From the maelstrom of war and conflict great warriors arise, tested on and mastering the brutal fields of battle. These combatants nobly make war against cruel overlords and barbarous hordes, or are driven to conquest
and brutish slaughter by depraved spirits and malignant desires.

Found in all societies and amongst all peoples for whom battle is a constant, these are those who turn to the sword and might of arm to defeat their foes and fulfil
their desires. Kings and tyrants, warriors and brigands, foot soldiers and raiders, adventurers and treasure hunters; these are all fighters.

The fighter is the archetypical warrior, superior to all other classes in armed combat. Fighters come from every geographic region and occupy all social strata. They are born with a strength of will and spirit that leads them to seek the field of battle. They find the clash of metal
and the ring of steel invigorating at times, and necessary at others.

Fighters do not live in fear of the melee; they face their foes with gritted teeth and steely determination, longingly anticipating the next test of their strength and skill.

All fighters, regardless of background, are characterized by the will and ability to use their brute strength and swift sword to solve problems or overcome foes. Fighters are a unique breed and make their own way in the world, for ill or good.

Fighters depend on heavy armor and weaponry that require great strength and skill to wield properly. Whether sallying forth with a massive double bladed battle axe, or a delicately balanced saber of the finest steel while
sheathed in plates of shiny metal, or hefting only a shield on the blood washed fields of combat, the mighty arm of these warriors rise and the weak fall beneath it. And it is the strength that carries fighters through
the laborious contests of steel that mark their daily lives.

Many cultures have unique weapons, and warriors in those cultures are often trained in their use, wielding them as if extensions of their bodies.

However, all weapons, regardless of make, function to the same end and the well-trained and highly skilled fighter intuitively knows the best manner in which to use them. Fearsome with any weapon, the fighter is an opponent
that only the foolish underestimate and the weak regret offending.

As with weapons, the use of heavy armor is demanding upon the body. When worn by those unfamiliar with its weight and bulk, armor can be a hindrance to movement. It requires great strength and knowledge to properly wear any armor and maintain one’s skill of hand while so donned.

Fighters are accustomed to the bulk and weight of armor, knowing how to manage and adjust their thrusts and parries when wearing it. Once trained, a fighter knows how to adjust his or her fighting style to the weight and load of any armor in order to use it effectively.

ABILITIES
WEAPON SPECIALIZATION: At 1st level, the fighter can choose one weapon with which to specialize. All weapons are eligible, including ranged weapons such as the bow or sling.

The weapon with which the fighter specializes is usually common to the fighter’s culture or society, but it need not be. The Castle Keeper and player should
consult to determine which weapons are available for specialization, bearing in mind culture, location and availability.

The fighter can only choose one weapon with which to specialize. Once chosen, the weapon cannot be changed. For fighters between 1st and 6th level, this specialization imparts a +1 bonus to hit and a +1 bonus to damage when being used. At 7th level and above, the bonuses increase to
a +2 to hit and +2 to damage.

COMBAT DOMINANCE: At 4th level, the fighter gains an extra attack with any weapon when fighting opponents with 1 hit die or less. In order to use this ability, the fighter must direct all attacks in a combat round against
opponents that meet these criteria.

The fighter can split the available attacks among qualified opponents as desired. This ability improves as
the fighter progresses in levels. The fighter gains an additional attack for every four levels gained after 4th level.

So, at 8th level, the fighter is allowed a total of three attacks, and at 12th level, the fighter gains four attacks against these opponents. This ability does not combine with the Extra Attack ability described below.

This ability is only useable with melee weapons and cannot be applied to ranged combat. For example, an 8th level fighter is battling 5 kobolds in a dank cavern. The kobolds are 1hd. When it comes time to attack, the fighter is allowed three swings against the kobolds; one swing for the class and two swings for the Combat Dominance ability.

The fighter can choose to attack one kobold three times or three different kobolds one time each.

EXTRA ATTACK: At 10th level, the fighter gains one additional attack each combat round with any weapon. This ability does not combine with Combat Dominance. When in a combat where both abilities could be used, the player must choose to use either the Extra Attack or Combat Dominance ability during each round. The Extra Attack ability is useable with melee and ranged weapons.

PRIME ATTRIBUTE: Strength
ALIGNMENT: Any
HIT DICE: d10
WEAPONS: Any
ARMOR: Any
ABILITIES: Weapon specialization, combat dominance, extra attack

Level /HD /BtH /EPP
1 /d10 /+1 /0
2 /d10 /+2 /2,001
3 /d10 /+3 /4,001
4 /d10 /+4 /8,501
5 /d10 /+5 /17,001
6 /d10 /+6 /34,001
7 /d10 /+7 /68,001
8 /d10 /+8 /136,001
9 /d10 /+9 /272,001
10 /d10 /+10 /500,001
11 /+4 HP /+11 /750,001
12 /+4 HP /+12 /1,000,001
13+ /250,000 per level

Ancient cities with high towers and crumbling walls, sprawling towns along coastal highways, villages, castles and hamlets all have one thing in common. They all have rogues in their environs.

Their names vary: thieves, rapscallions, cut-purses, footpads, confidence men, fences, burglers, sharpers, pick-pockets or highwaymen. Their methods vary as widely as their names, but their goals and the theme of their lives are constant. Rogues steal from others. They gather ill gotten goods for their own pleasure or needs and care not a whit for payment or compensation of those they take from.

Rogues make their living in the shadows, through stealth, deceit and thievery, or at times, in service to some greater purpose known only to themselves. Rogues are, simply, the ultimate thieves.

The archetypical ne’er-do-wells, rogues can be scions of the wealthiest families or simple street urchins. Some make their living by burglary, robbing wealthy merchants and pilfering the goods of many a palace. Others pick the pockets of the unwary, from the simple traveller to the
noble lord.

Still others find their skills best suited to plundering dungeons, unraveling riddles in dark caves, and stealing treasure from the forgotten places of the world, avoiding the laws and the lawmen of the more civilized areas of the world.

To perform their many acts of daring rogues manage on a routine basis, they must be exceedingly dextrous. A rogue must be nimble of hand and foot. They must be quick of wit and mind. When these traits are perfectly combined into a seamless coordination of mental acumen and hand-eye coordination, the rogue becomes a foe to be feared and friend never to be trusted.

It is true that there is no honor among these rogues. Every valuable is a potential source of income, and every circumstance an enticement to misdeed. They are driven by an anarchic soul and the outcast’s disdain for common ethics where few laws are considered sacred and no oath is
made that is not to be broken. Their only brotherhood is that of their confederations and guilds of like minded thieves, who are as loyal to one another as they are to anything else.

These guilds provide protection and organized rackets, but have little more staying power than the strength of their leadership to manage an unruly and rebellious membership.

There are the rare exceptions to this generally dispiriting lot. There are burglars who steal only from wealthy and evil overlords, rob dragon’s hordes, or pilfer the treasuries of malicious and cruel tyrants.

However, they too are driven by the same forces that inspire other rogues, for it takes a wily and wilful individual to crawl down dark forbidding corridors
and face down dragons for a peek at their hordes.
Rogues try to avoid combat as much as possible. Though not cowardly, they simply find the phrase “better to live and fight another day” more meaningful and applicable than anything to do with honor, pride or recognition of their martial prowess. Further, one might actually die in
combat, and that has little value to anyone, especially to the rogue in question.

As such, their weapons are generally of the smaller variety and not very impressive, being knives, daggers, saps and such, or those that can be used from a great distance such as bows, slings and darts.

Neither do rogues have much regard for shields and armor as these hinder movement and make even simple tasks difficult. And, since rogues avoid combat as much as possible, armor becomes a useless accouterment in most cases and in a city, attracts more attention than most rogues desire.

ABILITIES
SPECIAL: Rogues favor light armor, as it allows them to better ply their stealth abilities. Rogues may wear leather armor, a leather coat, or padded armor, and can employ small shields without any penalty to the use of
their abilities. They may also wear leather helmets. A rogue may wear any other type of armor, but the character may suffer a penalty when using class abilities and wearing these armors as noted in the ability description.

The penalty is equal to -1 for each point above armor class 12 that the armor confers. Restricted helmets and shields cause the rogue to suffer a –1 penalty to all abilities. All penalties are cumulative.

For example, a rogue wearing chainmail, which confers a 15 armor class, suffers a -3 penalty to all ability checks (15-12=3). The same rogue using a large shield suffers a -4 penalty to all ability checks. If the same rogue used a metal great helm as well, the total penalty would be -5.

BACK ATTACK: A rogue normally avoids face-to-face combat if possible, preferring instead to use stealth to catch an opponent unaware. A rogue able to attack an opponent from the rear and who is unaware of the rogue’s presence, gains a bonus to hit and to damage.

To catch an opponent unaware, a rogue must make a successful move silently check to sneak up behind the foe, or make a successful hide check while behind the opponent. A rogue that succeeds in one or the other of these can
make a back attack at a +4 bonus to hit. A successful hit inflicts double the normal damage.

When making a back attack, a rogue must use a close-quarters melee weapon. This weapon must be shorter than the character’s arm. A rogue can only back attack living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital
spot, and then must be able to reach it.

As the rogue gains experience, the damage inflicted increases. At 5th level, a back attack deals triple damage, and at 9th level a back attack inflicts quadruple damage. A back attack cannot be combined with the sneak attack ability. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the rogue armor list.

CANT: Rogues often use a street language known only to those in the trade, called cant. Code words, hand signals, demeanor, and other signs comprise the cant. The cant can be used to convey complex ideas. The
language may vary to some degree both geographically and culturally, making cants unique to each region, city, or even within a city. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the rogue armor list.

CLIMB (Dexterity): This extraordinary ability allows a rogue to climb up, down, or across a slope, wall, steep incline (even a ceiling with handholds), or unusually angled natural or man made slope or incline
that others would find impossible to climb.

When doing so, the rogue moves at one-half the character’s normal speed. A failed climb check means that the character makes no progress. A check that fails by 5 or
more means that the character falls from the currently attained height, and must suffer falling damage.

Rogues can not carry anything in their hands while climbing. When climbing typical natural slopes and man made inclines, such as a cliff faces or steep steps, a rogue does not need to make an attribute check to climb the surface. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the rogue armor list.

DECIPHER SCRIPT (Intelligence): This ability allows a rogue to decipher writing in an unfamiliar language, a message written in an incomplete or archaic form or a message written in code. If the check succeeds, the
character understands the general content of a piece of writing. It takes 2d8 turns to decipher each page of a script. The attempt may be made only once per writing.

A rogue may use this ability to decipher arcane script if a successful check is made at a penalty of -10. If successful he can read the spell but not cast the spell. This ability may not be used to decipher divine scrolls.

HIDE (Dexterity): Rogues use this ability to conceal themselves from others. A successful check means that the rogue is hidden so well as to be almost invisible. The rogue can move up to one-half normal speed and remain hidden.

Hide checks suffer no penalty in this circumstance. At more than one-half and up to full speed, the character
suffers a -5 penalty to the check to remain hidden.
It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while
running or charging.

If the character is being observed, even casually, they cannot hide. If observers
are momentarily distracted, though, the character can attempt to hide. While the observer averts its attention from the character, the character can attempt to get to a hiding place.

This check, however, is at a –10 penalty because the character has to move quickly to the hiding place. A rogue cannot hide if there is nothing to hide behind or conceal oneself with. Deep shadows can count as concealment at the
Castle Keeper’s discretion.

Rogues cannot hide and move silently at the same time until they reach 3rd level. At this level and beyond, a rogue can attempt both but must make a successful conceal and move silent check at-5. In this case, movement is reduced to one quarter the normal movement rate. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the rogue armor list.

LISTEN (Wisdom): A rogue can use this ability to listen intently and hear noises that others might not detect, even through an obstacle such as a door. Generally, a successful check indicates that the rogue has detected some sort of noise.

Success indicates the rogue can hear soft sounds, like a whisper or cat stalking, while outside or in the open and up to a range of 30 feet. It also indicates success if
the rogue is listening for sounds on the other side of a door, but the rogue must be adjacent to the door.

However, exactly what is heard is up to the Castle Keeper’s discretion as each case is unique. If listening
through a stone wall, the rogue suffers a -10 penalty to the check. For other materials, vary the penalty as appropriate. A rogue can retry this ability once a round.
Only wearing a metal or large helmet affects this ability negatively.

MOVE SILENTLY (Dexterity): This ability allows a rogue to move so silently that others cannot hear the movement. The rogue can use this ability both indoors and outdoors.

A rogue can move up to one-half the character’s normal speed at no penalty. At more than one-half and up to
the character’s full speed, the character suffers a -5 penalty.

It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to move silently while running or charging. To move silently and hide, see the hide ability. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the armor list for the rogue.

OPEN LOCK (Dexterity): A rogue can use this ability to open any sort of mechanical lock that would normally require a key to open. A successful check indicates the lock has been opened. This ability requires the use of a
set of rogue’s tools, including picks, blank keys, wires or other appropriate tools.

A rogue may only make one attempt per lock. If that attempt fails, the rogue cannot try to open the same lock again until gaining one more level as it is beyond the current ability of the rogue to pick it. Only wearing metal or large gloves affects this ability negatively.

PICK POCKET (Dexterity): A rogue can use this ability, on a successful dexterity check, to remove the contents of a pocket or pouch (or otherwise take something from a person) without being noticed.

Success may require the rogue to cut the purse or pouch from the target. A penalty to check is equal to the level or hit dice of the targeted victim. This ability also allows the rogue to perform “sleight of hand” maneuvers.

A successful dexterity check indicates the rogue has hidden or moved an item in such a manner so that observers are not aware of where the item has been hidden. Such typical maneuvers are hiding a coin, sliding a card up a sleeve, performing the shell game, and the like.

A penalty to the check may be applied if there is an observer present that is determined to note where an item is moved. This penalty is equal to the wisdom attribute bonus for the observer. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the rogue armor list.

TRAPS (Intelligence): A rogue may use this ability in three manners: finding, disabling or setting traps. Each
use requires a separate attribute check and each check may be made only once in a given circumstance. The player must also describe how the actions are being performed to use this ability.

To find a trap, a rogue spends time intently studying and searching an area to deduce possible trap locations. It takes one round to locate a trap in a specific area such as a lock or a doorknob, and one turn to locate a trap in a 10 by 10 foot area.

A successful check indicates the rogue finds one trap, if any are present. The trap discovered is the simplest or most obvious trap in the area. If multiple traps are in an
area, multiple successful checks are required to find
them all.

A rogue can find magical traps with this ability, although it may be much more difficult than finding mundane traps. The Castle Keeper determines any penalties to the check basing those penalties on the level or hit dice of those who set them.

To disable a trap, a rogue must first know its location. Once a trap is located, a successful check means the rogue has disarmed the trap. The attempt can only be made once and failure indicates that the rogue set off the trap.

A rogue can disarm a magic trap, although it may be much more difficult than disarming a mundane trap. In most cases, rogue’s tools are needed to disarm a trap.

Generally, it takes 1d4 rounds to disarm a trap, depending on its complexity. To set a trap, or to reset a previously disabled trap, a rogue must make a successful traps check. If a rogue is resetting a trap that was previously disabled, the rogue gains a +5 bonus to the check.

The amount of time required to set or reset a trap depends on the complexity of the trap, typically taking 1d4 rounds.
Locating traps is not affected by the armor worn. However, disabling and setting traps is affected by wearing armor not on the armor list for the rogue.

SNEAK ATTACK: At 4th level, a rogue has learned to adapt back attack skills to more general situations. When an opponent or victim is aware of the rogue, but unsuspecting of an attack, a rogue can use the sneak
attack ability.

For example, a rogue could be having a conversation with a
potential victim while hiding a poisoned stiletto up his sleeve, intending to strike once a piece of vital information is learned. Or, a rogue could be perched in the shadows of a tree, waiting for the perfect opportunity
to fire a crossbow.

Unlike the back attack, sneak attack situations do not necessarily require a previously successful hide or move silently check, although the Castle Keeper could require success in one or both, depending upon the circumstances if necessary. The opponent is not allowed to roll for initiative until the round following the attack.

A rogue making a sneak attack gains a +2 bonus to hit and a +4 bonus to damage. Ranged weapons can be used for sneak attacks if the target is within 30 feet. A rogue cannot aim with deadly accuracy from beyond that range. A sneak attack cannot be combined with back attack. This ability is affected by wearing armor not on the rogue armor list.

PRIME ATTRIBUTE: Dexterity
HIT DIE: d6
ALIGNMENT: Any
WEAPONS: Blowpipe, broadsword, cat-o-nine-tails, cestus, club, dagger, dart, light hammer, hand axe, hand crossbow, javelin, knife, light crossbow, longsword, mace, main gauche, quarterstaff, rapier, sap, shortbow, short sword, sickle, sleeve tangler, spiked gauntlet, sling, whip

ARMOR: Leather armor, leather coat, and padded (see special rule above)

ABILITIES: Back attack, cant, climb, decipher script, hide, listen, move silently, open lock, pick pockets, traps, sneak attack

Level /HD /BtH /EPP
1 /d6 /0 /0
2 /d6 /+1 /1,251
3 /d6 /+1 /2,501
4 /d6 /+1 /6,001
5 /d6 /+2 /12,001
6 /d6 /+2 /24,001
7 /d6 /+2 /48,001
8 /d6 /+3 /80,001
9 /d6 /+3 /120,001
10 /d6 /+3 /175,001
11 /+2 HP /+4 /325,001
12 /+2 HP /+4 /450,001
13+ /125,000 per level

Adventuring is fraught with danger, and most heroes gird themselves with weapons and armor. There are those, however, who reject steel and iron when entering the fray. They instead rely primarily upon their bodies and minds for survival in combat, honing themselves into unbreakable weapons of war.

The monk is devoted to the perfection of the body, and the mastery of mind over body. The monk is an expert in unarmed combat, be it wrestling, boxing, kung-fu or any of the other of the myriad martial arts styles. Some monks’ dedication to the martial arts flows from a strong spirituality, and they often live by stringent personal or organizational codes of conduct. Others show only disdain for religion, but look to training and personal perfection to bring their lives meaning. While there is no standard that a monk must follow, they are all devoted to the use of the body as the best of weapons on the field, and the mind’s control of the body as the best weapon of all.

Monks seek a perfect balance between physical strength and mental control of the body. When in unison, the monk has achieved the perfect, unbeatable weapon; but the path to attain this state is difficult and exhausting, and only those with great stamina and fortitude achieve it.

To achieve a harmonious balance of mind and spirit, the monk must not be susceptible to wild urges, emotions or other distracting mental conditions. A physical and mental harmony must be constantly maintained in order to function at peak ability. To manage this, a monk will usually adhere to their code, master routines necessary to train the body and mind to work together, and undertake strict physical and mental regimens of purification required to achieve perfect control of the body.

The monk generally prefers to engage only in hand-to-hand combat. Some might use simple or mundane weapons that appear innocuous, but when mastered, become deadly extensions of the body. The choice of weapons reflects a philosophy common to all monks; the desire to take that which is commonly perceived as weak and harmless and mold it into something strong and lethal.

Monks cannot wear bulky and weighty armors or objects that weigh them down and restrict their movement. Instead, they rely upon their speed and skill at predicting a foe's movements and attacks to deflect and avoid blows that may inflict mortal harm.

ABILITIES
FAST MOVEMENT: A monk moves faster than normal. A monk carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed and moves at 30. See the Monk Special Abilities Chart for a monk's movement rate.

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT: A monk specializes in hand-to-hand combat, be it boxing, brawling, wrestling, or a complex, disciplined martial art. This martial skill imparts the unique ability to attack with hand, foot, other body part, or the whole body, and aids in defense.

The monk's hand-to-hand attacks and damage are shown in the Monk Special Abilities table. A monk begins with a single hand-to-hand attack, and at 6th level gains an additional off-hand, secondary attack. The amount of damage these attacks inflict is shown in the table. A monk character may choose whether damage inflicted by a successful hand-to-hand attack inflicts normal or subdual damage as described in the Damage entry of The Castle Keeper & The Game section of this book.

A monk's martial skill and body control allows him to use his body for defense. A monk's base armor class increases with experience as indicated on the table.

The monk adds +2 to all overbearing and grappling attacks.

IRON BODY: A monk's training and bodily control creates a hardness and toughness that makes the monk more resistant than normal to harmful toxins and diseases, and to effects that control, paralyze or kill. At 1st level, the character gains a +1 bonus to saving throws versus disease, poison, paralysis, polymorph, petrification and death attack. The bonus increases to +2 at 3rd level, +3 at 6th level, +4s at 10th level, and +5 at 15th level.

STUN ATTACK: Monks can focus a hand-to-hand attack so as to stun an opponent. The monk must declare use of the stun attack before making the attack roll. A foe successfully struck by the attack must make a constitution saving throw or be stunned and unable to act for 1d4 rounds. Those struck by a stun attack take normal unarmed attack damage. The monk can use this ability once per round, and no more than once per level per day. A missed attack counts against the monk’s daily limitation of use of the ability. The first stun attack must be a primary attack (be it by hand or weapon).

DEFLECT MISSILES: At 2nd level, a monk's reflexes and body control allows him the ability to deflect non-magical missiles, including but not limited to, arrows, axes, bolas, bolts, bullets, clubs, daggers, darts, hammers, harpoons, javelins, nets, rocks, and spears. The monk must have at least one hand free to use this ability. When the monk would normally be hit with a ranged weapon, the monk can attempt to deflect the attack by making a dexterity check. If the check succeeds, the monk deflects the weapon and suffers no damage. This can be done once per round for levels 2-5, twice per round for levels 6-10, three times per round for levels 11 to 15, four times per round for levels 16-19, and five times per round for levels 20 and up.

The monk must be aware of the attack to use this ability. An attempt to deflect a ranged weapon counts as a monk’s primary unarmed attack. If a monk is high enough level to have a secondary unarmed attack, the monk may still make the secondary attack if the deflect missile ability has only been used once or twice. If three or more missiles are deflected, the secondary attack is considered used. This ability cannot be used against siege weapon ammunition.

IRON FISTS: Beginning at 3rd level, a monk has begun to master his martial ability to such an extent that his unarmed attacks strike as if dealt by a magic weapon. Thus, the monk can strike and damage creatures hit only by magic weapons. At 3rd level the monk's unarmed attack is equal a +1 magic weapon. This ability improves as a monk rises in levels as follows: +2 at 5th, +3 at 8th, +4 at 12th and +5 at 17th. Note, the ability does not confer any actual bonus to hit and damage.

SLOW FALL: At 4th level, a monk]s body control allows him to slow his fall if within 10 feet of a vertical surface. By using the wall or surface, the monk breaks his fall and takes less damage than normal. The damage is reduced as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. As the monk progresses in levels, the damage reduction increases as follows: 25 feet at 6th level, 30 feet at 9th level, 35 feet at 13th level, and 40 feet at 18th level.

FEIGN DEATH: At 6th level, a monk has mastery over vital bodily functions, and can slow them until he or she appears to be dead. The monk may maintain this state of feigned death for a number of turns equal to the character’s level.

FAST HEALING: At 7th level, a monk’s body naturally heals faster than normal. Each day, a monk heals 1d4+1 hit point per level as long as rest, sleep and meditation is possible. The monk must be in a calm environment, under no physical duress or mental stress, able to sleep undisturbed for 12 hours, and generally rest without exertion for another 6 hours. Food and water should be readily available.

IRON MIND: At 9th level, a monk gains a +3 bonus to saving throws against confusion, charm, fear, and spells that affect the mind. The bonus increases to +4 at 11th level, and +5 at 14th level.

DEATH STRIKE: At 10th level, a monk gains a fearsome attack, capable of dealing death with a single blow. The monk can use this attack once per week. The attack must be announced before an attack roll is made. The monk must be of higher level than the target or have more levels than the target’s hit dice. If the monk successfully deals damage with the attack, the death strike succeeds and unless the victim makes a constitution check, the victim is immediately slain.

At 12th level, after a successful death strike, the monk can choose to delay the victim's death by up to 1 round per level. The monk merely wills the target to die at any point within the allotted time. If the monk wishes, however, the monk need not inflict death on his victim. Instead, the monk can release the victim from the death sentence upon a successful touch attack.

For example, a 12th level monk successfully strikes a 5th level fighter. The monk can will the fighter to die any time within the following twelve rounds. Or, the monk can release the fighter from the death strike by a successful touch attack.

The death strike has no effect on undead or creatures that can only be struck by magic weapons, unless the monk is able to hit the creature with the iron fists ability.

MONK SPECIAL ABILITIES
Level /Armor Class /Primary Attack /Secondary Attack /Fast Movement
1 /11 /1d4 /none /35
2 /12 /1d6 /none /35
3 /12 /1d6 /none /40
4 /13 /1d8 /none /40
5 /13 /1d8 /none /40
6 /13 /1d8 /1d4 /50
7 /14 /1d10 /1d4 /50
8 /14 /1d10 /1d4 /50
9 /14 /1d10 /1d6 /50
10 /14 /1d10 /1d6 /60
11 /15 /1d10 /1d6 /60
12 /15 /1d10 /1d6 /60

PRIME ATTRIBUTE: Constitution
HIT DIE: d12
ALIGNMENT: Any
WEAPONS: Aclis, blowpipe, bola, bows, brass knuckles, cat-o-nine-tails, cestus, cleaver, club, dagger, dart, dirk, falchion, hafted hook, hand axe, hatchet, hook-sword, javelin, katar, knife, light flail, light mace, nine-ring broadsword, pole arms, rock, sap, sickle, scimitar, scythe, sling, spear, spiked gauntlet, staff, whip
ARMOR: None
ABILITIES: Fast movement hand-to-hand combat, iron body, stun attack, deflect missiles, iron fists, slow fall, feign death, fast healing, iron mind, death strike

Level /HD /BtH /EPP
1 /d12 /+0 /0
2 /d12 /+1 /1,751
3 /d12 /+2 /4,001
4 /d12 /+3 /8,501
5 /d12 /+4 /20,001
6 /d12 /+5 /40,001
7 /d12 /+6 /80,001
8 /d12 /+7 /160,001
9 /d12 /+8 /325,001
10 /d12 /+9 /550,001
11 /+5 HP /+10 /750,001
12 /+5 HP /+11 /1,250,001
13 /+ 250,000 per level

Dwarves hail from the depths of the earth, and have lived there for ages beyond count. Much like the stone they resemble, dwarves possess great fortitude and an indomitable will of granite.

They are a proud, loyal, and honorable people, with lives said to be as long as the tunnels they delve beneath wind-scoured mountains. Reknowned for their stonework and metal crafting, dwarves expend much of their lives perfecting their skills and mining ever deeper for rare ores and gems.

There, in those dark recesses, the dwarves have unearthed many abominations and clashed with ferocious enemies, for the underworld is home to innumerable, and usually baneful creatures, who consider dwarves their mortal foes.

DESCRIPTION: Dwarves resemble the rock and stone they so love. They are short, stocky and muscled from years of labor at the forge, or from tunnelling through the earth. Dwarves grow long beards and moustaches that are considered a symbol of maturity and honor; the most renowned dwarves have great, thick beards sweeping to their feet.

From hours at the forge and difficult work at the mines, dwarven skin is dark, ruddy, and fissured, even at an early age. Their deep-set eyes tend to be blue, hazel or gray and sharp enough to pierce the gloom of the underworld.

PERSONALITY: Dwarves feel bound by codes of honor that obligate them to kin and kingdom. They consider themselves eternally beholden to their parents and immediate kin, for their parents brought them into the world. Likewise, the dwarven kingdom serves as both guardian and a source of succor, so an enormous debt is also owed to the dwarf’s kingdom and homeland.

These are debts many dwarves consider irredeemable. At its most extreme, the code obliges dwarves to sacrifice all in the name of kith, kin and kingdom, even if the cause is unjust or hopeless.

The dwarves are also bound to another code that, at its simplest, requires just compensation to be paid for service dutifully rendered. This code guides all of their business and interpersonal dealings.

Dwarves place high value on their skills both as craftsmen and warriors – and rightly so. Dwarves are meticulous and patient. All possess an expert’s attention to detail, and granite determination, regardless of the undertaking at hand.

Their expertise in the crafting of metal is without equal in the world, and their steadfastness in battle is as certain as a mountain is strong.

Dwarven stubbornness is nothing more than an expression of the codes of loyalty, debt, obligation and the determination they project into their daily lives. Dwarves are slow to shift loyalties and loathe breaking oaths, doing so only in dire circumstances. The word of a dwarf is as valuable as gold and gems, flowing from generations of tradition and belief.

Many mistake the dwarven disposition for greed and avariciousness, and some believe dwarves simply take advantage of all they can in both business and war. In reality, the dwarven personality stems from a sense of duty, loyalty and just compensation enforced by centuries of tradition.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Dwarves associate with many demi-humans and humanoids, though their relations are poor with almost all of them. Relations with elves are often strained – dwarves do not understand elven psychology, and do not consider their codes of honor to be particular or reliable.

Dwarves work well with halflings in business matters, but tend to limit interactions to commercial relationships.

Human cultures and society vary widely, so dwarven relationships with humans vary widely as well. To dwarves, humans can appear as honorable as any dwarf, or as loathsome as a goblin.

Dwarves often consider gnomes to be their friends and allies. Gnomish culture most closely mirrors dwarven social and cultural mores. However, certain gnomish characteristics can ignite a dwarf’s short temper, particularly if gnomes and dwarves find themselves coveting the same resources.

Dwarves bear great enmity for goblins, orcs and their kin, for they are locked in a timeless struggle beneath the earth. With these creatures, dwarves have few dealings other than by the sharp edge of a sword or axe.

Another hated enemy of the dwarves are the ogres and giants often found in mountainous passes. Giants treat dwarves as a tasty food source, and ogres prey upon tempting dwarven caravans. Dwarves are always wary of these enemies, and war with them constantly.

ENVIRONMENT: Most often, dwarves live beneath the earth in great halls of stone, stretching for miles under expansive mountain chains. These dwarven kingdoms often extend deep into the bowels of the earth as they mine ever further for precious metals and stones.

Some clans, however, spend much of their lives above ground, building tunnels only for mining, and not as abodes. These dwarves live in areas where massive underground stoneworks are difficult to build, due to lack of proper stone or simple impracticality.

Small dwarven communities can be found in even the most remote of environs, for dwarves explore the world’s borderlands, ever searching for new veins of ore.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
ANIMOSITY (Elves): The disparate personalities of dwarves and elves have resulted in eons of misunderstandings, squabbles and even wars between the two races.

Dwarves consider elves to be disloyal and untrustworthy partners in war or trade. As a result, dwarves suffer a -2 penalty to charisma checks when dealing with elves to whom they are not closely associated.

DEEPVISION: Ages spent beneath the earth in the dark and quiet places of the world have imbued dwarves with the ability to see in darkness where a human would find it impenetrable.

This vision extends up to 120 feet in even the darkest of nights and deepest of tunnels. Colors tend to erode with deepvision, and objects appear in many shades of gray. It is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function well with no light at all.

Bright lights, such as from a lantern or other light source, spoil deepvision. A dwarf requires one turn to adjust his or her eyes when a light source is extinguished before gaining full use of deepvision.

DETERMINE DEPTH AND DIRECTION: The world beneath mountains and in the deeps of the earth is the natural home of the dwarf. Dwarves can sense their approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. The dwarf can determine direction underground just as easily.

ENMITY (Goblins/Orcs): Eternal wars against goblins and orcs have created an undying crucible of hatred for these vile creatures. When in combat against goblins or orcs, this fury and hatred allows dwarves a +1 bonus to hit these creatures.

Dwarves have a similar distrust of half-orcs. Dwarves find inter-breeding with goblinoids to be the worst of all sins, and their powerful antipathy towards pure goblinoids negatively affects dwarven relations with half-orcs. Dwarves suffer a -4 to charisma checks when interacting with half-orcs, goblins and orcs.

DEFENSIVE EXPERTISE (Giants/Ogres): Long regarded as a food source by many giants, dwarves have developed considerable expertise in fighting them. Combined with their small size, this tactical expertise allows dwarves to offer resistance to the powerful giants. When fighting giants or ogres, dwarves receive a +4 bonus to armor class.

RESISTANT TO ARCANE MAGIC: As unshakeable as granite or iron, dwarves are particularly resistant to arcane magic. They receive a +3 bonus to all saving throws against arcane spells and spell-like effects.

RESISTANT TO FEAR: Dwarven loyalty, duty, stubbornness and honor lend them courage where other races might falter. Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws against fear.

RESISTANT TO POISONS (Constitution): Dwarves are imbued with great constitutional fortitude. Poisons that might fell a normal human are less likely to affect a dwarf. Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to all poison saving throws.

STONECRAFT (Wisdom): Dwarves spend much of their lives carving halls, castles and underground fortresses out of solid rock, so they possess an extensive knowledge of stoneworking and construction. They possess almost a sixth sense in this regard which gives them various bonuses and abilities.

Dwarves are capable of spotting unusual or unique construction or stonework features including new construction, unfamiliar architecture, sliding walls, stonework traps, unsafe stone surfaces, unstable ceilings and secret or concealed doorways constructed or disguised as stone.

A dwarf passing within 10 feet of one of these features is entitled to a wisdom check at +2 to recognize the feature, as if actively looking for it. Should a dwarf actively search for these features, the bonus to the wisdom check is +4.

When examining a feature, a successful wisdom check reveals other bits of knowledge, such as which race created the feature, its approximate age, and if applicable, the approximate value of a stone or metal object.

LANGUAGES: Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblinoid, Halfling, Elven, Ogrish, Giant, Troll
SIZE: Small
MOVEMENT: 20 feet
TYPICAL CLASSES: Fighter, Rogue, Barbarian, Cleric, Bard
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity
ROGUE AND ASSASSIN MODIFIER: +2 find traps in structures only

Dwarf Age
Middle = 225
Old = 350
Venerable = 550
Age Limit = 1650

Elves are an ancient, almost timeless, race. They embody the grace and beauty of the natural world: as well as its strength, and at times, its unremitting wrath and fury.

Elves live exceedingly long lives, giving them a degree of patience unknown to other races, and affording them the opportunity to acquire a vast knowledge of the world and its history. This makes elves well informed and sage-like in their depth of knowledge and perspective.

This, combined with their natural dexterity and lithe movement, makes them appear almost ethereal to those who behold them for the first time.

DESCRIPTION: Elves vary in size and coloration, depending on their nature. Generally, elves are light skinned and pale in color, although light green skin hues are not unknown. At maturity they average 5 feet 6 inches in height, and weigh around 115 lbs.

Their “ethereal” nature lends them an unnatural grace and beauty. Elves have thin, sharp facial features with large, searching eyes that can vary widely in color. Their ears are long, tapering to a point at the ends, and they often wear their hair long and unrestrained.

PERSONALITY: Elves, being long-lived, possess tremendous patience. An overriding sense of near-immortality affects an elf’s every thought and action. Other races misinterpret this patience as indolence, laziness and an uncaring attitude, since other races cannot afford to wait decades to act on a matter.

Elves know that they have time to act, for the centuries stretch before them where other races have mere decades. When pressed, however, elves are capable of quick deliberation and speedy action, though usually not as quick as their shorter-lived allies might prefer.

Elves relish beauty, both natural and crafted. Their farsighted vision allows them to see the shapes of things to come, and more, they can see the shapes of things that could be. Where others might see a young sapling that one day must grow into a great oak, an elf sees a sapling that, molded with care and patience, can grow into a tree of great trunk and arching branch that will lord over the forest. This sight grants them the patience to make a craft of their natural environment.

They shape the rocks where they dwell, and cultivate trees and gardens over many years, thus molding their surroundings to create a garden of beauty in the natural world. They apply this same care to shaping and drawing out the natural beauty in all things, from simple stones and gems to gardens, forests and hills.

Likewise, the same attention is given to the crafting of weapons and armor, to spells, and even to the care of beasts. All things flourish under an elf’s care if given time and safety from the world’s interruptions.

An elf’s shaping of the world is accomplished with time. Time is the essential element in creating any item of beauty and time is something many elves have. The same applies to an elf’s use of magic. When magic is crafted by an elf, it is treated with the same care and patience that the elves apply to all things. Time is the forge upon which arcane forces are shaped and bent to perfection. Flawless and powerful magical spells and items are greatly valued and coveted by the other peoples of the world and by elves as well. When complete, elven magics are of divine perfection and immense power; but more than this, their beauty is beyond comparison and oft times, beauty is the source of its magical power.

This love for beauty and the desire to shape the world brings elves their greatest joy and greatest sorrow. Their timeless vision allows them to see both the beauty and the tragedy in all things, so that elves are filled with overflowing joy and limitless sorrow.

Looking into their future, they see their lives and creations becoming marred and spoiled by others, be they dwarf, human, orc or even the ravages of time.
These qualities imbue most elves with a fatalism of surpassing depth.

Their near-immortality creates a peculiar unease with death for their attachment to the living world is more profound and deeply felt than that of most other races. Together, these conflicting notions of time create a burgeoning and even contradictory desire to control and even stop the advancement of time, the forge of their life’s creation and the crucible of their doom.

In many ways, elves become mired in their history, and change little as the world changes around them. At times, this leads elves to avoid many situations that don’t directly threaten them, or that they feel would bring unnecessary harm to their creations.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Most elves prefer the company of other elves. They associate well with halflings and gnomes, but generally do not live in close proximity to settlements of those races.

Humans present interesting dilemmas for elves to ponder, for humans combine the most noble and ignoble aspects of all creatures. As such, elves are very selective about their human associations and have a guarded approach to their interactions with humans.

Dwarves are treated with an aloofness bordering on disdain; for elves find them nearly unfathomable save for one commonality. Elves, like dwarves, also dislike and distrust all goblinoid races.

ENVIRONMENT: Elves prefer living in serene environments, far from turbulent, troubled lands. Often associated with forests and wilderness areas, elves will also live in open savannah or dense urban environments of their own making. Elvish cities are different from human settlements, having more in kin with dwarven settlements – both races tend to incorporate natural surroundings into both their architecture and living spaces in their communities.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
ENHANCED SENSES: Elvish physiology is blessed with enhanced vision and hearing. Elves can see farther than humans in just about every circumstance, including torchlight, and can see clearly enough to read a road sign or spot a shield device up to two miles distant when outside during the day. They can also hear very well, and receive a +2 bonus to all checks involving listening.

TWILIGHT VISION: Even under starlight, moonlight or torchlight, elves have exceedingly good vision. They can distinguish color and detail under these conditions for up to one mile but only if they are outside.

MOVE SILENTLY (Dexterity): This ability allows an elf to move silently in wilderness areas. The elf can move up to one-half normal speed at no penalty. At more than one-half, and up to the character’s full speed, the character suffers a -5 penalty to the check. It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to move silently while running or charging.

SPELL RESISTANCE: Elves are particularly resistant to spells and spell-like abilities that charm or unnaturally cause sleep. When making saving throws against these types of spells, an elf receives a +10 bonus.

SPOT HIDDEN DOORS (Wisdom): Elvish vision and keen senses allows them to spot secret, hidden and concealed doorways. An elf merely passing within 5 feet of a secret, hidden or concealed doorway is entitled to a wisdom check to spot the door, as if the elf were actively looking for it. When an elf actively searches for such doorways, the bonus to the wisdom check is +2.

WEAPON TRAINING: Elves are taught the ways of combat at a young age, and their long lives allow them to become skilled in weapons favored by their society. Elves begin play with a +1 bonus to hit with one of the following weapons: composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, shortbow, longsword or shortsword.

LANGUAGES: Common, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, and Orc
SIZE: Medium
MOVEMENT: 30 feet
TYPICAL CLASSES: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Wizard, Druid, Knight, Bard
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution
RANGER MODIFIER: +2 move silent, +2 to find traps
ROGUE AND ASSASSIN MODIFIER: +2 listen, +2 move silent, +2 Find traps

Elf Age
Middle = 500
Old = 1000
Venerable = 1500
Age Limit = 7500

Gnomes are often mistaken for offshoot species of dwarves or halflings. In fact, gnomes have more in common with elves, for they are closely bonded to nature and its essence as much as elves are. Even the most renowned sages can only say that gnomes emerged long ago from primordial forests and from under the deep roots of massive trees.

Small even by dwarven standards, gnomes have the potential to be powerful friends and deadly foes despite their size. Although partial to forests and mountains, gnomes can be found living in other remote locations as well.

Afflicted with wanderlust, many gnomes are world travellers and enjoy visiting strange, foreign lands in search of new information about the world in which they live.

DESCRIPTION: The gnome is small in stature, averaging 3 feet 6 inches tall. They have ruddy, earthy skin that appears dry and cracked with age, like an ancient mud flat. Gnomes have large, long noses and wide, gleeful eyes.

Gnomes prefer dark, earthy-colored clothing, mixing browns and greens with the occasional deep-hued blue. They dress more extravagantly during festivals or celebrations, in clothes of a wide array of colors and styles.

PERSONALITY: Considered pranksters or mischief-makers in many circles, gnomes are generally more concerned with relaxation and mirth than with most other matters. The gnome is occasionally serious, although this demeanor is normally reserved for times of war and great stress. Even in these grave situations, gnomes remain light of heart compared to the other races.

Keenly intelligent, curious and observant, gnomes involve themselves in all manner of travels and experiments to fulfil an unremitting curiosity.

This thirst for knowledge often brings gnomes and their friends together in great concourse. Individuals, families and clans gather from time to time to feast and make merry, and pass the news of the day. All are welcome at these gatherings and it is not odd to see elves, halflings, dwarves or even humans sitting amongst the gnomes and sharing in stories and tales of great escapades. Gnomes are famous for their songs, dances, drinks, speeches and many other disparate forms of entertainment.

In fact, gnomes encourage others to sit at tables with them as they struggle to glean information from all and sundry folk. For this reason, gnomes are careful in their speech and possess great skills in extracting all manner of information from their guests, whether their guests intend to reveal it or not. These skills are not limited to civil conversation, but are as often used to glean secrets and even concessions from others.

Conversely, gnomes are loath to give up information and rarely do so without a price. Knowledge gained in this manner is rarely used for evil purposes, but is tucked away for the proverbial rainy day. At such times it is brought forth to the immense enjoyment of the gnome and often to the embarrassment of the victim.

Gnomes tend to be clannish, living in extended, though tightly knit family units. These families are not restricted to blood relations or even to the race of gnomes. Once trust is given or earned, gnomes welcome friends of almost any race into the inner confidence. Their love of gatherings and the skills in story telling help to bind these clans together through shared folklore and public exchanges of appreciation.

Gnomes are accounted as great craftsmen and they take pride in the creation of all manner of objects, from musical instruments, exotic papers, and colorful inks to noisy clocks and other such goods.

But their greatest craftsmen focus on religious edifices. These are large stone menhirs shaped and carved over decades, and placed within sacred groves or upon windy heights. At these spots, gnomes gather on summer and winter solstices to offer tidings unto their deities and thanks for lives well lived.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Preferring a simple and static world, gnomes are friendly with most of the benign peoples with whom they come into contact. Gnomes, however, have contentious relations with those who are destructive and aggressive. They particularly abhor goblins and kobolds.

Gnomes consider elves to be distant and elitist cousins. They find dwarves marginally acceptable, but wish they would quit digging so many holes in the earth before it collapses.

As for halflings and humans, gnomes consider one just a shorter, more polite and better-fed version of the other. They typically relate well with both.

ENVIRONMENT: Gnomes prefer wild regions that are peripheral to urban or settled lands, including high mountains, hills, deserts, forests or, more rarely, marshes.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
ANIMAL EMPATHY: The gnomish relationship with nature and its creatures allows them to communicate with burrowing mammals (badger, fox, mole, rabbit, etc.). The communication is more telepathic and empathetic than it is conversational, though posture and sounds can communicate emotions such as stress and fear. The information communicated must be relatively simple, taking place on the animal’s level of understanding and comprehension, not the gnome’s.

COMBAT EXPERTISE (Goblins, Kobolds): Gnomes have battled goblins and kobolds in the forests and mountains since the dawn of their race. Because of these frequent and bloody encounters, gnomes have developed special techniques for fighting goblins and kobolds. Gnomes receive a +1 bonus to hit kobolds and goblins in melee combat (this bonus does not apply to missile weapons).

DARKVISION: In a similar manner to dwarves, gnomes can see in complete darkness for up to 60 feet. Darkvision produces images that are in shades of gray, but it is otherwise like normal sight. Gnomes can function well with no light at all. Bright lights, such as from a lantern or other light source, spoil darkvision. A gnome requires one turn to adjust his or her eyes when a light source is extinguished before gaining full use of darkvision.

ENHANCED HEARING: Gnomes have keen ears, often likened to those of a fox. No one knows whether this is due to gnome physiology, or if it is because gnomes are such close observers of their environment. Gnomes receive a +3 bonus to all listening checks.

SPELLS: Gnomes have an innate ability to cast the following spells once per day as a 1st-level caster: dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation. These innate spells are in addition to any spells available to gnomes of spellcasting character classes.

LANGUAGE: Common, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Goblin, Kobold
SIZE: Small
MOVEMENT: 20 feet
TYPICAL CLASSES: Rogue, Illusionist, Druid, Bard
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: +1 Intelligence, -1 Strength
ROGUE AND ASSASSIN MODIFIER: +3 listen

Gnome Age
Middle = 175
Old = 260
Venerable = 350
Age Limit = 1400

The pairing of human and elf is an extraordinary and rare occasion, arising from unique circumstances or events. Elves are very guarded in their approach to humans, for they deem them strange in thought and deed.

For love to be born of the two races, an elf must find a human of great renown and surpassing beauty. Thus the half-elf is the rarest of all races.

Indeed, each half-elf differs so markedly in origin, background and physiology from others that generalizations are near impossible to make.

DESCRIPTION: Half-elves vary greatly in appearance, acquiring characteristics from both parents. One commonality among half-elves, however, is that each significantly favors either the human parent or the elf parent, inheriting many more characteristics from one than the other.

In some cases, the dominance of one lineage is so strong that these half-elves can pass as a full member of that lineage unless closely observed.

Half-elves also vary greatly in height, ranging from that of the shortest elves to that of the tallest humans. Likewise, any variety of body style, hair color or eye tint found in humans or elves can occur in a half-elf, in any combination.

The single consistent physical feature shared by half-elves is a natural balance and ease of movement inherited from the elven parent.

PERSONALITY: Half-elves are intelligent, perceptive and possess quick minds. They are able to master many crafts and skills, be these as mundane as cabinet making, or as extraordinary as the wielding of magic. They exhibit an almost supernatural empathy for the world around them giving them an uncanny understanding of people.

Their shared lineage also grants them the ability to think on many levels simultaneously – an ability that makes them difficult to deceive.

Long-lived by human standards but short-lived for elves, half-elves exist in a nebulous world between both races. They often find themselves uncomfortable in either culture and are far too rare and unique to develop societies of their own.

Elves tend to look upon them as strange creatures, treating them with indifferent curiosity or even with outright hostility.

Human reactions are as varied as their cultures, sometimes accepting half-elves without note, sometimes venerating them, and as often rejecting them with violence.

Much of the reaction is determined by the half-elf’s lineage. Half-elves that favor a human lineage can vary widely in personality, while those with a dominant elf lineage tend to exhibit elven values, ethos and interests.

Because of their longer life spans, half-elves are generally well-educated and knowledgeable about history and geography, although this is not always the case.
Their life spans, however, present problems. Human friends often die of old age when half-elves are but middle-aged. The long-lived elves, on the other hand, possess a psychology like that of near immortals which half-elves have a difficult time understanding. This creates a loneliness and melancholy in half-elves, and sometimes, the fatalism so strongly pronounced in elves manifests itself in half-elves as well.

In some instances, a half-elf spurns both humans and elves, instead seeking the company of other races and cultures entirely.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Half-elves tend to enjoy the company of those of their favored lineage, but often have problems adapting and existing in either human or elf societies. Half-elves tend to be solitary, preferring not to congregate with other half-elves.

A group of half-elves always attracts an enormous amount of attention, and tends to highlight their status as misfits. Perhaps because of their exposure to discrimination, half-elves harbor few prejudices.

They freely associate with dwarves, halflings, gnomes and others. Their unique position occasionally allows them to act as intermediaries between groups and races.

ENVIRONMENT: Half-elves can be found anywhere, from human cities to elven strongholds. They live in all types of rural areas as well. Social ostracism tends to make them natural wanderers; many half-elves make no home, moving about the world looking for a place to fit in, at least for a time.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES The mixed lineage of half-elves effects the specific traits that a half-elf inherits. Players choose a human or elf lineage that dominates their character. Racial abilities modifiers are based on which lineage the player chooses.

All half-elves possess the following three abilities:
EMPATHY: A half-elf’s uncanny ability to empathize with others is reflected in a +2 bonus to all charisma checks. This ability can be combined with attribute check modification.

MOVE SILENTLY (Dexterity): This ability allows silent movement in wilderness areas. Half-elves can move up to one-half the normal speed at no penalty. At more than one-half and up to the character’s full speed, the character suffers a -5 penalty to the check. Any faster movement is practically impossible (-20 penalty).

SPOT HIDDEN DOORS (Wisdom): This ability allows half-elves to spot secret, hidden and concealed doorways. A half-elf passing within 5 feet of a secret, hidden or concealed doorway is entitled to a wisdom check. Success means that the half-elf notices the door as if actively searching for it. When a half-elf does actively search for such doorways, the bonus to the wisdom check is +1.
Half-elves with a human lineage possess these abilities:

ATTRIBUTE CHECK MODIFICATION: The human lineage is reflected in a greater versatility than their elven kin, but not quite as their human relatives. Half-elven characters are allowed to choose one secondary attribute for which they gain a +2 bonus to all attribute checks.

SPELL RESISTANCE (Wisdom): Half-elves of human lineage are somewhat resistant to spells and spell-like abilities that charm or unnaturally cause sleep. When making saving throws against these types of spells, a half-elf of human lineage receives a +2 bonus.

Half-elves with a elven lineage possess these abilities:
ATTRIBUTE MODIFICATION: +1 to dexterity and -1 to constitution.

ENHANCED SENSES: Half-elves of elven lineage can see farther than humans in just about every circumstance, including torchlight, and can see clearly enough to read a road sign or spot a shield device that is up to two miles distant when outside during the day. They can also hear very well, and receive a +2 bonus to all checks involving listening.

SPELL RESISTANCE (Wisdom): Half-elves of elven lineage are particularly resistant to spells and spell-like abilities that charm or unnaturally cause sleep. When making saving throws against these types of spells, a half-elf receives a +4 bonus.

LANGUAGES: Common, Elf, and three of the following: Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, and Orc.
SIZE: Medium
MOVEMENT: 30 feet
CLASSES: Any
RANGER MODIFIER: +2 move silent, +2 find traps
ROGUE AND ASSASSIN MODIFIER: +2 listen (elf lineage), +2 find traps, +2 move silent

Half-Elf Age
Middle = 100
Old = 150
Venerable = 200
Age Limit = 400

Halflings appear, upon first sight, to be small, well-nourished humans. They share many of the mannerisms and habits of their larger cousins, but a closer look reveals they have large, hairy feet and rather wide eyes displaying the temperament of wily farmers.

Halflings are generally an agrarian people, preferring open pastures and lush farmlands to cities or other places crowded with tall folk. They get along well with most peoples, but rarely leave the safety of their homes and communities. Even when they do, it is generally only at the behest of others. Meticulous and prosperous, halflings enjoy good food, relaxation and a quiet life.

DESCRIPTION: Halfings average 3 feet in height and have wide, round eyes and large feet, which are well padded and hairy. Halflings seldom need to wear shoes except in very cold weather. Long days in the sun give a halfling’s naturally light skin a ruddy brown tan every summer. This, their curly hair, and their thick hands all fit their agrarian lifestyle like a well-worn frock coat. Most halflings prefer dull-colored clothing so they won’t attract attention to themselves, but the wealthy or prideful wear finer, brightly colored clothes to denote their status.

PERSONALITY: Halflings are jovial, friendly and hospitable, yet they prefer their own culture to those of others. They typically eat too much and develop paunches early in life. Indeed, to have a great paunch is considered a sign of good breeding and wealth. Normally, halflings eat often during the day. They start the day by enjoying a breakfast, followed by a brunch and then lunch. This often precedes an afternoon snack of cake and tea, to be followed by supper and then a late dinner.

It is said that halflings can keep time by the grumbles and rumbles of a hungry belly. Halflings also work diligently on their farms, houses, gardens, fences and other projects pertaining to their needs; "Relaxing requires a lot of work," many halflings are wont to say.

Slow to anger, halflings prefer to settle disputes through legal means whenever possible, by appropriate compensation when necessary and through other measures only if unavoidable.

A halfling’s desire for quiet and safety carries over to their personal lives, with only the occasional adventurous halfling leaving home to travel in the world. A mystery to their brethren, these halflings often find themselves in the most unusual of escapades and adventures. These situations can reveal one of the least known qualities of halflings: a heart as stout as the strongest warrior and a courage unflagging to the point of foolhardiness.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Halflings are insular, and generally prefer only the company of fellow halflings. Of the other races, halflings prefer humans most of all, for they do much business with them, and they find that human farmers and herdsmen often share similar values. They are also favorably disposed towards gnomes, whose temperament resembles that of halflings more than any of the other races. Elves fascinate halflings, but they are far too ‘magical’ to be considered respectable. Halflings grudgingly admire dwarves, but find them a bit too gruff, hard-headed and clannish for their personal tastes. Halflings do not relate well to goblins and their kind, whom they passionately dislike.

ENVIRONMENT: Most halflings prefer lush, green lands with fertile soil, abundant water and mild seasons, and they strive to dwell in areas far removed from the troubles of the world. Yet, the world is broad, and some must live in proximity to other peoples and the troubles they create. There are halflings who make their homes in the coarser areas of the world, including towns or even cities, though these halflings are rare. Halfling houses tend to be small and made of brick when built above ground, while others live beneath the earth in expansive underground houses built into the tops of hills and underneath large mounds.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
FEARLESS: Halflings, for the most part, lead sequestered lives and are often considered naive. This is not entirely accurate; halflings are not raised with fears and trepidation imparted to them by myth and fancy, but are reared on tales of self-dependence and the overcoming of life’s many hurdles. For either or both reasons, halflings possess stout hearts and are not easily frightened, even in dire circumstances. This trait imparts a +2 bonus on all saving throws against fear.

HIDE (Dexterity): Halflings are practised at avoiding the prying eyes of others in outdoor settings. A successful check allows the halfling to hide making him or her almost invisible. If a halfling decides to move while attempting to remain concealed, he or she can still hide, but will suffer a penalty to the check. At up to one-half their movement rate, halflings suffer a -5 penalty to the check. At one-half their normal movement rate to full speed, they suffer a -10 to the check. It is impossible for a halfling to move faster than normal speed while hiding. If the halfling is being observed, even casually, the character cannot hide. If the observers are momentarily distracted, however, the halfling can attempt to hide. This check, however, has a -10 penalty because the character has to move quickly into hiding.

MOVE SILENTLY (Dexterity): Halflings, being naturally small and dexterous, can move as quietly as a breeze upon a summer morn. With a successful dexterity check, halflings can move silently. They can move up to one-half their normal movement rate with no penalty to this check. For moving at one-half of their normal rate up to the character’s full speed, the character suffers a -5 penalty to the check. It’s practically impossible to move silently while running or charging, so this type of action incurs a -20 to the check.

DUSKVISION: Halflings, with their large and piercing eyes, can see in starlight and moonlight just as a human can at dusk. They retain the ability to distinguish color and some detail under these conditions, though everything is cast in shadows. They have no enhanced vision underground, in torchlight, or under similar conditions of poor illumination.

RESISTANT: A lifetime of good food, when combined with hard work and a self-reliant spirit, makes for a healthy people. Halflings are more resistant to the ills of life than most other races, so they receive a +1 bonus to all constitution saving throws.

LANGUAGES: Halfling, Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Elvish, Sylvan, Goblinoid
SIZE: Small
MOVEMENT: 20 feet
TYPICAL CLASSES: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Cleric, Druid, Bard
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: +1 Dexterity, -1 Strength
RANGER MODIFIER: +2 conceal, +2 move silent
ROGUE AND ASSASSIN MODIFIER: +2 hide, +2 move silent

Halfling Age
Middle = 50
Old = 75
Venerable = 100
Age Limit = 200

Half-orcs exist on the edges of society, little cared for by humans, orcs or others. Half-orcs are the offspring of a pairing between an orc (or other goblinoid) and a human, and are generally a dispirited and angry lot, accustomed to doing dangerous jobs for others. Indeed, most half-orcs only make consistent contact with others when their famed fighting skills are needed.

Half-orcs can be found in many regions of the world, haunting the periphery of settled lands. They often find orc tribes and kingdoms to their liking, as those humanoids are an easy group to dominate. Within human communities, their roles range from hunted outcasts to elite warrior castes.

DESCRIPTION: Half-orcs combine the worst features of humans and orcs. Most have an unpleasant demeanor, and some are repulsive and even hideous to look at. They typically have massive jaws, coarse hair and dark, penetrating eyes. Their skin tends to be a ruddy, dark color, and resembles the rough textured skin common among orcs. Physiologically, however, half-orcs combine the best features of both their parent races. Half-orcs mirror humans in height, or stand even taller. They are naturally muscular and agile, and do not suffer from light sensitivity as orcs do.

PERSONALITY: Half-orcs are unsavory and contentious individuals. As outcasts, they have few friends or allies, and often live miserable and lonely lives, wary of all. Even amongst themselves, there is little trust and great fear, as they jockey for positions of acceptance and status as mercenaries or in more nefarious professions.

The social stigma that half-orcs encounter throughout their lives, when combined with the militant aggressiveness of orcs and the competitiveness of humans, produces a nearly fearless warrior and a relentless foe.

As outcasts, half-orcs find themselves in a constant search for like-minded individuals and others in whom they can place their trust and faith. As such, they are occasionally found in the company of travellers, mercenary bands, adventurers and others who, either willingly or by accident, are ostracized from their society.

Friendly relations with half-elves are, uncannily, not uncommon for the two share similar social stigma. Half-orcs are a breed apart.

Half-orcs are unswervingly loyal to those they trust and in whom they place their faith. On the other hand, to those who break that faith, half-orcs have an undying enmity and no effort will be spared in righting a wrong and taking revenge upon their enemies. Half-orcs can be both a friend and companion of immense value or a foe of terrible power.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Half-orcs typically care for themselves and themselves alone, avoiding even their own kind. No race finds them likeable, and they return the favor. Half-orcs are often found with orcs or smaller goblinoids, as those are the least discerning of the races, and are easily dominated. Other half-orcs tend to be found in larger human settlements, where, if they are lucky, they can find a certain degree of anonymity.

ENVIRONMENT: Half-orcs are found in most climes. They have no preference for any one environment and adapt well to any climate. They tend to live alone, even in larger cities, where they are often found in ghettos, slums and other areas where officials rarely patrol and thieves wander the night.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
DARKVISION: In a similar manner to dwarves, half-orcs can see in complete darkness for up to 60 feet. Darkvision produces images that are in shades of gray, but it is otherwise like normal sight. Half-orcs can function well with no light at all. Bright lights, such as from a lantern or other light sources, spoil darkvision. A half-orc requires one turn to adjust his or her eyes when a light source is extinguished before gaining full use of darkvision.

ENHANCED SENSE OF SMELL: This ability allows half-orcs to detect the presence, but not the specific location, of creatures within 30 feet or within 60 feet if the other creature it is upwind. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice those ranges. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk, can be detected at three times these ranges. If a half-orc becomes familiar with an individual, he can learn the individual’s scent and recognize it. It should further be noted that false, powerful odors can easily mask other scents and completely spoil this ability.

MARTIAL PROWESS: Half-orcs come from very violent societies in which fights and contests of strength are common and necessary for survival. This has inured them to great amounts of pain and given most a great capacity to fend off blows and fight unarmed. As such, half-orcs receive a +1 to their armor class whenever they are not wearing armor of any type. This ability combines with magical rings, robes and other similar devices that confer an armor class bonus but are not armor. This bonus adds to the unarmored armor class of half-orc monks.

RESISTANT TO DISEASE: Half-orcs possess a resistance to disease passed down from their goblinoid parent. They receive a +2 bonus to all disease saving throws.

LANGUAGE: Common, Goblin, Orc
SIZE: Medium
MOVEMENT: 30 feet
TYPICAL CLASSES: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Assassin, Barbarian, Monk, Cleric, Knight
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: +1 Constitution, +1 Strength, -2 Charisma
RANGER MODIFIER: +2 track

Half-Orc Age
Middle = 30
Old = 45
Venerable = 60
Age Limit = 80

Humans are the most diverse of the races. Their strength and power derives from their adaptability to different environments, cultures and societies. Where the other races are tied to the world around them in one manner or another, humans alone have no innate affinity for the world, beyond that of a master craftsman to his tools and creations.

Their ability to adapt allows humans to maintain close contact, and even intermingle with demi-humans and humanoids, if they deem it necessary, expedient, or desirable. Diversity is a hallmark of this race and humans can be any class.

DESCRIPTION: Humans range greatly in height and weight, and in other physical features such as skin and hair color. Males typically stand between 5 feet 6 inches and 6 feet 2 inches, with females being slightly shorter, although both sexes occasionally exceed the average height.

Humans tend to adapt physically to their environments, leaving some with pale skin coloration in cold climates and others with darker skin coloration in warmer climates. Since humans are exceedingly migratory, however, these generalizations do not always apply. Human weight also varies extraordinarily and is as much dependent on diet as culture.

PERSONALITY: As with their physical traits, humans range greatly in temperament. They seem to the longer-lived races to move through life with a speed born of desperation. Their short lives give them a burning desire to create and control the world around them and their own mortality. This causes humans to see the world in a unique fashion. All things are tools to humans in their quest for immortality.

Humans lack empathy for the other races, especially elves. Their short lifespans create an awareness of the importance of things few others understand. Life is precious, and the wealth of it must not be wasted on frivolous things. In the passage of history, death marks one’s life and can give it meaning and only through a life well spent can one gain immortality. Oft times the world’s greatest heroes are humans, who consider themselves to be in conflict rather than harmony with the world, and willingly lay their lives low in that eternal struggle.

Humans are born with an innate spirit of competition that configures itself into a race for grand achievements, and a constant striving to rise above their circumstances. Whether to the benefit or detriment of those around them, many humans act only with regard to their own needs and from a sense of superiority over all other races and beasts.

RACIAL AFFINITIES: Humans interact well with most other races. They have no innate prejudices, but are often taught at a young age who is an enemy and who is a friend. A human’s enemies and friends are determined more by expediency and mutual benefit rather than any innate prejudice.

ENVIRONMENT: Humans can be found in any environment or climate, though they usually prefer to live above ground.

RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES: Because of the unique nature of humankind, humans choose an additional primary attribute, for a total of three.
LANGUAGE: Common
SIZE: Medium
MOVEMENT: 30 feet
TYPICAL CLASSES: Any
ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS: None

Human Age
Middle = 35
Old = 53
Venerable = 70
Age Limit = 110

Elven Pantheon
Creation Myth
A creation legend for the elves tells of them coming from the skull of the great gold dragon in the ancient Mist Forest. The dragon was many miles long, slept along the spine of the mountain, and actually lay from one mountaintop, through a heavily wooded ancient forest, with its tail resting on another mountaintop.

The dragon had been sleeping for five hundred years when its dreams and the magic of the dragon created the first pair of elves. They and other elven deities walked out of the dragon's dreams and into the nearby forests to father the race of elves.

The elven deities are vastly powerful and said to exist in a spirit forest of massive magic that rests beside the real forests of the land. While they are elves, they are capable of taking worship from other races and the rangers and other character classes that are human or part of the other races are allowed to present sacrifices to the groves that serve as temples for the deities.

Each elf deity demands a different style of temple, and his or her clerics act very differently from deity to deity.

While each pair of elf deities are mated and have produced thousands and thousands of elves over the centuries, the ways of the males are far different from the ways of the females.

Often times, the pairs would combat each other for centuries only to join again as the need to mate grew stronger and stronger. They are forced by fate to love only each other.

No matter how they disagree with the deeds of the other, they come together and live for hundreds of years producing elf babies. The young elf males go to live with their fathers and the females go to live with their mothers.

Oercus, Master of the Forest and Solamum-nigrum, Goddess of Magic bore gray elf children, but also normal elves as well.

Cedrus, Lord of Light, and Agapanthus, Goddess of the Moon bore wild elf and normal elf children as well.

Betula, Divine Ruler of Combat, and Laurus, Mistress of the Night bore normal elf children and drow elves as well.

Acer, Deity of Making and Digitalis, Deity of Unmaking bore wood elf and normal elf children.

Fraxinus, The Star Archer and Nephthytis, the Divine Poisoner bore normal and drow elf children.

Gnomish Pantheon
Creation Myth
Once again, these Gnomish deities are married pairs set up like the elves. Instead of the males being generous and kind and the females being deadly and nasty, the gnome pairs are matched and live the perfect gnomish lifestyle.

Their gnomish tale of creation tells of the first gnomes a little bit differently than the elves version. A creation version for the elves tells of them coming from the skull of the great gold dragon in the ancient Mist Forest.

The dragon was many miles long, slept along the spine of the mountain, and actually lay from one mountaintop, through a heavily wooded ancient forest, with its tale resting on another mountaintop.

The dragon had been sleeping for five hundred years when its dreams and the magic of the dragon created the first pair of elves. It's the same dragon on the same hillside for the gnomes, but all of its massive magical essence flows into its resting claws.

A huge arcane lightning storm passes over the area and massive bolts of lightning flow from the sky and hit the claws of the dragon.

From the right front claws came the male Gnomish deities and from the left front claws came the female Gnomish deities.

As male and female saw each other, they instantly knew they were destined to be together forever and they skipped down the mountainside and started making Gnomish babies right away in the surrounding forested hills.

Halfling Pantheon
Creation Myth
The same, miles-long dragon that created the elves and gnomes also created the halflings. Their legend says that one day the sun beat strongly down on the body of the dragon and it greatly enjoyed the heat and turned its body repeatedly so that the sun's rays struck all sides evenly.

The scales from its back rubbed against some very hard mountain granite and pairs of male and female halflings popped out of the scales and ran into the hills to become mated pairs to make many halfling babies.

While these creatures are soft looking and seem to be fun loving, there is a hard edge to them allowing them to survive in dangerous lands. The larger creatures tend to ignore halflings, while the smaller enchanted beasts make peace with halflings or are driven out of halfling lands.

Few records in the libraries of the elves, dwarves, humans, or gnomes deal with what the halflings are capable of doing. Few scholars have bothered to read the records the halflings keep for themselves.

If any of these races did take the time to study the way of the halflings, they would become alarmed at the real power of these creatures and what they have killed when demons, devils and dragons tried to invade their lands.

Halflings seem to get along with everyone and especially humans. Halfling communities that live beside human villages and towns aren't doing so for the protection humans give them.

They live near the community to make sure the humans don't try to enslave halfling kind. Halflings train their young in the art of hiding not because they are cowards, but to better attack an enemy without being seen.

Unknown to most of the world, the halfling race is expanding faster than any other race on the world. In several hundred years, there will be a crowding in some countries and the true nature of halflings will be revealed.

Humanoid Pantheon
Creation Myth
Consider the same dragon that produced the elves and halflings. For generations hundreds of small parasites lived and grew strong in the darkness of the belly of the dragon.

In the darkness, they didn't care who mated to whom, and life was good as they ate into the flesh of the sleeping dragon.

A sunny day came and the dragon turned over and in a sleepy state, it noticed a large itch on its belly as massive eruptions hid creatures huddling in the body of the dragon to keep out of the brightness of the sun.

Magical dragon talons swoop down and scratch at the hard belly scales and the wounds the parasites caused.

Suddenly hundreds of orcs, ogres, and the like fly from the talons of the dragon and are spread out over the mountainside howling in the pain of the sunlight.

The humanoids move into the rocky shadows as soon as possible and one group is thrown into a mountain stream and dives into the darkness of the water, swimming down stream into the swamp.

ALIGNMENT Alignment represents the basic and most essential aspects of a character’s worldview and moral outlook. Alignment is a description for the fundamental moral outlook of every sentient creature. Is the character good or evil, chaotic, lawful or even neutral? Alignment is a very basic description and acts as an ethical and motivational guide for characters, non-player characters and monsters.

Alignment categories are fairly general and there is much room for interpretation within each category of alignment. A lawful good character may be a wandering knight devoted to the service of his liege lord or some higher calling, intent upon stamping out evil in the land. On the other hand, a lawful good wizard may devote himself to acquiring ancient arcane magic in order to create a library for the benefit of all. A chaotic evil rogue may be a bandit robbing whomever and wherever he can for his own personal hedonistic desires, or a cleric devoted to the wanton destruction of man’s accomplishments and eradication of those with whom the cleric disagrees. There is great variation within each of the nine alignment categories described below. They should be used as a general guideline for motivations, actions, ethos and worldview.

There are nine possible alignments: lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil. Each alignment, except true neutral, is composed of two aspects.

LAW AND CHAOS The first aspect of alignment – lawful, neutral or chaotic – generally represents a character’s ideals and world view. These, however, are broad categorizations that go to the core beliefs of a character. Thus, all lawful characters are not the same, nor are all chaotic characters. Each might exhibit traits typically associated with the opposite. The following are general traits of each aspect. “Law” implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority and reliability.
On the downside, lawfulness can include close-mindedness, reactionary adherence to tradition and a lack of adaptability. Lawful characters tell the truth, keep their word, respect authority, honor tradition, and judge harshly those who fall short of their duties. Lawful characters can still follow their conscience and can favor new ideas.
“Chaos” implies freedom, adaptability and flexibility. On the downside, chaos can include recklessness, resentment toward legitimate authority, arbitrary actions and irresponsibility. Chaotic characters follow their consciences, resent being told what to do, favor new ideas over tradition and do what they promise only if they feel like it. Yet, chaotic characters can still be honorable and trustworthy.
“Neutral” implies a normal respect for authority, with neither a compulsion to obey nor to rebel. Neutral characters are honest, but can be tempted into lying or deceiving others. Animals and other creatures incapable of moral action are neutral.

GOOD AND EVIL The second aspect of alignment – good, neutral or evil – generally represents behavior and how characters express or impose their ideals, whether lawful, neutral or chaotic. Again, these are broad categorizations. The following are general traits of each aspect. Good implies altruism, respect for life and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others. Good characters and creatures protect innocent life. Evil implies hurting, oppressing, killing others and selfishness.
Some evil creatures simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to some evil deity. Evil characters and creatures debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.
Neutral characters fall somewhere in between, but most are committed to others by personal relationships. A neutral person may sacrifice himself to protect his family or even his homeland, but he would not do so for strangers who are not related to him. Some neutral characters are simply selfish. Animals and other creatures incapable of complex relationships are neutral.
The combination of the lawful, neutral or chaotic axis with good, neutral or evil creates nine possible character alignments. Although characters of the same alignment possess the same general world view and behave similarly, each will be unique and vary in terms of psychology and life experiences.

LAWFUL GOOD Characters of this alignment are dedicated to following the strictures of society, respecting law and order. They act for the benefit of others and society, placing great value on truth, honor and life.

LAWFUL NEUTRAL Characters of this alignment place primary importance on ultimate order, structure and regulation of behavior. Good and evil are largely irrelevant for characters of this alignment because everything flows from the order of law.

LAWFUL EVIL Characters of this alignment value structure and order, and they place no limit on attaining it, especially if the goal is to their own benefit. They do not value life or concern for others. Ultimately, they seek to impose their ideals on others through strict regulation.

NEUTRAL GOOD Characters of this alignment have a healthy respect for both law and freedom, typically choosing a road betwixt the two in order to achieve benefits and mercy for all.

NEUTRAL Characters of this broad alignment typically believe in a balance between law and chaos, and between good and evil. Some seek to maintain existing social institutions, while others simply wish to keep to themselves. Some neutral characters disdain the perceptions of other sentient beings, finding that truth lies in nature and its animals. Others follow their own code, which changes with the situation, tending to favor those that benefit them the most.

NEUTRAL EVIL Characters of this alignment mirror those of neutral good, but they typically follow a road that benefits themselves instead of others.

CHAOTIC GOOD Characters of this alignment view the greatest good as being attainable through freedom. Thus they place primary importance on individuality and liberty of action over that of any law or societal structure.

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL Characters of this alignment value individual freedom, and have no qualms in achieving it by whatever means necessary, be they good or evil.

CHAOTIC EVIL Characters of this alignment tend not to value anything, disdaining others and often seeking to destroy for their own selfish reasons. They seek power and the ability to wield it as they see fit.