Overview
At a glance
- Size
- Medium or Small
- Speed
- 30 ft
- Darkvision
- None
- Best feat
- Alert or Lucky
Any roleSkill expertGeneralist
The 2024 human trades magic and senses for options. You get a second origin feat on top of the one from your background, an extra skill, and Heroic Inspiration every time you finish a Long Rest. That last one is a free reroll of any die, every day, for the whole campaign.
Your background sets your ability scores, so the human is no longer the "+1 to everything" species. It is now the feat species, and the best one for building exactly the character you want.
Thrain's take
People call the human the boring pick. Those people have never watched a human reroll the save that would have ended the campaign. Two feats at level 1 and a reroll every morning is not boring. It is just quiet about it.
Strengths
- Versatile: a second origin feat at level 1
- Resourceful: Heroic Inspiration after every Long Rest, a reroll on any die
- Skillful: one extra skill of your choice
- Medium or Small, your choice
Weaknesses
- No Darkvision
- No resistances, spells or extra movement
- Its power depends on picking a good feat
Human Traits
Size
Medium or Small, chosen when you make the character. It is mostly flavor.
Resourceful
You gain Heroic Inspiration whenever you finish a Long Rest. Spend it to reroll any die right after you roll it, and use the new roll. Use it on a failed save, a missed attack or a bad damage roll.
Skillful
Proficiency in one skill of your choice. Perception and Stealth are popular picks.
Versatile
An origin feat of your choice. The rules suggest SkilledSkilledOrigin featYou gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice.; the ratings below show what else is worth taking.
Best Origin Feats for Versatile
Your background already gives one origin feat, so pick the Versatile feat to fill a gap. Feats marked with a hover card are in the free SRD; the others are in the Player's Handbook.
Legendary: build around it
Epic: excellent
Rare: good
Uncommon: works
Common: weak fit
Lucky
Luck points equal to your Proficiency Bonus to give yourself Advantage on a d20 roll or give an attack against you Disadvantage. With Heroic Inspiration you have a stack of rerolls every day.
Legendary
Alert
AlertAlertOrigin featWhen you roll Initiative, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll. adds your Proficiency Bonus to Initiative and lets you swap your place in the order with an ally. Going first wins fights, especially for casters.
Legendary
Tough
+2 hit points per level, for the whole campaign. The best pick for a front-liner who keeps dropping.
Epic
Magic Initiate
Magic InitiateMagic InitiateOrigin featChoose a level 1 spell from the same list you selected for this feat's cantrips. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. gives two cantrips and a level 1 spell from the cleric, druid or wizard list.
GuidanceGuidanceDivination cantripConcentrationCastingActionRangeTouchDuration1 minuteDamage1d4You touch a willing creature and choose a skill. Until the spell ends, the creature adds 1d4 to any ability check using the chosen skill. from the cleric list or
ShieldShield1st-level AbjurationCastingReactionRangeSelfDuration1 roundAn imperceptible barrier of magical force protects you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from Magic Missile. from the wizard list are both strong on a martial character.
Epic
Skilled
SkilledSkilledOrigin featYou gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice. gives three skills or tools. The book's suggestion, and very good for a rogue or bard who wants to do everything.
Rare
Musician
After a rest, hand out Heroic Inspiration to allies. Your own Resourceful already covers you, so this one is for the party.
Rare
Savage Attacker
Savage AttackerSavage AttackerOrigin featYou've trained to deal particularly damaging strikes. Once per turn when you hit a target with a weapon, you can roll the weapon's damage dice twice and use either roll against the target. rerolls weapon damage dice once per turn. Fine on a big two-handed weapon, small on everything else.
Uncommon
Best Classes for a Human
Fighter
A second origin feat fills the fighter's weak spots: Alert for Initiative, Tough for hit points, or Magic Initiate for
ShieldShield1st-level AbjurationCastingReactionRangeSelfDuration1 roundAn imperceptible barrier of magical force protects you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from Magic Missile..
Legendary
Rogue
Skillful plus Skilled makes the best skill expert in the game, and Heroic Inspiration saves the one roll that has to work.
Legendary
Wizard
Alert puts the wizard first in Initiative, which is when control spells matter most. Heroic Inspiration saves a failed Concentration roll.
Epic
Cleric
Two origin feats can make a cleric with extra cantrips and Initiative, or a front-liner with Tough.
Epic
Paladin
Tough or Alert on a class that already does everything. Heroic Inspiration covers the one save you cannot afford to fail.
Epic
Bard
More skills for the skill class, or Musician to hand out Heroic Inspiration on top of Bardic Inspiration.
Epic
Ranger
Alert or Lucky are both good. Darkvision would have helped a scout more.
Rare
Barbarian
Tough on a d12 class is a lot of hit points. Heroic Inspiration on a Strength save is welcome.
Rare
Monk
Alert helps a monk get in first. Nothing else is special.
Rare
Sorcerer
Alert or Lucky protect a fragile caster. A species with spells adds more.
Rare
Warlock
Fine with any feat. Other species add spells that fit the warlock better.
Rare
Druid
Alert or Magic Initiate (Wizard) for
ShieldShield1st-level AbjurationCastingReactionRangeSelfDuration1 roundAn imperceptible barrier of magical force protects you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from Magic Missile.. Solid, not special.
Rare
Human Builds
FrontlineThe Veteran
- Class
- Fighter (Champion)
- Background
- Soldier (Savage AttackerSavage AttackerOrigin featYou've trained to deal particularly damaging strikes. Once per turn when you hit a target with a weapon, you can roll the weapon's damage dice twice and use either roll against the target.)
- Versatile feat
- AlertAlertOrigin featWhen you roll Initiative, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll.
17STR
13DEX
15CON
8INT
12WIS
10CHA
Goes first, hits hard, and has a reroll waiting every morning. Savage Attacker makes a greatsword hit even harder.
Build this human
Free to start. No card needed.
SkillsThe Expert
- Class
- Rogue (Thief)
- Background
- Criminal (AlertAlertOrigin featWhen you roll Initiative, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll.)
- Versatile feat
- SkilledSkilledOrigin featYou gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice.
8STR
17DEX
15CON
13INT
12WIS
10CHA
Ten skill proficiencies at level 1 (four from the class, two from the background, one from Skillful, three from Skilled) and Expertise on top. There is no lock, lie or ledge you cannot handle.
Build this human
Free to start. No card needed.
Human FAQ
Is the human good in D&D 2024?
Yes. Humans get a second origin feat at level 1, an extra skill, and Heroic Inspiration after every Long Rest. It has no Darkvision or spells, but the extra feat makes it one of the most flexible species.
What is the best origin feat for a human in D&D 2024?
Lucky or Alert for most characters. Tough is best for front-liners, and Skilled is good for rogues and bards. Pick something your background did not already give you.
Do humans get +1 to all ability scores in D&D 2024?
No. In the 2024 rules ability score increases come from your background for every species. The human now gets an extra origin feat, an extra skill and Heroic Inspiration instead.
Can humans be Small in D&D 2024?
Yes. You choose Medium or Small when you create a human character.
Take your human into a campaign
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This guide includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2
by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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