Vidalok Campaign Setting: Player Races "The Lightning Game" Humans The Humans of Vidalok possess exceptional drive and a great capacity to endure and expand, and as such they inhabit the majority of the known world. They are a diverse people, and their cultures and appearances differ widely by region, from the Babylonian people along the southern shores of the Inland Sea, to the fierce Amazons who make their homes to the west of the Crescent Mountains. Human Racial Traits +2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature. Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet. Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level. Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level. Dwarves The dwarves of Vidalok are a scholarly people, worshipping the Dwarven god of invention and learning, Dugmaren Brightmantle. They are primarily found in the most prosperous, industrious regions of Vidalok, and seek to magically harness the world's abundant storms into workable energy and fuel. Dwarves are a short and stocky race, and stand about a foot shorter than most humans, with wide, compact bodies that account for their burly appearance. Male and female dwarves pride themselves on the length of their hair, and men often decorate their beards with a variety of clasps and intricate braids. A clean-shaven male dwarf is a sure sign of madness, or worse—no one familiar with their race trusts a beardless dwarf. Dwarf Racial Traits +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff. Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance. Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Hardy: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities. Lorekeeper: Dwarves keep extensive records of their history and the world around them, and receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history) skill checks, and can make them untrained. Master Tinker: Dwarves experiment with all manner of mechanical devices, and receive a +1 bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) checks. They are treated as proficient with any weapon they have personally crafted. Lightning Tamer: Dwarves may treat Craft and Profession skill related to mechanics, engineering, and harvesting lightning as a class skill. In addition, they receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual engineering, such as mechanical traps and hidden doors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking. Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon. Desert Elves Nomads who travel the bredth of the Vidalok's vast northern desert, the elves are enigmatic and unwelcoming to outsiders. They primarily venerate Set and Rudra, deities of desert storms, drought and disease, seeking to appease these gods and avoid their wrath. Although generally taller than humans, elves possess a graceful, fragile physique that is accentuated by their long, pointed ears. They have dark black hair and brown skin, and their eyes are wide and almond-shaped with golden or brown pupils. Many elves have religious or tribal tattoos, often on their faces, bone jewellery and piercings. Desert Elf Racial Traits +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength: Desert elves are nimble and graceful, with a rich and exotic culture outsiders often see as mysterious and beautiful, but they are physically weaker than other races. Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Elves have a base speed of 30 feet. Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects. Desert Runner: Desert elves thrive in their environment, and receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments. Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks. Weapon Familiarity: Desert elves are proficient with scimitars, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name as a martial weapon. Half-Elves While the reclusive desert elves seldomly consider a human in their lands to be anything other than a threat, and many humans disbelieve the existence of elves at all, it is possible for one to earn the trust of the other, and rarely, for a romantic relationship to develop. The half-elves, descended of two cultures yet inheritor of neither, are destined to remain outcasts no matter where they go. They are easily the least common race of Vidalok. Half-elves stand taller than humans but shorter than elves. They inherit the lean build and comely features of their elven lineage, and their skin is often just slightly darker than that of their human parent. While half-elves retain the pointed ears of elves, theirs are more rounded and less pronounced. Half-Elf Racial Traits +2 to One Ability Score: Half-elf characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature. Medium: Half-elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Half-elves have a base speed of 30 feet. Low-Light Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. See Additional Rules. Adaptability: Half-elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level. Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race. Elven Immunities: Half-elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects. Keen Senses: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks. Multitalented: Half-elves choose two favored classes at first level. Avariel The winged elves, the Avariels, make their homes in the northernmost mountains of known Vidalok, and worship Aerdrie Faenya, their patron goddess. They are considered aloof by other races, as they rarely leave their homes. Few people in Vidalok, outside of the Avariel themselves, truly know anything of their home. An avariel stands 5'9" tall on average, with thin, graceful limbs and angular facial features. Their skin is pale, often porcelain white, with tinges of blue or faint silver, and they have silver-white or black hair. Avariel eyes are large and expressive, and tend toward brilliant shades of blue or green, though some rare avariel have violent eyes as pure as amethyst. Their soft, feathered wings span anywhere from 12 to 16 feet, and are usually white coloured, but may also be gray, brown, black or speckled. Avariel Racial Traits +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence -4 Constitution: Avariel have hollow bones and, as a result, are more fragile than humans. At the same time, they are gifted with gracefulness and a keen intuition. Medium: Avariel are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Avariel have a base speed of 30 feet. Low-Light Vision: Avariel can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Elven Immunities: Avariel are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects. Keen Senses: Avariel receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks. Wing-Aided Movement: The extra lift from an avariel's wings wings gives them a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks. Gliding: Avariel can use their wings to glide, negating damage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet of forward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Avariel glide at a speed of 40 feet, with average maneuverability. An avariel can't glide while carrying a medium or heavy load. Flight: When an avariel reaches 5 Hit Dice, she becomes able to fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). An avariel can't fly while carrying a medium or heavy load, or while fatigued or exhausted. An avariel can glide before, after, and between rounds of actual flight. An avariel can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line. Avariel can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). They can exert themselves to fly for up to twice as long, but they are fatigued at the end of the flight if they do. When an avariel reaches 10 Hit Dice, they can safely fly for any number of rounds. Dive: An avariel with flight can make a dive attack. A dive attack is treated like a charge, but the avariel must descend a minimum of 30 feet and attack with a piercing weapon. If the hit is successful, it deals double damage. Graceful Fall: If an avariel becomes unconscious or helpless while in midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligaments stiffen the wings. The avariel descends in a tight corkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter what the actual distance of the fall. Weapon Familiarity: Avariel are proficient with spears, longswords, rapiers, bolas and lassos, and treat any weapon with the word "elven" in its name as a martial weapon. Lightning Genasi Born from the ancient unions of lightning and the humans of Vidalok, the Genasi have long been the ruling class. Characterized by an impertient, decisive nature, and a whimsical precision to their decisions, the Genasi are the nobility of the land, either lording over farmland or involving themselves in the intrigues of the city. Lightning genasi are narrow and tall. They typically have black, gray, purple or blue skin, and yellow, blue, purple, black or white hair. Some have vibrantly-coloured veins visible through parts of their skin, while others have bright yellow or white strands intermixed in their hair. They enjoy rich clothing and jewellery, especially outfits that hilight their unusual features. Lightning Genasi Racial Traits +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength Medium: Lightning genasi are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Lightning genasi have a base speed of 30 feet. Darkvision: Lightning Genasi can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Elemental Resistance: Lightning genasi receive a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against electricity spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five class levels the genasi attains. Sonic Resistance: Lightning genasi receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against sonic spells and effects. Jolt Immunity: Lightning Genasi are immune to non-magical electricity, and experience little discomfort from it. Lightning Movements: Lightning Genasi get a +2 racial bonus to grapple checks, and deal 1d4 points of electricity damage each round to creatures they are grappling with. Expeditious Retreat: Lightning Genasi can use Expeditious Retreat 1/day, and one additional time for every 5 class levels the genasi attains, as if a 5th-level caster. Air Genasi Air genasi are considered to be the lesser cousins of the lightning genasi, on Vidalok. They are still held in high regard, though the common belief of the people is that their blood has become more diluted, and is less pure, from their lightning elemental ancestors. This feeling has created a stigma around the whole race, causing many to speculate scandals in the lives of their ancestors. Air genasi are light on their feet, with slight and narrow forms. They are often surrounded by soft breezes and currents of wind, even while indoors. Air genasi have white, fair or light blue skin and hair. Many possess one or more of the following characteristics: A high hairline, windswept hair, pointed ears, high eyebrows, birdlike eyes or pupils, feathers intermixed with their hair, and white or feather-like eyelashes. Air Genasi Racial Traits +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution: Air genasi are quick and insightful, but slight and delicate. Medium: Air genasi are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Air genasi have a base speed of 30 feet. Darkvision: Air Genasi can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Elemental Resistance: Air genasi receive a +1 racial bonus on saving throws against air spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five class levels the genasi attains. Breathless: Air genasi do not breathe, and are immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation (such as some types of poison). Feather Fall: Air Genasi can use Feather Fall 1/day, and one additional time for every 5 class levels the genasi attains (caster level equal to the genasi's Hit Dice).