Demihuman or demi-human is a term used in earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons to refer to playable human-like races such as elves, dwarves and halflings.
The term was no longer standardly used in D&D 3rd edition, which simply refers to a player character's species as their race.
Rules[]
The game rules for demihumans are effectively the same as race, a term which includes both humans and demihumans. However, a few notable rules applied specifically to demihumans in the rules editions which used the term.
Ability score limits[]
In AD&D, demihumans had minimum ability scores to qualify. For example, a character with less than 11 Constitution or 8 Strength could not play a dwarf.
Class limits[]
Demihumans were limited to character classes which thematically fit their role. For example, in AD&D 2nd edition, halflings could be clerics, fighters, or thieves, but not rangers or mages. Gnomes could be illusionists, but not mages. Humans, conversely, could take any class.[1]
In AD&D 2nd edition, only demihumans were capable of multiclassing. However, humans were capable of dual-classing, which was a different multiclassing mechanic.
Racial level limits[]
Prior to D&D 3rd edition, humans did not gain any racial abilities. As a balancing factor, demihumans had character class level limits. For example, in AD&D 2nd edition, dwarves could only reach level 10 as cleric, level 12 as thief, or level 15 as fighter.[1]
This rule was widely ignored. In 1979, Gary Gygax defended its inclusion, arguing that it would make humans obsolete.[2] The AD&D 2e Dungeon Master Guide (2e revised) (1995) similarly argued that it was thematically necessary, since demihuman with their longer lifespans would naturally accumulate momre high-level heroes, naturally preventing the rise of human kingdoms or heroes.[1]
Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns (1995) doubled down on the demihuman level limit rule, defending it as "the price players must pay for gaining demihuman advantages at lower levels." It suggested that demihumans who wish to continue raising in level alongside human counterparts should use wish to transform into a human.
D&D 3rd edition abandoned racial level limits entirely.
Race as class[]
The Basic D&D product line which was published concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons simplified the game so that dwarf, elf, etc were character classes. Unlike AD&D, where
History[]
AD&D 1st edition[]
"Demi-human" first appeared in the AD&D 1st edition core rules. For example, in the Players Handbook (1e) (1978), p.97, under the spell dispel exhaustion:
- By means of this spell, the illusionist is able to restore 50% of lost hit points to all persons (humans, demi-humans and humanoids) he or she touches during the round it is cast, subject to a maximum of four persons.
The term was used in Dragon Magazine soon thereafter, such as From the Sorcerer's Scroll, Dragon #29 (Sep 1979), in which Gygax criticizes a popular house rule to remove level restrictions:
- It is in vogue in some campaigns to remove restrictions on demi-humans—or at least relax them somewhat. While this might make the DM popular for a time with those participants with dwarven fighters or high level, or elven wizards of power, it will eventually consign the campaign as a whole to one in which the only races will be non-human.
"Demi-human" and "humanoid" were considered distinct concepts at this time, such as in Good Evening, Dragon #30 (Oct 1979), p.7, where Len Lakofka writes:
- Note that humanoids and demihumans can NOT become vampires.
The spelling "demihuman", unhyphenated, would appear in later books, including Monster Manual II (1e) (1983), Dungeoneer's Survival Guide (1986) and Greyhawk Adventures (1988). Dungeon Master's Design Kit (1988) used both inconsistently.
Basic D&D[]
"Demi-human" began to be used in the Basic D&D branch from the Basic Set (B/X) (1981), following AD&D.
AD&D 2nd edition[]
"Demihuman" and "demi-human" continued to be used throughout Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition, with the non-hyphenated spelling more common. The term is defined in the Player's Handbook (2e) (1989), p.11:
- Demihuman - a player character who is not human: a dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, or halfling.
The term was elsewhere defined to refer to all player character races other than human, such as in the Player's Handbook (2e revised) (1995), p.26.
D&D 3rd edition onwards[]
The term "demihuman" was retired from D&D 3e onward. Playable human-like classes are generally referred to as "humanoids".
However, the term does appear in a few isolated instances. These include The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb, Dungeon #138 (Sep 2006), p.63, which was a conversion of a work written for an earlier edition; and Races of Eberron (2005), p.101, which makes a rare juxtaposition of "demihuman" with D&D 3.5's kalashtar. Several World of Greyhawk products used the archaic term, including Living Greyhawk adventure modules.