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newworld new challenges in the wake of the cataclysmic event known as the spellplague promise and peril range far and wide across the land of faerûn as do heroes who thrive on action and adventure the forgotten realms® player s guide presents everything a dungeons dragons® player needs to create and run a character in the most recent incarnation of the renowned forgotten realms® setting or to add new options to any d&d® game forgotten realms player s guide orgotten realms layer s uide forgotten realms® player s guide ® this 4th edition d&d rules supplement tells players what their characters know about the world where they were born it includes information on the many regions where player characters originate as well as an overview of the forces and phenomena that make the world go around there s plenty of game material inside too including two new character races the drow and the genasi new feats rituals paragon paths and epic destinies and a new character class the swordmage use this material to run a forgotten realms campaign or to add new elements to any d&d game for use with these 4th edition dungeons dragons® core products player s handbook® dungeon master s guide® monster manual® forgotten realms® campaign guide isbn 978-0-7869-4929-8 ean rolepl ay inggamesupplement rob heinsoo · logan bonner · robert j schwalb sug retail u.s $29.95 printed in the u.s.a can $34.00 218587200

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forgotten realms® player s guide rolepl ay inggamesupplement rob heinsoo · logan bonner · robert j schwalb

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credits design rob heinsoo lead greg bilsland logan bonner eric l boyd robert j schwalb story design bruce r cordell lead richard baker philip athans development stephen schubert lead mike mearls rodney thompson andy collins additional development jeremy crawford editing julia martin lead ray vallese managing editing kim mohan director of r&d roleplaying games/book publishing bill slavicsek d&d story design and development manager christopher perkins d&d system design and development manager andy collins art directors kate irwin karin powell cover illustration william o connor special thanks to brandon daggerhart keeper of shadowfell graphic designer emi tanji additional graphic design soe murayama interior illustrations matt cavotta chippy miguel coimbra jesper ejsing wayne england goran josic howard lyon warren mahy lucio parrillo mike sass mike schley francis tsai eva widermann cartographers robert lazzaretti bre miller ryan sansaver publishing production specialist erin dorries prepress manager jefferson dunlap imaging technician robert jordan production manager cynda callaway setting details based on the original forgotten realms® campaign setting created by ed greenwood with jeff grubb the updated 3rd edition setting designed by ed greenwood richard baker sean k reynolds skip williams and rob heinsoo and the 4th edition revision guide by bruce r cordell richard baker and philip athans 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 620-21858720-001 en 987654321 first printing september 2008 isbn 978-0-7869-4929-8 u.s canada asia pacific latin america wizards of the coast inc 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 t hofveld 6d 1702 groot-bijgaarden belgium +32 2 467 3360 dungeons dragons d&d d20 d20 system wizards of the coast forgotten realms player s handbook dungeon master s guide monster manual forgotten realms player s guide d&d insider dungeon tiles elder evils exemplars of evil expanded psionics handbook forgotten realms campaign guide a grand history of the realms inn fighting king of the trollhaunt warrens libris mortis manual of the planes three-dragon ante thunderspire labyrinth 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 inc 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 inc any similarity to actual people organizations places or events included herein is purely coincidental printed in the u.s.a ©2008 wizards of the coast inc visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd

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contents introduction 4 1 races .6 3 backgrounds 74 drow 8 genasi 10 other common races 13 dragonborn 13 dwarves 13 eladrin 14 elves 15 half-elves 16 halflings 17 humans 18 tieflings 19 supporting cast 20 gnomes 20 goblins 20 lycanthropes and shifters 20 half-orcs and orcs 20 devas 21 goliaths 21 shades 21 2 character classes 22 swordmage 24 swordmage powers 26 warlock dark pact 35 spellscarred 41 spellscarred powers 41 paragon paths 47 anarch of shyr 47 coronal guard 48 darkwalker 49 doomguide 50 drow wanderer 51 eartheart defender 52 elemental tempest 53 evermeet warlock 54 ghost of eventide 55 heartwarder 56 high forest scout 57 impilturan demonslayer 58 morninglord 59 purple dragon knight 60 silverstar 61 simbarch of aglarond 62 spellguard wizard 63 spellscarred savant 64 steelsky liberator 65 sword coast corsair 66 umbriri 67 wandering swordmage 68 war wizard of cormyr 69 whirlwind genasi 70 wildfire genasi 71 epic destinies 72 chosen 72 aglarond 76 akanûl 78 amn 80 baldur s gate 82 calimshan 84 chessenta 86 cormyr 88 the dalelands 90 dragon coast 92 durpar 94 east rift 96 elfharrow 98 gray vale 100 the great dale 102 high imaskar 104 impiltur 106 luruar 108 luskan 110 moonshae isles 112 myth drannor 114 narfell 116 nelanther isles 118 netheril 120 thay 122 tymanther 124 vilhon wilds 126 waterdeep 128 4 feats .13 130 tiny lanterns 146 trailblaze 147 walk crossroads 147 waterborn 147 6 almanac 14 148 feat descriptions 132 heroic tier feats 132 paragon tier feats 138 epic tier feats 139 multiclass feats 139 5 rituals 14 140 amanuensis 142 analyze portal 142 arcane mark 142 clear the path 142 dark light 143 deathly shroud 143 divine sight 143 duplicate 144 feat of strength 144 purge spellplague 144 purify spellscarred 144 raise land 144 seek rumor 145 shadow bridge 145 share husk 145 shift mote 145 simbul s conversion 146 soulguard 146 status 146 time ravager 146 deities of toril 150 greater gods 150 amaunator 150 asmodeus 150 bane 150 chauntea 150 corellon 151 cyric 151 ghaunadaur 151 gruumsh 151 kelemvor 151 lolth 152 moradin 152 oghma 152 selûne 152 shar 152 silvanus 153 sune 153 tempus 153 torm 153 lesser gods 153 exarchs and primordials 154 lore of the land 154 climate and geography 154 the calendar of harptos 155 seasonal festivals 155 the roll of years 155 languages 156 the common tongue 156 alphabets 156 coin and commerce 157 class and station 157 families 158 learning 158 adventurers 158 the spellplague 158 cosmology 159

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0 introduction gone especially in regions south of the sea of fallen stars even familiar lands have become magical and fantastic in appearance islands of rock called earthmotes drift through the sky weird towers and spires of stone jut from the landscape spectacular chasms and waterfalls abound all things were sustenance for the spellplague s insatiable hunger it assailed and transformed flesh stone magic space and dimensional walls even the cosmos beyond toril was affected some ancient realms returned that had been thought gone forever such as the feywild and entire planes such as the abyss shifted to a new cosmic structure 3 portions of abeir have fused with toril the spellplague raged even beyond planar boundaries and toril s long-lost twin world cut off for tens of millennia was also caught up in the maelstrom large parts of faerûn exchanged places with equivalent land masses on abeir bringing their populations with them across the trackless sea an entire continent of the lost realm reappeared now called returned abeir 4 the number of gods has dropped markedly during the last century even deities succumbed to divine and diabolical plots or to the chaos of the spellplague of those now absent many died some left and a few were revealed to be aspects of already extant gods others lost so much power that they became exarchs lesser divinities who serve the other gods 5 the spellplague left its mark on creatures some effects of the spellplague persist to this day especially in the so-called plaguelands where wild magic yet rages unrestrained after exposure to the plaguelands some creatures exhibit physical marks called spellscars these spellscarred individuals develop unique abilities but not without a price victims of the original spellplague were horribly changed not simply scarred their flesh warped in unimaginable ways the abilities of the spellscarred though unique are never as monstrous and powerful as those of plaguechanged creatures luckily such monsters are few and of those only a handful are free-willed mobile threats 6 huge underdark collapses have changed the surface of faerûn as the earth fell away the level and position for more than twenty years the forgotten realms campaign setting has invited players of the dungeons dragons game to walk the streets of waterdeep to sail the sea of fallen stars and traverse the trails of the far east names such as drizzt do urden and elminster have become legend to both player characters and players the continent of faerûn is a land of darkness and light wilderness and civilization from the subterranean depths of the underdark to the dazzling heights of airspur the people of faerûn inhabit even the most remote lands and inhospitable environments the people of faerûn vary as widely as the continent s geography and they pursue virtually every walk of life to survive and prosper adventurers come in all shapes and sizes and the greatest heroes often arise from the unlikeliest of sources motivations differ as much as the color of one s skin or the shape of one s eyes or ears yet it is those differing motivations that create a hearty adventure a character s race and class create a canvas on which you might paint a story the colors you use to create the masterpiece are the triumphs and tragedies of your character s past deeds and future hopes with each ambition motivation and background element you introduce to you character you make the picture clearer and more enduring ten important facts the following points describe the biggest changes to the world of toril since the previous edition of the forgotten r ealms campaign setting if you are familiar with the setting these will summarize the major events in the world since 1374 dr the year of lightning storms if you are new to the setting this information will give you the basic background that most inhabitants know 1 roughly a hundred years have passed in the world since the previous edition of the campaign setting the current year is 1479 dr the year of the ageless one 2 the spellplague has drastically altered the cosmos the spellplague broke out in 1385 dr the year of blue fire the result of unfettered wild magic on the death of the goddess mystra whole countries are 4 i n t roduct ion

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of the sea of fallen stars shifted drastically an enormous opening into the underdark has formed south of the chondalwood in addition to this country-sized hole in the earth underground shifting has made the underdark much more accessible to the surface world 7 thay has become a terrible undead threat the former land of the red wizards is now under the control of a single power-mad regent szass tam he nearly succeeded in performing a ritual that would have made him an immortal being szass tam failed but in so doing he transformed thay into a nightmare land of death now the regent is intent on expanding thay s borders so that he can attempt the ritual again 8 the ancient empire of netheril has been restored the twelve princes of shade rule from their capital city shade enclave in a land newly reclaimed from the anauroch desert netheril is once again a major player and a threat to all the northern realms 9 ancient elven lineages have returned to faerûn with the reappearance of the feywild its natives have begun exploring the world again these fey folk collectively call themselves eladrin and many faerûnian elves have also adopted this name for their lineage though they have not forgotten their traditional cultural distinctions and names in casual speech the world elven collectively refers to the two branches of this fey people elves and eladrin 10 most portals no longer work the breaking of the weave destroyed most of the portals that crisscrossed toril because it destroyed the hard-won knowledge of arcane casters although arcanists have relearned their craft since the spellplague raged most portals remain nonfunctional or dangerously malfunctioning broken relics of a legendary past how do i use this book this book focuses on you the player and what kinds of characters you can make in the dungeons dragons game using the flavor and concepts of the forgotten realms setting this book is part of the core rules of dungeons dragons it uses the same game mechanics as that game and its powers and abilities are scaled in line with that game in a unified way the forgotten r ealms player s guide is your handbook for creating dungeons dragons characters in faerûn the most prominent continent on the planet of toril the world of the forgotten realms this book lets you visit faerûn s people and places and it provides you with the building blocks to create and bring to life vivid characters with this book and the d&d player s handbook you can bring unique elements of the forgotten realms campaign setting to your character as you advance from 1st level to 30th level not just an fr book you can take advantage of the forgotten realms player s guide and your dm can use its companion volume the campaign guide even if the campaign you play in is not set in the world of toril all of the concepts and details in this book can work just as well in a setting that your dm has devised in other words with your dm s approval of course you can pick and choose using the parts of this material that you find most interesting or most compatible with the setting you re already using by doing so you can inject the wonder and intrigue of faerûn into your game while keeping all the elements of your existing world that you and the other players have become accustomed to for example the swordmage class described in chapter 2 of this book has its conceptual roots in the forgotten realms setting but nothing about the class prevents it from being used in any d&d game similarly the new dark pact for warlocks and the rules for creating spellscarred characters can be a feature of any setting the same is true of the genasi a new race found in chapter 1 the new feats presented in chapter 4 the unique geography of the land of thay see page 122 and virtually any other part of this book if you re intrigued by something you see inside the player s guide talk to your dm about incorporating it into your game after all the best d&d experience is one in which the dm and the players cooperate to create a world that s fun for everyone at the table into the future you need not be a scholar of toril s history to become an invested participant in the world toril is a living place with events constantly in motion propelling the world forward in time the world changes much from year to year let alone in one hundred or one thousand years when the people of faerûn see the sun rise every day they think not on the past but on the future adventurer artisan and aristocrat share a common vision of each day one filled with opportunity faerûn offers to its inhabitants a place to lead lives filled with rich history and great potential the forgotten realms is a campaign setting that lets you lead a game experience unlimited by geographical historical or cultural boundaries and aspire to heights of status power and wisdom and pinnacles of heroism the forgotten realms setting always has room for another hero will you be the next i n t roduct ion introduction 5

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chapter 1 1 races your choice of race for your player charac ter establishes many of the fundamental traits that define your roleplaying experience specific values perspectives and motivations are associated with each race in the forgotten realms® campaign setting although your selection of geographical background informs your character s outlook race is a primary contributing factor this chapter presents two races beyond the choices available in the player s handbook drow and genasi it also describes the societal niche and demeanor of many other races the chapter contains the following sections drow this corrupt race of fey resides in the underdark though the occasional pariah escapes the evil trappings of the race to safely reach the light of the surface although drow generally are evil a few are good you might choose to play a drow who has turned his or her back on a sinister past genasi this elemental race has humanlike variability in personality and motivation genasi are the result of the effect over time of the elemental chaos on humans they manifest physiological changes that mirror this elemental and fluid nature you might choose the genasi race if you wants to play an exotic and adaptable character other common races dragonborn dwarves eladrin elves half-elves half lings humans and tieflings all the races covered in the player s handbook are discussed here in the context of the forgotten realms setting supporting cast many other kinds of creatures also roam the world of toril serving as allies or adversaries of the player characters 6 ch a pter 1 races jesper ejsing

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drow cloud of darkness drow racial power a shroud of blackness descends around you hiding you from sight encounter close burst 1 minor action effect the burst creates a cloud of darkness that remains in place until the end of your next turn the cloud blocks line of sight squares within it are totally obscured and creatures entirely within it are blinded until they exit you are immune to these effects darkfire drow racial power a flickering halo of purple light surrounds the target making it easier to hit encounter ranged 10 minor action target one creature attack intelligence +4 vs reflex wisdom +4 vs reflex or charisma +4 vs reflex increase to +6 bonus at 11th level and +8 bonus at 21st level hit until the end of your next turn all attacks against the target have combat advantage and the target cannot benefit from invisibility or concealment special when you create your character choose intelligence wisdom or charisma as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power this choice remains throughout your character s life and does not change the power s other effects graceful and deadly at home in the depths of darkness racial traits average height 5´ 4­6´ 0 average weight 130­170 lb ability scores +2 dexterity +2 charisma size medium speed 6 squares vision darkvision languages common elven skill bonuses +2 intimidate +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 trance rather than sleep drow enter a meditative state known as trance you need to spend 4 hours in this state to gain the same benefits other races gain from taking a 6-hour extended rest while in a trance you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal lolthtouched once per encounter you can use either the cloud of darkness power or the darkfire power ch a pter 1 races drow are a decadent race of dark elves whose beauty and sophistication fail to mask hearts all too often stained in evil the vast majority of dark elves base their behavior and attitudes on the worship of the chaotic evil goddess lolth also known as the spider queen drow society is organized into houses the heads of the most powerful houses occupy leadership positions in the various cities of the underdark the subterranean realm beneath faerûn that the dark elves call home play a drow if you want to be good at skulking striking quickly and employing a variety of dirty tactics to play a hero in search of redemption or one who struggles to rise above the wickedness of his or her people to be a member of a race that favors the ranger rogue and warlock classes physical qualities drow stand just shy of human height and have slender athletic builds physically they resemble eladrin with wiry builds pleasing features and midnight black skin that has a blue cast their eyes are fiery red lavender or blue all drow have white hair which most keep long and decorate with intricate pins and 8 chippy dugan

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webbing wrought from precious metals aside from their tresses and eyebrows drow have little facial hair though males sometimes grow long sideburns or tufts of wispy hair on their cheeks and chins from infancy a drow child must be cunning children can expect no kindness no warmth and no compassion such expressions engender fatal weakness drow are cold parents instilling selfreliance and independence so that their offspring will become strong enough to survive a bloody adolescence ill treatment reinforces their natural inclinations toward evil in rare cases the harshness of childhood can have the opposite effect seeding the youth with a hatred of and disdain for drow society and expectations such attitudes often lead young drow to a premature end in general dark elves have life spans somewhat longer than those of their surface-dwelling cousins drow who manage to avoid dying a violent death can live for well over 200 years and exceptional members of the race measure their ages in centuries ing until shown reason to respect their associates some free drow find these ingrained bigotries hard to overcome each drow who escapes the underdark must come to terms with what he or she has been taught and what he or she sees in the world around those who succeed can lead more or less normal lives while those who fail must endure a miserable existence trapped between two worlds and finding no haven in either drow characteristics arrogant cold haunted pragmatic rebellious ruthless skeptical sophisticated urbane male drow names adinimys baridl belgos bhintel drisdhaun elkantar haelirin houndaer kelnozz malaggar nalklyr orkallael pelloth phaeqel quarfein ryltar ulvein vorgyrn xulgos zebith female drow names akneth alauniira briesril chali charinida diviir drisiml faeremma fillith ilivarra myrymma pellanistra quewaun shivra viergar waeren xune yasesril zaketrin zarra playing a drow most drow are singularly wicked they are cruel in their dealings with others and treacherous among themselves in the pursuit of power status and lolth s favor drow houses compete with each other to amass wealth and enslave weaker races the fickle whims of lolth s priestesses demand absolute obedience driving the race to further evil though most drow are villains firmly in the thrall of the spider queen not all suffer so some drow escape the underdark to find new lives on the surface while a few reject the dominance of lolth s priestesses and form mercenary companies or trade consortiums of their own these however are the exceptions the spider queen s church makes bloody examples of any it names enemies of its goddess few drow indeed dare to rebel against lolth s priestesses drow are born into darkness their society is violent and capricious a world where life is worthless and only power has any meaning even drow who escape the clutches of this sinister culture find themselves scarred by the lessons they learned in their youth drow understand the value of alliances and enjoy congenial companionship but they regard any such arrangements as temporary and learn at an early age to distrust love and camaraderie such relationships can hide betrayal therefore dark elves are ever watchful for treachery expecting the worst in those they meet drow are never surprised when the knife appears and they consequently find it hard to form lasting friendships from birth drow are taught that they are superior to all other races those who lack the strength to defend themselves deserve to be used as the drow see fit drow therefore can be arrogant and condescend drow adventurers three sample drow adventurers are described below quarfein is a drow ranger and a devout follower of kelemvor he led a short-lived resistance in his home city but found disaster when his lieutenant betrayed him to the leader of his house he escaped with his life and little else after weeks of harrowing exploration he eventually escaped the underdark for the surface now quarfein leads expeditions into the underdark using his fellow adventurers to help him with his vendetta against the church of lolth faeremma a drow rogue and the sixth daughter in her family faced endless torments as a child from her elder and higher-ranked sisters and was promised a fate as a sacrifice on her mother s bloody altar rather than die for a goddess she hated she fled her home slipping away with a merchant caravan bound for the surface as her mother s spies hunt for her still faeremma stays on the move always drifting from place to place to keep a step ahead of her pursuers vorgyrn is a drow warlock who learned to wield mystic fey powers he soon discovered that the priestesses of lolth distrusted his independence and his mysterious arcane powers vorgyrn fled to seek refuge among a more civilized and possibly more tolerant world in the forests of the surface lands he met others who loved the beauty of nature and the touch of magic as he did friends whom he could trust with his life vorgyrn has turned his back on the hateful ways of his people he now fights for his newfound home and the folk who have befriended him ch a pter 1 races d r ow 9

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genasi energy embodied chaos and order united a race of inherent flexibility passion and diversity racial traits average height 5´ 7­6´ 2 average weight 130­225 lb ability scores +2 strength +2 intelligence size medium speed 6 squares vision normal languages common primordial skill bonuses +2 endurance +2 nature elemental origin your ancestors were native to the elemental chaos so you are considered an elemental creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin elemental manifestation choose one elemental manifestation earthsoul firesoul stormsoul watersoul or windsoul that manifestation is part of your nature the extra manifestation feat page 133 lets you add additional manifestations and change your manifestation each elemental manifestation offers particular benefits and provides an associated encounter power your appearance changes based on the element you are manifesting earthsoul you gain a +1 racial bonus to your fortitude defense a +1 racial bonus to saving throws and the earthshock power firesoul you gain a +1 racial bonus to your reflex defense resist 5 fire and the firepulse power at 11th level the resistance improves to 10 fire at 21st level the resistance improves to 15 fire stormsoul you gain a +1 racial bonus to your fortitude defense resist 5 lightning and the promise of storm power at 11th level the resistance improves to 10 lightning at 21st level the resistance improves to 15 lightning watersoul you can breathe underwater you also gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against ongoing damage and the swiftcurrent power windsoul you gain resist 5 cold and the windwalker power at 11th level the resistance improves to 10 cold at 21st level the resistance improves to 15 cold earthshock earthsoul genasi racial power the earth moves in response to your stomping foot or slapping hand buckling to knock your enemy to its knees encounter minor action close burst 1 target enemies in burst that are touching the ground attack strength +2 vs fortitude constitution +2 vs fortitude or dexterity +2 vs fortitude increase to +4 bonus at 11th level and to +6 bonus at 21st level hit the target is knocked prone special when you gain this manifestation choose strength constitution or dexterity as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power this choice remains throughout your character s life and does not change the power s other effects firepulse firesoul genasi racial power as an enemy lands a blow retributive fire ignites from your arms and fists encounter fire immediate reaction melee 1 trigger an enemy hits you with a melee attack target the triggering enemy attack strength +2 vs reflex constitution +2 vs reflex or dexterity +2 vs reflex increase to +4 bonus at 11th level and to +6 bonus at 21st level hit 1d6 strength constitution or dexterity modifier fire damage increase to 2d6 strength constitution or dexterity modifier fire damage at 11th level and to 3d6 strength constitution or dexterity modifier fire damage at 21st level special when you gain this manifestation choose strength constitution or dexterity as the ability score you use when making attack rolls and damage rolls with this power this choice remains throughout your character s life and does not change the power s other effects promise of storm stormsoul genasi racial power the lightning living within you calls out to its companion the thunder sparks dance across your skin and the air around you seems to darken and rumble encounter lightning thunder minor action personal effect until the end of your next turn you deal an extra 1d8 damage with any lightning or thunder power you use at 11th level increase your extra damage to 2d8 at 21st level increase your extra damage to 3d8 swiftcurrent watersoul genasi racial power your form ripples like water as you flow forward whipping past enemies and rubble in a graceful but deadly surge encounter move action personal effect you can shift up to your speed over ground or liquid terrain you take no penalties for squeezing during this movement can move through enemy spaces ignore difficult terrain and take no damage if the surface or substance you move across would ordinarily deal damage to you 10 ch a pter 1 races

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windwalker windsoul genasi racial power you harness the power of the winds air swirls about you lifting you from the earth encounter move action personal effect fly 8 squares if you don t end your move on solid ground you float to the ground without taking falling damage genasi are an inherent contradiction each genasi embodies the potential chaos of air and fire the order of earth and water or the ferocity of thunder and lightning genasi manifest one of these facets of their elemental soul at all times their race is passionate and nearly as diverse as humans genasi can be found almost anywhere play a genasi if you want to struggle or experiment with the order and chaos of your existence to look for adaptability in personality and physical appearance to be a member of a race that favors the swordmage and warlord classes physical qualities every genasi constantly manifests an element genasi have no neutral nonelemental state all genasi are born with one elemental manifestation a genetic trait that is handed down from hir or her parents some genasi learn an additional manifestation in late adolescence or adulthood and a rare few have several genasi are of roughly the same size and proportions as humans though they tend toward broader physiques that are evidence of their physical strength a genasi s body is etched with energy lines that glow in a color associated with the element that the genasi is manifesting the energy lines on a genasi s body appear in a pattern that is common between members of the same family and sometimes between natives of the same area the specific configuration of energy lines on each genasi s face and head is distinctive varying between individuals the way fingerprints differ between humans even when genasi change their elemental manifestation each one retains his or her unique facial energy lines to show off the energy lines etching his or her body a genasi often wears clothes that leave at least some portion of his or her body uncovered genasi skin tones and hair also vary depending on which element an individual is manifesting genasi don t have actual hair the substance that appears to cover their heads during different manifestations is a magical expression of their elemental nature the physical qualities that genasi display when using different elemental manifestations are summarized below earthsoul brown skin golden energy lines and eyes bald with golden energy lines glowing on the head firesoul ruddy bronze skin fiery orange energy lines and eyes flickering flames coming out of the energy lines on the head stormsoul purple skin silvery energy lines glowing crystalline silver spikes on the head watersoul seafoam green skin bright blue energy lines bald with blue energy lines glowing on the head windsoul silver skin light blue energy lines glowing blue and gray ice crystal spikes on the head genasi have an average life span comparable to that of humans roughly 75 years some members of the race can live to the age of 90 or 100 playing a genasi generalities about a genasi s elemental manifestation are sometimes contradicted by the race s changeable nature in most regions where genasi live the dominant manifestation is the one most closely associated e va widermann ch a pter 1 races genasi 11

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with the region s environment the most extreme example of this truism occurs in underwater communities where it s essentially impossible for a genasi to survive without the watersoul manifestration in a city whose construction features a number of elevated features and possibly a lot of earthmotes such as airspur the capital of akanûl the vast majority of genasi have the stormsoul or windsoul manifestation in a hot climate or a place where creatures of flame hold sway such as the city of memnon in calimshan firesoul is the most prevalent manifestation genasi are noted for their presence in akanûl calimshan and returned abeir but smaller pockets of genasi can be found most anywhere genasi who have more than one manifestation think of themselves as having multiple personas a genasi who is quick-tempered and passionate while manifesting firesoul might be a much more deliberate person while manifesting earthsoul when free from the demands of travel or conflict genasi who have multiple manifestations sometimes change manifestation as a method of expressing their mood or their intentions genasi philosophers believe that genasi were created as a compromise between chaos and the world s divinely crafted forms a few genasi internalize that contradiction and struggle to eliminate one or the other of their natures becoming maniacs of chaos or disciples of order but those genasi are the exception most simply enjoy the connections that their elemental nature gives them to the world as children genasi express only a single manifestation in all but a few areas of faerûn however genasi know family members and childhood friends who have manifestations other than their own so that they grow up knowing the diverse elements their race is connected to ambition and pride have strongly influenced genasi culture genasi are constantly aspiring to improve their station their societies bubble with a constant pressure for recognition of true strength and competence in consequence genasi social structures are nowhere near as stable as those created by other races genasi have no longstanding animosity toward any other races neither can they be said to be sure friends of any other race not even their own in human cities some genasi prefer to deal with one group of friends while manifesting one element and keep a different circle of friends in another manifestation other genasi find friends who can deal with all their forms genasi characteristics capricious exotic free-spirited haughty headstrong impulsive independent passionate quick-tempered quixotic male genasi names emere garel-kai jett kaddim-sul ki-amar mariz sardis sha-karn yuriel zan-kyri female genasi names ashar gwind len-jes jenda-shan jerra mai-sal mara-kai nari-lana sonliin valandra vanri genasi adventurers three sample genasi adventurers are described below mariz is a genasi warlord despite starting his life with the stormsoul manifestation he was drawn to the sea his acquaintances aren t sure whether mariz has become a pirate on the sea of fallen stars or whether he hunts pirates on the sea of fallen stars the story seems to vary depending on mariz s mood all they re certain of is that he mastered the watersoul manifestation in time to save his life when he was involved in a battle at sea and that he now adventures intending to earn enough money to buy his own ship and a magic arsenal to avenge himself upon those responsible for his first ship s destruction as long as mariz still has his sword and his quick wits to help keep them alive mariz s friends are inclined to help him get his ship and then go along for the voyage the genasi swordmage nari-lana became a student of magic swordplay and her windsoul manifestation while growing up she aspired to follow the assault swordmage tradition eventually becoming one of the anarchs of shyr she was well on her way to earning a place of power in the community when one day her entire swordmage school was outdueled by a wandering eladrin swordmaster that event changed nari-lana s life she was thrilled by the new techniques and hidden powers the eladrin had demonstrated and she realized those techniques weren t going to come to her while she stayed at home so she set out for a life of challenges and questing she likely won t again meet the eladrin who bested her school but if she does she intends to show him the powerful sword magic she has learned on her adventures garel-kai served as an apprentice to a human wizard while growing up in the great city of waterdeep his master abruptly disappeared a few months ago leaving garel-kai with a bit of knowledge an unsatisfied sense of adventure and a sudden desire to travel in other lands garel-kai isn t ready to admit it aloud but he is extremely curious about what awaits him in lands more heavily populated by genasi he s not sure yet whether he is looking forward to living among others of his kind or whether he will long for a return to his days as a dweller in the city of 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the eight character races detailed in the player s handbook are major forces in the forgotten realms setting the information in this section builds on the player s handbook material tailoring each race to fit its special niche in the world dragonborn born of abeir the dragonborn are an honorable people who draw strength from the hardships of their heritage and their resolve to survive description and homelands dragonborn are a handsome fusion of dragon and human tall and muscled gifted with incredible strength and great reserves of physical endurance dragonborn are ideal warriors added to their physical prowess is their adherence to a disciplined life giving them the will to excel at whatever they set out to do the dragonborn of tymanther are a people displaced brought into toril during the cataclysm nearly a century past in returned abeir dragonborn yet toil for dragon overlords living and dying at their whim but those of tymanther are descendants of dragonborn who broke the shackles of tyranny to fight against their dread masters a portion of their hard-won land of free dragonborn merged with toril separating the tymantherans from their kin in the decades since the tymantherans have sought to forget the grief of this estrangement and have grappled with the realization that their relocation might have ultimately doomed those left behind to renewed servitude still even with this knowledge haunting them the dragonborn in faerûn are free from the oppression defining their history and now look toward a bright future in a new world faerûn holds many new possibilities new opportunities without any of the prejudices of their past dragonborn are eager to explore and to extend the hand of friendship to their neighbors having no thirst for war dragonborn work hard to achieve peaceful relations with those they meet and struggle to establish themselves as a viable nation in the tapestry of lands that make up toril unfortunately for them the strangeness of their customs and their uncertain origins casts many suspicions on the dragonborn and their motives making establishing long-lasting alliances a challenge dragonborn have always cleaved to a complex set of principles to guide their beliefs dragonborn society is highly ordered with rigid castes and social expectations but nowhere does the race s sense of honor reveal itself more than in combat a dragonborn always shows his enemies respect giving his opponents the greatest due regardless of the cause that makes them foes few dragonborn would sully themselves by using treachery to defeat their adversaries and they give each opponent the chance to acquit himself in the same honorable fashion this adherence to proper behavior eclipses the race s views toward the gods since abeir was without divine influence at least in a way that most people of toril understand dragonborn regard the gods and their servants with suspicion for they have ever held themselves accountable for their own actions and never to the expectations of others especially to some remote god or other although a few dragonborn have found themselves in the service of traditionally wicked institutions they cannot share the tenets and beliefs of the organizations they serve dwarves the glory of the ancient dwarven kingdoms lies far in the past yet these stout champions remain vigilant against the myriad foes arrayed against them the stout folk pride themselves in the achievements of their people claiming that they stepped fully formed from the heart of the world dwarves have much in common with the stone and steel they respect dwarves are doughty toughened by countless wars though many of their strongholds lay in ruin the dwarves bravely hold what remains theirs while looking to reclaim their past empires playing a dragonborn in toril the number of dragonborn who remember the times before the migration are minuscule but nearly every dragonborn living today has a relative who suffered under the dragon despots of abeir chilling tales told around family hearths and the recitations of oral histories in the gallery of the city-bastion in djerad thymar see page 124 instill in these doughty folk a deep and abiding hatred of all dragonkind even though the dragons of toril had nothing to do with their appalling treatment dragonborn bear a grudge that burns as hot now as it ever did before in fact those who take up a life of dragon-hunting are among some of the most celebrated heroes in tymanther many dragonborn believe that waging eternal war against dragons cannot represent their true purpose tymantheran dragonborn have come to learn that description and homelands although the dwarves were originally one people strife internecine conflict and endless wars with orcs and goblinoids sundered the race scattering it throughout faerûn with each grudging defeat the ch a pter 1 races ot h e r co mmonr ac e s other common races 13

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dwarves drifted farther from their roots until their natural adaptation to new environments left a physical mark upon their bodies of the various clans and tribes most dwarves fall into one of two groups gold dwarves and shield dwarves the gold dwarves of east rift and elsewhere in the south are a stocky and muscular people they stand about 4 feet tall and weigh as much as other dwarves unlike their northern kin gold dwarves have dark skin deeply tanned to dark brown they wear their black to dark brown hair long and males and rarely females sport long beards carefully oiled and groomed gold dwarves usually have hazel or brown eyes and green eyes are considered lucky expert craftsfolk gold dwarves take pride in their personal equipment and often wield weapons featuring intricate engravings scrollwork and acid etchings all of which depict scenes from dwarven history and creatures their ancestors defeated the attention to detail extends farther than their weapons of course the most innocuous items combs brushes backpacks feature lovingly wrought scenes and images on their surfaces their armor is exceptional and each piece is a work of peerless art making gold dwarf armor some of the most coveted in the world outside the south shield dwarves far outnumber their cousins taller and heavier than gold dwarves shield dwarves are fair-skinned with hair ranging from brown to blond and red being the most common blue and hazel are the predominant eye colors shield dwarves don t use the stylized goods of their southern kin but they are no shirkers when it comes to quality peerless craftsfolk they forge some of the strongest weapons and armor in all the lands each piece bears a maker s mark to denote its crafter often placed on the business end of hammers and similar bludgeons as such these weapons literally leave a stamp on their victims in numbers and overrun their fortified cities such creatures aren t the only ones to gain the dwarves enmity and the dwarves hunt drow grimlocks and other underdark races with relish gold dwarves have a reputation for arrogance pride and disdain for other races where shield dwarves frequently make alliances with their neighbors gold dwarves have traditionally shunned them and extended their haughtiness even to their dwarven kin the destruction of the last century has dulled this pride and for the first time in memory the gold dwarves now welcome outsiders into their communities an influx of adventurers and explorers drawn by the lure of excitement fabulous treasure and ancient secrets has managed to strengthen the gold dwarf settlements in the east rift and has done much to slow the drow attacks that test their defenses eladrin the eladrin are mysterious people of faerie masters of sword and spell they defend their glittering cities and ancestral homelands from the dark forces arrayed against them eladrin are possessed of a keen almost instinctual understanding of magic they are most comfortable in places where the veil between the mortal world and the feywild is at its thinnest such as myth drannor and evermeet while eladrin are content to seclude themselves among their own kind behind the wards and defenses protecting their communities the burgeoning evil stalking the lands brings forth many eladrin champions who devote their lives to battling their ancient enemies description and homelands drow elves and eladrin can all trace their histories back to a common ancestor in the feywild millennia of life on faerûn coupled with their natural proclivity for adapting to their environment have fostered numerous social cultural and even physical differences that result in making them distinct peoples although there are marked differences between eladrin and their cousin races eladrin have subgroupings of their own that some folk mistake for different races the most numerous eladrin are those also known as moon elves or silver elves fair being pale to the point of appearing blue in certain light they are an attractive people with long silky hair the color of spun silver or deepest black one can become lost in their entrancing eyes that appear as flecks of gold swimming in deep pools of blue or green the second group of eladrin are markedly less common they are known as sun elves or gold elves and they are a reclusive people content to while away their long lives in the seclusion of their breathtaking cities these eladrin have bronze or golden skin and playing a dwarf in toril dwarves are stubborn and cynical but also brave and tenacious besieged on all sides by ancient enemies dwarves remain true to the traditions and values of their heritage dwarves are naturally dour and suspicious slow to trust they keep those outside their tight family groups at hammer-length suspecting the worst in everyone they meet until they can believe without a shred of doubt in another s honest and good intentions dwarves hold betrayals in their memories and swear solemn vows to avenge themselves for what might have been just a minor slight dwarves despise goblins and orcs above all other races and wipe them out wherever they find them to dwarves these creatures are an infestation and it s their duty to purge the world of them lest they gather 14 ch a pter 1 races

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