Revised Races
Revised Races
On the Cover
Kieran Yanner illustrates a deadly situation as a party of
brave heroes is ambushed by some evil goblins. Such
encounters have long been part of tabletop RPG history,
and in this compendium you will find worldbuilding and
gameplay options that embrace these tropes.
T
HE ORC MAIDEN WINKED AND GESTURED It was this choice, more than anything else, that finally
with subtle seduction. The rogue retched prompted me to begin polishing the official rules I used
dramatically. for Taldaras, the game world I have spent the last 20
It was 1490 DR—or maybe 1491; it’s years building, beginning with revamping all the races
hard to follow the confusing timeline the way that Wizards of the Coast should have been
Wizards of the Coast has used for fifth doing them. These wouldn’t be haphazardly balanced
edition adventures. Whatever the case, it archetypes with no room for customization, nor—even
was the first time our group had been back to the official worse—formless lumps onto which players were
game setting since we played through the Tyranny of expected to slap whatever labels they want, so that ‘race’
Dragons adventure. Having just finished a heavy, two- becomes as meaningless an entry on the character sheet
year campaign, we were running a few one-shot as ‘hair colour’. These races would be distinct, yet also
adventures to catch our breath before diving into sufficiently balanced and with room for meaningful
something new. Players were taking turns in the GM player choice.
chair, leading the party in all manner of strange tales. Of course, while this was the start of Dungeon
This adventure was a murder mystery set in a small Master’s Workshop’s so-called “5.5e”, it isn’t the first
community a few miles outside Ravens Bluff, where the document to be released under that label. Substantial
annual mage fair was being held. As typical for the revisions to classes, magic, and even tools have been put
Forgotten Realms, one couldn’t swing a dead cat without out already. So, why the delay with races?
hitting a legendary archmage, many of whom were of The simple answer is that the more I got into revising
some nonhuman race. the game’s races, the more worldbuilding entered into
But there was something strange about the selection the equation. Orc deities to explain half-orc subraces,
of those races in this adventure. Instead of the usual cultural history to explain halfling racial traits, world
moon elves, shield dwarves, rock gnomes, and lightfoot events to explain tiefling motivations—so-called ‘fluff’ to
halflings, the town was full of drow, lizardfolk, goblins, contextualize and give meaning to game mechanics, as
minotaurs, and even the traditional enemy of Ravenians: well as to pre-emptively mollify misguided naysayers on
orcs. Orcs! The same monsters whose regular raids had social media, became utterly inextricable from the actual
long kept the population of the Vast crowded along the game mechanics and ‘crunch’ of hard rules.
coast, and who had nearly destroyed the city of Ravens All of these things had previously been included in the
Bluff just over a century before. Now, all of a sudden, books, but in a more subtle, implied manner that the
these hideous monsters—the ill-begotten spawn of cruel game’s newest wave of critics—the ones pushing the
gods—were wearing floral bonnets and paying taxes? recent and unfortunate changes—would rather ignore.
Needless to say, we were suspicious of the overly As I worked more and more on these rules, I came to
friendly orc from the beginning and were quick to find conclude that the biggest mistake the original design
incriminating clues that revealed her guilt. Much team had made with fifth edition was not making it
quicker, it turned out, than the GM had anticipated. sufficiently clear that the Player’s Handbook describes
Within the hour, we had proven that it was indeed the the races as they appear in an archetypal D&D world
orc, in the conservatory, with the candlestick. using the game’s standard archetypes.
After the adventure, the GM explained the reason for Which is why I finally bit the bullet and decided to
the strange race choices: the recently released errata to release this document with the worldbuilding left in.
Storm King’s Thunder. While a full examination of this Taldaras is a love letter to D&D, and it’s my hope that the
failure in good stewardship is too much to include here, ways in which I deconstruct the tropes that have been
suffice to say that, with these changes, Wizards of the part of the game for decades helps reinvigorate the
Coast had declared they weren’t simply interested in community’s enthusiasm for them.
making the game’s rules setting agnostic—as they Or, more likely, that you’ll steal the parts you like and
claimed when they released Tasha’s Cauldron of stick them into your own game world. Come on, don’t
Everything and its lacklustre ‘custom origins’ rules—but look at me like that. I’m a GM, too; I know how it works.
rather they were intent on dragging every existing D&D Taylor Reisdorf
world and adventure into this dystopia where every November 2022
sapient creature is either Human or Reskinned Human.
T
ALDARAS IS A POLYCULTURAL WORLD Uncommon Races
with many different peoples—immigrants
from other worlds brought to Taldaras As far as sages can tell, the following races collectively
during great planar events called make up less than one in ten of the known population of
conjunctions. Many races live in their own the North.
nations—elves in their ancient forests, Aasimar. Individuals born with the touch of grace,
dwarves in their subterranean kingdoms, aasimar are descended from or blessed by celestial
and humans crowding fertile valleys and coastlines—but powers. They are rare and commonly believed to have
most of the North’s major cities inevitably become a great destiny.
melting pots of the region’s cultures. It isn’t unusual to Changelings. Shapechanging humanoids of unknown
see each of the three major races represented in any origins, changelings are secretive by nature. Most pass
settlement larger than a small town, along with as ordinary people to avoid trouble, and few who
scattered members of the less common races: encounter a changeling are aware of it.
diminutive halflings, hulking half-orcs, fearsome Draconians. Cruel slavers from the east, draconians are
draconians, and perhaps even a gnome. a fearsome sight to behold. However, unless they are
When you create a character in Taldaras, use the breathing fire and rounding up prisoners, most people
options presented here. react to them with caution instead of hostility.
Metaraces
Gnomes. Believed to be the aboriginal people of the
world, gnomes are often called the Forgotten Folk
Certain races, such as planetouched and tieflings, arise because they are so rarely seen. Most gnomes live in
from other races in Taldaras. Most descend from others extended family units within hidden forest valleys, and
of their metatype, but new lineages of these metaraces many of the rest live alongside dwarves in their ancient
emerge every so often through all manner of magical subterranean kingdoms.
phenomena that suffuse the world. Half-Elves. The offspring of a human and an elf, half-
Most members of metaraces ultimately descend from elves are often outsiders to both worlds. Like other
humans, as they are the most numerous people of the hybrid races, half-elves struggle with infertility and
known world. For this reason, the entries in this chapter their own identity within society.
assume your character will be as well. Racial traits such Halflings. These diminutive people hail from an
as age, speed, and size can be easily adjusted to archipelago far to the south, beyond the winds of
accommodate for metaraces that arise from other winter. They gather in harbours and riverside
lineages, with your GM’s permission. communities, and are as equally famed as mariners as
they are infamous as pickpockets.
Common and Uncommon Races Half-Orcs. Most half-orcs in the North were born after
the White Hand War a little over twenty years ago,
Given the size of the world, none can say for certain how when a great horde of orcs under the banner of the
many races exist in Taldaras. Traveller’s tales of half- White Hand descended from the Colovian Mountains
giants in the frozen peaks of the far north have and caused widespread destruction. Many half-orcs
prompted bards to pen many epic adventures, and there feel the call of the orcish spirits and either leave to join
are fanciful tales of humanoid tortoises and cat-men their people across the mountains, or find productive
from the far south, though most dismiss such accounts outlets for their anger and violent impulses.
as the ramblings of malnourished sailors. In the North, Planetouched. Most often found around areas of
the following races are known to exist. intense elemental influence, planetouched are imbued
with raw magic. Most appear no different than other
Common Races races except when channelling their elemental power,
The following races make up the vast majority of people and often pass as ordinary people to avoid potentially
in the North. unwanted attention.
Tieflings. Most tieflings are scions of the old imperial
Humans. By far the most populous people of the North, aristocracy that built the first human empire on dark
humans dominate most of the landscape and control pacts and blood magic, and who were transformed
all major routes of overland travel. into monstrous humanoids during the terrible ritual
Dwarves. Most dwarves reside in subterranean that broke their nation almost two hundred years ago.
kingdoms steeped in ancient tradition. They produce Almost all tieflings in Taldaras now use their innate
and export more than nine tenths of the North’s gold magic to glamour themselves into human appearance
and silver. for fear of persecution.
Elves. Once the masters of all the known world before a
great calamity shattered their civilization, the elves are
a dying people who fight to keep what little they have
left.
Ē Ā
collective effort.
Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and
Dwarves average about 160 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Dwarves in the world of Taldaras share in a collective To set your height and weight randomly, start with
soul that has a deep connection to the world itself, which rolling a size modifier:
they personify as the Stone. Those who live in the vast, Size modifier = 2d6
underground dwarven kingdoms can use this spiritual Height = 3 feet + 8 inches + your size modifier in inches
connection to more easily master traditional dwarven Weight in pounds = 80 + (2d6 × your size modifier)
arts and practices, while those who live on the surface
become detached from this birthright and must find Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your
their own way. speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armour.
Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you
Dwarf Traits have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can
see in dim light as if it were bright light. Moreover, you
Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn can see in darkness out to a range of 60 feet as if it were
abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature. dim light. You discern colours in darkness only as
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score shades of grey.
increases by 2. Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving
Age. Dwarves reach maturity around the age of 20 but throws you make against poison, and to avoid or end the
are considered young until sometime around the age of poisoned condition. Moreover, you have resistance to
50. They can live for more than 300 years. poison damage.
Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they enter a its terrible consequences—the Retreat of your people
form of waking dream for 4 hours a day. (The Nordic from the wider world, the Quickening of your lives, and
word for such meditation is “trance”.) While in this state, the Withering of your magic.
you are aware of your surroundings, but are too Though there are now more elves living outside elven
distracted to hold conversations, read, stand watch, or lands than there are sharing in what remains of them,
engage in any other activity that requires your attention. you have likely been raised to consider yourself one of
Wild Elf
When the Cataclysm disrupted the world’s connection to Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution or your
the original elven homeland, elves sought out places Wisdom score increases by 1.
where the mortal realm and fey realm were still close in Size. With semiregular exposure to fey magic, your
a mass migration known as the Retreat. Unfortunately, kin are not as stunted as low elves.
there were too many refugees for the regions with the To set your height and weight randomly, start with
Champion
Champion aasimar are imbued with a blazing energy
that exhorts them to seek out and destroy evil. Some Guardian
1 hour studying the individual’s movements and Camouflage. Your skin gains a pattern or is covered by
behaviour, listening to them speak, and noting their multicoloured fur. While you are hiding, creatures
SUKEB ANYZRATAK :TIDERC TRA
quirks. At the end of this hour, make a Wisdom (Insight) attempting to find you have disadvantage on Wisdom
check against the target’s passive Charisma (Deception) (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
score. If you attempt to transform into an individual Natural Armour. You gain a +2 natural armour bonus.
without first succeeding this check, individuals close to Natural Weapons. You grow claws or fangs with which
the person you are impersonating have advantage on all you can make unarmed strikes. When you hit with
Wisdom (Insight) checks made to detect your ruse. them, the strike deals 1d4 + your Strength modifier,
You stay in the new form until you use an action to instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike.
revert to your true form or until you die. You deal slashing damage with your claws and piercing
As part of your shapeshifting, you can choose one of damage with your bite.
the following benefits, which lasts until your Speed. You gain a climbing speed or a swimming speed
transformation ends: equal to your walking speed.
Lightfoot Seaborn
Over the centuries that they’ve been living in human The majority of halflings in Taldaras are seaborn
turn, you can replace one of your attacks with a burst of water as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait, and you
magical flame. Creatures within 10 feet of you must regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a
make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d8 fire damage long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the
on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. The geyser spell once, and regain the ability to do so when
damage increases to 3d8 at 5th level, 4d8 at 11th level, you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those
and 5d8 at 17th level. The DC for this saving throw spells using any spell points you have.
equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells
bonus. when you cast them with this trait.
You can use this trait a number of times equal to half
your proficiency bonus (rounded up), and you regain all
uses after you finish a long rest.
Fire Magic. You know the pyromancy cantrip. When New Spells
you reach 3rd level, you can cast burning hands as a The spells in this document are either revised
2nd-level spell once with this trait, and you regain the versions of those that appear in other published
ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. documents or are entirely original. Descriptions of
Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the these spells can be found in appendix B.
scorching ray spell once, and regain the ability to do so Spell Components. With a few exceptions, no
when you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of spells in Taldaras have verbal, somatic, or material
those spells using any spell points you have. components. Refer to a spell’s description in
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells appendix B for further information.
when you cast them with this trait. Spell Points. Spellcasters in Taldaras use spell
Heart of Flame. Adapted to scorching environments, points instead of spell slots. A full description of
you have resistance to fire damage, and you ignore the this spellcasting system will be contained in a
drawbacks caused by environments of extreme heat. future document.
Tiefling Traits
Tieflings arise from numerous different lineages, but
tend to share the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases