ARCTIC DWARVES

Arctic dwarves, who call themselves the Inugaakalikurit, are the isolated inhabitants of Faerûn's northernmost reaches. Native to the mountains at the heart of the Great Glacier and other northerly regions, arctic dwarves are little known to the outside world. Many arctic dwarves are rangers, barbarians, or fighters, for they hold little interest in the spellcasting arts or godly worship.

Arctic dwarves are unique among the Stout Folk in that they do not trace their ancestry back to Bhaerynden, the great cavern that later fell to the drow of Telantiwar and now lies open as the Great Rift. As such, they have little in common with other Stout Folk, lacking any common political, religious, craft, or magical traditions. In recent years, a handful of arctic dwarves have migrated across the icy northern wastes to establish new settlements along the shores of the Great Ice Sea and in the Silver Marches, but for the most part the Inugaakalikurit have dwelt in splendid isolation for uncounted generations, wholly content with their lot in life.

Arctic dwarves are squat and hardy, with blocky bodies, pinched faces, and stubby legs. They rarely exceed 3 feet in height and are nearly as broad as they are tall. Their eyes are bright blue, their cheeks as ruddy as apples. Their skin is white, almost bluish, but because of their fondness for basking under the bright sun, many of them are sunburned red from head to toe, a condition that causes them no discomfort or other ill effects. Their fingers and toes are thick and blunt and their feet flat and wide. Curly white hair covers their heads and tumbles down their backs nearly to their waists. Males sport short beards and twisting mustaches. Both sexes favor simple tunics of polar bear fur and generally go barefoot.

Arctic dwarves are open and friendly and can be quite sociable with neighboring races, with the exception of frost giants, whom they despise. Unlike other dwarves, Inugaakalikurit have little interest in mining or crafts, instead devoting themselves to hunting, raising children, and leisure. Traditional dwarven strictures, such as those imposed by family and clan, hold little weight in arctic dwarf society, and history and the past achievements of one's ancestors are seen as little more than a source of enjoyable tales. Arctic dwarves are quite curious about the outside world, although they have little inclination to go and see it.

Arctic dwarves are friendly and outgoing, little concerned with class or clan distinctions. They enjoy life to the fullest and see little reason to accumulate wealth or material possessions. They believe in hunting and gathering sufficient food to feed themselves but otherwise have little interest in labor of any sort. They strive to spend as much time as possible in leisurely pursuits, storytelling, sports such as wrestling, and games with their children.

Arctic dwarves are rarely drawn to adventuring, but those who do usually evince a curiosity about other cultures so strong that they willingly forgo the life of leisure they might otherwise pursue. Instead of waiting to chance upon evidence of other cultures in their remote glacial homes, they head out to explore the world, seeking out the exotic and the new. As such, they stumble into adventures by happenstance, happily exploring any new environment they come across.

Arctic dwarf culture is remarkably homogeneous, the result of centuries of isolation from the other races of Faerûn. Compared to other dwarven cultures, Inugaakalikurit place almost no emphasis on bloodline or clan. While individual accomplishment does garner respect, rarely are such feats remembered for more than a generation. The pursuit of leisure is placed above hard work or skilled artisanship, and few arctic dwarves are driven to accomplish more than continued survival.

Arctic dwarves receive a great deal of individual attention in childhood, with all adult members of the community serving as parental figures to varying degrees. Little is expected of Inugaakalikurit youth, so they spend their days engaged in playful pursuits. As adults, each arctic dwarf is expected to contribute to the community's well-being, but there is little societal reward for doing more than the minimum required. Elderly arctic dwarves are considered to have earned the right to live out the rest of their days engaging in leisurely pursuits and are simply encased beneath the ice and snow when death finally claims them.

Arctic dwarves have emigrated in such small numbers from their mountain homes that they have very little experience as minorities within other cultures. Those who do leave usually look for individuals of similar temperament, regardless of race, and attempt to recreate the easygoing lifestyle of their native villages.

Arctic dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Arctic dwarves are incredibly strong, but shorter and more stout than other dwarven subraces.

• Small: As Small creatures, arctic dwarves gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-size characters.

• Immune to cold.

• Automatic Languages: Dwarven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

• Level Adjustment: +2. Arctic dwarves are significantly stronger on average than most Stout Folk, and they possess an immunity to cold. They are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn.

GOLD DWARVES

Found largely in the South in the immediate vicinity of the Great Rift, gold dwarves are the dominant southern branch of the Stout Folk. Renowned not only for their smithwork and craftsmanship but also for their military prowess and legendary wealth, gold dwarves have maintained their empire for millennia, unbowed by the passage of time.

For generations, the Deep Kingdom of the gold dwarves has stood unconquered, dominating the surface lands and subterranean caverns that surround the Great Rift. As their numbers never declined in the face of endless warfare like their northern cousins, the Thunder Blessing has actually filled the great caverns of the Deep Kingdom beyond their capacity. As a result, for the first time in many years, large numbers of gold dwarves are setting out to establish new strongholds across the South and the rest of Faerûn, including the Smoking Mountains of Unther and the Giant's Run Mountains of the Shining Plains.

Averaging 4 feet tall and weighing as much as an adult human, gold dwarves are stocky and muscular. The skin of a gold dwarf is light brown or deeply tanned, and her eyes are usually brown or hazel. Both genders wear their hair long, and males (and some females) have long, carefully groomed beards and mustaches. Hair color ranges from black to gray or brown, with all shades fading to light gray as time progresses.

Like their northern kin, gold dwarves harbor a great deal of pride, both in their own accomplishments and those of their ancestors. They also share the philosophy that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and that the natural world is but raw material to be worked into objects of great beauty. Unlike the long-beleaguered shield dwarves, gold dwarves have not faced a serious challenge to their way of life for thousands of years. Confident and secure in their isolated realm, gold dwarves do not share the pessimism or fatalism of their shield dwarven brethren. To the contrary, having seen the rise and fall of countless elven, human, and shield dwarven empires, their endurance has fostered a deep-seated belief that their traditions and culture are superior to those of all other races.

Gold dwarves measure others by how much honor and wealth each individual garners as well as the status of his or her bloodline and clan. To gold dwarves, life is best lived through adherence to the ancient traditions of the Deep Realm. The very persistence of their own way of life indicates that other short-lived cultures are inherently flawed. As such, those who lack a meaningful cultural tradition or reject their elders' dictates are untrustworthy and possibly dangerous.

From birth, gold dwarves are taught to conform to the traditional strictures of their society. Every important decision, from choice of profession to their mate, is dictated by the circumstances of their birth. Those who do not act honorably in their dealings are shunned from an early age, breeding a tremendous societal pressure to fit in.

Gold dwarves lack the longstanding tradition of adventuring found in their shield dwarf cousins in the north. However, population pressures induced by the Thunder Blessing have given birth to a new generation of gold dwarf adventurers. Most gold dwarves who wander beyond the familiar confines of the Deep Realm do so in order to found new strongholds of their own, but many find the lure of adventuring hard to ignore once it has entered into their blood.

Gold dwarf culture does not exhibit a great deal of variability, the result of generations of gold dwarves insulated from outside influences. Class and clan divisions are strong among gold dwarves, and great importance is attributed to bloodlines when ascribing social status. However, the Deep Realm is so swamped with petty, decadent royals and nobles that little real power is invested in anyone but the governing council of clan elders.

Commerce and craftsmanship both play an important role in gold dwarf society, as does the never-satiated grasping for more riches. Pride and honor play an important role in all aspects of daily life, for disgrace applies not only to oneself, but also to kin, clan, and long-dead ancestors.

Gold dwarves are raised in tight family units, but the clan elders play an important oversight role in the upbringing of every child. Book learning is common, as is an apprenticeship to learn a trade. All adults are expected to support themselves and their family as well as bring honor and riches to the clan. Ostentatious displays of wealth are important for maintaining one's prestige, so poorer gold dwarves often scrimp and save to keep up appearances. As gold dwarves age, they are accorded increasing respect for their wisdom. Clan elders form a ruling gerontocracy that strongly enforces traditional practices. Families and clans are expected to honor their elders in death with elaborate funereal rites and tombs befitting the deceased's reputation.

Outside the Deep Realm, gold dwarves hold themselves apart, forming small, insular enclaves that attempt to replicate traditional clan life. Few gold dwarves have any interest in adopting local practices except where it furthers their ability to hawk their wares.

Gold dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Gold dwarves are stout and tough, but not as quick or agile as other races.

• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against aberrations: Gold dwarves are trained in special combat techniques against the many bizarre creatures that live in the Underdark. (This replaces the attack bonus against orcs and goblinoids.)

• Automatic Languages: Dwarven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Shaaran, Terran, Untheric.

GRAY DWARVES

Dwelling in great subterranean cities of the Underdark, the gray dwarves are deep-dwelling cousins of shield dwarves, known for their cruelty and bitterness. Like their surface-dwelling kin, gray dwarves are famed for their smithwork and craftsmanship, but unlike their brethren in the Realms Above, the duergar are grim and cheerless, living lives of endless toil. Like their gold and shield dwarf kin, the duergar have forged great empires, founding such realms as the Deepkingdom of Gracklstugh and the Steel Kingdom of Dunspeirrin in the endless darkness of the Realms Below.

Averaging 4 feet tall, gray dwarves weigh nearly as much as an adult human. While other dwarves tend to be round-bodied and stoutly muscled, duergar are wide of shoulder but wiry and lean, their limbs corded with tough muscle. The skin of a gray dwarf is light or dark gray, and his eyes are dull black. Both genders are usually bald, with males having long gray beards and mustaches.

Gray dwarves are consumed with bitterness, feeling their race has forever been denied what was rightfully theirs. The duergar expect and live lives of never-ending drudgery. While their work rivals that of shield and gold dwarves, they are relentless perfectionists who take no pleasure in their craftsmanship. Only cruel jokes and petty torments bring a moment's smile to most gray dwarves, and they delight in tormenting the weak and the helpless.

Gray dwarves view the world with bitterness, convinced family, clan, other dwarves, and the rest of the world have cheated them of their birthright and their due. They see life as nothing more than endless backbreaking labor, a torment from birth through death. The duergar evince little mercy for the helpless or the weak and enjoy tormenting those they can prey upon. From a young age, gray dwarves are quickly schooled in the harshness of the world, taught that their lot in life is nothing more than never-ending labor accompanied by betrayal and then death.

Gray dwarves rarely adventure out of choice. Those who are exiled or flee imminent banishment often gravitate to the life of an adventure simply in hopes of surviving. Adventuresome duergar are usually focused on the acquisition of material wealth, caring little for the plight of others.

Laduguer, the Gray Protector, is the harsh taskmaster of the duergar and the patron of their subrace. Although the duergar nominally venerate all the dwarven deities of the Morndinsamman, in truth they venerate only Laduguer and his daughter, Deep Duerra. Before the rise of Shanatar, each of the shield dwarven subkingdoms had its own patron deity. The kingdom of Barakuir, dominated by the dwarves of Clan Duergar, honored Laduguer and never accepted the ascension of Dumathoin as the patron deity of shield dwarves. The ancestors of the gray dwarves continued to honor Laduguer during their long enslavement by the illithids of Oryndoll. Unlike their shield dwarven brethren, the duergar did not evolve their religious practice toward the veneration of the pantheon as a whole.

Deep Duerra, the Daughter of Laduguer, is said to have been a great warrior queen who stole many secrets of the Invisible Art (psionics) from Ilsensine, god of mind flayers. Deep Duerra is venerated primarily by duergar who study the Invisible Art and by those militant gray dwarves who would rather crush their subterranean neighbors than trade with them. Her faith is particularly strong beneath the Osraun Mountains of Turmish, where her followers rule Dunspeirrin, the City of Sunken Spires.

Duergar have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Constitution, -4 Charisma. Duergar are extremely withdrawn and guarded.

• Darkvision up to 120 feet.

• Immune to paralysis, phantasms, and magic or alchemical poisons (but not normal poisons). Duergar acquired immunity to some illusions and many toxic substances during their servitude to mind flayers.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Gray dwarves excel in stealthy movement.

• +1 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - enlarge and invisibility as a wizard twice the duergar's level (minimum 3rd level). These affect only the duergar and whatever it carries.

• Light Sensitivity: Duergar suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, saves, and checks in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

• Automatic Languages: Dwarven, Undercommon, home region. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Orc, Terran.

• Level Adjustment: +2. Duergar are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

SHIELD DWARVES

Found largely in the northern reaches of western and central Faerûn, shield dwarves are the dominant northern branch of the Stout Folk. Renowned for their smithwork and craftsmanship, shield dwarves have endured a centuries-long decline in the face of never-ending wars with orcs, goblins, giants, and trolls.

Shield dwarves are descended from the founders of Shanatar, a legendary dwarven empire that once ruled the caverns beneath modern-day Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan. After Shanatar fell, the shield dwarves migrated north, founding kingdoms such as Ammarindar, Delzoun, Gharraghaur, Haunghdannar, Oghrann, and Sarbreen. Although those kingdoms have also largely fallen, the Stout Folk of the North endure. The Thunder Blessing has served as a welcome reprieve for the beleaguered shield dwarves, giving hope that the descendants of ancient Shanatar may one day reclaim the glory of their forebears.

Taller by half a foot than their gold dwarf cousins, shield dwarves average 4 1/2 feet tall and weigh as much as an adult human. The skin of a shield dwarf is fair or lightly tanned, and her eyes are usually green or silvered blue. Both genders wear their hair long, and males (and a very few females) have long, carefully groomed beards and mustaches. Hair color ranges from light brown to red, with all shades fading to silver or white as time progresses.

Shield dwarves keep to their word, whatever the cost, and are incredibly stubborn, unwilling to concede an inch unless there is absolutely no alternative. Such intransigence has enabled dwindling shield dwarf populations to hold on to ancient strongholds with just a fraction of their original defenders. However, it has also led to clan feuds and long-standing misunderstandings with other races that have sapped the strength of the Stout Folk. Shield dwarves love worked beauty, seeing the world as raw material to be forged and shaped into something more than the original.

Despite their centuries-long decline and deserved reputation for dourness and cynicism, shield dwarves have never succumbed to fatalism. Shield dwarves have traditionally been divided into two camps - the Hidden and the Wanderers - although such divisions have begun to fade since the Thunder Blessing. While members of the former group have literally hidden themselves away from the outside world, content to pursue their traditional way of life, members of the latter group have gone out into the world, unbowed by their race's relentless decline.

Shield dwarves are traditionally slow to trust and slow to forget slights, but a dawning realization of their race's plight has left many willing to seek out new ways of doing things unconstrained by traditional prejudices or practices. Shield dwarves have a long and proud tradition of adventuring, and many shield dwarves follow this route simply in hopes of equaling or exceeding the deeds of those who have come before. Others seek to recover long-lost strongholds and treasures that have fallen to orcs or other beasts. Since the Thunder Blessing, the question for many young shield dwarves is not why they should become adventurers, but why they should not.

Although clan and class divisions were once strong among shield dwarves, generations of decline have largely broken their once-dominant influence. While shield dwarves are still incredibly proud of their bloodlines, individual accomplishment now counts for more than longstanding tradition or the dictates of clan elders. Shield dwarven life among the Hidden is still dominated by craft and forge, but increasing numbers of shield dwarves are making their own way in the world as adventurers or as craftsfolk dwelling in human-dominated communities.

Shield dwarves are raised in tight family units, with clan elders playing a diminishing role in overseeing their upbringing. Book learning is common, and most children are apprenticed to learn a trade as they near maturity. Adult shield dwarves are expected to support themselves and their family as well as bring honor and riches to the clan. While shield dwarves do not shy away from displays of wealth, they avoid ostentatious or decadent behavior. As shield dwarves age, they are honored for their wisdom and accorded respect for their past accomplishments.

Families and clans are expected to honor their elders in death with solemn funereal rites and tombs befitting the deceased's reputation and accomplishments.

Generations of Wanderers have created large and thriving dwarven enclaves within most human settlements, with all shield dwarves welcome as part of the loosely knit dwarven "clan." Shield dwarves occupy the roles of smith or craftsmen in many human communities and are well respected for their skill as artisans. Few shield dwarves turn away from veneration of the Morndinsamman, but most are quick to learn the local trade tongue and make friends with other races.

Shield dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Dwarven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Chondathan, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Illuskan, Orc.

URDUNNIRS

Urdunnirs, sometimes known as orecutter dwarves, are a long-forgotten offshoot of shield dwarves who have become one with the earth and stone. Thanks to the blessings of Dumathoin, urdunnirs can walk through earth and stone as if it were air and shape metal and stone with their hands. Many orecutter dwarves are clerics of Dumathoin, expert smiths, or expert gemcutters.

The Children of Dumathoin, as they call themselves, believe that the Silent Keeper transformed their ancestors in order to create a race of dwarves who could appreciate the true beauty of the subterranean landscape without needing to destroy it in the process. They have dwelt ever since in splendid isolation in Oldonnar, the legendary Lost Kingdom of Shanatar, deep beneath the Alimir Mountains.

Averaging 4 1/2 feet tall but weighing much more than an adult human, orecutter dwarves are stocky and muscular. The skin of an urdunnir is light gray, and their eyes are always silver. Both genders wear their hair long, and males (and some females) have long, carefully groomed beards and mustaches. Hair color is uniformly gray, with varying degrees of silver and black highlights.

Urdunnirs see the world as a work of living beauty, walking through stone and earth much as a diver might explore the wonders of the ocean depths. The Children of Dumathoin regard themselves as particularly blessed, for they are not forced to cling to the exterior of Dumathoin's creation like other races but can wander through the heart of the world itself in an endless search to uncover the Silent Keeper's hidden secrets (gems).

Secure in their otherworldly fastnesses and isolated from external threats, orecutter dwarves have never experienced great wars with other races. As such, urdunnirs lack the martial traditions of their gold, gray, and shield dwarven cousins. Strangely enough, urdunnirs share with druids and elves a deep understanding of the natural world. From a young age, orecutter dwarves are taught to live in harmony with their environment. They see Dumathoin's vast creation as a great sea of earth and stone, ever-changing and always beautiful. They view their role in the world as that of both observer and artisan, working in harmony with Dumathoin's creation to unlock the secrets the Silent Keeper has hidden within.

Thanks to their relative isolation, orecutter dwarves are rarely drawn to the adventuring way of life. However, those who encounter other races or stumble across doings in the Realms Above often find their curiosity piqued, becoming driven to understand those who have not been blessed by Dumathoin.

The isolation of urdunnirs has preserved traditional family and clan strictures in a form largely unchanged since the founding of Shanatar. In that respect, orecutter dwarves have more in common with their gold dwarf cousins than they do with the shield dwarves of the North. Class divisions are almost nonexistent, for there is little concept of wealth among the Children of Dumathoin, but clan divisions are quite strong and govern most societal behavior.

Orecutter dwarves are raised in tight family units, with clan elders playing a strong oversight role in the upbringing of each child. Book learning is common, albeit in forms not well understood in the Realms Above, and most children are apprenticed to learn a trade as they near maturity. The greatest artisans use their skills to unveil Dumathoin's secrets and shape his creations into new and pleasing forms, all without disturbing them from their original resting place. As orecutter dwarves age, they are honored for their wisdom and accorded respect for their past accomplishments. Families and clans are expected to honor their elders in death by weaving their bodies into gemstone veins that wind through the earth in a fashion befitting the deceased's reputation and accomplishments.

Orecutter dwarves are almost unknown outside their own communities, but those who do leave usually seek out other dwarven communities in which to dwell. They typically organize themselves according to ancient clan strictures that suggest little understanding of the cultures in which they dwell or changes in the world since the birth of their race.

Urdunnir dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• +4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison: Urdunnirs are even more resistant to toxins than other dwarves.

• Stone Walk (Su): Urdunnirs can pass through stone and earth as if it were air. They can carry up to twice their own body weight with them in this manner. Urdunnirs (and anyone carried with them) cannot breathe while within stone or earth and must hold their breath while traveling in this manner.

• Stone Shape (Sp): At will as an 8th-level sorcerer.

• Shape Metal (Sp): At will as an 8th-level sorcerer once per round. This power works just like the shape metal spell, except that urdunnirs can only affect 5 cubic feet of metal. Using this ability is a full-round action.

• Automatic Languages: Dwarven, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Expert.

• Level Adjustment: +4. Urdunnirs have the ability to walk through stone and earth and two unusual spell-like abilities. They are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn.

WILD DWARVES

Wild dwarves, who call themselves "dur Authalar" (the People), are the primitive inhabitants of the Jungles of Chult and the Mhair and Black Jungles. They have largely rejected the clan-based craft- and smith-oriented culture of their gold, gray, and shield dwarf cousins, choosing instead to live in hunting bands with ever-shifting memberships. Eschewing all trappings of civilization, wild dwarves live like beasts, engaged in an endless hunt for survival. Only those who dare the shadowy depths of Faerûn's southern jungles are even aware of the existence of this barbaric dwarven subrace, for these elusive hunters keep to the depths of their woodland homes.

Wild dwarves are dark-skinned, short, and stout, with dark brown eyes. Their heavily tattooed bodies are covered with grease to ward off insects and make them hard to hold. Wild dwarves wear little except their long, woven hair, which serves as adequate clothing. They plaster their hair and skin with mud to form a crude armor when going to war.

Dur Authalar have more in common with the beasts of the jungle than they do with their dwarven kin, viewing life as an endless hunt and each day a struggle to kill or be killed. Wild dwarves distrust all intruders into their jungle domain and, if confronted, are apt to attack first without question. Much like the beasts they strive to emulate, wild dwarves care little about goings-on in the world at large, the doings of those who are not wild dwarves, or material possessions.

Wild dwarves see the world in terms of hunter and prey. In the minds of the dur Authalar, civilization is but a veneer that obscures the endless cycle of prey and predation. Wild dwarves care only about securing their next meal and surviving the everpresent dangers of the natural world. From a young age, wild dwarves join in the hunt, and the lack of strong family or clan ties ensures that each wild dwarf understands just how alone he or she is in the world.

Those few wild dwarves who have chosen a life of adventure usually found it thrust upon them. Many were once captives of Calishite slavers who escaped and must now make their own way in the world. Lacking the support of the pack in which they were raised, many see the close camaraderie of adventuring bands as a close approximation of their traditional hunting-bands and thus seek out such groups.

Wild dwarves organize themselves into loose, ever-changing hunting bands and pay little heed to distinctions of family or clan. They live nomadic lives that revolve around the hunt and escaping from more powerful predators. Material wealth and goods mean very little, with weapons being the only objects to which they evince any real attachment.

Wild dwarven children are raised communally, with only faint familial bonds ever acknowledged. Book learning is nonexistent, and the young are taught to hunt as soon as they can keep up with the pack. All adults are expected to contribute to the communal life, whether it be watching over the young or leading the hunt.

While the wild dwarves respect the wisdom of elders, those who grow too weak to keep up through persistent sickness or age are eventually left behind by their kin. A few choose their own deaths, suicidally attacking a great beast single-handedly. They are remembered for their bravery in nightly tales that gradually grow into myths.

Few wild dwarves ever leave their traditional way of life in the southern jungles. Wild dwarves encountered beyond the jungle are usually loners who have either been captured and enslaved or voluntarily chosen exile. Most such wild dwarves eventually find their niche alongside rangers, hunters, or druids, although a few join packs of lycanthropes and other sentient beasts in an attempt to recreate their traditional way of life.

Wild dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• Small: As Small creatures, wild dwarves gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium-size characters.

• Wild dwarf land speed is 20 feet.

• Proficient with the handaxe and blowgun. The blowgun is such an integral part of wild dwarf life that all wild dwarves learn to use the weapon. This replaces the normal weapon familiarity.

• Poison Use. Wild dwarves work with poisons from an early age, and they never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a weapon.

• Fire resistance 5. Wild dwarves are inured to the oppressive heat of Chult.

• +3 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. This replaces the standard dwarven bonus against poison. Wild dwarves are immune to wild dwarf knockout poison.

• +4 racial bonus on saving throws against disease. Wild dwarves have developed a strong resistance to disease of all types.

• Wild dwarves are not nearly as capable or familiar with stone and metal as their more civilized kin. They do not receive the dwarven stonecunning trait or the bonus on Appraise and Craft checks related to stone or metal.

• Automatic Languages: Dwarven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Chultan, Draconic, Goblin, Tashalan, Yuan-Ti.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

AQUATIC ELVES

Rarely encountered by the landbound races, the aquatic elves are a civilized and good-hearted people who inhabit the seas surrounding Faerûn. Most aquatic elves hail from underwater cities in the Sea of Fallen Stars or in the Great Sea south of Faerûn, but small settlements of this race can be found in the seas along Faerûn's western coasts as well.

The aquatic elves are tall, standing 6 feet or more in height. They have long limbs with strong swimming muscles, and their fingers and toes are long with thick webbing. Their most striking features are sets of gills along the collarbone and ribcage. Aquatic elves are nowhere near as thin as their landbound cousins, and their hair is usually stringy and thick, cut short for warriors but otherwise worn long. Great Sea aquatic elves have radiant skin of deep green with irregular thin brown stripes and patches. Aquatic elves from the Sea of Fallen Stars have skin in many shades of blue with white patches and stripes. Eye colors for both types of aquatic elf come in every shade seen among gold, moon, or wild elves. Their clothing is made of various undersea plants in shades of green, black, and brown, although aquatic elves usually go about lightly clad, if dressed at all, while underwater.

Aquatic elves are viewed by many land-dwelling folk as skittish, distrustful creatures who are afraid to leave the water. While this is not necessarily true, an aquatic elf trusts only his close neighbors and family, even though he shares many strong bonds of history and culture with any land-dwelling elf acquaintance.

The aquatic elves believe that alliance and community mean survival, while factionalism and arrogance mean death. They are standoffish even to other aquatic races, except when it serves the elves to have allies or trade partners. Despite this attitude, the aquatic elves of the Sea of Fallen Stars have recently started to overcome their natural tendencies, and have begun to open trade with their neighbors, both aquatic and landbound.

Aquatic elves form loose feudal societies. The nobility rules in a reasonably enlightened manner, and all social conventions follow a patriarchal structure for inheritance and the transfers of power. While women wield considerable influence among aquatic elves, particularly as bards and sorcerers, the bulk of the political power devolves on the eldest male child.

Aquatic elves form closely knit communities. While each family or single resident often has a home to call his or her own, private property is rare. Tools, weapons, and other miscellaneous objects trade hands often. An aquatic elf in need of a particular item simply takes one he finds, without fear of repercussion. Theft is relatively unknown in aquatic elf society as a result; one cannot steal something if everyone considers the object community property. This attitude does not extend to nonaquatic elf visitors, however, and such visitors are often watched to make sure that they keep their hands to themselves.

Aquatic elves have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. This replaces the standard bonuses and penalties most elves receive. Aquatic elves are as fleet of foot and coordinated as their land-based kin, and while they are more sturdily built than most of the other elven subraces, they have little use for study.

• Proficient with trident, longspear, and net. This replaces the standard elven proficiency with longsword, rapier, and bow.

• Swim speed 40 feet. An aquatic elf gains a +8 racial bonus on all Swim checks and can always choose to take 10 with Swim checks, even if rushed or threatened. Aquatic elves can use the run action while swimming, as long as they swim in a straight line.

• Improved Low-Light Vision (Ex): An aquatic elf can see four times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

• Gills (Ex): Aquatic elves breathe salt water with ease. They can also breathe fresh water, but most find the experience to be very uncomfortable and are treated as fatigued while doing so and for 10 minutes afterward. Aquatic elves can survive out of the water for 1 hour per point of Constitution (after that, refer to the suffocation rules).

• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, home region. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Draconic, Giant.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Aquatic elves are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

AVARIELS

The avariels, or winged elves, are without a doubt the most reclusive and least numerous of the elven subraces on Faerûn. Many scholars have long dismissed them as creatures of myth. In truth, small numbers of avariels still dwell in Faerûn, concealed in hidden enclaves and remote regions.

The most striking feature of the avariels is their soft, feathered wings. These wings have spans of anywhere from twelve to sixteen feet and are usually white, but may also be gray, brown, black, or speckled. Avariels take great pride in their wings and spend long hours grooming them. Their skin is pale, often porcelain white, with tinges of blue or faint silver. They have silver-white or black hair, with other shades being rare but not unheard of. The avariels' eyes are rather large and more expressive than those of other elves, and they tend to be brilliant shades of blue or green. A few avariel have scintillating violet eyes as pure as amethysts. Avariels stand 5'9" tall on average, with thin, graceful limbs and angular facial features. They are the most beautiful and striking of the elven races, although too often this beauty is marred by haughtiness and condescension toward their landbound kin, whom they often pity.

Avariels are even more delicate than other elves, and their movements are quick, calculated, and graceful. They prefer to wear loose fitting, diaphanous clothing that catches the wind in flight and ripples and weaves in the air. Armor is almost never worn, because it tends to weigh the avariels down and hinder their graceful motion. Avariels cannot fly while wearing heavy armor.

Avariels came dangerously close to extinction long ago, and it has taken them thousands of years to recover to the point where they don't have to worry about the fate of their race. Only recently have they begun to expand back into the world, sending explorers, diplomats, and merchants south into Faerûn proper. Small, scattered bands of avariels still exist in the heartlands of Faerûn, but these groups rarely number more than a dozen and usually avoid civilized areas.

Avariels are free spirits who would like nothing better than to simply soar on the currents high above the ground, taking in the views Faerûn has to offer. They possess an irrepressible zest for life. Even in the darkest, most desperate situation, an avariel remains cheerful. Unfortunately, while friendly to those they consider their equals, avariels also tend to be condescending and even downright rude to landbound races. The avariels are usually unaware of this; it's just their natural reaction to treat landbound races as lesser creatures. Given time and enough exposure to other cultures, avariels can overcome their natural bias.

The avariels have a unique model for their societies, separating into two groups when they congregate in large numbers: a warlike society of fighters and soldiers, and a peaceful society of thinkers and religious scholars. These two subcultures, as diametrically opposed as their separate philosophies may be, work together to forge a powerful symbiotic relationship.

Warlike avariels have a complex code of honor that they use to guide and temper their militaristic activities and training. These avariels spend their lives defending their kin. Their lives are geared toward war and power, and they answer to their war chiefs, who share responsibility for ruling the society with the religious leaders of the peaceful avariels. The martial avariels are proud and hearty, and they form eternal friendships with those who earn their respect and trust.

In combat, warlike avariels have little pity or remorse about cutting down their enemies. The concept of surrendering is highly dishonorable to these avariels, both for themselves and for their enemies. Once lethal combat begins, few avariels break off until they or their enemies are dead. Drawing blood from an enemy is nothing less than a promise to honor the enemy with one's skills in combat and not humiliate him by leaving him alive to dwell on an embarrassing defeat. The act of slaying an enemy is viewed simply as delivering on that promise.

Warlike avariels prefer to use ranged weapons, and they aren't above using wings to gain an advantage over landbound enemies. This is supported by their code, which allows them to cut down an enemy from an unassailable distance in the skies above. Those who cannot defend themselves against an attack from the skies should know better than to make an enemy of a clearly superior foe.

The peaceful avariels, unlike their warlike kin, focus mainly on arts and the intellectual aspects of life. When faced with conflict, a peaceful avariel relies on her brains and diplomatic abilities - and often on her magic power. Peaceful avariels are artists, philosophers, and researchers who spend their lives studying the world and its history and creating works of art simply for the sheer joy of creation. The peaceful avariels are also responsible for providing their society with food, entertainment, and education. Many peaceful avariels are also very religious and spend much of their time contemplating the ways of their deity, Aerdrie Faenya.

Despite their divergent personalities, these two subcultures interact surprisingly well. Young avariels typically spend time immersed in each subculture, learning from both warriors and priests. These exchanges, which often last for a decade or longer, allow avariels raised in one subculture to learn how the other subculture lives.

Avariels have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +4 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Avariels have hollow bones and, as a result, are more fragile than humans. At the same time, they are gifted with a keen intuition and intellect, and an almost otherworldly grace.

• Keen Sight (Ex): Avariels gain a +4 racial bonus on all Spot checks; this replaces the standard +2 racial bonus that most elves gain.

• Avariels gain a +4 racial bonus on Jump checks. They are strong for their weight.

• Proficient with either rapier or longsword; proficient with lasso and bolas. This replaces the standard elven weapon proficiency with longswords or rapiers and proficiency with shortbow, longbow, composite longbow, and composite shortbows.

• Flight (Ex): Avariels have a flying speed of 50 feet with average maneuverability, as long as they do not carry more than a Medium load, are not wearing Heavy armor, and are not fatigued or exhausted. Avariel wings have a span of 12 feet on average; they cannot fly in an area that does not allow them to fully extend their wings.

  An avariel may make a dive attack. A dive attack works just like a charge, but the avariel must descend a minimum of 30 feet and attack with a piercing weapon; if she hits, she deals double damage. An avariel can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line. For more information on flight, see the Tactical Aerial Movement section.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, home region. Bonus Languages: by region.

• Favored Class: Cleric.

• Level Adjustment: +3. Avariels are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

DROW

Of the various elven subraces, none are more notorious than the drow. Descended from the original dark-skinned elven subrace called the Ssri-tel-quessir, the drow were cursed into their present appearance by the good elven deities for following the goddess Lolth down the path to evil and corruption.

Also called dark elves, the drow have black skin that resembles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have blood-red eyes, although pale eyes (so pale as to be often mistaken for white) in shades of pale lilac, silver, pink, and blue are not unknown. They also tend to be smaller and thinner than most Faerûnian elves. Most drow on the surface are evil and worship Vhaeraun, but some outcasts and renegades have a more neutral attitude, and there are even groups of good drow who worship Eilistraee or other deities not of the traditional drow pantheon.

Though divided by endless feuds and schisms, the drow are united in one terrible desire: they seethe with a hatred for the surface elves. By their way of reckoning, they proved themselves the superior race in the Fourth Crown War, and the fact that the Seldarine (and Corellon in particular) punished them for their success is a poison that churns in their hearts and minds eternally. They burn with hatred for the Seldarine and their coddled children, and want nothing more than to return to the surface and bring to the elves there suffering a thousand times greater than that which the drow have been forced to endure over the past ten thousand years.

Drow are, on the whole, sadistic, destructive, and treacherous. They view themselves as the rightful heirs to Faerûn and still remember the perceived injustice of their exile to the Underdark. They hate other races and either wish to make war upon them or view those others with contempt and tolerate them only as necessary for trade or temporary military alliances. Even among their own kind, drow are cruel and suspicious. There is little room for love and friendship in drow society. They may value alliances with other family members or acquaintances, but no drow truly trusts another. Drow forge alliances only when they are more powerful than an "ally," possess blackmail-worthy knowledge, or have a common enemy that overrides their mutual hatred. Even then, they keep their eyes and ears primed for the slightest hint of treachery. The motto for the drow may well be, "Do unto others first so they cannot do unto you."

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. A fair number of drow have come to value their position in the Underdark and now think of themselves as true natives of their dark realm. They have little desire to return to the surface and would rather rule in the depths than struggle to regain a realm they no longer hold any interest in ruling. Even more rare are those few drow who have atoned for their evil ways and think of their fellows as monsters that need to be stopped. These drow are either surface dwellers who are struggling to become accepted into new societies, or fugitives dwelling in out-of-the-way caverns deep underground. With the new expansion into the surface, more drow than ever before are being exposed to the truth on the surface, and many are realizing that life on the surface is much nicer than they were led to believe by the agents of Lolth and her kin. It is possible, with proper acceptance and encouragement, that the numbers of neutral or even good drow on the surface of Faerûn could skyrocket in the coming years. The priesthood of Eilistraee is in the forefront of this movement, desperately trying to divert the drow war on the surface into a mass conversion from the dark elves' dreadful ways.

Drow live in militaristic societies with strong religious foundations. They are a matriarchal society, ruled by the most powerful drow priestesses. Drow do not form nations, but congregate in vastly powerful city-states located in massive caverns deep underground. Drow cities trade with each other but frequently fall into open warfare.

A typical drow city is ruled by a large group of powerful drow families, the strongest of which rule the city itself. Each family is in turn ruled by a Matron Mother, typically (though not always) a powerful cleric of Lolth. Infighting is common, even expected, among the ruling families of a drow city. The power ranking of the families shifts almost daily, although the top five or ten families are relatively stable.

Drow cities tend toward a haphazard organization, as the strong families seize the best territory for themselves and leave the common drow to build their warrens and feed themselves in whatever fashion they can manage. The various family estates are often grouped close together in the most defensible part of the cavern, but this is not always the case. Typically, a large public temple dedicated to Lolth is located in the same area, often as part of the ruling family's estate. The city itself is usually a tangled, chaotic mess of hundreds of architectural styles. Magic items emitting faerie fire adorn the more prosperous buildings, as well as most of the family estates. For the most part, poverty, oppression, and desperation are the rule in the heart of a drow city.

Beyond the city proper are vast farms where slaves raise deep roth?, edible fungus, and other necessities for the survival of the city. Garrisons of the city's standing army (segregated by gender) are located nearby, along with academies that cater to wizards, bards, rogues, assassins, and experts of various fields (even psions and psychic warriors). Often, a drow city enters an alliance with a powerful denizen of the Underdark such as a beholder or a deep dragon, encouraging the creature to keep a lair on the outskirts of the city. Menzoberranzan, home city of the famed exile Drizzt Do'Urden, is the most famous drow city-state and serves as an excellent example of how such locations are structured.

Surface drow have yet to form anything resembling a society of their own. For the most part, surface drow live as outcasts and hermits, interacting with established societies only when necessary.

Drow have all the elven racial traits listed, except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. The drow have ruthlessly selected for agility, intelligence, and force of personality over generations.

• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - dancing lights, darkness, and faerie fire. These abilities are as the spells cast by a sorcerer of the drow's character level.

• Darkvision up to 120 feet. This replaces elven low-light vision.

• Proficient with either rapier or shortsword; proficient with hand crossbow and light crossbow. This replaces the standard elven weapon proficiencies.

• Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a drow for 1 round. In addition, drow suffer a -1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light.

• Spell resistance of 11 + character level.

• +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells and spell-like abilities.

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Undercommon, home region. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Goblin, Illuskan.

• Favored Class: Wizard (male) or cleric (female).

• Level Adjustment: +2. Drow are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

MOON ELVES (SILVER ELVES)

The most common of the elven subraces on Faerûn are the moon elves. They have fair skin, sometimes tinged with blue, and hair of silver-white, black, or blue; humanlike colors are somewhat rare. Their eyes are blue or green, with gold flecks. As far as the elves of Faerûn go, moon elves are most like the elves presented in the Player's Handbook.

Moon elves prefer to dress in rustic clothes of simple cuts and fashions that are nevertheless of fine and exquisite make. They adorn their dress with embroidered patterns, beads, and similar trappings, preferring earthen colors for everyday wear, hues that make it easy to conceal themselves in foliage. In places of safety or in times of revelry, moon elves enjoy dressing in bold colors - the more brightly colored, the better. Hair is worn in braids or ponytails, twined with wires or beads. Moon elves sometimes wear body paint or tattoos in mystic patterns, although not to extent the wild elves do.

Moon elves are more impulsive than the other elves, and dislike remaining in one place for any significant amount of time. Most moon elves are happiest when traveling, especially across the expanses of untrodden wilderness that still survive in Faerûn. This is probably the single greatest reason why they are so much more friendly and accommodating to other races than many other elves: They do not isolate themselves from the human lands behind impervious defenses. Moon elves have watched humankind for much longer than their sun or wood elf kin, and they know that nonelves aren't as foolish and unimportant as most other elves think. They feel that engaging promising human realms such as Silverymoon and instilling elven values and culture in these young lands is a better way for the elven race to survive and thrive than hiding away and avoiding all contact with ambitious, grasping humans.

Moon elves are drawn to adventure through sheer wanderlust. They desire to see and do everything possible during their long lives. Like their allies the Harpers, moon elves believe that a single person of good heart who stands up to injustice or evil can make a big difference. The typical moon elf adventurer tends to be a wandering protector of the common folk, not a dungeon-plundering slayer of monsters.

Moon elves are nomadic spirits who rarely settle down for long in one place. They are comfortable living among sun elves and wood elves, but just as often they live in areas dominated by humans, halflings, or even gnomes. Their homes tend to be simple, unassuming, and comfortable.

Moon elves are much less solemn and serious in their ways and actions than sun elves. Their songs and poems are lighter and often quite humorous; tragedies have their place but the moon elves prefer to balance such things with light-hearted and often bawdy tales and songs. They also enjoy a wide variety of art styles, including paintings and sculpture. Moon elves are fond of games of chance and gambling. Drinking, feasting, and reveling are all a strong part of their society.

A more serious side to the moon elves emerges in times of trouble. Moon elves are just as skilled with weapons and magic as their fellow elven subraces, and do not hesitate to act if a situation calls for violence as a solution. Even in warfare, they try to find hope and humor, for it is during these dark times that levity and joy are most valuable.

Moon elves gather in loose bands, composed of a dozen or so extended families. Leadership is democratic; all elves of the band have a say in important decisions, although the voices of one or two of the wiser and more experienced family heads tend to carry the day. In times of danger, the band chooses an elder or warleader to see them through the peril. Moon elves travel light and travel often, rarely staying in the same place for more than a season or two before moving on.

Moon elves have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Auran, Chondathan, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling, Illuskan, Sylvan.

SUN ELVES (GOLD ELVES)

The majority of Faerûn's sun elves live on Evermeet, having abandoned what remained of their ancient realms during the centuries following the falls of Illefarn and Cormanthyr. They are only now returning to the mainland to reestablish their presence there. The sun elves are famed for their command of both arcane and divine magic, which exceeds that of any other living race. Works of elven high magic thousands of years old still survive in the hidden refuges of the sun elves.

Sun elves are responsible for the majority of the great elven cities of legend, although other elven subraces aided the construction of many of these cities. Myth Drannor is perhaps their most famous creation, although probably not their most magnificent. Sun elf realms are the stuff legends are made of, an integral part of the history of Faerûn for thousands of years. The sun elves certainly know this, for they distance themselves from nonelf races and often won't let such "lesser beings" into their lands.

Sun elves have bronze skin, hair of golden blond, copper, or black, and eyes of green or gold. They favor contemplation, lore, and study over the quick games and light-hearted songs of other elves, but seem to embody the unearthly beauty, grace, and presence of the elven folk.

Sun elves dress in clothing that is at the same time magnificent and understated, favoring cool colors such as blue and green. They decorate their clothes with intricate gold- or mithral-thread embroidery in exacting patterns whose subtle designs are easy to miss at first. Jewelry is simple but painstakingly crafted.

Of all the elven subraces, sun elves are the most arrogant and haughty - even more so than the avariels, whose haughtiness is rooted in pity for the landbound races. Sun elves believe that they are the true elven race, the builders and the leaders of the elven realms, and that the other elven subraces fail to live up to the solemnity and dignity of their ancient stock.

The sun elves believe that they were selected by Corellon Larethian to be the defenders of elven tradition and history. They are also the most patient of the elven races, and they devote their time to perfecting a task rather than just merely completing the task. To a sun elf, rushing a job or finishing a project in anything less than perfection is betraying the elven ideal. As a result, they tend to have a much narrower range of skills than other elves, but they are the unrivaled masters of the skill, art, or craft to which they turn their efforts. The only exception to this rule is combat. Sun elves have no love for combat, but they are nevertheless well trained in its ways. They view combat as a necessary evil, and one that should be resolved quickly so the task can be done and one can return to more pleasant and constructive pursuits.

Sun elves are the least likely of the elven subraces to take up the adventurer's path. They see little point in roaming around the world and meeting other peoples, especially when any sun elf can enjoy as much comfort, study, and contemplation as she likes by remaining in one of the hidden sun elf realms. Most sun elf adventurers are more properly thought of as spies, dutiful scouts who make it their lifelong task to observe the other peoples of Faerûn and keep a vigilant watch for the rise of any threats to the elven homelands. A few sun elves are also drawn to the mystery of ancient power and seek to add to the lore of their people by exploring ruins of ancient empires all across Faerûn.

Sun elves are deliberate, patient, and solemn, and their society reflects this. Their buildings, while aesthetically beautiful and architecturally brilliant, tend to be ostentatious. Nevertheless, the sun elves take great pride in their buildings, believing that nothing less than perfection will do for the chosen defenders of elven tradition and history. Their art, poetry, and songs also reflect their deliberate and regal attitudes. They prefer tales of ancient battles, songs of the gods, and stories of great heroes beset with terrible tragedies.

Sun elves revere wisdom and learning. Even the humblest sun elf abode features a room or two filled with old scrolls, maps, and books. Sun elves have a strong tradition of rule by nobility, and most sun elf communities are ruled by a monarch who can trace his or her line back to the First Crown War. Where a human noble measures his power by the expanse of the lands under his rule and the numbers of soldiers at his command, a sun elf noble is known by the honor of her family name, the magical power and lore her family has accumulated, and the wealth and beauty of her palatial home.

Sun elves have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution. Sun elves value study and contemplation over the feats of agility learned by most other elves.

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Auran, Celestial, Chondathan, Gnome, Halfling, Illuskan, Sylvan.

WILD ELVES (GREEN ELVES)

The wild elves of Faerûn are insular and savage, and as a result are rarely seen outside their forest homes. In ages past the wild elves (or green elves, as they were more commonly known) raised great kingdoms in the forests and fielded armies to defend their homes, but with the march of time they have abandoned the trappings of civilization, becoming a furtive, reclusive race. The wild elves were always close to nature, even more so than other elves, but they have forgotten many of the high arts and lore of their people, choosing stealth and survival over building and book learning.

Wild elves are stocky and strongly built for elves. Their skin tends to be dark brown, and their hair ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age. They are quiet around anyone except their own kind, and quickly become hostile in these uncomfortable situations.

Clothing is kept to a minimum among the wild elves, although they make up for this with body decoration of all sorts - tattoos, war paint, feathers, and beaded jewelry that shows a surprising streak of complex and beautiful artistry.

The tragic history of the wild elves has left them untrusting of outsiders. Their tactics for dealing with intruders vary from tribe to tribe. Some simply hide and allow the trespassers to go by unknowing, while others attack to capture such interlopers. They rarely kill those they capture, preferring to use magic to alter their memories and carry them far away before releasing them. They make friends slowly, and most nonelves simply don't have the lifespans required to gain the trust of a tribe of green elves. They excel in combat and often revel in its chaos and primal fury. Little can match the fury of an enraged tribe of green elves.

Among their friends and kinfolk, wild elves are pleasant and outgoing, somewhat like the moon elves. Their feasts and celebrations are events of great joy, with singing, dancing, and all manner of merry-making. One of the most beloved ways to celebrate is to engage in a hunt. Hunts are tribal affairs in which all elves, young and old, have a part. The actual hunt itself is sometimes only a small part of the overall event, which also includes a religious ceremony and a tribewide festival. The scattered, tribal nature of the green elves also means that no two tribes are exactly alike. Some have settled in permanent villages with crude huts, while others are nomadic, dwelling in tents and wandering over vast wilderness territories. Gender segregation is common; some tribes are exclusively matriarchal, while others are patriarchal.

Although they have a great interest in music and art, wild elves create few permanent works of art. To the wild elf, the joy of art lies in the creative process, the spontaneous creation of song or dance or effects. They view with distaste attempts to "capture" this process by making permanent works of art, recording songs or stories in writing, and so on, maintaining that to do so imprisons the ever-changing beauty of the world.

Wild elves have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. Wild elves are hardier than other elves, but favor physical action and feats of athleticism instead of learning to solve problems.

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Gnoll, Illuskan, Orc, Sylvan, Tashalan.

• Favored class: Sorcerer.

WOOD ELVES (COPPER ELVES)

The wood elves are among the most numerous of Faerûn's elven people, a young and confident folk who hold the old elven forest homelands in strength. Heirs to the second generation of elven nations, the wood elves see their realms as the natural successors to lands such as Eaerlann and Cormanthyr. Where the old empires expanded with strength and pride, the realms of the wood elves hope to grow with compassion and humility. The wood elves do not view their homelands as a land apart from Faerûn; they understand better than their kindred that for better or worse, their fates are bound up with the fates of the humans, dwarves, and halflings around them.

Also known as copper elves or sylvan elves, these people have coppery skin tinged with green, and brown, green, or hazel eyes. Hair is usually brown or black, occasionally blond or coppery-red.

Wood elves prefer to dress in simple clothing, similar to the moon elves but not quite so colorful. They favor a simple cut to tunic or dress, set off by common embroidery in natural designs. They are particularly fond of leather armor, and they often wear lovingly tooled and well-crafted suits even when they do not feel endangered. Their clothing, leather armor or not, is usually in dark shades of green and earth tones to better blend with their natural surroundings. They are a humble race and only rarely do they enhance their appearance with jewelry or similar accessories.

Wood elves are calm, serene, and difficult to surprise. Their patience is legendary. They are at one with the world of nature, and are not comfortable in areas of heavy civilization. They have lost the urge to build and replace nature with walls and palaces; even the cities built by their elven kin seem to be foolish to the wood elves. They have come to believe that buildings of stone are transitory in nature, and that in time, the forest returns to overgrow the greatest of cities. Other races interpret this attitude as fatalistic or condescending, and as a result wood elves find it hard to understand anyone who isn't a wood elf.

Wood elves live at ease with nature, using what naturally occurs in the world to shelter or defend themselves. They are not nomadic, and claim large territories in the deepest woodlands of Faerûn. Some wood elves choose to do without houses, furnishings, and any possessions they can't carry, using the high branches of great trees or natural caves in their roots for shelter and storage. Most wood elves instead prefer to dwell in small villages of permanent homes of natural fieldstone and lovingly carved wood, so carefully concealed among the surrounding wilderness that a human hunter might walk through the center of a wood elf village and not even notice that he had done so.

Wood elves adhere to a tradition of leadership by their oldest and most experienced druids, although most villages form a council of elders selected from the wisest and most experienced elves of each family to handle day-to-day affairs. The druidical hierarchy serves to unite wood elves of different villages and weld all the wood elves of a particular forest into a common realm. The druids do not presume to tell the elders how to run a village, but the elders generally give great weight to anything a druid chooses to say.

Wood elves excel in the hunt. They spend much of their time stalking their chosen territory on the search for food or intruders into their realm. The rest of their time is spent frolicking among the branches; in this regard, they are quite similar to moon and wild elves. With the end of the Retreat, wood elves are quickly coming back into contact with the civilized world. Although they are reluctant to allow others into their lands, wood elves understand that times are changing. If they are to survive as a people, it may be time to change for the copper elves to change as well.

Wood elves have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Wood elves are strong but slight, and tend to be less cerebral and intuitive than other elves.

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Chondathan, Draconic, Gnome, Goblin, Gnoll, Sylvan.

• Favored class: Ranger.

DEEP GNOMES

The deep gnomes are closest thing the gnome family has to "black sheep." Many surface dwellers count the deep gnomes along with their evil neighbors, the drow and the duergar, believing them to be little more than dark reflections of the friendly rock gnomes with whom they are more familiar. In fact, the svirfneblin are just as good-hearted as their sunnier kin. However, after centuries of dealing with the everyday perils of living in the Underdark, they have become understandably distrustful of all outsiders.

Compared to their better-known kin, the rock gnomes, the deep gnomes are as gray and lifeless as the subterranean caverns in which they choose to make their homes. They keep to themselves out of fear of outsiders - a fear born from numerous poor experiences with such people. To a deep gnome, the only people you can trust are other deep gnomes from your village, and preferably from your family. All others are best avoided.

With strangers, most deep gnomes are sullen, reserved, and suspicious, almost to a fault. However, when they are alone with their own kind, they are friendly and respectful to each other. Few people from outside a svirfneblin community have ever seen this more pleasant side of the deep gnomes. For their part, the deep gnomes would be horrified to find themselves observed by outsiders, and they find such a person staring at them - or even looking directly at them - quite rude.

Deep gnomes are gnarled and callused folk, with little fat at all on their wiry bodies. Their skin is the color of the rocks among which they live, almost as if they sprang directly from the stones themselves. They have dark gray eyes, tending toward black. Their hair is of a similar color, although it's only seen on the woman, as the men are entirely bald and beardless.

Dour and cynical, deep gnomes are resigned to their lot in life. They spend their days scratching out a living in the subterranean passages near their home. The males mostly mine for precious gems, while the females - who are rarely seen outside their villages - gather food, care for the children, and keep house. Few aspire to do anything other than live out their lives quietly focusing on doing their jobs the best that they can.

The svirfneblin literally have little or no light in their lives. To avoid detection by others in the Underdark, they often refuse to use fire for cooking or warmth whenever possible. Instead, they rely on their darkvision whenever possible, seeing the world only in black and white. The deep gnomes live and work in the eternal darkness out of their overwhelming love for gems. Most males spend almost their entirely lives trying to chip precious stones out of the earth. They favor rubies most of all.

Outsiders often think of deep gnomes as irredeemably sullen and suspicious. While there is some basis for this, these are the outward results of survival techniques that these gnomes have had to adopt to endure their harsh and unforgiving environment. Sounds of any kind - especially voices - travel in strange ways in the Underdark, and they have a tendency to attract visitors. In the experience of most deep gnomes, such outsiders have only the worst of intentions, so when a svirfneblin encounters a stranger who is actually friendly, she normally is too suspicious to even consider responding in a like manner. She may eventually warm to a svirfneblin from another town, but even this can take time.

While deep gnome adventurers are rare, some deep gnomes succumb to gnomish curiosity about the world outside the caverns and mine shafts of their daily lives. This is especially true for those deep gnome illusionists who crave to learn more about the nature of their chosen school of magic, but who lack for instruction in the insular villages in which they live. Svirfneblin prospectors are also occasionally encountered in the Underdark far from their homes, questing for promising new veins to mine for their beloved rubies.

Deep gnome communities are subterranean settlements deep beneath the surface of Toril. The central part of the city is usually set in a single large cavern with all sorts of other caverns, rooms, and even buildings attached to the main section by a complex system of narrow corridors and spiraling staircases. When a town is first settled, the top-ranking members of the svirfneblin clan usually grab the largest stalagmites in the cavern and carve homes out of them. Most people, however, must carve their homes out of the cavern floors or walls. For gnome communities, deep gnome towns are large, usually comprising around one thousand people. However, these places are normally far more isolated than even the most remote surface gnome town. Most svirfneblin go their entire lives without ever traveling to another deep gnome town, much less actually seeing daylight. Because of the relatively crowded conditions in a deep gnome town, svirfneblin families typically crowd into a single, small room. Children often stay with the family until they are married, at which point they need to either find or make a new home for themselves.

Deep gnome children are treasured greatly. It's rare for a family to have more than six children in it, and most have less than four. Deep gnome mothers dote on their children during their childhood. Once the children reach adolescence, they are immediately put to work in apprenticeships for whatever kinds of jobs they expect to have in adulthood. Deep gnomes don't celebrate the transition to adulthood the way their sunlit kin do. Instead, they know they've reached adulthood when they start working at the job of a real adult in earnest.

The great majority of male svirfneblin work in their town's mining operations, extracting precious gems and metals from the earth. Most of the rest spend their time processing and finishing the raw materials the others pull from the earth. By contrast, female svirfneblin spend their time gathering and preparing food, raising children, and keeping house. There is a strict division of labor along gender lines, and it's rare to see it crossed: The female gnomes rule in the home and the males outside it. Most deep gnomes work until they literally drop dead at their jobs. There is no concept of retirement in deep gnome society. Those who are able must pull their own weight as best they can, since no deep gnome wishes to be a burden on her family and community.

In keeping with the svirfneblin concept of equal division of labor, every svirfneblin town is governed by both a king and a queen, each of whom holds the position for life. The king oversees the community's mining operations and is responsible for managing the place's defense. The queen ensures that the town has an adequate stock of both food and water, and she handles the town's daily affairs. Each is supreme in his or her sphere, though each usually advises the other. The two are rarely married (at least, not to each other). When either monarch dies, the other chooses a successor for the deceased monarch by deciding on a contest that can be entered by any eligible member of the community. Usually eligibility is based on gender and status. The winner of the contest becomes the next monarch.

The staples of the deep gnome diet are a number of different kinds of fungi found or even farmed in the Underdark. To this, they sometimes add blind fish or occasionally a deep roth?, goat, or sheep. Svirfneblin do not often cook their food, preferring instead to preserve it by means of salting. These foods are so salty that most outsiders cannot stomach them.

Besides water, svirfneblin drink a salty, intoxicating brew made of fermented fish parts, which is best described as an acquired taste. On special occasions, they drink a wine called Gogondy, said to contain powdered ruby (among other mysterious ingredients).

Svirfneblin have only two holidays universally celebrated by all deep gnome communities, both in honor of Callarduran Smoothhands, their favored god. The Festival of the Ruby celebrates the mythical time when Callarduran hid rubies and other gems in the earth for the deep gnomes to find; it is considered a lucky day for seeking and finding. The Festival of the Star celebrates the continued protection the Deep Brother provides to the svirfneblin. Deep gnomes mark the holy day by assembling on the shore of a subterranean lake or pool to watch small patches of a specially bred species of phosphorescent fungi in the cavern roof light up like stars, creating an illusion of the night sky reflected in the waters below. This ceremony reaffirms the deep gnomes' ancestral ties with the surface world, and reassures them that they have not been abandoned in the deep places of the world.

Svirfneblin have all the gnome racial traits, except as follows:

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma. Quick and perceptive, svirfneblin are suspicious and retiring to an extreme.

• Darkvision up to 120 feet. This replaces gnome low-light vision.

• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - blindness, blur, and change self. These abilities are as the spells cast by a wizard of the svirfneblin's character level (save DC 10 + spell level + Charisma modifier). This ability replaces the gnome ability to cast the 0-level spells dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation.

• Stonecunning: Like dwarves, svirfneblin receive a +2 racial bonus on checks to notice unusual stonework. Something that isn't stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A deep gnome who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a check as though actively searching and can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A svirfneblin can also intuit depth, sensing the approximate distance underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

• Nondetection (Su): Svirfneblin have a continuous nondetection supernatural ability as the spell cast by a wizard of their character level.

• Spell resistance of 11 + character level.

• +4 dodge bonus against all creatures (no special bonus against giants).

• +2 racial bonus on all saving throws.

• +2 racial bonus on Hide checks, which improves to +4 in darkened areas underground.

• Automatic Languages: Gnome, Undercommon, home region. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Illuskan, Terran.

• Level Adjustment: +3. Svirfneblin are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

FOREST GNOMES

If deep gnomes are thought by some the black sheep of the gnome family (a title more fittingly reserved for the spriggans), then forest gnomes are the shy cousins. They are so reclusive that many times bigger people have "discovered" them, only to find that the forest gnomes have been living nearby for centuries. Forest gnomes are so quiet and painfully shy that they go to great lengths to avoid contact with others unless there is a great need to break their silence.

Whereas the rock gnomes are friendly and loquacious and the deep gnomes are sullen and reserved, the forest gnomes are practically invisible, the wallflowers of the gnomes. They have a great love for nature, particularly deep and quiet forests far from civilization or even anyone else's homes. For this reason, many people - including other kinds of gnomes - have never seen a forest gnome.

Most forest gnomes are extremely private, preferring to simply be left alone by other peoples. When among their own kind, they are a bit less reserved. They see themselves as caretakers of the forests in which they live, and about the only way to be sure to trigger a forest gnome attack is to directly harm their beloved forest.

Forest gnomes are the smallest of the gnomes, averaging only 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall. Even the tallest forest gnome is less than 3 feet. They usually weigh around 25 to 30 pounds. Unlike other gnomes, they wear their hair and beards long, often almost to their feet when unbound. The males often trim their beards to a fine point or curl them into hornlike spikes extending to either side of their faces. Their skin is the color of bark, and their eyes are usually brown or blue. Their hair is brown or black, becoming gray or white with age.

The vast majority of forest gnomes would simply like to be left alone to enjoy the beauty of their wooded homes. They are not particularly distrustful of people outside their villages, nor do they hate those who treat the woods with respect. However, they just don't see how such people could have much interest in them and their simple way of life.

Most forest gnomes encountered outside their homes are illusionists, although clerics and druids sometimes show themselves as well at great need. The illusionists help to conceal the gnomes, their homes, and their efforts from the outside world. The clerics and druids take great pains to help maintain the health of the gnomes' forest home.

Most forest gnomes see no reason to ever leave their homes, but sometimes doing so becomes unavoidable. Adventuring forest gnomes may be hunting for a solution to some problem back home or hoping to learn more about the surrounding area so that they can defend their community against threats they would otherwise know nothing about.

Life as a forest gnome is idyllic. They eat only that which they can gather - mostly fruits, nuts, and berries, with the rare bit of meat. Forest gnome communities often number fewer than 100 members and can be as small as a single family. The homes in these hamlets are often carved out of the trunk of a handsome hardwood tree, so skillfully fashioned that most people do not even recognize the living tree as someone's home (Survival DC 20 to detect the forest gnome abode); forest gnome druids long ago learned how to create such homes without harming the tree. These homes are often hundreds of feet apart, giving the families plenty of privacy from even each other. The interiors of these places consist of several tiny rooms stacked up atop each other and connected by trapdoors and ladders. Each room is only about 4 feet tall, making visiting uncomfortable for the larger peoples without magical aid. Most of these cylindrical rooms have windows to let in the sun, but these are so cleverly disguised as to make them nearly impossible to find from the outside.

The community normally gathers in underground chambers, usually excavated in the local soil and shored up with stones and beams. Each home in these hamlets is connected to the chamber by a narrow tunnel just wide enough for a full-grown forest gnome to slip through.

Most forest gnomes spend their day tending to the forest and gathering food. A few search for gems underground - they prize emeralds above all else - while others craft jewelry of extraordinary quality. The designs in forest gnome jewelry are filled with themes related to their woodland home: flowers, trees, local animals, and the like.

Forest gnome children are allowed to do as they like. Often they spend their days playing within arm's reach of their parents, watching how their elders treat the environment in which they live. These children learn how to behave by way of example, and this results in a quiet and near religious reverence for the teeming life of the forests that surround them. Forest gnomes respect their elders, and the eldest member of the community is usually the person in charge of it, regardless of gender. They have little in the way of politics - the patriarch or matriarch simply acts as a wise advisor most of the time. Otherwise, the forest gnomes only act as a group when they have a clear consensus on what course of action they might wish to take.

Outside their homes, forest gnomes are solitary. If two or more are together, they form an insular group, often whispering among themselves at the slightest event. In such cases, the eldest forest gnome present is the nominal leader.

Forest gnomes have all the gnome traits, except as follows:

• +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. This increases to +8 in forest settings. (This is in addition to the Hide bonus for their Small size.)

• +1 racial bonus on attacks against kobolds, orcs, goblinoids, and reptilian humanoids.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Halfling, Treant, and Orc.

• Spell-Like Abilities: At will - pass without trace and speak with animals. Treat these abilities as spells cast by a druid of the forest gnome's character level. These abilities are in addition to the standard gnome ability to cast certain cantrips. The gnome can only use these abilities on himself, not someone else.

• Favored Class: Illusionist.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Forest gnomes are significantly more stealthy than other characters and possess useful spell-like abilities. They are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn.

ROCK GNOMES

Rock gnomes are the gnomes that most people are familiar with, so much so that when someone says "a gnome," he or she is almost always speaking of a rock gnome. Unlike their reclusive cousins, the deep gnomes and the forest gnomes, the rock gnomes are an inquisitive and loquacious people. They are renowned throughout Faerûn as technicians, alchemists, and inventors, as well as illusionists of the highest order. They do not care much for living in larger cities, where their talents are in high demand, and prefer the rolling hills of the countryside. But anywhere they find themselves, they display an amazing zest for life and all the pleasures it holds.

Rock gnomes are far friendlier and more outgoing than the other gnome kindreds. They are well known for their love of jokes and pranks, as well as their fondness for finely made things. As with all gnomes, they adore gems of all kinds, but rock gnomes have a particular passion for the purity and perfection of the diamond.

Rock gnomes average between 3 and 3 1/2 feet tall, and weigh between 40 and 45 pounds. Their skin comes in many different shades of brown, but is unaffected by exposure to the sun. The hair of young gnomes can vary greatly in color, but in adulthood they all tend toward gray or white. The males wear their beards neatly trimmed.

From a rock gnome's point of view, life is meant to be enjoyed in all its facets: work, play, and otherwise. Again, it's the process that's important, not the goal, even if those goals - like, say, finely cut gems - do end up being valuable on their own. This shows in just about everything a rock gnome does, from making a meal to working a mine to playing a practical joke. The care they put into their actions always shines through.

Young rock gnomes have carefree childhoods. During their adolescence, rock gnomes are expected to learn the basics of a useful trade and to master the basics of self-defense. They are encouraged to dabble in all sorts of pastimes until they find something that perfectly fits their temperaments. They come of age at 40, an occasion for the largest party of their lives. From there, the average life expectancy is about 350 years, although some have been known to reach 500 years in age.

Rock gnomes are generally optimistic. They view the world as a puzzle that the gods - in their infinite wisdom - have laid out before them as the ultimate challenge, one that cannot ever be fully met. It is their greatest joy to be involved in the unraveling of the mysteries of creation, an act they feel brings them closer to the gods with each passing day.

In their adolescence, rock gnomes are encouraged to dabble in as many different things as possible. Eventually, they find something that truly intrigues them, fires their imaginations, and sets them on the path of a career that may last them the rest of their lives. Almost every rock gnome enjoys what she does for a living, which is one of the reasons that they have such positive dispositions. Of course, rock gnomes enjoy their leisure time at least as much as their work. They are known for hosting wild celebrations on the thinnest of pretenses. When they really have a reason for cheer, the parties have been known to last for tendays.

While most gnomes are homebodies at heart, a number simply can't resist the urge to go out into the world to explore. Inquisitive by nature, gnomes often find themselves almost compelled to do everything they can to learn about anything they want. Others, the greedier ones, set off in search of fame and fortune. Sadly, these are fleeting dreams, as even the most famous of gnomes is usually just another member of her community when she returns home.

Rock gnome life is filled with long days of work that stretch on for tendays at a time, punctuated by jubilant celebrations in which these hard-driven workers finally get to blow off some steam. This is the kind of life that most gnomes prize, and they feel blessed by the gods that they are mostly able to manage it. Once a gnome reaches adulthood, she is expected to take up a career and work at it tirelessly to become the best at it that she can be. Some gnomes switch vocations later in life - some do it several times, in fact - but this is relatively rare. The vast majority of gnomes find something they like to do and then stick with it for as long as they can.

Even on the job, though, gnomes are usually friendly and funloving people. They are constantly telling jokes throughout their days, many of which leave their coworkers in stitches. Practical jokes are fine too, as long as they don't disrupt the work environment too much. Every gnome loves a good prank, but they all insist on getting their jobs done too.

Many gnomes work as miners. While they may not be as aggressive at it as dwarves, they're actually much better at getting the most possible out of a vein of ore. Others practice stonecutting or gemwork. Their metalworkers prefer to work with softer metals - gold, silver, and so on - although they do a fine job with harder materials like steel too. They also make excellent woodworkers and carpenters. Faerûnian rock gnomes are among the finest artisans working in the fields of toymaking, clockwork engineering, and gunsmithing. It's common for rock gnomes to be armed with smokepowder pistols.

Gnome cooking is not much of a draw to outsiders. It tends to be bland and overcooked or overcooked and over-salted; reliable gnome-friends claim to have tasted some that was bland and oversalted, though no one knows quite how the gnome cooks managed this. Their (salty) bread is unleavened. All gnomes are very fond of rock candy, and some eat rock salt with equal relish. Gnomes do, however, make excellent brewers and vintners. Many of them are talented musicians as well. These two facts contribute greatly to the reputation of gnomes as wonderful party guests and even better hosts.

Most rock gnome settlements are small. It's rare to find one with more than five hundred adults in a widely scattered area. However, these communities are usually found clustered close together, usually within a few days' or tendays' travel of each other.

Rock gnome burrows are usually small but tidy. Any married couples have rooms to themselves, but the children usually share a single room. Adolescents are segregated by gender, each sex having its own room. Each burrow usually connects to those of the same clan by tunnel, meaning that many gnomes rarely if ever have to go outside during a day. This is one reason why their communities can go unnoticed by the larger peoples for so long.

When traveling or adventuring, gnomes appear both singly and in small groups. These groups are usually composed of a number of close friends or family members or both.

Rock gnomes have all the gnome racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Gnome, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Chondathan, Draconic, Dwarven, Goblin, Illuskan, Sylvan, Terran.

HALF-ELVES

Common half-elves are descended from humans and moon elves, sun elves, wild elves, or wood elves. While these people can be found all over Faerûn, this section describes the half-elf culture of Aglarond, the land where the largest number of common half-elves live.

Common half-elves blend human and elven features, influenced by the subrace of their elven parent and the ethnicity of their human parent. Moon half-elves have pale skin tinged bluish around the ears and chin, framing their lower faces. Sun half-elves have bronzed skin, and hair of gold. Wild half-elves have brown skin. Wood half-elves have coppery skin tinged with green highlights.

Most common half-elves are a bit distant, used to being cast in the role of outsiders. In the Yuirwood, this isn't so: The half-elves make up the majority and have a long and proud history. Many half-elves come to the Yuirwood once they are old enough to leave home. Here, at last, is a place in which they can hope to be accepted.

Half-elves are more slender than humans, and more heavily built than elves. Since the elves of Faerûn are taller and more sturdily built than the elves of other worlds, Faerûnian half-elves are very close to human size and weight.

While elves and half-elves are respected and admired in many parts of Faerûn, humans in lands where elves are not commonly encountered can be resentful of elven blood. Elves are graceful, attractive, long-lived, mysterious, and skilled with mighty magic, and humans who do not know them well can easily come to regard elves - and, by extension, half-elves - with envy and fear. In places such as Silverymoon or the Dalelands, a half-elf's race is nothing remarkable, and she faces little or no bigotry. In lands where there is a long history of elven-human conflict, such as Tethyr or Sembia, her elven blood marks her as different and dangerous, with all the fears and suspicions one might expect.

Many half-elves respond to the suspicions and slights of their human neighbors by staying well away from human civilization, preferring a solitary life in the wildernesses of Faerûn. Others instead take up a life of travel, never staying in one spot long enough for racial prejudices to distance them from the folk around them.

As the homeland of a mixed society of elves, humans, and half-elves, Aglarond is unique among the lands of Faerûn. In Aglarond, a half-elf's race is unremarkable, and a half-elf is judged by her own actions and accomplishments, not her kindred. Aglarondan half-elves are a quiet, thoughtful, and courteous folk, slow to befriend outsiders, but unfailingly loyal to the friends they've made. Many half-elves from other lands journey to Aglarond at least once in their lives, and more than a few remain there, enriching the Simbul's realm.

Aglarondan society is generally free and open. Despite being caught between the reclusive people of Altumbel and the aggressive zulkirs of Thay, Aglarond has known peace in recent years. However, the Aglarondans know that the price of their freedom is eternal vigilance. Only their resolve, courage, and skill hold Thayan conquest at bay. Any folk of good heart who are willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the defense of their homes and their liberty are welcomed in Aglarond, and over forty years of the Simbul's rule, Aglarond has been greatly strengthened by the immigration of half-elven craftsfolk, foresters, and adventurers.

In Aglarond, humans, half-elves, and elves live side by side, each accepting of their neighbors' ways. The half-elves here reach adulthood at about age 20 and then take on whatever role they feel best suited for in their society. Many work in the woods, hunting wild animals, collecting pelts, harvesting rare woods and herbs, and gathering nuts and berries. Aglarondan foresters take care not to despoil the Yuirwood, and go to great pains to avoid taking too much game or felling too many living trees.

Elders are respected in Aglarond for the wisdom they have presumably gained over the years. Once a half-elf is too old to work, he is cared for by his family or his village until he passes on.

When outside a place like Aglarond, half-elves are loners and often keep to themselves. Some treasure the camaraderie and the sense of family they get when traveling with a group of adventurers.

Half-elves have all the half-elven racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

HALF-AQUATIC ELVES

Half-aquatic elves have no real society of their own. Born of human and sea elf blood, they are extremely rare, since sea elves rarely venture into human lands. Normally they live alone or in small groups along the shore, or they simply take up life in a human coastal community.

Half-aquatic elves have pale green skin. Their hair can be any human color, but it usually has a faint green or blue cast to it. As they age, their hair becomes blue-silver. They have slight webbing between their fingers and toes, making them excellent swimmers.

Although they cannot breathe water like their aquatic elf ancestors, half-aquatic elves feel drawn to the sea. If they seem distant or aloof, it's not because they're ignoring someone on purpose. They're always listening to the roar of the nearby surf, or imagining its sound if they travel far from the sea.

Half-aquatic elves reach the age of majority at 20 years old and can live over to be over 180 years in age. Since aquatic elves are larger and heavier than most elves, half-aquatic elves have the same height and weight characteristics as a full-blooded human.

Forced by nature to remain with her air-breathing parent, a half-aquatic elf is cut off - except for short visits - from any aquatic elves with whom she could identify, costing her half of her heritage. Where some people with such an unusual heritage would become bitter outcasts, half-aquatic elves instead tend to be dreamers, content to keep their own company but not resentful of their circumstances. Their human neighbors know much less about aquatic elves than humans in other places know of landbound elves, and therefore have little reason to fear the half-aquatic elf's elven blood.

Most half-aquatic elves hail from a beach culture. As children, they often get their sea legs on the family fishing boat. Some such elves are fortunate to have aquatic elf parents who care about them and visit them regularly. When they are on the sea, these children have a guardian angel watching them from the depths.

When half-aquatic elves reach the age of majority - and often before that - they are drawn to the sea. They often work on fishing boats or as pearl divers. They can swim much faster than a human, although not even half as fast as a true sea elf, so they find that employment in and around the water suits them well. As they get older, half-aquatic elves find themselves drawn more and more to the serenity of the sea. More than one half-aquatic elf has been found alone in her boat, having passed away from old age while fishing once again.

Half-aquatic elves have all the half-elven racial traits, except as follows:

• Swim speed 15 feet. An aquatic half-elf gains a +8 racial bonus on all Swim checks and can always choose to take 10 with Swim checks, even if rushed or threatened. Aquatic half-elves can use the run action while swimming, as long as they swim in a straight line.

• Sea Longing: A half-aquatic elf who remains out of sight of the sea for more than a tenday longs for the sea, suffering a -1 penalty on Wisdom-based checks until she returns to the shore.

• Favored Class: Any.

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Common, Home Region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

HALF-DROW

In most lands, half-drow are rare. Since so many drow are irredeemably evil, they only mate with humans by way of rape or slavery. The only exception are the half-drow of the land of Dambrath in the Shining South, who arise from the centuries-old drow subjugation of the human folk of that land.

Half-drow have dusky skin, silver or white hair, and a broad range of eye colors. They are often just as dark-hearted as their elven parents, but with a bitter resentment that comes from knowing that they are considered second-class members of drow society. In human society, half-drow are distrusted nearly as much as their full-blooded cousins. Despite this, good half-drow are much less rare than good drow. Whether this has to do with the influence of their human blood, or the desire to rebel against the drow who treat them so poorly, is difficult to tell.

Dambrathan half-drow combine cold, condescending arrogance with secret shame. Although they consider themselves the better of the humans over which they rule, they know that their drow cousins feel similarly about them. They spend a great deal of time trying to prove themselves to everyone around them, including each other.

Many half-drow become adventurers to escape the bigotry they face in just about every community they find outside Dambrath. Dambrathans, on the other hand, often range far outside their homeland to garner the wealth and fame that can prove their superiority back home.

In Dambrathan society, half-drow are aristocrats by birth. They grow up pampered, but a great deal is expected of them. When they become adults, they must do their best to prove that they are worthy of their blood. If they fail, they disgrace their entire family, and may be disowned and expelled from the country in shame.

Elderly half-drow who have proved themselves can settle down and teach the younger ones what they know. Otherwise they must keep at their chosen profession until they finally are deemed worthy. In any event, elderly half-drow rarely live long after age begins to weaken them, since there are always younger relations hungry for the opportunity to claim the wealth and station of an aged half-drow.

Outside Dambrath, many half-drow are solitary souls, preferring to keep their own counsel than sully themselves with the opinions of others. Other times, they band together into a self-important group, often bullying those they feel they can intimidate.

Half-drow have all the half-elven racial traits, except as follows:

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Drow Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a half-drow is considered a drow.

GRAY ORCS

The orcs of the eastern lands are concentrated in the Moonsea and Endless Wastes today, with a much smaller number scattered through the various lands that lie between. A gray orc looks less bestial than their more savage northern kin, but is still obviously nonhuman. They are somewhat hairy, with long manes of bristly hair on their heads, shoulders, and backs. Their faces are less porcine than the mountain orcs, with the exception of their tusks. They have yellow, orange, or red eyes, lupine ears, and black or gray hair. Gray orcs are more apt to wear "civilized" clothing than mountain orcs, and prefer varying shades of brown, black, blue, and other dark colors. Skin tones are usually gray with mottled patches of lighter or darker gray on the chest and flanks.

Gray orcs are just as mean, savage, and barbaric as their northern cousins, but they lack the mountain orcs' drive to conquer and enslave. A gray orc is quite likely to react suddenly and irrationally to events, trusting to his heart and instincts more readily than logic. When presented with an opportunity to attack a hated rival, a gray orc doesn't hesitate to attack even if he has been brutally defeated dozens of times before by the same enemy.

Gray orcs are nomads. They dwell in remote, desolate corners of northeast Faerûn and eke out a meager existence as they can, traveling along traditional migratory routes between established campsites and favorite caves as the seasons change. When resources in an area run low, a tribe moves on to greener fields.

A typical gray orc tribe consists of 30 to 50 members, led by the strongest orc in the tribe. This orc is known as a chieftain, and he is responsible for deciding when the tribe attacks its neighbors. The position tends to be a temporary one at best, for orc chieftains are constantly being killed (either in battle or through treachery) and replaced by new chieftains. The true power behind a tribe of gray orcs, though, is the tribe's high priest, who is typically an adept or cleric (often female) who has held the position for many years. The gray orcs are zealots, and the word of their tribal clerics is law. Clerics from other tribes are usually viewed as heretics, despite the fact that both tribes likely worship the same deity in the same manner.

GRAY ORC RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Gray orcs are not as strong as mountain orcs, but they tend to be much more independent and strong-willed.

• Medium-size.

• Gray orc land speed is 40 feet. Their gait is long and loping and they can cover great distances quickly.

• Proficient with the greataxe and longbow; gray orcs train with weapons from childhood.

• Light Sensitivity (Ex): Gray orcs suffer a -1 penalty on attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

• Scent (Ex): Gray orcs have the scent ability.

• Orc Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a gray orc is considered an orc. Gray orcs, for example, can use or create orc weapons and magic items with racially specific orc powers as if they were orcs.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Goblin.

• Favored Class: Cleric.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Gray orcs are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

HALF-ORCS

Half-orcs are fairly common throughout Faerûn. They have no true homeland to call their own and as a result most spend their lives wandering the world in search of a purpose. Half-orcs are invariably the product of a human and an orc, but stories are told of half-orcs carrying the blood of dwarves, goblins, hobgoblins, and even halflings, gnomes, and elves. Orcs are a fecund race, and such stories likely have some genesis in truth.

A half-orc is usually about as tall as a human and a little heavier. Their skin tends to be gray with green or even purple undertones, and their faces feature sloping brows, jutting jaws with prominent teeth, and flat, squashed noses. This and their coarse body hair make their lineage plain for all to see.

Most half-orcs are surly individuals who endured horrible childhoods. They are too coarse and savage to fit in well with humans, and too fragile and thoughtful to fit in with orcs. As a result, the majority of half-orcs grow up alone and without any influence from orc or human society. Thus, half-orcs speak their mind and act upon their feelings without any fear of repercussions. They are nomads, loners, and hermits at best, and murderers and savages at worst.

Without a place to call a home, and often without a family or close friends to count on for companionship, half-orcs learn from an early age to look out for themselves. This is often interpreted as greed or selfishness by other races, but too many half-orcs have learned the hard way that they are not welcome in any land, and must provide for themselves.

Although the half-orcs of Faerûn have no true nation to call their own, there are some small regions in the world that are ruled by their kind. Strangely, it seems that when half-orcs gather in large groups like this, they tend to be much more civilized than their feral orc kin. The city of Palischuk in Vaasa, for example, is a ruined city rebuilt by a large tribe of nearly ten thousand half-orcs who now trade peacefully with their neighbors. Another example is Phsant in Thesk, a city with a strong gray orc presence and a growing half-orc community.

Half-orcs have all the half-orc racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Orc, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Damaran, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Illuskan, Undercommon.

MOUNTAIN ORCS

The orcs of the North and the Spine of the World comprise the oldest and most numerous of the various orc subraces active on Faerûn. In fact, many people assume that all orcs are like the savage warmongers found in these regions, and do not identify gray orcs or even half-orcs as separate races.

A mountain orc is quite obviously a monstrous creature to most of the civilized folk of Faerûn. Mountain orcs look vaguely like primitive humans but are a fair bit taller at seven or more feet in height; a rare few exceed eight feet in height. They have stocky, powerful necks, and their bestial heads seem to sit directly on their massive shoulders. Their eyes are always a deep shade of red, and their faces are dominated by porcine snouts and large tusks. Mountain orcs often weave braids and tiny bones into their thick matted hair, which is usually black. Their clothing is crude and primitive, often composed of unpleasant colors like blood red, mustard yellow, yellow-green, and deep purple. They are far from the cleanest race on Faerûn and delight in decorating their bodies with scars and warpaint.

The mountain orcs are above all else warlike and destructive. They firmly believe that one day they shall finally crush the civilized world and inherit the lands that are rightfully theirs. Their previous defeats are not thought of as losses, but as preliminary assaults designed more to test the resources and resolve of their enemies.

Despite this shared vision of a savage Faerûn ruled by orcs, the greatest hurdle they face is their inability to band together for any other reason than warfare. When the orc populations grow large enough and an orc leader emerges with enough charisma and clout to rally them, the orc tribes of the North can shake the world. But most of the time the mountain orcs are consumed with bitter infighting among themselves.

The mountain orcs gather in immense tribes. Unlike their gray orc kin, mountain orcs are not nomadic. They select a cavern or old ruin as a lair and settle in. As their populations grow, crude new buildings and keeps are built, and in many places in the North, orc lairs have begun to resemble actual cities. When an orc city grows too large, the usual result is a bitter civil war that ends with the losing faction breaking off and fleeing to form its own tribe elsewhere. This tradition of infighting keeps most orc cities and fortresses from becoming too large. The size of a mountain orc tribe varies greatly, depending on the success of the tribe and its age. Smaller tribes are rarely less than 50 members, and the larger tribes, such as the Tornskull Orcs, can number in excess of 5,000 fighting orcs.

The number of orc tribes in the North is past guessing, and tribes rise or vanish on a monthly basis. Nevertheless, several tribes are large and old enough to have become infamous throughout the region. The three major tribes of the Rauvin Mountains are a perfect example: the Red Fangs, the Heart Takers, and the Tornskulls have long terrorized this region. The orc tribes in the foothills and heights of the Spine of the World are by far the most numerous in total number, and it is also here that one of the most notorious and successful orc tribes now dwells - the Many Arrows tribe, led by King Obould.

MOUNTAIN ORC RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Mountain orcs are fantastically strong, but they react to situations with violence and poor planning.

• Medium-size.

• Mountain orc land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Proficient with the greataxe and javelin. Mountain orcs train with weapons from childhood.

• Light Sensitivity (Ex): Mountain orcs suffer a -1 penalty on attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

• Orc Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a mountain orc is considered an orc. Mountain orcs, for example, can use or create orc weapons and magic items with racially specific orc powers.

• Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

DEEP ORCS

Although everyone in Faerûn knows about the orc hordes of the North (the mountain orcs) and the nomadic orcs of the East (the gray orcs), only a relative few know of a third subrace that hails from the deeps below ground. The Underdark is the chosen haunt of these terrible creatures, the orogs.

After thousands of years of survival in the harsh and dangerous Underdark, the orogs have changed to match their home, becoming more ferocious and better able to cope with the dangers found there. Physically, an orog looks similar to a large mountain orc, except that the ears are somewhat larger, and their eyes are huge and pale. They average six and a half feet tall.

Over the centuries, orogs have mastered the art of forging armor and weapons from the strange ores found in the Underdark. They favor half-plate and full plate armor, which are typically adorned with armor spikes. Orog weapons are festooned with a multitude of hooks, spines, and redundant cutting edges. An orog rarely goes anywhere without being fully armed and armored.

The orogs spent thousands of years battling terrible creatures for living space in the Underdark. Now that they have finally begun to return to the surface world, they are finding it to be something of a paradise. Stronger and better equipped than most of their enemies, the orogs are quickly settling into positions of leadership in the eastern tribes of mountain orcs near Anauroch. Whereas mountain orcs revel in the act of war, the orogs revel in its spoils. They are quick to rise to battle, but afterward they fall back to enjoy the fruits of their victories. The concept of leading a horde of raging orcs on a pointless crusade that only ends when the last aggressor falls, still advancing, is alien to the mindset of the orog. Why go to war if you can't enjoy the results?

Deep underground, the orogs use slave labor to expand caverns into well-defended cities. These cities are completely enclosed in the rock and consist of huge, seemingly endless rooms connected by numerous large processionals and public squares. Orog cities often consist of layers, with rooms atop rooms atop rooms. Nobility usually resides in the highest chambers, which are accessed by trapped stairwells and vertical shafts with crude rope lifts. Orog cities such as these can house upwards of eight thousand orogs and up to three times that many slaves.

Most orog cities are much smaller and are comprised of only a few hundred orogs and slaves. All the near-surface cities are like this, although they mimic the larger cities' tendency to consist of dozens (if not hundreds) of interconnected small rooms.

On the surface, orogs have so far not built cities of their own. Rather, they have simply moved in and taken over tribes of mountain orcs, seizing the best buildings for themselves and displacing the orcs to the smaller ones.

The one thing that binds together all orog societies is the placement of the forges. Orogs have a long tradition of armorsmithing and weapon forging, and the first thing a tribe of orogs look for when they pick a site for a new town is a natural place to set up a forge. Volcanic vents and pools of magma are favorites, but more traditional forges built on epic scales serve as well. Orog forges are community-held, and any orog is welcome to build armor and weaponry at the forge just as long as what is produced is either put to immediate personal use or placed in the community armory.

DEEP ORC RACIAL TRAITS

• +6 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Orogs are incredibly strong, and they make natural leaders despite their ferocious appearance.

• Medium-size.

• Orog land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision up to 120 feet.

• Proficient with greatsword and throwing axe. All orogs train with some sort of martial weapon from a very young age.

• +2 racial bonus on Craft (armorsmithing) and Craft (weaponsmithing) checks. Orogs train from an early age at their tribal forges.

• +2 natural armor.

• Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds an orog for 1 round. In addition, orogs suffer a -1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light.

• Resistances: Orogs have fire resistance 5 and cold resistance 5. They are inured to extremes of temperature.

• Orc Blood: For all special abilities and effects, an orog is considered an orc. Orogs, for example, can use or create orc weapons and magic items with racially specific orc powers as if they were ordinary orcs.

• Automatic Languages: Orc, Undercommon. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Giant.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +2. Orogs are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

GHOSTWISE HALFLINGS

The ghostwise are easily the most uncommon of the three subraces of halfling living in Faerûn. They are elusive and do not welcome strangers to their lands. Instead, they prefer to pursue a nomadic way of life within their adopted homeland, the Chondalwood, associating mainly with those of their own clan. Those who seek out the ghostwise most often fail to achieve their goal; the fortunate among them live to regret their intrusion into hin territory.

The defining characteristic of the ghostwise halflings is their reverence for and devotion to their clans. Family is important to most halflings and halfling communities, but the ghostwise hin regard the familial bond with a degree of respect some might call obsession. Following their self-imposed exile from Luiren and resettlement in the Chondalwood, the ghostwise congregated into groups demarcated along family lines. Those hin without surviving family joined one of these groups. As the hin pursued their quest for atonement, their clan system evolved into the all-encompassing social structure it is today.

Because clan is the focus of the ghostwise culture, it is not surprising to find it the central factor in their society as well. The wanderlust that is one of the most readily discernable traits of both the lightfoot and strongheart subraces still survives in the ghostwise, but on a more limited scale. The nomadic wanderings of the ghostwise clans are confined almost exclusively to the Chondalwood and its environs, where the few remaining survivors of the Ghost Wars settled after departing their native homeland of Luiren.

Each clan of ghostwise halflings has adopted a segment of the Chondalwood as its territory. Clan territories vary in size from less than fifty to several hundred square miles. The clan travels together as its leader directs. A number of factors influence exactly where the clan travels within its territory, including the presence or absence of hostile creatures and the relative abundance of game. There is ample room in the vast forest for all the ghostwise halfling clans, and so their territories are only loosely defined.

Many clans designate a natural feature - a distinctive rock, a lightning-struck tree, a stretch of a particular stream - as the center of their territory and base their wanderings on their relative distance from this place. Some clans carry a tiny portion of this central feature with them as they travel, to reinforce their spiritual connection with their territory and their homeland. Such tokens might take the form of clay vials filled with stream water, small leather pouches filled with dirt from a specific spot, small bits of rock broken from a boulder and worn as a necklace, or even a bit of tree bark carried in the hollowed end of a deer's antler.

Among these clans, such tokens are considered a sacred charge: To lose or misplace one is a mistake requiring that the transgressor atone in a manner designated by the clan leader. If the halfling who makes the error is a cleric or druid, the penance is assigned by a representative of his faith. The act of atonement - often a quest or other dangerous mission or errand - must be completed successfully before the halfling may obtain another portion of the clan's central feature. Willfully destroying a clan token is a grievous crime, punishable by exile (a fate far worse than death in the culture of the ghostwise halflings).

The only permissible use of the tokens is when a member of the clan falls in battle. In that event, all nearby hin who share the same tribe as the fallen scatter their tokens, be they wood, water, or stone, around the corpse. The hin believe that doing so calls the attention of He Who Must Be and ensures that no fell spirits will disturb the body of their fallen clan member until it can be attended to properly. The ghostwise hin clans cremate their dead rather than inter them.

While clans keep to themselves, they do not shun one another when they meet in their travels. Instead, they exchange news and information about the forests' conditions and creatures. Indeed, the matriarchs and patriarchs who lead the clans often meet formally to discuss matters of mutual interest and importance. Multiple clans cooperate for the purpose of mutual defense when they are threatened by a common enemy, whether it be a band of destructive humanoids or a marauding band of trolls.

Ghostwise halflings have all the halfling racial traits, except as follows:

• Speak without Sound (Su): A ghostwise halfling, unlike other halflings, can communicate telepathically with any creature within 20 feet, just as if speaking to him or her. The halfling can only speak and listen to one person at a time, and he must share a common language with the person or creature he speaks to telepathically, or the telepathic link fails.

• Ghostwise halflings do not receive the standard halfling +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. They simply are not as lucky as their lightfoot cousins.

• Automatic Languages: Halfling, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Chondathan, Elven, Gnoll, Shaaran, Sylvan.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

LIGHTFOOT HALFLINGS

The folk of Faerûn are more familiar with the lightfoot hin than with either of the other two subraces, primarily because the lightfoots are the most numerous and widely traveled of all the halflings. Nearly every human community of any size larger than a village has at least a few halfling residents. When most Faerûnians think of halflings, the lightfoots are the people that most often leap to mind.

Lightfoot halflings may be the most common of all the subraces, but their behavior is also the most varied. It's impossible to describe the "typical" lightfoot halfling because, much like humans, the race embodies individuals that are the absolute antithesis of one another. This diversity of behavior is mirrored in a diversity of outlooks: Some halflings adopt views and beliefs about the world that are very close or even identical to whatever human community they happen to dwell in, while others retain distinctive points of view that separate them from other races and groups (including other halflings). It's not uncommon to meet halflings who, because they spend the greater part of their lives roaming from place to place, have outlooks that are amalgams of those from multiple cultures and environments.

The aspect of the lightfoot outlook that most nonhalflings notice, however, is that they are the hin subrace that is most likely to wander out of an innate desire. It is not unknown for individual lightfoot halflings or even entire families to decide that, after living in the same place for decades, they want to move on to someplace else. Some learned folk speculate that the lightfoot hin experience a habitual need to see many different places and enjoy a variety of experiences. Other sages and loremasters wonder if the lightfoot penchant for the semi-nomadic lifestyle is socialized behavior, learned from centuries of practice. These scholars theorize that the lightfoot hin who left Luiren because of the Ghostwar massacres were unable to find a new homeland that suited them as well, so they wandered. After so many hundreds of years of wanderings, the behavior is now natural to the lightfoot hin, or so this school of thought holds. Whatever the case, there's no denying that many lightfoot halflings seem determined to see a great deal of Faerûn and have many interesting experiences during their lifetimes.

Lightfoot halfling society is hard to quantify, because lightfoots can be divided into three groups: those who live among humans, those who live among other lightfoots, and those who wander from place to place. Some lightfoot halfling families live their entire lives in one place, sometimes as part of a human community, and sometimes in a settlement populated almost entirely by halflings. Others live their entire lives on the roads and byways of Faerûn, never remaining in one place very long.

Lightfoot halflings have all the halfling racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Halfling, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Chessentan, Chondathan, Damaran, Dwarven, Elven, Illuskan, Goblin.

STRONGHEART HALFLINGS

The strongheart halflings are, like the ghostwise and lightfoot hin, native to Luiren. They trace their ancestry back to the same long-lost days as the other subraces, but unlike their cousins, the stronghearts elected to remain in their homeland following the events of the Hin Ghostwar. The legacy of Chand, the strongheart war chieftain who galvanized his tribe against the threat of the feral ghostwise, lives on today in a nation that both reinforces and defies many of the expectations nonhalflings have of this race.

Prior to the Hin Ghostwar, the stronghearts were, like their brethren, mostly a nomadic hunter-gatherer people. During the centuries that followed that terrible conflict, however, the stronghearts gravitated toward a more agrarian-based lifestyle centered around permanent communities. But if the communities were stationery, the stronghearts were not, moving from established community to established community.

This strange duality of nature, consisting of a desire to move about freely with a liking for permanent structures and settlements, has produced some unusual outlooks among the stronghearts of Luiren. Their viewpoint stresses cooperation above all other traits, and the ability to work as a team is the most valued behavior in their land. Cooperation transcends many boundaries in Luiren, and even strangers of whom the locals are suspicious can earn themselves considerable credit and tolerance by demonstrating a willingness to cooperate.

The stronghearts have evolved a unique, semi-nomadic lifestyle, in which businesses, families, and even entire clans move freely and independently from place to place within Luiren. This fusion of wanderlust and stability is a source of wonderment and confusion for visitors, who find it difficult to comprehend how a society can enjoy such seemingly whimsical mobility while retaining any viable structure. For their part, most of the strongheart hin cannot understand why anyone would want to tie themselves permanently to any one community or structure for their entire lives.

Strongheart halflings have all the halfling racial traits, except as follows:

• Strongheart halflings gain one extra feat at 1st level, because they have a strong drive to compete and many opportunities to practice their skills.

• Strongheart halflings do not receive the halfling racial +1 bonus on all saving throws. They have not experienced the same kind of adversity that the lightfoot halflings have survived.

• Automatic Languages: Halfling, Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Gnoll, Goblin, Halruaan, Shaaran.

AASIMAR

The aasimar bear the legacy of a celestial being or even a deity in their ancestry, and have incredible potential to do good in the world. At the same time, their heritage marks them as different and often leads to persecution, ridicule, or exile from superstitious or backward communities. It is not unknown for an aasimar to give in to bitterness in the face of adversity and turn to evil.

Aasimar are the descendants of humans and some good outsider, such as a true celestial, a celestial creature, couatl, lillend, or even a servant or avatar of a good deity. (Some of these creatures must use magic to assume a form that is compatible with a human mate, of course.) While elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings with good outsider ancestry are reputed to exist, those crossbreeds are not true aasimar.

Aasimar look human except for one distinguishing feature related to their unusual ancestor. Some examples of these features (and the ancestors that cause them) are golden eyes, silver hair, emerald skin (planetar), feathers at the shoulder (astral deva, avoral celestial, planetar, solar, trumpet archon), feathers in hair (avoral celestial), pearly opalescent eyes (ghaele celestial), powerful ringing voice (lillend, trumpet archon), brilliant topaz eyes (solar), silvery or golden skin (solar), or iridescent scales in small patches (couatl or lillend).

Aasimar understand that they are special, even if they do not understand their true heritage. Many aasimar from a latent bloodline don't even know what creature engendered the line in the first place. Two aasimar from the same bloodline often have the same distinguishing feature.

Most aasimar are wary of their human neighbors. Even those raised by parents who understand their heritage cannot escape the stares of other children and adults, for humans fear that which is different. Aasimar usually experience a great deal of prejudice, which is all the more painful to the good-inclined aasimar who truly wants to help others survive in a hostile world. Aasimar are often seen as aloof, when in many cases this is a protective measure born of years of misunderstandings. Aasimar often look upon true celestials and other good outsiders with a mixed envy and respect. The lucky ones receive occasional guidance and advice from their celestial ancestor, and these aasimar are more likely to exemplify the stereotypical celestial virtues.

Because an aasimar's favored class is paladin, a majority of them follow that path, at least for a time. The philosophy of the paladin class resonates in the aasimars' hearts, and they are innately suited for a career championing law and good. Some aasimar, particularly those descended from a nonlawful outsider, instead become clerics, since they are naturally wiser and more charismatic than most humans. Even aasimar who don't become divine spellcasters gravitate toward divine-related classes such as the divine champion, for the call of the light is very strong.

Not all aasimar live up to their potential. An aasimar blackguard or sorcerer of evil is a terrible opponent, and deities such as Shar and Set love to corrupt an aasimar, turning her into a bitter, angry creature nursing old grudges from unjust persecution.

Aasimar rarely have siblings who are other aasimar, for the heredity of the supernatural is a chancy thing. Because of this, few aasimar get to know another of their kind. On the rare times they encounter another aasimar, there is a sort of unspoken understanding between them, and an aasimar is likely to take another aasimar's side in an argument, regardless of other affiliations, just for a taste of kinship.

Aasimar, being more rare than even half-elves, have no true society of their own. Few have the opportunity to meet other aasimar or celestial beings, so they attempt to blend into the culture of their parents. If they had such a thing, aasimar would have a lawful good or neutral good society, focusing on charitable works, helping the needy, and campaigning to eradicate evil. In a few rare places, aasimar can find true acceptance and search for news of other aasimar born in other lands, hoping to make arrangements to have the child brought to the sanctuary and raised in an environment where he or she is cherished, not considered strange.

Aasimar have no common racial deity but often worship whatever deity their supernatural ancestor serves (or that being itself, if the ancestor is a deity). Because most aasimar in Faerûn are descended from Mulhorandi powers, a large number of them serve those gods. An aasimar born outside the Old Empires, or whose travels have taken her far from those lands, might take a like-minded patron appropriate to her new country.

Because several Mulhorandi deities are portrayed with animal heads or have strong ties to certain animals, aasimar descended from these deities or their supernatural agents often have an affinity for that sort of animal, and sometimes have a faint resemblance to a creature of that type.

AASIMAR RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Aasimar are blessed with insight and personal magnetism.

• Outsider: Aasimar are native outsiders.

• Medium-size.

• Aasimar base speed is 30 feet.

• Acid, cold, and electricity resistance 5.

• Light (Sp): Aasimar can use light once per day as cast by a sorcerer of their character level.

• +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Automatic Languages: Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

• Favored Class: Paladin.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Aasimar are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

AIR GENASI

Air genasi are fast and free-willed. Because the traits that identify an air genasi are subtle, many go unrecognized for what they are for many years and are sometimes mistaken for sorcerers. Those who are overtly different quickly learn to disguise their nature from common folk, at least until they are able to protect themselves and strike out on their own.

Air genasi are descended from outsiders native to the Elemental Plane of Air and humans. Most air genasi in Faerûn come from bloodlines established over nine thousand years ago by the djinn who founded what is now Calimshan. A few rare air genasi derive from djinn summoned in other parts of the world, and some are said to be born of a line founded by a powerful air mephit sorcerer who lived on the Great Glacier hundreds of years ago. The numbers descended from the servants of air deities such as Akadi, Auril, and Shaundakul are unknown, but likely to be very small. Legends tell of elves similar to air genasi, possibly descended from followers of the elven goddess Aerdrie Faenya, but it is likely that these legends are just confused reports of the avariels.

Air genasi look human except for one or two distinguishing features related to their elemental ancestor. Some examples of these features are light blue skin, pale white skin, white hair, light blue hair, a constant slight breeze in their presence, flesh that is cool to the touch, voice that can be heard over any nonmagical wind, or any sudden movement is accompanied by whistling wind.

Air genasi revel in their unusual nature, although few ever try to locate the being who founded their bloodline, since most are long dead or banished back the Elemental Plane of Air. Because the Calimshan djinn bloodlines are so old and have suffered many crossbreedings, it is almost impossible to tell by normal means if two air genasi are from the same bloodline. As a result, all air genasi treat each other as "cousins," although in an arrogant and competitive way.

Air genasi, like all the elemental planetouched, are proud of their heritage, regardless of others' opinion of them. They know they are descended from powerful beings, even nobles of their kind. Outside Calimshan most people look upon such things with awe instead of fear, so the air genasi are used to being flamboyant with their abilities and expect a certain amount of deference from normal folk. Because they consider themselves children of the sky, air genasi move about a lot over the course of their lives. Air genasi want to see and taste the air in radically different places and consider settling in one place for any length of time to be confining.

Air genasi view air elementals as dumb brutes but see djinn and other intelligent air-outsiders as potential rivals for attention and power.

Although rarely is more than one air genasi born to any particular couple, these planetouched see each other as members in an extended family, and their tendency to wander means that they are more likely than not to find another of their kind at some point in their travels. Air genasi use these times to exchange news of other air genasi, usually in the form of bragging about their own deeds compared to others. Unlike the bonds that aasimar share, air genasi feel no need to defend other air genasi, and in fact see another air genasi's weakness as an affirmation of their own strength.

In a few rare cases, particularly charismatic air genasi have gathered a few dozen of their own kind to form a mercenary company, cabal of mages, or mercantile group. These individuals sometimes take air genasi children away from human parents so they may be raised by their own kind. However, air genasi rarely stay together for longer than a year, so these fosterlings usually end up being raised by one or two air genasi who stick together after the group dissolves. Still, these young genasi gain some sense of community and often go on to start their own temporary groups.

Air genasi have no common racial deity. Because air genasi clerics must choose deities who grant the Air domain, all air genasi clerics worship Aerdrie Faenya, Akadi, Auril, Set, Shaundakul, Sheela Peryroyl, or Valkur. Those who are not devout enough to be clerics still worship those deities or a sky-themed deity appropriate to their region. For example, air genasi in Calimshan often worship Bhaelros (their name for Talos, the god of storms) and those in Amn may worship Selûne (the goddess of moon, stars, and wanderers). Surprisingly, Akadi is not the most common choice of deity for an air genasi, possibly because she associates with true elementals rather than the anthropomorphic elemental outsiders such as djinn. However, among the clergy of Akadi, air genasi are considered particularly blessed.

Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess of the skies, is normally only worshiped by air genasi with strong ties to elven communities, particularly communities of avariels. The air genasi of Aerdrie's faith act as protectors of avian creatures and encourage elves to explore other parts of the world, including human societies.

Auril, the Frost Maiden, is worshiped by air genasi who live in colder regions or enjoy cold magic. They tend to be zealots, inflicting pain upon others through the use of cold and wind to show supremacy of the air element and their own power. A disproportionate amount of Auril's genasi worshipers have pale blue skin. Shaundakul is also popular among air genasi. With his worship on the upswing, this deity has attracted many air genasi followers both for his focus on wind and because he espouses frequent travel. It is said that centuries ago he took a human lover in Myth Drannor, and from that line a handful of white-bearded male air genasi have sprung.

Air genasi who enjoy destruction, violence, or simple chaos are often drawn to Talos. Evil druids and rangers sometimes worship him, as do mages with a talent for large-scale battle magic. These beings do much to sully the name of air genasi across Faerûn, for they loudly proclaim their elemental heritage and their faith, causing many ignorant folk to assume that all this race are of similar temperament.

AIR GENASI RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Air genasi are quick of hand and sharp of wit, but easily distracted and arrogant.

• Outsider: Air genasi are native outsiders.

• Medium-size.

• Air genasi base speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Levitate (Sp): Air genasi can use levitate once per day as cast by a 5th-level sorcerer.

• Clerical Focus: An air genasi cleric must choose a deity who grants access to the Air domain and select Air as one of her two domains.

• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against all air spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five class levels the genasi attains.

• Breathless: Air genasi do not breathe, so they are immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation (such as some types of poison).

• Automatic Languages: Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment +1: Air genasi are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

EARTH GENASI

Earth genasi are patient, stubborn, and contemplative in their decision-making. Marked at birth with obvious traits reflecting their heritage, earth genasi are often shunned by others, but their physical gifts make them able to defend themselves against most attackers. Their strength and girth means that they sometimes become bullies, attracting sycophants out of fear and respect for their power.

At least three-quarters of the earth genasi in Faerûn are the descendants of outsiders native to the Elemental Plane of Earth and humans. The rest are descended from earth deities or servants thereof instead of elemental outsiders. Most of the elemental bloodlines originate in the North, particularly near the Spine of the World, as natural portals to the Elemental Plane of Earth form there, allowing meetings between natives of both planes. The bloodlines spring up wherever worship of earth deities is common. It is thought that the Ludwakazar clan of shield dwarves deep in the Earthspurs in Impiltur and the Tobarin family of rock gnomes in the Great Dale have elemental blood, but both are mute on the question and neither would be a true earth genasi, but something quite different.

Earth genasi are obviously not human, but have mostly human features except for one or two distinguishing traits related to their elemental ancestor. Some examples of these features are earthlike skin, eyes like black pits, eyes like gems, gravelly voice, very large hands and feet, iron gray hair, sweats mud instead of water, or metallic sheen to skin or hair.

Earth genasi, like all elemental planetouched, are proud of their nature and abilities, but their pride is a quiet, confident sort rather than a boastful one. Earth genasi are pragmatic about their parentage, usually not going out of their way to learn their ancestry but not avoiding the topic either. Earth genasi have no special relationship with others of their kind, although they seem to prefer others who share their physical differences.

Proud of their heritage despite the opinions of others, earth genasi know they are born of beings touched by the might of the earth itself. Although they know the circumstances of their outsider heritage are rare and mark them as unlike anyone they might meet, each still feels a strong kinship to the earth itself. Earth genasi feel most comfortable when their feet are on the ground and prefer to go barefoot if appropriate for the weather and environment (earth genasi develop thick calluses easily and can even walk on gravel without discomfort). They are used to being treated differently, but have the strength to defend themselves if harassed. Earth genasi respect their earth elemental cousins for their strength but are usually indifferent to other earth elemental creatures.

Earth genasi like to stake out a piece of land as their own and defend it, which makes them particularly valuable homesteaders in frontier regions like the Silver Marches. A few unusual ones come down with a strange form of wanderlust, wishing to plant their feet on every nation's soil before they die. Such a journey might take thirty years, but with methodical determination certain genasi have become famous for their long-distance travels.

Earth genasi are among the most isolated of the elemental planetouched. They are indifferent to others of their kind, believing that each should rely on his or her own strength to persevere. The only time this emotional barrier is easily breached is when two or more genasi with the same physical traits meet. The superficial resemblance awakens an echo of sympathy and kinship in the earth genasi, and these similarities often lead to deep friendships and even marriages.

It is among these groups that small clans of earth genasi form, usually military-based groups such as a mercenary company, a squadron of rangers, or a gang of barbarian thugs. The bonds between these individuals can grow very strong, and the bards tell of entire bands of earth genasi meeting to punish a cruel lover or person responsible for the death of one of the band. Because the genasi are patient, sometimes this revenge comes about months or even years after the event, usually in a surprising and painful encounter.

Because of their strength, earth genasi often fall into relationships where they are the dominant person. This means that earth genasi are known to collect like-minded warriors about them, genasi or not, and carve out small baronies for themselves in isolated lands. Several leaders in the history of the Border Kingdoms have been earth genasi.

Earth genasi have no racial deity or pantheon. Because earth genasi clerics must choose deities who grant the Earth domain, all air genasi clerics worship Callarduran Smoothhands, Chauntea, Dumathoin, Geb, Gond, Grumbar, Luthic, Moradin, Segojan Earthcaller, Urdlen, or Urogalan. Those who are not devout enough to be clerics still worship those deities or an earth- or nature-themed deity appropriate to their region.

Revered by earth genasi as the fusion of the powers of earth and life itself, Chauntea is a popular choice among this race. Many of the earth genasi who worship this deity ignore her agricultural aspect and instead focus on her role as the benign Earthmother, a foundation of life and strength that suffuses the ground they walk on. The more gentle worshipers of Chauntea are all too happy to hire an earth genasi of the faith as a guard.

Mulhorand and the lands adjacent to it have a small earth genasi population, most of whom revere Geb, for the children of his divine line become earth genasi instead of aasimar. Earth genasi from Geb's bloodline often have an affinity for bears and sometimes have a faint resemblance to a creature of that type.

Many earth genasi worship Grumbar, the lord of earth elementals. Although he shows them no more favor than any other worshiper, the genasi respect this and see it as proof that each should rely on his or her own abilities to succeed.

EARH GENASI RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Earth genasi are strong and tough, but somewhat oblivious and stubborn.

• Outsider: Earth genasi are native outsiders.

• Medium-size.

• Earth genasi base speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Pass Without Trace (Sp): Earth genasi can use pass without trace once per day as cast by a 5th-level druid.

• +1 racial bonus on saving tlirows against earth spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five class levels the genasi attains.

• Clerical Focus: An earth genasi cleric must choose a deity who grants access to the Earth domain and select Earth as one of his two domains.

• Automatic Languages: Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Earth genasi are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

FEY'RI

The result of four noble houses of sun elves breeding with demons in an attempt to strengthen their bloodline, fey'ri are a type of planetouched that breeds true among their own kind. Marked by their fiendish blood, fey'ri are unique among most planetouched in that they have a self-sustaining community, so they are raised among their own kind. Because of this, young fey'ri do not suffer the feelings of ostracism that other planetouched do despite growing up among creatures with strong fiendish blood. Most fey'ri are evil, but a few are able to shrug off the fiendish taint's influence on their behavior and emulate some small part of the innate good nature of the elves.

Fey'ri are the descendants of sun elves and demons (usually succubi in male or female form). Having bred with these demons and among their own kind, fey'ri are a distinct race and share the same common fiendish traits. In general form they resemble sun elves, although all have large batlike wings. They all have one or more unusual features reflecting their fiendish heritage, such as fiery red eyes, fine scales all over the skin, long pointed tails, batlike ears, or deep red skin.

Fey'ri are obviously different from normal elves and would quickly be killed by most other elves if discovered. Luckily for them, their demonic bloodline gives them several abilities, including the ability to change their shape. Thus they can pass freely among other creatures without causing an alarm.

There may be other fey'ri in Faerûn other than those allied with House Dlardrageth, but since the likelihood of an elf breeding with a demon is very small, such an individual would be essentially unique outside these four elven houses. The rest of this section assumes Dlardrageth fey'ri are the subject matter.

Most fey'ri live for revenge. They feel wronged by other elves, particularly moon elves, and superior to all other races (as befits their lineage, which ties them to the ancient elven kingdoms that predate human civilization). While their plans for revenge unfold, they wish to restore the glory of the elven empires with themselves at their head, not realizing that their fiendish taint has corrupted the sun elf qualities that they prize the most. Individual fey'ri comply with these goals, knowing that their half-fiend rulers are too powerful to challenge and feeling that they themselves have been punished unfairly by the moon elves with their too-long magical imprisonment. The fey'ri also suffer from unfamiliarity with the changes to the world and are still learning about its current state. A fey'ri is patient, calculating, and suspicious, but her fiendish blood makes her prone to undeserved acts of cruelty and rage.

Of special note are the fey'ri who have chosen to leave the banner of House Dlardrageth. The members of the house considered these renegade fey'ri a great risk to their plans, for the Dlardrageth nobles know their numbers are too small to survive a concerted effort to eradicate them - they must act in secrecy, or risk discovery and death. This makes any renegade fey'ri a creature marked for death by the entire house. Since Countess Sarya Dlardrageth is a powerful spellcaster, these renegades must be even more cautious than their isolated kin, or they could be discovered and destroyed.

Fey'ri are usually chaotic evil. Some hear an echo of their elven heritage and are chaotic neutral, and a few may be entirely neutral. None have yet been found who are lawful or good.

Fey'ri society is very close-knit. They are all close relations, and so each fey'ri has a very good idea how each of his or her family members would react to a situation. Yet they have a subtle loathing for each other, both because their elven nature rejects the taint of their kin and because their demonic ancestors are so chaotic and rebellious that they find it difficult to work together.

As a result, fey'ri society is based on power and fear - power to make your commands obeyed, fear that your superiors could destroy you if you fail to comply. House Dlardrageth is a house that cannot stand the test of time, and the only reason it has lasted as long as it has is the magic that imprisoned its members for centuries. In the next hundred years, it is likely that the fey'ri will scatter across Faerûn, creating their own pockets of evil, possibly accompanied by near-adult offspring. Until that time, this group of evil-tainted but magically powerful elves has the potential to incite a great slaughter of their enemies.

FEY'RI RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution. Fey'ri are quick and smart, but their inbreeding makes them weak.

• Outsider: Fey'ri are native outsiders.

• Medium-size.

• Fey'ri land speed is 30 feet. When in their winged form, they may fly at a speed of 40 feet with a maneuverability rating of Poor.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Low-light vision: Fey'ri can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

• Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects.

• +2 racial bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

• Change Shape: Fey'ri can assume any humanoid form at will, and can remain in that form indefinitely.

• +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks.

• Elven Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a fey'ri is considered an elf. Fey'ri, for example, can use or create elven weapons and magic items with racially specific elven powers as if they were elves.

• Demonic Abilities: Every fey'ri has four special abilities drawn from the following list: charm person (Sp) 1/day, clairaudience/clairvoyance (Sp) 1/day, damage reduction 5/magic*, darkness (Sp) 1/day, detect thoughts (Sp) 1/day, dimension door* (Sp) 1/day, enervation* (Sp) 1/day, fire resistance 10, suggestion (Sp) 1/day, +2 racial bonus on saves against electricity, or +2 racial bonus on saves against poison. Fey'ri spell-like abilities use the fey'ri's character level for their effect. The DC is Charisma-based.

  A fey'ri can only have one ability from the list that is marked with an asterisk (*), and any fey'ri with one of these three abilities has a higher level adjustment than a fey'ri without one.

• Level Adjustment: +2. Fey'ri are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn. This is because the elders of House Dlardrageth bred for immediate power at the expense of long-term ability. Fey'ri with damage reduction or the dimension door or enervation spell-like abilities have an level adjustment of +3 instead of +2.

FIRE GENASI

Fire genasi are usually thought of as hot-blooded and quick to anger, and they have earned that reputation. Mercurial, proud, and often fearless, they are not content to sit and watch the world pass them by. Fire genasi have obvious physical traits that mark them as different from humans, and they are often the target of mistrust and persecution. Some fire genasi are able to use their quick wits to turn the tables on their tormentors, while others find that their barbed words only make their foes more angry. Many fire genasi are destroyed as infants by their own parents, who fear that they are demonspawn.

Most fire genasi in Faerûn are descended from the efreet that once ruled Calimshan. Planetouched of this derivation live all over the Lands of Intrigue, and some have traveled away from their ancestral homeland to escape the fear and prejudice that Calishites bear for genies. Chult, the Lake of Steam, and Unther also have a small number of fire genasi, for those lands bear volcanoes that sometimes act as natural portals to the Elemental Plane of Fire, allowing efreet and other fiery outsiders to make contact with humans. A large family of fire genasilike halflings was known to live in Unther, but the war with Mulhorand has displaced them and their current whereabouts are unknown.

Fire genasi are obviously not fully human, having mostly human features except for one or two exceptional traits related to their elemental ancestor. Some examples of these features are charcoal gray skin, deep red skin, red or orange hair that waves like flames, eyes that glow when the genasi is angry, unusually warm skin, large red teeth, or always smells like smoke.

Fire genasi are proud of their ancestry and consider themselves superior to normal humans, although the smarter ones don't make an issue of it. Because the efreet-descended genasi of Calimshan have almost no chance of finding their original elemental ancestor (who have long since been slain, banished, or imprisoned when their empire was overthrown), they make no effort to do so and enjoy the gifts that ancestor's blood has granted them. Fire genasi enjoy the company of their own kind and have been known to form elite groups of mages or fighters that hire themselves out on the basis of their skill and heritage. They have been known to adopt the fire genasi children of human parents as well.

The fire genasi are a proud people, knowing that they are born of great genies. They prefer to dress elegantly and flamboyantly, reveling in their differences and advertising their superior taste and abilities. Fire genasi respect their pure elemental kin, and most treat efreet and other large fire outsiders with a great deal of courtesy and respect, both out of a sense of the creature's power and as a subtle gratitude for their own bloodline-granted talents. Because of their high opinions of themselves, fire genasi often elect themselves the leader and spokesperson of a group, even if they have no particular talents in those areas.

Fire genasi are impatient and don't take well to pursuits that require a lot of time and study. They like to travel, if only to escape the presence of their enemies or people who frustrate them. Fire-genasi enjoy collecting treasure, preferring jewelry to bags of coins.

Fire genasi are competitive among their kind, but their rivalry is rarely lethal. Even two fire genasi of radically different alignments or philosophies are capable of putting down their swords for a talk on elemental nature and comparative histories, and should they come to blows they are more likely to ask for and grant mercy than slay each other outright. Although they have hot tempers, arguments between fire genasi quickly burn out, although their allies or minions might suffer the smoldering aftereffects.

Other than this friendly banter, fire genasi often go for years without seeing one of their own kind. Descended from beings who have strong and close (if argumentative) society, fire genasi still have a tendency to collect in groups when circumstances allow. Children raised by two fire genasi parents see a wide range of emotions in their parents, from phenomenal passion and epic poetry to screaming matches and thrown furniture. This is accepted as normal, and they are taught that a life not lived vigorously is not worth living.

Fire genasi have no common racial deity. Since fire genasi clerics must choose deities that grant the Fire domain, all fire genasi clerics worship Gond, Kossuth, or Talos. Because they are impatient, quite often a fire genasi will advance a short while as a cleric and progress in another class thereafter. Those who are not devout enough to be clerics worship fire deities or martial deities.

Traditionally, few fire genasi worshiped Gond, for he represents the skill of crafting, which requires too much patience for their liking. However, a number of fire genasi have discovered the wonders of smokepowder weapons and now worship the Wonderbringer for the creation of this device. These zealous fusiliers are often hired to guard shipments of the magical explosive.

Kossuth is a favorite among fire genasi, for he represents the apex of the element that grants them their special gifts. They revere his fiery aspect rather than his purification aspect. Kossuth shows no unusual favor toward his fire genasi worshipers.

Talos, the Stormlord, welcomes any worship involving destruction, and some fire genasi enjoy the destructive aspect of their nature so much that Talos is the only clear choice for them. His faith is very popular among fire genasi sorcerers.

FIRE GENASI RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Fire genasi have bright minds, but .are impatient and quick to anger.

• Outsider: Fire genasi are native outsiders,

• Medium-size.

• Fire genasi base speed is 30 feet.

• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against fire spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five class levels the genasi attains.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Control Flame (Sp): Fire genasi can cause a nonmagical.fire within 10 feet of them to diminish to the level of coals or flare to the brightness of daylight and double the normal radius of its illumination. This ability does not change the heat output or fuel consumption of the fire source, lasts 5 minutes, and may be done once per day. They use this ability as 5th-level sorcerers.

• Clerical Focus: A fire genasi cleric must choose a deity who grants access to the Fire domain and select Fire as one of his two domains.

• Automatic Languages: Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Fire genasi are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

TANARUKKS

Bred from orc slaves and demons, tanarukks are a powerful and evil strain of planetouched who are spreading across the North. Because of their orc blood they breed rapidly, and there are more tanarukks than any other kind of planetouched. Entire tribes of the creatures have taken root in the Nether Mountains and continue to breed true, so in another twenty years they will be a serious threat to the tenuous peace in the North. With evil parentage on both sides of the family, tanarukks are almost always evil, without a drop of human blood in them to influence their disposition.

Tanarukks are the descendants of orcs and tanar'ri (vrocks, in particular). Similar to tieflings, tanarukks are a mortal Faerûnian creature with the bloodline of an evil outsider. They breed true with their own kind or with pureblooded orcs, and even orcs with one tanarukk grandparent have all the abilities of a tanarukk. Theoretically tanarukks could breed with goblinoids or even ogres and produce strange crossbreeds, although these are likely to be sterile.

Unlike most planetouched, tanarukks have a fairly uniform appearance, resembling short, stocky orcs with stooped postures. Their hair is coarse, whether on their heads or the odd patches that grow on other parts of their bodies. They have sharp teeth and prominent lower tusks, with their lower jaw protruding farther than their small snouts. Their eyes are red and glow when angry. Their foreheads are low and ridged with horn or scales; their skin varies from gray-green to dun brown.

Tanarukks have the worst traits of orcs or half-orcs mixed with the temper and power of demons. Generally sullen and prone to rages, tanarukks would rather fight than ponder and would rather kill than argue. Their orc heritage impressed them with a respect for power, which was only reinforced by their tanar'ri mentors. They live recklessly and without moderation, feasting, drinking, and fighting if the opportunity presents itself. They are contemptuous of those weaker than themselves, and consider themselves a superior breed of orc. They are impressed by strength, and only a very powerful leader can convince them to settle down long enough to follow orders against a common enemy.

Among the typical rough-minded tanarukks are a few who are smarter or more moderate in their temperament, possibly because one of their demonic ancestors was a marilith or some other sort of demon prone to thinking before acting. It is these tanarukks who become leaders or, dissatisfied with the life available to them among their own kind, seek out other challenges in new places. These tanarukks can be the most dangerous but also have the greatest chance of being befriended by something other than an orc or tanarukk.

Of all the planetouched, tanarukks are the only ones with a large and thriving society, for not even the fey'ri have numbers comparable to the tribes of fiend-touched orcs. Of course, tanarukk society is a mixture of orc and demon society, which means that they act like orcs infused with supernatural evil power. However, unlike typical orc society, the strong influence of the mariliths involved in the breeding program has moderated the patriarchal tendencies, resulting in a culture where females are treated much better than slaves. Tanarukk females who give birth to many strong young can earn a measure of respect for themselves and carry some influence over their mates.

Like orcs, tanarukks perform ritual scarring on themselves and each other, particularly as part of adulthood rites. Because they are resistant to fire, many scarring rituals use acid or jagged weapons. Others have iron jewelry or weapons (such as tanarukk battle gauntlets) hammered into place around their limbs while still hot, fusing the item in place when it cools, which prevents theft without killing the tanarukk first.

TANARUKK RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma. Tanarukks are strong and agile, but have short attention spans and aggressive natures.

• Outsider: Tanarukks are native outsiders.

• Medium-size. Tanarukks are squat, but broad, like a dwarf.

• Tanarukk land speed is 20 feet.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Fire resistance 10.

• Spell resistance of 14 + class level.

• +4 natural armor.

• Proficient with all martial weapons.

• Outsider Hit Dice: A tanarukk has 5d8 racial Hit Dice from his demonic heritage. A tanarukk character receives maximum hit points for his first outsider Hit Die, and rolls his other outsider Hit Dice normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class level Hit Die. A tanarukk's racial Hit Dice also provide a +5 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +4, Ref +4, and Will +4. Tanarukks with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack bonus and saves.

• Outsider Skills: A tanarukk's outsider Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (8 + Int modifier) × 8. Class skills for these skill points are Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Search, and Spot. A tanarukk does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.

• Outsider Feats: A tanarukk's demonic Hit Dice grant him two feats. A typical tanarukk chooses Alertness and Weapon Focus (battleaxe).

• Natural Attack: A tanarukk may use his bite as a natural weapon, dealing 1d6 points of damage. A tanarukk can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus, and make a bite attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).

• Control Flame (Sp): Tanarukks can cause a nonmagical fire within 10 feet of them to diminish to the level of coals or flare to the brightness of daylight and double the normal radius of illumination. This ability does not change the heat output or fuel consumption of the fire source, lasts 5 minutes, and may be done once per day. They use this ability as 5th-level sorcerers.

• Orc Blood: Despite all their special abilities and effects, tanarukks are still basically orcs. Thus tanarukks can use or create orc weapons and magic items with racially specific orc powers as if they were orcs.

• Automatic Languages: Abyssal, Orc, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

• Level Adjustment: +3. Due to his racial Hit Dice, plus his spell resistance, fire resistance, natural armor, and advantageous ability score modifiers, a tanarukk has an effective character level of 8 plus his class levels. Thus, a 2nd-level tanarukk barbarian would have an ECL of 10.

TIEFLINGS

Carrying the taint of evil in their very souls, tieflings are persecuted and feared in most parts of Faerûn. Those with gross physical alterations are often killed at birth, and even those with less noticeable physical traits are sometimes killed by their own horrified parents. Occasionally a tiefling is born to someone indifferent to its appearance, determined to redeem it, willing to exploit it, or evil enough not to care about its nature, and these tieflings are most likely to survive to adulthood. Most tieflings are evil, but a few have managed to overcome their bloodline's influence to make their own choices about good and evil.

Tieflings are the distant descendants of a human and some evil outsider, such as a demon (usually a marilith or succubus), devil (usually an erinyes, gelugon, or pit fiend), night hag, rakshasa, or even a servant of an evil deity (some of these creatures must use magic to assume a form that is compatible with a human mate, of course). Fiend-touched and similarly tainted mixes of elves (notably the fey'ri), orcs (such as the tanarukk), and other races are known, but those are distinct lines and are not true tieflings.

Tieflings look human except for one or two distinguishing features related to their unusual ancestor. Some examples of these features (and the ancestors that cause them) are small horns on head (demon, devil, night hag), fangs or pointed teeth, forked tongue (demon, devil), glowing red eyes (demon, devil, night hag), cat eyes (rakshasa), more or less than 5 fingers (demon, devil), goatlike legs (devil), hooves (devil), non-prehensile tail (demon, devil), furry, leathery, or scaly skin (demon, devil, rakshasa), red skin (demon, devil), bruised blue skin (night hag), casts no shadow (demon, devil), throws no reflection (demon, devil), skin is hot to the touch (demon, devil), or smell of brimstone (demon, devil).

Tieflings are aware at an early age that they are different from the people around them, and often have strange urges, desires, or needs because of their evil heritage. Because tieflings are born of many different creatures, it is difficult to tell if any two of them are related, and because many of them come from demonic bloodlines, even two tieflings descended from similar demons or the very same demon might look very different.

Tieflings live as outcasts. Feared for their evil heritage and often acting appropriately to their ancestry, they learn to keep people at a distance and hide that which makes them different. Like all the planetouched, they are different from their own parents; rarely has a tiefling been raised in a home filled with love. Tieflings are bitter folk who expect eventual rejection from even their best friends and easily fall into lives of crime, depravity, and cruelty. Tieflings look upon true fiends and other evil outsiders with envy and fear.

Some tieflings reject their tainted blood and seek the light. Not many succeed for long, and far more slide to a comfortable place midway between evil and good. But of the creatures who work to be good, good-aligned tieflings probably work the hardest.

Because of the varied circumstances of their births, most tieflings become adults without knowing another of their kind. Given their scattered heritage and tendency toward evil, tieflings mistrust each other, while at the same time wanting another of their kind near to experience a limited kinship. Therefore it is not unusual to find a small group of like-minded tieflings at the head of a thieves' guild. Sometimes a good tiefling will search out others of her kind in the hopes of rescuing them from evil or persecution, but most tieflings are so used to looking out only for themselves that such a thought never occurs to them.

Thay is unusual because of its numbers of tiefling slaves. An unknown number of fiendish bloodlines exist in Thay, some of them lost for generations. When a true tiefling arises from a latent bloodline, there is often a scramble as the Red Wizards struggle to collect the planetouched offspring. Some Red Wizards train these young tieflings with others of their kind, either to work as spies in other households, personal assassins, or as some sort of sacrifice to an evil being. These tieflings can develop a sense of community among their fellows. If they are lucky, they may manage to escape their evil masters, scattering to the four winds to elude pursuit. Some of these slaves start revolts to cover their tracks, others return to kill their former owners, and still others leave and never look back. In this way, certain tieflings have extended families, although how to find their adopted siblings usually poses a problem.

Tieflings have no common racial deity, but sometimes worship powerful demons, devils, or whatever divine being their ancestor serves (or that being itself, if the ancestor is a deity). A tiefling born outside the Old Empires or Thay, or one whose travels have taken her far from those lands, usually takes a like-minded patron appropriate to her new country. The following deities are the most common patrons of evil tieflings but are certainly not the only ones.

Beshaba, the Maid of Misfortune, appeals to a number of tieflings. This wicked and beautiful goddess has created a few tiefling bloodlines over the ages, many of which have white hair and manifest antlers instead of other kinds of horns. Tieflings who worship Beshaba do so because they believe they are unlucky to have been born as what they are and seek to pass this misfortune on to others. While Cyric has not fathered any tiefling bloodlines since his apotheosis, tiefling assassins, illusionists, and those drawn to conflict and aggression because of their heritage often worship Cyric.

Gargauth, the god of corruption, betrayal, and cruelty, has been known to disguise himself as a helpful stranger, befriend a good woman in difficult circumstances, and leave her just before she gives birth to their halfbreed child. These children of evil emulate their father's practices, and so the bloodline of Gargauth has many scions in Faerûn. He is worshiped by tieflings looking to destroy a hated rival (possibly a good-aligned temple that harassed them as a youth) or those looking to gain power very quickly.

As many tieflings naturally gravitate toward the arts of the rogue, a number of them have taken Mask for their patron. Only one Maskarran tiefling bloodline is known, a line from Thesk noted for never casting reflections, but Mask's secretive nature means that others could be almost anywhere. Mask is worshiped by tiefling thieves or those who must do their work concealed by shadows. Shar is not known to have any planetouched offspring, but she draws the worship of those who wish to forget their old pains and hurts. She particularly enjoys pitting her tiefling worshipers against the aasimar servants of Selûne.

TIEFLING RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Tieflings are gifted with heightened reflexes and cunning, but tend to disturb people with whom they interact.

• Outsider: Tieflings are native outsiders.

• Medium-size.

• Tiefling base speed is 30 feet.

• Cold, fire, and electricity resistance 5.

• Darkness (Sp): Tieflings can use darkness once per day as cast by a sorcerer of their character level.

• +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Hide checks.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Automatic Languages: Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

• Favored Class: Rogue.

• Level Adjustment +1: Tieflings are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

WATER GENASI

Water genasi are patient and independent, used to solving problems on their own and not afraid to take a lot of time doing so. At times they are fierce and destructive like terrible storms, but more often than not they present a tranquil appearance, despite whatever emotions run underneath that quiet surface. Because their elemental forebear usually has no interest in them, water genasi are often abandoned by their human parents and raised instead by aquatic creatures such as aquatic elves, dolphins, locathah, merfolk, sahuagin, or even aboleths. Water genasi usually leave their parents (real or adoptive) upon reaching maturity, taking to the open sea in order to explore, learn, and develop their own personality and place in the world.

Most water genasi are descended from a water elemental outsider such as a marid (water genie) or triton. A rare few are born of outsider servants of the evil water goddess Umberlee (although it is not known why these matings eventually produce water genasi instead of tieflings). Aquatic elves tell of a lost line of sea-elf planetouched descended from minions of Deep Sashelas, but these are not true water genasi, lacking a genasi's human heritage.

Water genasi look human except for one distinguishing feature related to their elemental ancestor. Some examples of these features are lightly scaled skin, clammy flesh, blue-green skin or hair, large blue-black eyes, or webbed hands and feat.

Water genasi feel that they are unique and superior to the humans who bore them. They have little or no interest in others of their kind - since they can wander both the land and the seas, they feel there is room enough in the world that water genasi need not crowd each other or even meet. Only in large communities of aquatic elves are two or more water genasi likely to spend much time together.

Water genasi take pride in their special abilities and can be boastful if in the right mood. Tougher than humans and able to breathe water, these genasi sometimes view human sailors and naval merchants as vulnerable fools who are as likely to drown at sea as they are to get seasick. The people of the Sea of Fallen Stars are familiar enough with the stories of water genasi to recognize them and ignore their rude behavior.

Water genasi have the best of both worlds. They can walk on land for an indefinite time (unlike aquatic elves, whom they secretly pity) and can always retreat to the tranquil depths of the ocean. Often loners, they sometimes establish a home in a remote underwater cave, going for years without encountering another intelligent being. They feel a kinship to other aquatic creatures, particularly tritons and water elementals, who can easily outswim the genasi.

Water genasi tend to be neutral and therefore avoid extremes in politics, opinion, or career. Some find a quiet spot to call home, others enjoy riding the currents for months, allowing the water to take them places hundreds of miles away.

Water genasi have no society of their own, but often subconsciously adopt traits of the people who raised them, so a water genasi raised by aquatic elves is likely to believe in personal freedoms and good behavior, while one raised by sahuagin will be bloodthirsty and militaristic. Water genasi from different cultures can be as radically different as a quiet spring and a raging waterfall.

Water genasi do not prefer the company of other water genasi. If anything, it makes them feel less special and unique in the context of the other beings they live near. Accordingly, they rarely live in the same communities and none have been known to marry. This keeps the population of repeat-generation water genasi low, with new genasi coming from new bloodlines or from lines that skipped a generation.

Their self-contained nature makes water genasi unlikely leaders. A water genasi is more likely to guard or support a person he respects and admires than to be a person who attracts or welcomes subordinates.

Water genasi have no common racial deity. Those who live with a community of other aquatic creatures usually adopt the patron deity of their allies. Because water genasi clerics must choose deities who grant the Water domain, all water genasi clerics worship Auril, Deep Sashelas, Eldath, Isis, Istishia, Sebek, Silvanus, or Umberlee. Those who are not devout enough to be clerics still worship those deities or another water-themed deity such as Valkur.

While few water genasi enjoy very cold weather, those who do usually worship the Frostmaiden. These eccentric genasi often swim in arctic waters with seals and similar creatures, and are known for their habit of pairing up with a large cold-based monster. They often make friends with frost giants.

Deep Sashelas, the elven god of waves and waters, is a natural choice for genasi who associate with aquatic elves. They often act as emissaries and messengers between colonies of aquatic elves and their landbound cousins. As the patron of water magic, he also has many arcane spellcasters worshiping him.

The most placid and introspective water genasi worship Eldath. Her clerics and druids are benign and helpful beings, which makes them a favorite prey of followers of Malar. Mages who worship Eldath prefer abjuration spells over all other kinds. Istishia's idea of embracing one's personal excellence is appealing to water genasi, as is his message of flexibility and overcoming obstacles over time. His worshipers are mediators, often interceding between rival groups using the same body of water, whether two different fishing villages or a colony of aquatic elves annoyed by merchant traffic above their kelp beds.

Rough waters and remote naval exploration are meat and bread to water genasi. Water genasi revering Valkur are welcomed by sea captains and respected by common sailors. Some lack a taste for adventure but love working with boats, and these make a living in coastal communities repairing ship damage below the water line.

Many evil water genasi in the vicinity of Mulhorand, Unther, and Chessenta worship the crocodile god Sebek, sometimes becoming lycanthropes. They harass shipping routes and folk living on or near rivers. Like their deity, they constantly feel the need to prove their strength and justify their existence by bullying creatures weaker than themselves. Worshipers of Umberlee, the Bitch Queen, can be the most cruel and temperamental of all the water genasi. They enjoy extorting money for their church, and a shipboard cleric has nothing to fear should the crew decide to push him overboard when the weather turns nasty. Evil spellcasters who practice water magic often worship her as well.

WATER GENASI RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Water genasi have high endurance, but are cold and emotionally distant.

• Outsider: Water genasi are native outsiders.

• Medium-size.

• Water genasi base speed is 30 feet. They swim at a speed of 30 feet.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet,

• Create Water (Sp): Water genasi can use create water once per day as cast by a 5th-level druid.

• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against water spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 class levels the genasi attains.

• Water genasi breathe water as an extraordinary ability.

• Clerical Focus: A water genasi cleric must choose a deity who grants access to the Water domain and select Water as one of her two domains.

• Automatic Languages: Common, home region. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Water genasi are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerûn.

AARAKOCRAS

The aarakocras are a race of intelligent birdlike people who live in mountainous areas around Toril. Aarakocras love to soar high in the sky for hours on end, riding the thermal currents and updrafts with their wings spread wide. From a distance, it's easy to mistake them for eagles or some other large bird of prey.

Aarakocras stand about 5 feet tall and have a wingspan of 20 feet. On average, they only weigh about 90 pounds. Midway along each wing they have a three-fingered hand, which is only useful when the wings are folded in. Their wing muscles attach to a bony chestplate, and their powerful legs end in sharp talons that can be drawn back, allowing aarakocras to use their feet as hands. Their heads combine the features of an eagle and a parrot. Their beaks are gray-black, and their eyes are black as well. The males are brightly colored, usually red, orange, or yellow, while the females are either brown or gray.

Aarakocra hatchlings aren't permitted to leave the nest for the first three months of life. After that, they are considered children for only about five years. At this point, they are kicked out of the family's portion of the tribe's communal nest and given a place of their own. Aarakocra can live to be over 100 years old.

Aarakocra look down on other races, both literally and figuratively. They pity the poor landbound fools for their lack of mobility, and they often criticize them for a "lack of perspective."

Aarakocras have a need to travel, to see the world unroll beneath their feet. This, combined with a lust for vengeance against the creature who murdered their fellows in the Star Mounts colony, has thrust many of them out into the wider world.

Life as an aarakocra is mostly spent hunting or making tools and weapons. While not every male aarakocra is expected to snatch up the tribe's meals on a daily basis, those who don't better have good reasons why not. Children and the extremely old are excused from this duty.

As a young aarakocra nears maturity, his elders teach him to hunt for himself. If he shows a great reverence for the sky and his prey, he may be steered into a career as a cleric.

Tribal life is everything to most aarakocra. The tribe shares a large, roofless communal nest made of thick vines woven together into a gigantic bowl. The eldest member of the tribe, whether male or female, leads the tribe with the help of the tribal shaman (cleric).

Away from the tribe, aarakocras are aloof, whether singly or in a group. They are extremely claustrophobic and refuse to enter any enclosed area unless there is no other choice. To them, being trapped in a room with no way to reach the sky is akin to death.

AARAKOCRA RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +4 Dexterity. Lightweight but fast, the aarakocras are built for speed over bulk.

• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, aarakocras have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Aarakocra land speed is 20 feet. Their fly speed is 90 feet, with average maneuverability.

• +1 natural armor.

• Natural Attacks: A flying aarakocra can attack with 2 talons, dealing 1d4 points of damage each, or he can use a weapon in his talons. An aarakocra on the ground can wield weapons in his wing-claws at his base attack bonus and attack with his bite as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll), dealing 1d3 points of damage.

• Proficient with javelin.

• +2 racial bonus on Craft (any one), Knowledge (nature), Listen, and Spot checks. Aarakocras spend a great deal of their time hunting, building nests, or making tools.

• Claustrophobic: Aarakocras suffer a -4 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls and skill checks when in an enclosed area.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Auran, and home region. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Orc, Sylvan. When aarakocras speak, they punctuate their words with birdlike sounds, much in the way of a parrot imitating human speech.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +2. The aarakocras' ability to fly is the greatest reason for this. A player may play an aarakocra as a character with total levels equal to his class levels + 2.

CENTAURS

Centaurs are magnificent creatures. From the waist up, they appear like well-muscled humanoids. Their pointed ears suggest they were once related to elves. From the waist down, however, they have the bodies of horses. The centaur's humanoid skin is usually bronzed from many hours in the sun. Their equine coats vary greatly in color and pattern, just as much as any traditional horse. Many different species of creatures appear to be conglomerations of two or more other species, but few of these are as handsome, noble, and articulate as the centaurs.

Centaurs are usually honorable and affable people. They prefer to stick to their own kind, but they are not afraid to socialize with those from other races.

The main aim of most centaurs is to live in harmony with their forest homes. They are uneducated, but few are wiser than they in the ways of the woods. They care far more for the wilds in which they live than for what someone might have once written in some moldering old book.

Centaurs mature early and live short but happy lives. Like horses, they can walk from birth, albeit on shaky hooves at first. They are considered children for only two years, after which they are adolescents for another three. Once they reach five years of age, centaurs are considered full adults. On average, centaurs live around 40 years, although some have been known to reach the ripe old age of 60.

From their chests to the back of their rumps, full-grown centaurs measure six to eight feet long. From their front hooves to their crowns, they are seven to eight feet tall. Centaurs weigh anywhere from 950 to 1,200 pounds.

Centaurs see themselves as the noble guardians of the forest. They are the royalty of the woods. Because of this, they feel protective of their homes and responsible for the defense of the creatures with which they share their space.

Male centaurs spend almost all their waking hours either hunting or out patrolling their lands, keeping their sharp eyes peeled for any outsiders who might be encroaching on their territory and doing the forest harm. If the centaurs believe that their "guests" are acting out of simple ignorance or carelessness, they confront the strangers and deliver them a warning to change their ways. But if the centaurs see these people acting maliciously against their people or the forest, the noble creatures attack without warning and without mercy.

Most centaurs who take up adventuring are young mares or stallions looking for a bit of adventure in their lives before they settle down. Perhaps they're hoping to find a mate from a tribe other than their own. Sometimes, centaurs who lose their spouses or families take up wandering about the world to distract them from their grief.

Centaur stallions may be hunters, but the mares actually run the tribe and supplement the local food supply with cultivated produce. They also bring some less common goods into their communities through trade. They pay with treasure stripped from the monsters or people who have been foolish enough to challenge them. They don't care to trade with humans, as centaurs consider them basically untrustworthy. They deal freely with elves, however, mostly for elven foods and wines.

Centaurs are massive creatures, and they eat and drink a lot. Unfortunately, they are notoriously wild drunks, given to high-spirited rampages when overindulging. Noncentaurs should note that although centaurs have generally wonderful senses of humor, they are sensitive about their physiology. They take direct offense at any horse jokes. ("The horses don't tell us human jokes, you know. Nor do they ask if they can climb on our backs!") While centaurs can give most humanoids a ride in times of need - and are often willing to offer such assistance when it's needed - they are offended when asked to perform this service. They are noble and intelligent creatures, not beasts of burden, and they are touchy about anyone even insinuating otherwise.

Centaurs mate for life. Once they promise themselves to each other, centaurs are always faithful, even should one of the pair die. Divorce is unknown among these people.

Young centaurs are encouraged to play freely, and they mostly do so by running wild through the forests that make up their homes. As centaurs grow up, they are gradually asked to share more and more of the tribe's duties. When a centaur reaches the age of five, she officially becomes an adult, and the tribe hosts a large party to celebrate. Centaurs gallop in from miles around to eat, drink, and race.

As centaurs get older, they start to slow down. Eventually, when it's their turn to die, they drift off into the woods and expire peacefully and privately, offering their bodies up for the creatures of the forest to consume, just as they have consumed so many such creatures during their own lives.

Outside the tribe, most centaurs work alone, confident in their ability to handle most situations. They are often happy to join up with a band of adventurers, especially if there are any elves in it. They know that they are unschooled in the ways of civilization and are always happy to be given a hand dealing with such situations.

CENTAUR RACIAL TRAITS

• +8 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Centaurs are literally as strong, fast, and healthy as the proverbial horse. While they may not have a great deal of formal knowledge, their practical experience in the wild serves them well.

• Large: As large creatures, centaurs suffer a -1 size penalty on attack rolls and Armor Class. They also suffer a -4 size penalty on Hide checks. However, they can use larger weapons than humans can, and their lifting and carrying limits are twice those of Medium-size characters.

• Centaur face is 10 feet, with a reach of 5 feet.

• Centaur land speed is 50 feet.

• Darkvision up to 60 feet.

• Proficient with all simple weapons, the longsword, the heavy lance, and the composite longbow.

• +2 natural armor.

• Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: A centaur has 4d8 racial Hit Dice. A centaur character receives the maximum hit points for her first monstrous humanoid Hit Die, and rolls her other monstrous humanoid Hit Dice normally. She rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on her first class level Hit Die. A centaur's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice also provide a +4 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4. Centaurs with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack bonus and saves.

• Monstrous Humanoid Skills: A centaur's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant her skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) × 7. Class skills for these skill points are Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival. A centaur does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from her first class level.

• Monstrous Humanoid Feats: A centaur's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant her 2 feats. A typical centaur chooses Weapon Focus (hoof) and Improved Natural Armor.

• Natural Attacks: A centaur may make 2 hoof attacks, each dealing 1d6 points of damage plus the centaur's Strength bonus. A centaur can attack with a weapon in her hands at her normal attack bonus, and make 2 hoof attacks as secondary attacks (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).

• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

• Level Adjustment: +3. Due to her racial HD, plus her size and phenomenal physical ability, a centaur has an effective character level of 7 plus her class levels. Thus, a 3rd-level centaur ranger would have an ECL of 10.

GOBLINS

Goblins are the smallest of the goblinoid races. They stand only about four feet tall and weigh roughly 60 pounds. Like all goblinoids, they have flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears, wide mouths, and sharp fangs. Their arms hang down almost to their knees. Goblin hides range in color from yellow through orange to red, and members of the same tribe usually share similar coloring. Goblins wear dark leather clothing, which is usually heavily soiled due to their lack of concern with hygiene.

Life in a goblinoid community is cheap. There are always a dozen people behind you, trying to trip you up, ready to take over your place as soon as you fall. Goblinoid leaders rule through aggressive ruthlessness, bullying any who get in their way and killing those who are foolhardy enough to challenge them. Goblinoids are constantly trying to get ahead of each other, mostly by backstabbing those in front of them.

Of course, goblins lack the strength and ferocity to lord it over hobgoblins. Similarly, hobgoblins are usually at the mercy of bugbears. The differences in size between the races are too great to overcome. A group of smaller goblinoids can sometimes band together to overpower a larger cousin, but they often end up betraying each other to the bigger creature. Even should they succeed in their efforts, the smaller creatures regularly fall to squabbling among each other as to who is now in charge, and another of the larger goblinoids often arrives on the scene to put an end to the argument by killing off any who might lay claim to such leadership.

GOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. Small and unsociable, goblins rely on their speed and reflexes in combat.

• Small: As Small creatures, goblins gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 bonus on Hide checks. However, they must use smaller weapons than hobgoblins can, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters that of Medium-size characters.

• Goblin land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.

HOBGOBLINS

Hobgoblins are much larger than goblins, usually reaching 6 1/2 feet in height and weighing up to 275 pounds. Their hairy hides come in dark shades ranging from reddish-brown to gray. Their eyes are yellowish or dark brown, and their teeth are yellow and strong. They like to wear bright clothing, usually red with black leather. They keep their weapons clean, even if they don't take so much care with themselves.

HOBGOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution. Fast and hardy, hobgoblins are tenacious and deadly in combat.

• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, hobgoblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Hobgoblin land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin, home region. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Hobgoblins are slightly more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn. A player may play a hobgoblin as a character with total levels equal to his class levels + 1.

BUGBEARS

The largest of the goblinoids, bugbears stand about 7 feet tall and often top 300 pounds. Their hides are usually yellowish, ranging from brownish to mustard yellow. Their coarse hair runs from brown to brick red. Their eyes are green-white with crimson pupils, and their ears are more wedge-shaped than those of their smaller kin.

BUGBEAR RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Strong, fast, and tough, bugbears seem to be built for combat, but they are crude and coarse.

• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, bugbears have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Bugbear land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• +3 natural armor.

• Proficient with all simple weapons and the goblin stick. Proficient with light armor and shields.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

• Humanoid Hit Dice: A bugbear has 3d8 racial Hit Dice. A bugbear character receives the maximum hit points for his first humanoid Hit Die and rolls his other humanoid Hit Dice normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class-level Hit Die. A bugbear's racial Hit Dice also provide a +2 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +1. Bugbears with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack bonuses and saves.

• Humanoid Skills: A bugbear's humanoid Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) × 6. Class skills for these skill points are Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot. A bugbear does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.

• Humanoid Feats: A bugbear's humanoid Hit Dice grant him two feats. A typical bugbear chooses Alertness and Weapon Focus (morningstar).

• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin, home region. Bonus Languages: By home region.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Due to his racial Hit Dice and physical ability bonuses, a bugbear has an effective character level of 4 plus his class levels. Thus, a 3rd-level bugbear rogue would have an ECL of 7.

DEKANTER GOBLINS

Dekanter goblins were created from regular goblins by the alhoon (illithid lich) known as the Beast Lord in the mines of Dekanter. They are larger than the race from which they sprang, ranging in height from 4 to 5 feet. Their tough hides are orange-red, and they have manes of wiry black hair that tumble down past their shoulders. Their heads squat atop thick, powerful necks, and they have a sharp, rhinolike horn at the tip of their elongated snouts.

Dekanter goblins live only to serve their creator, the Beast Lord. They are the terror of the Dekanter mines, mostly because of the alhoon's cunning in his command of them. Originally, these creatures only guarded the Beast Lord's domain. Today, however, they have begun ranging far and wide, perhaps signaling that the alhoon has larger schemes to execute.

DEKANTER GOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS

• +6 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Physically powerful and cunning, Dekanter goblins have literally been made for battle.

• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, Dekanter goblins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Dekanter goblin land speed is 20 feet.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• +4 natural armor.

• Fast Healing 3.

• Cold Resistance 5.

• Proficient with all simple weapons.

• Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: A Dekanter goblin has 2d8 racial Hit Dice. He receives the maximum hit points for his first monstrous humanoid Hit Die and rolls his other monstrous humanoid Hit Die normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class level Hit Die. A Dekanter goblin's racial Hit Dice also provide a +2 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3. Dekanter goblins with class levels add their class attack and save bonuses to their racial attack bonus and saves.

• Monstrous Humanoid Skills: A Dekanter goblin's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) × 5. Class skills for these skill points are Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot. A Dekanter goblin does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.

• Monstrous Humanoid Feats: A Dekanter goblin's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant him one feat. A typical Dekanter goblin chooses Power Attack.

• Natural Attacks: A Dekanter goblin can attack with his horn and 2 claws. The horn deals 1d6 points of damage plus the character's Strength bonus, with ×3 damage on a critical hit. The claws are secondary attacks (-5 penalty on attack rolls, and half Strength bonus on damage rolls), and deal 1d4 points of damage. The character can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus, and make a horn or single claw attack as a secondary attack.

• Automatic Languages: Goblin, Undercommon, Common. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

• Level Adjustment: +4. Due to his racial Hit Dice plus his ability bonuses, fast healing ability, natural weapons, and cold resistance, a Dekanter goblin has an effective character level of 6 plus his class levels. Thus, a 5th-level Dekanter goblin barbarian would have an ECL of 11.

KIR-LANANS

Falsely labeled gargoyles by some, kir-lanans are actually creatures who arrived on Faerûn during the Time of Troubles (1358 DR). They have made it their mission to destroy the gods of Toril by first executing all who believe in them. In a world in which religion plays a central part in the lives of so many people, this is a no small task. It essentially calls for the murder of just about every person on the face of the planet.

Kir-lanans are only vaguely similar to true gargoyles. They have a humanoid form and large, batlike wings. They stand about 6 feet tall and weigh around 220 pounds. Their finely scaled hides are all dark in color, normally ranging from midnight blue through deep purple to black. Some rare individuals come in deep crimson, emerald, dun, or gray colors instead. They all have mouths full of sharp, pointed teeth, and they have small, blunt horns just above their temples. They eschew traditional clothing, instead binding their torsos with cloth wrappings interwoven with strips of metal, ivory, or stone.

Kir-lanan have no established life expectancy or age categories, as the oldest members of the race are only about 15 years of age. They are fully grown within one year of birth, and as yet show no signs of deterioration from aging. How long their lifespans are likely to be, none can say.

Kir-lanans don't care much for life - their own or that of anyone else. They exist solely to cause misery for the gods and those who call upon these feckless and fickle deities.

Kir-lanans are born in secluded rookeries and raised by all the adult kir-lanans who call the place home. They come into the world only three months after conception, and they are fully grown within a matter of only one year. During this painfully short childhood, these new kir-lanans are indoctrinated in the hatred that their elders hold for the gods. By the time these new adults are ready to stretch their wings, they bear as much hatred toward the deities who have damned them as any other kir-lanan.

Some rare kir-lanans do not spend their days slaughtering the followers of the gods. Instead, they observe the actions of the people of Faerûn from a distance, hoping to learn their strengths and weaknesses. They then bring this newfound knowledge back to their people so that the kir-lanans can figure out a better way to murder people more efficiently.

Life as a kir-lanan is relentlessly harsh. They exist only to kill, to breed, and to learn how to become better at killing. Both male and females are treated equally in kir-lanan society. This is a meritocracy. The strongest rule, no matter who they are.

Most kir-lanans wander about the world in wings of two to five creatures. These wings rarely have a stable roster, with kir-lanans joining and leaving as the mood suits them. The leaders of these wings are chosen by combat, and those who are not the leaders constantly jockey to be in the right position to challenge the leader the moment she leaves herself vulnerable. Wings of kir-lanans mount their operations out of breeding grounds known as rookeries. At certain times of the year - based on a schedule of which only the kir-lanans are aware - individual members of a wing leave their fellows and travel back to their rookeries to breed.

Other than the members of these wings, there are two others positions in kir-lanan culture: the valrak and the kivar. Both of these vocations stand outside the traditional structure of the wing, allowing the valraks and kivars to avoid the normal rivalry for leadership that causes so many of the wings to waste time and energy on internal struggles. The attention of the kir-lanans would be better spent on taking the battle to the believers, and it's the duty of the valraks and kivars to help direct this.

The word "valrak" means "eye" in the guttural kir-lanan tongue. These creatures travel around Faerûn individually, watching the native peoples and learning everything they can about them and their rich and complex history. By doing this, the valraks free up the others to cause as much destruction as they can, while the valraks scout out new victims and locations. "Kivar," on the other hand, means "voice." The kivars are a combination of morale officers and strategic planners for the kir-lanans. Although they spend most of their time in the field, exhorting the wings to attempt greater and more terrible acts of destruction, when back at the rookery the kivars gather to absorb and discuss the information gathered by the valraks. They use this to guide the kir-lanan campaign against the gods. Kivars also are the ones who negotiate temporary alliances with other groups of people who are less devout in their worship of the gods. Of course, once these allies have served their purposes, they are to be murdered as well, but the kivars are willing to let them serve their purpose for a time.

New kir-lanans are born in these rookeries and raised by the kivars. Once they are one year or so in age, they are released into the wild and sent to join up with a new wing or to reinforce an old one. No one knows what happens to kir-lanans as they get older. The eldest ones are only 15 years old, and many of those who were part of the race's creation have been killed off by either their intended victims or in leadership challenges.

KIR-LANAN RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom. Strong and fast, kirlanans don't bother much with keeping in touch with the world around them. They usually prefer the direct approach to most problems.

• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, kir-lanans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Kir-lanan land speed is 30 feet. Their fly speed is 90 feet, with good maneuverability.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• +3 natural armor.

• +4 racial bonus on Hide checks.

• Proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.

• Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: A kir-lanan has 4d8 racial Hit Dice. A kir-lanan character receives the maximum hit points for her first monstrous humanoid Hit Die and rolls her other monstrous humanoid Hit Dice normally. She rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on her first class-level Hit Die. A kir-lanan's racial Hit Dice also provide a +4 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4. Kir-lanans with class levels add their class attack bonus and saves to their racial attack bonus and saving throws.

• Monstrous Humanoid Skills: A kir-lanan's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant her skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) × 7. Class skills for these skill points are Escape Artist, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Use Magic Device. A kir-lanan does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from her first class level.

• Monstrous Humanoid Feats: A kir-lanan's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant her 2 feats. A typical kir-lanan chooses Flyby Attack and Weapon Focus (claw).

• Natural Attacks: A kir-lanan can attack with 2 claws, dealing 1d4 points of damage each. A kir-lanan can attack with a onehanded weapon at her normal attack bonus and make a claw attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).

• Negative Energy Touch (Su): Three times per day, a kir-lanan can use a touch attack similar to the chill touch spell. If she hits with a melee touch attack, she deals 2d6 points of damage and 1 point of temporary Strength damage. A Fortitude save (DC 12 + Cha modifier) negates the Strength damage. The kir-lanan heals the same number of points of damage as she deals with this attack, although she cannot exceed her normal maximum hit points. The kir-lanan can use this power in conjunction with a claw attack, but she must hit with a melee attack to do so. She does not regain hit points for the claw damage she deals.

• Ray of Enfeeblement (Sp): Three times per day, a kir-lanan can use ray of enfeeblement as if the spell had been cast by a 4th-level sorcerer.

• Rebuke Undead (Su): A kir-lanan can rebuke or command undead three times per day as an evil cleric with as many levels as the kir-lanan has Hit Dice.

• Harmed by Positive Energy: A kir-lanan suffers damage from cure wounds spells, holy water, and blessed weapons just as if she were undead. Conversely, she is healed by inflict wounds spells and other applications of negative energy. Kir-lanans are not undead, but their bodies are infused with negative energy. They cannot be turned, but they are uncomfortable around such displays and usually seek to avoid a turning cleric anyhow.

• Soulless: Kir-lanans cannot become clerics, druids, or paladins, and they cannot use positive energy of any kind. They cannot ever use divine magic. They may become rangers, but they never gain that class's spellcasting abilities. A kir-lanan bard, however, can learn inflict wounds spells instead of cure wounds spells. Since kir-lanan don't have souls, they can only be brought back from the dead with a wish or miracle spell, just like an outsider.

• Automatic Languages: Kir-Lanan, Common. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +4. Due to her 4 racial Hit Dice and her supernatural and spell-like abilities, a kir-lanan has an effective character level of 8 plus her class levels. Thus, a 7th-level kir-lanan fighter would have an ECL of 15.

LIZARDFOLK

Living mostly in the marshy areas of Faerûn, lizardfolk are large, scaly humanoids who are savage marauders and scavengers. They have no traditions for cultivating food, so they arrange their meals by either hunting prey or raiding the larders of others.

Lizardfolk grow to between 6 and 7 feet tall, and weigh between 200 and 250 pounds. Their scales range in color from dark green to gray to brown. Their thickly muscled tails run from 3 to 4 feet long. Most nonlizardfolk have a very hard time telling the difference between males and females, but the lizardfolk have no such troubles, of course.

Lizardfolk young are hatched from eggs, which are carefully protected in the tribe's lair. This is usually hidden deep in a swamp, but about a third of the time it's an air-filled underwater cave. Hatchlings grow to maturity within about five years. Lizardfolk have been known to live as long as 80 years, although it's common for the males to die in combat long before they reach such an august age.

In Faerûn, lizardfolk are found anywhere there are temperate or warm marshes and swamps. This includes the Deepwash, the Flooded Forest, the Marsh of Chelimber, the Marsh of Tun, and Rethild, the Great Swamp. A large population of lizardfolk is also found in the Lizard Marsh, despite the relatively cold climate of the Sword Coast.

Lizardfolk mostly assess everything in terms of whether or not it is good to eat. They have no use for money or jewels. They fashion their own crude weapons from rocks, trees, and plants found in their wetland homes. If something might be worth eating, it immediately captures the interest of the lizardfolk. Otherwise, it is not worth bothering with.

Growing up in a lizardfolk tribe is hard. The young are often hungry, as they are only giving the leavings of the meals the males capture once the adults are done with them. They often subsist on edible plants found nearby the tribe's lair. Lizardfolk are omnivorous, although they have a strong preference for meat, and they find human flesh to be the tastiest of all.

Most lizardfolk don't care much about strategy or tactics. They are cunning hunters, but in battle they simply rush their foe and try to overwhelm him with their superior strength or by force of sheer numbers. When the lizardfolk are attacked, however, they use their skill as hunters to lay snares, pitfalls, and other traps for those who pursue them. Simple but deadly traps such as these protect many lizardfolk lairs.

Lizardfolk sometimes leave their homes to hunt for larger, more formidable prey. Others wish to learn more about the world beyond the swamps, so that they can report back to the leaders of their tribes. While lizardfolk aren't evil by nature, they are savage, and they have a difficult time assimilating into Faerûnian society. Most don't even try. They are there to learn about the softskins and perhaps to teach them a thing or two about how real people - lizardfolk, that is - live.

The lizardfolk have a patriarchal society. The strongest member of the tribe rules over the others by virtue of his power alone. Most are wise enough to recognize this power, so challenges only happen infrequently. When they do, they entirely disrupt the life of the tribe until either a new leader has been established or the old one has reaffirmed his position.

Lizardfolk females concentrate on hatching eggs and raising the hatchlings. It is also their job to maintain the tribe's camp. Sometimes this is little more than bits of wet plants the lizardfolk use for beds, but some tribes fashion crude huts and make and use shields and weapons. Some have even learned to use the weapons they have stripped from the bodies of earlier prey.

Mothers watch over their hatchlings closely. In this, they have the help of all female members of the tribe. The hatchlings are often hard to handle, prone to wandering out of the camp and into the wider swamp. At any time, there are half as many hatchlings as there are adults. In a typical camp of 150 lizardfolk, about 50 are adult males, 50 are adult females, and 50 are hatchlings.

As lizardfolk age, they slow down. Over the age of 60 or so, they do not care to do much more than lie on a warm rock and bask in the sun. When these creatures die, they are consumed by the rest of the tribe at a ceremonial wake, their flesh becoming part of the tribe both literally and figuratively.

When wandering outside their marshy territories, most lizardfolk work in small groups of two to three. On rare occasions, one can be found traveling alone. Normally, though, lizardfolk feel the need to have at least one other lizardfolk with them to remind them at all times of who they are. Otherwise, they fear that they might be seduced by the civilized ways of the outside world and never return home.

LIZARDFOLK RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence. Strong and hardy warriors, lizardfolk place little value on the accumulation of knowledge.

• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, lizardfolk have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Lizardfolk land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• +5 natural armor.

• Proficient with all simple weapons, shields, and barbed darts. Lizardfolk usually stick to weapons they can fashion out of available materials.

• +4 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, and Swim checks.

• Humanoid Hit Dice: A lizardfolk has 2d8 racial Hit Dice. A lizardfolk character receives the maximum hit points for his first humanoid Hit Die and rolls his other humanoid Hit Dice normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class-level Hit Die. A lizardfolk's racial Hit Dice also provide a +1 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0. Lizardfolk with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack and save bonuses.

• Humanoid Skills: A lizardfolk's humanoid Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) × 5. Class skills for these skill points are Balance, Jump, and Swim. A lizardfolk does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.

• Humanoid Feats: A lizardfolk's humanoid Hit Dice grant him one feat. A typical lizardfolk chooses Multiattack.

• Natural Attacks: A lizardfolk can attack with 2 claws and a bite. The claws deal 1d4 points of damage, and the bite is a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll) that deals 1d4 points of damage. A lizardfolk can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus, and make either a bite or a claw attack as a secondary attack.

• Hold Breath: A lizardfolk can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 × Constitution score before he is at risk of drowning.

• Automatic Languages: Draconic, home region. Bonus Languages: Common, by region.

• Favored Class: Druid.

• Level Adjustment: +1. Due to his racial Hit Dice, his natural attacks, and his racial skill bonuses, a lizardfolk has an effective character level of 3 plus his class levels. Thus, a 3rd-level lizardfolk druid would have an ECL of 6.

LYCANTHROPES

Lycanthropes aren't a race, so much as a group of people whom all suffer from a common curse. Lycanthropes have the ability to change into animal or hybrid forms, and they sometimes do so involuntarily. Any kind of giant or humanoid can suffer from lycanthropy. In Faerûn, the following kinds of lycanthropes are common: Werebat, werebear, wereboar, werecats, werecrocodile, wererat, wereshark, weretiger, werewolf, and the elven lythari, a special kind of werewolf. Each of these lycanthropes can transform from its normal humanoid form to that of a particular animal or a hybrid form that is a cross between the humanoid and the animal forms.

In their humanoid forms, lycanthropes are essentially the same as they ever were. While their chances to die a violent death have likely increased greatly, their natural life expectancy is the same as it was before they became lycanthropes. Their height, weight, and other physical features are unchanged as well. In their animal forms, lycanthropes appear to be of an age proportional to their human forms. In other words, an elderly human werewolf in her wolf form looks like an elderly wolf, despite the fact that a real wolf her age would have long been dead.

There are, in fact, two kinds of lycanthropes: those who have contracted the condition as a curse (afflicted lycanthropes), and those who were born with it (natural lycanthropes). The child of a natural lycanthrope is always a natural lycanthrope, but the child of an afflicted lycanthrope is a normal example of his or her race until puberty, at which point there is a 50% chance that the child manifests lycanthropy as a natural lycanthrope.

A lycanthrope's outlook is usually based upon its life in its humanoid form. However, there are some generalizations that can be made.

Natural lycanthropes rarely have a problem with their lycanthropy. They view their "curse" as a gift. These folk realize that their lycanthropy makes them special, and many of them take up careers as adventurers. If lycanthropy is feared or reviled in their humanoid culture, they may feel some shame for being so different from those around them, but they rarely if ever wish to be "cured" of their condition. Natural lycanthropes of evil alignment revel in their feral nature, and view themselves as stronger and more fit than their normal fellows. Their strength gives them the right to murder, plunder, and terrorize any who are too weak to defend themselves.

Afflicted lycanthropes are often horrified to find that they have contracted the condition. Waking up covered with blood and a convenient case of amnesia is bad enough. To learn that this is a situation that is going to repeat itself three nights every month for the rest of your life can be nearly intolerable. Most such people try to find a cure as quickly as possible. Of course, not everyone has access to belladonna - which must be taken within an hour of the attack anyhow - or to a high-level spellcaster who can remove the condition.

The worst part for a cursed lycanthrope is that any voluntary change into an animal or hybrid form immediately changes the humanoid's alignment to that of the lycanthropic form. If this differs from the character's current alignment, it can be a jarring shift, and the larger the shift the worse it is on the character. It's hard for a paladin-werewolf to remain a paladin for long in the face of the seductive lure of giving in to his feral side. Once a character's alignment is in accord with that of her animal shape, though, the afflicted lycanthrope comes to terms with her curse. The battle between the two sides of her personality - her humanoid and her animal selves - is over.

Most lycanthrope adventurers are loners. They may join a band of like-minded adventurers and even work with them for several tendays at a time. Once that full moon rises, though, they disappear in search of a place to be by themselves. They know all too well that many people are not fond of lycanthropes, so they take great pains to conceal their true nature.

Natural lycanthropes often come from a family of lycanthropes who have passed the "curse" down through the generations. They are usually careful to conceal their true nature from people they don't know very well, since there are many non-lycanthropes who believe that the only good lycanthrope is a dead one. Children of natural lycanthropes can start to change form on the first full moon after their birth.

Afflicted lycanthropes rarely have any kind of society or family to support them. Unless they are found by the lycanthrope who bestowed the curse on them in the first place, many afflicted lycanthropes never meet another of their own kind. Evil lycanthropes have been known to carelessly spread their curse in order to create a pack of followers. Of course, if the new lycanthropes are less than thrilled about their affliction, this strategy can easily backfire.

Lycanthropes age, become adults, and die just like anyone else of their humanoid race. Their animal forms ages proportionally with the humanoid forms. A young lycanthrope becomes a young animal. An elderly lycanthrope who can barely walk finds herself in the same situation as an animal.

Again, lythari are the exception. Lythari are almost always friends with each other to begin with. They often run in a pack together, and are usually revered by other elves as creatures of powerful magic.

LYCANTHROPE RACIAL TRAITS

• Wisdom +2 in all forms. In addition, the lycanthrope's physical abilities are increased by the animal form's ability modifiers when the lycanthrope changes to her hybrid or animal forms.

• Size as per the base character or creature (or by the animal form).

• Low-light vision in any form.

• Scent in any form.

• Racial Hit Dice: A lycanthrope adds the Hit Dice of her animal form to her base Hit Dice for race, level, and class. This modifies the lycanthrope's base attack and base saving throws accordingly.

• Racial Skills: A lycanthrope adds skill points for her animal Hit Dice much as if she had multiclassed into the animal type. She gains skill points equal to (2 + Intelligence modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die of the animal form. Any skills that appear in the animal description are treated as class skills for the lycanthrope's animal levels. The lycanthrope's maximum skill ranks are equal to her animal form Hit Dice + her racial Hit Dice (if any) + her class levels + 3. Any racial skill adjustments of the lycanthrope's base race and her animal form (but not conditional adjustments) are added to her skill checks in any form.

• Racial Feats: Add the animal's Hit Dice to the base character's own Hit Dice to determine how many feats the character has. All lycanthropes gain Iron Will as a bonus feat.

• Natural Armor: A lycanthrope gains +2 natural armor in any form.

• Alternate Form.

• Lycanthropic Empathy.

• Curse of Lycanthropy (natural lycanthrope only).

• Damage Reduction 10/silver (in animal or hybrid form only).

• Automatic Languages: As base creature.

• Favored Class: As base creature.

• Level Adjustment: +1 (afflicted) or +2 (natural). A natural lycanthrope has an effective character level (ECL) of 2 + animal form HD + racial HD (if any) + class levels, so a 4th-level human werebear fighter would have an ECL of 12.

SHADES

Over two thousand years ago, the ruler of a Netherese flying city transported his entire city onto the Plane of Shadow in order to explore that dim and perilous plane. For thousands of years, the City of Shade was lost to human knowledge, but in 1372 DR it abruptly returned to Faerûn above the Dire Wood. Today it soars above the deserts of Anauroch, land that was once a fertile part of the Empire of Netheril. Why the Netherese - now known as the Shadovars - returned, and what they are planning, are two mysteries that trouble the rulers of every nation in Faerûn. Most fear that solving these vital riddles will provide them with answers they will not care to hear. Until then, the Shadovars scheme in secret, their true goals a mystery to all but their ruler, the High Prince Telamont, and his twelve sons, the Princes of Shade.

Not all Shadovars are shades. The Princes of Shade decide who is to be given such a blessing, and they are stingy with their favors, careful to only empower those who are sure to be loyal to them and their causes. Prospective candidates are stringently tested for ability, loyalty, and resourcefulness.

Shades look just like normal humanoids, although their skin is gray to inky black, as are their eyes. They are thinner than most humans, and they prefer to dress in dark-hued clothes or armor.

Human Shadovars are never made into shades until after they have reached the age of majority. There are no such things as young shades, and shades who marry produce normal offspring.

Shades have extraordinarily long lifespans. By trading some portion of their souls for the stuff of shadow, they extend their lifespans tenfold.

Shades live to serve the High Prince and their fellow Shadovars. Most have grown up in the City of Shade as loyal champions of the High Prince's regime. While individual shades may have personal agendas, few conflict with the purposes of Shade's rulers, since disobedient or disloyal Shadovars are not likely to have been transformed into shades in the first place.

Shades consider themselves superior to all nonshades around them. After all, that's what they've been raised to believe from birth. Only the most worthy Shadovars are chosen to become shades. Most shades go adventuring only at the behest of their superiors. They are normally given specific orders about what they are to do on such missions. Shades rarely share their true reasons for adventuring with any non-Shadovar allies they may temporarily make. They do not trust those outside Shade, and any relationships they strike up with strangers are sure to be temporary.

Life in the City of Shade fits into a strictly controlled hierarchy. The High Prince sits at the top of the hierarchy's pyramid, with his sons - the Twelve Princes of Shade - right below him. Beneath them, the arcanists (Shadovar sorcerers and wizards) stand, with the military next down in importance. At the base of the pyramid, there are four levels of commoners. In descending order, these are the crafters (skilled laborers), the merchants (those who distribute necessary goods throughout the City of Shade and import and export needed materials), the servants (those who work as personal servants to people above them), and the slaves (who do the worst of the society's grunt work).

At the age of ascension (13 years old), every citizen is tutored in basic spellcraft and subjected to a battery of tests to determine how his skills can best serve the City of Shade. Then, at the age of majority (18 years old) each person embarks upon the job for which he was trained. Unless the person suddenly displays a new aptitude, he works at his designated career until the day he dies. Those citizens who prove to be especially important and loyal are transformed into shades. This is one of the greatest honors a Shadovar can receive. Only a small percentage of Shadovars are transformed, and commoners and low-ranking military officers are never chosen for transformation.

Outside the City of Shade, most shades keep to themselves. They may travel singly or in small groups, but any alliances they make with non-Shadovars - which are rare - are sure to be alliances of convenience. Only a Prince of Shade or a Shadovar officer of captain's rank or higher can leave the City of Shade without an escort, and such a person had better have a defensible reason for doing so.

SHADE RACIAL TRAITS

All shades have the following powers when within shadows or darkness. In well-lit surroundings (daylight or the radius of a daylight spell) none of these powers function.

• Ability Scores: A shade's Constitution and Charisma scores increase by +2.

• Speed: Increases by 20 ft. (or 15 ft., if the character wears medium or heavy armor).

• Armor Class: The shade gains a +4 deflection bonus to AC.

• Attacks and Damage: The shade gains a +2 competence bonus on attacks and damage.

• Saves: The shade gains a +4 luck bonus on all saving throws.

• Skills: The character gains a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. He does not suffer skill check penalties due to darkness.

• Control Light (Sp): The shade can decrease the levels of light within a 100-foot radius by a factor of 10% per level. For characters and creatures dependent on light to see, this decreases the effective range of vision for them by the same percentage. For each 25% decrease in light, anyone within the area gains a +1 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.

• Fast Healing 2.

• Invisibility (Sp): The shade can use this ability once per round as a sorcerer of his level.

• Shadesight (Sp): The shade has 60-foot darkvision. He can see normally through any darkness effects but not through fog, invisibility, obscurement, and so on.

• Shadow Image (Sp): Three times per day, the shade can use this spell-like ability (similar to the mirror image spell) as a sorcerer of his level. This creates 1d4 figments of the shade, +1 per three levels.

• Shadow Stride (Sp): As often as once every 2 rounds, a shade of 8th level or higher can vanish from his current location and reappear in any shadowy area within 300 feet. This is a move-equivalent action.

• Shadow Travel (Sp): If the shade is 12th level or higher, then he can use teleport without error to reach a shadowy locale on the same world or plane shift to access the Plane of Shadows. A shade can shadow travel once per day.

• Spell Resistance: 11 + character level.

• Level Adjustment: +4. Shades are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn. Their many bonuses and powers are hindered only by the fact that they do not work in bright light. Shadovars do not create shades from characters who are less than 5th level.

WEMICS

Wemics are centaurlike creatures with the upper torso of a humanoid atop a lion's broad shoulders. They are a proud and noble people who may be the most skillful hunters in all Faerûn.

From head to rump, wemics are 10 to 12 feet long, and they stand 6 to 7 feet tall from their front paws to the tops of their heads. They weigh around 600 pounds. Dusky golden fur covers them from head to tail. Their tails feature a brush of black hair, and the males have a long black mane. Wemics' faces are a mixture of humanoid and leonine, and their golden eyes have the slitted pupils of a cat. Their ears are set high on their heads. All six of their limbs end in claws, but the ones on their hands and their front paws are retractable.

Wemics remain children for only five years, and live about 40 years on average. Most wemics die in dangerous hunts on the savanna long before age can take them.

Wemics live in harmony with nature, uncivilized and proud of it. They eschew the ways of civilization, since they can't see why anyone would ever want to live under a shingled roof when she could have the sky itself as her roof. Wemics are a proud people, usually slow to anger, but they have no patience for civilized folk who take their lack of familiarity with human society for ignorance.

Wemics learn to hunt and fight from a very young age. Female wemics do most of the hunting. The males sometimes lead the hunt, but more often they roam the plains, protecting the pride from outside threats.

Adventuring wemics sometimes leave their remote homes to see more of the world. They are fascinated by the colorful human merchants who travel through their territory. With civilization creeping closer to their hunting lands every year, some of the more adventurous wemics realize that it's in the interest of the pride for them to learn everything they can about their neighbors before it is too late.

Life as a wemic is simple. Most of the day is spent playing around, basking in the sun, or hunting for food.

In a single pride of wemics, there are usually 1 to 4 males, 2 to 12 females, and 1 to 6 cubs. The cubs are allowed to play freely until they reach 5 years of age, at which point they are brought out on their first hunt to make their first kill. Once they have proven themselves, they are considered adults.

In these prides, the males spend the nights patrolling the area, protecting the pride from any threats. They mostly sleep during the day while the females hunt for food. The leader of the pride is the strongest male. When he is eventually challenged and removed from power, he usually wanders off to live alone or join with other males who have left their prides for various reasons. Sometimes prides join together to form a tribe that can defend itself against a threat larger than a single pride could handle.

Older wemics eventually slow down too much and are picked off from the pride by predators, much in the same way that a wemic might cull a herd of antelope. This is considered the natural order of things. Some older wemics, realizing that they are slowing down the pride, instead wander into the nearest humanoid community, retiring from the pride but taking up a whole new life elsewhere.

WEMIC RACIAL TRAITS

• +8 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Strong, fast, and hardy, wemics do not care much for impressing others outside their pride.

• Large: As Large creatures, wemics suffer a -1 size penalty on attack rolls and AC. They also suffer a -4 size penalty on Hide checks. However, they can use larger weapons than humans can, and their lifting and carrying limits are twice those of Medium-size characters.

• Wemic facing is 10 feet They have a reach of 5 feet.

• Wemic land speed is 40 feet.

• +4 natural armor.

• Darkvision 60 feet.

• Proficient with all simple weapons and shields.

• +8 racial bonus on Jump checks.

• Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: A wemic has 5d8 racial Hit Dice. A wemic character receives the maximum hit points for his first monstrous humanoid Hit Die and rolls his other monstrous humanoid Hit Dice normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class-level Hit Die. A wemic's racial Hit Dice also provide a +5 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4. Wemics with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack bonus and saves.

• Monstrous Humanoid Skills: A wemic's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) × 8. Class skills for these skill points are Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival. A wemic does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.

• Monstrous Humanoid Feats: A wemic's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant him 2 feats. A typical wemic chooses Alertness and Great Fortitude.

• Natural Attacks: Wemics can make 2 claw attacks, dealing 1d6 points of damage each. A wemic can attack with a one-handed weapon at his normal attack bonus, and make a claw attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).

• Automatic Languages: Sylvan, Common. Bonus Languages: By region.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

• Level Adjustment: +3. Due to his 5 racial Hit Dice, his natural attacks, and his racial skill bonus, a wemic has an effective character level of 8 plus his class levels. Thus, a 5th-level wemic barbarian would have an ECL of 13.

YUAN-TI PUREBLOODS

The yuan-ti are a race of snake people descended from an unholy crossbreeding between humans and an ancient reptilian race. They come in three distinctly different forms (purebloods, halfbloods, and abominations), and they have created two subraces of servitors as well (tainted ones and broodguards). Together, they form a horrific threat to the rest of Faerûn.

Purebloods have some serpentine characteristics, but can generally pass for human. They are the weakest of the true yuan-ti, serving as overseers and taskmasters over the yuan-ti servitors and slaves, as well as spies and assassins. Purebloods have subtle reptilian features, such as snake eyes, forked tongues, pointed teeth, patches of scaly skin, and the like. They are human-sized. Purebloods answer to the halfbloods and the abominations, even more powerful creatures whose serpentine features are too pronounced to allow them to infiltrate humanoid society without powerful magic.

All of the true yuan-ti subraces can interbreed, although most stick to their own kind. Yuan-ti lay eggs, like reptiles. The hatchlings from these eggs reach adulthood at about 12 years of age. On average, yuan-ti live to be about 80 years old, although some have been known to live over 120 years.

All yuan-ti - even the servitors - are arrogant, convinced that their race is superior to all others. They believe it is only a matter of time before their machinations allow them to take over the nations of Faerûn from within. While they are not averse to open battle and actually excel at it, they realize that they are greatly outnumbered by their chosen foes, and prefer to use more subtle means to weaken their enemies from within.

From the moment they are hatched, young yuan-ti are led to believe that the world once belonged to their ancestors, the saurians. As such, it rightly belongs to them, and it is only a matter of time before they recover it. This justifies any kind of evil they may do to the peoples of Faerûn. After all, they are not proposing to take over someone else's country. They simply want back what is rightfully theirs, and they are prepared to go to any lengths to get it.

The yuan-ti spend a great deal of time hiding in the wild, hunting for their food while they wait for their tainted ones to bring them the information they need to be able to plan an attack. For this reason, they often end up as rangers. However, they are devout worshipers of Sseth, the yuan-ti god, so there are a number of clerics within their ranks too.

Most yuan-ti become adventurers because they want to increase their own standing within their communities. Tainted ones, in particular, are often found far from any yuan-ti home, since it is their task to infiltrate humanoid society in preparation for the next attack.

The temples of Sseth (a yuan-ti aspect of Set) are the center of yuan-ti life. Each yuan-ti community has one, and bloody services involving human sacrifice are held regularly.

The yuan-ti tend to build their communities in or beneath ancient ruins. The leaders of the community - the priests of the temple - like to reinforce the connection to their ancient heritage in this way. Other times, the yuan-ti occupy caverns, sewers, or catacombs beneath human cities. This positions them closer to the societies that they wish to conquer, and it improves communication with their tainted ones. It also exposes them to greater risk should their presence be discovered, but this is a risk many yuan-ti leaders are willing to shoulder.

Abominations, the most powerful and least humanoid of the race, rule over the yuan-ti. The ruler of the community is always an abomination, often one with a human head. Halfbloods are considered the next most important because they exhibit more snakelike qualities than the purebloods. Halfbloods are captains and elite guards. The tainted ones come below the purebloods, and the broodguards come last of all. Tainted ones sometimes serve in yuan-ti communities, but they are more often sent into nearby towns and cities as agents. Broodguards get their name from their function in the yuan-ti society. They guard the yuan-ti brood chambers, in which the yuan-ti females lay and then hatch their eggs. Broodguards also look after the young, making sure they don't wander off unexpectedly.

Yuan-ti young are trained from a very early age in the use of their special abilities. The most important of these is the ability to change shape into a viper. When young yuan-ti are threatened, they invariably turn into Tiny vipers and slither away through cracks or holes in walls, escaping by going places where their attackers cannot follow. Elderly yuan-ti are respected for their wisdom, the result of long years of experience. Unlike many other evil societies, yuan-ti very rarely turn on an aging leader, instead allowing the elder to pass his final days in somnolence and quiet. When yuan-ti leave their homes, they usually arrange themselves into war, hunting, or spy parties, depending on their need.

Purebloods and tainted ones often work alone or in small groups. They sometimes form yuan-ti cells in humanoid cities, meeting in secret to discuss their findings and argue about how to best advance their racial agenda.

YUAN-TI PUREBLOOD RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. Purebloods are fast as a striking cobra, sharp as a serpent's tooth, and have the magnetism of a snake charmer.

• Medium size.

• A yuan-ti pureblood's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: A yuan-ti pureblood has 4d8 racial Hit Dice. A pureblood character receives the maximum hit points for her first monstrous humanoid Hit Die and rolls her other monstrous humanoid Hit Dice normally. She rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on her first class-level Hit Die. A pureblood's racial Hit Dice also provide a +4 base attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4. Purebloods with class levels add their class attack bonus and save bonuses to their racial attack bonus and saves.

• Monstrous Humanoid Skills: A pureblood's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant her skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier) × 7. Class skills for these skill points are Concentration, Disguise, Hide, Knowledge (any), Listen and Spot. A pureblood does not get the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from her first class level.

• Monstrous Humanoid Feats: Yuan-ti gain Alertness and Blind-Fight as bonus feats. In addition, a pureblood's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice grant her 2 feats. A typical pureblood chooses Dodge and Improved Initiative.

• Proficient with all simple weapons, scimitar, and longbow. Proficient with light armor and shields.

• +1 natural armor bonus.

• Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 4th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

  1/day - animal trance, cause fear, charm person, darkness, entangle.

• Alternate Form (Sp): All yuan-ti can assume the form of a Tiny to Large viper as a psionic ability. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell (caster level 19th), but a yuan-ti does not regain any hit points for changing form, and it can only assume viper forms. The yuan-ti loses its natural weapons (if any) and gains the natural weapon of the viper form it assumes. If the yuan-ti has a poisonous bite of its own, it uses its own or the viper's poison, whichever is more potent.

• Detect Poison (Sp): All yuan-ti have the psionic ability to detect poison as the spell (caster level 6th).

• Spell resistance equal to class levels + 14.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Yuan-Ti, home region. Bonus Languages: By region, plus Abyssal and Draconic.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

• Level Adjustment: +2. Due to her 4 racial Hit Dice plus her many powers and bonuses, a pureblood yuan-ti has an effective character level of 6 plus her class levels. Thus, a 9th-level pureblood sorcerer would have an ECL of 15.

TAINTED ONES

Tainted ones are humanoids who have been corrupted by drinking a special yuan-ti elixir. The result is a person who looks almost exactly like his normal self, but whose mind has been twisted to the yuan-ti way. They serve as yuan-ti agents and spies in humanoid lands. Tainted ones sometimes develop distinctive mannerisms such as licking their lips constantly, drawing out their sibilants when speaking, or keeping large serpents as pets.

TAINTED ONE RACIAL TRAITS

Tainted ones have the following racial traits in addition to the traits of the base creature:

• +2 Constitution. Surviving the transformation makes the tainted one stronger.

• Poison Bite: A tainted one gains a venomous bite, although he does not gain a natural attack with which to deliver it. In order to use his poison, he must make a successful grapple check against a foe, and then make a successful melee attack. Fort save (DC 10 + the tainted one's Con modifier) negates, initial and secondary damage 1d4 temporary Constitution. The poison can also be injected against an unresisting foe with a kiss.

• Poison Immunity: Immune to all forms of snake venom, including his own.

• Spell resistance 12 + 1 per two levels.

• Psionics (Sp): The tainted one can produce the following effects labeled in italics. Treat these as if cast by a sorcerer of the tainted one's level.

  Poison 1/day: Fort save (DC 13 + the tainted one's Con modifier).

  Polymorph 3/day: Into viper forms only.

• Feats: The tainted one gains Alertness as a bonus feat.

• Automatic Languages: As base race. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Yuan-Ti.

• Favored Class: By base creature.

• Level Adjustment: +2. Tainted ones are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the common races of Faerûn. Their many powers and bonuses comprise this level adjustment. A player may play a tainted one yuan-ti with class levels as a character with total levels equal to his class levels + 2.