Human

In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.
A Broad Spectrum
With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual can stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colors from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. A lot of humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century.
Variety in All Things
Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.
EVERYONE’S SECOND-BEST FRIENDS
Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members of other races. They get along with almost everyone, though they might not be close to many. Humans serve as ambassadors, diplomats, magistrates, merchants, and functionaries of all kinds.
Dwarves. “They’re stout folk, stalwart friends, and true to their word. Their greed for gold is their downfall, though.”
Elves. “It’s best not to wander into elven woods. They don’t like intruders, and you’ll as likely be bewitched as peppered with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past that damned racial pride and actually treat you like an equal, you can learn a lot from them.”
Halflings. “It’s hard to beat a meal in a halfling home, as long as you don’t crack your head on the ceiling—good food and good stories in front of a nice, warm fire. If halflings had a shred of ambition, they might really amount to something.”
Lasting Institutions
Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone.
Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.
Exemplars of Ambition
Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.
Human Names and Ethnicities
Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents give their children names from other languages, such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced more or less correctly), but most parents give names that are linked to their region’s culture or to the naming traditions of their ancestors.
The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region. In the Forgotten Realms, for example, the clothing, architecture, cuisine, music, and literature are different in the northwestern lands of the Silver Marches than in distant Turmish or Impiltur to the east—and even more distinctive in far-off Kara-Tur. Human physical characteristics, though, vary according to the ancient migrations of the earliest humans, so that the humans of the Silver Marches have every possible variation of coloration and features.
Human Traits
It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits. Ability Score Increase Your ability scores each increase by 1.
Age
Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Size
Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
Mark of Finding Human
My ancestors used their gift to track beasts in the swamps. I use mine to find fugitives in the slums of Sharn. I’m still a hunter. I always find my mark.
—Hondar’Aashta, Tharashk bounty hunter
The Mark of Finding sharpens the senses, guiding the hunter to prey. Alone among the dragonmarks, the Mark of Finding is carried by two races: humans and half-orcs. It first appeared in the Shadow Marches, where clan hunters used it to find their prey.
House Tharashk
Leader: The Triumvirate (Maagrim Torrn, Khandar’aashta, and Daric Velderan)
Headquarters: Zarash’ak, Shadow Marches
House Tharashk traditionally licenses inquisitives and bounty hunters. Recently the house’s Finder’s Guild has expanded into dragonshard prospecting. As dragon­shards are the lifeblood of the magical economy, the house’s talent has given them new wealth and influence.
Tharashk is the youngest of the dragonmarked houses and hasn’t embraced all the customs of the others. The distinct clans that united to form the house remain important, and heirs of the family usually retain their family names rather than adopting “d’Tharashk” as tradition dictates. Each of the three major clans—the Aashta, the Torrn, and the Velderan—has a representative on the Triumvirate that governs the house, and the city of Zarash’ak in the Shadow Marches. Together, they stand as one under the emblem of the dragonne (a lion-dragon hybrid).
Abillity Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Hunter’s Intuition
When you make a Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Finder’s Magic
You can cast the hunter’s mark spell with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the locate object spell with it. Once you cast either spell with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin.
Spells of the Mark
If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Finding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Spell Level Spells 1st faerie fire, longstrider 2nd locate animals or plants, locate object 3rd clairvoyance, speak with plants 4th divination, locate creature 5th commune with nature Mark of Handling Human Don’t get sentimental. A beast is a tool. Our role is to find the right tool for the task and to make sure they’re of the finest quality. Nature is our kingdom; never forget that we were born to rule it.
—Dalin d’Vadalis
The Mark of Handling gives its bearer a primal connection to beasts and the natural world, granting the power to calm and coax. This extends beyond purely natural animals; the mark allows its bearer to guide a hippogriff as easily as a horse.
House Vadalis
Leader: Dalin d’Vadalis
Headquarters: Foalswood (near Varna, Eldeen Reaches)
Represented by the hippogriff, House Vadalis plays an important role in daily life, offering meat, mounts, and more. Vadalis isn’t one of the most powerful houses, but its barons are generally content; they’re more interested in discovering new monstrosities than engaging in politics. The current head of the house, Dalin d’Vadalis, disdains the use of a title and has no aspirations to nobility or greatness for himself or his house.
House Vadalis breeds and trains beasts for a wide range of purposes. While the house maintains vast cattle ranches and trains horses and hounds, the Mark of Handling allows Vadalis to work with more exotic creatures as well. Griffons, hippogriffs, and even bulettes can be bred and trained. Even with the Mark of Handling, this is dangerous work; there’s a lot of turnover at the bulette ranch. But these exotic creatures aren’t enough to satisfy the most innovative members of the house, leading to the practice of magebreeding. Using dragonshard focus items, Vadalis has found ways to create magical creatures. Typically, this results in a superior version of a creature—an animal that is stronger, faster, and smarter. But rumors claim that Vadalis has crafted monsters of its own. Some rumors even insist that Vadalis is trying to magebreed better humans.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Wild Intuition
When you make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) or Intelligence (Nature) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Primal Connection
You can cast the animal friendship and speak with animals spells with this trait, requiring no material component. Once you cast either spell with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a short or long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
The Bigger They Are
Starting at 3rd level, you can target a beast or monstrosity when you cast animal friendship or speak with animals, provided the creature’s Intelligence score is 3 or lower.
Spells of the Mark
If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Handling Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Spell Level Spells
1st animal friendship, speak with animals 2nd beast sense, calm emotions 3rd beacon of hope, conjure animals 4th aura of life, dominate beast 5th awaken Mark of Making Human My house built the modern world. Orien may drive the lightning rail, but it’s Cannith who builds the cars and lays the stones it travels on. Cannith makes the everbright lanterns hold the night at bay. Smith, carpenter, alchemist—the best all carry my seal.
—Baron Merrix d’Cannith
The Mark of Making guides its bearer through any act of creation. The bearer of the mark can mend broken things with a touch, and always has a minor magic item they’ve been working on. An artificer or a wizard will get the most out of the mark, but anyone can find a use for an enchanted blade.
House Cannith
Leaders: Cannith East, Zorlan d’Cannith; Cannith West, Jorlanna d’Cannith; Cannith South, Merrix d’Cannith
Headquarters: Cannith East, Korth Enclave (Karrnath Cannith West, Aundair Enclave (near Fairhaven, Aundair Cannith South, Cannith Tower (Sharn, Breland)
House Cannith dominates all forms of manufacturing, both mystical and mundane. Gorgon-marked Cannith forgeholds use streamlined forms of production to quickly produce common goods. Even independent artisans often learn their trade at Cannith academies and adhere to Cannith standards. The House of Making builds the tools the other houses rely upon, and it has always been the unspoken leader of the Twelve.
The Last War was a time of great opportunity for Cannith. Every nation wanted weapons and warforged, along with mundane arms and armor. The war raised the house up, and then tore it down. House Cannith was based in Cyre, and the Mourning destroyed the house leadership and key facilities. Now three barons jockey to fill the leadership vacuum: the alchemist Jorlanna of Fairhaven, weaponsmith Zorlan of Korth, and Merrix of Sharn, innovator of warforged. It remains to be seen whether one of these leaders will unite the house, or if it will shatter under the strain. If you’re an heir of House Cannith, you should decide which of these barons you serve or if you have other ideas about the house’s future.
Ability Score Increase Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Artisan’s Intuition
When you make an Arcana check or an ability check involving artisan’s tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Maker’s Gift
You gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools of your choice.
Spellsmith
You know the mending cantrip. You can also cast the magic weapon spell with this trait. When you do so, the spell lasts for 1 hour and doesn’t require concentration. Once you cast the spell with this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Spells of the Mark
If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Making Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Spell Level Spells 1st identify, Tenser’s floating disk 2nd continual flame, magic weapon 3rd conjure barrage, elemental weapon 4th fabricate, stone shape 5th creation Mark of Passage Human We get things where they need to go. It doesn’t matter if it’s a letter, a person, or a hundred tons of steel. Whether we have to cross mountains, rivers, or the Mournland itself, Orien finds a way.
—Bali d’Orien, veteran courier
The Mark of Passage governs motion, allowing its bearer to move with uncanny speed. The bearer of the mark can even slip through space in the blink of an eye.
House Orien
Leader: Kwanti d’Orien
Headquarters: Journey’s Home (Passage, Aundair)
The House of Passage manages land transportation. The lightning rail is the house’s most dramatic tool, but Orien also runs caravans and coaches across the length of Khorvaire. Dragonshard focus items ensure that the fastest vehicles are those driven by heirs with the Mark of Passage, but the house also licenses unmarked teamsters. The Courier’s Guild of House Orien delivers mail and packages and has a branch that handles more covert and dangerous deliveries.
Orien has dominated transportation for centuries, but now the house is facing challenges. The Mournland is a dramatic obstacle for ground transportation, and Baron Kwanti d’Orien has had tremendous difficulty securing funds to rebuild the lightning rail line across the blasted landscape. Indeed, he spends most of his time away from his headquarters in Aundair, trying to raise funds for the project while keeping an eye on house operations. He travels across western Khorvaire in his personal lightning rail coach, the Silver Unicorn—a reference to the house’s unicorn emblem.
House Orien’s problems don’t end with the Mournland, though. The expanding role of Lyrandar airships threatens the house’s business. Baron Kwanti would like to be able to offer more instantaneous transportation, but long-distance teleportation is a service only the strongest Orien dragonmarks can provide. So the house is working with House Cannith in an effort to unlock and enhance this gift of the Mark of Passage. Orien heirs might be caught up in these experiments or in the rivalry with House Lyrandar.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Courier's Speed
Your base walking speed increases to 35 ft.
Intuitive Motion When you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or any ability check to operate or maintain a land vehicle, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Magical Passage You can cast the misty step spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Dexterity is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Spells of the Mark If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Passage Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Spell Level Spells 1st expeditious retreat, jump 2nd misty step, pass without trace 3rd blink, phantom steed 4th dimension door, freedom of movement 5th teleportation circle Mark of Sentinel Human Protection is my purpose. I defend the innocent from those who would do them harm. For my siblings, this is a job; for me, it’s a calling.
—Harric d’Deneith, Sentinel Marshal
The Mark of Sentinel warns and protects. It heightens senses and reflexes, allowing an heir to respond to threats with uncanny speed. It can shield its bearer from harm. Whether on the battlefield or the ballroom, someone who carries the Mark of Sentinel is prepared for danger.
House Deneith Leader: Breven d’Deneith
Headquarters: Sentinel Tower (Karrlakton, Karrnath)
House Deneith was born in Karrnath, and war flows in its veins. For centuries, the Blademarks Guild of House Deneith has governed the mercenary trade. While warriors with the Mark of Sentinel are among its most elite forces, House Deneith brokers the services of a wide range of soldiers, including Valenar war bands and the goblins of Droaam. Beyond the battlefield, the Defender’s Guild provides exceptional bodyguards for those who can afford their services. House Deneith is also renowned for its Sentinel Marshals, agents who hold the authority to pursue criminals and enforce the law across the length of Khorvaire. The Sentinel Marshals hold the honor of the house in their hands. Being a Marshal is a privilege, and it comes with high expectations.
Despite its might and the desire of some house members to flex their military muscles, House Deneith has always maintained absolute neutrality, selling its services to all sides of a conflict. Baron Breven d’Deneith shows no inclination of using the massive, chi­mera-marked military forces of his house for his own ends, but he’s surrounded by aggressive advisors who would like to see a Deneith ruling all Khorvaire. House Deneith is also caught in an escalating rivalry with House Tharashk, as it edges into the mercenary trade.
Ability Score Increase Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Sentinel’s Intuition When you make a Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Perception) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Guardian’s Shield You can cast the shield spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it after you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Vigilant Guardian When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to swap places with that creature, and you are hit by the attack instead. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Spells of the Mark If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Sentinel Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Spell Level Spells 1st compelled duel, shield of faith 2nd warding bond, zone of truth 3rd counterspell, protection from energy 4th death ward, guardian of faith 5th Bigby’s hand Variant Human If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from the Player’s Handbook, your Dungeon Master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the human’s Ability Score Increase trait.
Ability Score Increase Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Skills You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Feat You gain one feat of your choice.
(Description Courtesy of D&D Beyond)