Races: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 00:14, 26 October 2024

In The Domains of Dread, race describes a character's genealogical ancestry, likened to that of a species. It does not describe ethnicity; indeed, ethnicity as a concept is elastic in the Realms of Terror as the Mists may part to reveal any kind of looking person be they native or Outlander.

No subraces are supported at this time. Races from homebrew or unsupported settings must be identical to one of the following, even if they are fictionally called something else or differ in origin.

Playable Races

Human

The most common race on the Misty Plane, and for good reason - the Mists focus their challenges on humanity foremost to any other. It is from them, then, that the axis of Ravenloft must spin. Taken another way, 95% of humanoids across domains who are not otherwise corrupted or altered represent humans or abhumans with human halves. There are two variants of human which may be selected during character creation:

- Allocates additional feat.
- Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

OR

- Allocates +2 to an attribute of choice, and -2 to another attribute of choice. Cannot set two attributes below 10 or Intelligence to 6.
- Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Elves

These sylvan humanoids are the only nonhuman race with a dominant population somewhere in the Core, in Sithicus. It is unusual for them to travel beyond these glades for those that do face widespread denigration by humans due to identification with the dangerous whimsies of the Fey. Outlander elves are uncommon and tend to be taken by the Mists consistent with human friends, allies, fellow adventurers or enemies.

- +2 to Dexterity and -2 to Constitution.
- Immune to being put to sleep.
- +2 to saves against mind-affecting spells, spell-like effects. Does not affect Fear, Horror or Delirium checks.
- Proficient in longswords, rapiers, shortbows and longbows.
- +2 to Perception and Search checks.
- Permanently counts as in Detect Mode for purposes of Perception and Search checks.
- Has low-light vision.
- Unless forfeited, has Elven as a bonus racial language.
- Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Dwarves

Almost all dwarves are Outlanders, save for a minority population from the domain formerly known as Darkon. Many humans would sooner be confused than fearful of these stout humanoids, allowing them to eke out livings as miners or stonemasons on the fringes of society.

- +2 to Constitution and -2 to Charisma.
- +2 to Perception checks in subterranean environments.
- +2 to saves made against spells, spell-like effects, and to resist poison.
- +1 to attack rolls made against goblinoids, including goblyns.
- +4 to dodge AC against attacks from Huge creatures and giants.
- Has darkvision.
- Unless forfeited, has Dwarven as a bonus racial language.
- Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Halfling

Halflings, or hin, are found around cosmopolitan locations in tight-knit family groups. They benefit from a childlike appearance which allows them some autonomy even in these human-dominated places as they are believed to be innocent and unthreatening. Their origins from the Prime Material and into the Realms of Terror are uncertain, though it may be assumed that most Outlander halflings, like elves, are led into the Misty Plane following human friends or enemies.

- +2 to Dexterity and -2 to Strength.
- +2 to Stealth and Perception checks.
- +1 to saves.
- +2 to saves against Fear, Horror or Delirium.
- +1 to attack rolls with throwing weapons.
- Are Small creatures for purposes of usable equipment, but receive no bonuses based on size.
- Unless forfeited, has Halfling as a bonus racial language.
- Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia and Borca, Disfavored in Cordova.

Half-Elves

Half-elves native to the Realms of Terror are the likely byproduct of Kartakan humans and Sithican elves. Cursed to outlive their human family and to be forever a child in the eyes of the elven community, most are treated identically to an elf by human society - that is to say, agents of the Fey. Nevertheless those capable of proving some amount of humanity may be able to intermingle in cosmopolitan locations, albeit between the margins.

- Allocates +1 to an attribute of choice, and -1 to another attribute of choice. Cannot set two attributes below 10, or Intelligence to 6.
- Immune to being put to sleep.
- +2 to saves against mind-affecting spells, spell-like effects. Does not affect Fear, Horror or Delirium checks.
- +1 to Perception and Search checks.
- Has low-light vision.
- Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Caliban

Known euphemistically as "twists", caliban are humans mutated in the womb from the intervention of a curse or dark magic, always native to the Realms of Terror. The palette of their deformity is vast, unique to the individual caliban - but no matter the exact nature of their appearance, they are always frightful to other humans who see them as symptoms of the widespread evil spread across the Misty Plane. Despite these difficulties, a caliban is not guaranteed to be or perpetuate this evil - cruel as their circumstances may be, they are born innocent.

- Allocates +2 to an attribute of choice, except Charisma, and -2 to Charisma.
- Immune to effects of Delirium which would be suffered in unenclosed, dark areas or during nighttime.
- Unadjusted NR is Hostile in Barovia, Borca and Cordova unless appropriately covered, where unadjusted NR is instead Disfavored.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-In ''[[The Domains of Dread]],'' race describes a character's genealogical ancestry, likened to that of a species. It does not describe groups on ethnic lines; indeed, ethnicity as a concept is elastic in the Realms of Terror for from the Mists any kind of looking person may emerge be they native or Outlander.
+In ''[[The Domains of Dread]],'' race describes a character's genealogical ancestry, likened to that of a species. It does not describe ethnicity; indeed, ethnicity as a concept is elastic in the Realms of Terror as the Mists may part to reveal any kind of looking person be they native or Outlander.
 No subraces are supported at this time. Races from [[homebrew or unsupported settings]] must be identical to one of the following, even if they are fictionally called something else or differ in origin.
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 === Human ===
-The most common race on the Misty Plane, and for good reason - the Mists focus their interest and challenges on humanity foremost to any other. It is from them, then, that the axis of Ravenloft must spin. Taken statistically, 95% of all humanoids not otherwise corrupted or altered are humans or abhumans with human halves.
+The most common race on the Misty Plane, and for good reason - the Mists focus their challenges on humanity foremost to any other. It is from them, then, that the axis of Ravenloft must spin. Taken another way, 95% of humanoids across domains who are not otherwise corrupted or altered represent humans or abhumans with human halves. There are two variants of human which may be selected during [[Character Creation|character creation]]:
-  Humans begin play with a bonus [[Feats|feat]], unless opted into the variant rules at [[character creation]]. A variant human forfeits their bonus feat in exchange for +2 to an [[Attributes|attribute]] of their choice and -2 to another, unique attribute of choice. A variant human cannot set two attributes below 10 this way, or their Intelligence score to 6.
+  - Allocates additional [[Feats|feat]].
+ - Unadjusted [[Notoriety|NR]] is Neutral in [[Barovia]], [[Borca]] and [[Cordova]].
+OR
+ - Allocates +2 to an [[Attributes|attribute]] of choice, and -2 to another attribute of choice. Cannot set two attributes below 10 or Intelligence to 6.
+ - Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.
 === Elves ===
-These sylvan abhumans are the only humanoid race with a dominant population within a domain, in [[Sithicus]]. They are not known for travel as those who do face widespread denigration by human populations due to identification with the reviled, dangerous whimsies of Fey. Outlander elves are uncommon and are taken by the Mists consistent with human friends, allies, fellow adventurers or enemies.
+These sylvan humanoids are the only nonhuman race with a dominant population somewhere in the Core, in [[Sithicus]]. It is unusual for them to travel beyond these glades for those that do face widespread denigration by humans due to identification with the dangerous whimsies of the Fey. Outlander elves are uncommon and tend to be taken by the Mists consistent with human friends, allies, fellow adventurers or enemies.
-  Elves begin play with +2 to their Dexterity and -2 to Constitution. They are immune to magical sleep. Elves receive a +2 racial bonus against mind-affecting [[spells]] and spell-like effects. This does not benefit [[Fear, Horror and Delirium|Fear, Horror or Delirium]] checks. They are naturally proficient with longswords, rapiers, shortbows and longbows regardless of chosen [[Classes and archetypes|class]]. Elves receive a +2 racial bonus to [[Skills|Listen, Search and Spot]]. They always count as being in Detect Mode for purposes of Search checks. Elves receive low-light vision, the softer variant of darkvision.
+  - +2 to Dexterity and -2 to Constitution.
+ - Immune to being put to sleep.
+ - +2 to saves against mind-affecting [[spells]], spell-like effects. Does not affect [[Fear, Horror or Delirium]] checks.
+ - Proficient in longswords, rapiers, shortbows and longbows.
+ - +2 to [[Perception]] and [[Search]] checks.
+ - Permanently counts as in Detect Mode for purposes of Perception and Search checks.
+ - Has low-light vision.
+ - Unless forfeited, has [[Languages|Elven]] as a bonus racial language.
+ - Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.
 === Dwarves ===
-Almost all dwarves are Outlanders, save for a minority population in the domain formerly known as [[Necropolis (Darkon)|Darkon]]. Many humans would therefore sooner be confused rather than fearful of these stout humanoids, allowing them to eke out livings as miners or stonemasons on the fringe of society.
+Almost all dwarves are Outlanders, save for a minority population from the domain formerly known as [[Necropolis (Darkon)|Darkon]]. Many humans would sooner be confused than fearful of these stout humanoids, allowing them to eke out livings as miners or stonemasons on the fringes of society.
-  Dwarves begin play with +2 to their Constitution and -2 to Charisma. They receive a +2 racial bonus to Search in subterranean environments. Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus to saving throws made against spells or to resist the effects of poison. They receive a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls made against goblinoids, including goblyns. Dwarves receive a +4 dodge bonus to their [[Armor|Armor Class]] against attacks made by giants. They receive darkvision, the more powerful variant of low-light vision.
+  - +2 to Constitution and -2 to Charisma.
+ - +2 to Perception checks in subterranean environments.
+ - +2 to saves made against spells, spell-like effects, and to resist poison.
+ - +1 to attack rolls made against goblinoids, including goblyns.
+ - +4 to dodge AC against attacks from Huge creatures and giants.
+ - Has darkvision.
+ - Unless forfeited, has Dwarven as a bonus racial language.
+ - Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.
 === Halfling ===
-Halflings, or ''hin,'' are found around cosmopolitan locations in tight-knit family groups. They benefit from a childlike appearance that allows them some matter of autonomy even in these human-dominated places as they are not considered much threat. Their origins from the Prime Material and into the Realms of Terror are uncertain though it could be assumed that most Outlander halflings, like elves, were led into the Misty Plane following human friends or enemies.
+Halflings, or ''hin,'' are found around cosmopolitan locations in tight-knit family groups. They benefit from a childlike appearance which allows them some autonomy even in these human-dominated places as they are believed to be innocent and unthreatening. Their origins from the Prime Material and into the Realms of Terror are uncertain, though it may be assumed that most Outlander halflings, like elves, are led into the Misty Plane following human friends or enemies.
-  Halflings begin play with +2 to their Dexterity and -2 to Strength. They receive a +2 racial bonus to Stealth and Listen. Halflings receive a +1 luck bonus to all saving throws. They receive a +2 morale bonus to Fear, Horror or Delirium checks. Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus to attack roles made with throwing [[weapons]]. They count as Small creatures for purposes of determining equippable weapon types and armor. Halflings do not receive bonuses to skills based on their size in ''The Domains of Dread.''
+  - +2 to Dexterity and -2 to Strength.
+ - +2 to Stealth and Perception checks.
+ - +1 to saves.
+ - +2 to saves against Fear, Horror or Delirium.
+ - +1 to attack rolls with throwing weapons.
+ - Are Small creatures for purposes of usable equipment, but receive no bonuses based on size.
+ - Unless forfeited, has Halfling as a bonus racial language.
+ - Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia and Borca, Disfavored in Cordova.
 === Half-Elves ===
-Half-elves native to the Realms of Terror are the likely byproduct of [[Kartakass|Kartakan]] humans and Sithican elves. Cursed to outlive their human parent and to forever be a child whelp in the eyes of their elven sire, most are treated identically to an elf by society - that is to say, agents of Fey. Nevertheless those capable of proving some amount of human heritage may be able to intermingle in cosmopolitan locations, albeit much between the margins.
+Half-elves native to the Realms of Terror are the likely byproduct of [[Kartakass|Kartakan]] humans and Sithican elves. Cursed to outlive their human family and to be forever a child in the eyes of the elven community, most are treated identically to an elf by human society - that is to say, agents of the Fey. Nevertheless those capable of proving some amount of humanity may be able to intermingle in cosmopolitan locations, albeit between the margins.
-  Half-elves begin play with a +1 and -1 to unique attributes of their choice. They cannot set two attributes below 10 this way, or their Intelligence score to 6. Half-elves are immune to magical sleep. They receive a +2 racial bonus to saving throws made against mind-affecting spells and spell-like effects. Half-elves receive a +1 racial bonus to Listen, Search and Spot. They receive low-light vision, the softer variant of darkvision.
+  - Allocates +1 to an attribute of choice, and -1 to another attribute of choice. Cannot set two attributes below 10, or Intelligence to 6.
+ - Immune to being put to sleep.
+ - +2 to saves against mind-affecting spells, spell-like effects. Does not affect Fear, Horror or Delirium checks.
+ - +1 to Perception and Search checks.
+ - Has low-light vision.
+ - Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.
 === Caliban ===
-Also known euphemistically as "twists", caliban are humans mutated in the womb from the intervention of a curse or dark magic, always native to the Realms of Terror. The palette of their deformity is vast and often unique to the individual caliban - but no matter the exact detail of their appearance, it is always a frightful thing to other humans who treat them as little better than intelligent monsters or cannibals. Most caliban must spend their lives hidden either in spurious places or in wilderness's solitary embrace. Despite these difficulties, a caliban is not by themselves guaranteed to be or perpetuate evil - cruel as their circumstances may be, their hearts could be as pure as the kindest soul.
+Known euphemistically as "twists", caliban are humans mutated in the womb from the intervention of a curse or dark magic, always native to the Realms of Terror. The palette of their deformity is vast, unique to the individual caliban - but no matter the exact nature of their appearance, they are always frightful to other humans who see them as symptoms of the widespread evil spread across the Misty Plane. Despite these difficulties, a caliban is not guaranteed to be or perpetuate this evil - cruel as their circumstances may be, they are born innocent.
-  Caliban begin play with +2 to an attribute of their choice, except Charisma, and -2 to Charisma. They are immune to Delirium checks, though are still subject to Fear or Horror. They receive an [[Outcast rating|OR]] malus of 8, making any OR observing non-player character potentially hostile. Even if a Caliban manages to lower their OR to lose this hostile status, it should be assumed that they are unwelcome in polite society, needing to behave accordingly and cover themselves.
+  - Allocates +2 to an attribute of choice, except Charisma, and -2 to Charisma.
+ - Immune to effects of Delirium which would be suffered in unenclosed, dark areas or during nighttime.
+ - Unadjusted NR is Hostile in Barovia, Borca and Cordova unless appropriately covered, where unadjusted NR is instead Disfavored.