A Philosophical Question (Maybe?)

The Wizard from the PHB

Why Play a Human?

  As explored in my previous post, through the 4th Edition of the game there were only 2 pictures of non-white adventurers in the entirety of the Dungeons and Dragons Core books. In 5th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons (which is the best edition, fight me) there are eight non-white humans in the entire 293 pages of the Players Handbook (PHB) alone, not to mention the six in the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) Which is an upgrade, but we'll talk about the seemingly more forward thinking writings of the 5th Edition a little later in this post.
  The biggest question in 5th Edition is "why play a human?" In first and second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D from this post forward) humans don't get any bonuses to their stats, because they are the only classes that could reach level 20 in their chosen class, as well as the only race that could multi-class or take the paladin class. In 3rd Edition D&D, humans got feat and skill bonuses. In 4th Edition, humans gained a bonus to any one stat, gained a bonus feat and bonus skill, and also had a choice of a bonus attack or the power to add +4 to a d20 roll. 5th Edition gives human characters a one point increase to every ability score or a point increase to two ability scores, proficiency in a skill of their choice and one feat of their choice. There's still a reason to play human, but they are not as jarringly overpowered as they used to be. Characters are a little more on even footing no matter what race they are playing.

From the Players Handbook

  In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.
  With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual can stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colors from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight); males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. A lot of humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century.
  Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.
  Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone. Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.
  Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.

  This is from the PHB (once again, one half of the "D&D Bible") from the most recent edition of the game. We can clearly see that the game developers have taken a more inclusive scope to their character creation. Never were players told that they needed to play white humans, but they weren't really given the options, or shown that non-white options were available. The lore has changed noticeably from "all humans were descended of white settlers" to the more modern  "with their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more diverse than other races."