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player s handbook® 2 rolepl ay inggamesupplement jeremy crawford · mike mearls · james wyatt aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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credits design logan bonner jesse decker mike mearls robert j schwalb stephen schubert stephen radney-macfarland peter schaefer development richard baker andy collins jeremy crawford mike donais andrew finch david noonan matthew sernett writing james wyatt mechanical concepts rob heinsoo editing jeremy crawford lead michele carter greg bilsland managing editing kim mohan torah cottrill director of d&d r&d and book publishing bill slavicsek d&d creative manager christopher perkins d&d design manager james wyatt d&d development and editing manager andy collins art director jon schindehette graphic designer soe murayama cover illustration daniel scott interior illustrations steve argyle eric belisle michael bierek devon caddy-lee mitch cotie thomas denmark eric deschamps brian despain vincent dutrait steve ellis wayne england howard lyon mike may raven mimura william o connor hector ortiz wayne reynolds chris seaman john stanko matias tapia franz vohwinkel eva widermann james zhang d&d brand team liz schuh scott rouse kierin chase sara girard martin durham publishing production specialist angelika lokotz prepress manager jefferson dunlap imaging technician carmen cheung production manager cynda callaway game rules based on the original dungeons dragons® rules created by e gary gygax and dave arneson and the later editions by david zeb cook 2nd edition jonathan tweet monte cook skip williams richard baker and peter adkison 3rd edition and rob heinsoo andy collins and james wyatt 4th edition 620-21898720-001 en 987654321 first printing march 2009 isbn 978-0-7869-5016-4 u.s canada asia pacific latin america wizards of the coast llc p.o box 707 renton wa 98057-0707 +1-800-324-6496 european headquarters hasbro uk ltd caswell way newport gwent np9 0yh great britain please keep this address for your records wizards of the coast belgium industrialaan 1 1702 groot-bijgaarden belgium +32.070.233.277 dungeons dragons d&d d20 d20 system wizards of the coast forgotten realms player s handbook dungeon master s guide monster manual d&d insider dungeon tiles adventurer s vault martial power all other wizards of the coast product names and their respective logos are trademarks of wizards of the coast in the u.s.a and other countries all wizards characters character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of wizards of the coast llc this material is protected under the copyright laws of the united states of america any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of wizards of the coast llc any similarity to actual people organizations places or events included herein is purely coincidental printed in the u.s.a ©2009 wizards of the coast llc visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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contents introduction 4 the primal power source 5 1 character races 6 deva 8 gnome 10 being small 11 goliath 12 half-orc 14 shifter 16 racial paragon paths 18 adroit explorer 18 ancestral incarnate 19 bloodfury savage 20 fey beguiler 21 firstborn of moradin 22 halfling scoundrel 23 moonstalker 24 scion of arkhosia 25 shiere knight 26 stoneblessed 27 turathi highborn 28 twilight guardian 29 2 character classes 30 avenger 32 avengers and deities 33 avenger powers 34 paragon paths 44 hammer of judgment 44 oathsworn 45 unveiled visage 46 zealous assassin 47 barbarian 48 barbarian powers 50 paragon paths 62 bear warrior 62 fearbringer thane 63 frenzied berserker 64 wildrunner 65 bard 66 bard powers 68 paragon paths 78 student of the seven 78 summer rhymer 79 voice of thunder 80 war chanter 81 druid 82 druid powers 84 paragon paths 96 blood moon stalker 96 guardian of the living gate 97 keeper of the hidden flame 98 sky hunter 99 invoker 100 invokers and deities 101 invoker powers 102 paragon paths 114 angelic aspect 114 blightspeaker 115 flame of hope 116 hammer of vengeance 117 shaman 118 custom spirit companions 119 shaman powers 120 paragon paths 132 disciple of the world serpent 132 ghost panther 133 great bear shaman 134 spirit tempest 135 sorcerer 136 sorcerer powers 138 paragon paths 148 arcane wellspring 148 demonskin adept 149 dragonsoul heir 150 wild mage 151 warden 152 guardian form powers 153 warden powers 154 paragon paths 166 bloodwrath guardian 166 horned champion 167 storm sentinel 168 verdant lord 169 epic destinies 170 fatesinger 170 glorious spirit 171 harbinger of doom 172 lorekeeper 173 primal avatar 174 revered one 175 3 character options 17 176 adventuring gear 197 magic items 197 armor 197 weapons 203 rods 205 staff s 206 totems 207 wondrous items 209 rituals 211 variant ritual books 211 ritual descriptions 212 affect normal fire 212 animal friendship 212 aria of revelation 212 bloom 213 call wilderness guide 213 chorus of truth 213 control weather 214 create campsite 214 fool s speech 215 glib limerick 215 ironwood 215 lullaby 215 pyrotechnics 215 reverse portal 216 snare 216 song of restfulness 216 song of sustenance 216 speak with nature 216 traveler s chant 217 tree shape 217 tree stride 217 tune of merriment 217 wyvern watch 217 appendix rule updates 218 backgrounds 178 geography 178 society 178 birth 178 occupation 179 racial backgrounds 180 other benefits in play 182 feats 184 heroic tier feats 184 paragon tier feats 190 epic tier feats 194 multiclass feats 196 reading a power 218 the power format 218 the power description 218 the marked condition 218 movement effects 219 keywords 219 extra damage 221 new stealth rules 222 bluff 222 stealth 222 perception 223 targeting what you can t see 223 glossary 223 index 223 aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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0 introduction book in particular rules about keywords such as beast form spirit and summoning the appendix also contains the new version of the stealth skill as well as updates to rules related to that skill in the player s handbook the d&d game is constantly evolving player s handbook 2 is the second book in a series that will continue adding new options for your characters for years to come but the game changes in smaller ways as well and the best way to keep up with those changes is to visit the wizards of the coast website for the next level player s handbook 2 is the most significant expansion yet to the 4th edition dungeons dragons® game the player s handbook® presents eight races and eight classes this book introduces five more races and eight more classes including a mix of all-new material and some old favorites along with a wealth of new options for any character chapter 1 presents five additional races the gnome and the shifter make the journey from the monster manual® to this book the goliath introduced in 2004 s races of stone and the half-orc return to the d&d® game in updated form devas are a new race of reincarnated immortal spirits striving for the perfection of their souls this chapter also includes racial paragon paths for the races in this book as well as ones in the player s handbook chapter 2 is the heart of the book with eight new classes longtime d&d players will recognize some of these classes from past editions but you ve never seen them presented like this before the arcane classes expand to include the bard and the sorcerer the invoker and the avenger join the roster of divine classes the primal power source makes its debut with classes of all four roles the barbarian the druid the shaman and the warden the chapter ends with six new epic destinies chapter 3 introduces the concept of backgrounds a new game element you can use to customize your character and help expand his or her personality and history if you re using the forgotten realms player s guide you re familiar with the idea of choosing a home region for your character and gaining a benefit from that origin the backgrounds in this chapter offer you dozens of ideas for expanding your character s story and a choice of related benefits this chapter also includes new feats equipment and magic items including armor weapons and implements designed for use with the new classes in this book the chapter ends with a group of new rituals at the end of the book is an important appendix of rule updates it contains an updated explanation of how to read a power description including new rules that apply to many of the powers in this get ready your part in the story one of the dungeon master s jobs is to be a narrator to describe what s going on in the world of the game as you explore it along with your fellow adventurers when your party enters a room the dm tells you what it looks like and what s in it however narration isn t exclusively the dm s job you describe your own character s actions and even during an intense combat encounter you have a chance to take part in telling the story of the game the flavor text included in every power description is a starting point you can use when narrating your part in the action when your barbarian attacks you can just say krusk uses howling strike i get a 24 or using the flavor text as a cue you can say with a blood-freezing scream i throw myself into the fray does a 24 hit a power s flavor text is only a starting point you can modify that flavor however you like as long as you don t change the power s game effects maybe you would rather think of the barbarian power macetail s rage as channeling the world serpent a primal spirit that appears in some shaman powers you might say the earth shakes beneath my feet as the world serpent stirs knocking my foe to the ground choosing a background for your character can also be a great opportunity to take part in shaping the story of the game after you ve looked at the backgrounds section of chapter 3 talk with your dm about the background elements you want for your character the d&d game is all about telling an adventure story if you take a more active part in telling your character s part of the story everyone has more fun 4 i n t roduct ion aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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four of the classes introduced in this book the barbarian the druid the shaman and the warden use the primal power source some primal powers are more overtly magical than others but they all draw on the spirits of nature that pervade the world and to some extent the echo plane known as the feywild according to legend when the gods made war against the primordials at the dawn of time the battles raged across the cosmos for uncounted centuries the gods slowly gained the upper hand successfully imprisoning or banishing many of the primordials however this war threatened the very existence of the world as the primordials who brought it forth from the elemental chaos clashed with the gods who sought to fix the form of the world in permanence in the last days of the war a new force made itself known in the cosmos the spiritual expression of the world itself these primal spirits declared an end to the conflict asserting that the world would no longer be a battleground for the two opposing forces the gods and the primordials were banished to their home planes and the primal spirits of the world decreed a balance the world would remain a place where matter and spirit mingled freely where life and death proceeded in an orderly cycle where the seasons changed in their unending wheel without interference the gods and the primordials could still influence the world but they could not rule it these primal spirits are beyond number ranging from spirits too weak to have proper names to the mightiest incarnations of nature s power the primal beast the fate weaver the great bear the world serpent and others they are spirits of winds and weather of predators and prey of plains and forests of mountains and swamps as the people of the world have come to know these primal spirits and live in harmony with them some mortal spirits have joined their number after death just as some mortal souls pass to the dominions of their gods these great ancestors are among the most potent of the primal spirits characters who use the primal power source stand firmly rooted in the world between the divine power of the astral sea and the primordial churning of the elemental chaos they have some affinity with the native inhabitants of the feywild who share their love and respect for the natural world they are staunch enemies of aberrant creatures whose very existence is a blight on the natural world as well as of demons that seek to destroy it undead that violate life s natural cycle and to a lesser extent those who seek to despoil the wilderness in the name of progress and civilization that doesn t mean that a primal character must be a sworn enemy of the gods or of a character such as a paladin of erathis who seeks to settle and civilize the world there might be some conflict and disagreement between such characters but they also have many common foes a primal character s greatest concern is with creatures and forces that threaten the stability of the world and the balanced cycles of nature in a broad view the cities and civilizations of humans and other races are just as much a part of nature as are primeval forests and mountains and just as worthy of protection many primal characters do hold the gods in great respect without the gods intervention the primordials would have left the world in an ever-changing state not much different from the elemental chaos hostile to natural life in general even evil gods would rather rule the world than destroy it for that reason characters who wield primal power sometimes worship gods as well as god of the wilderness melora is sometimes seen as an ally of the primal spirits kord is occasionally called the lord of the storm spirits and both corellon and sehanine have ties to the feywild that make them friendly with nature spirits primal powers are called evocations because primal characters evoke primal spirits to make attacks and effects in the world some characters channel primal spirits through their bodies in order to transform themselves and thereby make their physical attacks more formidable barbarians invite primal spirits to take residence in their bodies entering a trancelike rage in which a spirit s ferocity overwhelms the barbarian s own reason wardens draw on the primal spirits of earth trees and beasts to transform their bodies giving them strength to stand against their enemies druids call on the primal beast to transform their bodies into animal forms taking on different aspects of the primal beast s nature other characters evoke primal spirits to create external effects shamans use spirit companions as their primary link to the spirit world a spirit companion might attack an enemy or a shaman might conjure another spirit to create an effect and afterward the spirit s power lingers in the shaman s spirit companion druids too can evoke primal spirits to create terrain effects buffet foes with thunder and wind or create bursts of fire i n t roduct ion theprimalp ow ersource the primal power source 5 aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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chapter 1 1 character races the eight races described in the player s handbook are the most common heroic races in the world of the dungeons dragons game but they are by no means the only ones this chapter introduces five new races from the humble gnome to the exalted deva two of these races the gnome and the shifter appear in the monster manual but here they re fleshed out and presented with an eye toward their use as player characters the information in this book supersedes what s in the monster manual the other races the deva the goliath and the half-orc are new additions to the game and the world this chapter also includes racial paragon paths for the races in this book as well as ones in the player s handbook the races in this chapter follow the same format as the ones in the player s handbook when you create a character you can choose one of these races instead of one of those devas are noble virtuous beings who strive to perfect themselves through an apparently endless sequence of reincarnations once immortal spirits who served the gods of good devas are now bound in flesh the better to wage war against the forces of evil in the world and beyond gnomes are small and stealthy fey who value a quick mind and the ability to escape notice gnomes are drawn to illusion and trickery they explore the world with a sense of curiosity and wonder goliaths dwell high in mountainous regions traveling with the migrations of elk and other game they view life as a grand competition and call on primal power to enhance their considerable physical strength and endurance half-orcs combine the best qualities of humans and orcs and are strong fierce decisive and resourceful they savor the simple pleasures of life from feasting and revelry to the thrill of battle shifters carry a touch of lycanthropic blood in their veins in the heat of battle they tap into the power of the beast within unleashing the savagery that lurks beneath their surface they are predators by nature defining the world in terms of hunter and prey chapt er 1 c h arac te r races 6 aya shameimaru order #1294262 s te ve argyle 1

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deva immortal spirits who embody virtue born and reborn to mortal life in the world racial traits average height 6´ 1­6´ 6 average weight 175­280 lb ability scores +2 intelligence +2 wisdom size medium speed 6 squares vision normal languages common choice of two others skill bonuses +2 history +2 religion astral majesty you have a +1 bonus to all defenses against attacks made by bloodied creatures astral resistance you have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage equal to 5 one-half your level immortal origin your spirit is native to the astral sea so you are considered an immortal creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin memory of a thousand lifetimes you have the memory of a thousand lifetimes power memory of a thousand lifetimes deva racial power the dreamlike memories of your previous lives lend insight to aid you encounter no action personal trigger you make an attack roll a saving throw a skill check or an ability check and dislike the result effect you add 1d6 to the triggering roll deep in the recesses of memory devas recall what they once were immortal servitors of the gods of good spirits who chose to bind themselves to the world in mortal flesh for millennia their souls have been reborn to wage an endless war against the forces of darkness most devas are fiercely committed to the cause of good because they fear what they might become if they turn to evil a deva whose soul becomes corrupted risks being reborn as a rakshasa play a deva if you want to have dimly remembered connections to a thousand heroic lifetimes to embrace the cause of good and strive for perfection in all you do s te ve argyle to be a member of a race that favors the avenger cleric invoker and wizard classes 8 chapt er 1 c h arac te r races aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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in appearance devas are very similar to humans but with an unearthly beauty and an uncanny stillness about them they are almost as tall as dragonborn but much more slender devas coloration distinguishes them most strongly from humans all devas have patterns of light and dark colors on their skin the light portions are chalk white or pale gray and the dark areas range from blue or purple to dark gray or black in any individual deva either light or dark can be dominant with the opposite shade appearing in simple elegant patterns on the face chest and shoulders a deva s hair is typically the same color as these skin patterns when sitting or standing at rest devas remain almost perfectly still except for the occasional blink of the eyes they don t fidget or twitch and their eyes move only when they are actively examining something devas do not have children when a deva dies his or her spirit is reincarnated in a new adult body that appears in some sacred place such as a mountain peak a riverbank or a desert oasis the new deva retains enough memory of past lives to speak and understand multiple languages and offer the proper prayers and sacrifices to the gods of good incarnation in flesh and the beginning of their cycle of rebirth and they share some common cultural elements of dress religion and habits devas favor flowing clothes of fine silks polished metal armor with winglike shoulder ornaments and headdresses or helmets that suggest crowns or halos in other ways they prefer to live simply without extravagance deva characteristics dedicated devout elegant enlightened introspective mystical refined righteous spiritual thoughtful male names adiah ansis ayab bavak beriah eben elyas galad gamal hiyal iannes kerem mahar marach mathas natan nehem oris raham ronen samel sered tavar vered zachar female names abea adara asha chana danel darah davi elka eranah hania hava idria isa jael kana kayah lihi mahel marek noma navah paziah ravah riya sada shara tirah deva adventurers three sample deva adventurers are described below galad is a deva wizard who believes that the goal of his existence is to attain perfect knowledge of the universe he believes that his arcane power is a manifestation of all he has learned throughout all his past lives and that in this life or perhaps the next he will achieve perfect mastery and become a demigod freed from the cycle of reincarnation eranah is an invoker who wields the power of bahamut just as bahamut warred with tiamat when the world was young eranah believes that her calling in this incarnation is to fight against the evil dragons and dragonspawn that pollute the world words of power resound in her mind like an echo of the platinum dragon s voice when she invokes his wrath upon her enemies raham is a shaman who has embraced his life in the world abandoning all thought of his previous astral existence the primal spirits of the world are his patrons and allies not the gods he left behind he sees his endless rebirth as a part of the cycle of nature and has no desire to escape it playing a deva devas are refined and polite they follow the highest moral standards but they are not afraid of violence they believe that the pursuit of good is an eternal war with the forces of evil embodied in rakshasas demons devils and the evil gods and their servant angels devas wage that war in their hearts as well constantly vigilant lest evil take root and corrupt their souls transforming them into the creatures they most despise because they remember at least dimly a life in the astral sea spent in close company with the gods most devas are devout worshipers of the gods of good especially bahamut but also moradin and pelor devas seek to achieve a personal connection with the gods rather than approach them through temples and priests they worship at meals in their homes setting an empty place for the absent gods and strive through meditation and prayer to become more like the gods they serve deva adventurers are commonly avengers clerics and invokers who savor the experience of divine power flowing through them without any intermediary devas do not have cities or societies of their own and their numbers are so small that a deva can spend entire lifetimes without ever meeting another of his or her kind they live among other races and at least to some extent adopt their ways however all devas remember elements of the life they had before their chapt er 1 c h arac te r races d eva physical qualities 9 aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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gnome slight sly tricksters of the feywild who excel at avoiding notice racial traits average height 3´ 4­3´ 8 average weight 50­75 lb ability scores +2 intelligence +2 charisma size small see the sidebar speed 5 squares vision low-light languages common elven skill bonuses +2 arcana +2 stealth fey origin your ancestors were native to the feywild so you are considered a fey creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin master trickster once per encounter you can use the wizard cantrip ghost sound player s handbook page 158 as a minor action reactive stealth if you have any cover or concealment when you make an initiative check you can make a stealth check trickster s cunning you have a +5 racial bonus to saving throws against illusions fade away you have the fade away power fade away you turn invisible in response to harm gnome racial power encounter illusion immediate reaction personal trigger you take damage effect you are invisible until you attack or until the end of your next turn in the feywild the best way for a small creature to survive is to be overlooked while suffering in servitude to the fomorian tyrants of the feydark gnomes learned to hide to mislead and to deflect and by these means to survive the same talents sustain them still allowing them to prosper in a world filled with creatures much larger and far more dangerous than they are play a gnome if you want to be curious funny and tricky to rely more on stealth and deception than on brute strength and intimidation to be a member of a race that favors the bard sorcerer warlock and wizard classes s te ve argyle 10 chapt er 1 c h arac te r races aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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gnomes are smaller even than halflings rarely exceeding 4 feet in height apart from their size they resemble elves or eladrin with pointed ears and chiseled facial features such as high cheekbones and sharp jaws they have a more wild look than eladrin do though particularly in the hair that sprouts from their heads in random directions some male gnomes sprout tufts of hair from their chins but they otherwise lack body hair gnome skin tone ranges from a ruddy tan through woody brown to rocky gray their hair can be virtually any color from stark white to blond and various shades of brown to autumnal orange or green their eyes are glittering black orbs gnomes are as long-lived as eladrin living over 300 years but they show more of the effects of age a gnome over the age of 100 has gray or white hair and skin that shows the wrinkled and weathered lines of a century of laughter but even the oldest gnome retains the strength and agility of youth playing a gnome in quiet forests of the feywild and remote woodlands in the world gnomes live out of sight and mostly beneath the notice of larger races gnomes dwell in homes dug among the roots of trees easily overlooked and cleverly concealed by camouflage and illusion they are fond of the burrowing mammals that share their habitat such as badgers foxes and rabbits and have a sense of kinship with these small animals that share their forests unobtrusiveness is a virtue among gnomes they grow up on games of stealth and silence in which the winner is the last to be discovered an adult gnome who draws attention in a crowd is considered dangerously rude gnome folk heroes are not mighty warriors but tricksters who slip out of captivity play great pranks without being detected or sneak past magical guardians they deflect both aggression and attention with humor and they guard their thoughts with friendly laughter gnomes also value a quick mind and the ability to come up with a clever solution to any problem gnome characteristics affable clever crafty curious funny guarded inconspicuous inventive secretive sly tricky male names alston alvyn brocc eldon frug kellen ku nim orryn pock sindri warryn wrenn female names breena carlin donella ella lilli lorilla nissa nyx oda orla roswyn tana zanna gnome adventurers two sample gnome adventurers are described below kellen is a gnome bard with a grim sense of humor and a ready blade he was thrust unwillingly into an adventuring career when cyclopses raided his village and took him captive he labored as a slave to a fomorian king for a decade before finally making his escape and fleeing the feywild entirely though he longs to return one day to free the members of his family he was forced to leave behind fear of what awaits him in the feywild keeps him in the world orla has lived in the world her entire life she was born in a forest among elves but an encounter in the forest one evening changed her life she found herself face to face with a fey spirit of such power that she was unable to move or speak and could only acquiesce to its unspoken demands her life belongs to that spirit now she knows she wields its power as a fey pact warlock but she feels its desires and pursues its goals without fully understanding where they might lead her being small small characters follow most of the same rules as medium ones with the following exceptions you can t use two-handed weapons such as greatswords and halberds when you use a versatile weapon such as a longsword you must use it two-handed but you don t deal additional damage for doing so chapt er 1 c h arac te r races gnome physical qualities they appreciate witty conversation especially rapidfire repartee they are inventive and resourceful although they have little interest in or aptitude for the kind of technology found in human cities they have an innate talent for magic and a love of illusion music poetry and story eager to see what the world has to offer and willing to be awed by its wonders gnomes greet the world with open curiosity gnomes who are drawn to adventure are most often driven by curiosity and wanderlust above any desire for wealth or glory gnomes were once enslaved by the fomorian rulers of the feydark the subterranean caverns of the feywild they regard their former masters with more fear than hatred and they feel some degree of sympathy for the fey that still toil under fomorian lashes particularly the spriggans which some say are corrupted gnomes gnomes are not fond of goblins or kobolds but in typical gnome fashion they avoid creatures they dislike rather than crusading against them they are fond of eladrin and other friendly fey and gnomes who travel the world have good relations with elves and halflings 11 aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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goliath tribal nomads of the mountains strong as the rock and proud as the peak racial traits average height 7´ 2­7´ 8 average weight 280­340 lb ability scores +2 strength +2 constitution size medium speed 6 squares vision normal languages common either dwarven or giant skill bonuses +2 athletics +2 nature mountain s tenacity you have a +1 racial bonus to will powerful athlete when you make an athletics check to jump or climb roll twice and use either result stone s endurance you have the stone s endurance power stone s endurance goliath racial power your foes attacks bounce off your stony hide encounter minor action personal effect you gain resist 5 to all damage until the end of your next turn level 11 resist 10 to all damage level 21 resist 15 to all damage goliaths are mountain-dwelling nomads who see life as a grand competition their scattered bands have never been major players in the politics of the lowland world but they have wandered the mountain ranges of the world since the primordials first shaped the peaks and valleys tall and massive goliaths revere the primal power of nature and use it to enhance their own strength play a goliath if you want to be tougher and stronger than nearly anyone else to master the rugged mountain slopes to be a member of a race that favors the barbarian fighter and warden classes 12 chapt er 1 c h arac te r races aya shameimaru order #1294262 s te ve argyle 1

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goliaths tower over even dragonborn standing between 7 and 8 feet tall their skin is gray or brown mottled with darker patches that they believe hint at some aspect of each goliath s fate or destiny their skin is speckled with lithoderms coin-sized growths of bone that appear like pebbles studding their arms shoulders torso and head a bony ridge juts over their gleaming blue or green eyes male goliaths are bald and females have dark hair they typically grow long and wear in braids goliaths have life spans comparable to those of humans male names aukan eglath gauthak ilikan kavaki keothi lo-kag maveith meavoi thotham vimak female names gae-al kuori manneo nalla orilo paavu pethani thalai uthal vaunea goliath adventurers three sample goliath adventurers are described below kavaki was injured in an avalanche as a young man and exiled from his tribe because he was unable to walk with them when they moved to a new hunting ground his tribe lamented his loss celebrated his accomplishments and then left him for dead however a ram spirit sheltered him through blizzards and storms until his injury healed and he now evokes the power of that ram spirit to fuel his barbarian rage still cut off from his tribe kavaki has found a new family a group of adventurers and is determined never again to be in a position where he cannot carry his own weight nalla was a tent-mother for her tribe caring for infants and toddlers while their parents performed their own tasks on the tribe s behalf when her own child died in an orc raid however nalla felt that she could no longer bear to care for children and she soon exiled herself as a fighter she has fallen in with a band of adventurers she now guards with her life almost as if they were the children of her tribe lo-kag was a trader for his tribe interacting regularly with a nearby dwarf clan as a warden he was interested in the traditions of the dwarven defenders determined fighters and paladins sworn to the defense of their clanhold and learned much from a mentor trained in their ways on his last trip to the dwarf clanhold however he found it deserted corpses lay strewn around the citadel but he saw no sign of violence or looting instead of returning to his tribe lo-kag set out into the world to investigate the mystery of the dwarves demise playing a goliath goliaths are driven by a fierce love of competition anything that can be conceived as a challenge invites goliaths to keep score tracking their progress against both their comrades and themselves a goliath fighter might remark on how many times he has drawn first blood in battle within a particular dungeon compared to the party s rogue and he s certainly mentally tracking his own performance against his last adventure this competitiveness takes the form of good-natured rivalry among goliaths as a race they have no patience for cheaters gloaters or sore losers but goliaths can be very hard on themselves when they fail to measure up to their own past accomplishments daring that borders on foolhardiness is also a common trait among goliaths they have no fear of heights climbing sheer mountain cliffs and leaping great chasms with ease their nomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering instills in them an inquisitive interest in whatever lies over the next ridge or at the head of a canyon to a wandering hunter s mind that curiosity can lead to better hunting grounds or a good water source that would otherwise go undiscovered goliaths respect and revere the natural world and goliath adventurers commonly draw on the primal power source druids and shamans are more common among them than clerics and goliath priests called skywatchers invoke the spirits of nature and their ancestors far more often than they call on the distant gods of the astral sea some goliath tribes also honor kord melora and avandra particularly those tribes that have frequent contact with other races tribes that regularly trade with dwarves sometimes offer sacrifices to moradin as well chapt er 1 c h arac te r races goli at h physical qualities goliath characteristics competitive daring driven inquisitive powerful reliable restless trusting 13 aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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half-orc fierce warriors who combine human resolve with orc savagery racial traits average height 5´ 9­6´ 4 average weight 155­225 lb ability scores +2 strength +2 dexterity size medium speed 6 squares vision low-light languages common giant skill bonuses +2 endurance +2 intimidate half-orc resilience the first time you are bloodied during an encounter you gain 5 temporary hit points the temporary hit points increase to 10 at 11th level and to 15 at 21st level swift charge you gain a +2 bonus to speed when charging furious assault you have the furious assault power furious assault half-orc racial power your monstrous wrath burns inside you giving strength to your attack encounter free action personal trigger you hit an enemy effect the attack deals 1[w extra damage if it s a weapon attack or 1d8 extra damage if it isn t an obscure legend claims that when corellon put out gruumsh s eye in a primeval battle part of the savage god s essence fell to earth where it transformed a race of humans into fierce half-orcs another story suggests that an ancient hobgoblin empire created half-orcs to lead orc tribes on the empire s behalf yet another legend claims that a tribe of brutal human barbarians chose to breed with orcs to strengthen their bloodline some say that kord created half-orcs copying the best elements from the human and orc races to make a strong and fierce people after his own heart if you ask a half-orc about his origin you might hear one of these stories you might also get a punch in the face for asking such a rude question play a half-orc if you want to be big strong and fast to harness anger into resilience and combat power to be a member of a race that favors the barbarian fighter ranger and rogue classes s te ve argyle 14 chapt er 1 c h arac te r races aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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half-orcs favor their human lineage in appearance but are distinguished by skin that tends to various shades of gray broad jaws and prominent lower canine teeth though these are still a far cry from the jutting tusks of orcs on average they are taller and stronger than humans as well their hair is usually black though it grays quickly with age most half-orcs who live among humans favor human styles of clothing and hairstyle but a few adopt orc traditions tying small bones or beads into long braids or bunches of hair half-orcs don t live quite as long as humans do they mature quickly reaching adulthood at about 16 years and rarely live past the age of 60 half-orc characteristics brash ferocious hedonistic impulsive short-tempered tough uninhibited male names brug dorn druuk gnarsh grumbar hogar karash korgul krusk lubash mord ohr rendar sark scrag tanglar tarak thar ugarth yurk female names augh bree ekk gaaki grai grigri gynk huru lagazi murook nogu ootah puyet tawar tomph ubada vanchu playing a half-orc half-orcs combine the best qualities of humans and orcs though some would argue that the good qualities of orcs are few and hard to find from their orc blood half-orcs inherit great physical strength and toughness they are fierce warriors fleet of foot as they charge into battle their human blood makes half-orcs decisive and bold resourceful and self-reliant they are adaptable and able to make their way in almost any circumstance although half-orcs often live on the fringes of society in human towns and cities they still find ways to prosper in a world to which they don t fully belong for all their good qualities many half-orcs exhibit characteristics that polite society finds uncouth or undesirable half-orcs have little patience for complicated rules of etiquette or procedure and find little value in hiding their true opinions in order to spare someone s feelings they enjoy the simple pleasures of food and drink boasting singing wrestling drumming and dancing and they don t find much satisfaction in more refined or sophisticated arts they re prone to act without much deliberation preferring to overcome obstacles as they arise rather than consider every possible outcome and make contingency plans these qualities lead some members of other races to consider them rude or crass but others find their brashness refreshing half-orcs generally live among either human or orc cultures some in bustling human towns or cities others among remote human or orc tribes most half-orcs have two half-orc parents but sometimes half-orcs marry and have half-orc children with humans or orcs orcs show grudging respect to half-orcs for their considerable strength and for their cunning intelligence which sometimes allows halforcs to rise to leadership positions in orc tribes although possessed of many strengths half-orcs frequently encounter prejudice in human communities thus most half-orcs gravitate to careers half-orc adventurers three sample half-orc adventurers are described below tarak a half-orc rogue is at home in the city he grew up in the rough-and-tumble wharf quarter and ran with street gangs and rough sailors everything changed when a sailor dropped dead at his feet leaving a mysterious box in tarak s possession the box brought chaos into his life until he fled the city and fell in with some adventurers on the road tarak doesn t know what s in the box its strange lock has defeated every attempt to open it and its hard metal sides resist breaking but goblins and doppelgangers have proven themselves willing to kill to get the box for themselves piquing tarak s interest murook is a warden born and raised among an orc tribe she was a staunch defender of her tribe for years but her ties to the primal spirits of wood and stone slowly coaxed her away from the worship of gruumsh and led her to question the brutality the orcs performed in his name she made her way to human lands and has struggled to fit in trying to leave behind the barbarian ways of her tribe and adopt at least a veneer of civilization but she is still far more comfortable among the trees and mountains than confined in a city or village dorn is a half-orc ranger who prefers not to talk about his birth and his family he spent most of his life in a hut at the outskirts of a farming village hunting and trapping in the surrounding forest keeping to himself and asking only to be left alone his life turned upside down on his thirtieth birthday when a group of adventurers stopped in the village looking for directions to an ancient ruin the villagers steered the adventurers to dorn who agreed to guide them through the forest he never returned home because that first adventure led him into many more chapt er 1 c h arac te r races half-orc physical qualities involving physical labor or violence for some the life of an adventurer is either a natural extension of that trend or a way to throw off the weight of prejudice the adventuring life also means finding a place in a group of allies and equals a simple pleasure that is all too hard for many half-orcs to find in the world 15 aya shameimaru order #1294262 1

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