Races of the Homeland
Gnolls
The dog-headed Gnolls are cruel, fiendish, and cunning. The grim specter of a cruel and barbarous progenitor god casts its shadow over the gnolls of Cerilia. It is a sad truth that many of the gnoll realms are dominated by warlords and priests of this fell power, but gnolls are not without their own drives and wills, nor are they slaves to their fiendish origin. Many seek out the gnolls for their great virtues of strength and cunning, regardless of whence they hail. Gnoll appearances are highly varied depending on their region of origin. Those who can trace lineage back to their kin in the Gnoll Fells have mottled brown and white fur with taller ears. Gnolls from the southeastern forests and deserts bear striped coats, while those from Cerilia’s entire western horn sport the more common spotted sandy yellow and brown coat.Adjustments
Increase one ability score of your choice by 2, and another, different ability score of your choice by 1, and reduce three other ability scores of your choice by 1 each.Age
Gnolls are treated as adults by age 14 and live up to 90 years.Size
Gnolls are very tall at around 7 feet but have a stooped gait that allows them to run on all fours. Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Traits
Demonic Hunger -
Your distant fiendish origins manifest as a preference for raw meat. Whenever you consume a meal of raw meat during the course of a short rest, you regain hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. Keen Nose - Gnolls have a strong sense of smell and can detect even faint scents at great distance. Whenever you are permitted to make a Wisdom (Perception) check where your sense of smell would aid you, you may add 1d6 to the result.Low Light Vision -
You can see in dim light as easily as a human in bright light. You cannot see in darkness as creatures with darkvision do.Goblins
The misunderstood but now oppressed Goblin tribes whose used to give as good as they got against the Sidhelien and Karamhul before the humans came. The goblin societies of Cerilia are as old as those of the Sidhelien and Karamhul. Of equal age are the wars they fought with one another for territory and sovereignty. While most who do not understand goblins lump them into a single seething mass, Cerilian goblins belong to one of three types, descendants of the surviving primeval clans. Goblin societies sometimes have the misfortune of being under the heel of a greater master, but a few learned goblin sages speak of a distant, mythical age when their ancient realms stood unbowed before their enemies. Some young goblins, filled with wonder over these legends, quest in hopes of seeing those realms restored.Adjustments
Increase one ability score of your choice by 2, and another, different ability score of your choice by 1, and reduce three other ability scores of your choice by 1 each.Age
Goblins are treated as adults by age 8 and live up to 60 years.Size
Different goblin ancestries are of varying sizes. This is determined by your Clan Lineage feature, outlined below. Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Traits
Darkvision -
Accustomed to subterranean environments and nocturnal living, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.Clan Lineage -
You select one of the following options, indicative of your primeval clan ancestry. Bugbear: When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal. You stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and weigh between 250 and 350 pounds. Your size is Medium. Goblin: Your small size and agility allow you to take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns. You stand around 3 feet tall and weigh between 40 and 80 pounds. Your size is Small. Hobgoblin: Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level. You stand between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.Half Elves
The rare Half Elf is caught between the passions of the human world and the timelness of the Sidhelien. beautiful human with courage and a gracious manner may walk among the Sidhelien unscathed. A few humans have even been accepted as equals in the elven courts. Mortals (by elven standards) quickly become lost in the elven spell; the years reel by in splendor and celebration, while the world outside comes to a halt or leaps centuries ahead. Such a mortal may return home to find that only a single night has passed, or that a hundred years have flown by. More often than not, a mortal's life runs out in a heartbeat. Half-elves are the rare children of these unusual men and women and their elf partners. The elves regard such offspring as Sidhelien and welcome them fully in elf society. Humans, however, tend to be suspicious of half-elves, referring to them as bewitched or as changelings; it is rare for half-elves to leave the elven woods.Adjustments
+1 Dex, -1 ConAge
Half-elves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, however, often exceeding 180 years.Size
Half-elves are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Traits
Low Light Vision -
You can see in dim light as easily as a human in bright light. You cannot see in darkness as creatures with darkvision do.Fey Ancestry -
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Human Inheritance -
You choose either the Quick to React trait or the Uncanny Knack trait. Quick React: The homeland's humans have an almost preternatural sense for conflict, and you manifest that. You add your proficiency bonus to initiative checks. Uncanny Knack: Humans get into all kinds of things. You are proficient in one additional skill, one additional language, and one additional tool of your choice.Halflings
The Halflings are refugees from the dark powers in Shadow World. The Shadow World is a place of twighlight that exists along side the world, parallel to the world, under the world, and mirrors the world. It is full of undead, demons and devils, fairies, and stranger things. The halflings aren't a numerous people, but they are found nearly everywhere humans live. Only a handful of humans know the secret of the halflings' origin; they once dwelled in the Shadow World, a realm of faerie enchantment parallel to the Homeland. That realm was poisoned by the rise of the Usurper, a gathering evil that corrupted their homeland, and they fled to the daylight world to escape his power. A small number of halflings arrived in the Homeland in time to witness the battle of Mount Deismaar. In the early years of the Anuirean Empire, the halflings left their homes one family at a time, virtually trickling into the human lands. Living among their larger neighbors, halflings don't see the sense in a government larger than a small village or extended family, and are happy to count themselves as citizens of whatever land surrounds them. It's not unusual to find a handful of halfling farmers near a human village, or a neighborhood of halfling craftsmen in a larger town. Halflings usually adopt the language, culture, and customs of the Big Folk around them while keeping a few aspects of their own culture. They feel free to use weapons in defense of their homes or families, but will never take up arms against each other—halflings consider fisticuffs the only acceptable form of violence against other halflings.Adjustments
+1 Dex, +1 Wis, -2 StrAge
A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of their second century.Size
Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet.Traits
Lucky -
When you roll a 1 on a d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.Underfoot -
You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours, and are immune to attacks of opportunity from creatures larger than you.Umbral Affinity -
You are considered a creature of the Shadow World for effects that rely on it. As an action, you may open your awareness to know the location of any fey, fiend, undead, creature of the Shadow World, or awnsheghlien with 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type of being whose presence you sense, but not its unique identity. Within the same radius, you can detect the presence of magic from the necromantic school. You must complete a short or long rest before you can use this ability again. You may also use the misty step spell while standing in any condition of dim or darker lighting (such as a crowded tavern, a wilderness cave, or conditions or moon or starlight). You must complete a long rest before you can use this ability again.Humans
Humans are the most populous race on the continent of the Homeland and inhabit every part of it. See the sidebar for more information on humans and their cultures.Adjustments
+1 to each attribute, including Blood Strength (if the character is a scion). Also, see sidebar for more adjustments.Age
Humans of Cer are much like their counterparts in other worlds, becoming adults in their late teens and living less than a century on average.Size
Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Traits
NoneKaramhul
The dwarf-like are industrious and organized. Dwarves lived in the mountains of Cerilia untold years before humans came to the land. Over time, the dwarven holds elected a defensive strategy, fortifying their approaches and retreating to their cities under the mountains when threatened. Dwarves have a fierce hatred of orogs as a result of uncounted wars fought in the deeps under the earth. A dwarf's skin is gray, stony, and cold to the touch. All dwarves have eyes that are dark as jet, and their hair and beards are black or dark gray and are normally cropped short. With regard to other races, dwarves of the homeland usually adhere to a friendly neutrality; thus, they are on good terms with most other races, including the elves. They're masterful craftsmen and traders; dwarven caravans roam from Anuire to Vos laden with their goods. Dwarven arms and armor are the best in the homeland, and it is not uncommon to see dwarves selling their services as mercenaries.Adjustments
+2 Con, -2 DexAge
Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they are considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.Size
Unlike their kin from other worlds, Karamhul dwarves are incredibly dense and weigh anywhere from 250 to 300 pounds despite standing but 4 to 4 ½ feet tall. Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor..Traits
Non-Magial -
Dwarves are non-magical by nature cannot cast any arcane spells (i.e. from the list spells for bard, sourcerer, wizard, warlock, etc.). On the other hand, they gain advantage against saving throws against arcane magic.Non-chaotic -
They are as reliable as the very presence of the ground. Thus, they cannot have a chaotic alignment.Darkvision -
Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.Dwarven Resilience -
You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.Stonecunning -
Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.Tough as Stone -
You have resistance against damage from non-magical bludgeoning attacks. You must make a Strength (Athletics) check with a DC of 10 to swim or float in water due to your density. Failure on this check causes you to begin drowning as you sink beneath the surface.Orogs
The Orogs are a grey-skinned, hairless and subterranean people. They have survived conflicts with the Karamhul only to be driven closer to the surface by unnamed "things below". The secrets of the orogs lie beneath the surface of the Homeland, where their people fought countless, nameless horrors in the dark after being driven underground in a distant epoch. While the origins of the orog people are lost due to myriad dark ages and interminable wars, part of this ancient lineage survives in the orogs regardless of where they now dwell. Their priests and clerics are some of the most flexibe and yet weakest on the continent. Orogs are slightly taller than humans on average, but with shorter legs and a thick torso. Most orogs are hairless and possess a range of skin tones from gray to black.Adjustments
Increase one ability score of your choice by 2, and another, different ability score of your choice by 1, and reduce three other ability scores of your choice by 1 each.Age
Orogs are considered adults around age 14 and live upwards of 80 years.Size
The average orog stands between 6 and 7 feet in height and weighs around 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Traits
Darkvision -
Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.Powerful Build -
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.Preternatural Resilience -
You have advantage on saving throws against poison or disease. Whenever you would gain a level of exhaustion, you can expend a level worth of HP to ignore the effect. You do not recover hit points by expending the hit die in this way.Relentless -
When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you may remain at 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.Sidhelien
The Sidhelien (SHEE-lin) are insular fey, elf-like, unaging, and wilderness dwelling. They are chaotic, god-denying and rebirthing Sidhelien. These people almost eradicated the first human tribes when they migrated to the homeland, and only stopped when they sided with most people of the homeland against Azrai. The elves of the homeland are a graceful but reclusive race, suspicious of humankind. Early in history, the elves contested human settlement of the continent's vast forests, and a strong current of ill will toward the human nations still runs strong in the elven woods. The Sidhelien hold court in deep, mist-wreathed vales in the darkest hearts of the ancient homeland forests. Elves possess an unearthly beauty, and their perfect voices can hold a mortal spellbound. Unfortunately, elves aretoo mindful of their superiority and treat outsiders with coldness or condescension. Elves are creatures of faerie dust and starlight, gifted with immortality and powers of mind and body beyond those of humankind. This immortality goes beyond being ageless; when they are killed they are eventually reborn as a full Sidhelien or Half-Elves. The only thing that is not reborn is a scion's bloodline, even though they are resistant to that kind power. They are a force for neither good nor evil; an elven wood can be perilous for human travelers, but even more so for goblins or gnolls.Adjustments
+Dex, +1 Int, +1 Cha, -1 Con, -1 Str, - Blood Strength (if a scion).Age
Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and remembers their adult name from their past lives around the age of 100 and has no upper limit on their lifespan.Size
Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 35 feet. In addition, elves pass without trace in natural settings and ignore ground characteristics when moving or marching; an elf can travel over heavy snow, soft sand, or a treacherous mountainside as easily as a human walks across a smooth wooden floor.Traits
Non-Lawful -
The elven heart is unfathomable to nonelves; they're moved to wild delight, dark melancholy, or burning rage with only the slightest cause. More than anything else, elves are unpredictable, doing what pleases them from one moment to the next. They cannot take any Lawful alignment.Low Light Vision -
You can see in dim light as easily as a human in bright light. You cannot see in darkness as creatures with darkvision do.Fey Ancestry -
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Trance -
Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. This is also how elves recall their past lives. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.Ancient Blood -
When you make a saving throw, you may use your reaction add the Source rating of the Province in which you are located as a bonus to the roll after seeing the result. Once you elect to use this bonus, you may not do so again until you complete a long rest.Shards of the Past -
A Shidelein relives her past lives when she in her trances. This impacts her waking life. First, after each long rest (trance) an elf chooses one skill and is considered proficient in that skill. That skill is considered a class skill regardless of what class she actually chooses. Second, she can choose one 1st-level speall off of the Ranger or Sourcer list, and can cast it once until her next trance. This spell is above what she normally has.A Note About Humans
Unlike in basic DnD 5e, humans are divided into a number of cultures that impact personality, stats, class, faith, and more!
The players will determine the dominant culture from the area of the Homeland associated with the Peninsula. That culture will have the stain of the conquest and eventual exinction of the seafaring and water-loving Masetian people in their long history.
If a player chooses to play a human from the dominant culture, then they will gain an additional feat on top of the attribute bonuses and penalties below. A human PC from the non-dominant culture, just gets the attribute adjustments.
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