Umarth
2007-04-13, 06:05 PM
Posting this so as not to bloat the fluff assistance thread.
Here's a bunch of the fluff I already have written I'll try and divide it up into sensible bits. There's a lot so don't feel obligated to read it all in one go.
If you'd like to see a map PM me your e-mail addy and I'll send one to you and if you like the word document versions of this stuff.
Here's the Order things are posted in:
World Theme:
Allowed Core Classes
Fate Point Explanation
Species Info:
Dwarf
Fey Elf
Grey Elf
Human
Halfling
Petty-Dwarf
Yaun-ti
Age
Short History
Religion Info: (what I have anyway)
Dwarves
Humans
Western
Estoladian
Part of a story I've written in the world to give more thematic ideas.
World Themes:
Low magic high fantasy: This means that their are numerous fantastical and magical elements to the world they are not under player control or NPC control. The magic is mostly just a part of the world. So you see werewolves and elves that can slip into the spirit world but you don't see wishes, time stops, common magical items, ect.
Gritty: Bad things happen. Life isn't always pleasant and the farther down on the social ladder the worse things get. In the humans lands slavery is common.
Ambiguous Alignment: There aren’t set rights and wrongs. Your alignment is determined by what the group your most identified with thinks of your actions.
Uncertain Gods: Each race typically has its own set(s) of religious belief(s) that are frequently mutually exclusive of others beliefs. Still just because you can't prove your god(s) exists doesn't mean you shouldn't be willing to die for the cause.
Core Classes
Fighter, Barbarian, Ranger, Paladin, Rogue, Bard, Marshal and Adept (*NPC classes from DMG), Warrior, Expert, Commoner.
Fate Points: You get 1d4 at char creation and that’s it unless you spend a feat to get one.
These are your wild cards these let you go beyond the status of hero to that of legend. They allow you to do something heroic and those actions will stand out. They allow things like: Auto Hit and crit for max damage, +30 to one skill check, Survive with 1hp when you shouldn't have, and craft magic items.
Races:
Dwarf:
Dwarves are unique in the world for they are born from the world itself. Every Dwarf is carved from the mountain and is given life by the earth. They live long lives and are resistant to change and as immutable as the earth itself. The greatest kingdoms of the dwarves are high in the mountains who’s deepest halls are secrets the Dwarves reveal to no others.
Personality: Dwarves are slow to show any emotions be it friendship or hatred though they are in general untrusting of the other races. They value skill in working stone, metal, and above all else gems. They are loath to lie and see honor as more important than life. When crossed they are implacable foes and if the insult or crime against them is great enough will not stop until their foe is dead.
Physical Description: Dwarves tend to grow only to about four feet tall; though the dwarves of Belegost grow almost half a foot taller. Their weight however is normally half again as much as a human. Dwarves are fond of long and intricately braided beards they often adorn with gold and gems. Their hair can range from silver and gold to browns and red however the most common color is gray. Dwarves, along with petty-dwarves, are unique in that they are genderless. Dwarves live on average 400-500 years of age.
Relations: Dwarves are untrusting of all the other races though they truly hate only Orcs and Petty Dwarves. Long in the past Dwarves have warred with men and elves over the lust felt by those races for the dwarves handiwork. Though the humans have forgotten and the elves for the most part forgiven to the dwarves these wars are still strong reasons to distrust the other races. Of all the other races Dwarves are most likely to get along with the, Rean Elves, Western Humans, and Yaun-Ti. Both the Rean Elves and the High Humans share the dwarves love for crafts and the making of fine items. Dwarves have both taught and learned a great deal from those races though their “friendships” tend to be very cool.
Many areas know little of the Dwarves and if they have had experience with Petty-Dwarves tend to confuse the two races. This normally leads to those races having a very unkind view of Dwarves.
It is with the Yaun-Ti that the dwarves greatest allies can be found. The common threat of Orcs to both races has necessitated alliance after alliance between them. The Dwarves also find much merit in the Yaun-Ti’s honor and sense of clan. Yaun-Ti and dwarvish realms often overlap but there is normally little conflict as the Yaun-Ti’s burrows and warrens tend to be much shallower than those of the Dwarves.
Alignment: Dwarves tend strongly to both law and neutrality. It is rare to find a dwarf who has strayed more from their alignment than one step toward either chaos, good, or evil.
Dwarven Lands: The dwarves bones are carved of stone as are their homes. Deep under the mountains of the world are found the Halls of the dwarves. These halls are mysteries to the other races for all but the very topmost chambers are off limits to those not of dwarvish blood. Most trade between dwarven lands occurs at the borders where dwarves have setup small trading posts.
Dwarves need eat only ½ the normal food for a creature their size.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
+4 dodge bonus against giants.
+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
-4 racial penalty to swim checks.
Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven.
Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Undercommon, and Yaun-Ti.
Favored Class: Fighter.
They can also take up to three levels in Dwarf which gives them the following special abilities:
Skin of Stone: Once per day you can gain damage reduction x/- for a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier where x equals your con modifier.
Sense of Stone: You gain tremor sense 10’. Once per day you can extend this out to 120’ for 1 minute/5 levels.
Body of Stone: For up to a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier a day you are considered to have moderate fortification this means you have a 50% of ignoring critical hits and 50% of sneak attacks fail and are treated as normal attacks.
Heroic Strike: Spend a Fate point every hit this round is a crit.
Fey Elf
More than any other race the Fey elves hear and feel the music of Torvagus. Small and elusive the Fey Elves are closely tied to both the world of the seen and unseen. Their forest kingdom can be a perilous place if the Fey Elves take a disliking to you.
Personality: Of all the player races fey elves are probably the hardest to understand. They see everything as notes in a great song that fills and creates the world. They are also the most likely of the player races to slip into the unseen world where the unquiet dead can most commonly be found. To the Fey elves lives are minor notes in a greater them of music and they feel no real sadness for those whose notes end as they realize that in all music some notes must fall in order to make room for others.
Physical Description: Fey Elves stand between 2.5 and 3.5 feet tall and are almost always whisper thin. Their skin is as smooth as porcelain and is commonly alabaster in color with a slight silver or occasionally a golden sheen. Their hair is most commonly silver or light gold though an occasional Fey Elf is born with hair as dark as jet. Fey Elves are immortal however Fey older than an age or two are extremely rare as they tend to slip into the world of the unseen.
Relations: Relations between Fey Elves and others tend to be short, confusing, and frustrating for both sides. The Fey elves view of everything, all existence, as a who’s glory is in the whole rather than in any one note is confusing to even the other races of elves. The younger Fey elves are the most likely to interact with outsiders
-4str, +2cha,
Size small +1atk, +1AC, +4 hide, Weapon restrictions, ¾ carrying limit
Move 20ft
Low light vision
Immunity to sleep spells +2vs Enchantment
Fey Elves with a 13 or higher cha can cast the following 1/day Fairies Fire and Ghost Sound 3rd level caster.
Fey Elves with a 16 or higher cha can cast the following 1/day Sleep and Invisibility, self only, as a 5th level caster.
Favored class Bard
Fey Elves can take 3 levels in Fey elf which gives them the following abilities:
Song of Hiding: A number of times per day equal to the Fey Elfs charisma modifier they may turn invisible with a successful, DC 10, perform singing check. They remain invisible as long as they keep singing and make a check successful perform singing check one a minute with a DC of 10+1/minute they have been invisible. A fey elf must sing at least as loud as a normal speaking level when using this ability.
Song of Death: Once per day per 5 levels a Fey Elf may make a perform singing check, DC 10, and her spirit leaves her body. This check takes 10 minutes to make. The spirit should be considered an ethereal creature. The Fey Elf’s body is completely comatose and the Fey Elf can not feel anything that affects the body while her spirit is away from it. The Fey Elf’s body is immune to any effect that require a will save but automatically fails any fortitude or reflex saves. In order to renter her body a Fey Elf must make a perform singing check with a DC equal to 10 +1/10 minutes spent ethereal. The song to reenter ones body takes 10 minutes to sing so a Fey Elf may only try once per 10 minutes. If the DC for the check is higher than 20+ the Fey Elf’s skill ranks in Perform Singing they Fey Elf’s body dies and they are trapped forever within the spirit realm.
Song of Crossing: Once per day per 5 levels a Fey Elf may make a perform singing check, DC 20, and she physically enters the spirit realm. This check takes 1 hour to make. The Fey Elf should now be considered an ethereal creature. In order to renter the normal world a Fey Elf must make a perform singing check with a DC equal to 20 +2/hour spent ethereal. The song to reenter the material world takes one hour to sing so a Fey Elf may only try once per hour. If the DC for the check is higher than 20+ the Fey Elf’s skill ranks in Perform Singing they Fey Elf is trapped forever within the spirit realm.
Grey Elf:
Grey Elves share a natural bond with nature that few of the other sentient races can truly appreciate. Grey Elves typically spend much of there lives wondering through the ancient forest of there homeland. The few Grey Elf cities that do exist are typically built down into the ground so that the buildings do not disturb the wildness of the location.
Personality:
Physical Description: Grey Elves are shaped much like humans though normally several inches taller and thinner. There skin and hair tends toward the colors found in there forest homes with varying shades of brown and red being the most common. Grey Elves love to ornament there bodies in ways that are both pleasing to the eye and blend in with natural surrounds. As such most Grey Elves bear a number of tattoos across there bodies. These are normally motifs inspired by an animal or location the Grey Elf feels a certain connection to.
Relations: Grey Elves are typically little interested in dealing with any of the non elven races though they do appreciate the reverence for the native world that the Estoladians have and a few men with the skill and desire have managed to live amongst the Grey Elves. Perhaps the biggest thing that holds Grey Elves back from a closer relation ship with another race, other than Rean Elves, is death. Grey Elves being immortal tend to group together everything into mortal or immortal categories and defiantly judge mortal creatures to be less valuable. Of the immortal creatures Grey Elves consider themselves to be of one race with the Rean Elves who where once Grey Elves long ago. They view the spirits that inhabit the Narrowlands as fellow immortals and thus equals but pay them no special reverence.
Alignment: Grey Elves are independent and while not necessarily good do not take pleasure in causing suffering amongst each other or the mortal inhabitants of the world.
Grey-Elven Lands:
Names:
Grey-Elven Traits:
+2dex, -2con
Move 30ft
Medium Size
Low light vision
Proficient with short bow and composite short bow
+2 listen, search, spot, wilderness lore in the wild
Animal Friendship 1/week. Caster level is equal to ½ character level. Animals gained with this ability do not count against the animals gained from the spell Animal friendship.
Animal Messenger 1/week. Caster level is equal to ½ the characters level.
Favored class Ranger
Humans: There are three races of human so this blurb is important:
Human Genealogy: When creating a human character it is important to understand what racial make-up your character has. Each human character has 3 “chits” to represent her heritage. Each chit is filled in with a W, E, or S to represent how much Western, Eastern, or Selk’nam background your character has. The format to display this information is:
Species: Human _ _ _ with each blank containing a W, E, or S.
Kingdoms of the West: W, W, W
Estolad: W, W, E or W, E, E
Easterners: E, E, E or E, E, W or E, E, S (southern areas only)
Selk’nam: S, S, S
Humans
By far the most populous race humans rule the majority of the Narrowlands. Though all of a single race they are a fractious group and spend much of their time warring against each other. There are three different human races.
Personality: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Description: Humans can very widely from one another though each of the races has a distinct look.
Westerners: Western men are descendents of humans who arrived in one of two emigrations to the Narrowlands. The first emigration resulted in the eventual overthrow of the Yaun-ti empire and the establishment of the Estoladian empire. The second wave of emigration resulted in the “Kingdoms of the West”. Westerners are the tallest of the races of men and tend to have dark reddish brown skin, dark hair and eyes.
Easterners: Easterners are natives of the Narrowlands and are moderately tall. They typically have brown hair and eyes and their skin ranges from red almost as dark as that of Westerners to nearly as fair as that of the Selk’nam. Easterners are considered to be the strongest of the races of humans.
Selk'nam: Southerners tend to be short, stocky and fair of skin. Their eyes also tend to be of lighter colors with blues and grays being the most common. Due to the cold nature of their homeland many Southerners have substantially more hair over their entire bodies than Western or Eastern men. Southerners hair is typically blond or light brown and grows in very tight short curls. Due to their appearance many believe that at some point in the past Southerners cross-bred with Dwarves.
Relations: Human relations with the other races of the Narrowlands very dramatically depending on which group of humans you’re dealing with. In general though humans typically see the other races as manifestations of what ever religious beliefs they have.
Alignment: Humans while having a great deal of variation in their alignments they tend toward both good and law though numerous exceptions on both an individual and societal level exist.
Human Lands: Human lands are distinct based on which race lives there:
Kingdoms of the West (Western): The Kingdoms of the West are Feudal societies ruled by powerful nobles who are ruled by a central king.
Estolad (Western): Estolad is an Empire with a strong central authority and offices, other than Emperor, normally granted based on merit.
Eastern Lands: Easterners are found through out the Empire of Estolad and to a lesser extent the Kingdoms of the West. They are most common in the hills of Rhudower and the lower slopes of the Dwarven Mountains these populations are theoretically ruled by Estolad. In any area where Easterners are common they tend to form tribal societies. Each tribe has a specific spirit bear that they believe guide and guard it.
Selk’nam: The Selk’nam are inhabitants of the frigid southern lands beyond the Aer Lina. There they live primarily in the great marshes formed by numerous hot springs that bubble up from under the frozen earth. The land away from the hot springs is a wide tundra covered in snow most of the year.
Names: Names for humans are taken from real world languages. Note that while the names follow real world languages the actual cultures of the Narrowlands are only very loosely based on cultures that spoke the languages.
Kingdoms of the West: The Kingdoms of the West use Persian or Arabic names.
Estolad: Names for Estoladians are typically Byzantine.
Easterners: Easterners names are typically Celtic.
Selk’nam: Names for the Selk’nam peoples should be based on South American Indian names especially from the Chon or Mapuche language families.
Human Traits:
Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Human base land speed is 30 feet.
1 extra feat at 1st level.
Humans gain 2 extra fate points in character creation.
4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
Again each race of Human can take as many racial levels as they have "chits" in that race. Here's what each race gets:
Western: 1st level (Skill Focus (any), Long Life (extra 4d4 years) / 2nd level +1 fate point, Skill Focus (any), Long Life / 3rd lvl Sharp Eyed (You gain low light vision, +4 to sense motive, and either +4 to intimidate or diplomacy.), +2 Wis, Long Life
Eastern: 1st Improved Grapple / 2nd lvl +2 Str / 3rd Bear's Ferocity (Each round you may subtract a number of points from your AC and add them to your Atk role. You may not remove more points from your AC than your strength modifier.)
Selk'nam: 1st Winters Child (bonus feat) / 2nd Weapon Focus, Great Fortitude / 3rd +2 Con, Heroic Effort (1 extra move action a day)
Petty-Dwarf:
Viewed by true Dwarves as abominations fit only for destruction and by most others as dishonest, sneaky, cheats Petty-Dwarves don’t initially look like they have a lot going for them. That is until you consider the fact that they are about as hard to kill as a cockroach.
Personality: Petty-Dwarves are in general touchy, inconsiderate, annoying, and rude. The primary concern of almost every Petty-Dwarf is survival pure and simple. They are not ashamed of any begging, pleading, or betrayals that keep them alive for one day longer.
Physical Description: In many ways Petty-Dwarves appear as a poor imitation of the true dwarves. They are in general 6-12 inches shorter than true Dwarves though normally even stockier. Most Petty-Dwarves where there beards significantly shorter than true Dwarves and both their beard and hair tends to be disheveled no mater how much time they spend on it.
Relations: Petty-Dwarves have never been common in the world and so most races as a whole don’t have an opinion about them. The one exception is Dwarves. Dwarves and Petty-Dwarves have a deep abiding hatred of each other and will never be found in each others company. In almost all cases of Dwarves learning of the location of a Petty-Dwarf the Dwarf will make hunting it down and killing it a top priority. If a Petty-Dwarf learns of Dwarves near by they will kill them if possible and flee if they think the Dwarf is likely to have the upper hand. In areas where Dwarves are more common and respected Petty-Dwarves are generally outlawed though not necessarily hunted down with any enthusiasm. In areas where Dwarves aren’t common it’s unlikely the general population is sufficiently well informed about either race to know the difference.
Alignment: Petty-Dwarves tend to lead mean and chaotic lives so they lean heavily toward chaos and evil. Considering the requirements to sustain their existence any Petty-Dwarf more than 100-150 years old is extremely unlikely to be good.
Petty-Dwarf Lands: Petty-Dwarves are few in number and secretive so they have few areas they openly claim as there own. It is much more common for Petty-Dwarves to live as small clans hiding in underground halls on the outskirts of other races civilizations.
Names: Petty-Dwarves are very secretive of their language and names. They typically adopt use names that are common to what ever race or region they are around.
Petty-Dwarf Traits:
+2con, -2wis, -4cha
Improved Toughness (Bonus Feat +1hp/lvl)
As Small sized creatures Petty-Dwarves gain +1 attack, +1AC, +4 Hide, Weapon restrictions.
Cary loads as medium creature
Petty-Dwarves have a base movement of 20ft
Darkvision: Petty-Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Petty-Dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
Petty-Dwarves need eat only ½ the food for a creature their size.
+2vs poison
+2vs spells and spell like effects
+2vs enchantment/compulsion effects
+1 to all saves
+1 racial bonus to appraisal and craft checks with metal or stone.
+2 move silently
Favored Class Rogue
Petty Dwarf levels get you:
False Death: when you are hit you may drop to the ground and pretend to be dead. Unless your opponent succeeds in an opposed bluff roll (heal or sense motive vs bluff) they believe you have died.
Life’s Blood: Petty-Dwarves are immune to any ability that causes HP loss over time due to blood loss and automatically make any stabilization checks.
Cling to Life: When a petty-dwarf would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the petty-dwarf can attempt to shrug off some of the damage. She makes a fortitude saving throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if successful, takes only half damage from the blow.
Yaun-ti:
One important call out here is that Yaun-ti are all females except for one of imense power who shattered thier empire in the past and now rules a forest of monsters. Since that time no Yaun-ti have chosen to have male off-spring and where any to have a male off-spring it would be killed. The male Yaun-ti are much much larger (huge size).
The Yaun-ti are an enigma to most of the other sentient races in the Narrow Lands. Though they appear, at least initially, as nearly human their long lives, reptilian heritage, and fascination with the creation of strange elixirs and brews give Yaun-ti an outlook on life that separates them drastically from the other races.
Personality: Yaun-ti believe, deeply, that they are superior to the other races in nearly every way. The Yaun-ti see themselves as holders of secret knowledge and of a history that stretches back into the dim depths of time before all others races besides they fey elves. It is only in the Dwarves that some of the Yaun-ti find companions that they consider equal to themselves.
Physical Description: The Yaun-ti have three distinct phases to their growth. As Purebloods they look almost identical to human females though their skin tends to be free of any blemishes besides a few very small patches of scales. (Normally these are found at the base of the neck or lower back) Once they under go the rights to become a HalfBlood the Yaun-ti change drastically. Either the Yaun-ti’s head or legs become those of a snake and they develop more prominent scales across their bodies. The transformation completes when the Yaun-ti undergo a final ritual to become Abominations and they develop into large serpents with human arms.
Relations: There are two major factions of Yaun-ti with very different outlooks on the other races. The necromancers of Dorengaur look upon all other races as slaves and fodder for their cruel experiments. They ally with other races only long enough to gain some advantage they can use against their one time allies. The Yaun-ti of the Elphel Erad are much more willing to treat with other races however they have a deep suspicion of Western Men, especially those of Estolad. The Dwarves and mountain Yaun-ti are staunch allies and have fought and lived together for centuries. It is because of the calming influence of the Dwarves that these Yaun-ti have begun to see the other races as more than just slaves or fodder.
Yaun-ti Lands: The two lands of the Yaun-ti are Dorengaur and the Ephel Erad mountains. Dorengaur is a dark wood filled with foul creations of the Yaun-ti who have blighted that forest. The Yaun-ti of the Ephel Erad are friends of the Dwarves and indeed many of their houses and cities have been built by the Dwarves. This has resulted in a style of construction that has a very dwarvish look to it though everything is sized for larger creatures than dwarves and none of the delvings go as deep.
Yaun-ti traits:
+2cha, -2str
Move 30ft
Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, Yaun-ti have, no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Low light vision
Exclusively female.
Master Alchemists: +4 Racial bonus on Alchemy checks. Alchemy is always a class skill.
Poisonous kiss: A Yaun-ti may choose to poison someone it is kissing. The Fort save has a base DC of 12+con modifier. Vicitim’s that fail their save suffer 1d2 points of wisdom damage. After 1 minute they must make a second save; failure results in unconsciousness for 30 minutes. A Yaun-ti may also extract there venom and place it in someone’s food or drink but this lowers the save DC by 4.
Fascinating Gaze: As a standard action a Yaun-ti who maintains eye contact with a target may make a bluff roll opposed by their targets sense motive roll. If the Yaun-ti succeeds the target is considered dazed and unable to take actions for as long as the Yaun-ti maintains the eye contact. In order to maintain eye contact the Yaun-ti must have line of sight to the target and spend a standard action each round maintaining the contact. A target who is in combat or has been attacked by the Yaun-ti within the last 24 hours receives a +10 bonus to their sense motive roll. The subject of the Yaun-ti’s gaze is immediately freed if it takes damage from any source. The subject must make a will save with a DC equal to 10+the difference in the opposed bluff/sense motive roll to remember anything that occurred in the time they where under the effects of Fascinating Gaze.
Yaun Ti levels get you:
Half Blood: When a Yaun-ti undergoes the rituals to become a Half-blood they change from a nearly human form to one with obvious reptilian scales and either there head or legs become similar to those of a snake. Those who develop a snakes head gain the ability to bite as a secondary natural attack that inflicts 1d4 points of strength and can inject poison (Sv DC 10+con mod d4/d4 dex) as well as Darkvision. Those that develop a snake’s tail gain the ability to constrict a creature of it’s own size or smaller (1d6 + str damage) and a swim speed of 20 ft. In addition the Yaun-ti gains a natural armor rating of 2.
Poison Immunity: The Yaun-ti becomes immune to all non-magical poisons and toxins. Magical poisons and toxins still affect the Yaun-ti but they gain a +10 to their save.
Abomination: A Yaun-ti that has progressed to the rank of Abomination changes and becomes a large snake like creature with humanoid arms. An Abomination has a number of new abilities.
Full snake form: The full snake form gives a Yaun-ti access to the abilities of both the snake headed and tailed half-bloods.
Hissing Fear: All non Yaun-ti must make a will save DC 15+cha mod or become shaken
Improved Grab: The Yaun-ti gains improved grab with it’s bite attack.
Size increase: The Yaun-ti becomes large and gains +4str.
Age:
And finally here's how the races age and die:
Dwarves: Every 90 + 1d20 years dwarves suffer -2 to their dexterity and gain +1 natural armor. When a Dwarf’s dexterity reaches due to ageing 0 it turns to stone. After 100 + 3d100 the Dwarf remerges from stone but with no memories of his past life.
Fey Elf: Every 250 years DC to enter spirit world decreased by two and to exit spirit world increased by 2.
Grey Elf: Grey Elves are immortal and do not age.
Human: Per PHB
Halfling: Per PHB
Petty-Dwarf: Once every 5d10 years a Petty-Dwarf must imbibe a specially prepared potion created from the heart of a true Dwarf. Petty-Dwarves that fail to do this suffer a permanent -2 penalty to there dexterity. When their dexterity reaches 0 they turn to stone. Petty-Dwarves who turn to stone this way are forever dead and can in no way be brought back to life. A second application of the alchemical mixture used to create Petty-Dwarves does bring the stone back to life but it is inhabited by a wholly new spirit.
Yaun-ti:
Here's a bunch of the fluff I already have written I'll try and divide it up into sensible bits. There's a lot so don't feel obligated to read it all in one go.
If you'd like to see a map PM me your e-mail addy and I'll send one to you and if you like the word document versions of this stuff.
Here's the Order things are posted in:
World Theme:
Allowed Core Classes
Fate Point Explanation
Species Info:
Dwarf
Fey Elf
Grey Elf
Human
Halfling
Petty-Dwarf
Yaun-ti
Age
Short History
Religion Info: (what I have anyway)
Dwarves
Humans
Western
Estoladian
Part of a story I've written in the world to give more thematic ideas.
World Themes:
Low magic high fantasy: This means that their are numerous fantastical and magical elements to the world they are not under player control or NPC control. The magic is mostly just a part of the world. So you see werewolves and elves that can slip into the spirit world but you don't see wishes, time stops, common magical items, ect.
Gritty: Bad things happen. Life isn't always pleasant and the farther down on the social ladder the worse things get. In the humans lands slavery is common.
Ambiguous Alignment: There aren’t set rights and wrongs. Your alignment is determined by what the group your most identified with thinks of your actions.
Uncertain Gods: Each race typically has its own set(s) of religious belief(s) that are frequently mutually exclusive of others beliefs. Still just because you can't prove your god(s) exists doesn't mean you shouldn't be willing to die for the cause.
Core Classes
Fighter, Barbarian, Ranger, Paladin, Rogue, Bard, Marshal and Adept (*NPC classes from DMG), Warrior, Expert, Commoner.
Fate Points: You get 1d4 at char creation and that’s it unless you spend a feat to get one.
These are your wild cards these let you go beyond the status of hero to that of legend. They allow you to do something heroic and those actions will stand out. They allow things like: Auto Hit and crit for max damage, +30 to one skill check, Survive with 1hp when you shouldn't have, and craft magic items.
Races:
Dwarf:
Dwarves are unique in the world for they are born from the world itself. Every Dwarf is carved from the mountain and is given life by the earth. They live long lives and are resistant to change and as immutable as the earth itself. The greatest kingdoms of the dwarves are high in the mountains who’s deepest halls are secrets the Dwarves reveal to no others.
Personality: Dwarves are slow to show any emotions be it friendship or hatred though they are in general untrusting of the other races. They value skill in working stone, metal, and above all else gems. They are loath to lie and see honor as more important than life. When crossed they are implacable foes and if the insult or crime against them is great enough will not stop until their foe is dead.
Physical Description: Dwarves tend to grow only to about four feet tall; though the dwarves of Belegost grow almost half a foot taller. Their weight however is normally half again as much as a human. Dwarves are fond of long and intricately braided beards they often adorn with gold and gems. Their hair can range from silver and gold to browns and red however the most common color is gray. Dwarves, along with petty-dwarves, are unique in that they are genderless. Dwarves live on average 400-500 years of age.
Relations: Dwarves are untrusting of all the other races though they truly hate only Orcs and Petty Dwarves. Long in the past Dwarves have warred with men and elves over the lust felt by those races for the dwarves handiwork. Though the humans have forgotten and the elves for the most part forgiven to the dwarves these wars are still strong reasons to distrust the other races. Of all the other races Dwarves are most likely to get along with the, Rean Elves, Western Humans, and Yaun-Ti. Both the Rean Elves and the High Humans share the dwarves love for crafts and the making of fine items. Dwarves have both taught and learned a great deal from those races though their “friendships” tend to be very cool.
Many areas know little of the Dwarves and if they have had experience with Petty-Dwarves tend to confuse the two races. This normally leads to those races having a very unkind view of Dwarves.
It is with the Yaun-Ti that the dwarves greatest allies can be found. The common threat of Orcs to both races has necessitated alliance after alliance between them. The Dwarves also find much merit in the Yaun-Ti’s honor and sense of clan. Yaun-Ti and dwarvish realms often overlap but there is normally little conflict as the Yaun-Ti’s burrows and warrens tend to be much shallower than those of the Dwarves.
Alignment: Dwarves tend strongly to both law and neutrality. It is rare to find a dwarf who has strayed more from their alignment than one step toward either chaos, good, or evil.
Dwarven Lands: The dwarves bones are carved of stone as are their homes. Deep under the mountains of the world are found the Halls of the dwarves. These halls are mysteries to the other races for all but the very topmost chambers are off limits to those not of dwarvish blood. Most trade between dwarven lands occurs at the borders where dwarves have setup small trading posts.
Dwarves need eat only ½ the normal food for a creature their size.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
+4 dodge bonus against giants.
+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
-4 racial penalty to swim checks.
Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven.
Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Undercommon, and Yaun-Ti.
Favored Class: Fighter.
They can also take up to three levels in Dwarf which gives them the following special abilities:
Skin of Stone: Once per day you can gain damage reduction x/- for a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier where x equals your con modifier.
Sense of Stone: You gain tremor sense 10’. Once per day you can extend this out to 120’ for 1 minute/5 levels.
Body of Stone: For up to a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier a day you are considered to have moderate fortification this means you have a 50% of ignoring critical hits and 50% of sneak attacks fail and are treated as normal attacks.
Heroic Strike: Spend a Fate point every hit this round is a crit.
Fey Elf
More than any other race the Fey elves hear and feel the music of Torvagus. Small and elusive the Fey Elves are closely tied to both the world of the seen and unseen. Their forest kingdom can be a perilous place if the Fey Elves take a disliking to you.
Personality: Of all the player races fey elves are probably the hardest to understand. They see everything as notes in a great song that fills and creates the world. They are also the most likely of the player races to slip into the unseen world where the unquiet dead can most commonly be found. To the Fey elves lives are minor notes in a greater them of music and they feel no real sadness for those whose notes end as they realize that in all music some notes must fall in order to make room for others.
Physical Description: Fey Elves stand between 2.5 and 3.5 feet tall and are almost always whisper thin. Their skin is as smooth as porcelain and is commonly alabaster in color with a slight silver or occasionally a golden sheen. Their hair is most commonly silver or light gold though an occasional Fey Elf is born with hair as dark as jet. Fey Elves are immortal however Fey older than an age or two are extremely rare as they tend to slip into the world of the unseen.
Relations: Relations between Fey Elves and others tend to be short, confusing, and frustrating for both sides. The Fey elves view of everything, all existence, as a who’s glory is in the whole rather than in any one note is confusing to even the other races of elves. The younger Fey elves are the most likely to interact with outsiders
-4str, +2cha,
Size small +1atk, +1AC, +4 hide, Weapon restrictions, ¾ carrying limit
Move 20ft
Low light vision
Immunity to sleep spells +2vs Enchantment
Fey Elves with a 13 or higher cha can cast the following 1/day Fairies Fire and Ghost Sound 3rd level caster.
Fey Elves with a 16 or higher cha can cast the following 1/day Sleep and Invisibility, self only, as a 5th level caster.
Favored class Bard
Fey Elves can take 3 levels in Fey elf which gives them the following abilities:
Song of Hiding: A number of times per day equal to the Fey Elfs charisma modifier they may turn invisible with a successful, DC 10, perform singing check. They remain invisible as long as they keep singing and make a check successful perform singing check one a minute with a DC of 10+1/minute they have been invisible. A fey elf must sing at least as loud as a normal speaking level when using this ability.
Song of Death: Once per day per 5 levels a Fey Elf may make a perform singing check, DC 10, and her spirit leaves her body. This check takes 10 minutes to make. The spirit should be considered an ethereal creature. The Fey Elf’s body is completely comatose and the Fey Elf can not feel anything that affects the body while her spirit is away from it. The Fey Elf’s body is immune to any effect that require a will save but automatically fails any fortitude or reflex saves. In order to renter her body a Fey Elf must make a perform singing check with a DC equal to 10 +1/10 minutes spent ethereal. The song to reenter ones body takes 10 minutes to sing so a Fey Elf may only try once per 10 minutes. If the DC for the check is higher than 20+ the Fey Elf’s skill ranks in Perform Singing they Fey Elf’s body dies and they are trapped forever within the spirit realm.
Song of Crossing: Once per day per 5 levels a Fey Elf may make a perform singing check, DC 20, and she physically enters the spirit realm. This check takes 1 hour to make. The Fey Elf should now be considered an ethereal creature. In order to renter the normal world a Fey Elf must make a perform singing check with a DC equal to 20 +2/hour spent ethereal. The song to reenter the material world takes one hour to sing so a Fey Elf may only try once per hour. If the DC for the check is higher than 20+ the Fey Elf’s skill ranks in Perform Singing they Fey Elf is trapped forever within the spirit realm.
Grey Elf:
Grey Elves share a natural bond with nature that few of the other sentient races can truly appreciate. Grey Elves typically spend much of there lives wondering through the ancient forest of there homeland. The few Grey Elf cities that do exist are typically built down into the ground so that the buildings do not disturb the wildness of the location.
Personality:
Physical Description: Grey Elves are shaped much like humans though normally several inches taller and thinner. There skin and hair tends toward the colors found in there forest homes with varying shades of brown and red being the most common. Grey Elves love to ornament there bodies in ways that are both pleasing to the eye and blend in with natural surrounds. As such most Grey Elves bear a number of tattoos across there bodies. These are normally motifs inspired by an animal or location the Grey Elf feels a certain connection to.
Relations: Grey Elves are typically little interested in dealing with any of the non elven races though they do appreciate the reverence for the native world that the Estoladians have and a few men with the skill and desire have managed to live amongst the Grey Elves. Perhaps the biggest thing that holds Grey Elves back from a closer relation ship with another race, other than Rean Elves, is death. Grey Elves being immortal tend to group together everything into mortal or immortal categories and defiantly judge mortal creatures to be less valuable. Of the immortal creatures Grey Elves consider themselves to be of one race with the Rean Elves who where once Grey Elves long ago. They view the spirits that inhabit the Narrowlands as fellow immortals and thus equals but pay them no special reverence.
Alignment: Grey Elves are independent and while not necessarily good do not take pleasure in causing suffering amongst each other or the mortal inhabitants of the world.
Grey-Elven Lands:
Names:
Grey-Elven Traits:
+2dex, -2con
Move 30ft
Medium Size
Low light vision
Proficient with short bow and composite short bow
+2 listen, search, spot, wilderness lore in the wild
Animal Friendship 1/week. Caster level is equal to ½ character level. Animals gained with this ability do not count against the animals gained from the spell Animal friendship.
Animal Messenger 1/week. Caster level is equal to ½ the characters level.
Favored class Ranger
Humans: There are three races of human so this blurb is important:
Human Genealogy: When creating a human character it is important to understand what racial make-up your character has. Each human character has 3 “chits” to represent her heritage. Each chit is filled in with a W, E, or S to represent how much Western, Eastern, or Selk’nam background your character has. The format to display this information is:
Species: Human _ _ _ with each blank containing a W, E, or S.
Kingdoms of the West: W, W, W
Estolad: W, W, E or W, E, E
Easterners: E, E, E or E, E, W or E, E, S (southern areas only)
Selk’nam: S, S, S
Humans
By far the most populous race humans rule the majority of the Narrowlands. Though all of a single race they are a fractious group and spend much of their time warring against each other. There are three different human races.
Personality: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Description: Humans can very widely from one another though each of the races has a distinct look.
Westerners: Western men are descendents of humans who arrived in one of two emigrations to the Narrowlands. The first emigration resulted in the eventual overthrow of the Yaun-ti empire and the establishment of the Estoladian empire. The second wave of emigration resulted in the “Kingdoms of the West”. Westerners are the tallest of the races of men and tend to have dark reddish brown skin, dark hair and eyes.
Easterners: Easterners are natives of the Narrowlands and are moderately tall. They typically have brown hair and eyes and their skin ranges from red almost as dark as that of Westerners to nearly as fair as that of the Selk’nam. Easterners are considered to be the strongest of the races of humans.
Selk'nam: Southerners tend to be short, stocky and fair of skin. Their eyes also tend to be of lighter colors with blues and grays being the most common. Due to the cold nature of their homeland many Southerners have substantially more hair over their entire bodies than Western or Eastern men. Southerners hair is typically blond or light brown and grows in very tight short curls. Due to their appearance many believe that at some point in the past Southerners cross-bred with Dwarves.
Relations: Human relations with the other races of the Narrowlands very dramatically depending on which group of humans you’re dealing with. In general though humans typically see the other races as manifestations of what ever religious beliefs they have.
Alignment: Humans while having a great deal of variation in their alignments they tend toward both good and law though numerous exceptions on both an individual and societal level exist.
Human Lands: Human lands are distinct based on which race lives there:
Kingdoms of the West (Western): The Kingdoms of the West are Feudal societies ruled by powerful nobles who are ruled by a central king.
Estolad (Western): Estolad is an Empire with a strong central authority and offices, other than Emperor, normally granted based on merit.
Eastern Lands: Easterners are found through out the Empire of Estolad and to a lesser extent the Kingdoms of the West. They are most common in the hills of Rhudower and the lower slopes of the Dwarven Mountains these populations are theoretically ruled by Estolad. In any area where Easterners are common they tend to form tribal societies. Each tribe has a specific spirit bear that they believe guide and guard it.
Selk’nam: The Selk’nam are inhabitants of the frigid southern lands beyond the Aer Lina. There they live primarily in the great marshes formed by numerous hot springs that bubble up from under the frozen earth. The land away from the hot springs is a wide tundra covered in snow most of the year.
Names: Names for humans are taken from real world languages. Note that while the names follow real world languages the actual cultures of the Narrowlands are only very loosely based on cultures that spoke the languages.
Kingdoms of the West: The Kingdoms of the West use Persian or Arabic names.
Estolad: Names for Estoladians are typically Byzantine.
Easterners: Easterners names are typically Celtic.
Selk’nam: Names for the Selk’nam peoples should be based on South American Indian names especially from the Chon or Mapuche language families.
Human Traits:
Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Human base land speed is 30 feet.
1 extra feat at 1st level.
Humans gain 2 extra fate points in character creation.
4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
Again each race of Human can take as many racial levels as they have "chits" in that race. Here's what each race gets:
Western: 1st level (Skill Focus (any), Long Life (extra 4d4 years) / 2nd level +1 fate point, Skill Focus (any), Long Life / 3rd lvl Sharp Eyed (You gain low light vision, +4 to sense motive, and either +4 to intimidate or diplomacy.), +2 Wis, Long Life
Eastern: 1st Improved Grapple / 2nd lvl +2 Str / 3rd Bear's Ferocity (Each round you may subtract a number of points from your AC and add them to your Atk role. You may not remove more points from your AC than your strength modifier.)
Selk'nam: 1st Winters Child (bonus feat) / 2nd Weapon Focus, Great Fortitude / 3rd +2 Con, Heroic Effort (1 extra move action a day)
Petty-Dwarf:
Viewed by true Dwarves as abominations fit only for destruction and by most others as dishonest, sneaky, cheats Petty-Dwarves don’t initially look like they have a lot going for them. That is until you consider the fact that they are about as hard to kill as a cockroach.
Personality: Petty-Dwarves are in general touchy, inconsiderate, annoying, and rude. The primary concern of almost every Petty-Dwarf is survival pure and simple. They are not ashamed of any begging, pleading, or betrayals that keep them alive for one day longer.
Physical Description: In many ways Petty-Dwarves appear as a poor imitation of the true dwarves. They are in general 6-12 inches shorter than true Dwarves though normally even stockier. Most Petty-Dwarves where there beards significantly shorter than true Dwarves and both their beard and hair tends to be disheveled no mater how much time they spend on it.
Relations: Petty-Dwarves have never been common in the world and so most races as a whole don’t have an opinion about them. The one exception is Dwarves. Dwarves and Petty-Dwarves have a deep abiding hatred of each other and will never be found in each others company. In almost all cases of Dwarves learning of the location of a Petty-Dwarf the Dwarf will make hunting it down and killing it a top priority. If a Petty-Dwarf learns of Dwarves near by they will kill them if possible and flee if they think the Dwarf is likely to have the upper hand. In areas where Dwarves are more common and respected Petty-Dwarves are generally outlawed though not necessarily hunted down with any enthusiasm. In areas where Dwarves aren’t common it’s unlikely the general population is sufficiently well informed about either race to know the difference.
Alignment: Petty-Dwarves tend to lead mean and chaotic lives so they lean heavily toward chaos and evil. Considering the requirements to sustain their existence any Petty-Dwarf more than 100-150 years old is extremely unlikely to be good.
Petty-Dwarf Lands: Petty-Dwarves are few in number and secretive so they have few areas they openly claim as there own. It is much more common for Petty-Dwarves to live as small clans hiding in underground halls on the outskirts of other races civilizations.
Names: Petty-Dwarves are very secretive of their language and names. They typically adopt use names that are common to what ever race or region they are around.
Petty-Dwarf Traits:
+2con, -2wis, -4cha
Improved Toughness (Bonus Feat +1hp/lvl)
As Small sized creatures Petty-Dwarves gain +1 attack, +1AC, +4 Hide, Weapon restrictions.
Cary loads as medium creature
Petty-Dwarves have a base movement of 20ft
Darkvision: Petty-Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Petty-Dwarves can function just fine with no light at all.
Petty-Dwarves need eat only ½ the food for a creature their size.
+2vs poison
+2vs spells and spell like effects
+2vs enchantment/compulsion effects
+1 to all saves
+1 racial bonus to appraisal and craft checks with metal or stone.
+2 move silently
Favored Class Rogue
Petty Dwarf levels get you:
False Death: when you are hit you may drop to the ground and pretend to be dead. Unless your opponent succeeds in an opposed bluff roll (heal or sense motive vs bluff) they believe you have died.
Life’s Blood: Petty-Dwarves are immune to any ability that causes HP loss over time due to blood loss and automatically make any stabilization checks.
Cling to Life: When a petty-dwarf would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the petty-dwarf can attempt to shrug off some of the damage. She makes a fortitude saving throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if successful, takes only half damage from the blow.
Yaun-ti:
One important call out here is that Yaun-ti are all females except for one of imense power who shattered thier empire in the past and now rules a forest of monsters. Since that time no Yaun-ti have chosen to have male off-spring and where any to have a male off-spring it would be killed. The male Yaun-ti are much much larger (huge size).
The Yaun-ti are an enigma to most of the other sentient races in the Narrow Lands. Though they appear, at least initially, as nearly human their long lives, reptilian heritage, and fascination with the creation of strange elixirs and brews give Yaun-ti an outlook on life that separates them drastically from the other races.
Personality: Yaun-ti believe, deeply, that they are superior to the other races in nearly every way. The Yaun-ti see themselves as holders of secret knowledge and of a history that stretches back into the dim depths of time before all others races besides they fey elves. It is only in the Dwarves that some of the Yaun-ti find companions that they consider equal to themselves.
Physical Description: The Yaun-ti have three distinct phases to their growth. As Purebloods they look almost identical to human females though their skin tends to be free of any blemishes besides a few very small patches of scales. (Normally these are found at the base of the neck or lower back) Once they under go the rights to become a HalfBlood the Yaun-ti change drastically. Either the Yaun-ti’s head or legs become those of a snake and they develop more prominent scales across their bodies. The transformation completes when the Yaun-ti undergo a final ritual to become Abominations and they develop into large serpents with human arms.
Relations: There are two major factions of Yaun-ti with very different outlooks on the other races. The necromancers of Dorengaur look upon all other races as slaves and fodder for their cruel experiments. They ally with other races only long enough to gain some advantage they can use against their one time allies. The Yaun-ti of the Elphel Erad are much more willing to treat with other races however they have a deep suspicion of Western Men, especially those of Estolad. The Dwarves and mountain Yaun-ti are staunch allies and have fought and lived together for centuries. It is because of the calming influence of the Dwarves that these Yaun-ti have begun to see the other races as more than just slaves or fodder.
Yaun-ti Lands: The two lands of the Yaun-ti are Dorengaur and the Ephel Erad mountains. Dorengaur is a dark wood filled with foul creations of the Yaun-ti who have blighted that forest. The Yaun-ti of the Ephel Erad are friends of the Dwarves and indeed many of their houses and cities have been built by the Dwarves. This has resulted in a style of construction that has a very dwarvish look to it though everything is sized for larger creatures than dwarves and none of the delvings go as deep.
Yaun-ti traits:
+2cha, -2str
Move 30ft
Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, Yaun-ti have, no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Low light vision
Exclusively female.
Master Alchemists: +4 Racial bonus on Alchemy checks. Alchemy is always a class skill.
Poisonous kiss: A Yaun-ti may choose to poison someone it is kissing. The Fort save has a base DC of 12+con modifier. Vicitim’s that fail their save suffer 1d2 points of wisdom damage. After 1 minute they must make a second save; failure results in unconsciousness for 30 minutes. A Yaun-ti may also extract there venom and place it in someone’s food or drink but this lowers the save DC by 4.
Fascinating Gaze: As a standard action a Yaun-ti who maintains eye contact with a target may make a bluff roll opposed by their targets sense motive roll. If the Yaun-ti succeeds the target is considered dazed and unable to take actions for as long as the Yaun-ti maintains the eye contact. In order to maintain eye contact the Yaun-ti must have line of sight to the target and spend a standard action each round maintaining the contact. A target who is in combat or has been attacked by the Yaun-ti within the last 24 hours receives a +10 bonus to their sense motive roll. The subject of the Yaun-ti’s gaze is immediately freed if it takes damage from any source. The subject must make a will save with a DC equal to 10+the difference in the opposed bluff/sense motive roll to remember anything that occurred in the time they where under the effects of Fascinating Gaze.
Yaun Ti levels get you:
Half Blood: When a Yaun-ti undergoes the rituals to become a Half-blood they change from a nearly human form to one with obvious reptilian scales and either there head or legs become similar to those of a snake. Those who develop a snakes head gain the ability to bite as a secondary natural attack that inflicts 1d4 points of strength and can inject poison (Sv DC 10+con mod d4/d4 dex) as well as Darkvision. Those that develop a snake’s tail gain the ability to constrict a creature of it’s own size or smaller (1d6 + str damage) and a swim speed of 20 ft. In addition the Yaun-ti gains a natural armor rating of 2.
Poison Immunity: The Yaun-ti becomes immune to all non-magical poisons and toxins. Magical poisons and toxins still affect the Yaun-ti but they gain a +10 to their save.
Abomination: A Yaun-ti that has progressed to the rank of Abomination changes and becomes a large snake like creature with humanoid arms. An Abomination has a number of new abilities.
Full snake form: The full snake form gives a Yaun-ti access to the abilities of both the snake headed and tailed half-bloods.
Hissing Fear: All non Yaun-ti must make a will save DC 15+cha mod or become shaken
Improved Grab: The Yaun-ti gains improved grab with it’s bite attack.
Size increase: The Yaun-ti becomes large and gains +4str.
Age:
And finally here's how the races age and die:
Dwarves: Every 90 + 1d20 years dwarves suffer -2 to their dexterity and gain +1 natural armor. When a Dwarf’s dexterity reaches due to ageing 0 it turns to stone. After 100 + 3d100 the Dwarf remerges from stone but with no memories of his past life.
Fey Elf: Every 250 years DC to enter spirit world decreased by two and to exit spirit world increased by 2.
Grey Elf: Grey Elves are immortal and do not age.
Human: Per PHB
Halfling: Per PHB
Petty-Dwarf: Once every 5d10 years a Petty-Dwarf must imbibe a specially prepared potion created from the heart of a true Dwarf. Petty-Dwarves that fail to do this suffer a permanent -2 penalty to there dexterity. When their dexterity reaches 0 they turn to stone. Petty-Dwarves who turn to stone this way are forever dead and can in no way be brought back to life. A second application of the alchemical mixture used to create Petty-Dwarves does bring the stone back to life but it is inhabited by a wholly new spirit.
Yaun-ti: