RACES 

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RACES  HUMANS CATMEN - MARCHAT DWARVES ELVES GRIPPLI HALF-ELVES HALF-ORCS HOBYTLAN Pixie SZATHAIR (LIZARDMEN) Height and Weight Generation

Playable Character races that exist in my campaign world:

Dwarves  - all campaign regions

Elves (except Dark Elves) - all campaign regions

Grippli - Greenvale and Miran only

Half-elves - all campaign regions - rare in Narbada, common in Greenvale/Harothar, very rare in Miran

Half-orcs - fairly rare but available in all campaign regions

Hobytlan - common in most regions, rare in Miran

Humans - the common race

Marchat - Greenvale only

Pixies - ummmm... anywhere?

Szathair - Greenvale and Miran only

 

 

Notes on creating characters: roll all stats 4d6 and drop the lowest. Place in your preferred order. Select Class, Race and Background. Use the PH as default, but check here for variants. There are no gnomes, dark elves, dragonborn or tieflings in my campaign world.

 

 

HUMANS

Humans are the most mixed of all races; they are not so long-lived that they do not evolve over time, yet they tend not to isolate themselves and thus create subraces. Humans are versatile and varied, but not substantially different from each other.

 

Personality: Humans are the most adaptable, flexible and ambitious folk among the common races. They are diverse in their tastes, morals, customs and habits. Their cultural memory is short, due to relatively short lifespans, and they tend to have less regard for history and its lessons than other longer-lived races. Humans are frequently argumentative, but not usually prone to violent aggression as a group. However, they are easily swayed by their leaders and can quickly become aggressive or intolerant under the wrong influence.

 

Physical description: humans tend to be from 5 to 6 + feet tall, and weigh from about 100 to around 250 lbs. Men are noticeably taller and more heavily built than women. Humans have more physical diversity in coloring than other races, with skins ranging from pale and sallow to sooty black. Hair color is similarly diverse, from white-blond to blue-black and every shade of brown, blonde or red in between. Hair may be straight, curly, kinky, coarse or fine. Various regions tend to produce humans with similar ranges of hair and skin color. Clothing varies extensively by culture and climate, so it is impossible to describe here. See the country/region info for further details. In Greenvale, people tend to the Mediterranean size and coloring: brown hair and eyes are the most common, while skin is a warm brown or olive. Blonde and blue-eyed people are a rarity - usually half-elven or with a strain of elvish blood. Red hair is also very uncommon - it tends to be dark red-brown or copper rather than carroty. Black hair is fairly common, especially among the woodsfolk and their kin. They often have black or grey eyes.

           

Relations: humans have decent relations with most other races that dwell nearby. This varies by political situation, of course. Humans tend to distrust half-orcs and admire elves. They treat hobbytlan with mild curiosity, finding them ‘cute’ but not always trustworthy. Marchat they generally find interesting and attractive, with some humans having reservations. In general humans depend on their previous experience to form their opinions, not on long-term racial interactions.           

            There are two distinct cultural groups of humans in Greenvale. Firstly are the ordinary citizens of the valley, and then there are the Shalani, a traveling people who worship Centarius and are often the foundation members of caravans traveling outside the populated centers of Miraboria.

            The Shalani population in Greenvale at any given time is not likely to be over about 15,000. They rarely settle down for more than a season or two, but wander about in wagons and small traveling parties. If a player chooses to run a Shalani-born human, he or she is most likely to choose the classes of fighter, bard, cleric of Centarius, ranger or sorcerer. Shalani do not often study magic as wizards, nor do they often become knights of any order except St. Romanus. Surprisingly, they rarely take to the druidic belief system.

            Shalani have their own language, which they all speak fluently, as well as speaking ‘valer to at least some degree.

            In Harothar, Shalani are uncommon but not rare. Small groups of them travel from Greenvale on regular journeys, and a few bands dwell in Harothar on a long-term basis. In fact, in southern Harothar there is a semi-permanent encampment that has 'bonded' with the local dwarf-clan for protection and wintering rights. Dwarves see little difference between Shalani and other human peoples.

            In general, humans in Harothar differ little from those in Greenvale; they are independent, sturdy folk with a wide range of views of the world. They tend to be farmers and merchants, trappers, fishermen and artisans. They work with their hands and enjoy physical labor. Clothing is simple and practical. Few believe that rank and privilege are born, not earned. The feudal structure is loose, or non-existant. In Harothar in particular, wealth and advancement are earned, and are seen as the goal of every right-thinking man or woman. Harothans are taller, paler skinned and fairer haired than 'valers, but do not range to the truly nordic end of the scale except on rare occasion.

 

Human Lands: humans are recovering from a major war that wiped out a sizeable portion of their population some 400 years ago. They think they are a stable and unchanging people, but in truth human society is in constant flux, sometimes growing, sometimes shrinking. Members of longer-lived races find human rates of change baffling, and often ignore what they consider “minor fluctuations” in their government and the reach of their boundaries. Major human lands in Miraboria consist of Greenvale (a half-elf ruled human kingdom with strong mercantile and expansionist tendencies, mostly feudal but with a strong base of personal rights and freedoms), Miran (a decadent, magic-fearing theocracy with strong slave-holding roots), and Harothar (a dwarf-ruled mixed-race clan-kingdom where humans are not quite the majority).

 

Alignment; humans tend to be neutral on the law/chaos axis, and completely variable on the good/evil axis. There is perhaps a small tendency towards good in most human groups.

 

Religion: unlike many other races who choose to worship only a small selection of gods, humans seize on any religion that comes along and make it theirs. So while other races may have one or a few favored deities, humans in various cultural regions worship dozens of gods. Many are simply the same god under a different name, with slightly different domains, but don’t tell a human that...

 

Language: humans, unlike the longer-lived races, tend to allow their language to splinter as easily as their culture. Humans who remain separated for as little as a few hundred years may find that they speak substantially different dialects when they meet up again. Humans gain only the language of their birth region at start.

 

Traits: use the "variant" ability score increases, skill and feat listed on PH page 31, green box.

For all other statistics and characteristics not mentioned here, use the PH default.

 

CATMEN - MARCHAT

Catmen are not common in Greenvale, but are becoming slightly more so over time. They may have originated somewhere in the western Sky-mounts. Exactly what their origin is, even they do not know. Their people’s earliest memories revolve around crossing great open plains of grass. They have no written records, and no one has ever tried to discover their original homelands. Because of their prolific breeding (litters of 2-4 are common) they are spreading apace. They have short lifespans (40 years normal).

 

Personality: Catmen have an incredible amount of patience when it comes to hunting but this patience is seen in no other aspect of their lives. They want things when they want them and lack patience for extended actions that do not have an easily forseeable goal. They are hedonistic and selfish for the most part.

 

Physical Description: The catmen are beautiful creatures who are covered with fur of a solid color, particolor or stripe. This fur can be pretty much any color that a human or cat's hair might be. They have long sleek expressive tails. Their fur is short but covers their entire bodies. Their eyes range from light green to dark gold in color. A few have blue eyes. They are from 4-5 feet tall and weigh between 100 and 130 lbs. Catmen typically walk upright but can move on all fours when speed is important. They have opposable thumbs and short, stubby fingers with retractable claws.

 

Lifespan

Toddler: 1-2 years

Child: 2-6 years

Teenager 7-10 years

Young Adult 10-14 years

Adult 15-30 years

Middle Age 31 - 38 years

Old 38-42

Venerable 42-46 years

 

Alignment:  generally Chaotic Neutral, but varies widely; rarely evil

 

Social structure:  The Catman society is strongly matrilineal. Most Catman tribes consist of 1 to 5 closely related families. A very large Catman tribe might have 100 members. Tribes intermarry and relate well with each other, with only rare conflicts over territory. Young male catmen frequently leave their tribes to go roaming - perhaps mate hunting. Young females leave less commonly, and usually because they have some personal or familial problem (such as a lack of fertility). Reproduction is a key fact of life in Catman society. Few catmen know or care who their fathers are, but their mothers they can trace back to the origins of their species. Because male parenthood is unimportant, social structure is more matriarchal than not, though individual males can and do have important and powerful roles in the clan. These roles, however, are achieved through ability, not inheritance.

 

Lands: Catmen live and wander in the forests of Laigladen. Some have come to Greenvale where they are commonly wandering merchants, hunters, sometimes even mercenaries. Tribes that have come here are smaller, usually having from 10 to 30 members. They remain fairly closely together. In Miran there are whole tribes held in slavery. They are used for hunting, as fighters in the arenas, and as exotic house-slaves. Far to the west, Marchat tribes still wander the grasslands north of the Plainsfolk. These tribes are more barbaric than those who have come east to Greenvale and Laigladen. Only a few have reached Harothar, mostly individuals or single families.

 

Religion: Catmen worship overwhelmingly Balinha, Kafuzalum and Marathina, whom they call Aalin’ha’, Khafussa’mm, and Mmaharafina’.

 

Language: Catmen know their own tongue (Marchatan or cattish) and either Harothan (if they live in or near Harothar), 'Valer or Elvish (if they are from Laigladen) or Mirani (if they are from Miran). Catmen who hail from the far western plains who have wandered eastward in their quest for a mate may speak nothing but Cattish and a smattering of Plainsfolk. Marchatan owes a great deal to 2nd empire Miraborian, as that is the time in which Marchat was originated. There is only a 1 step difference, mostly in pronunciation. However, over time the language has drifted, and ther e is now a 2 step difference between ‘Valer and Marchat, or Marchat and Mirani, and 3 steps from other human tongues.

 

Names: Catmen names tend to be unpronounceable by humans and others. Catmen typically pick common names which define their appearance and role in life, or outline heroic events they have accomplished. Sometimes their common names are modifications of their catmen names. Catmen have difficulty pronouncing certain consonants (p, b, t and l especially), but replace them with sibilants and glottal stops. Vowels are long and flexible, with many subtle variations.

 

Marchat

Ability Scores: +2 Dex; +1 Wis or +1 Cha, your choice.

Size: Medium

Speed: Base walking speed is 30ft, but dash is based as if it is 40ft.

Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60' as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Cat's Luck: Once per long rest, you may roll a dexterity save or proficiency check with advantage.

Hunter's Eye: You can choose two of these three skills to be proficient in: perception, stealth, survival.

Claws: Marchat have claws on both hands that do 1d4 damage. They are automatically proficient in these and they count as finesse and light weapons.

Languages: Common and Marchatan

 

 

DWARVES

(dwarves have their own page)

 

ELVES

Elves are the first and oldest race believed to have been born on Vishteer. They feel they are the "eldest children" of the gods, and caretakers of the world.

 

Personality: elves are an ancient race. They have a sense of the passing of ages that even the other long-lived races lack. They can be merry or light-hearted at times, but in general tend towards melancholy or withdrawal. Among themselves they have elaborate rules of etiquette which prevent quick words from damaging centuries-long relationships. They see humans and halflings, and even dwarves, as having such fleeting lives that they hesitate to involve themselves deeply. Even a young elf sees the others in his group as mere children, doomed to live a brief life and die while he or she lives on for centuries. Arrogance on the part of an elf is not uncommon; sometimes he or she feels short-lived races are unimportant, while other times it is an attempt to avoid emotional involvement with one who will be dead in only a few decades.

 

Physical description: elves are tall and slender. They stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, with very little variation between the sexes. Most elves weigh between 160 and 220 pounds. They are graceful and delicate-seeming but not frail. Elves tend to pale skins and hair that is either black, white or a shade resembling gold or copper. Most have green, blue or copper eyes. Grey is not uncommon, but brown or black eyes are very rare. They have no facial hair. Elves are fine-featured and have delicately pointed ears. They dress plainly among humans, preferring simple earth-colors and basic designs, but amongst their own kind, clothing is an elaborate artform. Feathers are a preferred decoration. Elves mature at about 25 physically, but at about 100 emotionally, and can live for over 700 years.

 

Alignment: elves are generally neutral or good on the good/evil spectrum, and are generally neutral or chaotic on the law/chaos spectrum. They realize that order is good for survival, but their instinctive need for freedom and independence make them break free of most bonds. Only their sworn vows keep their society intact.

 

Social Structure: Elves live in small family units, usually two parents and a child. Multiple generations of families tend to live nearby, but contact is loose. Families call upon their bonds only rarely, not wishing to strain relationships. Certain families are considered to be "nobility" who take on the ruling functions of the kingdom, and other elves will give them their support and listen to their views. However, elves are naturally chaotic, so alliances may shift suddenly. Elves have a royal family in Avenvole, and there are other royal elven lines. Elves are monogamous, usually marrying for life sometime in middle age (between 2-300 years). Children are rare; an elf-woman who bears more than 2 children in her entire lifespan is remarkably fertile. Surprisingly, though, twins are not uncommon (about 1 birth in 30) and are considered very fortunate.

 

Elven Lands: the elves live in the Feywild. This mysterious place closely duplicates the “real” world in physical layout (ie the same rivers, mountains, forests and oceans) but is quite different in atmosphere and detail. The further one ranges from elven holts the less the ethereal and material worlds match up.  It is also much more dangerous than the material world, being home to ethereal monsters such as ghosts and phase spiders.  Elves need contact with the material world for certain resources. Animals are scarcer in the Feywild, and harder to hunt. Farming is difficult, and the elves prefer not to “damage” their world in that way. They trade their wonderful art and crafts with humans for food and other materials. Also, it is critical that the elves maintain gateways with the material world to preserve the “binding” of the Feywild in its current form. The further from a gateway to the material plane on the Feywild, the less similar it is to the material, the more dangerous it becomes, and the harder it is to survive there.  Avenvole is one of their strongest and largest Fey kingdoms. It has a large "real-world" component, which most humans assume is the totality of the realm. In truth, while they farm and hunt and harvest from the "real" world, all their dwellings are located on and almost all of their "living" happens in the Feywild.

 

Relations: Elves hold themselves aloof from humans in general. Centuries of mistreatment and betrayal have made them wary of human promises. But a few younger elves may choose to go adventuring. They are often looked upon by their kin as foolish children. Most PC elves will be from around Greenvale, or from the great Kingdom of Avenvole. A few might be from the Grey Kingdom on Mistland. Note that elves never speak to non-elves (even half-elves) about their homes in the Feywild, and would never take a non-elf there without a direct command or request from one of their elders. Elves tend to get along best with hobbytlan and  (usually) with half-elves. They tend to be aloof and reserved, carefully hiding their weaknesses. They keep to themselves for protection, knowing that humans will easily be jealous of their long lives and different way of living. However, once an elf takes someone into their trust, the bond is strong and enduring. Elves find the minor races (szathair, marchat and grippli) to be uninteresting or insignificant, but do not dislike them.

 

Language: common (‘Valer or Harothan), elvish. Elvish is a distinct language all its own. It is 3 steps different from all other tongues except orcish. Elves refuse to acknowledge the similarity orcish bears to their language. To their ears, orcish has a 3 step difference, but to orcs and other non-elves, there is only a 2 step separation.

 

Names: elvish names frequently have a long and mellifluous sound. They are usually descriptive, but since an elf rarely changes his or her name in his lifetime, they don't often reflect his or her true personality. Often they are drawn from nature. (Use tolkien-style elvish names if in doubt). Names are usually two-part; a common or "first" name and a family name. Some elves have third name; this indicates a noble or royal bloodline.

 

Lifespan: elves tend to live about 600-800 years. After that length of time, an elf usually becomes more and more withdrawn, until he or she will go into the forests on the edge of the Feywild, lie down and enter a dream-state. Gradually he or she will become one with the land, and typically a tree will grow up around the mound that covers him or her, until the tree becomes part of the elf. These trees are called ancestor trees and are cared for by all elves. These trees help to anchor the Feywild that the elves have sculpted, and becoming an ancestor tree is a very important thing to all elves, emotionally.

 

Religion: Elves tend to worship forest or nature gods, but do recognize the entire pantheon. They, better than humans, realize that the gods are more simply pools of energy and focus than true living beings, but this makes their power no less real, and elves pay homage to the concepts they embody.

 

Subraces: High and Wood Elf subraces are more cultural and familial than "racial"; in other words, these groups live side by side in the same communities, and interbreed freely. Some more isolated groups will tend towards one or the other stock. High elves are taller, more "silver" or pale in coloring, and tend to be more reclusive. Wood elves are less tall, though still taller than humans, usually either darker or golden in coloring, and are more likely to mingle with humans on some level. Dark Elves, as such, do not exist in my campaign world.

 

Use all PH statistics for Elves.

 

 

GRIPPLI

Grippli are amphibious humanoids resembling tree frogs, who are common in piney woods and pine barrens on the eastern coast of Miraboria. They range from south of Greenvale in the Great Dismal Swamp down to southern Miran and the Stinking Swamp. Some may be found as far west as the Fiaraven river where it enters the Great Bay.

 

Personality: Grippli society may be considered primitive by human standards, but is generally peaceful. They live in tribal villages, usually in trees. Their homes range from tree hollows (very much favored) to nests lashed together from limbs to actual constructed wood platforms (becoming more common where they have human contact). Some grippli live on the ground in shallow holes, or even in caves where those are found in their ranges (quite unusual). Grippli prefer swamps or woods along the edges of swamps, and never live far from water. Grippli are a naturally curious folk, who love language and the written word as much as the natural world that surrounds them every day. They sing often, a sound which most humans find unpleasant or at least unsettling, but which they find very satisfying. Many Grippli become bards or even wizards as they follow their natural inclination to study. Others feel more attachment to the world around them and become druids or rangers.

 

Physical Description: Grippli average only two and a half feet tall, weighing somewhere around 30 pounds. They have dextrous hands and prehensile feet which allows them to hold simple tools with their toes. Grippli are found in a wide range of colors and patterns. Most are either green, grey or brown and may be striped or splotched in several shades of color. Their undersides tend to be white, pale green or grey, often washed with orange or yellow shading. Grippli are not known for their strength, but for their dexterity. Their fingers are long and clever, and the natural curiosity of the race lends them a natural talent for figuring out mechanisms and devices.

 

 

Relations: The Grippli are the result of magical experiments conducted by several wizards during the 2nd Miaraborian Empire. Grippli are fascinated by magic and have, as a species, become fairly adept at it. Most grippli are shy and try to avoid outsiders; however, they do like to trade for foods and tools and other resources that are difficult to come by in their natural environment. Grippli in the lands south of Greenvale have become habituated to the presence of humans and half-elves in their nearby area, and locals will probably be familiar with where their nearest human neighbors are located. Grippli fear and dislike Szathair because too many Szathair have “eaten first and asked later”.

 

Alignment: Grippli tend towards neutrality. Player character grippli may be of any non-evil alignment.

 

Grippli Lands: Grippli do not naturally form kingdoms or even very large communities. Each village or small town will have a spokesperson and a few important leaders, but generally issues are discussed in public forum and leaders follow the will of the populace. They have no nobility or ruling class. Their settlements rarely exceed five hundred members at the very most. Most villages are actually a single grippli clan or perhaps a few smaller clans sharing a single village. In the areas south of Greenvale the Grippli are beginning to form larger villages which may number upwards of 100 residents. Most of these villages are located on the ground rather than in trees, but always near bodies of water. Grippli are fairly territorial about the lands immediately surrounding their homes, and will warn off other clans from moving in on them.

 

Religion: Grippli tend to worship Nelora, Diorel and Safreth jointly. They recognize other gods but rarely name them. Their most feared god is Sithlar. Grippli have tales of the sea goddess sending raging tidal waves to destroy them and wash their race from the face of Vishteer.

 

Language: Grippli speak a variation of 2nd Empire Miraborian modified for their vocal structure and evolved over the centuries in vocabulary. It counts as being one step removed from 2nd Empire Miraborian, and 2 steps removed from ‘Valer. Grippli language contains many glottal stops and deep-throated croaks which non-grippli may not be able to imitate. Anyone (except perhaps a szathair) learning grippli will always have trouble speaking it fluently.

 

Names: Amongst themselves Grippli names are long croaking songs. They do not translate well into humanoid terms. Grippli who intermingle with other races tend to either pick a single or double syllable of their name to use, or they simply pick a descriptive term and call it a name. They do not differentiate genderwise.

 

Clan Names: Grippli very rarely bother to share them with outsiders, but Clan names are usually descriptive of what makes a clan unique, whether it be a historical event (ie Gator Slayers) or geographic location (Cliff-Caves). Clans are often renamed when a great deed is done, or may split when the clan gets too large and a new name will be chosen for one or both factions.

 

Lifespan: Grippli are fairly similar to humans in their lifespans. They are laid as eggs in the spring, hatch in the fall, spend their first winter as almost mindless tadpoles cared for in groups by the clan adults, then mature in the late spring or early summer. They grow from about 4" long at first emergence to full size over the course of about 12-15 years. Their full size does not mean full emotional or sexual maturity, which happens between about 15 and 20 years of age. Grippli reach middle age by about 45 years, and old age at about 60. By 75 they are ancient, and few live past their mid 80's. The oldest Grippli known might reach 100.

 

Adventurers: Grippli rarely adventure. Leaving their homes and clans behind is traumatic, and they often find the outside world to be unkind. However, there are always those few seized with wanderlust, or who have been orphaned or cast out for some criminal act. A few may have a religious motivation. Grippli curiosity has led to a few situations in which a Grippli's actions drag it into adventure whether it wanted to or not...

 

 

HALF-ELVES

Half-elves are usually the offspring of a wandering elf (frequently male) and a human (woman) who was enchanted by his beauty. Frequently these relationships are short-term, and a half-elf will be raised by his or her human parent after the elf has left. A few, however, may find themselves raised in elven lands by an elven parent. In this case, they will be far more elven in personality than human. In Greenvale, half-elves are not extremely uncommon and often intermarry, producing multiple-generation half-elf families. Once a half-elf marries a non-half-elf, however, the bloodline is diluted enough that they are considered to be humans, not half-elves.

 

Personality: half-elves are less aloof and more engaged with the world than typical elves. They are probably not aware of the elven Feywild, and see their place as here on Vishteer. They have a more human outlook about other races and about time. Some may be arrogant, but it is more for human reasons of pride than elvish motivations.

 

Physical description: half-elves tend to be tall and naturally slender. They are frequently 6' tall or close to it. Features are delicate, and ears may be slightly pointed. Coloring is usually fair, or golden. Half-elves rarely have truly metallic eye color, though their eyes may seem to shine or glow on rare occasion.

 

Alignment: half elves, like humans, can favor any alignment. Many are chaotic, but this comes as much from their borderline status among their human relatives as from their elvish nature.

 

Languages: Common (Harothan or 'Valer) and Elven are their preferred tongues.

 

Lifespan: half-elves live about half as long as an elf (250-350 years). Unlike elves, when they leave the world, they die in the fashion of a human. 

 

Names: half-elven names are usually human with some "twist" of elvish flavor thrown in. A half-elf who speaks elven may translate his or her name into elvish and use that. Half-elves raised in elven lands will of course, have elvish names.

 

Lands: Half-elves have no "lands" of their own. They tend to be individuals or small families in otherwise human communities. Greenvale has the largest percentage of half-elves in Miraboria, and there they have begun to form small communities. In Mistland, the Grey Kingdom has a high percentage of half-elves, and a unique culture is forming. However, politics may yet end this experiment in racial bonding.

 

Social Structure: half-elven social structure is not separated from that of the place where they live. However, since many half-elves are seen as bastards or marginal members of their community, they tend towards being wild or chaotic, withdrawn and suspicious. Half-elves tend to form very strong friendship bonds. Marriages freqeuntly last a lifetime, and children are carefully protected. Half-elves are more fertile than elves, but families still tend to be small.

 

Religion: will be the same as that of the culture where they were raised, with a preference for nature and forest gods.

 

Relations: half-elves are the consummate mixing race – they get along well with both parent races, although elves tend to feel sorry for their shorter-lived cousins, and humans sometimes envy them their grace, beauty and extended lifespan. Hobytlan look upon half-elves as likely to be good neighbors and friends. Dwarves find them as confounding and illogical as elves, but do not actively dislike them. Of the minor race, they like Marchat best, but have no dislike of grippli or szathair. As do most others, half-elves dislike half-orcs on general principle, but would make exception for a proven individual.

 

Use all PH statistics for half-elves.

 

HALF-ORCS

These crossbreeds are very, very rare as player characters; all will be from far-off lands or have very unusual backgrounds. Most potential half-orcs are either aborted before birth as the offspring of rape, or live short, unendurably brutal lives among their orcish kin (where they are typically the offspring of human slaves). In Harothar, a half-orc most likely resulted from an incursion by orcs from Gragash. Gragashan orc tribes often take slaves back to their lairs.

 

Physical Description: half-orcs are about as tall as humans. A half-orc’s skin is tougher and more hide-like than a human’s, and tends to be of a more sallow hue (orcs are very sallow IMC). They tend to have a pronounced brow ridge, heavy jaw, and large, possibly pointed teeth. Their body hair tends to be thick and coarse. A half-orc raised by orcs may well have prominent scars, both as a reflection of his brutal upbringing and because orcs prize them as a show of manhood.

 

Personality: Half-orcs are rare. Many orc tribes keep a human or three as breeding slaves, because the half-orcs are more intelligent, and can interact with humans nearby (as spies, traders, etc...)  Half-orcs are generally rough, tough and untrusting, as much due to their upbringing as their innate nature. Many half-orcs also tend to be short-tempered and sullen. They would rather act than think, or fight than argue. Many suffer from what we would call “attention deficit disorder”. Those who do well in human lands manage to suppress the worst of these characteristics. They tend to prefer simple pleasures, such as feasting and wenching, to more courtly arts such as demure dancing and flirting.

 

Languages: If they were raised by their human parent, they will speak the dominant human tongue; if raised in orcish lands, they speak orc.

 

Names: half-orcs rarely have more than one name. Frequently it is an insult or derogatory term. Other times it may be a common human name selected by the half-orc as a way of blending in.

 

Lifespan: Half-orcs live shorter lives than most humans, being mature by the age of 14 or so, and reaching old age at about 50 years. Few live beyond 70.

 

Half-orc lands: there are no realms ruled or populated by half-orcs in the known world. A few tribes of orcs have substantial numbers of half-orc slaves, but never above 1/3 of the tribe. Half-orcs who wish to integrate into human lands find that grouping together causes more suspicion and trouble than it is generally worth. The only population with any large strain of orcish blood are the Woodsfolk, and even there it has been bred down to a minor taint. A few throwback half-orcs appear each generation, but they are often cast out when their troublesome personalities mature.

 

Religion: most human-raised half-orcs worship the predominant human gods. Half-orcs raised by orcs may prefer Kehret, Mikar, Aragh, or the Beast Lord, depending on their tribal affiliation.

 

Relations: Because there is no half-orc homeland, half-orcs are always outsiders, strangers, single members of their breed in another culture. This gives them a rootless, fatalistic outlook on life. They know that in all likelihood they will never settle with a family nor make good, long-term friends. Some half-orcs become moody and depressed, others are filled with rage. Only a few manage to become well-adjusted members of a human society where they will always be viewed with some measure of mistrust. Dwarves rank them with their worst foes, the orcs themselves. Elves see them as one of the ancient evils (orcs) which drove the elves to their current homes on the ethereal plane. Humans mistrust their brutish appearance and tendency to violence. Marchat and Szathair tend to be the most accepting of them, partly because they too frequently experience mistrust. Hobbytlan, like humans, are mistrustful but are more willing to be persuaded than the big folk. Grippli and half-orcs rarely come into contact, and may have very little preconception of each other.

 

Alignment: half-orcs have a strong bent towards chaos, and are usually either neutral or evil. However, some half-orcs raised by humans have rebelled against this tendency and have deliberately followed lawful and good tenets.

 

Use the PH for all Half-orc Traits.

 

 

HOBYTLAN

These small, rotund people with broad, tough, furry feet call themselves Hobytlan (singular hobyt). They are generally of two broad physical and psychological types. These two types are commonly known as Stouts and Lightfoot.

 

Personality and physical description:

Stout: as halfling, except they always fall into the top 2/3 of weight and bottom 2/3 of height range. They are plump, cheerful, easygoing and generally comfortable. Stouts tend to be farmers, small merchants, craftsmen on a simple scale, and to be hardworking and honorable. Some of them have a scholarly bent to their nature, especially as they grow older. Genealogy, history, legends, song, food, and other homey, folkloric fields are their major interests.

 

Lightfoot are slightly different than Stouts. They tend to be taller and leaner, always being in the upper 2/3 of height and lower 2/3 of weight. By human standards, though, they are still generally small and plumpish. Lightfoot are not truly even a separate breed of hobyt, because they can be born to any Stoutish family, even pure stout for several generations. And indeed, even two very thoroughly Lightfoot hobytlan have been known to produce Stoutish children. Lightfoot are more footloose, adventuresome and less inclined to stay close to their families. They are not innately less honest, but it seems that the adventuring lifestyle leads them frequently into roguish habits.

 

Relations: hobytlan get along with all other races, possibly with the exception of the Szathair and half-orcs.

 

Alignment: hobytlan tend to be good, frequently neutral good. However Lightfoot may be more chaotic/neutral. Only a rare hobyt is evil, but surprisingly it is more often true of a Stout.

 

Hobyt Lands: Hobytlan live in Tallowsland and Irgirth. They are not uncommon in Greenvale and Mistland. In Harothar they are less common, but well-liked. In Miran they are sometimes held as slaves, and tend to follow the druidic faith. In Narbada hobytlan are widespread but thinly settled except in one or two regions. Hobytlan of all types and places prefer to dwell underground, in small dry well-made burrows or holts. Large families are the norm, and they live closely together.

 

Religion: Hobytlan have their own names for many gods and goddesses of Vishteer. They most often worship Elanora, and Centarius. In Narbada, they follow Safreth, the King of Heaven, and only rarely join cults.

 

Language: the hobytlan of Greenvale have very little of their own tongue any more. They speak ‘Valer or Harothan if they dwell there. Only in Narbada do most hobytlan still speak a strange tongue called Hobytlandish, which is unrelated to any other Vishteeran tongue now known.

 

Hobytlandish (Narbada): this once-separate tongue has borrowed a great deal from neighboring tongues, and is now much more similar than it used to be to Narbadan (1 step difference). If anyone spoke Ancient Hobytlandish, there would be a full 2 step difference between it and Ancient Narbadan (AKA 1st Empire Miraborian)

 

Use PH Traits for all hobytlan (halflings).

 

Pixie

Pixies rarely appear to onlookers unless they wish to be seen, and folk who happen to spot a pixie are astonished at the first sight of these tiny fey.

Pixies wear light, ephemeral clothing that grants maneuverability while they fly. Noble pixies array themselves like princes and princesses of the fey, wearing flowing gowns and doublets of spider and caterpillar silk that sparkle like moonlight on a pond. Wild pixies dress themselves in acorns, leaves and bark, and the pelts of woodland beasts. Pixies prefer armor made of acorns, insect chitin, leather, the scales of reptiles, stiff bark, or fine enchanted mail. They rarely wear heavy armor.

What pixies lack in ambition they more than make up for in curiosity. They are usually content to safely watch from hiding, but there are moments when something a creature does is so inexplicable to a pixie that it just has to interrupt and ask, “What is ... ?” or “Why did you ... ?” or some other pesky question.

Like their fey kin, pixies love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.

 

Delicate Wings, Nimble Flyers

Rarely reaching even a foot in height, pixies resemble diminutive elves with gossamer wings. These wings sprout from their backs like those of dragonflies or butterflies, but are grander and more beautiful than either. Pixie wings come in as many colors and patterns as there are shapes to dreams. Despite their almost insubstantial quality, they are as bright as the clear dawn and as luminous as the full moonrise.

A pixie in flight leaves a shower of sparkling dust that follows in its wake like the glittering tail of a shooting star.

Pixie eyes come in as many different colors as their wings. When pixies interact with mortals in the world, their eyes appear to have pupils. However, the natural state of a pixie’s eye is a single glittering orb without a pupil.

 

Manana, Pixie Style

Pixies can live well over 700 years, but unlike some other long-lived races, they tend to live more in the moment. It’s not that they don’t have long memories; rather, where elves consider events with something of a wait-and-see perspective and plan ahead when they can, pixies are more likely to be excited by any unexpected change to their current circumstances. They might abandon strategy to indulge their curiosity just because an unrelated but novel development catches their attention.

Pixies are able to maintain their concentration on a given task when it seems crucial to them, but outside of that they have an attitude that they’ve got all the time in the world and can get back later to anything that really matters.

 

Glades, Woodlands, and Rural Streams

Pixies possess little if anything in the way of territorial instincts. Most dwell in forests, sleeping outside in trees or bushes when the weather is fair enough. In temperate climes they will dwell in tree hollows; in winter they take over nests or holes after migratory avians such as wood ducks have abandoned them for warmer climes. Some pixies simply migrate away from the cold along with the birds.

 

Exploration and Adventure

Pixies take up adventuring almost accidentally, simply following their innate curiosity away from home at times and joining adventuring groups when they become friends with one or more members of the party. That same sense of wonder about the world may lead them back home from time to time to catch up with loved ones, too, and any time they have rejoined family or friends they have not seen for a while is a great reason to celebrate with song and dance and magic.

 

Pixie Names

Pixie names are usually light-hearted, often based on nature or on magical themes, similar to many fey-folk including fairies. Pixies generally only have the one name; family names are not common.

Male Names: Alvin, Avery, Brokk, Oberon, Oren, Warren, Puck, Basil, Cleon, Jack, Robin

Female Names: Daffodil, Dahlia, Dewdrop, Echo, Acorn, Ginger, Aria, Buttercup, Cricket, Tinkerbell, Ariel

 

Pixie Traits

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score by 1.

Age: Although pixies reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, a pixie understanding of adulthood as other races see it does not really exist: they retain a certain childlike quality throughout their lives. A pixie typically claims “adulthood” around the age of 70 and can live to be 750 years old.

Alignment: Pixies love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect the freedom of others as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.

Size: Tiny: Pixies range in height from 6 inches to 1 foot. The carrying capacity of a tiny creature is only 1/4 that of a medium-sized creature.

Speed: Walk, 10 feet; Fly, 30 feet (altitude limit = 10 feet; exceeding that during the pixie’s turn ends with that turn and the pixie sinks back to about 5 feet unless the pixie has landed on or grabbed something at the higher level).

Languages: Common, Sylvan.

Darkvision: Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, a pixie has superior vision in dark and dim conditions. A pixie can see in dim light up to 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. In darkness, colors cannot be discerned, only shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry: Pixies have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put a pixie to sleep.

Pixie Survivalism: Pixies have skill proficiency in Stealth.

Speak with Beasts: A pixie can communicate with any beast or natural animal.

 

Created by Remathilis
Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/5eraces/showentry.php?e=3&catid=1#ixzz3EBcuQQqR

 

SZATHAIR (LIZARDMEN)

The Szathair come from near Miran. They were bred in the southern swamps during the Second empire, at first for slave labor harvesting rare plants and hunting rare animals, but eventually as cannon-fodder for the armies raised during the last decades of the Empire’s fall. The Szathair were bred for size, speed and strength. The intelligence and cunning they inherited were unexpected, and almost unwelcome. Whether their innate sorcerous abilities were also equally a surprise is unknown today. Now they find themselves hunted as slave material, but because of the Mirani views on magic, szathair with sorcerous ability are always killed. Because of this, many of the szathair have fled from their traditional homeland seeking refuge in less hostile places. There are few or no Szathair in cold lands such as Harothar, but there are now many in Laigladen, and more appear each year in southern Greenvale.

 

Personality:

Szathair live in small family groups that rarely last past the maturity of one or two sets of offspring. While szathair are long-lived, they are not particularly apt to forge strong familial bonds. Szathair are slow thinkers, patient and stubborn. Once a szathairun has made up his mind to a course of action, he is almost impossible to sway. Unfortunately, szathair rarely think beyond their immediate concerns, leaving longer planning and the consequences of their actions to others to deal with.

 

Physical description:

Szathair are taller than most humans, averaging between 5’6” and 6’ 6”. They are slender of body and long-limbed. Females are slightly taller but slenderer than males. They have long narrow snouts filled with sharp teeth. They eat mostly fish and meat, preferring it uncooked. They eat some greens, and occasional fruit, but have little use or need for bread or starch. Their skin is rough, slightly scaly and tough.  They range in color from pale greenish brown to dark oily black. Their undersides are paler than their backs, but not usually strikingly so. Some have “racing stripes” on the backs of their heads and necks, while others have a broad dorsal stripe. Some have red patches on the head behind the eye - usually females have this. Females are usually brighter colored than the males. They have longish tails that brush the ground when they walk, but are not long enough to use as more than a balancing or swimming tool.

 

Lifespan:

Szathair are long-lived, but quick to mature. While warm-blooded, they do lay eggs, which they carefully protect.

Egg: 4 months

Hatchling: 1-2 years

Child: 2-9 years

Teenager 9-14 years

Young Adult 15-20 years

Mature Adult 21-50 years

Middle Age 50-70 years

Old 71-120

Venerable over 120 years

 

Natural Abilities:

Szathair were probably a crossbreed between the monster lizardmen and the tiny kobolds. How this occurred no one knows. Possibly they were a breeding experiment late in the time of the Second Empire when magic was being used in many less than beneficial ways. What is known is that unlike either of those races, many szathair have a strange affinity for sorcery. Although they are illiterate in most cases, and do not deliberately study magic, as many as one third of all szathair can cast low-level spells as a sorcerer.

 

Only a few szathair ever pursue this ability beyond a single level or perhaps two. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, and it is rumored that deep in the Southern swamps there are powerful sorcerers who dominate the weak social structure of the szathair, ruling their scattered folk by personal magnetism and the power of awe.

 

Society Alignment

Neutral

 

Social Structure:

Szathair tend to leave their homes at about the age of 15. They are on their own from that time until they take a mate, usually in their thirties. Mates are temporary, with a mating lasting only 5-20 years. In their years between leaving home and forming a mate-partnership, young szathair often form small groups of five or six. These groupings are closer than most familial groups, and the bonds formed last well into adulthood. Most szathair will have two or three mates in a lifetime. They form few adult communal groups, living alone or in pairs and meeting only by accident. They are neither territorial nor possessive. However, male szathair seeking a mate may become quite aggressive. Female szathair will frequently draw the attention of several males during their mate-seeking phase, and will watch them fight to see who is strongest before choosing a mate. Note that szathair who live in a region will act cooperatively in emergencies, and do not go out of their way to ignore each other - they simply have few social bonds.

 

Lands:

Szathair will happily settle in any coastal area or inland if they can be assured of adequate fish. They must keep themselves well-hydrated, so they avoid deserts and cold lands. They enjoy heat. Szathair are warm-blooded so they do not suffer problems in cold as a reptile would. In Greenvale they are uncommon. A fair number now dwell in the Great Dismal Swamp, and others in the Baronies of Eldon and Tamar. Large numbers have also traveled from the Stinking Swamps into Mistland and Southern Isles, where they are welcomed as divers and fishermen. In their preferred habitat szathair live in small huts, frequently on islands. They are good primitive engineers and will often build dams or otherwise create suitable defensive living arrangements. While they do not use fire for metalwork or cooking, they do know how to weave (baskets and nets), they do sow some crops (mostly small plots of favored herbs), and they are quite good potters.

 

Religion:

Szathair worship Sithlar and Diorel,  but religion is not a strong force in their lives. A few may find themselves called to priestly rank, but this is rare. Druidism is only slightly more common.

 

Language:

Szathair speak a heavily accented and dialected version of Mirani. Those who have come to Greenvale will also speak ‘Valer. They have no language of their own, and will always use the prevailing tongue of the region where they live. They do have trouble with labials and prefer sibilants.

 

Clothing and adornment:

Szathair are not possessive. They rarely keep physical objects for their intrinsic value. However, they love bright colors, shining and mirrored surfaces, and are quick to recognize fine artistry. Szathair need very little in the way of clothing, but they do wear leather straps and pouches in their native environment. In human society they frequently don loose vests or tabards to help avoid being mistaken for monsters or animals by ignorant peasants. They love jewelry and will often wear necklaces, bracelets, anklets, ribbons, strips of embroidery and other decorative articles in quantity. They can be a bright, almost garish sight in full regalia. Szathairan weaving and pottery are sought out by knowledgeable traders and collectors.

 

Names:

Szathair have trouble with names. They don’t often give themselves permanent names, and find that concept baffling. They respond to whatever nickname has been hung on them most recently, and will give their companions nicknames of their own.

 

 

Height and Weight Generation

To generate a PC's height and weight, first find their base height on table 1. Then generate a d1000 roll to determine their % variation from normal (this will require another d4 or d3 roll, depending).

Further modify the % variation for strength score. Then multiply the numbers. For example, a human female from Greenvale has a base height of 61 inches. A d1000 roll generates a 282. This is a minus 1-4% variation, with a d4 roll of 1 meaning a 1% reduction in height. Her strength, at 15, does not further modify this. So her height is 99% of 61 inches, or 60.39 inches. So she's just over 5' tall.

 

Weight is generated by finding the height and getting a base weight. Racial multipliers, d1000 random variation, and strength variation multipliers are generated, added together, and the base is multiplied by them. In this example, 61 inches (60 base +1 for being female) gives 107 lbs. A random roll of 968 gives a +9-16% variable increase (a 6 on 1d8 indicates 14% increase). Her 15 Str gives another 6% increase, for a total of 20% above average. So she weighs 122 lbs. She's a short but stout young fighter.

 

Base Heights:

Race	Male	Female
Dwarf	48	--
Elf	72	67
Grippli	30	29
Hobyt	42	40
Human, Daintali and Southern Islands	70	65
Human, Miraborian except Greenvaler	64	60
Human, Greenvaler	66	61
Human, Mistlander except Daintali and Southern Islands	68	63
Marchat	53	55
Szathair	68	70

 

Half orcs are generally the same base height as their human parent.

Half-elves are generally 2" taller than the base height of their human parent.

 

Variation from normal Height:

d1000 roll	% variation (human)	% variation (nonhuman)
001-005	-(13-16) (d4+12)	-(10-12) (d3+9)
006-025	-(9-12) (d4+8)	-(7-9) (d3+6)
026-150	-(5-8) (d4+4)	-(4-6) (d3+3)
151-350	-(1-4) (d4)	-(1-3) (d3)
351-650	none	none
651-850	+1-4 (d4)	+1-3 (d3)
851-975	+5-8 (d4+4)	+4-6 (d3+3)
976-995	+9-12 (d4+8)	+7-9 (d3+6)
996-000	+13-16 (d4+12)	+10-12 (d3+9)

 

Height Adjustment for Strength:

Score	%adjustment to base
3-4	-9
5-6	-6
7-8	-3
9-14	None
15-16	+3
17-18	+6
19+	+9

 

Character Weight by Height (Ht in inches, Wt in lbs)

Note: all females should be counted as 1" taller than males to calculate their weight, except Szathair; their females count as 1" shorter when calculating weight.

Ht	wt	Ht	Wt	Ht	wt	Ht	Wt	Ht	Wt
95	405	79	232	63	120	47	66	31	27
94	390	78	223	62	117	46	62	30	26
93	378	77	214	61	115	45	58	29	25
92	366	76	206	60	113	44	54	28	24
91	354	75	198	59	110	43	50	27	23
90	342	74	190	58	107	42	47	26	22
89	331	73	183	57	104	41	44	25	21
88	320	72	175	56	101	40	42	24	20
87	309	71	168	55	98	39	40	23	19
86	299	70	161	54	94	38	38	22	18
85	288	69	154	53	90	37	36	21	17
84	278	68	148	52	86	36	34	20	16
83	268	67	141	51	82	35	32
82	259	66	135	50	78	34	30
81	250	65	129	49	74	33	29
80	240	64	125	48	70	32	28

 

Weight modifiers by race:

Humans:      None

Dwarves:     1.9

Elves:           .8

Grippli:        1.1

Half-elves:   .9

Half-orcs:    1.1

Hobytlan:     1.5

Marchat:      .9

Szathair:      None

Variation from Average Weight

d1000 roll	human % adjustment	nonhuman % adjustment
001-005	-(25-32) (d8+24)	-(19-24) (d6+18)
006-025	-(17-24) (d8+16)	-(13-18) (d6+12)
026-150	-(09-16) (d8+8)	-(07-12) (d6+6)
151-350	-(1-8)	-(1-6)
351-650	none	none
651-850	+1-8	+1-6
851-975	+9-16 (d8+8)	+7-12 (d6+6)
976-995	+17-24 (d8+16)	+13-18 (d6+12)
996-000	+25-32 (d8+24)	+19-24 (d6+18)

 

Weight Adjustment by Strength:

Score	% adjustment
3	-20
4	-16
5	-12
6	-8
7	-4
8-13	none
14	+4
15	+6
16	+8
17	+12
18	+16