Back to Races

Humans

You are adaptable and versatile, and your kind have quickly spread to every terrain. You may adventure for any reason at all, and a great many humans do. Exploration, adventure, riches, curiosity, trade, settlement, and missionary work motivate many humans. Perhaps you embody the greatest human motivation of all: because it is there. Humans can and do excel in every role, from warrior to wanderer, from monk to magic user.

Details

Introduction: Humans are younger than the civilized races of demi-humans (a term coined by humans to refer to people other than themselves, considered an insult by so-called demi-humans). They have spread far and fast, and their adaptability has allowed them to become the dominant race in the world. Humans have children easily, leading to big families. They are ambitious, and they embrace change (which they call "progress"). Humans are known for their clever inventions most notably, iron and steel; superior arms and armor have helped them in their rise.

Appearance: Humans vary in height and weight, averaging around five feet tall. They may weigh under 100 pounds or over 200. Humans are robust and healthy, surpassed in endurance only by dwarves, but with a vibrant energy that has worked well to fuel human success. Depending on the local culture, their fashions may range from pants, shirts and tunics to kilts, togas, sarongs, and more. Their eye, hair, and skin colors also vary widely.

Society: The human tendency to experiment means that there is no standard human society. Governments range from monarchies to theocracies to republics to even more unusual options. Some human societies are modest and conforming; others are wild and raucous. For example, among all races, only humans pratice slavery, and only in some human cultures. Most humans are farmers or fishers, but many have flocked to new remarkable human cities.

Alignment: Humans are amazingly varied and divergent among themselves, in attitudes, traditions, morals, and outlooks. They run the full range of philosophies and alignments, as many lawful as chaotic, as many evil as good. This variation, combined with human adaptability and willingness to embrace novel ideas, has propelled them to a commanding position as the most expansionistic and numerous of peoples.

Rules

Character Creation: Apply the following adjustments to every human player character.

• Ability Score Adjustment: +2 to any one ability score you choose.
• Saving Throw Bonuses: Pick two of Fortitude, Will, and Reflex saves. You gain a +2 bonus on both.
• Extra Hit Points: +4.
• Skill Bonuses: +3 to three skills of your choice. You are proficient in these skills.
• Size: Medium.
• Move: 30 feet.
• Vision: Normal Vision.
• Languages: Common and Human. Bonus languages: Any except rare and exotic languages (see the Language skill for list).
• Special: Versatile - You gain a bonus feat of your choice, so long as you meet its prerequisites.
• Weakness: Callow Race - As the youngest race, human arrogance, expansion, and success engenders resentment among other races. You interact normally with half-elves (your name for humelves) and other humans, including wildlings, but you have a -3 penalty on all charisma checks and charisma-based skill checks interacting with other people. With regard to non-human people, including humelves, the default starting attitude towards you is Unfriendly (see Diplomacy skill). Within human lands, NPC non-human people may appear agreeable, perhaps even obsequious and servile, but in the larger world, they are commonly rude and insulting towards you. Even if their natural inclination is toward being polite and friendly to all, even good-hearted non-humans are wary of humans.

Tyro Tier (character level 3): Select one of these three powers:

• Power: Favored Class (Cleric) - Your levels as a cleric do not count against you when determining experience point penalties for uneven multiclassing.
• Power: Homesteader - You gain a +3 bonus on Survival checks as well as all checks related to farming, fishing, herding, and homely tasks.
• Power: Tinker - You know the Mending cantrip. You can make and are proficient with one item from the human invention list below.

Adventurer Tier (character level 8): Select one of these three powers*:

• Power: Explorer - You gain a +4 bonus on checks to avoid getting lost, on scrivening checks to craft and use maps, and to navigate on sea and land, as well as on all saving throws to resist the effects of natural weather and environments. You gain a +1 racial bonus against fatigue and exhaustion effects as well.
• Power: Robust - You gain a +1 bonus on saves to resist disease and poison, as well as on concentration checks and Strength-based skill checks.
• Power: Cultural Appropriation - You have learned and adapted lore from another demi-human race. You gain a free rank in the Language skill, which must be used to learn the language chosen below. You are not fluent, but you gain a +4 racial bonus on language checks with the chosen language. Pick one:
  • Dwarf: You can speak the Dwarf tongue. You gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft, Appraise, and Knowledge checks related to stone and gems.
  • Elf: You can speak the Elf tongue. You know the Prestidigitation cantrip.
  • Gnome: You can speak the Gnome tongue. You gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against illusion spells and effects.
  • Halfling: You can speak the Halfling tongue. You gain a +1 to hit with slings and darts.
  • Liontaur: You can speak the Liontaur tongue. If you successfully track a creature, you can make an appropriate Knowledge check to identify the number and creatures making these tracks, and you can tell if a tracked creature is wounded (if it has taken any damage) or very wounded (below 20% max hit points when the tracks were made).

Hero Tier (character level 13): Select one of these two powers*:

• Power: Inventor - You can make and are proficient with four items from the human invention list below.
• Power: Leader - If both you and another creature both acknowledge that you are their leader and that they are your subordinate, they receive a +2 morale bonus on Will saving throws (+4 vs charm and domination) when you are in line of sight. This bonus does not stack; you cannot be your own leader, and a subordinate of yours cannot also be your leader.

Legend Tier (character level 18): Select one of these two powers*:

• Power: Talented - You gain any one feat, even if you do not meet its prerequisites.
• Power: Skilled - Pick three skills you are proficient with. You may always take ten on these skills instead of rolling.

* Or select a lower tier power that you have not chosen before.

Human Inventions List - All the following require 50 gp and one day to make (no check required), weigh one pound (unless otherwise noted), and can be sold for 25 gp. If you have the human Tinker or Inventor racial power, then you are proficient with the inventions you have chosen. Otherwise, when you use use human inventions you suffer the standard non-proficiency penalty.

• Abacus: This device helps users perform mathematical calculations. It grants a +2 competence bonus on Appraise checks and other checks using math.
• Astrolabe: This device consists of a flat disc upon which two other discs are mounted. The mounted discs can rotate on a central axis, allowing them to spin and move as days pass. The bottom disc represents the latitude of the user; the upper disc represents the sky, and is filled with astronomical features. Anyone can be shown how to use an astrolabe at night to determine the date and time (which takes 1 minute). An astrolabe grants a +2 circumstance on Knowledge (geography) and Survival checks to navigate in the wilderness (and on Profession [sailor] checks to navigate at sea).
• Backpack, Masterwork: This backpack has numerous pockets for storing various items that might be needed while adventuring. Hooks are included for attaching items such as canteens, pouches, or even a rolled-up blanket. It has padded bands that strap across the chest and the waist to distribute its weight more evenly. Like a common backpack, it can hold about 2 cubic feet of material in its main container. When wearing a masterwork backpack, treat your Strength score as +1 higher than normal when calculating your carrying capacity.
• Balancing Pole: These flexible poles range from 15-30 feet in length and, when used properly, help you keep your balance when crossing narrow walkways. Using a balancing pole grants you a +2 circumstance bonus on Tumble checks made to traverse a narrow surface.
• Barbed Vest: Thin leather flaps keep the hundreds of tiny, fishhook-like needles dotting the surface of this black vest from harming you while you wear it. However, any creature that injures you with a natural or unarmed attack takes 1 point of damage. If a creature swallows you it takes 2 points of damage each round until it either spits you up, you escape, or you die (at which point the vest has sustained enough damage to no longer serve as a threat). The vest can only be worn over light armor or no armor.
• Breakaway Chains: These chains are easy to break, even though they look like normal chains (Perception DC 25 to notice the difference). A DC 10 Strength check breaks them as a swift, move, or standard action. Thsy can be made as breakaway manacles as well.
• Buoy: A buoy is used to mark a specific spot in lakes, rivers, or similar bodies of water making it possible for you to return to that location a later date. Each includes a spherical or ovoid hollow metal float (typically copper), a length of chain rather than twine, and a metal anchor -- though you can make improvised buoys with other materials. The float is usually painted a vivid color, and may have a small flag to attract attention. Though anchor buoys prove quite resilient to normal weather and tides, they offer little challenge to intelligent creatures determined to sabotage them. (weight 5 lb)
• Butterfly Net: One end of this 6-foot-long pole supports a wide metal hoop covered by a thin mesh net. You can use this to sift objects out from material capable of passing through the net such as sand or water. You can also use a butterfly net to capture Fine or Diminutive creatures as if it were a net (weapon), though you don't need to re-fold the butterfly net if you miss, and you use the handle of the butterfly net like you would the rope of a net weapon.
• Cleats: Useful on any terrain where traction may be a concern, cleats are shoes with spikes or hooks attached to the soles. Cleats reduce the penalty for walking over slick surfaces by 50%; for example, walking across ice normally costs 2 squares for every square of movement, but with cleats it costs only 1.5 squares for every square. They also offer a +1 circumstance bonus on Climb checks.
• Compass: An ordinary compass that points to the magnetic north pole grants its user a +4 circumstance bonus on Survival checks made to avoid becoming lost. It also can be used to grant the same bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks made to navigate underground.
• Ear Trumpet: By holding this specially crafted device to your ear and placing the other end against a door or wall, you reduce the DC penalty for search checks to listen through a barrier (wall, door, etc) by 5.
• Fortune-Teller's Deck: This deck of illustrated cards is used by those in tune with the spirit world to predict the future -- and by charlatans to take money from gullible or desperate people. A fortune-teller's deck is usually of wooden plaques with painted color images; it is suitable as a focus for the augury spell, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Profession (fortune-teller) checks.
• Map Maker's Kit: This small kit contains a simple slate with a grid carved into its surface and a number of different colored pieces of chalk. Anyone using this kit to draw a map as they travel receives a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival skill checks to avoid becoming lost.
• Periscope: This 2-foot-long metal tube has right angles at each end with mirrors inside; if you look in one end, you can see out the other end, allowing you safely peer over obstacles, around corners, or into small spaces your head wouldn't fit. When using a periscope, the end of the tube counts as a Diminutive object, making it much less likely an observed creature notices you; if you have total concealment from the creature except for the end of the periscope, use the tube's Diminutive size modifier for your Stealth instead of your own size modifier. Distortion from the mirrors gives you a -2 penalty on Spot checks while looking through the periscope. Though the tube is fairly sturdy (hardness 5, 2 hit points), the mirrors inside are fragile (hardness 1, 1 hit point), and any damage that gets through the tube's hardness applies to the tube and the mirrors.
• Pulley: A simple block-and-tackle pulley, when properly secured, adds a +5 circumstance bonus on Strength checks to lift heavy objects. Securing the pulley requires 1 minute.
• Smoked Goggles: These spectacles have lenses made of smoked glass that help protect against creatures with gaze attacks. You are always treated as averting your gaze when dealing with gaze attacks, and you gain a +8 circumstance bonus on saving throws against visual-based attacks (any attack that a blind creature would be immune to). You have a -4 on spot checks while wearing the goggles.
• Snowshoes: These high-tension nets of rope or sinew in wooden frames which are lashed to the feet spread your weight across the snow, making you much less likely to break through the crust and rendering walking much easier. Snowshoes reduce the penalty for walking through heavy snow by 50%; for example, if moving through snow normally costs you 2 squares of movement per square traveled, snowshoes reduce this cost to 1.5 squares per square traveled.
• Swarmsuit: These heavy and overlapping layers of clothing, coupled with a wide hat outfitted with a dense, veil-like netting around its brim makes it all but impossible for Diminutive and Fine creatures to make physical contact with your body. Wearing a swarmsuit gives you a -2 penalty on search and spot checks, DR 10/ -- against Fine creatures (including swarms) and DR 5/ -- against Diminutive creatures (including swarms). Otherwise, treat this as padded armor. (weight 10lb)
• Weapon Cord: Weapon cords are 2-foot-long leather straps that attach your weapon to your wrist. If you drop your weapon or are disarmed, you can recover it as a swift action, and it never moves any further away from you than an adjacent square. However, you cannot switch to a different weapon without first untying the cord (a full-round action) or cutting it (a move action or an attack, hardness 0, 0 hp). Unlike a locked gauntlet, you can still use a hand with a weapon cord, though a dangling weapon may interfere with finer actions.

Back to Races