Below you will find information about the most common sentient races of Wasteland campaign setting.



Aasimar

  The heaven-touched are not a race of their own, but a rare manifestation born of human or elven parentage. It is commonly believed that the blood of supernatural outsiders runs through the veins of the aasimar. In the Free Cities they are respected and their birth is considered a blessing upon the lineage of their parents, but in the gray elven societies and within the Burning Hand empire they are seen as an abomination.
  Aasimars are usually tall, good-looking, and generally pleasant. Their physical traits, such as eye pigment or hair color, are typically the same as their parent race. Some aasimar have a minor physical trait suggesting their heritage, such as silver hair, golden eyes, or an unnaturally intense stare.
  The aasimar posses a natural wisdom and leadership ability. A desire to right the wrongs of the world often drive aasimar into the adventuring career. They make superior diplomats or scouts, but are slow learners.

Aasimar Racial Traits

  • +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
  • Medium size.
  • An aasimar’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
  • +2 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks.
  • Resistance to acid 5, cold 5, and electricity 5.
  • Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day-daylight. Caster level equal to class level.
  • Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Elven.
  • Favored Class: Paladin.
  • Level adjustment +1.



Deep Dwarf

  Living far underground, the deep dwarves tend to be more standoffish with other races. They are stocky, with reddish skin, and their large eyes are a washed-out blue color. Deep dwarf hair color ranges from bright red to straw blond.
  The caste-based government of the deep dwarves has been ruled by the honored Clan Morgrynn for thousands of years. It is they who led the dwarves underground to escape destruction after the Planeshift. Claiming to be the descendants of the dwarven patron deity himself, the clan's leadership has had a major influence of the religious teachings in deep dwarf society. An example of Clan Morgrynn's influence is the banning of arcane magic and exiling of anyone who practices it.
  The twin hammers wielded by Morgrynn himself are said to have been crafted from the exquisite artisanship of the deep dwarves. Their skill in weapon and armor forging is so unmatched that "dwarven craft" is a popular buzz word of the surface-world marketplace. In reality such quality wares rarely make their way outside of the deep dwarves' subterranean fortresses, as they are reclusive almost to the point of xenophobia.
  Deep dwarves are not commonly seen on the surface world. Occasionally entire families are exiled or individuals may get separated from their trade caravans, and are unable to return home on their own. Some become adventurers after seeing the opportunities of the surface world, abandoning their clan duties in pursuit of glory or power. Deep dwarves make incredible martial combatants, but lack the refined social skills of other races.

Deep Dwarf Racial Traits

  • +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
  • Medium size.
  • A deep dwarf’s base land speed is 20 feet. However, deep dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
  • Darkvision out to to 90 feet.
  • Stonecunning: This ability grants a deep dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A deep dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a deep dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A deep dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. Deep dwarves have a sixth sense about stonework, an innate ability that they get plenty of opportunity to practice and hone in their underground homes.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Deep dwarves treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
  • Stability: Deep dwarves are exceptionally stable on their feet. A deep dwarf has a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
  • Light Sensitivity: Deep dwarves are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
  • +3 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. *Not reflected in the saving throw numbers given here.
  • +3 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. *Not reflected in the saving throw numbers given here.
  • +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs (including half-orcs) and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
  • +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
  • +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items.
  • +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan, Undercommon.
  • Favored Class: Fighter.



Desert Elf

  Generations spent in the deserts have left this breed of elf with tan skin. Their hair is almost always black, and their eyes green like turquoise. It is common to see a desert elf with elaborate tattoo designs on their face, hands, and other exposed skin. They are also fond of decorative piercings and elaborate scarification. These body modifications are sometimes used to signify familial ties, but are also for decoration and self-expression.
  Desert elves herd horses, cattle, and goats across the sands. Their people are some of the most skilled riders in the wastes, it is common for desert elf children to be put in a saddle before they have even learned to walk.
  Desert elf society is nomadic and ungoverned. Their leaders are chieftains and elders, men and women who have earned the respect of their community. Desert elves are a free people, and distaste the idea of unified government telling them where or how to live. Desert elves find pleasant company among desert halflings, and are especially welcome in the lands of the Free Cities.
  They are wanderers of the desert, a lifestyle some say is an adventure of its own. Most desert elves have a strong sense of community and wish to stay with their nomad tribes, but some do leave their families to become adventurers for a chance at becoming rich and famous. Although they are tougher than other breeds of elf, their weaker frame and natural alacrity lends more toward specialization in ranged weapons and attacks.

Desert Elf Racial Traits

  • -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity.
  • Medium size.
  • An desert elf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Heat Endurance: Desert elves gain a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of hot weather.
  • Immunity to sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
  • Low-light vision.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Desert elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the scimitar, rapier, and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
  • +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal, Ride, Search, and Spot checks. A desert 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 it.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Gnoll, Halfling, Orc.
  • Favored Class: Wizard.



Desert Halfling

  Desert halflings stand about three feet tall and usually weigh between thirty and thirty-five pounds. They have brown or black eyes. Men often have long sideburns, but beards are rare among desert halflings and mustaches almost unseen. They don't seem to mind the desert heat as much as other races, and are most likely to be active during the day.
  Having no homelands of their own, desert halflings are found most often traveling with bands of nomads or sometimes living within the Free Cities. Being so small in size, they can sometimes be mistaken for human or elven children. Most societies consider the desert halflings to be mischievous and untrustworthy, quick to label them pests, scavengers, or thieves.
  Desert halflings are natural adventurers. They are incredibly curious and inquisitive. A common proverb is that desert halflings are "like cats, in that they appear whether invited or not".

Desert Halfling Racial Traits

  • +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength.
  • Small size. +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium characters.
  • A desert halfling’s base land speed is 20 feet.
  • Heat Endurance: Desert halflings gain a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of hot weather.
  • +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, and Sleight of Hand checks.
  • +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
  • +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear. This bonus stacks with the desert halfling’s +1 bonus on saving throws in general.
  • +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings.
  • +2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Halfling. Bonus Languages: Elven, Goblin, Gnoll, Orc.
  • Favored Class: Rogue.



Gray Elf

  Gray elves are taller than other elves and grand in physical appearance. They have either silver hair and amber eyes or pale golden hair and violet eyes. They prefer clothing of white, silver, yellow, or gold, with cloaks of deep blue or purple.
  All elves are the descendants of the once-powerful and expansive Draegoth Empire, and the gray caste considers themselves the purest of the remaining lineage. Although their empire has crumbled since the Planeshift, many gray elves still cling to the structure of their old monarchy and honor the remaining noble families.
  The gray elves possess a superior intellect compared to most other races, and have little patience when interacting with other races. They are particularly intolerant of aasimar, half-elves, and tieflings whom they view as deviations of purity within their bloodlines. It is also no secret that gray elves believe desert elves and high elves to be lesser beings. This arrogance is typically tolerated, as it is well-known gray elves are adept manipulators of terrible arcane energies.
  To the gray elves, adventuring is seen as a method to advance one's family status, gain fame, or amass a fortune. Spellcasters are interested in sifting through the ruins of the Draegoth Empire in hopes of finding ancient magical knowledge or lost artifacts. Gray elves are physically and intellectually spry at the cost of physical strength and toughness, but otherwise share the same traits as their city elf cousins.

Gray Elf Racial Traits

  • -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence.
  • Medium size.
  • An gray elf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Immunity to sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
  • Low-light vision.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Gray elves are automatically proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow.
  • +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A gray 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 it.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Gnome, Sylvan.
  • Favored Class: Wizard.



Half-Elf

  The product of human and elven union. They inherit a good blend of their parents’ physical characteristics, and tend to stand out as socially skilled. Half-elves born in the lands of the Burning Hand have their face branded by a specific mark which identifies them as a non-pure human.
  Half-elves are most likely found in the lands of the Free Cities, or with wandering desert elves. Their childhood is checkered with difficult times and past traumas, as they are rarely accepted fully into any society. If a half-elf is born in gray elf society it is purged immediately following childbirth, and if it is born in the Burning Hand lands a mark is burned into it's forehead and it will know only a life of slavery.
  Some half-elves are driven by the wanderlust of their elven parents. Their versatility and social skills make them ideal adventurers, as they are advantageous traders, travelers, and storytellers.

Half-Elf Racial Traits

  • Medium size.
  • A half-elf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
  • Low-light vision.
  • +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A half-elf does not have the elf’s ability to notice secret doors simply by passing near them.
  • +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks: Half-elves get along naturally with all people. This bonus may not apply in situations or settings where half-elves are viewed with distrust.
  • Elven Blood: For all effects related to race, a half-elf is considered an elf. Half-elves, for example, are just as vulnerable to special effects that affect elves as their elf ancestors are, and they can use magic items that are only usable by elves.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Any (other than restricted languages, such as Druidic).
  • Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass half-elf takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing, her highest-level class does not count.



High Elf

  High elves average five feet tall and typically weigh just over one hundred pounds. They often have black hair and green eyes. High elves prefer colorful clothes, usually with a cloak that blends well with the colors of the desert.
  The high elves most commonly populate human settlements where they are often referred to as city elves. Elder high elves become regarded scholars, seneschals, teachers, and venerable masters of their trade. Despite these respected positions, high elves do not often ascend to leadership positions within most human lands due to the prejudices of human society.
  Although all elves experience wanderlust to some degree, high elves are most likely to adventure to break from the pace of life in human settlements. Due to their physical abilities high elves tend to favor ranged combat over close encounters.

High Elf Racial Traits

  • +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
  • Medium size.
  • A high elf’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Immunity to sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
  • Low-light vision.
  • Weapon Proficiency: High elves are automatically proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow.
  • +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A high 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 it.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling.
  • Favored Class: Wizard.



Human

  Humans are usually between five feet and a little over six feet tall and can weigh from one hundred to two hundred fifty pounds, men being obviously larger and heavier than women. Humans are much more physically diverse than other races. Their skin tone can be nearly black to quite pale, their hair can be blonde to black (wavy, disheveled, or straight), and men can have sparse or thick facial hair.
  Humans have spread rapidly on the surface world. They are by far the most abundant race, and their numbers continue to grow. Other races view humans as passionate but impatient. Human leaders are sometimes hundreds of years younger and less experienced than the leaders of other races, which can cause friction during diplomatic relations.
  Humans are the descendants of risk-takers and pioneers, and so fit naturally into the adventurer career. Some are thrill-seekers, others desire power, glory, or revenge. A human's desire to adventure is perhaps the most contrasting among all the races.

Human Racial Traits

  • +2 to any one ability score of player's choice.
  • Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Human base land speed is 30 feet.
  • 1 extra feat at 1st level.
  • 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
  • Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Speak Language skill.
  • Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.



Rock Gnome

  Rock gnomes stand three to three and a half feet tall and weigh forty to forty-five pounds. Their skin color ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue. Rock gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards. They generally wear leather or earth tones, though they may decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry.
  For reasons that remain a mystery, the rock gnome population has steadily dwindled in number since the Planeshift. They have been forced to ally with the deep dwarves in their underground fortresses bordering the Underdark, as they do not have the numbers to form their own independent nation and fend for themselves. The rock gnomes act as merchants, laborers, and traders, but perhaps their most valuable skill is inventing. They have fortified the underground deep dwarf strongholds with complex traps, reinforced blockades, and other effective countermeasures. In return, the deep dwarves offer protection to the rock gnomes.
  Rock gnomes were once powerful illusionists, but much of this knowledge was lost when they retreated from the surface world. As Clan Morgrynn has banned arcane magic in the deep dwarven settlements, the rock gnomes have had to research and practice this lost knowledge in secret.
  Although the rock gnomes are perfectly happy living underground, they may leave the deep dwarf fortresses at any time. They are not bound by clan law as the deep dwarves are, which gives the rock gnomes freedom to explore and travel. The deep dwarves often contract them to do missions or other tasks, and so adventuring rock gnomes are a somewhat common sight.

Rock Gnome Racial Traits

  • +2 Constitution, -2 Strength.
  • Small size. +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium characters.
  • A rock gnome’s base land speed is 20 feet.
  • Low-light vision.
  • Weapon Familiarity: Rock gnomes may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
  • +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
  • Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by rock gnomes. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.
  • +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
  • +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants).
  • +2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
  • +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks.
  • Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan, Undercommon.
  • Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute). A rock gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + rock gnome’s Cha modifier + spell level.
  • Favored Class: Bard.



Tiefling

  Like the aasimar, tieflings are born of human or elven parents who are believed to possess outsider ancestry. Those born with obvious signs of this heritage are typically destroyed in most good civilizations, meaning tieflings who survive to adulthood are practically indistinguishable from normal children of their parents' race. Some may still manifest physical attributes with the onset of puberty; examples of such traits may include small horns, pointed teeth, red eyes, a whiff of brimstone about them, or even cloven feet.
  A tiefling feels little comfort within settlements, and so they fit well with the always-traveling adventure group. Their aforementioned abilities make tieflings a powerful ally in combat. Although tieflings tend more toward the chaotically aligned, they are not necessarily evil.
  A tiefling's adaptation to the waste is unmatched despite being slow to advance in profession. They are as cunning as a gray elf and quick as a desert halfling. They have a resistance to heat that makes them capable of tolerating incredibly hostile environments, and their superior vision allows them to navigate in pitch black.

Tiefling Racial Traits

  • +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
  • Medium size.
  • A tiefling’s base land speed is 30 feet.
  • Darkvision out to 60 feet.
  • +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Hide checks.
  • Resistance to cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5.
  • Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day-darkness. Caster level equal to class level.
  • Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Elven.
  • Favored Class: Rogue.
  • Level adjustment +1.



Warforged

  Massive humanoids molded from obsidian, iron, stone, darkwood, silver, and organic materials. The face of a warforged is mostly featureless, and their body is constructed of flexible metal plates connected by plantlike fibrous tissues. Although they have no gender, some warforged may look and sound more masculine or feminine. Warforged are often branded, scared, or otherwise marked with a certain insignia to designate that they are owned property.
  They were created in a time before the Planeshift, designed to be mindless automatons for war. No one really knows who made them or why they appear to have sentience now. Today there are no nations which view the warforged as a living beings entitled to rights; they are simply property to be bought, sold, and put to labor.
  Warforged may desire to become adventurers to find more of their kind, to seek answers regarding the mystery of their creation, or to break away from their bonds of slavery. A warforged traveling alone may be seen as an easy target to capture and sell to a new master, but they are actually incredibly tough and capable combatants not to be underestimated.

Warforged Racial Traits

  The racial traits for warforged are not a part of the System Reference Document, so please reference the Eberron Campaign Setting source book for those rules.