Racecraft: Players making their own races

Crafting Races



Size

Your race can either be medium-sized or small.



Medium-sized races gain no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.



Small races gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than medium-sized races use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters those of medium-sized races.



Small races cannot choose an Ability Feat that grants a +2 to Strength.



Abilities

Choose one of the following ability feats for your race. All modifiers are racial bonuses or penalties.



Universal:



Homogeneous

This race gains no bonuses or penalties to their abilities.



Strength:



Leviathan

+2 Str, -2 Dex



Glass Giant

+2 Str, -2 Con



Brute Strength

+2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha



Blind Fury

+2 Str, -2 Wis



Dexterity:



Nimble

+2 Dex, -2 Str



Feather Weight

+2 Dex, -2 Con



Savage Speed

+2 Dex, -2 Int



Senseless Speed

+2 Dex, -2 Wis



Windfoot

+2 Dex, -2 Cha



Constitution



Reserved Strength

+2 Con, -2 Str



Ironhide

+2 Con, -2 Dex



Thick Skull

+2 Con, -2 Int



Stone Deaf

+2 Con, -2 Wis



Stonefaced

+2 Con, -2 Cha



Intelligence



Brain Power

+2 Int, -2 Str



Ponderous

+2 Int, -2 Dex



Bookworm

+2 Int, -2 Con



Absentminded Genius

+2 Int, -2 Wis



Shrewd

+2 Int, -2 Cha



Wisdom



Perceptive

+2 Wis, -2 Str



Wisdom of the Ages

+2 Wis, -2 Dex



Strength in Spirit

+2 Wis, -2 Con



Nature’s Child

+2 Wis, -2 Int



Hermit

+2 Wis, -2 Cha



Charisma



Sorcerous

+2 Cha, -2 Str



Charismatically Clumsy

+2 Cha, -2 Dex



Thin and Handsome

+2 Cha, -2 Con



Dim-witted Hero

+2 Cha, -2 Int



Confident

+2 Cha, -2 Wis



Speed

Each race has a base speed.



Medium-size races have a base speed of either 20 or 30 feet.



Small races have a base speed of 20 feet.



Racial Abilities

Each race has a number of unique powers defined by these feats. Each feat is worth a number of points, defined by the number to the right of its name. A standard race has 5 points to spend on feats. However, a number of factors can increase the amount of points a race has, as seen in the chart below:



- Medium-Sized Race with 20 foot movement: 2 points

- +2 to Int, Wis, or Cha and -2 to Str, Dex, or Con: 1 point

- Homogenous Ability Feat: 1 point

- Flaw: See Flaws Below



Adaptive (2)

Prerequisite: Homogenous

Benefit: Your race gains 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.



Talented (2)

Prerequisite: Homogenous, or base Intelligence of 12

Benefit: Your race gains 1 extra feat at 1st level.



Multicultural (1)

Prerequisite: Homogeneous, or Racial Blood

Benefit: Your racial Favored Class becomes “any.” When determining whether a multiclassed member of your race suffers an XP penalty, his highest-level class does not count.



Darkvision (2)

Benefit: Your race can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and your race can function just fine with no light at all.



Stonecunning (1)

Prerequisite: Base Wisdom of 10

Benefit: Stonecunning grants your race a +2 racial bonus on checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A member of your race who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a check as if he were activiely searching, and a member of your race can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A member of your race can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.



Resistant (1)

Benefit: Your race gains a +2 racial bonus to saves versus one of the following: poison, spells and spell-like effects, acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic.

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, but a new resistance must be chosen each time.



Racial Enemy (2)

Benefit: Your race gains a +1 bonus to attack roll against one of the following types of creatures: Aberrations, Animals, Beasts, Constructs, Dragons, Elementals, Fey, Giants, Humanoid type*, Magical beasts, Oozes, Outsider type*, Plants, Shapechangers, Undead, or Vermin.

*Your race may not select “humanoid” or “outsider” as a favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly defined type of humaoid (such as goblinoids, humans, or reptilian humanoids) or outsider (such as devils, efreet, or slaadi).

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, but a new racial enemy must be chosen each time.



Monster Hunter (2)

Benefit: Your race gains a +4 dodge bonus against a chosen enemy: This bonus represents special training that your race undergoes, during which they learn tricks that previous generations developed in their battles with that enemy. Your chosen enemy must be one of the following creatures: Aberrations, Animals, Beasts, Constructs, Dragons, Elementals, Fey, Giants, Humanoid type*, Magical beasts, Oozes, Outsider type*, Plants, Shapechangers, Undead, or Vermin.

*Your race may not select “humanoid” or “outsider” as a favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly defined type of humaoid (such as goblinoids, humans, or reptilian humanoids) or outsider (such as devils, efreet, or slaadi).

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, but a new racial enemy must be chosen each time. Races with a base Dexterity or Wisdom score of 10 or more can take this feat for only 1 point.



Skilled (1)

Benefit: Select any two thematically similar skills. Your race gains a +2 bonus in each. Example skill pairings include the following:



- Spot and Search

- Spot and Listen

- Tumble and Balance

- Diplomacy and Bluff

- Diplomacy and Gather Information

- Climb and Jump

- Decipher Script and Forgery

- Innuendo and Sense Motive

- Disable Device and Open Lock

- Alchemy and Spellcraft



Special: This feat may be taken multiple times, but a new skill pairing must be chosen each time.



Low-Light Vision (1)

Benefit: Your race can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.



Innate Spells (2)

Prerequisite: Base Wisdom of 10

Benefit: Choose three 0-level arcane spells (cantrips). Members of your race may cast these spells, each once per day. These are arcane spells, and as such members of your race suffer spell failure penalties for wearing armor. Treat members of your race as 1st-level casters for all spell effects dependent on level.



Racial Blood (1)

Benefit: Choose one race (considered the “half-race”) other than your own. For all special abilities and effects, members of your race are considered to be this half-race. For example, members of your race can use weapons and magic items with racially specific powers as if they were this half-race.



Sleepless (2)

Benefit: Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects. Your race does not need to sleep- instead, it only meditates for 4 hours a night.



Survivor (1)

Benefit: Your race gains a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.



Weapon Proficiency (2)

Benefit: Choose one martial weapon. Members of your race are automatically proficient with it.

Special: Choose one exotic weapon instead. This weapon is considered a martial weapon for members of your race. This feat can be taken multiple times, but a new weapon must be chosen each time.



Weapon Familiarity (2)

Benefit: Members of your race gain a +1 racial attack bonus with one of the following types of weapons: Thrown, swords, bludgeoning, axes, bows (including shortbows, longbows, and crossbows), or spears.

Special: This feat may be taken multiple times, but a new type of weapon must be chosen each time.



Natural Attack (4)

Benefit: Your race gains a natural attack (a claw, bite, head butt, gore, or slam attack). This attack deals 1d4 piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage plus strength modifier. Members of your race may attack with a weapon and then a natural attack, but the second attack suffers -5 to attack.



Fleet of Foot (3)

Prerequisite: Base Dexterity of 10

Benefit: Your race’s base speed is increased by 10 feet.



Strong Shoulders (1)

Prerequisite: Base Constitution of 10, base speed 20 feet

Benefit: When wearing medium or heavy armor, your race’s base speed stays at 20 feet.



Thick Skinned (4)

Benefit: Your race gains a +1 natural armor bonus.



Scent (4)

Prerequisite: Base Wisdom of 10

Benefit: Your race gains the Scent special ability.



Regenerative (3)

Prerequisite: Base Constitution of 10

Benefit: When not in a stressful situation (combat, climbing, swimming, sprinting), members of your race heal at a rate of one hit point per minute, up to a number of hit points equal to their character level. This replaces hit points gained by a night of rest.



Exceptional (1)

Prerequisite: Chosen Base Ability of 10

Benefit: Choose one ability (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, or Cha). When making a check that uses this ability (and only the ability, no other modifiers included), members of your race enjoy a +2 racial bonus. For example, a race with Exceptional Strength gets a +2 racial modifier to Strength checks when breaking down doors, arm wrestling, or lifting heavy objects.

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, but a new Ability must be chosen each time.



Flaws

You may choose one (and only one) flaw for your race. Each flaw gives a number of bonus points to spend on racial feats, defined by the number next to each name.



Short-Sighted (1)

Penalty: When shooting or throwing a ranged weapon, each additional range increment’s penalty is doubled. For example, shooting an arrow from a shortbow at a target 200 feet away would suffer a -12 penalty, instead of the usual -6.



Weak (1)

Prerequisite: Base Strength 10 or lower

Penalty: Armor check penalties for members of your race wearing armor is doubled.



Clumsy (1)

Prerequisite: Base Dexterity 10 or lower

Penalty: Members of your race suffer a -2 penalty to defending against disarms, trips, and grapples.



Bones of Glass (1)

Prerequisite: Base Constitution 10 or lower

Penalty: Members of your race suffer double damage from one of the following weapon types: piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning.



Illiterate (1)

Prerequisite: Base Intelligence 10 or lower

Penalty: Your race starts out illiterate at 1st level. Members of your race must spend 2 skill points to become literate. Barbarian members of your race must spend a total of 4 skill points to become literate.



Diluted Senses (1)

Prerequisite: Wisdom 10 or lower

Penalty: Members of your race suffer a -1 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks.



Savage Tongue (1)

Prerequisite: Charisma 10 or lower

Penalty: Members of your race start out speaking only their own language. They gain a number of bonus languages equal to half their intelligence modifier, and it costs them double the skill points to learn new languages using the “Speak Language” skill.



Oddly Shaped (2)

Penalty: Due to your race’s odd shape, normal armor doesn’t fit, and new armor costs double the base price in order to mold it to your race’s body.



Vulnerable (2)

Penalty: Your race suffers double damage from one of the following elements: acid, cold, fire, or electricity.



Spawn (1)

Penalty: Once per year, members of your race must spend 1d4+2 weeks giving birth to a child (or children), either through laying eggs, budding, live birth, or some other process. Note that not all the time is spent giving birth- most of the days are used up by preparation and recovery.



Transformation (2)

Penalty: Every day, during a 6-hour period (dawn, noon, dusk, or midnight), members of your race transform into horrible-looking creatures. During this time, members of your race suffer a -2 penalty to all Charisma-based skills.

Special: Instead of a once-per-day transformation, members of your race only transform one day per week. However, this option only gives one bonus point to spend on racial feats.



Languages

Your race speaks Common and the natural language of its race.



Favored Class

Choose a favored class based on which ability you chose to give your race a bonus on. A race’s favored class does not count against members of the race when determinging XP penalties for multiclassing.



Homogeneous

Any



Strength

Barbarian

Fighter

Monk

Paladin

Ranger



Dexterity

Bard

Monk

Ranger

Rogue

Sorcerer



Constitution

Barbarian

Cleric

Fighter

Paladin

Wizard



Intelligence

Bard

Fighter

Rogue

Sorcerer

Wizard



Wisdom

Cleric

Druid

Monk

Paladin

Ranger



Charisma

Barbarian

Bard

Cleric

Paladin

Sorcerer



Description

Each race has a unique appearance and society. Following the guidelines, flesh out your race’s culture.



Alignment: Choose an alignment for your race. Most races are neutral in nature, but some have cultures strongly influenced by good, evil, law, or chaos. Do members of your race follow a strict guideline of rules and rituals? Or does your society run in chaos, with nature’s laws the only guidance?



Religion: Choose a deity for your race to worship. Many races follow the core gods, but some may venerate a demon lord or an animal idol.



Appearance: What does your race look like? Do they have emerald scales and multifaceted amethyst eyes? Are they eight feet tall with hoofed feet and muscle-bound arms? Use the following guidelines to set the vital statistics for your race’s height, weight, and age:



Height and Weight: Choose a Base Height for your race. Humans and Half-Orcs start at 4' 10" (4' 4" for females), while Gnomes start at 3' 0" (2' 10" for females), and Halflings start at 2' 8" (2' 6" for females). Keep in mind that Medium-size defines any creature between 4" and 8", while Small defines any creature between 2" and 4".



After that, choose a die for Height Modifier. Human-sized creatures (Humans and Half-Orcs) use 2d10. Half-Elves use 2d8, and Elves use 2d6, while Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings use 2d4.



Then set a Base Weight for your race. Human males have a Base Weight of 120 pounds, while Human females have a Base Weight of 85 pounds. Dwarf and Half-orc males have a base weight of 130 pounds, and their female counterparts have a Base Weight of 100 and 90 pounds, respectively. Halfling men are as light as 30 pounds, and Halfling women have a Base Weight of 25 pounds.



Finally, choose a Weight Modifier die for your race. The larger the die, the stockier your race is. Humans, Half-orcs, and Half-elves use 2d4, Dwarves use 2d6, and Elves use 1d6. Small races use 1x, unless they are particularly heavy.



Age: Choose a starting age for your race. This is the age at which members of your race start adulthood. Humans start adulthood at 15, while Elves start adulthood at 110. Add anywhere from 20 to 80 years to find Middle Age (depending on how long-lived your race is), 20 to 80 years more to reach Old, and 20 to 80 years more again to reach Venerable. Choose a die (2d10, 2d20, 3d20, 4d20, 4d%, etc) to define Maximum Age, the age at which members of your race often die.

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