nick_crenshaw
2015-05-20, 01:23 PM
Here are some of the races I am using in my Celtic Campaign. I want it known that I have taken them whole cloth from Dominique Crouzet's Celtic Druids and the Tuatha de Dannan netbook. I am only using them in a home campaign will never publish them elsewhere or for profit.
Pict Dwarf
Description: Picts are dwarves who do not live underground, but in the open mountains of the Highlands. Unlike their cousins from the underground, picts have a somewhat more primitive and barbarous culture. In any case, for having lived so long above ground, picts have lost the ability to see in complete darkness and any knowledge of underground and stone which is specific to dwarves.
Personality: Picts are a physical race, and love nothing more than physical exertion. So they generally spend their time hard working, roaming the wilderness, or training with weapons. In fact, as they also tend to be quarrelsome, it unsurprisingly appears that the preferred activity of picts is fighting. Nonetheless, they are rather sociable when their trust is earned, and are usually known for being extremely loyal to their kin and their friends. However, friendship with picts may be difficult to obtain when one is not like themselves: a physical individual prone to solve his problems with strength of arms rather than with magic or diplomacy. This will easily explain that picts are almost never thoughtful and philosophical, preferring to keep a simple view of things and life.
Physical Description: Picts are of short and stocky features, typically standing 5 feet high, for an average 150 pounds. Their skin is pale in color, but their hair are usually dark brown or black, and like dwarves they have thick beards. They reach adulthood at about age 30, and live about 200 years, though some of them live almost 400 years. What's peculiar about picts however, is their love of tattoos, and almost all picts has is body almost entirely covered with blue symbols and designs which show who they are and to which clan they belong to. In some cases, these tattoos have magical properties as well (see thereafter). Otherwise, picts have a tendency to go half-naked, just wearing a thick cloak when the weather is cold.
Relations: Picts are warlike people, and despite being not inherently evil, tend to consider those who aren't able to defend their property, as not deserving owning it. Nonetheless, picts are usually just interested in raiding cattle or stealing money, and normally do not go out of their way to brutalize peoples. Then, since their own habit is to see others as potential targets for their thefts, they tend to meet strangers with weapons, for fear they would do the same or come to them for revenge. On the other hand, picts have no specific love or hate toward particular races, except for goblinoids and the like that they abhor and hunt for sport. Otherwise, note that picts' society is a matriarchal one, in which women traditionally hold properties and leadership positions. Male picts are leaders only within raiding parties or short-lived armies raised to repel a common threat. As such, picts easily accept authority and leadership from women, unlike many men in more classical medieval societies (and such as among the dwarves who normally are exclusively patriarchal).
Alignment: Picts are fiercely independent people, and so tend to be of chaotic alignments. Nonetheless, lawful picts also exist, particularly among those who emphasize on the clan's life and traditions. On the other hand, most picts are neutral (whether lawful, chaotic, or true neutral) being fair with their kin, but indifferent to others. Evil and Good picts tend to remain rare.
Pict Lands: The picts are not a widely spread race. In fact all the picts of the world live in a number of clans scattered in the remote parts of the Highlands. As these are usually poor hills and rocky mountains with few forests, picts supplement a meager farming with raiding those populations who live in more favorable regions. In their homeland, picts build great fortified villages and castles of stone, easily recognizable by their round design. Picts encountered in human lands are commonly mercenaries or brigands; almost never artisans or other honest workers.
Religion: Picts typically worship various local demi-gods and spirits, or adhere to the druidic faith. Despite being a dwarven sub-race, the picts rarely, if ever, worship the "god of dwarves". They would rather worship the "god of strength", or the "god of nature" when they follow the druidic faith. Anyway, the most typical pict priest is in fact a shaman (see Netbook of Classes vol-1 or vol-2).
Language: Picts speak a variant of old Norse. They don't have a written language, but carve standing stones and paint their bodies with complex symbols and drawings, to acknowledge important things regarding the clans. In fact, despite the picts may seem primitive and illiterate at first sight, they are actually quite advanced artistically. Simply, their culture is unlike that of more civilized societies.
Names: Male names: Booth, Brander, Canute, Carr, Dag, Erland, Esbern, Hallam, Halsten, Haral, Howe, Inger, Kell, Latham, Lunt, Odell, Roald, Rutlind, Skipp, Sorley, Sparke, Stig, Storr, Tait, Tarn, Torquil; Female names: Asta, Bo, Bodil, Dagna, Erica, Helga, Hulda, Inga, Kelda, Linnea, Liv, Runa, Signy, Solveig, Thordis, Valda; Clan names: Fiery Axe clan, Thicket Farm clan, Red Well clan, Mountain Pool clan, Willows clan, etc.
Adventurers: Picts are, by custom, raiders and warriors who spend their time fighting monsters or waging wars of plunder against their neighbors. As such, most of them are already accustomed to go "on adventures". Thus, a more independent minded pict, or one who has been outcast by his clan, will naturally choose the life of a true adventurer. This is how picts, who are otherwise a minor population, are usually well known across the world, although generally as traitorous unlawful and nefarious tribal warriors
Racial Traits:
Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, 2 Charisma, 2 Intelligence. Picts have powerful bodies, but are not used to develop their intellectual capacities, and are, by cultural tradition of solving problem with brutality rather than diplomacy, bad communicators and unfavorably seen by others.
Medium Size: As medium-size creatures, Picts had no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed: 20 feet base speed. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Low-light Vision: Picts 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.
Save Poison: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poisons: Picts are hardy and resistant to toxins.
Save Magic: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
Resist Cold: +4 racial bonus to Fortitude saves to resist the effect of cold temperatures, and they suffer only 1d4 of subdual damage from cold, rather than 1d6. Picts are exceptionally resistant to cold weather.
Attack Bonus: +1 racial bonus to attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears): Picts are trained in combat techniques that allow them to fight their common enemies more effectively.
AC Bonus: +4 dodge bonus against giants: This bonus represents special training that Picts undergo, during which they learn tricks that previous generations developed in their battles with fomorians. Note that any time a character loses his dexterity bonus to AC (like being caught flat footed), he loses his dodge bonus too.
Skill Bonus: +2 racial bonus on Wilderness lore checks: Picts are familiar with the wild lands in which they dwell.
Automatic languages: Pict (a variant of Old Norse). Bonus languages: Common, Giant, Goblin, Orc.
Favored class: Tribal Warrior. A multiclass pict's tribal warrior class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
Sidhe
Description: Sidhe are a much ancient race, the descendants of the original Tuatha De Danann, the children of Danu, the Celtic great goddess. However, Sidhe are now on the decline in their own realm of Anwyn, and become increasingly rarer in the mortal world of humans.
Personality: Sidhe are a dying race, in the twilight of their society. As such, most Sidhe are perpetually sad, even if for no true reason. For having lived so long they also tend to be calm and take their time to do anything (at least if not pressed by circumstances). For the same reasons, Sidhe likewise seem always bored and annoyed, and rarely get strong feelings of any sort. In fact, the main interest of Sidhe usually reside in art and magic. As such, they can be artisans of incredible skill, and everything they manufacture will be a work of art in itself.
Physical Description: Sidhe are as tall as human but leaner, with smooth and beautiful features. Their eyes are slender, their mouth is small, and their ears slightly pointed. Their eyebrows are very thin and their complexions very pale or golden. They all wear long golden or silver hair, but the men are always smooth-shaven, without beards or mustaches. When they are in a wrathful mood, their visage becomes supernaturally twisted and frightening. Conversely, when they wish to be charming, they features become more pleasing to the eye. These effects are not under the control of the sidhe, often giving themselves away to uninvolved viewers. Otherwise, Sidhe reach adulthood at about age 100, and are thereafter almost immortal, dying only of violent death, or leaving the world on their own accord when they grow tired of their unending life. Sidhe wear clothes of Celtic fashion but invariably of the finest and richest quality. In fact, the simplest Sidhe will be dressed as a human king, while noble Sidhe harbor garbs of incredible splendor. When they come to the world of humans however, Sidhe always employ magic in order to appear like normal humans or remain invisible.
Relations: Sidhe usually consider the mortal races inferior and distasteful. Nonetheless at times, a Sidhe will seek the love of some young beautiful human, although such affairs always end in tragedy or sadness for the abandoned mortal paramour. In other cases, a Sidhe may harbor a considerable animosity toward humans, and will harass them at every opportunity. However, such an antagonistic character will typically seek to humiliate humans rather than kill them, which in their opinion would be a nonsense since they are so shortly lived as compared to Sidhe. On the other hand, while they may have different feeling toward humans, Sidhe invariably hate fomorians, and will slay them at the first opportunity. This kind of feeling often extends to part-fomorians (i.e.: half-orcs).
Alignment: Sidhe have a tendency for detachment and indifference to other races, and thus tend to be of neutral alignments, with a tendency for chaotic neutral. Likewise, most Sidhe are neutral rather than good or evil. In any case, all Sidhe are either "Seelie" or "Unseelie" (see religion below). Sidhe of the Seelie court are either good or neutral, while those of the Unseelie court are either neutral or evil.
Sidhe Lands: Sidhe are an otherworldly race living in the fabled realms of Anwyn. This is truly another plane of existence, which is nonetheless connected to the material plane through magical gates usually located under sacred mounds where have been erected standing stones. Anwyn is often depicted as a gloomy underworld, as its sky remains dark blue during the bleak day, and turns to a pitch black nonetheless illuminated by luminescent fog under a large and malevolent silvery moon during the night. There, the Sidhe build mighty and marvelous magical castles of glistening colors or dark beauty. Their society is otherwise much similar to the Celtic society, with its noble warriors, kings and high-king, and druids. War among Sidhe clans are much rarer than among Celtic clans, but usually far deadlier. In some cases of such wars, Sidhe have been known to seek human help, promising them magic as a payment.
Religion: Since the Celtic gods in fact come from the Tuatha de Danann, from whom are also descended the Sidhe, they obviously worship the Celtic gods. However, they will see them more as kings and leaders than as deities. In any case, the Sidhe of the Seelie court pay homage to Nuada of the Silver Hand, the leader of the Tuatha de Danann, while the Sidhe of the Unseelie court pay homage to Midir, the dark god of the Otherworld.
Language: Sidhe speak their own language, which also the language of the gods. Note that while Celts essentially rely on oral traditions, and thus usually do not know how to read and write; the Sidhe on the other hand use a written language. However, they keep it for themselves, so humans usually do not know about it. Otherwise, treat the Sidhe language as Elven.
Names: Male names: Amlawdd, Ardwyad, Avaon, Bedwyr, Brys, Caswallawn, Cnychwr, Culvanawd, Dadweir, Deorthach, Dirmyg, Dyvynarth, Ergyryad, Evrawg, Fflewdwr, Garanwyn, Govynyon, Gwalhaved, Heilyn, Huabwy, Llewelyn, Maelwys, Meilyg, Nynnaw, Rhonabwy, Syvwlch, Ysgawyn; Female names: Angharad, Blodeuwedd, Eheubryd, Essylt, Goleuddydd, Gwaeddan, Gwenwledyr, Rathtyen, Tangwen, Tegwedd.
Adventurers: Sidhe may take up adventuring out of boredom. However, the few Sidhe adventurers will rarely, if ever, team with mortal races, and would rather operate alone or among others of their kin (or at least half-sidhe or part-sidhe characters).
Racial Traits:
Note that the Sidhe race being a more powerful version of Elf, adds 2 class levels to the character. That is, PCs wanting to play that race will begin a 1st level Sidhe adventurer when the others are 3rd level, and to become 2nd level characters will require the experience points to normally reach the 4th level; etc. As far as NPCs Sidhe are concerned however, this is largely compensated by their much longer lives than any mortal race.
Racial Type: Outsider (extraplanar creature) rather than humanoid. As such, the Sidhe is immune to spell that specifically affect humanoids, like Charm person or Hold person for instance. However, the Sidhe is subject to spells that affect extraplanar creatures such as Dismissal for example.
Abilities: +2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, and +2 Intelligence; Sidhe are a superior and race, more handsome, agile, and intelligent than humans.
Medium Size: As medium-size creatures, Sidhe had no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed: 30 feet base speed.
Low-light Vision: Sidhe 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.
Resist Enchantment Magic: Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against Enchantment spells or effects.
Spell Resistance:Sidhe have spell resistance equal to 11 + 1 per class level.
Spell Like Ability: Sidhe can cast the following spells once per day each, as cast by a sorcerer of the Sidhe character level. Detect magic, Identify, and Daylight (if "seelie") or Darkness (if "unseelie").
Skill Bonus: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise, a Sidhe who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for the door. Furthermore, Sidhe gain a +4 competence bonus on all Craft skill checks.
Proficiency Bonus: All Sidhe, regardless of class, are proficient with the longsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Automatic languages:[B] Common and Sidhe (treat as Elven). Bonus languages: Draconic, Fey, Fomorian, and Sylvan.
[B]Favored class: Filidh. A multiclass Sidhe's filidh class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
nick_crenshaw
2015-05-20, 03:20 PM
Like I said the races are not mine but in my campaign I see it as a cross of the Feywild & Arborea and perhaps an Outer Realm.
I am also looking for help for creating flavor text like that above for the following races from the same book.
SRD Core Races
Elves as "half-Sidhe": Normally no self-respecting Sidhe will mingle with humans. Sometimes however, a male Sidhe will have fun with a human maiden, while some Sidhe maiden could bewitch a human male for a time. Nonetheless, the Sidhe invariably become bored of such relationships and quickly abandon their human paramour. Yet children may be born from these unions. Such half-castes look extremely human, although they usually come close to the ideal of human beauty. In character, they tend to be individualistic, introspective, and often have a fascination for magic. Nonetheless, even if racially speaking they are but half-breeds, such characters are humans from a cultural perspective, for having been raised among their human parents with no contact with their Sidhe ancestors. In fact, those halfSidhe who would be born from a Sidhe woman in the realm of Anwyn, will eventually be sent (usually at age of 4 or 5) forever in the world of men with no hope of ever returning.
Gnomes & Halflings (Small Folk): Like dwarves, gnomes and halflings hardly fit in a Celtic setting. However, they could be used to portray the "small folk". As such, gnomes and halflings will be considered fey (with relevant effects on the kind of spells and magical items they may be subject to), rather than being of the humanoid type. The small folk are normally found in the otherworld realms, but many like to roam the mortal world and interact with humans. Their hidden lairs are always located in mysterious areas, under hills and standing stones, and always connect with the otherworld. The small folk are otherwise small and light, with large pointed ears. Their clothing are typically green and rust in color, and intertwine with plants and flowers. The small folk are usually noted for their good will, as well as a strong penchant for wine and gold. They will often choose magical professions, especially illusionist, but will rarely be priests of any sort.
Half-Elves (Part Sidhe): As suggested above, Sidhe are a superior race that rarely mingles with humans, and thus should not be available as common adventurers. Then, if elves are to be used as half-Sidhe characters, half-elves thus should be used as "part-Sidhe" characters; that is: characters with some Sidhe blood in their veins. So typically, a half-Sidhe and a human give birth to a "part-Sidhe". Then, after 1d4 generations, the Sidhe blood is too diluted and the characters are born fully human.
Half-Orcs (Part Fomorian): In fact, orcs do not fit with Celtic legends, so halforcs will hardly belong to a Celtic setting. However, as much as there are some humans with Sidhe ancestors, there are people with Fomorian blood in their veins. Ugly, powerful, and ill-tempered, such characters are easily identified from the common human stock. Some may even grow as tall as seven feet in height, and have bulging muscles. Otherwise, their temperaments range from bad to worse, although they do have their good moods and sense of humor. Unsurprisingly, many partfomorian characters are kinless people who tend to ally themselves with evil, but this isn't necessarily the case. Note that a part-fomorian could be born in a Celtic clan and be perfectly accepted in it.
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