============ = CONTENTS = ============ -- {MM} Return to Main Help Menu CORE RACES -- {DR} Drow -- {DW} Dwarf -- {EL} Elf -- {GN} Gnome -- {HA} Halfling -- {HU} Human -- {KO} Kobold -- {LI} Lizardfolk -- {OR} Orc SUBRACES ===================== = RACE DESCRIPTIONS = ===================== DROW {DR} Str:-1 Dex:+2 Con:-- Int:+2 Wis:-- Cha:+2 Luc:-2 Favored Classes: Rogue, Mage   No race, save perhaps the kobolds, is more widely despised then the drow. Trecherous, decietful, chaotic, power-hungry and supremely skillful, the drow are an offshoot of elves who sought freedom from Maeve through pacts with tanari and other profane powers. Living deep beneath the earth in the depths of the Underdark, the only mention of drow that most surface folk hear is when their skilled and murderous raiding parties attack humanity or the surface elves, whom they consider to be wretched slaves. Drow have no part in the surface culture of Therya, at least not in the Kinlands, and the rare individuals who leave the Underdark to explore the Kinlands are rogues and outcasts, most often having gotten the short end of some political maneuvering in their home city and thus fleeing for their lives. Drow typically work as freelance assassins, given their character and aptitude for stealth, but strive to find any position that will make them more powerful or give them political leverage.   Because of the paranoid and ruthless society they were raised in, most drow are pathologically mistrustful, unable to develop true bonds of caring or friendship due to the hardship their homeland has inflicted on them. This is doubly true of the males, who are heavily abused in the matriarchal (and misandranous) society of the dark elves. Women are stronger (and more capriciously violent), and rule their homeland through the priesthood, each city being devoted to a member of the Multitude. The most common drow power is their evil, cruel and nameless Spider Queen, who teaches all drow to betray everything they care for in the slightest, lest is be used as a weakness against them by their enemies. DROW RACIAL SKILLS   The drow racial skills are Appraise, Bluff, Move Silently and Poison Use. All drow are trained in these skills from childhood, and failing to master them to at least some extent makes a drow easily manipulated by her fellows, and thus dead.   Drow recieve a +2 racial bonus to Move Silently. DROW RACIAL TRAITS   * -1 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma -- Drow share the frail frames, unearthly gracefulness and alluring beauty of their elven ancestors, and augment it with a heightened force of personality, constant agility training and the allure of true evil.   As an extention of their natural agility, all drow are ambidexterous and recieve the Ambidexterity feat at 1st level. Because of this, drow warriors traditionally favor fighting with two weapons.   * +2 Intelligence -- Drow think on their feet -- one has to, in order to remain alive in their society. This intellectual might is not equalled in spiritual wisdom, however; for all that their people are ruled by clerics, their spiritual consciousness remains effectively nonexistant.   * -2 Luck -- Aside from incuring bad karma and making enemies with the same gleeful abandon of a pig in a slopheap, drow tend to overcomplicate their intrigues, burn their bridges and have nobody they can turn to when the stakes are down.   * Racial Weapons -- All drow are proficient with the hand crossbow. The hand crossbow is a weak but accurate weapon that is used by the drow to poison victims from a distance: all drow missiles start the game coated with Elfshot, a poison that causes sleep in its victims.   * Infravision -- Drow have the sharpest infravision of any beings living on Therya, being able to see with absolute clarity out to a range of 120 feet (12 squares) when in absolute darkness.   * Innate Magic -- Living amidst the magical radiations of the Underdark, the same power that produced the aberrations, and having make pacts with countless demons, drow have developed some inherant magical abilities. All drow may cast the spell faerie fire at will. They gain globe of shadow at 2rd level, and upon reaching 3rd level they can also use levitation at will.   * Magic Resistance -- For similar reasons, drow have developed an inherant magic resistance similar to that of their outer-planar patrons. Far more powerful then the dwarven ability, drow do not resist so much as simply negate magical effects cast at them. They have a natural 50% magic resistance associated with their drow physiology and gain a +2% inherant bonus with every character level.   * Sharp Senses -- Drow have senses as acute as any other elf's, and recieve identical bonuses to conventional elves in this area.   * Starting Equipment -- Drow start with a medium backpack, spider bread and a hand crossbow with bolts. All starting metal items are forged from adamant and are thus extraordinarily strong and protective. All starting missile weapons are coated with elfshot, and all drow start with a spare vial of it. DROW SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   The drow are themselves a subrace of elves that has developed distinctly enough to be treated as wholly seperate, and thus they have no further subraces within themselves. In practice, however, the drow females have certain additional abilities men do not, and thus are treated mechanically as if they were a subrace.   Drow females are stronger then men, having normal human Strength, and also possess several inherant magical talents that males do not -- reading thoughts, scrying and dispelling magic. They also add priest to their list of favored classes. (Later, the default Favored Classes of drow will be Rogue and Wizard, plus Priest for the women.) DWARF {DW} Str:-- Dex:-- Con:+2 Int:-- Wis:-- Cha:-2 Luc:-- Favored Classes: Warrior, Priest   Stubborn, driven, stoic and devoted -- these are the traits the dwarven people are most known for. A warrior race, dwarves have fought for millenia against the giants, orcs, aberrations and other monsterous threats that plague civilization. Ironically, this very devotion has ultimately put them at odds with the very world they strove to protect -- dwarves are a highly conservative people, with a great regard for the status quo and the honor of the clans, and as such they do not tend to interact well with the modern, metropolitan human cities that dot Therya's surface. The dwarves respond to a world they no longer understand with xenophobia, retreating to their mountain fortresses and Underdark enclaves; some clans' kings go so far as to restrict any contact with outsiders. As a result, dwarves are very rarely seen among the throngs of major cities, and their cultural development has all but stagnated as a result.   Dwarven society is highly traditional (some would say hidebound), patriarchal (misogynistic), honor-conscious (warlike) and ritualistic (obsessive-compulsive). The sheer unbending willfulness that gave them the strength to fight on when other races had fled in less civilized times may now turn them into a barrier that humanity -- or a less forgiving race -- will eventually have to break due to the sheer difficulty of negotiation. While the signs are subtler, times are turning against the dwarves every bit as much as they are against the elves, and the future of their people looks grim indeed. DWARVEN RACIAL SKILLS   Each dwarf begins her adult life as an apprentice to a miner, master craftsman, or warrior. As a result, dwarves have an even tighter set of racial skills then most races, and almost all dwarves have some proficiency in one or more of their racial skills. These skills are Craft and Mining. DWARVEN RACIAL TRAITS   * Stonework Sense -- Dwarves' racial affinity for mining lends them an intuitive sense for stone and stonework. Dwarves can easily spot pit traps, secret doors, concealed rockfalls and similar constructions in a dungeon. In an underground setting, they can sense secrets doors just as elves do.   In game terms, what this means in that dwarves recieve a +2 bonus to saving throws versus traps when in a dungeon setting, as well as a +2 racial bonus to the Search, Craft and Mining skills. More interestingly, they always 'see' the type of stone 10 feet (1 square) in past the walls of the dungeon, allowing them to spot good areas to dig for ores, gems and other treasure.   * Magic Resistance -- Dwarves have an inborn tolerance for magic, recieving a +2 racial bonus to saving throws versus spells at first level, increasing by +1 every 6th level.   * Giant-Killer -- When fighting humanoid creatures larger then themselves, dwarves gain a +4 bonus to their defence class, representing certain racial fighting techniques specifically taught to each dwarf during their apprenticeship period. The threat range of all their attacks (armed, unarmed or ranged) also increased by one against giant-size enemies.   * Earth Affinity -- Dwarves possess a deep spiritual tie with the base element of earth, and this is reflected in their magic. When a dwarf casts a spell or uses a magical device with the [Earth] descriptor, she gains a +2 bonus to the dweomer's save DC, a +1 bonus to her effective caster level and spends only half (round up) the normal mana cost. When a dwarf makes a social skill check against a creature with the Earth Creature subtype, she gains a +2 social modifier to her roll.   * Dwarven Focus -- When a dwarf deticates himself to a given task, there is no standing between him and its completion. For this reason, dwarves gain bonuses in combat based on their level against a single unique creature they are sworn to kill -- often the central enemy of a given quest or task. When a dwarf wants to use this ability, he must choose a single creature within his line of sight that is a worthy foe (possessed of a Challenge Rating equal to his character level). Then, the following effects apply:   * The dwarf recieves a +2 circumstance bonus to hit and damage the creature in question, but suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to hit and damage against all enemies that are not directly allied with his focus.   * The dwarf recieves a +4 morale bonus to Will saves of all kinds -- quite literally nothing will turn him away from his appointed goal.   * The dwarf recieves three temporary fatigue points that remain with him until his enemy is slain. If losing these causes him to faint from exhaustion when the deed is done, then so be it.   * The dwarf cannot voulantarily leave the level he is currently on, so long as the creature remains on it. If he invoulantarily leaves the level (such as by means of a pit trap), he suffers a penalty of 200 experience points per character level and the focus is broken.   * The dwarf cannot choose to rest until his nemesis is slain.   * When the dwarf finally kills his focus enemy, he recieves bonus experience equal to 50 times the enemy's Challenge Rating. He cannot then choose another focus enemy until he has rested.   * If the enemy dies from some cause other then the dwarf's attacks, the dwarf similarly suffers a 200 experience point per character level penalty, and the focus is of course finished.   * Infravision -- Dwarves are naturally able to see clearly in perfect darkness, having infravision to a range of 60 feet (6 squares).   * Weaponcraft -- While magical arms and armor are usually crafted by spellcasters arcane or divine, dwarves without any other magical skill have been known to craft such items, simply as a result of the deep spiritual tie that exists between a dwarven weaponsmith and his craft. In game terms, dwarves recieve the Craft Magical Arms and Armor feat for free at 7th level, and may use their base attack bonus in lieu of a caster level when forging such items.   * Armor Use -- For dwarves, wearing encumbering armor is a way of life. All dwarves have the Armor Proficiency (Heavy) feat for free. Dwarves who gain one or more levels as a paladin, warrior or priest gain the Armor Optimization feat for free and suffer only one-third of the normal Skill Check and Movement Rate penalties when wearing armor. They are not particularly agile, but dwarves are hardly helpless when covered in metal.   * Racial Weapons -- Dwarves who are proficient with the Axes weapon group are automatically considered to be proficient with the dwarven waraxe -- normally an exotic weapon. Furthermore, dwarves treat the battleaxe and warhammer as Simple weapons.   * Orc Slayer -- Dwarves have been at war with the orcs and goblins since the Dawn Times, conflicting over their racial territories beneath the earth. This racial 'tradition' has resulted in a body of lore and special training for fighting these races that grants dwarves increased chances to hit and increased damage (as per a Ranger's Chosen Enemies) against orcs and goblins.   * Fatigue Regeneration -- Dwarves are so hardy that they can actually recover fatigue without sleeping. A dwarf that goes 100 turns without being involved in combat recovers one point of fatigue and then recovers an additional point of fatigue every 50 turns thereafter.   * Starting Equipment -- Dwarves start with a medium backpack, food rations and a pickaxe. Dwarven warriors and barbarians start with a dwarven waraxe, while other dwarves proficient with impact weapons start with a warhammer. All starting weapons and armor are assumed to be dwarven-forged: heavy, hard and protective. DWARF SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   Shield dwarves are the most common of the dwarven subraces, and are described by the traits given above. (Unlike most other races, dwarves don't tend to breed outside their ethnicity, meaning that almost all dwarves belong to one specific subrace.)   Forge dwarves have a special affinity for fire and metalcraft, and tend to dwell in iron citadels close to active magma flows. They are the most rigid and driven of all the dwarven subraces, laboring under a secret shame their subrace supposedly bears from the primordial history of the dwarves. (The Azer are an offshoot of forge dwarves, taking the nature of their race to an even greater extreme.)   Mountain dwarves consider themselves to be nobility among dwarves, and are (marginally) more outgoing then the other subraces. They are most famous for the beautiful and functional mountain citadels that they carve from solid stone. They have a strong aptitude for leadership and inspiration.   Jungle dwarves are almost unseen in the Kinlands, hailing from far-off Angla Maua. They are primitive and tribal, though every bit as honorable and ritualistic as any other dwarves, and are renouned for their skill in wilderness survival and woodcraft, having a strong prediliction toward the ranger class.   Gray dwarves are a degenerate and evil dwarven subrace, with a very limited intelligence and no concept of honor or nobility. They tend to dwell deep in the Underdark and possess potent innate magics. Gray dwarves are psychologically weak and craven, and it is said that they compose the portion of the dwarven race that did not have the strength of spirit to resist diabolical corruption in the primevil birth of the dwarven race. ELF {EL} Str:-1 Dex:+2 Con:-1 Int:+1 Wis:+2 Cha:+2 Luc:-- Favored Classes: Mage, Ranger   The most secretive of the common races, elves are only very rarely seen in human settlements, and their lack of common presence lends to the race a mystique of nearly mythical proportions. Creatures of pure magic, some have called them, able to hear the heartbeat of the world. Many fairy tales feature of elven sorceror, sage or faerie lover, a being whose immortal grandeur and passions are matched only by his wisdom and goodness. Humanity is fascinated by the elves, their splendour and paegentry, but rarely sees what transpires in their shrouded courts. That's probably for the better, actually.   Born of the breeding between faeries -- a race known for fine music, immortal passions and terrible cruelty -- and humanity, the elves are ever creatures of two worlds: one foot mired in mundane matters while the other drifts off into the callow abstractions of the Realm of Faerie, the domain of Queen Maeve. Wicked and selfish, Maeve holds the elven race in thrall to her as a result of ancient geasa and pacts, and the high elven lords maneuver within this bondage to do what they can to avoid harming the world and, hopefully, one day earn their race's freedom.   Poets speak of elves as if they dwelled figuratively in a world of dreams, as well as literally -- and there is some truth in this. Elves are given to proud idealism and legendary romances, and often have a tremendous amount of trouble relating to the mundanities of the real world. Like sleepwalkers, they move through the world with only a vague understanding of its causes and details, seeking to complete drives even they do not fully understand. It is said that the motives of elves are known only to the elves, but this isn't really true; even the elves themselves often have no understanding of the overall design behind their goals and actions.   Perhaps humanity is wise to be fearful, as well as fascinated, by these strange and etherial beings. ELVEN RACIAL SKILLS   The elves are a civilized peoples with great regard for culture and learning. Their innate grace also gives them certain aptitudes that humans do not possess. Their racial skills are Knowledge (Magic), Listen, Move Silently and Perform. ELVEN RACIAL TRAITS   * +2 Dexterity -- Elves are inherantly graceful in their motions, both as a result of superior physical motor control and through living in a culture that teaches elegance in movement as an essential part of social station. Elves excel at archery, fencing, dancing and stealth as a result.   * +2 Charisma -- There is a certain indescribable element of faerie glamour to the elven peoples that makes them alluring to humanity, and to all the less magical races. It is not only beauty or refinement, though elves possess both of these in spades, but also a sense of fundamental, primevil mystery that surronds these creatures and makes them so very compelling to the mortal beings who interact with them.   * +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence -- An elf who reaches adulthood is over a century in age, having accumulated the full experiences of a human lifetime in his youth. Many of the greatest elven heros have lived a full millenia before accomplishing their grandest deeds. Their wisdom truly is immortal, having seen the rise and fall of entire human kingdoms, and they have a human lifetime in which to pursue their early education.   * -1 Strength, -1 Constitution -- Elves are frail of build, not being nearly as rugged, powerful or resilient as the heavier races like the humans, dwarves or lizardmen.   * Racial Weapons -- All elves are familiar with the use of the long bow, short bow, long sword and rapier.   * Magical Nature -- As inherantly magical creatures with a far greater attunement to the tapestry of life then humans, elves recieve an extra 5 mana points at the start of the game, and an extra point for every character level they achieve above 1st.   * Manifestation -- By drawing her ancient magical essence to the surface of her being, an elf can manifest a tiny fragment of her race's true faerie grandeur in the corporeal world, becoming a beautiful and terrifying thing to behold. The elf's Charisma score gains an enhancement bonus of +4, her presence is so overwhelming that she gains a +2 awe bonus to Defense versus foes that are not blind or mindless, and she radiates light and warmth with an effect identical to the faerie fire spell. Most importantly, however, a manifest elf exists in all three worlds (corporeal, etherial and astral) at once, and thus can strike (and be struck by) incorporeal creatures with full effect.   Manifestation only lasts for a short time (1d4 rounds, plus one round per full three character levels), and it is also extremely tiring, costing the elf a full 5 Fatigue Points to use.   * Wrought Iron -- Wrought Iron is an anathema to elves and their fae nature. Any wrought iron weapon that strikes an elf deals and additional 2d6 points of damage (which bypasses armor). Orcs are known to craft and carry wrought iron weapons.   * Reverie -- Elves do not sleep as humans do; part of their pact with Maeve bars them forever from the realm of dreams. Instead, elves enter a meditative state they call reverie, allowing their bodies and minds to rest and recover in a small fraction of the time it takes humans to sleep -- a typical period of reverie lasts only an hour or two.   In game terms, elf characters have a drastically reduced chance of random encounters when resting, and furthermore when they do suffer an encounter their foes do not get the same degree of surprise over them -- an elf in reverie is vaguely aware of the world around him, and can come to his senses nearly instantly.   * Sharp Senses -- Elves have exceptionally acute senses, and recieve a +2 insight bonus to all sensory-based skills (Search, Spot, and Listen) at 1st level, as well as a +20 foot range to the effective radius of their light for the purposes of detailed vision.   Additionally, elves automatically make a Search check whenever they step within 10 feet of a secret door that has not already been searched for once before their last period of rest.   * Lowlight Vision -- An extension of their sharpened senses, elves are able to see 20 feet (2 squares) further in total than a human could in torchlight or similar conditions.   * Temprature Tolerance -- Elves are less affected by extremes of heat and cold then other humanoids, and enter play with two points each of Fire and Cold Resistance.   * Tied to Life -- Elves are attuned to nature and to the cycles of life on a metaphysical level, and view these things as sacred and taboo in ways few others can understand -- even evil elves understand this bond. As a result of this tie, the same force that makes sylvan creatures instinctually trust elves renders them completely incapable of ever invoking the magics of Necromancy. They cannot learn any Necromancy spells, become specialists in the school of Necromancy, use necromatic magical items, command the undead or in any other way benefit from death magic.   The one exception is that they can learn Necromancy/Abjuration spells such as protection from undead, which shield against necromantic powers rather than evoking them.   In lieu of necromanctic practices, evil elven mages tend to become Enchanters of terrifying power and beauty, dominating all around them with charms and charisma and weaving terribly subtle plans whose completion may take centuries.   * Starting Equipment -- Elves start with a medium backpack, elven waybread, a bow, a long sword or rapier, and torches. They begin play with a magical ring -- elves excel at the crafting of rings -- as well as equal chance of either a cloak or boots of elvenkind. Starting armor and weapons are assumed to be of Elven make and are thus ligher, faster and less restrictive than normal.   Elves also start out worshipping Maeve unless their choice of class allows them to pick a god. If it does, then choosing a god other than Maeve causes Maeve to be angered at the start of the game. ELF SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   Gray elves are reclusive and frail, physically weak but possessed of incredible mystical and intellectual potency. Not a true ethnicity, they are instead a metamorphosed form of normal elves, having survived for over a millenia and attained true immortality through spiritual kinship to the realm of Faerie. Gray elves are terribly wise creatures, but also filled with grief, for their race's bondage to Maeve strikes them more deeply then any other elves.   Wood elves are the least civilized of the elven peoples, possessed of great strength, wild cunning and an affinity for sylvan creatures of all kinds. They tend to be xenophobic and conservative, scorning the ways of humanity and blaming mankind for the travails of their race.   Twilight elves are born with more of Faerie in their veins then most, literally slipping in and out of the etherial plane as a natural facet of their existance, but vulnerable to the light of the sun and given over to periods of irrational behaviour. GNOME {GN} Str:-1 Dex:-- Con:-- Int:+2 Wis:-2 Cha:+1 Luc:-- Favored Classes: Mage, Bard   Jovial, optimistic and deeply passionate, gnomes have adapted extremely well to the modern world of Therya. Like halflings, they blend seamlessly into human societies, and unlike the more xenophobic (and thus receeding) elven and dwarven peoples, gnomes have achieved great success as a race, and their population in continually growing. Their services as craftsmen, engineers, entertainers and scholars are always being sought out by human settlements and communities, and their reputation for honesty and solid craftsmanship often makes them seem more trustworthy then the opportunistic halflings.   Gnomes are social beings, as extroverted, liberal and expressive as their cousins, the dwarves, are stoic and reserved. Their easygoing candor makes them a welcome addition to most social circles, and their penchant for pranks and practical jokes is generally benevolent in cast. Gnomes do not have the strong ties of clan and honor that bind dwarves (though they are fiercely loyal to the much-revered king of their race), and treat friendship as the highest bond one can possess.   Gnomes have an inherant love of process, of the hows and whys of any kind of system -- mechanical, social or even cosmological. Gnomish religion depicts the universe as a massive blueprint, sacred not only for its beauty but for the focused intent of its design and the complex interdependancy of all its subsystems. While ancient gnomish society was theorically a monarchy, in practice it has historically been more of a republic, a vast bureaucracy which intertwines the complex castes and clans of gnome society. Just as halflings seem inherantly drawn to the merchant houses of Therya, so are gnomes involved with government and civic management, finding work as various sorts of civil servants more frequently then in any other niche. (This has led to a friendly, but still competitive, rivalry between the two demihuman races in the business world.) The typical gnome adventurer does what she does not for money, power, glory, moral altruism or even excitement, but in order to reveal the process of the world, to understand how diverse and seemingly unrelated factors come together to form a coherant and ordered tapestry. GNOME RACIAL SKILLS   Gnomes are especially adept at mechanics, chemistry and engineering. As such, they recieve Alchemy, Craft, Handle Device, Mining and Use Magic Device as racial skills. While not every gnome can craft illusions, those that take up magecraft benefit from an innate aptitude for it, having a +4 racial bonus to Illusioncraft. GNOME RACIAL TRAITS   * +2 Intelligence -- Gnomes are clever and innovative creatures, taking naturally to the study of mechanics, maths, magecraft and other abstract fields of study. They enjoy puzzles, wordcraft and intellectual pursuits.   * -2 Wisdom -- Conversely, gnomes can often be foolhardy, oblivious, blinded by idealism or generally unworldly. They are at heart frivolous and whimsical creatures, and sometimes have trouble staying focused on the situation at hand or applying basic common sense to something that can be addressed (and overcomplicated) by more systematic methodologies.   * Small -- Gnomes are considered to be Small creatures, which gives them certain mechanical advantages and weaknesses. They cannot wield Large weapons and must used two hands to wield a Medium weapon, they have a 10% penalty to hit points and their carrying capacity is 3/4ths that of a Medium-size creature. However, they recieve a +1 size bonus to DC and to all attack rolls, and their smaller stature lets them navigate tunnels that a human could never fit into.   * Racial Weapons -- The same mechanical aptitude that makes gnomes adept at devices and crafts makes them indirectly well-suited to the use of crossbows. While gnomes are not specifically accurate with such weapons, their agile hands and knowledge of gears and tension allows them to reload crossbow with alacrity. They begin with the Rapid Reload feat at first level, and gnome warriors and rangers are automatically proficient with the cranquin.   In addition, gnomes who are proficient with the Long Blades weapon group are also considered proficient with the use of the mercurial broadsword, which is an exotic weapon for any other race.   * Illusioncraft -- Gnomes have a strong inborn magical gift: the power of illusion. Gnome characters gain certain spell-like abilities as they advance in level to represent this. At 1st level, they may use ventrilloquism at will. At 3rd level, they gain mirror image; at 7th, displacement.   This ability also grants gnomes a +2 bonus to saving throws versus illusions, and a +4 racial bonus to the Illusioncraft skill.   * Arcane Trickery -- Gnomes lack the everyday willpower and determination of Elves or Dwarves, but their crafty minds are well suited to lateral thinking, especially on a mystical level. Three times per day, they may discern a way to slip a spell past a foe's defenses, finding a metaphysical chink in their armor and increasing the save DC of the spell in question by +8.   * Burrow Kinship -- Gnomes have a certain kinship with burrowing mammals: rabbits, foxes, badgers and so forth. The can communicate with these creatures empathically, and are often able to befriend them or recieve aid from them. Essentially, this is a limited form of the Animal Empathy skill, and uses the gnome's character level in lieu of a skill rating.   * Stonework Sense -- Though not the equal of the dwarves, gnomes still have an exceptional aptitude for mining and stonecraft. They can sense the same things dwarves can, but their sense functions identically to that of a dwarf of twice their level.   In addition, gnomes are familiar with all manner of gems, and recieve a +5 racial bonus to all checks made to identify gemstones, which they covet highly.   * Kobold Slayer -- Gnomes have fought the kobolds for many centuries, and their perpetual cheer is dampened by the fact that just about every gnome has lost someone to a kobold ambush or prank at one time or another. Gnomes have studied kobolds in great detail, and recieve the favored enemy bonuses against them in melee.   * Freedom of Movement -- Gnomes are inherantly immune to all magical effects that paralyze them, entangle them, petrify them, or otherwise slow or limit their movement. This is said to be a special sign of favor from the goddess Essiah.   * Scent -- Like orcs, gnomes have a highly developed sense of smell, and can track enemies by smell and locate them when they are within 20 feet (2 squares).   * Starting Equipment -- Gnomes start with a gnomish backpack, a brass lantern, food rations, two random wands, a crossbow (a cranquin for warriors and rangers, otherwise an arbalest) and bolts if they are proficient with such, and a pickaxe. Gnomes proficient with long blades and with a Strength of 15 or higher also begin with a mercurial broadsword. GNOME SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   Rock gnomes' inherant magic is tied more to stone then to illusion; they speak with it as if it were a living force in and of itself. They tend to live in isolated mountain settlements, have developed a shamantic religion around the worship of their Lords of the Earth and are responsible for building the strange stone circles that focus mana, scattered across isolated locales across Theyra's surface.   Forest gnomes are sylvan creatures, possession an affinity toward things faerie without having fallen into Queen Maeve's thrall. They have an inherant kinship and empathy with forest creatures.   Deep gnomes have been altered somewhat by having lived so long in the depths of the Underdark. They have no affinity for illusions, and they were not around to recieve Essiah's blessing, but they have highly diverse innate spell-like abilities, and like many Underdark creatures are also highly resistant to magic.   Craft gnomes are the newest gnome subrace, driven by a desire to advance their technological understanding as a race an a great affinity for devices of all kinds. These gnomes are more common in human cities then in the more sheltered gnome communities, where they are regarded as potentially dangerous.   Spirit gnomes are physically the smallest of the gnome subraces, and also the rarest. They are well known as scholars, keepers of secrets, detectives and antiquarians; perhaps the greatest of their secrets is the origin of their subrace itself. They have an affinity for psionics and stealth, sharp senses and a lifespan far above that of normal gnomes. HALFLING {HA} Str:-2 Dex:+2 Con:-- Int:-- Wis:-- Cha:+2 Luc:+4 Favored Classes: Rogue, Bard   Halflings are cute, clever, endearing, friendly, sociable and in control of approximately a third of the Kinlands' wealth. Opportunistic and ambitious, the hin have carved out a niche for themselves as the dominant demihuman race in the civilized lands. While nigh-immortal elves shy away from the bustle of human cities and surly dwarves bemoan the loss of the old ways in their carved stone halls, the halflings gleefully embrace everything the human world has to offer, becoming an omnipresent factor in human cities across the globe.   Between their crafty insight and unearthly luck, just about the only thing holding the race back from outshining humanity in every endeavour is their lack of ambition - halflings are stereotyped as lazy, and while some make remarkable achievements, their racial culture does tend to place more emphasis on creature comforts then on deeper kinds of achievement. If the hin (as halflings call themselves) have a sin, it would be complacency; a willing lack of foresight and a desire to avoid any kind of discomfort, excitement or radical action plague the race. Halfling adventurers tend to be the glaring exception to this rule, having already parted ways with the norms of their race through their choice of career. Despite this, halflings have a strength of spirit that other races lack, and while they're hardly innovators they will stand by the things they consider important with a quiet resolve that cannot be shaken. As a race, they're survivors.   Despite their success, many halfling communities tend to be very conservative, albiet in a very different way from the dwarves. The little folk tend to see themselves as the most supremely civilized people in the world, a born aristocracy, and their tendancy toward gossip makes them highly paranoid about potential scandals. They enjoy living a high standard of life and being socially acceptable to their peers, and they thus dislike anything which might bring their family's social standing into question or disrupt their intentionally pedestrian lifestyle -- like adventurers. Many halfling heroes have thus ended up deeply estranged from their families, who live in shame of them -- and god forbid the outcast should be something as barbaric as a warrior! HALFLING RACIAL SKILLS   Racial skills are one of the strongest advantages halflings have, being quick learners, socially dexterous and naturally agile as well. The full list of halfling racial skills is Appraise, Climb, Diplomacy, Hide, Intuition and Tumble.   Halflings also recieve certain inherant racial bonus to skills. They have a +2 racial bonus to Hide, Tumble and Climb; their Hide racial bonus stacks with the +2 size bonus they recieve to the Hide skill due to being Small creatures. HALFLING RACIAL TRAITS   * +2 Dexterity -- Halflings are naturally agile, sure-footed and nimble. Rather then the surreal grace of the elves, they embody a cautious, competant precision; what would be born of careful practice and agility in other races comes with offhand ease to the little folk.   Another facet of halflings' natural agility is represented by them being easily able to slip out of the holds and grapples of larger opponents, recieving the Slipaway Feat for free at 1st level.   * -2 Strength -- For their size, halflings are as strong as humans, but with their body mass it is simply impossible for the hin to exert the same kind of force a human does.   * +2 Charisma -- Halflings are charming and sociable, and their small size tends to put humans at ease around them, making the larger folk feel safe and in control. People tell things to halflings that they would never imagine telling to anyone else; the hin just inspire that kind of trust in the people around them.   * Racial Weapons -- Halflings as a race are incredibly skilled with the sling and other thrown weapons. They gain free proficiency with slings and all other thrown weapons. They gain a +2 bonus to hit when using any weapon from the Thrown group, and have an uncanny ability to land lethal strikes when throwing rocks or using a sling, subtracting their Luck modifier from the threat range of thrown rocks or sling attacks.   * Unearthly Luck -- The halfling race as a whole benefits from an inexplicable good fortune that draws no small degree of resentment from humans and other races. A halfling sometimes escapes dangers or accidents that could kill a human without a scratch on him. Halflings gain a +4 racial adjustment to their Luck score, and they add their Luck modifier (if positive) as a luck bonus to all of their saving throws.   * Psychosomatic Might -- Halflings are not a race known for great physical strength, but when the proper motivation is placed before them, they are capable of bearing loads that often surprise larger folk. In game terms, halflings treat all food items as having a third of their actual weight for the purpose of calculating encumbrance.   * Strong Soul -- Halflings may seek to avoid discomfort whenever possible, but the truth is that they also survive through ordeals that would break the spirit of your typical human. They love life with a passion, and refuse to let go of that spark in the face of things which threaten their spirit, debilitate their mind or weaken their body.   In game terms, halflings have a kind of innate hardness rating against ability score damage. This value begins at 1 and increases by +1 every third level thereafter (2 at 4th, 3 at 7th, etc.) This value is subtracted from any damage the halfling might suffer to one of his abilities, and if it exceeds the damage, no harm is done. They also recieve a +2 bonus to save versus fear, and a +4 bonus versus death effects.   * Small -- The hin are considered to be Small creatures, which gives them certain mechanical advantages and weaknesses. They cannot wield Large weapons and must used two hands to wield a Medium weapon, they have a 10% penalty to hit points and their carrying capacity is 3/4ths that of a Medium-size creature. However, they recieve a +1 size bonus to DC and to all attack rolls, and their smaller stature lets them navigate tunnels that a human could never fit into.   * Starting Equipment -- Halflings start with a small backpack, many tasty cottonberry loaves, a sling and some torches. They also begin play with a moderate supply of Hearthstones of Onanda -- one-use magical items that allow a guaranteed safe rest even in a location where encounters are possible. HALFLING SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   Lightfoot halflings are quick and fast, possessed of superior reflexes and nearly able to match pace with a human despite their smaller size. They have an intuitive direction sense, and tend to be more nomadic then most hin, possessing a string streak of wanderlust.   The Tallfellows are the largest of the halfling subraces, and also the strongest, nearly matching gnomes in size and build. They are a rural people, disliking the bustle and diversity of cities and favoring a simpler life on their farms. They have natural green thumbs, and an affinity for plants of all kinds.   Treedancer halflings are adept scouts and climbers hailing from Angla Maua, where they welcome visitors and turn a tidy trade in spices, rare minerals and other exports from the jungle continent. Their settlements are vast treehouse-cities mounted in the branches of great redwoods and linked together with an intricate webwork of rope bridges. They are the most societally advanced and civilized faction in Angla Maua.   Ghostwise halflings are rare, born with the ability to learn secrets from the wind itself. Often leaving existing halfling settlements for a life as a hermit or wayfarer, they study to master the strange abilities of the mind -- psionics -- that they have an affinity for. They tend to be noble of heart and generous in spirit.   Stoutheart halflings are the strongest-willed of their race, with a great devotion to the ideals of family and community. They despise corruption in all of its forms, and become adventurers more frequently then other halflings in the interest of rooting out and resolving something that has shaken their sensibilities. They are famed for their resourcefulness and clever planning. HUMAN {HU} Str:-- Dex:-- Con:-- Int:-- Wis:-- Cha:-- Luc:--   Humans are the most adaptable and numerous race found on Therya, the standard by which the other races -- demihuman and darkling alike -- are measured. They are also the youngest of the major races, and arguably the most ruthless. Humanity conquers wilderness, builds cities, develops economies and drives back the primevil chaos by their very nature. It is mankind that founded the Great Empire, even if a hobbit now carries the title of Empress. Human abilities reflect the race's diverse and adaptable nature. They recieve bonus Feats to reflect their prowess, take advantage of special skills at character creation to reflect their diversity and despite starting with no attribute modifiers, they have the potential to develop their attributes beyond the maximums of any other race. HUMAN RACIAL SKILLS   Humans have no devoted areas of specialization the way most of the other races do. They may choose any two skills to treat as racial skills. HUMAN RACIAL TRAITS   * Racial Weapons -- Humans are diverse and have no special or favored racial weapons.   * Inherant Potential -- While elves are on average more graceful than humans, dwarves hardier and orcs stronger, there exist legendary heros from within the human race that exceed the capacity of all the other races. In game terms, humans can gain increased benefit from inherant adjustments to their ability scores. While the other races can gain a maximum inherant bonus to any one ability score of +5, humans can gain inherant bonuses to a single ability totalling +8.   * Versatility -- Humans are the quickest learners, and the most adaptable to new situations, of any race living on Therya. They gain bonus feats at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level -- these being chosen from the full list of feats in the game. Humans also gain an additional 2 skill points at every level they advance. Finally, humans consider every class to be a favored class, and can thus multiclass freely without fear of an experience penalty.   * Starting Equipment -- Humans start with food rations, a medium backpack and torches. KOBOLD {KO} Str:-4 Dex:+4 Con:-- Int:+2 Wis:-- Cha:-2 Luc:-- Favored Classes: Rogue, Mage   In ancient gnomish legends, a 'kobold' is a demon of the mines; a creature who poisons wells, snuffs out lantern flames, kidnaps children and pricks captured maidens with a thousand pins. In this particular case, the legend is completely true. Kobolds are the darkling counterpoint to gnomes, the corrupted form of that race. For countless millenia the two races have waged an underground war unseen by human eyes -- for as sociable as the gnomes are, they do not discuss this particular topic, and the kobolds themselves shy away from human sight and daylight alike.   Revelling in sabotage, trickery and guerilla warfare, kobolds are far more dangerous then most major powers give them credit for -- and that's exactly how they prefer it remain. Physically, they are small, dog-like creatures, but possess scales instead of fur. They are weak but very nimble, and have sharp claws and gleaming red eyes. Their overall racial alignment tendancies are toward chaos and evil.   Kobold adventurers are most often those that have grown tired of the sheer pettyness and malicious immaturity of their own society. Whether good or evil, they have higher ambitions then collapsing mines, stealing tools and curdling milk for the simple spite of such acts. KOBOLD RACIAL SKILLS   Kobolds rely heavily on their skills, using cunning, ingenuity and treachery to fell their enemies. They recieve Climb, Find Weakness, Hide, Mining, Poison Use and Handle Device as racial skills. KOBOLD RACIAL TRAITS   * -4 Strength, -2 Charisma -- Kobolds are simply weak and cowardly creatures; they inherantly possess neither force of body nor force of personality, and are well-known for fleeing from any encounter they cannot overcome through trickery.   * +4 Dexterity -- Kobolds are agile for their size, with a cautious gate and the ability to strike with surprising speed and accuracy in a fight.   * +2 Intelligence -- Kobolds are crafty and cunning, well given to planning and mental challenges.   * Small -- Kobolds are considered to be Small creatures, which gives them certain mechanical advantages and weaknesses. They cannot wield Large weapons and must used two hands to wield a Medium weapon, they have a 10% penalty to hit points and their carrying capacity is 3/4ths that of a Medium-size creature. However, they recieve a +2 size bonus to DC and to all attack rolls, and their smaller stature lets them navigate tunnels that a human could never fit into.   * Racial Weapons -- Most kobolds gain some experience with weapons that highlight trickery and cunning. The whip is favored for its ability to disarm opponents that rely on weapons and the bolas are used to incapacitate foes so that they can be dispatched later. Kobolds proficient with the Flexible or Simple weapon groups are automatically proficient with the whip, and those who are proficient with Thrown weapons are automatically proficient with bolas.   * Infravision -- Like the majority of the races who dwell underground, kobolds possess infravision to a range of 60 feet (6 squares).   * Trapcraft -- Kobolds know and understand traps, snares and mechanical dangers better than members of any other race -- and they have no aversion to using this knowledge maliciously. They gain a +4 racial bonus to the Handle Device skill, and this bonus counts as if it were actual skill ranks for determining the level of any traps that they set.   * Flawless Dodge -- Kobold wardancing is a sight to behold, as the tiny creatures skitter, jump and even climb along their enemies' bodies in order to evade blows. The effect is not unlike a panicked cat -- but cats are not nearly as agile as a terrified kobold. In game terms, a kobold character can activate this special ability once per day to automatically evade up to three plus their primary Dexterity modifier attacks that would have otherwise hit them. If they deactivate it before all the attacks are expended, they may activate it again later to evade the remaining number of attacks.   * Poison Immunity -- Repeated experimentation and exposure, combined with their natural reptilian physiology, has made kobolds immune to the effects of all non-magical toxins.   * Evasion -- Kobolds are agile creatures with good instincts and peerless reflexes. They recieve three levels of the Evasion ability when they reach 3rd character level. What this means is that they gain Evasion (as a rogue or monk), and if they have rogue or monk levels, they will gain Improved Evasion three levels sooner then they normally would; for example, a kobold monk gains Improved Evasion at 6th level.   * Devious Feats -- Kobolds recieve the Close-Quarters Fighting, Dirty Fighting and Weapon Finesse feats for free at 1st level. Despite their weak bodies, kobolds can be dangerous opponents if they are allowed to plan and choose the battle.   * Swarm -- Like goblins, kobolds excel at overwhelming stronger foes by sheer force of numbers alone. For each non-hostile Small creature they have within one square of them, they recieve a +1 swarm bonus to all attack and damage rolls, and a +1 bonus to Defense.   * Natural Weapons -- Kobolds have needle-sharp teeth and claws. They may claw for 1d4 points of damage twice, and bite for 1d6 points of damage. Because of their natural attacks, kobolds are never considered unarmed for the purposes of provoking attacks of opportunity.   * Verminfriend -- Kobolds have a strong natural affinity for insects and insectile creatures. Vermin of animal intelligence and no outside motive will generally not be hostile to kobolds, and kobolds can train and befriend them just as other races do domestic animals. This ability functions identically to the Animal Empathy skill, but affects vermin instead of animals and uses the kobold's character level in place of the skill rating.   Insects are also the only non-kobold creatures known to elicit feelings of compassion and friendship from the typical kobold.   * Starting Equipment -- Kobolds start with a small backpack, cured meat, potions of dimension door, a whip, bolas, a random defensive item and some poison; some may also have a pickaxe. KOBOLD SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   Alone among the major races of Theyra, the kobolds have no specific ethnic divisions or racial strands. The uniformity of their race, even across the vast geographical divides of continents, is a matter of much speculation to gnome sages. LIZARDFOLK {LI} Str:+2 Dex:-- Con:+2 Int:-2 Wis:-- Cha:-- Luc:-2 Favored Classes: Druid, Warrior   The lizardfolk are a dispassionate, patient and focused race with a mindset highly distant from the more humanlike races. Concerned first and foremost with survival -- first their own, then that of other species whose presence supports the existance of life overall -- the lizardfolk can seem ruthless or callous to mammalian races. Appearing as large, humanoid lizards with opposable thumbs and other biological adaptations to sentience, lizardfolk are strong and hardy warriors, and as such their favor is often sought by kings, warlords and other human rulers. The lizardfolk dislike this -- if they seem ruthless to humans, then accordingly the selfishness and wasteful conflict of human politics seems incredibly degenerate and unnatural to the lizardfolk.   Though they are an intelligent race, lizardfolk generally scorn most of the concerns typically associated with civilization. Individual lizardmen have little desire for status, personal power, knowledge or other typical human motivations. Their goals are survival, breeding and the preservation of life (with no particular significance given to *intelligent* life, mind). They have a unique spiritual tradition that involves meditation and lucid dreaming, and their spiritual leaders are far more likely to be shamans or druids then clerics. Indeed, their druidic tradition is older then the human one, and lizardfolk druids don't seem to feel the need to answer to the human druidic hierarchy. Whatever accord was reached between the two groups was formed centuries ago, and its exact nature is highly secret.   Lizardfolk have no strong psychological or hormonal differences between their genders, nor do they show signs of aging until shortly before they die. They do have a strong seasonal rhythm built into their physiology, however, driving them to fight, mate, migrate or slumber. They almost always act on their instincts (there is no formal written language among the lizardfolk, let alone an educational system) but seem to have an almost mystical intuition -- often, lizardfolk all over the world will react in unison to a commonly shared threat, devastating opposition with their coordination without even understanding why they (as individuals) are doing what they are doing. LIZARDFOLK RACIAL SKILLS   The lizardfolk racial skills are not based on culture or training, but on the inherant aptitudes, instincts and physiology of their race. They recieve Balance, Concentration, Intuition, Jump, Knowledge (Magic), Swim and Wilderness Lore as racial skills. LIZARDFOLK RACIAL TRAITS   * +2 Strength, +2 Constitution -- The lizardfolk are terribly strong by human standards, and are not only resistant to injury but also to disease, poison, age effects and many other kinds of maladies.   * -2 Intelligence, -2 Luck -- Conversely, the lizardfolk do not understand conventional civilization or scholarship, have difficulty articulating non-trivial ideas to mammalian races and are slow to think and act, missing oppurtunities other races would easily catch.   * Natural Weapons -- Lizardfolk have the benefit of natural weapons -- their natural attack sequence is to claw for 1d4+1 points of slashing damage, claw for 1d4+1 points of slashing damage and bite for 1d4 points of piercing damage. They also have a natural armor rating of 5 against slashing, piercing and blunt damage.   * Reptilian Empathy -- Lizardfolk are not entirely individual creatures, having a strong, shared instinctive racial empathy with each other. Lizardfolk can always percieve the presence of other lizardfolk within 180 feet, even with a solid barrier seperating them. Lizardfolk are almost never hostile to each other. They also share a kind of primitive empathy with all other reptiles, being able to simulate the Animal Empathy skill at a level equal to their character level when dealing with such creatures.   * Ancestral Memory -- Lizardfolk can enter a trance-like state in order to use their racial memory to augment their skills, albiet at the cost of fatiguing themselves. At the cost of 2 fatigue points, they can attain the maximum possible number of ranks for a character of their level in any single skill - or a +4 insight bonus, whichever raises their total skill rating in that skill higher -- for a very short period of time.   * Fire Resistance -- As reptiles, lizardfolk are inherantly much less affected by heat, and their specific physiology enhances this effect even further. They enter play with fire resistance 5, and it increases by one point every odd level after 1st.   * Water Affinity -- Lizardfolk possess a deep spiritual tie with the base element of water, and this is reflected in their magic. When a lizardman casts a spell or uses a magical device with the [Water] descriptor, he gains a +2 bonus to the dweomer's save DC, a +1 bonus to his effective caster level and spends only half (round up) the normal mana cost. When a lizardman makes a social skill check against a creature with the Water Creature subtype, he gains a +2 social modifier to his roll.   * Slow Metabolism -- Lizardfolk grow hungry much more slowly then other races -- hard activity hungers them as much as anyone, but when they rest they use little food in comparison to mammals. By contrast, they require a much greater mass of food intake then mammals do to become Satiated. Hunger is a long-term problem for lizardfolk, rather then a short-term need.   * Focused Mind -- Lizardfolk have an extremely linear thought process and instinctive responses that guide them well, giving them a +2 racial bonus to resist confusion effects and a +4 racial bonus to Concentration skill checks.   * Oily Secretion -- The skin of the lizardfolk exudes a thin layer of a slick, oily substance when pressed, in much the same way humans sweat when dehydrated or when exerting themselves. This natural form of defense gives lizardfolk a +4 racial bonus to avoid being grabbed and to the grapple check to break out of a grapple.   * Starting Equipment -- Lizardfolk start with a medium backpack, some torches, some cured meat and several vials of holy water -- lizardfolk frequently worship the oceans and rivers in the abstract, so their society gives them easy access to holy waters. Lizardfolk proficient with thrown weapons start with a boomerang as well. LIZARDFOLK SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   The Tauri Adhami are the pureblooded nobility of the lizardfolk, reciving an increase in Charisma and certain mystical gifts of regency to accompany their noble blood.   Amahzd Tethra lizardfolk are the oldest pure bloodline of their people, with increased access to the lizardfolk racial memory and superior wisdom. They benefit from a limited ability to see the future and insight similar in effect to a bard's lore, but are even slower to act then normal lizardfolk and suffer biological swings based on the season and the weather.   The Dehezad Reigh ('the Chosen') is a mystical sisterhood of mutant lizardfolk born as albinos. Naturally blind, they 'see without sight' and have access to great mystical powers, but are also subject to limiting taboos and the strict authority of their sect.   The Dragonkin are a line of lizardfolk who have interbred with the dragons over the centuries, gaining certain of the advantages that race possesses but also becoming cursed with a ravenous hunger that makes them greatly feared and viewed as degenerate among their own race.   Their troubles pale when compared to the Nietzol Ashadrach, however. Born wrong, these lizardfolk lack the inherant racial empathy that most members of their race possess, these wretched folk are viewed as soulless and outcast from the lizardfolk community. They have a greater ability to adapt to human society as a result, and are often mistakenly called 'half-lizardfolk' by humans who do not understand their condition. ORC {OR} Str:+4 Dex:-- Con:-- Int:-2 Wis:+2 Cha:-2 Luc:-- Favored Classes: Barbarian, Priest   Brutal, crass and stupid, orcs are commonly seen as a plague upon the land by the more civilized races. Huge, muscular humanoids with faces crossing the features of men and swine, the orcs reinforce this connection with their savagery and their willing contentment to accept the lowest common denominator in all things. Orc society tends to be militaristic, patriarchal and driven by selfishness first and firemost.   Orcs are very, very rapid breeders, giving birth to litters and breeding frequently and casually -- along with their recent focus on the development of black-powder weapons, this may be the only factor that has allowed them to survive against dwarven prowess and human sociological development. On the other hand, this count be exactly what humanity wants -- for ages untold, it has been a human warlord or necromancer who gathers and leads armies of orcs, usually as a distraction or tactical edge that ends in their near-extermination. Recently, however, this has changed. Orcs were instrumental in the slave revolts in Mohandi, and their forces were responsible for the liberation of slaves from all the goodly races and central in forming the anarchistic 'government' that now rules there. Further, while only a very small percentage of the orcish race leaves the great fortresses and communes that house their armies and breeding pits, that's still a staggering number by human demographic standards, and now orc merchants, craftsmen and soldiers are a ubiquitous part of nearly every human city.   Taken out of the oppressive squalor of their own natural society yet allowed to live according to their racial nature, the orc peoples prosper. Many orcs become great soldiers and war-heros, while others rise to positions of power in theives' guilds or merchant houses. Mostly, though, they form a silent underclass that members of all the 'goodly' races are quite content to exploit for cheap labour and fence into ghettos and slums. Some scorn the stereotype, striving to be as intellectually developed as humans and elves, but most find more of corruption then virtue in the very qualities that humanity chastizes them for lacking. It is from this quarter, these 'city orcs' that most orcish adventurers rise. Sometimes these orcs return to the great orcish cities, working in resistance cells to overthrow the human or baatezu overseers.   A rising movement is the desire to reconstruct the true tribal customs of the primevil orcs, understanding how their people lived before they were actively bred and honed by human and daemonaic powers as cannon fodder. More and more now legendary orcs are rising to positions of great power over their people. Split in a three-way racial schism between the city orcs, (neo-)tribal orcs and the traditional orcs hordes, the fate of the entire species may very well rest in the hands of its few, brave heroes. ORC RACIAL SKILLS   As a race the orcs are not a skilled people; in game terms their Intelligence limits their skill points, and in cultural terms little emphasis is put upon most orcs to develop a trade. The only racial skills orcs possess are Athletics and Intimidate. ORCS RACIAL TRAITS   * +4 Strength -- The strength of orcs of legendary; they are the strongest creatures the average human or elf will ever meet. Orc strength, unlike that of lizardmen or wood elves, is clearly visible -- orcs tend to be bulky in build, with clearly visible muscles.   * -2 Intelligence -- While orcs are not the comical retards that human narrative often makes them out to be -- they are quite capable of cunning plans and foresight -- their language is limited, their culture scorns education and they have a very limited grasp of analytical reasoning.   * +2 Wisdom -- Orcs tend to be determined survivors with a canny cunning, have a developed awareness of the world around them, tend to have led harsh lives that lead to stronger-held personal convictions and ideals and are more in tune with the primal, visceral element of nature that their shamans and clerics revere then the more civilized races.   * -2 Charisma -- Orcs tend to be viewed (visually and culturally) as vile by members of most more refined races (and honestly, everyone is more refined then orcs are). Their love of crassness, and their neglect of hygene combine with prejudice to ensure that orcs have to make an active effort not to get a negative response in most social situations. Their anatomy, while not as groteque as it is commonly made out to be, is also less appealing to the typical human aesthetic then, say, an elf's.   * Militarism -- The orcs are a warlike race, and every orc recieves some degree of training in war, often from a very young age. All orcs, regardless of class, are proficient with the impact weapons group, the blades group, the spears group and the polearms group. In addition, the sporting competitions and training of youth grant orcs a familiarity with the orcish shotput.   * Toughness -- Orcs are not a hardy people; their typical lifespan is thirty to forty years, disease takes a heavy toll on their numbers and their abject living conditions limit the strength of their constitutions. What they are, however, it tough, and absolutely unwilling to give in on the field of battle. As a result, all orcs recieve the Toughness feat for free at 1st level.   * Devouring -- Orcs are much reviled for eating the bodies of their slain foes, but few are aware that this practice has a mystical component as well as a cultural one -- once, millenia ago, orcs would eat the bodies of elderly members of their tribes as a sign of respect, supernaturally allowing some small part of their ancestor's wisdom to live on within them. Now, it is an act mostly practiced only for the more worldly desire of claiming a fallen enemy's strength for oneself.   In game terms, an orc that eats the corpse of a creature that has an innate elemental resistance to a given damage type may develop or increase that resistance himself, provided that the creature's resistance level is greater then the orc's current inherant rating in that type of resistance.   Furthermore, certain rare monsters that are the allegorical representation of a given ability score can convey an inherant bonus to that ability when their corpses are devoured. Giants are so tied to Strength, elves to Dexterity, trolls to Constitution, mind flayers to Intelligence, nagas to Wisdom, faeries to Charisma and mythic hybrids to Luck. Dragons can convey increased mana when their bodies are eaten, being creatures of pure magic.   Finally, any living creature whose corpse is eaten provides a moderate boost in experience points, provided that its Challenge Rating compares well with the devourer's character level.   * Scent -- Orcs have a highly acute sense of smell, and are able to track their enemies by scent. They recieve the Scent ability with a range of 30 feet.   * Infravision -- Dwelling underground and upon the surface with equal ease, orcs have Infravision to a range of 60 feet.   * Spell Fury -- Orcs are not particulairly adept at magecraft overall, but the sheer primal anger they bring to magical workings lends them a certain power as mages. In game terms, orcs double their Wisdom modifier on arcane spells that inflict direct physical damage.   * Light Aversion -- Just as orc eyes are adapted to darkness, however, they suffer in light. More then just biology, orcs suffer an instinctual psychological aversion to daylight; it weakens their morale, limits vision and brings a sense of claustrophobic panic upon then. Orcs suffer a -4 penalty to hit and to their defense class in brightly lit terrain squares (such as the area of effect of a priest's call light spell).   * Starting Equipment -- Orcs start with a medium backpack, a longspear or ranseur, some cured meat and a knife. ORC SUBRACES (Unimplemented)   Cave orcs are the most fecund, and most common, of the orc subraces. Adapted to Underdark life, the cave orcs have superior infravision, a racial aptitude for climbing and the ability to scale even sheer surfaces easily, along with an understanding of swarm tactics and an aptitude for underground survival, but they are even more craven then the majority of the orcish race, and more intellectually stunted.   Hill orcs are the subrace that most surface orcs bear the primary blood of, being the result of centuries of breeding and Darwinian selection. Pureblood hill orcs have a stronger tie to nature through a tiny aspect of racial memory; they have a limited empathy with predatory beasts and an aptitude for wilderness survival.   Blood orcs are bound by a blood oath to their race, and are the newest orc subrace. Fierce and unconquered, blood orcs draw strength both mystical and psychological from their declared jihad against the peoples who have dominated their race throughout the years. They tend to be more violent, zealous, ambitious and driven then most orcs.   Black orcs were bred and engineered by Azakram the Black millenia ago in his campaign for conquest of the Kinlands during the Mage Wars. They have a heightened affinity for blood magic, a limited empathy with the undead and a small degree of innate mystical power, but are not as strong as their compatriots and suffer from an suceptability towards enchantment spells. In the modern age, the most frequently serve as shamans and other spiritual authorities in an orc tribe. ============ = SUBRACES = ============