@JeremyECrawford just watched your latest @DnDBeyond video on Eladrin and you say "People like to play elves". I posit that is because they are usually the most overpowered race with abilities useful to every class.
— Bort (@Named_Bort) March 1, 2018
With data from more than one edition of D&D, I can confidently say that people play more humans, elves, and dwarves than all other races combined. No matter how powerful we've made other race options, this fact hasn't changed. Story & aesthetics often appeal more than power. #DnD https://t.co/IDmXgoBAU9
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March 1, 2018
Appreciate the reply. Of course I only have my own experiences, but players tend to tell me they choose elf b/c it gives them weapons as a caster, or spells as a melee, b/c they have lowlight/darkvision and generally dex is a good stat for some elf variant and is usually good. That all makes sense, yet more people play humans than elves.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March 1, 2018
Want to know which D&D race is played more than any other? Humans, by far. #DnD https://t.co/FWKEJ8fcs3
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March 1, 2018
Could have something to do with feat availability? Though I assume people like playing people either way.https://t.co/sN8AgFtRRa
— ThinkDM (@ThinkingDM) March 1, 2018
We have never witnessed a correlation between (a) power in the game and (b) which races are most popular. Story, aesthetics, characterization, literary and cinematic models—most often those drive the choice, rather than which options are perceived to be most powerful. #DnD https://t.co/jJhUiVH8oG
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March 1, 2018
Which is why we don’t see more orc and half-orc fighters and barbarians. Exactly.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March 1, 2018
I’ve always suspected those races were the most popular because they are the most represented in popular culture, and done so in a more or less consistent fashion. Dwarfs, Elves, and Humans have comfort zone of familiarity that perhaps other fantasy races don’t. Familiarity is definitely a powerful force.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) March 2, 2018
