PICK A RACE
FHUMAN
Noble, Commoner, or Circle Mage origins. Humans are the most numerous, yet also the most contentious, of all the races of Thedas. Only four times have they ever united beneath a single banner, the last being centuries ago. Despite internal strife, humans remain dominant across Thedas, with the exception of the underground kingdom of the dwarves and the Qunari islands to the north. Humans are probably the most culturally diverse race in Thedas, as they have half a dozen nations of their own, each with different customs and traditions. The monotheistic faith of the Chant of Light plays a major role in human society. Currently, the majority of humans in Thedas are Andrastians, though there are also significant minorities following other religions. For example, many humans in Rivain willingly converted to the Qun rather than face the wrath of Qunari, and certain tribes of humans, such as the Avvar, still follow their own pantheon of gods. Even though it is not common, there are unions between humans and elves. Their offspring would be elf-blooded. Children between humans and dwarves are extremely rare because of the low fertility rate of dwarves in addition to the small chances of producing offspring with other races.
ELF
Dalish, City, or Circle Mage origins. Long ago, the immortal elves were the dominant race on Thedas, and their advanced civilization was based on nature, the Fade, and magic. After the fall of their great city of Arlathan and the empire of Elvhenan, its following plunder by the Tevinter Imperium, and the subsequent generations of slavery, the elves lost most of their culture, heritage, and identity. They attempted to rebuild their society in the Dales, but after three centuries they fell to the Chantry's Exalted Marches. Overall, the elves are now a people associated with poverty, crime, and barbarism. In Ancient Tevinter, elves were called "rattus". Modern humans use the racial slurs "knife ears," "slant-eared" or, less cruelly, "rabbit." Though most of the elven language has been lost, they once referred to themselves as "elvhen," which means "the People". Though elves are much diminished from what they once were, they nevertheless retain an unusual connection to the Fade that makes them unfortunately useful as subjects in magical rituals. Like many countries in Thedas, Ferelden has a large population of elves who are segregated from the rest of society and live in walled-off alienages. Unlike in other countries, however, elves in Ferelden have rights and are paid for their work. Those who do not find positions of service outside of the alienage are unable to achieve high-paying jobs, but most seem to feel that they have better lives in Ferelden than in other countries, because at least they are free and among family who look out for each other.
Dalish Elves roam free in the forest within a clan, seeking to recover and hold on to the lost lore of ancient Elvhenan. Many of them look down on the "flat-ears", the City Elves who live trapped in poverty and high walled Alienages among the shemlen - the humans. The City Elves are the descendants of those Elves that accepted the Chantry's terms after its successful Exalted March upon the Elves' second homeland, the Dales. As opposed to the nomadic and isolationist life lead by their cousins, City Elves live alongside humans and other races in the various realms and cities of Thedas, but the two are far from equals.
CIRCLE MAGE
Gifted with a power considered dangerous by most, you have spent most of your life secluded in the remote island tower of the Circle of Magi to be trained and watched closely by the First Enchanter... and the dreaded templars. The Circle of Magi exists to protect mages from a world that fears them, or so the young apprentices that are brought there are told. In truth, it exists as much to protect the world from the mages themselves. The Chantry priests will not hesitate to strike down any mage at the first sign of corruption.
For the temptations offered to mages are many. Their power draws demons to them from the Fade, demons that will attempt to wrest control of a mage's body and transform him/her into a vile abomination. All apprentices in the Tower are taught to resist these temptations, and the day comes when they must pass their final test: the Harrowing. They are thrown to the wolves, given over to a demon to either summon the willpower to defeat it or be possessed and die at templar hands. If the apprentice refuses, they are made Tranquil- cut off from the Fade, all emotion and magic, and rendered unable to be possessed for their own good. There are no other options, save to flee and be branded an apostate and thus hunted by the templars forever.
Why do more not try to flee the Tower? At their joining, all mages have a sample of blood taken and kept safely, stored deep in the Tower. This is called a Phylactery, and it's only use is to be used as a focus by the Templars when you escape. Your discovery is inevitable, so why bother trying to escape?
DWARF
Commoner, Noble, or Surface origins. Dwarves do not dream, cannot enter the Fade (too close to the Stone), and cannot be mages. Dwarves have a long tradition of courage and martial skill that has served them well in their millennia-long battle against the darkspawn. Once, they had a great empire that spread through underground thaigs below Thedas, but that was all but destroyed during the First Blight and has been lost to the Deep Roads. Constant battles against the darkspawn in the Deep Roads and an increasing infertility problem due to their proximity to the darkspawn taint (the Blight) are seeing the Dwarven numbers in a decline. A unique Dwarven ability is their "Stone sense", a talent for subterranean navigation, ability to hear the distant "song" of lyrium, tolerance to high raw lyrium exposure, and resistance to magic. However, this Stone sense is slowly lost in Dwarves the longer they live on the surface. Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word, and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. *ADD CARTA* * Dwarf nobles will have previous fights with darkspawn*
Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud. Dwarven society is made up of "Houses", each of which comprises a group of families. So, a dwarf has a given name and a house name, which may be a last name or part of a title. For example, a dwarf may be called Cadash Aeducan or Cadash of House Aeducan. Commoner or Surface dwarves, whose familes have usually fallen from grace, do not take House names, either out of pride at being cast out or because one was forbidden to them.
QUNARI
Qun or (Tal)-Vashoth origins. The Qunari (literally, "People of the Qun") is the name most commonly used to describe the metallic-skinned race of giants and their society that governs the islands of Par Vollen and Seheron, as well as the settlement of Kont-Aar in northern Rivain, and Qundalon in the Anderfels. The Qun is the religion of the Qunari, though it is closer to a philosophy than a full-fledged religion. It governs every part of Qunari life, and even the governing structure is dictated by it. It gives every Qunari a defined and fixed place in their society, either as a soldier (part of the body), a craftsman (part of the mind) or a priest (part of the soul). Members of any race who adhere to the teachings of the Qun can become "Qunari", but those other than the original giant race are called Viddathari within the Qun. Humans of Rivain and elf slaves of Tevinter are especially susceptible to conversion, although it is not unknown for members of other groups to embrace the Qun. Members of the giant race born outside of the Qun are not considered to be Qunari within the Qunari society. They are called "Vashoth", which means "grey ones." Likewise, those who willingly abandon the Qun are known as "Tal-Vashoth", "true grey ones". Most Tal-Vashoth are former soldiers who become mercenaries, and are considered by Qunari to be worse than bas - those who are non-Qunari. Members of the Qunari race are rarely seen outside of their lands with the exception of Rivain. The Qunari do not have a concept of personal identity, resorting to use titles rather than names to identify and present themselves. Qunari have no "family units": they do not marry, choose partners, or even know to whom they are related. A father's role ends at conception, a mother's ends at birth. A Qunari's "family" consists of his or her peers. When a child is produced, the same thing happens as with all other Qunari children: it is sent to be raised by the Tamassrans- who evaluate them and assign them a job. If any Qunari begins to have thoughts of their own or shows selfish tendencies outside the Qun, they are sent to be "re-educated" by the Ben-Hassrath.
Qunari are taller and more physically robust than humans. Most Qunari have horns. The horn itself has no nerve endings and can be painlessly removed much like human nails or hair. Unlike other races in Thedas, Qunari do not adorn themselves with tattoos. Instead they make use of war paint called Vitaar.
Noble, Commoner, or Circle Mage origins. Humans are the most numerous, yet also the most contentious, of all the races of Thedas. Only four times have they ever united beneath a single banner, the last being centuries ago. Despite internal strife, humans remain dominant across Thedas, with the exception of the underground kingdom of the dwarves and the Qunari islands to the north. Humans are probably the most culturally diverse race in Thedas, as they have half a dozen nations of their own, each with different customs and traditions. The monotheistic faith of the Chant of Light plays a major role in human society. Currently, the majority of humans in Thedas are Andrastians, though there are also significant minorities following other religions. For example, many humans in Rivain willingly converted to the Qun rather than face the wrath of Qunari, and certain tribes of humans, such as the Avvar, still follow their own pantheon of gods. Even though it is not common, there are unions between humans and elves. Their offspring would be elf-blooded. Children between humans and dwarves are extremely rare because of the low fertility rate of dwarves in addition to the small chances of producing offspring with other races.
- Human Benefits: +1 Str, +1 Wis, +1 Cha
- Height: 5-6.5 feet; Life Span: 60-100 years
- Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.
- Size is Medium. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Languages. Common and one extra language of your choice.
- Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can use this every long rest.
ELF
Dalish, City, or Circle Mage origins. Long ago, the immortal elves were the dominant race on Thedas, and their advanced civilization was based on nature, the Fade, and magic. After the fall of their great city of Arlathan and the empire of Elvhenan, its following plunder by the Tevinter Imperium, and the subsequent generations of slavery, the elves lost most of their culture, heritage, and identity. They attempted to rebuild their society in the Dales, but after three centuries they fell to the Chantry's Exalted Marches. Overall, the elves are now a people associated with poverty, crime, and barbarism. In Ancient Tevinter, elves were called "rattus". Modern humans use the racial slurs "knife ears," "slant-eared" or, less cruelly, "rabbit." Though most of the elven language has been lost, they once referred to themselves as "elvhen," which means "the People". Though elves are much diminished from what they once were, they nevertheless retain an unusual connection to the Fade that makes them unfortunately useful as subjects in magical rituals. Like many countries in Thedas, Ferelden has a large population of elves who are segregated from the rest of society and live in walled-off alienages. Unlike in other countries, however, elves in Ferelden have rights and are paid for their work. Those who do not find positions of service outside of the alienage are unable to achieve high-paying jobs, but most seem to feel that they have better lives in Ferelden than in other countries, because at least they are free and among family who look out for each other.
Dalish Elves roam free in the forest within a clan, seeking to recover and hold on to the lost lore of ancient Elvhenan. Many of them look down on the "flat-ears", the City Elves who live trapped in poverty and high walled Alienages among the shemlen - the humans. The City Elves are the descendants of those Elves that accepted the Chantry's terms after its successful Exalted March upon the Elves' second homeland, the Dales. As opposed to the nomadic and isolationist life lead by their cousins, City Elves live alongside humans and other races in the various realms and cities of Thedas, but the two are far from equals.
- Female Names: Adanna, Ashalle, Elora, Hanan, Merrill, Nola, Velora
- Male Names: Athras, Harel, Lindel, Masarian, Paivel, Pol, Sarel
- Dalish Clan Names: Brunwyn, Ellwood, Fadrick, Goldhawn, Litwyn, Mahariel, Yonwyn
- Elvhen Benefits: +2 Wis, +2 Dex, Adv saving against ranged attacks
- Dalish: Poison-making
- Height: 4'10"-5'5" feet; Life Span: 150 years
- Alignment. City elves dream of freedom, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. Dalish follow strict cultural guidelines, and lean towards lawful. Nonetheless, they value and protect others' freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.
- Size is Medium. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Accustomed to darkened forests and the night sky, Dalish elves have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. City Elves have the same vision as humans.
- Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
- Languages. Common and Elvish
CIRCLE MAGE
Gifted with a power considered dangerous by most, you have spent most of your life secluded in the remote island tower of the Circle of Magi to be trained and watched closely by the First Enchanter... and the dreaded templars. The Circle of Magi exists to protect mages from a world that fears them, or so the young apprentices that are brought there are told. In truth, it exists as much to protect the world from the mages themselves. The Chantry priests will not hesitate to strike down any mage at the first sign of corruption.
For the temptations offered to mages are many. Their power draws demons to them from the Fade, demons that will attempt to wrest control of a mage's body and transform him/her into a vile abomination. All apprentices in the Tower are taught to resist these temptations, and the day comes when they must pass their final test: the Harrowing. They are thrown to the wolves, given over to a demon to either summon the willpower to defeat it or be possessed and die at templar hands. If the apprentice refuses, they are made Tranquil- cut off from the Fade, all emotion and magic, and rendered unable to be possessed for their own good. There are no other options, save to flee and be branded an apostate and thus hunted by the templars forever.
Why do more not try to flee the Tower? At their joining, all mages have a sample of blood taken and kept safely, stored deep in the Tower. This is called a Phylactery, and it's only use is to be used as a focus by the Templars when you escape. Your discovery is inevitable, so why bother trying to escape?
- Choose either Human or City Elf origin
DWARF
Commoner, Noble, or Surface origins. Dwarves do not dream, cannot enter the Fade (too close to the Stone), and cannot be mages. Dwarves have a long tradition of courage and martial skill that has served them well in their millennia-long battle against the darkspawn. Once, they had a great empire that spread through underground thaigs below Thedas, but that was all but destroyed during the First Blight and has been lost to the Deep Roads. Constant battles against the darkspawn in the Deep Roads and an increasing infertility problem due to their proximity to the darkspawn taint (the Blight) are seeing the Dwarven numbers in a decline. A unique Dwarven ability is their "Stone sense", a talent for subterranean navigation, ability to hear the distant "song" of lyrium, tolerance to high raw lyrium exposure, and resistance to magic. However, this Stone sense is slowly lost in Dwarves the longer they live on the surface. Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word, and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. *ADD CARTA* * Dwarf nobles will have previous fights with darkspawn*
Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud. Dwarven society is made up of "Houses", each of which comprises a group of families. So, a dwarf has a given name and a house name, which may be a last name or part of a title. For example, a dwarf may be called Cadash Aeducan or Cadash of House Aeducan. Commoner or Surface dwarves, whose familes have usually fallen from grace, do not take House names, either out of pride at being cast out or because one was forbidden to them.
- Female Names: Althild, Ethelwid, Hildred, Jarvia, Kedwalla, Dagna, Milburga, Orta, Peada, Sigge, Natia, Rita
- Male Names: Cadash, Eadrek, Gorim, Kerdik, Kynewulf, Lenar, Oerik, Oswulf, Roshek, Witred
- House Names: Aeducan, Drizcole, Dunnharg, Griskin, Korkill, Kitrik, Moratin, Nevvin, Strakan, Tranador
- Orzammar Dwarf Benefits: +2 Con
- Surface Dwarf Benefits: +1 Int, +1 Con
- Height: less than 4.5ft; Life Span: 80 years
- Alignment. Most dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. Surface dwarves might lean towards the kinder aspects of neutrality.
- Size is Medium. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor. Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Dwarven Resilience. Foes attacking with Magic are at a disadvantage. Surface Dwarves have advantage on land navigation.
- Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, and warhammer.
- Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.
- Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the used skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus (only Orzammar Dwarves).
- Languages. Common and Dwarvish.
QUNARI
Qun or (Tal)-Vashoth origins. The Qunari (literally, "People of the Qun") is the name most commonly used to describe the metallic-skinned race of giants and their society that governs the islands of Par Vollen and Seheron, as well as the settlement of Kont-Aar in northern Rivain, and Qundalon in the Anderfels. The Qun is the religion of the Qunari, though it is closer to a philosophy than a full-fledged religion. It governs every part of Qunari life, and even the governing structure is dictated by it. It gives every Qunari a defined and fixed place in their society, either as a soldier (part of the body), a craftsman (part of the mind) or a priest (part of the soul). Members of any race who adhere to the teachings of the Qun can become "Qunari", but those other than the original giant race are called Viddathari within the Qun. Humans of Rivain and elf slaves of Tevinter are especially susceptible to conversion, although it is not unknown for members of other groups to embrace the Qun. Members of the giant race born outside of the Qun are not considered to be Qunari within the Qunari society. They are called "Vashoth", which means "grey ones." Likewise, those who willingly abandon the Qun are known as "Tal-Vashoth", "true grey ones". Most Tal-Vashoth are former soldiers who become mercenaries, and are considered by Qunari to be worse than bas - those who are non-Qunari. Members of the Qunari race are rarely seen outside of their lands with the exception of Rivain. The Qunari do not have a concept of personal identity, resorting to use titles rather than names to identify and present themselves. Qunari have no "family units": they do not marry, choose partners, or even know to whom they are related. A father's role ends at conception, a mother's ends at birth. A Qunari's "family" consists of his or her peers. When a child is produced, the same thing happens as with all other Qunari children: it is sent to be raised by the Tamassrans- who evaluate them and assign them a job. If any Qunari begins to have thoughts of their own or shows selfish tendencies outside the Qun, they are sent to be "re-educated" by the Ben-Hassrath.
Qunari are taller and more physically robust than humans. Most Qunari have horns. The horn itself has no nerve endings and can be painlessly removed much like human nails or hair. Unlike other races in Thedas, Qunari do not adorn themselves with tattoos. Instead they make use of war paint called Vitaar.
- Qunari Benefits: +2 Str, +1 Con
- Height: 6+ feet; Life Span: 80-120 years
- Alignment. Qun are Lawful Neutral. (Tal)-Vashoth have no particular alignment.
- Size is Medium. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Dragon Resistance. You have advantage on magic attacks against you using fire.
- Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
- Languages. Common and Qun.