Fantasy

Racial Templates

Dwarf

35 points

Dwarves are a race of miners, metalworkers, and craftsmen. They live underground, which is their workplace and protection from enemies. Dwarves are small but strong and enduring, with highly developed combat skills. They may become alchemists or specialize in enchanting, if they are magically gifted, but few dwarves practice other sorts of magic. Many have Magic Resistance.

Dwarves might be only 2/3 as tall as humans, but they are much longer-lived, with a nose for gold and a flair for all forms of craftsmanship. Dwarves often live in underground halls, and their eyes are adapted to dim light. Many dwarves have Miserliness, but this is not a racial trait.

Attribute Modifiers: HT+1 [10].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -1; Will+1 [5].

Advantages: Alcohol Tolerance [1]; Artificer 1 [10]; Detect Gold (Vague, -50%) [3]; Extended Lifespan 1 [2]; Lifting ST +2 [6]; Night Vision 5 [5].

Disadvantages: Greed (15) [-7].

Elf

70 points

Elves are the quintessential fantasy race: very similar to humans (and cross-fertile with them, in many settings), but exceptionally beautiful, ageless, and naturally magical. Some descriptions make them superb artists, while others say that they ultimately lack creativity; this version avoids either option, while making them sensitive to the beauty of landscapes and living creatures. Elves normally live in forested areas. They use their magic to enhance the growth and fertility of their forests. Survival rolls in an elven forest are at +1 or better. They find clearing the land repugnant, and since elven leaders have centuries of skill in warfare, elven forests tend to stay forested.

Elves are comparatively slender, relying on speed and agility more than raw strength. Determine their height normally from their ST and add 2".

Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+1 [20].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per+1 [5].

Advantages: Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Magery 0 [5]; Perfect Balance [15]; Telescopic Vision 1 [5]; Unaging [15]; Voice [10].

Racially Learned Skills: Connoisseur (Natural Environments) (A) IQ-1 [1]-9.

Faerie

140 points

Faeries are a naturally magical race. Their bodies are magically created, with little actual substance (see Insubstantiality). This lets them change their appearance and apparent size freely. Many of them are masters of magic, though their spells cannot create or change anything substantial (see Nonhuman Magic). Among other things, the touch of iron dispels faerie magic, and iron weapons are especially deadly to the faeries. Faeries can wear, handle, or even consume illusions. Many of them are skilled in illusion spells and in using Art (Illusion) to shape illusionary objects.

Attribute Modifiers: DX+2 [40].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per+2 [10]; Will-2 [-10]; Basic Speed +0.5 [10].

Advantages: Appearance (Very Handsome/Beautiful) [16]; Chameleon 5 [25]; Doesn't Eat or Drink [10]; Insubstantiality (Carrying Capacity: No Encumbrance, +10%; Always On, -50%; Illusionary Form, -15%) [36]; Magery 0 (Impermanent, Dispelled by Iron, -20%) [5]; Morph (Cosmetic, -50%) [50]; Unaging [15].

Disadvantages: Dependency (Mana, Constantly) [-25]; Impulsiveness (12) [-10]; Vulnerability (Iron, ×3) [-30].

Quirks: Annoyed when mortals talk about them; Keep their promises. [-2]

Features: Can use illusionary objects as if they were substantial; Felt as ghostly touches by material beings; Must take on winged shape to move vertically.

Variant Races: This version of faeries is only one interpretation! Portraying them as creatures of illusion explains their ability to change size and shape, their lack of need for food, and various other traits. But other versions are certainly possible: material beings, like elves, who always veil themselves in magical illusions, or true spirits who only take on visible form when it suits them.

Halfling

20 points

Short and fond of comfort, halflings seldom leave their farms, but those who do sometimes make surprisingly good adventurers, thanks to natural stealth, superb marksmanship, and resilient health. They're not at their best in a stand-up fight, but make fine skirmishers, with thrown rocks, slings, bows, crossbows, or even muskets. The ability to move noiselessly through grass or underbrush also helps. Halflings seldom seek out a fight. They are fairly egalitarian, with chieftains but no kings. Many cultures expect chieftains to give feasts and hand out presents to the guests.

By choice, halflings live underground, in shabby burrows or elaborate tunnel complexes. The ones who build aboveground are the poor. An average halfling (ST 5) stands 2'8" to 3' tall and weighs 18 to 29 lbs. (This takes Overweight into account.) Adjust height by 1 to 2" and weight by 2 to 4 lbs. per point of ST above or below 5.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-5 [-50]; DX+1 [20]; HT+2 [20].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -2; Will+2 [10].

Advantages: Green Thumb 1 [5]; Hard to Kill 4 [8]; Silence 4 [20].

Disadvantages: Mundane Background [-10]; ]]Overweight]] [-1].

Quirks: Fond of food and drink; Prefers to live underground. [-2]

Orc

-9 points

Orcs are to humans what humans are to elves: short-lived, shortsighted, aggressive, and disliked. All this makes them the natural warrior race of many fantasy worlds. With short generations and intense territoriality, orcs have split into many subspecies. These statistics are for an orc the same weight as a human, but about 2" shorter because of bowleggedness and a squat overall build. Other breeds may be larger or smaller.

Attribute Modifiers: IQ-1 [-20]; HT+1 [10].

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed+0.75 [15].

Advantages: Acute Taste and Smell 2 [4]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Fearlessness 2 [4]; Fit (Only at Night, -20%) [4]; Infravision [10]; Rapid Healing [5]; Resistant to Disease (+3) [3].

Disadvantages: [8Appearance (Unattractive)]] [-4]; Bad Temper (12) [-10]; Callous [-5]; Disturbing Voice [-10]; Impulsiveness (12) [-10]; [[Sadism (12) [-15]; Unfit (Only by Day, -20%) [-4].

Quirks: Bowlegged. [-1]