note: this version is incomplete. pages 10, 34, 56, 64, 71 ... · pdf fileclose-quarter...

Note: this version is incomplete. Pages 10, 34, 56, 64, 71 & 99 are missing, although I believe that they only contain illustrations and no text.

TheCompleteBook of

Humanoidsby Bill Slavicsek

AD&D, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DRAGONLANCE, FORGOTTEN REALMS, GREYHAWK, SPELLJAMMER, DUNGEON MASTER, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM, and the TSR logo areregistered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

Distributed to the toy, hobby, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors.Distributed worldwide by Wizards of the Coast, I n c , and regional distributors.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.Any reproduction or unauthorised use o f the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

This product is a work of fiction. Any similarities to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.

© 1993. 1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. Sixth printing March 1999.TSR, Inc. is a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

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Table of Contents

Introduction.......................................................Kulung'sTale .....................................................What are Humanoids? .....................................Humanoids in Campaigns ..............................The Purpose of This Handbook.......................A Note About Optional Rules.........................

Chapter One: Humanoid Characters ..........Creating Humanoid Characters....................

Getting Started..............................................Generating Ability Scores...............................Humanoid Races .............................................Groups, Classes, and Kits...............................

Multi-Class Characters.................................Character Class Maximum Levels..............Exceeding Level Limits................................

Adding Humanoids to a Campaign.............Campaign Model #1......................................Campaign Model #2......................................Campaign Model #3......................................Campaign Model #4......................................

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Chapter Two: Humanoid Races...................How to Read the Entries.................................

Aarakocra .....................................................Alaghi..............................................................Beastman ........................................................Bugbear..........................................................Bullywug, Advanced...................................Centaur...........................................................Fremlin ..........................................................Giant-kin, Firbolg..........................................Giant-kin, Voadkyn ......................................Gnoll ...............................................................Gnoll, Flind ....................................................Goblin..............................................................Hobgoblin.......................................................Kobold ............................................................Lizard Man.....................................................Minotaur.........................................................Mongrelman...................................................Ogre, Half-Ogre.............................................Ogre Mage......................................................Orc, Half-Orc..................................................Pixie.................................................................

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Satyr ...............................................................Saurial............................................................Swanmay.......................................................Wernic.............................................................

Chapter Three: Humanoid Kits..................Kit Descriptions..............................................Warrior Kits.....................................................

Tribal Defender.............................................Mine Rowdy..................................................Pit Fighter.....................................................Saurial Paladin..............................................Sellsword ...........................................Wilderness Protector....................................

Wizard Kits......................................................Hedge Wizard...............................................Humanoid Scholar.......................................Outlaw Mage ................................................

Priest Kits..........................................................Shaman ......................................................Witch Doctor.................................................Oracle............................................................War Priest ......................................Wandering Mystic.........................................

Rogue Kits .......................................Scavenger .......................................................Tramp ........................................Tunnel Rat......................................................Shadow ..........................................................Humanoid Bard ............................................

Chapter Four: Humanoid Proficiencies .....Proficiencies and Specialization ...........Nonweapon Proficiencies ..............................

Acting ................................................Alertness ........................................................Animal Noise .............................Begging...........................................................Blind-fighting .................................Chanting ......................................................Cheesemaking ...............................................Close-quarter Fighting.................................Craft Instrument ...........................................Crowd Working .................................Danger Sense .................................................

2 • Table of Contents

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Drinking........................................................Eating............................................................Fast-talking...................................................Fortune Telling.............................................Hiding ...........................................................Information Gathering ...............................Intimidation .................................................Looting...........................................................Natural Fighting...........................................Observation..................................................Poetry............................................................Voice Mimicry..............................................Whistling/Humming .................................Wild Fighting...............................................Winemaking .................................................

Chapter Five: Role-Playing Humanoids...Life as a Humanoid .....................................Tribal Life......................................................

Social and Racial Disadvantages.................Humanoid Traits .........................................Campaign Complications..........................

Chapter Six: Superstitions ..........................A Mysterious World......................................Superstitions in Game Terms.....................Using Superstitions in Play........................The Superstitions.........................................

Chapter Seven: Arms and Armor...............Armor Restrictions.........................................Weapon Size Restrictions..............................Weapon Breakage (Optional).....................Close-quarter Weapons...............................

Special Humanoid Weapons........................

Humanoid Comparison Chart....................

Humanoid Character Sheets.......................

INDEX TO TABLES1: Humanoid Group Limits....................9,2: Bonus Levels for Single-Classed

Humanoids............................................9,3: Nonweapon Proficiency Group

Crossovers................................................4: Nonweapon Proficiencies.......................5: Personal Superstitions ............................6: Optional Weapon Breakage....................7: Weapons....................................................8: Character Kit Summary..........................9: Average Height and Weight...................

10: Age.............................................................11: Aging Effect..............................................12: Racial Ability Requirements ..................13: Multi-°Class Combinations....................14: Thieving Skill Racial Adjustments........15: Reincarnation Table.................................16: Monstrous Traits......................................17: Bestial Habits...........................................18: General Superstitions..............................19: Campaign Complications.......................

TSR, Inc.201 Sheridan Springs

Lake GenevaWI 53147

U.S.A.

TSR Ltd.120 Church EndCherry HintonCambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom

This book is protected under the copyright laws, of the United States of America.Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material contained herein is prohibitedwithout the express written permission o f TSR, Inc.Random House and its affiliate companies have world wide distribution rights in thebook trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed in the book andhobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobbytrade by regional distributors,ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DRAGONLANCE, FORGOTTENREALMS, WORLD OF GREYHAWK, SPELLJAMMER, DUNGEON MASTER, andMONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.The TSR logo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character namesand distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.Printed in the USA. ©1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Fifth printing, Ju ly l 9 9 5 .

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CREDITSDesign: Bill SlavicsekEditing: Jon Pickens

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Introduction

Kulung's Tale1 travel the back roads of human civilization, fol-

lowing a quest I do not always understand. Someunseen force, some inner desire, drew me away frommy tribe and brought me to the towns and cities ofhumanity. Does this mean I reject my place as anogre mage? I do not think so. Instead, I believe I amtrying to enhance it.

1 wander the edges of human settlements, drawnlike an insect to the brightly burning torch of civi-lization. Like an insect, I cannot turn away from theintense heat. Like an insect, I will be destroyed if Iget too close to the flame. I am fascinated, capti-vated, afraid.

But the fear flows both ways. While I fear thescreaming mobs of humans with their swords andclubs and sharp-tipped arrows, they also fear me. Tomost of them, I am a monster. I look different. Isound different. 1 pray to different gods. Humansare quick to show fear toward that which is differ-ent. And what they fear, they often destroy.

Why did I leave my tribe? the answer is at oncesimple and complex. I was not like my tribe mates. 1rejected the practice of catching and keeping slaves.I followed a path that was closer to good than toevil. I even sought out knowledge and scholarlyendeavors while my tribe mates reveled in combatand conquest. In short, I was different, much differ-ent, and humanoids are less tolerant of differencesthan even the humans and demihumans whoselands I now roam.

I live in humanity's shadow, but I am not ashadow of humanity. Indeed, those few humans whoI have come to call friend proclaim that I am morehuman than most of their kind. Sometimes I takethis as a compliment, sometimes a foul curse, for Ihave seen the heights that humanity can reach and Ihave witnessed the dark depths it can sink to. Theyare grand, these humans, but they are also desper-ately dangerous. And the greatest danger lies in thebright center of civilization's flame, for it draws metoward its scrolls and books and epic ballads, whereits searing heat can consume me. Perhaps it is bet-ter in the shadows, for the darkness offers some

small protection from the flame.Am I a monster? It depends on the point of view.

To my own people, I am a weakling, a coward, a fail-ure. To the humans and demihumans who know me,I am a trusted companion, a learned associate and afriend. To those who refuse to see beyond my appear-ance, I am a foul creature, a hated enemy, a monster.I am all these things and none of them. I am Kulungthe Ogre Mage, the Tribeless One, the Searcher.

I am the Humanoid, and I walk the perimeter ofhumanity's blazing flame.

What are Humanoids?Every AD&D® game has them. Most often,

they are under the control of the DungeonMaster. When player characters encounterthem, they usually appear in the role of villainor opponent. They are the humanoids, mon-sters that have two arms, two hands, at leasttwo legs, and stand generally upright.

From a distance, within the folds of a hoodedcloak, or obscured by deep shadows,humanoids can be mistaken for humans. Onlyon closer inspection and in the light of day arethey immediately seen for what they are. Theybear the general shape of humanity, but theyhave startling — and often times frightening— differences. Some are taller or broader thanthe average human. Others are smaller, frailer.Many have misshapen features, wicked clawsand fangs, thick fur or long, dank hair. Human-ity is one race, humanoid races are legion.

Humanoids have their own cultures, soci-eties, morals, values, and attitudes. These varygreatly from the general human experience.They are more than "humans in funny suits,"or at least they should be in a well-developedcampaign world. The world looks vastly dif-ferent through the cruel eyes of a minotaur orthe bulging eyes of a bullywug. It is these dif-ferences that separate the human from thehumanoid — and these differences create thegreatest challenges and most fun when playinga humanoid character.

4 • Introduction

Humanoids in CampaignsHumanoids have been a major part of the

AD&D® game from the beginning. Who has notsent his or her favorite character up against ahorde of goblins, a dungeon full of hobgoblinsand bugbears, or an ogre of monstrous propor-tions? And yet, over the years, the same charac-ter may have received timely help from a flockof screeching aarakocra, been guided to safetyby a herd of noble centaurs, or have been givencritical information by a beautiful swanmay.

Now it's time for something different. Just asnot every thief is a greedy scoundrel and notevery warrior is a dim-witted bully, not everyhumanoid fits the mold that we have come toknow over the years. Some decide to leavedungeon and lair behind to take up the life of anadventurer — though these fellows are rareindeed! Not only must such humanoids goagainst the norms of the very societies they wereborn into (in most cases), but often they findprejudice and rejection wherever the spirit ofadventure leads them. The adventuring human-oid ever struggles to find acceptance and a placeto fit in, while taking on the quests his spiritdemands. Perhaps the next adventure will bringhim to such a place, for it always seems to be justover the next hill and around the next bend.

This is the drama and tension of which goodstories are made — and great role-playinggame campaigns. By opening a campaign tohumanoid player characters,, players andDungeon Masters alike are opening a mysteri-ous box. Ultimately, what's in the box dependson the attitudes of everyone involved. It couldcontain a wondrous reward of challenge andfun, or it could hold the key to a campaign'sdestruction. It all depends on how humanoidPCs are used.

This book attempts to show you how to usehumanoids in a positive way to add newdimensions to your role-playing experiences.With moderation, planning, and the coopera-tion of all involved, humanoid PCs can become

important parts of ongoing campaigns. Butthat doesn't mean every player should imme-diately roll up a humanoid PC. Too many ofthese characters will spoil a good thing. Wesuggest no more than one humanoid PC beused in an adventuring group at any giventime. If more than one player wants to try hisor her hand at running these unique charac-ters, then they should take turns bringing theirhumanoid PCs into the game. All of this willbe discussed detail later in the book.

The Purpose of This HandbookThe Complete Book of Humanoids is designed to

provide rules that allow players to createhumanoid player characters. In short, to designand role-play their own monsters!

Every player will use this book in a differentway, depending upon a number of factors.Long-time players will turn these pages insearch of new role-playing challenges. Somegamers will seek out new abilities to increasethe power of their characters. Others will lookfor a way to combine these for a new role-play-ing game experience. It all depends on aplayer's interests and experience, the shape ofthe campaign world in which the adventuresare set, and the interest and commitment of theDungeon Master.

Skilled players seeking new role-playingchallenges should read this book carefully.Others can use the table of contents to findareas of special interest to themselves.

At the end of this book, you'll f ind newhumanoid record sheets. These have beendesigned to help role-play humanoids, whileproviding room for all the pertinent gamematerial. There is also a sheet for creating newhumanoid kits. These sheets may be photo-copied for your personal use.

The back of the book has the tables necessaryto create and run humanoid characters. Thesehave been gathered here for convenience andease of use.

Introduction • 5

If you need it to create, play, or run a human-oid character, then you'll find it in here. Inaddition to the basics, there are special sectionsabout superstitions, monstrous traits, socialand racial disadvantages, personalities, cam-paign models for introducing humanoid char-acters into your game, and campaigncomplications that a Dungeon Master can useto keep a humanoid character in character.

A Note About Optional RulesThis book is full of new rules, humanoid kits,

suggestions on role-playing, new proficienciesand spells, and other details concerning theuse of humanoids by the players. This infor-mation adds to the rules presented in thePlayer's Handbook. However, this is only a sup-plement to that volume. All of the rules in this

book are optional. As a player, you should beprepared to abide by your Dungeon Master'sdecisions about how to use any of these newrules in the campaign.

Even if your Dungeon Master decides thatnone of the rules presented here can be used inhis campaign, much can be learned in thepages that follow. Humanoids, after all, are apart of every AD&D® campaign world, and toknow them better is to know your game worldbetter. The best way to use this book is to createa humanoid character and play it in a game.Without humanoids, there would be no Kaz™the Minotaur or Dragonbait™ the Saurial orKulung™ the Ogre Mage.

And without The Complete Book of Humanoids,you won't be able to add your own charactersto the ballads of the bards and the tales of thestorytellers!

6 • Introduction

Humanoid Creatures

Creating Humanoid CharactersThis chapter includes the basic information

needed to generate a humanoid character. Itexp la ins how to roll ab i l i ty scores, how tochoose classes and. kits, and gives guidelineson selecting the humanoid's racial type.

Humanoid characters aren't quite the sameas the human or demihuman characters you'reused to playing. They often have differentmotivations, different world views, differentlimitations. Before you decide whether yourhumanoid character is going to be noble andmisunderstood, suspicious and quick to anger,or some other type, you need to generate andrecord the character's basic statistics.

Getting StartedA collection of h u m a n o i d races has been

gathered in this chapter, These races have beenselected for their payability and plausibility asplayer characters. You won't find any undeador spirits among them. There are no monsterst ha t have " ins tan t kill" powers. Wi th fewexceptions, all of the humanoids range in sizefrom small to large. We've included a t i n yhumanoid tor variety, but none above the large(7' to 12') size.

Each entry includes background information,role-playing suggestions, monstrous traits andsuperstitions inherent to the race, minimumand maximum abi l i ty scores, racial abi l i tyadjustments, class restrictions, and level limits.These will be important when you begin gen-erating ability scores and filling out a charactersheet.

Take a few moments to look over the selec-tion of humanoid races. Try to find a race thatyou want to role-play, not just a race tha t willgenerate a powerful character. The goal of thisbook is to show you how to create charactersthat can be role-played powerfully, not how tocreate all-powerful monster PCs. In fact, themore powerful a humanoid PC is, the harder it

will be for that character to operate in a cam-paign setting (sec Chapter Five: Role-PlayingHumanoids for more information).

After you've selected a race and a couple ofalternates, discuss your choices wi th yourDungeon Master. The one you decide to gowith should be the one that you are both com-fortable with and fits easily into your DM'scampaign. You may have to provide your DMwith suggestions on integrating your choiceinto the campaign setting. By working togetherto come up with clear campaign hooks andexplanations for the humanoid PC's presence,you'll be building something you can both livewith. In the long run, cooperating on develop-ing the campaign story will be a rewardingexperience for both the Dungeon Master andthe players.

When choosing a humanoid race to play,keep in mind the following things. You wantto choose a humano id race t h a t you like,because it's no f u n playing a character youcan't s tand . Your selection should sparkplenty of ideas for role-playing the characteryou want to create. If you have no idea how torun or role-play the ape-like alaghi, or youjust hate the thought of playing a lizard man,then you should not choose those races.Finally, you want to select a race that will addpositive elements to the story you, the otherplayers and the DM are telling through therole-playing game campaign. A disruptivecharacter, like a disrupt ive player, will spoilthe fun for everyone involved.

Generating Ability ScoresAfter you've selected the humanoid race you

want to play, it's time to create a humanoidplayer character. You can use any of the sixdice rolling methods described in the Player'sHandbook, provided the method is approved byyour DM. If you want to generate a specificcharacter class, and your DM approves, useeither method V or VI.

Humanoid Characters • 7

Each humanoid race entry in this chapterincludes ability score modifiers. These areapplied to the numbers you generate when cre-ating a humanoid character of a particular racialtype. Each humanoid race has its own set ofability minimums and maximums. No abilityscore can fall below the minimum or rise abovethe maximum without magical or divine aid.

If you have your heart set on playing a partic-ular humanoid race and you roll ability scoresthat are too high or too low, your DM has theoption to allow you to use the racial minimumor maximum for that ability score.

Humanoid RacesEvery humanoid race has a maximum experi-

ence level it can reach in a given class group(see Table 1: Humanoid Level Limits, on page9). You may want to look this over beforedeciding which race you want to play

Each humanoid race has advantages and dis-advantages. If the humanoid race you selecthas a lot of advantages, it will take more expe-rience points to progress in level Also, manyadvantages are often balanced by monstroustraits and superstitions, as described in Chap-ters Five and Six.

Special Note: Except for swanmays, nohumanoid can benefit from a raise dead spell.As with elves, other methods of reviving aslain humanoid must be used.

Groups, Classes, and KitsAll four major character groups (warrior,

wizard, priest, and rogue) can be found amongthe humanoid races, though not every charac-ter group is open to every race. The individualrace entries will list the restrictions, if any,which apply. Similarly, the classes within thesegroups may be off limits to certain humanoidraces.

This book also features character kits for thehumanoid races. A kit is a specialized role,

designed to augment and enhance the charac-ter class system. Kits do not replace classes.Every character who uses a kit still belongs to aparticular character class. Kits add detail tocharacters after their class has been selected.

Kits are entirely optional, though they arerecommended. Humanoid characters can becreated without them, but the kits add detailthat might otherwise be missing. Only onehumanoid kit is allowed per character.

Multi-Class CharactersMost humanoids can be multi-class characters,

though the combinations available to themvaries depending upon what race a humanoidis. If you decide to play a multi-class character,read over the benefits and limitations of suchcharacters as outlined in the Player's Handbook.As an option, if a character is ineligible to bemulti-classed due to low ability scores, and laterhas the scores raised to the point of eligibility,the DM may allow the character to declareimmediately for multi-class status.

Character Class Maximum Levels

The maximum levels humanoids can attaindepend upon the character's race, as listed onTable 1. Multi-class characters can attain themaximum level of each group. Single-classedcharacters with exceptional scores can attaineven higher levels, as listed on Table 2. Seeindividual race entries for further informationon groups and classes open to humanoids.

Exceeding Level Limits

As an optional rule, DMs may allow human-oid characters to advance to any level, but theymust earn two, three or even four times theamount of experience points normally requiredfor each level. This effect is cumulative withother experience point multipliers that ahumanoid race might have.

8 • Chapter One

Adding Humanoids to a CampaignThere are any number of ways to introduce

humanoid player characters into a campaign.While the method chosen wi l l be determinedby you and your Dungeon Master, this sectionhas a few models that might make the processeasier. Consider these models as adventurehooks to introduce a newly-created humanoidplayer character into the action.

Campaign Model #1:"A Friend in Need..."

Bright Mane found himself at the bottom of a deeppit. The wemic, a cross between lion and humanjust as a centaur is a cross between human andhorse, had stumbled into the trap while hunting forfood. The pit, which smelted of humans and theirstrange tools, was deep enough to keep Bright Manefrom leaping out, even if he hadn't injured his hindleg in the fall. The sides of the pit were too steep toclimb, and he was quickly running out of ideas.Soon, he knew, the humans would come to see whatthey had caught in their pit. Then his exploration ofthe world beyond his nation's territory would end— as would his freedom, and perhaps his life.

As twilight stretched across the land, BrightMane heard the sound of clanking armor approach-ing. He tensed, tightening his grip on his primitivespear. He would not give up without a fight! Thatwas not the way of a warrior of the pride!

"What have they caught this time?" a gravellyvoice asked. Bright Mane looked up to see a dwarfpeering down at him. Behind the dwarf was ahuman, dressed in the polished armor of a paladin.

"Whatever it is, I won't see it taken as slave bythose vile, predators," the paladin proclaimed, "Let'ssee if we can extract it before Barrot and his menreturn ..."

In this campaign model, the human anddemihuman PCs who have been operating inthe DM's campaign world come to the rescueof the newly-created humanoid PC, Like the

Table 1: Humanoid Level Limits

Table 2: Bonus Levels forSingle-Classed Humanoids

Prime Requisite Score Total Bonus LevelsRacial Maximum +1 +1 (+1)Racial Maximum +2 +2 (+4)Racial Maximum +3 +3 (+7)Use the parenthetical number if the prime requisite is Strength and ifthe humanoid is a human crossbreed (half-orc, half-ogre),


Character GroupRaceAarakocraAlaghiBeastmanBugbearBullywugCentaurFremlinGiant-kin, firbolgGiant-kin, voadkynGnollGnoll, flindGoblinHobgoblinKoboldLizard ManMinotaurMongrelmanOgreOgre, half-Ogre mageOrcOrc, half-PixieSatyrSaurial, bladebackSaurial, finbackSaurial, flyerSaurial, hornheadSwanmayWemic* See Table 2

Wr111212123012—12111112101181212101212*91010*7119U991412

Wz—————1210—8

——————810——8

————999U——

Pr711—8714—7799999771034794

——U999127

Rg11—10991212—10111112121291012——8118

121199U9—10

lion with a thorn in its paw, the humanoid is insome kind of trouble that only the non-human-oid PCs can save him from. They take on therole of the mouse, who pulls the thorn free andearns the respect and favor of the terrible lion.By saving the humanoid, the other PCs gain acompanion — and perhaps even a friend.

Once saved,, the humanoid PC forms a bondwith his rescuers. He feels he owes them a debthe can never repay, or at least that he owesthem a debt which must be paid off throughthe course of subsequent adventures. Even ifthe other PCs protest, the humanoid will notbe swayed from paying back his debt in what-ever way he can think of. He will follow hissaviors, protect them, aid them in their quests,and seek to return the great favor that theyhave bestowed upon him.

Humanoids can be saved from a variety ofsituations, including angry mobs, other adven-turers, town guards, hostile monsters, naturaldisasters, and even other humanoids. Ahumanoid PC who has been rescued will betotally devoted to his saviors if he is of theproper alignment and personality. Even themost independent and chaotic humanoids willsee the other player characters as companionswho will keep them from getting into deadlytrouble again,

Campaign Model #2:"...Is a Friend Indeed."

The trolls were closing in on Grellor at last, andthe ranger had nowhere else to run to. He hadreached the end of the path. Above him was thesteep cliff walls of the mountain pass, below himwas a dizzying drop into oblivion. His only optionwas to turn and face the trio of trolls, though thiswould only delay the inevitable. His sword and tir-ing muscles were no longer a match for the regener-ating monsters.

The trolls appeared from around the bend, firstone with drooling jaws and outstretched talons,then another, and another. They moved slowly,

sensing that the chase had ended and wanting tocontinue the game for a while longer. Grellor swunghis sword before him, hoping to keep the monsters atbay. By the look on the lead troll's face, that tacticwasn't going to work. He watched as the vile crea-ture tensed, preparing to leap across the remainingspace and sink its claws into his tender, tired flesh.

What happened next was a confused jumble. Thelead troll leaped. Grellor screamed and jumped back,plunging over the side of the cliff. He heard anotherscream over his own, like the cry of a huge bird."Skree-ya!" it called, and Grellor felt bony handsgrasp him. He looked up to see a winged humanoid— an aarakocra, he believed it was called — grabhim. While it could not hold his weight and main-tain flight, it could slow their fall toward the waterbelow.

"Breeka save human," the aarakocra crowed inbroken common as they glided downward. "Shehave wings enough for both of us ..."

In this model, it is the human or demihumanplayer characters who are in deadly trouble.While this model works best on an individuallevel (one human/demihuman PC, onehumanoid PC), it can be developed to apply toan entire player character group.

On an individual level, the human and thehumanoid form a bond due to the heroic effortsof the humanoid character. This bond can startas one of gratitude and a debt to be repaid, butit often develops into a long-term adventuringcompanionship or even a close personal friend-ship between the human in need of help andhis humanoid savior.

On a group level, the humanoid characterprovides the means for adventurers to get outof a terrible jam. She may know a secret pas-sage out of the dungeon, or a hidden passthrough goblin territory, or she may evencharge into battle to save the adventurers fromcertain doom. In this way, the entire groupowes a debt to the humanoid. They may not allbecome fast friends with their savior, but theywill show a grudging respect and wil l feel


obligated to her.Adventurers get into all sorts of situations

that they might need to be rescued from. Atrap in a dungeon could leave them all uncon-scious and dying until the humanoid pullsthem to safety. Hordes of monsters could beclosing in and the adventurers must prepare tofight to the death, when the humanoid showsthem a way to escape. Or perhaps the human-oid leads them to a pool of healing, or to amuch needed cache of supplies, or even inter-cedes on behalf of the adventurers to savethem from her own people.

Whatever the situation, a humanoid whohelps a group of adventurers out of a life-or-death encounter becomes very attached to hercharges. She believes that they will alwaysneed her help, that if she leaves them to theirown devices they will simply wind up back introuble again — or worse. Because of this, thehumanoid decides to accompany them on theiradventures. For their part, the adventurers feel

beholden to the humanoid, so they tolerate herpresence. As the humanoid shows herresourcefulness and ability to help over andover again, she will become an important partof their group. Perhaps over several gamingsessions, she will even become their friend.

Campaign Model #3:'Hello, Again..."

Freg the Rogue sat staring into the dying camp-fire, trying not to think about what his belovedDreeya might return as. The woman warrior wasstruck down in their escape from the Underdark,and the only option that had been open to Freg wasto allow the priest Joun to cast her miracle. Now hecould only wait.

"Are you certain you have no idea what formDreeya will come back in?" Freg asked the cleric forthe tenth time since they had finished dinner,

"Reincarnate is not an exact spell,' Jounexplained again. "She may return as an animal, or

12 • Chapter One

perhaps even as a humanoid."Freg jabbed a long stick into the fire, producing a

burst of sparks. "If you knew Resurrection wewouldn't be sitting here waiting to see ..."

The conversation ended abruptly as a sound brokethe stillness beyond the camp. The thief and thepriest turned in the direction of the noise, trying tomake out shapes in the darkness beyond the fire'sglow. They heard it again. Someone or somethingwas approaching the camp.

"Dreeya?" Freg called cautiously. "Dreeya, isthat you?"

"Yes, my dearest,' a voice called back. It was afeminine voice, but it was also very deep and notquite human. Freg gulped.

A dark shadow reached the edge of the camp, hesi-tated, then slid into the fire's light. Standing beforeFreg and Joun, barely able to contain a smile, was ahuge, obviously female, bugbear.

"Dreeya has returned,' the bugbear said, fixingFreg with a loving look. "Miss me?"

A human or demihuman player charactereventually faces a foe that is stronger, tougher,and luckier than he is. On such an occasion, theresult is often the untimely death of the playercharacter. Of course, death is not always finalfor PCs in a campaign. There are a number ofmethods for rescuing a favorite character fromthe bony clutches of death. The method whichconcerns us here is the priest spell, reincarnate.

The list of possible incarnations has beenexpanded to include the humanoid races listedin this book. Now that there are rules for creat-ing and playing humanoid characters, it makessense to provide this method for turning adead human or demihuman PC into a livehumanoid PC.

This method creates a situation that is unlikethe other methods for introducing a humanoidPC into a campaign. While the other methodsbring an "uncivilized" humanoid into the com-pany of human and demihuman adventurers,reincarnate places the memories and personalitiesof deceased humans into the body of a human-

oid. The character must now cope with life frominside a very different body than he was used to.He must face all of the prejudices directed at thatbody without the benefit of growing up in theculture it belongs to. A new humanoid characterintroduced through reincarnate may look like abugbear or satyr, but it has all (or at least most) ofthe knowledge and understanding of the humancharacter it used to be.

The reincarnated character recalls the greaterpart of his former life and form. The characterclass of the new incarnation can be anythingthe player wants, as long as it fits the rules pre-sented in this book and matches the humanoidrace in question.

If a humanoid character is being createdusing the reincarnate spell, it follows theserules: If the character returns as the same classas his previous incarnation, the reincarnatedhumanoid has half his previous levels and hitpoints. If the humanoid returns as a new char-acter class, his hit points are half his previoustotal, but he must begin again at first level.

Campaign Model #4:"All that Glitters..."

The goblin sat across from Valkira and her com-panions, slurping the mug of wine she had offered itwith greedy delight. It drained the contents quickly,licking the last drops from the bottom of the mug.Then it belched loudly, licked again, and finallydropped the empty mug before turning its unusu-ally bright eyes upon Valkira.

"Can you really lead us through the passagesbeneath the Sunset Mountains?" the warriorwoman asked, watching the goblin closely for signsof deception or betrayal.

"Grolip know passages like Grolip know back offoot," the goblin boasted easily. "Grolip lead you —if pay is right."

"We'll pay what we agreed upon," Valkira assuredhim. "Half now, half on the other side. Plus, if allgoes well, we'll give you an additional fifty as abonus."


The goblin's eyes widened at the promise, ami hisfangs protruded in a lopsided grin. "For that,Grolip even help you carry your treasure!"

"That's okay," Valkira said quickly, "just lead usthrough the passages safely."

"You safe with Grolip," the goblin nodded eagerly."Grolip know way ..."

In this campaign model, the adventurers hirethe services of a humanoid for a particularadventure and wind up getting a life-longcompanion. Perhaps they aren't able to payhim right away and he decides to hang arounduntil the money becomes available. Maybe cir-cumstances turn employers and employee intopartners or even friends. In most cases, whatstarts as an honest business arrangementevolves into something more. The humanoidmight be in it for the money in the beginning,but circumstances often turn business associ-ates into boon companions — especially in theviolent, dangerous realms where adventurerstend to roam.

Humanoids can be hired for any number of

jobs, including hired muscle, as guides orinterpreters, and even for some particular skillor knowledge the humanoid might have. Thosehumanoids who make good player charactersoften hire themselves out in order to earnmoney until they can hook up with an adven-turing party that will accept them. Often, theonly legal employment a humanoid can find isas a hireling to adventurers.

During the course of employment, thehumanoid will come to enjoy the company ofthe adventurers, perhaps even hooking ontoone particular character as a friend. He willdemonstrate his own abilities and worth to theparty as the adventure progresses, and evenprove his loyalty on more than one occasion,When the time comes to collect his pay andmove on, the humanoid will make excuses tostay. He may admit to wanting to stay out offriendship, or he may pretend that only thepromise of more wealth keeps him around. Ineither case, the party gains the skills of thehumanoid character, and the humanoid gainsthe companionship of the adventurers.

14 • Chapter One

Humanoid Races

Basic information on humanoid races can befound in the various Monstrous Compendium"sets. As the humanoids who become playercharacters are rare examples of their races, thei n f o r m a t i o n t h a t fo l lows (except for ru le smaterial) is intended only as a guideline. Whatmay be t rue of one member of a humanoidrace may not be t r ue of another. Individualalignments can vary, as can backgrounds,goals, and motivations.

How to Read the EntriesEach entry for a humanoid character type

includes the following elements:Ability Score Adjustments. These modify

the a b i l i t y scores when the h u m a n o i d isselected. They are added to or subtracted fromthe scores rolled. The adjusted ab i l i ty score isentered on your character sheet.

Ability Score Range. This lists the minimumand maximum ability scores a humanoid char-acter can have when f i rs t created. Scores tha texceed the maximum or fail to meet the mini-mum can be adjusted down or up to the limitonly if the DM allows it; otherwise a differentcharacter type must be chosen.

Of course, over t ime a character 's ab i l i t yscores may change. Only at the time of a char-acter's creation must the minimums and maxi-mums be adhered to.

Note that the maximum Charisma score is thatperceived by other races. A rolled score higherthan th is has its fu l l effect on members of thecharacter's own race.

Class Restrictions and Level Limits. Whichclasses are open to the humanoid and how farthe character can advance can be found here.

Multiclass options are listed on page 119. Ingeneral, a humanoid must have scores of 14 inthe prime requisites of both classes to become amulticlass character.

Hit Dice. Humanoid hit dice depend on theclass selected. Any special hit point bonus thehumanoid receives is listed here.

Alignment. The race's typical al ignment islisted here. The range of PC options is usuallymore extensive.

Natural Armor Class. Some humanoid raceshave a natural armor class which provides pro-tection without the benefi t of artificial armor.This rating does not include Dexterity bonusesor penalties.

Generally, protection rated at less than orequal to the n a t u r a l armor class will provide+1 AC protection. Thus, a lizard man (wi th an a t u r a l a rmor class of 5) wear ing s tuddedleather a rmor is AC 4. Should the charactersomehow contrive to have a set of plate mai lconstructed, it would give him a base AC 3,

Background. This describes the humanoid ingeneral terms, painting a broad picture of thepar t icular race and its members. The playershould also detail the character's backgroundin order to fully integrate the character into thecampaign. Such addit ional details are subjectto the approval of the DM.

Languages. This section lists the languageswhich are commonly spoken by the membersof a particular race. A character always speakshis native language. Addi t iona l languagesmay be known. I t is highly recommended thatall humanoid PCs understand common.

I f the DM uses the nonweapon proficiencysystem, addit ional languages require profi-ciency slots. A humanoid character's nativelanguage does not require a slot. Add i t i ona llanguages do (see Chapter Four: HumanoidProficiencies). If the DM is not using the non-weapon proficiency system, then the human-oid characters know a speci f ic n u m b e r ofadditional languages based upon their Intelli-gence scores (see Player's Handbook}.

Role-Playing Suggestions. This gives a fewsuggestions on how to role-play a member ofthis particular race. The players can use thesesuggestions or ignore them as they see fit.

Special Advantages. This lists any specialadvantages benefiting the members of a par-t icular humanoid race.

Humanoid Races • 15

Special Disadvantages. This lists any specialdisadvantages that hinder the humanoid.

Monstrous Traits. These are the typical traitsexhibited by the members of this race. Suchtraits help distinguish one humanoid race fromanother.

Optionally, the DM may require humanoidcharacters to take additional monstrous traits,depending on the number of special advan-tages the humanoid has (see Chapter Five).

Superstitions (Optional). This section listssample superstitions that best f i t a particularhumanoid race.

Proficiencies. The entries for weapon andnonweapon proficiencies list each humanoidrace's init ial selections. Unless the DMapproves another proficiency, or a special kit istaken, PCs of a particular humanoid race mustselect their initial proficiencies from their lists(proficiencies available through humanoid kitsare listed in Chapter Three). When a new profi-ciency slot is gained by level advancement, thenew proficiency can be selected from anyweapon or group available to the kit or charac-ter class,

AarakocraAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus to Dex-terity, and a -1 penalty to Strength andConstitution.

Ability Score Range

AbilityStrengthDexterityConstitutionIntelligenceWisdomCharisma

Minimum386333

Maximum161816181718

Hit Dice. Player character aarakocra receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Aarakocra tend toward neutralgood. PC aarakocra may be of any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 7.Background. Aarakocra are a race of intelli-

gent bird-men that live among the highestmountain peaks. The average aarakocra stands

16 • Chapter Two

Class RestrictionsClassWarrior

FighterRangerPaladin

WizardMageIllusionist

PriestClericDruidShamanWitch Doctor

RogueThiefBard

Maximum Level

11——

——

——7

—

11—

about five feet tall and has a wing span oftwenty feet. Halfway along the edge of eachwing is a hand with three human-sized fingersand an opposable thumb. An elongated fourthfinger extends the length of the wing and locksin place during flight.

The hands cannot grasp while flying, but arenearly as useful as human hands when anaarakocra is perched and its wings foldedback. Their powerful legs end in four sharptalons that can unlock and fold back to revealanother pair of functional hands.

These humanoids have hollow, fragile bones.Their faces combine the features of both par-rots and eagles. They have gray-black beaksand black eyes. Plumage color varies, butmales generally have red, orange, and yellowcoloration, while females tend toward brownand gray.

Aarakocra live in small tribes which controlhunting territories and share a communal nest.The eldest male serves as leader, the secondoldest as shaman.

Languages. Aarakocra, giant eagle, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Aarakocra are

reluctant to engage in ground or grapplingcombat because of their fragile bones. Theylove gems and other shiny objects. Their reli-gious ceremonies are simple affairs involvingwhistled hymns. Sunset on the first day of eachnew month is of religious significance.

These bird-men enjoy peace and solitude.They love their freedom, and are extremelyclaustrophobic. Most of them will not enter acave, building, or other enclosed area withouta very good reason.

Aarakocra PC adventurers must have clearmotivations. Some leave on a quest to aid theirpeople, others because they do not fit in withthe rest of their tribe.

Aarakocra who learn common interspersethe language with their native bird-like sounds.Caws, screeches, and whistles punctuate theirbroken sentences in typical bird-like fashion(like a parrot mimics human speech).

Aarakocra fighters prefer heavy fletchedjavelins when they must go to bat t le . Anaarakocra can carry up to six javelins in indi-vidual sheathes strapped to his chest. Whileflying, he can clutch a javelin in each of hislower hands, throwing them or stabbing oppo-nents as necessary. Aarakocra who have lefttheir home territory and traveled to more civi-lized lands will sometimes wear pieces of stud-ded leather armor to provide additionalprotection. They never carry shields.

Some tribes of aarakocra carry a specialweapon, called a flight lance. See ChapterSeven: Arms and Armor, for more details.

Special Advantages. The bird-men have theability to fly, with a movement speed of 36 anda maneuverability class of C.

Aarakocra talons cause 1-3 points of damageand can strike twice in a round. Their beaksalso cause 1-3 points of damage. They receiveno attack penalties for aerial missile fire. Whenusing two javelins, an aarakocra can make adiving attack. They must dive at least 200 feetto use this special attack. The attacks are usu-ally accompanied by a blood-curdling shriek,gain a +4 bonus to the attack rolls, and causedouble damage.

An aarakocra shaman of 7th level can, withfour other aarakocra, summon a friendly airelemental in three rounds of chanting and aer-ial dancing. It will perform favors, although itwill not endanger its life for them.

Special Disadvantages. Aarakocra are veryclaustrophobic. Those who engage in combatin enclosed areas (buildings, dungeons, etc.)receive a -3 penalty to their attack rolls.

Monstrous Traits. Monstrous speech;aarakocra make bird sounds when speaking,even if talking in the common tongue.

Superstitions. Fear of enclosed spaces.Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, dart, javelin,

flight lance (if available).Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, animal

noise, danger sense, direction sense, hunting,survival (mountains), weather sense, weaving.


AlaghiAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a + 2 bonus toStrength and a -2 penalty to Intelligence.

Ability Score RangeAbilityStrengthDexterityConstitutionIntelligenceWisdomCharisma

Minimum12312333

Maximum191718161616

Class Restrictions

* Int 15+, Wis 12+, Cha 15+ alignment neutralgood.

Hit Dice. Player character alaghi receive hitdice by class. In addition, they receive 9 bonushit points at first level.

Alignment. Alaghi tend toward true neutralalignment. PC alaghi may be of any alignment.Alaghi druids are neutral good.

Natural Armor Class. 4.Background. Alaghi, distant relations to yeti,

are forest-dwelling humanoids. They have bar-

rel chests, short necks, and wide, flat heads.Their short legs are thick, their hands and feetare large, and their hair is thick: blond, reddishbrown, or charcoal gray. They stand about 6feet tall and weigh over 300 pounds.

Most alaghi live as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. Sedentary alaghi set up communi-ties of crude huts or large cave complexes.Alaghi communities are generally mistrusted,though some neighbors will trade manufac-tured goods for pelts, game, and ore. The rarestalaghi are philosophical hermits that are neu-tral good and have druidic abilities.

The primitive alaghi fashion crude stoneknives, hand axes, and tools, as well as simplewooden javelins. A favorite tactic employed bythe alaghi is to hurl missile weapons from hid-ing, ambushing their opponents.

Languages. Alaghi, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. These forest

dwellers tend to be shy and peaceful. The her-mitic alaghi are curious and helpful to those inneed. They love riddles and games of strategy,often seeking competition from willinghumans and demihumans. They especiallyenjoy a good game of chess.

Players should pick the alaghi character's

18 • Chapter Two

Class Maximum LevelWarrior




RogueThiefBard

12——

——

—11*——

——

background — nomadic, hermitic, or sedentary.Most will probably be nomadic, traveling insearch of adventure as their less heroic kin seekgame and wild plants. Nomadic alaghi do notnecessarily live in harmony with nature, but theyrespect it and know how to use it withoutdestroying it. Sedentary alaghi are like primitivehumans, often greedy and raiding to survive.Hermitic alaghi live in harmony with nature,usually serving as druids and enjoying friendlyrelations with their woodland neighbors.

An alaghi deciding to become an adventurermight leave home for a variety of reasons. Anomad leaves its group to seek knowledge,treasure, or adventure. A sedentary alaghigrows tired of community life and again takesup the life of a nomad, eventually hooking upwith a group of adventurers and finding a newand exciting activity. A hermitic alaghi maydecide to give up a life of solitude for somegrand cause — one that usually involves con-cerns of nature and druidic lore.

Special Advantages. The alaghi's huge fistscan inflict 2d6 points of damage. Alaghi canmove silently as per the thief ability, and theycan hide in natural surroundings. At 1st level, thebase scores are 40% and 35% respectively. Eachtime an experience level is gained, the alaghireceives another 5% in each skill.

Special Disadvantages. Alaghi take damageas large creatures.

Monstrous Traits. Fearsome appearance,punctuate sentences with hisses, hoots, andgrunts. Sedentary alaghi must suppress theurge to slay and eat any non-alaghi they meet.

Superstitions. Fear things which appear tothem as unnatura l , including wizard spells,undead creatures, and metal arms and armor.

Weapon Proficiencies: Club, hand axe,javelin, knife (all stone weapons).

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal lore, ani-mal noise, direction sense, eating, endurance,gaming, hiding, hunting, intimidation, naturalfighting, survival (forest).

BeastmanAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +2 bonus to Dex-terity, and a penalty of -2 to Charisma.

Ability Score Range


Class Restrictions

Minimum666333

Maximum18/50

1816181816

Hit Dice. Player character beastmen receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Beastmen tend toward neutral(good) alignment. PC beastmen may be of anyalignment.

Natural Armor Class. 8.Background. Beastmen are short, slender

humanoids with a fine layer of dark green orolive colored fu r covering their bodies. Aninner coat of coarse black fur lies beneath this,which gives them a natural camouflage ability.


WarriorFighterRangerPaladin



RogueThiefBard

1012—

——

————

10—

Class Maximum Level

Beastmen can instinctively create patterns ofstripes or spots across their bodies. The col-oration helps them blend in with shadows ofthe forests from which they hail.

In their native forests, beastmen are danger-ous hunters and adversaries. However, theyseek to avoid combat and even contact withothers unless they must defend themselves ortheir tribes. They are experts with spears, stoneaxes and knives, bolas, nets, and blowguns.Some beastmen know how to create a specialpoison for their blow gun darts. Those who faila saving throw vs. poison at a +4 bonus die in2d4 rounds. The toxin can only be prepared inthe wild and with the proper ingredients,

Beastman culture is self-sustaining and itdoes not discriminate against either sex. Theaverage beastman has no need or desire totrade or interact with other races. Of course,beastmen PCs are not of average stock. Theypossess a healthy curiosity to learn and seenew things, though they still hold their ownculture to be the superior one.

Languages. Beastmen, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Beastmen seldom

wear clothing or ornamentation as it interfereswith their natural camouflage ability and withthe use of their language.

As the beastman language involves spokenwords, hand and body gestures, and even theshifting of fur patterns, all other languagesthey may learn are considered simplistic andprimitive. This gives beastmen a natural feel-ing of superiority over other races.

In the wild, beastmen take on leadershiproles depending upon the circumstances. Thebest qualified takes charge as needed. Whenworking with non-beastmen, they try to con-tinue this honored tradition, usually to the cha-grin of their companions.

Special Advantages. Beastmen can makethemselves undetected in forest settings, ableto hide with 90% chance of success. Opponentswho are not aware of the beastman's presencesuffer a -6 penalty to their surprise rolls.

Beastmen do not believe in magic, ghosts,spirits, or the supernatural. Only those thingswhich can be seen, touched, tasted, smelledand heard exist. Beastmen are not hindered bysuperstitions.

A beastman who is proficient in herbalismcan expend a proficiency slot to develop theability to make beastman blowgun poison.

Special Disadvantages, By nature, beastmenare nonmagical. They have 80% magic resis-tance, even to beneficial effects. They cannotuse magical items except for magical weapons,and cannot themselves initiate any specialmagical functions of such weapons.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance, tendency toroar when completing a hunt.

Superstitions. None.Weapon Proficiencies: Bola, blowgun, hand

axe, knife (stone or wooden weapons).Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, animal

lore, animal noise, cooking, fire-building, fish-ing, hiding, hunting, rope use, set snares, sur-vival (forest), tracking, wild fighting.

20 • Chapter Two

Minimum888333

Maximum181718161814

Maximum Level

BugbearAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus toStrength and a -1 penalty to Intelligence andCharisma.

Ability Score Range


Class RestrictionsClass

Hit Dice. Player character bugbears receivehit dice by class. In addition they receive 3bonus hit points at first level.

Alignment. Bugbears tend toward chaoticevil. PC bugbears may be of any alignment,usually neutral (in rare cases good).

Natural Armor Class. 10.Background. Bugbears are giant, hairy rela-

tives of goblins. They are large, standing aboutseven feet tall, with muscular frames and the

look of true carnivores. They have light yellowto yellow brown hides, with thick coarse hairthat ranges in color from brown to brick red.Bestial eyes of greenish white with red pupilsstare out from savage faces. Wedge-shapedears rise from the top of their heads, and theirmouths are full of long sharp fangs.

Bugbears have exceptional sight and hearing,and they move with amazing stealth. They livein caves and underground lairs. Bugbearfemales are not given the same opportunitiesand privileges as the males, and a good num-ber of adventurer bugbears are females look-ing for better lives.

These large humanoids live by plunderingand ambush. They sometimes take slaves, andare often cruel and mean-spirited. They areexcellent hunters. They eat anything they kill,including humans and humanoids smallerthan themselves. Some adventuring bugbearsleave their lairs because they cannot stand toeat intelligent creatures.

A bugbear tribe will have shamans or witchdoctors of up to 7th level, but not both.

Languages. Bugbear, goblin, hobgoblin, com-mon.

Role-Playing Suggestions. Bugbears speak afoul sounding language punctuated by ges-tures, grunts, and snarls. They even use thesebestial habits when talking in common, mak-ing other races doubt their intelligence.

Even the bravest bugbear PC has t roublebreaking away from its tribe. They prefer toambush their foes rather than attack head on.If outnumbered or overmatched, most willretreat to fight another day.

Adventuring bugbears remain territorialeven after they leave their lairs. They mentallymark out territory wherever they go, evenwhen traveling. Anything which comes intothis space becomes their property (at least intheir own minds), or the property of their newtribe (their PC companions). They are naturalbullies, forcing their wills on weaker compan-ions. They are an opportunistic race, prone to





RogueThiefBard

12——

——

8—77

9—

temper tantrums and violent outbursts.Bugbears enjoy wine and strong ale — often

to excess. They are stubborn by nature, findingit difficult to negotiate or compromise. Greedcourses through their bodies like blood, andeven the most noble bugbear covets glittery,shiny objects and weapons.

Special Advantages. Bugbears have infra vi-sion to 60 feet. Their stealth gives opponents a-3 penalty to their surprise rolls,

Special Disadvantages. Bugbears take dam-age as large creatures.

Monstrous Traits. Monstrous appearance,snarling language, long sharp claws.

Superstitions. Always watchful for omensfrom the gods; afraid of lightning and violentweather changes; seek to keep on the good sideof Skiggaret, the bugbear god of fear.

Weapon Proficiencies: Throwing (footman's)mace, goblin stick, hand axe, morning star (greatclub), spear, warhammer.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Close-quarterfighting, drinking, eating, hunting, intimida-tion, looting, natural fighting, wild fighting.

Bullywug, AdvancedAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus to Dex-terity and a -1 penalty to Intelligence andCharisma.

Ability Score Range

Minimum646363

Maximum18/75

1818141614

Maximum Level


Class RestrictionsClass

Hit Dice. Player character bullywugs receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Bullywugs tend toward chaoticevil. PC bullywugs may be of any alignment,but most are neutral or (rarely) good,

Natural Armor Class. 6.Background. Bullywugs are bipedal frog-like

amphibians inhabiting swamps, marshes, andother dank locations. They are covered with asmooth, mottled olive green hide that gives

22 • Chapter Two




RogueThiefBard

10——

——

——7

—

9—

them a natural protection. They have the facesof enormous frogs, characterized by widemouths and bulging eyes. Like frogs, theirhands and feet are webbed. They wear noclothing, but do make use of crude armor,weapons, and shields.

Bullywugs have learned to cooperate witheach other in order to survive and to worktogether when hunt ing. They are skilledhunters and fishermen, and can use and buildsnares and nets.

These frog-men grow up in a savage society.Males are dominant, as females are lookedupon as nothing more than egg bearers. Onlyleaders and their god are shown any kind ofrespect. Bullywug shamans can advance ashigh as 7th level, and will always be male.

Bullywugs need to keep their skin moist,which is why they favor swamps and marshes.They love treasure, even if the regular benefitsof wealth are lost on their society. Coins, jewelsand magical items are hoarded whenever theycan be found.

The average bullywug does not display thegreed or lust for power seen in other chaoticraces. They rarely fight among themselves,except when a leader grows too old or whenthe smaller, more savage bullywugs meet theirlarger, more advanced cousins. Bullywugstend to harm their environment, often huntingand fishing an area until its natural resourcesare depleted. Most hate humans, attackingthem on sight.

Languages. Bullywug, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Bullywug PCs

are assumed to be the larger, more intelligent(advanced) bullywugs. These range in sizefrom 6 to 7 feet, and are broader than theirsmaller relatives. They are more aggressive,better organized, and better equipped than thenormal bullywugs.

Often it is the females who decide to leavethe lair and take up the life of an adventurer,for the opportunities in their own society areextremely limited. While bullywug PCs tend to

remain chaotic, they sometimes shed their evilnatures as they try to find a place for them-selves in the outside world.

Of course, as most other h u m a n s andhumanoids fear and detest bullywugs, life foradventurer bullywugs is diff icul t and danger-ous. The successful ones will learn to dependon and cooperate with whatever adventuringgroup they can latch onto, for their survivaldepends on cooperation.

Adventuring bullywug shamans often takeup service with a new god, for they are usuallyfleeing from the wrath of the chaotic evil deityof their race.

Special Advantages. Bullywugs havechameleon abilities that make them 75% unde-tectable in natura l surroundings. This letsthem ambush opponents, whose surprise rollsreceive a -2 penalty (-6 if attacked by hop).

Bullywugs employ a hop attack which cancarry them up to 30 feet forward and 15 feetupward. A hop attack gives them a +1 bonusto their attack rolls. If they are using impalingweapons, these cause double damage.

Bullywugs receive swimming as a bonusproficiency.


Special Disadvantages. Bullywugs must wettheir entire bodies three times a day (at least awaterskin full of water is required). If they areunable to find moisture, they begin to loseConstitution at a rate of 2 points per missedbath. If their Constitution falls to zero, they diefrom dehydration.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance, chaotic ten-dencies, webbed hands and feet.

Superstitions. Bullywugs fear dry heat andareas that have little standing water.

Weapon Proficiencies: Club, dagger, shortsword, spear, trident.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Direction sense,fishing, hunting, survival (swamp), weathersense, wild fighting.

CentaurAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus to Con-stitution and Wisdom, and a -2 penalty toDexterity.

Ability Score Range


Minimum11311343

Maximum181618161818

Class RestrictionsClass Maximum LevelWarrior

Fighter 12Ranger 10Paladin —

WizardMage 12Illusionist —

Hit Dice. Player character centaurs receivehit dice by class. In addition they receive 4bonus hit points at first level.

Alignment. Centaurs tend toward neutral orchaotic good. PC centaurs may be any align-ment, but are usually neutral or chaotic good.

Natural Armor Class. 5.Background. Centaurs have the upper torso,

arms and head of a human, and the lowerbody of a horse. These woodland beings aresociable creatures, living in family groupsorganized into larger tribes. Tribes survivethrough hunting, foraging, fishing, agricultureand trade. They tend to shun humans, butoften trade with elves for food and wine.

Centaurs welcome elves into their areas,sometimes even sharing territory with them.Humans and dwarves receive polite invita-tions to leave, while halflings and gnomes areusually tolerated.

Centaurs mate for life, and the males clearlyhave the dominant role in their society. Theyare pastoral beings who can be violent whenthe need arises. They live in harmony withnature and know how to conserve resources.They keep things in balance, planting a tree forevery one they chop down and taking onlywhat the environment can easily give.

These woodland creatures use a variety ofweapons, including oaken clubs, compositebows and medium horse lances. Some carryshields, and a few wear special centaur armor.

Languages. Centaur, elvish, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Centaur player

characters are either young stallions and mareswho have not yet found their life mates, or

24 • Chapter Two


RogueThiefBard

—147

—

—12

widows and widowers who have lost theirmates and taken up a life of adventure in orderto ease their pain. They are a strong, proudrace, easily offended and impulsive.

Centaurs live in balance, They must eat a lotto power their great bodies, and have beenknown to over-indulge when it comes to wineand ale. Under the influence of alcohol, cen-taurs display rowdy, boorish, and aggressivebehavior.

Those centaurs deciding to explore the worldas adventurers usually do so to satisfy aninnate curiosity and wanderlust that some-times becomes a compulsion. They make excel-lent companions, good fighters, and hardytravelers. While they might sometimes offer atwo-legged companion a ride, centaurs do notconsider themselves pack animals or sourcesof transportation. In fact, they often becomeinsulted if such a role is suggested. They alsodo not tolerate horse jokes, though otherwisethey have good senses of humor.

Special Advantages. Centaurs can makethree melee attacks in a round: once with theirweapons and twice with their front hooves.Hooves cause 1-6 points of damage each.

Centaurs armed with lances can charge for

double damage, but cannot attack with theirhooves in that same round.

Special Disadvantages. Centaurs take dam-age as large creatures. They have diff icultynegotiating underground settings.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance.Superstitions. Fear of dragons and giants,

see omens and portents in nature.Weapon Proficiencies: Composite long bow,

medium horse lance, great club.Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal lore, agri-

culture, animal noise, armorer, artistic abilitybowyer/fletcher, brewing, drinking, eating,fishing, hunting, leatherworking, natural fight-ing, running, set snares, survival (forests),tracking, weaving, winemaking.

FremlinAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +2 bonus to Dex-terity, a +1 bonus to Intelligence, and a -3penalty to Strength.

Ability Score Range


Ability Minimum MaximumStrength 2 11Dexterity 8 18Constitution 4 13Intelligence 6Wisdom 3Charisma 3


Fighter —Ranger —Paladin —

WizardMage 10Illusionist 10

181618

PriestCleric —Druid —Shaman —Witch Doctor —

RogueThief 12Bard —

Hit Dice. Player character fremlins receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Fremlins tend toward chaoticneutral. PC fremlins may be of any alignmentbut are usually chaotic neutral.

Natural Armor Class. 6.Background. Fremlins are friendly, mostly

harmless gremlins. Like other gremlins, theyare small, winged goblinoids, only growing toabout a foot in height. However, fremlins tendto be plump and slate colored.

Sometimes fremlins, like their gremlincousins, are mistaken for imps. While thismakes gremlins very angry, it causes fremlins

to fall into hysterical fits of laughter. They havelarge, pointed ears, bat-like wings that givethem the power of flight, and an innate immu-nity to non-magical weapons.

Fremlins shun clothing and ornamentation,believing that they should never hide the won-derful bodies they were born with. They refuseto use weapons, and are generally worthless incombat.

These magical creatures live to have fun,usual ly at the expense of others. They loveto play practical jokes, though their humortends to be less harmful than that of theirgremlin cousins.

Languages. Gremlin (includes fremlin andgalltrit), common.

Role-Playing Suggestions. Fremlins arefriendly gremlins who tend to be quite harm-less. These plump magical creatures are usu-ally whining and lazy, complaining about theleast thing and always seeking a way out ofreal work.

Fremlin player characters are tolerable com-

26 • Chapter Two

pardons. They usually hook up with a charac-ter who befriends them or does something toearn their attention. Those they like receivecompanionship, those they dislike become thetargets of their mischievous pranks.

Fremlins will stick with an adventuring partyfor a time, remaining as long as they are keptfed and entertained. While they have someuseful skills and abilities, fremlin PCs are usu-ally played for comic relief. They seldom assistin combat, and often they wind up hinderingthe efforts of their companions by giving awayhiding locations or making other "innocent"blunders.

These magical creatures are cowards, fleeingat the first sign of trouble. They can be annoy-ing, obnoxious, and easily insulted. Often theywill disappear for a time, returning just whenthe rest of their party believes them to be gonefor good. Apologies sometimes bring themback earlier, but usually they stay away untilthey forget whatever it is that made them mador depressed in the first place.

Special Advantages. Fremlins are immune toattacks made with normal weapons. Oppo-nents need a +1 weapon or better to hit them.

Fremlins can fly, with a movement speed of12 and a maneuverability class of B.

Although fremlins rarely fight, they can usetiny weapons specially scaled to their size.Such weapons must be specially made andinflict about one-third normal damage.

Special Disadvantages. None.Monstrous Traits. Appearance, size.Superstitions. Fremlins are afraid of almost

everything.Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, pixie sword,

other weapons scaled for their size.Nonweapon Proficiencies: Begging, danger

sense, drinking, eating, fortune telling, gam-ing, hiding, reading/writing, set snares, spell-craft.

Giant-kin, FirbolgAbility Score Adjustments, The initial abil-

ity scores are m o d i f i e d by a +2 bonus toStrength and a -2 penalty to Charisma.

Ability Score Range

Minimum148

12883

Maximum191518181814



Fighter 12Ranger —Paladin —

WizardMage —Illusionist —

PriestCleric —Druid —Shaman 7Witch Doctor —

RogueThief —Bard —

Hit Dice. Player character firbolgs receive hitdice by class. In addition they receive 13 bonushit points at first level.

Alignment. Firbolgs tend toward neutral orchaotic good. PC firbolgs may be of any align-ment, but are usually chaotic good.

Natural Armor Class. 3.Background. Firbolgs are the most powerful

of the giant-kin. They look like normal humanswho have grown to a height of 10½ feet tall andweigh over 800 pounds. Stylish firbolgs wear


their hair long and grow long, thick beards.Their pink skin is very dense and thick, givingthem a low natural armor class. They havesmooth voices of deep bass and thick, rollingconsonants.

These great giant-kin live in remote forestsand hills. They distrust most other civilizedraces and tend to avoid them whenever possi-ble. They get along with druids and faerie crea-tures, including elves. They do not attack orkill without reason, but they love to engage inpranks which relieve strangers of their valu-ables.

They have close-knit communities centeredaround the family or clan. Clans exist as gath-erers or nomads, coming together at least oncea year with other clans to celebrate or makeimportant decisions.

Firbolgs live off the land, but they also live inharmony with i t . They trade their greatstrength for food with other peaceful folk, sup-plementing their diet by gathering and hunt-ing. Few monsters bother firbolgs, and theyavoid true giants other than storm giants. Theyrefuse to allow other giant-kin to roam theirterritories.

Languages. Firbolg, common, storm giant.Role-Playing Suggestions. Firbolgs are

extremely confident and quite fearless in mostinstances. They are a cautious and crafty race,and over the years they have learned to dis-trust and fear humans and demihumans. Theyare not overly aggressive, preferring to avoidencounters through hiding and deception.When forced to fight, they employ grandstrategies which utilize the terrain and situa-tion around them to best effect. They are taughtto operate as a group, not as individuals, andthey will carry this trait with them when theytake up with adventuring groups.

Firbolg PCs usually adventure to gain knowl-edge. They are especially interested in increas-ing their understanding of magic or theircollection of treasure. They do not ask formuch from their companions, nor do they

expect to give much beyond what is fair.Firbolgs can use any large weapons. They

disdain the use of armor and shields. Only thelesser races need such protection.

Like all giant-kin, firbolg PCs seem strangeand aloof to other player characters. Theirmotivations are different than those of smallerfolk; for example, they often try to live up tothe ideals of storm giants, making them seemeven more strange to lesser folk.

Special Advantages. Firbolgs have magicalpowers usable once per day. These develop, inorder, at odd-numbered levels, starting at 3rdlevel. The powers are: detect magic, diminution(as double the potion), fools' gold, forget, andalter self. These cannot be used when the fir-bolg is engaged in melee combat.

Firbolgs can use large human weapons (liketwo-handed swords and halberds) with onehand without penalty.

When using weapons of their own make(huge double-sized versions of humanweapons), firbolg can wield them with bothhands to inflict double damage.

Firbolgs can swat away incoming missileswith a roll of 6 or better on 1d20. With one free

28 • Chapter Two

hand, they can bat away up to two missiles perround. Large missiles, such as hurled bouldersor catapult missiles, can be caught if the firbolgwishes. Caught missiles can be hurled back atopponents on the next round with a -2 penaltyto the attack roll.

Special Disadvantages. Firbolgs have 15%magic resistance, even against magic that isbeneficial.

Firbolgs never wear armor of any sort, nor dothey carry shields.

Firbolgs take damage as large creatures.When using man-made weapons, firbolg can-

not apply their Strength bonuses.Firbolgs must earn double the experience

points of the base class to advance each level(for a fighter, 2nd level at 4,000, 3rd at 8,000,and soon).

Firbolg Shamans: Firbolg shamans mustearn triple the experience points of the baseclerical class to advance as shamans.

In addition, firbolg shamans gain additionalinnate magical abilities of the illusion/phan-tasm school. At 1st to 5th level, they receivetwo 1st level spells at each level. At 6th and 7thlevels they receive two 2nd level spells. Asinnate abilities, these are randomly deter-mined, and do not change once they are estab-lished. Each of these illusionist spells can beused once per day.

Monstrous Traits. Size.Superstitions. Firbolg have an innate fear of

human and demihuman mobs.Weapon Proficiencies: Club, halberd, giant-

kin halberd, giant-kin two-handed sword, two-handed sword.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Agriculture, ani-mal handling, animal training, blacksmithing,cooking, eating, gaming, herbalism, hunting,intimidation, reading/writing, set snares,weaponsmithing, weather sense.

Minimum111381133

Maximum181916171618

Giant-kin, VoadkynAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

i ty scores are modified by a +1 bonus toStrength, a +2 bonus to Dexterity, a -1 penaltyto Constitution, and a -2 penalty to Wisdom.

Ability Score Range







Hit Dice. Player character voadkyn receivehit dice by class. In addition, they receive 7bonus hit points at first level.

Alignment. Voadkyn tend toward chaoticgood. PC voadkyn may be of any alignment,but are usually chaotic good.

Natural Armor Class. 8.Background. Voadkyn are also known by the

more common name of wood giants. They areone of the smallest of the giant-kin races,


vaguely resembling giant-sized wood elves.They stand about 9½ feet ta l l and weighapproximately 700 pounds. They have thesame physical proportions as humans, whichgives them a thinner, lighter look than othergiant-kin. Wood giants have no facial or bodyhair. They have large heads as compared totheir bodies, and their jaws, chins and mouthsare especially prominent. Their ears are on ahigher plane than human ears, resting almostcompletely above the line of the eyes.

The skin of a wood giant can be any shade ofbrown mixed with yellow or green. They liketo wear leather armor or ring mail, and theycarry a special steel-tipped sheath for theirsword which allows them to use it as a walk-ing stick. They often disdain footwear, leavingtheir feet bare, though they do wrap theirankles in strips of leather. They dress in loosetrousers or short kilts stained in forest colors,and always wear a leather forearm sheath toprotect their bow arm.

Wood giants live in the same forests favoredby wood elves, whom they are good friendswith. In fact, the two races often co-exist. Theyshare a bond that goes back further than the

oldest legends. They do not make their ownlairs, preferring to live under the stars or toshare a wood elf lair when shelter is needed,

The bond between wood giants and woodelves extends to the other elven races. Woodgiants tolerate the company of any good elves.Usually, they do not mix with other intelligentcreatures, except for the occasional treant.

A small number of voadkyn have druid pow-ers. Voadkyn druids are never found in thesame community with voadkyn shamans.

Voadkyn are flighty and frivolous by nature.They have a fondness for finely cut gems andwell-crafted magical items. They also love toeat and drink wine, usually in large amounts.

Languages. Voadkyn, treant, sylvan elf, com-mon.

Role-Playing Suggestions. Wood giants givein to sudden whims and rarely take anythingseriously. Those that decide to become adven-turers are mostly in it for the fun they believeawaits them and for the treasures they believethey will earn. They are fun-loving beings.More serious companions consider them to beirrational, foolish, and even obnoxious. Still,most believe wood giants to be friendly andenjoyable company.

Voadkyn PCs are slightly more ambitiousthan those who remain in the forest, but theystill appear to be unmotivated, plodding, evenlazy beings. This temperament makes themslow to anger, but they will fight to defendthemselves or their allies.

Wood giants love to eat, and they alwayshave a sack of nuts and seeds from which tosnack. When traveling with other adventurers,a wood giant can be heard munching on someplant byproduct almost constantly. They eat allkinds of vegetables and plants, includingleaves and roots that other humanoid racesfind inedible. They do not eat meat.

Special Advantages. Wood giants, like elves,are 90% resistant to sleep and charm spells.They have infravision up to 90 feet.

At 7th level, wood giants gain the ability to

30 • Chapter Two

polymorph (self) into any humanoid creature,from three to 15 feet in height. They cannotform themselves into another specific person,only into a typical member of the race.

Voadkyn can move silently in forests, andany opponents there suffer a -4 penalty ontheir surprise rolls. In fact, voadkyn can blendinto forest vegetation so well that only crea-tures able to detect invisible objects can seethem. Voadkyn are quick, and can move out ofhiding, fire an arrow, and return to their hidingplace in the same round.

The favorite wood giant weapon, a huge longbow, gives a wood giant a +1 bonus to attackrolls and a 50% increase in range. The large-sized arrows for these bows cause 1d8 pointsof damage. The voadkyn must be at full size touse this bow.

Special Disadvantages. Voadkyn take dam-age as large creatures. They get no a t tackbonus for high strength.

Voadkyn warriors use the Paladin XP table.Monstrous Traits. Size.Superstitions. Voadkyn dis l ike enclosed

spaces. They believe that nights when the starsare hidden precede days of ill fortune, and arereluctant to do much on such days.

Weapon Proficiencies: Giant-kin dagger, giant-kin long bow, giant-kin mace, two-handed sword.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, animallore, animal noise, animal training (direwolves), bowyer/fletcher, direction sense,drinking, eating, fast-talking, gaming, hiding,hunting, set snares, survival (forests), wine-making.

GnollAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

i ty scores are modified by a +1 bonus toStrength, and a -1 penalty to Intelligence andCharisma.

Ability Score Range





PriestCleric 9Druid —Shaman 5Witch Doctor 5


Minimum655333

Maximum181818141614

Hit Dice. Player character gnolls receive hitdice by class. In addition they receive 2 bonushit points at first level.

Alignment. Gnolls tend toward chaotic evil.PC gnolls may be of any alignment, but areusually some form of neutral.

Natural Armor Class. 10.Background. Gnolls are large, evil, hyena-

like humanoids that roam the land in looselyorganized bands. They stand about 7½ feet tall.


They are humanoid, but the fine details moreclosely resemble a hyena. The skin of a gnoll isgreenish gray that gets darker near its muzzle.They have short manes of reddish gray to dullyellow hair.

Gnolls usually live beneath the ground orwithin abandoned ruins. Underground tribesoperate mainly during the night. The strongestgnolls rule their brothers, using fear and intim-idation to best advantage. Gnoll females fightas well as the males, though they rarely get touse the best armor and weapons available tothe band.

Gnoll society uses slaves, and they oftenwork with other humanoids, including orcs,bugbears, and trolls. This works best when thegnolls and their allies are of similar strengthand numbers. If either gains an advantage, theother usually becomes food. To a gnoll, hungercomes before friendship or fear. They dislikegoblins, kobolds, giants, humans, demi-humans, and any type of manual labor.

Languages. Gnoll, flind, troll, ore, hobgoblin,common.

Role-Playing Suggestions, Gnoll player

characters are extremely rare, for it is very dif-ficult for them to overcome their chaotic evilupbringing. Those who reject gnoll societyusually do so out of hatred of the gnolls or togain revenge against their race for some real orimagined wrong.

Those gnolls who become adventurers oftenexhibit evil tendencies. They fight a constantbattle to keep their bestial urges in check, andto overcome their natural aversion to manuallabor. They find it particularly hard to breaktheir taste for intelligent creatures, as they areconfirmed carnivores.

Gnoll adventurers will often put up withraces they don't like out of necessity.

Special Advantages. None.Special Disadvantages. Gnolls take damage

as large creatures.Monstrous Traits. Appearance, bestial habits.Superstitions. Revere the phases of the

moon, avoid bright light.Weapon Proficiencies: Battle axe, long com-

posite bow, morning star, two-handed sword,any pole arm.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal training(hyenodon), close-quarter fighting, hiding,hunting, observation, tracking, wild fighting.

Gnoll, FlindAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus toStrength and a -1 penalty to Charisma,

Ability Score Range


Minimum866333

Maximum181818161616

32 • Chapter Two






Hit Dice. Player character flinds receive hitdice by class.

Alignment. Flinds tend toward lawful evil.PC f l inds may be of any alignment, but areusually lawful neutral.

Natural Armor Class. 10.Background. Flinds appear similar to gnolls,

though they are shorter and broader. The aver-age f l ind stands 6/2 feet tall . They are moremuscular than regular gnolls, and usuallystronger. Short brown and red fur covers theirbodies, and their ears are more rounded thanthe gnolls.

Flinds are looked upon with awe by gnolls,revered as leaders and heroes by the hyena-like humanoids. Otherwise, they have thesame lifestyle as gnolls, except that they arenot as chaotic. Flinds tend to get along withorcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, and ogres, but dis-like and will not cooperate with trolls.

Languages. Flind, gnoll, orc, hobgoblin, bug-bear, ogre, common.

Role-Playing Suggestions. If any type ofgnoll is likely to become a player character, it isthe flind. As they are already looked upon asheroes by their gnoll cousins, some flinds rejecttheir evil natures to become heroes in the

larger world. A rare few even become lawfulgood.

Hind PCs believe themselves to be very spe-cial. All of the reverence heaped upon them bythe gnolls throughout their lives gives them asense of worth not displayed often in human-oid cultures. They exhibit the same bestialurges as their gnoll cousins, but they can con-trol them with less difficulty.

Special Advantages. A flind can use a flind-bar to disarm an opponent. A hit requires anopponent to save vs. wands. A failed savemeans the weapon is entangled and rippedfrom the opponent's grasp.

Special Disadvantages. NoneMonstrous Traits. Appearance, bestial habits.Superstitions. Like gnolls, flinds hold a spe-

cial reverence for the moon and its phases,Weapon Proficiencies: Club, flindbar, glaive,

long bow, long sword.Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal lore,

close-quarter fighting, danger sense, directionsense, endurance, fortune telling, local history,looting, hunting, intimidation, reading/writ-ing, religion, spellcraft, weaponsmithing.


GoblinAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a -1 penalty toStrength and Charisma.

Ability Score Range


Class Restrictions






Minimum445333

Maximum151716181812

Hit Dice. Player character goblins receive hitdice by class.

Alignment. Goblins tend toward lawful evil.PC goblins may be of any alignment, but areusually lawful neutral.

Natural Armor Class. 10.Background. Goblins are small humanoids,

growing to a height of about four feet tall.They have flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears,wide mouths, and small, sharp fangs. Though

they walk upright, their arms hang down totheir knees. Their dull,, glazed eyes range incolor from bright red to gleaming yellow. Theirspeech is harsh and of a higher pitch thanhumans.

These humanoids are generally evil innature, and often they are great cowards aswell. They avoid direct confrontations when-ever possible, preferring the safety ofambushes. They use simple, even crude,strategies and tactics. They do not believe infair fights, for many-on-one works much bet-ter than one-on-one to the goblin mindset.

Goblins live in dank caves and dismal under-ground dwellings. They only come aboveground at night or on dark, cloudy days. Gob-lins and their lairs carry a foul stench, due totheir lack of sanitation. Their tribes share withlarge common areas set aside for eating andsleeping. Treasure and property belongs to theentire tribe, though the chief and his sub-chiefs watch over it. Only their leaders haveseparate living areas.

Females are not afforded the same rights asmales in goblin society, and females neverlearn to fight. Their role is to service the malesand care for the young.

Each tribe has an exact pecking order, andevery goblin knows his exact place in it. Theway to move up the social ladder is throughbattle, and goblins constantly f igh t amongthemselves to improve their station in life.

Tribes regularly take slaves for food andlabor. They keep their slaves constantly shack-led and under guard.

Goblins take great pleasure in killing. Theydo not eat much, but they eat almost anything.Rats, snakes, humans, and other humanoidsmake up the bulk of their diets. When food isscarce, they will even eat carrion. They hatemost other humanoid races, especially gnomesand dwarves.

Languages. Goblin, kobold, orc, hobgoblin,common.


Role-Playing Suggestions. Like most evilcreatures, few goblins ever become adven-turers. Those that do are unusually rare, forthe individualistic l i fe of an adventurer iscompletely foreign to goblin society. Thosefew members of the race who display suchtendencies are often killed by their brethren,for they are believed to be insane.

If they can survive the prejudices and fearsof their own people, goblin PCs generallyreject their own societies. They leave theirlairs and strike out to f ind fame (of a sort)and for tune (whatever they can get theirhands on). They often fight against such gob-lin practices as slave keeping and maraud-ing, working to make up for the atrocities oftheir people,

Still, you can't take all of the monster out ofgoblin PCs. They do their best to controltheir fear and overcome their na tura l cow-ardice, but few goblin PCs will earn awardsfor bravery. Even the cleanest goblin adven-turers have trouble el iminating the stenchthey have grown up with. It hangs aboutthem like a shroud. Because of their commu-nal back-grounds, goblins have no concept of

privacy. This can lead to amusing — and notso amusing — situations for goblin PCs andtheir companions.

Special Advantages. Goblins have infravi-sion to 60 feet. They can detect new orunusual construction in an undergroundarea 25% of the time (1 or 2 on 1d8).

Goblin shamans can reach 7th level andhave access to the spheres of d ivinat ion,healing (reversed), protection, and sun(reversed).

Special Disadvantages. Bright light hurtsgoblin eyes, giving them a -1 penalty to theirattack rolls when in bright sunshine.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance, bestialhabits.

Superstitions. Eternal hatred and fear ofgnomes and dwarves, sensitive to unusualbehavior of worgs and wolves, fearful ofdreams and visions.

Weapon Proficiencies: Axe, military pick,morning star, sling, short sword, spear.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, ani-mal handling, animal training (worg), beg-ging, chanting, close-quarter f igh t ing ,fast-talking, fortune telling, hiding, hunting,information gathering, looting, mining, reli-gion, riding (worg), set snares.

HobgoblinAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a -1 penalty toCharisma.

Ability Score Range


Minimum665333

Maximum181818181814

36 • Chapter Two






Hit Dice. Player character hobgoblins receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Hobgoblins tend toward lawfulevil. PC hobgoblins may be of any alignment,though they are usually lawful neutral.

Natural Armor Class. 10.Background. Hobgoblins are stocky

humanoids with hairy, dark red to dark grayhides. The typical hobgoblin is 6½ feet tall, hasyellow or dark brown eyes, and sharp yellowteeth. They favor brightly colored garments,especially outfits of blood red.

This fierce race wages a perpetual war againstother humanoid races. They exist in a militarysociety, proud of their status, their fightingprowess, their battle standards, and the qualityof their weapons. War is their way of life, andto be a warrior is the highest calling a hobgob-lin can have. Even when d i f f e ren t tribes ofhobgoblins meet, there will likely be verbalabuse (85%) or open warfare (15%) unless astrong leader is present.

Most hobgoblins dwell in subterranean com-plexes. A few tribes build fortified surface vil-lages (about 20%). Hobgoblins considerthemselves superior to the 'lesser races," lord-ing over goblins and orcs whenever possible.

The lesser races have only one good purpose tothe hobgoblin mindset — they make decentbattle fodder. In mixed groups, hobgoblinsoften serve as officers in units of goblins ororcs.

Hobgoblins have an extreme hatred of elves.When their opponents consist of mixed races,they always seek to destroy elves first.

Languages. Hobgoblin, orc, goblin, common/carnivorous ape (rare).

Role-Playing Suggestions. To hobgoblins,war is almost a religious experience. They fightfor the glory of battle and to cause carnage, notto expand territory or right wrongs againstthem. Their outlook on war is much more purethan that. Conflict and strife are their meat anddrink.

Hobgoblin PCs are rare in the extreme, butthose that do take up the life of adventurersusually fall into one of two patterns. The first isthe hobgoblin pacifist . These i n d i v i d u a l sdetest war, though they may be extremelygood at its brutal arts. Having grown tired ofthe constant fighting, they leave their tribesand seek to find a new life somewhere awayfrom their people. Of course, as battle is what


they do best, they often find themselves usingtheir militaristic arts to earn a living. However,at least as an adventurer they only have tofight when absolutely necessary. These type ofcharacters will often wait until the last minutebefore entering a fray — not because they arecowards, but because they grow sick and tiredof shedding blood.

The second pattern of hobgoblin PCs arethose who turn away from the evil of theirsociety. They reject the hobgoblin gods andperhaps even discover the faith of a non-evildeity. These characters seek to make amendsfor their old l ife styles, trying to repair thedamage the hobgoblins have done and con-tinue to do in the name of glorious war.

Even the best hobgoblin PCs find it hard toovercome all of their natural tendencies. Bru-tality, stoicism, courage, and cold-bloodednessare always with them, like dark cloaks they cannever shed.

Special Advantages. Hobgoblins have infrav-ision with a range of 60 feet.

They can detect new construction, slopingpassages, and shifting walls in undergroundcomplexes 40% of the time (1-4 on 1d10).

Special Disadvantages. Most other human-oid and human societies attack hobgoblins onsight, Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to attackrolls against hobgoblins due to racial hatred.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance.Superstitions. Weakness is feared and

actively destroyed in hobgoblin society. Aweapon which breaks during combat is anextremely bad omen,

Weapon Proficiencies: Long composite bow,morning star, scimitar, spear, whip, any polearm.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Armorer, black-smithing, bowyer/fletcher, brewing, chanting,close-quarter fighting, direction sense, fire-building, hiding, intimidation, looting, reli-gion, weaponsmithing, wild fighting.

KoboldAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modi f ied by a -1 penalty toStrength and Constitution.

Ability Score Range







Minimum344333

Maximum161815171814

Hit Dice. Player character kobolds receive hitdice by class.

Alignment. Kobolds tend toward lawful evil.PC kobolds may be of any alignment, thoughthey are usually lawful neutral.

Natural Armor Class. 10.Background. Kobolds are short humanoids,

growing to a height of three feet. They havescaly hides of dark brown to rusty black, andsmell awful to anything but another kobold.The eyes of a kobold glow bright red, and they

38 • Chapter Two

have two small horns atop their dog-like heads.Kobolds are masters of trickery, but they pre-

fer tactics where they can apply overwhelmingodds. They have a racial hatred of gnomes andare wi l l ing to a t tack these demihumans onsight. The only way they wil l go againsthumans and other demihumans is if they havesuperior numbers — at least two to one, moreif they can manage it. They have learned to useswarming at tacks, throwing themselves atopponents in large waves.

Most kobolds are a sadistic, cowardly lot.Their lairs and ambush sites are studded withconcealed pit traps. They line the bottom ofthese pits with additional hazards, such asspikes or water traps, hoping to catch and inca-pacitate larger creatures with them.

Kobolds set up lairs in dark, damp under-ground locations and deep in overgrownforests. They are good miners, often settling inareas that show mining promise. Thesehumanoids set out from their territories to for-age for plants, hunt for meat, and to waylayhumans and demihumans. They capture vic-tims to use as food or to sell into slavery (ifthere is a market for such wares in the vicin-

ity). Strangers are not trusted, and they have aparticular hatred of brownies, pixies, sprites,and gnomes. Gnomes, especially, are shown noquarter, and kobolds will never cat them.

The conquest of land is the ultimate goal ofall kobold tribes. They rejoice in s t r ipping aland of its resources, and they love to accumu-late power. As they have a deep hatred of a l lother life, they find great delight in kil l ing.

Languages. Kobold, orc, goblin, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Kobolds strive to

be taken seriously by the larger races. Theyhate jokes directed at their diminutive size andstrength, and seek to make up for their short-comings through feroci ty and tenacity. Toother races, their language sounds like the yap-ping of small dogs, and few can take them seri-ously unless they are in large numbers.

Kobold PCs break the model of typical speci-mens of the race. There are those who reject theracial hatreds and savage practices of their fel-lows. Others discover the faith of a kinder god,and seek to learn and spread such f a i t h to oth-ers. A few have no stomach for f igh t ing andbloodshed, and these become rogues who goadventuring to escape the life they were borninto.

Whatever the case, kobold PCs have a harderedge than other character types. They re ta intheir dislike of short jokes, and they are oftenbelligerent, wise-cracking, and pushy, as theymust make up for their small size in whateverway they can. Even the most pleasant of therace are a little mean-spirited.

Kobolds, especially kobold rogues, like tokeep in practice wi th their skills of trickery,ambushing, and setting traps. Some few taketo inventing, applying their cleverness andingenuity to non-fatal mechanisms.

Special Advantages, Kobolds can see in thedark, up to 60 feet with their i n f r a v i s i o n .Unless kobold characters display special capa-bilities, intelligent and powerful opponents arelikely to attack them last of al l .

Special Disadvantages. Bright l igh t hinders


kobolds, making it difficult for them to see.When forced to fight in sunlit conditions or theequivalent, kobolds receive a -1 penalty totheir attack rolls. Gnomes have a + 1 bonuswhen attacking kobolds.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance, dog-likevoices, bestial habits.

Superstitions. Fear of spellcasters, fear andhatred of larger races, hatred of gnomes.

Weapon Proficiencies: Club (spiked), handaxe, javelin, short sword, spear.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal noise/animal training (giant weasel), animal training(wild boar), begging, close-quarter fighting,danger sense, fast-talking, gem cutting, hiding,looting, mining, set snares, wild fighting.

Lizard ManAbility Score Adjustments. There are no

adjustments to the basic ability scores.

Ability Score Range


Class Restrictions




PriestCleric —Druid —

Minimum836333

Maximum181818171816

Shaman 7Witch Doctor —


Hit Dice. Player character lizard men receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Lizard men tend toward trueneutral alignment. PC lizard men may be ofany alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 5.Background. Lizard men are the na tura l

rulers of the swamps they inhabit. These sav-age, semi-aquatic, reptilian humanoids livethrough scavenging and raiding. The less hos-tile tribes tend to be fishers and gatherers,though there seem to be more of the violent,war-loving tribes scattered across the land.

Lizard men grow to heights between six andseven feet ta l l . The average weight of thesehumanoids is between 200 and 250 pounds.Their coloration ranges from dark green togray to brown, and scales cover most of theirbodies. Lizard men have three- to four-foot-long tails, which are not prehensile. Only thosevery familiar with the race can tell the differ-ence between males and females. They wearonly the simplest of ornamentation — stringsof bone and other barbaric items.

Lizard men usually dwell in marshes andswamps. They live underwater in air-filledcaves, emerging to hunt, forage, and raidnearby communities — including other lizardman camps. Most tribes have about 150 mem-bers, including females and hatchlings. Thetribes sometimes form loose alliances againstcommon enemies, though these last only aslong as the threat is obvious.

These omnivorous humanoids eat almostanything. The foulest, most savage tribes cravehuman flesh. Tales of these savage lizard menambushing humans abound, for they seek bothliving and dead flesh to feast upon.

A small number of lizard man tribes have

40 • Chapter Two

evolved to a higher level of civilization, and itis from these tribes that PC lizard men areassumed to come. These lizard men live incrude huts, make and use shields, and havediscovered the benefits of ranged weapons.They make and use barbed darts and javelins,use crude clubs in melee, and some havelearned to capture and use the weapons ofhumans and demihumans.

Languages, Lizard man, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Lizard men are

barbarians. Even those from the advancedtribes are considered savages by the civilizedworld. When a lizard man PC enters a cam-paign, he faces many of the same problemswhich confront barbaric humans — the wayshe knows are not the ways of culture and civi-lization. The lizard man character has left theswamps behind, but his savage nature remains.Perhaps, as a member of an advanced tribe, hehas decided to learn more of the wonders ofthe civilized world. Once he has amassedenough knowledge, he will return to his tribeto teach them. Or, as a member of a more prim-itive tribe, the character has been forcefullytaken from the swamps and thrust into theouter world, Now he fights beside adventurersun t i l he can f ind his way home — or jus tbecause he likes the violence in which his newcompanions get involved.

Lizard men are known for their strength,their na tu ra l cunning, and their alien ways.They should be played as true outsiders — notonly are they from different lands and primi-tive cultures, but they are reptilian. Lizard menhave a much d i f ferent outlook on the worldthan mammals. They are born from eggs, theyspend much of their life in water, and they arecloser to the natural laws of survival than theircivilized counterparts. They should be playedas alien minds, with alien tastes, and alien per-ceptions. Often, a lizard man will be at oddswith his companions as to the way to proceed."Eat-or-die" is often the basic instinct runningthrough a lizard man's mind, and this does not

always go along with adventurers' ideals ofhonor, chivalry, and fairness.

As a savage, the lizard man PC is in tunewith the natural world. This does not mean heis an avid protector of nature (as centaurs, forexample, are wont to be), but that he under-stands nature's signs and can survive in placesothers would find inhospitable. Rememberalso, lizard men PCs do not understand civi-lization very well. They will often be alarmed,frightened, or offended by many of its mostcommon features.

In combat, lizard man warriors fight as indi-viduals. The civilized concepts of cooperationand strict planning are unknown to him, andhe will often find his own course in any battle.Against equal or lesser opponents, a lizardman may charge directly into the fray. Whenfacing superior opponents, a lizard man mayturn to wily tactics or sheer ferocity. The sav-age warrior has a few weaknesses, however.He can be distracted by food and simple trea-sures, even in the midst of battle.


Special Advantages. Lizard men can move inwater at a rate of 12. They have no move-mentor attack penalties when in water, and receiveswimming as a bonus proficiency.

Lizard men can remain under water for longperiods of time before they need to draw air. Ingame terms, a lizard man can hold his breathup to 2/3 his Constitution score in rounds(rounded up).

Special Disadvantages. Lizard men are fairlyslow and clumsy on land, having a base move-ment rate of 6.

Lizard men must wet their entire bodies oncea day. If they are unable to f ind adequateamounts of moisture (a f u l l waterskin isenough), they begin to lose Constitution at arate of 3 points per day. If their Constitutionfalls to zero, they die from dehydration.

If food (which could include a fallen friend orfoe) or treasure appear during a battle, a lizardman must make a successful Wisdom check tokeep his mind on the battle. Failure means heturns away from the f ight to feast or gatherspoils. This distraction lasts at least one round.Every a d d i t i o n a l round, the lizard man canattempt to break away from the distraction bymaking another Wisdom check.

Lizard man warriors start with two weaponproficiencies. Other classes start with one.

Lizard men with a SPELLJAMMER® origincannot be multi-classed; however, these startwith the normal number of proficiencies andaccess to more advanced weaponry and armor(armor costs are double standard prices).

Monstrous Traits. Monstrous appearance,bestial fear, bestial habits.

Superstitions. Lizard men fear dry heat andlocations with dry heat, such as deserts.

Weapon Proficiencies: Battle axe (stone),great dub (morning star), barbed dart, javelin.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, dangersense, direction sense, fishing, herbalism, hid-ing, hunting, natural f i g h t i n g , survival(swamps).

MinotaurAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

i ty scores are modified by a +2 bonus toStrength and Constitution, and a -2 penalty toWisdom and Charisma.

Ability Score Range





PriestCleric —Druid —Shaman —Witch Doctor 7


Minimum12512533

Maximum201420141616

Hit Dice. Player character minotaurs receiveh i t dice by class. In addition, they receive 6bonus hit points at first level.

Alignment. Minotaurs tend toward chaoticevil. PC minotaurs may be of any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 6.Background, These details are for general

play in the standard campaign worlds. Mino-taurs elsewhere may differ (notably those ofKrynn, the DRAGONLANCE® setting).

42 • Chapter Two

Most minotaurs are either cursed humans orthe offspring of minotaurs and humans. All ofthese minotaurs are male, very muscular andbroad, and very tall (7 to 7½ feet tall). Theyhave the head of a bull and the body of ahuman male. They usually live in a very primi-tive fashion, in caves, forests, or ruins,

Minotaurs venerate physical strength aboveall else. The strong, they believe, should natu-rally rule. Surrender is viewed as weakness, sominotaurs fight (or argue) to the death. Theyare extremely cunning and have excellentsenses. They w i l l at tack wi thou t fear andretreat only i f the opponent is obviouslybeyond their ability to defeat.

While many minotaurs are brutal, uncivi-lized savages, they are not mindless killers.Most are ruthless, harsh, and stubborn, butsome are thoughtful and even sophisticated. Afew are known for gentleness and kindness.

Languages. Minotaur, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Much of the

impetus for role-playing a minotaur caninvolve reclaiming a lost human heritage, orf i nd ing some way to f i t into the campaignworld in a civilized manner.

Though the curse that aff l ic ts some mino-taurs makes them chaotic, adventuring mino-taurs usually reject the evil that others of theirkind embrace. However, they value strength,and may be seduced by the idea that mightmakes right. Also, any opportunity to alleviatetheir curse is grabbed for, perhaps to the exclu-sion of reason and safety.

In general, however, they make valuable, ifunpredictable, allies.

Special Advantages. Minotaurs receive a +2bonus to their surprise rolls. They can trackprey by scent 50% of the t ime. They areimmune to maze spells and receive a +3 bonusto their morale scores (including saves vs.magical fear). They have 60' infravision.

Special Disadvantages. Minotaurs take dam-age as large creatures.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance, bestial habits.Superstitions. They dislike spell casters.Weapon Proficiencies: Flail, great axe (same

characteristics as halberd), oaken club.Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, animal

noise, blind-fighting, direction sense, drinking,eating, hunting, intimidation, natural fighting,religion, seamanship, tracking, wild fighting.

MongrelmanAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Intel-ligence and Charisma. The player can add a +1bonus to any other ability score, not to exceedthe starting maximum.

Ability Score Range


Minimum668332

Maximum17181817188





PriestCleric 10Druid —Shaman 7Witch Doctor —

RogueThief 12Bard 8*

* Can adjust crowd reactions only among own kind. Othercrowds will react negatively.

Hit Dice. Player character mongrelmenreceive hit dice by class.

Alignment. Mongrelmen tend toward lawfulneutral. Player character mongrelmen may beof any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 5.Background. Mongrelmen combine the worst

features of many species, including humans,orcs, gnolls, ogres, dwarves, hobgoblins, elves,bugbears, and bullywugs. No two mongrel-men look the same, but all appear as poorlyconstructed combinations of various human-oid races.

Always misshapen and ugly, mongrelmengrow to heights ranging from five to seven feettall. In general, they are ashamed of theirappearance and do their best to keep their bod-ies hidden from those they encounter. Mon-grelmen speak common, though they intermixintelligible words with grunts, whistles,growls, and gestures. Their names often mimicanimal noises.

Mongrelmen receive no welcome in lawfuland good societies. Among evil and chaoticgroups, they meet with enslavement and

abuse. Most of these reactions are in responseto mongrelmen appearances — they look likedeformed monsters and are treated as such bysociety at large.

They work as slaves or serfs, toiling endlesslyfor cruel and evil masters. Mongrelmen haveinfinite patience and an unswerving belief thattheir oppressors will eventually be punishedby outside forces. Because of this belief,enslaved mongrelmen refuse to rebel againsttheir masters, even when the opportunity pre-sents itself. Those remaining free often take upresidence in abandoned ruins or other long-forgotten places.

Mongrelmen are survivors. To remain aliveand relatively unharmed is their ultimate goal— they do not seek power or treasure or famelike other races. An orderly day-to-day exis-tence is a mongrelman's perfect state of being.Patience is the greatest virtue, not the ability todestroy. They are by no means pacifists, butthey will only fight in self-defense or on theorders of their masters.

Free mongrelmen have a long tradition of art,music, and literature. Of course, mongrelmanmusic is an acquired taste, being a bizarrecacophony of animal songs mixed with mourn-ful dirges and wails.

Languages. Common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Mongrelmen

player characters are either escaped slaveswhose masters finally succumbed to outsideforces (as the mongrelman knew they would)or free mongrelmen who have been inspiredby some ballad or tale to take up the life of anadventurer. While f ight ing is not in theirblood, mongrelmen make natural thievesand a few aspire to become bards or evenwizards.

Even the most outgoing mongrelman is shy,quiet, and easily embarrassed. The shame thatmakes them conceal their bodies follows eventhe most successful adventurer throughout hisor her career. They hate what they look like,and sometimes turn to adventuring in order to

44 • Chapter Two

forget for a time. Of course, most people theymeet are quick to remind them with a gasp, byturning away, or by outright insults.

When speaking in character, players shouldpunctuate their sentences with grunts, whis-tles, and animal noises. Lots of gestures arealso used by mongrelmen when they talk.Those mongrelmen PCs who believe them-selves to be artistically inclined should alsofeel free to make up ballads, stories, and songson the spot to entertain their companions —the more awful and abstract the song, the moreperfect it will be to a mongrelman's ears.

Mongrelmen are great believers in what willbe will be. This makes them infinitely patientand extremely ordered. Those that becomeadventurers may have decided that fate needs alittle help now and then, but fhey still hold tothe belief that everything is planned and theycan't change it. Of course, most feel that some-thing good is waiting for them in the future. Allthey have to do is wait patiently for it to arrive.

Shyness is bred into mongrelmen, and eventhose of the race that work as adventurers tend

to stay out of the spotlight. They like to avoidcontact with others (except their companions),and have come to believe that stealing whatthey need (but never more than they need) isperfectly acceptable.

They love art, music, and literature. Mostread everything they can get their hands on.Often, when their party discovers scrolls orbooks, mongrelmen PCs will try to acquirethem instead of seeking magical weapons,items, or even gold.

Special Advantages, Mongrelmen can mimicthe sounds made by any monster or creaturethey have encountered, though they cannotimitate special attack forms.

All mongrelmen, regardless of class, can pickpockets. They have a base score of 70%, andreceive a 5% bonus in pickpocket per level,starring at 5th level.

Mongrelmen can camouflage themselves andtheir items. It takes one full turn to hide, givingthem an 80% base chance to go unnot iced.Each additional turn spent preparing the cam-ouflage increases the chance by 1 % to a maxi-mum of 95% (a f te r 16 turns) . Successfullycamouflaged stationary persons and items arenot noticed unless they are touched or other-wise disturbed. Camouflaged buildings areusually unnoticeable farther away than 50 feet,though this depends on the size and type ofthe structure.

Special Disadvantages. No matter whatCharisma score a mongrelman has among hisown kind, when first meeting strangers of dif-ferent races his Charisma is treated as 1 forreaction adjustments.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance, using animalnoises when they speak.

Superstitions. Mongrelmen believe stronglyin predestination, fear other humanoids (whohunt them for sport), and fear manifestationsof the supernatural,

Weapon Proficiencies: Broad sword, club,long sword, short sword, morning star, quar-terstaff, blowgun (rare).


Nonweapon Proficiencies: Acting, agricul-ture, animal handling, animal noise, artisticability, begging, brewing, chant ing, craf tinstrument, dancing, disguise, etiquette, for-tune telling, herbalism, hiding, informationgathering, observation, poetry, reading/writ-ing, religion, spellcraft, ventriloquism, voicemimicry.

Ogre, Half-OgreAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified as follows:• Ogre: +2 Str, +2 Con; -2 Int, -2 Cha• Half-Ogre: +1 Str, +1 Con; -1 Int, -1 Cha

Ability Score Range (Ogre/Half-Ogre)AbilityStrengthDexterityConstitutionIntelligenceWisdomCharisma

Minimum16/142/3

14/142/32/22/2

Maximum20/188/12

20/198/129/128/8

Class Restrictions (Ogre/Half-Ogre)Class Maximum LevelWarrior

Fighter 12/12Ranger —/—Paladin —/—

WizardMage —/—Illusionist —/—

PriestCleric —/4Druid — /—Shaman 3/4Witch Doctor —/4

RogueThief —/—Bard —/—

Hit Dice. Player character ogres and half-ogres receive hit dice by class. In addition, theyreceive 4 bonus hit points at first level.

Alignment. Ogres tend toward chaotic evilHalf-ogres tend toward chaotic neutral. PCogres and half-ogres may be of any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. Ogres have a naturalarmor class of 5, Half-ogres have a na tura larmor class of 8.

Background. Ogres are big, ugly humanoidsthat stand over nine feet tall. Most are greedy,living by ambushing, raiding, and outrighttheft . They tend to be ill-tempered beings,nasty and very violent. Dark warty bumpscover their dead yellow hides. They have pur-ple and white eyes, orange or black teeth andtalons, and long, greasy hair that ranges incolor from blackish-blue to dark green,

Ogres live by raiding and scavenging. Theywill eat anyth ing . In the wild, they have afondness for elf, dwarf , and ha l f l ing flesh.They use prisoners as slaves or save them forfood. They have ravenous natures — theycovet everything they see. As such, they canrarely be trusted, and they squabble over trea-sure even among their own kind.

Most ogres are a plague upon humanity.They constantly seek gold, gems, jewelry, andhuman and demihuman flesh. Few developcrafts of their own, and even fewer performany form of productive labor for themselves.

Half-ogres: These are the offspring of ogreand human matings. They have much of thestrength and size of their ogre heritage, butalso retain much of the native intelligence andreason of their human side. Half-ogres standbetween seven and eight feet tall, appearing ashuge humans. The skin coloration that marksogres is very much subdued in half-ogres:swarthy skin, lank hai r and usually, but notalways, human eyes.

Languages. Ogre, orc, troll, stone giant, gnoll,common. Half-ogre player characters willnearly always have common as their nativelanguage.

46 • Chapter Two

Role-Playing Suggestions. The ogre thatbecomes an adventurer is very, very rare. I t isvery d i f f i c u l t for ogres to overcome theirchaotic evil natures and their love for humanand demihuman f lesh. Those that do haverejected ogre society and morals, becomingoutcasts in their own communities. They haveturned away from their evil sides, though theyoften retain their chaotic natures.

Many ogre PCs are kind and gentle — at leastby ogre standards. They befriend or arebefriended by adventurers (see Chapter One),and decide to jo in the "tribe" of their newfriends. As part of the adventuring tribe, ogrePCs will do their best to fit in and act like theircompanions, though mistakes and slip ups arebound to occur. They especially have a hardtime containing their avaricious tendencies,want ing every piece of treasure the groupstumbles upon.

Half-Ogres: Half-ogres have an easier time ofit, for their monstrous sides are tempered byh u m a n though t s and emotions. Except for

their unusual size, they look much like uglyhumans. This makes it easier for them to find aplace in human society, even if they must hidepart of their heritage. Half-ogre PCs shouldselect a monstrous trait which emerges undercertain circumstances in order to give them thefeel of playing a humanoid character.

Special Advantages. Shamans (both types)have access to the spheres of combat, divina-tion, healing, protection, and sun (PCs are notrequired to reverse sun spells if they are ofgood or neutral alignment).

Special Disadvantages. Ogres and half ogrestake damage as large creatures. They haveattack roll penalties when fighting gnomes anddwarves. Ogres are -4 against both, half-ogresare -4 against gnomes and -2 against dwarves.

Monstrous Traits. Size, appearance, bestialhabits.

Superstitions. Fear of sickness, fear of physi-cal weakness, fear of the god known as theDestroyer.

Weapon Proficiencies: Club, goblin stick, hal-berd, spear, two-handed sword, voulge.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Drinking, eating,fire-building, hunting, intimidation, religion,tracking, wild fighting.

Ogre MageAbility Score Adjustments. The init ial abil-

ity scores are modif ied by a +1 bonus toStrength, and a -2 penalty to Wisdom.

Ability Score Range


Minimum1278832

Maximum181814171614







Hit Dice. Player character ogre magi receivehit dice by class. In addition they receive 5bonus hit points at first level.

Alignment. Ogre magi tend toward lawfulevil. PC ogre magi may be of any lawful align-ment.

Natural Armor Class. 4.Background. Ogre magi have light blue, light

green, or pale brown skin. Ivory horns jut fromtheir foreheads. They are 10½ feet tall, withblack nails, dark eyes with white pupils, andwhite teeth and tusks. They favor orientalclothing, armor, and weapons.

These larger, more intelligent ogre magi livein fortified dwellings or caves. They raid forslaves, treasure and food, and are very protec-tive of their young. They follow many orientaltraditions, including respect and honor fortheir clans and clan symbols.

Ogre magi are more civilized than their prim-itive, smaller cousins. This does not make themless fierce or dangerous, just smarter and morecultured. They prefer to use magic instead ofphysical force, and are much more reflectivethan normal ogres.

Ogre magi shamans are usually female.Languages. Ogre magi, ogre, common.

Role-Playing Suggestions. Ogre magi thatbecome player characters often do so becauseof a particular need, or because they are forcedinto it. Those who strike out for a particularneed are often driven by the desire to learn(usually magic) or to find some special itemthat their clan requires. These individuals willwork with adventurers for as long as it benefitstheir persona) goals. An ogre mage maybecome a forced outcast for some crime againstthe clan (be it real or imagined). The ogre magemust find a way to regain honor and status,but until then will take up the life of an adven-turer. Others are cast out because they fa i l todisplay the proper attitudes of the ogre magi.These individuals might follow good or neu-tral alignments, or seek to change long-stand-ing traditions.

A few ogre magi are kidnapped when theyare very young and raised away from theirclans. These PCs have little knowledge abouttheir heritage, but display tendencies whichmatch the people who raised them. In the caseof those kept as slaves, their adventuring daysusually begin when they gain their freedom.While they might be interested in finding their

48 • Chapter Two

clans, these ogre magi usually find themselvesalone and without any culture or society to calltheir own.

Special Advantages. Ogre magi develop spe-cial abilities as they gain hit dice: 1) assumegaseous form once per day (as the potion), fly for12 turns; 2) become invisible at will, charm per-son once per day; 3) cast sleep once per day,regenerate one hit point per round (lost mem-bers must be reattached to regenerate); 4} causedarkness in a 10-foot radius at will; 5) polymorphto a human or similar biped creature (4 feet to12 feet in height), cone of cold once per day (cre-ates a 60-foot cone, 20 feet in diameter at thefar end, that inflicts 8d8 points of damage, savevs. spells for half damage).

Ogre magi are +1 on morale.Special Disadvantages. Ogre magi take dam-

age as large creatures. Oriental equipment isoften both rare and expensive.

Ogre magi must earn twice as many XP as ahuman character to advance each level (2ndlevel fighter at 4,000 XP, 3rd at 8,000, etc).

Monstrous Traits. Size, appearance.Superstitions. Ogre magi fear losing honor

or disgracing their clans. Optionally, the char-acter can use the Honor system from the Orien-tal Adventures book.

Weapon Proficiencies: Daikyu, katana, nagi-nata, scimitar, tetsubo, wakizashi, whip; orientalversions of the halberd, spear, and trident.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Acting, armorer,bowyer/fletcher, etiquette, fortune telling,poetry, reading/writing, spellcraft, weapon-smithing, weaving, wild fighting.

Orc, Half-OrcAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified as follows:• Orc: +1 Str; -2 Cha• Half-Orc: +1 Str, +1 Con; -2 Cha

Ability Score RangeAbilityStrengthDexterityConstitutionIntelligenceWisdomCharisma

Minimum6/63/38/133/33/33/3

(Orc/Half-Orc)Maximum

18/1817/1718/1916/1716/1412/12

Class Restrictions (Orc/Half-Orc)ClassWarrior




RogueThiefBard

Maximum Level

10/10*—/——/—

_/_—/—

9/4*—/—6/4*6/4*

11/8*—/-

* Single-classed characters can rise higher

Hit Dice. Player character orcs and half-orcsreceive hit dice by class.

Alignment. orcs tend toward lawful evil,half-orcs tend toward true neutral. PC orcs andhalf-orcs may be of any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. orcs and half-orcshave natural armor classes of 10.

Background. orcs look like primitive humanswith gray-green skin and coarse hair. Theystoop slightly, have low ju t t ing foreheads,


snouts, canine-like teeth, and short pointedearn. The average orc stands between 5½ and 6feet tall. Half orcs have much more human fea-tures.

Orcs are aggressive humanoids that live intribal societies. They band together to hunt andraid, believing t ha t to survive they mustexpand their territory. This need to expandputs them in a constant state of war withhumans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and evenother orc tribes.

Orc communities are usually found under-ground (75% likely), but wilderness villagesdo exist. These lairs are protected by the bestdefenses the orcs can invent or steal. Some ofthese communities are built around activemines. All make use of slave labor.

The orc mentality views aggression as thenatural order. They believe that other racesare inferior to them, and bul ly weaker crea-tures. Enslaved orcs will rebel at the firstopportunity. When allied with others, orcsare quick to take offense and break agree-ments.

To orcs, the greatest challenge they can setfor themselves is the test of battle. Theyvalue territory above all else, though theyalso take great pride in battle experienceand prowess, wealth, and lots of offspring.Orc society is male dominated; females existto bear young. Though carnivorous, orcsprefer game meats or livestock to intelligentraces.

Half-Orcs: Half-orcs result from orc unionswith virtually any humanoid or demihumanrace except elves. These mixed breeds tend tofavor their orcish parent, though a small num-ber can pass for ugly humans. PC half orcs areassumed to be crossbreeds within the upper10% of the mongrel orc-humans that can passfor human. These have the ability to surpasstheir orcish heritage, rising beyond the limits anormal orc can reach. However, they have dif-ficulty finding a place in either society, as nei-ther culture trusts them.

Languages. Orc, goblin, hobgoblin, ogre,common. Half-orcs speak orc and receive com-mon as a bonus language.

Role-Playing Suggestions. Player characterorcs are not as rare as other humanoid races.The call to battle is not much different than thecall to adventure, and orc heroes sometimescome to the forefront. If treated with care andpatience, orc adventurers can become effectivepartners and allies. Because females have fewrights in orc society, many of them turn toadventuring to escape their lot in life.

A few orcs even attempt to reject their evilnatures in order to try to become honorablewarriors. While an orc will never become apaladin, some do attain the orcish equivalentof holy warriors. However, those orcs thatattempt to fight fair and with honor are sneeredat and rejected by their own kind. Why fightface to face, the common orc thinks, whenfighting from an advantageous hiding place isso much more effective?

Half-orcs: Half-orcs have an easier time of itas adventurers, for they are usual ly free oftribal ties. Both heritages reject them, so theymust carve their own destiny out of what life

50 • Chapter Two

throws their way. They often flaunt their supe-rior ability in the presence of full orcs, and tendto associate with humans who do not careabout appearances.

Half-orcs tend to be serious and brooding.They seek acceptance and friendship, eventhough most will have little to do with them.While most of the half-breeds walk the path ofneutrality, a few do become lawful good.

Special Advantages. Orcs (only) are skilledminers. They can spot new and unusual con-structions 35% of the time, and sloping pas-sages 25% of the time.

Orcs and half orcs have 60-foot infravision.Half-orc single classed characters with excep-

tional ability scores can advance fu r the r :Fighter 17th at 21 Strength (20— 14th; 19—12th;18/00—llth). Priests gain one level per pointof Wisdom up to 7th level. Thieves gain onelevel per point of Dexterity up to 11th level.

Special Disadvantages. Orcs fight with a -1penalty to their attack rolls and morale whenin direct sunlight. Half-orcs do not have thisdisadvantage.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance.Superstitions, Fear of sickness, the weak, the

lame, cowards, sunlight.Weapon Proficiencies: Battle axe, crossbow,

flail, hand axe, spear, any bow, any pole arm,any sword.

Nonweapon Prof ic iencies: Alertness,armorer, blacksmithing, bowyer/fletcher, car-pentry, chanting, close-quarter fighting, hunt-ing, intimidation, looting, religion, set snares,spellcraft, tracking, weaponsmithing,

PixieAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus to Dex-ter i ty and Charisma, and a -1 penalty toStrength and Constitution.

Ability Score Range







Minimum387633

Maximum141916181618

Hit Dice. Player character pixies receive hitdice by class.

Alignment. Pixies are true neutral. PC pixiescan be any neutral alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 5.Background. Pixies are among the most

intel l igent and mischievous of the magicalfaerie-kind. They dwell in idyllic woodlands,taking great delight in harassing travelers withtheir pranks and tricks. Fun is the goal fornearly all pixies, and they often define fun bythe merry pranks they pull.

Pixies are naturally invisible. When theymake themselves visible, they look like twoand a half foot tall elves, though their pointedears are much longer. The silver moth wingsjutting from their backs gives them the ability


to fly, They dress in bright colors, often sport-ing caps and shoes with curled, pointed toes.

These elfin beings inhabit deep forest caves.They dance in moonlit glades, moving to themusic of crickets, frogs, and other nocturnalcreatures. They live in clans or family unitsthat seem to mimic human customs. If theytake anything seriously, it is their loyalty tofamily and community

They also take great pride in their martialskills. They can appear warlike, and they loveto play at adventure as much as they love trick-ery and celebration.

Languages. Pixie, sprite, common.Role-Flaying Suggestions. Pixie PCs often

join up with adventurers who display a goodsense of humor (especially if they were on thereceiving end of a pixie prank). With childlikewonder and a sense of adventure, pixies willtake up sword and bow and follow other char-acters on important missions and grand quests.No matter how serious the quest is, however,pixies always treat it as a game.

Even when on an adventure, they cannotrefrain from pulling pranks on monsters andother creatures they meet. If no one else is

available, they may even turn their tricks ontheir companions. If they see a young maiden,they must frighten her. If they find a wall, theymust rap upon it. No candle flame is safe in thepresence of a pixie, and no inviting frog pondor flower field can be ignored.

Pixies may play tricks to teach lessons, greedymisers and humorless bores are prime targets.Most often, they play tricks for the sheer fun ofit. They love celebrations and feasts, and areoften considered frivolous by the larger races.They are graceful, with a love for l i fe . Pixiesloathe evil, saving their most lethal tricks forfoul bandits and wicked monsters. When theyneed an item, they have no second thoughtsabout '"borrowing" it.

Pixies can be played for comic relief, but theirabilities with weapons makes them more thansimple pranksters. They can become valuablemembers of any adventuring party.

Special Advantages. Pixies can become visi-ble or polymorph themselves at will. Once perday they can know alignment.

Once per day a pixie can create illusions withboth auditory and visual components, whichlast without concentration until dispelled.

Once per day pixies can touch a creature orbeing and cause confusion (as the spell) if thecreature fails a saving throw vs. spells. Thisconfusion is permanent unless a remove curse isapplied or the pixie dispels it.

Once per day, pixies can use dispel magic (asan 8th level mage), dancing lights, and ESP.

Opponents who cannot detect invisibleobjects attack pixies with a -4 penalty. Pixiescan attack while invisible without penalty.

Pixies have the ability to fly, with a move-ment speed of 12 and a maneuverability of B.

Special Disadvantages, A dispel magic suc-cessful against 8th level magic will force apixie to become visible for one round.

A pixie requires twice as much XP to advancea level as a human of the same class.

Monstrous Traits. Size, invisibility, wings.Superstitions. Pixies avoid stagnant, filthy

52 • Chapter Two

pools of water, seeing them as bad omens ormanifestations of evil.

Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, pixie bow,pixie sword.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal lore, ani-mal noises, bowyer/fletcher, brewing, cheese-making, direction sense, fast-talking, gaming,hiding, observation, set snares, ventriloquism,voice mimicry, weaponsmithing, winemaking.

SatyrAbility Score Adjustments, The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus to Dex-terity and Constitution and a -1 penalty toIntelligence and Charisma.

Ability Score Range







Minimum687333

Maximum18/75

1818171817

Hit Dice. Player character satyrs receive hitdice by class.

Alignment. Satyrs are true neutral. PC satyrscan be any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 5.Background. The ha l f -human, half-goat

satyrs are a race of pleasure-loving beings.Like the sylvan locations they dwell in, satyrsare personifications of nature, embodiments ofall that is wild and carefree.

Satyrs, also called fauns, have the torso, headand arms of a man, and the hind legs of a goat.Two sharp black horns jut through the coarse,curly hair on top of the head.

Satyrs spend their days and nights in sport.They love to frolic and play their pipes, andthey never miss an opportunity to chase afterwood nymphs or other comely creatures.While they can be friendly to strangers, theyusually resent intrusion into their territory.They get along best with elves, centaurs, anddryads, and occasionally mingle with korred.

These fun-loving creatures often throw wildwoodland celebrations. During the warmerperiods of the year, these celebrations can lastall night. They are attended by dryads, cen-


taurs, and other woodland creatures. Strangerswho stumble onto such a party will be invitedto stay if they can supply drink. Satyrs areextremely fond of expensive wine.

Satyrs refuse to confine themselves to anorganized society. They live in loose colonies,instead, using comfortable caves and hollowtrees as homes. There are no female satyrs.They do have an affection for human females,however, and often seek to charm those thatcatch their fancy.

Languages. Satyr, sylvan elf, centaur, dryad,korred (rare), common.

Role-Playing Suggestions. Satyrs are aninoffensive race. They just want to have fun.The rare satyr who becomes an adventureroften does so for the sport of it. When adven-tures stop being fun, they return to their wood-land homes to find a new party.

Satyrs do not understand seriousness or vio-lence. Though they can fight with the best ofthem if need be, they are rarely serious. It'sagainst their nature. They do not like to work(though they are excellent wine makers), astheir hearts are tuned to play. They are impul-sive, full of animal passions. If they see some-thing they like, then they must have itimmediately. To want is to get, at least in themind of a typical satyr.

They believe themselves to be part of nature,an extension of its wild side. As such, the satyrway is nature's way — the right way. They arenot thinkers, preferring instead to live in thenow. Why contemplate a plan? Just get on withit, or don't. That's the satyr's way. Also, satyrsdo not get angry or insulted. Everything is theway it is, so why should they be bothered byit?

Satyr PCs will often be unpredictable, as theobject of their desire changes from moment tomoment, and they are quick to act on theirimpulses. They understand that humans anddemihumans think differently than they do,and they can suppress some of their urges.However, satyrs will be quick to point out how

absurd it is to try to keep a reign on feelings,and may even attempt to teach their compan-ions how to loosen up and have fun.

Special Advantages. Because of their abilityto be very silent and their keen senses, satyrsare surprised only on a roll of 1.

In forest settings, satyrs can blend into thefoliage (90% undetectable to creatures whocannot see hidden or invisible things).

Satyrs have infravision to 60 feet.In melee, satyrs can head butt for 2-8 points

of damage instead of using weapons.If a satyr has constructed his own satyr pipe,

and has devoted a minimum of three profi-ciency slots to its use (musical instrument,pipes) he can use its music to either charm orsleep or cause fear to all within 60 feet. All whohear the pipes must make a successful savingthrow vs. spell or suffer the effect. No profi-ciency check is required to use the pipes in thismanner. A bard's singing can nullify the musicof a satyr pipe.

Special Disadvantages. Satyrs are very sus-ceptible to distraction, especially if this comesfrom a female with Charisma 15 or better orfrom an expensive bottle of wine.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance.Superstitions. Satyrs are uncomfortable in

cities and beneath the ground, they do not likemobs of humans or humanoids, and fear bore-dom most of all.

Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, javelin, longsword, short sword, short bow, spear.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Acting, alertness,animal lore, artistic ability, bowyer/fletcher,brewing, cheesemaking, craft instrument(satyr pipe), dancing, drinking, eating, fishing,gaming, hiding, hunting, juggling, musicalinstrument (satyr pipe), natural fighting,poetry, survival (forest), whistling/humming,winemaking.

54 • Chapter Two

SaurialAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified as follows:• Bladeback: +1 Wis, +1 Cha; -2 Dex• Finhead: no bonus or penalty• flyer: +2 Dex; -1 Str, -1 Con• Hornhead: +1 Str, +1 Int; -2 Dex

Ability Score RangeMinimum

Ability (bb/fn/fl/hh)Strength 10/7/3/12Dexterity 3/5/7/2Constitution 5/3/3/8Intelligence 3/3/3/7Wisdom 7/3/3/3Charisma 5/3/3/3

Maximum(bb/fn/fl/hh)18/18/17/1814/18/19/1218/18/17/1818/18/18/1918/18/18/1818/18/18/18

Class RestrictionsMaximum Level*

Class (bb/fh/fl/hh)Warrior

Fighter 9/U/9/9Ranger —/12/—/—Paladin —/12/—/—

WizardMage 9/9/9/UIllusionist —/—/—/12

PriestCleric U/9/9/9Druid 9/9/9/9Shaman —/—/—/—Witch Doctor —/—/—/—

RogueThief 9/9/U/9Bard — / — / — / —

* If ability scores allow an XP bonus, then a 9 maximumbecomes a 10 maximum. These maximums are theoreti-cal based on the small sample available for study.

Hit Dice. Player character saurials receive hitdice by class. In addition bladebacks receive 2

bonus hit points at first level and hornheadsreceive 4 bonus hit points.

Alignment. Saurial characters can be of anyalignment,

Natural Armor Class. Flyers have a naturalarmor class of 6, finheads 5, and bladebacksand hornheads 4.

Background. The saurials are a race of lizardpeople who come from an alternate PrimeMaterial plane. To date they have onlyappeared in the Realms, having been kid-napped and brought there by the evil godMoander. When the god died, the saurialsdecided to make the Realms their home.

Saurials are intelligent bipedal lizards thatappear to be descended from creatures muchlike dinosaurs. Those in the Realms live in asingle village in the Lost Vale, among thepeaks of the Desertsmouth Mountains east ofAnauroch. Most are still recovering from thephysical, mental and spiritual anguish theysuffered as Moander's slaves, and few ventureout of the safety of their valley.

There are many different races of saurials,but only four are currently in the Realms.These are the bladebacks, finheads, flyers, andhornheads — names given them by the nativesof the Realms. Their own names are a combi-nation of noises and scents that do not trans-late into human or humanoid speech.

Saurials have brightly colored scales, sharpclaws, and tails. The different races havemuch different body shapes. All, however, areroughly humanoid. Bladebacks are tall, stand-ing about seven feet, with stocky frames andfriendly faces. The name given them comesfrom their most prominent physical feature.Large, sharp scales jut out along their spines,extending from the tops of their heads to theend of their almost body-length tails. Fin-heads are closest in shape to humans, thoughslightly shorter, standing about five feet tall.A pronounced fin sweeps from this saurial'shead, and it has a tail that is a little more thanhalf the length of its body. Flyers are small,


averaging just three feet in height. They havedelicate frames, small legs, short tails, and flapsof scale-covered skin hanging from each arm.This skin serves as wings, giving these saurialsthe ability to fly. Hornheads are the largest ofthe saurials, standing 10 feet tall with tails thatstretch longer than their bodies. Sharp hornsprotrude from their heads and the great bonyplates at their necks, giving this saurial race itsname. All saurials come in shades of greenmixed with yellow patterns, while flyers some-times sport red splotches. Rarely, a pure whitesaurial is born to one of the races.

More than one hundred adult saurials live inthe Lost Vale. They consider themselves to beof one tribe. Most of the saurials are farmersand hunters, though a small number of youngsaurials are becoming adventurers. Saurialsthink of themselves as saurials first and theirsub-race second. They mate for life, live a longtime, and both males and females share equallyin all work.

Saurial magic-users use memory sticksinstead of spellbooks. These notched polesfunction like human spellbooks, though theyare sometimes mistaken for magical staves bythose unfamiliar with saurial customs.

Languages. Saurials cannot speak any humanor humanoid language. Their voices arepitched too high for humans to hear, thoughthe olfactory portion of their own language canbe detected. They emit scents which carry theiremotions, and these can be interpreted byhumans familiar with saurials. Those saurialswho are PC adventurers usually have somemagical item that allows them to communicatewith their non-saurial companions.

Role-Playing Suggestions. As time goes on,saurial adventurers like Dragonbait™ willbecome more common. The inhabitants of theLost Vale will decide to venture out, and it ispossible that others from their home planemay find their ways to the Realms and othercampaign worlds.

Those adults in the Lost Vale are a somber lot,

hoping the next generation of offspring willbring joy back to their lives. Only the finheadnamed Dragonbait is known to have taken upadventuring, but the stories he brings back tothe valley on his visits have begun to inspireother saurials.

Young saurials grow quickly, reaching adultsize in about five years. However, they take aslong as humans to mature mentally andsocially, so very young saurial PCs could beplayed as large children who still have a lot ofgrowing up to do. Perhaps they have run awayfrom the Lost Vale, their heads filled with thetales of Dragonbait. Older saurials could leavethe valley on some quest, to get away from thesomber mood that hangs over the community,or could even be from their home plane on amission to find their lost brethren.

Bladebacks are very social beings. Theyenjoy company, and always find time to social-ize. They are the most straight-forward andtrusting of the saurial races, but they alsounderstand saurial nature well enough toknow the motives and desires of the otherraces. Slow to anger, bladebacks become pas-sionate fighters when finally roused to battle.They have very long memories, which makesthem slow to forgive insults and offenses.Bladebacks tend to be leaders and advisors,and many become priests so they can tend tothe needs of the community.

Finheads tend to be alert, bright, active, curi-ous and highly emotional. They often becomefighters. Most believe in ultimate good andevil, seeing things in terms of black and white.To finheads, there is one truth — they tend todefend that truth with every muscle in theirbodies. New tasks and adventures are greetedenthusiastically. Being impulsive, they oftenleap into dangerous situations without fullyunderstanding what they are up against. Fin-heads are the most likely to leave the commu-nity to seek out adventure.


Flyers are nervous and ski t t i sh . On theground they are clumsy and ill at ease. In theair, they are graceful and fluid. They are easilyirritated and in turn can be very irritating.They are ful l of nervous energy, constantly onthe move and bouncing around. They love totalk, constantly chattering about gossip andany topic that comes to mind. They are nosy,often snooping on companions just so they cankeep tabs on everything that is going on. Flyersact as scouts and messengers.

Flyers flee when danger presents itself. Thisis done almost on reflex, though they willreturn if they are needed in a fight. Every flyerknows in the back of his mind that their com-panions need them, and they often make upstories wherein they save the day for theirlarger companions. They love to tell these sto-ries over and over again — even if they haveno basis in fact.

Hornheads are careful planners and rationalthinkers. They never rush into anything. Some-times they seem dim-witted because theyspeak slowly and always choose their wordswith extreme care. Their minds, however, aresharp and quick, and hornheads often take upscience and crafts. They make natural wizards.For all their size and strength, they are amongthe most peace-loving of the saurials. They arenot motivated to demonstrate their ownstrength and power at every occasion. Becauseof thei r great size, hornheads can often befound eating. They require a lot of vegetationto maintain their strength.

Many saurials, especially spellcasters, deco-rate themselves with intricate tattoos whichare carved into their scales or bony plates.Though they cannot speak common, some canunderstand it. They usually do not announcethis fact to everyone, preferring the advantagethey gain by appearing to be less intelligentthan they really are.

Special Advantages. All saurials have infrav-ision to 60 feet.

If necessary, saurials can use their ancientfighting methods. Bladebacks claw twice (1d4damage each) and swing their razored tails atrear attackers (1d6). Finheads have claws(1d3/1d3) and their whip tail (1d2). Flyersemploy their claws and bite (1d2/1d2/ 1d2).Hornheads use claws (1d4/ld4), their tail(2d4), can charge with their horns (2d6).

All saurials receive a +2 saving throw bonusagainst sound-based attacks (such as a harpycharm or a shout spell).

Flyers fly at a speed of 24 and have a maneu-ver class of C,

Special Disadvantages. Saurials do not getpercentile ratings for Strength regardless ofclass. Saurial wizards cannot use other races'spell books or scrolls,

Saurials forced to use non-saurial weaponssuffer a -1 attack penalty.

Gas- or scent-based attacks, such as poisongas and stinking cloud spells, have a greatereffect on saurials. They receive a -2 penalty tosaving throws against these attacks.

Bladebacks and hornheads take damage aslarge creatures.

If exposed to prolonged cold, saurials fallinto a torpor called cold sleep. They can resistthis for a number of turns equal to their size(flyers, 3 turns; hornheads 10 turns). Times canbe doubled if they wear insulated clothing.Warmth revives them one to two hours. Morethan a day in the cold causes death.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance,, size, methodof speech.

Superstitions. Saurials fear evil gods due tothe treatment they endured under Moander.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any saurial weaponsusable by their class are allowed. Fighters canbecome proficient in non-saurial weapons.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Any usable bytheir class.

58 • Chapter Two

SwanmayAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus to Dex-terity and Wisdom.

Ability Score Range

Ability Minimum* MaximumStrength 13/9 18Dexterity 13/9 18Constitution 14/12 18Intelligence 9/12 18Wisdom 14/12 19Charisma 9/15 18* The second number is fur the druid class. These ability scoreminimums include the class minimums.


Fighter —Ranger 14Paladin —


PriestCleric —Druid 12Shaman —Witch Doctor —

RogueThief —Bard —

Hit Dice. Player character swanmays receivehit dice by class.

Alignment. Swanmays have the alignment oftheir class, either any good (ranger) or trueneutral (druid).

Natural Armor Class. 7.Background. Swanmays are human females

who can transform into swans (but they arenot actually swans). In human form, they areindistinguishable from other people, appear-

ing by their garb and equipment much likerangers or druids. When they shift into swanform, their equipment remains behind. Thus,swanmays try to hide these items before under-going transformation.

Swanmays belong to a special sorority ofshapechanging rangers and druids. Their abil-ity to transform into swans at will is grantedby the special token they carry (which onlyfunctions for them). This may be feather token,a feathered garment, a signet ring, etc. Thetoken t ransforms into part of the swan'splumage or appears on the transformed swan'sleg. These magical tokens can be spotted byuse of a detect magic spell.

The swanmay sorority is very secretive. Onlyh u m a n females are admitted, usual ly a f t e rthey have unknowingly preformed a great ser-vice for another swanmay. Most retire fromcasual adventuring to devote themselves ful ltime to their new responsibilities.

Swanmays live in communal lodges nearbodies of water in hidden forests. They hatepoachers and others who disturb the naturalorder of the land. They dislike brash, noisycreatures, ferocious beasts, and monsters of


evil alignment. They are friends and protectorsof the forest folk, though they tend to avoidother humanoids. Swanmays might approachnature-oriented priests or close adventuringcompanions when they require assistanceagainst some great evil.

Languages. Sylvan elf, dryad, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Swanmays are

independent protectors of the forests andwildlife. PC swanmays should try to makesure that their adventuring actively opposesevil races and monsters that despoil thewildlife and countryside.

Swanmays rarely, if ever, reveal their truenatures —even to close companions. Even iftheir natures are known, they will reveal noth-ing about the sorority they belong to. Theyseek adventures that will ultimately benefitnature, the wetlands, and the forests.

Special Advantages, All special advantagesapply in swan form only. A swanmay can onlybe harmed by +1 weapons or better. Swanmayshave an innate magic resistance of 2% per hitdie. The swanmay can fly at a speed of 19,maneuverability class D.

Special Disadvantages, Without their specialtokens, swanmays are trapped in their currentform. If the token is stolen, the swanmay can-not change until it is recovered. If the token isdestroyed, the swanmay must go on a specialquest in order to replace it.

Monstrous Traits. Transformation ability.Superstitions. Swanmays watch nature for

signs and omens. Their deep hatred of allthings evil may sometimes approach fear.

Weapon Proficiencies: Broad sword, dagger,long bow, long sword, short bow, short sword.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, animalhandling, animal lore, animal noise, bowyer/fletcher, danger sense, direction sense, fire-building, fishing, hiding, hunting, set snares,survival (forests, wetlands), swimming,

Bonus Proficiencies: Ranger — tracking,druid — weather sense.

WemicAbility Score Adjustments. The initial abil-

ity scores are modified by a +1 bonus toStrength and a -1 penalty to Dexterity.

Ability Score Range





PriestCleric —Druid —Shaman 7Witch Doctor 7

RogueThief —Bard 10

Minimum11611333

Maximum181718181818

Hit Dice. Player character wemics receive hitdice by class. In addition they receive 5 bonushit points at first level.

Alignment. Most wemics are neutral. PCwemics can be of any alignment.

Natural Armor Class. 6.Background. Wemics are part human, part

lion, combining the two as centaurs combinehuman and horse. The wemic's leonine bodyhas a human torso extending from what wouldbe a lion's neck. Wemics grow to 10 feet long,

60 • Chapter Two

reaching heights of six to seven feet whenstanding erect.

The leonine body is covered with duskygolden fur, while the underbelly fur is shortand white. The tip of the tail is a brush of longblack hair, and adult males also have a flowingmane of long black hair. The face is leonine,and the eyes are usually golden with slitpupils. The claws of the forepaws areretractable, the hind claws are not.

Wemics blend leonine and aboriginal humancultures in a primitive society. They live innomadic groups called "prides", survivingthrough hunting. They know and use fire, andcraft stone weaponry, pottery, and ornaments.Wemics have human intelligence; if exposed tomore complex skills they can learn, providingthey can overcome their superstitious nature.

Witch doctors and shamans are very impor-tant to wemic society, for the primitive hunterssee everything as supernatural. Weather andthe changing of day into night are functions ofthe gods. Everything is personified and aliveand magical — the sun, the moon, the clouds,the rivers. Such is how wemics see the world,

Languages. Wemic, common.Role-Playing Suggestions. Wemics are play-

ful and curious as cubs, and they keep thesetraits into adulthood. They are excellenthunters, trackers, and guides, often hiringthemselves out in exchange for treasure, tools,and magical items. This is one way for a wemicto come into contact with an adventuringparty Others are captured as cubs and raisedas servants or slaves. PC wemics can be eitherrecently freed, or can be free wemics who haveleft home to explore the world.

The primitive wemics risk exploitation bymore advanced societies. They are taken asslaves, cheated into servitude, or even trickedout of valuable items they do not understand.

Wemics have a great deal of pride andcourage — except against obvious agents ofthe supernatural. If they cannot defeat a foewith weapon or claws, then that foe cannot be

defeated. They are noble savages, with honorand compassion. Once they alley themselves toa group or cause, they stick with it to the end.

Special Advantages. Wemics can attack withboth foreleg claws for 1-4 points of damageeach. They can also attack with hand-heldweapons at the same time.

These leonine creatures have powerful legmuscles which allow them to leap 10 feetupward or 30 feet forward.

Special Disadvantages. Wemics take damageas large creatures.

Monstrous Traits. Appearance.Superstitions. All of nature is personified in

the wemic's mind, and thus every whisper ofwind and rumble of earth is an omen. Certainmodern items frighten them until they learnwhat they are. They especially fear obviouslysupernatural beings and the undead.

Weapon Proficiencies: Club (stone), javelin,short sword, spear.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal noise,eating, fire-building, hunting, natural fighting,religion spellcraft, survival (plains), tracking,weaponsmithing, weaving, wild fighting.


Humanoid Kits

This chapter describes the humanoid kits forevery class. The use of these kits, whileoptional, is recommended. Table 8: CharacterKit Summary provides a quick reference list ofwhich humanoids and classes are eligible forwhich kits.

All of the kits in this book are designed forhumanoids. Because each humanoid race is sodifferent, the kits are defined in broad terms.When matching a humanoid to a kit be sure toadd the details from the humanoid's entry (inChapter Two) to the kit information when set-ting up your character sheet.

Dungeon Masters may allow their players touse kits from the PHBR rules supplementswith their humanoid characters. While this isnot recommended when first introducinghumanoid PCs into a campaign, it certainlycan be explored at a later date. When startingout, the special kits in this chapter are the bestway to create humanoid player characters.

ProficienciesKits use the proficiency rules outlined in

Chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook. If you areusing kits, then these rules are not optional. Besure to review them before selecting a human-oid kit. Unless otherwise noted, all humanoidswill receive the number of proficiency slotsgiven to their class according to Table 34 in thePlayer's Handbook.

Kit DescriptionsEach kit begins with a brief overview. This

gives a quick sketch of the type of character itcan be used to create. Other sections withineach kit include the following:

Requirements: This section lists whichhumanoids are definitely eligible for the kitand which ones are not. If a particular race isnot mentioned, it should only be selected afterconsultation with the Dungeon Master. Thissection also notes whether or not both males

and females can use the kit, and lists any align-ment requirements that might exist.

Role: This section provides more details on acharacter's place in both human and human-oid society. It describes how most of the typicalmembers of the kit will act. Player charactersare not required to follow this information tothe letter.

Weapon Proficiencies: Some kits indicatethat specific weapon proficiencies must betaken when the character is created. These costthe usual number of proficiency slots as out-lined in the Player's Handbook. Otherwise, usethe standard class guidelines.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Some kits alsorequire certain nonweapon proficiencies.There are several types of proficiencies that akit might have. First are bonus proficiencies.These are free proficiencies requiring no pro-ficiency slots. Second are required proficien-cies. These must be taken and requireproficiency slots. Third are recommended pro-ficiencies. These are optional and cost theusual number of slots. Recommended profi-ciencies are organized by group — general,warrior, priest, wizard, and rogue. When aplayer selects a proficiency from the groupslisted for the character's class, it costs theusual number of slots. Selecting a proficiencyfrom any other category costs one additionalslot unless a specific kit states otherwise.Table 38 f rom the chapter of the Player'sHandbook on proficiencies has been reprintedhere for convenience.

Note: There are new humanoid proficienciesfor each group, as well as some importantrestrictions concerning proficiencies from thePlayer's Handbook and the PHBR series (seeChapter Four for more information).

Finally, an entry might include forbidden pro-ficiencies. These cannot be chosen by a charac-ter who adopts the kit. Later, if there arecampaign reasons why a character mightacquire a forbidden proficiency, the DM maychoose whether or not to allow it.

62 • Chapter Three

Equipment: Restrictions on a kit's use ofweapons and armor are listed here. This limitsthe character to the weapons and armor typicallyused by other characters employing the same kit.

Special Benefits: Almost every kit includes aspecial advantage that sets its members apartfrom members of other kits. These could becombat benefits, reaction adjustments , orlearning advantages. Many involve a bonus toencounter reactions (see Table 59 in theDUNGEON MASTER® Guide, Chapter 11).

Important Note: All bonuses are expressedas positive numbers, and penalties as negativenumbers. Thus, if a low number is good for thecharacter, a bonus is actually subtracted fromthe die roll and a penalty is added. Some bene-fits include individual class awards (see Chap-ter 8 in the DMG).

Magical Abilities: This section applies onlyto priests. It lists spheres of access, special ben-efits for spell use, and forbidden spells, Theability (or i n a b i l i t y ) to tu rn or commandundead is also noted here.

Special Hindrances: Like benefits, these areusually unique to each character k i t . Theyoften force or prohibit certain actions.

Wealth Options: A character's starting fundsare explained here. Note that in generalhumanoid characters start with considerablyless funds than their human and demihumancounterparts.

Table 3: Nonweapon ProficiencyGroup Crossovers

Character Class Proficiency GroupsFighter Warrior, GeneralPaladin Warrior, Priest, GeneralRanger Warrior, Wizard, GeneralCleric Priest, GeneralDruid Priest, Warrior, GeneralMage Wizard, GeneralIllusionist Wizard, GeneralThief Rogue, GeneralBard Rogue, Warrior, Wizard,

General

Warrior KitsThe most common kits used by humanoid

characters are the warrior kits. From the semi-organized military training sessions of the gob-lins and hobgoblins to the humanoid raceswhich learn to fight simply through daily sur-vival, warrior humanoids are everywhere. Asmost humanoids can only select the fighterclass in the warrior group, the kits which fol-low all belong to that category — with twoexceptions. There are two kits which simulatethe paladin and ranger classes. Those fewhumanoid races which can choose these classesmust take the appropriate kit to simulate theabilities of paladins and rangers. Here is anoverview of the humanoid warrior kits:

• Tribal defenders protect their tribe's territoryfrom all invaders. These warriors represent thetypical fighters of a given race. They have thefewest hindrances, and the fewest special abili-ties.

• Mine rowdies are fighters specially trainedto fight in underground or enclosed areas.They are proficient in subterranean survivalskills and close-quarters fighting.

• Pit fighters have been trained to fight for theamusement of others. In some cases, theirtraining comes not from their masters but fromthe simple act of surviving battle after battle.

• Sellswords hire themselves out to others.They act as guards, mercenaries, bountyhunters, and swords-for-hire, taking on any jobwhich requires fighting skills and muscle. Thiskit is the closest one to a true professional war-rior a humanoid can have.

• Saurial paladins are holy saurial warriors —the equivalent of human paladins. This kit isopen only to saurials, like Dragonbait of theForgotten Realms.

• Wilderness protectors are much like rangers,with abilities similar to their human and demi-human counterparts.

Humanoid Kits • 63

Tribal DefenderTribal defenders are the most common

humanoid warriors. Every humanoid tribe,settlement, clan, and fami ly group must beprotected from the dangers of the world, andthese proud warriors are the backbone of everytribe's defense. Some humanoid races organizetrue armies or militias, but most simply placetheir safety in the hands of the strongest mostable-bodied tribe members.

Player character tribal defenders have lefttheir tribes for some reason (usually the char-acter's primary motivation). They take withthem whatever skills they learned while pro-tecting their tribes, but now they use theseskills to ensure their own survival.

Requirements: None, other than those listedin the humanoid race entries (for example,female bugbears would not be tribal defend-ers, as they do not fight unless absolutely nec-essary). All humanoid races have tribaldefenders, these can be of any alignment.

Role: Tribal defenders are humanoids withfighting skills. All tribe members who are notrestricted by sexual bias or relegated to othertasks (because of abilities or circumstances) aretaught to fight for the tribe.

Tribal defenders are rarely thinkers. Some are full-time soldiers who protect the tribe and territory.Others are part-time warriors who take up club andspear when danger threatens. The more organizedthe race, the better trained the defender is. A rarefew develop heroic abilities after long years of war-fare or constant training, as dictated by the charac-ter's background history. In most humanoid tribes,tribal defenders can eventually rise to positions ofpower and leadership, since many races have ahigh regard for martial prowess.

Most tribes do not grant special privileges tothe tribal defender. These fighters are onlydoing their part for the survival of the tribe.However, defenders who leave their tribes tochase some crazy dream or quest or to escapetheir lot in life, are often considered cowards,

traitors, and outcasts. They are hated, some-times hunted, and always shunned.

Other races are most familiar with humanoidtribal defenders as opposed to other humanoidkits, for these are the warriors they most oftenfind themselves competing with. Reactions totribal defenders depend upon the humanoidrace in question and the race of those theymeet. Most are hated, especially by those racesusually at odds with them.

Weapon Proficiencies: Members of this kitmust spend all of their initial weapon profi-ciency slots on weapons available to their race.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Required Proficiencies: Hunting or agricul-

ture.• Recommended, General: Animal noise, ani-

mal training (tribal guard animal) , black-smithing, direction sense, fire-building, fishing,leatherworking, mining, observation,

• Recommended, Warrior: Bowyer/fletcher,endurance, gaming, intimidation, naturalfighting, set snares, weaponsmithing.

• Recommended, Rogue: Information gather-ing, local history (tribal).

• Forbidden: Wild fighting.Equipment: Tribal defenders should choose

weapons and armor typical of their culture.Use common sense to decide what would beusable and available to adventuring tribaldefenders.

Special Benefits: After long years defending aparticular territory, the character is intimatelyfamiliar with it. The player and his DM shoulddetermine where the humanoid's original terri-tory is located, and any proficiency checks madein the area in regards to interacting with the areaand its inhabitants receive a +2 bonus.

Special Hindrances: On the other hand,departed tribal defender PCs are no longerwelcomed in their original territory. Campaigncomplication checks should be made more fre-quently if they return (see Chapter Five).

Wealth Options: Tribal defenders begin playwith 5d4x 5 gp.


Mine RowdyMine rowdies are fighters trained to keep

order and defend mines and other under-ground work areas. They are tough, intimidat-ing overseers who are fast to squelch fights,quick to give orders, and ready to wade intoany danger to carry out the job that has beengiven them. These roughnecks keep mineworkers productive and focused, whetherthose workers are members of the tribe orslaves in the tribe's thrall. Every mine rowdy isresponsible to oversee and protect that portionof a mine placed in his care. Any failure canlead to banishment, hard labor, or even death.

Player character mine rowdies have usuallyleft their lairs in order to escape punishmentdue to some failure on their part. Perhaps arowdy is the only survivor of a collapsed mineor a mine that was overrun by hostile forces.Maybe productivity dropped sharply and therowdy was stripped of his position. Maybe theslaves and workers in his charge rebelled, andthe rowdy had to flee in order to escape theirwrath or the wrath of the tribe's leaders. Ormaybe a rowdy, tired of being cruel and over-bearing, showed compassion to those laboringfor him or even set some slaves free. This sim-ple action immediately made him a traitor andoutcast among his own kind.

Requirements: Mine rowdies must comefrom races that labor beneath the ground orkeep slaves that do. Of those humanoidsdetailed in this book, the following may selectthis kit: bugbears, gnolls, flinds/ hobgoblins,half-ogres, minotaurs, orcs, and half-orcs. Minerowdies must have a minimum Strength of 15and can be of any alignment.

Role: Among those humanoids who makelairs or labor beneath the earth, the role ofmine rowdy is well known. It takes vast num-bers of workers and slaves to mine ore and digtunnels and lairs. Someone must supervisethese workers, keep them motivated, andmake sure nothing delays productivity. That's

where mine rowdies come in.Rowdies are strong, cruel, and demanding

taskmasters. A rowdy has been given a sacredduty by his chief or shaman, and that duty isnever taken lightly. When slaves refuse towork or threaten to revolt, the mine rowdyappears to put them back in their place. Whentribal laborers grow lazy, the mine rowdy usesmuscle and intimidation to motivate them.When subterranean dangers invade the workareas, the rowdy leaps to protect the area, tak-ing his place at the forefront of any defendersunder his command.

Members of this kit are tough, brave, forceful,and quick to action. They are used to being incommand, and often throw their weight aroundeven among their adventuring companions. If ajob has to be done, they take it upon themselvesto make sure the work proceeds. They haveextremely developed work ethics.

Player character rowdies have lost honor andposition in their tribes. They are forced to leavethe lairs they knew behind to make a life in thelarger world. They make useful allies becauseof their skills in underground regions and theirfighting prowess.

Weapon Proficiencies: Mine rowdies musttake one bludgeoning weapon and one pierc-ing weapon as part of their initial weapon pro-ficiencies.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Required Proficiencies: Intimidation.• Recommended, General: Chanting, danger

sense, direction sense (underground), mining.• Recommended, Warrior: Close-quarter

fighting, endurance, gaming, survival (under-ground), wild fighting.

• Recommended, Priest: Engineering.• Recommended, Rogue: Appraising

(ore/gems only), gem cutting.• Forbidden: Agriculture, hiding, survival (any

except underground), weather sense. Note:These proficiencies are forbidden initially, butmay be learned by the mine rowdy, should theopportunity for learning these proficiencies arise.


Equipment: Rowdies cannot begin play witharmor heavier than chain mail (AC 5). Theyown a footman's pick initially, the symbol oftheir position in their old tribe.

Special Benefits: Mine rowdies receive a +1bonus to all die rolls when brawling (punch-ing, wrestling, or overbearing).

Special Hindrances: Because of all the timespent underground, mine rowdies have prob-lems in wide open spaces, such as under anopen sky. They suffer a -1 attack penalty whenforced to fight in such locations. When not inan underground or enclosed area, they makeall proficiency checks at -1,

Wealth Options: Because of their time inmines, mine rowdies start play fairly well offfor humanoids, with 4d4 x 10 gp.

Pit FighterPit fighters are humanoids who have been

trained to put on a good show for paying cus-tomers. In every seedy part of every city,humans and some demihumans frequent hid-den battle pits where humanoid pit fighters arematched against each other or some otheropponent (probably an animal or capturedmonster). Betting takes place at these events,but the real entertainment comes from thestunts employed by the pit fighters.

Pit fighters who become player charactershave given up the life (if they were slaves) orhave decided to supplement their income byadventuring (if they were free pit fighters).Even when righting alongside adventuringcompanions, pit fighters battle like they arestill in the pits, making fancy moves and play-ing with their opponents in anticipation of theroar of the crowd.

Requirements: Any humanoid, male orfemale, except fremlins, can be a pit fighter.Because of their exotic natures and because ofthe freedom to excel that this kit allows, manyfemale humanoids find their way into the bat-tle pits. There are no special alignment or abil-

ity score requirements for this kit.Role: Like cock fighting, humanoid battle

pits are illegal in most human and demihumancities, towns and villages. However, that doesnot stop criminals and others seeking mone-tary gain from engaging in the practice. Inlarge cities and towns, battle pits are hidden inthe less-savory areas, In villages, spectatorsmust wait until a traveling show fighting cir-cus makes the circuit to their area. The audi-ence bets on each match, and winners of eachmatch receive a portion of the purse.

Pit fighters can either be slaves or free, usingtheir talents to make money for themselvesand their masters. As a slave, the pit fighterfights exclusively for the profit of the owner. Inreturn, the pit fighter receives food and water,weapons, training, and the roar of the crowds.A free pit fighter enters the pits for personalwealth and fame. Free pit fighters usually havean "agent" who assists them in return for a cutof the profits. These agents are normallyhuman or demihuman, so they can more easilyact on the pit fighter's behalf in the towns andcities.

Some pit fighters use graceful maneuvers,stunts, and witty banter to put on impressivedisplays. Such skilled pit fighters are valuableto their masters and rarely forced to fight eachother to the death. Instead, they engage inwell-choreographed bouts for the entertain-ment of the audience. When bloodlust takesthe crowds, pit fighters are pitted against ani-mals or monsters, where they use their supe-rior skills to methodically and with greatfanfare slice their foes to ribbons.

Pit fighters are among the most urban ofhumanoid character kits. They have anaccepted place in human society, and use theirspare time to learn whatever they can (if theirmasters allow it). Even so, they pick up a lot ofthe local culture just because of their proximityto it. Many pit fighters love to have a goodtime, often spending the money they earn ongaming, drink, and entertainment.


Many pit fighters take their showy skillsadventuring with them. They never battle qui-etly, rarely go for the quick kill, and often prodtheir companions to compliment them whenno crowds of spectators are present to lavishpraise.

Weapon Proficiencies: Members of this kitmust have a basic tribal weapon or a shortsword proficiency. Other weapon slots shouldbe filled with exotic melee weapons not nor-mally allowed beginning humanoid characters.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Close-quarter fighting.• Recommended, General: Acting (stage

fighting), drinking, eating.• Recommended, Warrior: Endurance, gam-

ing, natural fighting.• Recommended, Priest: Reading/writing.• Recommended, Rogue: Crowd working,

jumping, tightrope walking, tumbling.• Forbidden: Hiding, running, wild fighting.

These proficiencies can be learned later during

the campaign, should the opportunity arise.Equipment: A pit fighter is limited to chain

mail or lighter armor (AC 5). A shield is alsoallowed. A pit fighter also starts play with aweapon of specialization (see below),

Special Benefits: Single-classed pit fightersreceive a free weapon specialization in anymelee weapon.

Any pit fighter is allowed to specialize inmore melee weapons after first level by usingadditional weapon proficiency slots. In addi-tion, any pit fighter can use nonweapon profi-ciency slots for weapons.

A pit fighter can take rogue proficiencieswithout spending an extra penalty slot.

Special Hindrances: As pit f ighters aretrained to make combat last, they receive a -2penalty to all damage rolls they inflict.

Wealth Options: Though pit fighters canmake decent money in the battle pits, theyoften spend it as fas t as they earn i t . Eachbegins play with 3d4 x 10 gp.


Saurial PaladinSaurial paladins are a rare exception to the

inability of nonhumans to become paladins.Saurials come from an alternative setting inwhich they are the equivalent of humans.While many of the abilities of the saurial pal-adin are like those of human paladins, the sig-nificant differences will be detailed here.

Among humanoid races tha t are of goodalignment, saurial paladins are respected andeven revered. Among savage lizard man tribesthey may viewed with awe or hostility. Thereaction of advanced l izard man tribes willalso vary, but to lesser extremes. The evilhumanoid races consider saurial paladins withas much malevolence and loathing as they dohuman paladins.

Requirements: Only finhead saurials canbecome saurial paladins. Finhead saurialsadopting this kit must meet all of the require-ments necessary to become paladins, as givenin the Players' Handbook.

Role: Saurial paladins are respected andhonored members of saurial society. They arenoble and heroic, the symbol of all that is goodand true. While many of these holy warriorsremain in saurial territory to help protect itfrom the evils of the world, a few decide totake the battle to the enemy — crusading towhatever locations where the forces of evilhold sway. Saurial paladins are humble ser-vants of good, quietly doing whatever theyhave to in their personal war against evil.They are not braggarts or boasters (in fact,they are mute) and few press the tenets oftheir beliefs upon those who do not want tohear. However, in the presence of true evil,saurial paladins are quick to respond withwhatever force is necessary, often taking boldchances and fighting against great odds toachieve their objectives.

Weapon Proficiencies: Saurial paladins arenot restricted in weapon use, but a sword pro-ficiency must be taken at first level. See then

section on saurials for penalties for the use ofnon-saurial weapons.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: None.• Recommended, General: Direction sense,

etiquette, heraldry, riding (land-based).• Recommended, Warrior: Any except wild

fighting.• Recommended, Priest: Ancient history,

healing, reading/writing, religion.• Forbidden: Wild fighting. This proficiency

cannot be taken at any time.Equipment: Saur ia l paladins can purchase

any type of armor or equipment. They mustalso acquire the holy symbol of the power theyserve before beginning play.

Special Benefits: Saurial paladins have thefollowing special abilities:

• +2 bonus to all saving throws;• immune to all diseases;• can "lay on hands" to heal 2 hit points of

damage per level per day;• can cure disease once per 5 levels of experi-

ence per week;


• can wield holy swords with all the benefitsavailable to paladins;

• instead of being able to detect evil, they havethe innate ability to know alignment up to threetimes per day.

Special Hindrances: Saurial paladins do notradiate protection from evil, they cannot turnundead, and they cannot use clerical spells. Allof the strictures that apply to paladins apply tosaurial paladins, as listed in the Player's Hand-book. Like all saurials, saurial paladins do notspeak.

Wealth Options: Saurial paladins initiallyreceive 4d4 x 5 gp to purchase equipment.

SellswordSellswords are the professional warriors of

the humanoid races. They do not fight out ofloyalty, or duty, or even to defend their tribe.They fight for money, pure and simple. Andthe more money involved, the harder theyf ight . For most of these humanoids, it isn'tmight that makes right — it's the weight oftheir employer's purse.

Sellsword player characters lose little of theirmercenary tendencies. They still look for mon-etary compensation for their skills, and someeven consider themselves hired warriorsattached to an adventuring party, as opposedto a full-share member of the group.

Requirements: All races and either gender(except fremlins) may become sellswords. Thecharacter must have a minimum Constitutionof 12. A sellsword must have at least a partiallyneutral alignment.

Role: Humanoid sellswords leave their lairsto fight for others in exchange for money orother compensation. Some may have originallytaken up the role to escape former lives, othersbecause their tribes have turned to less violentpursuits and the call of battle still rings in theirblood. Now they fight for cash. Many tribesconsider sellswords to be traitors to their ownkind, for they have decided to use their abili-

ties not in service to the tribe but to fill theirown purses.

Some sellswords hire into mercenary forcesand are assigned to defend specific areas orwage war in the name of their employers.Others take on more personal jobs as body-guards, enforcers, or extra muscle. In allcases, sellswords consider themselves as pro-fessional soldiers — not as assassins or hiredkillers.

Sellswords might be hired by villages to clearout marauding monsters, or by towns andcities to guard trade routes, but they are neverreally accepted in these places. Instead, theyare feared, avoided, and relegated to specificareas as part of the terms of their employment.Most people consider humanoid sellswords tobe a necessary evil, They may buy their loyalty,but they never trust them completely, keepingone eye on them and one hand on their ownswords. Wizards hire sell-swords for a varietyof functions, and many evil groups will employthem as low level leaders, thugs, and addedmuscle.

However, every sellsword has his or herown scruples, with set lines they will notcross no matter how much money is involved.Some will only fight for just causes or againstequals, others will not attack innocents, and afew will not battle members of their own race.While some sages claim every sellsword has aprice, most of these humanoids in fact displayspecific compunctions (though they m a yseem strange and alien to non-humanoidminds).

Player character sellswords may just be comingoff a job that turned out well but produced nocash, or one that went terribly and in the end allfees were held back. Maybe they even decidednot to finish a job because it went against theirown particular code of honor, and are now look-ing for other work. (Of course, the employer theyleft high and dry may come after them at somepoint for recompense.) A humanoid sellswordmight join an adventuring party for any number


of reasons, but the bottom line (at least at first)will be "what's in it for the sellsword."

Weapon Proficiencies: All sellswords muststart with the short sword or spear, as theseweapons are common and easy to acquire evenin the worst of times. A third slot is taken upby a character's weapon of choice (from thoselisted in the race's initial proficiencies). Thefourth slot can be any generally availableweapon (it is assumed the humanoid haslearned to use the weapon in the service of oth-ers after leaving its tribe).

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Survival (same as

humanoid's homeland).• Recommended, General: Animal handling,

cooking, fire-building, riding (land-based),weather sense.

• Recommended, Warrior: Bowyer/fletcher,hunting, gaming, looting, running.

» Recommended, Priest: Reading/writing.• Forbidden: Etiquette, fortune telling, her-

aldry (other than their own). Sellswords mayacquire these proficiencies at a later time.

Equipment: When first starting, sellswordsmay purchase only one of these armor types:hide, padded, or scale. Af ter their f irstadventure, they may buy any available armortype.

Special Benefits: Sellswords have the abilityto earn money by selling their services. In anysituation in which fighters are being hired, thereaction roll of the potent ia l employer isadjusted by +2 in the sellsword's favor. Natu-rally, employment will not be available all thetime, and some jobs will conflict with the cur-rent goals of the sellsword's party,

Special Hindrances: Sellswords suffer a reac-tion penalty of -2 whenever common peopleencounter them; few trust them and most fearthem. Any party with a sellsword as a memberhas a penalty of -1.

Wealth Options: Sellswords begin with 5d4 x 5gp. This sum represents what remains of the sell-sword's last pay.

Wilderness ProtectorWilderness protectors are the humanoid

equivalent of rangers. Some are respected bytheir tribes and work with them, but most areloners who abhor the selfish and destructivepractices of many races and work to countersuch excessive behavior.

Player character wilderness protectors joinup with adventuring groups in order to accom-plish larger goals or to defeat evil monstersthey cannot hope to best on their own. Whenthe goals of the group deviate from the wilder-ness protector's, the humanoid may leave tocarry on his own mission,

Requirements: The following humanoidraces may select the wilderness protector kit:beastmen, centaurs, voadkyn, minotaurs (rare),saurials, satyrs, and swanmays. Wildernessprotectors abide by the requirements listed forthe ranger class in the Player's Handbook.

Role: Like rangers, wilderness protectorsdefend the good and watch over forests andwoodlands. They are excellent hunters andwoodsmen, living by weapons and wits in thegreat outdoors. They are also ecological cru-saders, near-fanatics who have taken it uponthemselves to be nature's soldiers in the warthey believe is being waged against the land.

Wilderness protectors are preservers of life.They defend nature against obvious threatswhile seeking out the secretive, more ominousdangers that lie in wait. They consider it theirsacred mission to keep the wilderness safefrom those who would exploit or destroy it.

Even those races with an affinity towardnature believe wilderness protectors to befanatics. Most also consider them to be touchedby the gods, and while they will have little todo with the protectors, they will not hinderthem in any way.

Wilderness protectors are normally solitarybeings, though they will team up with othersin order to carry on their crusade. To many, theprotectors seem crazed and quick to violence,


but they never raise sword except in defense of lifeand nature. However, any slight against naturereceives the same response. They love life and allits pleasures, living wild and free in the wilderness.

Player character protectors will join adventur-ing groups for a time, but they always keep theirpersonal crusade foremost in their minds. Theyalways try to persuade the group to help them,often while admonishing or lecturing them ontheir environmentally harmful habits. If the mis-sion of the group ever contradicts or totallyignores the mission of the protector, he or she willdepart. If the group ever performs deeds that aredirectly opposed to the protector's mission, theprotector may be forced to confront them.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any,Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Survival (woodlands),

tracking.• Recommended, General: Animal handling,

animal noise, animal training, direction sense,hiding, leatherworking, riding (land based),swimming, weather sense.

• Recommended, Warrior: Animal lore,bowyer/fletcher, fishing, hunting, naturalfighting, set snares, wild fighting.

• Recommended, Priest: Healing, herbalism,local history, religion, spellcraft.

• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: None.• Forbidden: Charioteering, seamanship.Equipment: Wilderness protectors cannot

wear any armor heavier than studded leather.They cannot retain more equipment or treasurethan they can carry.

Special Benefits: Wilderness protectors haveall the special abilities of rangers as defined inthe Player's Handbook.

Special Hindrances: Wilderness protectorshave all of the limitations of rangers as definedin the Player's Handbook. In addition, they suf-fer a 3-point penalty to initial reactions ofNPCs encountered.

Wealth Options: Wilderness protectors startout poor. Each begins with 3d4 x 5 gp.

Wizard KitsPerhaps the least encountered humanoid is the

wizard humanoid. Magic and spellcraft are noteasily learned, and few humanoid races maintainformal magical instruction. For one thing, liter-acy is not a distinguishing feature of many of theless advanced humanoid cultures. All humanoidwizards must have the reading/ writing profi-ciency. If their native language does not have awritten form,, then they must know a languagethat does.

These kits represent the rare humanoid indi-viduals who leave their homes behind becausethe call of magic flows inside them. These indi-viduals have sought out magical knowledge andtraining wherever they could find it, and havelearned enough to enter the wizard class. Notethat humanoids cannot become specialist wiz-ards (it is difficult enough for them to becomegeneralists!). Here is an overview of the human-oid wizard kits:

• Hedge wizards usually dwell alone, if notapart from the tribal community, with perhapsan apprentice for company. They rely on theirreputations to keep away the unwanted asthey pursue their researches. They have somefacility with potions, and a brisk trade ofcharms, trinkets, and elixirs going on the side.

• Humanoid scholars leave their tribes to learnmore about the world at large — and aboutmagic in particular. Through their travels andstudies, they have become wizards. Their questfor knowledge and love of ancient history keepsthem forever on the move.

• Outlaw mages use the magic they havelearned to eke out a living through thieveryand robbery. These humanoids combine thiefskills with magic to steal from the rich and give— to themselves (in most cases), though someshare the spoils with the oppressed in theirareas.


Hedge WizardHedge wizards are humanoids who have

learned magic through private study. Thoughthey are usually hermits or social outcasts,they will often provide aid in time of need,though they realize that no hedge wizards arereally trusted by those around them. They areoften blamed for general misfortune: badweather, poor crops, soured milk, bad luck.

Hedge wizards spend their time putteringabout, collecting unusual objects for study,searching for odd and obscure facts, recordingkeen observations, and carrying on mysteriousresearches that keep the humanoids aroundthem in awe and fear. They sometimes disap-pear for weeks at a time, only to suddenlyreappear with unique counsel, a singular item,or an experimental solution to a local problem.

Requirements: This kit can be taken by anyhumanoid wizard, regardless of race, gender,or alignment. This kit requires a minimumIntelligence of 9.

Role: While most other humanoids tend toleave hedge wizards alone, there is always asmall traffic in charms, tonics, elixirs, lovepotions, and the like, which the hedge wizardprovides. Hedge wizards will often work withadventurers or most skillful hunters in thecommunity, for they always require odd com-ponents and rare commodities for theirresearches. In return, the hedge wizard pro-vides knowledge, advice, and the odd potion.

Hedge wizards often take on apprentices tokeep up their dwelling places and assist withtheir observations and experiments. The mostadept apprentices may eventual ly becomehedge wizards themselves.

Fremlins taking this kit are usually more inter-ested in having the reputation than in actuallydoing any real work. They also tend to developobscure and fairly useless proficiencies, such asBlowing Smoke Rings.

Weapon Proficiencies: Hedge wizards canuse any weapon allowed to standard wizards.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Herbalism.• Required Proficiencies: Reading/writing.• Recommended, General: Agriculture (gar-

dening), cooking, fire-building, fortune-telling,observation.

• Recommended, Warrior: None.• Recommended, Priest: Healing.

• Recommended, Wizard: Languages(ancient), local history, spellcraft.

• Recommended, Rogue: Disguise.Equipment: Hedge wizards can have any

equipment used by standard mages, if it isavailable in the hedge wizard's locale.

Special Benefits: A hedge wizard can createantidote for any poison. Brewing takes up to aday (assuming materials are available). Thebrew remains effective for three days per levelof the wizard. Its chance of successfully coun-tering a poison is 25% + 5% per wizard's level.

At 7th level, the hedge wizard can brew mag-ical potions. The formula for each type ofpotion must be researched separately, accord-ing to the guidelines in the Dungeon Master'sGuide. To make the potion, the hedge wizardmust collect the proper ingredients.


Special Hindrances: Hedge wizards arerestricted to the following schools of magic:abjuration, conjuration, divination, andenchantment/charm. They can also take eitherillusion/phantasm or necromancy. They can-not learn spells from forbidden schools,Wealth Options: Hedge wizards start with(1d4 + l) x 10 gp,

Humanoid ScholarHumanoid scholars travel the world to study

and learn everything they can about a givensubject — always magic, though somehumanoids have additional areas of scholarlyinterest. This has given them spellcastingskills, which they use to continue their studies.While humanoid scholars do not have to be atodds with their tribes, the nature of theirlifestyle takes them out into the world at large.

Requirements: This kit is available to the fol-lowing humanoid races: centaurs, fremlins,minotaurs, mongrelmen, ogre magi, and sauri-als. It is open to all genders and alignments, butthe scholar must have an Wisdom of 11 or better.

Role: Humanoid scholars love to searchthrough ruins, dungeons, and dusty libraries.They spend large amounts of time examiningbooks, scrolls and other writings in order toadd to the wealth of knowledge already fillingtheir heads. While humanoid scholars mayeventually become good teachers, they spendtheir early years too busy gathering informa-tion to pass along what they have learned.

Humanoid scholars are rare among their ownkind, for few humanoids have the patience ordesire to learn more than they need to know tosurvive. Members of this kit are motivated tolearn more and more about the world, specificsubjects, and magic in general. They practicewhat they learn of spellcraft by becomingmagic-users of no small skill.

Some humanoid scholars even decide tobecome historians, recording the chronicles oftheir own lives and the lives of the adventurers

they work with. In fact, some of these humanoidswill join an adventuring party just so they canwrite down the events which occur around them.Others become adventurers to seek out oldbooks and dusty scrolls, to explore lost sites, andto meet with ancient beings and forgotten cul-tures who can add to their store of knowledge.

Humanoid scholars are usually not violent,and few show many passions that are notrelated to their pursuit of knowledge andmagic. Most are seen as unopposing and quiet— at least until the first artifact or ancient tomeis uncovered. Then they become animated, tak-ing charge of the situation so that the knowl-edge in question falls into their care.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any weapon nor-mally available to wizards.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Reading/writing

(common), two other (see benefits),• Required Proficiencies: Ancient history or

local history• Recommended, General: Heraldry, lan-

guage (modern), looting (knowledge only),poetry, reading/writing.

• Recommended, Warrior: None.• Recommended, Priest: None.• Recommended, Wizard: Ancient history,

languages (ancient), local history, religion,spellcraft.

• Recommended, Rogue: None.• Forbidden: Blind-fighting, close-quarter

fighting, running, wild fighting.Equipment: Humanoid scholars use any

weapons normally available to wizards.Special Benefi ts: Humanoid scholars

receive two free nonweapon proficiencies.These must be chosen from the recommendedproficiencies.

Special Hindrances: Except for one profi-ciency, all of the scholar's initial proficienciesmust be spent on skills relating to the pursuitof knowledge.

Wealth Options: Humanoid scholars startplay with (1d4 + 1) x 10 gp.


Outlaw MageThe outlaw mage is a humanoid who has

learned magic and uses it to profit outside thelaw, or at least outside the grasp of the localruling authority. By combining a humanoid'snatural thieving tendencies with wizard spells,an outlaw mage can survive and become richthrough illusion, deception, and spellcraft.Outlaw mages usually engage in one specificrogue-like activity, either banditry or burglary.They supplement their physical and stealthabilities with spellcasting to waylay travelersor break into guarded locations.

Requirements: This kit is only available tothe following humanoid races: centaurs, frem-lins, voadkyn, minotaurs, mongrelmen, ogremagi, and saurials. Outlaw mages can be eithergender, but they must select a non-good align-ment. Members of this kit must have a mini-mum Dexterity score of 9.

Role: Outlaw mages rarely operate withinthe structure of humanoid tribes. They are lon-ers who have left the tribe to follow the call ofmagic. To supplement their studies, theylearned to rob and steal, and now employ bothmagic and rogue-like tricks to survive. Thoughthey are loners, outlaw mages frequently oper-ate with others. Like witch doctors, outlawmages often advise the leaders of outlaw gangs—and sometimes they even take charge ofsuch gangs, leaving the advising to others.

These humanoids are often found in serviceto evil wizards and others who walk the darkerpaths of society. They sometimes indenturethemselves to such personages in order tolearn more magic. While not all outlaw magesare specifically evil, all operate outside thelaws of the land — be it human, demihuman,or humanoid law.

Outlaw mages who join player charactershave not given up a life of crime, they have justdecided to throw in with adventurers in orderto put their talents to more structured use.Every group of adventurers requires the ser-


vices of thieves and wizards. The outlaw mageprovides both sets of skills in the form of a sin-gle humanoid character.

Some outlaw mages steal from the rich togive to the poor (at least a little), while othersengage in robbery to fill their own pockets. Nooutlaw mages like to fight, and they are at adecided disadvantage in physical confronta-tions. If they cannot win through magic, thiev-ery or wits, they usually make a strategicretreat. There will always be another travelerto rob or a keep to break into, so better to run,hide, and wait for a better day than to try tofight a stronger opponent.

Weapon Proficiencies: Outlaw mages cantake any weapon available to wizards.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Hiding.• Required Proficiencies: reading/writing

(common).• Recommended, General: Acting, begging,

danger sense, fast-talking, looting, riding (landbased).

• Recommended, Warrior: None.• Recommended, Priest: None.• Recommended, Wizard: Languages (mod-

ern), reading/writing, spellcraft.• Recommended, Rogue: Appraising, dis-

guise, gaming, reading lips, tightrope walking,ventriloquism.

• Forbidden: Blind-fighting, close-quarterfighting, natural fighting, wild fighting. Out-law mages can never learn these proficiencies.

Equipment: Outlaw mages may use anyweapons or equipment available to wizards.

Special Benefits: Outlaw mages may takerogue proficiencies without spending an extraslot. Also, the outlaw mage can take thieves'cant as a language selection.

Special Hindrances: None.Wealth Options: Outlaw mages receive (1d4

+ 1) x 10 gp initially.

Priest KitsHumanoids follow a vast number of gods.

Some are powerful, some are not, but all grantspells to their followers. Most humanoid holymen and women are shamans, though clericsand specialist priests are available to manyraces. Remember, if a humanoid becomes aplayer character, he or she may have to aban-don the gods of his or her race. This is espe-cially true in the case of truly evil deities.Humanoids who normally would worship adeity that is diametrically opposed to theirplayer character alignment must select a godmore in line with his new beliefs.

A DM using the Monster Mythology and/orLegends & Lore rules supplements may allowhumanoids to become specialty priests, asdescribed in the Player's Handbook.

Here is an overview of the humanoid priestkits:

• Shamans are humanoids who use theirdivinely given powers to help their commu-nity. They are more concerned with their flockthan with their faith. Most priests in primitivetribes will be shamans. Druids and shamanswill not be found in the same tribe,

• Witch doctors are humanoids who combinepriestly abilities with limited magic use. Theyare a variation of shaman, and the two will sel-dom be found in the same humanoid tribe.

• Oracles always look to the future, usingtheir skills and powers to interpret omens andsigns. They are the keepers of the superstitions,the priests of fear and folklore.

• War priests are humanoids who combinecleric magic with fighting skills. They adminis-ter to the more violent, warlike tribes, oftenwading into battle besides the tribe's soldiers.War priests are truly warriors of their faiths.

• Wandering mystics leave their tribes topreach the tenets of their faith to others. Char-acters who have rejected their racial gods oftenbecome wandering mystics dedicated to a godnot often worshipped by others of their kind.


ShamanAs the primitive equivalent of priests in their

primitive cultures, shamans are the mediatorsbetween the powers and spirits outside thetribe and the tribe members. They are not asformal or regimented as other priests, andhave a far more practical, down-to-earth man-ner. While priests are most often identified thegod they follow, shamans are most often iden-tified with their tribe.

Requirements: The shaman kit is only avail-able to the following humanoid races:Aarakocras, alaghi, bugbears, bullywugs, cen-taurs, firbolgs, voadkyn, gnolls, flinds, goblins,hobgoblins, kobolds, lizard men, mongrelmen,ogres, half-ogres, ogre mages, orcs, half-orcs,and wemics. Shaman gender is restricted onlyby tribal custom, and they can be of any align-ment which matches their tribe or god.

Role: The well-being of the community is themost important thing to the shaman, for theyare the repository of the lore and wisdom ofthe tribe. No problem is too trivial for a shamanto care about. They provide divinations,though the form is often improvised and thesource of information is usually dubious. Theygive sympathy and moral support, healing illswith skills and folk remedies more often thanwith spells, and teach the young what theywill need to serve the community.

Shamans must undergo arduous ritualsbefore taking their posts, as well as serving asan apprentice to the previous shaman. Theseinclude long periods of fasting, initiation cere-monies that require some amount of pain andsuffering, and even trials of danger.

Most adventuring PC shamans have a greaterpurpose. Some adventure to aid their tribe. Othersadventure as part of their initiation, and have aspecific quest goal that must be met before theycan return to their tribe. Still others are the last sur-vivors of their tribes. Guilt-ridden because theyfailed to protect their tribes from whateverdestroyed them, they now consider their adven-

turing party to be their new tribe. The rarestshaman PC is one who has rejected the ways of Msrace. These shamans seek to perform their duties,possibly to a new tribe. Until they can find a tribethat needs them and that has similar beliefs, theseshamans will minister to an adventuring party.

Weapon Proficiencies: Shamans have accessto the weapons available to standard priests,and they can also choose tribal weapons.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Local history.• Recommended, General: Agriculture, ani-

mal training, fire-building, fishing, fortunetelling, rope use, weather sense, weaving,winemaking.

• Recommended, Warrior: Animal lore,mountaineering, set snares.

• Recommended, Priest: Healing, herbalism,religion, spellcraft.

• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: None.• Forbidden: Etiquette, heraldry, reading/

writing. These proficiencies may be learnedduring the course of a campaign.

Equipment: Shamans use weapons andarmor typical for their tribe and the powersserved. They can use any clerical magicalitems, save scrolls.

Special Benefits: Shamans can learn the heal-ing and herbalism proficiencies at the cost ofone proficiency slot each.

At 9th level, shamans can cast the reincarna-tion spell as a 5th level spell.

Magical Abilities: Shamans may only choosespells from up to three different spheres fromthe list given for specialty priests. Thesespheres will never change.

Special Hindrances: Shamans use six-sideddice (d6) when, determining their hit points,not eight-sided dice as other clerics.

Shamans cannot turn or control undead.Shamans never receive direct access to the

raise dead or resurrection spells.Wealth Options: Shamans begin play with

3d6 x 5 gp.


Witch DoctorWitch doctors are a somewhat rarer version

of shamans, combining shamanism with magi-cal ability. Much of the background and role ofthe witch doctor is identical to that of theshaman, and all shaman abilities, benefits, andrestrictions apply to the witch doctor as well.Generally a tribe will have shamans or witchdoctors, not both.

Requirements: The witch doctor kit is onlyavailable to the following humanoid races:bugbears, gnolls, flinds, goblins, hobgoblins,kobolds, minotaurs, half-ogres, orcs, half-orcs,and wemics. Witch doctor gender is restrictedonly by tribal custom, and they can be of anyalignment. Witch doctors must have a mini-mum Intelligence of 9.

Role: Witch doctors walk within the twilightbetween wizardry and priestly magic. On onehand, they function as shamans for their tribe.At the same time, they make use of wizard

spells, employing magic to defend the tribeand establish their own power.

Because humanoids are impressed, awed,and made fearful by magic, witch doctors holdpositions of great influence in their tribes. Theyoften act as advisors to the chiefs, giving coun-seling and support to their leaders.

Most primitive humanoids are very supersti-tious, and sometimes turn against the witchdoctor. A witch doctor who cannot regain hisauthority must flee or be killed. (This might bethe background for a PC witch doctor.)

If a master witch doctor has more than oneapprentice, only one will receive the mantle oftribal witch doctor when the master retires ordies. The others are banished or killed to keepthe harmony of the tribe intact. Other appren-tices leave when there is no more that themaster can teach them.

Weapon Proficiencies: Witch doctors haveaccess to the weapons available to wizards,and they can also choose tribal weapons.


Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Local history.• Recommended, General: Agriculture, crowd

working, dancing, singing, winemaking.• Recommended, Warrior: None.• Recommended, Priest: Healing, religion.• Recommended, Wizard: Astrology, herbal-

ism, languages (ancient), spellcraft.• Recommended, Rogue: None.• Forbidden: Heraldry.Equipment: Witch doctors can use any

weapon with which they can become pro-ficient. They cannot wear armor of any type.They can use any magical items normallyusable by wizards.

Special Benefits: Witch doctors have all thespecial benefits of shamans.

Witch doctors can take wizard proficiencieswithout spending an extra slot.

Special Hindrances: Witch doctors are lim-ited to a single school of magic (though theyhave none of the bonuses or penalties of spe-cialist wizards).

Witch doctors cast wizard spells like wizardsof one-half their level (round up). Thus, a 5thlevel witch doctor can cast wizard spells as a3rd level wizard.

A witch doctor cannot gain priest or wizardspells outside the chosen spheres and school.

Wealth Options: Witch doctors begin playwith (1d4 + l) x5 gp.

OracleOracles are humanoid clerics or druids who

believe themselves to be the mouthpieces ofthe gods. They foretell the future, interpretsigns and omens, and speak to their peoplewith the authority of the gods. Oracles oftenfollow a pantheon as opposed to a single deity,bringing the words of all to the ears of thetribes. They are the keepers of folklore andmystery, the clerics of fear and superstition.They tend to be isolated even when they arepart of a community.

Oracle player characters usually join adven-turing parties as part of a grand quest for theirdeities or to bring the words of their gods toothers who could profit by them.

Requirements: This kit is available to the fol-lowing humanoid races: alaghi, bugbears, cen-taurs, gnolls/ flinds, goblins, hobgoblins,kobolds, mongrelmen, half-ogres, orcs, half-orcs, saurials, and swanmays. Oracles can bemale or female. Their alignment must matchthat of their deity or the pantheon they follow.There are no special ability score requirements.

Role: Oracles deliver broad statements about thefuture to followers of their faith (or to anyone elseto whom they feel compelled to preach). Thesehumanoids believe that they are receiving visionsfrom their gods, and they help other followers toact on them accordingly. They provide guidance,they interpret omens, and they often assist thosethey are compelled to present prophecy to. Whenthey go on these vision quests, they may justwatch to see how the prophecy comes to pass, orthey may help it to unfold.

As humanoids are extremely superstitious,these clerics take it upon themselves to admin-ister to their fears and superstitious practices.For this reason, oracles are sometimes called"priests of fear." While it may appear to out-siders that they are just taking advantage ofthe superstitious tendencies of humanoidtribes, oracles actually serve a legitimate pur-pose. They counsel humanoids on how best towork through their fears, teaching them to leadproductive lives despite the many supersti-tions that hang over them.

Of course, they believe that superstitions arereal — to ignore them is to invite disaster andthe wrath of the spirit world. At times when asuperstition completely hampers a humanoid,the oracle reads the signs and omens in orderto find a way to appease the spirits and breakthe paralyzing fear.

Oracle player characters always speak ofvisions and the future. They will allow nothingto be done until they read the signs and por-


tents. While this could get on the nerves of less-superstitious party members, oracles also bringwith them a number of skills and abilities whichmake them very good companions to havearound. In addition, these characters can alsoserve as tools of the DM through which valuableclues (and red herrings) can be passed along.

Weapon Proficiencies: Oracles must selecttheir weapons from those allowed to priests.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Danger sense.• Recommended, General: Chanting, direc-

tion sense, observation, weather sense.• Recommended, Warrior: Survival.• Recommended, Priest: Astrology, read-

ing/writing, religion, spellcraft• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: Information gather-

ing, ventriloquism,• Forbidden: None.Equipment: Oracles may use any armor and

equipment allowed to their class.Special Benefits: Oracles have the ability to

receive visions of the future twice per month.These visions will be true, although they maybe highly symbolic and open to many interpre-tations. Other visions may come unbidden, butthese may or may not be true.

Magical Abilities: Druidic oracles haveaccess to the standard druidic spheres. Otheroracles have following spells.

• Major Access: All, Divination, Protection,Sun.

• Minor Access: Charm, Guardian, Healing,and Necromantic.

• Forbidden Spheres: All others.Oracles can turn or control undead as other

clerics.Special Hindrances: Oracles will receive no

clear visions regarding events in which theyare fated to play an active role. Using a visionfor personal gain immediately draws a curse(in the form of a penalty imposed by the DM).

Wealth Options: Oracles receive 3d6 x 5 gpinitially.

War PriestWar priests are clerics of battle. These

humanoids preach a doctrine of might as right,administering to the body as much as to thesoul. Not only do they bring the faith to thewarrior classes, they also fight beside themwhen they march to war. War priests are clericswith better than average combat skills. Theyburn with the indignation of their violent gods,wielding weapon and holy symbol in harmonyfor the faith they believe.

When war priests become player characters,they may him away from the evil deities of theirtribes, but they quickly find new gods to replacethem. These gods may be less evil, but they areno less violent. These priests follow war godsand only war gods.

Requirements: This kit is only available to thefollowing humanoid races: bugbears, gnolls,fluids, goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, half-ogres,orc, half-orcs, and saurials. War priests can bemale or female, and they can be of any align-ment. The minimum Strength score required formembers of this kit is 12.

Role: War priests lead the faithful to battle,bringing cleric spells to the battlefield alongwith their weapons of choice. They are respectedamong those races which engage in war as away of life, and feared among those races thatprefer more peaceful solutions.

War priests usually attend to the spiritualneeds of warriors, considering others as lessworthy of their attention. They foretell when thegods want their followers to go to war. Theyprepare the troops with inspirational sermonsand clerical blessings. They fight alongside theirfollowers, bringing the wrath of their gods upontheir enemies.

War priests often become adventurers at thebequest of their deity. They often go on longquests as part of their normal duties. Othersturn away from their gods to take up the otherfaiths. To prove their loyalty to their new gods,these war priests may also take up holy questsat the side of adventuring parties.


Weapon Proficiencies: War priests wield theweapon of their war god.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Wild fighting.• Required Proficiencies: Religion.• Recommended, General: Endurance, intim-

idation, riding (land based).• Recommended, Warrior: Armorer, black-

smithing, blind-fighting, close-quarter fight-ing, weaponsmithing.

• Recommended, Priest: Engineering, heal-ing, spellcraft.

• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: None.• Forbidden: None.Equipment: War priests may purchase any

equipment they choose, including any armorand any weapons. They can use any magicalitems normally available to priests.

Special Benefits: War priests can acquirewarrior proficiencies without spending anextra slot.

Magical Abilities: War priests are allowedthe following spells.

• Major Access: All, Combat, Healing, Pro-tection.

• Minor Access: Guardian, Necromantic,Divination, Sun.

• Forbidden Spheres: All others.War priests can turn or control undead as

other priests.Special Hindrances: None.Wealth Options: War priests start play with

3d6 x 5 gp.

Wandering MysticWandering mystics are humanoid clerics

who leave their tribes to preach to others. Theyeither go in search of converts to their race'sf a i th , or, if they have rejected their race'sdeities, they seek to bring the tenets of a newreligion to those who have not yet heard them.

Player character wandering mystics join upwith adventuring parties to serve as their spiri-

tual guides or to accomplish some great taskfor their gods. No matter what mission theparty may be involved with, a wandering mys-tic will take every opportunity to find convertsto his or her faith.

Requirements: This kit is available to the fol-lowing humanoid races: alaghi, bugbears, cen-taurs, gnolls, f l inds, goblins, hobgoblins,kobolds, mongrelmen, half-ogres, orcs, half-orcs, saurials, and swanmays. This kit is opento all genders and alignments.

Role: Wandering mystics come in two forms.The first is a cleric of a particular humanoidrace who receives a vision to preach to thosebeyond the limits of the tribe's territory Thesecond is a cleric who finds faith not in thegods of his race but in a totally foreign deity.While this cleric may try to convert his owntribe, he will quickly decide to find converts inless-hostile locations,

Wandering mystics are voices in the wilder-ness, attached to no organized temple or reli-gion. They are loners on missions for the godsthey serve, traveling wherever their faith leadsthem. A wandering mystic can be a strangesight, striding out of the wilderness with


words of inspiration for all who would hear.While they might sometimes work with thoseclerics of their gods who are attached to anorganized religion, more often than not theyare at odds with these clerics. They do notbelieve in the trappings of tradition and regi-ment. They preach a looser, less confining formof spiritual worship.

Player character wandering mystics mayappear disheveled, distant, and even crazed,They follow voices only they can hear and seesights meant for no other eyes. When they joinwith an adventuring party, it is because theyare following the will of their gods.

Weapon Proficiencies: Any weapon nor-mally available to mystic's base priest class canbe selected by the mystic.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Survival (of choice).• Required Proficiencies: Fire-building.• Recommended, General: Agriculture, animal

handling, carpentry, cobbling, cooking, fishing,leatherworking, pottery, seamstress/tailor,stonemasonry, weaving.

• Recommended, Warrior: Endurance, sur-vival.

• Recommended, Priest: Healing, herbalism,local history.

• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: None.• Forbidden: None.Equipment: Wandering mystics may use any

weapon or armor available to their base priestclass.

Special Benefits: None.Magical Abilities: Wandering mystics have

the sphere selection of their base priest class.They turn undead like their base class.

Special Hindrances: Wandering mystics startplay poor (see Wealth Options).

Wandering mystics suffer a 2-point penalty toreaction rolls when dealing with religiousNPCs (of any faith, including their own).

Wealth Options: Wandering mystics startwith one weapon and 3d6 gp.

Rogue KitsThe second most common occupation for

humanoids to take up is rogue, and most racesexcel as thieves of all kinds. Many humanoidsare not equipped for the rigors of the warriorlifestyle, and fewer still have what it takes toadvance as priests or wizards. But most sharetraits that make them prime candidates forrogue professions — greed, caution, skulking,and a love of the dark. Here is an overview ofthe humanoid rogue kits:

• Scavengers search the wilderness for wealthand treasure, living off the discarded goods ofothers. They are crafty, shrewd, and able tospot a jewel in a mound of garbage. Manymake good traders, coming to the cities to offertheir finds to those with gold to spare. Ofcourse, not everything they sell is as it appearsto be.

• Tramps are humanoids who frequent townsand cities, earning a living by begging andengaging in minor thievery. They are excellentpick-pockets and informants, sweepingthrough crowds in search of wealth and infor-mation to sell.

• Tunnel rats are humanoids trained toexplore underground passages for their tribes.They are experts at underground survival andlocating and disarming traps. Otherhumanoids call them "bait," for they are castout into the tunnels to see what bites.

• Shadows are humanoids who hire them-selves out as eliminators. They are humanoidassassins, feared and respected for their deadlyskills. Most assassin guilds have at least oneshadow among their membership, for there aretunes when their particular talents are called for.

• Humanoid bards are just that, humanoidswith the skills and abilities of bards. While thisis the closest many humanoids can get to thischaracter class, there are certain differencesthat separate them from their human anddemihuman counterparts.


ScavengerScavengers combine a number of skills and

abilities to create a unique humanoid characterkit. They are expert hunters and searchers, ableto locate salvageable items in all types of wilder-ness terrain. They are artists and craftsmen, ableto fix up what they find (at least as far as surfacedetails are concerned) to sell it at a profit. Theyare cunning and shrewd, crafty peddlers andtraders who can usually get the best price fortheir wares — and perhaps a good bit more.

Player character scavengers have never losttheir desire to poke around garbage and otherdiscarded goods. Nothing thrills a humanoidscavenger more than to discover a bright trea-sure beneath a mound of junk. Often, an adven-turing scavenger takes up with otheradventurers to secure protection as the huntfor salvageable wares continues,

Requirements: None. Any humanoid rogue,regardless of race, can be a scavenger. Scav-engers can be of any alignment or gender,

Role: Scavengers fill a role similar to that oftheir animal counterparts — they live off theremains of others. These remains can be figura-tive or literal, for scavengers look for salvage-able goods among discarded waste and on thebodies of the dead.

Scavengers rarely operate as members of ahumanoid tribe. More often, they are outcastswho turn to picking through the garbage ofothers to survive. Some even team up withother outcasts to create scavenger gangs, butthis is rare. Most scavengers prefer to keepwhatever treasures they find for themselves.

Scavengers often look like garbage pickers —they are dirty, dusty, grimy, and often have anunpleasant stench about them. Those just backfrom a scavenger hunt might also be sur-rounded by flies and other insects, thoughmost other scavengers would hardly notice.Even when a scavenger tries to make himselfpresentable before approaching a village tohawk his wares, the telltale signs of dirt and

stench linger gently about him, marking thescavenger for what he is.

While a scavenger will be proficient with thenormal thieving skills, these are rarely usedexcept in the pursuit of salvage. Thesehumanoids do not believe in stealing as such(except when haggling for trade, see below),for they see garbage and the dead as primetreasure to be sought and salvaged. It is notstealing to take what has been discarded, lost,or forgotten. In fact, scavengers will often fol-low war parties to pick at the remains of battlethe way vultures pick at bones.

For all his disheveled appearance, the scav-enger is a shrewd tradesman. He repairs andcleans up the treasures he finds, turning worth-less junk into desirable wares. When enoughitems have accumulated, it's time to go to a vil-lage or town to peddle the wares. Few can getthe better of a scavenger in a trade — this is usu-ally where they make most of their wealth.While they will sell items of true worth (if theydo not want to keep them), more often scav-engers sell junk disguised as treasure. They canclean and repair weapons and armor to makethem look like new, but the first real use of theseitems will reveal them as well-polished garbagethat breaks under the least bit of pressure.

Weapon Proficiencies: Members of this kitmay select any weapons and equipment nor-mally available to thieves.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Looting.• Required proficiencies: Appraising.• Recommended, General: Artistic ability,

blacksmithing, carpentry, direction sense, fast-talking, leatherworking, pottery, riding (landbased), seamstress/tailor weaving.

• Recommended, Warrior: Survival (asAppropriate), tracking, weaponsmithing.

• Recommended, Priest: None.• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: Ancient history,

forgery, gem cutting, local history.• Forbidden: Reading/writing. Scavengers


know the value of books and scrolls/ but lackthe ability to read or write. They can learn thisproficiency during the course of a campaign.

Equipment: Scavengers can purchase anduse any equipment and armor usable bythieves. In addition, they must spend one-quarter of their starting funds on trade wares.The money represents all that was involved toturn salvaged items into trade goods.

Special Benefits: When meeting others inorder to peddle salvaged wares, a scavengerreceives a +2 reaction bonus.

Special Hindrances: In all other situations, ascavenger's appearance (and stench) grantshim a -2 reaction penalty.

Wealth Options: Scavengers begin play with2d6 x 5 gp.

TrampWhile scavengers pick through the garbage

of the wilderness, tramps search the waste ofcivilization. These humanoids are beggars andthieves, asking for donations with one handand stealing a heavy purse with the other. Inmany ways, tramps resemble scavengers —they wear rags and ripped, dirty clothing, theysmell bad, and they often seem sickly orcrazed. But tramps live among humans anddemihumans, surviving on generous dona-tions either freely given or secretly taken.

Tramp player characters often join adventur-ing parties for a change of pace. While thestreets and alleys have excitements all theirown, tramps sometimes yearn for true adven-tures. Of course, they must convince the partythat they have skills to offer that will maketheir inclusion worthwhile.

Requirements: Any humanoid rogue cantake the tramp kit.

Role: Tramps are humanoid outcasts whowind up in human towns and cities. For a vari-ety of reasons, they have left their tribes andcome to the cities to find their fortunes. Unfor-tunately, humanoids are not always welcome,

and honest jobs are hard to find. At first, thesecharacters turn to begging in order to earn aliving, and they quickly become very good atit. But as time passes, they discover that theymust sometimes turn to other means to sur-vive. At these times, tramps learn to take whatthey require. They consider the coins and itemsthey steal to be alms which are rightfully theirs— it's just that the good people forgot to dropthese items in their begging bowls.

Tramps often set up on a busy street, beggingfor coins from passersby. Tramps may appearsickly and in need of alms, but they are perfectlyable-bodied. To them, begging is a career and anart, as honorable as any other profession. Usingdisguise and acting skills, a tramp will have oneparticular identity on one corner, and a com-pletely different identity on another. They use avariety of pity-inducing ploys, fast-talking, andsad stories to earn the charity of strangers.

These humanoids have excellent observationskills, and many sell information to those whoseek it. Tramps know when new people arrivein their part of the city, they notice any unusualactivity going on, and they quickly spot easymarks — those who will give generously oftheir own accord, or with a little help from thetramp. They are always listening for gossipand rumors, and they know when important,well-paying members of society are looking forparticular bits of information.

When information gathering and begging failto produce enough revenue, tramps wanderthe crowds in search of pockets to pick andpurses to cut. Some even engage in such activ-ity for the fun, excitement and challenge it pro-vides, for street begging can become dreadfullyboring after a time. Tramps will not take unnec-essary risks, preferring challenges that are wellwithin the scope of their abilities. They eventurn to shoplifting when a particularly tempt-ing item catches their eyes.

As player characters, tramps provide a vari-ety of skills to an adventuring party. They aremasters of disguise, decent spies, consummate


actors, and professional thieves. They are alsocowardly, unsavory, and greedy to a fault, butnobody's perfect.

Weapon Proficiencies: Tramps choose theirtwo initial weapons from the following selec-tion: club, dagger, dart, knife, sling, and staff.Nonweapon Proficiencies:

• Bonus Proficiencies: Begging.• Required Proficiencies: Observation.• Recommended, General: Acting, alertness,

fast-talking, fortune telling, hiding, voice mimicry.• Recommended, Warrior: Survival (urban).• Recommended, Priest: None.• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: Appraising, dis-

guise, forgery, gaming, information gathering,juggling, local history, reading lips.

• Forbidden: None.Equipment: Tramps have very little in the

way of equipment. They cannot a f f o r d toappear even marginally well off. At most, theycarry a simple bowl and a weapon that can behidden beneath their beat-up clothing. Whennot engaged in begging or other low-profileactivities, tramps can wear any armor andcarry any weapons usable by thieves.

Special Benefits: Tramps are particularlyadept at sizing up potential targets. By makinga successful observation proficiency check, atramp can accurately determine the subject'sclass group. A second check can be made todetermine the character's level. If this checksucceeds, the tramp learns whether the level ofthe subject is less than his own (yes or no). Aroll of 1 on either check reveals exact informa-tion. If the subject is disguised, a -5 penaltyapplies to both types of check.

Special Hindrances: Tramps suffer a -3 reac-tion roll penalty when dealing with characterswho aren't thieves.

For every point of visible AC better than theirnatural armor class, tramps suffer a -1 penaltyto their begging proficiency checks.

Wealth Options: Tramps begin play very lit-tle money, receiving only 2d6 gp.

Tunnel RatTunnel rats come from the ranks of all human-

oid races that dwell beneath the earth. Theyserve as advance scouts and explorers for theirtribes, using whatever skills they can pick upto survive the unknown dangers waiting belowthe ground. The good ones have learned to bekeen observers and decent fighters, for theymust be able to spot natural and artificial trapsbefore they stumble into them, and they mustbe able to defend themselves against othersubterranean races and the monsters thatdwell below. The bad ones are all dead.

Player character tunnel rats perform thesame services for adventuring parties as theydid for their tribes. They take the point, usingtheir skills and abilities to pick a safe paththrough dungeons and underground tunnels.When they encounter dangers, they warn theircompanions and take the necessary steps tomake the way safe.

Requirements: Tunnel rats must come fromthe races that live and labor beneath theground. Of those humanoids detailed in thisbook, the following may select this kit: goblins,hobgoblins, kobolds, orcs, and half-orcs. Thereare no special alignment or gender require-ments. A tunnel rat usually has a lowerStrength or Constitution than is typical,

Role: Tunnel rats serve as bait for the human-oid tribes which live and work in subterraneanareas. At least that's how their fellows viewthem. When humanoids find new tunnels toexplore and new mines to dig, or when theydecide to spy on their underground neighbors,the first thing they do is select a member of thetribe to be "bait." Ropes are attached to the baitand it is sent into the unexplored tunnel tosearch for traps, hostile creatures, and otherdangers. If the rope reaches the end of itslength and nothing bad happens, then the restof the tribe knows it's relatively safe to followthe bait into the tunnel. Those that survive thispar t i cu la r job often become quite skilled.


When this occurs,, they are no longer calledbait. They earn the title of tunnel rat.

Even successful tunnel rats rarely achieve highregard in the tribe. They are the butt of jokes,seen as poor fighters because they do not get tofight with the rest of the warriors. They are alsoconsidered extremely expendable, for their job isto find dangers before the rest of the tribe can behurt. As finding these dangers often meansdeath, all tunnel rats are considered to be livingon borrowed time. If a tunnel rat dies by stum-bling into a trap, causing a cave-in, or springingan ambush, then he has done his job. There areno tears, for more bait is waiting to be tossedinto the runnel ahead once a rat falls.

The best tunnel rats have a stubborn will tosurvive. With a little luck and a lot of determi-nation, these characters train themselves onthe job. They learn to spot and disarm traps,for they believe that is a better course than sim-ply stepping into them and setting them off .They learn to move with stealth and to keephidden so that they may see enemies beforethey are seen. They learn to climb, to hunt, tofight, to find their way in the most confusingtunnels, for to do less is to fail at the task theirchiefs have given them.

Of course, some decide that they do not likebeing unappreciated. These individuals leavetheir tribes in order to find fame and fortune.They sell their skills to those who need them,often joining adventuring parties about toembark on an underground quest.

Tunnel rats are extremely self-sufficient. Theyare almost supernaturally silent, appearingfrom the shadows without warning when therest of their party least expects them. They arenot easy to like, and they seldom make goodfriends, but they are invaluable when explor-ing the regions below the earth.

Weapon Proficiencies: Members of this kitmust take the short sword proficiency. Theother slot can be fi l led from the weaponsusable by thieves,

Nonweapon Proficiencies:

• Bonus Proficiencies: Close-quarter fighting.• Recommended, General; Alertness, danger

sense, direction sense, hiding, navigation (under-ground), rope use, survival (underground).

• Recommended, Warrior: Endurance.• Recommended, Priest: None.• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: Jumping, tightrope

walking.• Forbidden: None.Equipment: Tunnel rats can use and pur-

chase any equipment and armor normallyavailable to thieves. They should purchasebasic survival equipment, including ropes,pitons, tools, food and water, etc.

Special Benefits: Tunnel rats receive a +5%bonus to their initial find/remove traps, movesilently, and climb walls skills.

Special Hindrances: Tunnel rats have a —10%penalty to their pick pocket skill and a -5%penalty to their read languages skill.

Wealth Options: Each member of this kitbegins play with 1d6 x 10 gp.

ShadowShadows are humanoid assassins. They have

made their way in the world by killing othersfor profit. While many have private codes, oth-ers hire themselves out to the highest bidder.Shadows have a reputation for being compe-tent, cold-blooded, and extremely efficient.Thus, when they no longer actively take com-missions, they tend to drift into related activi-ties: spying, bounty hunting, and the like.

Shadow player characters are extremely rare,but they might join adventuring parties withsimilar interests and goals. They are loners bynature, however, and seldom stay with a groupfor long.

Requirements: Shadows can be of the fol-lowing races: bugbears, bullywugs, gnolls,fl inds, goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, lizardmen, mongrelmen, ogre magi, orcs, or hal f -orcs. Either gender may become shadows. The


character must have minimum Strength andDexterity scores of 12, and a minimum Intelli-gence of 11 to choose this kit. Shadows can beof any non-good alignment.

Role: Shadows are spies, assassins, andenforcers. Most leave their tribes to practicetheir profession in the outside world. Shadowsearn their name from the way they live. Mostare unseen until they strike, maintaining a lowprofile even when not on a job.

Most assassin guilds have at least onehumanoid shadow on their rolls. They aresaved for special assignments and for specificclients who favor their dark ways. Activeshadows are proficient at stealth and killing,and spend much of their time honing theirfighting skills to a fine edge in anticipation ofthe next assignment. Most are cool, calculatingkilling machines, and display a frighteninglack of emotion when accomplishing their jobs.

Player character shadows are nearly alwaysof neutral alignment and have often retired togeneral adventuring. Those still active asassassins often see themselves as agents of theforces of justice, the balance, tribal law, orsome other principle. They consider the deathsthey cause as justifiable evils, and only takecommissions that fall into this category.

Weapon Proficiencies: Shadows may selectany one-handed weapon, any weapon avail-able to thieves, plus others appropriate to theirprofession (e.g.: blowgun, etc.).

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Disguise.• Recommended, General: Acting, alertness,

begging, danger sense, hiding observation,voice mimicry.

• Recommended, Warrior: Hunting, intimi-dation, tracking.

• Recommended, Priest: Reading/writing.• Recommended, Wizard: None.• Recommended, Rogue: Blind-fighting,

close-quarter fighting, information gathering,jumping, tumbling.

• Forbidden: None.

Equipment: Shadows can use all types ofdeadly equipment, but they are limited to thearmor types available to other thieves, plusshields. Shadows do not make use of poison.They prefer to eliminate their targets withweapon and combat skills.

Special Benefits: When attacking with sur-prise, a shadow kills the victim if a hit is scoredand the victim fails a saving throw vs. death;provided the victim has hit dice less than orequal to the shadow's. Otherwise, damageequal to a backstab is inflicted.

Special Hindrances: All thief abilities exceptbackstabbing are rated two levels less than thoseof a thief of equal level. This means that all ini-tial thief abilities except hear noise have anadditional -10% penalty.

Wealth Options: Each shadow begins playwith 2d6 x 10 gp. This sum represents all thatremains of a shadow's last pay.

Humanoid BardHumanoid bards are basically humanoid ver-

sions of the human and half-elf bard. They fol-low all of the rules which apply to normalbards, though they have some special differ-ences that separate them from the bards every-one knows. Unlike a true bard, who is ajack-of-all trades, humanoid bards (with someexceptions) normally focus on a particularbrand of entertainment. Many sing, somedance, some act or tumble, A few even createand recite poetry. While most humanoid bardsattempt to appeal to their particular audience,some (like mongrelmen bards) labor to createart that few other races can appreciate.

Requirements: Aarakocra, centaurs, flinds,mongrelmen, satyrs, voadkyn, and wemics canchoose the bard kit. All must have a minimumDexterity and Intelligence of 13. Most musthave a minimum Charisma of 15. Mongrelmanbards must have a minimum Charisma of 15among their own kind. Humanoid bard align-ment must be at least partially neutral.


Role: While all humanoid races have enter-tainers and storytellers, only a select few canproduce characters which come close to thetrue bard class. These humanoid bards pro-duce beautiful and inspiring ballads and songs(at least as far as other members of their race isconcerned), and some even learn to grasp theintricate tastes of other cultures. In their owncommunities, humanoid bards are the keepersof tribal history, the chroniclers of importantevents, and the ambassadors to other tribes. Inhuman society, they are more often entertain-ers, tugging a wide variety of emotions out oftheir audiences in exchange for profit, food, orshelter.

Even the best humanoid bards are often con-sidered funny by humans and demihumans.Though this pains these artists, they accepttheir lot and try to make the best of it. Once ina rare while they are able to get across a mes-sage besides humor, but these flares of bril-liance which cross over racial boundaries arefleeting indeed.

Humanoid bards make excellent adventuringcompanions, using their entertaining skills tobrighten moods and inspire confidences. Theyhave a variety of proficiencies to call upon, andwhile not as versatile as true bards, what skillsand abilities they do have make them fairlyformidable and extremely helpful.

Weapon Proficiencies: Humanoid bards arerestricted as to weapons carried by thieves.

Nonweapon Proficiencies:• Bonus Proficiencies: Local history• Required Proficiency: musical instrument

and one of the following: chanting, dancing,juggling, poetry, singing,

• Recommended, General: Acting, artisticability, chanting, craft instrument, crowdworking, dancing, drinking, eating, etiquette,fortune telling, languages (modern), poetry,rope use, voice mimicry, whistling/humming.

• Recommended, Warrior: Any.• Recommended, Priest: Any, except spell-

craft.

• Recommended, Wizard: Any, except spell-craft.

• Recommended, Rogue: Any.• Forbidden: Spellcraft. Humanoid bards

never learn this proficiency.Equipment: Humanoid bards may purchase

any type of armor up to and including chainmail, and any equipment (except shields).

Special Benefits: Humanoid bards can influ-ence the reactions of groups of NPCs like truebards. NPCs not of the bard's race receive a +3bonus to their saving throw. NPCs of the bard'srace have a -2 penalty to their saves.

Members of this kit can inspire and rally theircompanions with heroic songs and tales. Thistakes four rounds to complete, at the end ofwhich time those who heard the inspiration(within a 10-foot radius of the humanoid bard)receive one of the following benefits (asdecided by the bard): +1 to attack rolls; +1 tosaving throws; +2 to morale. Members of thebard's race receive an additional +1 bonus. Thechosen effect lasts one round per level of thebard. Companions who are actively engaged inbattle cannot be inspired.

The humanoid bard can counter opposingsound-based attacks. This benefit can be usedagainst songs, chants, wails, and magical com-mands or suggestions. This ability requiresintense concentration, as per the bard rules inthe Player's Handbook.

The humanoid bard has a 5% chance perlevel to identify the general purpose and func-tion of any magical item.

Special Hindrances: Humanoid bards dohave any spellcasting abilities. When attempt-ing to entertain groups not of their own race,humanoid bards suffer a -3 penalty to all profi-ciency checks. Mongrelman bards can onlyaffect such crowds negatively.

Wealth Options: Humanoid bards initiallyreceive 3d6 x 5 gp to purchase equipment.


CHAPTER

Table 4: Nonweapon Proficiency Groups

General

ProficiencyActing*AgricultureAlertness*Animal HandlingAnimal Noise*Animal TrainingArtistic AbilityBegging*BlacksmithingBrewingCarpentryChanting*CheesemakingCobblingCookingCraft Instrument*Crowd Working*DancingDanger SenseDirection SenseDrinkingEatingEtiquetteFast-talking*Fire-buildingFishingFortune Telling*HeraldryHidingLanguages, ModernLeatherworkingLooting*MiningObservation*Poetry*PotteryRiding, AirborneRiding, Land-basedRope UseSeamanship

SlotsReq'd.

1111111111111112112111111121211121112111

RelevantAbility

ChaIntWisWisWisWisWisChaStrIntStr

ChaIntDexInt

DexChaDexWisWisConConChaChaWisWisChaIntIntIntIntDexWisIntIntDexWisWisDexDex

CheckMod.-1

0+1-1-100

Special000

+2000

-2+2

0+1+1

000

Special-1-1+2

0-1000

-30

-2-2-2+3

0+1

90 • Chapter Four

Humanoid characters have different profi-ciencies available to them than other characterraces because of the cultures and societies inwhich they live. In this chapter, all of the profi-ciencies available to starting humanoids havebeen gathered into one master table. This tableincludes all of the proficiencies listed in thePlayer's Handbook, as well as selected proficien-cies from the other books in the PHBR series.Those listed in boldface type are new to thisbook and are explained in the text.

Italicized proficiencies require the player torecord a specific topic or area covered by theproficiency. For example, if a goblin PC takesanimal training, he must specify a type of ani-mal, such as a worg. This would be recorded asAnimal Training (Worg). Additional slots canbe used to improve the specified proficiency orto gain a new area of expertise, like AnimalTraining (Hawk).

Those proficiencies marked with an asterisk(*) are from one of the other PHBR books,though they might fa l l under a different group-ing than those listed here. They are explainedbriefly in this book for ease of reference.Important Note: The description given herefor Alertness replaces the description in theComplete Thief's Handbook.

Proficiencies and SpecializationAs explained in the Player's Handbook, a

weapon proficiency measures a character'sknowledge and training wi th a specificweapon. All of the weapons listed on Table 44of the Player's Handbook are ava i l ab le to allhumanoid races, unless otherwise stated in theinitial racial weapon proficiencies detailed inChapter Two. The new weapons described inChapter Seven of this book are also open tomany of the humano id races. Single-classhumanoid fighters can specialize according tothe rules in the Player's Handbook for weaponspecialization.

Seamstress/TailorSingingStonemasonrySwimmingVoice Mimicry*Weather SenseWeavingWhistling/Humming*Winemaking

Warrior

ProficiencyAnimal LoreArmorerBlind-fightingBowyer/FletcherCharioteeringClose-quarterFightingEnduranceGamingHuntingIntimidation*Natural FightingMountaineeringNavigationRunningSet SnaresSurvivalTrackingWeaponsmithingWild Fighting

Priest

ProficiencyAncient HistoryAstrologyEngineeringHealingHerbalismLanguages, AncientLocal History

1111211

11

SlotsReq'd.

12211

22111211112232

SlotsReq'd.

1222211

DexChaStrStrChaWisInt

DexInt

RelevantAbility

IntIntNADexDex

DexConChaWis

Str/ChaStrNAInt

ConDexIntWisInt

Con

RelevantAbility

IntIntIntWisIntIntCha

-10

-20

Special-1-1

+20

CheckMod.

0-2NA-1+2

000

-10

+1NA-2-6-100

-30

CheckMod.-10

-3-2-200

Musical InstrumentNavigationReading/ WritingReligionSpellcraft

Rogue

ProficiencyActing*Ancient HistoryAppraisingBlind-fightingClose-quarterFightingDisguiseForgeryGamingGem CuttingInformationGathering*

JugglingJumpingLocal HistoryMusical InstrumentReading LipsSet SnaresTightrope WalkingTumblingVentriloquism

Wizard

ProficiencyAncient HistoryAstrologyEngineeringGem CuttingHerbalismLanguages, AncientNavigationReading/ WritingReligionSpellcraft

11111

SlotsReq'd,

1112

21112

DexIntIntWisInt

RelevantAbility

ChaIntIntNA

DexChaDexChaDex

-1-2+10

-2

CheckMod.-1-10

NA

0-1-10

-2

Int Special111121111

SlotsReq'd.

1222211111

DexStr

ChaDexIntDexDexDexInt

RelevantAbility

IntIntIntDexIntIntIntIntWisInt

-100

-1-2-1

00

-2

CheckMod.-10

-3-2-20

-2+1

0-2

Humanoid Proficiencies • 91

Nonweapon ProficienciesNew proficiencies and existing proficiencies

which do not appear in the Player's Handbookare described below. Those not described canbe found in the Player's Handbook.

ActingThis proficiency allows a character to skill-

fully portray various roles, often as an enter-tainment. It can also be used to enhance adisguise. If a character has both acting and dis-guise proficiencies, the check for either is madewith a +1 bonus.

Proficiency checks are required only if theactor must portray a particularly difficult roleor is attempting to "ad lib" without rehearsal.

Alertness*This proficiency allows a character to instinc-

tively notice and recognize signs of a distur-bance in the immediate vicinity. This abilityreduces a character's chance of being surprisedby 1 if he makes a successful proficiency check.(Note that this replaces the description of thisproficiency in the Complete Thief's Handbook.)

Animal NoiseA character with this proficiency can imitate

the noises made by various animals. A suc-cessful check means the character's noise can-not be distinguished from that of the actualanimal, except by magical means.

A failed check produces a sound that variesfrom the animal's in some slight way. Thosewho are very familiar with the animal will rec-ognize the intended mimicry at once. Othercharacters must make successful Wisdomchecks to determine if they also realize the ani-mal noise is an imitation.

Begging

Begging serves two functions. First, it allowscharacters to pose convincingly as beggars(and many humanoids in civilized areas spendsome time begging for a living). Success in thisfunction is automatic and no checks must bemade. Second, it allows the character to earn aminimal daily income. To use this proficiencyto earn money, it must be used in an area wherepeople are present.

The following modifiers are suggested to theDM as guidelines. They do not take intoaccount the wealth of a particular locale, justthe population density. Impoverished regionsmight have greater negative modifiers, asmight certain affluent areas with long tradi-tions or great reputations for stinginess.

Begging Modifiers

Locale ModifierUninhabited/Wilderness FailureCountryside -7Hamlet, Village -5Town -2City 0

A successful check enables a character to begfor enough money, goods or services to meethis basic needs (a little food and drink, a placeto sleep). Begging cannot force PCs to giveaway money. Players are always free to decidehow generous their characters are.

Blind-fighting*See the Player's Handbook for full details on

this proficiency. In general terms, this profi-ciency reduces the penalty for fighting whileblinded from ~4 to -2. It similarly reduces thepenalty for f ight ing invisible opponents.Because many humanoids have infravision,this proficiency is not usually as useful forhumanoids as it is for humans.

92 • Chapter Four

ChantingChanting is used to keep fellow workers or

soldiers in pace. Proficiency checks are used todetermine the effectiveness of a character'schanting.

Successful checks mean that those who canhear the chanting character become slightlyhypnotized by the rhythmic sound, causingthe time spent on arduous, repetitive tasks topass quickly The DM can, at his option, adjustresults for forced marching, rowing, digging,and other similar tasks accordingly,

Cheesemaklng

This proficiency allows the character who hasit to expertly create cheese from the curds ofsoured milk. A proficiency check is required

only when attempting to prepare a truly mag-nificent wheel of cheese as a special gift or for aspecial celebration.

Close-quarter Fighting

Humanoids with this proficiency havelearned to fight in the cramped confines ofdungeons and underground lairs. In such loca-tions, or in other extremely close fighting con-ditions, characters armed with bludgeoning orpiercing weapons (or their own na tu ra lweapons) receive a +2 bonus to attack rolls.Slashing weapons cannot be used in close-quarter fighting. This bonus is not cumulativewith wild-fighting.

A successful proficiency check at the start ofcombat yields this bonus. Failure means thehumanoid fights normally.


Craft InstrumentCharacters with this proficiency must state

which type of instrument they are skilled atGrafting: wind, stringed, percussion, or key-board. A slot must be used to gain each addi-tional type of instrument the character wishesto be skilled at crafting. A total of four slotsused in this proficiency grants a character thetit le of "master craf tsman" who can c r a f tinstruments of all forms.

Characters must buy material equal to onequarter of the instrument's sale value. Windand percussion instruments require 1d6 daysof crafting, stringed instruments 2d8 days, andkeyboard instruments 3d10 days. Each day ofwork requires 10 full hours spent Grafting theinstrument. If craftsman tools (cost 25 gp,weight 5 pounds) are not available, all timesare doubled.

The crafted instrument's quality is deter-mined by a final proficiency check. A failedcheck creates an instrument of poor quality,while a success indicates good quality. A nat-ural 20 indicates that the instrument does notwork, while a natural 1 produces a masterpieceworth twice its normal value.

Simple repairs to instruments take only 1d4hours and require no checks unless the propertools are not available. Repairing severe dam-age requires 1d8 hours, and a successful profi-ciency check is necessary to complete therepairs.

Crowd WorkingCharacters with this proficiency are familiar

with how to handle crowds. They are skilled atobserving crowds and adjusting their behavioraccordingly. Humanoids who normally havethis skill include all types of humanoid enter-tainers, from bards and fortune tellers, to acro-bats and pit fighters.

This skil l also can be used to adjus t theencounter reaction of a crowd. A successful

proficiency check will alter the crowd's reac-tion by two levels (or convinces them to donatetwice as much money to the entertainers asthey normally would).

Danger SenseThis proficiency provides a humanoid char-

acter with a sixth sense which warns ofimpending danger. On a successful check, thecharacter avoids a trap at the last second orrealizes that opponents wait to ambush himdue to a sudden warning tingle that cannot beignored. Characters who make successfulchecks spot traps before blundering into themand receive initiative against hidden oppo-nents. This proficiency does not work againstopponents who are out in the open and mak-ing no attempt to hide their actions. Failureindicates that the character senses nothing outof the ordinary and play continues normally.

DrinkingThis proficiency, and its companion profi-

ciency, Eating, is important to many humanoids,including centaurs, satyrs, and wemics. A suc-cessful check indicates that the humanoid canconsume up to twice as much as normal at onesitting. This will allow the humanoid to gotwice as long without drink before beginning tosuffer adverse effects. If alcoholic beverages areinvolved, a successful check allows the human-oid to consume twice as much before adverseeffects begin to bother him.

EatingMuch like the drinking proficiency, this profi-

ciency allows the humanoid to store up food.A successful check indicates that the human-oid can consume up to twice as much as nor-mal. This allows the humanoid to go twice aslong without food without suffer ing anyadverse effects from hunger.

94 • Chapter Four

Fast-talking

Fast-talk is the art of distraction and conningNPCs. If a successful proficiency check ismade, the fast-talker weaves a successful scam.Modifiers are based upon the Intelligence andWisdom of the NPC target as shown below.DMs may also introduce modifiers accordingto the d i f f icu l ty or plausibility of what thecharacter is attempting, as well as the racialpreferences of the target character.

Fast-Talking Modifiers

Target'sIntelligence3 or less4-56-89-1213-1516-17181920+

Mod.NA-3-10

+1+2+3+5NA

Target'sWisdom

34-56-8

9-1213-1516-17

1819+

Mod.-5-3-10

+1+3+5

NA

Modifiers are cumulative. Targets of Intelli-gence 3 or less are so dim that attempts to fast-talk them fa i l automatically because theycannot follow what is being said. Targets withIntelligence of 20 or more or Wisdom of 19 ormore are impervious to fast-talking.

Fortune TellingMany h u m a n s and demihumans believe

humanoids have mysterious powers and abili-ties. While many do have abilities which arestrange and different, telling the future is notamong them (except for the rare shaman orwitch doctor). However, few members of otherraces know this, and that's where the fortunetelling proficiency comes in.

With this proficiency, characters know a vari-ety of methods for divining the future — and

they are all fake. Humanoids with this skillemploy odd-looking devices, sonorous oratory,or other methods to convince others that theyare authentic soothsayers. Common methodsinclude cards, palm reading, counting bumps,casting runes, examining animal entrails, andmore. Humanoid fortune tellers put on a goodshow, then proclaim whatever prediction theywant. This is done to gain money from thegullible, to impress other humanoids, or evento substitute for a true diviner when none areavailable. Humanoids are extremely supersti-tious, after all, and many tribes are happy tohave the services of a fake when no trueshaman is available. Without the fortune teller,many tribes might be paralyzed by their fear ofthe unknown.

A successful proficiency check indicates thatthe target believes the fortune. If it fails, thesham is discovered or the fortune is simply notbelieved. Failure for a character trying to con-vince his tribe of his powers could provedeadly — for the fake! The fast-talking modi-fiers can be used if the DM desires. Note thatPCs are never forced to believe a predictionregardless of the roll.

Optional Rule: As an optional rule, the pre-diction made by the fortune teller actuallycomes true on a roll of a natural 1 (or someother number chosen secretly by the DMbefore the check is made).

Hiding

Hiding is the ability to instinctively select thebest hiding place tinder nearly any condition.Humanoids who make successful checks canvirtually disappear from view. Success is deter-mined by modifiers based upon the Intelli-gence of the character being hidden from. Thisproficiency operates independently of any nat-ural camouflage or hiding ability the human-oid might already have.


Hiding Modifiers

Opponent'sIntelligence3 or less4-56-89-1213-1516-17181920+

Modifier-5-3-10

+1+2+3+5+7

Information GatheringThrough the use of this proficiency, a human-

oid character can gain information about a spe-cific person, place or thing. In appropriatecircumstances, a character will be aware ofmajor rumors circulating around a roguish orhumanoid area. With a successful check, spe-cific information can be gleaned.

The following modifiers adjust the check:Characters' reaction adjustments (based on

Charisma) will benefit or penalize the roll,assuming contact with intelligent beings isinvolved in the search.

Thieves' guild members receive a +2 bonus asthey have the resources of the entire guild attheir disposal. Similarly, outside of towns andcities, certain humanoid characters may receivethe same bonus if they have similar contacts(satyrs and swanmays have woodland crea-tures, a goblin may be able to get informationfrom a goblin tribe, etc.).

When outside friendly territory, specific infor-mation suffers at least a -3 penalty.

Money or treasure is required. Any time a pro-ficiency check is required to gather informa-tion, the character must make a smallinvestment of money or treasure or suffer anadditional penalty of -3. Humans prefermoney, and a total of 1d10 gp is typical. Other

races may want some other type of treasure(food, magical item, shiny trinket, etc). Theinvestment is lost whether or not the desiredinformation is found.

IntimidationThis proficiency allows characters to bend

others to their will through fear tactics. NPCswho are intimidated are quite likely to do asthey are told. They are also very likely to har-bor much resentment against the character thatintimidates them. NPCs will keep their resent-ment hidden unti l the first opportunity toavenge their pride arises.

Intimidation can be attempted with eitherStrength or Charisma. Strength indicates athreat of immediate bodily injury. Charismauses more subtle threats which need not bephysical in nature.

Player characters are never required to sub-mit to intimidation.

LootingThis proficiency represents a knack for grab-

bing the best loot in the shortest amount oftime. A successful proficiency check allows acharacter to recognize and grab the most valu-able combination of items that is feasible,given the situational limits of time and space.

Natural FightingThis proficiency allows humanoids with nat-

ural weaponry (claws, fangs, tails, etc.) a +1damage bonus on all natural weapon attacks.In addition, they receive a free natural attackbeyond normal attacks they are allowed. Asuccessful proficiency check must be made atthe beginning of combat to gain the benefits ofthis skill. Failure indicates that the benefitscannot be used for the duration of the battle.

96 • Chapter Four

ObservationThis proficiency represents a character's

exceptionally acute powers of observation.DMs may ask for checks (or roll them secretly)whenever there is something slightly out of theordinary. Characters with this proficiency havetheir chances of finding secret doors increasedto 2 in 6, and concealed doors to 3 in 6, Thisproficiency covers all the senses.

PoetryThis proficiency includes the skills necessary

to recite poetry and judge its quality. It alsoindicates that a character has a repertoire ofpoems memorized for recital at any time. Nocheck is required for a normal recital.

If the character can read and write, originalpoems can be written. A successful check indi-cates that the poem is of above average quality,

Voice MimicryVoice mimicry is the art of convincingly imi-

tating the voices of other people. It is a verydemanding skill, requiring intense trainingand practice.

A character with voice mimicry can imitateany accent he has heard. Success is automaticunless confronted by those who speak themimicked accent (which then requires a checkwith a +2 modifier).

It is more difficult to imitate a specific per-son's voice. Characters can only attempt toimitate voices they have heard. A proficiencycheck must be made to determine if the imita-tion is detected. Success is certain if the listeneris a stranger to the mimicked character. Thereis no modifier if trying to fool an acquaintance,-2 to fool a friend, -5 a close friend, and -7 forextremely close friends and relatives.

Whistling/HummingCharacters with this proficiency are excep-

tional whistlers and hummers. They can pro-duce tunes as captivating as most songs. If asuccessful check is made, the character knowsany particular tune in question. If he also hasthe animal lore proficiency, he can mimic anybird call he has ever heard.

Adventurers also use this proficiency to com-municate with each other. This type of commu-nication is only possible among the characterswho have this proficiency. If two or more char-acters with this proficiency make successfulchecks, a single concept can be communicatedbetween them.

Wild FightingCharacters with this proficiency employ an

extremely unorthodox and unpredictablefighting style. Wild fighting is ferocious anddeadly, without any grace or discipline. It isalso extremely tiring, as part of its nature isthat it focuses every bit of energy a characterhas into the attack.

The benefits are in the number of attacks thecharacter gets and in the amount of damageattacks inflict. A wild-fighting character getsone more attack per round than normally enti-tled to. All damage rolls for attacks that hitreceive a +3 bonus.

However, when wild fighting, a character'sattack rolls also are reduced by 3. Also theattacker's armor class is penalized by 3, mak-ing it easier to hit him.

To use wild fighting, a character must make asuccessful proficiency check at the start ofcombat. A failure means that the characterreceives only the penalties of the proficiencyand none of the benefits.

Wild fighting can only be used twice per day,as it is extremely tiring. After a battle ends, the


wild fighter must rest for one hour before hecan a g a i n cal l on the proficiency. Restingmeans doing nothing but resting or engagingin l ight travel (riding a slow-moving horse,etc,). If the character must walk, he cannot usethe proficiency until four hours have passed.Without this rest, a tired character suffers a -3penalty to all proficiency checks, a -5 to armorclass, a -5 to THAC0, and a -3 from damagerolls. These penalties are in effect until the ful lresting period has elapsed.

WinemakingThis proficiency allows characters to create

wine from the fermented juice of grapes orother plants and fruits well enough to make aliving at it. The character will always succeedto some extent; proficiency checks are onlyrequired when attempting to prepare a trulymagnificent wine as a special gift or for a spe-cial celebration.

98 • Chapter Four

CHAPTER

Role-Playing Humanoids

Players who decide to create humanoid char-acters should have good role-playing as theirultimate goal. Avoid choosing a humanoidcharacter type by its benefits, hindrances, orhow powerful it can become. Strange human-oid beliefs, uncivilized habits, the reactions ofothers, and the clash of human and humanoidcultures are a few of the many hooks uponwhich a humanoid personality can be hung.Humanoids are best viewed as unusual per-sonas through which character and storydevelopment can take place.

This chapter gives suggestions to help play-ers create humanoid characters that are well-rounded and fun to play, with an eye towardkeeping any "unfair" advantages in check.Further, some of these suggestions can be usedby the Dungeon Master to restore campaignbalance if a character gets off track.

The number of humanoid races given in thisbook require that suggestions be of a generalnature. It is up to the players and the DM tomake them work in the context of a particularrace of humanoids in a particular campaignsetting. Examples are provided, but space limi-tations make covering every possible combina-tion impossible.

Life as a HumanoidFor the majority of humanoids, life is lived in

a clan or tribe. These tribes are made up ofloosely-related families which are led by chiefs.The chiefs are normally the strongest and mostable fighters of the group, though some tribesturn to elders and thinkers for leadership. Lifein the tribes is hard. The wilderness does notgive up sustenance easily, and tribesmen mustconstantly work to survive. This work could behunting, gathering, fishing, craftworking,scavenging, mining, farming, raiding, plunder-ing, or some combination of these, dependingon the tribal race, alignment, and nature.

In most cases, a humanoid tribe will be lesscivilized, less advanced, and less established

than its human or demihuman counterpart.Lawful tribes prefer stability and order. They

organize themselves in all endeavors, setting uprules to cover all aspects of life and society. Forthese tribes to function, there must be an obviousand unchanging chain of leader-ship. In lawfulevil tribes, there are severe laws and harsh pun-ishments. These are not established to providejustice, but to preserve the stability of the tribe.

Good tribes cherish life. They are more con-cerned with finding ways to make their tribesprosper than in competing for social positions(at least in openly hostile ways). Life is morepositive among these tribes, though not neces-sarily easier.

On the evil side, might makes right and fearkeeps the masses in line. Change is still suddenand frequent, but it tends to be violent anddeadly in nature. Many evil humanoids arenomads, though some do set up semi-perma-nent settlements when they find a location thatfills their survival needs and greedy habits,Once settled, they quickly deplete the locationof the resources that attracted them. They treatthe land and its bounties as they treat eachother — with little respect and as something tobe exploited. When a region no longer suitstheir needs (due to their own overindulgencesand uncaring practices), these humanoidsmove on in search of new spoils and plunder.

Chaotics share a frivolous or capriciousnature. Change is often welcome, or and evensought out on a daily basis. Few activities areorganized beyond the minimum level neces-sary to accomplish a given task. Some chaoticcultures seem to find even this level of organ-ization difficult; disagreements and in-fightingoften result.

On the good side, chaotics like to managetheir own affairs. They may bow to a singleleader, but prefer to do as they please so longas they stay within broad behavioral guide-lines. Even though they love independenceand despise rules, many chaotic and goodhumanoids come to love nature and respect its

100 • Chapter Five

bounties. Many form such dose ties with theirenvironments as to become caretakers of a sort.Nature may be used, but never abused.

In a chaotic evil tribe, life is even more of astruggle. Not only must tribe members battlethe elements, nature and other tribes, theyoften fight among themselves for positions ofleadership and the pick of loot. Life is cheapamong them, for killing is usually the easiestmethod of advancement up a tribe's social andpolitical ladder. This may also be true in otherevil and neutral communities, but such vio-lence is usually less random.

Tribal LifeAll humanoid tribes share a fear of the super-

natural, and anything they do not understandfalls into this category. This results in supersti-tions which fill their days and nights, and dic-tate the way in which they conduct their lives.Superstitions serve to reinforce the opinionthat humanoids are primitive savages, thoughfew humans get to know them well enough tosee their beliefs in practice.

Tribal life starts in ernest when humanoidchildren are old enough to understand andparticipate in the world around them. Mosthumanoids relegate different roles and tasks tomales and females, and children are immedi-ately immersed in the social order so that theygrow to know and embrace it. They receiveinstruction, usually in informal settings, learn-ing what they need to survive and prosper byobserving, participating, and some training.The level of training depends on the nature,disposition and societal level of the race inquestion. During their early years, childrenspend most of their time with females andshamans. Here they learn the legends andbeliefs of their tribe, as well as many of thesocial rules they will need in tribal life. Chil-dren begin to work as soon as they are able, atfirst helping with whatever domestic activitiesthe tribe engages in and eventually moving on

to their life's work.When they near maturity, humanoids ap-

prentice themselves to adults in order to learnthe trades of the tribe. This apprenticeship canbe formal, as in the case of orcs, or extremelyinformal where younger tribe members learnthrough observation and proximity as opposedto specific instruction. In cases where there iseven a hint of formality, tribal shamans, witchdoctors, and chiefs assign children to specifictrades (hunting, raiding, mining, fighting, etc.).They make their decisions based upon theirobservations of the children, the needs of thetribe, the social rank of a child's parents, andby reading the signs and omens associatedwith a particular child.

From an early age, a humanoid's role in thetribe is set. Most prefer this arrangement, for itgives them a function and purpose. A selectfew desire to find their own path, and theseinevitably are weeded out through violence,cast out by decree, or leave of their own accordto make their own lives. These are the outcasts,the hermits, and the adventurers. The few thatfind their way into human society are the oneswe are most concerned with.

Social and Racial DisadvantagesHumanoids start out with disadvantages in

non-humanoid societies. All but the most enlight-ened civilizations consider humanoids to bemonsters. Centuries of competition, violence andwarfare has made humans and humanoids nat-ural enemies, striving for the same resources.Truth became legends, and legends bred fearsthat haunt both sides, filling their heads withtruths, half-truths, and lies. But humans are morenumerous, more advanced, more established.They are winning the battle of dominion over theworld. For better or for worse, though there arestill vast stretches of untamed wilderness, it hasbecome a human world.

For this reason, humanoids find themselvesat a disadvantage. When they leave their tribes

Role-Playing Humanoids • 101

to f ind their own path in the world, itinevi tably crosses into human civilization.Humanoids are strangers to human civiliza-tion (or even demihuman, for that matter).They know it only as something out of triballegends, or from the scary stories told aroundthe evening fire, or from the skirmishes theirtribe may have had with a town or village inthe past. They do not know the customs. Theydo not know the social etiquette. They proba-bly do not understand many of the "advanced"conveniences that dominate civilized life.

It is up to players and DMs to work together tostress a humanoid's unfamiliarity with civiliza-tion. In the same way as a DM describes newly-discovered magical items by their appearancewithout giving away any details, so too must aDM describe the items and practices of civiliza-tion. From a humanoid's point of view — cloth-ing, armor, weapons, tools, utensils —everything is strange, wondrous, frightening,and unknown. The trappings which players nor-mally take for granted should become new and

mysterious to humanoid characters.For example, Breeka the aarakocra enters a

human town for the first time. What are thestrange wooden caves that humans go in andout of? Why do those humans shake hands? Orpress their lips together? Or give shiny objectsto (me another? And why is that human yellingbecause Breeka ate the pig in f ront of hiswooden cave? Breeka, who has never beforeencountered a human town, finds herself sur-rounded by unusual trappings and strangepractices which she will have to spend timegetting to understand. While players can role-play a lack of unde r s t and ing concerninghuman social customs, it is up to the DM tokeep in mind that the most obvious thing to ahuman or demihuman is probably a mysteryto the humanoid, and to describe encounterscenes accordingly.

Beyond the social disadvantages whichhumanoids face when dealing with communi-ties beyond their own, there are also racial dis-cr imina t ions to deal with. Because most


humans and demihumans see humanoids aslittle more than monsters, there will be extremeprejudices directed at them. Humanoids willbe watched almost constantly when they entera human community — if they are allowed toenter at all. Many towns and cities will havelaws forbidding the entry of humanoids. Theywill be stopped at the gates, turned away, oreven attacked. Humans fear that a humanoidhas come to scout out the community forattack, or seeks to cause some other type oftrouble. They believe that humanoids eathumans (and some do), and who wants a mon-ster walking on the streets of town?

Many inns have rules against servinghumanoids. Shops refuse to deal with them.Local authorities stay close, watching for theleast sign of trouble. They have no qualmsabout arresting and locking up humanoidsthat so much as look at a human the wrongway — and banishment or confinement are thenicest things they might do to them. Mobsform quickly in the presence of humanoids,ready to take torch and pitchfork to a monsterin order to protect their loved ones. Again, it isup to the DM to enforce this disadvantage.Even the most powerful humanoid PC will behard-pressed to find a place to rest or buy sup-plies in a hate-filled, fearful town. If a human-oid is allowed to operate as any normal PC asfar as NPCs are concerned, then a great role-playing challenge is lost.

Another problem facing humanoids inhuman communities deals with the fact thatthings are built in human dimensions. Doorsand rooms are made to accommodate humanheights and widths. Chairs and beds are madeto hold human weights. Even most transporta-tion modes, such as horses and wagons, cannotsustain large-sized humanoids. This is not aproblem for the man-sized humanoids, buttiny-, small-, and large-sized humanoids mustlearn to live in a human-sized world.

Humanoid TraitsHumanoids have a number of monstrous

traits. These may be perfectly normal andacceptable in their own society, but in humansociety they are gross and frightening. Thesetraits provide bonuses or penalties to PC actions.Every humanoid has at least one trait that isshared by every member of its race (this aregiven in the humanoid's entry in Chapter Two).The DM may also require humanoid PCs to rollfor 1-2 additional monstrous traits, if desired.

Bestial Appetite 1: Humanoid has the appetite of alarge beast; must consume twice as much food as anormal human at every meal or suffer a -1 penaltyto Strength and Constitution scores.

Bestial Appetite 2: Humanoid has the appetite of ahuge beast; must consume three times as much foodas a normal human at every meal or suffer a -2penalty to Strength and Constitution scores.

Bestial Appetite 3: Humanoid has the appetite of agargantuan beast; must consume four times as muchfood as a normal human at every meal or suffer a -3penalty to Strength and Constitution scores,

Bestial Fear: Humanoid has a beast's natural fearof a given thing (PC or DM's choice). In presence ofthis thing, the humanoid must make a save vs. spellor suffer effects as per a wizard's fear spell.

Bestial Habits: Humanoid has a habit that resem-bles the behavior of a beast as opposed to the behav-ior of a civilized person. These cause a -2 penalty toreaction rolls.

Bestial Intelligence 1: Humanoid has a reducedIntelligence score of -I; maximum 14, minimum 3.

Bestial Intelligence 2: Humanoid has a reducedIntelligence score of -3: maximum 12, minimum 3.

Bestial Intelligence 3: Humanoid has a reducedIntelligence score of -5, maximum 9, minimum 2.

Bestial Odor: A bad smell; -2 penalty to reactionchecks.


Bestial Rage: A monstrous temper; madly attacksnearest character for 1d4 rounds if it fails a Wisdomcheck. The rage should have a specific trigger-

Bestial Speech: Humanoid has a speech pattern thatincludes bestial sounds; -2 penalty to reaction checks.

Bestial Thirst 1: Humanoid has the thirst of a largebeast; must consume twice as much liquid in a day orsuffer a -1 penalty to Strength and Constitution scores.

Bestial Thirst 2: Humanoid has the thirst of a hugebeast; must consume three times as much liquid in aday or suffer a -3 penalty to Strength and Constitu-tion scores.

Bestial Thirst 3: Humanoid has the thirst of a gar-gantuan beast; must consume four times as muchliquid in a day or suffer a -5 penalty to Strength andConstitution scores.

Light Sensitivity: Humanoid is sensitive to brightlight; receives a -1 penalty to all attack rolls made indaylight or other bright light conditions.

Monstrous Appearance 1: Humanoid appearsstrange and frightening; -2 penalty to reaction checks,

Monstrous Appearance 2: Humanoid appearsstrange and frightening; -4 penalty to reaction checks.

Monstrous Appearance 3: Humanoid appearsstrange and frightening; -6 penalty to reaction checks.

Monstrous Craving: Humanoid sometimes cravesa particular item (food, drink, or other), chosenjointly by the player and DM. When a monstrouscraving occurs (not more than once a week), thehumanoid has a -1 penalty to all ability and profi-ciency checks (cumulative per hour) until the crav-ing is satisfied.

Monstrous Dexterity 1: Humanoid has enhancedDexterity; +1 bonus to Dexterity score (minimum 6),-1 penalty to reaction checks.

Monstrous Dexterity 2: Humanoid has enhancedDexterity; +2 bonus to Dexterity score (minimum 8),-1 penalty to reaction checks.

Monstrous Dexterity 3: Humanoid has enhancedDexterity; +3 bonus to Dexterity score (minimum10), -1 penalty to reaction checks,

Monstrous Hearing: Humanoid has keen hearing;can hear noise as a thief. Base score 25%; +25% at agesbelow middle age, +15% at middle age, +0% at oldage, -15% at venerable age.

Monstrous Sight: Humanoid has keen vision; cansee to a visibility range 50% greater than a normalhuman.

Monstrous Size: Humanoid is larger than others ofhis kind (either taller or wider); +1 bonus to Strengthscore, -3 penalty to reaction checks.

Monstrous Smell: Humanoid has sensitive senseof smell; +1 on surprise checks, -2 to saving throwsagainst foul odors.

Monstrous Strength 1: Humanoid has greatStrength; +1 bonus to Strength score (minimum 6),-1 penalty to reaction checks.



Monstrous Taste: Humanoid has a very sensitivesense of taste; +2 save vs. imbibed poisons,

Monstrous Touch: Humanoid has a very sensitivesense of touch; +5% success chance for delicatemanipulations, -2 saving throw against physicalpain or irritation.


Optional Rule: For every special advantage ahumanoid has due to its racial type, it rolls foran extra monstrous trait. Additional traits mayresult in cumulative penalties. Thus, anaarakocra PC starts with bestial speech, thenrolls for two more traits.

Campaign ComplicationsTable 19: Campaign Complications in the table

section lists some of the more common problemswhich humanoid PCs face on a daily basis.These are presented as suggestions for DungeonMasters to draw from when setting up cam-paigns containing humanoid PCs. All DungeonMasters are urged to expand and customizethese tables for their own campaigns. The morepowerful a humanoid PC is, the more often acomplication should arise. Experienced DMsneed not use the tables directly, but can use themas reminders of the types of problemshumanoids face in human civilizations.

The campaign complications are divided intotwo groups: wilderness and civilization. Whenhumanoid player characters are outside of settle-ments, they will face the types of complicationslisted on the Wilderness table. In human or demi-human villages, towns, and cities, the complica-tions they must deal with are those of civilization.A brief description of these complications follows.

Adventurers: The humanoid character hasbecome the target of an adventuring party, andmust somehow find a way to throw them offits trail. The reason for the adventurers' inter-est should be worked into the campaign plot.

Arrested: The humanoid is arrested for com-mitting a crime, for suspicion of a crime, or justbecause the local authorities don't like its pres-ence. Often, when a humanoid commits acrime, it does not know or understand the locallaws and customs, or it has fa l len prey tounscrupulous exploitation.

Banished: For inadvertently committing acrime or social blunder in human civilization,the humanoid is banished from the settlementby a local mob, militia, or adventuring party,

Captured: The humanoid is captured bythose hostile to it and must escape or be res-cued. This complication is often used in con-junction with another, such as Banished,Arrested, Slavers, etc.

Challenged: A human or demihuman NPCdecides to impress his or her peers by chal-lenging a humanoid PC to a duel or contest.

Cleric: A cleric takes an interest in the human-oid. This interest can be with an eye to befriendor convert the humanoid, or it can be of a nega-tive nature — an evil cleric needs the human-oid for some foul purpose, or a good clericdecides to eradicate the monster.

Educational Limitation: The humanoid runsinto a problem due to a lack of knowledge con-cerning the settlement currently being visited.This could do with reading or language, with aknowledge of laws or customs, or even withunderstanding the local currency.

Exploitation: An unscrupulous human (ordemihuman) takes advantage of the human-oid while pretending to befriend him.Exploitation can be overt: slavery, selling ahumanoid to the battle pits, turning a human-oid into a carnival sideshow exhibit; or it canbe subtle: a swindler's con job, a human trick-ing the humanoid into fighting his enemies,etc.

Fear: Many humans and demihumans fearhumanoids. To them, humanoids are nothingbut foul monsters. In this type of complication,humanoids must deal with people who aredeathly afraid of them.


Humanoids: Other humanoids appear tohinder the humanoid character. These can bemembers of the original tribe, others of thesame race, or humanoids from a different race.If they are from a different race, they could behostile to the character's racial type.

Hunters: Hunters cross the humanoid's path.They can be searching for that humanoid or forone of like race (to sell to a battle pit or wizard,for example) or they could be after other gameentirely and then decide to focus on thehumanoid, Hunters might be of any race.

Local Authorities: The local authorities (mili-tia, town leaders) take an interest in the human-oid. They may want to keep an eye on thestranger, hire the humanoid to do a specific task,or they harass the humanoid to drive it away.

Mob: An angry mob gathers and comes afterthe humanoid. They could be motivated bysomething the humanoid did (or is believed tohave done), or they could simply band togetherout of fear or hatred,

Monster: The humanoid wanders near a mon-ster's lair, and the monster decides it wants thehumanoid for some reason (food, slave, etc.).

Physical Limitation: The humanoid runs intosomething in human society which is a hinder-ance based on its size or body type (steepstairs, door or furniture too large or small, etc.)

Prejudice: The humanoid encounters severeprejudice or outright hatred. There may not bespecific restrictions or laws, but humans canhinder and abuse humanoids by refusing toserve them, throwing garbage at them, callingthem names, cursing them, or simply goingout of their way to avoid them.

Restrictions: A restriction or law hinders theh u m a n o i d . Samples: no humanoid can beserved at a particular shop or establishment;no humanoid can enter a particular part of thecity; no humanoid can enter the city itself; nohumanoid can talk to citizens, etc,

Rogue: A rogue exploits the humanoid (seeExploitation).

Sentenced to Death: A death sentence is ahard thing to live with, and humanoids oftenblunder into them. These should be used onlyrarely, and they will often become the focus ofa particular adventure.

Slavers: Slavers, either humanoid or human,hunt the humanoid character. If captured, thecharacter might be sold or taken back to theslavers' community and put to work.

Social Blunder: Due to a lack of understand-ing or knowledge concerning social customs,the humanoid makes a blunder. This can bemild and amusing, or major and unforgiven.Any action can become a social blunder, from ahumanoid not knowing the proper way torespond to a greeting, to the humanoid using atribal greeting (which may frighten, anger, oramuse the humans at whom it is directed),

Superstition: One of the humanoid's super-stitions (see Chapter Six) comes into play at aninopportune moment.

Trait: A situation develops wherein one ofthe humanoid's monstrous traits causes aproblem.

Travelers: Traveling humans or demihumansencounter the humanoid and react in one ofseveral ways: hostile, friendly, suspicious, curi-ous, fearful, etc. This is one way to bring theproblems of cultural interaction to a humanoidcharacter in the wilderness.

Warrior: A fighter type encounters the human-oid and decides to test his strength against it,banish it, drive it away, or take other ''heroic"action — usually to the humanoid's dismay.

Wizard: A mage desires the humanoid. Usu-ally, wizards need humanoids to get specialspell components (which may come from thehumanoid's dead body!), to help with a magi-cal ceremony, or to undertake a quest for whichthey have unique talents.


CHAPTER

Superstitions

A Mysterious WorldLike the primitive ancestors of humans and

demihumans, most humanoids still embracethe fears and wonders of the primordial world,a world that still exists in its simplest,, mostfrightening form. To the humanoid, the worldbeyond his fire is unknown. All manner ofcreatures and supernatural beings roam theseunknown regions, waiting to harm the human-oid who wanders too far from the fire's protec-tive glow.

Even the most civilized humanoid will oftenuse an elaborate system of safeguards tha tappear irrational to non-humanoids. For exam-ple, a forest kobold of Amn waking on his leftside must immediately spit three times or suf-fer an unlucky day.

Many humanoid superstitions are outwardmanifestations of racial or cultural anxieties,but others have to do with the external powersof the world — the gods, spirits, and othersupernatural beings that populate the cam-paign world. These powers must be bribed orcharmed into leaving the humanoid alone, lestall manner of bad luck and suffering result.

Humans and demihumans might considerthese practices to be outmoded, primitive, oreven absurd, but most humanoids considerevery such ritual to be of life-and-death impor-tance. This belief stays with a humanoid char-acter his whole life, no matter how many yearshe stays away from his tribe. Every supersti-tion has a legend behind it and comes with aready-made ritual for attracting beneficialinfluences and warding off malevolent ones.Thus, many humanoid characters remain per-fectly at home in their beliefs, always on thelookout for signs and omens, ever ready withan oft-practiced ward.

Humans may well be uncomfortable aroundhumanoids for any number of reasons, andmany commoner folk definitely find the lat-ter's constant reference to unseen forcesunnerving. To the humanoid, however, it is

just a way of life.In a world that is often hostile, dangerous

and extremely unpredictable, such humanoidsuperstitions offer some measure of comfortand control. Naming a fear goes far towardconquering it, or at least reducing it to a con-crete thing that may be fought. When fearsweeps over humanoids, their superstitionsprovide assurance that they can influence theirfate with simple, time-honored rituals.

Some rituals require simple actions such asgestures. Others need the additional power ofa physical charm, such as a rabbit's foot or grif-fon's quill. Each charm has its own function; ahumanoid may carry several different types ofcharms to ward off fear or bad luck. Thesecharms may be worn openly or kept hiddenuntil needed.

To humanoids, who often feel powerless inthe face of nature, other races, and even theirown kind, superstitions are almost a form ofpersonal magic. This magic does not produceimpressive displays of light and sound, nordoes it strike opponents with deadly force.Instead, it helps a humanoid come to termswith the unknown. Each small ritual, eitherpositive or negative in nature, is repeated overand over as a form of cause and effect. If kiss-ing her sword once helped a female hobgoblindefeat an opponent, then she might have per-manently adopted the kissing ritual in order tocontinue her good luck.

Superstitions in Game TermsAll humanoid player characters should have

two or more superstitions that can affect playduring the course of their adventures and cam-paigns. The first superstition is racial or tribal,common to all members of a particular human-oid race or tribe. (Suitable superstitions are listedin the humanoid racial entries in Chapter Two.)The second type of superstition is personal. Apersonal superstition can be selected by theplayer or rolled randomly on Table 18: General

Superstitions • 107

Superstitions, located in the table section.To determine how many personal supersti-

tions a humanoid PC has, first find that charac-ter's prime requisite on the table below. Selector roll that many more superstitions from theGeneral Superstitions table (as approved bythe DM). Of all the PC's superstitions, one maybe positive; the rest must be negative.

Table 5: Personal Superstitions

Prime Requisite Number of AdditionalScore Superstitions

108 • Chapter Six

9-1112-1516+

123

Superstitions have two functions. First, theyprovide more hooks for building a humanoidPC's personality, thus providing more fuel forgood role-playing. Second, they help or hindera character in play, giving bonuses or penaltiesto dice rolls in encounters in which the super-stition has manifested itself.

Using Superstitions in PlayA humanoid PC who encounters a manifesta-

tion of a superstition must make a Wisdomcheck at a -2 penalty. (The DM may increasethe penalty depending on the nature of themani fes ta t ion . A par t icular ly fr ighteningsuperstition combined with a particularlypowerful manifestation might have a penaltyas high as -6.) Success or failure of the Wisdomcheck determines the effects on the PC,depending on whether the superstition is posi-tive or negative.

Positive superstitions are manifestations of goodluck. Using charms or gestures, the humanoidreceives the benefits of benevolent forces. Negativesuperstitions, on the other hand, are manifesta-tions of bad luck, ill will, and outright malevo-lence. Charms and gestures allow the humanoidto ward off these forces. Even if the charm or ges-

ture works, however, the fear generated by a closecall with harmful forces may cause the humanoidto suffer some lesser penalties.

Positive superstition checks are made whenthe PC chooses when to call upon the power ofhis charm or gesture ritual,

Negative superstition checks must be madeevery time the superstition manifests itself.

Penalties and bonuses for superstitions arenot cumulative. Only one type of penalty orbonus can be in effect in any given hour.

Success, Positive Superstition: A humanoid PCsucceeding at a Wisdom check when a positivesuperstition manifests will receive a +2 bonus toall proficiency and ability checks, and a +1 bonusto all attack rolls. These benefits last for one hourand can only be gained once per day, no matterhow often the superstition manifests itself.

Failure, Positive Superstition: A humanoidPC failing a Wisdom check receives no bonusor penalty. After one hour has passed, if thesuperstition manifests itself, the PC can make aWisdom check, at a -4 penalty. If the check failsa second time, the PC can make one f i n a lattempt an hour later, at a -6 penalty. If thischeck also fails, the PC cannot try to gain thebenefits of his positive superstition until 24hours have passed — no matter how often thesuperstition manifests in his presence.

Success, Negative Superstition: A humanoid PCmaking a successful Wisdom check when a nega-tive superstition manifests receives a -2 penaltyto all proficiency and ability checks, and a -1penalty to all attack rolls, due to the fear a nega-tive superstition generates (failure is much moredebilitating). These penalties last for one hour.

Failure, Negative Superstition: A humanoidPC fail ing a Wisdom check receives a -4penalty to all proficiency and ability checks,and a -2 penalty to all attack rolls. These penal-ties are in effect for one hour.

Important Note: The superstitions suggestedon Table 18: General Superstitions are pre-sented in broad categories. They should berefined to a specific type of manifestation, aspecific ritual for calling upon or warding offits effects, and an accompanying legend tomake the superstition make sense,

For example, Hegral the female bugbear rollsa superstition dealing with noise. Her playerdecides that the superstition will be negative.It manifests itself as thunder. Whenever Hegralhears thunder, she must blink three times andspin once counterclockwise to ward off its evileffects. This superstition of thunder relates tothe sound the bugbear God of Fear makeswhen passing from the Abyss to the PrimeMaterial plane in search of a bugbear to carryoff.

The SuperstitionsThe following suggested superstitions can be

used to develop the categories provided on theGeneral Superstitions table. Dungeon Mastersand players can expand this list and createtheir own superstitions, using these as guide-lines and springboards for other ideas.

Animal/Insect: A specific kind of animal orinsect causes this superstition to manifest.

Armor: A specific type of armor, worn by anopponent, frightens or inspires the humanoid.

Cold: Sudden chills, fear of ice or snow, fearor positive belief in icy winds,

Color: Fear of a particular color, manifestedin nature, on clothes, or in some other way.

Demihumans: The humanoid fears a specificdemihuman race. The race is usually deter-mined by the humanoid's racial preferencesand hatreds.

Destiny: The humanoid has learned of hisparticular destiny from an oracle or fortuneteller. Whenever this destiny seems to be

Superstitions • 109

116 • Appendix

Table 8: Character Kit Summary

KitWarrior

Tribal DefenderPit FighterSellswordMine Rowdy

Wild. Protector

Paladin, Saurial

WizardHedge Wizard

Humanoid Scholar

Outlaw Mage

PriestShaman

Witch Doctor

Oracle

War Priest

Wandering Mystic

RogueScavenger

Shadow

Tunnel RatBant Humanoid

EligibleClass

FighterFighterFighterFighter

Ranger*

Paladin*

Any wizard

Any wizard

Any wizard

Shaman*

W. Doctor*

Clerk, druid

Cleric

Any priest

Any thief

Thief

ThiefBard*

EligibleRaces

All except fremlinAll except fremlinAll except fremlinBugbear, gnoll, flind, hobgoblin, minotaur, orc;half-orc, half ogreBeastman, centaur, voadkyn, minotaur,satyr, saurial, swanmaySaurial finhead

Centaur, fremlin, voadkyn, minotaur, mon-grelman, ogre mage, saurialCentaur, fremlin, minotaur, mongrelman,ogre mage, saurialCentaur, fremlin, voadkyn, minotaur, mon-grelman, ogre mage, saurial

All except beastman, fremlin, minotaur, pixie,satyr, saurial, swanmayBugbear, gnoll, f l ind, goblin, hobgoblin,kobold, minotaur, half-ogre, orc, half-orc,wemicAlaghi, bugbear, centaur, gnoll, flind, goblin,hobgoblin, kobold, mongrelman, half-ogre,orc, half -orc, saurial swanmayBugbear, gnoll, flind, goblin, hobgoblin,kobold, half -ogre, orc, half-orc, saurialAll except aarakocra beastman, bullywug,fremlin, firbolg, voadkyn, lizard man, mino-taur, ogre, ogre mage, pixie, satyr, wemic

All except alaghi, centaur, firbolg, ogre, half-ogre, saurial, swanmay, wemicBugbear, bullywug, gnoll, flind, goblin, hob-goblin, kobold, lizard man, mongrelman, ogremage, orc, half-orcGoblin, hobgoblin, kobold, orc, half-orcAarakocra, centaur, flind, mongrelman, satyr,voadkyn, wemic

Table 9: Humanoid Average Height and Weight

RaceAarakocraAlaghiBeastmanBugbearBullywugCentaurFremlinG.kin, firbolgG.kin, voadkynGnollGnoll flindGoblinHobgoblinHumanKoboldLizard manMinotaurMongrelmanOgreOgre, half-Ogre mageOrcOrc,half-PixieSatyrSr., bladebackSr., finheadSr., flyerSr., hornheadSwanmayWemic

HgtBase*60/5866/6455/5072/6858/5684/8012/12

120/114108/10284/8072/6943/4172/6860/5932/3060/6084/8060/5996/9384/78114/9658/5660/5824/2355/—78/7654/5232/30

107/105—/5978/75

in InchesModifier

1d61d121d122d102d83d121d61d121d121d121d121d101d8

2d103d4

2d122d62d122d122d62d6

1d121d123d61d102d8

2d102d42d6

2d103d6

Wgt in PoundsBase*80/70

320/290105/85210/180125/1101000/960

12/12780/740675/650180/160165/14572/68

150/130140/10052/48

170/170450/390145/105320/280270/220810/780130/90135/9555/22110/—

550/535150/14065/62

720/700— /100700/670

Modifier3d 104d203d106d105d106d202d46d106d104d104d105d45d106d105d4

3d 104d204d103d206d104d106d106d104d44d103d204d102d124d206d104d20

* Females tend to be lighter and shorter than males. Thus, thebase numbers for height and weight are divided into male/femalevalues. Note that the modifier still allows for a broad range in eachcategory.

* A character with this class must take the matching kit.

Arms and Armor

Humanoids make use of whatever equip-ment, arms, and armor they can get their handson. Many of the races are natural scavengers,picking up anything they can carry and wield.Humanoid characters are subjec t to classrestrictions on weapons.

Armor RestrictionsNormal armor is often hard to f i t upon

humanoids. While man-sized (M) humanoidscan wear human-made armor, those of othersizes or peculiar body shapes, like centaurs,must wear specially-fitted armor or armor oftheir own race's construction. While human ordemihuman armorers can build custom-fittedarmor for a humanoid, t ime is doubled andcosts are tripled.

Weapon Breakage (Optional)Humanoids wielding weapons of their

own make need not check for breakage.When large-sized humanoids use human ordemihuman weapons, the weapon maybreak under their greater strength and force.This chance is read directly from the attackroll. Use Table 6 to determine if the weaponbreaks. Weapon Size refers to the weapon'ssize classification. Roll is the number or lesson the 1d20 attack roll that will break theweapon (excluding strength adjustments), Abroken weapon becomes useless immedi-ately upon breaking, A magical weaponreceives a saving throw vs. crushing blow toavoid breaking.

Table 6: Optional Weapon Breakage

Weapon SizeSML

Roll1052

Weapon Size RestrictionsHumanoids of large (L) size generally use

weapons which also fit into this category. Theycannot use tiny weapons (T), at all. They mayhave trouble wielding small and med iumweapons (the DM can assess a -1 to -4 penaltyto h i t and damage rolls). Some humanoidshave bonuses when using weapons of theirown make (see the individual entries in Chap-ter Two).

Likewise, humanoids falling under the tiny(T) size c lass i f i ca t ions cannot use largeweapons (L). They can wield melee weaponsof medium size (M) in both hands.

Close-quarter WeaponsClose-quarter weapons are used by those who

specialize in close-quarter fighting or who regu-larly operate in small, enclosed areas, such asunderground tunnels. While, in fact, all under-ground-dwelling humanoids can use theseweapons, they are preferred by members of themine rowdy and tunnel rat kits. Otherhumanoids with the close-quarter fighting profi-ciency can also select from these weapons (aslong as the weapon in question does not violatethe restrictions of a class regarding weaponchoice). Humanoids who are not subterranean-dwelling cannot choose these weapons initially,but may gain proficiency with them over thecourse of a campaign. To use a specific close-quarter weapon, the humanoid must announceits use at the beginning of a combat round. Someof these weapons are also passive, inflictinginjury if an opponent gets too close. When usedaggressively, Strength bonuses apply.

Body spikes: These are short blades fitted toa humanoid's armor. An opponent who grabs,grapples, or wrestles with a humanoid wear-ing body spikes from the spikes each round.Body spikes can be used aggressively i f thewearer runs at his opponent. The d a m a g einflicted by body spikes depends on the size of

Arms and Armor • 111

the wearer: T/S = 1d2, M = 1d3, L = 1d4. Thespikes are permanently fitted to the armor andcannot be retracted. Spiked armor costs 150%of the normal armor cost.

Kick-slashers: These are crude bladesattached to boots or other footwear. The kick-slasher slices into opponents when the userlashes out with his feet. They are notretractable.

Punch-cutter: This is a crude blade attachedto open-finger leather gloves. The blade restson top of the hand, protruding above theknuckles when the fist is closed. When thewearer throws a punch, the punch-cutter slicesinto his opponent.

Special Humanoid WeaponsMost weapons made or used by humanoids

can be found in the Player's Handbook. Forexample, a goblin-made short sword is still ashort sword. What follows are rare andunusua l weapons rarely found outside ofhumanoid cultures:

Club, great: This may be a long cudgel lov-ingly carved from a finely-worked length ofoak, or a crudely fashioned bludgeon. Itseffects are identical to those of a morning star,though it may be blunt or spiked. Races usingthese include bugbears, centaurs, andadvanced lizard men.

Dart, lizard man: This is a crude, heavythrowing dart that is both fletched and barbed.Measuring two to three feet long, it is used byadvanced lizard men. It has a range of 30yards, and is invariably hurled just before acharge.

FLindbar: A flindbar is a pair of chain-linkediron bars. In combat, the bars are spun aroundat great speed, striking up to twice in a round.In addition, flindbars can be used to disarmopponents. Each successful hit requires the vic-tim to save vs. wands. If the saving throw isfailed, the victim's weapon becomes entangledin the chain and is torn from his grasp. Flind-

bars are made and used by flinds.Goblin Stick: A goblin stick is a forked and

hooked pole arm, used first by bugbears tryingto catch the smaller goblins. The goblin stick isa wooden staff, six to nine feet long, gripped inthe middle. Each end is tipped with threewicked blades. One hooked blade is used toextract hiding creatures. The other blades arepointed, sharp, and set at slightly differentangles to poke into the hardest to reach loca-tions. Goblin sticks are made and used by hob-goblins, bugbears, and ogres.

Lance, flight: This lance has a 10-foot longshaft of tough wood with a sharp stone head,and fletched ends. It is used by f lyinghumanoids as a shock or impact weapon, Theflight lance is hurled at the end of a swoopingattack and can impale the target.

Giant-kin weapons: Giant-kin weapons,crafted by giant-kin, match their great size andstrength. The most common are clubs, daggers,halberds, maces, two-handed swords, andvoadkyn long bows.

When using weapons of their own make,giant-kin and other large humanoids suffernone of the penalties associated with thesmaller human weapons. Most giant-sizedweapons cause more damage than theirhuman-made counterparts. Voadkyn longbows have ranges 50% greater than human-sized longbows.

Oriental Weapons: Used principally by ogremagi and some hobgoblin tribes, most of thesecan be treated as the western counterpart.Unusual weapons of note include:

Daikyu: A great long composite bow, aboutseven feet long. The grip is closer to the lowend of the bow, allowing it to be more easilyfired from horseback or when kneeling.

Katana: An oriental long sword. If worn withthe wakizashi (short sword), it marks the weareras one of high social standing. It's a seriousinsult for an unprivileged character to wearboth blades together.

Naginata; An oriental pole arm much like a

112 • Chapter Seven

glaive, preferred by female warriors. It has asix to eight foot shaft and swordlike blade.

Tetsubo: A wooden rod about four feet long,the upper half bound with studded iron strips.It is often carried by travelers and can serve asa walking stick. It is typically wielded in twohands,

Pixie weapons: These are weapons that havebeen scaled down to match pixie and smaller-sized wielders. Unless otherwise noted, theirmaximum damage is usually in the 1d2 to 1d4range.

Pixie bow: Resembling tiny short bows ofelven design, they have half the range of shortbows. Pixies using these have a +4 bonus to *their attack rolls. Pixie arrows come in threevarieties. War arrows inflict damage. Sleeparrows render subjects comatose for 1d6 hoursif they fail their saving throw vs. spell. Forget

arrows cause subjects who fail a saving throwvs. spells to suffer a complete loss of memory.Only a clerical heal spell or limited wish canrestore the subject's memory.

Pixie sword: Resembling tiny elven longswords, these are of excellent workmanship.They otherwise perform like daggers.

Saurial Weapons: Saurials weapons performmuch as human-made equivalents. Weaponsof note include the bladeback mace, the bladebackflail, and the hornhead staff. All saurial weaponsare designed for the saurial physiology, havingshorter grips, unusual protrusions/ and barb-like tips.

Non-saurials trying to use saurial weaponssuffer a -1 attack penalty. Likewise, saurialssuffer a similar-1 penalty when using non-saurial weapons.

Arms and Armor • 113

Table 7: Weapons

ItemClub, greatDart, barbedFlindbarGoblin stickLance, flight

Close-quarter WeaponsBody spikesKick-slasherPunch-cutter* See entry for information

Giant-kin Weaponsbow/ long

arrowdaggerhalberdmacesword, 2-H.

Cost(gp)

8*856

*7**6***** Per foot

1251/12

52511

100

Wgt(lbs)

125685

*31

8—3351235

SizeMsMLL

SSs

*** Per hand

GGGGGG

TypeBPBPP

PSS

—PP

P/SBS

SpeedFactor

73476

222

10—312813

DamageS-M2d41d41d41d4

1d6+l

*1d4+l1d4

—1d81d61d121d8x2

1d10x2

L1d6+l1d41d41d62d6

*1d6+l1d3

—1d81d82d8

1d6x23d6x2

Oriental Weapons (Ogre Mage)Daikyu

arrow, leaf headKatanaNaginataTetsuboWakizashi

Pixie Weaponspixie bow

forget arrowsleep arrowwar arrow

pixie sword* See entry for information

Saurial WeaponsBladeback flailBladeback maceHornhead staffFinhead broadsword

1003sp/6

1008250

50100/110/61/230

2015517

4—61083

1———1

2516208

LLMLLS

TTTTT

LLLM

PSsBS

—PPPs

BBBS

—4774

4———4

9966

1d81d101d81d81d8

Special*Special*Special*1d4+l

1d4

1d8+l1d8+l2d61d8

1d61d121d101d81d8

Special*Special*Special*1d4+l1d3

2d61d82d61d10

114 • Chapter Seven

Humanoid Size Comparisons

Fremlin Pixie Flyer Kobold Goblin Aarakotra

Beastman Satyr Finhead Bullywug Swanmay Orc Alaghi Mongrelman Half-orc Human

Hobgoblin Flind Wemic Bladeback Lizard Man Bugbear Gnoll Half-ogre

Minotaur Centaur Ogre Voadkyn Horn Head Ogre Mage Firbold

Appendix • 115

116 • Appendix

Tabl

e 8:

Cha

racte

r K

it Su

mm

ary

Kit

War

rior

Trib

al D

efen

der

Pit F

ight

erSe

llsw

ord

Min

e Ro

wdy

Wild

. Pro

tect

or

Pala

din,

Sau

rial

Wiza

rdH

edge

Wiz

ard

Hum

anoi

d Sc

hola

r

Out

law

Mag

e

Prie

st Sham

an

Witc

h Do

ctor

Ora

cle

War

Prie

st

Wan

derin

g M

ystic

Rogu

eSc

aven

ger

Shad

ow

Tunn

el R

atB

ant H

uman

oid

Elig

ible

Cla

ss

Figh

ter

Figh

ter

Figh

ter

Figh

ter

Rang

er*

Pala

din*

Any

wiz

ard

Any

wiz

ard

Any

wiz

ard

Sham

an*

W. D

octo

r*

Cle

rk, d

ruid

Cler

ic

Any

prie

st

Any

thief

Thief

Thief

Bard

*

Elig

ible

Race

s

All e

xcep

t fre

mlin

All e

xcep

t fre

mlin

All e

xcep

t fre

mlin

Bugb

ear,

gnol

l, fli

nd, h

obgo

blin

, min

otau

r, or

c;ha

lf-or

c, ha

lf og

reB

east

man

, cen

taur

, voa

dkyn

, min

otau

r,sa

tyr,

saur

ial, s

wan

may

Saur

ial f

inhe

ad

Cen

taur

, fre

mlin

, voa

dkyn

, min

otau

r, m

on-

grel

man

, ogr

e mag

e, sa

uria

lC

enta

ur, f

rem

lin, m

inot

aur,

mon

grel

man

,og

re m

age,

saur

ial

Cent

aur,

frem

lin, v

oadk

yn, m

inot

aur,

mon

-gr

elm

an, o

gre m

age,

saur

ial

All

exce

pt be

astm

an, f

rem

lin, m

inot

aur,

pixi

e,sa

tyr,

saur

ial, s

wan

may

Bug

bear

, gno

ll, f

lind

, gob

lin, h

obgo

blin

,ko

bold

, min

otau

r, ha

lf-og

re, o

rc, h

alf-

orc,

wem

icA

lagh

i, bu

gbea

r, ce

ntau

r, gn

oll,

flind

, gob

lin,

hobg

oblin

, kob

old,

mon

grel

man

, hal

f-ogr

e,or

c, ha

lf -o

rc, s

auria

l sw

anm

ayB

ugbe

ar, g

noll,

fli

nd, g

oblin

, hob

gobl

in,

kobo

ld, h

alf -

ogre

, orc

, hal

f-orc

, sau

rial

All

exce

pt a

arak

ocra

bea

stm

an, b

ully

wug

,fre

mlin

, firb

olg,

voa

dkyn

, liza

rd m

an, m

ino-

taur

, ogr

e, og

re m

age,

pix

ie, sa

tyr,

wem

ic

All

exce

pt a

lagh

i, ce

ntau

r, fir

bolg

, ogr

e, ha

lf-og

re, s

auria

l, sw

anm

ay, w

emic

Bugb

ear,

bully

wug

, gno

ll, fl

ind,

gob

lin, h

ob-

gobl

in, k

obol

d, li

zard

man

, mon

grel

man

, ogr

em

age,

orc,

half-

orc

Gob

lin, h

obgo

blin

, kob

old,

orc

, hal

f-orc

Aar

akoc

ra, c

enta

ur, f

lind,

mon

grel

man

, sat

yr,

voad

kyn,

wem

ic

Tabl

e 9:

Hum

anoi

d Av

erag

e H

eight

and

Weig

ht

Rac

eA

arak

ocra

Ala

ghi

Beas

tman

Bug

bear

Bul

lyw

ugCe

ntau

rFr

emlin

G.k

in, f

irbol

gG

.kin

, vo

adky

nG

noll

Gno

ll fli

ndG

oblin

Hob

gobl

inH

uman

Kob

old

Liza

rd m

anM

inot

aur

Mon

grel

man

Ogr

eO

gre,

hal

f-O

gre

mag

eO

rcO

rc,h

alf-

Pixi

eSa

tyr

Sr.,

blad

ebac

kSr

., fi

nhea

dSr

., fly

erSr

., ho

rnhe

adSw

anm

ayW

emic

Hgt

Base

*60

/58

66/6

455

/50

72/6

858

/56

84/8

012

/12

120/

114

108/

102

84/8

072

/69

43/4

172

/68

60/5

932

/30

60/6

084

/80

60/5

996

/93

84/7

811

4/96

58/5

660

/58

24/2

355

/—78

/76

54/5

232

/30

107/

105

—/59

78/7

5

in I

nche

sM

odifi

er1d

61d

121d

122d

10 2d8

3d12 1d6

1d12

1d12

1d12

1d12

1d10 1d8

2d10 3d4

2d12 2d6

2d12

2d12 2d6

2d6

1d12

1d12 3d6

1d10 2d8

2d10

2d4

2d6

2d10 3d6

Wgt

in P

ound

sBa

se*

80/7

032

0/29

010

5/85

210/

180

125/

110

1000

/960

12/1

278

0/74

067

5/65

018

0/160

165/

145

72/6

815

0/13

014

0/10

052

/48

170/

170

450/

390

145/

105

320/

280

270/

220

810/

780

130/

9013

5/95

55/2

211

0/—

550/

535

150/

140

65/6

272

0/70

0—

/100

700/

670

Mod

ifier

3d 10

4d20

3d10

6d10

5d10

6d20

2d4

6d10

6d10

4d10

4d10 5d4

5d10

6d10 5d4

3d 10

4d20

4d10

3d20

6d10

4d10

6d10

6d10 4d4

4d10

3d20

4d10

2d12

4d20

6d10

4d20

* Fe

mal

es te

nd to

be

light

er a

nd s

horte

r tha

n m

ales

. Thu

s, th

eba

se n

umbe

rs f

or h

eigh

t and

wei

ght a

re d

ivid

ed in

to m

ale/

fem

ale

valu

es. N

ote

that

the

mod

ifier

still

allo

ws

for a

bro

ad ra

nge

in e

ach

cate

gory

.

* A

cha

ract

er w

ith th

is cla

ss m

ust t

ake t

he m

atch

ing

kit.

Tabl

e 10

: A

geSt

artin

g A

ge

Max

imum

Age

Ran

geR

ace

Base

Age

Aar

akoc

raA

lagh

iB

east

man

Bug

bear

Bul

lyw

ugC

enta

urFr

emlin

G.k

in, f

irbol

gG

.kin

, voa

dkyn

Gno

llG

noll,

flind

Gob

linH

obgo

blin

Hum

anK

obol

dLi

zard

man

Min

otau

rM

ongr

elm

anO

gre

Ogr

e, h

alf-

Ogr

e m

age

Orc

Orc,

half-

Pixi

eSa

tyr

Sau.

, bla

deba

ckSa

u., f

inhe

adSa

u., f

lyer

Sau.

, hor

nhea

dSw

anm

ayW

emic

15 15 13 10 10 18 20 40 75 7 3 12 14 15 12 15 12 6 15 15 20 10 12 106 20 14 14 12 14 15 12

Var

iabl

e1d

41d

61d

10 1d6

1d4

1d4

1d4

5d6

5d6

1d4

1d6

1d6

1d6

1d4

1d4

1d4

3d6

1d4

1d4

1d4

1d4

1d4

1d4

5d6

3d4

1d12

1d12

1d10

1d20

1d12 1d4

(Bas

e + V

aria

ble)

50 +

2d1

275

+ 2

d20

80 +

1d2

065

+ 2d

1060

+ 1

d20

75 +

2d20

125

+ 3d

2020

0 +

3d10

025

0 +

2d10

033

+ 1d

435

+1d2

040

+1d2

050

+ 1

d20

90 +

2d2

095

+ 2

d20

110 +

2d10

150+

1d

100

30 +

1d1

090

+ 2

d20

90 +

2d2

017

5 + 2

d20

35 +

1d1

060

+ 1

d20

200

+ 2d

100

100

+ 1d

100

110

+ 1d

100

100

+ 1d

100

90 +

1d1

0012

5 +

1d10

090

+ 2

d20

70 +

2d2

0

Ave

rage

Tabl

e 11

: Agi

ng E

ffect

sM

iddl

e A

ge*

Old

Age

**

Ven

erab

le**

*M

axim

um A

ge

Rac

e (1

/2 B

ase M

ax.)

(2/3

Bas

e M

ax.)

65 95 90 75 70 95 155

350

350 35 45 50 60 no 115

120

200

35 110

110

195

40 70 300

150

160

150

140

175

100 90

Aar

akoc

raA

lagh

iBe

astm

anB

ugbe

arB

ully

wug

Cen

taur

Frem

linG

.kin

, firb

olg

25 y

ears

37 y

ears

40 y

ears

33 y

ears

30 y

ears

37 ye

ars

62 y

ears

100

year

sG

.kin

, voa

dkyn

12

5 ye

ars

Gno

llG

noll,

flin

dG

oblin

Hob

gobl

inH

uman

Kob

old

Liza

rd m

anM

inot

aur

Mon

grel

man

Ogr

eO

gre,

half-

Ogr

e m

age

Orc

Orc,

half-

Pixi

eSa

tyr

Sr.,

blad

ebac

kSr

., fin

head

Sr.,

flyer

Sr.,

horn

head

Swan

may

Wem

ic

*-1 S

tr/Co

n; +

1**

-2 S

tr/D

ex; -

1

16 ye

ars

17 ye

ars

20 ye

ars

25 y

ears

45 y

ears

48 y

ears

55 y

ears

75 ye

ars

15 y

ears

45 y

ears

45 y

ears

82 y

ears

17 ye

ars

30 y

ears

100

year

s50

yea

rs55

yea

rs50

yea

rs45

year

s62

year

s45

year

s35

yea

rs

Int/W

isCo

n; +

1 W

is

33 y

ears

50 y

ears

53 y

ears

44 ye

ars

40 ye

ars

50 y

ears

83 y

ears

133

year

s16

7 yea

rs22

year

s23

yea

rs27

year

s33

yea

rs60

yea

rs62

yea

rs73

yea

rs10

0 ye

ars

20 ye

ars

60 y

ears

60 y

ears

116 y

ears

23 ye

ars

40 ye

ars

133

year

s67

yea

rs73

yea

rs67

yea

rs60

yea

rs83

year

s60

yea

rs46

yea

rs

(Bas

e Max

.)50

yea

rs75

yea

rs80

yea

rs65

yea

rs60

yea

rs75

year

s12

5 yea

rs20

0 ye

ars

250

year

s33

yea

rs35

year

s40

yea

rs50

yea

rs90

yea

rs95

yea

rs11

0 ye

ars

150

year

s30

year

s90

yea

rs90

yea

rs17

5 ye

ars

35 ye

ars

60 ye

ars

200 y

ears

100

year

s11

0 ye

ars

100

year

s90

year

s12

5 yea

rs90

year

s70

yea

rs*

***-1

Str/

Dex

/Con

; +1

Int/W

is

Agin

g ef

fects

do

not a

llow

char

acter

s to

exce

ed ra

cialm

axim

ums.

Appendix • 117

Tabl

e 12

: R

acia

l A

bilit

y R

equi

rem

ents

Race

Aar

akoc

raA

lagh

iBe

astm

anB

ugbe

arBu

llyw

ugC

enta

urFr

emlin

G.k

in, f

irbol

gG

.kin

, voa

dkyn

Gno

llG

noll,

flin

dG

oblin

Hob

gobl

inK

obol

dLi

zard

man

Min

otau

rM

ongr

elm

anO

gre

Ogr

e, h

alf-

Ogr

e m

age

Orc

Orc

, hal

f-Pi

xie

Saty

rSr

., bla

deba

ckSr

., fin

head

Sr.,

flye

rSr

., hom

head

Swan

may

, ran

ger

Swan

may

, dru

idW

emic

Abi

lity

Str

3/16

12/1

96/

1850

8/18

6/18

75

11/18 2/11

14/1

911

/18

6/18

8/18

4/15

6/18

3/16

8/18

12/2

06/

1716

/20

14/1

812

/18

6/18

6/18

3/14

6/18

75

10/1

87/

183/

1712

/1813

/18 9/18

11/1

8

Dex

8/18

3/17

6/18

8/17

4/18

3/16

8/18

8/15

13/1

95/

186/

184/

176/

18 4/18

3/18

5/14

6/18

2/8

3/12

7/18

3/17

3/17

8/19

8/18

3/14

5/18

7/19

2/12

13/18

9/18

6/17

Con

6/16

12/1

86/

168/

186/

1811

/184/

1312

/18

8/16

5/18

6/18

5/16

5/18

4/15

6/18

12/2

08/

1814

/20

14/1

98/

148/

1813

/197/

167/

185/

183/

183/

178/1

814

/1812

/18

11/1

8

Tabl

e 14

: Th

ievi

ng S

kill

Rac

ial

Adj

ustm

ent

Int

3/18

3/16

3/18

3/16

3/14

3/16

6/18

8/18

11/1

73/

143/

163/

18 3/18

3/17

3/17

5/14

3/17 2/8

3/12

8/17

3/16

3/17

6/18

3/17 3/18

3/18

3/18

7/19 9/18

12/1

83/

18

Wis

3/17

3/16

3/18

3/18

3/16

4/18

3/16

8/18

3/16

3/16

3/16 3/18

3/18 3/18

3/18

3/16

3/18 2/9

2/12

3/16

3/16

3/14

3/16

3/18

7/18

3/18

3/18

3/18

14/18

12/1

83/

18

Cha

3/18

3/16

3/16

3/14

3/14

3/18

3/18

3/14

3/18

3/14 3/16

3/12

3/14

3/14

3/16

3/16

2/8

2/8

2/8

2/14

3/12

3/12

3/18

3/17 5/18

3/18

3/18

3/18 9/18

15/18

3/18

Race

Aar

akoc

raBe

astm

anBu

gbea

rB

ully

wug

Cen

taur

Frem

lin

PP — — -5% — — +10%

G.k

in, v

oadk

yn

-5%

Gno

llG

noll

flin

dG

oblin

Hob

gobl

inK

obol

dLi

zard

Man

Min

otau

rM

ongr

elm

an*

Ogr

e m

age

Orc

Orc

, ha

lf-Pi

xie

Saty

rSr

., bla

deba

ckSr

., fin

head

Sr.,

flyer

Sr.,

horn

head

-5% — +5% — +5%

-5%

-5%

+5%

-5%

-5%

-5%

+5%

+5% — — +5%

-5%

OL

-10% -5%

-5%

-5% — — -5%

-5% — — +5% — -5%

-5% — — — 45%

-10% -5%

45% — — —

Skill

F/RT — -5% — — — —

MS

-5%

+5%

+10% — -10% —

—

—— — +10%

+5% — — — — — — +5% — — +5% — — —

— — +5% — 45%

+5% — 45

%.

— — — +5%

+5%

-5% — — -10%

HS — +5%

+ 10

%+5

%-5% +1

0%+5

%+5

% — +5% — +1

0%+5

%+5

%+5

% — +5% — +1

0%+5

%-5

% — +10%

-5%

* A

dd a

5% b

onus

to a

ny o

ne th

ief a

bilit

y.

DN

+15% — +5% — — — +5%

+5% — — — +1

0%+5

%+5

%+5

% — +5%

+5%

+5% — — — +5%

+5%

cw — +5%

-5% — NA — — — — -1

0% —-1

5% -5%

-15% -5%

-15%

+5%

+5% — -1

0%-1

5% +5%

+5%

-20%

RL

-5%

-5%

-10% -5%

-5% — — -10% -5%

-10% -10%

-10% -5%

-5%

-5%

+5%

-10%

-10% — -5% — — —

410%

118 • Appendix

Appendix • 119

Tabl

e 13

: Hum

anoi

dR

ace

Aar

akoc

raA

lagh

iBe

astm

an

Bugb

ear

Bully

wug

Cen

taur

Frem

linG

.kin

, fir

bolg

G.k

in, v

oadk

yn

Gno

ll

Gno

ll, fl

ind

Gob

lin

Hob

gobl

in

Kob

old

Liza

rd m

an

Mul

ti-C

lass

Com

bina

tions

Mul

ti-C

lass

Com

bina

tions

*

figh

ter/

sham

an,

figh

ter/

thie

ffi

ghte

r/sh

aman

figh

ter/

thie

f

fight

er/s

ham

an,

fight

er/th

ief/

fight

er/c

leric

, cle

ric/th

ief

fight

er/s

ham

an, f

ight

er/th

ief

fight

er/m

age,

fig

hter

/thie

f,ra

nger

/sha

man

mag

e/th

ief,

illus

ioni

st/th

ief

figh

ter/

sham

anfi

ghte

r/sh

aman

, fi

ghte

r/th

ief,

fight

er/m

age,

ran

ger/

mag

e,m

age/

thie

f, fig

hter

/mag

e/th

ief

fight

er /s

ham

an, f

ight

er/th

ief,

fight

er/c

leric

fight

er /s

ham

an, f

ight

er/th

ief,

fight

er/c

leric

fight

er/sh

aman

, fig

hter

/thie

f,fig

hter

/cle

ric, c

leric

/thie

f

figh

ter/

sham

an,

figh

ter/

thie

f,fi

ghte

r/cl

eric

figh

ter/

sham

an,

figh

ter/

thie

f,fi

ghte

r/cl

eric

, cle

ric/

thie

ffi

ghte

r/sh

aman

, fig

hter

/thie

f

Rac

e

Min

otau

rM

ongr

elm

an

Ogr

e

Ogr

e, ha

lf-

Ogr

e mag

e

Orc

Orc,

half

Pixi

eSa

tyr

Saur

ial

Swan

may

Wem

ic

Mul

ti-C

lass

Com

bina

tions

*

figh

ter/

thie

f, fi

ghte

r/m

age

figh

ter/

sham

an, s

ham

an/th

ief,

mag

e/th

ief,

cler

ic/m

age,

cler

ic/th

ief

fight

er/s

ham

an (a

llow

ed if

Wisd

om is

9+)

figh

ter/

sham

an, f

ight

er/c

leric

(allo

wed

if W

isdom

is 9

+)fig

hter

/mag

e, f

ight

er/s

ham

an,

fight

er/th

ief,

mag

e/th

ief,

fight

er/m

age/

thie

ffi

ghte

r/sh

aman

, fi

ghte

r/th

ief,

sham

an/th

ief

figh

ter/

sham

an,

fight

er/th

ief,

sham

an/th

ief,

fight

er/c

leric

,cl

eric

/thie

f,fig

hter

/thie

ffig

hter

/thie

f

dual

-cla

ss ch

arac

ters

are p

ossib

leno

ne (d

ual-c

lass

not

poss

ible)

fight

er/s

ham

an

* W

itchd

octo

rs c

an b

e su

bstit

uted

for

sha

man

s if t

he ra

ce h

asw

itchd

octo

rs. W

itchd

octo

rs a

nd s

ham

ans

will

not

com

e fr

omth

e sa

me

com

mun

ity.

Table 15: Reincarnation TableWizardd100 Roll01-0304-05———06—07-0910-11——12-16—17-21——2223—24-2728-2930-3435-3738-4142-4647-4849-51—52-5455-6869-7273-75—7677-7980-818283-86————

—87888990———91-9394-96——97-00

Priest (Druid)d100 Roll

—01-0203-0506-1011-1314-1516-18

——

19-2122-23

—24-2627-2930-3233-34

3536

37-38————————

39-41—

42-55——

56-5859-60

————

61-6364-6566-68

69

70-71————

72-7677-7879-80

—81-8283-8788-9091-00

IncarnationAarakocra*Alaghi*BadgerBear, blackBear, brownBeastman*Boar, wildBugbear*Bullywug*Centaur*DryadDwarfEagleElfFaun /satyr*FoxFretnlin*Giant-kin, firbolg*Giant-kin, voadkyn*Gnoll*Gnoll, flind*GnomeGoblin*Half-elfHalflingHalf-ogre*Half-orc*HawkHobgoblin*HumanKobold*Lizard man*LynxMinotaur*Mongrelman*Ogre*Ogre mage*Orc*Owl, giantOwl, talkingPixie*Pseudodragon/faerie dragonRaccoonSr., bladeback*Sr., finhead*Sr., flyer*Sr., hornhead*StagSwanSwanmay*TrollWemic*WolfWolverineDM's choice

* Humanoid races available as PCs in this book

Table 1: Humanoid Level LimitsCharacter Group

RaceAarakocraAlaghiBeastmanBugbearBullywugCentaurFremlinGiant-kin, firbolgGiant-kin, voadkynGnollGnoll, flindGoblinHobgoblinKoboldLizard manMinotaurMongrelmanOgreOgre, half-Ogre mageOrcOrc, half-PixieSatyrSr., bladebackSr., finbackSr., flyerSr., hornheadSwanmayWemic

* See Table 2.

Wr111212121012—12111112101181212101212*91010*7119U991412

Wz—————1210—8

——————810——8

————999U——

Pr711—8714—7799999771034794——U999127

Rg11—10991211—10111112111291012——8118

121199U9

—10

Table 2: Bonus Levels forSingle-Classed HumanoidsPrime Requisite ScoreRacial Maximum +1Racial Maximum +2Racial Maximum +3+

Total Bonus Levels+1 (+1)+2 (+4)+3 (+7)

Use the parenthetical number if the primerequisite is Strength and if the humanoid is ahuman crossbreed (half-ogre, half-orc).

120 • Appendix

Table 16:D100 Roll

01-0506-0910-1213-1516-1920-2223-2627-3031-3637-3940-4243-4647-5051-5354-56

Monstrous TraitsTrait

Bestial OdorBestial RageMonstrous Appearance 1Monstrous Strength 1Bestial Appetite 1Bestial Thirst 1Bestial Intelligence 1Monstrous Dexterity 1Light SensitivityMonstrous SightMonstrous HearingMonstrous TouchMonstrous SmellMonstrous TasteMonstrous Appearance 2

57-5859-6162-6465-6768-6970-7273-80

81-8485-8788-9091-92

9394959697

98-00

Monstrous Strength 2Bestial Appetite 2Bestial Thirst 2Bestial Intelligence 2Monstrous Dexterity 2Bestial FearBestial Habit(roll on Habit Table)Bestial SpeechMonstrous CravingMonstrous SizeMonstrous Appearance 3Monstrous Strength 3Bestial Appetite 3Bestial Thirst 3Bestial Intelligence 3Monstrous Dexterity 3DM's Choice

Bestial HabitsD20Roll0102030405060708091011121314151617181920

Beastial HabitAvariciousBroodingCheatCowardlyCruelDestructiveDrunkardEgoistFeralFilthyGreedyLazyLiarMiserlyRudeSuspiciousThiefViolentWhinerDM's Choice

Table 18: GeneralSuperstitions

D100 Roll Superstition01-03 Air04-05 Animal/Insect06-07 Armor08-09 Being Alone

10 Blood11-12 Bright Light13-14 Civilization

15 Clouds16-17 Cold18-19 Color20-21 Darkness22-23 Day24-25 Demihumans

26 Destiny27-28 Dreams29-31 Earth

D100 Roll32-3334-3536-3738-40

4142

43-4445-4647-4849-5051-5253-56

5758-5960-6162-63

6465-6667-6869-70

SuperstitionEnclosed SpacesEvil/Good/NeutralFemales /MalesEireFlyingFutureGodsHeatHeightsHumanoidsHumansMagicMagical ItemMobsModern TechnologyMonsterMoonNightNoiseOpen Spaces

D100 Roll71-72

737475

76-7778-80

8182-83

848586

87-888990

91-9394-9596-97

9899100

SuperstitionPlantsPriestsReptilesRoguesSicknessSpecific LocationStarsStormsSunSupernatural BeingTouchUndeadVisionsWarriorsWaterWeaknessWeaponWildernessWizardsDM's Choice

Table 19: CampaignComplications

D20Roll01-0203-0405-0708-1011-1213-14

1516-1718-19

20

WildernessComplicationsTraitSuperstitionMonsterHumanoidsWizard/ClericWarrior/RogueAdventurersTravelersHuntersDM's Choice

D100Roll01-0607-12

1314-1718-2324-2829-3536-4041-4243-4546-4950-5556-59

CivilizationComplicationsTraitSuperstitionHumanoidsWizardClericWarriorRogueAdventurersTravelersHuntersMobLocal AuthoritiesRestrictions

60-6364-6869-7172-7576-7980-8283-8687-8990-9394-95

96-989900

PrejudiceFearExploitationCapturedArrestedBanishedChallengedSlaversPhysical LimitationEducationalLimitationSocial BlunderSentenced to DeathDM's Choice

Appendix • 121

Humanoid Character Kit Design SheetCharacter Class: __________________________________________________Campaign:_____________________________________________________Player: ______________________________________________________Dungeon Master: _____________________________________________

OVERVIEW:REQUIREMENTS: ________________________________________________ROLE: ______________________________________________________

WEAPON PROFICIENCIESRequired: _____________________________________________________Recommended: _________________________________________________

NONWEAPON PROFICIENCIESBonus Proficiencies: ______________________________________________Required Proficiencies: ____________________________________________Recommended, General: ____________________________________________Recommended, Warrior: ____________________________________________Recommended, Priest: ____________________________________________Recommended, Wizard: __________________________________________Recommended, Rogue: ____________________________________________Forbidden: ___________________________________________________

EQUIPMENT: _________________________________________________

SPECIAL BENEFITS: ___________________________________________

MAGICAL ABILITIESMajor Access: __________________________________________________Minor Access:_________________________________________Forbidden Spheres: ______________________________________________

SPECIAL HINDRANCES: ___________________________________________

WEALTH OPTIONS: ______________________________________________

THIEF SKILL BONUSES/PENALTIESPick Pockets: ____________________ Hide in Shadows: __________________Open Locks:_____________________ Detect Noise: ____________________Find/Remove Traps: _______________ Climb Walls:______________________Move Silently: ___________________ Read Languages: __________________© 1993 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. TSR, Inc. grants the right to reproduce this sheet for personal use.

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