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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 2881202" data-attributes="member: 18280">Here's an example of how I do it:AlderhaldThe Alderhald dwell in the cold northern lands, where summers are short and winters are long and cold. They are a tall people, with pale skin and hair, and eyes of blue, green, or grey.  Many Alderhald verge upon albinism, and true albinos are not rare among them. Even non-albino Alderhald tend to have hair that is blond nearly to whiteness, their hair can be as dark as a sandy brown.Sometimes called the Bonemen or Icemen, the Alderhald are a primitive people considered barbarians by most other human groups. Living so far to the north, the Alderhald have a closer tie to Aulshaka, also known as the Winter Spirit, the Old Bone Man, and the Lord of the Icy Waste. They are known for their stone dolmens and tombs, which dot much of northern Faerthalos, for the Alderhald also worship their dead ancestors, and take great pains to safeguard their remains. In some places, bone cities hold the tombs of many Alderhald ancestors. There are few permanent Alderhald dwellings – they are nomadic, dwelling in small tribes that follow the herds of great elk. In some places, contingents of tomb guardians live off the donations of other Alderhald. All Alderhald groups have domesticated dogs; some few also make use of the great northern mammoths.The Alderhald speak their own language, Aultheos, and use their own runic script, the Uthark. They do not make books or scrolls, but store spells on rune-wands, rune-rods, and rune-staves, using the Craft Runic Rod feat. Like the Titanborn, they have the ability to understand True Runes, and legends claim that giantish blood runs through their veins.Common Alderhald names are taken from the Finnish tradition. These names include (male) Aatos, Ari-Pekka, Eerik, Einojuhani, Kaarle, Markku, Paavo, and Valterri, and (female) Aamu, Anni, Emma, Hanna, Marja, Oona, Sisko, Vilma, and Virpi.Alderhald have the following racial traits:• Location: Northern Faerthalos.• Technological Level: II (Bronze Age).• Outcast Rating: 4.• Automatic Language: Aultheos.• Bonus Languages: Beast Tongues (Bear Tongue, Canine Tongue, Raven Tongue, and Seal Tongue), the Common Tongue, and the Dark Tongue.• Favoured Class: Fighter.• Other Core Classes Allowed: Ranger, Rogue, Shaman, Totem Warrior (Bear or Wolf), and Witch (Sea, Wind, Winter, or Wood).• Racial Feats: Cold Endurance, Elephant Warrior, Endurance, Snowrunner, and Toughness.• Effective Character Level: +0.Alderhald or Ska can take up to three levels in “Alderhald” at any time. Admixed humans and demi-humans with Alderhald ancestry can take up to two levels in “Alderhald” at any time. Not all Alderhald, however, take racial levels (or all three of them).Hit Dice: 1d8Skill Points at 1st Character Level: (4 + Intelligence bonus) x 4.Skill Points at Higher Levels: 4 + Intelligence bonus.“Class” Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),  Knowledge ([Ancestors] Int) Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).“Class” Weapon Skills: Archery, Axe Fighting, Axe Throwing, Exotic Weapon (Bola), Knife Fighting, Knife Throwing, Quarterstaff, Sling, Spear Fighting, Spear Throwing, and Sword Fighting.Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Alderhald with levels only in Alderhald (no actual class levels) are proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armours and shields.1st level Ability:  Call on Ancestors (Ri): By successfully completing a ritual, you can call upon an ancestral spirit to cast a spell on your behalf. Using this power requires a ceremony that takes 10 minutes, plus 5 minutes/level of the spell the ancestral spirit is asked to cast. At the end of the ceremony, you must make a Knowledge (Ancestors) skill check at a DC of 10 plus the level of the spell to be cast. If the check succeeds, an ancestral spirit casts the spell on your behalf, allowing you to choose the variables.Normally, the ancestral spirit casts the spell at the minimum level that the spell can be cast, plus one level for every full five points of the value of your successful skill check. For saving throws, you normally assume that the ancestral spirit gains a +2 bonus to DC due to ability score. However, if you have a specific, deceased player character ancestor who could cast a desired spell, you may request it of that ancestor, who casts the spell at the same level, and with the same ability score bonuses, that she would have if she were alive. Such an ancestor cannot now, nor have ever been, an undead creature.The ancestral spirit may be requested to cast one of the following spells:  0-Level (minimum 1st level caster): Detect Poison, Know Direction, Message, Purify Food and Drink, and Resistance. 1st Level (minimum 1st level caster): Comprehend Languages, Endure Elements, Hide From Undead, Sanctuary, and Unseen Servant. 2nd Level (minimum 2nd level caster): Augury, Consecrate, Cure Minor Wounds, Desecrate, and Gentle Repose. 3rd Level (minimum 5th level caster): Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Cure Light Wounds, Dispel Magic, and Remove Curse.You may use this ability no more than once per day per character level, and the skill check DC increases by 1 for each use after the first.3rd Level Ability:  Runecasting (Ex): You gain Runecasting as a free feat. At this level, and at every third character level thereafter, you learn one Lesser Rune of your choice. The  Lesser Runes are: Animal Call Rune, Animal Speech Rune, Battle Rune, Craft Rune, Earth Rune, Faerie Rune, Fear Rune, Hale Rune, Holy Rune, Love Rune, Luck Rune, Opening Rune, Poison Rune, Rune of Augury, Rune of Pain, Rune of Preservation, Sealing Rune, Shield Rune, and Unholy Rune.The Ska & The Court of the Winter Queen (Variant Alderhald)Far to the north lies the Alderhald city of Skaagart, where dwell a race of Alderhald known as the Ska. These seafaring raiders are more technologically advanced than their southerly kin, having Iron Age technology (Tech Level III). During the summer months, they raid the coastline along the Ringold Ocean, pillaging and burning as they go.  These raids are important measures of adulthood for male (and some few female) Ska, and contribute much to the wealth of their families. On the way down the coast, raids mean loot and food, for the raiding ships are not heavily provisioned. When returning to Skaagart, raiders will also capture slaves to work on their farms. The Ska must have some means of traversing the cold waters to the north, beyond the northmost bounds of Faerthalos, for they have also been encountered in the Midworld Sea. Ska in the Midworld Sea are most often involved in trade, but raiding parties are not unknown. In addition to raiding and farming, the Ska hunt whales. They trade pelts, whalebone, ambergris, and northern ivory with cities too large or well fortified to sack.Even farther to the north is the Court of the Winter Queen, where Aulshaka’s Mistress holds sway in Her fell god’s name. It is said that the Winter Queen and Her chiefest servants were once Alderhald, now much changed by centuries spent undying. The Northern Lights are sometimes said to be light from the palace of the Winter Queen.The Ska have an Outcast Rating of 8. Their favoured class is Witch (Winter), but they are also allowed to become Fighters, Rangers, Rogues, or Totem Warriors.</blockquote>

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