Races and Ethnicities of Urvén
Contained on this page is a list of all races found on Urvén, provided they have a player character suitable statblock. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are considered unsuitable for a player character outside of exceptional circumstances due to the demographics and prejudices of the world. The sidebar includes races that simply do not exist; this may be that they haven't reached the Riven Lands or they may not exist at all.
Contained within brackets after each subrace is the source that should be used for the statblock. This is most important for races that exist in multiple sourcebooks. Unless noted, assume that races use updates found within the Sage's Compendium.
Aasimar
Beings with a small amount of celestial heritage, aasimar are rare but often find themselves involved in world-changing heroics. They have a connection to the heavens although it is rare that this is one that allows for direct communication.- Fallen - the few aasimar who have turned to evil and have twisted their link to the heavens to darkness. Fallen aasimar are rare and almost exclusively exist outside of civilisation. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
- Protector - the most heroic aasimar, often finding purpose as paladins and clerics of light. Protector aasimar are seen throughout human lands. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
- Scourge - existing a little more on the fringes of society, scourge aasimar often turn their innate destructive powers towards fighting evil creatures. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
Bird Races
The denizens of lofty peaks, towers and trees, aarakocra and kenku are not often seen and usually keep to their own company. They are two sides to the same coin, the kenku having "fallen" and lost much of their grace.- Aarakocra - very rarely seen in human lands due to residing in mountaintop settlements or directly within the elemental plane of Air. Aarakocra are graceful and usually good-aligned. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
- Kenku - flightless birdfolk who desperately seek to win back their previous glory. No one is sure how they lost their speech and flight. Kenku tend to live as high up as they can, on towers or natural formations. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
Changeling
While generally considered rare, it is unknown how many changelings truly exist. Their natural shapeshifting abilities from their doppleganger lineage allows them to blend into the background of society.- Changeling - usually existing in urban areas unnoticed by other races, changelings often maintain a disguise for years at a time. (Eberron: Rising from the Last War)
Defiant
A race of awakened - not undead - skeletons from Nexxioca. They are naturally immortal and do not require air or sustenance.- Defiant - half-alive and half-dead, the defiant are found throughout the Riven Lands, often as sailors and mercenaries. They must settle a debt to Nexxioca to pay for their own creation before they are recognised as full citizens. (Homebrew)
Dragonborn
Humanoids with awakened draconic lineage. Distinct from half-dragons.- Dragonborn* - potentially extinct on Urvén, there are no known dragonborn in the Riven Lands. (Player's Handbook)
- True Dragonborn - exceptionally rare, true dragonborn are those who have awakened draconic heritage within themselves and have transformed from a previous race. (Homebrew)
Dwarf
Usually found underground, dwarves are hardy of constitution and proud craftspeople.- Duergar - rarely spotted above ground, duergar are mistrusted by most surface-folk. (Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes)
- Hill Dwarf - found all over Sondrana and the Broken Heartlands, hill dwarves are the most commonly seen dwarves above ground. (Player's Handbook)
- Mountain Dwarf - more reclusive than hill dwarves, mountain dwarves are found deeper underground within the mountain ranges of the Riven Lands. (Player's Handbook)
Elf
Gently shaped by the magic and environment of their homelands, elves are particularly long lived.- Drow - residing far underground in The Deeps, drow often worship dark gods. They are rarely seen on the surface. (Player's Handbook)
- Dune Elf - almost exclusively found in the deserts of Geganna, dune elves are a nomadic people well accustomed to the harsh environment. (Homebrew: Dune Elf)
- Eladrin - natives of the Feywild, the eladrin are rarely seen on Urvén as they are usually too caught up in fey politics to venture out. (Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes)
- Frost Elf - found high up on snow-covered peaks and at ice walls bordering Urvén, frost elves are solitary folk who value hunting and the arts. (Homebrew: Frost Elf)
- Pale Elf - elves who have been changed by the Shadowfel, pale elves have a kinship with spirits and undead. (Homebrew)
- Wood Elf - found across the Riven Lands, wood elves are more attuned to nature than just about any other race. (Player's Handbook)
Firbolg
Quiet, peaceloving and reclusive, firbolgs are rarely seen outside of the small settlements within the deepest woods of the Riven Lands they call home.- Firbolg - their height and build standing in contrast to their peaceful ways, firbolg are occasionally seen in society during trading visits. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
Genasi
Touched by elemental planes, genasi are maligned within human cultures that worship Thirasmus. Instead, they often end up being accepted into other communities or as wandering adventurers.- Air - rarely spotted at low elevations, air genasi roam the hills and mountains of the Riven Lands. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
- Earth - as comfortable working as miners as they are drifting around the deserts of Geganna, earth genasi are a rare sight in society. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
- Fire - impulsive and brash, fire genasi often join mercenary companies and adventuring groups. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
- Water - exceptional sailers and able to breathe while submerged, water genasi are almost exclusively found on or just off the coast. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
Gith
Remnants of a violent rebellion against illithid slavers, the gith are almost exclusively found on the Astral Plane where they struggle against each other and the illithid more than they interact with the material plane.- Githyanki - fierce warriors of great prowess who strike at settlements across the Astral Plane. They exist in a perpetual war with the githzerai. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
- Githzerai - naturally psychic beings who reside and train in hidden fortresses in the Astral Plane. They will fight with all their being to avoid being forced back into servitude. (Elemental Evil Player's Compendium)
Gnome
Small, hardy and clever, gnomes are found almost anywhere dwarves are. The few gnome-built settlements that do exist are usually densely packed and filled with interesting innovations.- Deep Gnome - very rarely seen on the surface, svirfneblin keep to themselves in The Deeps. They rarely trust outsiders and particularly dislike the drow. (Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes)
- Forest Gnome - particularly curious and natural wanderers, forest gnomes are found all over the Riven Lands, albeit in small numbers. (Player's Handbook)
- Rock Gnome - at home underground, rock gnomes share much with the dwarves they usually settle with. They are natural tinkerers and their toys and devices are traded throughout the lands. (Player's Handbook)
Goblin Races
Almost universally disliked by civilisation, the goblin races usually form camp settlements or warbands in less populated or wilder areas. Occasionally, goblinoids may join mercenary or bandit groups to earn coin, particularly if they were outsiders from their own tribes.- Bugbear* - brutish, bullying humanoids that form the shock troops of goblinoid warbands. Not seen in civilised society. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
- Goblin - small, scrawny and usual evil humanoids. A few goblins are found as merchants or thieves in cosmopolitan areas but most are bullied into being the working force of orcish bands. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
- Hobgoblin* - militaristic tribal goblinoids with a reputation for conquest. Hobgoblins have more honour than many expect and are mainly found in the southern plains of Geganna. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
- Orc - savage humanoids that form raiding parties and camps of bloodthirsty warriors. Very few orcs would ever manage to be part of society and those that do are forced to fight constant discrimination. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
Goliath
Found in small, roving bands on the southern edges of Sondrana and the Broken Heartlands, goliaths are a seemingly brutal people who take what is earned by right of combat. However, underneath this perception is a people of tradition and honour.- Goliath - humanoids with giant heritage, goliaths tower above most other humanoids. Their tough physiques and their resistance to cold aid their survival all over the south of the Riven Lands. (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden)
Half-elf
People who are the offspring of human and elf pairings, half-elves often struggle to reconcile either side of their heritage. They often end up as wanderers or traders, not settling in any one place.- Half-elf - half-elves are found all over the Riven Lands; their natural ability to almost fit in with two different cultures gives them much ground to cover in their travels. They rarely settle for long, however. (Player's Handbook)
Half-orc
The offspring of human and orc pairings, half-orcs are often the product of wartime brutalities. Half-orcs often strive to prove themselves as superior to either side of their lineage in multiple ways.- Half-orc - many half-orcs live violent lives, their orcish blood leaving them with short tempers and impulsive tendancies. They are usually seen in fighting pits, mercenary bands and bandit clans. (Player's Handbook)
Halfling
A gregarious race of short people who interact well with almost all races. Halflings exist in small settlements - usually semi-permanent camps or underground houses - across most of the Riven Lands.- Ghostwise - an insular and rarely seen subrace, ghostwise halflings live in small tribes mostly found on the Broken Heartlands. (Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide)
- Lightfoot - natural traders, explorers and - to less diplomatic people - lightfoot halflings are found across Sondrana, particularly in the kingdom of Pennersfel. (Player's Handbook)
- Stout - halflings rumoured to have a little dwarf blood in their ancestry, stout halflings are more at home in homes dug into hills than other subraces. (Player's Handbook)
"Haunted" Races
A catch-all term for multiple creatures with dark backgrounds. Most of these people exist in and around Nexxioca.- Dhampir - the offspring of vampire/human pairings, dhampir struggle to overcome the prejudices against their heritage. Most reside in or are employed by Nexxioca but some - particularly those with dark leanings - settle in the Shadowfel. (Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft)
- Hexblood - humanoids tainted and shaped into fey creatures by design, chance or heritage, many hexbloods are produced by hags to increase their number. Hexbloods are almost always world-wanderers but those bound to a hag are unlikely to stray too far from the coven. (Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft)
- Reborn - viewed by some as a precursor to the defiant, the reborn are bodies brought back to life with a new soul. They are no longer produced within Nexxioca but may exist in other parts of the Riven Lands. (Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft)
Human
Humans exist all over the Riven Lands and, due to their adaptability, have recovered from the great calamity better than most other races. (When creating a human, the rules for a variant human may be chosen.)- Gann - accustomed to the drier climates and hotter temperatures of Geganna, the gann have settled nearly the entire continent. They are dark of skin and usually have brown eyes and black hair. (Player's Handbook)
- Hinterfolk - pale of skin and with fair or red hair, the hinterfolk are humans who have settled the southern reaches of the Riven Lands. The country of Pinslund was founded by several allied hinterfolk chiefdoms.(Player's Handbook)
- Khijian - also known as "islanders", khijians hail from the Thousand Isles but are found all over the Riven Lands due to their disposition towards seafaring. They usually range from heavily tanned to dark skinned and usually have black hair.(Player's Handbook)
- Midlanders - humans who originally hailed from the centre of Great Sond, post-calamity, midlanders are now found on Sondrana and have a few colonised settlements on other continents. They are mostly of caucasian stock.(Player's Handbook)
Seafolk
Beings who exist in the oceans and seas of Urvén. These creatures are not a common sight on land but are likely to be recognised by other seafaring peoples.- Grung* - small frog people who live in wet climates with a ready supply of standing water for bathing. Grung are often evil and are known to take slaves from other races, particularly those who stray too far from Liberty. They are found on the northern reaches of Geganna and a few islands scattered around the Riven Lands. (One Grung Above)
- Locathah - fish-humanoids rarely seen on the surface, locathah have settlements on Drowned Sond and are occasionally seen in coastal towns. (Locathah Rising)
- Triton - honourable and dutybound aquatic humanoids, the triton rule over Drowned Sond but are found throughout the seas of the Riven Lands. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
Shifter
The falling of the moon, Lesate, onto Urvén has increased the number and sway of the were-touched. Where once only full lycanthropes existed, now there are those who take on just a small aspect of the curse of the moon.- Shifter - while individual shifters vary in form and ability, all are most commonly found in northern Sondrana and southern Geganna - the lands closest to Lesate. (Eberron: Rising from the Last War)
Tabaxi
A curious cat people who have lost their homeland due to gnoll and goblinoid attacks. Tabaxi wander the world, never content to settle in once place for long.- Tabaxi - outside of the settlement of Last Bazaar, the tabaxi have no home to speak of. They are not a particularly common sight, but are found throughout the Riven Lands. (Volo's Guide to Monsters)
Tiefling
People with a touch of demonic heritage, tieflings stand in direct contrast with the aasimar. While they are no longer maligned, many are still uncomfortable dealing directly with these people.- Tiefling - having to work hard to overcome the prejudices of their distant, fiendish ancestry, tieflings often struggle to settle in any one place for long. They are not common but are found all over the Riven Lands. (Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes)
Tortle
There is only a single Tortle settlement on the Riven Lands so their numbers are very few. However, they enjoy taking long, circuitous journeys around the continents to trade, learn and experience other cultures. They have exceedingly long lives.- Tortle - found almost exclusively in the twin settlements of Testuda and Torta, the tortle are a meditative people who sometimes make multiple-decade pilgrimages around the continents. They have a love of a wide range of foods, entertainment and art from their journeys. (The Tortle Package)
Notable Exceptions:
This list contains races that are not found within Urvén:- Custom Lineage - in lieu of custom lineages, players may exchange two ability score increase points for a feat at character creation.
- Dragonmarks - there are currently no dragonmarks on Urvén.
- High Elf - after their disappearance centuries ago, they are extinct on Urvén.
- Kalashtar - this is not a race that currently exists on Urvén.
- Warforged - these have not been "invented" on Urvén.
In addition, outside of a small number of race and background options, there is no content drawn from Magic the Gathering or Critical Role settings within Urvén.
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