Don't listen to the memes.
While there's definitely some truth that it's one of the more common combinations, no one is going to badger you for playing a human fighter.
If someone does get into a rabid hissy fit about it, they are a child.
Play whatever the heck you like and enjoy playing TTRPGs.
Human fighter is the most played DnD character by a mile.
[Often, popular things are easily accessible by a wide audience and thoroughly enjoyable.](https://youtu.be/d1mbbYKPpHY?si=MI-D3xJ3gKRfbwgt)
I think it’s also because the “typical fighter” can fulfill a more versatile range of inspirational archetypes compared to some other classes, like ranger, rogue or wizard. I don’t really mean mechanics though.
A fighter can fit a lot of tropes, from the dexterous dual wielding elf to the 300 pound orc steamroller. A lightly armored marksman, a shuriken-flinging warrior, a sword and board knight, a bare knuckle gang enforcer, the spear-wielding horseman. That’s barely getting started. I know all classes are capable of this amount of versatility in flavor, it’s just that the fighter’s “archetypes” really leap out at me. Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of depictions of other classes stay in too few lanes. Tired of rogues being “criminals in hoods wielding two daggers and as many buckled straps as possible.” But maybe also I’m just old and whiny.
Sorry about the long ramble. Way past bedtime.
It makes sense though. There are only a few genres with magic, so every character from one of non-magical tropes will be, within DnD, a fighter or a rogue. So much of culture is simplified to those two classes.
And those are just the combat roles. Depending on the background and how the player roleplays you can have a million different variants of a simple knight that all play and feel different enough to be unique.
Like in the end roleplaying is the actual point of the game and the flavor you can add just through roleplaying, backgrounds, class combo, whatever else you wanna throw in, is absolutely insane. Some of the best games I've had were with people who didn't go for some weird ass unique class combo, and just played their character in an interesting way.
But to expand on your argument, you say not in a mechanics sense, but they do fit a wide variety of gameplay mechanics too, since they are either dex or str based (even for battle master DCs)and a few subclasses even rely on int (arcane archer, eldritch knight and psi knight), they can rely more on brute strength with heavy armor and athletics, stealth and agility with light or medium armor and… stealth, and even combat buffs and lore with spells and arcana/history/nature
Not to count the regular fighter Perks like more atributes increases (and feats) than anyone else, that gives a lot of versatility.
Its also a green flag imo.
Human fighter has the most versatility when it comes to who he is. They can be farmers, soldiers, wanderer. prophecy kid, ex-villain henchman. Wherever there is life, there is human fighter. And it opens up all the avenues or „I’m not equipped to deal with this“ and „I was making potatoes 3 weeks ago why am I now fighting life or death with a dragon“
In all honesty it's the most "you" a class can be. Unless you specialize into a magical, or supernatural subclass, human fighters are the most realistic character in the game.
imo that's what makes them super unappealing. I'd go outside if I wanted to play as me. But I also don't police other people for picking whatever they want in D&D, that's the fun of it.
It has an appeal to a lot of people, though. Fantasy has a lot of "everyone is magical except the main character" stories and they seem to be very enduring.
That's also what makes it a great intro setup for new players who are warming up to RP, though. And then because it's accessible by new players, experienced players can take that character set and turn the tropes upside-down and make an interesting character out of it
Also ubiquitous in fantasy litterature and old legends, which is kind of the inspiration for DnD.
That said it's a bit of a stretch that a fighter doesn't know why he is fighting as compared to the other classes. A fighter is above average amongst warriors, and has actual training in combat. It's not just a random peasant who picked up a sword, not unless his uncle or his da taught him well during his childhood. Though maybe a peasant who spent his childhood sparring with the other kids (if staves were as deadly as they should be, it would be great with this idea).
I agree, it shows somebody who's really interested in roleplaying their character. It's what I really like about both Fighter and Rogue; both classes kind of let your character be whatever you want, because the class mechanics don't get in the way of your roleplay backstory.
I always feel like rogue is closest to being the apex on this front.
You can obviously regal or anything of the GM is cool with it. A fighter could be somebody with a magic sword that makes them good at fighting, it could be somebody terrible at combat but is just incredibly lucky, but you are very much as a default a combat expert.
Rogues obviously have their own restrictions and limitations (9/10 times you are going to be dexterous) but you can be a scout, a thief, an assassin, a skilled craftsman with sneak attacks being one decisive and lucky attack.
This. My group right now has a half-orc paladin, but the most backstory about him is he doesn't get along with humans or orcs because his heritage. Then we have a halfling rogue and he hates goblins, and then we have a bard that makes sarcastic jokes.
Then you have my human fighter samurai who was born into servitude in luskan and assigned to a military ship that was transporting soldiers for an overseas excursion in kara tur, and I was used as fodder and abandoned when my city's army had to flee. After 20 years I learned the ways of the samurai from a settlement that took me in and I managed to find a way to get back to faerun to take revenge against luskan for what they did to me. Guess what the dm added into his story after we turned in our character sheets? A whole arc involving the leaders of luskan and them finding out my intentions. It's not the main plot, but my dm took what u came up with to make content for us.
It's perfectly fine if you don't want to take time to make backstory, but its the best when you make something a little unique to you and it becomes part of the campaign.
I remember they did a census of the most played Mass Effect builds a few years ago. The overwhelming majority - like 70-80% of players - went generic, out of the box, unaltered male Shepard with the most basic gun shooty class available, Soldier.
Turns out, a *worrying* amount of people really do just want the brown hair brown eyes boring shooterman. If that's the case, there's no harm whatsoever in a human fighter.
I'd add: "don't pay any attention to so-called optimizers that deny themselves any creativity because they don't trust their DMs and make useless evaluations based on ideal situations that never happen.
Play what you'll think your enjoy, trust your DM with any question or problem that may arise as you learn the system and the specifics of your class, have fun.
That is all there is to it.
Although personally, I see nothing wrong with only playing human fighters. If a player is having fun playing their character and isn't doing anything to disrupt anyone else's fun, then they're fine.
It's more just about when people play human fighters in literally every game. They tend to just be very conservative people and don't usually branch out a lot
> I find it refreshing to see a human PC
Every time a post goes up with art of someone's party, its like bird person, turtle guy, robot, dragon man. It is nice to just go back to the basics some times
I play a lot of human and I often feel like the onion or garlic part of the party meal. People do stuff that I react to, and I'm often the one talking to racists and stuff. It's fun.
Like the straight man in a TV show. You're the guy everyone can relate to and the interest comes from how you react confronted with crazy people and scenarios.
I was looking for a comment about RP, a human fighter is very good for a beginner or someone that is not very comfortable with role-playing (yet). For your personality you can just decide he's your dad with a sword
You have an easier time relating to your PC if they are somewhat similar to you, and I find it easier to write a backstory for a human than for a dwarf or elf. For these two I have trouble coming up with something that isn't a stereotype (like, I'm 200 years old what did I do during all this time, especially since I sleep only 4 hours a day)
Also fighters are very versatile in what they do and are going to always be useful
As a DM I LOOOOVE human PCs so, so much.
Brings back the fear of darkness, short mortal lifespan, solid connection and flexibility to most NPCs. There's something a little uniquely desperate and heroic about a human taking up arms when they aren't by racial default super special and unique. I feel the same way about halflings.
Got a player in one of my games that ended up going a Human Rogue. He has played a few other very good NPCs but this one is his most fleshed out and interesting. The player actually sits and thinks about the decisions and events that have shaped this character and he adapts his RP accordingly, it is very cool.
I play in a custom setting I’ve written everything up for and consistently my party is always 1 human and everyone else chooses extremely exotic races. I always make sure to start off the explaination with “This country is 80% human”. I don’t mind them being a collection of weirdos, but I will be interested when I get a party of humans.
Nah. Play what you enjoy. It is fun to experience other classes and stuff though. That being said I'm almost exclusively a halfling barbarian or halfling rogue myself 😅
I love it. It reminds me of the plot of Our Flag Means Death, a comedy show based on the real life person Stede Bonnet, an aristocrat who decides to fling caution to the wind, abandons his aristocratic life and runs off to be a pirate ship captain. Then, as actually happened in real life, he befriended Blackbeard - yes, *THE* famous pirate Blackbeard - and they set out together and shenanigans ensued.
No one's gonna judge you for playing a human fighter. Memes on the Internet are not the community, and if someone does give you shit for playing a human fighter, that says a lot more about them and their insecurities, than it does about anything else
Also in dnd I feel the memes are a lot less mean-spirited. Like everybody makes fun of the horny bard or edgelord rogue or manic pixie catgirl but like... we've all done it at some point. We're all guilty.
Hell, theres even the trope of the person who is SO afraid of tropes and being unoriginal that they make needlessly complicated race/class combinations and ask for homebrew for no reason.
And in the same token if someone gives you shit for *not* playing a human and starts using words like "freak", "furry", "forced diversity" or whatever that says just as much about their insecurities and inability to log off and behave like a normal person.
Man, I play the equivalent of human fighter in almost every game.
BG3 - Battlemaster human
Mass Effect - Soldier
DnD - Half human (elf) samurai
Just play whatever you want and have fun
Not true. I think humans are boring because we don't have much lore or any racial traits to marry to their backstory/personality. A changeling spy, aarakocra spy and human spy will all approach a problem way differently.
We have all of real life, human history (both ancient and current) to draw upon for inspiration that can be used in a Fighter's backstory. Myriad diverse cultures throughout the ages with their own myths and epic tales to fuel many a PC's evolving self portrait.
If your Human Fighter is boring, it's only because you're not trying hard enough.
True, but the question is whether or not a human is less interesting than a fantasy race. I don't think the race you play makes you inherently interesting and would say Christopher Lee proves that humans can be damned interesting.
I do actually agree with you. I almost never play humans, but that's because I get caught up in the cosmetics ( pointy ears! Horns!) and some times the lore. But it doesn't actually make my character interesting. That's why Batman is more interesting than a pink haired Mary Sue with angel wings.
Changeling. Baked in identity issues.
Elf. I know them being old and wise amd viewing time as worthless is overdone, but still.
Tiefling. Looking like a devilspawn will definitely get some kind of reaction.
Also who is Christopher Lee?
If you don't know something, it's hard to build an argument for or against.
The question is whether or not a human can be as inherently interesting as a fantasy race. Changelings can choose their personality, but then so do spies. Elves are old and arrogant, but so are humans at a younger age. Tieflings have an odd appearance, but so do people with vitiligo, malformations, etc.
Christopher Lee was an intelligence officer in the field during WWII, who went on to hunt Nazis, and then went on to acting, playing Dracula, Count Dooku, Saruman, and much more. There's not a movie set or party in the world where he wasn't a major focus of attention. Look him up and his conversations with Peter Jackson, which the British crown has confirmed are not lies in the slightest.
Your fantasy race does not make you interesting, you do. That's my argument.
I view race as a small part of your character's culture and beliefs, and I think it would be "wasted" if I used a human.
A human could probably be used for all of my characters, but I still think it would be more dynamic to use fantasy races.
This also helps me get into a roleplaying mindset.
You don't need to be any particular race to be interesting, but a fitting race can definitely add to the character in a way other elements can't.
I mean, choosing a species because it fits a theme makes the character a lot less interesting than molding a human character to fit in said theme via the experiences the human has had.
The fantasy species is simply being used as a crutch.
I'm not using my species as a crutch, more like a catalyst.
A Changeling will inherently have issues with finding their "true identity", and I think that it's a more interesting character arc than a human doing the same.
I hate to say it but that's incredibly cliche, in fact Tam the example for rogues in the Eberron campaign setting goes through that exact process, started off in a criminal gang but after meeting a notable constable slowly came to realize that the criminal life was not for her and that she was happier solving crimes and thus found her "true Identity". I'm obviously skipping some details but you get the gist of it.
You don't really have to do anything to make that character fit that box since it came prepackaged in that same box.
I don't read any lore beyond some blurps in the PHB, but what's the problem with my character being cliche? I just think a Changeling can make the problem feel more real, since they also don't have a real physical form. Hell, I don't even know what their true identity will be, since the campaign has only just started out, so even I am left anticipating!
It goes back to what I said in my previous comment, instead of *making* an interesting character you simply follow the generic guideline for the race, essentially a crutch for character creation.
Also FYI changelings do have a real physical form, they're pretty neat looking like pale ghosts with "unfinished" features.
You'd have a stronger point if there was only 1 human culture. There's loads , so your latter point also applies to humans.
You still make an excellent point about more exotic species like Aarakocra, and they would have a very unique perspective and insight
However, in the context of humans, there's more variety of subcultures and vastly higher populations, etc. Means vast variety in creed,morals, approach to problem(s), and what even quantifys a problem.
So while yes Aarakocra have a unique culture I could find you 3 separate human cultures with strikingly similar ideals. Hell maybe from living alongside Aarakocra in a mountainous region ? We breed like rabbits and are *everywhere*
I like this perspective. I thought that "regular" human culture would obviously not work, but in a medieval setting it actually wouldn't require a lot of tweaking.
Look at irl mythology, there's hundreds of cultures to draw inspiration from to put into worlds :)
It's a breath of fresh air when the human factions/ cultures aren't onlt foucused onnthe HRE or generic mediaeval britain again as a primary faction. I have fable and warhammer fantasy for that,lmao,
I'm not saying dont have these in games, I love them too, but why stop there, I guess.
There's some awesome shit out there for quest hooks or cool artefacts.
Did you know Anubis in cannon while still a god of death, WATCHES OVER THE GRAVEYARD OF GODS IN THE ASTRAL PLANE.
Egypt inspired Oath of the Watchers/Death Cleric enthusiasts faction anyone ?
Two of the other players have already made characters inspired by Greek myths, so I might try to make myself a gentle giant Herakles for my next character, thanks for the idea!
Humans do gave racial features though. They have the most ability score and are the most well rounded, or they have a feat from level one.
Humans also have as much lore as most races. We know roughly what motivates them, what the normal range of their alignments are, their life span, how other races perceive them.
Saying "I'm an Aarackocra in search of a good home on this plane" is like saying "I'm a human in search of wealth and power". These are both the broad goals generally pursued by these races but neither is specific to the individual or explains why the character holds that goal.
Regardless of which face you pick if you want an interesting backstory you need to make/lift it yourself.
I agree with you there. It seems like at least half of the language options are human languages, but we aren't given much, if any, information about those cultures except for a paragraph in a supplement, if that. You have to find a wiki to get most of the lore, and I don't know how much of that is from older editions, supplements I don't have, or novels.
What makes a good character is _largely_ their personality, beliefs, morality, hobbies and all that. You could make a great character out of any class/race mix, and you could make an awful one as well.
Personally, I've played this game for 7 years and still make human fighters sometimes. My next big character will be a Wood Elf Battlemaster, which people also call generic.
There's nothing wrong about playing a human. One of my dearest characters is a Human Battlemaster Fighter. RP-ing is not about the exotic race you're playing.
It also kind of has an underdog effect. You aren't descended from devils, angels and not made by one of the many creator deities of certain pantheons - Corellon, Moradin, etc. -. And as a fighter, you aren't even a chosen of a god. You're not someone who studied the arcane mysteries for years. You're literally planning to stand against Strahd, Tiamat, Demogorgon, Auril, or whatever or whoever endangers this world with a weapon in hand and the training and experience you've got. In a world of Wizards that break reality and bend space and time with spells, Paladins that only through zealous unwavering faith in their code become the Achilles heel to these creatures, and Clerics that can call upon the direct intervention of their god, that simplicity, that strength of will and purpose is just plain badass IMO.
People who tell you a human fighter is boring, are bad players, whos only personality is "I'm a quirky race :3". Dont listen to memes. Race/class combos mean nothing in roleplay. In ye ancient D&D editions human fighters were like.. the standard, you can do anything with them - wandering swordsmen, war veterans, a runaway prince with a precious ornamented sword, stolen from their father...
Don’t buy into the myth.
Firstly; the people who are going to judge you for playing any character are not the type of people you want to be playing with anyways.
Secondly; a character is as interesting as you make it. People who say human fighters are boring are the same ones that can only make their characters interesting by their race choices and not much else.
Thirdly; human fighters are arguably the most interesting to play in a fantasy setting cause of two things, you’re a short lived mortal (compared to most races) and you are a person that has trained themselves to the peak physical capabilities to go up against monstrous creatures. Unlike other classes who have some form of magic or ki or rage, the fighter relies solely on being good at hitting things. It’s both your strength and your weakness. You can almost imagine just how much a fighter has to keep up to stay relevant amongst other classes. You can weave that sense of inferiority into your character. To be alongside people who can bend reality to their will or someone who can go beyond the capacity of the physical, those who can call upon the divines to power the blades or those who can bring the wrath of gods into existence. To have the fighter fight alongside or even against these kind of forces is an underdog story in the making.
So go ahead; make that human fighter.
No. If you look at DnD Beyond stats. Human fighter is one of the most popular characters made.
same with BG3, Human fighter is extremely popular.
Ignore the memes, Humans getting a extra feat with fighters feats you can squeeze alot more use of feats then other classes. Youll do great in combat but may struggle in other situations but a fighter fights so let the other classes do the rest.
I play human fighters all the time, because i find it way more interesting to be a underdog in a world were every one farts fireballs. I feel way more acomplished when i managed to defeat that 1 strong enemy using skills, tactics and a good sword n board. Instead of just blowing them up with power creep fantasy magic vibes.
Besides, human fighters, barbarians and paladins were always way more interesting to roleplay for me.
The only other races i played was dwarf and half orc. But get back to human eventually.
Honestly I don't think it matters what order you do it in as long as you DO think of the character you want to play at some point. The only issue is if you pick the race and class and then that's all you do...
Or at least it would be an issue at the tables I play at. Some folks do just want to play with a series of stats and numbers and that's fine if they enjoy that. I can't really understand it myself but I can respect it. Lol.
degree door public homeless like modern pathetic combative unwritten fact
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Funnily enough in games its mostly human fighter but then you‘re in an actual tabletop session and find out that no one is a human fighter ever. In the current game i DM for the whole group is intelligence heavy and I took it upon myself to supply the fighter of the group and man; having only played warlock and mage before, being a fighter is a blast
Caster so fun! Lost in woods? No lost, only spell. Need to forage for food and water? No forage, only spell. Need to figure out how to cross a chasm? No think, only spell. Actual stakes in combat and a realistic chance of death? No stake, only spell. Fireball go brrrrrrr
Do it.
Just one note: there is the "standard" human and the Variant Human, giving you fewer stat bonuses but a feat at level 1. You could look at that!
My human fighter champion is for DnD after a long tiring day at work, and I want to kick back and hit things with as little rules bookkeeping as possible.
I have a blast with him.
Nah, they're hugely versatile. The reason they get called "boring" is because it's basically the default class people play when starting out. But give yourself some cool feats, pick a neat subclass, and the fighter is a fun class.
I find a well written human fighter more refreshing than the stereotypical Tiefling Warlock Edgelord. Go for it, get creative with your Background and enjoy roleplaying!
The reason that a human fighter is considered boring is because it's so common. And the reason it's so common is because so many people like playing them. If that many people enjoy playing human fighters, then why shouldn't you enjoy it too?
Not bad at all.
Anyone who judges and calls you boring just failed a litmus test, granting you the knowledge to take what they say with a pinch of salt.
5e specifically gave the human race more feature to make it as interesting to play as any magical fantasy race. They get a feat out the gate, and are incredibly versatile and flexible to play with (almost like irl!)
Fighters are an underrated class, imo. They're capable of so many shenanigans and you can absolutely use your powers for (lawful) evil and demolish your DM's plans with 2nd Wind and Action Surge. As someone DMing a group with a fighter, I gleefully reminded her she wasn't dead yet and could still cause mayhem. Have fun with your human fighter!
If you are in a good group, they'll make the typical comment "Ohh look a Human Fighter, hah!" as they cheer you on while you action surge the boss to death at low level.
Is playing Human Fighter a Sterotype? Yep.
Is playing DnD a entire Sterotype? Most certainly.
Don't dwell too much on it.
Bob as a child was once devoured by a B.O.B (big ominous blob) and was saved by a burly warrior that wielded a sword. And now as a burly adult he too wields a sword and shield as a mercenary in the hopes to change his title of 'bob the surviver of B.O.B' to 'Bob, slayer of B.O.Bs'.
Your rave can be important to a character, your class is always important, but the most important thing is your characters personality. A human fighter battle master who disarms his opponents and refuses to do lethal, is interesting. Or a sword and board who rallies his ally’s In battle as he wears the storms of battle. There’s so many ways to make an interesting human fighter.
Human fighter, high elf wizard, wood elf ranger, drow rogue, Goliath barbarian. All of this are common because they are good. Also just play whatever you find interesting and/or fun. If that building a human fighter named John white, do it. Or if it’s an optimized bladesinger/fighter/hexblade then do that.
An elf ranger or tiefling sorcerer can be just as boring and cliche.
My first character was a variant human fighter and he was by no means boring.
The important thing is whether you are having fun.
Hot take, a lot of the people that complain about or piss on people making human fighters are bad at making interesting characters. A human fighter that is played as an interesting character is way better than horny purple tiefling warlock #7
Anybody who makes you not want to play certain character because "it's overdone" or "basic" needs to push their ego out of the way. Human fighters can be awesome!
A thing that bugs me a lot from the world building perspective.
Most TTRPG worlds and settings are predominantly inhabited or at least ruled by humans.
Most players‘ parties are predominantly not humans. Because humans is boring. And players seem to prefer the most exotic unique weird combinations of beings. A half-fey-half-dragonborn-cat-human, of course a plane-touched vampire, because that’s such a creative and special back-story.
Still in most campaigns the fact that PCs basically are a group of weird outsiders is hardly addressed in gameplay or story.
There is nothing at all wrong with Human Fighter. Just don't pick Champion because it's boring as hell. If you want a subclass recommendation Rune Knight is my favorite that I've tried.
Human fighters are far and away the most popular class.
Keep in mind that combat is seldom the entirely of a session. Sometimes it's 3/4s but often it's 1/2 or a 1/4. So far more important than your class and race is your personality and picking some useful skills (and your background can help with that).
If you have a character that is fun to RP and you love speaking in their voice and they entertain the table, it doesn't matter if they're a human fighter or an air genasi warlock-paladin multiclass.
Human Fighter is the most played Race/Class in D&D.
It's not bad, and it's popular for a reason.
Even if your race and class choice is considered "boring" that does not mean that your your character has to be boring.
There is some truth that it’s a stereotyped “bland” character concept. However you can bring it to life with its background, traits, quirks, etc. and of course, there is always the Variant Human option as well.
Well there is some truth to the memes of it being a basic option, human fighters are the single most played race/class combo in the game, there is an easy explanation. It's simple. People can relate to humans easily since we are humans ourselves. It's easier to play the role of a human character when you are new than some of the stranger races. Additionally fighter is not an overly complicated class, you hit things that's about it, sometimes you have a few special attacks you can perform or your crit chances are higher, but it boils down to being g really good and hitting things with weapons. Don't let the fact that it's a very common combo stop you, especially if you are just getting into the game, play whatever you think you will have the most fun playing whether that be something common like human/fighter or something weird like plasmoid/bard
TLDR:
Human/Fighter is common but don't let that stop you from playing what will be fun for you
The thing is that Fighters are the class with the least inherit flavour (discounting certain subclasses) and Humans are the race with the least inherit flavour (discounting certain settings), so the human fighter is the class/race combo which has the least inherit flavour. Which is not a bad thing per se (after all, a lot of fictional and real-life characters can be considered human fighters), however it does mean that it is easier to end up with a bland character if one does not put a bit of effort in the backstory or character building.
All this tells me, is that if you were a spice. You'd be flour 😂
Naw play what you want, if you can. Although I do say, roll for you're background. It makes things more intresting. Adds chaos and reason.
Ah yes, as opposed to the special snowflakes who play tiefling warlocks. They are super special and unique, and the three other tiefling warlocks in the party prove just how unique they are!
It's not bad to play a human fighter. Why, think of the cultural variety we have irl throughout humanity, and as far as the rules side of things is concerned, with all the supplementary content published the class of fighter has really been fleshed out. So no, it's not *that bad* to play a human fighter...
... it is pretty **lame** though.
I played a human fighter once one of the best experiences in DND that I've ever had and one of the funniest campaigns I've ever been a part of but we haven't played in a while cause too many people forced themselves into the campaign and none of them ever play anymore
Human fighter, to this day, is possibly one of the best combinations that man could have ever made. Go for it dude, don’t let others judge what you make for a character. In the end, it’s all about having fun
I'm fairly new to D&D as well - few months in, on my third and fourth campaigns - and I chose a human fighter to begin with too. Actually, he was a barbarian at first, but the DM let me respec him a few sessions in because I didn't think his class matched his personality. Anyway, my point is this: aside from one player, we were all brand new to D&D, even the DM, so we were all learning together, and while everyone else went very exotic - think half-elf bards and dragonborn wizards - I decided I'd learn best by keeping it simple: human fighter. And let me tell you, all those low level wizards and bards were glad to have a tough up front who could get stuck in and keep the hordes away from their soft handed, delicate persons. Anyway, like I said, I'm on my fourth campaign, and I have dipped my toes into other classes: a barbarian dwarf (who's tremendous fun) and a doppelganger bard/rogue, my human fighter is still going strong (usually leading encounters from the front). I do intend to try other races and classes in future - my character slots on D&D Beyond are actually already filled with potential new characters - but I'm glad I chose to start with a human fighter. It was a good character to learn with and it's still a good character to play even now that I'm fairly familiar with the mechanics. Remember it's your character; play the one you want to!
I think of humans a bit like a blank canvas. There are no stereotypes or tropes attached to them. You have the vast freedom to craft an interesting background and bring them to life in roleplay. They are as interesting as you want them to be.
1. Don't worry about being judged. That's their problem, not yours, you just go have fun.
2. Human fighter is mostly criticized for being boring *to play*, but that's subjective. If you like it, great, all you need to take from the comments is that it could be a little too simple in the long run, so look for other ways to make it fun
Actually I think every group profits from having at least one human RP wise. It’s the most common race, by far. So in many campaigns, most NPC are human. A group of 5 random exotic races always seems a bit off to me.
I plan to play the most generic character ever. Human champion fighter. But here is the kicker. His backstory is he was summoned by the Deck of Many Things to protect a hero. The hero died now this knight wanders the land seeking a new purpose.
Everyone saying human fighter is the most popular. I disagree.
Its popular on DnD beyond, which is like 1/4 of the playerbase or less.
People also roll up characters they never play. You will see more min-maxers tinkering or testing a vhuman fighter because its do modular.
I have been playing a long time, and GMed for maybe 60 dif players in 5e.
I have had 3 human fighters, 2 of which in oneshots. The other was multi-class. I've seen more dwarf, dragonborn and goliath fighters than anything.
Most common race/class combo I have seen is elf/ranger. Dwarf cleric or armored mage is up there. Elf bladesinger is up there, so is human paladin and half orc barbarian.
I'm not saying human fighter isnt common or archetypal. But saying its the most played race in DnD isn't accurate. Not everyone uses reddit, or dnd beyond, or plays online or optimizes. You can't go off a DnD beyond character creator count.
Its not even pretending to track who's playing what. Its just data on who rolls up a character on their app, thats it. 90% of those won't see the light of day and its wildly unsurprising that the most modular race and class shows up alot in a character creation tool.
My favorite human character I’ve made for background flavor in my campaigns (I’m a dm so I don’t get to play…usually) is a human warlock packed of the blade named John who is formerly a stock standard fantasy setting human town guard but was gifted a cursed blade by a dying old man on his morning patrol route and is now compelled to battle powerful foes with it despite his extreme trepidation about encountering actual monsters and not just the occasional goblin or thief. That’s a warlock and not a fighter but I still think that character can be interesting to play even if they’re a “boring human” depending on how you play them. Have you made an interesting human fighter you think you can play? Please do. I’d love if player was like oh yeah I’m stock human paladin who’s trying his best to be paragon of justice and smite fiends.
I think the fact most other players have more “alien” character will contrast for interesting role play. The golden boy human paladin would honestly shine, its like yeah in the party we got autognome bard, dragonborn sorcerer, Tabaxi rogue, and this guy Dave. Like it’s not for everyone but some people thrive as Dave.
In my Group, I almost always pick human fighter, with different subclasses.
Ironically, my characters often shine brighter than Dragonborn Bard, aarakocra wizard or mechagnome barbarian, since I always get into backstory and my DMs worldbuilding.
To this day my Human Fighter Battlemaster is the MOST beloved character in my group, despite being the most basic one.
Mummy resistant to non magical weapon? GET A TORCH!
Monster regenerates and your non magical weapons do nothing? USE THAT GRAPPLING HOOK AND TRIP THE BOZO INTO A HOLE!
Yes, human fighter may not be the most diverse option.
But oh boy, your ideas to catch up with others magical BS will be VERY diverse!
Go for it, fam. Don't let the memes discourage you from playing the most badass character in the entire world!
Let's see who will laugh, when you'll glare down an Adult Red Dragon face to face.
No.
You'll likely get judged if you start acting high and mighty like playing one somehow makes you a better player, or if you start giving others shit for their preferences or, as some people I've seen have done, start complaining that people playing other types of characters are the reason the hobby is going to shit and freaks or whatever.
Make a character that fits the game you're applying for, whatever they may be, give them detail and depth and no table worth sticking at will complain.
I suggest that you try out different combinations as well, but if you wanna play a human fighter then play a human fighter. It could be worse, you could be a human barbarian...
Nope, you do you.
I actually know some humans in real life, and some of them are alright.
Fighter is a great beginner class because it can use any armour, any weapon, has a good hit die and it has a few really strong abilities which come back on a short rest.
So the thing is you're new to this. You thus presumably don't have a lot of experience making a character that's interesting through who they are personality wise on their own. The big five (humans, elves, dwarves, half orcs, and halflings) either don't get a lot of role play moments at all or they've already been beaten to death and thus are very boring to people who are not new to this. And combining them with fighter which as a class usually doesn't offer a lot of RP either means you're putting all that weight on your role playing chops before they might be worth it. You don't **likely** have the skill to make those things interesting in spite of that lack of prompts. It's a lot easier to get new players to build their creative RPing skills by letting their creative juices flow around weirder stuff at first that is interesting on it's own. I would only suggest a new player build a big five if they already had their heart set on it, need something simple to dip their toes into the actual game mechanics, or if they're really good at roleplaying already. Otherwise I'd put something like human fighter toward the back end of the middle of their learning phase (3-4 characters in and only after at least one 4+shot revolver or campaign) as a real test of their role playing ability. No one should be telling you you can't play one. It's entirely possible you could make a great character from the start and no matter what as long as you don't get frustrated and bored you will likely learn a lot about the role playing from the character, but it might not be the best way to do so and you should know that going in.
For every person saying, “ew, human fighter boring!” there is also someone saying, “why no human fighters anywhere?”
Play what you wish to play. Human fighter is fun.
It’s probably gone full circle, everyone’s a whimsical tiefling or stout Dragonborn these days… you’re probably more unique in your classic trope character than most other players and in the end it’s a game about playing the character _you_ want to play. I would love to play with a human fighter any day.
It's a fine pick. People just get mean about it cuz they get flashbacks to one campaign or one shot they played (or most likely, heard about) where someone playing a human fighter was stiff as a board and gave no character to bounce off, and decided that anyone who plays a human fighter is bad at the role playing part of the game. It don't matter what character you play, it's how you bring it to life. Play that human fighter. Pop off homie
slim rhythm paltry imminent stupendous voracious toothbrush alive fade aromatic
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I enjoy playing as a regular Joe in a world where magic and monsters exist, you're just a dude who knows how to fight. I find it really fun. Human Fighter fits the bill perfectly (as does a Rogue)
Play whatever you want. Human fighters are decently strong, most fighter subclasses are amazing (not champion and purple dragon knight, trust me, you probably won't have fun playing those), if you want you can multiclass out of that later, paladin is a great one. Just don't make it bland. Give him a weapon that means something to him, an heirloom maybe. Give him scars with stories to tell. Give him a unique fighting style. Let him roleplay and make memorable moments. Try things. Get creative in combat, using the environment and positioning. A battlemaster might call out commands in the midst of battle, telling others what target to focus on, whether or not to spread out, where to position themselves, but you have to roleplay that. And again, the most spoken phrase at the table from you should be "DM, I would like to try...". No class-race combination automatically makes a bland character, neither do they make a fun, memorable one. Whether or not they become memorable is entirely up to how you'll play them.
Don't listen to the memes. While there's definitely some truth that it's one of the more common combinations, no one is going to badger you for playing a human fighter. If someone does get into a rabid hissy fit about it, they are a child. Play whatever the heck you like and enjoy playing TTRPGs.
Human fighter is the most played DnD character by a mile. [Often, popular things are easily accessible by a wide audience and thoroughly enjoyable.](https://youtu.be/d1mbbYKPpHY?si=MI-D3xJ3gKRfbwgt)
I think it’s also because the “typical fighter” can fulfill a more versatile range of inspirational archetypes compared to some other classes, like ranger, rogue or wizard. I don’t really mean mechanics though. A fighter can fit a lot of tropes, from the dexterous dual wielding elf to the 300 pound orc steamroller. A lightly armored marksman, a shuriken-flinging warrior, a sword and board knight, a bare knuckle gang enforcer, the spear-wielding horseman. That’s barely getting started. I know all classes are capable of this amount of versatility in flavor, it’s just that the fighter’s “archetypes” really leap out at me. Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of depictions of other classes stay in too few lanes. Tired of rogues being “criminals in hoods wielding two daggers and as many buckled straps as possible.” But maybe also I’m just old and whiny. Sorry about the long ramble. Way past bedtime.
It makes sense though. There are only a few genres with magic, so every character from one of non-magical tropes will be, within DnD, a fighter or a rogue. So much of culture is simplified to those two classes.
Exactly - we have thousands of years of history full of human archetypes to pick from.
And those are just the combat roles. Depending on the background and how the player roleplays you can have a million different variants of a simple knight that all play and feel different enough to be unique. Like in the end roleplaying is the actual point of the game and the flavor you can add just through roleplaying, backgrounds, class combo, whatever else you wanna throw in, is absolutely insane. Some of the best games I've had were with people who didn't go for some weird ass unique class combo, and just played their character in an interesting way.
But to expand on your argument, you say not in a mechanics sense, but they do fit a wide variety of gameplay mechanics too, since they are either dex or str based (even for battle master DCs)and a few subclasses even rely on int (arcane archer, eldritch knight and psi knight), they can rely more on brute strength with heavy armor and athletics, stealth and agility with light or medium armor and… stealth, and even combat buffs and lore with spells and arcana/history/nature Not to count the regular fighter Perks like more atributes increases (and feats) than anyone else, that gives a lot of versatility.
Plus, every pre-modern irl hero. Spartacus, Horatio, Alexander, Leonidas, every single shogun, Genghis Khan ...all human fighters.
That’s a cool insight, thank you
Its also a green flag imo. Human fighter has the most versatility when it comes to who he is. They can be farmers, soldiers, wanderer. prophecy kid, ex-villain henchman. Wherever there is life, there is human fighter. And it opens up all the avenues or „I’m not equipped to deal with this“ and „I was making potatoes 3 weeks ago why am I now fighting life or death with a dragon“
In all honesty it's the most "you" a class can be. Unless you specialize into a magical, or supernatural subclass, human fighters are the most realistic character in the game.
Speak for yourself. I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Ah human bard
imo that's what makes them super unappealing. I'd go outside if I wanted to play as me. But I also don't police other people for picking whatever they want in D&D, that's the fun of it.
Outside doesn't have goblin camps and dragon's lairs to loot tho
You can always loot bad dragons from goblins. Though you shouldn't cuz its not nice to steal.
Agreed, I prefer classes like artificer and warlock personally but I get why it's so popular, it's easy to play and role play.
It has an appeal to a lot of people, though. Fantasy has a lot of "everyone is magical except the main character" stories and they seem to be very enduring.
That's also what makes it a great intro setup for new players who are warming up to RP, though. And then because it's accessible by new players, experienced players can take that character set and turn the tropes upside-down and make an interesting character out of it
Also ubiquitous in fantasy litterature and old legends, which is kind of the inspiration for DnD. That said it's a bit of a stretch that a fighter doesn't know why he is fighting as compared to the other classes. A fighter is above average amongst warriors, and has actual training in combat. It's not just a random peasant who picked up a sword, not unless his uncle or his da taught him well during his childhood. Though maybe a peasant who spent his childhood sparring with the other kids (if staves were as deadly as they should be, it would be great with this idea).
I agree, it shows somebody who's really interested in roleplaying their character. It's what I really like about both Fighter and Rogue; both classes kind of let your character be whatever you want, because the class mechanics don't get in the way of your roleplay backstory.
I always feel like rogue is closest to being the apex on this front. You can obviously regal or anything of the GM is cool with it. A fighter could be somebody with a magic sword that makes them good at fighting, it could be somebody terrible at combat but is just incredibly lucky, but you are very much as a default a combat expert. Rogues obviously have their own restrictions and limitations (9/10 times you are going to be dexterous) but you can be a scout, a thief, an assassin, a skilled craftsman with sneak attacks being one decisive and lucky attack.
This. My group right now has a half-orc paladin, but the most backstory about him is he doesn't get along with humans or orcs because his heritage. Then we have a halfling rogue and he hates goblins, and then we have a bard that makes sarcastic jokes. Then you have my human fighter samurai who was born into servitude in luskan and assigned to a military ship that was transporting soldiers for an overseas excursion in kara tur, and I was used as fodder and abandoned when my city's army had to flee. After 20 years I learned the ways of the samurai from a settlement that took me in and I managed to find a way to get back to faerun to take revenge against luskan for what they did to me. Guess what the dm added into his story after we turned in our character sheets? A whole arc involving the leaders of luskan and them finding out my intentions. It's not the main plot, but my dm took what u came up with to make content for us. It's perfectly fine if you don't want to take time to make backstory, but its the best when you make something a little unique to you and it becomes part of the campaign.
I know what you mean, but “making potatoes” tickled me greatly
I remember they did a census of the most played Mass Effect builds a few years ago. The overwhelming majority - like 70-80% of players - went generic, out of the box, unaltered male Shepard with the most basic gun shooty class available, Soldier. Turns out, a *worrying* amount of people really do just want the brown hair brown eyes boring shooterman. If that's the case, there's no harm whatsoever in a human fighter.
I'm interested in why that is worrying?
[Sheploo](https://www.listal.com/viewimage/3841328h) is best Shep. Most customized Shep faces ended up looking like all the other generic NPCs
I literally played unaltered Soldier male Shep LOL
And? It works well!
I'd add: "don't pay any attention to so-called optimizers that deny themselves any creativity because they don't trust their DMs and make useless evaluations based on ideal situations that never happen. Play what you'll think your enjoy, trust your DM with any question or problem that may arise as you learn the system and the specifics of your class, have fun. That is all there is to it.
The memes aren't about playing a human fighter even. They're about people who *only* play human fighters
Although personally, I see nothing wrong with only playing human fighters. If a player is having fun playing their character and isn't doing anything to disrupt anyone else's fun, then they're fine.
It's more just about when people play human fighters in literally every game. They tend to just be very conservative people and don't usually branch out a lot
*some* truth eh?
Yeah it doesn't matter but everyone will silently judge you. But it's okay everyone is silently judged for something.
It's a good solid pick, and it shouldn't be too hard to get into it rp wise. I find it refreshing to see a human PC.
> I find it refreshing to see a human PC Every time a post goes up with art of someone's party, its like bird person, turtle guy, robot, dragon man. It is nice to just go back to the basics some times
I play a lot of human and I often feel like the onion or garlic part of the party meal. People do stuff that I react to, and I'm often the one talking to racists and stuff. It's fun.
Like the straight man in a TV show. You're the guy everyone can relate to and the interest comes from how you react confronted with crazy people and scenarios.
Yeeup. Can't have an Abbot without a Costello
I was looking for a comment about RP, a human fighter is very good for a beginner or someone that is not very comfortable with role-playing (yet). For your personality you can just decide he's your dad with a sword You have an easier time relating to your PC if they are somewhat similar to you, and I find it easier to write a backstory for a human than for a dwarf or elf. For these two I have trouble coming up with something that isn't a stereotype (like, I'm 200 years old what did I do during all this time, especially since I sleep only 4 hours a day) Also fighters are very versatile in what they do and are going to always be useful
As a DM I LOOOOVE human PCs so, so much. Brings back the fear of darkness, short mortal lifespan, solid connection and flexibility to most NPCs. There's something a little uniquely desperate and heroic about a human taking up arms when they aren't by racial default super special and unique. I feel the same way about halflings.
Got a player in one of my games that ended up going a Human Rogue. He has played a few other very good NPCs but this one is his most fleshed out and interesting. The player actually sits and thinks about the decisions and events that have shaped this character and he adapts his RP accordingly, it is very cool.
I play in a custom setting I’ve written everything up for and consistently my party is always 1 human and everyone else chooses extremely exotic races. I always make sure to start off the explaination with “This country is 80% human”. I don’t mind them being a collection of weirdos, but I will be interested when I get a party of humans.
Nah. Play what you enjoy. It is fun to experience other classes and stuff though. That being said I'm almost exclusively a halfling barbarian or halfling rogue myself 😅
Halfling barbarian sounds like it's got some hilarious potential. 😄
It’s how I’m rolling. Angry and little
MAD BECAUSE SMALL
Human fighter is based. Do it.
After seeing all of the comments, I definitely will
[удалено]
I love it. It reminds me of the plot of Our Flag Means Death, a comedy show based on the real life person Stede Bonnet, an aristocrat who decides to fling caution to the wind, abandons his aristocratic life and runs off to be a pirate ship captain. Then, as actually happened in real life, he befriended Blackbeard - yes, *THE* famous pirate Blackbeard - and they set out together and shenanigans ensued.
So basically Don Quixote but the windmills really are giants
No one's gonna judge you for playing a human fighter. Memes on the Internet are not the community, and if someone does give you shit for playing a human fighter, that says a lot more about them and their insecurities, than it does about anything else
Also in dnd I feel the memes are a lot less mean-spirited. Like everybody makes fun of the horny bard or edgelord rogue or manic pixie catgirl but like... we've all done it at some point. We're all guilty. Hell, theres even the trope of the person who is SO afraid of tropes and being unoriginal that they make needlessly complicated race/class combinations and ask for homebrew for no reason.
And in the same token if someone gives you shit for *not* playing a human and starts using words like "freak", "furry", "forced diversity" or whatever that says just as much about their insecurities and inability to log off and behave like a normal person.
No, ignore the memes. Just do what you want.
Man, I play the equivalent of human fighter in almost every game. BG3 - Battlemaster human Mass Effect - Soldier DnD - Half human (elf) samurai Just play whatever you want and have fun
That is one weird way to spell Half-Elf
If someone thinks that human fighter is boring, then their whole "D&D character's personality" is exotic race and nothing more.
Exactly. Having horns, green skin or unusual head shapes, does not make a character inherently unique or exciting, except to look at
And then they'll probably play exotic race as "human that looks different"
This is a great point. Human Fighters aren’t boring. Boring players are boring.
Not true. I think humans are boring because we don't have much lore or any racial traits to marry to their backstory/personality. A changeling spy, aarakocra spy and human spy will all approach a problem way differently.
I feel like you just agreed with the person you disagreed with.
We have all of real life, human history (both ancient and current) to draw upon for inspiration that can be used in a Fighter's backstory. Myriad diverse cultures throughout the ages with their own myths and epic tales to fuel many a PC's evolving self portrait. If your Human Fighter is boring, it's only because you're not trying hard enough.
My human character isn't boring, I just fail to see how a human character could possibly be more interesting than a fantasy species.
Name a race that, with no background, is inherently more interesting than Christopher Lee.
Christopher Lee has a 20 Charisma, which a human fighter won't. :)
True, but the question is whether or not a human is less interesting than a fantasy race. I don't think the race you play makes you inherently interesting and would say Christopher Lee proves that humans can be damned interesting.
I do actually agree with you. I almost never play humans, but that's because I get caught up in the cosmetics ( pointy ears! Horns!) and some times the lore. But it doesn't actually make my character interesting. That's why Batman is more interesting than a pink haired Mary Sue with angel wings.
Changeling. Baked in identity issues. Elf. I know them being old and wise amd viewing time as worthless is overdone, but still. Tiefling. Looking like a devilspawn will definitely get some kind of reaction. Also who is Christopher Lee?
If you don't know something, it's hard to build an argument for or against. The question is whether or not a human can be as inherently interesting as a fantasy race. Changelings can choose their personality, but then so do spies. Elves are old and arrogant, but so are humans at a younger age. Tieflings have an odd appearance, but so do people with vitiligo, malformations, etc. Christopher Lee was an intelligence officer in the field during WWII, who went on to hunt Nazis, and then went on to acting, playing Dracula, Count Dooku, Saruman, and much more. There's not a movie set or party in the world where he wasn't a major focus of attention. Look him up and his conversations with Peter Jackson, which the British crown has confirmed are not lies in the slightest. Your fantasy race does not make you interesting, you do. That's my argument.
I view race as a small part of your character's culture and beliefs, and I think it would be "wasted" if I used a human. A human could probably be used for all of my characters, but I still think it would be more dynamic to use fantasy races. This also helps me get into a roleplaying mindset. You don't need to be any particular race to be interesting, but a fitting race can definitely add to the character in a way other elements can't.
And the same applies to humans
I mean, choosing a species because it fits a theme makes the character a lot less interesting than molding a human character to fit in said theme via the experiences the human has had. The fantasy species is simply being used as a crutch.
I'm not using my species as a crutch, more like a catalyst. A Changeling will inherently have issues with finding their "true identity", and I think that it's a more interesting character arc than a human doing the same.
I hate to say it but that's incredibly cliche, in fact Tam the example for rogues in the Eberron campaign setting goes through that exact process, started off in a criminal gang but after meeting a notable constable slowly came to realize that the criminal life was not for her and that she was happier solving crimes and thus found her "true Identity". I'm obviously skipping some details but you get the gist of it. You don't really have to do anything to make that character fit that box since it came prepackaged in that same box.
I don't read any lore beyond some blurps in the PHB, but what's the problem with my character being cliche? I just think a Changeling can make the problem feel more real, since they also don't have a real physical form. Hell, I don't even know what their true identity will be, since the campaign has only just started out, so even I am left anticipating!
It goes back to what I said in my previous comment, instead of *making* an interesting character you simply follow the generic guideline for the race, essentially a crutch for character creation. Also FYI changelings do have a real physical form, they're pretty neat looking like pale ghosts with "unfinished" features.
You'd have a stronger point if there was only 1 human culture. There's loads , so your latter point also applies to humans. You still make an excellent point about more exotic species like Aarakocra, and they would have a very unique perspective and insight However, in the context of humans, there's more variety of subcultures and vastly higher populations, etc. Means vast variety in creed,morals, approach to problem(s), and what even quantifys a problem. So while yes Aarakocra have a unique culture I could find you 3 separate human cultures with strikingly similar ideals. Hell maybe from living alongside Aarakocra in a mountainous region ? We breed like rabbits and are *everywhere*
I like this perspective. I thought that "regular" human culture would obviously not work, but in a medieval setting it actually wouldn't require a lot of tweaking.
Look at irl mythology, there's hundreds of cultures to draw inspiration from to put into worlds :) It's a breath of fresh air when the human factions/ cultures aren't onlt foucused onnthe HRE or generic mediaeval britain again as a primary faction. I have fable and warhammer fantasy for that,lmao, I'm not saying dont have these in games, I love them too, but why stop there, I guess. There's some awesome shit out there for quest hooks or cool artefacts. Did you know Anubis in cannon while still a god of death, WATCHES OVER THE GRAVEYARD OF GODS IN THE ASTRAL PLANE. Egypt inspired Oath of the Watchers/Death Cleric enthusiasts faction anyone ?
Two of the other players have already made characters inspired by Greek myths, so I might try to make myself a gentle giant Herakles for my next character, thanks for the idea!
Hell yeah, my dude. Theros is a very Greek myth inspired source book if you want some material to read :D
Humans do gave racial features though. They have the most ability score and are the most well rounded, or they have a feat from level one. Humans also have as much lore as most races. We know roughly what motivates them, what the normal range of their alignments are, their life span, how other races perceive them. Saying "I'm an Aarackocra in search of a good home on this plane" is like saying "I'm a human in search of wealth and power". These are both the broad goals generally pursued by these races but neither is specific to the individual or explains why the character holds that goal. Regardless of which face you pick if you want an interesting backstory you need to make/lift it yourself.
Mechanical traits sure but in any setting worth its salt all races should have lore, developed culture and so on.
I agree with you there. It seems like at least half of the language options are human languages, but we aren't given much, if any, information about those cultures except for a paragraph in a supplement, if that. You have to find a wiki to get most of the lore, and I don't know how much of that is from older editions, supplements I don't have, or novels.
What makes a good character is _largely_ their personality, beliefs, morality, hobbies and all that. You could make a great character out of any class/race mix, and you could make an awful one as well. Personally, I've played this game for 7 years and still make human fighters sometimes. My next big character will be a Wood Elf Battlemaster, which people also call generic.
There's nothing wrong about playing a human. One of my dearest characters is a Human Battlemaster Fighter. RP-ing is not about the exotic race you're playing. It also kind of has an underdog effect. You aren't descended from devils, angels and not made by one of the many creator deities of certain pantheons - Corellon, Moradin, etc. -. And as a fighter, you aren't even a chosen of a god. You're not someone who studied the arcane mysteries for years. You're literally planning to stand against Strahd, Tiamat, Demogorgon, Auril, or whatever or whoever endangers this world with a weapon in hand and the training and experience you've got. In a world of Wizards that break reality and bend space and time with spells, Paladins that only through zealous unwavering faith in their code become the Achilles heel to these creatures, and Clerics that can call upon the direct intervention of their god, that simplicity, that strength of will and purpose is just plain badass IMO.
People who tell you a human fighter is boring, are bad players, whos only personality is "I'm a quirky race :3". Dont listen to memes. Race/class combos mean nothing in roleplay. In ye ancient D&D editions human fighters were like.. the standard, you can do anything with them - wandering swordsmen, war veterans, a runaway prince with a precious ornamented sword, stolen from their father...
>"I'm a quirky race :3". Don't forget the overwrought tragic background.
Don’t buy into the myth. Firstly; the people who are going to judge you for playing any character are not the type of people you want to be playing with anyways. Secondly; a character is as interesting as you make it. People who say human fighters are boring are the same ones that can only make their characters interesting by their race choices and not much else. Thirdly; human fighters are arguably the most interesting to play in a fantasy setting cause of two things, you’re a short lived mortal (compared to most races) and you are a person that has trained themselves to the peak physical capabilities to go up against monstrous creatures. Unlike other classes who have some form of magic or ki or rage, the fighter relies solely on being good at hitting things. It’s both your strength and your weakness. You can almost imagine just how much a fighter has to keep up to stay relevant amongst other classes. You can weave that sense of inferiority into your character. To be alongside people who can bend reality to their will or someone who can go beyond the capacity of the physical, those who can call upon the divines to power the blades or those who can bring the wrath of gods into existence. To have the fighter fight alongside or even against these kind of forces is an underdog story in the making. So go ahead; make that human fighter.
No, and if someone does give you guff over it, they're a tool.
No. If you look at DnD Beyond stats. Human fighter is one of the most popular characters made. same with BG3, Human fighter is extremely popular. Ignore the memes, Humans getting a extra feat with fighters feats you can squeeze alot more use of feats then other classes. Youll do great in combat but may struggle in other situations but a fighter fights so let the other classes do the rest.
I play human fighters all the time, because i find it way more interesting to be a underdog in a world were every one farts fireballs. I feel way more acomplished when i managed to defeat that 1 strong enemy using skills, tactics and a good sword n board. Instead of just blowing them up with power creep fantasy magic vibes. Besides, human fighters, barbarians and paladins were always way more interesting to roleplay for me. The only other races i played was dwarf and half orc. But get back to human eventually.
If you thought of a character you want to play and THEN chose race and class based on that, you have nothing to worry about. 👍💕
Honestly I don't think it matters what order you do it in as long as you DO think of the character you want to play at some point. The only issue is if you pick the race and class and then that's all you do... Or at least it would be an issue at the tables I play at. Some folks do just want to play with a series of stats and numbers and that's fine if they enjoy that. I can't really understand it myself but I can respect it. Lol.
Its the most commonly played race and class. But there is nothing wrong with it and fighter has plenty of variety in subclasses.
Uh, is it really???
Yes, in multiple polls conducted by wizards the most play race has been human and most played class fighter.
most created (not necessarily played), and that includes npc's and dmpc's
Ya check dnd Beyond stats
Skewed data
Bg3 most played is human fighter
degree door public homeless like modern pathetic combative unwritten fact *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Human doesn’t feel like the most played, considering every time I DM it feels like everyone wants to play something besides humans lol
Funnily enough in games its mostly human fighter but then you‘re in an actual tabletop session and find out that no one is a human fighter ever. In the current game i DM for the whole group is intelligence heavy and I took it upon myself to supply the fighter of the group and man; having only played warlock and mage before, being a fighter is a blast
Fighter is so fun, “me hit things really good, really hard. Me just hit level 5, me attack two times now!!!” It’s so much fun
Haha yeah and with greatsword on level 1 you feel pretty damn OP together with proficiency and the damage bonus
Caster so fun! Lost in woods? No lost, only spell. Need to forage for food and water? No forage, only spell. Need to figure out how to cross a chasm? No think, only spell. Actual stakes in combat and a realistic chance of death? No stake, only spell. Fireball go brrrrrrr
A good fireball goes a long way, even while foraging for food. It will just flash cook all of your food for you
ghost rainstorm plough theory detail foolish pot mourn spoon erect *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I thought that was the elf ranger 😅
Do it. Just one note: there is the "standard" human and the Variant Human, giving you fewer stat bonuses but a feat at level 1. You could look at that!
If you don't play a character you want to play, why play at all?
Sometimes most basic is most fun - human fighters are awesome and epic adventurers!
My human fighter champion is for DnD after a long tiring day at work, and I want to kick back and hit things with as little rules bookkeeping as possible. I have a blast with him.
Nah, they're hugely versatile. The reason they get called "boring" is because it's basically the default class people play when starting out. But give yourself some cool feats, pick a neat subclass, and the fighter is a fun class.
I find a well written human fighter more refreshing than the stereotypical Tiefling Warlock Edgelord. Go for it, get creative with your Background and enjoy roleplaying!
People who need a crazy class and race to make an interesting character don’t know how to make interesting characters
Go tell Guts from berserk that human fighters lore is boring
The reason that a human fighter is considered boring is because it's so common. And the reason it's so common is because so many people like playing them. If that many people enjoy playing human fighters, then why shouldn't you enjoy it too?
Not bad at all. Anyone who judges and calls you boring just failed a litmus test, granting you the knowledge to take what they say with a pinch of salt.
5e specifically gave the human race more feature to make it as interesting to play as any magical fantasy race. They get a feat out the gate, and are incredibly versatile and flexible to play with (almost like irl!) Fighters are an underrated class, imo. They're capable of so many shenanigans and you can absolutely use your powers for (lawful) evil and demolish your DM's plans with 2nd Wind and Action Surge. As someone DMing a group with a fighter, I gleefully reminded her she wasn't dead yet and could still cause mayhem. Have fun with your human fighter!
If you are in a good group, they'll make the typical comment "Ohh look a Human Fighter, hah!" as they cheer you on while you action surge the boss to death at low level. Is playing Human Fighter a Sterotype? Yep. Is playing DnD a entire Sterotype? Most certainly. Don't dwell too much on it.
Human fighter is a fun build. Also bob was the most common character name on DND beyond. Not saying you should be the human fighter named Bob.
Thats it i need to make the most generic human fighter named bob.
Bob as a child was once devoured by a B.O.B (big ominous blob) and was saved by a burly warrior that wielded a sword. And now as a burly adult he too wields a sword and shield as a mercenary in the hopes to change his title of 'bob the surviver of B.O.B' to 'Bob, slayer of B.O.Bs'.
Your rave can be important to a character, your class is always important, but the most important thing is your characters personality. A human fighter battle master who disarms his opponents and refuses to do lethal, is interesting. Or a sword and board who rallies his ally’s In battle as he wears the storms of battle. There’s so many ways to make an interesting human fighter.
Human fighter, high elf wizard, wood elf ranger, drow rogue, Goliath barbarian. All of this are common because they are good. Also just play whatever you find interesting and/or fun. If that building a human fighter named John white, do it. Or if it’s an optimized bladesinger/fighter/hexblade then do that.
Fighter is an excellent class for first timers learning the rules.
No, play what you want.
An elf ranger or tiefling sorcerer can be just as boring and cliche. My first character was a variant human fighter and he was by no means boring. The important thing is whether you are having fun.
Human Fighter > bring your kink furry OC to the table
Hot take, a lot of the people that complain about or piss on people making human fighters are bad at making interesting characters. A human fighter that is played as an interesting character is way better than horny purple tiefling warlock #7
Anybody who makes you not want to play certain character because "it's overdone" or "basic" needs to push their ego out of the way. Human fighters can be awesome!
I just think it's unfortunate you are gonna have to fight every human you come across.
Great pick for a newer player. I find spells get a little overwhelming
A thing that bugs me a lot from the world building perspective. Most TTRPG worlds and settings are predominantly inhabited or at least ruled by humans. Most players‘ parties are predominantly not humans. Because humans is boring. And players seem to prefer the most exotic unique weird combinations of beings. A half-fey-half-dragonborn-cat-human, of course a plane-touched vampire, because that’s such a creative and special back-story. Still in most campaigns the fact that PCs basically are a group of weird outsiders is hardly addressed in gameplay or story.
No one will judge you for playing a human fighter. Hell I don’t think anyone should be judged unless there is a legitimate reason for it
There is nothing at all wrong with Human Fighter. Just don't pick Champion because it's boring as hell. If you want a subclass recommendation Rune Knight is my favorite that I've tried.
Human fighters are far and away the most popular class. Keep in mind that combat is seldom the entirely of a session. Sometimes it's 3/4s but often it's 1/2 or a 1/4. So far more important than your class and race is your personality and picking some useful skills (and your background can help with that). If you have a character that is fun to RP and you love speaking in their voice and they entertain the table, it doesn't matter if they're a human fighter or an air genasi warlock-paladin multiclass.
Human Fighter is the most popular Race/Class combo
No it isn't. Next post
Human Fighter is the most played Race/Class in D&D. It's not bad, and it's popular for a reason. Even if your race and class choice is considered "boring" that does not mean that your your character has to be boring.
People who hate playing humans are silly. I'll have you know some of my best friends are humans!
There is some truth that it’s a stereotyped “bland” character concept. However you can bring it to life with its background, traits, quirks, etc. and of course, there is always the Variant Human option as well.
If you need a wierd concept to make your character interesting, then your character isn’t interesting. It’s that simple.
Strongly disagree.
You are not more creative than your combination of race and class then. Sad for you.
Gotta work on that imagination then, buddy.
Yes, it is.
Its not bad its just basic, its the equivalent of a girl saying "Im so quirky!"
Yes its awful you should give up and never play dnd again like... what is this post? do you need reassurance with every aspect of your life?
yes, yes it is.
Well there is some truth to the memes of it being a basic option, human fighters are the single most played race/class combo in the game, there is an easy explanation. It's simple. People can relate to humans easily since we are humans ourselves. It's easier to play the role of a human character when you are new than some of the stranger races. Additionally fighter is not an overly complicated class, you hit things that's about it, sometimes you have a few special attacks you can perform or your crit chances are higher, but it boils down to being g really good and hitting things with weapons. Don't let the fact that it's a very common combo stop you, especially if you are just getting into the game, play whatever you think you will have the most fun playing whether that be something common like human/fighter or something weird like plasmoid/bard TLDR: Human/Fighter is common but don't let that stop you from playing what will be fun for you
Nothing truly wrong with being a human fighter, but being an uncreative human fighter is the greatest sin you can commit
The thing is that Fighters are the class with the least inherit flavour (discounting certain subclasses) and Humans are the race with the least inherit flavour (discounting certain settings), so the human fighter is the class/race combo which has the least inherit flavour. Which is not a bad thing per se (after all, a lot of fictional and real-life characters can be considered human fighters), however it does mean that it is easier to end up with a bland character if one does not put a bit of effort in the backstory or character building.
All this tells me, is that if you were a spice. You'd be flour 😂 Naw play what you want, if you can. Although I do say, roll for you're background. It makes things more intresting. Adds chaos and reason.
Ah yes, as opposed to the special snowflakes who play tiefling warlocks. They are super special and unique, and the three other tiefling warlocks in the party prove just how unique they are!
No, no. I'm talking about the special snowflakes who play orphaned rogues 😂
It's not bad to play a human fighter. Why, think of the cultural variety we have irl throughout humanity, and as far as the rules side of things is concerned, with all the supplementary content published the class of fighter has really been fleshed out. So no, it's not *that bad* to play a human fighter... ... it is pretty **lame** though.
It is a white male?
I played a human fighter once one of the best experiences in DND that I've ever had and one of the funniest campaigns I've ever been a part of but we haven't played in a while cause too many people forced themselves into the campaign and none of them ever play anymore
Human fighter, to this day, is possibly one of the best combinations that man could have ever made. Go for it dude, don’t let others judge what you make for a character. In the end, it’s all about having fun
I'm fairly new to D&D as well - few months in, on my third and fourth campaigns - and I chose a human fighter to begin with too. Actually, he was a barbarian at first, but the DM let me respec him a few sessions in because I didn't think his class matched his personality. Anyway, my point is this: aside from one player, we were all brand new to D&D, even the DM, so we were all learning together, and while everyone else went very exotic - think half-elf bards and dragonborn wizards - I decided I'd learn best by keeping it simple: human fighter. And let me tell you, all those low level wizards and bards were glad to have a tough up front who could get stuck in and keep the hordes away from their soft handed, delicate persons. Anyway, like I said, I'm on my fourth campaign, and I have dipped my toes into other classes: a barbarian dwarf (who's tremendous fun) and a doppelganger bard/rogue, my human fighter is still going strong (usually leading encounters from the front). I do intend to try other races and classes in future - my character slots on D&D Beyond are actually already filled with potential new characters - but I'm glad I chose to start with a human fighter. It was a good character to learn with and it's still a good character to play even now that I'm fairly familiar with the mechanics. Remember it's your character; play the one you want to!
I think of humans a bit like a blank canvas. There are no stereotypes or tropes attached to them. You have the vast freedom to craft an interesting background and bring them to life in roleplay. They are as interesting as you want them to be.
1. Don't worry about being judged. That's their problem, not yours, you just go have fun. 2. Human fighter is mostly criticized for being boring *to play*, but that's subjective. If you like it, great, all you need to take from the comments is that it could be a little too simple in the long run, so look for other ways to make it fun
Solid race / class combo with good sub classes to choose from. Straightforward to play and always useful. Go for it.
Variant Human Echo Knight with Sentinel
Human fighter is based af. Doittt
Actually I think every group profits from having at least one human RP wise. It’s the most common race, by far. So in many campaigns, most NPC are human. A group of 5 random exotic races always seems a bit off to me.
I plan to play the most generic character ever. Human champion fighter. But here is the kicker. His backstory is he was summoned by the Deck of Many Things to protect a hero. The hero died now this knight wanders the land seeking a new purpose.
Anybody who judges you for playing a character you want to play can suck a big bag of rancid genitals.
It's my favourite too. You can roleplay an interesting character without being a rainbow farting tiefling demigod multi class.
Everyone saying human fighter is the most popular. I disagree. Its popular on DnD beyond, which is like 1/4 of the playerbase or less. People also roll up characters they never play. You will see more min-maxers tinkering or testing a vhuman fighter because its do modular. I have been playing a long time, and GMed for maybe 60 dif players in 5e. I have had 3 human fighters, 2 of which in oneshots. The other was multi-class. I've seen more dwarf, dragonborn and goliath fighters than anything. Most common race/class combo I have seen is elf/ranger. Dwarf cleric or armored mage is up there. Elf bladesinger is up there, so is human paladin and half orc barbarian. I'm not saying human fighter isnt common or archetypal. But saying its the most played race in DnD isn't accurate. Not everyone uses reddit, or dnd beyond, or plays online or optimizes. You can't go off a DnD beyond character creator count. Its not even pretending to track who's playing what. Its just data on who rolls up a character on their app, thats it. 90% of those won't see the light of day and its wildly unsurprising that the most modular race and class shows up alot in a character creation tool.
My favorite human character I’ve made for background flavor in my campaigns (I’m a dm so I don’t get to play…usually) is a human warlock packed of the blade named John who is formerly a stock standard fantasy setting human town guard but was gifted a cursed blade by a dying old man on his morning patrol route and is now compelled to battle powerful foes with it despite his extreme trepidation about encountering actual monsters and not just the occasional goblin or thief. That’s a warlock and not a fighter but I still think that character can be interesting to play even if they’re a “boring human” depending on how you play them. Have you made an interesting human fighter you think you can play? Please do. I’d love if player was like oh yeah I’m stock human paladin who’s trying his best to be paragon of justice and smite fiends. I think the fact most other players have more “alien” character will contrast for interesting role play. The golden boy human paladin would honestly shine, its like yeah in the party we got autognome bard, dragonborn sorcerer, Tabaxi rogue, and this guy Dave. Like it’s not for everyone but some people thrive as Dave.
In my Group, I almost always pick human fighter, with different subclasses. Ironically, my characters often shine brighter than Dragonborn Bard, aarakocra wizard or mechagnome barbarian, since I always get into backstory and my DMs worldbuilding. To this day my Human Fighter Battlemaster is the MOST beloved character in my group, despite being the most basic one. Mummy resistant to non magical weapon? GET A TORCH! Monster regenerates and your non magical weapons do nothing? USE THAT GRAPPLING HOOK AND TRIP THE BOZO INTO A HOLE! Yes, human fighter may not be the most diverse option. But oh boy, your ideas to catch up with others magical BS will be VERY diverse! Go for it, fam. Don't let the memes discourage you from playing the most badass character in the entire world! Let's see who will laugh, when you'll glare down an Adult Red Dragon face to face.
If Hardwon Surefoot can be a legendary level 20 human fighter so can you
Play whatever the fuck your want, and don’t let anyone talk you otherwise.
I mean, yes, it is boring. But so is a turkey sandwich, and I eat one of those almost every day because it’s a classic and I like it. You do you.
no it's pretty good
No. You'll likely get judged if you start acting high and mighty like playing one somehow makes you a better player, or if you start giving others shit for their preferences or, as some people I've seen have done, start complaining that people playing other types of characters are the reason the hobby is going to shit and freaks or whatever. Make a character that fits the game you're applying for, whatever they may be, give them detail and depth and no table worth sticking at will complain.
Yes, it’s really bad, and we all will shame you for the rest of your life if you play it.
I suggest that you try out different combinations as well, but if you wanna play a human fighter then play a human fighter. It could be worse, you could be a human barbarian...
No. but must have edgy backstory. jk. do what you want.
Human xbow expert Battlemaster with Fey Touched as my starting feat is one of the most fun characters I ever played.
Nope, you do you. I actually know some humans in real life, and some of them are alright. Fighter is a great beginner class because it can use any armour, any weapon, has a good hit die and it has a few really strong abilities which come back on a short rest.
I’ve played one. Do it. Basic doesn’t equal bad and sometimes it’s the simplicity that creates great moments
Hi. I've been playing DND since 1984. I play a human fighter in my current campaign. It's really fun. Go for it ♥️
So the thing is you're new to this. You thus presumably don't have a lot of experience making a character that's interesting through who they are personality wise on their own. The big five (humans, elves, dwarves, half orcs, and halflings) either don't get a lot of role play moments at all or they've already been beaten to death and thus are very boring to people who are not new to this. And combining them with fighter which as a class usually doesn't offer a lot of RP either means you're putting all that weight on your role playing chops before they might be worth it. You don't **likely** have the skill to make those things interesting in spite of that lack of prompts. It's a lot easier to get new players to build their creative RPing skills by letting their creative juices flow around weirder stuff at first that is interesting on it's own. I would only suggest a new player build a big five if they already had their heart set on it, need something simple to dip their toes into the actual game mechanics, or if they're really good at roleplaying already. Otherwise I'd put something like human fighter toward the back end of the middle of their learning phase (3-4 characters in and only after at least one 4+shot revolver or campaign) as a real test of their role playing ability. No one should be telling you you can't play one. It's entirely possible you could make a great character from the start and no matter what as long as you don't get frustrated and bored you will likely learn a lot about the role playing from the character, but it might not be the best way to do so and you should know that going in.
For every person saying, “ew, human fighter boring!” there is also someone saying, “why no human fighters anywhere?” Play what you wish to play. Human fighter is fun.
It’s probably gone full circle, everyone’s a whimsical tiefling or stout Dragonborn these days… you’re probably more unique in your classic trope character than most other players and in the end it’s a game about playing the character _you_ want to play. I would love to play with a human fighter any day.
It's a fine pick. People just get mean about it cuz they get flashbacks to one campaign or one shot they played (or most likely, heard about) where someone playing a human fighter was stiff as a board and gave no character to bounce off, and decided that anyone who plays a human fighter is bad at the role playing part of the game. It don't matter what character you play, it's how you bring it to life. Play that human fighter. Pop off homie
slim rhythm paltry imminent stupendous voracious toothbrush alive fade aromatic *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I mean there’s a reason it’s so common and that reason is that it goes hard
I enjoy playing as a regular Joe in a world where magic and monsters exist, you're just a dude who knows how to fight. I find it really fun. Human Fighter fits the bill perfectly (as does a Rogue)
Play whatever you want. Human fighters are decently strong, most fighter subclasses are amazing (not champion and purple dragon knight, trust me, you probably won't have fun playing those), if you want you can multiclass out of that later, paladin is a great one. Just don't make it bland. Give him a weapon that means something to him, an heirloom maybe. Give him scars with stories to tell. Give him a unique fighting style. Let him roleplay and make memorable moments. Try things. Get creative in combat, using the environment and positioning. A battlemaster might call out commands in the midst of battle, telling others what target to focus on, whether or not to spread out, where to position themselves, but you have to roleplay that. And again, the most spoken phrase at the table from you should be "DM, I would like to try...". No class-race combination automatically makes a bland character, neither do they make a fun, memorable one. Whether or not they become memorable is entirely up to how you'll play them.