Considering the depth of Baldur's Gate 3s character and class system, it's understandable that no race and class combination is as deplored as the human fighter. Humans are by far the most played class in tabletop Dungeons & Dragonsand when played as one of the most basic classes, the choice comes across as a bit bland when options like Orcish bards, half-Drow Rangers or Gnomish artificers leave players spoiled for choice. That said, consider the invitation to take a closer look at Human Fighter extended, as in D&D or Baldur's Gate 3the human fighter combo is a classic and a great opportunity to weave player-personal stories about the indomitable human spirit.
Whether it's “John Fighterman,” “Johnny Standardclass,” or any other John, the combination of human fighter characters has garnered more names of love and derision from RPG fans than any other combo in the genre—and for good reason. According to D&D Beyond, it is by far the most featured combo in the fifth edition tabletop, and the third most common in Baldur's Gate 3. There are many potential reasons for the combination's popularity, as well as possibilities, which means you could be wrong to write it off as boring.
Why Human Fighters are so popular in RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3
From a gaming perspective, two major reasons come to mind when explaining the popularity of the human fighter in D&D and Baldur's Gate 3: easy access and versatility. Players just starting out Baldur's Gate 3 will find that this archetype is much easier to learn and then master. Human fighters play double duty as the base race and class that both systems are built on, and equally the lack of intricate racial abilities or class-specific spells makes them vanilla and instantly understandable.
Baldur's Gate 3's Human Fighters has a lot to offer
- Flexibility in rich role-playing: By playing a human, you can naturally fall into almost any background, faction, or morale, making role-playing choices feel grounded and believable.
- Customizable ability spread: Humans don't lock you into any build path, so you can spec in a martial, magical, or hybrid class without feeling like you're wasting racial bonuses.
- Broader narrative resonance: NPCs tend to treat humans as “default”, which can open up smoother dialogue paths, less prejudice, and unique reactions associated with being the most common race in Faerûn
Human fighters are also versatile, and veterans who care about the biggest damage rolls use the combos' high combat ability scores to find them often with all types of offshoots. The combo can use all kinds of gear and armor with relative ease, and they're good at complementing and polishing lots of party compositions. However, these gameplay advantages do not preclude the human fighter from being just as narratively interesting.
So do human fighters in dungeons and dragons
- Versatile Ability Boosts: Humans get broad ability score increases, making them one of the most flexible races for any class or multiclass combo in 5e.
- Extra Feat (Variant Human): The Variant Human option provides Tier 1 performance, offers powerful early customization, and allows you to come online faster than most builds.
- Fits into any setting: As the most widespread and socially integrated race, humans easily fit into any campaign world, simplifying backstory creation and maximizing roleplaying opportunities.
Human Fighters Go Beyond Gameplay
Just as there are players who play these RPGs more for the love of the capital G, there are many players who are more into it for the RP. The reputed blandness of the human fighter espoused by some of these roleplayers should be regarded as nothing more than a nasty misconception. It's definitely easier to conjure up a compelling story for a human fighter than it is for something like a Duergar priest, but writing it off because of the ease of access is limiting. Not only does the combination give new players the ability to roleplay effectively, but there is no limit to the depth of imagination players can reach as a race/class combination.
Human Fighters offers plenty of narrative complexity
In a magical world filled with ancient dragons and inbred mystical races, it's not easy to underestimate the narrative fulfillment of playing a nobody with a sword and facing off against a world far more complicated than themselves. Whether it's a soldier, a mercenary, or a subsistence farmer, the beauty of RPGs that Baldur's Gate 3 or D&D is that anyone can be anything, and that rule still applies to the seemingly unimportant, if nothing else. Starting at the foot of the mountain as a sword-wielding commoner among Faerun's youngest and (shockingly) most mysterious race makes reaching the top at the climax of a campaign all the more gratifying.
Additionally, the magical world can evolve a simple human into so much more, adding consequence, meaning and impact to the journey to level 12 in Baldur's Gate 3 or 20 in one D&D campaign. Starting as a fighter doesn't mean players have to end up as a fighter, at least not alone; human fighters are a total blank slate for multi-classing with demonic wizard benefactors, paladin oaths, or a late training in harnessing magic. The gameplay benefits of multi-classing are mirrored just as much by the role-playing potential.
These games even take advantage of this additional depth in their story, most notably with Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gateand his eventual transformation into the Ilithid Emperor at the heart of Baldur's Gate 3.
PSA: Don't sell the Human Fighter Short
Ultimately, the beauty of Baldur's Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons is that the possibilities are endless, but infinity means that no single class is more or less interesting than another if the story is well told and the characters are strong enough. It's familiar enough for this concept to fall through the cracks when players have so much to explore. Still, it's absolutely worth resisting that routine, especially for the human fighter combo.
- Released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Adult: Blood and Gore, partial nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence
