Chapter 2: RACES

Some effort has been made to standardize races in terms of powers and abilities. Accordingly, each basic race now gains a net +2 to starting attribute scores, two racial feats, two traits (each being equivalent to about half a feat), and weapon familiarity. These numbers are not absolute; traits that confer a net disadvantage (such as the gnomes’ small size and slow speed), for example, might allow an additional trait to compensate. In some cases, options are presented, from which the character may choose. Unless otherwise noted (as for gnomes and halflings), PC races are Medium size.

More advanced racial abilities can be gained by taking levels in a racial paragon class (modified from the 3.5 edition System Reference Document). Paragon class entries follow the primary race entry. In addition, half-races can be created using the rules in Appendix A; a number of examples are provided. Many of the racial feat and trait options presented are from the Advanced Player’s Guide.

Standard Races

Following are the common PC races for the world of Aviona. Other races are allowable by referee permission and player agreement. Elves and humans are listed first, out of alphabetical order, because of their importance in the campaign setting.

Elf, High

They were clad in colors that seemed luminous against the twilight, crimson, gold, purple, green, but the hue of each garment shimmered and flickered and changed from moment to moment. Some wore chain mail or plate, argent metal elaborately shaped and chased; others had robes and coronets. They were a tall people, moving with a liquid grace no human could rival, nor even a cat. A cold haughtiness marked their features, which were of a strange cast, high tilted cheekbones, winged nostrils, narrow chin. Their skin was white, their long fine hair blue-silver, the men beardless. ―Poul Anderson,

Three Hearts and Three Lions (1953)

High elves are the dominant natives of Aviona. Long-lived, arrogant, haughty, and egocentric, they are nonetheless exceptionally polite among themselves and those they view as equals, as they happily slaughter one another in duels over the slightest provocation. The typical elf views him or herself as a nascent godling, studies magic and swordplay to the point of obsession, and ultimately seeks to gain enough personal power to guarantee freedom and liberty for the remainder of his or her long life.

In order to begin to understand the laws, customs, and social structure of Aviona, it is imperative to remember that we are dealing with a (relatively) recent human infusion into an ancient, alien culture of fey origins. Elves are not simply skinny, pointy-eared humans; despite the fact that they can interbreed with mankind, their mind-set and social customs in some cases inspire disbelief or even outright repugnance, until one realizes that their morality (such as it is) is founded upon totally different perceptions of the world in which they live. Their conduct is governed by elaborate conventions that are largely incomprehensible to others, and many of which are idiosyncratic to each individual. Although they often “sin by omission,” and happily allow others to be misled, outright lying seems to constitute an admission of fallibility and is never done.

Physical Description: Elves in Aviona average the same height as humans, although with more variance (many are only 5 feet; others are over six and a half); they are thin and graceful; some metabolic irregularity prevents them from gaining or losing too much weight except in cases of famine. Musculature almost never adds perceptible bulk; elves remain lean even after years of weightlifting. Avionan elves lack the ridiculous bunny ears of their Golarion counterparts; their ears are small, distinctly pointed, and lie flat against the head. Their eyes are almond-shaped, with pupils often unusually colored (indigo, amber, or grass green, for example). They are pale-skinned, often with faint freckles, and feel discomfort in direct sunlight except in Aviona and Balvora, where the indigo sky’s exceptionally thick ozone layer filters out most of the ultraviolet radiation.

Type: High elves are Humanoids [Civilized], and also have the [Elf] subtype.

Languages: Elves begin play speaking Common and High Elvish (as distinct from Wood Elf; the Aviona setting does not have a single unified “Elven” language). Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Celestial, Gnome, Goblin, Wood Elf, and Sylvan.

Typical Classes: Fighter, Wizard. Elf sorcerers and rogues are also common. All high elves treat wizard as a favored class, even if they select a different one at 1st level. High Elves are eligible for the High Elf Paragon (“Daoine Sidhe”) class described below, and always treat that as a favored class.

High elves view deities simply as beings very much like themselves, and so are largely irreligious. Clerics among them are more rare than they are among other races.

When gaining a level in a favored class, rather than gaining +1 hp or 1 skill point, a high elf can instead choose one of the following:

  • Bladesinger (Ex): Reduce your arcane spell failure chance for wearing armor by 1%.

  • Critical Focus (Ex): You gain a +1 circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with the longsword, rapier, or smallsword. You can gain this benefit multiple times; each time, select a different weapon, or increase an existing confirmation bonus by +1 (to a maximum bonus of +4, at which point you are considered to have the Critical Focus feat with that weapon). This bonus does not stack with that from the Critical Focus feat.

  • Eternal Grudge (Ex): You grew up in an elitist community where generations-old slights and quarrels linger as eternal blood feuds. You gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against civilized humanoids other than high elves, or improve this existing favored enemy bonus by an additional +1, to a maximum bonus equal to half your character level +1 (as noted in Chapter 1).

Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Constitution: Elves are nimble, both in body and mind, but their forms are somewhat frail.

Racial Feats: Select any two of the following:

  • Dream Speaker (Sp): A few elves have the ability to tap into the power of sleep, dreams, and prescient reverie. You gain a +1 racial bonus to saving throw DCs for spells of the Divination school and all sleep effects you cast. In addition, if your Charisma is 15 or higher you may use dream once per day as a spell-like ability. Source: Advanced Player’s Guide.

  • Elven Immunities (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense (enchantment) as a bonus feat, and additionally are immune to magic sleep effects.

  • Elven Magic (Su): You gain Skill Focus (Concentration) or Spell Penetration as a bonus feat.

  • Graceful Warrior (Ex): You gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.

  • Quicksilver (Ex): You gain Superior Initiative as a bonus feat.

Racial Traits: High elves receive the following:

  • Keen Senses (Ex): Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks when not in bright light. They can use Perception instead of Disable Device to detect secret doors, and receive passive checks to notice secret or concealed doors within 5 ft.

  • Light Sensitivity (Ex): Elves are dazzled in bright light or within the radius of a daylight spell. Note that the indigo sky in Aviona reduces sunlight from bright to normal light, mitigating this weakness.

  • Low-Light Vision (Ex): Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Weapon Familiarity: High Elves have Martial proficiency with light blades and with the longsword. Those who have Martial proficiency with these weapons, as from a class feature, also gain Exotic proficiency with one specific type (e.g., the rapier). High elves dislike the touch of iron and steel, and whenever possible prefer to use arms and armor made of mithral or glassteel (if they can afford it) or alchemical silver or bronze (if not).

Racial Progression: Elves are eligible for the High Elf Paragon (Daoine Sidhe, pronounced something like ”Danny Shee”) class, allowing them to fully regain their otherworldly heritage as Sidhe. With each level, an elf’s pupils grow less distinct:

He looked at her through the strange slant eyes of the elves, all cloudy-blue without whites or a readily-seen pupil. There were little moon-flecks drifting in Imric’s eyes, and shadows of ancient knowledge, for he had dwelt long in the land. But he was ever youthful, with the broad forehead and high cheekbones, the narrow jaw and straight thin-chiseled nose of the elf lords.

―Poul Anderson, The Broken Sword (1971 ed.)

Other elves become so consumed with the building of personal power that they turn to the service of demon lords and become Dark Elves, or drow. Such elves are sadomasochistic parodies of their former selves, but are also filled with the dark power that consumed them. For PCs, drow are treated as a 2-level paragon class for particularly evil elves; there are no “good drow” (drow that somehow find redemption would trade their drow levels for Daoine Sidhe levels).

Very rarely, a high elf will retreat back to the forests, reclaiming the ancestral elven way of life; such a character can take levels in Lledrith Sidhe, despite not technically being a wood elf, but must forsake city life forever.

Daoine Sidhe Hit Dice: d8

Level BAB Special
1st +0 Damage reduction, Sidhe magic
2nd +1 Arcane channeling, weapon training
3rd +2 Attribute boost
4th +3 Armored casting
5th +3 Elf-lord

Saving Throws: Daoine Sidhe gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Will saves.

Bonus Skills: You receive 1 free rank per class level in Concentration, Planar Sense, and Spellcraft; these are otherwise treated as class skills.

Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Knowledge (any), Perception, Profession (any), Stealth, and Survival.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: High elf paragons are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. If they do not already possess it, they gain Exotic proficiency with one light blade of their choice (or the longsword).

Damage Reduction (Ex): You gain DR/cold iron equal to your paragon level (i.e., DR 1/cold iron at 1st level, to a maximum of DR 5/cold iron at 5th level). However, you also gain iron allergy 1, taking 1 hp of damage per round spent in contact with at least 2 pounds of iron or steel. A thin covering of cloth is insufficient to protect you from this effect, so you cannot wear iron or steel armor, for example, even if you wear padding under it.

Sidhe Magic (Sp): Your fey heritage provides you with the following magical abilities:

  • You gain the following spell-like abilities, as if from the Magical Talent feat: dancing lights, daze, faerie fire.

  • You gain a suite of racial spell-like abilities, as described in Chapter 7. Your list of racial spell-like abilities is as follows: 1sthypnotism, 2nd—personal shield of faith, 3rdcreate food & drink, 4thbeast shape II, 5thmirage arcana, 6thtrue seeing, 7thinstant summons, 8thscreen, 9threfuge.

  • You can choose to trade in your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong theurgy towards one arcane spellcasting progression, or Weak theurgy towards one other spellcasting progression.

Arcane Channeling (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain Spellstrike as a bonus feat, simulating the 3.5 edition Duskblade’s “arcane channeling” class feature.

Weapon Training (Ex): Also at 2nd level, you gain the effects of the Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats, applying to all light blades (Chapter 6).

Attribute Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, your racial bonus to Dexterity or Intelligence (your choice) increases by +2.

Armored Casting (Ex): At 4th level, you gain Arcane Armor Training as a bonus feat.

Elf-Lord (Su): At 5th level, you fully join the ranks of the sidhe. You gain a +2 racial bonus to Charisma. Your type changes from Humanoid to Fey, and you become immortal unless killed (you are also soulless, and therefore cannot be raised or resurrected if killed). As a fey, you gain the [chaotic] alignment descriptor. Finally, your blind-seeming eyes grant you continuous see invisibility.

Drow Hit Dice: d8

Level BAB Special
1st +0 Dark sidhe magic, darkvision, favored terrain, light blindness, spell resistance, thrall to demons
2nd +1 Attribute boosts, sadism/masochism

Saving Throws: Drow gain a +2 competence bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per drow level in Concentration, Knowledge (the planes), and Stealth. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

Class Skills: Administration, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Knowledge (lore), Perception, Planar Sense, Profession (mining), Spellcraft.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Drow gain Martial proficiency with darts, hand crossbows, light and heavy maces, short swords, whips and flails, and bucklers, and have Exotic proficiency with one of the items in the list. They are proficient with light armor.

Dark Sidhe Magic (Sp): Drow gain the following spell-like abilities, as if from the Magical Talent feat (minimum 1/day use)—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire, magic vestment1, magic weapon1.

At 2nd level, they gain the following additional spell-like abilities (likewise): detect magic, deeper darkness, discern lie, dispel magic, feather fall, greater magic weapon1, levitate, suggestion.

In addition, drow levels provide Weak theurgy to any existing spellcasting (if you have no existing spellcasting ability, you gain that ability, defaulting to cleric for females, or wizard for males). Drow levels also provide full synergy for determining the level at which domain powers function, and to Abyssal bloodline abilities (if any).

Darkvision (Ex): At 1st level, you gain darkvision 60 ft.; at 2nd level, the range increases to 120 ft. This supersedes (does not stack with) the darkvision granted by your favored terrain (see below).

Favored Terrain (Ex): Drow gain Favored Terrain (underground) as a bonus feat.

Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds drow for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.

Spell Resistance (Ex): At 1st level, you gain spell resistance equal to 6 + your total character level. At 2nd level, your SR improves to 11 + your character level.

Thrall to Demons (Su): As a sworn servant of demonic powers, you gain the [chaotic] and [evil] alignment descriptors. This palpable aura of dark power also provides a +2 racial bonus to Charisma.

Attribute Boosts (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity and Wisdom. These stack with any existing racial bonuses (such as the standard high elf’s +2 Dexterity).

Sadism/Masochism (Su): When a female drow reduces an opponent to half its hit points or below, she gains the effects of divine favor for the remainder of the encounter. Conversely, a male drow reduced to below half his or her normal hit points gains the effects, likewise for the remainder of the encounter.

Elf, Wood

At the head of a long line of feasters sat a woodland king with a crown of leaves upon his golden hair… The elvish folk were passing bowls from hand to hand and across the fires, and some were harping and many were singing.

―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937)

The wood elves of Estren (something like “Nûñnëhī” in their own tongue) are an offshoot of the ancestral elf race, retaining a closer semblance of the older way of life. They live in clans in the forests, existing as hunter/gatherers and skirmishing with other clans/tribes as well as with those of other races. They are generally hostile to the established order of things (it was they who refused to consent to human immigration in the ancient councils, preferring to make war on them instead), and are not citizens of any nation but their own, nor do they appear on census counts unless they have given up tribal life and become "civilized."

Physical Description: Wood elves, as a result of living away from Aviona, have reddish skins to better withstand the sun (although they remain within the gloomy depths of the forests whenever possible). They have black or reddish-brown hair, and brown, hazel, or dark green eyes.

Type: Wood elves are Humanoids [Uncivilized], and also have the [Elf] subtype.

Languages: Wood elves begin play speaking Common and Wood Elf. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Orcish, High Elvish, and Sylvan.

Typical Classes: Most wood elves are rangers; their shamans are druids. All wood elves treat ranger as a favored class, even if they select a different one at 1st level. Additionally, they are eligible for the Wood Elf Paragon (“Lledrith Sidhe”) class, as described below, and always treat it as a favored class.

When choosing a favored class bonus, wood elves can select one of the following in place of the usual +1 hit point or skill point:

  • Critical Focus (Ex): Choose a weapon from the following list: dagger, hand axe, heavy club, short bow, longbow. Add a +1 circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with that weapon (maximum bonus of +4, at which point you are considered to have the Critical Focus feat with that weapon). This bonus does not stack with that from the Critical Focus feat.

  • Favored Enemy (Ex): Gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against civilized humanoids or against animals, magical beasts, and vermin; or improve this existing favored enemy bonus by an additional +1.

  • Green March (Ex): Add 1 ft. to your base land speed. In combat this has no effect unless you have selected this option 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as a speed of 30 feet, for example. This bonus stacks with a class’s fast movement feature and applies only under the same conditions as that ability.

  • Silent Hunter (Ex): You reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 1 x the number of times you select this option.

  • Wilderness Runner (Ex): You receive a +1 racial bonus on Constitution checks, Endurance checks, and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments.

Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Wood Elves are nimble and at home in nature, but are taciturn, xenophobic, and get along poorly with livestock and with other races.

Racial Feats: Wood elves receive Favored Terrain (forests) as a bonus feat, and choose one of the following additional racial feats:

  • Elven Immunities (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense (enchantment) as a bonus feat, and additionally are immune to magic sleep effects.

  • Quicksilver (Ex): You gain Superior Initiative as a bonus feat.

  • Shared Insight (Ex): You can grant all friendly creatures within 30 feet who can see or hear you a +2 circumstance bonus on Perception checks.

Racial Traits: Wood elves gain the following traits:

  • Endure Elements (Ex): You have a permanent endure elements effect (as the spell, but the effect cannot be dispelled).

  • Light Sensitivity (Ex): Elves are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Note that a forest canopy reduces sunlight from bright to normal light or even dim light (dense forest or forest on a cloudy day), mitigating this weakness.

  • Low-Light Vision (Ex): Wood elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

  • Keen Senses (Ex): Wood elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks when not in bright light. They can also sense the planet’s magnetic field, allowing them to use know direction at will.

Weapon Familiarity: Wood Elves have Martial proficiency with bows and slings, heavy clubs, daggers, and hand axes. Those who gain Martial proficiency in all weapons from a class feature also gain Exotic proficiency with short bows. Wood elves intensely dislike the touch of iron and steel, and refuse to use arms and armor made from these materials; they instead have flint-headed arrows, sling stones made from baked ceramic, and, when possible, weapons crafted using the ironwood spell.

Racial Progression: Wood Elves are eligible for the Wood Elf Paragon (“Lledrith Sidhe”) class, allowing them to fully regain their otherworldly heritage as Sidhe. It is rumored that their demesnes are composed of a variety of sylvan demi-planes, stitched together by shadowmasters using the Power over Shadow feat, and that other creatures cannot enter them without permissionm; whatever the truth of it, the Lledrith Sidhe have the ability to sense adjacent planes.

In the Aviona campaign setting, it is unheard-of for a wood elf to become a drow (see above); however, some referees might allow it under unique circumstances.

Lledrith Sidhe Hit Dice: d8

Level BAB Special
1st +0 Damage reduction, elfsight, Sidhe magic
2nd +1 Elven woodcraft, elven archery
3rd +2 Attribute boost
4th +3 Careful speaker
5th +3 Elf-lord

Saving Throws: Lledrith Sidhe gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

Bonus Skills: You receive one free rank per class level in Concentration, Planar Sense, and Survival. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Endurance, Handle Animal, Knowledge (any), Perception, Profession, Spellcraft, Stealth.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Elf paragons are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. If they do not already possess it, they gain Exotic proficiency with the short bow and martial proficiency with the sling.

Damage Reduction (Ex): You gain DR/cold iron equal to your paragon level (i.e., DR 1/cold iron at 1st level, to a maximum of DR 5/cold iron at 5th level). However, you also gain iron allergy 1 (see under Daoine Sidhe, above).

Elfsight (Ex): An elf paragon has exceptional visual acuity. Your racial bonus on Perception checks increases by +2. In addition, your low-light vision increases in range, allowing you to see three times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.

Sidhe Magic (Sp): Your otherworldly heritage provides you with the following magical abilities:

  • You gain the following spell-like abilities, if from the Magical Talent feat: dancing lights, daze, faerie fire.

  • You gain the following racial suite of spell-like abilities (Chapter 7): 1stpass without trace, 2ndhawkeyeCAd, 3rdquench, 4thtree stride, 5thmirage arcana, 6thironwood, 7thcontrol weather, 8thcreate demiplaneUM, 9thantipathy. You can choose to give up your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong theurgy towards druid or ranger spellcasting ability, or Weak theurgy towards one other casting progression.

  • Lledrith Sidhe levels provide Strong synergy towards druidical initiate abilities, both for gaining new ones and for determining the effects of initiate abilities you already possess. A Lledrtih Sidhe without druid levels receives no benefit from this feature.

Elven Archery (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain the effects of the Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats, applying to all bows and slings.

Elven Woodcraft (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you are an heir to the legendary woodcraft of the sylvan elves. This manifests itself in the following ways:

  • Add half your Lledrith Sidhe class level to your favored terrain (forest) bonus. Your maximum favored terrain bonus is equal to 2 + half your total character level, as noted in Chapter 1.

  • You gain the tracking abilities (tracker, direction sense, swift tracker, etc.) of a ranger equal to your Lledrith Sidhe class level. If you have levels in ranger, your Lledrith Sidhe levels instead provide Full synergy towards gaining these abilities.

Attribute Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, your Dexterity or Constitution score (your choice) increases by 2 points.

Careful Speaker (Ex): At 4th level, you gain Careful Speaker as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the Arcane Resistance prerequisite (you must meet the other prerequisites normally).

Elf-Lord (Su): At 5th level, you fully join the ranks of the sidhe. Your racial bonus to wisdom increases by +2. Your type changes from Humanoid to Fey, and you are immortal unless killed (you are also soulless, meaning you cannot be raised or resurrected if killed). As a fey, you gain the [chaotic] alignment descriptor. Finally, your blind-seeming eyes grant you continuous see invisibility.

Human

I know that the history of man is not his technical triumphs, his kills, his victories. It is a composite, a mosaic of a trillion pieces, the account of each man’s accommodation with his conscience. This is the true history of the race.

―Jack Vance, The Last Castle (1966)

In addition to being the dominant race in the Kingdoms of Northwind and Aramni, and on the Estren Frontier, humans represent a large fraction of the population of Aviona itself, representing immigration from Northwind during the historical reign of the elf queen Silmar, and also a lesser number of political refugees from Aramni from the time of the occupation there.

Physical Description: Humans in the Pinesvaald are primarily fair-skinned caucasians, of Northwind ancestry; less common are olive-skinned people from Aramni. Also encountered are dark-skinned Flans and other swarthy folk of Continental stock, Orientals from distant lands (there is a sizeable enclave in Weimach), blacks from Hepmonaland, etc.

Type: Humans are Humanoids. The vast majority live in settlements, towns, communities, etc. and have the [civilized] subtype, although those few living as savages in the wilderness might have the [uncivilized] subtype.

Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Ogham).

Typical Classes: Any. Humans are eligible for the Human Paragon class (see below), and always treat it as a favored class.

Attribute Modifiers: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one attribute score of their choice at creation.

Racial Feats: Humans gain one bonus feat that can be used for anything desired, assuming the prerequisites are met (this takes the place of one racial feat and one trait). The other racial feat can be used for any one of the following (the default selection from the Core rules is Open Minded):

  • Adaptable Nature: You receive one of the following as a bonus feat: Adaptability, Deep Intuition, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (any one), or Toughness.

  • Defiant Luck: You gain one free Hero Point (Chapter 1) per day. Unlike normal hero points, these cannot be accumulated; if not used, they are lost. This subsumes the feat of the same name, and also the human’s Inexplicable Luck feat, from the Advanced Race Guide.

  • Favored Terrain: You gain favored terrain (any one) as a bonus feat.

  • Open Minded: Humans are adaptable and learn easily. Those with this racial feat gain Open Minded as a bonus feat, granting 1 free skill rank per class level.

  • Racial Traits: The versatility of the unrestricted human bonus feat counts as one trait. In addition, select any one of the following additional traits:

    • Additional Favored Class (Ex): You have two favored classes, rather than one.

    • Bestow Luck (Ex): You can gain this trait only if you have the Defiant Luck racial feat (q.v.). You can bestow an unused hero point on an ally who can see and hear you as an immediate action; this supersedes the feat of the same name from the Advanced Race Guide.

    • Eye for Talent (Ex): You have great intuition for hidden potential. You gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff checks to sense motive and to your Leadership score (if applicable). In addition, if you acquire an animal companion, bonded mount, cohort, or familiar, that creature gains a +2 bonus to one attribute score of your choice.

    • Heart of the Fields (Ex): Humans born in rural areas are used to hard labor. You gain Skill Synergy as a bonus feat (choose any three of the following synergy skills: Endurance, Handle Animal, one Craft skill, one Profession skill).

    • Heart of the Streets (Ex): Humans from bustling cities are skilled with crowds. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC and Reflex saves when adjacent to at least two allies.

    • Heart of the Wilderness (Ex): Humans raised in the wild learn the hard way that only the strong survive. Add half your character level to your Constitution score when determining the negative hit point total necessary to kill you.

    • Pathfinder Trait (Ex): You gain one of the traits from the Pathfinder rules. However, the following traits are not available: Heirloom Weapon (Adventurer’s Armory), Reactionary (Advanced Players Guide). Also, the names and descriptive “fluff” for setting-specific traits will obviously need to be modified according to the campaign.

    • Sociable (Ex): If you attempt to change a creature’s attitude with a Diplomacy check and fail by 5 or more, you can try to influence the creature a second time even if 24 hours have not passed.

    Weapon Familiarity: Humans have Simple proficiency with all weapons. Those who possess Martial Weapon Proficiency (heavy blades) gain free Exotic proficiency with one specific heavy blade of their choice.

    Racial Progression: Humans who push the boundaries of experience may become human paragons. They turn adversity into opportunity by finding new ways to apply their skills, discovering new techniques to solve problems, and challenging entropy by constantly seeking out ventures they have not yet mastered. Humans, and the paragons who rise from among them, balance strength with agility and temper intellect with intuition.

    Human Paragon Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Attribute boost, class synergy
    2nd +1 Attribute boost, bonus feat, theurgy
    3rd +2 Attribute boost, defiance
    4th +3 Attribute boost, heroic defiance

    Saving Throws: Human paragons gain a +2 class bonus to all saving throws.

    Class Skills: Choose any ten skills as class skills. (Craft, Knowledge, Perform, and Profession skills must be selected individually.)

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier (this does not include the bonus skill point at each level from the “Open Minded” racial feat, if applicable).

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Human paragons have Simple proficiency with all weapons, and are proficient with light armor. In addition, a human paragon gains Martial Weapon Proficiency (any one weapon group) as a bonus feat.

    Attribute Boost (Ex): At each new level in human paragon, you gain a +1 racial bonus to any attribute score of your choice; this stacks with any existing racial bonuses. The boosts gained at higher levels can be applied to the same score that you improved at 1st level, or to different score(s), at your option.

    Class Synergy (Ex): Human paragons are endlessly adaptable. Human paragon levels provide Strong synergy towards the class features (not including spellcasting progression) of all other classes.

    Bonus Feat (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a bonus feat. Due to the varied talents and adaptable nature of humans, this feat can be any feat for which you meet the prerequisites.

    Theurgy (Ex): Unlike the paragons of the various elder races, human paragons do not gain racial spell-like abilities. However, human paragon levels provide Weak theurgy towards any existing spellcasting progression(s).

    Defiance (Ex): The triumph of the human spirit over adversity is difficult to suppress. At 3rd level, you gain Defiance as a bonus feat. You also gain Heroic Defiance as a bonus feat at 4th level.

    Dwarf, Hill

    As anyone familiar with Sicilian folk music will tell you, Giuliano is considered a national hero in many quarters. He epitomized many of the inherent contradictions and conflicting impulses of Sicily itself. A populist and separatist who saw himself as a liberator of his people, he nevertheless allowed himself to be the pawn in machinations and power plays that had little to do with improving the lot of the Sicilian populace. At times too, it was hard to tell where his role as insurrectionary leader broke off and his life of crime and banditry began.

    ―Nella Coputri,

    Banditry and Organized Crime in Sicily (2005)

    A race of shepherds, smiths, and distillers from the Estren Highlands, it is unknown at what time hill dwarves diverged from their mountain brethren; they are the remnants of breakaway groups seeking liberation from the rigid class structure under the mountains.

    Unlike humans and elves, hill dwarves are a comparatively minor race in Aviona, with little role in politics or national importance; those who are Avionan citizens are often laborers, brewers, miners, metallurgists, or criminals. While off-duty, they keep to their own kind and drink ale, smoke tobacco, and sing maudlin songs. When found in the Estren Highlands, hill dwarves are notorious as bandits.

    Physical Description: Hill dwarves are a short and stocky race, and stand about a foot shorter than most humans (“Stump” is a derogatory term for a hill dwarf). They have tan or brown skin, brown or red-brown hair, and brown eyes. Male and female dwarves pride themselves on the length of their hair, and male dwarves often decorate their beards with a variety of clasps and intricate braids. They typically dress in furs and/or armor.

    Type: Peaceful and/or gainfully employed hill dwarves are Humanoids [Civilized]. The many hill dwarves who live as outcast brigands who stalk the highlands waylaying others, as bandits, have the [uncivilized] subtype instead. All dwarves also have the [Dwarf] subtype

    Languages: Hill Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Hill dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orcish, Terran, and Wood Elf.

    Typical Classes: Ranger, Rogue. Hill dwarves are eligible for the Hill Dwarf Paragon (“Maahiset”) class (see below), and always treat it as a favored class. When gaining a level in a favored class, a hill dwarf has the following options (instead of the standard +1 hp or +1 skill point):

    • Racial Enmity (Ex): You gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against one of the following: civilized humanoids; dragons; uncivilized humanoids; or monstrous humanoids and giants. Alternatively, you can improve an existing favored enemy bonus by an additional +1.

    • Stability (Ex): You gain a +1 racial bonus to your CMD to resist bull rushes, overruns, and trips; each additional time you select this option, the bonus increases by +1.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma: Hill dwarves are tough and strong, but also tend to look down on other races.

    Racial Feats: Choose two of the following:

    • Additional Traits: Hill dwarves can gain two additional traits in place of one racial feat.

    • Arcane Resistance (Ex): You receive a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by an additional +1 per 5 Hit Dice you possess.

    • Backstabber (Ex): You gain sneak attack +1d6 (see Rogue class description).

    • Defensive Training (Ex): You receive Giant-Slayer (see Combat Feats) as a bonus feat.

    • Highlander (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain (hills and mountains) as a bonus feat.

    • Stubborn (Ex): You receive Arcane Defense (enchantment) as a bonus feat. In addition, if you fail a save against an enchantment effect, you receive another save 1 round later to prematurely end the effect (assuming it has a duration greater than 1 round). This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If you have a similar ability from another source (such as a rogue's slippery mind), you can only use one of these abilities per round, but can try the other one on the second round if the first reroll ability fails.

    • Toughness: You gain Toughness as a bonus feat.

    Racial Traits: All hill dwarves receive the following traits:

    • Darkvision (Ex): You have darkvision 60 ft.

    • Dwarven Craftsmanship (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy as a bonus feat (synergy applies to all Craft checks and Knowledge: Lore).

    • Slow and Steady (Ex): Dwarves have a base land speed of 20 ft. per round, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.

    In addition, hill dwarves with the Additional Traits racial feat gain any two of the following:

    • Battle-Magic (Sp): As the Magical Talent feat; choose magic stone or magic weapon; once selected, you cannot change your mind. The chosen spell-like ability is usable once per day even if you have only 1 rank in Concentration.

    • Endure Elements (Ex): You have a permanent endure elements effect (as the spell, but the effect cannot be dispelled).

    • Hardy (Ex): You receive a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against [affliction] conditions.

    • Intimidating Prowess (Ex): You gain Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat.

    • Relentless (Ex): You are skilled at pushing your way through a battlefield, tossing aside lesser foes with ease. You gain Improved Bull Rush or Improved Overrun as a bonus feat.

    Weapon Familiarity: All hill dwarves have Martial proficiency with axes, crossbows, and hammers. If proficient with all martial weapons, you gain Exotic proficiency with one specific weapon from one of the groups listed above.

    Racial Progression: Known for their skill in warfare and their ability to withstand hardship, hill dwarves grow as strong as their highland homes. Hill dwarf paragons, known as “Maahiset,” exemplify this strength, building upon their already proven toughness, and promoting the crafts and strengths of their people whenever possible.

    Maahiset Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Highlander, hill magic
    2nd +2 Warcraft, weapon training
    3rd +3 Hale
    4th +4 Tenacity
    5th +5 Dwarven immunities

    Saving Throws: Maahisets gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: A maahiset receives one rank in Craft (any one) and Endurance per paragon class level. These does not count against your skill point total, but are otherwise treated as normal class skills.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Craft (any), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (warfare), Profession (any), Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Maahisets have Martial proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light and medium armor.

    Highlander (Ex): You gain favored terrain (hills and mountains), with a bonus equal to your hill dwarf paragon level. If you already have this favored terrain, the existing bonus increases by an additional +1 per class level. Your maximum favored terrain bonus for hills and mountains is equal to 2 + half your total character level (see Ranger).

    Hill Magic (Sp): You gain the following suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7): 1stmagic stone, 2ndpersonal barkskin, 3rdgreater magic weapon, 4thdivine power, 5thtransmute rock to mud, 6thheroes’ feast or move earth, 7thsymbol of stunning, 8thearthquake, 9thMordenkainen’s disjunction.

    You can choose to lose your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Weak theurgy to any one existing spellcasting progression.

    Maahiset levels also provide Weak synergy when determining the effects of clerical domain powers, sorcerer bloodline powers, or incarnate revelations.

    Warcraft (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, Maahiset levels provide Strong synergy to your fighter level (if any) for purposes of determining the effects of any fighter talents you possess, and to your rogue level (if any) when determining your sneak attack progression and the effects of combat talents.

    Weapon Training (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain the effects of the Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats, applying to all axes.

    Hale (Ex): At 3rd level, your racial bonus to Constitution increases by an additional +2.

    Tenacity: At 4th level, you gain Fight On as a bonus feat.

    Dwarven Immunities (Ex): At 5th level, you are immune to [affliction] conditions (Chapter 1). In addition, you gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your character level.

    Dwarf, Mountain

    Who should the race Of dwarfs create

    From the bloody sea And from Blain's bones.

    In the likeness of men Made they many

    Dwarfs in the earth, As Durin said.

    The Völuspá, as cited by Snorri Sturluson in

    The Prose Edda (ca. 1220)

    Mountain dwarves are a stoic but stern race, ensconced in cities carved from the hearts of mountains and owing fealty to a strong monarch of their own. It could be said that their history shapes the dark disposition of the race, for they reside below the high mountains, in dangerous realms below the earth, constantly at war with giants, goblins, and other such horrors. Mountain dwarves deny any kinship with hill dwarves (q.v.).

    Physical Description: Mountain dwarves superficially resemble hill dwarves, although their skin is hard and gray, and their hair is often gray, blond, or black. They dress in armor (when proficient) or tunics. Their bones are exceptionally dense.

    Type: Mountain dwarves are Humanoids [Civilized], and also have the [Dwarf] subtype

    Languages: Mountain dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orcish, Terran, and Undercommon.

    Typical Classes: Fighter, Cleric. Mountain dwarves are eligible for the Mountain Dwarf Paragon (“Dverge”) class (see below), and always treat it as a favored class.

    When gaining a level in a favored class, a mountain dwarf has the following options (instead of the standard +1 hp or +1 skill point):

    • Elder Craftsman: You gain a +1 competence bonus to any Craft skill of your choice. You may select this option multiple times; each time, select a different Craft skill or increase the bonus of an existing skill by +1 (to a maximum such bonus equal to half your class level). This otherwise duplicates the effects of Skill Focus feat.

    • Racial Enmity (Ex): You gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against one of the following groups: constructs and oozes; giants and monstrous humanoids; or uncivilized humanoids. Each time you select this bonus, you can apply it to a different favored enemy or improve an existing favored enemy bonus by +1.

    • Stability (Ex): You gain a +1 racial bonus to your CMD to resist bull rushes, overruns, and trips; each additional time you select this option, the bonus increases by +1.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Mountain dwarves are both tough and wise, but are so well-integrated into their strict social hierarchy that they have little personal presence; in a group, they tend to be followers rather than leaders.

    Racial Feats: Mountain dwarves automatically gain Favored Terrain (underground) as a bonus feat. The bonus this provides to your Profession (Mining) skill supersedes the “stonecunning” ability from the core rules.

    In addition, choose one of the following options:

    • Arcane Resistance (Ex): You receive a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by an additional +1 per 5 Hit Dice you possess.

    • Armored Might (Ex): You gain light, medium, and heavy armor proficiency, and Martial proficiency with all shields.

  • Azer Blood (Ex): You receive the Arcane Defense feat, which applies to spells and abilities with the [fire] descriptor. In addition, you have resistance 5 to fire; this stacks with any existing resistance to fire.

  • Defensive Training (Ex): You receive Giant-Slayer (see Combat Feats) as a bonus feat.

  • Stone Warden (Ex): You gain a natural armor bonus to AC equal to your Constitution modifier (maximum +1 per HD you possess). This bonus does not stack with any Dexterity bonus to AC.

  • Stonesinger (Sp): If you have levels in cleric (Earth domain), incarnate (metal or stone mystery), sorcerer (deep earth or elemental earth bloodline), or wizard (earth elemental esoteric branch), you gain Weak synergy from your other class levels when adjudicating the effects of the granted powers, revelations, or school powers associated with that domain, mystery, bloodline, or school. A dwarf with this racial feat and the acid resistance trait emulates an oread, from the Pathfinder Bestiary 2.

  • Racial Traits: You receive the following traits:

    • Darkvision (Ex): The range of your existing darkvision increases by 40 ft., providing a total range of 60 ft. when combined with your favored terrain.

    • Dwarf-Lore (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy as a bonus feat (synergy applies to all Craft checks and to Knowledge: Lore).

    • Slow and Steady (Ex): Dwarves have a base land speed of 20 ft. per round, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.

    You may choose one or both of the negative traits listed below, although this is not required. If you choose one or both negative traits, you also gain one additional optional trait from the list below per negative trait selected. Alternatively, you can take both negative traits and choose an additional racial feat.

    • Agoraphobia (weakness): The first time each day that you venture outdoors (aboveground) during daylight hours, you must succeed at a DC 15 Will save. If you fail, you are shaken whenever you are outdoors for the remainder that day.

    • Light Sensitivity (weakness): You are dazzled in bright light.

    Additional Traits List:

    • Acid Resistance (Ex): You gain resistance 5 to acid.

    • Battle-Magic (Sp): As the Magical Talent feat; choose magic stone or magic weapon; once selected, you cannot change your mind. The chosen spell-like ability is usable once per day even if you have less than 2 ranks in Concentration.

    • Hardy (Ex): You receive a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against [affliction] conditions.

    Weapon Familiarity: All mountain dwarves have martial proficiency with hammers and picks. If proficient with all martial weapons due to a class feature, they gain Exotic proficiency with one specific hammer or pick of their choice.

    Racial Progression: Certain mountain dwarves becomes paragons of their race: tenacious warriors and craftsmen capable of producing mighty magic items. At the end of 8 levels of Dverge progression (see below), a mountain dwarf is nearly identical to the Midgard Dwarf as described in Frostburn.

    Certain other mountain dwarves come to revel in evil and greed, and forsake their kin—or are outcast by them—to dwell among the more dangerous races of the Underdark. These “gray dwarves,” or duergar, lose their hair and quickly become emaciated in the struggle to survive away from the rest of dwarven society. The Duergar is presented here as a 2-level paragon class for Mountain Dwarves.

    Dverge Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Forge magic
    2nd +2 Master smith, spell resistance
    3rd +3 Alternate form, natural armor +1
    4th +4 Dvalinn’s gift
    5th +5

    Son of Niðavellir, natural armor +2

    6th +6 Mótsognir’s roar
    7th +7 Curse, natural armor +3
    8th +8 Attribute boosts

    Saving Throws: Dverge gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude, Intuition, and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: Dverge receive one free rank per class level in Concentration, Craft (smith) and Spellcraft. These do not count against your skill point total, but are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Bluff, Craft (any), Endurance, Escape Artist, Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Planar Sense, and Profession (mining). Mountain dwarf paragons generally select Craft (lapidary) as their secondary skill (Chapter 4), in order to make the most of their Master Smith ability.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dverge have Martial proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor.

    Then went Loki to the dwarfs that are called the Sons of Ivaldi, and they made the golden hair and ship Skidbladner, and the spear that Odin owned and is called Gungnir. Thereupon Loki wagered his head with the dwarf, who hight Brok, that his brother Sindri would not be able to make three other treasures equally as good as these were.

    ―Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda (ca. 1220)

    Forge Magic (Ex, Sp): Dverge are paragon magical craftsmen. At 1st level, you gain the following:

    • Imbue Item as a bonus feat (if you already have this feat, you gain no additional benefit).

    • Domain Access (Artifice domain) as a bonus feat, using your Craft (smith) skill in place of Knowledge (the planes). If you have levels in Cleric or Archivist, your Dverge levels provide Full synergy towards your granted powers from the Artifice domain.

    • If you have no spellcasting ability, you gain the spells from the Artifice Domain or Dwarf Domain (choose one) as a suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7).

    • If you have spellcasting ability, your Dverge levels instead provide Weak theurgy to one existing spellcasting progression.

    Master Smith (Ex): Add half your Dverge class level as a racial bonus to all Craft checks; this stacks with the bonus from your racial traits. Also add half your Dverge level as a racial bonus to Spellcraft checks. When crafting items, you spend 10% less gold for raw materials. You also require 50% less time to create those items (this supersedes the Arcane Builder discovery from Ultimate Magic). Items you personally craft count only half of their effective price towards your magical item affinity score (“numen”—see Chapter 6). If you have levels in generalist wizard, the total cost reduction for raw materials is 20%, and you can make items in one-fourth the normal time.

    Spell Resistance (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain spell resistance equal to your total character level + your number of levels in Dverge (for example, a dverge 4 with no other class levels has SR 8; a mountain dwarf wizard 4/dverge 4 has SR 12).

    Alternate Form (Sp): At 3rd level, you learn to assume the form of certain Tiny animals at will, as if by a beast shape II spell. Choose from the following: badger, otter, raven, salmon, or weasel.

    Natural Armor (Ex): At 3rd level, your skin begins to become as hard as the metals you work at your forge. You gain a +1 natural armor bonus, or improve your existing natural armor bonus by an additional +1. You gain another +1 at 5th and 7th levels.

    Dvalinn’s Gift (Ex): At 4th level, you gain full access to the Rune domain, including bonus spells, domain powers, and variant channeling. If you have no spellcasting ability, you gain the domain bonus spells as a suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7). If you have spellcasting ability, you can select Rune domain spells in place of your normal bonus spells.

    Son of Niðavellir (Ex): At 5th level, your type changes to Outsider [native]. You no longer suffer attribute penalties for aging, and are effectively immortal unless killed. You also receive a +1 racial modifier to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence; these bonuses stack with existing racial modifiers.

    Mótsognir’s Roar (Ex): At 6th level, you receive a +2 racial bonus to Charisma (effectively removing the -2 you originally had for being a mountain dwarf).

    Curse (Sp): Starting at 7th level, once per year as a standard action you can lay a powerful curse on someone who has wronged you (usually by stealing from you, injuring you, or killing a close relation). This functions like bestow curse (DC 10 + half your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier), except that the range is unlimited, and the spell is dismissible. You must be able to see or describe his target (for example, “the thief who took my gold, wherever he is” or “the one who killed Snorri”) and the target must be guilty of the injury you specify. Dwarves on the brink of falling in battle have been known to forego an attack in order to curse the enemy who is about to defeat them.

    Instead of targeting a person, you can choose to curse any item you personally have crafted; the curse then affects anyone possessing the item.

    Attribute Boosts (Ex): At 8th level, you gain an additional +1 racial bonus to Str, Dex, Con, Int, and Charisma.

    Duergar Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1

    Favored terrain, light sensitivity, sneaky, spell-like abilities

    2nd +2

    Duergar immunities, spell theurgy

    Saving Throws: Duergar gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per duergar level in Concentration and Profession (mining). These are otherwise treated as a class skill.

    Class Skills: Bluff, Craft (any), Endurance, Escape Artist, Knowledge (lore), Perception, and Stealth.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Duergar have Martial proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor. They also gain Exotic proficiency with warhammers.

    Favored Terrain (Ex): Your existing favored terrain (underground) bonus from starting off as a mountain dwarf increases by +1 per Duergar level, increasing the range of your darkvision to at least 100 ft. by 2nd level, and providing you with a burrow speed of 5 ft. at 2nd level (see Ranger).

    Light Sensitivity (Ex): At 1st level, you gain light sensitivity, assuming you didn’t already have that trait. If you already had light sensitivity, it becomes light blindness instead.

    Sneaky: You are adept at avoiding your former kin, and the horrors that dwell in your underdark home. At 1st level, you gain Skill Focus (Stealth) as a bonus feat. Your commitment to darkness also imposes the [evil] alignment descriptor on you.

    Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At 1st level, you gain Magical Talent as a bonus feat (Chapter 5); the associated spell-like abilities are enlarge person (self only) and reduce person (self only). These are usable 1/day even if you have only 1 rank in Concentration. At 2nd level you gain invisibility (self only); likewise usable at least 1/day with only 2 ranks in Concentration.

    Duergar Immunities: Starting at 2nd level, you are immune to paralysis, phantasms, and poison.

    Spell Theurgy: Duergar levels provide Weak theurgy towards any one existing psionic or spellcasting progression.

    Gnome

    Holger didn’t see him till a hand plucked at his trousers and a bass voice rumbled, “Here I be.” Looking down, he saw a knotty, earthbrown man with jug handle ears, outsize nose, and white beard, clad in a brown jacket and breeches, with bare splay feet. The man was not quite three feet tall.

    “This is Hugi,” said Mother Gerd. “He’ll be your guide to Faerie.” ―Poul Anderson,

    Three Hearts and Three Lions (1953)

    Gnomes are fey creatures that can be found in small, insular clans in the Griffin Peaks of Northwind or in other hilly, rocky areas (these are called “rock gnomes”); dwelling in the hollows of ancient trees in the elf-lands (“forest gnomes”); or living in the cellars of buildings, among elves or men in cities (“city gnomes”). Rock gnomes are obnoxious and disinclined to speak with (or be seen by) outsiders. Forest gnomes are furtive around bigger folk, although they are friendly with animals, druids, elf children, and halflings. City gnomes are great faddists, and while liked for their outlandish sense of humor, many people of other races find their humor bizarre or downright incomprehensible.

    Physical Description: Think Huygen & Poortvliet, rather than Golarion. Gnomes are very small (3 feet tall), with outrageously large noses. Young gnomes have pale, soft skin; as they age, their skin darkens, becoming tan and eventually dark brown; it also toughens, so that an elderly gnome’s skin is like tree bark. Gnomes are occasionally thin, but more often stocky. Their hair is blonde or black in youth, becoming white or gray (respectively) as they age; they do not sport the Cyndi Lauper day-glo colors of their Pathfinder namesakes.

    Type: Gnomes are Fey, rather than humanoids; they are immune to humanoid-specific spells such as hold person. As fey, gnomes have the [chaotic] alignment descriptor.

    Languages: Gnomes begin play speaking Common and Gnome. Gnomes with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, High Elvish, Wood Elf, Giant, Goblin, Sylvan, and Terran.

    Typical Classes: Ranger, Druid, Illusionist (gnomes always treat illusionist as a favored class, even if they choose a different one at 1st level). Gnomes are also eligible for the Gnome Paragon class (see below), and always treat it as a favored class. When gaining a level in a favored class, instead of choosing +1 hp or +1 skill point, a gnome can choose the following:

    • Favored Enemy (Ex): You gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against aberrations, uncivilized humanoids, oozes, or vermin, or improve an existing favored enemy bonus by +1.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Strength. Gnomes are physically weak but surprisingly hardy. They tend to be very cautious, especially of bigger folk.

    Racial Feats: Choose any two of the following:

    • Camouflage (Sp): You gain Magical Talent (blur—self only) as a bonus feat. You can use thus ability once per day, even if you have only 1-3 ranks in Concentration.

    • Defensive Training (Ex): You gain Giant-Slayer (see Combat Feats) as a bonus feat.

  • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain as a bonus feat. The type of terrain depends on your sub-race: city gnomes have urban; forest gnomes have forests; and rock gnomes have hills and mountains or underground (choose one) as their favored terrain.

  • Gnome Magic (Sp): You gain Spell Focus (illusion) as a bonus feat. If your Charisma is 11 or higher you also gain the following spell-like abilities, as if from the Magical Talent feat—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation.

  • Illusion Resistance (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense (illusion) as a bonus feat, and are immune to the color spray spell.

  • Magical Linguist (Sp) (city gnome only): You add a +1 racial bonus to the DC of spells you cast with the language-dependent descriptor or those that create glyphs, symbols, or other magical writings. If your Charisma is 11 or higher, you gain the following spell-like abilities, as if from the Magical Talent feat: arcane mark, message.

  • Nonedetection (Su): You are continuously affected as if by a nondetection spell (effective caster level equal to your character level, even if your number of ranks in Concentration is less than that).

  • Pass without Trace (Su): You are continuously affected as if by a pass without trace spell. You can suppress or resume this ability as a free action.

  • Racial Traits: Gnomes have the following traits:

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): Gnomes can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

    • Small Size: Gnomes are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Their base land speed is 20 ft. per round, rather than 30 ft. per round.

    In addition, choose any two of the following:

    • Gift of Tongues (Ex) (city gnome only): Gnomes with this racial trait gain a +1 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and they learn to speak and read one additional language every time they put a rank in the Linguistics skill (rather than having to choose whether to speak or read).

    • Keen Senses (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (as the bonus feat) in Craft (Alchemy) and Perception.

    • Skill Knack (Ex): You gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat. If you are a city gnome, you receive Skill Focus in any one Craft, Knowledge, Perform, or Profession skill of your choice; forest gnomes instead gain Skill Focus in Handle Animal or Survival; rock gnomes gain Skill Focus in Craft (Construction) or Profession (Mining).

    • Speak with Forest Animals (Su) (forest gnome only): You can speak with animals, as if under a continuous speak with animals spell.

    • Speak with Burrowing Animals (Su) (rock gnome only): You can speak with burrowing animals, as if under a continuous speak with animals spell.

    Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes have Martial proficiency with light hammers, light picks, and spears. Those with martial proficiency in all weapons (due to a class feature) gain Exotic proficiency with any one of the previously-listed weapons.

    Racial Progression: Gnome paragon class levels grant fey racial hit dice, as described below. Alternatively, some rock gnomes, instead of venturing forth from their hilly homes, dig ever deeper into the earth and eventually find homes deep underground, as Deep Gnomes. A deep gnome's ties to the eerie realm of the fey are even stronger than those of their surface-dwelling gnome kin, and this makes them either strangely detached from their emotions or violently random in their outbursts. They also gain powers related to rock and stone, becoming equivalent to svirfneblin (Bestiary) and eventually to pech (Bestiary 2).

    Gnome Paragon Hit Dice: d6

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Damage reduction, gnome trickery, keen senses
    2nd +1 Fey shroud
    3rd +1 Gnome cunning
    4th +2 Evasion
    5th +2 True seeing

    Saving Throws: Gnome paragons gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per gnome paragon level in Concentration, Handle Animal, Planar Sense, and Stealth. These are otherwise treated as a class skills.

    Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Knowledge (any), Perception, Perform (any), Profession (any), Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gnome paragons have Simple proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light armor.

    Gnome Trickery (Sp): Your fey heritage provides you with the following magical abilities:

    • You gain the following suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7): 1stcamouflageMF, 2ndmirror image, 3rdnondetection, 4thgreater invisibility, 5thmislead, 6th—quickened mirror image, 7th—quickened greater invisibility, 8thscreen, 9thtime stop. You can choose to give up these spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong theurgy towards illusionist spellcasting, or Weak thurgy towards any one other spellcasting progression.

    • If you are an illusionist, Gnome paragon levels provide Strong synergy for purposes of determining your specialist bonus, your school powers, and the level at which your school powers function.

    Damage Reduction (Ex): You gain DR/cold iron in an amount equal to your gnome paragon level.

    Keen Senses (Ex): A gnome paragon's racial bonus on Perception checks and Craft (alchemy) checks increases by +2.

    Fey Shroud (Su): At 2nd level, you have a 5% miss chance (as if from partial concealment) against all opponents; this miss chance is negated once an opponent actually strikes you. The initial miss chance improves by 5% per gnome paragon level thereafter, to a maximum of 20% at 5th level. This ability supersedes the Haunted Gnome Shroud feat from Ultimate Combat. It overlaps with (does not stack with) other miss chances, as from a blur or displacement spell, the Wind Stance feat, or the cloak of shadow illusionist ability.

    Gnome Cunning (Ex): At 3rd level, your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score (your choice) increases by 2 points.

    Evasion (Ex): At 4th level, you gain evasion, as the rogue class feature. If you have levels in rogue, your Gnome Paragon level instead provides Full synergy towards gaining improvements.

    True Seeing (Su): A 5th level gnome paragon gains the continuous effects of a true seeing spell as a supernatural ability.

    Deep Gnome Hit Dice: d6

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Damage reduction, deep magic, favored terrain
    2nd +1 Agile dodge, twilight luck
    3rd +1 Nondetection, spell resistance
    4th +2 Earth mastery, light blindness, natural armor, strength of stone
    5th +2 Immunities, stone knowledge
    6th +3 Cooperative magic

    Saving Throws: As fey, deep gnomes gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves. Your connection with the earth also provides a +2 class bonus to Fortitude saves.

    Bonus Skills: Deep gnomes automatically gain 1 rank per class level in Concentration, Craft (construction) and Profession (mining). These are treated as class skills, except you need not spend any skill points on them.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Craft (any), Disable Device, Endurance, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Knowledge (any), Perception, Profession (any), Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Deep gnomes have Simple proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light armor. They also gain Exotic proficiency with heavy picks.

    Damage Reduction (Ex): You gain DR/cold iron in an amount equal to your Deep Gnome level (maximum DR 6/cold iron at 6th level).

    Deep Magic (Sp/Ex): The magic of the earth and stones rests in you. You gain the [Earth] subtype, and each of the following, as applicable:

  • You gain the following suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7): 1stdisguise self, 2ndsummon nature’s ally II (Small earth elemental) or blur, 3rdstone shape or blindness/deafness or meld into stone, 4thwall of stone, 5thstone tell, 6thflesh to stone or stone to flesh, 7thsummon nature’s ally VII (greater earth elemental), 8thearthquake, 9thclashing rocksAPG.

  • A deep gnome with levels in incanate (Stone mystery), sorcerer (Deep Earth or Earth Elemental bloodline), or wizard (illusionist or Earth elementalist) can choose to give up all spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spell theurgy.

  • Also, if you have levels in cleric (Earth domain), incarnate (Stone mystery), sorcerer (Deep Earth or Elemental Earth bloodline), or wizard (illusionist or earth elemental specialist), your deep gnome levels provide Strong synergy for purposes of determining your bloodline/domain/revelation/ school powers and their effects.

  • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain favored terrain (underground), as the ranger class feature, with a bonus equal to your Deep Gnome level, with a maximum bonus equal to half your total character level +2. You gain double the normal darkvision range from this ability (i.e., 20 ft. per +1 bonus, rather than 10 ft., for a maximum range of 120 ft. at a favored terrain bonus of +6).

    Agile Dodge (Ex): Deep gnomes become increasingly adept at evading the horrid threats that dwell in the Underdark. At 2nd level, you gain a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity, and gain Dodge as a bonus feat.

    Twilight Luck (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you gain a +2 luck bonus to all saving throws.

    Nondetection (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you are under the constant effects of nondetection (as the spell), with a caster level equal to your total character level (even if your number of ranks in Concentration is less than that). If you already have this as a gnomish racial feat, the caster level of the effect increases by +2.

    Spell Resistance (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your character level.

    Earth Mastery (Ex): At 4th level, you gain the [earth] subtype. You also gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both you and your foes are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, you take a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls.

    Light Blindness (Ex): By 4th level, your pupils have disappeared, leaving you with blank, bulging white eyes. You are blinded for 1 round if exposed to bright light. You are dazzled as long as you remain in areas of bright light.

    Natural Armor (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a +2 bonus to natural armor; this increases to +4 at 5th level.

    Strength of Stone (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a +2 racial bonus to Strength (essentially eliminating the -2 racial penalty from being a gnome). The bonus to Strength increases by an additional +2 per class level thereafter, to a maximum of +6 at 6th level.

    Immunities (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you are immune to illusions and petrifaction.

    Stone Knowledge (Ex): Starting at 5th level, your knowledge of earth and stone grants a +1 racial bonus on attack and damage rolls and the benefits of the Improved Critical feat against creatures and objects made of stone or earth or with the [earth] subtype.

    Cooperative Magic (Sp): An experienced deep gnome can manage a cooperative group, working together to use higher-level spell-like abilities than he or she would otherwise be capable of. For every two assistants with at least one level of Deep Gnome, you can increase your effective number of ranks in Concentration (for purposes accessing and casting racial spell-like abilities only) by +1. This is a specific exception to the rule against increasing your caster level above your total number Hit Dice (Chapter 1). Each assistant must be adjacent to you during the casting, and each must use a full-round action to take part.

    Goblin

    The horse was coming down the trail at a sloppy gallop. Bestriding it was a small and dumpy figure that bounced most amazingly with each motion of its mount. It was a far from graceful rider, with its elbows thrust out on either side of it, flapping like a pair of wings.

    The horse came tearing down the slope and swung out on the green. It was no more graceful than its rider, but a shaggy plow horse, and its mighty hoofs, beating like great hammers, tore up clods of turf and flung them far behind it. It came straight at the flier, almost as if intent on running over it, then at the last moment wheeled clumsily and came to a shuddering halt, to stand with its sides heaving in and out like bellows, and snorting through its flabby nostrils.

    Its rider slid awkwardly off its back and when he hit the ground, exploded in a gust of wrath.

    "It is them no-good bummers!" he shouted. "It is them lousy trolls!”

    ―Clifford Simak, The Goblin Reservation (1968)

    In the wild, goblins dwell in tribes in mountain caves, ruined castles, or forest bramble thickets, along with their larger bugbear kin (see below). In civilized lands, goblin bands sometimes skulk at the edges of cities in Roma-like shanty towns; the goblins themselves are viewed with deep mistrust, as likely thieves and probable murderers as well. They therefore fill much the same niche as the Pathfinder ratfolk (Advanced Race Guide), some of whose trait options are included here.

    Physical Description: A goblin stands 3 to 3½ feet tall and weighs about 45 pounds. Its eyes vary in color from yellow to pitch black. A mountain goblin’s skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange, gray, or brown to a deep brick red; forest breeds are green instead. Goblins tend to wear clothing of dark leather, preferring drab, soiled-looking colors.

    Type: Goblins are Humanoids [Uncivilized]. They also have the [goblinoid] subtype.

    Languages: Goblins begin play speaking Goblin. Goblins with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling, Orcish, and Sylvan.

    Typical Classes: Rogue, Wizard. Goblin wizards (“pukje”) often live in the mountains, and are renowned for their skill at alchemy. All goblins treat rogue as a favored class, even if they select a different one at 1st level. Goblins with human blood (hobgoblins—see Appendix A) are eligible for the Goblin Paragon class (see below), and always treat that as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma. Goblins are agile and hardy, but a lifetime and ancestral heritage of skulking in the shadows means that they have very little presence or magnetism to speak of.

    Racial Feats: Goblins gain the following racial feats:

    • Additional Traits: Goblins gain two additional traits, reflected below.

    • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain (underground, hills/mountains, or forests, depending on where you come from) as a bonus feat.

    Racial Traits: All goblins share the following traits:

    • Small size: Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

    • Darkvision (Ex): Goblins have darkvision with a 60 ft. range.

    • Fast (Ex): Despite their small size, goblins have a base speed of 30 ft., rather than 20 ft.

    • Sneaky (Ex): Goblins gain Skill Focus (Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    In addition, choose two of the following (from your Additional Traits racial feat):

    • Bite (Ex): Goblins are known for their balloon-like heads and enormous maws, but some have even more exaggeratedly large heads filled with razor-sharp teeth. You gain a bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage.

    • Brewer (Ex): Craft (Alchemy) as a bonus feat.

    • Eat Anything (Ex): 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. You gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against [affliction] conditions.

    • Keen Senses (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy as a bonus feat (Craft: alchemy and Perception).

    • Scavenger (Ex): Goblins who live within the boundaries of human cities survive by scavenging for refuse and hunting stray animals. You gain Skill Synergy (Perception and Survival) as a bonus feat, and can use Survival to forage for food while in a city.

    • Swarming (Ex): Goblins are used to living and fighting communally, and are adept at swarming foes for their own gain and their foes' detriment. Up to two goblins with this trait can share the same square at the same time. If two goblins in the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.

    • Tinker (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Disable Device, Spellcraft) as a bonus feat.

  • Wolf-rider (Ex): You gain Skill Focus (Handle Animal) as a bonus feat.

  • Weapon Familiarity: Goblins have Martial Weapon Proficiency with bludgeons, cutlasses (“dogslicers”), spears, and with either one ranged weapon of their choice or with halberds (“horse-choppers”). Those proficient with all martial weapons from a class feature receive Exotic proficiency with the cutlass, halberd, or spear (choose one).

    Racial Progression: Certain exceptionally powerful and bloodthirsty goblins choose to advance by racial hit dice, following the goblin paragon (“Bugbear”) class to eventually become full bugbears. To create a bugbear, start with the Hobgoblin half-breed race (see Appendix A) to represent a particularly large and strong goblin, then take class levels as follows. The creature type of a goblin with levels in Bugbear changes to Monstrous Humanoid.

    Bugbear Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Catch off-guard, intimidating prowess, natural armor
    2nd +2 Scent, sneak attack +1d6
    3rd +3 Attribute boost (+2 Str)

    Saving Throws: Bugbears retain the quickness and cunning of their goblin heritage, and also the hardiness and will of a hobgoblin. Bugbears gain a +2 class bonus to all saving throws.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Disable Device, Endurance, Heal, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points per Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Goblin paragons have Simple proficiency with all weapons and shields, and have Martial proficiency with bludgeoning weapons (they prefer spiked maces) and javelins. They are proficient with light and medium armor.

    Catch Off Guard: You gain Catch Off-Guard as a bonus feat at 1st level, allowing you to use maces as thrown weapons.

    Intimidating Prowess (Ex): You gain Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat.

    Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a natural armor bonus equal to your goblin paragon class level. This stacks with any existing natural armor bonus you may possess (or subsequently gain).

    Scent (Ex): At 2nd level, a bugbear becomes hairy and bestial. Your nostrils widen and become sensitive to smells, giving you the scent special ability.

    Sneak Attack (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain sneak attack, as the rogue class feature of the same name. This stacks with any existing sneak attack ability (although your maximum number of sneak attack dice is always limited to half your total number of Hit Dice, rounded up).

    Attribute Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, you reach your full growth as a bugbear. Your height is seven feet, and you receive an additional +2 racial bonus to Strength.

    Progression: Goblin paragons can tap into fiendish heritage as well by taking levels in Planetouched (worghest), as described in Appendix C.

    Halfling

    I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, as they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves. There is little or no magic about them, except for the ordinary everyday sort which helps them disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along… They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers;, good natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day if they can get it).

    ―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937)

    Halflings (“hobbits” to elves, or simply “hobs,” among themselves) are the exception to the Avionan rule of racial tolerance; they get teased a lot, and learn to just deal with it (there's really nothing they can do about it, as they are smaller and weaker than all the other races except the gnomes, and less intelligent than all but the hill dwarves). Groups of halflings are typically under the protection of an elven noble, like the Teckla in Steven Brust’s Dragaera novels. Although legally entitled to full citizenship, they are treated like second-class citizens, and have an unusually high incidence of servants, etc. vs. better jobs. This treatment might explain why halflings make such good rogues.

    In any event, halflings, as a "hard-working, industrious" race, respond well to recognition, advancement opportunity, and pay, and can be the most loyal and efficient of all servants, if they don't end up as thieves (since they tend to dislike adventures and such, this is not unlikely). In rural areas, halflings are overwhelmingly found serving as farm hands, or in segregated halfling villages consisting of two or three extremely large extended families.

    Despite their generally low social status, halflings often conduct themselves as if they were great and important personages, inventing grandiose nicknames for themselves and elaborate tales of their greatness. One on one or in small groups, they are headstrong, full of life, and very difficult to ignore.

    Physical Description: Avionan halflings are small (about 3½ feet tall), with skin color varying from fair to dark; many individuals also have light and dark skin in markings (a ring around an eye, pale skin and black hands, etc.) or are actually piebald. Female halflings ("jills") in Aviona are typically exceptionally curvy (quite unlike the anorexic things depicted in the 3rd edition art). All halflings are generally hirsute, although they cannot grow beards (males often wear long mutton-chop sideburns to make up for it).

    Halflings are fecund, and twins, triplets, etc. are more common in halflings than in other races. As a balancing factor, some 1% of halfling females have four breasts, rather than the standard two; perhaps 1% of those have six instead (three rows of two). Approximately one male in 200 has a third testicle.

    Type: Halflings are Humanoids [Civilized].

    Languages: Halflings begin play speaking Common and Halfling. Halflings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Goblin.

    Typical Classes: Rogue, Bard. All halflings treat rogue as a favored class (in addition to any other favored class they select at 1st level). Halflings are also eligible for the Halfling Paragon class (see below), and always treat that as a favored class as well.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength. Halflings are agile, headstrong, and likeable, but their small stature grants them poor leverage and makes them weaker than other races.

    Racial Feats: Halflings choose two of the following:

    • Auspices (Sp): Once per week you can use augury as a spell-like ability by interpreting the flight of birds. You must be outdoors to use this ability. If you are trained in Concentration, you can use this ability once per day per 4 ranks you possess.

    • Beginner’s Luck (Ex): You are adept at making your way in a world filled with bigger, more powerful, more experienced creatures. You gain Beginner’s Luck as a bonus feat.

    • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain as a bonus feat, selecting plains if you grew up in rural areas, or cities if in an urban center.

    • Good Companion (Ex): Once per day, when one of your allies within 30 feet makes a saving throw, you may roll the same saving throw as if you were the one subject to the effect requiring it. Your ally may choose to use your saving throw in place of his own. You may use this ability after your ally has rolled, but before the referee declares if the roll was a success or failure (this supersedes the Lucky Halfling feat).

    • Halfling Jinx (Su): You have the ability to curse another creature within 30 ft. with bad luck (-1 penalty to all saving throws; Intuition negates, DC 10 + half your character level + your Charisma modifier) at will as a standard action. This jinx lasts for 24 hours or until you jinx another creature. Source: Halflings of Golarion.

    • Halfling Luck (Su): You receive a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws.

    • Halfling Magic (Sp): You gain Spell Focus (Divination) as a bonus feat. You also gain the following spell-like abilities, per the Magical Talent feat: keep dry, mending, predict weather.

    • Halfling Nimbleness: You can move through the spaces of hostile creatures that are larger than you without provoking attacks of opportunity.

    • Hard-Headed (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense against illusions as a bonus feat. In addition, you are immune to the color spray spell.

    • Keen Scent (Ex): You gain the Scent special ability.

    • Skillyman (Ex): You are adept at stitching small spells into boots, cloaks, and so on. You gain Imbue Item as a bonus feat, and one free rank per class level in Craft (needlework).

    Racial Traits: Halflings are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Their base land speed is 20 ft. per round, rather than 30 ft. per round, and their carrying capacity is ¾ that of a Medium creature.

    They may also choose three of the following traits:

    • Animal Senses (Ex): You receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

    • Athletic Prowess (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Athletics, Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    • Bravery (Ex): You have been so terrified for so long that it is difficult to affect you further. Whenever you are subjected to a fear effect, the intensity is lowered by one step (cowering or panicked to frightened, frightened to shaken, shaken to no effect). This stacks with the fighter’s Bravery class feature, if applicable.

  • Endure Elements (Ex): You have a permanent endure elements effect (as the spell, but the effect cannot be dispelled).

  • Helpful (Ex): When you use the Aid Another action, the normal bonus you provide is +4, rather than +2. You can use Improved Aid Another normally (see Skills).

  • Magic Stone (Sp): You gain Magical Talent (magic stone) as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisite.

    • Outrider (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Handle Animal, Survival) as a bonus feat.

    • Practicality (Ex): Halflings are grounded in hard work and common sense. You gain Secondary Skill Synergy (artisan or professional).

    Weapon Familiarity: Halflings have Martial Weapon Proficiency with slings, and also receive a +1 racial bonus to attacks with thrown weapons and slings. Those proficient with all martial weapons from a class feature receive Exotic proficiency with any one sling of their choice.

    Racial Progression: Clever and capable, halfling paragons love travel, and they embody the curiosity of the halfling people. Despite their generally good-natured outlook, halfling paragons are also the most capable members of their race. They are survivors― cunning, fearless, and resourceful enough to traverse a world filled with large, dangerous creatures.

    Halfling Paragon Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Greater halfling luck, hedge magic
    2nd +1 Multi-talented, weapon training
    3rd +2 Agility
    4th +3 Adaptability
    5th +3 Fortune’s friend

    Saving Throws: Halfling paragons gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skill: Escape Artist.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Perception, Perform (any), Profession (any), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Halfling paragons have Simple proficiency with all weapons, Exotic proficiency with all slings, and are proficient with light armor.

    Greater Halfling Luck (Ex): You gain a luck bonus to saving throws equal to your halfling paragon class level. This overlaps with (does not stack with) the Halfling Luck racial feat, and supersedes the Halfling Opportunist’s “exceptionally lucky” prestige class feature, from Halflings of Golarion.

    Hedge Magic (Sp): Your endless good fortune and magical nature manifests itself as follows:

    • You gain the granted powers from the Luck domain, using your ranks in Escape Artist in place of your cleric level (if higher).

    • You gain the following suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7): 1stmagic stone, 2ndaid, 3rdremove disease, 4thdivination, 5thfaithful hound, 6thantilife shell, 7thanimate plants, 8thmoment of prescience, 9thforesight. You can choose to give up your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Weak theurgy to one spellcasting progression of your choice, or Strong theurgy towards the advancement of rogue skill tricks.

    Multi-Talented (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, halfling paragon levels provide Strong synergy towards any of the following: bardic inspiration (uses per day and college available, but not effortless inspiration); effective cleric level for effects of Domain granted powers (this does not stack with your hedge magic ability); evasion; sneak attack.

    Weapon Training (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain the effects of the Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats, applying to all throwing weapons and slings (Chapter 6).

    Agility (Ex): At 3rd level, your racial bonus to Dexterity increases by +2.

    Adaptability: At 4th level, circumstances no longer faze you; you gain Adaptability as a bonus feat.

    Fortune’s Friend (Ex): At 5th level, you gain a free Hero Point/Action Point (see “Variations in the Core Rule Mechanics”) each day. These cannot be accumulated; if you start the next day with the previous day’s bonus point unspent, it is lost in favor of the new one.

    Orc

    …such things as he saw: but beyond, things unspeakable―dragons, giants, rocs, orcs, witch-whales, griffins, chimeras, satyrs, enchanters, Paynims, Saracen Emirs and Sultans...

    ―Charles Kingsley, Hereward, The Wake (1898)

    Along with their brute strength and comparatively low intellect, the primary difference between orcs and the civilized humanoids is their attitude. As a culture, orcs are violent and aggressive, with the strongest ruling the rest. They are quick to anger when challenged.

    Orcs are “monsters” in Aviona, where they are killed on sight. In the wilderness, however, an orc character might wax powerful and rise to leadership of many of his people. Orc tribes also exist in a state of temporary truce with the humans in the northern province of Gunderland in the Kingdom of Northwind. Orcs are more common in the nation of Aramni, where they are considered citizens; there, they have become organized, disciplined thugs in the service of the secret police and others.

    The Orc race can also be used to represent Neanderthals and other strong, primitive humanoids.

    Physical Description: An adult male orc is roughly 6 feet tall and powerfully built, weighing 210 pounds. on average. Orcs are bestial and savage, with hard gray skin and greasy black hair. Their eyes are dark brown or black, with very little or no whites.

    Type: Orcs are Humanoids [Uncivilized], and also have the [orc] subtype.

    Languages: Orcs begin play speaking Common and their own language (“Orcish”). (Those from Aramni will generally speak Aramnic rather than Common.) Orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from among the following bonus languages: Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Undercommon, Wood Elf.

    Typical Classes: Barbarian (this is always a favored class for orcs, even if they initially select a different one). Orcs are also eligible for the Orc Paragon class (see below), and always treat it as a favored class. When gaining a level in a favored class, instead of choosing +1 hp or +1 skill point, an orc can choose the following:

    • Hatred (Ex): You gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against civilized humanoids, or improve this existing favored enemy bonus by an additional +1, to a maximum bonus equal to half your character level +1.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, –2 Intelligence (but see below). Orcs have powerful physiques and keen senses, but are not overly-bright.

    Racial Feats: Choose two of the following:

    • Bestial Might (Ex): Some full-blooded orcs gain an additional +2 racial bonus to Strength, but suffer a -2 racial penalty to Charisma.

    • Bravery (Ex): As the fighter class feature of the same name, but use your total character level to determine the effects.

    • Bullying Blow (Ex): As Daunting Strike feat.

    • Favored Terrain (Ex): Some orcs are especially at home in the wilderness or underground, gaining Favored Terrain as a bonus feat (choose one, but not a planar terrain).

    • Ferocity (Ex): You gain Diehard as a bonus feat.

    • Keen Scent (Ex): Your pig-like snout gives you the scent special ability.

    • Loping Gait (Ex): Your base land speed increases by 10 ft.

    • Sacred Tattoo (Su): Tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification are sacred markings to many orcs. Orcs with this racial trait gain a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.

    • Tusks (Ex): You gain a bite attack dealing a base 1d6 piercing damage.

    Racial Traits: All orcs have the following traits.

    • Night vision (Ex): You have either low-light vision or darkvision 60 ft. (your choice).

    • Light Sensitivity (Ex): Orcs are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

    In addition, choose two of the following:

    • Bestial Senses (Ex): You gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

    • Endure Elements (Ex): You have a permanent endure elements effect (as the spell, but the effect cannot be dispelled).

    • Gatecrasher (Ex): You gain a +2 bonus on Strength checks to break objects and a +2 bonus on sunder attempts. When attacking unattended objects, you ignore the first 5 points of the object’s hardness.

    • Intimidating Prowess (Ex): You gain Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat.

    • Squalid (Ex): You gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against [affliction] conditions.

    • Surface Dweller (Ex): You are accustomed to daylight, and lose your light sensitivity trait.

    Weapon Familiarity: Orcs have Martial proficiency with great axes and falchions. Those with martial proficiency in all weapons (as from a class feature) gain Exotic proficiency with one of the above, and with all weapons with the word “orc” in their names.

    Some orcs have escaped from slavery and reforged the chains of their imprisonment into deadly weapons. Orcs with this racial trait lose the proficiencies noted above, but gain Martial Weapon Proficiency (flails and whips) as a bonus feat. Those already proficient in all martial weapons from a class feature also gain Exotic proficiency with the spiked chain and the heavy flail.

    Racial Progression: This version of the orc paragon subsumes the Orc Warlord prestige class, from Races of Faerun. The creature type of an orc with levels in Orc Paragon changes to Monstrous Humanoid.

    Orc Paragon Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Brutal magic, light tolerance
    2nd +2 Elf-slayer, rage
    3rd +3 Savage strength
    4th +4 Inspire savagery
    5th +5 Final rage, orc warlord

    Saving Throws: Orc paragons gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude and Will saves.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Endurance, Handle Animal, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Orc paragons have Simple proficiency with all weapons and Martial proficiency with shields, and are proficient with light and medium armor. In addition, they retain their orc racial weapon familiarity.

    Brutal Magic (Sp): You gain a suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7), using the list for the Orc sorcerer bloodline (q.v.). If you have other class levels, you can choose to give up your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for one of the following:

    • Barbarian―Strong theurgy towards your rage power progression.

    • Cleric―Weak spellcasting theurgy and domain power progression.

    • Druid―Weak spellcasting theurgy and initiation power progression.

    • Fighter—Strong synergy for determining bravery and effects of fighter talents.

    • Sorcerer (orc bloodline only)―Strong spellcasting theurgy and sorcerer bloodline power progression.

    Light Tolerance: You lose your race's light sensitivity at 1st level. In addition, the range of your darkvision increases by 30 feet.

    Elf-Slayer (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain civilized humanoids and fey as favored enemies, with a bonus equal to your orc paragon class level.

    Rage (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to rage; your effective barbarian level is equal to your orc paragon level –1. If you have levels in barbarian, your orc paragon levels instead provide Strong synergy for purposes of determining rage rounds per day and type of rage.

    Savage Strength (Ex): At 3rd level, your racial bonus to Strength increases by +2.

    Inspire Savagery (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you can inspire your companions to greater feats of savagery. While you rage, all allies within 30 ft. who can see and hear you are affected as by inspire courage (as the bardic inspiration of the same name from a bard of level equal to your base attack bonus).

    Final Rage (Ex): At 5th level, you gain the ability to incite a rage in all your nearby allies for one last phenomenal attack. Once per day as a free action, any allies within ten feet immediately enter a rage as if they were barbarians of level equal to their base attack bonus (maximum 5th), even if they could not normally do so. This rage lasts until your next turn, and all penalties for leaving a rage apply (for example, the creatures are fatigued, and if already fatigued they become exhausted)..

    Orc Warlord (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you can use your Strength bonus in place of your Charisma bonus for purposes of determining your Leadership score (if you do not have the Leadership feat, this ability has no effect). If your Charisma is 13 or higher, you can apply both your Strength modifier and your Charisma bonus.

    Appendix A: Simple Half-Breeds

    There are three types of hybrid races in these house rules: common simple half-breeds (such as half-elves and half-orcs); exotic half-breeds (following the same basic rules, but representing unique or near-unique individuals, as described in Appendix B); and powerful hybrids (those with “level adjustments,” such as aasimars and farspawn, described in Appendix C).

    Simple half-breed races start with one of the primary races described above. You can then selectively exchange racial feats and traits on a one-for-one basis to create the hybrid race. By choosing to trade in fewer feats and/or traits than shown in the examples, you can create a “quarter-elf” and so on. It is also possible to create rare half-breed characters not shown as examples, such as a half-dwarf.

    Special: Any attempt to acquire three or more races results in defaulting to Mongrelfolk, also described in this section.

    Half-Elf

    Elves have become intermingled with the human population of Aviona to a large extent; half-elves (“Hanner” in the Avionan vernacular) and other part-elves are common, and can interbreed with humans or elves. There is no strict human/half-elf boundary; various amounts of elf vs. human blood are possible. Pure high elves, without any human blood, are often rather snobbish about it (elves, on the whole, tend to be much less fertile than humans, so that the percentage of pure elves vs. half-elves is constantly decreasing).

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: high elf (or wood elf, in Estren).

    Physical Description: Half-elves inherit the lean build and comely features of their elven lineage, but their skin color is dictated by their human side. While half-elves retain the pointed ears of elves, theirs are more rounded. A half-elf's human-like eyes tend to range a spectrum of exotic colors running from amber or violet to emerald green and deep blue.

    Type: Half-elves are Humanoids; they retain the subtype descriptors of their Elf parent.

    Languages: Half-elves begin play speaking Common and either High Elven or Wood Elf (depending on their elf parentage). Half-elves with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

    Typical Classes: Bard. Half-elves are also eligible for the Elf Paragon and Human Paragon classes (see above), and always treat them as favored classes as well.

    Racial Feats: Exchange the open human bonus feat for elven immunities. Retain one of the other human racial feats.

    Racial Traits: Exchange one or both of your human racial traits for low-light vision and/or keen senses.

    Half-Orc

    Half-orcs are extremely rare in Aviona; elves view orcs as little more than savage, evil, and cunning baboons, and in the past they were genocidally hunted down to near-extinction. The concept of a sentient creature actually breeding with orcs is deemed almost too horrible to imagine; an elf cannot conceive that any product of such a union could avoid committing suicide from sheer self-loathing. Therefore, half-orcs are viewed as monstrosities, their tragic births the result of perversion and violence. Feared, distrusted, and spat upon, half-orcs still consistently manage to surprise their detractors with great deeds and unexpected wisdom—though sometimes it's easier just to crack a few skulls.

    The attitude is quite different in the far northern province of Gunderland in Northwind, where exchanges of captives and/or fosterlings between orc tribes and men occasionally occur, and civilized half-orcs (see below) are greatly admired for their strength and prowess. In the nation of Aramni to the east, orcs are full citizens, and human/orc crossbreeds are almost commonplace.

    Primary Race: Orc; Secondary Race: human.

    Physical Description: Both genders of half-orc stand 6 feet tall, with powerful builds and greenish or grayish skin and black eyes. In bestial half-orcs, the canines often grow long enough to protrude from their mouths, and these “tusks,” combined with heavy brows and slightly pointed ears, give them their notoriously monstrous appearance. Civilized half-orcs appear nearly human, although large, powerfully-built, and ill-favored in appearance.

    Type: Half-orcs are Humanoids. Those in Aviona, viewed as monsters, have the [uncivilized] subtype; those integrated into Aramnic society have the [civilized] subtype instead. They retain the [Orc] subtype.

    Languages: Half-orcs begin play speaking Common (or Aramnic) and Orcish. Half-orcs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, and Goblin.

    Typical Classes: Half-orcs always treat barbarian and orc paragon as favored classes, even if they pick a different favored class at 1st level.

    Racial Feats: Exchange one orc racial feat for Adaptable Nature.

    Racial Traits: Retain two orc traits, or one orc trait and the following additional trait:

    • Veiled Vileness (Ex): You appear outwardly human, with no obvious signs of your orcish heritage (no disguise check needed). Your subtly menacing presence and strength grant a +1 racial bonus on Bluff checks and Will saves. This supersedes the feat of the same name from the Pathfinder Campaign Setting.

    Halfling, Stout

    Shorter but broader than hairfoot halflings, stouts have some dwarven blood (and therefore often make good craftsmen). This hybrid race includes the 3rd edition “deep halfling.”

    Primary Race: Halfling; Secondary Race: Hill dwarf or mountain dwarf.

    Type: Humanoid [Civilized].

    Racial Feats: Exchange one of your halfling racial feats for two dwarven traits (e.g., darkvision and dwarven craftsmanship).

    Halfling, Tallfellow

    Tallfellows are halflings with a bit of wood elf blood (the Wood Elf term for them is something like “Yûñwī Tsunsdi’”). Less commonly, use of a halfling servant as a prostitute by a high elf will result in a tallfellow offspring. Tallfellows are more slender and light boned than the typical hairfoot, looking much more like a miniature human. The average tallfellow male stands 4'1" and weighs 60 pounds. Tallfellow clothing is similar to the hairfoot's, though typically incorporating more natural forest shades. Tallfellows have much finer foot hair than the hairfeet, but still typically shun boots. Both male and female tallfellows typically wear their hair long

    Primary Race: Halfling; Secondary Race: Wood elf or high elf.

    Type: Humanoid [Civilized].

    Racial Feats: Retain your halfling racial feats.

    Racial Traits: Exchange the optional two traits that halflings receive for elven keen senses and low-light vision.

    Hobgoblin

    Although hobgoblins are a true race, it is said that a hobgoblin can also be the result of the mating of a goblin with a human or an elf; it is presented here as such. Such crossbreed hobgoblins, especially those of elven blood, are called “Anhardd” in High Elvish (as in the Relics & Rituals: Excalibur setting from Sword & Sorcery Studios). This race also supersedes the half-goblin from Creighton Broadhust’s The Lonely Coast setting (Raging Swan Press).

    Primary Race: Goblin; Secondary Race: Human, High Elf, or Wood Elf.

    Physical Description: A typical hobgoblin stands 5 to 6 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds, with a lean and ropy build. Fiercely ugly, they have reddish, yellowish, gray, or olive-colored skin, and large males have blue or red noses. Their eyes are yellowish to dark brown and have very little visible whites. Ears are long and pointed. Even hobgoblins of elf parentage are considered hideously ugly by other races.

    Type: Humanoid [Uncivilized]. Hobgoblins that abandon their goblin ways, and instead choose to live in elven or human society, have the [civilized] subtype instead. They retain the [goblinoid] subtype.

    Languages: Hobgoblins begin play speaking Common and Goblin. Hobgoblins with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: Draconic, Dwarven, High Elvish, Giant, Orcish, Wood Elf.

    Typical Classes: Fighter (hobgoblins always treat fighter as a favored class, even if they select another). They make excellent duelists or fighter/rogues. Hobgoblin “loremasters” (wizards) are not unknown, and rare hobgoblin heroes might even be eldritch knights. Hobgoblins are also eligible for the Goblin Paragon class, and always treat it as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Cha (as a goblin).

    Racial Feats: Hobgoblins trade their goblin racial feats for two of the following options:

    • Attribute Boost (Ex): You gain an additional +1 racial bonus to one attribute (choose Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution).

    • Bonus Feat (Ex): As the human bonus feat, but more limited; select either Combat Expertise, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, or Weapon Focus as a bonus feat.

    • Elven Immunities (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense (enchantment) as a bonus feat, and additionally are immune to magic sleep effects.

    • Military Predisposition (Ex): As the human’s Open Minded racial feat, but use the extra skill rank per level for Knowledge (warfare).

    • Scarred (Ex): You gain a +1 natural armor bonus.

    • Spell Eater (Su): If a you succeed on a save against a hostile spell, you gain 1 temporary hp per level of the spell and a +2 bonus on attack rolls. The attack bonus lasts for 1 round, and the temporary hit points last for 1 minute. Source: Monster Manual V.

    Racial Traits: Hobgoblins have darkvision 60 ft. (from their goblin parentage) and also retain one of the following goblin traits. They lose the other goblin racial traits, including the goblin’s small size.

    • Bandy-Legged (Ex): You have an even more exaggerated stature than other hobgoblins, with bowed legs and massive shoulders. You gain Skill; Synergy (Athletics, Handle Animal) as a bonus feat, and gain a +2 racial bonus to your CMD against bull rush or trip attempts while on solid ground. Source: Advanced Races Guide.

    • Fast (Ex): Your base land speed increases by 10 ft.

    • Keen Senses (Ex): You gain Skill Focus (Craft (Alchemy) and Perception) as a bonus feat.

    • Low-light vision (Ex): Self-explanatory, from elven heritage.

    • Sneaky (Ex): You gain Skill Focus (Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    Weapon Familiarity: Hobgoblins are larger than goblins, and correspondingly prefer larger weapons. They have Martial proficiency with long swords, longbows, and with all polearms. Those with Martial proficiency in one or more of the weapons listed (as a class feature) also gain Exotic proficiency with one of those weapons.

    Mongrelfolk

    Mongrelfolk are extreme hybrids, who may have the blood of humans, elves, goblins, orcs, halflings, dwarves, and/or others in their veins. Any character combining three or more races defaults to mongrelfolk.

    Primary Race: Any; Secondary Races: Any.

    Type: Humanoid [Uncivilized]. Some mongrelfolk have a more conventional appearance and manage to blend into society, rather than being outcasts; these mongrelfolk have the [Civilized] subtype instead. In addition to the above, any individual mongrelfolk have may have one or more of the [Elf], [Human], [Orc], [Goblinoid], or other subtypes.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int. Mongrelfolk benefit from hybrid vigor, but are otherwise tend to be brutish and dull-witted, either through poor nutrition, lack of education, or simply bad luck.

    Racial Feats: Select any one racial feat from one of the standard races above. In addition, you gain the following:

    • Diffuse Blood (Ex): Mongrelfolk count as any race (if advantageous) for purposes of activating magic items or gaining other racial-dependent advantages. For example, they can select the Racial Heritage feat for any standard race, can gain any race’s favored class bonuses, and are eligible to take levels in any of the racial classes in this chapter. You also count as not being of a particular racial subtype when it is advantageous (for example, when targeted by a ranger’s Favored Enemy ability).

    Racial Traits: Choose two of the following:

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): You can see twice as far as a human in conditions of dim light.

    • Natural Thievery (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Sleight of Hand, Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    • Sound Mimicry (Ex): You can mimic any voice or sound you have heard. Listeners must succeed at an opposed Bluff check to detect the ruse (at -8 if the listener is unfamiliar with the sound you are imitating). See Pathfinder Bestiary.

    Weapon Familiarity: Mongrelfolk have Martial proficiency with light and heavy clubs, blowguns, bolas, and boomerangs, and also gain Catch Off-Guard as a bonus feat.

    Wood Elf, Boar Clan

    The wood elves of the Boar clan, in far northern Estren, are infamous for their strength and cruelty, compared to the other clans. These elves have a strain of orc blood from a tribe in the Elder Mountains, and are treated as a half-breed race. Note that all other wood elf clans are at eternal enmity with the Boar clan.

    Primary Race: Wood elf; Secondary Race: orc.

    Type: Humanoid [Uncivilized], and they retain both the [Elf] and [Orc] subtypes..

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int (as orc).

    Racial Feats: Retain the wood elf’s favored terrain, and gain orc ferocity as your other racial feat.

    Racial Traits: Retain both parent races’ light sensitivity, and the wood elf’s low-light vision and keen senses. You also gain darkvision 60 ft. from your orc ancestry.

    Weapon Familiarity: Wood elves of the Boar clan prefer simple weapons that take advantage of their greater strength (heavy clubs) or that have some totemic significance (short spears). They have Martial proficiency with slings, heavy clubs, daggers, hand axes, and spears. Those who gain Martial proficiency in all weapons from a class feature also gain Exotic proficiency with heavy clubs or short spears.

    Appendix B: Exotic Half-Breeds

    These races are treated more or less as are simple half-breeds, but are far more rare. Players wishing to play one of these more exotic races should be warned that this will make them, at best, an object of mistrust and unwanted attention. Be sure to discuss these options with the other players and referee before selecting one, as they may not be available for all campaigns, or may have additional restrictions (for example, a lizardfolk walking into a human city would likely be killed on sight in most campaign settings). If a mutual agreement as to their inclusion is not reached, then it is generally considered very poor game etiquette to select one.

    Changeling

    Descended from humans and doppelgangers, changelings appeared in Races of Eberron. In normal society they are forced to keep their true race a secret, lest they be shunned or even killed outright; many a changeling has deep identity conflicts as a result.

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: Doppel-ganger.

    Physical Description: In their natural forms changelings resemble gray-skinned humans, but lack some facial definition such as nostrils or lips (though they still have noses and mouths). Changelings can indeed take on the appearance of either gender but in their natural forms they have a default gender, unlike their doppelganger forebears.

    Type: Retain the base creature type and gain the [shapechanger] subtype. Changelings with levels in Changeling Paragon (see below) become Monstrous Humanoids with the [shapechanger] subtype. As monstrous humanoids, doppelgangers have darkvision 60 ft. and are immune to spells that specifically target humanoids.

    Languages: Common.

    Typical Classes: Changelings always treat Rogue and Changeling Paragon (see below) as favored classes.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Con. Chanegelings are strong and cautious, but somewhat frail until they master their shapeshifting potential.

    Racial Feats: Exchange your human bonus feats for the following:

    • Minor Shape Change (Su): You can create a supernatural effect equal to a disguise self spell on yourself (which does not affect your possessions) at will as a full-round action. This effect lasts until you change shape again, and you automatically resume your true form if killed. A true seeing spell reveals your true form.

    • Slippery Mind (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense (Enchantment), and are additionally immune to magical sleep effects.

    Racial Traits: Exchange your human racial traits for the following:

    • Deceitful (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Bluff, Perform: Acting) as a bonus feat.

    • Natural Linguist (Ex): You gain Skill Focus (Linguistics) as a bonus feat.

    Weapon Familiarity: Changelings have Simple proficiency with all weapons, but do not automatically gain any armor or shield proficiency.

    Racial Progression: A changeling or human with the Skill Synergy (Bluff and Perform: Acting) feat can take levels in the Doppelganger racial class, eventually becoming a true doppelganger.

    Doppelganger Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Monstrous humanoid type, natural armament, unnatural vitality
    2nd +2 Change shape, still mind
    3rd +3 Alter self, detect thoughts
    4th +4 Attribute boosts, perfect copy

    Saving Throws: Doppelgangers gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain one free rank per doppelganger level in Bluff and in Perform (acting). These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Craft (all), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Perception, Stealth, and Streetwise.

    Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int bonus.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Doppelgangers have Martial proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor.

    Natural Armament (Ex): You receive a natural armor bonus to AC equal to your Doppelganger level. In addition, you can shape your hands into claws (base damage 1d4) and back as a swift action. Your claw damage increases with your doppelganger level, to 1d6 at 2nd level and 1d8 at 3rd level.

    Unnatural Vitality (Ex): As you master your shapeshifting potential, you become stronger, more resistant, and harder to kill. You gain a racial bonus to Strength and Constitution equal to your Doppelganger level; these bonuses stack with existing racial attribute modifiers.

    Change Shape (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you can use your minor shape change ability as a standard action rather than a full-round action. If you do not already have the minor shape change ability, you gain it, with use as a standard action.

    Still Mind (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a +2 racial bonus to Wisdom (this stacks with your initial changeling modifier, for a total bonus of +4). You also gain Arcane Defense (enchantment) as a bonus feat and are immune to magical sleep. If you already have Arcane Defense against enchantment (as from the changeling racial feat), you become immune to all charm spells and effects.

    Alter Self (Su): Starting at 3rd level, your change shape ability duplicates the effects of an alter self spell, rather than disguise self.

    Detect Thoughts (Sp): Also at 3rd level, you can use detect thoughts at will as a spell-like ability.

    Attribute Boosts: A 4th level doppelganger’s unique physiology and mind-set provides it with a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity and Charisma.

    Perfect Copy (Su): Starting at 4th level, when using your change shape ability you can assume the appearance of specific individuals.

    Deep One

    "Wal, as I says, the natives met the things on the little volcanic islet―goin' thar in canoes with the sacrifices et cet'ry, and bringin' back any of the gold-like jools as was comin' to 'em. At fust the things didn't never go onto the main island, but arter a time they come to want to. Seems they hankered arter mixin' with the folks, an' havin' j'int ceremonies on the big days―May-Eve an' Hallowe'en.

    "When it come to matin' with them toad-lookin' fishes, the Kanakys kind o' balked, but finally they larnt something as put a new face on the matter. Them things told the Kanakys that ef they mixed bloods there'd be children as ud look human at fust, but later turn more'n more like the things, till finally they'd take to the water an' jine the main lot o' things daown har.”

    ―H.P. Lovecraft, The Shadow over Innsmouth (1936)

    You are descended from Lovecraftian fish-people or aboleth-bred skum (Pathfinder Bestiary).

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: Skum.

    Physical Description: You have the “Innsmouth Look.” As described in Irvin S. Cobb’s “Fishhead” (1911): “His skull sloped back so abruptly that he could hardly be said to have a forehead at all; his chin slanted off right into nothing. His eyes were small and round with shallow, glazed, pink-yellow pupils, and they were set wide apart on his head, and they were unwinking and staring, like a fish's eyes.”

    Type: Civilized humanoid.

    Languages: Common. Those with high Intelligence can learn Aquan, Aboleth, and other similar languages.

    Typical Classes: Cleric (cultist domain; patron Blibdoolpoolp, Cthulhu, or Dagon); Sorcerer (Deep One bloodline). Deep Ones always treat Kuo-Toa (see below) as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha. Deep Ones are hardy, and share the wisdom of the sea. However, having been bred as slaves (or merely outcast due to their looks and/or heritage), they have poor force of personality.

    Racial Feats: Deep Ones retain the Adaptable Nature racial feat from their human ancestry. They also gain Favored Terrain (underwater) as a bonus feat, granting swim speed and the hold breath ability.

    Racial Traits: Deep Ones have the following traits:

    • Keen Senses (Ex): +2 racial bonus on Perception checks when not in bright light.

    • Light Sensitivity (Ex): Dazzled in bright light.

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): Deep Ones can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

    Weapon Familiarity: Deep Ones have Simple proficiency with daggers and with all spears.

    Racial Progression: Deep Ones can embrace their aquatic parentage and return to the sea by taking racial levels in Kuo-Toa (see below). Their type changes to Monstrous Humanoid, granting them darkvision 60 ft., and they gain additional abilities as follows. Kuo-toa continue to grow as time goes on; if you have at 2 levels in kuo-toa, you can also take levels in Giant (see below) to represent this growth.

    The name kuo-toan may have come from “Croatoan,” a mysterious word carved into a tree―the only clue left when the English colony vanished from Roanoke Island after colonizing it in 1587. Alternatively, the name may be related to the Kulullu―Babylonian fish-men, a race of demons that Tiamat gave birth to.

    Kuo-Toa Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Adhesive, favored terrain, hybrid vigor, natural armor, slippery
    2nd +2 Dreams of R’lyeh, fisheye, resistances

    Saving Throws: Kuo-toa, as monstrous humanoids, gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per kuo-toa level in Athletics, Bluff, Escape Artist, and Planar Sense. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Concentration, Craft (any), Handle Animal, Knowledge (any), Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival.

    Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int bonus.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Kuo-toa have Simple proficiency with bludgeons, and Martial proficiency with daggers, heavy shields, light shields, mancatchers, nets, and spears. Those with proficiency in all martial weapons (as from a class feature), gain Exotic proficiency with one of the martial weapons listed above (usually the harpoon, mancatcher, or net). Kuo-toa gain no automatic proficiency with armor.

    In addition, you gain a natural bite attack (base 1d4 damage). You can choose to give up all manufactured weapon and shield proficiencies in exchange for two claw attacks (base 1d4 each) and the Eldritch Claws feat.

    Adhesive (Ex): Kuo-toas use their own body oil and other materials to give their shields a finish almost like flypaper, holding fast any creatures or items touching them. While you are wielding a shield, anyone who makes an unsuccessful melee attack against you must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + half your BAB + your Strength modifier) or the attacker’s weapon sticks to the shield and is yanked out of the wielder’s grasp. Creatures using natural weapons are automatically grappled if they get stuck. You requires 1 hour and special materials costing 20 gp to coat a shield with adhesive. The adhesive remains good for up to three days or until it actually catches someone or something (in which case the shield can trap no additional items, since the adhesive is used up). Pulling a stuck weapon or limb from a shield requires a DC 20 Strength check.

    Favored Terrain (Ex): Your favored terrain (underwater) bonus increases by +1 per racial level. At a bonus of +4 (2nd level), you gain the [aquatic] subtype and the [amphibious] trait, as described under Ranger (favored terrains).

    Hybrid Vigor (Ex): You gain a racial bonus to Strength and Constitution equal to your kuo-toa level; these stack with any existing racial bonuses.

    Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a natural armor bonus equal to your kuo-toa level.

    Slippery (Ex): All kuo-toas secrete an oily film that makes them difficult to grapple or snare. You gain Skill Focus (Escape Artist) as a bonus feat, and are immune to being trapped in webs and web spells.

    Dreams of R’lyeh (Ex): At 2nd level, come into your full tainted heritage. You stop ageing, and no longer accrue attribute penalties (existing penalties remain). You also gain the [evil] alignment descriptor and, despite being a monstrous humanoid, you are also affected by abilities and properties that target aberrations. You are soulless, rendering you immune to abilities such as magic jar and trap the soul, but you also cannot be raised or resurrected.

    Fisheye (Ex): At 2nd level, your staring eyes grant the following:

    • Light blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds you for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, you are dazzled as long as you remain in the bright area.

    • Perceive illusions: You gain Arcane Defense (Illusion) as a bonus feat.

    • See invisibility as a continuous effect that cannot be dispelled.

    • Staredown: Your hideous appearance and lidless stare inspire fear in others; you gain Staredown as a bonus feat.

    Resistances (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain resistance 10 to electricity, resistance 4 to force, and immunity to poison.

    Fetchling

    As described in the Bestiary 2 (and as equivalent to the shadowswyft race from the Planar Handbook and gloamings in Underdark), fetchlings are descended from generations of mortal races trapped on the Plane of Shadow. Infused with the essence of that plane, they are more and less than human, and often serve as middlemen in planar trade and politics. Fetchlings are not native to the world of Aviona, and can be played only with referee approval.

    Primary Race: Any humanoid or fey; Secondary Race: Shade (see below). Per Gary Gygax’s City of Hawks, human fetchlings are called “phantom-folk,” elf fetchlings are “fuligi,” and dwarven or gnome fetchlings are “murklings.”

    Physical Description: Other than their yellow or smoke-colored eyes, a fetchling’s flesh has no particular color—it is either stark white, midnight black, or a shade of gray, depending on the light conditions. On the Material Plane, they conceal themselves with heavy clothing or dim light so they can work without prejudice.

    Type: Retain the primary race’s creature type.

    Languages: Common. A fetchling with a high Intelligence score can choose any of the following languages: Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Draconic, D'ziriak (understanding only, cannot speak), Ignan, Terran, and any regional human tongue.

    Typical Classes: Rogue, illusionist, sorcerer (Shadow bloodline). In addition, fetchlings are eligible for the Shade (fetchling paragon) class, and always treat it as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con. Fetchlings are quick and forceful, but wispy and frail in comparison with more solid folk.

    Racial Feats: Fetchlings gain Favored Terrain (Plane of Shadow) as a bonus feat. In addition, choose one of the following:

    • Fleet (Ex): You gain Fleet as a bonus feat.

    • Flickering (Ex): You gain Superior Initiative as a bonus feat.

    Racial Traits: Fetchlings descended from humanoids of Small size retain that trait. All fetchlings have the following racial traits:

    • Cultist (Ex): Fetchlings gain Skill Synergy (Knowledge (the Planes), Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    • Darkvision (Ex): You gain darkvision 120 ft.

    • Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds you for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, you are dazzled as long as you remain in the bright area.

    In addition, select one of the following options:

    • Shadow Disguise (Sp): You gain Magical Talent (disguise self) as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.

  • Shadow Resistances (Ex): You have resistance 5 to cold and electricity.

  • Weapon Familiarity: Fetchlings do not gain any automatic weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Racial Progression: Fetchlings (or other humanoids) can embrace the stuff of Shadow, progressing in the Shade class below (this provides abilities similar to the Shade template from Races of Faerun). The Shadowdancer prestige class can be simulated by playing a shade/rogue.

    Shade Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Favored terrain, fleet, shadow defense, shadow magic
    2nd +1 Shadow step
    3rd +2 Fast healing
    4th +3 Outsider type

    Saving Throws: Shades gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per shade level in Concentration, Planar Sense and Stealth. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Perception, Perform (any), Sleight of Hand.

    Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int bonus.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shades have Simple proficiency with all weapons. They do not gain any proficiency with armor or shields.

    Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain a favored terrain bonus (Plane of Shadow) of +1 per Shade level. As a being of the Plane of Shadow, you gain the [extraplanar] subtype when on any other plane (including the Prime Material).

    Fleet (Ex): At 1st level, you gain Fleet (Chapter 5, “General Feats”) as a bonus feat.

    Shadow Defense (Ex): While in shadowy light, you gain a deflection bonus to AC and a luck bonus to saving throws equal to your Shade class level.

    Shadow Magic (Sp): A shade gains a suite of racial spell-like abilities, as described in Chapter 7. The shade’s list of spell-like abilities is as follows: 1stdarkness, 2ndmirror image, 3rddisplacement, 4thshadow conjuration, 5thshadow evocation, 6thshadow walk, 7thplane shift (Plane of Shadow or Prime Material Plane only), 8thsummon undead VIII (greater shadow; Command Undead feat not needed for control), 9thshades.

    Theurgy: If you have levels in illusionist or sorcerer (Shadow bloodline only), you can choose to give up your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spell theurgy towards that progression. Your Shade levels also provide Strong theurgy towards your school powers or Shadow bloodline powers.

    Shadow Step (Ex): You gain Shadow Step (Chapter 5, “Reserve Feats”) as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

    Fast Healing (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you gain fast healing 1 whenever you are in an area of shadows, dim light, or darkness. At 4th level, this improves to fast healing 2.

    Outsider: At 4th level, your type changes to Outsider. You stop ageing and are immortal unless killed, but you cannot be raised or resurrected. You also gain the Shadow Creature simple template (from the Advanced Race Guide), but with no increase in your effective CR.

    Feytouched

    This racial option works for generic fey and swanmays; water fey half-breeds, however, are more appropriately portrayed as River Spirit Folk (Aquatic Feytouched; see below). Half-sylphs also have a separate sub-entry below.

    Primary Race: Any humanoid; Secondary Race: Any fey.

    Physical Description: Feytouched are a widely varied group of beings—some are wispy and beautiful, while others are ugly and brutish. Some resemble elves, with pointed ears and almond-shaped eyes. Others look more like trolls, with warty skin and disproportioned limbs. Regardless, all feytouched have at least one feature or characteristic that is out of the norm—vibrantly colored hair, feathered eyebrows, or a propensity for speaking in rhyme, for example. Your eyes may be of two different colors; one of them is of a color rarely or never seen among humans (e.g., amber, lavender, crimson, etc.). Despite their actual appearance, all feytouched are highly charismatic beings that draw attention wherever they go.

    Type: Retain the base creature type; Feytouched who gain Paragon levels (see below) become Fey.

    Languages: Common, Sylvan. Feytouched with high intelligences can choose from the following: Auran, High Elvish, Giant, Goblin, Gnome, and Wood Elf.

    Typical Classes: Bard, sorcerer. Feytouched always treat sorcerer (fey bloodline) as a favored class, even if they pick a different favored class at 1st level. Feytouched are also eligible for the feytouched paragon class (see below), allowing them to eventually become full half-fey, and they always treat it as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha. Feytouched are graceful, and those which are not beautiful are terrifying, but they are physically weak.

    Racial Feats: Feytouched gain the following racial trait in lieu of one of their existing ones:

    • Fey Immunities (Ex): You gain Arcane Defense (enchantment) as a bonus feat, and additionally are immune to magic sleep effects.

    You can also choose to trade your remaining racial feat for one of the following:

    • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain as a bonus feat. The specific terrain depends on the environment listed for the type of fey from which you are descended.

  • Horns (Ex): You have stag’s antlers, goat horns, or some other indication of your fey heritage growing from your forehead. You may use these to deliver a natural attack dealing a base 1d6 (for Medium characters) piercing damage (critical 20/x3).

  • Spell-Like Ability (Sp): Choose one 1st level enchantment or illusion spell (charm person is the default). You can use this as a spell-like ability, as per the Magical Talent feat (1/day even if you have only 1 rank in Concentration).

  • Racial Traits: Regardless of their non-fey parentage, fey-touched trade their racial traits for low-light vision and one of the following:

    • Keen Senses (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Craft (Alchemy) and Perception) as a bonus feat.

    • Loresong Magic (Sp): If your Charisma is 10 or higher you gain the following spell-like abilities, per the Magical Talent feat: dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound.

    • Quickling Speed (Ex): Feytouched with this trait gain Fleet as a bonus feat, and also have a +1 racial bonus to initiative.

    • Sneaky (Ex): You gain Skill Focus (Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    You can also choose to be of sprite or brownie parentage; in those cases, you are Small sized, and gain a +1 size bonus to AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Your base land speed is 20 ft. per round, rather than 30 ft. Small feytouched gain one additional trait from the list above (with the quickling speed racial trait, a Small feytouched is equivalent to the Quickling faen from Arcana Evolved).

    Weapon Familiarity: Feytouched gain no automatic weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Racial Progression: Feytouched can embrace their fey heritage, progressing by racial hit dice. The Feytouched Paragon class provides this capability, emulating the fey creature template from the Bestiary 3, or the half-fey template from the Fiend Folio by 3rd level. Note that a feytouched paragon 3/bard 5 makes a reasonable facsimile of the satyr in the Pathfinder Bestiary, and that a feytouched paragon 5/druid 4 makes a close nymph substitute (albeit with 9 Hit Dice rather than 8, and without the nymph’s signature blinding beauty ability). A swanmay is a human ranger/feytouched paragon with the swan shawl fey gift.

    Feytouched Paragon Hit Dice: d6

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Fey type, fey magic
    2nd +1 Fey immunities, fey presence
    3rd +1 Attribute boost (+2 Dex), fey gift
    4th +2 Fey gift, spell resistance
    5th +2 Attribute boost (+2 Int), fey gift

    Saving Throws: As fey, feytouched paragons gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per class level in Concentration, Escape Artist, and Stealth. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Fly, Knowledge (lore), Perception, Perform (any), Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Survival.

    Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Feytouched paragons have Simple proficiency with all weapons, and Martial proficiency with short swords and short bows. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shields.

    Fey Type: Your type changes from humanoid to fey. You become immortal, and do not age or die of old age, but cannot be raised or resurrected if killed. You gain the [chaotic] alignment descriptor. Additionally, you gain DR/cold iron, with the amount of damage reduced being equal to twice your feytouched paragon class level. However, you also gain iron allergy, taking 1 hp of damage per round in iron or steel armor.

    Fey Magic (Sp): A half-fey gains a suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7). The exact abilities gained depend on the half-fey's heritage, but typical progression is as follows: 1stfaerie fire, 2ndhypnotic pattern, 3rddeep slumber, 4thgreater invisibility, 5thfeeblemind, 6thmass suggestion, 7thinsanity, 8thirresistible dance, 9thtime stop.

    You can choose to give up all of your feytouched paragon spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spellcasting theurgy in any one class. In addition, Feytouched paragon levels provide Full synergy with sorcerer levels for determining fey bloodline powers and their effects, and Weak synergy to bardic inspiration abilities.

    Fey Immunities (Ex): At 2nd level, you become immune to all spells and effects from the enchantment school. This ability replaces the saving throw bonus against these effects included in the feytouched base racial features. You also gain resistance 10 to cold and electricity.

    Fey Presence (Ex): You gain a bonus to Charisma equal to your feytouched paragon level -1. This stacks with your existing racial bonus to Charisma from being a half-fey.

    Attribute Boosts (Ex): You gain racial bonuses to your attribute scores as shown in the table; these stack with any existing racial modifiers.

    Fey Gift: At 3rd, 4th, and 5th levels, you receive a gift from your fey heritage. These vary depending on your fey ancestor, but might include the following:

    • Energy Resistance (Ex) You gain resistance 10 to one energy type, or increase an existing resistance by 10. Resistance increased beyond 30 becomes immunity instead. This ability can be selected more than once.

    • Evasion (Ex): As the rogue class feature of the same name. You do not automatically gain Improved Evasion or Greater Evasion, but if you have levels in a class granting evasion, your feytouched paragon levels stack with those class levels for purposes of determining when you receive those improvements.

    • Greater Invisibility (Ex): A feytouched paragon of at least 5th level with this gift can use invisibility at will, and greater invisibility for a number of rounds per day equal to your total number of Hit Dice. You can suppress or resume your invisibility as a free action. At this point you are roughly equivalent to a 3.5 edition pixie (+4 LA + 1 racial HD = 5th level)—especially if you selected Small size as a 1st level feytouched racial trait.

    • Inspiration (Su): You can choose an intelligent creature to inspire by giving that creature some token of your affection (typically a lock of hair). As long as the creature carries your token, he or she gains a +4 insight bonus on all Will saving throws, Craft checks, and Perform checks. A bard who has you for a muse in this way can use his bardic performance for an additional number of rounds per day equal to your Charisma modifier. You retain a link to your token and its carrier as if you had cast a status spell on the carrier. You can end all these effects at any time as a free action. You may only inspire one creature at a time.

    • Long Step (Su): You can teleport up to 5 feet per Hit Die as a move action. You may use this ability once every 1d4 rounds.

    • Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a bonus to natural armor equal to your feytouched paragon level +1.

    • Swan Shawl (Su): You can wild shape into the form a swan once per day, as a 4th level wild shaper druid. You gain additional uses per day as a druid of level equal to your Hit Dice. Use of this ability requires a focus you—specifically, a feathered shawl.

    • Stunning Glance (Su): As a standard action, you can stun a creature within 30 feet with a look. The target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your feytouched paragon level + your Charisma modifier) or be stunned for a number of rounds equal to your feytouched paragon level. Any specific creature can be affected by this ability only once per day.

    • Unearthly Grace (Su): You gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your Charisma bonus.

    • Wings (Ex): You grow insect-like wings (usually similar to those of a butterfly) and may use them to fly at up to twice your land speed with good maneuverability.

    Spell Resistance (Ex): At 4th level, you gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your character level.

    Feytouched, Aquatic

    Feytouched are mortals of some other race with a touch of fey blood. In the Aviona campaign setting, the most common Feytouched are those descended from the fey “river-maidens” of Balvora, the Sirines. These half-Sirines, or “river folk,” tend to be serene and calm, attuned to the rivers and the greater flow of the natural world. River folk as a race are modeled on the river spirit-folk from Oriental Adventures; they can also be used to stand in for the undine from the Bestiary 2. Note that non-aquatic feytouched are dealt with in a separate entry.

    Primary Race: Any humanoid; Secondary Race: Any aquatic fey (generally Sirine).

    Physical Description: River folk appear somewhat elven, with small eyes and slender mouths. Their eyebrows are very thin and their complexions are very pale, with a slight blue or green tinge. They have no facial or body hair, but they have thick hair, black, brown, or green in color like kelp.

    Type: Retain the base creature type. River folk who take levels in Water Fey (see below) become Fey instead.

    Languages: River folk begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. River Folk with high Intelligence scores can choose from among the following bonus languages: Aquan, High Elvish, Giant, Goblin, and Wood Elf. All river folk can also speak with animals at will as a spell-like ability. This ability is limited to use with aquatic creatures (fish, otters, etc.).

    Typical Classes: Bard, Sorcerer. Bard is always a favored class for river folk, even if they initially select a different one. Sorcerer is automatically a favored class only if the aquatic fey or elemental (water) bloodline is selected. River folk are also eligible for the Sirine (river folk paragon) class, and always treat it as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom. River folk are graceful and have the eldritch presence of their fey parentage, but lack concentration and awareness.

    Racial Feats: River folk gain Favored Terrain (underwater) with a starting bonus of +4 rather than +2, granting you the [aquatic] subtype and the amphibious trait. This can be improved by taking feats, ranger, levels, etc., to a maximum bonus of 4 + half your character level. This ability counts as both of your starting racial feats.

    Racial Traits: River folk have the following traits:

    • Elemental Resistance (Ex): River folk have resistance to cold 5, and receive Arcane Defense against spells and effects with the [water] or [cold] descriptors.

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): River folk can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

    Weapon Familiarity: Feytouched gain no automatic weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Racial Progression: NPC river folk most often advance by racial (fey) hit dice, in essence talking the Water Fey class described below. By selecting appropriate water fey gifts, this racial class can be used to simulate a rusalka (Frostburn, at 2nd level), a sirine (Monster Manual II, at 4th level), a glaistig (Monster Manual III, at 6th level), or a nereid (Bestiary 2, at 11th level).

    Water Fey Hit Dice: d6

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Fey type, water fey magic, wisdom of the waters
    2nd +1 Water fey gift, favored terrain
    3rd +1 Fey presence
    4th +2 Water fey gift
    5th +2 Immunities
    6th +3 Water fey gift
    7th +3 Spell resistance
    8th +4 Water fey gift
    9th +4 Transparency
    10th +5 Water fey gift
    11th +5 Beguiling aura

    Saving Throws: Water fey gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per water fey level in Athletics, Concentration, Escape Artist, Perform (music), and Stealth. These are otherwise treated as class skills, but do not cost skill points.

    Class Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Perception, Perform (any), Profession, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fey have Simple proficiency with all weapons, but are not proficient with any type of armor or shields.

    Fey Type: Your type changes from humanoid to fey, and you gain the [chaotic] alignment descriptor. You becomes immortal, and do not age or die of old age, but cannot be raised or resurrected if killed. You gain DR/cold iron, with the amount of damage reduced being equal to your water fey class level (maximum DR 10/cold iron). However, you also gain iron allergy, taking 1 hp of damage per round in iron or steel armor, or if wielding an iron or steel weapon.

    Wisdom of the Waters (Ex): You gain a racial bonus to Wisdom equal to your water fey class level. In addition, your ability to glide through the waves provides a racial bonus to Dexterity equal to your class level. These bonuses stack with your existing racial attribute modifiers.

    Favored Terrain (Ex): Your favored terrain (underwater) bonus improves by +1 per 2 class levels you possess. This cannot cause your total bonus to exceed 4 + half your total character level.

    Water Fey Magic (Ex, Sp): Your fey heritage grants you the following magical abilities:

    • Your water fey level provides Full synergy for purposes of determining aquatic fey bloodline powers (if any) and the effects of those powers; it also provides Weak synergy for purposes of determining your bardic inspiration abilities (including inspirations known, rounds of inspiration per day, and the level at which they operate), if any.

  • You gain the following suite of racial spell-like abilities (as described in Chapter 7): 1stcharm person or fog cloud, 2ndinvisibility, 3rdnixie’s lureARG, 4thcaptivating song (as the harpy’s ability of the same name), 5thmass charm person, 6thsummon nature’s ally VI (one Huge water elemental or giant octopus; 1d3 Large water elementals, giant moray eels, or orcas; or 1d4+1 Medium water elementals), 7thmass suggestion, 8thmass charm monster, 9thshapechange. Most of these abilities require verbal components in the form of signing.

  • You can choose to give up your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spellcasting theurgy (bard, aquatic fey bloodline sorcerer, or enchanter only) or Weak theurgy (any one other progression).

  • Water Fey Gift: At every even-numbered class level, you gain one of the following gifts, related to your fey heritage:

    • Blood Drain (Ex): If you establish or maintain a pin, you drain blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. You heal 5 hit points or gain 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to your full normal hit points) each round you drain blood.

    • Drowning Kiss (Su): You can flood the lungs of a willing, helpless, or fascinated creature by touching it (traditionally by kissing the creature on the lips). This functions similarly to a suffocation spellAPG. You must be at least 10th level to gain this gift.

    • Fast Healing (Ex): You gain fast healing; the number of hit points healed each round is equal to half your class level. This fast healing is overcome by fire, acid, and cold iron.

    • Mindless Touch (Su): You gain a touch attack usable as a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This touch deals 1d4 points of intelligence damage to the victim (2d4 intelligence damage on a confirmed critical). You also gain a soothing touch that can remove up to 1d6 points of intelligence damage caused by a fey.

    • Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a bonus to natural armor equal to 1 + half your water fey level.

    • Poison (Ex): You can poison those you touch (contact DC 10 + your water fey level + your Constitution modifier; damage 1d2 Con/round for 6 rounds plus blindness; cure 2 consecutive saves). This touch is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You cannot deliver both poison and your mindless touch at the same. You must be at least 6th level to gain this gift. If you are at least 8th level, you can also spray this poison up to 10 ft. as a ranged touch attack. The range increases by an additional 5 ft. per class level thereafter.

    • Shawl (Ex): A portion of your life force becomes embodied in diaphanous shawl (hardness 2, hp 6). While in possession of your shawl, you gain a racial bonus to Constitution equal to your class level. However, if the shawl is ever destroyed, you take 1d6 points of Constitution drain per hour until you die. You can create a new shawl from water by making a DC 25 Will save, but each attempt takes 1d4 hours to complete. Attempts to destroy or steal your shawl require sunder, disarm, or Sleight of Hand attempts.

    • Unearthly Grace (Su): As long as you are not wearing armor, you gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your Charisma bonus.

    Fey Presence (Ex): Your racial bonus to Charisma increases by +1 per 3 water fey class levels you possess (maximum +3 at 9th level, for a total bonus of +5 including the initial river-folk racial adjustment).

    Immunities (Ex): At 5th level, you gain immunity to cold and poison.

    Transparency (Su): Starting 7th level, your body becomes transparent when you are underwater, effectively rendering you invisible (as invisibility). You can become visible or transparent at will as a free action while in the water.

    Spell Resistance (Ex): At 9th level, you gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your total character level.

    Beguiling Aura (Su): At 11th level, your ability to beguile other creatures does not even require a song (spell-like ability use) on your part. Any creature sexually attracted to humanoids or fey runs the risk of being beguiled if it looks upon your beauty from a distance of 30 feet or less (Will save at DC 10 + your class level + your Charisma modifier or be fascinated). You may use your suggestion spell-like ability at will against creatures that are fascinated by your beguiling aura.

    Feytouched, Sylph

    Sylphs (as in the Bestiary 2) are feytouched with an affinity to the element of air. They are thin and waifish, looking as if they might fade into the breeze at any moment.

    Race: Feytouched (see above).

    Typical Classes: Sorcerer (elemental air or fey bloodline).

    Racial Feats: Exchange your spell-like ability for feather fall at will.

    Racial Traits: Exchange your “sneaky” trait for resistance 5 to electricity.

    Racial Progression: You can still advance by means of the Feytouched Paragon class, eventually gaining wings. Sylph levels provide Full synergy with sorcerer (air bloodline) levels in determining bloodline powers and their effects.

    Grugach

    Found only in the most distant reaches of the Estren wilderness, the tribe of grugach, or “wild elves,” are the stunted offspring of wood elves and some unknown progenitor (possibly goblins, or a race of giant-kin such as the firbolgs). To some extent, they can stand in for exotic, primitive races such as the “Picts” from Robert E. Howard.

    Primary Race: Wood Elf; Secondary Race: Unknown.

    Physical Description: Grugach are smaller than wood elves―averaging only about four feet tall―and are broad-shouldered and muscular compared to wood elves. They are darker-skinned and somewhat twisted-looking.

    Type: Grugach are uncivilized humanoids; they gain the [elf] subtype from their wood elf ancestry.

    Languages: Wood elf. Particularly debased grugach might speak Aklo instead. Particularly intelligent grugach might learn Sylvan and/or Giant.

    Typical Classes: Barbarian, druid. When choosing a favored class bonus, in place of the usual +1 hit point or skill point, a grugach can gain a +1 favored enemy bonus (see ranger) against civilized humanoids, or against animals, magical beasts, and vermin. Thus option can be selected multiple times, to gain the other category of favored enemies or to improve an existing favored enemy bonus by +1.

    Attribute Modifiers: Str +2, Int -2, Wis +2. Grugach are particularly strong for their size. However, they are less intelligent than most civilized races.

    Racial Feats: Choose two from the Wood Elf racial feats list (particularly debased grugach might choose underground, rather than forests, as a favored terrain). Alternatively, you can select the following as one of your racial feats:

    • Powerful Build (Ex): Although Small sized, the physical prowess of grugach lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. A grugach treats his size as Medium when calculating CMB and CMD, and when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A grugach can use weapons designed for a Medium creature without penalty. The benefits of this ability stack with the effects of most powers and spells that change the subject’s size category, but not with the Giant’s Stance feat.

    Racial Traits: Grugach receive the following:

    • Ambuscade (Ex): Gruguach are skilled at skulking and ambush; they receive Skill Synergy (Disable Device, Stealth) as a bonus feat.

    • Aura (Ex): Grugach are so wild and xenophobic that they gain the [chaotic] alignment descriptor.

    • Fast (Ex): Despite their small size, grugach have a base speed of 30 ft., rather than 20 ft.

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): Grugach can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

    • Small Size: Grugach are stunted enough to count as being Small sized. Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

    Weapon Familiarity: Grugach have Simple proficiency with weapons and shields. They are also proficient with light armor. They never use iron or steel weapons or armor, even when those are available, preferring leather and stone; more sophisticated grugach might use bronze.

    Racial Progression: At the referee’s option, grugach might be eligible for the Lledrith Sidhe paragon racial class (see above).

    Genasi

    The desert kingdom of Bailakash, far to the east of Aviona, is a land of strange magic and genies. Sometimes these powerful creatures mate with humans; the result is a half-genie or “genasi” (Monsters of Faerun) as described here.

    Primary Race: Any humanoid; Secondary Race: genie (any). The most common half-genie is a human/janni, called a “Suli,” or “suli-jann,” per the Bestiary 3. Half-efreeti are “ifreets,” per the Bestiary 2.

    Physical Description: Suli-jann appear as tall, regal humans whose eyes sparkle with a strange light. Other genasi appear stranger: ifrits, for example, appear as muscular, red-skinned members of the primary race, albeit with fiery-colored hair and small horns. Half-shaitans or half-dao are heavy and solid, with chiseled, angular features that make them look almost like statues brought to life.

    Type: Retain the base creature type. Genasi Paragons (genies; see below) are Outsiders with the appropriate elemental subtype (janni are native outsiders, and do not gain an elemental subtype).

    Languages: Half-genies begin play speaking Common and one elemental language of their choice (Aquan, Auran, Ignan, or Terran).

    Typical Classes: Cleric (with appropriate elemental domain); fighter; sorcerer (genie bloodline). Half-genies always treat sorcerer with the appropriate bloodline as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: Str +2, Cha +2, Wis -2. Half-genies are powerful of body and in force of personality, but their passions are extreme and difficult to control.

    Racial Feats: Exchange one or both of your existing racial feats for half-genie racial feats, selected from the following:

    • Elemental Affinity (Su): Genasi spellcasters with an elemental domain, esoteric branch, mystery, or bloodline use their powers and bonus spells at +1 caster level.

    • Elemental Assault (Su): As a swift action, you can call on the elemental power lurking in your veins to shroud your arms in acid, cold, electricity, or fire (as appropriate to your genie parentage). Unarmed attacks with your elbows or hands (or attacks with weapons held in those hands) deal +1 points of damage of the appropriate energy type until your next turn. It you have a spell or spell-like ability with the appropriate energy or elemental descriptor (e.g., [cold] or [water] for cold damage) ready for use, the bonus damage is instead equal to the level of the highest-level such spell or ability you have available.

    • Enlarge Self (Sp): You gain Magical Talent (enlarge person) as a bonus feat, except it has a range of Personal and always affects you, regardless of your creature type (humanoid, fey, outsider, etc.). You can use it 1/day even if you have only 1 rank in Concentration. You also gain Arcane Defense (transmutation) as a bonus feat.

    • Planar Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain as a bonus feat, selecting any one elemental plane as your favored terrain (alternatively, if you are from Bailakash you can choose deserts instead). Your maximum such bonus is equal to 4 + half your total character level or number of hit dice.

    • Spell-Like Ability (Sp): You gain Magical Talent as a bonus feat (1/day use even if you have only 1 rank in Concentration). The spell-like ability depends on the element chosen: air—feather fall; earth—magic stone; fire—burning hands; water—hydraulic push.

    Racial Traits: Half-genies can trade one or more of their racial traits for genasi traits (choose from the following):

    • Darkvision (Ex): 60-ft. range.

    • Elemental Resistance (Ex): You have resistance to acid, cold, fire, or electricity 5 (or any existing resistance increases by 5). You may gain this trait more than once.

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): You can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

    • Negotiator (Ex): You gain Skill Synergy (Bluff, Diplomacy) as a bonus feat.

    Weapon Familiarity: Half-genies lose their existing racial weapon familiarity and instead gain Martial proficiency with scimitars and falchions (if they possess Martial proficiency with one or both of those weapons, as from a class feature, they gain Exotic proficiency instead).

    Racial Progression: A four-level progression for genies is provided here; you must progress as the type of genie from which you are descended (half-djinnis become djinn, etc.). A reasonably close approximation of a djinni, efreeti, shaitan, or marid can be made by multiclassing into battle sorcerer (genie bloodline) and trading in your spell-like abilities for spell theurgy (see below).

    Genie Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Genie magic, planar terrain
    2nd +2 Genie’s might
    3rd +3 Improved initiative, natural armor
    4th +4 Genie’s guile, telepathy

    Saving Throws: Genies gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per genie level in Concentration, Diplomacy, Knowledge (lore), and Knowledge (the planes). These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Bluff, Craft (any), Endurance, Escape Artist, Fly, Handle Animal, Perception, Spellcraft, and Stealth.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Genasi paragons have Martial proficiency with all weapons and shields. They are proficient with light armor.

    Genie Magic (Sp): Your genie heritage provides you with the following:

    • Genies receive racial spell-like abilities (as described in Chapter 7), depending on their type. Their progression for spell-like abilities is the same as that of a sorcerer (Chapter 3) of the appropriate Genie bloodline.

    • If you have levels in cleric or archivist (any elemental domain), incarnate (any elemental mystery), sorcerer (any genie bloodline), wizard (an elemental esoteric branch), you can choose to give up your racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spellcasting theurgy.

    • If you have levels in sorcerer (genie bloodline), your genie level provides Full synergy for purposes of determining bloodline spells known, bloodline powers gained, and the effects of these powers.

    Planar Terrain (Ex): At each level in Genie, you gain a +1 favored terrain bonus (see Ranger), which you can allot to any one of the Elemental Planes. Djinn, efreet, marids, and shaitans/dao will generally put all available points in a single elemental plane (air, fire, water, and earth, respectively); jann spread them out more or less evenly among all four planes.

    Genie’s Might: Starting at 2nd level, you gain a racial bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution equal to half your genie level. These stack with existing racial modifiers.

    Improved Initiative: At 3rd level, you gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.

    Natural Armor (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +1 bonus to natural armor (or any existing natural armor bonus increases by +1). This bonus increases by +1 per genie class level thereafter.

    Genie’s Guile (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a +2 racial bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These stack with existing racial modifiers.

    Telepathy (Su): Starting at 4th level, you can communicate with any creature within 60 ft. that has a language.

    Genasi, Azer

    The basic genasi rules included above can be modified to produce an azer character (Bestiary 2).

    Primary Race: Mountain dwarf; Secondary Race: genie (efreet).

    Physical Description: Azer appear as squat, brass-skinned dwarves; their heads and shoulders blaze with a mane of fire.

    Type: Outsider [Elemental Fire].

    Languages: Azer trade Dwarven for Ignan.

    Typical Classes: Fighter, expert. Azer also advance by racial hit dice; see below.

    Attribute Modifiers: Retain the mountain dwarf’s racial modifiers of +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha.

    Racial Feats: Exchange your favored terrain (underground) for favored terrain (Elemental Plane of Fire). Your other racial feat must be Azer Blood (q.v.).

    Racial Traits: Choose Arcane Resistance (q.v.) as your optional trait.

    Weapon Familiarity: As mountain dwarf.

    Racial Progression: You can come into your full heritage by taking levels (i.e., racial hit dice) in Azer, as described below.

    Azer Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Favored terrain, natural armor
    2nd +2 Heat, spell resistance
    3rd +3 Attribute boosts
    4th +4 Attribute boosts

    Saving Throws: Azer levels provide good progression in Fortitude and Will saves, and poor progression in Reflex and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: Azer gain 1 free rank per class level in Craft (smith) and Endurance. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Perception, Profession (any), and Spellcraft.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Azer retain their dwarven weapon familiarity, and are proficient with light and medium armor.

    Favored Terrain (Ex): Your favored terrain bonus (Plane of Fire) increases by +1 per azer level you possess. You therefore gain the [fire] subtype at 2nd level, when your favored terrain bonus reaches +4.

    Natural Armor (Ex): Your bronze-like skin grants you a natural armor bonus equal to your azer level.

    Heat (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the heat from your body deals 1d6 points of fire damage whenever you hit an opponent in melee, or in each round you maintain a grapple.

    Spell Resistance (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you lose your Arcane Resistance racial trait, but instead gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your class level.

    Attribute Boosts (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +1 racial bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. These bonuses increase to +2 at 4th level.

    Hagspawn

    Hagspawn are the horrid progeny of humans and hags. Male hagspawn (as described in Unapproachable East) resemble half-giants (see below); females are tall and thin, as the so-called changelings from Pathfinder Adventure Path #43 (“The Haunting of Harrowstone”).

    Primary Race: Any; Secondary Race: hag (any).

    Physical Description: Male hagspawn resemble brutish members of the primary race (usually human). They are tall and powerfully built, with long arms, big hands, and a distinctive hunched posture. Their hair is long and lank, usually black in color. Their skin is pale, with a hint of color dependent on their parentage: pallid blue for annis spawn, sickly green for greenhag spawn, etc. Female hagspawn are tall and slender (sometimes even gaunt). They often have mismatched, differently-colored eyes.

    Type: Retain the base creature type, although hagspawn can also gain the Monstrous Humanoid type as a racial trait (see below).

    Languages: Common, Aklo. Those with high Intelligence scores can learn Giant, Goblin, Orcish, or Draconic as well.

    Typical Classes: Barbarian (males); sorcerer (hag bloodline) (females).

    Attribute Modifiers: Male hagspawn gain Str +2, Con +2, Cha -2. They are strong and hardy, but also sullen, ill-tempered, and easily led. Female hagspawn gain +2 Wis, +2 Cha, -2 Con. They are frail, but possess a sharp wit and force of personality.

    Racial Feats: All hagspawn have claws (see Weapon Familiarity, below). Also, exchange one or both of your existing racial feats for hagspawn racial feats selected from the following list:

    • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain as a bonus feat; the specific terrain depends on the type of hag from which you are descended2: annis, green hag, or swamp hagCC—swamps; bheur hagUE, marzannaFB, or ice hagCC—arctic; cavern hagCC—underground; dune hagSSt—desert; moon hagCC—mountains; night hag—lower planes; sea hag or brine hagCC—underwater; shrieking hagUE—plains.

    • Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a +2 natural armor bonus.

    • Powerful Build (Ex): Although Medium sized, your physical stature lets you function in many ways as if you were one size category larger. Treat your size as Large when calculating CMB and CMD, and when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect you. You can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, your space and reach remain those of a creature of your actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change your size category.

    • Spell Resistance (Ex): You gain spell resistance equal to 11 + your character level.

    Racial Traits: Hagspawn trade one or both of their existing racial traits for choices from following list:

    • Darkvision (Ex): Your hag parentage gives you darkvision with a 60-ft. range

    • Green Widow (Ex): Female greenhag spawn can gain Skill Synergy (Bluff, Perform: Acting) as a bonus feat.

    • Monstrous Humanoid: Hagspawn with this racial trait are Monstrous Humanoids, rather than Humanoids, and are therefore immune to spells that specifically target humanoid races.

    Weapon Familiarity: Hagspawn have long, hard nails, providing them with two natural claw attacks (base damage 1d4, or 1d6 if they also possess the Powerful Build racial feat). They gain no other armor or weapon proficiencies due to race.

    Racial Progression: Female hagspawn can choose to advance by taking Monstrous Humanoid racial hit dice, eventually becoming true hags. A class progression chart would need to be worked out.

    Half-Giant

    “Some men have arrived here, outside, a group of twelve, if they could be called ‘men,’ but they’re more like ogres than human beings in size and looks.”

    Egil’s Saga (ca. 1240)

    Rare creatures from the far northern reaches of Gunderland, half-giants are descended from one of the standard races and a giant of some type. While not as large as their monstrous progenitors, half-giants can grow into mighty warriors. The basic half-breed race presented is adapted from the 3.5 edition System Reference Document (Psionic Races).

    Primary Race: Any humanoid; Secondary Race: giant (any). An orc half-giant is an “orog.”

    Physical Description: Half-giants are often over 7 feet in height and weigh over 315 pounds. Skin and hair color are variable, depending on the type of the giant parent. Most half-giants have human-like eyes, though about one in five have the white pupils common to ogres. Their odor is noticeable, but it is not as overpowering as that of a full-blooded giant or ogre.

    Type: Humanoid [Uncivilized].

    Languages: Half-giants begin play speaking Common and Giant. Those with high Intelligence scores can learn Draconic, Dwarven, Goblin, and/or Orcish as bonus languages.

    Typical Classes: Barbarian, psychic warrior. Half-giants are eligible for the half-giant paragon class (see below), and always treat it as a favored class.

    Attribute Modifiers: Str +2, Con +2, Int -2. Half-giants are big and strong, but also rather slow-witted.

    Racial Feats: Exchange one of your existing racial feats for the following:

    • Powerful Build (Ex): Although Medium sized, the physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. A half-giant treats his size as Large when calculating CMB and CMD, and when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this ability stack with the effects of most powers and spells that change the subject’s size category, but not with the Giant’s Stance feat.

    Your other racial feat can be chosen from among those listed for your non-giant parentage, or you can instead choose one of the following:

    • Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain (arctic or hills/mountains) as a bonus feat.

    • Stomp (Sp): Once per day, your foot stomp precipitates a psychokinetic shock wave that travels along the ground in a 20-ft. cone, toppling creatures and loose objects. The shock wave affects only creatures standing on the ground within the area; those that fail a Reflex save (DC 10 + half your character level + your Strength modifier) are thrown to the ground, prone, and take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

    Racial Traits: Half-giants trade one or both of their existing racial traits for an equal number of selections made from the following:

    • Endure Elements (Ex): A half-giant can endure either heat or cold (choose one upon creating the character), as if under a continuous endure elements spell.

    • Intimidating Prowess (Ex): You gain Intimidating Prowess as a bonus feat.

    • Low-Light Vision (Ex): Half-giants can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

    • Relentless (Ex): You are skilled at pushing your way through a battlefield, tossing aside lesser foes with ease. You gain Improved Bull Rush or Improved Overrun as a bonus feat.

    • Survivor (Ex): You gain Skill Focus (Survival) as a bonus feat.

    Weapon Familiarity: Half-giants have Martial proficiency with bludgeons. If already proficient with all martial weapons (as through a class feature), they gain Exotic proficiency with great clubs.

    Racial Progression: Some half-giants have particularly strong giant heritage. Upon taking levels in the Giant class below, they gain the [giant] subtype. A 1st level giant is effectively a half-ogre (Cf. Races of Destiny). A verbeeg (per the 1st edition Monster Manual II and the 3.5 edition Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk) is a human with one level of giant. Those with troll blood can gain up to 4 additional levels, simulating the half-troll template from the Fiend Folio.

    Giant Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Deformities, powerful physique
    2nd +1 Large size, rock catching

    Saving Throws: Giants gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: Giants gain 1 free rank per class level in Endurance. This is otherwise treated as a class skill.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Handle Animal, Heal, Profession (any), and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Giants have Simple proficiency with all weapons and shields, and are proficient with light and medium armor. In addition, they retain their half-giant racial weapon familiarity.

    You also gain the ability to throw Small (ca. 40-lb.) rocks with a range increment of 20 ft. A rock thrown by you deals a base 1d8 bludgeoning damage, with a base critical threat range and multiplier of 20/x2.

    Deformities (Ex): A giant (especially one descended from an ogre or fomorian) can choose one beneficial and one disadvantageous deformity from the options given under Ogrekin, in the Bestiary 2. You are not required to select any deformities if you do not wish.

    N.B. A half-giant paragon with orc parentage can select the thick skin and weak mind deformities and can trade in rock throwing for Exotic proficiency with unarmed attacks, essentially creating an ogrillon (per the 1st edition Fiend Folio).

    Powerful Physique (Ex): At 1st level, although you are still technically Medium sized, your stature and powerful physique grants you a +2 size bonus to Strength and Constitution, and a -1 size penalty to Dexterity. You gain a +1 natural armor bonus that stacks with any existing natural armor bonus you may possess.

    Large Size (Ex): At 2nd level, your size increases to Large. This supersedes (does not stack with) your half-giant Powerful Build racial feat. Your size bonus to Strength and Constitution increase by +2 (to +4 total), your natural armor bonus increases by +2, and your size penalty to Dexterity increases by an additional -1. Your reach extends to 10 feet. (You now have the equivalent of the Giant simple template, from the Pathfinder Bestiary).

    Rock Catching (Ex): Once per round, a Giant that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to catch it as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium one, and 25 for a Large one. (If the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount.) You must be ready for and aware of the attack in order to make a rock catching attempt.

    There was a man named Hallbjörn, nicknamed Half-Troll, who was the son of Úlf the Brave. He lived on the island of Hrafnista, which lies near Raumsdal. He was a powerful man and influential over the farmers north of there. He was married, and had a son named Ketil, who grew up to be a big and strong man.

    The Saga of Ketil Trout (ca. 13th century)

    Trollborn Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    3rd +2 Fast healing, might of Járnviðr
    4th +3 Natural armament
    5th +3 Rend, scent
    6th +4 Regeneration

    Fast Healing (Ex): At 3rd level you gain fast healing 2, overcome by fire or acid. This fast healing increases by +1 per trollborn level thereafter.

    Might of Járnviðr (Ex): Your racial bonus to Strength and Constitution increase by +1 per trollborn level (up to +4, or +6 total with your half-giant racial bonuses).

    Natural Armament (Ex): At 4th level, when not wielding manufactured weapons, you gain two natural claw attacks (base damage 1d6) and a bite attack (base damage 1d8). In addition, at 4th and every subsequent level, your natural armor bonus increases by +1.

    Scent (Ex): At 5th level, you gain the Scent ability.

    Rend (Ex): At 5th level, you gain Two-Weapon Strike and Vital Strike as bonus feats, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. If your base attack bonus is less than +6, your Vital Strike deals an additional +2d4 damage, rather than +2d6.

    Regeneration (Ex): At 6th level, your fast healing improves to regeneration.

    Man-Ape

    “Firstly, you shall know that Busyrane dwells in the woods where the Losels breed, those most hideous creatures that are half-human in form, yet eat of human flesh…”

    Out from among the trees loped a pair of naked, hairy seven-foot ape men. They had huge ears with tufts of hair sprouting from them, and throat pouches like orangutans. In their hands were clubs. For a moment they stood at gaze, then came splashing through the stream at a gallop.

    The first of the ape men ran at him, bellowing. Shea never knew whether he had gained his senses or lost his nerve, but he next instant he and Chalmers were running round and round the tethered animals, with the ape-men foaming through their tusks behind.

    ―L. Sprague deCamp and Fletcher Pratt,

    “The Mathematics of Magic” (1940)

    One of the more bizarre races possible, a human/ape crossbreed character was conceived by one of the players in the Aviona campaign after reading H.P. Lovecraft’s “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family” and seeing Bela Lugosi’s Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932). The character, played as a henchman to one of the PCs with the Leadership feat, was a circus attraction before being rescued and befriended by the PC. This race is also useful for creating such NPCs as Thak, from Robert E. Howard’s “Rogues in the House.”

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: ape. Another possibility is to make orc-ape crossbreeds, as in Gygax’s Artifact of Evil (called “losels” in homage to deCamp and Pratt, who in turn were referencing Spenser’s Faerie Queene).

    Type: Humanoid [Uncivilized].

    Languages: Common, and a man-ape can communicate with apes and dire apes as well, as if by speak with animals. (Alternately, you can use Edgar Rice Burroughs’ conception of “Mangani,” a language spoken by gorillas, dire apes, baboons, and monkeys.)

    Typical Classes: Barbarian. Man-apes always treat ape levels (see below) as favored class levels.

    Attribute Modifiers: Str +2, Int -2, Wis +2. Man-apes are strong and alert, but are less intelligent than true men.

    Racial Feats and Traits: Man-apes retain the human Adaptable Nature racial feat (q.v.), and exchange the other human bonus feat for Favored Terrain (choose a terrain appropriate to the ape parent’s habitat―a typical lowland gorilla would select forests and jungles, but a mountain gorilla or Himalayan-like gray ape might have hills and mountains instead). In addition, you trade your human racial traits for low-light vision and the Intimidating Prowess feat.

    Weapon Familiarity: Man-apes have Simple proficiency with bludgeons. They gain no armor or shield proficiencies.

    Racial Progression: You can tap into your bestial heritage by taking levels in the Ape Paragon class, described below. A 3rd level ape paragon is equivalent to a gorilla; a 4th level ape paragon is more or less similar to an intelligent dire ape.

    Ape Paragon Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Natural armor, savage attributes
    2nd +1 Agile climber, slam
    3rd +2 Powerful build, scent
    4th +3 Bite, rend

    Saving Throws: Ape paragons gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Intuition saves.

    Bonus Skills: Ape paragons gain 1 free rank per class level in Acrobatics, Athletics, and Bluff; these are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Endurance, Escape Artist, Perception, and Stealth.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ape paragons are proficient with their natural weapons.

    Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a natural armor bonus equal to your Ape Paragon class level.

    Savage Attributes (Ex): You gain a racial bonus to Strength equal to your Ape Paragon class level. Starting at 2nd level, you also gain a racial bonus to Dexterity and Constitution equal to half your Ape Paragon level. These bonuses stack with existing racial attribute modifiers.

    Agile Climber (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a climb speed of 10 ft.; this increases by an additional 5 ft. per ape level thereafter (maximum 20 ft. at 4th level). If you already have a climb speed (from a favored terrain or existing class feature), add this speed to your existing climb speed.

    Slam (Ex): Also at 2nd level, you gain two slam attacks (base damage 1d4).

    Powerful Build (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, your physical stature lets you function in many ways as if you were one size category larger. This applies to your CMB and CMD. You are also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect you. Your heavy weapons and unarmed strikes deal damage as if they were one size larger (and your base slam damage increases to 1d6). However, your space and reach remain those of a creature of your actual size. The benefits of this ability stack with the effects of most powers and spells that change the subject’s size category, but not with the Giant’s Stance feat.

    Scent (Ex): Also at 3rd level, you gain the scent special quality.

    Bite (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a natural bite attack (base damage 1d6).

    Rend (Ex): Starting at 4th level, your slam attacks become claw attacks. You also gain Improved Grapple and Two-Weapon Strike as bonus feats (even if you do not meet the prerequisites); the latter applies to your claw attacks.

    Appendix C: Powerful Hybrid Races

    In the case of more powerful races, simply trading racial feats and traits is not sufficient to balance them. In those cases, the character chooses a primary race as normal (unless one is already specified for the powerful race), but your first level (and possible some subsequent levels) is dictated by your first racial hit die. Examples include planetouched and those with the Blood of Amber, as described below.

    These guidelines can be used to allow other monstrous races, in a manner similar to that promulgated in Savage Species. However, in all cases, racial hit dice and level adjustment should be merged, so that every level carries a hit die (even if only a d6) and skill points (even if only 2/level).

    There is no guarantee that these races are allowable in any given campaign; the approval of the other players and referee (and an appropriate character back-story) are always needed.

    Amberite

    Although you appear as a normal human, the blood of Amber flows in your veins (Cf. Roger Zelazny’s “Amber” series). You are not a full Prince of Amber like Corwin, and not even a direct bastard like Dalt, but rather a more distant relation like Lord Rein. Still, your heritage makes you more powerful than normal mortals.

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: Outsider (Lord of Amber).

    Physical Description: As a normal human.

    Type: PC Amberites are distantly-related enough from the House of Amber that their type is Humanoid [Civilized], rather than Outsider. You also gain the [Lawful] alignment descriptor.

    Languages: Common, Thari.

    Attribute Modifiers: As human.

    Racial Feats and Traits: Exchange your human bonus feat for Power over Shadow as a bonus feat (you gain this feat even though you do not meet the prerequisites). For the other human feat, you gain Skilled, with the bonus skill ranks automatically being taken in the Walk in Shadow skill.

    Racial Progression: You start at 1st level with one level in an NPC class of your choice (Adept, Aristocrat, Expert, or Warrior). When advancing to 2nd level, you again must take a level in an NPC class. At 2nd level, you are equivalent to a 2nd level NPC with the Advanced simple template – still CR 2, like a 2nd level PC. Thereafter, you progress using normal PC classes. If your NPC class was Warrior, you always treat Fighter as a favored class. If your NPC class was Adept, you always treat sorcerer (Amber bloodline) as a favored class.

    Amberite Hit Dice: By NPC Class

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Natural armor, superhuman
    2nd +2

    Saving Throws, Class Skills, and Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: By NPC class.

    Natural Armor (Ex): You gain +1 natural armor per level in Amberite, for a total of +2 at 2nd level.

    Superhuman (Ex): At 1st level, you gain a +2 racial bonus to all attributes (this stacks with existing modifiers). At 2nd level, this bonus increases to +4.

    Centaur

    Aloof with other races and at odds even with their own kind, the centaurs are an old race only slowly coming to accept the modern world. While the majority of centaurs still live in tribes roaming vast plains or the fringes of eldritch forests, many have abandoned the isolationist ways of their ancestors to walk among the more cosmopolitan cities of the world. Often such free-spirited centaurs are considered outcasts and are shunned by their own tribes, making the decision to leave a heavy one.

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: Horse.

    Physical Description: Typically found on the fringes of civilization, these stoic people vary widely in appearance, their skin tones typically appearing deeply tanned but similar to the humans who occupy nearby regions, while their lower bodies borrow the colorations of local equines. Centaur hair and eyes trend toward darker colors and their features tend to be broad, while the overall bulk of their bodies is influenced by the size of the horses their lower quarters resemble.

    Type: Monstrous Humanoid. As a monstrous humanoid, you have darkvision 60 ft. and are immune to spells that specifically target humanoids.

    Languages: Common, Sylvan.

    Typical Classes: Barbarian, ranger. Centaurs always treat their racial class levels as favored class levels.

    Attribute Modifiers: Dex +2, Int -2, Wis +2. Centaurs are agile and perceptive, but less intelligent than most other races.

    Racial Feats and Traits: Centaurs are Large sized, with a -1 size penalty to Armor Class and attack rolls, -4 racial penalty on Stealth checks, +1 size bonus to CMB, and lifting and carrying limits are double those of Medium characters. Your equine lower body makes it difficult for you to fit in passages meant for Medium creatures (you must squeeze through at half speed). Although you are Large, your upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid; as a result, you wield weapons meant for Medium creatures, and do not have natural reach.

    You otherwise gain no human racial feats nor traits; instead, refer to the racial class features below.

    Racial Progression: You progress through 4 levels’ worth of racial hit dice (outlined below) before beginning progression in a standard PC class.

    Centaur Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Draft horse, hooves 1d4, speed 35 ft.
    2nd +2 Agility, natural armor, speed 40 ft.
    3rd +3 Combat training, speed 45 ft.
    4th +4 Hooves 1d6, speed 50 ft.

    Saving Throws: As monstrous humanoids, centaurs gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Will saves.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Endurance, Handle Animal, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Centaurs have Simple proficiency with all weapons and shields, and Martial proficiency with bludgeons, with bows, and with the lance. They are proficient with light armor.

    Draft Horse (Ex): You gain a racial bonus to Strength and Constitution equal to your centaur level (maximum +4 at 4th level).

    Hooves: You can fight with your fore-hooves as a secondary attack form while using weapons, or as a primary attack form while unarmed. Your hooves deal a base 1d4 damage; at 4th level, the base damage increases to 1d6.

    Speed: You have a base land speed of 30 ft. plus 5 ft. per racial hit die you possess.

    Agility (Ex): You gain a racial bonus to Dexterity equal to half your class level (maximum +2 at 4th level). This stacks with any existing racial bonuses.

    Natural Armor: At 2nd level, you gain a +1 bonus to natural armor.

    Combat Training (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you are treated as if you had the Mounted Combat feat for purposes of qualifying for other feats such as Spirited Charge. However, you do not need a separate steed, as you already have the lower body of a horse.

    Farspawn

    Lavinia Whateley had no known husband, but according to the custom of the region made no attempt to disavow the child; concerning the other side of whose ancestry the country folk might―and did―speculate as widely as they chose. On the contrary, she seemed strangely proud of the dark, goatish-looking infant who formed such a contrast to her own sickly and pink-eyed albinism, and was heard to mutter many curious prophecies about its unusual powers and tremendous future.

    He was soon disliked even more decidedly than his mother and grandsire, and all conjectures about him were spiced with references to the bygone magic of Old Whateley, and how the hills once shook when he shrieked the dreadful name of Yog-Sothoth in the midst of a circle of stones with a great book open in his arms before him.

    ―H.P. Lovecraft, “The Dunwich Horror” (1928)

    Much as fiends produce terrible mortal progeny, certain entities of the Far Realm occasionally venture to the Material Plane to procreate. Sometimes the mortal parent is willing, a fanatical cultist or creature so debased in evil that he or she deliberately invites the union. Other times, the Far Realm being visits its horrible taint on whatever mortal creature best suits its abhorrent purpose.

    Physical Description: Farspawn are horrible in appearance. By the capriciousness of fate and heritage, they might appear largely normal, strongly favoring the mortal parent, but always prominently bear abnormal features: extra limbs, writhing cilia, tentacles, translucent flesh, variable coloration, or slavering maws or alien eyes embedded in otherwise normal flesh. With heavy clothing, a humanoid farspawn might conceal its true nature for a time, but anyone viewing the farspawn without its coverings could not possibly miss its differences.

    Type: Any creature with at least 1 level in Farspawn in considered an Aberration, rather than a humanoid or fey, by type. It is always treated as [evil] aligned for purposes of adjudicating spells and auras.

    Attribute Modifiers: As primary race, with an additional +2 bonus to Constitution. At 5th level, you gain additional racial modifiers (see below).

    Racial Feats and Traits: As per the base race.

    Racial Progression: Farspawn are more powerful than fully mortal beings; they begin with one level in the Farspawn class. Thereafter, they may advance by character class or by racial hit dice (the latter representing additional levels in the Farspawn class).

    A low-level farspawn is equivalent to a creature with the pseudonatural template from Complete Arcane. Higher-level farspawn mimic the half-farspawn template from Lords of Madness. By 8th level, a farspawn has many of the abilities of a mind flayer, from the 3.5 edition Monster Manual.

    Farspawn Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Aberrant resistances, blindsight, spell-like abilities
    2nd +1 Damage reduction, natural armor, natural weapons, spell resistance
    3rd +2 Alternate form, immunities
    4th +3 Change shape
    5th +3 Attribute boosts
    6th +4 Improved grab
    7th +5 Innate metamagic
    8th +6 Extract

    Saving Throws: Farspawn are aberrations, gaining a +2 class bonus to Intuition and Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per farspawn level in Concentration and in Planar Sense. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Perception, Profession (mining), Spellcraft, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As aberrations, Farspawn have Simple proficiency with all weapons. They do not automatically gain any proficiency with armor.

    Aberrant Resistances (Ex): At 1st level, farspawn gain resistance 5 to acid, electricity, and sonics. At 4th these resistances improve by an additional 5 points per 4 hit dice you possess. For example, a farspawn 4/fighter 8 (12 HD total) would have resistance 20 to acid, electricity, and sonics.

    Blindsight (Ex): Farspawn gain blindsight with a range of 10 ft. per farspawn level possessed.

    Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): You gain a racial suite of spell-like abilities, as described in Chapter 7: 1sttrue strike, 2nddetect thoughts, 3rdblink or displacement, 4thgreater invisibility, 5thtelekinesis, 6thplane shift, 7thethereal jaunt, 8thscintillating pattern, 9thimplosion or summon monster IX. If you have one or more class levels in archivist, cleric, incarnate, sorcerer (aberrant bloodline only), or wizard, you can choose to forego all racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spellcasting theurgy.

    Damage Reduction (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain DR 5/magic, with the enhancement bonus needed to bypass this damage reduction equal to half your class level (round up). For example, a 3rd level farspawn has DR 5/+2. This reduction increases by 5 hp per 4 levels in Farspawn you possess.

    Natural Armor (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain a bonus to natural armor equal to half your Farspawn class level. This stacks with any existing natural armor bonus.

    Natural Weapons (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain two tentacle attacks in addition to your normal attacks. These are secondary attacks that deal a base 1d4 damage (assuming you are Medium). When using these tentacles to assist in a grapple, you gain a +2 racial bonus to your CMB. You gain an additional tentacle per 4 levels in Farspawn you possess (an 8th level farspawn therefore has 4 tentacle attacks).

    Spell Resistance (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain spell resistance equal to 5 + your farspawn class level + your total number of hit dice (including aberration HD). For example, a farspawn 4/fighter 8 (12 HD) would have SR 21.

    Alternate Form (Su): Starting at 3rd level, as a standard action you can take the form of a grotesque, tentacled mass (or another appropriately gruesome form, as determined by you and the referee). Despite the alien appearance, your abilities remain unchanged. Other creatures receive a -1 morale penalty on their attack rolls against you when you are in this alternate form.

    Immunities (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you are immune to [affliction] conditions.

    Change Shape (Su): At 4th level, your alternate form increases in power. While in your tentacular form, you gain two additional tentacle attacks and become amorphous (you cannot be flanked, and are not subject to extra damage from critical hits).

    Attribute Boosts (Ex): At 5th level, you receive a +2 racial bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma, and a +4 racial bonus to Constitution and Wisdom. These bonuses stack with existing racial attribute modifiers.

    Improved Grab (Ex): Starting at 6th level, on a successful tentacle attack against a creature of your size or smaller, you can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If you beat the opponent’s CMD, you establish a hold and attach the tentacle to the opponent’s head. If you begin your turn with at least one tentacle attached, you can try to attach your remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or an Escape Artist check, but you get a +2 circumstance bonus to CMD against this for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent’s turn.

    Innate Metamagic (Sp): A 7th level farspawn gains Innate Metamagic, to be applied to one of its spell-like abilities, as a bonus feat. The standard mind flayer in the Monster Manual would have taken Enlarge Spell to increase the area of effect of its psionic blast.

    Extract (Ex): A farspawn that begins its turn with all of its tentacles attached to a single opponent automatically extracts the opponent’s brain as a standard action on a successful pin that round, instantly killing that creature. This ability is useless against constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead. It is not instantly fatal to foes with multiple heads, such as ettins and hydras.

    Lich

    He learned of the otherworldly powers that lay waiting in the world’s hidden places. He learned how to tap into their potency and so quicken his own resources. And ultimately, he learned how he could have it all. It required one’s own death, but repaid that death a hundredfold with eternity—but not in some nebulous afterworld. What use was that?

    ―Charles deLint, Spiritwalk (1992)

    These rules allow a character to become a lich and retain some semblance of a class progression, rather than simply becoming a monster NPC.

    Primary Race: Any.

    Type: Undead. A lich also gains all of the traits of the Undead type, and gains the [evil] alignment descriptor.

    Attribute Modifiers: As primary race. The character also loses its Constitution score upon becoming a lich, and applies its Charisma modifier to Fortitude saves and hit points per die. As you gain levels, you receive mental attribute bonuses as indicated in the table.

    Racial Traits and Feats: As primary race.

    Special: The process of becoming a lich is unspeakably evil and can be undertaken only by a willing character. An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.

    Each lich must make its own phylactery, which requires the Imbue Item feat. The character must be able to cast Necromancy spells and have at least 11 ranks in Concentration. The phylactery costs 30,000 gp per lich level (which counts against the owner’s numen—see Chapter 6) and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation.

    The most common form of phylactery is a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. The box is Tiny and has 40 hit points, hardness 20, and a break DC of 40. Other forms of phylacteries can exist, such as rings, amulets, or similar items.

    Racial Progression: Upon gaining sufficient experience to gain a level, instead of advancing normally, the would-be lich undertakes a dread ritual that culminates in his death, rising 1d10 days later with 1 level in the Lich class. Lich class levels count as Undead hit dice.

    Lich Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Channel resistance, damage reduction, natural armor, spell theurgy, wisdom of the grave
    2nd +1 Attribute boost (+2 Int), immunities, touch of corruption
    3rd +2 Attribute boost (+2 Wis), fear aura
    4th +3 Attribute boost (+2 Cha), rejuvenation

    Saving Throws: Liches, as undead, gain a +2 class bonus to Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: Liches receive 1 free rank per class level in Concentration, Knowledge (the planes), and Spellcraft. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Fly, Knowledge (lore), Perception, Perform (acting), and Stealth.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Liches do not gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Channel Resistance (Ex): You gain channel resistance equal to +1 per lich level you possess.

    Damage Reduction (Ex): At 1st level, you gain DR 6/bludgeoning and magic. The amount improves by +3 per level thereafter, to a maximum of DR 15/bludgeoning and magic at 4th level.

    Natural Armor (Ex): A 1st level lich gains a +2 natural armor bonus; this improves by +1 per lich level thereafter.

    Spell Theurgy: Lich levels provide Strong theurgy towards your existing spellcasting ability.

    Wisdom of the Grave (Ex): You gain a competence bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Stealth checks equal to twice your lich class level.

    Immunities (Ex): At 2nd level, you are immune to cold and electricity.

    Touch of Corruption (Su): You gain a touch attack that deals an amount of negative energy damage equal to 1d8 + half your number of ranks in Concentration. Any creature damaged by this attack must also succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Concentration bonus) or be paralyzed for 1 round per rank in Concentration you possess. At 2nd level, the paralysis lasts 10 minutes per level instead; at 3rd level it lasts 1 day per level; and at 4th level it is permanent unless a remove curse (with a successful check equal to the save DC) is used. A paralyzed victim appears to be dead (DC 15 Heal check to realize he or she is still alive).

    Fear Aura (Su): Starting at 3rd level, creatures within 60 feet that look upon you must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + half your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened (if they have fewer than 5 HD) or shaken (if they have 5 or more HD) for a number of rounds equal to your total number of Hit Dice. Creatures with HD greater than yours are not affected. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by your aura for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

    Rejuvenation (Su): When a lich with at least 4 lich class levels is destroyed, its phylactery (which is generally hidden by the lich in a safe place far from where it chooses to dwell) immediately begins to rebuild the undead spellcaster's body nearby. This process takes 1d10 days—if the body is destroyed before that time passes, the phylactery merely starts the process anew. After this time passes, the lich wakens fully healed (albeit without any gear it left behind on its old body), usually with a burning need for revenge.

    Lizardfolk

    These guidelines can be used not only to represent the lizardfolk race as presented in the Pathfinder Bestiary, but also to advance into a dragonborn race (four levels in Lizardfolk Paragon is equivalent to the half-dragon template).

    Primary Race: Human; Secondary Race: Dragon or other reptilian race. You can potentially model kobolds as lizardfolk using goblin, rather than human, as the primary race.

    Physical Description: Most lizardfolk stand 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh 200 to 250 pounds, their powerful muscles covered in scales of gray, green, or brown (or some other color appropriate to dragon ancestry, if any). Some have short dorsal spikes or brightly colored frills.

    Type: Monstrous Humanoid; you also gain the [reptilian] subtype. As a monstrous humanoid, you have darkvision 60 ft. and are immune to spells that specifically target humanoids.

    Languages: Common, Draconic.

    Typical Classes: Barbarian, sorcerer. Lizardfolk always treat their racial class levels as favored class levels.

    Attribute Modifiers: Str +2, Con +2, Int -2. Lizardfolk are strong and hardy, but not as intelligent as humans.

    Racial Feats and Traits: Lizardfolk trade their human feats for favored terrain and natural armor, as described below.

    Racial Progression: Lizardfolk progress through two levels’ worth of racial hit dice before selecting a PC class. Alternatively, they can discover or embrace a draconic heritage through two more levels’ worth of racial progression, as shown below.

    Lizardfolk (Dragonborn) Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Favored terrain, natural armor
    2nd +2 Natural weapons, strength of Semuana
    3rd +3 Draconic heritage
    4th +4 Breath weapon, wings

    Saving Throws: As monstrous humanoids, lizardfolk gain a +2 class bonus to Reflex and Will saves.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Bluff, Craft (any), Endurance, Fly, Handle Animal, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Lizardfolk have Simple proficiency with all weapons and shields, and Martial proficiency with bludgeons. They are proficient with light armor.

    Favored Terrain (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain (swamps and marshes) as a bonus feat. You also gain a swim speed equal to half your base land speed, and can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times your Constitution score before you risk drowning.

    Natural Armor (Ex): You gain a bonus to natural armor equal to your lizardfolk level.

    Natural Weapons (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain two claw attacks (base 1d4 damage) and a bite (base 1d4 damage) as natural weapons. Alternatively, you can use a manufactured weapon and still gain a secondary bite attack. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can also attack with a claw as a secondary (off-hand) weapon. At 3rd level, your base bite damage increases to 1d6.

    Strength of Semuana (Ex): Your racial bonus to Strength increases by an additional +2 per lizardfolk level above 1st, to a maximum total of +8 at 4th level (including the initial +2 bonus for being a lizardfolk).

    Draconic Heritage (Ex): If you choose to take a 3rd level in Lizardfolk, your type changes to Dragon. Do not recalculate skills or hit points, but you gain Great Fortitude and Deep Intuition as bonus feats. You gain low-light vision and immunity to sleep and paralysis; you also gain a +2 racial bonus to Intelligence (which essentially removes the -2 penalty you took at 1st level), Strength, and Charisma. At 4th level, the bonus to Intelligence increases to +4 (for a net bonus of +2).

    Choose one dragon type; your scales take on that color predominantly, and you gain immunity to the corresponding energy type (see table below). If you have levels in Sorcerer with the Draconic bloodline of the same type as yours, you add your Dragonborn class level to your sorcerer level; for purposes of determining your bloodline powers and their effects.

    Breath Weapon (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a breath weapon usable once per day based on your dragon type (see below). The breath weapon deals 1d6 hit points of damage per racial HD you possess (initially 4d6); a Reflex save applies for half (DC 10 + half your racial HD + your Con modifier).

    Dragon Type Breath Weapon
    Black or copper 60-ft. line of acid
    Brass 60-ft. line of fire
    Blue or bronze 60-ft. line of electricity
    Gold or red 30-ft. cone of fire
    Green 30-ft. cone of acid
    Silver or white 30-ft. cone of cold

    Wings (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a pair of leathery wings and a fly speed equal to your base land speed.

    Lycanthrope

    Under these rules, a person bitten by a lycanthrope who contracts the curse simply becomes an NPC on nights of the full moon, with no recollection of his or her actions while in animal form (which works as per the beast shape I spell). By taking levels in the lycanthrope class, however, the character can learn to use these abilities to his or her advantage. Likewise, a class progression allows natural lycanthrope characters to start play, but with only a fraction of their eventual abilities.

    Primary Race: Any humanoid; Secondary Race: Lycanthrope.

    Type: Lycanthropes retain their base creature type, but also gain the [shapechanger] subtype.

    Attribute Modifiers: Con +2, Wis +2, Cha -2. Lycanthropes are hardy and perceptive, but lack poise and self-confidence.

    Racial Feats and Traits: Unless noted otherwise, lycanthropes retain all the racial feats and traits of the primary race. They also gain the following:

    • Animal Empathy (Ex): Lycanthropes gain a +4 racial bonus to Handle Animal checks made with animals of the same type as the lycanthrope’s animal form (including dire animals).

    • Animal Senses (Ex): Lycanthropes have low-light vision in all forms.

    Racial Progression: Lycanthropes come into their power by advancing in the Lycanthrope class.

    Lycanthrope Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special
    1st +0 Animal form, damage reduction, natural armor, scent
    2nd +1 Hybrid form (+4, bite), moon magic, savagery
    3rd +2 Hybrid form (+6, claws), curse
    4th +3 Hybrid form (+8), savagery
    5th +3 Hybrid form (Large, +2)
    6th +4 Hybrid form (Large, +4), savagery

    Saving Throws: Lycanthropes gain a +2 class bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Intuition saves.

    Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

    Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Lycanthropes are proficient with their natural weapons. They gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Animal Form (Su): Once per day as a standard action, you can assume the form of an animal, as if under the effects of a beast shape I spell. The type of animal depends on the type of lycanthrope you are: werebear—Medium black bear; wereboar—Medium boar; weretiger—Medium cat; wererat—Small dire rat; werewolf—Medium wolf. Starting at 5th level, you can take the form of a Large animal of the appropriate type (e.g., a brown bear, dire boar, or dire wolf) or Tiny animal (rat), as if under the effects of a beast shape II spell.

    Damage Reduction (Ex): Starting at 1st level, you gain damage reduction 5/silver when in animal form. At 2nd level, you have DR 5/silver in your human form, and DR 10/silver in animal or hybrid form (see below).

    Natural Armor (Ex): Your natural armor bonus increases by +1 per lycanthrope class level you possess. The maximum such bonus in humanoid form is +2; in animal or hybrid form (see below), you receive the full bonus.

    Scent (Ex): Starting at 1st level, you gain the scent special quality (you gain the effects of this quality in your humanoid and hybrid forms, not just in your animal form).

    Hybrid Form (Su): Starting at 2nd level, as a standard action you can assume an animal-like humanoid form. While in hybrid form, you gain a bite or gore attack (base damage 1d6). Starting at 3rd level, your hybrid form also has two claw or slam attacks (base damage 1d4). You can wield weapons while in hybrid form, but cannot cast spells with verbal components (nor use bardic inspirations that require singing or chanting) unless you also have the Natural Spell feat (q.v.).

    While in hybrid form, you also gain an additional +4 total profane bonus to your physical attributes, divided as you see fit or as appropriate for your animal type. For example, a werebear might gain +4 Strength; a wererat might choose +4 to Dexterity; and a werewolf might choose +2 to Dexterity and Constitution. The total bonus to physical stats while in hybrid form improves as shown in the table. The additional +2 at 3rd and 4th levels can be applied to any physical stat(s) you choose.

    You can spend a maximum number of rounds per day in hybrid form equal to twice your lycanthrope class level + your (hybrid) Constitution bonus.

    Moon Magic (Ex): Lycanthrope levels provide Weak theurgy to any existing druid, ranger, transmuter, or sorcerer (bestial bloodline only) spellcasting progression you possess. It also provides Weak synergy towards advancing bestial bloodline powers or moonspeaker Druid initiation abilities (both in terms of gaining new powers and the level at which those powers function).

    Savagery (Ex): At 2nd, 4th, and 6th levels, you gain a special ability appropriate to your animal type, chosen from the list below.

    • Bear: grab (see Bestiary), immunity to poison, or bonus feat (Fast Recovery, Giant’s Stance, Improved Grapple, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Power Attack, Toughness, or Two-Weapon Strike);

    • Boar: impale (x3 crit multiplier with gore), or bonus feat (Cleave, Defiance, Diehard. Fast Recovery, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Skirmish, Toughness, or Vital Strike);

    • Rat: disease (filth fever by bite; see Bestiary), immunity to afflictions, or bonus feat (Ability Focus (disease), Combat Expertise, Dodge, Fast Recovery, Improved Feint, Improved Weapon Maneuvers, Toughness, Unclean Strike, or Weapon Finesse);

    • Tiger: grab, pounce, or rend (see Bestiary) or bonus feat (Bleeding Strike, Combat Reflexes, Crippling Strike, Fast Recovery, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack, Skill Focus, or Weapon Focus);

    • Wolf: favored terrain (plains; maximum bonus equal to your lycanthrope class level), sneak attack +1d6 (you may select this more than once to increase the bonus), or bonus feat (Dodge, Fast Recovery, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Flanking, Improved Trip, Maneuvering Strike (trip), or Skirmish).

    You must meet all normal prerequisites for feats, but can otherwise select freely from the choices available to you. Lists for other animal types (for unusual lycanthropes) can be developed similarly.

    Curse (Su): Starting at 3rd level, your bite in animal or hybrid form inflicts lycanthropy (Fortitude DC 15 negates). If the victim's size is not within one size category of yours, this ability has no effect.

    Large (Ex): Starting at 5th level, your hybrid form is Large sized (roughly 8 ft. tall). The damage from your natural attacks improves by 1 die type (bite 1d8, claws 1d6), your natural armor bonus increases by +3, and you gain a +2 size bonus to Strength and Constitution while in hybrid form. At 6th level, the bonus to Strength and Constitution increases to +4.

    Planetouched

    You are descended from a planar entity such as a celestial or a demon; either from a more or less distant ancestor (if you end up taking only your first level in Planetouched) or even a parent (if you progress through all six levels). [Good] planetouched (descended from celestials) are assimars; [evil] ones (descended from demons, devils, or daemons) are “tieflings,” [lawful] ones (descended from Axiomites and the like) are “resolute,” and [chaotic] ones (descended from true Proteans or slaadi) are “proteans” or “neraphim,” respectively.

    Primary Race: Any humanoid or fey; Secondary Race: Celestial, fiend, etc.

    Type: Planetouched are Outsiders [native], rather than humanoids or fey; planetouched levels are considered outsider racial hit dice, as described below. They and gain all alignment descriptor(s) and subtype(s) appropriate to their Outsider parentage.

    Typical Classes: Planetouched tend to multiclass into cleric or paladin (aasimars), rogue (tiefling), or sorcerer (Celestial, Celestial, Daemon, Infernal, or Protean bloodline). Aasimars always treat paladin as a favored class; Tieflings always treat rogue as a favored class; and all planetouched treat their planetouched levels as favored class levels.

    Favored Class Bonus: If you have Planetouched as a favored class, instead of choosing +1 hp or +1 skill point as a favored class bonus, you can instead gain a favored enemy bonus (aberrations and evil outsiders for aasimars; good outsiders for tieflings; etc.) of +1 each time you select this option, to a maximum bonus equal to half your character level.

    Attribute Modifiers: Depend on planar heritage; these modifiers are in addition to the modifiers for the base race.

    • Aasimars: +2 Wisdom, Charisma

    • Proteans: +2 Constitution, Charisma; -2 Wisdom

    • Resolute: +2 Constitution, Wisdom; -2 Charisma

    • Tieflings: +2 Dexterity, Intelligence; -2 Charisma.

    Racial Feats and Traits: Unless noted otherwise, planetouched retain all the racial feats and traits of the primary race.

    Racial Progression: To play a planetouched, a character starts with one of the standard races (generally human), and then selects the Planetouched class for at least one level. Thereafter, the character can multiclass to progress in one of the standard classes when leveling. He or she can also choose to continue progress in the Planetouched class, eventually becoming a celestial or fiendish character (or even a half-celestial or half-fiend).

    Planetouched Hit Dice: d10

    Level BAB Special
    1st +1 Darkvision, planar heritage, planar magic, skill synergy
    2nd +2 Natural weapons, spell resistance
    3rd +3 Immunities, smite
    4th +4 Natural armor
    5th +5 Attribute boosts (+2 to all scores)
    6th +6 Wings

    Saving Throws: Good saves are dependent on heritage: Aasimar or Resolute—Fortitude and Will; Tiefling or Protean—Reflex and Intuition.

    Bonus Skills: You gain 1 free rank per planetouched level in Concentration and in Knowledge (the planes). These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Bluff, Fly, Perception, and Stealth. Additional class skills are based on your specific planar heritage.

    • Aasimar: Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, Heal

    • Protean: Endurance, Escape Artist, Planar Sense, Survival

    • Resolute: Endurance, Craft (any), Knowledge (any), Streetwise

    • Tiefling: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Streetwise.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As outsiders, Planetouched have Martial proficiency with all weapons. They do not automatically gain any proficiency with armor or shields.

    Bonus Language: Aasimars gain Celestial as a bonus language. Tieflings gain Abyssal or Mabrahoring (Infernal), depending on their heritage. Resolute and Proteans gain Thari (the language spoken in Amber and the Courts of Chaos), or another language (Slaadi, etc.) if more appropriate to their parentage.

    Darkvision (Ex): Planetouched gain darkvision with a 60-ft. range. If they already possess darkvision due to their non-outsider parent race, the range of their existing darkvision increases by 30 ft.

    Planar Heritage (Ex): You gain Favored Terrain (lower planes or upper planes, as appropriate) with a bonus equal to your Planetouched class level (maximum bonus of 2 + half your character level). In addition, at 1st level, planetouched gain resistance 5 to three energy types, depending on their heritage:

    • Aasimar—acid, cold, and electricity

    • Protean—acid, fire, and negative energy

    • Resolute—acid, cold, and fire

    • Tiefling—cold, electricity, and fire.

    These stack with similar resistances, if any.

    Planar Magic (Sp, Ex): You gain a suite of racial spell-like abilities (Chapter 7) appropriate to your heritage, as follows.

    • Axiomatic (Resolute): 1staxiomatic weapon (as bless weapon, but lawful), 2ndcalm emotions, 3rdmagic circle against chaos, 4thorder’s wrath, 5thdispel chaos, 6thhold monster, 7thdictum, 8thshield of law, 9thsummon monster IX (marut).

    • Celestial (Aasimar): 1stbless, 2nddaylight, 3rdremove disease, 4thholy smite, 5thdispel evil, 6thhallow, 7thholy word, 8thholy aura, 9thsummon monster IX (celestials only).

    • Entropic (Protean): 1stentropic shield, 2ndalter self, 3rdmagic circle against law, 4thconfusion, 5thmajor creation, 6thdisintegrate, 7thword of chaos, 8thcloak of chaos, 9thshapechange.

    • Fiendish (Tiefling): 1stdarkness, 2nddesecrate, 3rdcontagion, 4thpoison, 5thunhallow, 6thblasphemy, 7thdestruction, 8thunholy aura, 9thsummon monster IX (fiends only).

    Alternatively, choose a specific planar being as your ancestor, and build a suite of racial spell-like abilities using the abilities possessed by that being. For example, a planetouched character descended from a green slaad (a “green neraph”) might use the following: 1stprotection from law, 2ndsee invisibility, 3rddeeper darkness, 4thfear, 5thdispel law, 6thanimate objects, 7thdelayed blast fireball, 8thcloak of chaos, 9thsummon monster IX (1 green slaad, 1d3 blue slaadi, or 1d4+1 red slaadi). A character descended from an angel of light might use the Heavenly Radiance feat from the Advanced Race Guide as a starting point. Examples are limited only by the requirement of player and referee agreement.

    You also gain the following class synergy options:

    • If you have levels in archivist, cleric, incarnate (Aspirancy mystery), sorcerer (appropriate planar bloodline only), or wizard, you can choose to forego all racial spell-like abilities in exchange for Strong spellcasting theurgy.

    • Planetouched who multiclass into sorcerer and select an appropriate planar bloodline (Celestial for aasimars, etc.) gain Full synergy from their planetouched levels for purposes of determining bloodline powers and resistances gained, and their effects.

    Skill Synergy: Planetouched gain Skill Synergy as a bonus feat; the specific skills are dependent upon their planar heritage, as follows: Aasimar—Diplomacy, Perception (despite the normal prohibition on choosing Perception as a synergy skill); Protean—Escape Artist, Planar Sense; Resolute—Concentration, Streetwise; Tiefling—Bluff, Stealth.

    Natural Weapons (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a tiefling gains two claw attacks (base 1d4 damage) and a bite attack (base 1d6 damage).

    Spell Resistance (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain spell resistance equal to 5 + your character level.

    Immunities (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you are immune to [affliction] conditions.

    Smite (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you can smite once per day as a swift action. This work’s as the prestige paladin’s smite evil ability, but affects an enemy of alignment opposite yours, and functions at an effective class level equal to your total hit dice.

    Natural Armor (Ex): At 4th level, you gain a +1 bonus to your natural armor. This stacks with any existing natural armor bonus. At 6th level, this bonus improves by an additional +1.

    Attribute Boosts (Ex): At 5th level, you become infused with the power of the planes. You gain a +2 racial bonus to all attribute scores (this stacks with your initial racial bonuses to attributes).

    Wings (Ex): At 6th level, an aasimar grows feathered wings (a tiefling gains bat-like wings instead, proteans shifting mist-like ones, and resolute mechanical ones) and can fly at twice the base creature’s base land speed (good maneuverability).

    Planetouched, Eladrin

    4th edition D&D renamed high elves as “eladrin” (a race of elflike celestials from previous editions), and retained the names of specific eladrin types (bralani, ghaele, etc.) as “noble” eladrins infused with fey powers. I recommend a fusion of the two approaches for the Aviona campaign, as outlined here.

    Primary Race: High Elf; Secondary Race: Celestial.

    Type: Outsider [Chaotic, Good, Elf].

    Racial Progression: Celestial high elves (“eladrin”) can also gain levels in the Feytouched Paragon racial class (Appendix B). The addition of other class levels helps define the variety of eladrin: an eladrin barbarian with favored terrain: Arctic or an eladrin frost incarnate is a “bralani;” an eladrin paladin is a “shiere;” and so on.

    Use the following substitutions for the standard aasimar class abilities:

    • Planar Magic (Ex): Create a list appropriate to your eladrin type (e.g., a ghaele eladrin might have 1stcure light wounds, 2nddetect thoughts, 3rddispel magic, 4thglobe of invulnerability, 5thwall of force, 6thchain lightning, 7thprismatic spray, 8thholy aura, 9thmass hold monster). Add alternative synergy appropriate to your eladrin type: incarnate (Frost mystery) or Boreal bloodline for bralani; paladin class features for shiere, etc.

    Planetouched, Worghest

    This planetouched variant supersedes the “worghest” from Dragon magazine, issue 350.

    Primary Race: Goblin; Secondary Race: Barghest.

    Type: Outsider [Evil, Lawful, Goblinoid].

    Racial Progression: Worghests progress in levels as Goblin Paragons (see above) and as fiendish Planetouched (tieflings) for at least three levels, gaining the appropriate abilities at the indicated level breaks. They also take levels in lycanthrope (werewolf), in order to gain the change shape ability. A goblin paragon 2/tiefling 3/werewolf 1 is the equivalent of a lesser barghest; additional levels of tiefling and/or lycanthrope to approximate a greater barghest. Use the following substitutions for the standard tiefling class abilities:

    • Feed (Su): Once per day when you slay a humanoid opponent, it can feed on the corpse, devouring it as a full-round action. Feeding destroys the victim’s body and prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the body. There is a 50% chance that a wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell can restore the victim to life (check once only; if the first check fails, the victim cannot be restored). You gain the effects of a death knell when it feeds in this manner. This ability replaces the standard tiefling’s smite good ability.

    • Planar Magic: Replace the tiefling’s Infernal bloodline with the Goblin bloodline. Replace the standard tiefling spell-like abilities with the following: 1stmisdirection, 2ndlevitate, 3rdcrushing despair, 4thdimension door, 5th—heightened charm monster, 6thmass bull’s strength, 7thdestruction, 8thunholy aura, 9thsummon monster IX.

    Vampire

    The vampire progression presented here assumes a character is infected mid-campaign―apparently dead, but then slowly transforming into a vampire.

    Racial Progression: 1d4 days after being drained by a vampire, you rise as an Undead with the blood drain, servant of darkness, and shadowless abilities, and all of the vampire weaknesses (described below). As an undead, you gain the [evil] alignment descriptor. Thereafter, you may choose to continue to progress using PC classes, although you have all of the weaknesses of a vampire and almost none of its strengths. Alternatively, you can take levels in the Vampire class in order to gain vampiric abilities to compensate for the many weaknesses you gain as a new vampire slave. At 4th level, you are equivalent to a vampire spawn; at 8th, you are a full vampire.

    Blood Drain (Su): As the vampire ability in the Bestiary; this is how you survive, being unable to eat.

    Servant of Darkness (Su): A vampire is under the complete control of the vampire that created it, and remains enslaved until its master's destruction.

    A vampire cleric or archivist devoted to a non-evil deity loses all class abilities, including spells, unless you renounce former allegiances and swear an oath to the forces of darkness. This restores your former abilities, but as a cleric or archivist sworn to evil, so that the ability to channel negative positive becomes channel negative energy, etc. You lose your former domains and instead gains access to two of the following: Death, Destruction, Evil, or Trickery. Vampire levels provide Weak theurgy to spellcasting.

    Shadowless (Ex): A vampire casts no shadows and shows no reflection in a mirror. At the referee’s option, this also applies to modern imaging methods such as film and videotape.

    Undead Type: As an undead, a vampire has no Constitution score. It uses its Charisma modifier to determine hit point and Fortitude saving throw adjustments. Vampires gain all of the undead traits listed on pp. 309-310 of the Pathfinder Bestiary

    Vampire Weaknesses: You have all of the weaknesses described on pp. 270-271 of the Bestiary. You also have resurrection vulnerability (Su): a raise dead or similar spell with a spell level higher than your vampire level destroys you unless you succeed at a Fortitude save (if your vampire level is higher than the level of the revivification spell, you are immune to its effects).

    Vampire Hit Dice: d8

    Level BAB Special Attribute Modifiers: Fast Healing Natural Armor
    Str Dex Int
    0 +0 Blood drain, servant of darkness, shadowless, vampire weaknesses +0 +0 +0
    1st +0 Slam, spider climb +0 +0 +0
    2nd +1 Bonus feat, channel resistance +0 +1 +0
    3rd +2 Bonus feat, damage reduction, gaseous form +1 +1 +0
    4th +3 Bonus feat, resistances, dominate, energy drain +2 +2 +0
    5th +3 Bonus feat, change shape +3 +2 +0
    6th +4 Bonus feat, children of the night +4 +3 +0
    7th +5 Bonus feat +5 +3 +1
    8th +6 Energy drain (2 levels) +6 +4 +2

    Saving Throws: Vampires, as undead, gain a +2 class bonus to Will saves.

    Bonus Skills: Vampires gain 1 free rank per class level in Bluff, Perception, and Stealth. These are otherwise treated as class skills.

    Class Skills: Athletics, Concentration, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Fly, Knowledge (any), Perform (any), and Spellcraft.

    Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Vampires do not gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Attribute Modifiers: A vampire gains profane bonuses to attribute scores as shown in the table. The bonuses shown for each level supersede (do not stack with) those shown in previous rows.

    Natural Armor (Ex): A vampire’s natural armor bonus improves as shown in the table.

    Slam (Ex): At 1st level you gain a slam attack (base damage 1d6), if you didn't have one. Your natural weapons (including the slam) are treated as +1 weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR.

    Spider Climb (Ex): Starting at 1st level, you can climb sheer surfaces as though by spider climb.

    Bonus Feat: You receive one bonus feat per level from 2nd through 7th level. These must be chosen from the following list: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness.

    Channel Resistance (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you gain channel resistance with a bonus equal to half your vampire level.

    Damage Reduction (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain damage reduction 5/silver. The amount improves by +1 per vampire level thereafter. At 8th level, you have DR 10/magic and silver.

    Fast Healing (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain fast healing at the rate shown in the table.

    Gaseous Form (Su): Starting at 3rd level, as a standard action you can assume gaseous form at will, but you can remain gaseous indefinitely and have a fly speed of 20 feet. If reduced to 0 hp, you automatically assume gaseous form. You must reach your coffin within 2 hours or be destroyed (you can travel up to 9 miles in 2 hours). Additional damage dealt to you in gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest, you are helpless. You regain 1 hit point after 1 hour, then are no longer helpless and resume fast healing as in the table.

    Resistances (Ex): At 4th level, you gain resistance 10 to cold and fire.

    Dominate (Sp): Starting at 4th level, you can crush a humanoid opponent's will; you gain dominate person as a spell-like ability, useable at will.

    Energy Drain (Su): Starting at 4th level, any creature hit by your slam (or other natural weapon) gains one negative level. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks you make. At 8th level, this ability bestows two negative levels instead of only one.

    Change Shape (Su): Beginning at 5th level, you can use change shape at will to assume the form of a bat, a wolf, or a dire wolf, as beast shape II.

    Children of the Night (Su): Starting at 6th level, once per night you can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action. They arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve you for up to 1 hour.


    1. The effects of these abilities are suppressed in normal light, and dispelled in bright light.

    2. Non-Paizo sources are as follows: CC = Creature Collection (Sword & Sorcery Studios); FB = Frostburn; SSt = Sandstorm; UE = Unapproachable East.