[note]The Three Worlds Campaign Setting is beginning to shape up. The majority of the mechanics have been determined and the fluff has been outlined and is now being ... fluffed. Because it helps me to organize my thoughts, here is an overview of the character options players will have access too in basic games. There will be advanced races and prestige classes for more advanced games. The Hunter is a replacement for the Ranger, and the Noble is a replacement for the Bard. The Paladin has been removed without replacement, but a Knight PrC will exist to fill that role. The Druid and Cleric have been merged into a singular Priest, better representing the Animistic nature of my setting. The Monk has been heavily altered, and will be utilizing a psionic focus-like mechanic for their mystical abilities. There are now three warriors, three experts, and three casters.
I will eventually replace this post full statistics for each race and class. For now, I'd love to hear preliminary opinions, especially worries about certain character archetypes that may not be fully realized by the classes offered.[/note]
RACES
Human
Humans were born of the world; no deity claims to have created them. In their early years, they were slaves to the Giant races, used as farmers, laborers, miners, and often as cattle. They were freed by the Legendary Knights, who are now the chief deities of most humans. Humans reside on every continent, both in civilized and uncivilized communities. Being a short-living race, they undergo faster political and social changes than the other races.
Gnome
A short, stocky people, Gnomes were born of the earth, the last creations of Tyranon, the Earth Dragon. They have earthy skin tones that start off smooth and grows more rough and craggy as they age. They are completely hairless, though they grow crystalline spines on their heads; these spines aren't flexible, and while they aren't brittle they are easily broken, causing most gnomes to keep them trim. When they are young and fertile, their crystal "hair" is vibrant and colorful, while it grows dull when they are aged. Gnomes are a hardy race, but they lack the swiftness of other races. They are exceptional miners, but their favored crafts are stonework and working with gems and precious metals; gnomish artwork and jewelry are highly sought after. Most gnomes are quite modest, and typically wear simple clothes and only one piece of jewelry; this jewelry is usually self crafted, or a gift from a close friend. Gnomes are very communal, living in clans headed by the descendents of the clan's founder (generally drawn through a matriarchal line). Gnomes bear three names: their clan name, their mother's name, and their own personal name. Gnomes marry out of duty, and while they deeply understand friendship, the concept of love (favoring one friend over another, in their reasoning) is alien to them.
Halfling
A small people from the isolated island Dorion, Halflings stand between 2 and a half and 3 and a half feet tall. Halfling is their Trade name; they generally call themselves the Cherim (the original halfling tribes had different names for each other, and were never unified, so the name "Cherim" was recently adopted). They are thinner than human proportion would dictate, with slightly larger heads and elongated limbs. Most striking, they have a two foot-long tail covered in soft hair the same color as the hair on their head (which is also exceptionally soft and usually short). They are excellent athletes, exceptionally fearless, and quite opportunistic; they make great adventurers and criminals alike. Most halflings away from their home island attach themselves to another humanoid culture (typically human), but some live in culturally distinct nomadic groups that live throughout the lands of other races.
Salamander
The last creations of Firdel, the Fire Dragon, they are a tall, heavily muscled, with blunted faces and slightly protruding mouths. Their hair is thick, coarse, and spiny, growing from the top of their heads and down to their mid-back like a lion's mane. Due to their uncanny ability to survive in extreme temperatures, most Salamanders forego wearing clothing that isn't ceremonial or functional. Gender social differences are almost non-existent amongst Salamanders; females gain little weight during pregnancy, and salamanders keep several mates all belonging to the strongest (a strong female salamander might have a dozen male mates, or vise versa). They are chiefly governed by their emotions, especially extreme emotions such as passion, anger, and excitement.
Sylph
A lithe and frail race, Sylphs were the last creation of Wyndaguile, the Air Dragon. They are thin and exceptionally light, with long delicate limbs and narrow frames. They are highly perceptive, with large eyes and long swept back ears. Being exceptionally light, they are adept jumpers and climbers, and while they are not as stealthy as Undines, they do have the uncanny ability to move just as stealthily at high speeds as while being slow. They favor the use of archery and spears, to keep them further away from their often larger foes. Sylphs are exceptionally carefree, generally possessing little more than a group of elders for government, and leaving the raising of their children to the group's adolescents (in fact, Sylphs do not marry, they pair up with another Sylph for several years until they grow bored of each other and find new partners). As a whole, their societies are stable and unchanging, but individually they are flighty and highly varied.
Undine
A stealthy cunning race, Undines were the last creation of Naias-Sorn, the Water Dragon. They are trim and thin, with little muscle on their bones. They are completely hairless, with no outer ears or noses (their nose consist of two sealable nostrils, while their ears are each three sealable holes). They have large eyes that are entirely pupil, using their eyelids to regulate light rather than an iris (giving them a generally conniving look as they must squint in bright light). They are excellent swimmers, possessing webbed hands and feet and the capacity to hold their breath for extensive periods of time. Their settlements rarely leave watery areas, preferring to live along rivers, in swamps, on the coast, or entirely at sea (they must drink more water than most races, so only adventuring or merchant Undines leave the water for extensive periods of time). They generally wear waterproof clothing made of animal skins or the feathers of water birds.
CLASSES
Barbarian
Warriors who fight with instinct and passion rather than extensive training, Barbarians are more common in wild, uncivilized areas than civilized towns and cities. Part of their power resides from having an unbound spirit, leading civilized folk to believe they are wild savages with no concept of honor and loyalty. Their most potent ability is their powerful rage triggered by injuries, which grants them great strength and durability at the cost of their own protection.
Fighter
Warriors who rely upon their training in armed techniques. Fighters often come from a military background, or from formal schools. More so than any other warriors, Fighters are masters of combat techniques and equipment specialists. Lacking mystical or extraordinary powers, Fighters typically possess a determination to succeed that is second to none.
Hunter
Expert trackers and stalkers, Hunters are swift and stealthy, at home amongst the harshness of the wild. They are skilled at hunting familiar foes and creatures, and are widely employed by guerrilla warriors as scouts and ambushers. Their uncanny senses and reflexes, combined with their incredible stealth and mobility, make them both valuable allies and fearsome foes.
Monk
Mystic warriors who walk the path of perfection, Monks seek spiritual ascendance through the rigorous training of their body and mind. They learn to utilize their body as a weapon, forgoing armor and developing their unarmed strikes to be as strong as a warrior's sword. While they learn many techniques available to other warriors, they also learn to utilize their inner power to produce semi- and fully magical effects, such as focusing their energy into a projectile, running up walls, or ignoring attacks that might have otherwise proven fatal. Most monks hail from monasteries, but some are trained by individual masters.
Noble
Skilled diplomats and leaders, Nobles possess the ability to inspire themselves and others to tremendous acts. They are well educated, often possessing deep connections. A Noble's greatest strength is their ability to influence others, inspiring them to greatness or cowing them with fear.
Priest
The mystic servants of the divine, priests wield the power of their divine patrons. Some priests follow nature deities, while others follow ancestral deities, but all are an important part of any community, often taking positions of leadership or council. While they lack the broad ability of a wizard or the natural power of a sorcerer, they possess a power over life and death that the other spell wielders could never master.
Rogue
Skilled in deception and underhandedness, Rogues are cunning tricksters who make excellent swashbucklers and thieves alike. Their breadth of skill is unmatchable, and they make up for their lack of combative ability with skill, striking a foe where and when they least expect it.
Sorcerer
Born with mystic power, often having the blood of dragons or other magical creatures running through their veins, Sorcerers command power that comes naturally, not through study but through practice. Rather than drawing their mystical energy from their deity or from nature, Sorcerers make their power themselves. As they grow, they slowly become more like the element that they wield.
Wizard
Students of the mystic arts, Wizards learn how to draw upon, manipulate, and command the magical energy that flows through all things. They lack the intense focus of the Sorcerer, or the intimate command of the Priest, but they are the most varied and broad casters of all, relying upon nothing more than their own knowledge.
So can all of these races have access to all of these classes?
Also: do salamanders acquire mates after gaining prosperity or rank, or would a pc expect to be either part a harem(!) or have one?
Do undines have any kind of penalty for being away from water for a length of time?
Is Sylph frailty reflected in their stats? Or that of Gnome lack of speed?
Actually I should just sum up all these questions with: are the descriptions largely cosmetic or will there be stats and such to accompany them?
Excellent descriptions of the races! Very descriptive and full of imagery. I especially like your version of gnomes, well thought out and original.
I am assuming noble will be a PC class. How will they fare in combat and adventuring next to other classes?
Tybalt*Yes, all races can select all classes. I will probably have a favored class system, but other than that there will be no limitations.
*Salamander's aquire mates whenever they can keep one. A PC wouldn't be expected to have mates or be part of a harem, because the PCs are unique. It would be fun backstory, for a player playing a meek Salamander to have escaped his harem. Hah!
*Undines must drink more water than other races, and will suffer damage/fatigue from dehydration faster than other races. They also have a saving throw penalty against fire spells.
*Sylphs have a Constitution penalty, and they have a "weight" penalty; while their Strength is normal, they suffer a -4 penalty on checks made to resist Trips, Bull Rushes, Overruns, and other sorts of attacks, because they are exceptionally light and are easy to manipulate.
*Gnomes have a 20 ft. base speed, and a Dexterity penalty. They're slow.
*Yes, all descriptions are cosmetic and backed up with stats. I'm The Kap'n after all.
So-KeherThanks; I particularly like the gnomes' "hair"; it amuses me to think of gnomes selling people their hair, and then the people getting it appraised and finding out its worthless.
The Noble is a PC class. It will fair as well in combat and adventuring as the Bard, except they have a ton of bonus feats instead of spells. They get inspire courage/competence/greatness/heroics, they get leadership for free, they get the ability to grant an ally an extra move and eventually an extra standard action, and they have tons of bonus feats. Their inspiration can be used to make them fair warriors, but it works best on their warrior allies.