D&D General Why do you play non-human races?

[Zardnaar]

Racial mechanics. Last played a halfling fighter (champion) for the demihumans.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

A few reasons, sometimes in combination, sometimes not.

Perspective. I like to explore an inherently different perspective from my own. In a world that contains both humans and Goliaths, I can’t sleeve into the perspective of the biggest, strongest, stoic danger-bear in the room. Or the little guy who fools don’t take seriously because of his size and friendly demeanor.

Beyond that, a human simply cannot have certain perspectives, like leaving home as an expert with 80 years of study in a subject, who isn’t fully considered an adult, socially. Or being a person who grew up having conversations with small animals. Or whose whole family and society is magical.

The Look. I get an image of a small person riding a war dog in half-plate, talking to his falcon, and I want to play a Forest Gnome Paladin or Cavalier.

In addition to those, sometimes the place in the world of a given race simply appeals to me or allows me to explore something that I wouldn’t be as close to as a human.

For instance, my gnome rogue/wizard is a swordmaster trained in an art from before the fall of the great northern kingdom of winter fey.
He also lives on the mountain where they ruled from, and his family line traces back to that kingdom and some of the heroes from the war that ended it.
His backstory involves a lich who came to the mountain for power, and a friendship with a clan of Goliaths in the high mountain.
Because my character is a gnome, his home town is higher in the mountain than the humans live in this region, his blood is tied to the ancient kingdom (a humans wouldn’t be, they’d be a relative newcomer to the region), he has a deeper cultural knowledge about the Demon War as it relates to the north, his Blade Song is tied to that ancient sword art (basically the Magical/Spanish/Thibault’s Circle with actual magic) that his uncle taught him, etc.

He’s part of the setting, his gnomish history is tied into his personal story and the campaign’s main villain, and I get to explore this whole culture and history. While some of that would be possible with a human, in order to have that history element he’d have to be from a very different place with a very different culture.

Finally, sometimes a race has themes that intersect with something I’d like to explore with the distance allowed by roleplaying a character who is kinda like me, but also very not.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Fluff and lore, then a bit of the mechanical bits. I'm simple like that. I visualize an archetype that sounds fun, and I create a character around it.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Oh! Also, the stats suggest interesting differences of experience from a human.

A gnome, for me, is noticeably smarter than a human. A Tiefling has a noticeably more powerful presence. But also physical stats like Strength change how you can live. Strong Goliaths can carry enormous amounts without encumbrance. That changes how life works for them

 

[Li Shenron]

In the majority of cases I play human characters.

When I played demihumans it's usually because I wanted to try and get into a different life perspective, for example how does a creature who outlives all other similarly intelligent races (Elf) thinks about time during quests, how does a creature whose legacy is to stick together underground for the sole purpose of amassing useless gems (Dwarf) relates to the rest of the world economies and values, how does a creature whose ideal in life is comfort and safety (Hobbit) handles being thrown into adventuring.

Monstrous races would be the next step, as they are even more alien. But then it's already very difficult to roleplay demihumans this way, and I don't blame myself for ending up roleplay a mere human in pointy ears.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Partly the stat bonuses, partly the aesthetic appeal or coolness. I avoid dwarves, halflings and dragonborn because I don't like the way they look.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Why play nonhumans (of any kind)?

Aesthetics, mechanics, exploration of otherness*, the in-campaign cultural tropes, humor, because it might bug someone else at the table, conforming to party theme, filling a gap, because it might enhance certain aspects of the campaign, because of an archetype, because it’s against an archetype...

Etc.




* I also play other genders and sexual orientations in part for this reason.

 

[delphonso]

Mechanics.

I've never had a GM make the otherness of these races stand out significantly, and haven't done it well myself. Our games are light-hearted, so these choice result in little more than 'dwarf drinks, orc crushes, elf elves'

 

[Ath-kethin]

I played a thri-kreen back in 2e because I loved the idea of being a 7 foot tall bug, with a giant butt, eating elves. 5 attacks each round (one of them poisonous!) was pretty cool too.

I have discovered, however, that if you remove the stat bonuses from non-humans most players are no longer interested in them. Which surprised me a bit, honestly, but I think it also answers the question pretty effectively.

 

[Big J Money]

Can you specify what you mean by "demi-human"? I've seen it used differently at different times.

Sorry, it's a term that is so ingrained that I continue to use it even though it was probably dropped from the text a while ago.

I just mean any of the non-human races that are available to PCs, in any edition of D&D.