SRD - Races

STAR ELVES (MITHRAL ELVES)

The green depths of the Yuirwood hide an ancient secret long forgotten by folk beyond Aglarond's borders, and not widely known even within - the star elves, an elven subrace that retreated from Faerûn to an extraplanar refuge known as Sildëyuir. Sometimes referred to in ancient texts as mithral elves, the star elves concealed the existence of their hidden kingdom for almost two thousand years, leaving behind nothing but mysterious ruins and old, strong magic in the stone circles of the Yuirwood.

While the star elves have kept themselves apart from the rest of Faerûn for many centuries, their isolation is coming to an end. Besieged by an insidious peril from beyond the circles of the world, they face the possibility of being driven from Sildëyuir back to their ancient abode in the Yuirwood.

Personality: Star elves are cautious and aloof, keeping an emotional distance from events. They can be judgmental, although they take their time and consider many factors before passing judgment on a creature or action. Once won, a star elf's friendship (and enmity) is deep and long lasting. Star elves love beauty in any form and have a knack for perceiving inner beauty rather than outward appearance and actions. Among their own kind, star elves delight in song, dance, and works of magic, but away from their homeland they are slow to bestow the gift of their voice or artistry.

Physical Description: Of all the elven subraces, star elves most closely resemble moon elves. They have pale skin that sometimes takes on a pearly gray or faintly violet tinge, and hair of gold, red, or silver-white. Their eyes are gray or violet, sometimes with gold flecks. Like the sun elves or moon elves, star elves are tall and slender; men average between 5 1/2 and 6 feet in height and weigh around 140 pounds, while women are about half a foot shorter and weigh around 110 pounds.

In their homes they favor elegant, embroidered tunics but dress in neutral colors with dappled gray-green cloaks to remain unseen in woodlands. Star elves are graceful and strikingly handsome by human standards.

Relations: Most star elves have removed themselves from the everyday life of Faerûn and therefore have little understanding of humans, dwarves, and other races. They think of humans as aggressive expansionists who readily take up blade and spell to get what they want, and they regard humans with caution. They get along well with other elves, especially sun and wood elves, but fear trouble from the moon elves' unguarded generosity and engagement of human realms.

Alignment: Most star elves prefer not to involve themselves in the world's troubles. Star elf society values individual accomplishment and rights over collective effort, so they lean toward chaotic rather than lawful alignments.

Religion: Star elves venerate the Seldarine, the pantheon of elven deities. They are not a devout race but hold a special reverence for Corellon Larethian.

Language: Star elves speak Common and Elven. Those who venture to Faerûn from Sildëyuir often learn Aglarondan, Mulan, or Rashemi. In their refuge, Auran, Celestial, and Sylvan are common, while some star elves learn Abyssal and other evil tongues to converse with those seeking to destroy Sildëyuir.

Names: Male: Aeril, Brevel, Dhisten, Jhered, Mourel, Ourevel, Thaeleven.

Female: Bracatha, Calastra, Evindra, Falindra, Lauratha, Nimara, Varele.

Surnames: Dawnsong, Duskwood, Moonshadow, Nightsong, Nightwind, Starwind, Woodsong, Woodwalker.

Adventurers: After two millennia in isolation, star elves have realized that they know little about the world from which they took refuge. As their ancient haven no longer shields them entirely, many have begun to debate whether Sildëyuir should remain closed. Certain Faerûnian realms might make powerful and reliable allies in their war against the abominations who threaten Sildëyuir. A few have taken it upon themselves to spy out the lay of the land, seeking knowledge to defend their home - or a place to call their own if Sildëyuir must be abandoned.

Regions: Most star elves live in the extraplanar realm of Sildëyuir; see the star elf region description. A small number already live quietly among the people of Aglarond, and choose that region instead.

STAR ELF RACIAL TRAITS

+2 Charisma, -2 Constitution: Star elves are graceful but frail.
Humanoid (Extraplanar): Star elves are not outsiders, but they are not native to Faerûn. Spells and effects that target extraplanar creatures affect star elves. Banishment, dismissal, and similar effects that banish outsiders return a star elf to Sildëyuir.
Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet.
Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Low-light Vision: Star elves can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, or similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Otherworldly Touch (Su): Between sunset and sunrise a star elf confers the ghost touch ability on any melee weapon she wields and any armor she wears, but only so long as she keeps the weapon in hand or wears the armor. Star elves have a magical affinity for starlight that gives them an unusual edge in fighting extradimensional foes.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A star elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for the door. A star elf's senses are so keen that she practically has a sixth sense about hidden portals.
Star elves have no racial weapon proficiencies.
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: By character region.
Favored Class: Bard. A multiclassed star elf's bard class does not count when determining whether she suffers an XP penalty.

GNOLLS

Bestial and bloodthirsty, gnolls are a savage race of hyena folk considered a blight upon the face of Faerûn by other races. Great numbers of gnolls inhabit the Plateau of Thay, providing the Red Wizards with fierce warriors to terrorize their own people as well as the neighboring lands.

Personality: The typical gnoll has few redeeming virtues. He is a cruel, hateful bully, quick to rob from or torment those weaker than himself, and just as quick to grovel in the presence of those stronger. Lazy and ill-tempered, he prefers to steal what he needs and murder anyone who objects. Only the promise of loot and easy slaughter can stir him to real effort, and even then he is likely to abandon ongoing tasks to indulge his larcenous instincts unless a strong leader cows him into obedience.

A small number of gnolls rise above the craven and violent nature of their fellows, taking pride in their skill at arms and their natural ferocity. While still contemptuous of weaklings, these gnolls have a savage nobility and can endure privation and real danger to prove they're the toughest warriors around. Where a common gnoll is all bluster and bullying, a superior gnoll doesn't waste time on words - he strikes hard and strikes fast to get what he wants. A gnoll with such determination and courage is rare and generally rises to a position of leadership among his people.

Physical Description: If a hyena could walk on two legs and carry weapons, it would not be far from a gnoll. Gnolls' skin is a greenish-gray color, and the furry hide is marked with brown spots and a reddish-gray to dirty yellow mane. These massive humanoids are nocturnal carnivores by nature, and they're not particular about who or what they eat - or, for that matter, whether it's been cooked. A gnoll can stand up to 7 1/2 feet in height.

Relations: No one harbors goodwill toward gnollkind, not even gnolls themselves. Civilized folk such as humans or elves view them as cruel, rapacious marauders no better than orcs or goblins, and even other savage races do not get along with them. Gnoll bands serve the Red Wizards of Thay out of fear and the chance to plunder or torment those weaker than themselves.

Alignment: Most gnolls are chaotic and evil, taking what they want from anyone not strong enough to defend it, and having no patience for rules. Those who behave otherwise either bury their nature beneath slavish devotion to a more powerful master or drive themselves to be better at what they do.

Religion: Gnolls worship Yeenoghu, a demon lord who is the patron of their vile race. They are not particularly reverent, but a tribe or clan down on its luck might propitiate Yeenoghu through the sacrifice of living captives.

Language: Most gnolls speak only Gnoll, but player characters speak Common as well. Bonus languages include Giant, Goblin, Mulan, Orc, and Rashemi.

Names: Male: Brask, Durrash, Faush, Lask, Thovarr, Wesk.

Female: Amal, Hett, Ishtish, Senga.

Surnames: Bloodfang, Ear-taker, Face-ripper, Spearbreaker.

Adventurers: Generally regarded as vicious thugs and brigands, most gnolls live down to expectations. However, in lands where gnolls are common, a small number are reliable enough (barely) to hold down jobs as guards, trackers, or hired muscle. As a sword-for-hire, a gnoll usually falls in with the worst sort of adventuring party. At best, a gnoll adventurer is willing to go along with good-intentioned comrades, provided he's paid well for his services and given the respect he feels his prowess deserves.

GNOLL RACIAL TRAITS

+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Gnolls are tough and strong, but are not especially bright or personable.
Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet.
Darkvision: Gnolls can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Racial Hit Dice: A gnoll begins with two levels of humanoid. This provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throws of Fort +3, Ref +0, and Will +0.
Racial Skills: A gnoll character's humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Gnoll class skills are Listen and Spot.
Racial Feats: A gnoll's humanoid levels give him one feat.
Natural Armor: +1 natural armor bonus.
Weapon Familiarity: Gnolls treat battleaxes and shortbows as simple weapons. No gnoll grows to adulthood without learning something about fighting.
Automatic Languages: Common, Gnoll. Bonus Languages: By region.
Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclassed gnoll's racial Hit Dice and ranger class do not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty.
Level Adjustment: +1. A gnoll has an effective character level (ECL) of 3 plus class levels, so a 1st-level gnoll ranger would have an ECL of 4.

HAGSPAWN

Sons of malicious, predatory mothers, hagspawn are not a complete race, as there are no females of their kind. Hags continue their awful lineage by taking human males for mates, usually murdering and devouring the hapless captive later. The female children of a hag quickly grow into hags like their mothers, but the male children are hagspawn, half-human outcasts. Feared and hated by normal humans, hagspawn must make their way in the world by dint of their strength, hardiness, and sheer determination.

Hagspawn are found in any land but are especially common where many hags dwell - Rashemen, for example.

Personality: All too often, hagspawn are filled with the malice, violence, and resentment of their monstrous parent. They are quick to take offense and view even the most innocent remark as a hidden slight. People regard them as ill-tempered monsters, and many hagspawn perpetuate distrust of their kind by behaving exactly as expected. They look out for themselves first and regard companions as temporary allies to be discarded when convenient. Unlike many other evil-natured creatures, though, hagspawn are capable of working furiously to achieve a desired end and do not shy away from physical hardship or danger if the reward seems worth the risk.

Many hagspawn overcome their evil tendencies and strive to get along as best they can in human society, enduring the suspicions of their neighbors while proving themselves through their actions. Stoic and uncomplaining, a hagspawn of this sort can be a great force against evil.

Physical Description: Hagspawn are tall and powerfully built, with long arms, big hands, and a hunched posture. Their black hair is long and lank, and their eyes gleam red with malice. Their faces are heavy-featured and coarse, and their skin color often hints at their mother's subrace - pallid blue for the sons of annises, sickly green for a green hag's spawn, and so on. In lands where hags are scarce, a hagspawn might pass for a loutish and ill-favored human, but the folk of the East know them all too well.

Relations: Hagspawn don't get along well with anybody, although they have a certain sympathy for half-orcs and tieflings. Dwarves, elves, halflings, and other civilized nonhumans generally judge a hagspawn based on his deeds, but not so humans. In Rashemen, hagspawn are infamous for their evil tempers, violent natures, and depraved crimes, and they can expect no welcome in a Rashemi village. A few individuals have overcome this social stigma by proving themselves loyal and true, but most hagspawn either leave Rashemen or die bitter and young, having finally done something awful enough to rouse their neighbors against them.

Alignment: A typical hagspawn is a malefactor through and through. Those who conquer their violent heritage don't fit in with very lawful societies but do best where an individual is judged on his own merits.

Religion: Hagspawn most often adopt a faith that appeals to the lonely, embittered, and vengeful. Bane, Shar, and Cyric are common patron deities, although the elemental fury of Talos and the battle skill of Tempus also speak to the hagspawn's violent nature. Good hagspawn most often worship the deity of whatever community they eventually find a home in.

Language: Hagspawn speak Common, Giant, and the human language of their native region (usually Rashemi). Bonus languages depend on their home region.

Names: Hagspawn usually take simple human names for themselves in the language of their home region. In Rashemen, these include Bor, Dor, Josel, Kurg, Sergel, and Vladir. Some claim their father's surname, while others who do not care to hide their heritage call themselves "Hagson," or use their monstrous mother's name.

Adventurers: In one sense, almost all hagspawn are adventurers, with dim prospects for staying at home and living as normal members of a human community. Many are wandering brigands, thugs, and sellswords, never staying too long in any one spot lest their neighbors blame them for some crime or misfortune. Hagspawn make good fighters and rogues and are well suited to a life of violence and robbery.

HAGSPAWN RACIAL TRAITS

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Hagspawn are strong and hardy, but are sullen and ill-tempered.
Monstrous Humanoid: Hagspawn are not subject to spells or effects that affect only humanoids, such as charm person or dominate person.
Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet.
Darkvision: Hagspawn can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Natural Armor: +2 natural armor bonus.
Spell resistance of 11 + character level.
Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: By character region.
Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclassed hagspawn's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty.
Level Adjustment: +2. A hagspawn has an effective character level (ECL) of 2 plus class levels, so a 1st-level hagspawn barbarian would have an ECL of 3.

GRAY ORCS

Descended from the hordes that invaded Faerûn in the Orcgate Wars, the gray orcs are a distinct subrace of orckind with their own unique abilities and traits. Mountain orcs (common orcs) can be found in Thesk and the northern borderlands of the Unapproachable East, but many of the orcs of the Sunrise Mountains and the Endless Wastes are gray orcs. The orcs of Thay include large numbers of both subraces; while the gray orcs invaded the Thayan Plateau in great numbers long ago, for centuries now the Red Wizards have imported mountain orc mercenaries and slaves.

Gray orcs look less bestial than their more savage northern kin but are still obviously nonhuman. They are somewhat hairy, with long manes of bristly hair on their heads, shoulders, and backs. Their faces are less porcine than the mountain orcs, with the exception of their tusks. They have yellow, orange, or red eyes, lupine ears, and black or gray hair. Gray orcs are more apt to wear "civilized" clothing than mountain orcs and prefer varying shades of brown, black, blue, and other dark colors. Skin tones are usually gray with mottled patches of lighter or darker gray on the chest and flanks.

Unlike common orcs, gray orcs are nomads. They dwell in remote, desolate regions and eke out a meager existence as they can, traveling along traditional migratory routes between established campsites and favorite caves as the seasons change. When resources in an area run low, a tribe moves on to greener fields.

A typical gray orc tribe consists of thirty to fifty members, led by the strongest orc in the tribe. The true power behind a tribe of gray orcs, though, is the tribe's high priest, who is typically an adept or cleric (often female) who has held the position for many years. The gray orcs are zealots, and the word of their tribal clerics is law.

GRAY ORC RACIAL TRAITS

+2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Gray orcs are not as strong as mountain orcs, but they tend to be much more independent and strong-willed.
Medium-size.
Gray orc land speed is 40 feet. Their gait is long and loping and they can cover great distances quickly.
Proficient with the greataxe and longbow; gray orcs train with weapons from childhood.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Gray orcs take a -1 penalty on attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Scent (Ex): Gray orcs have the scent ability.
Orc Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a gray orc is considered an orc. Gray orcs, for example, can use or create orc weapons and magic items with racially specific orc powers as if they were orcs.
Automatic Languages: Common, Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Goblin.
Favored Class: Cleric. Gray orcs are comfortable with the savage life of the barbarian, but they tend to be more calm and devout than northern orcs, focusing their rage and hatred inward. This allows them to excel as clerics of the warlike orc deities.
Level Adjustment: +1. A gray orc has an effective character level (ECL) of 1 plus class levels, so a 1st-level gray orc cleric would have an ECL of 2.

SPIRIT FOLK

Spirit folk are the descendants of humans and various spirits of nature. They are not common in any land but are found most often in and around Rashemen, a land renowned for its guardian spirits. A small number of spirit folk can also be found in Thesk, among Shou immigrants from distant Kara-Tur. The spirit folk of the Unapproachable East belong to two distinct branches - mountain spirits and river spirits.

Personality: Spirit folk tend to be serene, attuned to their surroundings and at peace with the world. Their ancestry gives them an awareness of the spirit world, but they have little desire to manipulate that world through magic. They manifest a love and enjoyment of life that many humans envy.

Physical Description: Spirit folk look human, although they are fine-featured, with small mouths, thin eyebrows, and pale or golden complexions. They have no facial or body hair, but the hair on their heads is thick and luxurious. They appear in all the diversity that humans display, although most spirit folk in the East show Rashemi features and coloring. Many are strikingly beautiful.

Relations: Spirit folk typically live as part of human society, although they rarely remain in any one village or town for more than a single human generation. Spirit folk prefer to blend in with the surrounding population, acknowledging human rulers and making their way through life as any full-blooded human would. Their neighbors don't realize how different the spirit folk truly are and regard them as "wise ones" who understand things most people do not perceive. Spirit folk get along well with elves and fey creatures of all sorts, as well as the spirits of Rashemen.

Alignment: Perhaps because of their strong ties to the natural world, spirit folk seek a benevolent balance between extremes. They tend toward neutral good alignment.

Religion: Spirit folk share the religious habits of their human neighbors. In Rashemen, they often venerate Silvanus, Mielikki, and Selûne.

Language: Spirit folk speak Common, Sylvan, and the local human language of their native region - usually Rashemi, but sometimes Shou or Tuigan.

Names: Spirit folk of Rashemi descent usually have Rashemi names.

Male: Andar, Chevik, Daumar, Hladislak, Ilvik, Olek, Pergaur.

Female: Ayvarra, Belmith, Emmezel, Gevarra, Iseldra, Karra, Ranya.

Surnames: Antonin, Fyodorin, Gudenny, Kerska, Molotva.

Adventurers: Some spirit folk more acutely feel their differences from their human neighbors and take up the life of an adventurer to find their way. More rarely, sheer wanderlust impels spirit folk to explore the world and experience its natural beauty.

Regions: Most of the spirit folk found in the Unapproachable East are native to Rashemen or Thesk and choose the appropriate region. The Shou region is also appropriate for spirit folk immigrants from Kara-Tur.

MOUNTAIN SPIRIT FOLK RACIAL TRAITS

Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet.
Mountain spirit folk have a base climb speed of 30 feet. They gain a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. The mountain spirit folk must make a Climb check to climb a wall or slope with a DC of more than 0 but can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. A mountain spirit folk who chooses an accelerated climb moves at double the listed climb speed and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. Mountain spirit folk cannot use the run action while climbing. They retain their Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against climbing mountain spirit folk.
Low-Light Vision: Spirit folk can see twice as far as humans in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks. Mountain spirit folk are at home on steep slopes and sheer pinnacles that would terrify most humans.
Once per day, a mountain spirit folk can use speak with animals to speak with any bird. This ability is innate to mountain spirit folk. It has a duration of 1 minute (the spirit folk is considered a 1st-level caster when using this ability, regardless of actual level). See the speak with animals spell description.
Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Giant, Goblin, Mulan, Rashemi, Shou, Tuigan.
Favored Class: Any. A multiclassed spirit folk's highest-level character class does not count when determining whether she suffers an XP penalty.

RIVER SPIRIT FOLK RACIAL TRAITS

Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet.
River spirit folk have a base swim speed of 30 feet. They do not need to make Swim checks to swim normally. They gain a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard, and they can always choose to take 10 on these checks, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. They can use the run action while swimming, provided they swim in a straight line.
Water Breathing: River spirit folk can breathe water as easily as they breathe air.
Low-Light Vision: Spirit folk can see twice as far as humans in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects with the word "water" in the name of the effect.
Once per day, a river spirit folk can use speak with animals to speak with any fish. This ability is innate to river spirit folk. It has a duration of 1 minute (the spirit folk is considered a 1st-level caster when using this ability, regardless of actual level). See the speak with animals spell description.
Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Giant, Goblin, Mulan, Rashemi, Shou, Tuigan.
Favored Class: Any. A multiclassed spirit folk's highest-level character class does not count when determining whether she suffers an XP penalty.

TAERS

Primitive hunters of the icebound north, taers are cruel and savage creatures who haunt the remote mountains and passes of the East. They launch war parties into warmer lands, carrying off livestock, food stores, or even people for the clan's larder. Even more so than other evil folk such as orcs or gnolls, taers are regarded by other races as crude, bloodthirsty beasts without a single redeeming quality.

Although taers regard other creatures as potential enemies or meals, they possess a surprisingly complex store of oral histories, rules for conduct within the clan, and tribal wisdom. Long ago, the race developed a comprehensive code to govern its tendency toward violence, at least between its own members. Anyone not of the taer's clan is beyond the protection of this code and can be robbed, murdered, or eaten at will. Those few taers who wander into civilized lands either extend their concept of "clan" to some other set of intelligent creatures, such as a group of bandits, a village, or an adventuring band, or quickly die at the hands of an angry mob.

Personality: They lack the cognitive and innovative intelligence of humans and other such races, but taers are intuitive and imaginative in their own way. They think in analogies and metaphors, most of which are mythic sagas handed down by the storytellers of the clan from generations past. Taers see themselves as characters in a life-story that began long before they were born and will go on long after they are dead. Taers who leave their clans and learn to regard people of other races as fellow tribesfolk (as opposed to prey) slowly weave their new experiences into their old worldview, constructing new myths to explain what they cannot understand any other way. A taer can literally "turn off" cognitive thought and descend into bestial rage in the blink of an eye to meet a physical challenge, but for days afterward, he ponders the experience and seeks to explain what happened.

Physical Description: Taers are powerfully built creatures about 5 to 6 feet in height, with thickly muscled arms and apelike faces. They are covered in thick white fur that blends in with snowy backgrounds, although their hands and faces are bare of fur. Beneath their fur, their skin is dark gray and leathery in texture. A male taer weighs about 220 pounds, while a female is more lightly built, weighing about 180 pounds. Taers carry themselves in a crouch, their knuckles almost dragging on the ground; a taer that straightens up stands almost 7 feet in height.

Relations: No other race gets along well with taers, although frost giants, ogres, and white dragons occasionally ally with a taer clan to achieve some greater goal. In turn, taers typically view all other creatures as either enemies or prey. A taer who learns to include nontaer companions as part of his "clan" can be a loyal comrade, but he often measures his companions' actions against taer expectations.

Alignment: Taers are drawn neither to law or chaos. They value the complex rules of their clan life but yearn for wild freedom. They tend to be evil, preying on nontaers too weak to defend themselves. Even within the clan, taers use their traditions ruthlessly to attain the highest status possible. A fair number of adventuring taers are of neutral alignment.

Religion: Taers possess a complex pantheon filled with spirits and mythical figures, but they most often revere aspects of Auril the Frostmaiden and Loviatar. Giant deities such as Grolantor and Thrym also appear in taer mythology.

Language: Taers speak Giant. Player character taers speak Common as well. Bonus languages include Auran, Damaran, Draconic, Orc, and Rashemi, although it's a rare taer who can manage more than two languages.

Names: Taers name themselves after landmarks and natural phenomena, preceded by a simple clan name. Examples include Hrusk Mountain Thunder, Vulg Falling Ice, or Chark Smoking Sky.

Adventurers: Adventuring taer are almost always outcasts from their clan, who were defeated in (or failed to pursue correctly) the endless taer measurement of fitness. They are more comfortable joining a small band they can think of as a new clan than living among the folk of a large settlement. Most taer adventurers are simple brigands, but some become mercenaries who sell their strength and ferocity, and a few rare individuals attach their loyalties to a band of good-hearted heroes.

Regions: Almost all taers choose the taer region, which describes an individual driven from his clan and sent into exile in human lands.

TAER RACIAL TRAITS

+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -4 Intelligence (to a minimum of 3), -2 Charisma: Taers are tough and tremendously strong, but are insular and do not have the reasoning capacities of other races.
Giant: Taers are not subject to spells or effects that affect only humanoids, such as charm person or dominate person.
Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet, climb speed 30 feet. Taers gain a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. A taer must make a Climb check to climb a wall or slope with a DC of more than 0 but can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. A taer who chooses an accelerated climb moves at double the listed climb speed and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. Taers cannot use the run action while climbing. They retain their Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against climbing taers.
Racial Hit Dice: A taer begins with two levels of giant. This provides 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throws of Fort +3, Ref +0, and Will +0.
Racial Skills: A taer character's giant levels give him skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Intelligence modifier). Taer class skills are Climb, Hide, and Spot. A taer's pelt blends in with snowy backgrounds, conferring a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in snow-covered locales.
Racial Feats: A taer's giant levels give him one feat.
Weapon Familiarity: Taers treat greatclubs and longspears as simple weapons.
Darkvision: Taers can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Natural Armor: +2 natural armor bonus.
Natural Attacks: An unarmed taer can make two slam attacks at his normal attack bonus and a bite attack at a -5 penalty on his normal attack bonus. The taer's slam attacks deal 1d3 points of damage, and the bite deals 1d4 points of damage.
Cold Subtype (Ex): Taers are immune to cold damage but are vulnerable to fire attacks. They take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.
Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: By character region.
Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclassed taer's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty.
Level Adjustment: +1. A taer has an effective character level (ECL) of 3 plus class levels, so a 1st-level taer barbarian would have an ECL of 4.

VOLODNIS

More than a thousand years ago, at the end of the terrible wars that racked Narfell and Raumathar, a proud Nar lord led a host of his people into the great forests of the ancient empire, seeking to escape the roaming demons and magical plagues that ravaged his lands. Some power of the old woods - perhaps an elder treant, or even the Oakfather himself - confronted the Nar refugees to deny them refuge unless they forswore their demon-summoning ways and agreed to take the forest's blood for their own. The lord agreed on the spot, convinced that any bargain was better than returning to certain destruction, but the price was greater than he could imagine: He and his followers surrendered their humanity in exchange for sanctuary. Thus the volodnis, the pine folk, were born.

The volodnis are a humanlike race of treefolk who defend their forest homes with iron resolve. Unlike other sylvan beings, volodnis aggressively seek to expand into new forests and grow the borders of old ones, regardless of who gets in the way. Many feel that only the fall of "warm folk" civilization can preserve Faerûn's forests, but others hope to peacefully persuade humans to allow the return of the ancient forests.

Personality: Volodnis are cold and dispassionate, remorseless in pursuit of any tactic that serves their ends. They remember every injury but have the patience of the forest itself when exacting vengeance. They are not acquisitive, as they have little need for material possessions. Some volodnis feel the blood of their human ancestors more deeply than others and are capable of benevolence - or spitefulness and crime.

Physical Description: Volodnis resemble their human forebears, but their skin is the deep olive-green of a pine needle, and their flesh is woody and tough. Clear sap runs through their veins instead of blood, and their hair grows in long, thick locks scaled like the bark of a young tree. Their eyes are gleaming black, and they tend to be tall and lean, with wide shoulders and long arms. The pine folk favor weapons and armor made from leather and wood, dyed in green and brown to blend in with the terrain of their forest home.

Relations: Volodnis get along reasonably well with other sylvan creatures such as centaurs and satyrs and usually work toward the same ends as elves. They revere treants and are warm to druids of any race, but they do not care for people who see a forest only as uncut firewood and unbuilt homes. Those who despoil natural settings out of spite rather than necessity wake a volodni's latent hostility into pure, cold rage (the most militant volodnis see no difference between the two actions). Consequently, volodnis harbor a stronger dislike for goblins, orcs, and such creatures than they do for dwarves or humans.

Alignment: Volodnis are not actively malicious, but they are not benevolent, either. They believe in the individual's call to act as he or she sees fit rather than laws and rules to guide behavior and so favor a chaotic disposition.

Religion: As one might expect, the pine folk have a strong druidic tradition. Druid circles govern their society, and all volodnis venerate nature gods. Among the forest deities they hold a deep reverence for Silvanus the Oak Father.

Language: Volodnis speak Common and Sylvan as well as the human language of the surrounding region - usually Damaran or Rashemi in the East. They often learn Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, or Treant to communicate with creatures of the woodlands.

Names: The pine folk go by simple human names, usually followed by a description of a favorite forest locale, such as Andror of the Deepspring, Harl of the Old Grove, or Mara of the Windridge.

Male: Andror, Huvast, Isilvor, Leped, Normol, Strevast, Yevgen.

Female: Atryanna, Hela, Kari, Lara, Naskyara, Slaela, Zashi.

Adventurers: Volodnis who leave their home forest to wander the world are unusual, but not as rare as one might think. The pine folk have a great desire to explore and see the wonders of Faerûn's surviving forests. Volodni druids and rangers go out into the world to protect woodlands and to spy out the civilized lands near their homes.

Regions: Most volodnis choose the volodni region, which reflects a pine folk character native to one of the large forests of the Great Dale. A small number of volodni characters choose human character regions such as Rashemen, the Great Dale, or Thesk.

VOLODNI RACIAL TRAITS

+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Volodnis are hardy and intuitive, but are not exceptionally bright or personable.
Plant: Volodnis are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. They are not subject to critical hits or mind-affecting effects.
Medium-size.
Land speed 30 feet.
Cold resistance 5.
+4 racial bonus on Hide checks in wooded terrain.
Low-Light Vision: Volodnis can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Half damage from Piercing: Piercing weapons deal only half damage to volodnis, with a minimum of 1 point of damage.
Sustenance: Volodnis require only 2 hours of sleep per day to gain the benefits of 8 hours of sleep (although arcane spellcasters must still have 8 hours of rest to prepare spells). Volodnis only require one-quarter the food and water a human requires, as they absorb nutrients from their environment.
Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: By character region.
Favored Class: Druid. A multiclassed volodni's druid class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty.
Level Adjustment: +2. A volodni has an effective character level (ECL) of 2 plus class levels, so a 1st-level volodni druid would have an ECL of 3.