HUMANOID RACES

Birdmen
ST: 6 MA:8/20
DX: 10 +8 Armour:0
IQ: 8
These are humanlike intelligent avians, weighing only 50-60 kg. Their hands are manipulative but their feet are clawed. They have forward facing eyes and hence binocular (and excellent) far vision. However, they suffer from extreme claustrophobia, with a -3 DX penalty inside enclosed spaces. Birdmen will not wear armour either. They suffer no penalty when attacking with their special javelins in flight. Their feet also inflict UC damage +2 in normal combat.
Bodachs (Alan Garner's Moon Of Gomrath)
ST:7 MA:12
DX:8 +8 Armour:1 pt thick hair
IQ:7
Reclusive goblinoid creatures, bodachs are about 1.3m in height and weigh roughly 60kg. They have thick, dark hair covering most of their bodies except their faces and legs past the knees. Their knees are bent backward ending in birdlike claws, which do 1-1 in combat (if the bodach is using a weapon, this is at -4 adjDX). They have an MA of 10 only going downhill, due to their knee joints. They speak their own language. Bodach are encountered in forsaken, hilly or forested regions in small tribes. They are friendly with goblins and hobgoblins and often speak goblin. They prefer to use small shields and spears and gain +1 damage with spears and javelins.

Bugbears
ST: 14 MA:10
DX: 10 +5 Armour:0
IQ: 7
Large (130 kg) hairy goblinoids, Bugbears have automatic silent movement talent. However, they require double XP to rise levels and their IQ cannot exceed 11 without magical means. Bugbears are avaricious and love gold and shiny things, which leads them into strife with dwarves often. This is a well-known trait and they receive a -1 on reaction rolls except with goblinoid races. They speak goblin as their first language.
Centaurs - ITL, p51

Deodanths(from Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories, (Patrick Keleher))
ST:12 MA:12
DX:12 +5 Armour:0
IQ:7 (max. 10)
Deodanths are +4 adjDX with throwing weapons -- their traditional javelins and darts. (Both do 1D-1 damage.)
They have a natural leaping skill -- I use Alan Robles's leaping skill which he provided last August, but a deodanth's natural leaping skill is at double the distances for the skill learned by other species (ie: Horizontal leaps are at (ST+DX)/5. Vertical leaps are at (ST+DX)/6); if, in addition to this natural skill, a deodan\th LEARNS the leaping skill then distances covered are multiplied by 1.5.
Deodanths disdain armour. They don't like to feel constrained. The bits of leather and chainmail they do on occasion wear are more decorative than protective. They will wear jewelry enhanced with protective spells.
Deodanths are sadists. Dave Hargrave describes them as an descended from the miscegenation of undead elves with panthers, however I seem to remember Jack Vance as stating they were descended from wolverines.
I like to let characters start with a few free skills. I use a combination of Justin Grabowski's prior experience tables with Rick Smith's racial special characteristic tables. For deodanths, first, using J. G.'s tables:
Roll 2 dice
2-8: Slave table, but add two to the roll
9-11: Tradesman
12: Noble, but no warhorse (He had one once, but he ate it.) or
retainers. (He had one once, but...)
Then, on a 1 in 6, roll 1 die
1: Wolverine jaws. (Bite for 2D, both normal and HTH combat.)
2: Panther claws. (Claw for 1+1, both normal and HTH combat.)
3: Acrobatics free when IQ requirement is met.
4: Fencing free when IQ requirement is met.
5: Berserk.
6: "Merciful". A merciful deodanth won't kill opponents. He just
brings them to the edge of death again... and again... and again... and
again...
Dwarves - ITL, p50

Drow ( Dark Elves)
ST:6 MA:12
DX:11 +6 Armour:0
IQ:9
The dark elves are sworn enemies of most surface races, gaining them a -1 on reaction rolls. They have dark vision but fight at -2 DX in sunlight. All drow are able to innately cast darkness at normal cost. At IQ 11 they automatically receive 1-hex shadow and detect magic at a cost of 1 proficiency point for both together.
Drow society has developed unique items during their isolation, such as the hand crossbow ( 1 kg weight, min. ST 9, 1 die dam, 1 handed, 1 shot/turn) and various sleep poisons (3,4 or even 5 dice vs. ST to remain awake). However, their items decay above ground in 2d6 days.
A drow elf can also learn drow sign-language.
Elves - ITL, p50

Half-Elves
ST:7 MA:10 or 12
DX:9 +8 Armour:0
IQ:8
Half-elves are man/elf hybrids, being the most common form of interracial offspring found. They begin with the above stats and the elves' natural running speed about half the time (3 in 6). They also speak both parent languages at no cost, but inherit their elvish parents' phobia of insects, suffering a -1 or 2 DX penalty (3 in 6 chance of each) combating them.
Fhazhi - IP2, p7

Firenewt
ST:12(15) MA:8(6)
DX:13 (10 in chain)Armour:0
IQ:8
Firenewts live in volcanic regions, being immune to fire, even lava. Each can breathe fire for 1 die damage onto the hex in front of them for 1 ST. Cold attacks do +1 per die of damage. They generally live in small villages and once in a while comes an exceptional firenewt who wants to go adventuring. These chaps need double experience however. Also, like reptilemen, they suffer a -1 on reaction rolls due to their strangeness.
Firenewts encountered usually wear black chainmail and wield swords or spears, but some (elite warriors) wield battleaxes. They speak their own language.
Gargoyle - ITL, p51
Giant - ITL, p51

Gnoll
ST:13 MA:12
DX:8 +6 Armour:0
IQ:7
These humanoid hyenas are thought to be distantly related to orcs. They generally live in small settlements in grasslands or arid places. Some may go adventuring but they require double XP. They are a savage and primitive race, suffering a -1 on reaction rolls. Gnolls have an innate woodsman talent (but not naturalist)-they eat anything. They can only extend this benefit to other gnolls and orcs as other races' palates are too refined.
Gnolls encountered like to use polearms. They speak a dialect of orcish.

Gnome
ST:7 MA:10
DX:8 +8 Armour:0
IQ:8
Gnomes are 1-1.3 m high friendly dwarflike humanoids who live in hilly areas. Weighing 50 or 60 kg, they are almost as good at mining as dwarves, but prefer gems to gold. They are enemies of all goblinoids (goblins, svarts, kobolds, hobgoblins and bugbears) and have a -1 reaction roll against them. Giants (and their kin) suffer a -2 DX penalty fighting gnomes.
All gnomes have a natural affinity with woodland animals and may gain the benefit of animal handler talent at a cost of 1 IQ point only. They may also get, at a cost of 1 talent point, acute hearing. They also get an automatic 4 dice roll vs. IQ when they see an illusion with auditory components, unless it was created by a gnome wizard. All gnomes speak gnomish as a first language.

Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin)
ST:10 MA:12
DX:10 +8 Armour:0
IQ:8
Distant relatives of surface gnomes, svirfneblin tunnel and have underground directional sense as do dwarves. They also do +1 damage with Axe/Mace and those of IQ 13 are able to summon an earth elemental, as the spell create elemental but the svirfneblin need only expend 1 ST for every 2 ST the elemental will have after the 1st 5 ST are expended. Deep underground, deep gnomes encountered will be equipped with fine chain (-2 DX; 4 pt armour) and fine mithril weapons. They often use sleep poison of varying strengths.
Player deep gnomes don't have immediate access to these items and need double XP.

Frost Gnome
ST:8 MA:10
DX:8 +8 Armour:0
IQ:8
A distinct gnomish race of cold climes, these fellows are quite xenophobic and ill-disposed to other races, including other gnomes. This penalizes them 1 point on all reaction rolls. They are bigger than normal gnomes, being 1.3m tall and weighing 70kg on average, with swarthy greyish skin and piercing yellow or blue eyes. Like their temperate cousins, they receive an automatic 4/IQ roll vs illusions and acute hearing at 1 talent point, if they wish. They are not small enough for giants to be penalized fighting them, however. Likewise, they are not inimical to goblinoids as other gnomes are. In fact, frost gnomes may associate with trolls, winter wolves and wolverines to bolster their villages' defensive arsenal (they can also get animal handler talent at a cost of 1 point)
Frost gnomes speak a dialect of gnomish; normal gnomes listening must make a 3/IQ roll to understand them.
Some scholars have postulated that gnomes are nature spirits of sorts and that frost gnomes are more malevolent because of the harsh nature of winter. Gnomes in general scoff at this idea.
Frost gnomes are known to cultivate giant trapdoor spiders at times as steeds, guards and tunnel and trapdoor-makers.

Goblins - ITL, p50
Halflings - ITL, p50
Hobgoblins - ITL, p50
(errata: ST=10)
Humans - ITL, p50
Kobolds
ST:4 MA:10
DX:8 +7 Armour:0
IQ:7
These horned halfling-sized creatures live underground or in dark forests. They are vaguely reptilian in appearance though reptileman scholars strongly deny any link, on the basis of their mammalian teeth (canines, incisors and molars). In actual fact, they are descendants of mammal-like reptiles from an alternate earth where the mass extinction at the end of the Permian Period did not happen. They are best described as small bipedal lystrosaurs in appearance, with prominent canines and short snouts, cobalt blue in colour, between 0.9 and 1.2 meters tall and weighing between 15 and 45 kilograms. They lay eggs in clutches of 2 to 5. When a tribe is in the process of getting wiped out, the females can get quite crafty with hiding their eggs. They will go to great lengths and sacrifice to put their eggs where nobody would think to look. When the little beggars hatch they'll have nobody to train them but they'll be nasty just the same. Females are identical in size and ability to males. The Permian period was cool to cold and dry, and these are the climates kobolds do best in, resenting heat and humidity.
They are generally malign, hating gnomes, goblins and halflings. They have dark vision and receive a -2 DX penalty in sunlight. Giant-size (3-hex or larger) figures receive a -2 DX penalty fighting kobolds. Kobolds often keep pets such as compies or fanged bounders. They speak their own, guttural language. Due to their devious minds, kobolds may learn the detect traps talent at a cost of 1 IQ point only. This makes them very unpopular with svarts, who are experienced trap-setters. The two races often compete for space and generally have much ill feeling for each other.

Winter Kobolds
ST:5 MA:10
DX:7 +7 Armour:1 pt thick fur
IQ:7
Larger (1.2-1.5m high), furry relations to normal kobolds, these creatures live in subarctic and similar climes. They may travel in snow unimpeded and suffer no damage from cold-based attacks. They also fluff out their fur in combat which, if their opponent fails a 2/IQ roll, will result in a -2 adjDX penalty for them to hit the 'kobolds. In other respects they are similar to their smaller cousins.
Mermen - ITL, p52
Orcs - ITL, p50
Prootwaddles - ITL, p51
Reptile Men - ITL, p51

Rapooks
ST:7 MA:8/20(swimming)
DX:9 +8 Armour: 0
IQ:7
Rapooks are communal artisans descended from beavers, but resemble beavers only as much as humans resemble apes. They generally do not wear armour, or clothes for that matter. They have an additional attack in HTH, their tail slap, which does the same amount of damage as a fist. All rapooks Swim. All rapooks have the Thief talent, though they are not intentionally thieves; They are simply curious, and because of their communal society do not understand the concept of property. At least half of their total starting skills must be artistic or social, reflecting their society. Their shamans (wizards) generally have only nature-oriented spells.

Svarts
ST:5 MA:10
DX:10 +7 Armour:0
IQ:8
Small (1m high) goblinoids dwelling underground or in dismal forests, the svart-alfar, generally known as svarts, are generally bad-tempered and hostile. They are often found serving stronger entities such as wizards, and often train Palug cats. They are navy blue, indigo or black in colour, hairless and leathery-skinned, with yellow, orange or red eyes, which give them dark vision. However, they suffer a -2 adjDX penalty in direct sunlight. Svarts are good at tunnelling underground complexes and fond of traps in their lairs. A svart may learn mechanician talent at a cost of 1 IQ point, and at IQ 10 (this sort of thing comes naturally to them). They generally use stabbing weapons and occasionally nets. Svarts speak goblin as a rule, but don't necessarily keep their word as goblins do. They hate kobolds, who vye for the same resources and often sabotage their traps.


Page last modified on December 22, 2015, at 02:18 PM