Races

From The Hidden Room

Template:Apparatus PlayerRaces

There are many races that players can choose from when creating their character. Each race offers a different appearance, set of abilities, and possible class choices. Races can be grouped into three important categories: mortals, arcadians, and genasi.

Mortals

The most numerous of the races, mortals are the inhabitants of the mortal realms of The Integrum. Their biology and societies follow the natural laws of The Integrum, making them the easiest to play. They come in four physical forms: marrow, stone, water, wind, wood, and feral.

  • Marrow races have fleshy skin and muscle, hard bones, liquid blood, and hair. Their skin and hair tend to be dark brown or black. They require lots of food, water, and air, but heal much more quickly than other races.
  • Stone races have rocky exoskeletons, clay muscle, mud blood, and no hair. Their exoskeletons tend to be dark grey or beige. They do not need to eat, drink, or breathe, but heal much more slowly than other races.
  • Water races have fleshy skin and muscle, cartilaginous bone, liquid blood, and little to no hair. Their skin tends to be blue. They require lots of water but can breathe in water, swim with ease, and often have shape-shifting abilities.
  • Wind races have papery skin and muscle, porcelain bone, misty blood, and feathery hair. Their skin tends to be pale grey or white. They require lots of air and are physical fragile but can often float or fly.
  • Wood races have vinelike skin and muscle, hardwood bones, sap blood, and leafy or flowery hair. Their skin and hair tend to be green. They take time to acclimate to new environments but can thrive once adapted.
  • Feral races have animalistic features from an ancient magical curse. Their size and shape deviate from what is typical for their base race.

Nor

The nor are the most numerous mortals. They are native to the mortal realm of Acrolon, but have settled in all of the mortal realms. They are typically 1.5m - 1.8m in height and are the most physically similar to real-world people. They are stereotypically pragmatic and opportunistic.

Asyr

Society: The asyr are the rarest type of nor. They were almost wiped out during the Dark Age. Only a few small populations remain, hiding in the most remote, inaccessible regions of Acrolon.

Appearance: Asyr stand between 1.5m and 1.8m in height. Their skin is translucent white, revealing marbled blue veins. Their hair is fine, in white or silver. Their eyes are pale blue or green.

Biology: Asyr are born from eggs. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They do not need to eat food or drink water, but they depend heavily on breathing air.

Features:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Wind-Blessed: Wind-blessed creatures are light, fragile, and depend heavily on air. This trait includes:
    • They are naturally nimble, gaining +1 Agility.
    • They weigh 0.5x normal and they suffer 2x normal forced movement effects.
    • They do not need to eat food or drink water.
    • If they are deprived of air to breath, they suffer 1d6 Minor Fatigue per turn until access to air is restored.
    • Their bodies are fragile, suffering Disadvantage on Wound checks and counting as Small Size for the purposes of calculating Health and Burden.
  • Gentle Step: As an action, asyr can become weightless while they concentrate. This ability lasts until it is dismissed as a bonus action or 10 minutes. This ability resets after a short or long rest.
  • Wind Shield: As an action, asyr can breathe out a wall of wind around themselves while they concentrate. Small particles within 1m are immediately blown away and ranged weapon attacks crossing the wall have Disadvantage. This ability lasts until it is dismissed as a bonus action or 10 minutes. This ability resets after a short or long rest.
  • Read Posture: Asyr culture is steeped in rigid rules of etiquette based in body language. An asyr can make a Skilled Wits check against a creature's deception or performance. Success allows the asyr to ask a question from the following list. Each degree of success grants another question. The Wits check becomes Expert upon reaching character level 5.
    • Does this creature believe what they are saying?
    • What is this creature's social status?
    • Is this creature hiding something?
    • Does this creature intend harm to me or mine?
    • How proficient is this creature in what they're doing?

More at Asyr.

Goliath

Society: Goliath are solitary creatures, usually living on mountain peaks or in mountain caves. They congregate only to reproduce.

Appearance: Goliath stand between 1.5m and 1.8m in height. Their stony carapace is dark grey, marbled with light grey or black. They eyes are white, and they have no hair.

Biology: Goliath are born from monoliths carved by their parents in reproductive rituals. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They do not need to eat food, drink water, or breathe air, but they heal more slowly than other races.

Features:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Stone-Blessed: Stone-blessed creatures have rocky exoskeletons, acting as natural armor. However, they move and heal more slowly than other races. This trait includes:
    • Natural inertia bestows significant strength, +1 Might.
    • Stone skin counts as wearing heavy armor, even when not wearing armor.
    • Slow movement, all Speed scores have a -1m penalty.
    • They do not need to eat food, drink water, or breathe air.
    • They have 0.5x the normal amount of Health Reserve.
    • They weigh 4x other nor races and suffer 0.5x effect from forced movement.
  • Natural Athleticism: Goliath run, jump, and climb in mountainous terrain all their lives. They are considered Experts at checks that involve running, jumping, and climbing, and gain +1m Speed (offsetting the penalty incurred by Stone-Blessed, above).
  • Solitary Warriors: Living solitary lives has made goliath accustomed to being outnumbered by their enemies. At the start of each of their turns, a goliath gains 5 Temporary Health for each enemy in excess of 2 within 4m.
  • King of the Hill: Goliath have incredible balance, strong legs, and a connection to mountains. They get Advantage on checks to perform a Shove, and count as a Large creature when performing a Shove.

More at Goliath.

Human

Society: By far the most populous race in the setting, humans combined the fast adaptable marrow form with pragmatic problem solving to settle the mortal realms extensively. They have formed numerous societies, usually with a mixture of other races.

Appearance: Humans stand between 1.5m and 1.8m in height. Their skin is light to dark brown. Their hair is thick, coarse, curly black. Their eyes are black, dark brown, or golden brown.

Biology: Humans are born from usual mammalian methods, gestating for 1 year. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They need to eat food, drink water, and breathe air.

Features:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Marrow-Blessed: Marrow-blessed creatures are adaptable, with bodies that change to suit the environment. This trait includes:
    • Adaptable to different purposes, they get a choice of +1 Might or +1 Agility. After a long rest, this choice can be changed.
    • While nourished, they treat all Fatigue as light and recover from Exhaustion at 2x the normal rate.
    • They need to eat food, drink water, and breathe air.
    • They have 2x the normal amount of Health Reserve.
  • Social Intelligence: After 10 minutes of conversation with a creature, humans get Advantage on Wits social checks with that creature. This effect can only apply to one creature at a time, and the effect ends after a long rest is taken.
  • Resourceful Survival: Human minds sharpen when their survival is at stake. They get Advantage on Wits skill checks and Wits saves when any of the following conditions apply:
  • Skilled Culture: Humans live in complex societies where people have the time to specialize in needed skills. Gain 2 Skilled Feats at no cost.

More at Human.

Nerelar

Society: It is unknown how common the nerelar are, because they hide among the other races. Largely mistrusted by other races, they find it safest to live in secret, forsaking a culture of their own for that of their host cultures.

Appearance: Nerelar have no known natural appearance. They instead appear as other humanoid creatures, taking on the appearance of their host race.

Biology: Nerelar are born from the parthenogenic budding of a single parent. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They do not need to eat food or breathe air but have an increased dependency on water.

Traits:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Water-Blessed: Water-blessed creatures have shifting forms. They can breathe water and move through water with ease. This trait includes:
    • Supple bodies are nimble, granting +1 Agility.
    • They are at home in water. Gain the Aquatic Feat.
    • They do not need to eat food or breath air but must drink 4x normal water to avoid Exhaustion.
    • Water is cosmologically connected to the Integral domain of Life, granting Advantage on Wound checks.
  • Expert Liars: The only shared cultural trait of nerelar is their need to hide their true natures. They are Expert with deception checks.
  • Nimble Mind: Nerelar have adapted their sharp wits to avoid divulging secrets to a magical degree. Nerelar are immune to mind reading and spiritual aura reading. Attempts are not detected but are met with any facade the nerelar desires.
  • Shifting Form: After a long rest, a nerelar may change their appearance. In doing so, they can transform their height, weight, facial features, sound of voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. They can make themselves appear as a member of another race, though none of their Ability Scores change. Their new appearance must be Medium in Size and must be bipedal. They may optionally include natural weapons in their appearance, which deal 1d6 damage. They are proficient in their natural weapons and the weapons are considered magical and have a +1 enhancement bonus to Attack and Damage.

More at Nerelar.

Sylvan

Society: Sylvan are not as populous as humans. Most sylvans prefer living in small, sustainable, egalitarian communities across the woodlands of Acrolon.

Appearance: Sylvans stand between 1.5m and 1.8m in height. Their skin is green and vine-like. Their hair is a thick mane of stems and leaves. Their eyes are yellow or golden brown.

Biology: Sylvans are born from special fertility groves where they are grown for 1 year. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They have a reduced need to eat food, drink water, and breathe air, but must slowly acclimate to new environments.

Traits:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Wood-Blessed: Wood-blessed creatures struggle to attune to their environment, but once attuned can gain significant advantages. This trait includes:
    • Skin of wood provides significant protection. Wood-blessed creatures are considered wearing Medium Armor, even when not wearing armor.
    • Greatly impacted by their environment, they gain -1 Might and -1 Agility in an unattuned environment. After one long rest, they may choose to begin attuning to the environment, losing the -1 Might and -1 Agility penalty. After three long rests, they gain +1 Might and +1 Agility for as long as they are attuned to their current environment. They can only be attuned to a single environment at a time. Environment types include (urban environments cannot be chosen for attunement):
      • Warm, dry, and dense (scrub)
      • Warm, dry, and sparse (desert)
      • Warm, wet, and dense (jungle, swamp)
      • Warm, wet, and sparse (bog, moor)
      • Cool, dry, and dense (alpine)
      • Cool, dry, and sparse (tundra)
      • Cool, wet, and dense (forest)
      • Cool, wet, and sparse (grassland, subterranean)
    • They must eat food, drink water, and breath air, but at 0.5x the normal rate. They also suffer half the normal amount of Fatigue from hunger, thirst, or asphyxiation.
    • They recover from Wounds at twice the normal rate and can even regrow lost limbs.
  • Flora Expert: Sylvans have a keen understanding of natural plants. They are considered Expert with skill checks involving plants.
  • Pathfinder: Sylvans can pass through dense foliage with ease. Their movement is unaffected by difficult terrain or obstacles caused by living vegetation. They also leave no trace when moving through living vegetation.
  • Rooted Stance: As an action, sylvans can expand their feet into a root system across the ground (or in the case of loose earth, into the ground). Until dismissed as a bonus action, the sylvan is rooted in place and is immune to forced movement effects.

More at Sylvan.

Elgar

Society: Elgar are not as populous as humans. Most elgar live in small, sustainable, egalitarian communities across the woodlands of Acrolon.

Appearance: Sylvans stand between 1.8m and 2.1m in height. Their skin is green and vine-like. Their hair is a thick mane of stems and leaves. Their eyes are yellow or golden brown.

Biology: Sylvans are born from special fertility groves where they are grown for 1 year. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They have a reduced need to eat food, drink water, and breathe air, but must slowly acclimate to new environments.

Traits:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Wood-Blessed: Wood-blessed creatures struggle to attune to their environment, but once attuned can gain significant advantages. This trait includes:
    • Skin of wood provides significant protection. Wood-blessed creatures are considered wearing Medium Armor, even when not wearing armor.
    • Greatly impacted by their environment, they gain -1 Might and -1 Agility in an unattuned environment. After one long rest, they may choose to begin attuning to the environment, losing the -1 Might and -1 Agility penalty. After three long rests, they gain +1 Might and +1 Agility for as long as they are attuned to their current environment. They can only be attuned to a single environment at a time. Environment types include (urban environments cannot be chosen for attunement):
      • Warm, dry, and dense (scrub)
      • Warm, dry, and sparse (desert)
      • Warm, wet, and dense (jungle, swamp)
      • Warm, wet, and sparse (bog, moor)
      • Cool, dry, and dense (alpine)
      • Cool, dry, and sparse (tundra)
      • Cool, wet, and dense (forest)
      • Cool, wet, and sparse (grassland, subterranean)
    • They must eat food, drink water, and breath air, but at 0.5x the normal rate. They also suffer half the normal amount of Fatigue from hunger, thirst, or asphyxiation.
    • They recover from Wounds at twice the normal rate and can even regrow lost limbs.
  • Cervine Form: Elgar have the body shape of an elk, granting the following abilities.
    • Their quadrupedal body is considered Large for the purpose of carrying capacity, 2x normal.
    • Their quadrupedal bodies are harder to knock over, granting Advantage on checks and saves to avoid falling prone.
    • Cervine forms can run quickly, Dash is a bonus action instead of a standard action.
    • Equipped with natural weapons, cervine forms can attack with proficiency using their antlers for 1d8 damage as part of a dash action, if they move at least 3m toward their target.
  • Nomadic Pace: Being from a nomadic culture gives elgar tremendous endurance for travel. They cover 2x the normal distance each day in overland travel and do not suffer Fatigue from travelling through difficult terrain or without rest. They are considered Expert with endurance checks.
  • Moss Skin: Their mossy fur and branch-like antlers make for excellent camouflage. They gain advantage when making stealth checks in natural foliage.

More at Elgar.

Garmyr

Society: Garmyr are typically an insular, xenophobic people. Garmyr mostly live in family tribes, subjugating weaker tribes and other races.

Appearance: Garmyr stand between 1.5m and 1.8m in height. Their dark brown skin is covered in white, beige, or rust-colored fur. Their eyes are brown or red.

Biology: Garmyr are born from normal mammalian methods, after gestating for 1 year. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They have a high need to eat food, drink water, and breathe air, but also heal very quickly.

Traits:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Marrow-Blessed: Marrow-blessed creatures are adaptable, with bodies that change to suit the environment. This trait includes:
    • Adaptable to different purposes, they get a choice of +1 Might or +1 Agility. After a long rest, this choice can be changed.
    • While nourished, they treat all Fatigue as light and recover from Exhaustion at 2x the normal rate.
    • They need to eat food, drink water, and breathe air.
    • They have 2x the normal amount of Health Reserve.
  • Viverrine Form: Garmyr have the body shape of a humanoid hyena, granting the following abilities:
    • Garmyr have dangerous claws and teeth. These count as proficient natural weapons.
      • As a single attack action, garmyr can attack with both claws, each dealing 1d4 damage.
      • As a single attack action, garmyr can attack with their bite, dealing 1d8 damage.
    • Garmy have a keen sense of smell, gaining Expertise with perception checks involving smell.
  • Culture Feature: Drawn by the scent of death, garmyr get +1 Critical Threshold against bloodied enemies.
  • Combination Feature: Garmyr can eat any organic material for sustenance and are immune to food-borne poisons and diseases.

More at Garmyr.

Orymyr

Society: Ormyr are typically an insular, xenophobic people. Most ormyr live in strictly caste societies underground in Acrolon.

Appearance: Ormyr stand between 1.5m and 1.8m in height. They have hard, scaly hide in shades of grey-green. They have no hair. They have green or yellow eyes.

Biology: Ormyr are born from monoliths carved by their parents in reproductive rituals. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They do not need to eat food, drink water, or breathe air, but they heal more slowly than other races.

Traits:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Stone-Blessed: Stone-blessed creatures have rocky exoskeletons, acting as natural armor. However, they move and heal more slowly than other races. This trait includes:
    • Natural inertia bestows significant strength, +1 Might.
    • Stone skin counts as wearing heavy armor, even when not wearing armor.
    • Slow movement, all Speed scores have a -1m penalty.
    • They do not need to eat food, drink water, or breathe air.
    • They have 0.5x the normal amount of Health Reserve.
    • They weigh 4x other nor races and suffer 0.5x effect from forced movement.
  • Serpentine Form: Ormyr have the a body with snake-like features, granting the following abilities.
    • Ormyr have a dangerous bite. As an attack action, they can make a proficient melee weapon attack with their mouths. This attack deals 1d4 physical damage and causes Poison with a proficient Vigor Effect. This Poison lasts 1 hour and and causes 1 Fatigue.
    • Ormyr have tongues that grant a powerful sense of smell. They are considered Expert with perception checks involving smell.
    • Ormyr jaws can easily unhinge, allowing them to swallow objects as large as one size category smaller than they are.
    • Instead of legs, ormyr have a 2m long snake tail. This gives them Expert skill with climbing checks, and they count as one Size category larger for Grapple checks.
  • Blood Kingdoms: Ormyr inheritance of serpentine appetite bent their societies onto dark paths filled with tyrants and slaves. Being raised in these societies bestows Expert skill with intimidation.
  • Appetite: Unlike most stone-blessed mortals, ormyr have a ravenous appetite for flesh. They must eat burden equal to their Vigor each month to avoid Fatigue. They can consume up to a burden of meat equal to their Might. Each burden of meat consumed restores Health equal to the ormyr character Level and 1 Life.

More at Ormyr.

Paddar

Society: Paddar have two main societies. A large number are enslaved by the garmyr in Viridia. Free paddar live in small family tribes in the shallows of Mercatia. Free paddar villages are egalitarian and subsistent.

Appearance: Paddar stand between 1m and 1.2m in height, making them Small creatures. They have slick, soft skin in bright primary colors. They have no hair and their eyes are yellow.

Biology: Paddar reproduce asexually, by releasing tadpoles into shallow water. They mature in 20 years and live for another 50 years before dying. They do not need to eat food or breath air, but must drink water to avoid Fatigue.

Traits:

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.
  • Water-Blessed: Water-blessed creatures have shifting forms. They can breathe water and move through water with ease. This trait includes:
    • Supple bodies are nimble, granting +1 Agility.
    • They are at home in water. Gain the Aquatic Feat.
    • They do not need to eat food or breath air but must drink 4x normal water to avoid Exhaustion.
    • Water is cosmologically connected to the Integral domain of Life, granting Advantage on Wound checks.
  • Ranine Form: Paddar have frog-like bodies, granting the following abilities.
    • Paddar have supple bodies. They can squeeze through Tiny spaces unhindered.
    • Paddar legs can leap extraordinarily high and far. They can spend their entire move to leap as though their Size were Huge (x4 Multiplier).
  • Culture Trait:
  • Combination Trait:

More at paddar.

Rook

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.

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Lascivian

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.

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Enchiridian

  • Nor Pragmatism: Nor are naturally pragmatic. They get +1 Wits.

More at enchiridian.

Azj

The azj are native to the mortal realm of Kasyat. They are typically 1.2m - 1.5m in height. They are stereotypically stoic and stubborn.

  • Hunrizi: Marrow azj.
  • Mujaz: Stone azj.
  • Najav: Wind azj.
  • Rajkadan: Water azj.
  • Terak: Wood azj.
  • Ezjeram: Feral rajkadan with a murine (rat-like) appearance.
  • Gorzu: Feral hunrizi with a lupine (wolf-like) appearance.
  • Okabu: Feral najav with an aquiline (eagle-like) appearance.
  • Pazjeran: Feral mujaz with a formicine (ant-like) appearance.
  • Quzju: Feral terak with an ursine (bear-like) appearance.

Fey

The fey are unaging natives of Pelithos. They are typically 1.8m - 2.1m in height. They are stereotypically cautious and traditional.

  • Alseid Marrow fey.
  • Dryad Wood fey.
  • Grigora Wind fey.
  • Oread Stone fey.
  • Nereid Water fey.
  • Harpy Feral grigora with a buteonine (hawk-like) appearance.
  • Kampoi Feral nereid with a lamnidine (shark-like) appearance.
  • Mandragora Feral dryad with a pardine (leopard-like) appearance.
  • Minotaur Feral oread with a bovine (bull-like) appearance.
  • Satyr Feral alseid with a caprine (goat-like) appearance.
  • Cherseid Mortal offshoot of alseid.
  • Drouon Nyxian offshoot of alseid.
  • Dendric Somnian offshoot of dryad.
  • Erebeid Nyxian offshoot of grigora.
  • Moonstone Nyxian offshoot of oread.
  • Nightshade Nyxian offshoot of dryad.
  • Lithic Somnian offshoot of oread.
  • Vashar Void-touched offshoot of alseid.

Ruk

The ruk are mortals native to the realm Tonwei Unchained. They are the tallest mortal races, standing between 2.1m and 2.4m in height. They are stereotypically courageous and brash.

Arcadians

Arcadians are fey races that migrated across the Strange Sea during the Dark Age to avoid the corruptive influence of the Endless Night. The fey races changed over time, evolving into Strange creatures with a polar morality reflected in their appearance: The Bright Court and The Bleak Court.

Being creatures of the Strange, Arcadians do not age and do not die normal deaths. When they die, they simply fade away, back into the Strange Sea, only to emerge sometime later with their past life feeling like a half-remembered dream. Arcadians need to eat, drink, and breath, but their Strange nature renders their diets unusual by mortal standards. Arcadians do not need to sleep, but walk around in a permanent dream-like state, which gives them disadvantage on social skill checks with mortals outside of the realm of dreams.

Bright Court Races

Bleak Court Races

Genasi

Scions

Template:Apparatus Table ClassesByRace

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