Chapter 2: RacesThe raw magic of spellshaping has been embraced by a wide variety of races. Cambians, with their severed memories, enjoy the spontaneous nature of spellshaping, as it requires little in the way of study or preparation. By contrast, the otherworldly caymir pursue spellshaping as a part of seeking a greater understanding of the world. Living spellshapes, literally born of arcane power, are fascinated by the forces that have shaped them, and thirst for more arcane power. Masked ones seek powerful secrets in dark places of the world, freed from a centuries-long imprisonment in the shadows. Suits of spellsoul armor, animated by the very forces that they shape, wander the world in search of purpose. The element-blooded stoichen find the nature of spellshaping to be more suited to their primal power. Along with humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs, and halflings, these beings of magical heritage can be found embroiled in life and politics of many lands.
Choosing a RaceAfter you roll your ability scores and before you write them on your character sheet, choose your character's race. At the same time, you'll want to choose his or her class, since race affects how well a character can do in each class. Once you know your character's race and class, assign your ability score rolls to particular abilities, alter those abilities according to race (see Table 2–1: Racial Ability Adjustments), and continue detailing your character.
Racial CharacteristicsYour character's race determines some of his or her qualities.
Race AdjustmentsFind your character's race on Table 2–1: Racial Ability Adjustments. Apply the ability adjustments given on the table to your character's ability scores. If these changes raise your score above 18 or below 3, that's okay, except in the case of Intelligence, which does not go below 3 for characters. (If your cambian or caymir character would have an adjusted Intelligence of 1 or 2, make it 3 instead). In addition, Table 2–1 gives each race's favored class and automatic languages.
A character's favored class doesn't count against him or her when determining experience point penalties for multiclassing (see XP for Multiclass Characters, page 60 of the
Player's Handbook). All of the favored classes on Table 2–1 are spellshaping classes, presented in Chapter 3 of this book.
All characters know how to speak Common, and many races speak racial languages as well. Smart characters (those with an Intelligence bonus) speak additional languages, one extra language per point of bonus. Select your character's bonus languages (if any) from the lists found in each race's Racial Traits summary.
Literacy: Unless your character is a barbarian, he or she can read and write all the languages he or she speaks.
TABLE 2–1: RACIAL ABILITY ADJUSTMENTSRace | | Type | | Ability Adjustments | | Favored Class | | Automatic Languages |
Cambian | | Humanoid | | +2 Cha, -2 Int, -2 Wis | | Impulse mage | | Common |
Caymir | | Fey | | +2 Wis, -2 Int | | Anchorite | | Common, Sylvan |
Living spellshape | | Ooze | | +2 Int, -2 Str, -4 Dex | | Spellsage | | Common |
Masked one | | Aberration | | +2 Int, -2 Con | | Savant | | Common |
Spellsoul armor | | Construct | | +2 Wis, -2 Dex | | Spellshape champion | | Common |
Stoichen | | Humanoid | | +2 Cha, -2 Wis | | Elemental adept | | Common, various |
CambianCaymirLiving SpellshapeMasked OneSpellsoul ArmorStoichenVital StatisticsThe tables in this section extend the information about generating starting and maximum age, height, and weight for player characters presented in Chapter 6 of the
Player's Handbook to include the new races detailed in this chapter.
Age: As described in the
Player's Handbook, you can choose your character's starting age or determine it randomly by consulting Table 2–2: Random Starting Ages. A stoichen elemental adept, for example, starts at an age of 20 + 3d6 years, or you can choose any age, with a minimum of 23.
Living spellshapes and suits of spellsoul armor come into existence as adults, and have no childhood or adolescence. Suits of spellsoul armor show signs of physical deterioration after 150 years, but have no further aging effects after that point and no maximum age. Living spellshapes do not suffer aging effects, and have no maximum age.
Table 2–2 divides the available character classes into the categories of simple, moderate, and complex. The notes under the table indicate which classes are in each category.
Height and Weight: Again, as explained in the
Player's Handbook, you can choose your character's height and weight based on the ranges shown on Table 2–4, or you can randomly generate these figures. Living spellshapes and suits of spellsoul armor have no gender and very little physical differentiation, and always vary in weight proportional to their height.
TABLE 2–2: RANDOM STARTING AGESRace | | Adulthood | | Simple1 | | Moderate2 | | Complex3 |
Cambian | | 14 years | | +1d4 | | +1d6 | | +2d6 |
Caymir | | 18 years | | +1d6 | | +2d6 | | +3d6 |
Living spellshape | | 0 years | | +2d6 | | +3d6 | | +4d6 |
Masked one | | 15 years | | +1d4 | | +1d6 | | +2d6 |
Spellsoul armor | | 0 years | | +1d4 | | +1d6 | | +2d6 |
Stoichen | | 20 years | | +2d4 | | +3d6 | | +4d6 |
- Anchorite, barbarian, impulse mage, rogue, and sorcerer.
- Bard, fighter, paladin, ranger, savant, and spellshape champion.
- Cleric, druid, elemental adept, monk, spellsage, and wizard.
TABLE 2–3: AGING EFFECTSRace | | Middle Age1 | | Old2 | | Venerable3 | | Maximum Age |
Cambian | | 30 years | | 45 years | | 60 years | | +2d10 years |
Caymir | | 62 years | | 93 years | | 125 years | | +3d20 years |
Living spellshape | | – | | – | | – | | – |
Masked one | | 35 years | | 53 years | | 70 years | | +2d20 years |
Spellsoul armor | | 150 years | | – | | – | | – |
Stoichen | | 50 years | | 75 years | | 100 years | | +5d20 years |
- At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
- At old age, -2 to Str, Con, and Dex; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
- At venerable age, -3 to Str, Con, and Dex; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
TABLE 2–4: RANDOM HEIGHT AND WEIGHTRace | | Base Height | | Height Modifier | | Base Weight | | Weight Modifier |
Cambian, male | | 4' 6" | | +2d4 | | 100 lb. | | x (2d4) lb. |
Cambian, female | | 4' 4" | | +2d4 | | 90 lb. | | x (2d4) lb. |
Caymir, male | | 4' 7" | | +2d4 | | 100 lb. | | x (2d6) lb. |
Caymir, female | | 4' 9" | | +2d4 | | 130 lb. | | x (2d6) lb. |
Living spellshape | | 2' 7" | | +2d4 | | 30 lb. | | x 1 lb. |
Masked one, male | | 4' 7" | | +2d8 | | 100 lb. | | x (2d4) lb. |
Masked one, female | | 4' 5" | | +2d8 | | 80 lb. | | x (2d4) lb. |
Spellsoul armor | | 5' 10" | | +2d6 | | 270 lb. | | x 4 lb. |
Stoichen, male | | 4' 10" | | +2d10 | | 120 lb. | | x (2d4) lb. |
Stoichen, female | | 4' 5" | | +2d10 | | 85 lb. | | x (2d4) lb. |