Human
While not the strongest race, nor the quickest, humans dominate the Tablelands. Humans can be found at all levels of Athasian society. From the highest sorcerer-king to the lowest slave toiling in the obsidian mines of Urik, humans are everywhere. On average, they aren’t as strong as some of the other prominent races, but what they lack in strength, they more than make up for with cunning, persistence, and adaptability.
Personality: More than other races, human personality is shaped by their social caste and background. Humans tend to be impulsive and driven toward great daring, especially when the lure of adventure permeates their souls. This reflects itself in different ways, depending on the individual’s place in society. Human slaves are troublesome and prone to escape, human templars ambitious and greedy, human nobles filled with a sense of their own importance, and human traders willing to take risks that other races would shy away from.
Physical: Human males average 6 feet tall and 200 lbs, while smaller females average 5 1/2 feet and 140 pounds. On Athas, centuries of abusive magic have not only scarred the landscape – they’ve twisted the essence of human appearance, as well. Many Athasian humans look normal, and could pass unnoticed among humans of other worlds. Others, however, have marked alterations to their appearance. Their facial features might be slightly bizarre: a large chin or nose, pointed ears, no facial hair, etc. Their coloration might be subtly different, such as coppery, golden brown, hues of gray, or patchy skin. The differences may be more physical, such as webbed toes or fingers, longer or shorter limbs, etc. A player with a human character should be given broad latitude in making up these alterations to his form, if he so wishes. Ultimately, none of them will give him any benefit nor any hindrance to game play – his appearance is strictly a role-playing asset.
Relations: Humans are generally tolerant of other races. They can easily adapt to situations involving elves or dwarves, and even more exotic races such as half-giants and thri-kreen. Where other, less tolerant races come into contact with one another, humans often serve as diplomatic buffers.
Lands: Humans can be found anywhere, from the great city-states to the barren wastes. Those who call the wastes home are usually members of nomadic, slave, or raiding tribes, or the inhabitants of remote villages.
Language: Most humans speak the common tongue of slaves. Nobles and artisans within a given city-state usually speak the city language, but slaves typically only speak common. Within the merchant families – most of which are ruled by humans – members also speak the dynasty’s secret tongue and guard its truths jealously.
Human Society: More humans live in the city-states than they do anywhere else. Although humans are resilient and adaptable, the city-states offer shelter, water, and food – commodities that are rare outside their walls. From Tyr to Draj, humans are the dominant people, dwarfing other populations in the city-states.
They are the most likely to be free citizens, merchants, nobles, slaveholders, and landowners; most templars are human as well. Outside the city-states, human numbers fall off, eclipsed by the other peoples of the deserts, but even in the wastes humans are common. They seem able to scratch out a living no matter where they reside.
Role-playing Suggestions: You are the dominant race on Athas and you know it. But, at the same time, you are bereft of a past, flooded with propaganda and prohibited from keeping written histories by the sorcerer-kings. Many humans chafe against tyranny’s chains but hold their tongues, seeing no reason to jeopardize the shelter, water, and food they receive in return for their loyalty. Decide how you will respond to this situation.
The following game statistics apply to the human
player character:
Human Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Mutations: Humans select two Human Mutations at 1st level.
Skilled: Humans gain 1 additional skill rank at 1st level and 1 additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common and their ethnic language. Humans whose ethnic language is Common do not receive an additional ethnic language. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Human Mutations:
Arcane Affinity: your spells gain +1 to the DC of their saving throws.
Arcane Heritage: Magic is in your blood. Select one saving throw category and apply a +1 bonus to it
Alien Mind: Your thoughts are strange and unpredictable. You have 10% magic resistance.
Aptitude: Choose one ability score. Whenever you make an skill check with this score, roll two dice and pick the best result.
Artisan: You receive a +3 bonus on all craft skill checks.
Bareback Rider: You suffer no penalties when riding bareback. You can guide your mount with your knees, keeping both hands free. You gain a +1 bonus to hit when using a ranged weapon while riding bareback.
Bullheaded: You receive a +1 bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and a +2 bonus on intimidation skill checks.
Child of the Ringing Mountains: You suffer no movement penalty in mountains or forest.
Cold Resistance: You receive a cold resistance 1
Combat Training: You gain a bonus combat feat.
Commander: Your allies within 30 feet gain +2 to morale bonus to saving throws.
Cosmopolitan: Select a race other than human. All members of that race are automatically Friendly towards you when you first encounter them.
Desert-Born: You are immune to damage from heat stroke and exposure to the cold.
Elfblood: You gain lowlight vision.
Expert Rider: Choose a mount type. Gain +2 on all Ride skill checks. All such mounts are Friendly towards you.
Faithful: You may use your Wisdom Bonus instead of your Constitution Bonus to determine your bonus hit points.
Foe Hunter: Select one race and receive a +1 bonus on damage against them.
Heat Resistance: You receive a fire resistance 1.
Lucky: Reroll one failed saving throw per day.
Mental Fortitude: You may use your intelligence Bonus instead of your Constitution Bonus to determine bonus hit points.
Mercantile Expertise: Make a successful Charisma check to buy equipment at a 10% discount. You can help others get this discount. When selling, a successful Charisma check grants you 10% more in the sale.
Pathfinder: You are skilled at navigation and never become lost when travelling in the wilderness.
Raider: You gain a +1 bonus on saves vs. fear and a +3 on perception skill checks.
Reduced Water: You need half as much water each day as normal.
Rustic Charm: All urban folk start out as Friendly, You receive a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy checks.
Self-Sufficient: You gain a +3 bonus to survival checks made in one type of terrain.
Silt Diver: You can hold your breath for half your Constitution score in rounds.
Skilled: You gain a bonus Feat.
Spirit Sight: You can see incorporeal or ethereal creatures.
Tough: You gain +1 hp per level.
Well-Trained: You receive a +2 bonus on all initiative checks.
Worldly Charm: You receive +3 Diplomacy bonus.
Human Favored Class Options
Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, Humans have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored class.
The following options are available to all Humans who have the listed favored class.
Alchemist: Add one extract formula from the alchemist formula list to the character’s formula book. This formula must be at least one level below the highest formula level the alchemist can create.
Arcanist: Add one spell from the arcanist spell list to the arcanist’s spellbook. The spell must be at least 1 spell level below the highest level the arcanist can cast.
Athasian Bard: Gain +1/2 on the Disguise bonus provided by seamless guise.
Barbarian: Add a +1/2 bonus to trap sense or +1/3 to the bonus from the superstitious rage power.
Bloodrager: Increase the bloodrager’s total number of bloodrage rounds per day by 1.
Cavalier: Add +1/4 to the cavalier’s banner bonus.
Cleric: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome the spell resistance of outsiders.
Druid: Add a +1/2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks to change a creature’s attitude.
Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character’s choice.
Gladiator: Gain a +1 bonus to the brawler’s CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the brawler’s choice.
Hunter: Add 1 skill rank to the hunter’s animal companion. If the hunter replaces his animal companion, the new animal companion gains these bonus skill ranks.
Inquisitor: Add one spell known from the inquisitor spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the inquisitor can cast.
Inquisitor: Add a +1/2 bonus on Perception checks to see through magical disguises or pinpoint invisible creatures.
Investigator: Add one extract formula from the investigator’s formula list to his formula book. This formula must be at least 1 formula level below the highest level the investigator can create.
Kineticist: Gain 1/6 of an Extra Wild Talent feat.
Magus: Add +1/4 point to the magus’ arcane pool.
Medium: When gaining a taboo, the medium can use spirit surge without incurring influence an additional 1/4 time per day.
Mesmerist: Increase the mesmerist’s towering ego bonus by 1/3 point (to a maximum increase of +2).
Monk: Add +1/4 point to the monk’s ki pool.
Occultist: Gain 1/6 of a new focus power.
Occultist: Add a +1/3 bonus on any skill check attempted as a part of an occult ritual (Occult Adventures 208).
Oracle: Add one spell known from the oracle spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the oracle can cast.
Psychic: Add one spell known from the psychic spell list. This spell must be at least 1 level lower than the highest spell level the psychic can cast.
Psychic: Add a +1/4 bonus to AC when flatfooted, to a maximum of what the psychic’s AC would be if not flat-footed.
Ranger: Add +1 hit point or +1 skill rank to the ranger’s animal companion. If the ranger ever replaces his companion, the new companion gains these bonus hit points or skill ranks.
Rogue: The rogue gains +1/6 of a new rogue talent.
Shaman: Add one spell from the cleric spell list that isn’t on the shaman spell list to the list of spells the shaman knows. This spell must be at least 1 level below the highest spell level the shaman can cast.
Shifter: Add 1/3 to the number of minutes the shifter can assume her minor form each day.
Skald: Add one spell from the skald’s spell list to the skald’s known spells. This spell must be at least 1 spell level below the highest level the skald can cast.
Slayer: Gain 1/6 of a new slayer talent.
Sorcerer: Add one spell known from the sorcerer spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the sorcerer can cast.
Spiritualist: Add 1 skill rank or 1 hit point to the spiritualist’s phantom.
Summoner: Add +1 hit point or +1 skill rank to the summoner’s eidolon.
Swashbuckler: Increase the total number of points in the swashbuckler’s panache pool by 1/4.
Warpriest: Gain 1/6 of a new bonus combat feat.
Witch: Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch’s familiar. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level she can cast. If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar knows these bonus spells.
Wizard: Add one spell from the wizard spell list to the wizard’s spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the wizard can cast.