This is what we did for the Birthright Campaign Setting (BRCS) at Birthright.net. It is the Official 3.5 info currently and was snctioned (i.e., voted on) by the fans on the site.
Dwarves, Cerilian
Dwarves lived in the mountains of Cerilia long before humans came to the land. Over the years, the dwarven holds have chosen a defensive strategy, fortifying their approaches and retreating to their cities under the mountains whenever threatened. Dwarves have a fierce hatred of orogs, the result of uncounted wars fought under the earth.
The typical dwarf stands about 4’ to 4’6” in height, with an exceptionally stocky build and thick, sturdy bones. Dwarves are creatures of stone, the children of the mountains, and their bodies are twice as dense as those of other creatures; in this respect they're closely related to stone giants. Dwarves often weigh as much as 250 to 300 pounds despite their size. A dwarf's skin is gray, stony, and cold to the touch. All dwarves have eyes that are dark as jet and their hair and beards are black or dark gray in color and normally cropped short.
The dwarves of Cerilia usually adhere to friendly neutrality; thus they are on good terms with most other races, including the elves. They're masterful craftsmen and traders; dwarven caravans roam through Cerilia laden with goods. Dwarven arms and armor are the best in Cerilia and Dwarven mercenaries are highly prized. In the privacy of their own homes, the dwarves of Cerilia are hardly the dour and grim sentinels that they are first appear. Though they still have the responsibility of keeping the orogish population in check under the mountains, their lives are filled with merriment and gaiety.
Dwarven kingdoms are generally organized around the clan, and clan members are expected to be loyal to their clan first and king second. The clan leaders, in turn, first serve their people and swear fealty to the dwarven king. The dwarven king must therefore be an adept negotiator and a shrewd politician to keep his people together.
Dwarves learn the arts of war at an early age, for they see their duty as containing the orogs in the caverns under the mountains. The orogs have, strangely, grown ever more mighty in their years of confinement, and the dwarves have had become that much better to deal with the orogish menace. It is partly for this reason that they prefer not to deal with outsiders - visitors distract the sentries.
In addition to being skilled fighters, the dwarves of Cerilia are also excellent miners. Each dwarf clan tends to specialize in a certain sort of mining, so that one clan searches out gems, while another specializes in ores. The clans within a kingdom tend to complement one another, so no clan is left with a useless skill. Dwarves are the most technologically advanced race of Cerilia; their level of technology is roughly equivalent to the historical cultures during the close of the Renaissance period.
Racial Abilities: Cerilian dwarves have the following racial traits:
• +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity.
• Medium-size (4’ to 4’6” tall); base speed of 20 feet. However, dwarves can move this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Although they can function without light, Cerilian dwarves prefer illumination, and require it to perform most fine tasks.
• Stonecunning: +2 racial bonus to notice unusual stonework; automatically attempt to search when within 10 feet of unusual stonework, trapfinding (as rogue) for stonework traps only. A dwarf can also sense their approximate depth underground.
• Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
• Stability: Dwarves gains a +4 bonus on ability checks to resist bull rush and trip when standing on firm ground.
• +2 racial bonus on saves vs. poison, spells, and spell-like effects.
• +2 dodge bonus to AC against orogs and ogres.
• +2 racial bonus to appraise and craft checks related to stone and metal objects.
• Increased Density: A dwarf's dense body provides DR 5/slashing or piercing. Dwarves suffer a -4 penalty to swim and tumble checks. Because Cerilian dwarves are denser than the Player’s Handbook dwarf, when using the random method of determining height and weight per the Player’s Handbook, add 80 lbs to the base weight for both male and female dwarves.
• Automatic Language: Karamhul (KARA-mool). Bonus Languages: Sidhelien, Orog, Ogrish, or any cultural human dialect (Anuirean, Basarji, Low Brecht, High Brecht, Rjuven, or Vos).
• Favored Class: Fighter.
Variant: Adjusting damage reduction
In lieu of DR 5/slashing or piercing, dwarves receive DR 1+Con bonus/slashing or piercing. What this does is provide a sliding scale that has hardier dwarves having greater resistance to damage.
Elves, Cerilian (Sidhelien)
There is only one race of Cerilian elves; they call themselves the Sidhelien (SHEE-lin). The Sidhelien hold court in deep, mist-wreathed vales in the darkest heart of the ancient Cerilian forests. The elves of Cerilia are a graceful but reclusive race, suspicious of humankind. Early in Cerilia's history they contested human settlement of Cerilia's vast forests, and a strong current of ill will towards the human nations still runs strong in the elven woods.
Elves stand as tall as humans, but they're far more slender and graceful. Most average between 5’6” and 6’ in height, but weigh only 120 to 140 pounds. They are pale, with fair skin and dark hair, and their features are exquisitely formed. Elves possess an unearthly beauty, and their perfect voices can hold a mortal spellbound. Unfortunately, elves are very conscious of their perceived superiority and treat others with coldness or condescension.
Cerilian elves are creatures of faerie and starlight, gifted with immortality and powers of mind and body beyond those of humankind. They're neither a force for good nor a force for evil; an elven wood can be perilous for human travelers, but even more so for goblinoids or gnolls. The elven heart is unfathomable to mortals; they're moved to wild delight, dark melancholy, or burning rage with the only the slightest of causes. More than anything else, elves are unpredictable doing what pleases them from one moment to the next.
Elves resist aging and normal disease – only magical diseases such as lycanthrope can harm them. They cannot see in total darkness, but can see by starlight or moonlight as well as a human sees by daylight. Elves don't need to sleep, but they can become physically exhausted and must rest quietly, studying spells or standing watch, for about as long as a human needs to sleep. Cerilian elves can move over heavy snow, soft sand, or a mountainside as easily as a human walks across a level surface.
The elves of Cerilia are not the run-of-the-mill elves that most might expect. These elves, though civilized enough that their music can bring tears to the eyes of even the roughest forester, also have a core of savagery that permeates their being. Having lived with the brutal humanoids for thousands of years, the elves have had to learn to deal harshly with those who oppose them. Besides, they've watched everything they built over the past millennia come crashing down around them with the arrival of the humans such a short time (about two elven generations) ago.
As such, they harbor deep hatred in their collective breast for those who've dispossessed them. This extends to humans or humanoids, or whoever stands in the way of the elven dominion. However, there are elves who take a more rational view to the whole thing, seeing the humans as the next step and a needed catalyst for change. These elves look to the humans for ways to improve the elven kingdoms, to teach the elves the realities of living in modern Cerilia.
The Elven Court has fractured from a single large kingdom into many small ones, just as the human Empire has shattered. Every elven settlement now has its own version of the Elven Court, but none of them can match the glories of the original. The elves hope to reunite the elven lands to recapture the beauty and grace of the past. Even so, elves remain one of the most technologically advanced races of Cerilia; their level of technology is roughly equivalent to that of historic cultures during of the late Renaissance period.
The type of elven ruler varies from court to court, depending on what the elves of that nation value. The elves of Tuarhievel favor warriors, while those of the Sielwode prefer mages as their leader. Of course, each court prefers its type of leader over all others. If elves are to reconcile, they must first set aside these differences.
When the humans began to force the elves from their ancestral homes, the elven leaders began the gheallie Sidhe, or Hunt of the Elves. Elven knights roamed the lands held by the elves, slaying whatever humans they found trespassing in their borders. Most elven lands have long since called a cease to this hunt, but individual elves and some entire elven nations continue the battle to this day.
The elves are aware that gods exist, but they do not pay homage to them. Particularly after their deception and betrayal by Azrai, the elves have been adamant in their refusal to worship human gods. To the elves, spiritual development is the responsibility of the individual. The path that an elf takes is a decision that only he or she can make. So strong is this belief that if an elf chooses to worship one of the human gods, so be it. The only restriction placed upon such rare individuals is that they not discuss their religious ideologies within elven realms.
Racial Abilities: Cerilian elves have the following racial traits:
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution.
• Medium-size (5’6” to 6” tall); base speed of 30 feet.
• Immunity to magic sleep spells and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment effects.
• Low-light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, torchlight, or other conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. [Cerilian elves do not gain the automatic search check within 5’ that standard Player’s Handbook elves receive.]
• Infamous reputation: Elves are infamous for pursuing campaigns against entire races, including dwarves, gnolls, goblins, and even humans in many regions (including most of Anuire). Elves receive a -4 racial penalty to Diplomacy, a -4 racial penalty to Gather Information, and a +4 racial bonus to Intimidate in areas where they have an infamous reputation.
• Weapon Proficiency: Cerilian Elves receive Martial Weapon Proficiency with longsword, shortbow, and longbow.
• Timeless: Gifted with near immortality, elves do not suffer the ravages of time and are thus immune to aging attacks and normal (but not supernatural) disease. An adult elf’s age has no effect on her physical or mental ability scores. Because of this, modify the random starting age and aging effects’ tables in the Player’s Handbook to remove mention of starting age or aging (years have no meaning to an ageless race) effects for Cerilian elves. Elves do not need sleep, but they can become physically exhausted. Instead of sleep an elf meditates in a deep trance for 4 hours a day. An elf resting in this fashion gains the same benefit as that a human does for 8 hours of sleep.
• Nature Stride: Elves may move through natural thorns, overgrown areas, heavy snow, soft sand, a treacherous mountain or similar natural terrain at their normal movement rate and without suffering damage or penalty.
• Alignment Restriction: Unpredictable and fey, Cerilian elves must follow a non-lawful alignment.
• Automatic Language: Sidhelien. Bonus Languages: Any.
• Favored Class: Any one arcane spell casting class.
Variant: Elven nature magic affinity
Due to their affinity with nature elves (and half-elves when raised by elves) can add the following spells to any arcane casting spell list they have: 0-Level: Create Water; 1st-Level: Calm Animals, Charm Animal, Detect Snares and Pits, Entangle, Goodberry, Hide from Animals, Longstrider, Magic Fang, Magic Stone, Pass without Trace, Shillelagh; 2nd-Level: Animal Messenger, Barkskin, Hold Animal, Reduce Animal, Soften Earth and Stone, Tree Shape, Warp Wood, Wood Shape; 3rd-Level: Diminish Plants, Dominate Animal, Magic Fang, Greater, Meld into Stone, Plant Growth, Quench, Snare, Spike Growth, Wind Walk, 4th-Level: Air Walk, Antiplant Shell, Command Plants, Giant Vermin, Spike Stones; 5th-Level: Awaken, Commune with Nature, Control Winds, Tree Stride, Wall of Thorns; 6th-Level: Ironwood, Liveoak, Repel Wood, Spellstaff, Stone Tell, Transport via Plants; 7th-Level: Animate Plants, Changestaff, Transmute Metal to Wood, Wind Walk; 8th-Level: Animal Shapes, Control Plants, Repel Metal or Stone; 9th-Level: Shambler.
This does not provide any bonus spells it only adds more options to arcane spellcasting classes for elves. The spells are added to the appropriate spell list at the spell level indicated.
