Playing by-the-book first edition AD&D, there are 7 races, or species, available for players to choose from when making a character: dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, half-orc, and human. As referee, I have made it clear that players may choose as they like, even though most of civilization is human. Why then, have the 11 players who have created 23 characters in this game to date, not created even one character of any race besides human?
The Dungeon Masters Guide speaks to that:
ADVANCED D&D is unquestionably "humanocentric", with demi-humans, semi-humans, and humanoids in various orbits around the sun of humanity. Men are the worst monsters, particularly high level characters such as clerics, fighters, and magic-users - whether singly, in small groups, or in large companies. The ultra-powerful beings of other planes are more fearsome - the 3 D's of demi-gods, demons, and devils are enough to strike fear into most characters, let alone when the very gods themselves are brought into consideration. Yet, there is a point where the well-equipped, high-level party of adventurers can challenge a demon prince, an arch-devil, or a demi-god. While there might well be some near or part humans with the group so doing, it is certain that the leaders will be human. In co-operation men bring ruin upon monsterdom, for they have no upper limits as to level or acquired power from spells or items.
The game features humankind for a reason. It is the most logical basis in an illogical game. From a design aspect it provides the sound groundwork. From a standpoint of creating the campaign milieu it provides the most readily usable assumptions. From a participation approach it is the only method, for all players are, after all is said and done, human, and it allows them the role with which most are most desirous and capable of identifying with. From all views then it is enough fantasy to assume a swords & sorcery cosmos, with impossible professions and make-believe magic. To adventure amongst the weird is fantasy enough without becoming that too!
There are both fiction-oriented and game-oriented reasons. From the fiction perspective, playing a human is easier. Most everyone around is also human, so it is easy to fit in and get along. It's much easier when the characters look, sound, and act like the non-player characters with whom they interact to get to the heart of what they're after, be it trade, hiring help, getting hired, or whatever when they don't have to overcome communication barriers and prejudice. It requires no great leap in thinking for how to run a human either, since all of the players are human themselves. There's no fiction-oriented advantage to playing a non-human, but there are some advantages in game terms.
All of the non-humans can see in the dark (ignoring some exceptions for halflings). Almost all also have various saving throw bonuses, special resistances, bonuses with weapons, exceptional stealth, or/and special abilities for detecting hidden or misleading construction. The big advantage though, is that they can all multi-class.
These advantages are especially attractive at the lower levels of experience, and they are offset by the very serious disadvantage of level limits. Non-humans are all but excluded from the end game of domain management. The only non-humans who can possibly exercise domain are dwarf fighters with an 18 strength and half-orc fighters. Notably, both dwarfs and half-orcs have charisma penalties and lower maximums than humans which limits the number of henchmen they may have and the loyalty of henchmen and troops. This relegates the non-humans to side-kick roles.
The thief class is the most welcoming for the non-humans, with the assassin a fairly close second, and this points to the sort of role for which the non-human character is best suited. A scout or spy. I expect to see this in my game eventually, but at the moment all of the players are focused on developing their primary characters.
No one yet seems to have time for secondary characters.
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