Thirteen Kingdoms

Character creation

All characters must be created using the rules and character options provided in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, except for the changes and supplements listed on this website.

Characters should be created on Myth Weavers, using the "Pathfinder" sheet template (not the experimental one). It's recommended to share character sheets with "Thels" as an editor.

At the start of the campaign, all characters start at 2nd level. Characters that join the campaign at a later date (either because a new player joined the campaign, or because a former character has fallen and is being replaced) will start at the same level as the rest of the party.

Races

Instead of using the default races in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, characters must choose their races from the races listed on the races page of this website. Players can choose to play either a standard race, or a savage race. Savage races are less welcome in civilized areas. Thus, players that choose to pick up a savage race must be ready to face some prejudice.

Each race lists several available favored classes. During character creation, the character's favored class (or classes in the case of halfbreeds) must be chosen from this list. Members of a certain race may pick up levels in classes other than the listed favored classes, but do not gain the favored class benefits.

Classes

Characters may belong to one of the eleven core classes: barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer and wizard, or belong to the paragon class. The paragon is a spontaneous divine caster, comparing to the cleric similar to how the sorcerer compares to the wizard.

Visit the classes page for an overview of the changes applied to core classes, as well as detailed information on the paragon class. Characters may pick up prestige classes, but must discuss these options with the game master beforehand.

Ability scores

Characters do not roll for ability scores. Instead, the game uses a point buy system to determine ability scores. Characters starts with 28 points, which they must use to purchase 6 ability scores:

  • An ability score of 8 (-1 modifier) costs 0 points.
  • An ability score of 9 (-1 modifier) costs 1 point.
  • An ability score of 10 (no modifier) costs 2 points.
  • An ability score of 11 (no modifier) costs 3 points.
  • An ability score of 12 (+1 modifier) costs 4 points.
  • An ability score of 13 (+1 modifier) costs 5 points.
  • An ability score of 14 (+2 modifier) costs 6 points.
  • An ability score of 15 (+2 modifier) costs 8 points.
  • An ability score of 16 (+3 modifier) costs 10 points.
  • An ability score of 17 (+3 modifier) costs 13 points.
  • An ability score of 18 (+4 modifier) costs 16 points.

After purchasing 6 ability scores, characters must assign each score to one of the abilities: strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. Once the ability scores are assigned, apply the racial ability score modifiers. When a character starts at 4th or higher level, also apply the ability score improvements from character advancement.

Hit points

Characters do not roll for hit points. Instead, characters gain maximum hit points at 1st level, and average hit points, rounded up, at each later level. Thus, sorcerers and wizards gain 6 hit points at 1st level, and 4 hit points at each later level. Bards, clerics, druids, monks, paragons, and rogues gain 8 hit points at 1st level, and 5 hit points at each later level. Fighters, paladins, and rangers gain 10 hit points at 1st level, and 6 hit points at each later level. Barbarians gain 12 hit points at 1st level, and 7 hit points at each later level.

Characters that gain levels in multiple classes only gain maximum hit points for the 1st level of their first class. Additional hit point modifications from constitution modifiers, feats, and favored class benefits are applied as normal.

Skills

Handle animal: The following tricks are available in addition to the tricks listed in the Core Rulebook:

  • Flank (DC 20): When attacking, the animal moves into a position where it benefits from flanking. Without this trick, the animal will always take the shortest approach.
  • Ride (DC 15): The animal allows itself to be ridden. Without this trick, you must make a DC 15 Ride check to perform typical riding actions, and you take a -5 penalty on the Ride checks listed under the Ride skill.

Feats

Certain feats have their prerequisites reduced, or their effects broadened. In addition, a couple of new feats have been added to provide additional options. Visit the feats page for detailed information on these feat changes and new feats.

Patron deity

Clerics, paladins, and paragons are required to choose a patron deity, that represents the source of their divine power. Other classes may also choose a patron deity, but that is not required. Player characters may not revere an evil patron deity.

Alignment

Player characters may not be of evil alignment, as that would cause the game to steer too far away from the boundaries that make for a good, heroic storyline, and could also cause problems with other party members. Certain classes also further restrict a character's alignment.

Each race also lists a general alignment that members of that race tend to belong to. However, adventurers tend to be exceptions to the norm, so characters are not required to have an alignment that is typical for their race.

Wealth and equipment

Characters do not roll for starting wealth. Instead, characters receive the maximum amount of starting wealth that their class would receive at 1st level. Thus, monks start with 60 gold pieces. Druids, sorcerers, and wizards start with 120 gold pieces. Barbarians and bards start with 180 gold pieces. Clerics, paragons and rogues start with 240 gold pieces. Fighters, paladins, and rangers start with 300 gold pieces.

The starting wealth is an abstract representation of the character's starting equipment. Characters aren't starting out as rich characters that enter a store and buy their equipment. Instead, this represents the gear that these characters have managed to accumulate during their past. Therefor, after gathering their starting equipment, characters are not allowed to keep more than 60 gold pieces. Any excess gold, silver and copper is removed. 60 gold pieces is still a lot of wealth, and characters that aren't in a well-faring position should try to end up with much less wealth than that.

Characters also receive one free explorer's outfit (or other outfit that costs no more than 10 gold pieces). In addition, the outfit currently worn (but not the armor) does not count towards the character's encumbrance.

Characters that join the campaign at a later level (either because a new player joined the campaign, or because a former character has fallen and is being replaced) may receive additional items from the game master to represent the additional loot that they have gathered at these higher levels. Don't expect to start on par with the wealth that the other player characters have gathered. Players should attempt to keep their characters alive, and losing a character does warrant at least some setback.

Multiclassing

Characters that choose to gain levels in more than one class must decide in which order they gain their class levels, which may affect their eligibility for certain character options. For example, a character with a level in both fighter and wizard must choose which class was taken at 1st level. For example, if the character started as fighter, the character's 1st level in fighter receives maximum hit points, and the character's starting wealth is that of a fighter, but the character cannot choose the Spell Mastery feat as his 1st level feat. If the character started as a Wizard, he can choose the Spell Mastery feat as his 1st level feat, but he starts with fewer hit points and starting wealth.

Characters add fractions of their base attack bonus together, before rounding down. Good base attack bonuses (+3 at 3rd level) increase by 1 per level, average base attack bonuses (+2 at 3rd level) increase by 3/4 per level, and poor base attack bonuses (+1 at 3rd level) increase by 1/2 per level. This could slightly increase the base attack bonus of certain characters, but never decrease it. For example, characters with a level in cleric and a level in wizard have a base attack bonus of 0.75 from their cleric level and a base attack bonus of 0.5 from their wizard level, for a total base attack bonus of 1.25, which is rounded down to 1.

Characters also add fractions of each of their base saving throws together, before rounding down. Good saving throws (+3 at 3rd level) increase by 1/2 per level, and poor base attack bonuses (+1 at 3rd level) increase by 1/3 per level. In addition, if a saving throw is good for at least one of the classes, it increases by an additional 2, but no more than once per saving throw. This could slightly increase or decrease the base attack bonus of certain characters.

Note that when a character multiclasses in two classes with identical base attack bonus or saving throws progression, that character's base attack bonus or saving throws progression is identical to either of the two classes. For example, characters with 2 levels in cleric and 3 levels in wizard can check the reflex and will saving throws of a 5th level cleric or wizard, since these are identical, but would have to calculate the base attack bonus and fortitude saving throw separately.

Level and experience

The game master will not hand out experience. Instead, whenever the game master deems it suitable for the party to grow a level in strength, the entire party will go up a level.

Alignment changes

Alignment is not simply a statistic on a character sheet, but also determines the character's outlook and interaction with the world. If the game master considers that a character is played entirely different from his current alignment, this will be discussed with that character's player.

For most characters, this has very little actual in-game impact, and the easiest way to fix things is by simply update that character's alignment.

For some characters, steering too far away from a certain alignment could result in the loss of class abilities. In these cases, the game master and player should work out a way for the character to redeem himself, or maybe reconsider the choice in patron deity.

Temporary ability score modifiers

Temporary modifiers to character ability scores, such as spells or magic items that raise a specific ability score, do not allow players to choose additional character options.

For example, a character with an Intelligence score of 12 that wears a +2 headband of vast intelligence has a temporary Intelligence score of 14, and thus receives a +2 bonus on all Intelligence based skills. However, the character still only gains 1 skill point per level from having a high Intelligence score, and does not qualify for the Combat Expertise feat that requires an Intelligence score of 13.

Permanent ability score increases

Permanent increases to ability scores, such as improvements from character advancement and inherent bonuses from high level spells, do allow players to choose additional character options, and even apply retroactively to earlier levels.

For example, a wizard that starts with an Intelligence score of 15 reaches 4th level and decides to increase his Intelligence score to 16. The wizard must immediately choose another bonus language, another skill rank per character level, and another 1st level spell for his spellbook. If the wizard has the Spell Mastery feat, the wizard must also choose an additional spell that he can prepare without referring to a spellbook.

Handle Animal tricks

The following tricks are added to the list of tricks that can be trained to an animal using the handle animal skill:

Flank (DC 20): The animal will automatically try to maneuver towards a flanking position where possible. Without this trick, the animal will attack from the angle it approaches, unless the trainer performs a successful Handle Animal check as a move action. The animal must know the attack trick before it can learn this trick, and it won't flank creatures that it normally would not attack.

Ride (DC 15): The animal will allow itself be ridden by its master or other characters introduced by its master without problems. Without this trick, the animal will not allow itself to be ridden, unless the rider performs a successful Handle Animal check. Note that characters can only properly ride animals that belong to a larger size category than themselves.

Skill retraining

It's quite possible that players choose an ability, feat or spell for their character, only to find that they never really make use of said skill. Rather than having this sit on their character sheet as a dead weight, players are encouraged to discuss this with the game master. They may be allowed to swap them out for a different ability, feat or spell. Skills that have been an iconic part of characters up until then cannot be swapped out, unless they acquire a stronger version of the same skill.

When swapping abilities, feats or spells, the character sheet must remain legally constructible from the ground up. For example, a feat that is used as a prerequisite for another feat cannot be swapped out, nor can feats be swapped out so that a character sheet lists more feats that require a particular level than the amount of feats that have since been received.

Ranged flanking

Characters with ranged weapons do not provide flanking, but do benefit from flanking provided by characters with melee weapons.

Unconscious and dying

Characters are either mundane or heroic. All player characters, as well as their cohorts and class feature companions, are considered heroic. Specific non-player characters determined by the game master are considered heroic as well. All other characters are considered mundane. When any character's current hit points are reduced to 0, that character is not disabled but unconscious, but is not considered dying. When a mundane character's current hit points are reduced to -1 or less, that character dies instantly. When a heroic character's current hit points are reduced to -1 or less, that character is dying according to the normal rules.

When a heroic character's current hit points are reduced to a negative number equal to or higher than that character's constitution score, that character is knocking on death's door. If, at the end of the current active character's next turn, that character is still knocking on death's door, the character dies. If, before the end of the current active character's next turn, that character's current hit points are increased to a positive value, or a value that is less negative than that character's constitution score, the character is saved. Death effects other than loss of hit points still apply instantly.

For example, Bob the fighter is fighting an Orc warlord. The Orc warlord performs a mighty strike with his greataxe, that results in a critical hit, reducing Bob's current hit points to -18. Since Bob is a player character, he is considered a heroic character, and does not instantly die from having his current hit points reduced to -1 or less. Bob's constitution score is 14, so he is now knocking on death's door. Since Bob went down during the Orc warlord's turn, Bob's companions have until the end of the Orc warlord's next turn to bring Bob's current hit points back up to at least -13, or Bob will die.

Fumbles

Whenever a character rolls a natural 1 for an attack roll, that character risks a fumble. The character needs to perform another attack roll with the same modifiers against the same target. Any bonuses to confirm a critical hit also apply to avoid a fumble. If the second attack roll would have hit, the attack counts as a regular miss. If the second attack roll would have missed, the attack counts as a fumble.

When a character fumbles, the player must roll 1d6 to determine the outcome of the fumble:

  • 1: The character missteps and opens themselves to counterattacks. The character's turn ends immediately. In addition, the character is considered flatfooted until the start of their next turn, unless they possess the Uncanny Dodge class feature.
  • 2: The character falls prone on the ground. If the attack was part of a full attack, the remaining attacks are ignored.
  • 3: The character loses grip on the weapon used to perform the attack, which falls nearby on the ground. Roll 1d12 for the direction (clockwise, with 12 being straight ahead), and 1d6-1 for the distance (in squares, or steps of five feet). If the attack was not performed with a weapon but with a spell, the attack depletes a spell charge, even though the spell was not delivered. If the spell only has a single charge, this ends the spell's effect.
  • 4: If the attack is a melee attack, the character immediately provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of the attack. If the attack is a ranged attack, the character risks striking an ally instead. Randomly determine an ally, and then make another attack roll to determine if the attack strikes that ally.
  • 5: The character somehow strikes themself. Roll for damage as normal, and apply it to the character. If the attack is part of a touch spell, inflict the spell's effect upon the character instead.
  • 6: The character damages their weapon, providing a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls. This penalty can stack with itself. Characters with the appropriate basic tools, such as a whetstone or spare strings, can attempt to repair the weapon. To do so, they must spend four hours of work, and then succeed on a DC 15 craft check. A success removes the penalty (or the entire stack when stacked), while a failure has no effect. This can only be attempted once per day per weapon. If the attack was an unarmed strike or spell attack, the attacker takes 1d6 damage, and receives a -1 penalty on attack rolls and unarmed damage rolls. This penalty can stack with itself, and lasts until the character is restored to full health, or has their wounds tended to with a DC 15 Heal check.

Races and subraces

The world contains seven species that are often labeled as the “major races”: humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, orcs and goblinoids. Each of these seven races has a major impact on the world, and, with the exception of humans, have different population groups living in different areas of the world, on both the eastern and the western continent. These different population groups tend to live far apart from one another, in wildly different environments. Over time, each of those groups have adapted to their local environments and adhered to different cultural upbringings, causing these races to branch off into various subraces.

Certain subraces took a turn towards evil. For example, drow are an evil offshoot from the elves, banished from the elven homelands. They took exile deep underground, and started worshipping demons to gain in power. Likewise, duergar were once dwarves that have slowly been overtaken by greed and corruption, and the hate between duergar and other dwarves exceeds the hatred between most other races. The reverse also occured. The orcs and goblins that live underneath the earth are vile, evil creatures, but several of their cousins that have lived on the surface have grown into a more neutral tendency, at least those that live separate from their hobgoblin cousins.

The seven major races aren't the only species available in the world. There are various other races present, as well, but their impact on the world is rather limited, hence they are labeled as “minor races”. Certain races are labeled as minor races, because they can only be found in certain parts of the world, such as kobolds and tengus. Other races, such as gnolls and ogres, do live widespread across the world, but fail to set up any sort of proper society. Yet other races do not form societies of their own, but live among humans or other races, such as aasimar and tieflings. Finally, races such as merfolk and sahuagin prefer to live underwater in the seas surrounding the continents, and thus have very limited interaction with surface dwellers and subterran races.

While most races are unable to breed with members from other races, humans seem to be able to crossbreed with several other races, including dwarves, elves and orcs, which cause some scholars to wonder if humans are even a race of their own, and not some kind of crossbreed between the other races. However, the inability of those races to crossbreed with one another seems to rule out that possiblity. Some halfbreeds are born from consensual occurances, such as a human enthralled by an elf's beauty, who in turn is attracted to the passion with which the human engages in various activities. More often than not though, halfbreeds form a grim reminder of much darker events, such as an orc warband pillaging and raping a human settlement.

While other races are not able to crossbreed with different races, they are often able to crossbreed with other subraces belonging to the same race, such as shield and gold dwarves, or high and sylvan elves. Since these subraces are often similar enough, there are no statistics for crossbreeds between these subraces. Instead, while the halfbreeds tend to have a mixed appearance of both the races, technically, they are treated as one of the subraces, usually matching the community they grew up in. Drow and duergar form an exception to these cases. A crossbreed between a drow and another elf is called a tainted elf, and a crossbreed between a duergar and another dwarf is called a tainted dwarf. Considering the hatred between these subraces, such occurances are quite rare.

Standard races

The following races are considered the civilized races, which makes them ideally suited as player character races. They have a solid presence on the eastern continent, do not suffer from light sensitivity, and tend to be looked upon as sophisticated beings, making it relatively easy for them to move around in civilized areas.

Humans

Humans are a bit of a special snowflake. While most of the other races are content with their place in the world, or unable to majorly influence their impact on the world, the humans are rapidly expanding and taking a dominant position within the world. Other races watch the growth of human civilization with interest, envy or even fear. They also tend to be more varied and unique than the members of most other races, as most humans are shaped by their own actions in life, rather than what was passed down their bloodline. Of course, a lot humans take after their parents, and end up living the same lives as their parents did, but some head off in a completely different direction.

The human versality is represented by their racial abilities. Unlike other races, that are respresented by various different subraces, different human societies are represented by different choices for their racial abilities. For example, countryside humans tend to have a higher strength or dexterity, due to all the hard labor they perform. Cityborne humans lean towards a higher intelligence or charisma, due to crafting and social interaction. Those that grow up in the wilderness usually have an increased constitution or wisdom, to reflect their endurance and skills of survival. Likewise, their bonus feat and skill points often tend to match their environment or lifestyle as well, making it a rather common occurance that most inhabitants of a single community have the same bonus ability score, feat and skill points.

Humans tend to spread out across the surface of the world at a dazzling speed. On the eastern continent, they occupy most of the grassland, leaving only the mountains to the dwarves, the grand forest to the elves and the desert and the northern wasteland to the orcs. Humans are also rapidly expanding across the seas, quite surprised to find distant cousins of known races already there. On the western continent, they're quickly expanding along the more temperate areas around the eastern and western coasts, for now skipping the swamps and jungles to the south, the mountains more inland, and the frozen wastes to the north.

  • Ability Scores: Humans gain +2 to one ability score of their choice.
  • Medium Size: Humans receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Humans have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Skilled: Humans gain one additional skill point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Bonus feat: Humans gain one additional feat at 1st level.
  • Languages: Humans begin play speaking common and one additional language of their choice (except secret languages, such as druidic). Humans with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Humans may choose any class as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Humans come in all flavors, from lawful to chaotic, and from good to evil.

Half-elves

Half-elves are crossbreeds between humans and usually sylvan elves, but sometimes high elves. While some half-elves are the result of interracial abuse, most are born out of a loving union, even though those unions rarely tend to last very long, as the human parent quickly grows old while time seems to stand still for the elven parent. In the eyes of humans, they retain their exotic looks, but don't look nearly as different as half-dwarves and half-orcs do, so they're more often accepted as their own.

High elves look down on half-elves with disgust, and the rare half-elf born from a high elf mother is usually chased away at a young age. Sylvan elves are much more acceptable to these offsprings, and welcome half-elves, even those from high-elf birth, though their relative short lives makes it hard for sylvan elves to truly bond with them. Like half-dwarves, half-elves that mingle with humans for several generations end up giving birth to human offspring, while those that mingle with elves never produce true elven offspring.

  • Ability Scores: Half-elves gain +2 Dexterity.
  • Medium Size: Half-elves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Half-elves have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Mixed Blood: Half-elves count as both humans and elves for any effect related to race.
  • Lowlight Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as humans and most other races in conditions of dim light.
  • Skilled: Half-elves gain one additional skill point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Elven Immunities: Half-elves are immune to magic sleep effects. Half-elves do not sleep but meditate.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Half-elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Half-elves begin play speaking common and elven. Half-elves with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Half-elves may choose any class except paladin as their favored class.
  • Multitalented: Half-elves choose two favored classes at 1st level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
  • Alignment: Half-elves rarely become evil, but vary among the remaining alignments.

High Elves

These elves are most similar to the ones described in the core rulebook. Living in the southern half of the grand forest on the eastern continent, they tend to live rather reclusive lives, not caring much what goes on beyond their border, even the border with their sylvan elf cousins. They consider sylvan elves foolish for their refusal to master the arcane arts like they do, and consider other races inferior, though often watch their antics with amusement. High elves that leave the edge of their forest kingdom are almost always young, still in the prime of their lives, with a wanderlust inside of them that urges them to explore the world. Those that survive tend to grow tired of travel and exploration after a few decades, and return home to live out the rest of their long lives in peace.

  • Ability Scores: High elves gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Constitution.
  • Medium Size: Elves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Elves have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Lowlight Vision: High elves can see twice as far as humans and most other races in conditions of dim light.
  • Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Spellcraft skill checks.
  • Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects. Elves do not sleep but meditate.
  • High Magic: High elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance. In addition, high elves with an Intelligence of 11 or higher may cast daze, detect magic, and detect secret doors each once per day as a wizard with a caster level equal to half their character level (minimum 1st).
  • Weapon Familiarity: High elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: High elves begin play speaking common and elven. High elves with high Intelligence scores may choose auran, celestial, draconic, gnoll, gnome, goblin, and sylvan as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: High elves may choose bard, cleric, fighter, paragon, rogue, sorcerer, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Alignment: High elves tend to be neutral.

Sylvan Elves

Sylvan elves live in the northern half of the grant forest, part of the southern edge of their region bordering the high elves, though invading hobgoblin armies have started to create a breach between the two elven kingdoms. Sylvan elves dislike the drive of their high elven cousins towards the arcane arts, and tend to shun arcane magic in favor of divine magic, preferably the nature magic wielded by druids and rangers, though tolerating magic from other divine sources. While high elves are safely tucked away in their corner of the continent, sylvan elves often have to deal with raiding parties from the mountains, as well as the occasional assault from the north, when arctic orcs and snow goblins build rafts to pass the wall and then head south to the warmer, elven forests. They are more likely to see other races as equals and work together with them.

  • Ability Scores: Sylvan elves gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Constitution.
  • Medium Size: Elves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Elves have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Lowlight Vision: Sylvan elves can see twice as far as humans and most other races in conditions of dim light.
  • Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Spellcraft skill checks.
  • Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects. Elves do not sleep but meditate.
  • Sylvan Magic: Sylvan elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level to determine the duration of spells from the conjuration school. In addition, sylvan elves with a Wisdom of 11 or higher may cast calm animals, goodberry, and know direction each once per day as a druid with a caster level equal to half their character level (minimum 1st).
  • Weapon Familiarity: Sylvan elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Sylvan elves begin play speaking common and elven. Sylvan elves with high Intelligence scores may choose aquan, dwarven, gnome, goblin, halfling, orc, and sylvan as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Sylvan elves may choose barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paragon, or ranger as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Sylvan elves tend to be neutral good.

Half-dwarves

Half-dwarves are crossbreeds between humans and usually gold dwarves, but sometimes shield dwarves. They tend to be a little taller than dwarves and stockier than humans, but not as tall as humans or as stocky as dwarves. Half-dwarves that tend to care about their dwarven ancestry take effort to grow their beards wide, whereas those that forsake their dwarven blood tend to shave them off. Half-dwarves that breed with humans eventually produce human offspring, but half-dwarves that breed with dwarves never produce a true dwarf, the human lineage remaining ever present. Half-dwarves tend to be welcome in both human and dwarven society, though they are never truly at home in either.

  • Ability Scores: Half-dwarves gain +2 Constitution.
  • Medium Size: Half-dwarves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Half-dwarves have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Mixed Blood: Half-dwarves count as both humans and dwarves for any effect related to race.
  • Darkvision: Half-dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Skilled: Half-dwarves gain one additional skill point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Stonecunning: Half-dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors.
  • Lesser Stability: Half-dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Half-dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Half-dwarves begin play speaking common and dwarven. Half-dwarves with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Half-dwarves may choose any class except druid as their favored class.
  • Multitalented: Half-dwarves choose two favored classes at 1st level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
  • Alignment: Half-dwarves rarely become chaotic, but vary among the remaining alignments.

Shield Dwarves

These dwarves are most similar to the ones described in the core rulebook. Living in the westernmost mountain cluster on the eastern continent, they have little contact with the elves that live on the eastern continents, but tend to trade with most of the other races they are in contact with at the western end of the continent. They are however wary of the desert orcs to their north, mostly because they are at war with their subterran cousins. Underground, the shield dwarves go to great effort to defend their kingdom against the various other subterran races, such as orcs, goblinoids, ogres, drow and duergar.

  • Ability Scores: Shield dwarves gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Dexterity.
  • Medium Size: Dwarves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base land speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never reduced by armor or encumbrance.
  • Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Crafting: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise and Craft skill checks.
  • Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors.
  • Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
  • Combat Training: Shield dwarves receive a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Shield dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Shield dwarves begin play speaking common and dwarven. Shield dwarves with high Intelligence scores may choose draconic, giant, gnoll, gnome, orc, terran, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Shield dwarves may choose cleric, fighter, monk, paragon, ranger, rogue, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Shield dwarves tend to be lawful neutral.

Gold Dwarves

Gold dwarves live in the northernmost mountain cluster on the eastern continent, but unlike their shield dwarven cousins, they more often leave their own mountain halls to meet up with the surface dwelling races. Quite a few gold dwarves have even taken up arms next to the humans to their north, in their endless war against the orcs and goblinoids from the northern wasteland. While there is some strategy involved, as the gold mountains are likely next to be attacked, may the human kingdom fall, gold dwarves tend to genuinely care for the other races, not really worried about the human expansion, as they tend to keep to the surface, away from the dwarven halls.

  • Ability Scores: Gold dwarves gain +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, –2 Dexterity.
  • Medium Size: Dwarves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base land speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never reduced by armor or encumbrance.
  • Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Crafting: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise and Craft skill checks.
  • Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors.
  • Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
  • Racial Enemy: Gold dwarves receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Gold dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Gold dwarves begin play speaking common and dwarven. Gold dwarves with high Intelligence scores may choose celestial, elven, gnome, goblin, halfling, orc, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Gold dwarves may choose barbarian, bard, cleric, fighter, paladin, paragon, or sorcerer as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Gold dwarves tend to be lawful good.

Stout halflings

Stout halflings are most similar to the ones described in the core rulebook. Some of them choose to live in human cities and villages, while others form their own settlements within the human kingdoms. When building their own settlements, they prefer to burrows into hillsides, rather than erect houses. They are an outgoing race that easily make friends with other races, not even shying away from orcs, as long as they can behave themselves. While the arctic orcs from the northern wasteland have proven to be less than cooperative, halflings often trade with desert orcs, though more than one halfling has ended up a slave to an orc merchant. Just like their ghost halfling cousins, they are aware of their own small posture and vulnerability, which is one of the major reasons they settle so close to humans. But unlike the more reclusive ghost halflings, stout halflings often let their curiosity get the better of them. While ghost and stout halflings disagree over the best course for safety, they remain pretty good friends.

  • Ability Scores: Stout halflings gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Halflings receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Halflings have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Agile: Stout halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb skill checks.
  • Lucky: Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
  • Quick Reflexes: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Halflings treat any weapon with the word “halfling” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Stout halflings begin play speaking common and halfling. Stout halflings with high Intelligence scores may choose dwarven, elven, gnoll, gnome, goblin, orc, and sylvan as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Stout halflings may choose barbarian, bard, cleric, fighter, paladin, paragon, or sorcerer as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Stout halflings tend to be neutral good.

Ghost halflings

Where stout halflings settle close to humans to lend on the taller folk for protection, ghost halflings prefer not to let their fate hang in the hands of others, but seek protection by remaining hidden altogether. After all, when they would seek to humans for protection, whom would they seek for protection against the humans? While they prefer burrows just like their stout halfling cousins, they don't build them close to humans, but at more secluded locations, and concealing the entrances, so the settlements can remain hidden unless someone passes real close. While not as driven by curiosity and wanderlust as stout halflings, from time to time, a foolhardy ghost halfling wants to explore more of the world than the inside of his own burrow, and sets out on a life of adventure, from which very few ever return. Even those that have chosen to venture into human or elven lands continue to be reclusive, making a habit of blending into the background, and trying to draw as little attention as they can.

  • Ability Scores: Ghost halflings gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Halflings receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Halflings have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Flexible: Ghost halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand skill checks.
  • Lucky: Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
  • Quick Reflexes: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Halflings treat any weapon with the word “halfling” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Ghost halflings begin play speaking common and halfling. Ghost halflings with high Intelligence scores may choose auran, draconic, dwarven, elven, goblin, sylvan, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Ghost halflings may choose cleric, fighter, monk, paragon, ranger, rogue, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Ghost halflings tend to be neutral.

Leaf Gnomes

These gnomes are similar to the ones described in the core rulebook, though they aren't pranksters, taking the world with a more serious attitude than their rock gnome cousins. Their skin and hair colors also tend more towards nature colors, such as green, blue and brown, allowing them to more easily blend into a natural environment. Leaf gnomes live on the surface of the eastern continent, prefering areas teeming with vegetation. The grand forest to the east is home to most of the leaf gnome settlements, though these are too spread out to form a coherent kingdom, and the land that houses their settlements is officially territory of the sylvan elves, and the high elves for a few of the smaller settlements. There are some settlements in the human kingdoms, but usually in the more remote areas, hidden in the woods, as they dislike the large cities and farmlands. They remain clear of the desert and the northern wasteland, wary of both the climate and the orcs that inhabit those areas.

  • Ability Scores: Leaf gnomes gain +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Gnomes receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Gnomes have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Lowlight Vision: Leaf gnomes can see twice as far as humans and most other races in conditions of dim light.
  • Keen Senses: Leaf gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Spellcraft skill checks.
  • Illusion Resistance: Gnomes receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells and effects.
  • Leaf Magic: Leaf gnomes receive a +1 racial bonus to the DC of any saving throws against enchantment spells that they cast. In addition, leaf gnomes with a Wisdom of 11 or higher may cast light, pass without trace, and speak with animals each once per day as a druid with a caster level equal to half their character level (minimum 1st).
  • Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat any weapon with the word “gnome” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Leaf gnomes begin play speaking common and gnome. Leaf gnomes with high Intelligence scores may choose aquan, elven, gnoll, goblin, halfling, orc, and sylvan as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Leaf gnomes may choose barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paragon, or ranger as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Leaf gnomes tend to be chaotic good.

Rock Gnomes

Unlike their leaf gnome cousins, rock gnomes live beneath the surface of the world, mostly within or close to shield dwarven settlements. Their hair and skin colors are much more extravagant than their surface dwelling brethren, sometimes even turning into a bright cyan or pink. They are close friends with the shield dwarves, realizing well that without those bigger and sturdier companions, they would have long since been overrun by all the nastier creatures living underground. They are tricksters at heart, and surface dwellers are their prefered targets, though they also trick gold dwarves when they get the chance, or shield dwarves that turn their back on their rock gnome friends. Still, they are aware of the dangers that lurk below, and most gnomes do spend at least some time training weaponry to defend themselves.

  • Ability Scores: Rock gnomes gain +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Gnomes receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Gnomes have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Darkvision: Rock gnomes can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Crafting: Rock gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise and Craft skill checks.
  • Stonecunning: Rock gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors.
  • Illusion Resistance: Gnomes receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells and effects.
  • Rock Magic: Rock gnomes receive a +1 racial bonus to the DC of any saving throws against illusion spells that they cast. In addition, rock gnomes with a Charisma of 11 or higher may cast dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation each once per day as a bard with a caster level equal to half their character level (minimum 1st).
  • Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat any weapon with the word “gnome” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Rock gnomes begin play speaking common and gnome. Rock gnomes with high Intelligence scores may choose draconic, dwarven, giant, ignan, orc, terran, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Rock gnomes may choose bard, cleric, fighter, paragon, rogue, sorcerer, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Rock gnomes tend to be chaotic neutral.

Aasimar

Some otherwise normal members of their race have celestial blood in their ancestral bloodline. This celestial influece often lies dormant for generations, to suddenly become visible in the child of two unsuspecting parents. These children often tend to be very beautiful, even at young age, and their eyes seem to gaze with wisdom beyond their years. Aasimar tend to have one or more supernatural physical traits that give away their heritage, such as hair with the reflection of metal, lightning sparkling in their eyes, feathers on their shoulderblades where their outsider ancestor sported wings, or skin with an unnaturally white or silver color.

Aasimar are generally conceived as a sign of good omen, and families giving birth to one often consider themselves blessed. They are usually welcomed throughout society, and clergy of good-aligned deities often go out of their way to get such people to join their orders. Their celestial appearance often cause people to trust them without good reason, and aasimar that care little for their lineage find themselves an easy time taking advantage of such naive folk. Fortunately, those tend to be the exception to the rule, as most aasimar carry a belevolence and urge to bring good to the world worthy of the offspring of a celestial being.

Aasimar do not create societies of their own, instead living in the society of their parents. However, aasimar rarely choose to live simple and peaceful lives, often thinking they're born to do great things. Some aasimar choose to join organizations that pursue justice and wellbeing, such as temples and hospitals that help those in need, or law-enforcing agencies out to seek criminals brought to justoce. Most aasimar however feel themselves called by something greater, and take up the path of adventurer.

  • Ability Scores: Aasimar gain +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, –2 Dexterity.
  • Medium Size: Aasimar receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Aasimar have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Aasimar can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Insightful: Aasimar receive a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive skill checks.
  • Daylight: Aasimar with a Charisma of 11 or higher may cast daylight once per day as a sorcerer with a caster level equal to their character level, except that the spell has a casting time of 1 swift action.
  • Acid Resistant: Aasimar are supernaturally protected against acid and receive acid resistance 5.
  • Lightning Resistant: Aasimar are supernaturally protected against lightning and receive electricity resistance 5.
  • Languages: Aasimar begin play speaking celestial and common. Aasimar with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Aasimar may choose any class except barbarian or rogue as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Aasimar tend to be good. However, aasimar aren't bound to goodness like their celestial ancestor, and have the freedom to choose their own path, even if that is the path of evil.

Aasimar are most common among humans, but may appear among other races as well. The statistics provided above best fit aasimar born to human parents. Aasimar originating from other races use the same statistics as human aasimar, except for a few entries that are replaced by entries better matching their parent race, as listed to the right.

Aasimar Elves

  • Ability Scores: Aasimar elves gain +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, –2 Constitution.
  • Favored Class: Aasimar may choose any class except barbarian, paladin, or rogue as their favored class.
  • Languages: Aasimar elves begin play speaking celestial and elven. Aasimar elves with high Intelligence scores may choose auran, common, dwarven, gnome, goblin, halfling, and sylvan as their bonus languages.

Aasimar Dwarves

  • Slow and Steady: Aasimar dwarves have a base land speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never reduced by armor or encumbrance.
  • Favored Class: Aasimar may choose any class except barbarian, druid, or rogue as their favored class.
  • Languages: Aasimar dwarves begin play speaking celestial and dwarven. Aasimar dwarves with high Intelligence scores may choose common, elven, gnome, halfling, orc, terran, and undercommon as their bonus languages.

Aasimar Halflings

  • Ability Scores: Aasimar halflings gain +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Aasimar halflings receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Aasimar halflings have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Favored Class: Aasimar halflings may choose any class except barbarian, druid, or rogue as their favored class.
  • Languages: Aasimar halflings begin play speaking celestial and halfling. Aasimar halflings with high Intelligence scores may choose common, draconic, dwarven, elven, gnome, goblin, and sylvan as their bonus languages.

Aasimar Gnomes

  • Ability Scores: Aasimar gnomes gain +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Aasimar gnomes receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Aasimar gnomes have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Favored Class: Aasimar gnomesmay choose any class except barbarian, paladin, or rogue as their favored class.
  • Languages: Aasimar gnomes begin play speaking celestial and gnome. Aasimar gnomes with high Intelligence scores may choose aquan, common, dwarven, elven, halfling, orc, and sylvan as their bonus languages.

Aasimar Orcs

  • Favored Class: Aasimar orcs may choose any class except barbarian, rogue, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Languages: Aasimar orcs begin play speaking celestial and orc. Aasimar orcs with high Intelligence scores may choose common, dwarven, elven, giant, gnome, halfling, and ignan as their bonus languages.

Aasimar Goblins

  • Ability Scores: Aasimar goblins gain +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Aasimar goblins receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Favored Class: Aasimar goblins may choose any class except barbarian, paladin, or rogue as their favored class.
  • Languages: Aasimar goblins begin play speaking celestial and goblin. Aasimar goblins with high Intelligence scores may choose common, dwarven, elven, gnoll, gnome, halfling, and orc as their bonus languages.

Savage races

The following races also have a solid presence on the eastern continent, and have dwelled on the surface long enough, not to suffer from light sensitivity. However, they tend to be more savage than the races listed above. In addition, they face a lot of prejudice thanks to frequent raiding parties by their more evil subterran cousins, as the other races tend to be oblivious to the differences in subraces. These races still work quite well as player character races, but players should realize that NPCs tend to take a hostile approach towards their character.

Half-orcs

Half-orcs are crossbreeds between humans and orcs. Humans and desert orcs sometimes mate willingly, and the orc sultans even keep entire harems of human, orc and half-orc concubines, but most half-orcs are born from struggle and war. When orcs attack and raid a human settlement, they tend to pillage and rape the female inhabitants, which has caused more than a few women to give birth to the child of their rapist. A lot of half-orcs are killed at birth, but often enough, they are cared for until they start growing up and reminding their mothers of the horrible creature that came into her life years ago and cast out. A few lucky half-orcs have predominating human features, making their orc heritage almost unrecognizable, but most half-orcs clearly carry the marks of their orc parent, and are met with unwelcomeness and distrust.

While quite a few half-orcs are destined to lweave lonely lives, some of them embrace the orc blood that runs through their veins, and seek out orc clans to possibly unite with them. Desert orcs distruct half-orcs born from different orc subraces but welcome desert half-orcs. Most other orcs welcome any kind of half-orc that seeks to join them, embracing their cunning, and half-orcs can often find themselves rising through the ranks quickly, and taking up dominant spots in orc hierarchy. Of course, quite a few half-orcs blame their orc father for their fate in life, and would rather slaughter them down to the last grunt. Realizing the potential that lies in store for half-orcs in orc societies, female orcs occasionally use the opportunity of raiding parties to seek out human men in an attempt to impregnate themselves. Children born from such a meeting are often groomed and destined to become powerful leaders. Unlike half-dwarves and half-elves, half-orcs that mingle with either parent race can produce true offspring with that race after a few generations.

  • Ability Scores: Half-orcs gain +2 Strength.
  • Medium Size: Half-orcs receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Half-orcs have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Mixed Blood: Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
  • Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Skilled: Half-orcs gain one additional skill point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Hardened: Half-orcs gain one additional hit point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs are proficient with falchions and greataxes, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Half-orcs begin play speaking common and orc. Half-orcs with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Half-orcs may choose any class except wizard as their favored class.
  • Multitalented: Half-orcs choose two favored classes at 1st level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
  • Alignment: Half-orcs rarely become true neutral, but vary among the remaining alignments.

Arctic orcs

Orcs once, a long time ago, originated deep beneath the earth, living their lives in caves and raiding the surface dwelling races for food and supplies. Before humans were expanding across the world, orcs settled out to expand across the surface as well. They initially spread across all the area north of the desert and grand forest on the eastern continent, the bright sun and lack of concealment preventing them from advancing into the desert, and the elves blocking their way into the grand forest. Despite that, they had access to vast areas and while the northern wastelands were far from hospitable, the fields and woodlands south of there, all the way down to the desert, were teeming with all sorts of game.

Living a rather comfortable life in small hunter-gathering tribes, the surface dwelling orcs became complacement, and perhaps a little dull. There were the occasional bout with other tribes, as well as raiding parties from their subterran cousins, who's eyes were more accustomed to the dark, and couldn't stand the bright daylight, but the surface orcs slowly lost their urge for blood and warfare. While they were numerous, they were not organized, and when the human kingdoms started rising up, the orcs quickly found themselves pushed back towards the northern wastelands. Many orc clans took up axe and spear to try and reclaim the lands that were once theirs, but their ragtag warclans proved no match for the human armies, especially when they were assisted by dwarf and elf, who preferred the humans as their neighbors over orcs.

Now, the arctic orcs find themselves stuck on the northern wastelands, spending most of their lives on foraging enough food to survive. Many an arctic orc has resigned himself to this new life, and tries to make due, but sometimes, a chieftain rallies his troops, and sends down a small army to attack the wall that has been built to keep them up north. More recently, often under the guidance of half-orc advisors, clans have started building small ships to bypass both the wall and the patrolling armies, and attack the more southern kingdoms directly. Arctic orcs tend to have pale green skins.

  • Ability Scores: Arctic orcs gain +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence.
  • Medium Size: Orcs receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Orcs have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Hunter-Gatherer: Arctic orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Survival and Swim skill checks.
  • Hardened: Orcs gain one additional hit point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Cold Resistant: Arctic orcs have adjusted to freezing temperatures and receive cold resistance 5.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are proficient with falchions and greataxes, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Arctic orcs begin play speaking common and orc. Arctic orcs with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, dwarven, elven, giant, gnoll, goblin, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Arctic orcs may choose barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paragon, or ranger as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Arctic orcs tend to be chaotic neutral.

Desert orcs

While most of the orcs were chased into the northern wasteland, some of the orcs fled in the opposite direction, and found themselves in the desert. Most of the desert was barren, inhabitable, and the death to many an orc, but there were two places with enough fresh water and game to survive. The first was around the oasis where the two rivers met. The second was at the delta where the river that flowed from the oasis spread before running into the sea. It was at these two locations that these orcs gathered and made a life for themselves.

While the orcs found little in the way of food and water, they did find various ruins from what appeared to be an ancient civilization. Exploring these ruins proved dangerous, but not without results. Those explorers that did return, returned with gold and other treasures. While they had little use for this themselves, they soon discovered that humans, and even members of other folks, would happily overlook that they were orcs, when offered lucrative deals, and over time, the orcs that lived in the desert turned into traders. Desert orcs tend to have dark brown and green skins.

  • Ability Scores: Desert orcs gain +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence.
  • Medium Size: Orcs receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Orcs have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Merchant Instinct: Desert orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Sense Motive skill checks.
  • Hardened: Orcs gain one additional hit point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Heat Resistant: Desert orcs have adjusted to hot temperatures and receive fire resistance 5.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Orcs are proficient with falchions and greataxes, and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Desert orcs begin play speaking common and orc. Desert orcs with high Intelligence scores may choose draconic, dwarven, giant, gnome, halfling, ignan, and sylvan as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Desert orcs may choose bard, cleric, fighter, paladin, paragon, rogue, or sorcerer as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Desert orcs tend to be lawful neutral.

Pale goblins

When clans of orcs left their subterran caverns to expand towards the surface, several clans of goblins followed after them, mostly to escape from underneath the pressing thumbs of the militairistic and slave-driving hobgoblins. They built up their own settlements, separate from the orc camps, but always close by, so when someone dangerous would come around, they could flee towards the orcs for help. When the humans arrived, the goblins were driven back alongside the larger orcs, into the northern wastelands. They are on reasonable terms with the arctic orcs, though don't like half-orcs very much, who usually seem intent to boss them around, just like the hobgoblins used to do.

  • Ability Scores: Pale goblins gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Goblins receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Medium Speed: Goblins have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Lowlight Vision: Goblins can see twice as far as humans and most other races in conditions of dim light.
  • Mobile: Pale goblins receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Ride skill checks.
  • Eat Anything: Raised with little to no proper food, many goblins have learned to survive by eating whatever they happen across and can digest nearly anything without getting sick. Goblins receive a +4 racial bonus on saves versus diseases and other effects that cause the nauseated or sickened conditions.
  • Slippery: Goblins receive a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Goblins treat any weapon with the word “goblin” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Pale goblins begin play speaking common and goblin. Pale goblins with high Intelligence scores may choose dwarven, elven, giant, gnoll, halfling, orc, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Pale goblins may choose barbarian, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paragon, or ranger as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Pale goblins tend to be chaotic neutral.

Jade goblins

Unlike their pale goblin cousings, most jade goblins live their lives as cheap work crew under the command of their tougher hobgoblin cousins. They usually live where the hobgoblins live, which tends to be the cavern systems that sprawl out underneath the mountain range. More recently, the hobgoblins have made a foothold into the grand forest, and of course bullied their smaller cousins around to follow them and to all the demeaning little jobs.

Jade goblins are acutely aware of all the dangers that lurk in the vast and dark caverns below, which is exactly why very few are brave enough to try and escape from their overlords, and even fewer succeed in doing so alive. However, on the surface, especially in the dense woodlands of the grand forest, escaping is a lot easier, and the potential to run into a dangerous monster are much smaller, so more jade goblins have set out for a life on their own in recent years. Jade goblins have dark green skins to which they owe their name.

  • Ability Scores: Jade goblins gain +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Goblins receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Medium Speed: Goblins have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Lowlight Vision: Goblins can see twice as far as humans and most other races in conditions of dim light.
  • Thieving: Jade goblins receive a +2 racial bonus on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand skill checks.
  • Eat Anything: Raised with little or no proper food, many goblins have learned to survive by eating whatever they happen across and can digest nearly anything without getting sick. Goblins receive a +4 racial bonus on saves versus diseases and other effects that cause the nauseated or sickened conditions.
  • Slippery: Goblins receive a +1 dodge bonus to AC.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Goblins treat any weapon with the word “goblin” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Jade goblins begin play speaking common and goblin. Jade goblins with high Intelligence scores may choose draconic, elven, gnoll, gnome, halfing, infernal, and sylvan as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Jade goblins may choose bard, cleric, fighter, paragon, rogue, sorcerer, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Jade goblins tend to be neutral.

Half-drow

Half-drow are half-elves where the elven parent is from the drow subrace. They have almost black skin and very light hair, hinting at their drow ancestry, and are unlikely to pass for a regular half-elf. Half-drow born in drow communities are usually ritually sacrificed within hours of being born. Due to their eerie looks at very young age, half-drow born in human communities are often drown or suffocated as well. Those are left alive grow more charming and beautiful as they grow up, and while they show several physical resemblences with drow, their characteristics are usually quite different. Still, despite their charming looks, they often face a lot of prejudice and lawkeepers often turn the other way when someone decides to make a half-drow the target of revenge for what actual drow may have caused them. High elves hate them nearly as much as they hate drow, but sylvan elves are more likely to overlook their lineage and welcome them in their communities, as long as they refrain from resorting to arcane magic.

  • Ability Scores: Half-drow gain +2 Dexterity.
  • Medium Size: Half-drow receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Half-drow have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Mixed Blood: Half-drow count as both humans and elves for any effect related to race.
  • Darkvision: Half-drow can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Skilled: Half-drow gain one additional skill point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Elven Immunities: Half-drow are immune to magic sleep effects. Half-drow do not sleep but meditate.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Half-drow are proficient with hand crossbows, rapiers, shortbows (including composite shortbows), and short swords.
  • Languages: Half-drow begin play speaking common and elven. Half-drow with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Half-drow may choose any class except paladin as their favored class.
  • Multitalented: Half-drow choose two favored classes at 1st level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
  • Alignment: Half-drow rarely become good, but vary among the remaining alignments.

Tainted elves

Tainted elves are the offspring from a drow and another elf, such as a high elf or a sylvan elf. While these races hate each other as much as duergar and other dwarves, they are more likely to let out their anger by raping a member of the opposite subrace. Like half-drow, tainted elves born in drow communities tend to be ritually sacrificed within hours of being born, their drow mother either banished or executed for giving birth to a surface elf. Tainted elves born in high elf communities tend to be abandoned at birth, causing the baby to die from starvation or be eaten by wild animals. Some high elf mothers choose to care for their children, no matter how tainted, and are expelled from high elf communities until they have distanced themselves from the tainted child. Some of these mothers seek refuge with the sylvan elves and never return. Sylvan elves are much more acceptable towards tainted elves, aware that the child itself is not responsible for the actions of their father, and usually grow up as accepted members of the community.

  • Ability Scores: Tainted elves gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Constitution.
  • Medium Size: Elves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Elves have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Tainted elves can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Spellcraft skill checks.
  • Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects. Elves do not sleep but meditate.
  • Tainted Magic: Tainted elves cast spells that are harder to counter. When someone uses the dispel magic or greater dispel magic spell to counter a spell cast by a tainted elf, they receive a -4 penalty on the dispel check. When they perform a true dispel, they must make a dispel check as per the dispel magic spell with a +4 bonus, or fail to counter the tainted elf's spell. In addition, tainted elves with a Charisma of 11 or higher may cast detect magic, faerie fire (counting as a 1st level spell), and sleep each once per day as a sorcerer with a caster level equal to half their character level (minimum 1st).
  • Weapon Familiarity: Tainted elves are proficient with hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Tainted elves begin play speaking common and elven. Tainted elves with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, aklo, draconic, dwarven, giant, sylvan, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Tainted elves may choose bard, cleric, fighter, monk, paragon, ranger, or sorcerer as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Tainted elves tend to be neutral.

Half-duergar

Half-duergar are half-dwarves where the dwarven parent is from the duergar subrace. They tend to appear less charming and have darker skin and lighter hair than regular dwarves and half-dwarves, hinting at their duergar ancestry, though many a half-duergar can easily pass for a regular half-dwarf. Half-duergar born in duergar communities, either from duergar mothers or from human slaves kept by duergar, are destined for a life of slavery. Half-duergar born in human communities tend to stand a better chance in life, though when the child is born from a nonconsensual meeting, which tends to be the case, it rarely can count on any parental loving. Half-duergar often grow beards to appear more like half-dwarves and spite their duergar parent. Like half-dwarves, half-duergar that breed with humans eventually produce human offspring, but half-duergar that breed with dwarves or duergar never produce a true dwarf or duergar, the human lineage remaining ever present.

  • Ability Scores: Half-duergar gain +2 Constitution.
  • Medium Size: Half-duergar receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Half-duergar have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Mixed Blood: Half-duergar count as both humans and dwarves for any effect related to race.
  • Darkvision: Half-duergar can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Skilled: Half-duergar gain one additional skill point at each level, including 1st level.
  • Expansion: Once per day as a swift action, a half-duergar may double in size as if under the effect of the enlarge person spell. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to 1 plus the half-duergar's Intelligence bonus (if any). The half-duergar may choose to end the effect prematurely, and the effect also ends when the half-duergar loses consciousness. This is a spell-like effect and can be dispelled as such (the caster level is equal to the half-duergar's character level).
  • Weapon Proficiency: Half-duergar are proficient with battleaxes, handaxes, and throwing axes.
  • Languages: Half-duergar begin play speaking common and dwarven. Half-duergar with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Half-duergar may choose any class except druid as their favored class.
  • Multitalented: Half-duergar choose two favored classes at 1st level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
  • Alignment: Half-duergar rarely become chaotic, but vary among the remaining alignments.

Tainted dwarves

Tainted dwarves are the offspring from a duergar and another dwarf, such as a shield dwarf or a gold dwarf. Considered the hatred these races have for one another, these occurances are extremely rare. Tainted dwarves born in duergar communities are destined for a life of slavery. Tainted dwarves born in shield dwarf communities are tolerated, but never truly accepted. They are always put to the test to prove themselves, but no matter how many tests they succeed at, they are never seen as true members of the shield dwarven society. Tainted dwarves born in gold dwarf communities tend to fare better. While initially accepted with reluctance, those that prove themselves to be honorable dwarves may eventually see the weight of their ancestral lineage overlooked and become true brothers in arms with their gold dwarven brothers. Tainted dwarves that continue to crossbreed with true dwarves eventually produce true dwarven offspring.

  • Ability Scores: Tainted dwarves gain +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, –2 Dexterity.
  • Medium Size: Dwarves receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base land speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never reduced by armor or encumbrance.
  • Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Crafting: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise and Craft skill checks.
  • Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors.
  • Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
  • Expansion: Once per day as a swift action, a tainted dwarf may double in size as if under the effect of the enlarge person spell. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to 1 plus the tainted dwarf's Intelligence bonus (if any). The tainted dwarf may choose to end the effect prematurely, and the effect also ends when the tainted dwarf loses consciousness. This is a spell-like effect and can be dispelled as such (the caster level is equal to the tainted dwarf's character level).
  • Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, handaxes, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
  • Languages: Tainted dwarves begin play speaking common and dwarven. Tainted dwarves with high Intelligence scores may choose aklo, draconic, elven, giant, infernal, orc, and undercommon as their bonus languages.
  • Favored Class: Tainted dwarves may choose barbarian, cleric, fighter, paladin, paragon, rogue, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Tainted dwarves tend to be lawful neutral.

Tieflings

While some people have celestial blood in their heritage, others carry an abyssal or infernal heritage, laying hidden in a bloodline for generations, only to suddenly manifesting itself as members from another race give birth to a tiefling baby. While this process is quite similar to the creation of aasimar, the abyssal and infernal bloodlines present themselves in more fiendish physical traits, such as webbings between their fingers, fire burning in their eyes, a goatlike tail sprouting from the bottom of their spine, or a fiery red or sickly gray skin. While their more mundane features could often be considered pretty, most people don't bother looking past those unnatural body features.

Tieflings tend to be conceived as a sign of bad omen, and often abandoned or even killed at birth. Those that do survive their earliest years, be it growing up with their parents or in an orphanage, usually face a life of prejudice awaiting them. Tieflings aren't bound to follow their fiendish ancestors in their evil nature, and some grow up to do great things. However, being shunned and despised by society, most naturally gravitate towards self-centered goals, sometimes finding work as mercenaries or assassins, but often heading down a path of thievery to forage for their own.

Tieflings do not create societies of their own, instead living on the outskirts of the society of their parents. Tieflings rarely are given the opportunity to live simple and peaceful lives, often being forced to move around a lot. These fiendbloods can sometimes find understanding among halfbreeds, who, like them, never really fit into society, either. Cultists and other hidden sects are much more acceptable towards tieflings, and often try to recruit at least one among their ranks, though such tieflings are often considered a symbol, rather than a fellow member.

  • Ability Scores: Tieflings gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
  • Medium Size: Tieflings receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Medium Speed: Tieflings have a base land speed of 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Tieflings can see in the dark up to 60 feet, but cannot distinguish colors without light, which generally makes reading impossible.
  • Deceptive: Tieflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth skill checks.
  • Darkness: Tieflings with an Intelligence of 11 or higher may cast darkness once per day as a wizard with a caster level equal to their character level, except that the spell has a casting time of 1 swift action, a duration of 10 minutes per level, and counts as a third level spell.
  • Cold Resistant: Tieflings are supernaturally protected against the cold and receive cold resistance 5.
  • Heat Resistant: Tieflings are supernaturally protected against the heat and receive fire resistance 5.
  • Languages: Tieflings from an abyssal heritage begin play speaking common and abyssal, whereas tieflings from an infernal heritage being play speaking common and infernal. Tieflings with high Intelligence scores may choose any languages they want as their bonus languages (except secret languages, such as druidic).
  • Favored Class: Tieflings may choose any class except bard or monk as their favored class.
  • Alignment: Tieflings from an abyssal heritage tend to be chaotic, whereas thieflings from an infernal heritage tend to be lawful. However, tieflings aren't bound to certain alignment like their abyssal or infernal ancestor, and have the freedom to choose their own path, even if that is the path of good.

Tieflings are most common among humans, but may appear among other races as well. The statistics provided above best fit tieflings born to human parents. Tieflings originating from other races use the same statistics as human tieflings, except for a few entries that are replaced by entries better matching their parent race, as listed to the right.

Tiefling elves

  • Favored Class: Tiefling elves may choose any class except bard, monk, or paladin as their favored class.
  • Languages: Tiefling elves begin play speaking elven and either abyssal or infernal. Tiefling elves with high Intelligence scores may choose aklo, abyssal, common, draconic, dwarven, infernal, sylvan, and undercommon as their bonus languages.

Tiefling dwarves

  • Ability Scores: Tiefling dwarves gain +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
  • Slow and Steady: Tiefling dwarves have a base land speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never reduced by armor or encumbrance.
  • Favored Class: Tiefling dwarves may choose any class except bard, druid, or monk as their favored class.
  • Languages: Tiefling dwarves begin play speaking dwarven and either abyssal or infernal, depending on their heritage. Tiefling dwarves with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, common, draconic, elven, infernal, giant, orc, and undercommon as their bonus languages.

Tiefling halflings

  • Ability Scores: Tiefling halflings gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Tiefling halflings receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Tiefling halflings have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Favored Class: Tiefling halflings may choose any class except bard, druid, or monk as their favored class.
  • Languages: Tiefling halflings begin play speaking halfling and either abyssal or infernal, depending on their heritage. Tiefling halflings with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, auran, common, dwarven, elven, goblin, infernal, and sylvan as their bonus languages.

Tiefling gnomes

  • Ability Scores: Tiefling gnomes gain +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Tiefling gnomes receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Slow Speed: Tiefling gnomes have a base land speed of 20 feet.
  • Favored Class: Tiefling gnomes may choose any class except bard, monk, or paladin as their favored class.
  • Languages: Tiefling gnomes begin play speaking gnome and either abyssal or infernal, depending on their heritage. Tiefling gnomes with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, aklo, aquan, common, draconic, infernal, orc, and terran as their bonus languages.

Tiefling orcs

  • Ability Scores: Tiefling orcs gain +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
  • Favored Class: Tiefling orcs may choose any class except bard, monk, or wizard as their favored class.
  • Languages: Tiefling orcs begin play speaking orc and either abyssal or infernal, depending on their heritage. Tiefling orcs with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, common, dwarven, giant, gnoll, ignan, infernal, and undercommon as their bonus languages.

Tiefling goblins

  • Ability Scores: Tiefling goblins gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength.
  • Small Size: Tiefling goblins receive a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 size penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, a +2 size bonus on Fly checks, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
  • Favored Class: Tiefling goblins may choose any class except bard, monk, or paladin as their favored class.
  • Languages: Tiefling goblins begin play speaking goblin and either abyssal or infernal, depending on their heritage. Tiefling goblins with high Intelligence scores may choose abyssal, common, draconic, elven, gnoll, halfling, infernal, and undercommon as their bonus languages.

Barbarian

Rage: When a barbarian enters rage, she does not gain additional hit points from her increased Constitution score. Instead, the first time each day that she enters rage, she gains an amount of temporary hit points equal to the amount of hit points that she would have received from her increased Constitution score.

These temporary hit points stack with and are lost after temporary hit points gained from other sources. They last until the barbarian ends her rage. If the barbarian enters rage again during the same day, she regains the temporary hit points that still remained at the end of her previous rage, if any.

Bard

Weapon Proficiency: A bard is proficient with handaxes and throwing axes (in addition to his regular weapon proficiencies).

Cleric

Divine Source: A cleric may not devote herself to an ideal, but must choose a patron deity to revere, to gain any powers as a cleric.

Channel Energy: When a cleric channels energy, she does not choose between living or undead creatures. Channel energy always affects both living and undead creatures.

Druid

Share Spells: A druid that formed a nature bond with an animal companion may have any druid spell she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion. The druid must touch the animal companion as part of the casting for the animal companion to receive the benefit.

Monk

Bonus Feats: At 6th level, the Devoted Strike feat is added to the list of bonus feats (in addition to the feats normally added at this level). This feat is found on the Feats page of this website.

Paladin

Divine Source: A paladin may not devote herself to an ideal, but must choose a patron deity to revere, to gain any powers as a paladin.

Channel Positive Energy: When a paladin channels positive energy, she does not choose between living or undead creatures. Channel positive energy always affects both living and undead creatures.

Spells: A paladin need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. A paladin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day.

A paladin’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A paladin begins play knowing no spells, but gains one or more new spells at certain levels. The number of spells she knows per spell level is always two higher than the number of spells of that spell level she may cast per day (not including bonus spells she receives for having a high Charisma score).

For example, when a paladin reaches 4th level, she learns two 1st level spells. At 5th level, she learns a third 1st level spell. At 9th level, the number of 1st level spells she knows increases to four, and so on. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a paladin knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the paladin spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the paladin has gained some understanding of through study.

Upon reaching 7th level, and at every third paladin level after that (10th, 13th, and so on), a paladin can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the paladin loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A paladin may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Share Spells: A paladin that formed a divine bond with a special mount may have any paladin spell she casts upon herself also affect her special mount. The paladin must touch the special mount as part of the casting for the special mount to receive the benefit.

Ranger

Spontaneous Casting: A ranger can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that he hasn’t prepared ahead of time. He can “lose” a prepared ranger spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level or lower.

Share Spells: A ranger that formed a nature bond with an animal companion may have any ranger spell he casts upon himself also affect his animal companion. The ranger must touch the animal companion as part of the casting for the animal companion to receive the benefit.

Rogue

Weapon Proficiency: A rogue is proficient with handaxes and throwing axes (in addition to her regular weapon proficiencies).

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a rogue may select either Precise Shot or Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

At 6th level, a rogue may select either Greater Precise Shot or Greater Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat. She must still meet all prerequisites for the chosen bonus feat. These feats are found on the Feats page of this website.

Sorcerer

Bloodline Spells: A sorcerer gains access to her first bloodline spell at 1st level, and gains access to her other bloodline spells one level earlier than indicated. In other words, a sorcerer gains access to her bloodline spells at the same time she gains access to her first spells of the matching spell levels.

Arcane Bloodline: A sorcerer with the Arcane bloodline does not gain the Metamagic Adept class ability, as a houserule already applies this effect to all spontaneous casters. Instead, a sorcerer with the Arcane bloodline gains the Arcane Penetration class ability at 3rd level. In addition, a sorcerer with the Arcane bloodline that forms an arcane bond with a familiar gains the Share Spells class ability.

Share Spells: A sorcerer with the Arcane bloodline that formed an arcane bond with a familiar may have any sorcerer spell she casts upon herself also affect her familiar. The sorcerer must touch the familiar as part of the casting for the familiar to receive the benefit.

Arcane Penetration (Ex): At 3rd level, a sorcerer with the Arcane bloodline gains a +1 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome a creature’s spell resistance with spells gained from her sorcerer class. This bonus increases by +1 for every four sorcerer levels beyond 3rd, up to a +5 bonus at 19th level. This bonus stacks with the bonuses from the Spell Penetration feat and the Greater Spell Penetration feat, but does not apply to spells gained from different classes.

Wizard

Share Spells: A wizard that formed an arcane bond with a familiar may have any wizard spell he casts upon himself also affect his familiar. The wizard must touch the familiar as part of the casting for the familiar to receive the benefit.

Bonus Feats: When a wizard gains a bonus feat, he must choose the bonus feat from the following list. He must still meet all prerequisites for the chosen bonus feat.

  • Any item creation feat
  • Any metamagic feat
  • Arcane Strike
  • Augment Summoning
  • Combat Casting
  • Eschew Materials
  • Greater Spell Focus
  • Greater Spell Penetration
  • Improved Counterspell
  • Improved Familiar
  • Spell Focus
  • Spell Mastery
  • Spell Penetration

New class: Paragon

The paragon is similar to the cleric, in that he can channel divine powers granted to him by his deity. However, unlike clerics, who spent years on their devoted studies, the paragon is able to perform similar tasks with virtually no study, being able to wield these powers almost naturally. Where a cleric may choose for a life of religious devotion, one does not choose the path of the paragon, but is chosen for it, the powers usually manifesting at a very young age. Most paragons consider themselves destined for a call to action, to further the cause of the deity that bestowed them with their powers. While paragons may lag behind in studies and knowledge when compared to their clerical brethren, they make up for it in combat skill and divine energy.

Role: Similar to clerics, paragons form stalwart and capable combatants, able to both wield their weapons with martial skill, and to draw upon the powers of their patron deities, whether to increase their own and their allies’ prowess in battle, to vex their foes with divine magic, or to lend healing to companions in need.

Like clerics, paragons devote themselves to a specific patron deity that grants them their powers. Paragons are sometimes considered true embodiments of their patron deity, as they often devote their entire lives furthering that deities' cause with zealous dedication.

  • Alignment: A paragon’s alignment must be within one step of his deity’s alignment, along either the law/chaos axis or the good/evil axis (see Chapter 7 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook).
  • Hit Die: d8.
  • Class Skills: The paragon’s class skills are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
  • Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
  • Starting Age: As barbarian/rogue/sorcerer.
  • Starting Wealth: As cleric/rogue.
Level Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special Spells known Spells per day
Bonus Save Save Save 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Aura, domain, 1st domain spell,
orisons, eschew materials
4 2 - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - -
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3 Weapon focus 5 2 - - - - - - - - 4 - - - - - - - -
3rd +2 +3 +3 +3 Divine health 5 3 - - - - - - - - 5 - - - - - - - -
4th +3 +4 +4 +4 2nd domain spell 6 3 1 - - - - - - - 6 3 - - - - - - -
5th +3 +4 +4 +4 1st energy resistance 6 4 2 - - - - - - - 6 4 - - - - - - -
6th +4 +5 +5 +5 3rd domain spell 7 4 2 1 - - - - - - 6 5 3 - - - - - -
7th +5 +5 +5 +5 Weapon specialization 7 5 3 2 - - - - - - 6 6 4 - - - - - -
8th +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 4th domain spell 8 5 3 2 1 - - - - - 6 6 5 3 - - - - -
9th +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Divine fortune 1/day 8 5 4 3 2 - - - - - 6 6 6 4 - - - - -
10th +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 5th domain spell 9 5 4 3 2 1 - - - - 6 6 6 5 3 - - - -
11th +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 2nd energy resistance 9 5 5 4 3 2 - - - - 6 6 6 6 4 - - - -
12th +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 6th domain spell 9 5 5 4 3 2 1 - - - 6 6 6 6 5 3 - - -
13th +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Improved critical 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 - - - 6 6 6 6 6 4 - - -
14th +10/+5 +9 +9 +9 7th domain spell 9 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 - - 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - -
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Divine fortune 2/day, wings 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 - - 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 - -
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 8th domain spell 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 - 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 -
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 3rd energy resistance 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 - 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 -
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11 9th domain spell 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3
19th +14/+9+/4 +11 +11 +11 Penetrating strike 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Damage reduction 9 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

The following are class features of the paragon

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Paragons are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Paragons are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deity.

Aura (Ex): A paragon of a chaotic, evil, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity’s alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).

Spells: A paragon casts divine spells drawn primarily from the cleric spell list presented in Chapter 10 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a paragon must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a paragon’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the paragon’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a paragon can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on the table above (and is identical to the sorcerer on Table 3–14). In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1–3 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook).

A paragon’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A paragon begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of his choice. At each new paragon level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on the table above (the amount is identical to the sorcerer on Table 3–15). (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a paragon knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on the table above are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the cleric spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the paragon has gained some understanding of through study.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered paragon level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a paragon can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the paragon loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A paragon may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

Unlike a cleric or a wizard, a paragon need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level.

Domains: A paragon's deity influences his alignment, what magic he can perform, his values, and how others see him. A paragon chooses a single domain from among those belonging to his deity. A paragon can select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) only if his alignment matches that domain. Paragons use the cleric domains, which are listed starting at page 41 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.

At 1st level, a paragon learns an additional 1st level spell, derived from his domain. At 4th level, and every two levels thereafter, a paragon learns an additional spell. These spells are in addition to the number of spells given on the above table. These spells cannot be exchanged for different spells at higher levels.

In addition, a paragon gains the listed powers from his domain, if he is of a high enough level. Unless otherwise noted, using a domain power is a standard action. The paragon uses his Charisma score or modifier instead of his Wisdom score or modifier to determine the effects of the domain power.

Orisons: Paragons learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on the table above under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A paragon can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own or his deity’s alignment. Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaotic, evil, good, and lawful descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Eschew Materials: A paragon gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Weapon Focus: A paragon gains the Weapon Focus feat with his deity's favored weapon as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, a paragon is immune to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases, such as mummy rot.

Energy Resistance (Ex): At 5rd level, a paragon may select an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). The paragon gains energy resistance 5 to the chosen energy type. At 11th and 17th level, the paragon may select an additional energy type, and gains energy resistance 5 to those energy types as well.

In addition, at 11th and 17th level, the paragon may select any one chosen energy type (including the one just selected, if so desired). The energy resistance to that energy type increases by 5.

Weapon Specialization: A paragon gains the Weapon Specialization feat with his deity's favored weapon as a bonus feat at 7th level.

Divine Fortune (Ex): At 9th level, divine fortune shines down upon the paragon. Once per day, as an immediate action, he may reroll any one attack roll, saving throw, ability score check, or skill check that he just made. He must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll. At 15th level, he may do this twice per day.

Improved Critical: A paragon gains the Improved Critical feat with his deity's favored weapon as a bonus feat at 13th level.

Wings (Ex): At 15th level, a paragon gains wings and can fly at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). A good-aligned paragon or a neutral-aligned paragon that reveres a good deity grows feathered wings, and an evil-aligned paragon or a neutral-aligned paragon that reveres an evil deity grows batlike wings. A neutral-aligned paragon that reveres a neutral deity may choose either type of wings.

Penetrating Strike: A paragon gains the Penetrating Strike feat as a bonus feat at 19th level, but the feat only applies to his deity's favored weapon.

Damage Reduction (Su): A 20th-level paragon gains damage reduction. A lawful-aligned paragon or a neutral-aligned paragon that reveres a lawful deity gains damage reduction 10/silver, and a chaotic-aligned paragon or a neutral-aligned paragon that reveres a chaotic deity gains damage reduction 10/cold iron. A neutral-aligned paragon that reveres a neutral deity may choose either type of damage reduction.

Ex-Paragons: A paragon who grossly violates the code of conduct required by his god loses all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. He cannot thereafter gain levels as a paragon of that god until he atones for his deeds (see the atonement spell description).

Alignment Channel and Elemental Channel

Channel energy always affects both living and undead creatures. These feats allow characters to heal or harm outsiders of the chosen alignment or elemental subtype in addition to the normal effects of channel energy. Characters that took these feats more than once may combine them during a single use of channel energy, but each outsider cannot be healed more than once and harmed more than once by a single use of channel energy.

Improved Critical

Feats and other character abilities that increase a threat range stack with magical items that increase that threat range, whereby stacking two double effects results in a triple effect. For example, a +1 keen longsword wielded by a character that has the Improved Critical feat for longswords has an effective threat range of 15-20/x2. Feats and other character abilities still do not stack with one another, nor do magical items.

Leadership

Characters that take the Leadership feat during character generation may provide the game master with a general idea of what kind of cohort they want, and start with a cohort. Characters that pick up the Leadership feat at a later time, as well as characters that need to replace their cohort, will run into potential cohort characters to recruit.

In both cases, the game master creates the cohort. Cohorts count as heroic characters, and use the elite array for attribute scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) before racial modifiers and level increments. Followers that require a character sheet use the normal array for attribute scores (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8). The player controls the cohort during combat.

Cohorts and followers do not gain experience. When a character's Leadership score increases enough to gain a cohort of a higher level, the current cohort gains a level of experience. If this would cause the cohort to gain multiple levels at once, the cohort gains a single level immediately, and the other level(s) during the next couple of sessions.

Temporary bonuses to Charisma (eagle's splendor, headband of alluring charisma) do not count towards a character's Leadership score.

Metamagic feats

Metamagic feats do not increase the casting time of spontaneously cast spells, which includes both spells cast by spontaneous casters (bards, paladins, paragons, and sorcerers), and spontaneously cast spells by prepared casters (clerics, druids, and rangers that spontaneously cast cure, inflict, or summon nature's ally spells).

Precise Shot and Point-Blank Shot

The Precise Shot feat and all feats that require the Precise Shot feat no longer require the Point-Blank Shot feat as a prerequisite. In addition, the Improved Precise Shot feat has its Dexterity prerequisite reduced to 15, and the Pinpoint Targeting feat has its Dexterity prerequisite reduced to 17. Their other prerequisites remain unchanged.

All other feats that require the Point-Blank Shot feat now require either the Point-Blank Shot feat or the Precise Shot feat as a prerequisite. For example, the Far Shot feat has "Point-Blank Shot" listed as its prerequisite, so it requires either the Point-Blank Shot feat or the Precise Shot feat. Their other prerequisites remain unchanged.

Two-Weapon Fighting

The Two-Weapon Fighting feat and all feats that require the Two-Weapon Fighting feat have their Dexterity prerequisites reduced by 2. For example, the Two-Weapon Fighting feat has "Dex 15" listed as its prerequisite, so it requires a Dexterity score of 13 or higher. Their other prerequisites remain unchanged.

Weapon Finesse

The Weapon Finesse feat also applies to scimitars.

New feats

Broadened Mind

Your mind is able to hold additional spells.

Prerequisites: Cha 13, ability to spontaneously cast 2nd level spells, limited spells known.

Benefit: Your 1st and 2nd level spells known both increase by 1. Upon gaining this feat, you must immediately choose which additional spells you know.

Special: If you have levels in more than one spontaneous spellcasting class, you must choose which class this feat applies to. You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different class.

Devoted Strike (Combat)

Your unarmed strikes are enhanced with sheer willpower.

Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit: When performing an unarmed strike, you may choose to add your Wisdom bonus to the damage roll. When you do so, you do not gain a bonus to your damage roll from high Strength, but you still receive a penalty to your damage roll from low Strength.

Special: Effects that prevent you from adding your Strength bonus to your damage roll also prevent you from adding your Wisdom bonus to your damage roll. The Wisdom bonus from this feat does not stack with the Dexterity bonus from the Greater Weapon Finesse feat.

Expanded Mind

Your mind is able to hold more additional spells.

Prerequisites: Cha 15, Broadened Mind, ability to spontaneously cast 4th level spells, limited spells known.

Benefit: Your 3rd and 4th level spells known both increase by 1. Upon gaining this feat, you must immediately choose which additional spells you know.

Special: If you have levels in more than one spontaneous spellcasting class, you must choose which class this feat applies to, and you may only choose a class for which you've taken Broadened Mind. You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different class.

Greater Precise Shot (Combat)

Your ranged attacks strike with deadly precision.

Prerequisites: Precise Shot, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit: When performing a ranged attack with a weapon, you may choose to add your Dexterity bonus to the damage roll. When you do so, you do not gain a bonus to your damage roll from high Strength or the Deadly Aim feat, but you still receive a penalty to your damage roll from low Strength.

Special: You may choose to add your Dexterity bonus to the damage roll when firing a non-composite bow or a crossbow. Other effects that prevent you from adding your Strength bonus to your damage roll also prevent you from adding your Dexterity bonus to your damage roll.

Greater Weapon Finesse (Combat)

Your melee attacks strike with deadly precision.

Prerequisites: Weapon Finesse, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit: When performing a melee attack with a weapon that is affected by the Weapon Finesse feat, you may choose to add your Dexterity bonus to the damage roll. When you do so, you do not gain a bonus to your damage roll from high Strength or the Power Attack feat, but you still receive a penalty to your damage roll from low Strength.

Special: When attacking with a twohanded weapon, your Dexterity bonus still applies only once. Effects that prevent you from adding your Strength bonus to your damage roll also prevent you from adding your Dexterity bonus to your damage roll. The Dexterity bonus from this feat does not stack with the Wisdom bonus from the Devoted Strike feat.

Inflated Mind

Your mind is able to hold even more additional spells.

Prerequisites: Cha 17, Broadened Mind, Expanded Mind, ability to spontaneously cast 6th level spells, limited spells known.

Benefit: Your 5th and 6th level spells known both increase by 1. Upon gaining this feat, you must immediately choose which additional spells you know.

Special: If you have levels in more than one spontaneous spellcasting class, you must choose which class this feat applies to, and you may only choose a class for which you've taken Expanded Mind. You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different class.

Two-Weapon Strike (Combat)

You can strike with both your weapons at once.

Prerequisites: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting.

Benefit: When performing a standard attack, charge attack, or attack of opportunity, if you hold a weapon in each hand, you may choose to attack with both weapons at once. When you do, you incur the normal attack penalties for fighting with two weapons.

Widened Mind

Your mind is able to hold vastly more additional spells.

Prerequisites: Cha 19, Broadened Mind, Expanded Mind, Inflated Mind, ability to spontaneously cast 8th level spells, limited spells known.

Benefit: Your 7th and 8th level spells known both increase by 1. Upon gaining this feat, you must immediately choose which additional spells you know.

Special: If you have levels in more than one spontaneous spellcasting class, you must choose which class this feat applies to, and you may only choose a class for which you've taken Inflated Mind. You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different class.

Years, Seasons and Days

A year in the world of the Thirteen Kingdoms lasts 360 days, while a mooncycle, also referred to as moon, lasts 30 days. The common calendar counts new moon as the start of the mooncycle, thus full moon falls between the 15th and 16th day of each moon. That same calendar counts the longest night of the year as the start of the year. This coincidentally overlaps with new moon, so the change of a year coincides with the change of a moon, and each year lasts exactly twelve moons.

Each year is categorized into four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. The first day of the year is also the first day of Winter, so each season lasts exactly three moons. Each moon is split into thirty days, grouped into three sets of tendays. Specific days are generally referred to by their tenday name, but when there is a need to specify where in the month this tenday falls, it's called the waxing, full or waning version of that day.

Seasons and Mooncycles

  • Winter
    • Snowfall
    • Frostwake
    • Icethaw
  • Spring
    • Woolshear
    • Blossom
    • Haymake
  • Summer
    • Sunbid
    • Goldleaf
    • Harvest
  • Autumn
    • Earthplow
    • Crimson
    • Stockpile

Tendays

  • Prayerday
  • Speechday
  • Toilday
  • Broomday
  • Marketday
  • Washday
  • Truceday
  • Huntsday
  • Meatday
  • Coinday

Tendays during a Mooncycle

  • Waxing: day 1 to day 10
  • Full: day 11 to day 20
  • Waning: day 21 to day 30

Mooncycles

Snowfall

The first moon of the year, where the days are short, the nights are long, and snow usually arrives halfway during the mooncycle, though it sometimes arrives during the end of Stockpile or the start of Frostwake. Snowfall's Waxing Prayerday barely sees six hours of sun, only a third the length of the previous night, even darker due to the new moon.

Farmers stay at home, tending to their animals that stay indoors from the first signs of snow. Captains that are still at sea or river make their way to the nearest harbor. People that failed to get their winter reserves in order during Stockpile will go out to harvest lumber, gather berries and fish to optimize their chances to last the winter. Snowfall is also a time of prayer. Noblemen, merchants and other upper classmen pray for a fortuitous year, while peasants pray they'll live through the winter with their limbs intact.

Frostwake

The coldest month of the year. Peasants hope that they have enough supplies to last the winter. Those living in or near the cities may look for jobs outside of their own profession, to earn enough coin to keep their families alive. Lucky ones find a temporary job as craftsman, while others generally end up as a soldier, providing them with a dilemma. If they don't perform well, they may not get a job during later winters. But if they do perform well as a soldier, they may find themselves conscripted for a much longer period than they signed up for.

Many peasants continue to pray for their wellbeing during the winter cold, while those of higher class spend these days reading books, craft and art. Those with carriages may visit friends within the same city, but only a fool would travel outside the safety of city walls.

Icethaw

Slowly but surely, the days get longer and warmer. Eventually, the snow and ice starts to melt, making way for the green of grass, leaves and weeds. And with that, hope returns as well. Those that are still healthy know they will survive the winter, unless their provisions are running out. Those desperate may go out and attempt fishing or lumberjacking to restock their depleted food or wood supplies, though they may have to create their own holes in the icy water surfaces, and the recent frost makes the trees more resistant to the blade of an axe.

As vegetation returns, farmers send out their cattle to graze, sometimes still in the snow, if their stockpiles are running low. The ground is often still too hard to work properly, and most farmers know better than to waste their seeds to die.

Woolshear

Spring has arrived, and so have the first flowers and insects. Farmers sheer their sheeps, and start plowing their fields. Captains take their ships out to sea, while peasants return to their regular professions. Those that are allowed, at least. Many peasant that took a job as soldier or guard finds themselves forced to work another moon as cities send out big patrols to clear the major roads that connect them to other cities, from fallen trees and debris, as well as greenskins and other beasts that ajusted themselves to the absence of the more civilized species during the winter months.

Most of the time, such creatures offer little resistance to organized squads of soldiers. However, from time to time, a larger or more organized group can cause a real hindrance and block a route for multiple months, requiring cities to send coordinated attacks with multiple armies flanking them from different directions.

Blossom

The snow is forgotten, the fields are plowed, and the roads are cleared. The first trading ships from other cities and countries arrive, and the first caravans along inland traderoutes are moving out. Farmers sow their fields and breed their cattle, while citylife is picking up, thanks in part to the long days.

Military training picks up, and borderposts are reinforced. Military campaigns often start during Blossom, when there's still a long period before the next winter arrives and all war progress crawls to a halt.

Haymake

Life continues.

Sunbid

Sunbid's Waxing Prayerday is the longest day of the year, lasting eighteen hours, three times as long as the previous night. The day is a day of prayer, where even peasants gather for the various messes, often held by the lower clergy outside on the streets or the fields, or in communal halls during bad weather, while the nobility and upper classmen tend the masses inside the temples.

As the days are long and warm, worktimes often shift to earlier on the day, when it's still cooler. After all, peasants that are less impacted by the afternoon heat are more productive. Likewise, they often need oversight, and the overseers don't like warm weather, either.

Goldleaf

Life continues.

Harvest

The crops are fully grown, and ripe for the harvest. At the same time, the window of opportunity to send out new trading ships and trade caravans is closing. Many crafting guilds want to slow down production, as there's little point in storing excess goods over the winter. Many a peasant shifts job during this period, moving from their craftsman profession to work as a fieldhand until the harvest is done.

Earthplow

Life continues. The farmers prepare the ground for the next year.

Crimson

This mooncycle is named both after the color of the leaves as the color of the slaughtered animals. With winter approaching, everyone is starting to prepare for it. Farmers only want to carry so much cattle through the winter, and excess cattle is butchered and their meat sold. Most of it is treated to last the upcoming winter, and is in high demand. Other winter provisions are also starting up, and lumberjacks often hire additional hands during this mooncycle.

Stockpile

The days are slow, and the cold is settling in. People prepare for the upcoming winter, and for many a peasant, this is a life or death situation. They need enough food to feed their family during the winter moons, and enough wood to keep the hearth burning so they don't freeze in their sleep.

Tendays

Prayerday

Prayerday is the day to pay homage to the various deities, and pray for a fortunate upcoming tenday. Peasants and farmers pray at home with their families before heading out to work, while those of higher social rank visit their temple of choice, attending mass that usually lasts until noon, though this depends on the deity the temple is devoted to.

Waxing Prayerday is considered more important than Full or Waning Prayerday, as its often used to pray for a fortunate upcoming mooncycle, and some people only attend the mess on Waxing Prayerday. Snowfall and Sunbid's Waxing Prayerdays are generally considered holy days, and most peasants gather in small communities, attending a special mass. Temples generally cannot handle such high capacities, so they send out clergy to hold masses for the peasants in communal halls. Sunbid's Waxing Prayerday often has masses held outdoors, if it's not raining.

Speechday

Speeches, be they from Royalty to Nobility, from Nobility to Upper Classmen, or from Employees to their Employers, are often held at the start of a period, to explain the plans for the upcoming period, as well as boost morale, or in some cases, instill fear in their subordinates.

However, the first day of the tenday, month or year is Prayerday, and few mortals would be foolish enough to consider themselves on the same level as the gods themselves. Therefor, Speechday is the day after Prayerday. Peasants often receive a small speech later in the afternoon, as their employers had other speeches to listen to.

Toilday

Toilday is considered a day of working. While peasants and farmers tend to work day in day out, those of nobility and upper class are supposed to give a good example, and work together with their subordinates. If you only need to work one day every tenday, this is the day.

Working together with one's subordinates is meant to lead by example and boost morale. While this sometimes works with employers with the best of intentions, doing it just for show often has the opposite effect. Lots of employers therefor don't bother, and stick to their own responsibilities.

Broomday

Broomday is a day of cleaning. Peasants often clean the workplace at the start of this workday, while their wives clean at home. Of those without wives, or who's wives have jobs of their own, some peasants keep to the tenday and clean their homes in the evening, after work. Many others don't bother, or take advantage of the early leave on Marketday to do it then.

Nobility and Upper Classmen of course have their own servants dedicated to cleaning, but even to them, Broomday tends to be the day where extra effort is put into the cleaning, sometimes at the expense of other services.

Marketday

While there's often no restriction to putting up a stall on any day of the tenday, Marketday is the day of choice, as that's the day that people with coin go out and stroll along the marketplaces, spending said coin on snacks, clothing and other trinkets. Peasants often get an early leave during Marketday, so they can stock up on supplies.

Food stalls often take post throughout the tenday, but make sure they have their best snakcs on Marketday. Other stalls often take post again on Coinday, hoping to benefit from recent payments, but rarely take post on other days.

Washday

Washday is the one day that has little impact on the upper class, as they tend to wash multiple times per tenday. Middle class is expected to always wash themselves properly on the morning of Washday, and in the larger cities of more civilized areas, the lower class is expected to do the same.

Some of those cities provide public bathtubs to those that cannot afford their own bath or water. Those tubs are often out on the streets, and the water in those tubs is obviously cold and does not get refreshed between users, so there's occasionally fights over who gets to use them first. Fathers bring their sons along, but their wifes and daughters are more often left at home, tasked to wash themselves with moist clothes, not wanting their naked bodies drawing unwanted attention from equally naked men.

Truceday

While mostly a regular workday, Truceday is often considered a lucky day to make promises or amends over arguments since the last Truceday, as well as swearing oaths. While considered superstition by the more knowledged, it is believed that oaths and promises made during Truceday are easier to keep.

On the other hand, oaths and promises made during Truceday hold more weight as well. While someone may think little of breaking an oath or promise made on any other day of the tenday, they may consider breaking an oath or promise made on Truceday as a oneway ticket to the Abyss.

Huntsday

Heading out into the woods with your falcon and dog, trained for hunting, is a passtime enjoyed by most noblemen and upper classmen. Huntsday is the scheduled day for these activities, and they are often performed in larger groups. Noblemen welcome upper classmen to join them in the hunt, while other upper classmen pay a small fee for the right to hunt.

During winter, this activity is often skipped, and replaced by games of luck or the mind, played with others of the same social class. In some regions, this carried over to the lower class, who play such games all year long, as hunting is not an option for them.

Meatday

Collecting a lot of game during Huntsday is something to be proud of, and Meatday is the day to show off to their subordinates. Decent hunters often catch more than they need for the ten days until the next Huntsday, and thus either gift or sell their excess meat to their subordinates, keeping the best parts for themselves.

The choice to gift or sell the meat is up to the individual. Some particularly selfish individuals force their employees into a mandatory purchase of a fixed percentage of the excess meat. If there is no excess meat, the peasants are forced to pay for their share of nothing.

Coinday

As the last day of a tenday, Coinday is often the day to check and settle monetary matters. Merchants and shopowners count their financial gains and losses over the last tenday, or the entire moon during Waning Coinday. Debts are often settled on Coinday. At the end of the day, peasants receive the payment for the work they performed during that tenday.

In some countries it's common to pay less during Waxing and Full Coinday, but pay a bonus during Waning Coinday to peasants that have worked the entire moon, to encourage peasants to stick to one job, and not stay home when they're sniffly.