Adventures in Arcadayn
The following nonhuman races are available options for PCs in Arcadayn:
Centaurs [65 points]
Centaurs live in the Anidel Forest (Kastir) and Longmeadow (Sivia), and a few have emigrated to Colony Caldor. Their racial Survival skill is Forests or Plains depending on their home territory. Centaurs speak their own language (M/A for other races).
Attributes: ST +3 [30], HT +2 [20], IQ -1 [-10]. Lower-body ST is 13 greater than upper-body ST [62] (se p. CI 176, "Split ST for Hybrid Races").
Advantages: Alertness +1 [5], DR +1 [3], Enhanced Move x1 (running) [10], Extra Legs (x2) [5].
Disadvantages: Centauroid [0], Inconvenient Size [-10], Overconfidence [-10], Phobia (mild clautrophobia) [-15], Stubbornness [-5].
Racial Skills: Animal Handling (IQ) [4], Running (HT) [4], Survival (any one) (IQ) [2].
Height: As human of same ST, +8".
Weight: As human of same ST, x8.
The Dog-Men of the Karyan Steppes (Westmarch) are man-like canines who can walk upright but prefer to go about on all fours. Their culture and psychology are very much like wolves or feral dogs, ruled by the largest, strongest, most cunning males. Their attitudes towards humans are very unpredictable--sometimes they will be curious and friendly, sometimes savage and vicious--so most men give them a wide berth. Dog-men speak their own language (M/A), but have no written language. They have little technology or goods of their own, but are expert at making use of discarded (or stolen) human equipment.
Attributes: +1 ST [10], -1 IQ [-10].
Advantages: Acute Taste/Smell +2 [4], Discriminatory Smell [15], Extra Hit Points +2 [10], Penetrating Call [5], Sharp Teeth [5], Ultrahearing [5], Very Thin Fur (no PD/DR) [0].
Disadvantages: Chummy [-5], Intolerance: all felines [-5], Pverty (Struggling) [-10], Primitive -1 [-5], Semi-Upright [-5].
Racial Skills: Brawling (DX) [1], Running (HT) [4], Scrounging (IQ) [1], Survival (Plains) (IQ) [2], Tracking (IQ) [2].
Height: As a human of the same ST (when upright).
Weight: As a human of the same height.
Lizard-Men are humanoids with the heads, tails, claws and thick scales of lizards. They are primitive and stupid by human standards, but cunning and adaptable. Lizard-men tribes can be found in nearly any climate and terrain except the coldest. There are three known subspecies in Arcadayn, in Highmarch (desert), the Landrings (mountain) and Yangar delta (swamp). Each subspecies has a separate dialect (M/H for non-lizards; default to each other at -2), but none have a written language.
Lizard men religious leaders are shamans (pp. R116-125), never clerics.
Attributes: +4 ST [45], -2 IQ [-15], +2 HT [20].
Advantages: Chameleon +1 [7], Claws [15], Peripheral Vision [15], Scales (DR 1) [3], Sharp Teeth [5].
Disadvantages: Cold-Blooded [-5], Distractible [-1], Frightens Animals [-10], Incompetence: cannot learn non-reptile languages above IQ [-1], Poverty (Poor) [-15], Primitive -1 [-5], Reputation -3 (eats sentients) [-15].
Racial Skills: Brawling (DX) [1], Camouflage (IQ) [1], Survival: home terrain type (IQ) [2], Stealth (DX) [2].
Height: As a human of the same ST, +10%.
Weight: As a human of the same height, +10%.
In addition, the various lizard-men subspecies have additional traits:
Deserts (Highmarch): Temperature Tolerance 3: Heat [3], Incompetence: Swimming [-1].
Mountains (Landrings): Climbing (DX) [2].
Swamps (Yangar Delta): Amphibious [10], Breath-Holding +1 [2], Reduced Move (land) -2 [-10].
The myths of the dwarves and gnomes claim that their races descend from demigod-like sentient stones (the Bortani) who were given birth by the earth-goddess Kemira. Whether or not this is literally true, these races have a great affinity for earth, stone and metal: they prefer to dwell underground; they are expert miners; and their metalcraft is unrivalled among all the known sentient races. Dwarves worship few gods besides the Earth-Mother; possibilities include Uralor (Elemental Cults) and Lastor (Quadralunic Cults).
Like the stones and mountains with which they claim kinship, dwarves are strong, tireless, long-lived and stubborn. They rarely show much affection around outsiders, but are very close-knit and caring among their own kind. Dwarves can, like any race, embody many contradictions. For example, they tend to be very covetous and possessive regarding material wealth (particularly metalwork and gems), but at the same time can make incredible sacrifices for the good of their family, tribe or species.
Gnomes are smaller and less dour than their larger cousins, and tend to be much more hospitable towards other races--though they can be just as secretive and stubborn. (In fact, their love of humor and pranks can make them seem rather frivolous, at least in comparison to dwarves.) In contrast to the dwarven norm, gnomes tend to live in earthen burrows rather than rocky excavations. They, too, are master artisans, though more specialized than dwarves.
The most common dwarf and gnome species in Arcadayn are the bronze dwarves (Ongrican Mountains), iron dwarves (Thunderhead Peaks and Whitecrags) and rock gnomes (Kurbesim). There are legends of other species living in remote parts of the world, such as firerock dwarves in the volcanic regions of the Landrings, adamant dwarves in the bowels of the earth and ice gnomes among the northern glaciers.
Each species has its own language: Anbarrut (bronze dwarves), Razzak (iron dwarves), Kurbesso (rock gnomes). Anbarrut and Razzak default to each other at -4, and both use Dwarven Runes. Kurbesso has a unique script.
The southern dwarves average about 4 feet tall, but are broad, stocky, and dense enough to outweigh many humans. They have gold or brown hair, amber or green eyes, and a bronze-like golden-brown complexion. Coloration rarely changes with age, though some of the lightest-haired will turn darker shades of gold-brown.
Attributes: ST +2 [20].
Advantages: +3 on any craft skill [18], Body of Metal 3 (PD 1, DR 3, non-ferrous, cannot switch) [25], Early Maturation +2 [10], Extended Lifespan +2 [10], Extra Encumbrance [5], Extra Fatigue +2 [6], Increased Density +1 [5], Magery 1 (2 with Enchantment) [15, +6], Night Vision [10].
Disadvantages: Greedy [-15], Miserliness [-10], Stubbornness [-5].
Racial Skills: Axe/Mace (DX) [2].
Height: As human of same ST, -18".
Weight: As human of same height, +100 lbs. for Increased Density and extra muscle mass.
The northern dwarves have the same general appearance and abilities as their southern kin, but with jet black hair (that turns steel-gray or silver-gray with age), dark-colored eyes, and grayish complections that turn ruddy during exertion. A rare few will have orange-red ("rusty") hair, which is seen as a mark of beauty and divine favor. (Most royalty and priests are red-haired.)
In terms of game mechanics, Iron Dwarves are identical to Bronze Dwarves, except that their Body of Metal is ferrous [22].
Rock gnomes average about two feet tall and are more human-proportioned than dwarves, though still broad and stocky. Their hands, feet, ears and noses tend to be over-sized. Their coloration falls within shades of brown or gray. Gnome communities will tend to favor clothing that is either very drab or very gaudy, rarely both in the same settlement. [See Kurbesso about religion.]
This species of gnome are experts in burrowing, and have a limited ability to dig even without tools.
Attributes: -3 ST [-20], +1 HT [10].
Advantages: +1 bonus with Engineer, Jeweler and Prospecting [5], Absolute Direction [5], Body of Stone 4 (PD 1, DR 2, cannot switch) [24], Dark Vision [25], Extended Lifespan +1 [5], Magery 1 (limited to Earth only) [10], Penetrating Vision 6 (earth and stone only) [10], Tunnel (Speed 2) [60].
Disadvantages: Congenial [-1], Inconvenient Size [-15], Primitive -1 (TL2) [-5], Reduced Hit Points -4 [-20], Stubbornness [-5].
Racial Skills: Geology (IQ) [4].
Height: 1/3 that of a human of the same ST.
Weight: 1/3 that of a human of the same ST.
See "Nonhuman Races of Arcadayn: Shapeshifters ('Weres')".
The Sidhe are the inhabitants of Faerie, an "otherworld" which borders on Kemil. Faerie creatures are frequent visitors to Kemil, but are rare except for those places where the barriers between worlds are weakest. In Arcadayn, the influence of Faerie is strongest in Haldinibar, the Storm Isles and the Fey Isles. In these regions, the Sidhe have established more or less permanent strongholds, and have regular traffic with the mortal natives.
Sidhe can roughly be catagorized into four groups: the Seelie Court (pixies, sprites and the Tuatha--"trooping faerie"--courts), the Unseelie Court (goblins, imps and trolls), tree spirits (satyrs, walking trees and wood elves) and water faeries (merfolk, nixies and naiads).
[More faerie races will be made available after I have developed more of the details about Faerie, its denizens and the methods of travel between that world and Kemil. For now, only "Elfkin" are being presented for use as PCs.]
Elfkin (Fey-blood, Halflings) [45/55 points]
Many kinds of faeries may interbreed with humans to produce half-mortal children, which are variously called elfkin, fey-blood or halflings. These children will look human but have some telltale elfin feature: pointed ears, no facial hair, very pale skin, dark slanted eyes or the like. As with humans, they may favor one or neither parent. The statistics here are for a typical elfkin, one whose sidhe parent has a relatively human-like appearance. Status, skills, languages and abilities are largely dependent on which parent raised the child.
Attributes: +1 IQ [10].
Advantages: Attractive [5], Faerie Empathy [10], Longevity [5], Magery 1 [15]. If the sidhe parent was a water-dweller, add Gills [10].
Disadvantages: Unnatural Feature [-5] is an option (no more than one), but is not required (nor included in the template).
Racial Skills: None.
Height: As a human of the same ST, -6".
Weight: As a human of the same height, -5 lbs.
World-Sight [10] is an option (see "Faerie Shamanism") but is not part of the racial template. Elfkin who have offspring by full humans will pass on some, but not all, of their racial traits to their children. Longevity is the most common trait to continue as the strain of fey blood grows thinner with the generations, with Magery being the second most persistent (though often in reduced form, such as Limited Magery or Second Sight). Those with World-Sight frequently beget new shamans as well.
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This page last updated 11/5/2003 by Timothy E. Emrick. | Copyright 1998-2003 Timothy E. Emrick.