr Simon]

I hate elves (*), but everyone else always seems to love 'em!

In the D&D game I play in, at last count all four fighters were human whereas the mage, cleric and thief were elves. Then the mage was reincarnated as a halfling and we gained a gnome illusionist.

In the Dragonlance/RuneQuest game I GM we have two humans, a dwarf, a minotaur and two gnomes. This suggests to me that novelty has an important role to play. I bet nearly every group that played Dark Sun had a Thri-Kreen in it!

(*) I don't know why. It's a visceral thing. In prefer dwarves. You know where you are with dwarves.

 

[Piratecat]

(*) I don't know why. It's a visceral thing. In prefer dwarves. You know where you are with dwarves.

Yes, usually impaled on the end of a greataxe.

No one ever plays elves in my game, lord knows why. Never had a gnome or a half-orc, either.

 

[Arnwyn]

Does that match with other peoples experience over a variety of D&D games?

Pretty much. Humans have always dominated (but much more than 50% - it would be closer to 80%+ with our group). Elves come a far second, and "Other" (usually aasimar) come third. All the other races, including dwarves, are generally not even on the players' radar.

Of course, this is how it has been even throughout 2e. Looks like my campaign world's flavor has always gotten through to my players.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Humans by far, followed by elves and (close behind) dwarves. Everyone else gets left far behind.

There are a number of reasons for this, IMO. Humans are just the easiest; and in campaigns that start at 1st-level (or low level) humans find that bonus feat great. For instance, I'm playing a 4th-level human ranger, and if I had played an elf I would have to give up either Precise Shot or Weapon Finesse. Boo!

Precise Shot is so necessary to an archer I'd have to get up Weapon Finesse (and therefore most of my melee capability).

Elves are (IMO) weak, although the bonuses to Will saves is pretty decent for a fighter. Even so, a low Con isn't great if you're a fighter or an arcane spellcaster. Elves are popular only because most of my gaming group played 2e, where elves were better than everyone else, and some won't play anything else.

We have a couple of players who really like dwarves, and dwarves are really good in 3.5 as well.

Of the other races, we have little idea what to do with halflings (people would rather use elves or half-elves) and gnomes exist solely to play somewhat munchy wizards (Small size + high Con = great wizards).

Half-elves are basically humans without the extra feat - or rather, the feat is chosen for you. There's basically no reason to play one, even in a social campaign. Humans can take Negotiator with their bonus feat, after all. Speaking of which, D20 Modern's Charismatic class actually makes a social campaign possible. You shouldn't have to be a bard or paladin to be useful in a social campaign.

 

[Davelozzi]

Well one of my long running campaigns growing up was an all-elf party, but discarding that, humans are by far the most popular in my games. In my current campaign, we've had eleven PCs and all but two (both dwarves) have been human. And one dwarf replaced the other who died, so there's never been more than one non-human at a time.

More generally, I'd say that the breakdown of races the way you had them listed is more or less on target.