Racial Level Restrictions

In addition to unlimited class choice, humans can attain any level in any
class. Once again, this is a human special ability, something no other race has. In
the AD&D game, humans are more motivated by ambition and the desire for power
than the demihuman races are. Thus, humans advance further and more quickly.

Demihumans can attain significant levels in certain classes, but they do not
have the same unlimited access. Some players may argue that the greater age of
various non-humans automatically means they will attain greater levels. That can
present problems.

Demihuman characters are limited in how high a level they can achieve both to
preserve internal consistency (humans are more flexible than non-humans) and to
enforce game balance. A DM, however, can change or eliminate these limits as
he sees fit. As with class restrictions, the consequences must be examined in
detail.

Given their extremely long lifespans, demihumans without limitations would
quickly reach levels of power far beyond anything attainable by humans. The world
would be dominated by these extremely powerful beings, to the exclusion of
humans. Human heroes would be feeble compared to the heroes of elves and dwarves.

Given their numerous advantages, demihumans would be the most attractive
races–no one would play a human. Again, this isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s very
different. The resulting game will be completely unlike the standard
sword-and-sorcery milieu. You might need to set the campaign in an ancient age, before the
ascendance of men (though given the situation, it’s unlikely that men would
ever become dominant).

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