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GAME DESIGN ERIC L. BOYD, ROBERT RAPER ART DIRECTION JAMES JACOBS, AND ROBERT CAMPBELL, GRAPHIC DESIGN CYNTHIA FLIEGE, ADDITIONAL DESIGN SEAN K REYNOLDS AND ROBERT RAPER AND JASON CARL GREG STAPLES COVER ILLUSTRATION SPECIAL THANKS THOMAS M. COSTA DENNIS CALERO INTERIOR ILLUSTRATION DEVELOPmEnt RICHARD BAKER DENNIS CRAMER AND DAVID NOONAN MIKE DUTTON WAYNE ENGLAND EDITORS DAVID NOONAN AND JEREMY JARVIS JOHN D. RATELIFF VINCE LOCKE DAVID MARTIN CREATIVE DIRECTOR RICHARD BAKER RAVEN MIMURA JIM PAVELEC DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D BILL SLAVICSEK VINOD RAMS ADAM REX VICE-PRESIDENT PUBLISHING MARY KIRCHOFF ANGELIKA LOKOTZ TYPESETTING CATEGORY MANAGER ANTHONY VALTERRASampleE fileRIN DORRIES PROJECT MANAGER MARTIN DURHAM CHAS DELONG PRODUCTION MANAGER

RESOURCES: Cormanthyr, Empire of the Elves, by Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka; Demihuman Deities by Eric L. Boyd; Demihumans of the Realms, by Roger E. Moore; Empires of the Shining Sea, by Steven E. Schend and Dale Donovan; , by Andy Collins and Bruce R. Cordell; Lands of Intrigue, by Steven E. Schend; Faiths & Avatars, by Julia Martin with Eric L. Boyd; Spellbound, by Anthony Pryor; and Tome & Blood, by Bruce R. Cordell and Skip Williams.

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. and and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20.

U.S., CANADA, ASIA, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS PACIFIC, & LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Belgium Wizards of the Coast, Inc. T Hosfveld 6d P.O. Box 707 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden Renton WA 98057-0707 ® Belgium (Questions?) 1-800-324-6496 +322 467 3360 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Printing: March 2003 620-88578-001-EN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DRAGON, , the d20 system logo and the Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Distributed to the hobby, toy, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors. Distributed in the United States to the book trade by Holtzbrinck Publishing. Distributed in Canada to the book trade by Fenn Ltd. Distributed worldwide by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and regional distributors. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. ©2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. Visit our website at www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms 620_88578_RacesFaerun4.qxd 1/14/03 12:17 PM Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Introduction ...... 3 Chapter 8: Planetouched ...... 112 Race, Subrace, and Ethnic Group ...... 3 Aasimar ...... 112 How to Read a Racial Entry ...... 4 Air Genasi ...... 114 Level Adjustments and ECL ...... 5 Earth Genasi ...... 116 Racial Hit Dice ...... 6 Fey’ri ...... 118 How to Read a Region ...... 7 Fire Genasi ...... 121 Tanarukk ...... 123 Chapter 1: Dwarves ...... 8 ...... 125 Arctic Dwarf ...... 9 Water Genasi ...... 127 Gold Dwarf ...... 11 Gray Dwarf ...... 14 Chapter 9: Minor Races ...... 130 Shield Dwarf ...... 17 Aarakocra ...... 130 Urdunnir ...... 20 Centaur ...... 132 Wild Dwarf ...... 23 Goblinoids ...... 134 Kir-lanan ...... 137 Chapter 2: Elves ...... 26 Lizardfolk ...... 140 Aquatic ...... 28 Lycanthropes ...... 142 Avariel ...... 31 Shade ...... 147 ...... 34 Wemic ...... 149 Moon Elf ...... 38 Yuan-ti ...... 151 Sun Elf ...... 40 Wild Elf ...... 43 Appendix ...... 154 Wood Elf ...... 45 Equipment ...... 154 Feats ...... 160 Chapter 3: Gnomes ...... 48 Magic Items ...... 170 Deep Gnome ...... 49 Monsters ...... 174 Forest Gnome ...... 52 Animal ...... 174 Rock Gnome ...... 55 Cavvekan ...... 175 Deathfang ...... 175 Chapter 4: Half-Elves ...... 58 Osquip ...... 176 Common Half-Elves ...... 59 Snake, Flying ...... 177 Half-Aquatic Elf ...... 60 Steeder ...... 177 Half-Drow ...... Sample ...... 62 Prestige file Classes ...... 178 Battlerager ...... 178 Chapter 5: Half- and Orcs ...... 64 Bladesinger ...... 179 Gray ...... 65 Breachgnome ...... 181 Half-Orc ...... 67 Elven High Mage ...... 182 Mountain Orc ...... 68 Great Rift Skyguard ...... 183 Orog ...... 71 Orc Warlord ...... 184 Spellsinger ...... 185 Chapter 6: ...... 74 Warrior Skald ...... 186 Ghostwise ...... 74 Warsling Sniper ...... 188 Lightfoot Halfling ...... 77 Spells ...... 189 Strongheart Halfling ...... 78 Sidebars Chapter 7: Humans ...... 80 Acquiring a Template ...... 5 Calishite ...... 81 The Nightgliders ...... 74 Chondathan ...... 84 Ethnicity of Existing Characters ...... 80 Damaran ...... 88 Illuskan ...... 92 Mulan ...... 95 Rashemi ...... 99 Tethyrian ...... 102 Other Human Ethnic Groups ...... 106

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aerûn is home to hundreds of intelligent peoples, divided Finto thousands of tribes, clans, nations, and ethnicities. Some of these races are monstrous predators armed with terrible powers and some are bloodthirsty marauders who ter- characters, but you should refer to Monsters of Faerûn if you rorize more civilized folk, but most are good-hearted folk who need their monster entries for your game. wish to live in peace in whatever manner they find most pros- Races of Faerûn also complies with the revised Player’s Hand- perous and fulfilling. This great diversity in physical nature, book, ’S Guide, and . Some magical talent, beliefs, and values creates an incredible patch- rules revisions have been included in this product, such as the work of cultures that spans the entire continent, a tapestry so changes in the lycanthrope template, how monsters acquire feats complex and wondrous that no one mortal can hope to ever and skills, name changes of feats, spells and skills, and details of race comprehend it in its entirety. and class abilities. If you have difficulty in identifying a feat, skill, Races of Faerûn examines almost 50 of the most important, or spell, it’s most likely a change of nomenclature for the revision. noteworthy, or widespread peoples to be found in the lands of Faerûn, focusing on races that are most likely to give rise to ad- venturing characters. While giants and dragons areSample certainly file intelligent and can wield enormous influence over the portions Race, Subrace, and of the world they claim as their own, they are not usually found Ethnıc Group among adventuring bands. At the other end of the spectrum, a Throughout this book the terms race, subrace, and ethnic group creature such as a troglodyte or quaggoth might be inclined to (or ethnicity) are used to describe various peoples of Faerûn. take up the wandering life of an adventurer, but their numbers These terms have a specific meaning in the context of the are so few and their societies so reclusive and isolated that they DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. simply haven’t made much of a mark on the face of Faerûn. A race is a distinct species of intelligent creatures who share Therefore, this book concentrates on eight major races (humans, many of the same qualities. In Faerûn, creatures of different dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs and orcs, halflings, races can often produce children who can in turn have children and planetouched) and a number of minor races ranging from of their own, so the term “race” does not quite measure up to the aarakocras to yuan-ti. strict scientific definition of what constitutes a species. Race is important in game terms because it describes a set of rules shared by all characters of that race. While appearance, class, skills, and What You Need to Play talents may vary wildly from individual to individual, all  This sourcebook requires the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Player’s humans share the same racial adjustments and advantages—a Handbook, DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide, Monster Manual, and the bonus feat at 1st level and extra skill points as compared to other FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting. You will also find it help- races, reflecting the human drive to excel and achieve. ful to have a copy of Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn, While all humans have the same game advantages, not all although you do not need that book to make use of this one. dwarves or elves are the same. These races have a more marked The following races mentioned in this book are described adaptation to their respective lifestyles, and over a relatively in Monsters of Faerûn: aarakocra, arctic dwarf, urdunnir, wild short time, distinctive racial characteristics appear in isolated dwarf, fey’ri, tanarukk, Dekanter goblin, wemic, and yuan-ti populations. A subrace consists of those individuals within a race (tainted one). In this book, you will find sufficient information who share a distinctive and unique set of racial advantages and in the racial descriptions of these races to play them as player drawbacks. For example, sun elf culture focuses on learning and

3 INTRODUCTION lore over the games of agility and balance other elves favor, and so sun elves have a bonus to their Intelligence scores instead of HISTORY their Dexterity scores. In game terms, a subrace is, for all intents A summary of the history of each race, subrace, or ethnic group and purposes, a race of its own, but all the subraces of a particu- appears here. In several cases, the history of a particular group is lar race share many of the same qualities and are related. When covered in the description of a nation or race in the FORGOTTEN parents of different subraces have a child, the child almost REALMS Campaign Setting, so you may be referred back to always “takes after” one parent or the other. that book. An ethnic group is a group of people of the same race who share some minor physical characteristics and common cultural heritage. Unlike a subrace, two ethnic groups of the same race are OUTLOOK identical to each other in game terms. Humans of Chondathan stock are not any stronger, tougher, smarter, or more skilled An overview of how people of the race in question carry them- than humans of Rashemi stock—but any native of Faerûn can selves, conduct their business, and view the world around them. tell a Rashemi from a Chondathan at a glance. While distinct This will naturally be a gross generalization for most races. Some ethnicities are only described for the human nations in this book, Calishites are murderous cutthroats, some are shy scholars, and it’s safe to assume that any race not differentiated by distinct others are crusading heroes. But, taken as a whole, the typical Cal- subraces has a wide variety of physical characteristics. For exam- ishite can be expected to be cosmopolitan, urbane, and prone to ple, a centaur’s human half might have pale skin, or copper skin, some amount of indolence. The outlook of a race centers on what or skin of a rich mahogany hue. people of that race find important and worth striving for. Characters: Character classes particularly appealing to mem- bers of the race are described here, along with some of the expla- How to Read a nation for why this is so. Favored Class: The race’s favored class is noted here, along Racial Entry with a brief discussion of the reasons why the race tends to follow Each major race chapter is broken into a number of entries based the class. Humans and half-elves have a favored class of “Any,” on ethnic group or subrace. The information presented in these and do not count their highest-level class when determining entries generally follows the order described here. whether a multiclassed character suffers an experience penalty. If a race does not have an entry for a category (such as racial Prestige Classes: Prestige classes popular among characters of feats), the header is omitted. this race or subrace are noted here, along with the reasons why.

MAJOR RACE INFORMATION SOCIETY The eight major races described in this book each begin with a This section is a brief description of how folk of the race organ- general overview of the race’s culture, history, and outlook. Each ize their lives, families, and governments, and what social struc- subrace or ethnic group description contains more specific and tures surround the individual. detailed information on these topics for the specific race. Sample file LANGUAGE AND LITERACY RACIAL DATA This section discusses the primary language used by a race, includ- Each ethnic group, subrace, or minor race begins with a short set of ing its origins and evolution. Secondary languages particularly entries offering a quick synopsis of the race’s game characteristics. common among the people of that race are mentioned also. Regions: Regions in which the subrace or ethnic group is found. Characters of all player character classes except barbarian are A character of this race or ethnicity may choose a region listed literate, but this is not universally true of characters with NPC here as his or her home region, as described in the FORGOTTEN classes. In general, experts and nobles will almost always be liter- REALMS Campaign Setting. In the case of a human ethnic group, ate, and adepts usually so. Literacy among commoners and war- any region in which the group is present as the primary or sec- riors tends to vary greatly by culture. Characters who are not ondary population may be selected. New regions are italicized and literate by their choice of class or race may become literate by appear at the end of the racial entry. spending 2 skill points to do so. Automatic and bonus languages are determined by your choice of home region. Racial Feats: Any new feats introduced in this book that are ABILITIES AND RACIAL FEATURES specific to the race at hand are listed here. Any racial adjustments to ability scores, racial proficiencies in Racial Prestige Classes: If there are any prestige classes specif- particular weapons, racial bonuses to specific skills, and the like ically associated with the race, these are noted here. are listed in this section in bullet-point format. Any extraordi- Level Adjustment: If the race or subrace comes with a level nary (Ex), spell-like (Sp), or supernatural (Su) ability is described adjustment, it is given here. If that race or subrace has racial Hit here, as well as level adjustments and effective character level Dice (that is, a typical member of that race starts play with more (ECL) of more powerful races. than the single HD of most player character races), its effective When this information has already been provided in the character level is given as well, combining its level adjustment Player’s Handbook or FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting, and racial Hit Dice. See page 6 for details on how level adjust- this section is omitted. ments and ECL affect character level and advancement.

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MAGIC AND LORE EQUIPMENT Most races have their own traditions of spellcasting and favored While most equipment in the Player’s Handbook equipment spells and items. As with the racial outlook, this is a generaliza- chapter is available in any sufficiently large city, many races tion; while Calishites are renowned for their skill with elemental have a particular affinity for equipment of a certain type. spells, any particular Calishite wizard might choose to specialize Equipment listed as a common item in this section is generally in any of the schools of arcane magic. available for a 10% discount in cities or settlements of that race. Spells and Spellcasting: Any new racial spells or any feats This does not apply to magical versions of those items unless the related to spellcasting from the Appendix are noted here under item happens to be an iconic magic item for the race. Spellcasting Tradition and Unique Spells. Any unique items or new items mentioned in this section are Magic Items: Many races have a particular affinity for magic described in detail in the Equipment section of the Appendix. items of a particular sort. Common items are devices whose man- Arms and Armor: Traditions of weapon manufacture and ufacture is almost institutionalized among those people. Due to armorsmithing are some of the most distinctive characteristics the prevalence of common items in places where the race lives, of a race’s technology and society. In some cases, these preferred they may be purchased at a 10% discount in any place where folk weapons and arms were derived long ago for very good reasons. of that race gather. Elves, due to their keen hand-eye coordination and frail builds, have Iconic items are specific magic items that are the specialty of always favored ranged combat over melee, and therefore are among item-crafters of that race. They include a 10% discount in the Faerûn’s best archers. In other cases, the preference is based on listed price, reflecting the fact that the spellcasters of that race nothing more than taste. Calishites admire curved swords, and thus or group have handed down unusual training and tradition in favor scimitars and falchions over longswords and greatswords. the manufacture of those items, and so it is simply easier for Animals and Pets: While animals are not really equipment, such an item to be crafted by a caster who meets the racial pre- working animals and pets common to a race are described here. requisite. Since it is easier for a character of the proper race to Some of these creatures are described in Monsters section of make the iconic item, he tends to charge less for it. Other folk the Appendix. beside shield dwarves make +1 keen battleaxes, but the shield dwarves’ Foesplitter axes are simply the most prevalent +1 keen battleaxes around. REGION Finally, races or ethnic groups without a character region from RACIAL DEITIES the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting are provided a char- acter region here. A character must choose one of the preferred A brief discussion of deities particularly important to the race classes for the region to qualify for the regional feats and bonus appears here. While most races may venerate many more gods equipment listed as a 1st-level character. A higher-level charac- than those that are listed here, these are the ones most important ter may choose feats specific to a region even if that region is not to the race. her home region or her class is not preferred there, but she must gain at least 2 ranks in Knowledge (local), specializing in that region, in order to do so. RELATIONS WITH OTHER RACESSample file This section describes how the race or subrace gets along with other groups around it. Once again, this is something of a stereo- Level Adjustments and ECL type, since individuals may sometimes form strong bonds with Some races are significantly more powerful than the standard folk of races their own race does not normally get along with— character races. To provide the Dungeon Master with a tool or harbor hatred for folk normally allied to their own race. for balancing characters of these races with characters of the

Acquiring a Template On occasion, a character may in the course of play acquire a acquires enough experience points to qualify for the next monster template. In many cases, such as the transformation character level, based on her new ECL. A character in this sit- into a vampire, the character becomes a monster under the uation gains a short-term edge in the benefits of her new tem- DM’s control, but some templates (such as lycanthrope) do plate, but pays for it with a long wait until she can add her not mandate the loss of the character. If the template carries next class level. a level adjustment, the character’s effective character level Example: Tauroc is a 6th-level dwarven fighter with 17,700 instantly increases to the new total of her character level and XP. He needs 21,000 XP to reach 7th level. However, Tauroc is level adjustment. Until the character earns enough experience bitten by a werewolf and contracts lycanthropy. Since the effec- points to “catch up” to her increased ECL, she can’t add any tive character level modifier for werewolf is +3, Tauroc now has more class levels. In effect, becoming a werewolf and gaining an ECL of 9. He can’t add another class level until he reaches 2 racial Hit Dice and a level adjustment of +1 means that a 45,000 XP, which is what a 9th-level character needs to achieve character will be stuck at her current class level until she 10th level.

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TABLE 1: LEVEL ADJUSTMENT AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS Racial Level Adjustment XP Normal +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 0 1st———— ——— ———— 1,000 2nd1st — — — — — — — — — — 3,000 3rd2nd 1st — — — — — — — — — 6,000 4th 3rd2nd1st — — — — — — — — 10,000 5th 4th 3rd2nd1st — — — — — — — 15,000 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd 1st — — — — — — 21,000 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd1st — — — — — 28,000 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd1st — — — — 36,000 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd 1st — — — 45,000 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd1st — — 55,000 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd1st — 66,000 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd1st 78,000 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd2nd 91,000 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 105,000 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 120,000 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 136,000 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 6th 153,000 18th 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 7th 171,000 19th 18th 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th 190,000 20th 19th 18th 17th 16th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 10th 9th 210,000 — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 15th* 14th* 13th* 12th* 11th* 10th* 231,000 — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 15th* 14th* 13th* 12th* 11th* 253,000 — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 15th* 14th* 13th* 12th* 276,000 — — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 15th* 14th* 13th* 300,000 — — — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 15th* 14th* 325,000 — — — — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 15th* 351,000 — — — — — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 16th* 378,000 — — — — — — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 17th* 406,000 — — — — — — — — — 20th* 19th* 18th* 435,000 — — — — — — — — — — 20th* 19th* 465,000 — — — — — — — — — — — 20th* * A character whose ECL is 21 or better is considered an epic-level character and may choose epic feats and epic classes. Refer to the Epic Level Handbook. Sample file standard races, the powerful races have a special characteristic points necessary to be a character of their ECL. For example, a referred to as level adjustment. Add the level adjustment to the 1st-level svirfneblin fighter has a level adjustment of +3 due to his number of class levels your character has to determine his or her race, so he is effectively a 4th-level character. He begins play with effective character level, or ECL. Some creatures have racial Hit 6,000 XP and must reach 10,000 XP before he can add another Dice, so their starting ECL equals their level adjustment plus class level and become a 2nd-level svirfneblin fighter. Characters their racial Hit Dice. with ECL modifiers of +1 or better should begin play equipped as If a race has racial Hit Dice, you can play a character of that characters of their effective character level, not their class level race with no class levels as a character of a level equal to the level (refer to Table 2–24 in the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide). In the adjustment plus racial Hit Dice. For example, a centaur starts previous example, the 1st-level svirfneblin fighter should be with an ECL of 7 (level adjustment of +3 plus 4 Hit Dice). You equipped as a 4th-level character, not a 1st-level character. can play a centaur with no class levels as a 7th-level character, or Races that begin with 1 Hit Die based on their class are treated a 4th-level centaur fighter as a 11th-level character. as 1st-level characters in all respects except the number of expe- Most humanoid races do not have any racial Hit Dice. For rience points they begin with and the amount of money with them, you simply add the level adjustment to your character’s which they may equip themselves. They begin play with their 1st- class level to determine their ECL. For example, a 1st-level drow level feat, multiply their skill points by 4, and gain maximum hit in any class is equivalent to a 3rd-level character (one class level, points for their first class Hit Die. Races that begin with racial plus a level adjustment of +2). You could play a 4th-level drow Hit Dice beyond their 1st-level class Hit Die are treated a little wizard as a 6th-level character, or a 10th-level drow wizard as a differently. 12th-level character. For your convenience, we’ve extended the experience point table for characters of races with a high ECL. Refer to Table 1, Racial Hit Dice on this page. A number of the minor races, particularly nonhumanoids, begin Characters with a ECL modifier of +1 or higher for racial Hit play with some number of Hit Dice derived from their mon- Dice or level adjustment begin play with the number of experience strous race in addition to any Hit Dice for their class levels. For

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