Character Races

The world of Astora is home to a vast diversity of races from which to choose from. Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, and more can come together under the promise of adventure and glory.

Racial Traits

Every race has a series of traits the sets it apart from the rest. The following are listed as a part of each race's description.

Ability Adjustment

Every race adjusts one or more Ability Scores based on the strengths and weaknesses inherent to them. Some, such as Humans, have bonuses that vary from character to character, and so can choose which ability score to increase when the character is created.

Size

While most playable races are medium in size, this is not the case universally. Most statistics in the game are centered around medium characters, and so they have no adjustments made for size. Small or large creatures will list what attributes are modified in the form of Size Modifiers.

Speed

Speed is a representation of how fast a race is, and the number listed (typically 30 feet) tells how many feet they can move with a single move action when unencumbered.

Type

All creatures are defined by types and subtypes. Most (but not all) playable races are Humanoid in type, and their subtype is typically their specific race. Some spells or abilities may be limited on what they affect based on a creature's type.

Age

The age of a race is the standard progression from childhood to old age. When a character is considered an adult varies considerably by race, and so too does the age to which a character can expect to reach before dying of old age. More information on ages can be found in the Character Age article.

Vision

Different races have different visual capabilities. These typically fall into three categories: Normal vision, Low-Light Vision, and Darkvision.

Racial Skills

Most races have different skills at which they have a particular aptitude for. These bonuses are shown here, and are added to any relevant checks made with those skills.

Special Qualities

Any other special capabilities, aptitudes, or common training for a given race are provided here, and are standard for all characters of the chosen race.

Languages

Every race has one or more Automatic Languages that all members of it can speak by default. When a character gains additional languages from having a high Intelligence score, they can choose from amongst the list of Bonus Languages for their race or class. If they have chosen all languages from these lists, they may choose any other available language.

Playable Races

All races listed in the core races section are available to play by default. Races listed in the uncommon races section are generally available, but need to be checked with the DM to ensure they can be reasonably fit in to the campaign setting. Many of the races from Pathfinder and 3.5 are not listed here, but can still be played with DM approval. You are also encouraged to talk to the DM if you have an idea for a custom race, or wish to adapt a race from a different source.

Core Races

These are the bread and butter of most surface civilizations, and are those you would most commonly find, whether that be in a tavern or an adventuring party.

Uncommon Races

Uncommon races are not necessarily rare, but the are rarely incorporated into what could be called "civilized" life. These races are a rare sight in an adventuring party, whether because their civilizations are in distant or exotic locales, their kind doesn't typically interact (or interacts violently) with those around them, or simply because they are a rare breed of peoples.

Note on Gender/Identity

All races are equally capable regardless of gender or identity, and there are no statistical benefits or detriments related to either. There exist a select few races which possess perceived gender disparities within their societies, but such attitudes are rare and generally viewed as unsavory by the world at large.

Other Potential Races

As with most everything else, options not present on this site are generally available, but require DM approval (and possible tweaking) before using. A particularly large compendium of races can be found here: Races Compendium.