Playable Races

All races have same stats and abilities as listed in the Player’s Handbook.

The differences are in background, appearance. e.g. Halflings don’t have hairy feet, aren’t a separate race/culture. They’re just short humans with different stats and have the culture of whatever humans they are living with.

For each listing the D&D race is given in parenthesis i.e. (human).

The Common Classes entry is just the classes this culture tends to produce. It is not a restriction.

Same with Common Languages, it’s there to separate different cultures and to give a feeling of which races mingle/friendly with other races.

Starting Languages are free languages character knows at start. These replace what is in the Players Handbook.

See also Languages of the Known World and Beyond

All characters may select two skills(with DM approval) to be class skills.

Men

(human)

Note that 40% of Common Pelosian are humans.

Darsis & Wildlands

Majority of the population in Darsis, Wildlands and other areas.

These people have mixed with others so often that there is no commality in their outward appearances. All shapes, sizes, and colors of men can be found.

Those lineages that trace back the furthest and have the least admixture of foreign blood are tall, pale, blond, and blue-eyed.

The various peoples that call the former Old Kingdom home have the following as bonus class skills:

  • Speak Languages

Starting Languages: Human

Common Languages: Pelosian, Qadir, Ancient Khemish, Sunish

Common Classes: All

Qatrun

“The Peoples of Holy Fist of Hlark”

Of short to average height. Many complexions from pale to dark, most tend to be “brown” typical of desert dwellers. Black or brown hair either curly or straight. Eyes are typically brown, but blue and green are to be found. Facial hair is common but often shaved.

Followers of Hlark have the following bonus class skills:

  • Knowledge (Religion) (Fist) a Specialized Skill

Qatrun and civilized Babrem who normally have Spellcraft as a class skill also have Psicraft as a class skill.

Starting Languages: Qadir

Common Languages: Human, Khemish, Pelosian

Common Classes: Any Divine, Paladin, Fighter, Ranger(desert), Rogue, Soulknife, Psychic Warrior

Babrem

The tribal nomads who live in the deserts and lands now part of Fist. Many have “civilized” and moved to Qatrun cities. Many others stubbornly persist as they always have. And a few actively resist Holy Fist of Hlark.

Shorter than most men. Ruddy sunburnt complexions. Black or Brown eyes with hair to match. Tend to be hairy people with full beards that the men wear with pride.

Other than Wilders magical abilities are unknown amongst the Babrem.

Babrem Nomads have the following bonus class skills:

  • Survival(Desert) a Specialized Skill

    • Riding

Babrem that have moved to cities and follow Hlark have the following bonus class skills instead:

  • Knowledge (Religion) (Fist) a Specialized Skill

Starting Languages: Qadir

Common Languages: Khemish

Common Classes: Barbarian, Ranger(desert), Druid(desert), Fighter, Wilder

Sunesh

Short and slight build with range of skin tones from “olive” to darker browns. Most have short straight or kinky black hair. Brown eyes. Facial hair is rare.

They are a civilized race although not as advanced as Pelos, Fist, or the Old Kingdom.

Sunesh may treat the Kama as a simple weapon(its what they use for sickles)

Starting Languages: Sunish

Common Languages: Human, Pelosian, Khemish

Common Classes: Fighter, Sorcerer, Wilder, Rogue, Ranger

DM Only

other

Called Old Men by Pelosians as their civilization although not that advanced seems to have been around for several thousand years.

Common Languages: Sunish, Human, Pelosian, Khemish

Common Classes: Fighter, Sorcerer, Wilder, Rogue, Ranger(arid)

Tuan

Far Westerners

Various exotic “oriental” weapons are martial for Tuan.

Starting Languages: Tu’an

Common Languages: Human, Pelosian

Common Classes: Fighter, Monk, Cleric

“Dwarfs”

(halflings)

Not a race onto themselves but rather an uncommon result of human birth. Somewhere between 2-5% of any human population are actually halflings

Other than their short stature halflings reflect their parents complexions, eye, and hair colors.

Darsis and Pelos treat such people equitably. For many in Darsis a halfling child is an omen of good fortune and luck. Predictably The Peoples of Fist obliterate such “abominations” at birth. Some halfling communities exist but most intermingle with full-sized men.

Two halflings have a 50/50 chance of producing either a fullsized or halfsized child.

Starting Languages: Depends on base culture

Common Languages: Depends on base culture

Common Classes: Depends on base culture

True Dwarves

(dwarves)

The true Dwarves. Short, stocky, strong, dark skinned and red, brown, or yellow haired.

Have Lived deep underground for hundreds of years. Rarely an outcast or adventurous Dwarf will come to the surface.

Use mystical abilities based on their religion and ancestor worship instead of magic. This “magic” is unknown to the other races.

Dwarven “Laws”:

  • Be loyal. Honor clan and ancestors. Stand by your word.

    • Never negatively impact a clan member’s livelihood.

    • Never come between any dwarf and his honor.

    • Allies come and go, enemies are forever.

    • Honor those who have honored themselves.

    • Say/show nothing that need not be said/shown.

Starting Languages: `languages#Dwarvish

Common Languages: Human, Pelosian

Common Classes: Any

Pelosian

(“high” are elves)

(“common” 60% are half-elves)

(“common” 40% are humans with less than 1/2 elvish blood)

Note: Peolsians and others don’t make the high/common distinction. They are all simply Pelosian.

Pelosians as a whole are proficient manipulators of essence, channeling, and mentalism magics. Magic pervades their culture and technology.

Common Pelosians have mixed with other peoples. Compared to High Pelosians they are slightly shorter, with paler skin. With black or brown hair although blond and red are not unheard of. Most often brown eyes but never the yellow, orange, red, bright piercing blue seen with High Pelosians.

High Pelosians are tall, lithe and stately. They tend to lack facial hair, have light brown skin, black hair and varied eye color. Are even more attuned to the magic arts than their Common brethren.

(not sure how best to represent Pelosian magical aptitude, gonna try this rule) High Pelosians of every non spell/non psion class may select 2 Bard, Divine, or Arcane 0 lvl spells that they know. The cast these spells as Sorcerers(that is with our memorization). These spells may be cast a number of times per day equal to 2 + 1 per lvl beyond 1st max of 6. So a 3rd lvl fighter would be able to cast his 2 known spells 3 times per day.

All High/Common Pelosians have the following bonus class skills:

  • Knowledge (Arcana) Having to do with arcane, known as essence magic.

    • Knowledge (Psionics) Having to do with psionic, known as mentalism magic.

    • Knowledge (Divine) Having to do with divine, known as channeling magic. Not religions.

Pelosian’s who normally have Spellcraft as a class skill also have Psicraft as a class skill and vis versa.

Light repeating crossbows are martial weapons for Pelosians.

Starting Languages: Pelosian

Common Languages: Human, Eldar Pelosian, Gnommish, Qadir, Khemmish

Common Classes: Wizard, Sorcerer, Psion, Cleric, Fighter, Psychic Warrior

Pelosian Gnome

(gnome)

A diminutative race, they aren’t often magically adept but many posses curious innate powers. They excel at the mundane sciences.

Two major subcultures, “Forest Gnomes” that live in sprawling tree forts and “Hill Gnomes” which tunnel extensive burrows.

Their exact origin is a mystery. No non-Pelosian population has been found.

Gnomes do not marry other races, there are no half-gnomes.

A gnome may choose one of the following as a bonus class skill:

  • Craft (Mechanical)

    • Knowledge (Science)

    • Knowledge (Nature)

    • Knowledge (Engineering & Architecture)

    • others are possible if they fit in mechanically inclined “scientific” gnomes

Starting Languages: Gnommish, Pelosian

Common Languages: Human, Khemish

Common Classes: Fighter, Rogue, Bard, Wizard, Sorcerer

NPC Races

Tribes of the Southern Continent

(orcs)

Zafar

aka Zatar. Darker skinned and very tall nomadic herdsmen. The short kinky black hair on their heads and backs which they universally dye red with a particular mud that also makes it spiky and hard.

Xenophobic and hostile to anyone outside their tribe including other Zafar.

Starting Languages: Khemish

Common Classes: Barbarian, Rogue, Fighter, Sorcerer

Ka’im

(PC half-orcs likely from here) Lightest skinned and shortest of the “Tribes”. They also grow more and longer hair, black or very dark brown.

They are the least “evil” of the tribes. They are also the most civilized and were practicing agriculture even before Pelosians colonists arrived. Now many Ka’im are subjects of Pelos and live along side the colonists.

Starting Languages: Khemish

Common Languages: Pelosian, Human

Common Classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Druid

Utbah

(PC half-orcs could be from here) Very dark skinned, short black hair covers most of their bodies.

Starting Languages: Khemish

Common Languages: Qadir

Common Classes: Barbarian, Ranger(desert), Fighter, Rogue, Psychic Warrior, Soulknife, Sorcerer

Axoe

(elf)

DM Only

elder elf

Rarely a child born of two “High” Pelosians will have a common set of deformities. These include white or blue almost transparent hair, paler skin, long faces with sharp features and almost pointed chin, and even slighter build. Axoe aren’t shunned exactly but they are different and generally don’t fit well with daily Pelosian society. They have their own communities within Pelos. Axoe infants are often given to them instead of being subjected to a childhood amongst normals.

Extremely strong magical abilities.

Axoe are sterile.

Starting Languages: Pelosian

Common Languages: Eldar Pelosian

Common Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard, Psion

Thyrellon

(gotta be some avian race in some expansion book somewhere)

Small winged humanoids. Weak, low-endurance, low magical abilities.

The males sport bright plumage varying by color and pattern between individuals which fades to white with age. Females are covered in shades of grey and white with blend in to their high mtn homes. Both have black pupiless eyes. No hair just feathers and down.

They live in the cliffs and mountains of Pelos Major. Tribal and barely civilized they rarely conflict/interact with Pelosians.

Starting Languages: Auran(PH language of air creatures)

Common Languages: Pelosian

Common Classes: Barbarian, Ranger, Fighter

Arite

(???)

DM Only

desert elf

Desert humanoids who until recently have been extremely rare and shunned civilized contact.

Red-eyed and sandy skinned. They lack any body hair.

They are known to exist in the areas around Holy Fist of Hlark. Other than rumor and fanciful tales that is about all that is known of them.

Niptia / Seafolk

(mermen?)

DM Only

sea elf

Semi-nomadic aquatic humanoids. They form pods consisting of a few dozen to several hundred members.

The coloration of their scales and “hair” vary greatly but seem to be similar among members of the same pod.

Known to live in the shallow waters around Citystate of Darsis, Wildlands, Pelos.

Kjore

(various)

Kjores are many races, mixtures of races, corruption of races, and various biological monstrosities that have been summoned or “crafted” by Priestesses..