The Races

            When we sat down to make the new rules, one of the things that kept coming up was a return to basics. I had made over 20 elaborate races (which are here in earlier posts) and the group thought that they didn’t need that much. So, here we have the basic races for this particular set of rules. I may or may not amend them later on. It depends on my mood and the response to these posts. If people are interested, I have a hell of a lot more races to add.

Blood of the Dragon

Those blessed to be born to a draconic lineage. They are filled with power, both arcane and physical.

Blood of the Dragon comes in two differing species, Kasoev and Mordelan. Their traits are listed below.

Kasoev

Lethal warriors of born of metal and might.

Average Height: 6’3”-9’
Average Weight: 350-1000lb.

Scale of the Dragon: You have incredibly tough, metal scales that cover your entire body. This is the equivalent of wearing scaled armor.

Dragonwrath: You’re a danger just to be around, and when in battle, you can bring up a magic aura that hurts anyone who is too close.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Mage, Marksman, Monk, One-Handed. You gain a +15 bonus to these talents when you take them: Smithing, Two-Handed.

Mordelan

Ancient colored dragons born of the very magics of the world.

Average Height: 5’-6’

Average Weight: 130-250lb.

Blink: You can teleport short distances.

Arcane Brilliance: You channel arcane energy exceedingly well and it does not have a strain on you like it does other races and people, allowing you to cast more spells before tiring. You also cast spells more easily and quickly than others, allowing you to cast greater spells more swiftly and with greater accuracy.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 to these talents when you take them: Alteration, Apothecary, Chaos, Engineering, Illusion, Light, Psion. You gain a +10 to these talents when you take them: Enchanting, Shadow. You gain a +15 to Mage.

Dwarf

Masters of stone and iron, dauntless and unyielding in the face of adversity.

Average Height: 4’3”-4’9”

Average Weight: 160-220lb.

Cast-Iron Stomach: You are immune to poisons and highly resistant to diseases.

Dwarven Mastery: Regardless of what type of armor you wear, it offers a greater defense and better protection, as though you were wearing a higher quality or enchanted armor. Likewise, any armor you make is of a higher quality and durability than others of its kind.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 to these talents when you take them: Alchemy, Alteration, Marksman, Monk. You gain a +10 these talents when you take them: Engineering, Light, One-Handed, Two-Handed. You gain a +15 to Smithing.

Elf

The ancient wardens born of the natural parts of the world. Graceful, wise, and powerful.

Elves come in two differing species: Drow and Valdis. Their traits are listed below. In addition to their separate traits, elves do not require a full six hours of sleep. They must only enter a meditative state known as Trance for 4 hours to be fully refreshed. You are fully aware of your surroundings while in a trance and notice events normally.

Drow

The elves who embraced the night and its virtues. Strong, fast, resilient and powerful allies.

Average Height: 5’4”-6’

Average Weight: 130-170lb.

Spiderwalk: You can climb very easily, sticking to things like Spider-Man.

Choose one of the following:

Darkvision: You can see as clearly in the night as you can during the day. You can, if you are lucky, even penetrate magical darkness.

Shadowstep: You can slightly phase into the Shadowrealms, effectively making yourself invisible to all but magical means. You can move easily while phased, but still are a physical presence in the real world, so you must avoid people and open doors to pass through them.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Bard, Chaos, Enchanting, Illusion, Monk, One-Handed, Summoning. You gain a +10 to these talents when you take them: Mage, Shadow, Thievery. You gain a +15 bonus to Apothecary.

Valdis

The grace of the forest, the power of the gods.

Average Height: 5’-6’3”

Average Weight: 100-200lb.

Grace of the Forest: You are exceedingly quiet and move with a strange, surreal grace. You are exceedingly agile and move very quickly and easily.

Source of Power: You channel divine, ki, psionic energies exceedingly well and it does not have a strain on you like it does other races and people. This allows you to use abilities from these talents very easily, more accurately, and with greater power.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Alteration, Bard, Chaos, Illusion, Mage, Summoning. You gain a +10 to these talents when you take them: Light, Marksman, Monk, Psion. You gain a +15 to Enchanting.

Gnome

Slight, sly tricksters of the Feywild who excel at avoiding notice.

Average Height: 3-4” to 3’8”

Average Weight: 50-75lb.

Master Trickster: Can’t prank a prankster, and as a gnome, you know an illusion and a lie when you see one. Not only are you a better liar than most, but you can discern more easily when people are lying, and you can see through most illusions.

In Plain Sight: You’re exceedingly good at hiding. So good that you can, even while people are looking, sort of fade into the background becoming, essentially, invisible for a short time.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Apothecary, Enchanting, Light, Monk, One-Handed. You gain a +10 bonus to these talents when you take them: Alteration, Bard, Chaos, Illusion, Thievery. You gain a +15 to Engineering.

Goblin

Small, green, clever, and quick, a bad reputation with a heart of gold.

Average Height: 3-4” to 3’8”

Average Weight: 50-75lb.

Thick Skinned: Having been mocked and beaten and literally slaughtered over the course of their existence, Goblin’s have developed a slightly thicker, tougher hide than other races, and are capable of taking more damage and taking it better. For their size, they are remarkably tough and resilient.

Clever Mocking: Goblins, having been on the receiving end of a lot of hate and rage over the centuries, have developed a quick, clever wit that allows them to do many things. They can mock an opponent with an almost lethal insult, driving their foe into a rage that trips them up in battle, and they also see things in a slightly different way, allowing them to decipher puzzles and riddles or see a pattern in the chaos that others just can’t.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Alteration, Chaos, Enchanting, Illusion, Mage. You gain a +10 to these talents when you take them: Apothecary, Bard, Shadow, Smithing, Thievery. You gain a +15 bonus to Engineering.

Goliath

Tribal nomads of the mountains, strong as the rock and proud as the peak.

Average Height: 7’2”-7’8”

Average Weight: 280-340lb.

Physical Mountain: You are big, you are strong, you are tough, and people know it. Your body functions differently than other people’s, and you are just simply stronger than other people, even of your size. You’re very difficult to hurt, and when you want to hurt people, you certainly can.

Living Mountain: For a short time, you can turn your flesh to living stone, withstanding a great deal of damage.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Druid, Light, Mage, Marksman, Monk, One-Handed. You gain a +15 to Smithing and Two-Handed.

Half-Elf

Born heroes and leaders who combine the best features of human and elves.

Average Height: 5’5”-6’2”

Average Weight: 130-190lb.

Dual Heritage: You can choose one of the elven racial features. You cannot take Trance.

Gift of Blood: When choosing your three starting talents, choose one in particular. You gain Mastery Rank 1 for free in that talent branch.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Chaos, Druid, Enchanting, Illusion, Light, Mage, Marksman, Monk. You gain a +10 bonus to these talents when you take them: Bard, One-Handed, Summoning, Two-Handed.

Halfling

Quick and resourceful wanderers, small in stature but great in courage.

Average Height: 3’10”-4’2”

Average Weight: 75-85lb.

Brave or Stupid?: You are immune to nearly all fear effects and seem to have no real fear of anything.

Hard Target: Being small and exceedingly agile, you’re a difficult person to hit. You take damage like a bitch because most things are bigger than you, but given your speed and agility, it’s a rare thing when you do get hit.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Apothecary, Alteration, Bard, Chaos, Enchanting. You gain a +10 bonus to these talents when you take them: Marksman, Monk, One-Handed, Thievery.

Half-Orc

Fierce warriors who combine human resolve with orc savagery.

Average Height: 5’9”-7’

Average Weight: 155-375lb.

Blood Rage: You can enter a berserker state while fighting that allows you to ignore all damage you take and to inflict much greater damage to your foes. While you are not lost to a rage during this, when you leave this state you are drained and all damage done hits you at once. If you are not careful you can die after the effect fades.

Thick Skinned: You have exceedingly tough skin that is hard to pierce or damage.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Chaos, Druid, Light, Mage, Marksman, Monk, Shadow. You gain a +10 to One-Handed, Summoning, and Two-Handed. You gain a +15 to Smithing.

Human

Ambitious, driven, pragmatic – a race of heroes and also a race of villians.

Average Height: 5’6”-6’2”

Average Weight: 135-220lb.

Gift of the Short Life: You gain a +5 bonus to all talent trees. Choose one to gain a +10 bonus to and one to gain a +15 bonus to.

Lycan

Cursed with a dark bloodline, these people have learned to harness the power of the beast.

In Human Form

Average Height: 5’6”-6’2”

Average Weight: 135-220lb.

In Werewolf Form

Average Height: 7’1”-8’5”

Average Weight: 350-500lb.

Blood of the Wolf: You have three forms: a normal human form, a werewolf form, and a dire wolf form. You can shift through these with relative ease, and gain heightened senses, strength, speed, stamina, and agility when in the latter two forms. You also gain natural weapons when in the alternate forms.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Chaos, Mage, Marksman, Monk, Two-Handed. You gain a +10 to these talents when you take them: Shape Shifitng, Shadow, Summoning. You gain a +15 bonus to Druid.

Tauren

Caught between savagery and civilization, these warriors struggle against the beast within.

Average Height: 7’1”-8’5”

Average Weight: 350-500lb.

Bestial Ferocity: You are a monster on the battlefield, and you can go on well past the point of exhaustion. In DnD terms, you wouldn’t fall unconscious until -15 HP and would die until -25.
Ancestral Memory: You are a terrifying warrior if you are wielding any kind of axe, and it makes you a much better fighter.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Marksman, Monk, One-Handed, Shadow, Summoning. You gain a +10 bonus to these talents when you take them: Light, Two-Handed. You gain a +15 to Druid and Smithing.

Torilan

Graceful, winged archers and masters of the sky.

Average Height: 5’-6’

Average Weight: 80-150 lb.

Winged Grace: You are very light, with strong, large wings that allow you to fly. You are exceedingly graceful, agile, and quick. However, you also have hollow bones and are not a very tough creature, and you take damage badly.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Bard, Enchanting, Light. You gain a +10 to these talents when you take them: One-Handed, Summoning, Thievery. You gain a +15 to Marksman.

Tiefling

Heirs of a shattered empire who live in the shadows and do not fear the dark.

Average Height: 5’6’-6’2”

Average Weight: 140-230lb.

Hellish Blood: You look demonic and gain some powers from that. This includes a natural resistance to fire as well a strange, surreal charm.

Infernal Wrath: You can channel small bolts of felfire at your foes.

Talent Bonuses: You gain a +5 bonus to these talents when you take them: Apothecary, Alteration, Chaos, Enchanting, Psion. You gain a +10 to the following paths when you take them: Bard and Summoning. You gain a +15 to Mage and Shadow when you take them.