Quote Originally Posted by Scots Dragon View Post
Notably, it's easy to see why it's the case, especially for beginning players.

Human is the easiest race to play. It's approximately average, and you kinda know how to act like a human from your own life. There aren't always that many stat adjustments or extra abilities to write down, at most you get a bonus feat or skill point.

Fighter is the easiest class to play. You have a sword, you hit things with the sword. You don't have to rely on sneaking around, keeping track of spells, or anything else.

And since it's what you start with, it's what you become used to.

Now, I'm sure an optimiser can say something about battle masters being more complicated than that, or how it's actually really hard to build things properly in third edition, but I'd point out that most parties don't optimise so strongly, and I'd also point out that a beginning player is likely also part of a beginning gaming group where nobody else really knows how anything works either.
I've seen many people play wizards or other casters as their first class, but it does seemed to depend a lot on 'read the book beforehand'. But it's part of why I like skill based systems so much, because they tend to have vastly more possible 'simple' characters.

Although I've also considered using Romance of the Perilous Land for new players, due to it in many ways being a simpler version of D&D with only one magic-using class.

I'd like to see more pre-medieval games. Just had a new classical Greek one delivered today, I own a great Stone Age, a pretty nice warring states China game as well as that company's iron age Celt (British Isles) one, and would love to know of a decent one for Indian, Native American, or Egyptian fantasy. Because swords are cool, but I've played enough 'medieval' games that I wouldn't mind playing in a game inspired by earlier time periods.