Human

Ambitious, driven, pragmatic—a race of heroes, and also a race of villains

Of all the civilized races, humans are the most adaptable and diverse. Human settlements can be found almost anywhere, and human morals, customs, and interests vary greatly.

Physical Qualities

Humans come in a wide variety of heights, weights, and colors. Some humans have black or dark brown skin, others are as pale as snow, and they cover the whole range of tans and browns in between. Their hair is black, brown, or a range of blonds and reds. Their eyes are most often brown, blue, or hazel.

Human attire varies wildly, depending on the environment and society in which they live. Their clothing can be simple, ostentatious, or anything in between. It’s not unusual for several distinct human cultures to live side by side in a particular area and mingle, so human armor, weaponry, and other items incorporate a variety of designs and motifs.

Humans average life spans of about 75 years, though some venerable members of the race live as long as 90 or more years.

Playing a Human

Humans are decisive and sometimes rash. They explore the darkest reaches of the world in search of knowledge and power. They hurl themselves into danger, dealing with consequences as they arise. They act first and ponder later, trusting their will to prevail and their native resourcefulness to see them through perilous situations.

Humans always look to the horizon, seeking to expand their influence and their territory. They chase power and want to change the world, for good or for ill. Their settlements are among the brightest lights in a dark and untamed world, and humans constantly seek to explore new lands and settle new frontiers.

Their self-reliance and bravery inclines humans toward martial classes such as fighter, warlord, and rogue. They often prefer to find hidden reserves of strength in themselves rather than trust to the magic of wizards or clerics.

That said, humans tend to be a pious race, worshiping the whole pantheon of gods. Their myths name no god as the creator of the race. Some tales say the gods worked together to create them, infusing them with the best qualities of each race that had come before. Other tales say that humans were the creation of a god whose name is no longer known, a god killed in the war against the primordials or perhaps assassinated by another deity (Asmodeus and Zehir are often accused of the deed).

Humans are tolerant of other races, different beliefs, and foreign cultures. Most human settlements are diverse places where different races live together in relative peace. The human empire of Nerath, the last great world power, united many different peoples. Most of the human towns that have survived the empire’s fall are fortified bastions against the encroaching darkness. When elven forests are razed or dwarven mines overrun, the survivors often flee to the nearest human town for protection.

Despite the far reach and power of Nerath, humans in the present day are a scattered and divided people. Dozens of small kingdoms, fiefdoms, and free cities have arisen from Nerath’s ruins, and many of these realms are petty, weak, or isolated. Tensions and misunderstandings among them often precipitate skirmishes, espionage, betrayal, and even open warfare.

Human Adventurers

Three sample human adventurers are described below.

Brandis is a human fighter, a mercenary who has sold his sword arm to every baronet, duke, and princeling from the mountains to the coast. His armor is practical, lacking any decoration, and his sword is intended only for battle, not as a mark of prestige. He prays daily to the Raven Queen—not out of devotion but because he knows that death is inevitable and he hopes to postpone it as long as possible. He began adventuring after a mission ended in disaster. His soldier companions were all dead, and he was captured by hobgoblins and held for a ransom that no one cared enough to pay. He joined the band of adventurers that slew the hobgoblins. He has since found adventuring both more lucrative and more satisfying than his previous life.

Mari is a human ranger, her eyes always on the horizon. She is driven by a passion for exploration and a love of new places. She dreams of ultimately establishing a new settlement in a place where people can live in peace and freedom. She prays to Avandra for protection in her wandering and to Erathis for help in achieving her dream. She is aware of her life’s contradiction: She is a creature of the wilderness, but her dream is to tame and cultivate it. A part of her wonders whether she would be able to settle in the village she dreams of founding.

Thom is a human wizard, and his one desire is for power. He adventures in search of arcane lore and ancient artifacts that will increase his mastery of magic. He prays to Ioun because he sees knowledge as the key to power, but he is also drawn to Vecna, wondering what power the god of secrets might offer him in exchange for his devotion.

Human Characteristics:

Adaptable, ambitious, bold, corruptible, creative, driven, hardy, pragmatic, resourceful, territorial, tolerant

Male Names:

Alain, Alek, Benn, Brandis, Donn, Drew, Erik, Gregg, Jonn, Kris, Marc, Mikal, Pieter, Regdar, Quinn, Samm, Thom, Wil

Female Names:

Ana, Cassi, Eliza, Gwenn, Jenn, Kat, Keira, Luusi, Mari, Mika, Miri, Stasi, Shawna, Zanne