This has probably been asked before but what advantage is there to playing a human PC? I thought there used to be something like getting more skill ranks at creation but I don't see that now so maybe it was another game. Right now all I see is that humans get an extra Feat. Seems pretty lame compared to the dark vision all all the other bonuses that demi humans get.
I'm trying to decide what my first character for Pathfinder should be so that's why I'm asking. Thanks.
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They also get an extra skill rank per level.
But really, the bonus feat is HUGE. Most PFS characters locally are humans, and I can't help thinking that's why.
Also, if the ARG is allowed in your game, humans can trade in the bonus feat and skill ranks for a +2 to another stat of choice. That's pretty solid as well.
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It's already been said, and on top of that, they make great spellcasters of all kinds, since their favored class options or spontaneous casters give them access to additional spells known, which very few other races allow (and half the ones that do, do so conditionally). Combined with the bonus skill point per level essentially being an entire other skill you can max out, the fact that they get to choose their +2 bonus (which only Half-Elves and Half-Orcs can do), and the bonus feat, which is tremendously useful. Then the human-centric feats make very versatile characters.
That said...I prefer playing non-humans just because its sometimes less boring, and i have a particular fondness for Half-Elves. Despite that, humans appeal to me much more now than in 3.5
The other racial edges can be potent if used in the right build.
Of course they can.
Still, that additional spell appears considerably more potent than most of the sorcerer-favored-class bonuses non-humans can access.
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That's rubbish. You don't need a ton of spells known to play a sorcerer well. If you really think that the Human sorcerer is the only viable one, one can only wonder how you ever ran sorcerers in 3.5 or before the APG came out. The other racial edges can be potent if used in the right build.
I didn't say that they were non-viable, but the simple fact of the matter is that they ARE quite a bit less powerful. And they're clearly an inferior choice.
I'd be kind of like chosing between playing a regular fighter, or one that only got half the bonus feats. Kind of a no-brainer.
Interesting that people bring up the extra feat. I was thinking the opposite way. All of the bonuses that a dwarf gets seem like worth more than an extra feat. Darkvision alone is practically as good as a feat to me. But then add in the stone cunning, greed, slow and steady, hardy and the other traits and it seems to be more than generous compensation.
But that's just my opinion.
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Interesting that people bring up the extra feat. I was thinking the opposite way. All of the bonuses that a dwarf gets seem like worth more than an extra feat. Darkvision alone is practically as good as a feat to me. But then add in the stone cunning, greed, slow and steady, hardy and the other traits and it seems to be more than generous compensation.
But that's just my opinion.
You can't just look at the features in isolation. You need to look at the entire package. Sure, dark vision is probably worth MORE than a feat for a scout sort. But the minus to movement also costs more for a lightly armoured character. And darkvision isn't likely to be all that valuable to a druid, for example.
The bottom line is that for just about any class (NOT for all archetypes, admittedly) a human will be near (or at) the top of the racial choices from a pure power gaming perspective. Just look at the various guides out there.
Now, every class will have another race or two that is as good (or better) than a human. But, for every other race, there will be classes that make quite poor choices (again, from a power gaming perspective. The poor choices can often be a lot of fun :-)).