Shardworld/Races

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The Continent is home to a diverse array of races. Most frequent are humans, and the seven human sub-races known as Shardborn, those touched by the energies of another shard. Goblins are an adaptable species of nomads, merchants, and inventors. The Dragonics are descendants of the human tribes most favored by the Wyrm when he roamed the land, a long-lived race of nomads and warriors. Finally, the exceedingly rare fungaloid Myclings have wandered the Continent bereft of purpose since their elven creators vanished.

Stereotypes: Each race has its own common physical features and behavioral inclinations, but these are just the commonly observed patterns, not definite by any means. Thus, suggestions about the personality of each kind of race are just that, suggestions- reserved and emotionally stable vulcans or warm, loving dragonics, while uncommon, aren't impossible on the Continent.

Humans

+2 to one ability score.

Humans gain a bonus feat at 1st level.

Racial Power: Quick to Fight

At the start of each battle, roll initiative twice and choose the result you want

Champion Feat: If you roll a natural 19 or 20 for initiative, increase the escalation die by 1 (usually from 0 to 1 since it's the start of the battle). This increase doesn't stack- if there are multiple humans in the party, settling on one to get this feat is wise.

Epic Feat: Increase the escalation die on a 16+ for initiative, and gain a +2 to your first attack of a battle.

Humans are the majority on the Continent, having spread across the land under the protection of the Wyrm long ago and propagated since. Humans are key to history, and their determination and adaptability marks them out as arguably the most influential mortal race. All the races except Goblins and Minotaurs can clearly trace their lineage back to humanity, and some even think those two races could have diverged from humans in the distant past. Humans exhibit a diverse range of culture and ethnicities, from the hardy scavengers of the southern badlands to the civilized folk of the cities around the Diamond Sea. Beyond that, they're humans- you know the drill.

Shardborn

The shardborn are born irregularly among humans. The influence of beings of other shards that lies dormant in the blood of humans occasionally flares up, and a shardborn is born to mortal parents. Approximately 1 in 100 human births result in one touched by the energies of another reality, and the child of a shardborn is more likely to be shardborn than a child of two humans. Lineages aren't always consistent- the child of two vulcans is more likely to be a vulcan than a petrite, but it's not a sure thing. The shardborn races that most commonly birth their own kind are undines and twists. The shardborn are divided into the four types of Aetherborn, the two races descended from the goddess Selanna, and the twists, corrupted by the hellish energies of the Pit.

Aetherborn

Aetherborn is the general term given for any shardborn with an elemental nature. They were the first kind of shardborn to originate, when the Wyrm fused the energies of the four elemental shards with four of the first human tribes during the 1st Age. According to cosmic theory, the elemental shards are all fed by one origin shard, called the Aether, giving the aetherborn their name. The term is generally used only by scholars and census-takers, with most people simply using the individual word for each kind of aetherborn. Vulcans are touched by fire, Sylphs air, Petrites earth, and Undines air. All aetherborn conform to a generally humanoid shape, with their own particular elemental origins distinguishing them from other shardborn.

Vulcans

+2 to Strength or Charisma

Resist fire 16+

Racial Power: Fiery Outburst

Once per battle, double your bonus to attack granted by the escalation die for one attack, and add the same value to the damage of that attack, hit or miss. You can change the damage type of the attack to fire if you want.

Champion Feat: You also deal ongoing fire damage to one enemy hit by a fiery outburst attack. This damage begins at 15 and increases to 25 at epic tier.

Epic Feat: Triple the escalation die to determine your bonus to attack and damage instead.

Vulcans, sometimes called flame-kissed, are the aetherborn influenced by fire. . Physically, their skin varies between hues of rich brown, auburn, and red, and occasionally more dramatic colors of orange, yellow, and charcoal black. Their hair is generally a mix of several colors within one spectrum, most frequently gray or red. Their eyes can be any color associated with fire and heat, from the red-orange of a wildfire to the polished black of volcanic glass. The iris of every vulcan seems to flicker and dance when observed closely, the only universal trait they all possess. Vulcans don't tend towards any one build, but most build muscle easier than humans. Beyond that, they can exhibit a wide variety of signs of their elemental heritage, such as:

-Wavy hair that points upward like a torch flame, and becomes brighter as the Vulcan becomes angry or passionate

-Teeth or nails of gleaming brass

-Eyes that change color in the light

-Constantly exhaling faint clouds of smoke

-Having a tendency to strengthen or diminish fires around them, corresponding to their emotional state

-Translucent, combustible blood

-Pupils that glow blue like the center of a flame

Behaviorally, vulcans have a tendency to disregard order and tradition, acting as their whims guide them. They are prone to rapid and extreme swings of emotion, changing from jubilant to somber at a moment's notice, but usually don't take long to switch back to their usual high spirits. Vulcans have a reputation for being capricious or disloyal, but a vulcan accused of such things will probably tell you they were just doing what seemed to be most interesting. Crossing a vulcan, particularly in love or war, is regarded as unwise: when angered, they seethe with the rage of the inferno that birthed them, and won't stop until the target of their ire is completely annihilated, or their rage causes them to burn themselves out. Vulcans are seen more the closer one gets to centers of population, generally preferring the fast pace of city life. Despite this, many are stricken by wanderlust, and vulcans are commonly found among the ranks of adventuring parties, where they frequently fill roles that demand action or improvisation, bearing little patience for the studiousness required to become a monk or wizard.

Sylphs

+2 to Dexterity or Intelligence

Resist lightning 16+

Racial Power: Swift as the Wind

Once per battle, you can pop free from a number of enemies equal to the escalation die, then move as a quick action.

Champion Feat: The enemies you pop free from also have to make a normal save; on a failure, they're knocked prone by a gust of wind and lose their next move action. Particularly light or heavy enemies may have to make easy or hard saves instead, at your GM's discretion.

Epic Feat: Upon activating swift as the wind, you gain flight until the end of your turn.

Sylphs are touched by the element of air, and move and fight with the grace of wind and the fury of the storm. Of all the aetherborn, sylphs resemble humans the most, albeit ones that are generally taller and thinner than the norm. They are almost always pale and fair-skinned, sometimes with faint tinges of blue or grey in their lips and extremities. Their hair is wispy and grows quickly, most often light blonde, grey, or blue. Their irises come in washed-out tints of any human color, occasionally lacking any color at all and distinguishable only by a faint outline of grey. All sylphs are followed by a slight breeze which they must focus to suppress, and that grows stronger during extremes of emotion. Other quirks observed in sylphs are:

-Birthmarks that mimic the scars inflicted by lightning strikes

-The ability to perfectly predict the weather

-A constant static charge that shocks anyone they touch

-Hair the color of a storm cloud, with streaks of white and blue that suggest lightning

-Walking on a centimeters thick cushion of air, never actually touching the ground

-Whorls of color that pass across their eyes like clouds

-A faint, but noticeably deeper echo to their voice

While the outward personality of individual sylphs varies between the stately calm of a gentle breeze or the tempestuous passion of a hurricane, most sylphs share an inborn curiosity. In some, it manifests as an inclination to wander and discover, resulting in travelers and explorers unable to stay in one place for long. In others, it shows as a more cerebral streak, these sylphs being drawn to careers in scholarship and the arts. Their curiosity is such that sylphs have been known to willingly place themselves in danger just to figure out a piece of information or acquire a certain item that they’ve become fixated on. Many sylphs have a habit of eavesdropping, using their human-like appearance to go unnoticed. Socially, sylphs are regarded as the most aloof of the aetherborn, perhaps undeservedly. While it is true that many sylphs have trouble forming close bonds with people, this is more a symptom of their tendency to wander or be caught up in their own thoughts than a closed-off personality. Adventuring sylphs often fill intellectual roles such as wizards and commanders, while those more inclined towards physical grace than mental exercise become talented swordsmen and archers.

Petrite

+2 to Constitution or Wisdom

Resist poison 16+

Racial Power: Immovable Object

Once per battle as a free action after being hit by an enemy attack, you can spend a recovery as a free action. You can’t use it if the attack brought you to 0 hp.

Champion Feat: If the escalation die is 2 or higher, the recovery is free.

Epic Feat: Instead of rolling this recovery, instead heal the maximum amount possible. You CAN use this against an attack that brings you to 0 hp.

In the creation myths of most cultures, petrites are regarded as the first aetherborn to be created, being cast into the earth by the Wyrm and dragging themselves free in their new forms after a full cycle of the moon had gone by. Physically, they are sturdily built, and have skin tones mimicking rocky shades of grey, brown, and infrequently tan or red. Their eyes mirror the colors of gems and metals, gleaming brightly amidst the more muted colors of their skin. Their hair, if they have it, is thick, dark and slow-growing. Many petrites never grow hair at all. The one physical trait uniting all petrites is a gemstone jutting from their skin over their heart. There is no familial influence to the color or type of this stone, and over the course of their life it will grow brighter and spread upwards across their shoulders and arms. This “heartstone” is the source of many cultural traditions and superstitions across the Continent. Many also reflect other elements of the earth that birthed them, such as:

-Faceted, jewel-like eyes of one color

-Crystal outcroppings that mimic hair

-Mottled, thick skin the color of granite

-Teeth and nails of obsidian

-Ridges and indents in their skin that create geometric patterns

-Keen sensitivity to the vibrations of the ground

Petrites are renowned as loyal, dependable, and possessing a strong sense of community. They are the least outwardly expressive of the aetherborn, which is not to say that they don't feel- they just don't show their emotional state as strongly as a vulcan or undine, races that many petrites consider flighty and unreliable. While petrites are most often found living among humans, a substantial minority flock to small villages and enclaves mostly composed of petrites. These tight-knit communities are often founded around some form of common ideology or belief system. Throughout the rest of civilization, petrites are most commonly found working as laborers or as part of a church.

Undines

+2 to Dexterity or Charisma

Aquatic: Undines gain a +5 bonus to any background check involving swimming, and can hold their breath for a number of hours equal to their level.

Racial Power: Flowing Tide

Once per battle, you can use a standard action to make a basic attack or attack power at any point during your move action. A number of enemies equal to the escalation die, selected by you, can't intercept or make opportunity attacks against you during this combined attack-move.

Champion Feat: One target you attack during the flowing tide movement must roll a normal save or be dazed.

Epic Feat: The target is instead weakened on a failed save, and dazed on a successful one.

Undines are the aquatic lineage of aetherborn, said to have fallen to the Continent during a great rainstorm brought on by the Wyrm. Their skin ranges between the many shades of water, from the sea green of the coast to the murky brown of a swamp. Their eyes are clear and brightly colored, and their hair is generally wavy or curly, and a similar shade to their skin. Perhaps the most otherworldly aspect of the undines is their finned ears and webbed hands and feet. Undine generally possess the lithe build of one who spends much time in the water. Beyond that, their physical characteristics vary depending on the body of water they were born closest to, and they can exhibit diverse traits such as:

-Rows of pointed shark teeth

-Voices layered with the faint noise of a babbling brook or the waves of the ocean

-Seaweed or coral outcroppings where hair would grow

-Blood mixed with saltwater

-A second set of translucent eyelids that shuts horizontally

-Swirling, wave-like markings that gently flow across their bodies

Undines are the most variable of the aetherborn. Aside from their shared physical characteristics, the only common factor shared by undines is their innate ability to swim. Undines are divided into a plethora of sub-types too numerous to codify, generally reflecting the characteristics of one body of water and its natural flora and fauna. Undines of the Diamond Sea, for example, are stately and collected natural diplomats, while the Undines of the glacial north are nomadic and superstitious. Like petrites, undines can be found both interspersed among greater civilization or in smaller settlements comprised almost entirely of undines.

Children of Selanna

Legend states that the god Selanna gave birth to these races at the end of the 1st age, creating the first of them over the course of an entire day. Those born in the light of the sun became Dawnborn, and those born under the gaze of the moon became Duskborn. The two races appear as mirrors of each other. Both subspecies are less common than aetherborn, accounting for about one in ten of the Shardborn population.

Dawnborn

+2 to Wisdom or Charisma

Sacred Vitality: Dawnborn characters gain an extra recovery.

Racial Power: Daybreak

Once per battle, make a daybreak attack as a quick action using your highest ability score against one nearby enemy's MD. On a hit, the attack deals 1d4 holy damage per level and they are dazed until the end of their next turn. On a miss, deal holy damage equal to your level.

Champion Feat: Your daybreak attack targets 1d3 nearby enemies instead.

Epic Feat: After using ‘’daybreak’’, one nearby ally(including you) can heal using a recovery as a free action.

The Dawnborn appear as humans, except for skin that shines with a faint luminescence and glowing eyes with no pupils in pale shades of gold and yellow. Their hair varies from rich gold to white-blonde, and their every action seems to exude grace. The Dawnborn hold a special place in the culture of the greater human race, frequently appearing as the central figure of stories ranging from the epics passed down through word of mouth among the western nomads to love poems recited in the halls of high society. They thrive in positions important to the social or spiritual well-being of those around them, born diplomats and oracles. A smaller portion of Dawnborn are drawn to the arts, and many famed creators of art from every age were Dawnborn. They are found most frequently wherever other people congregate, from the coastal metropolises to the trade caravans winding across the realm. Dawnborn who take to lives of adventure frequently become bards and clerics, roles their mystical and social aptitude make them well suited for. Dawnborn also do well as commanders, and it is said that Dawnborn generals are capable of leading their men to near-suicidal feats of bravery.

This is not to say that the Dawnborn are all charm and grace- even the brightest sun casts shadows. Dawnborn who fall prey to their darker sides are narcissists and manipulators, many of whom discover a natural talent with darker magicks. While stories of villainous Dawnborn are uncommon, they are all the more terrifying for it. Tales of the Daykiller haunt the nightmares of every child in Temple, and the minotaurs of Bas Ata still refuse to speak the name of the Dawnborn warleader who nearly conquered their ancient empire in the 5th Age. Indeed, it seems that none of the mortal races are capable of going quite as bad as the Dawnborn, for those that fall from the light still command the same reverence those that walk in the sun's rays do.

Duskborn

+2 to Dexterity or Intelligence

Lurkers in the Dark: Duskborn can see perfectly in moonlight, and gain a +3 to any background check involving stealth.

Racial Power: Extinguish

Once per battle, make an extinguish attack as a quick action with your highest ability score against one nearby enemy’s MD. On a hit, that enemy becomes vulnerable to your attacks until you critically strike. On a miss, deal negative energy damage equal to your level to the target.

Champion Feat: Once per battle when attacking a vulnerable enemy, roll three times for your attack roll and pick the highest result.

Epic Feat: The turn you make an extinguish attack, you can also teleport before or after the attack as a move action.

Physically, Duskborn resemble humans drained of pigment. Their skin ranges from ash white to charcoal, with most Duskborn falling in the middle of the spectrum. Their hair can be a wide variety of dark and washed-out colors, from midnight blue to stark white. Like the Dawnborn, their eyes lack pupils or irises, glowing in soft shades of white, silver, and pale blue. They tend toward svelte and fragile builds, and the average Duskborn height is several inches below the human norm. Duskborn also possess excellent night vision and a racial affinity for stealth, making them naturally suited to underground environments. Duskborn tend to unnerve others, seeming to awaken the primal fear of the dark lurking in the minds of the races of the light. As a result, they flock to the fringes of civilization- the poor and dangerous districts and the caves and wilds outside the walls. There are a number of predominantly Duskborn settlements scattered throughout the lightless places of the world, places that tend to shun outsiders. In the cities, Duskborn's unique racial traits makes them naturally adapted to careers on the wrong side of the law, giving them a reputation as a race of criminals. This discrimination causes many to treat Duskborn with suspicion, driving them further away from mainstream society, a vicious cycle of discrimination.

This is not to say that Duskborn haven't contributed to the world. Many of the shadow-dwellers are intellectually gifted, and they are renowned inventors, both mundane and magical. They make excellent scouts and spies, defenders of the people outside the public eye whose deeds go unnoticed. Supposedly, it was a Duskborn mage who created the basic invisibility spell long ago. As adventurers, they gravitate toward positions as rogues, rangers, and wizards, where their talents for stealth and magic thrive. A subset of Duskborn find themselves drawn to the priesthood, seeking acceptance in religion.

Twists

+2 to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution

Twisted Form: Pick one permanent mutation from the list below, or create your own with your GM. As a general rule, a +2 to a specific background check and another small bonus is a good starting point.

Warped in Body and Mind: Add +2 to two defenses, and subtract 1 from another. Think of a reason why your character is deficient in this defense.

Demonic Corpulence: Treat your Constitution modifier as two higher for the purpose of calculating hit points. Somehow, you manage to both stay fat and require half as much food as other people.

Prehensile Tail: Gain a +2 to any background check involving balance or acrobatics. Your tail can be used to hold small objects and creep people out. You can use small one-handed weapons with your tail.

Barbed Claws: Your claws count as small one-handed melee weapons, and provide a +2 to any background check involving climbing, grabbing, or holding on to something.

Heartfire: Your blood burns at unearthly temperatures. Gain resist cold 16+, and a +2 to background checks involving intimidation.

Otherworldly Perception: Gain a +2 to any background check involving vision. Your eyes can also see something others can't, subject to GM approval. Here are some examples:

-You can see perfectly in the dark. In fact, you can see slightly better in the dark than when it's bright out.

-You can see the beating hearts of living things through their chests, but not other obstacles.

-You can see the spirits of the dead, if they want to be seen.

-You can see the lingering residue of every lie anyone has told. This isn’t an instant lie detector, but it is a good gauge of how trustworthy someone is.

Racial Power: Curse of Chaos

Once per battle as a free action when a nearby enemy rolls a natural 1–5 on an attack or a save, turn their roll into a natural 1 and improvise a further curse that shows how their attempt backfires horribly. A curse should have about the same impact as a typical once-per-battle ability. For example, a typical curse might lead to the cursed attacker dealing half damage to themself with their fumbled attack and being dazed until the end of their next turn. The GM may reward storytelling flair and/or limit the suggested effects of the curse.

Champion Feat: Whenever a nearby enemy rolls a natural 1 on an attack against you, you can use curse of chaos’’ against them without expending it.

Epic Feat: You can use curse of chaos against any odd roll, not just a natural 1-5. The once per battle limit still applies.

Twists are members of bloodlines tainted long ago by the malign influence of the Rot, the origin shard of demons and devils. They generally appear as human, but with a handful of grotesque or uncanny differences that cause them to resemble denizens of the Rot. Wickedly sharp teeth and claws, long, serpentine tails, forked tongues, reptilian eyes, hunched backs, limbs with extra joints, creaking, leathery skin, mutable or extra facial features, perpetually weeping sores and boils, and atrophied, vestigial wings are just some of the many bizarre mutations Twists can be born with. Their peculiarities of form can extend beyond their bodies, examples being voices that seem to echo and resonate, screams that shatter glass, the ability to hear or see things beyond the scope of mortal perception, uncanny charisma, insanity, reading the thoughts of the sick and dying, and even the curse of prophecy. Twists possess the strongest blood of any shardborn- nearly every child born to a twist, even those of a pairing of twist and another shardborn, will be born with the taint of the Rot. Their mutations are almost always passed along to their children as well, resulting in many different clans of twists with their own identifying features.

Their unnerving appearances and behavior cause Twists to be the most reviled of any shardborn on the Continent. Twists frequently live isolated from other races in their own isolated villages and hiding places, or in the sewers and slums of major cities. The term used in the Adnati tongue for a group of twists composed of more than one clan is a “caper,” originating in old folk stories of twists summoning demons and devils through bloody ritual dances. Clans and capers mingle with the other races only for necessities of trade, or when it comes to those that have embraced their outcast nature, to prey on travelers of the other races. However, for all the bloodshed and mistrust perpetuated between twists and the other races, there are still those that strive to work within society, either to redeem themselves of the stigma of their blood, or to prove that it makes them the strongest of the shardborn. In an adventuring party, twists generally fill the roles their unique mutations make them suited for, whether martial or magical. Twist sorcerers, in particular, are renowned and feared in equal measures for their ability to channel the hellish energies that course through their blood.

Abhumans

Goblins, Dragonics, Minotaurs, and Myclings are often lumped together into the category of "abhuman" for the purpose of categorization and scholarship. This term isn't used much by the common people, with the four races generally being referred to by their own name except by particularly xenophobic humans and Shardborn. Goblins are the abhuman race most intermingled in civilization, but they are still regarded by some as being clannish and insular because of their large kin-groups and “secret” language. Dragonics and Minotaurs alike have conflicted histories with human empires and are frequently regarded with some fear or suspicion. Myclings are rare and become even more so the further one gets from the Outgrowth, meaning most have only heard stories about them.

Goblins

+2 to Dexterity, Intelligence, or Charisma

Small: Goblins have a +2 AC bonus against opportunity attacks.

Goblin Hearing: Goblins have big ears that can hear things other races can't. This doesn't provide any mechanical benefits, but it does mean they can perceive frequencies non-goblins can't, such as Shrill, the goblin language.

Adventurer Feat: Gain a +3 to background checks involving hearing, and you don't suffer any penalties to hearing rolls if you're asleep.

Racial Power:: Shifty Retreat

Once per battle when an enemy attack hits you, you can force them to reroll the attack and take the worst result. If they miss you with the reroll, you can pop free from engagement, and if it hits you only take half damage.

Champion Feat: After using shifty retreat, you can move as a free action.

Epic Feat: You can use shifty retreat twice per battle.

DESCRIPTION GOES HERE -Goblins live in tribal clans, close to kin groups – work fine w/other races, but primarily loyal to their kin; this promotes lingering distrust -Originated in Athon, but have clans spread throughout the Continent -Known for being clever and skillful, prolific inventors -The Lord Artificer of the Athonese Council is a goblin -note to self: revise racial power

Dragonics

+2 to Strength or Wisdom

Dragon-blooded: Dragonics gain +1 to AC.

Survivor: Gain a +3 to background checks to resist the environment or adverse conditions.

Racial Power: War Cry

Once per battle, you can rally as quick action. If you attack on the same turn you rally this way, double your ability modifier for damage(four times at champion tier, six at epic). Wizard attacks add Intelligence instead(double at champion tier, triple at epic tier). If you miss, double your miss damage.

Champion Feat: The first attack you make after rallying with ‘’war cry’’ has its critical range expanded to 16-20.

Epic Feat: The attack has its critical range expanded to 11-20 instead.

DESCRIPTION GOES HERE -believe themselves to be the race most favored by the Wyrm -native to the cold, northern Orindi, but there are some smaller clans spread throughout the Continent -natural survivors: descended from dragons, in tune with nature and the elements -horns grow larger and more elaborate as they grow more powerful -led by their Storm Rider, shaman supreme, currently a woman descended from the largest clan or Dragonics; she seeks to prove the Dragonics are the strongest race on the Continent

Myclings

+2 to Strength or Constitution

Mycorrhizae: Myclings can extend tendrils into surrounding plants and fungi to communicate with them. This works like the druid's Nature Talking class feature, except it takes several minutes instead of a few rounds and can only be used to talk to plants. Mycling druids instead gain a use of Nature Talking per day, and a +10 to the skill check to communicate with plants.

Racial Power: Spore Burst

Once per battle, deal ongoing poison damage to a target you hit with a natural even attack roll as a free action. This damage is equal to 5 times your level, and isn’t doubled on a crit.

Champion Feat: An enemy suffering from this poison damage is dazed until the end of their next turn, but only while attacking you.

Epic Feat: Once per day, an enemy dazed by ‘’spore burst’’ is instead confused.

DESCRIPTION GOES HERE -originally a slave race to the elves, broke free when they vanished at the end of the 3rd age but stayed incognito -the few myclings still alive roam the Continent, looking for purpose