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2 ConstruCt Companion

Races

CreditsAuthor: Douglas Sun;

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3CONSTRUCT COMPANION

RACES

Contents

Introduction ................................................................... 4Part I: Races .................................................................... 6

Languages in Shadow World .......................................... 6Men in Shadow World ................................................... 7Centaurs .......................................................................... 7

Horse Centaur ...................................................................... 8Lion Centaur ........................................................................ 9Lizard Centaur ................................................................... 10

Droloi ............................................................................ 11Dwarves ......................................................................... 12Elves ............................................................................ 15

Wood Elves ......................................................................... 15Grey Elves ........................................................................... 17High Elves ........................................................................... 18Dyari ................................................................................... 19Erlini ................................................................................... 20Linaeri ................................................................................. 22Loari .................................................................................... 23Shuluri ................................................................................ 24

Fey ............................................................................ 25Dwelfs ................................................................................. 26Satyrs (Fauns) ..................................................................... 27Tylweth Teg (Peries) .......................................................... 28Lennai ................................................................................. 29

Garks ............................................................................ 31Gnomes ......................................................................... 32Goblinoids ..................................................................... 34

Goblins ............................................................................... 34Hobgoblins ......................................................................... 36Kobolds ............................................................................... 37Murlogi ............................................................................... 38

Gratar ............................................................................ 39Black Gratar ........................................................................ 39Green Gratar ...................................................................... 40Grey Gratar ......................................................................... 41Yellow Gratar ..................................................................... 42

Half-Elves ...................................................................... 43Eritari .................................................................................. 44Ky’taari ............................................................................... 45Punkari ............................................................................... 46Sulini ................................................................................... 47Vorloi .................................................................................. 48

Halflings ........................................................................ 49Half-Orcs ....................................................................... 51Hira’razhir/Hirazi ......................................................... 53

Hira’razhir .......................................................................... 53Hirazi .................................................................................. 54

Idivya ............................................................................ 55Jhordi ............................................................................ 57Men ............................................................................ 58

Common Men .................................................................... 58High Men ........................................................................... 60Mixed Men ......................................................................... 61Laan .................................................................................... 62Umli .................................................................................... 64

Mermen ......................................................................... 65Orcs ............................................................................ 67

Common Orcs ................................................................... 67Greater Orcs ....................................................................... 69Lesser Lugrôki .................................................................... 70Greater Lugrôki .................................................................. 71

Quishadi ........................................................................ 72Shuikmar (Sharkmen) .................................................. 73

Sohleugir (Lizardmen)/Saurkur ................................... 75Sohleugir ............................................................................. 75Saurkur ............................................................................... 77

Troglodytes/Trogli ........................................................ 78Urlocs ............................................................................ 80Vulfen (Wolfmen) ........................................................ 81

Part II: Cultures ............................................................ 83A Note on Cities ............................................................ 83Aerial ............................................................................ 84Aquatic .......................................................................... 86Arctic ............................................................................ 89Desert ............................................................................ 91Highland ........................................................................ 95Littoral ........................................................................... 98Mining ......................................................................... 101Plains .......................................................................... 104Rural .......................................................................... 106Subterranean ............................................................... 109Sylvan .......................................................................... 112

Part III: Creating Characters ..................................... 118Example 1: A Priest of the

Sun on the Rise ................................................ 118Example2: S’sta the

Lizardman Pirate .............................................. 121Filling in the Context .................................................. 124

Index ........................................................................... 125

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4 CONSTRUCT COMPANION

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

cultural template you choose for your character. Theformer includes aspects of physical appearance such asaverage height and weight, as well as biological traitssuch as average life span. Unusual qualities, such asspecial resistance bonuses or special abilities, also fallunder this description.

Culture modifiers for each race include racial pre-dispositions such as religious practice, instinctive biasesfor or against other races, preferred professions (if any)and special skills (if any). While these aspects of charactermight seem to fall under discussions of culture, it isworth acknowledging that (as far as Rolemaster goes)some apparently cultural factors are heavily influenced byinherent racial characteristics. Language falls under thisheading also in that many races have their own uniquelanguage (in Shadow World, practically every race has itsown language). Similarly, the racial templates includebackground options to acknowledge the influence ofracial differences on aspects of character that might seemcultural. If this seems to fudge the distinction betweenrace and culture, keep in mind that race templates andculture templates are supposed to be blended togetheranyway. Finally, the racial templates acknowledge the factthat races almost never spread themselves around willy-nilly no matter what setting you use, and that certainraces gravitate toward certain culture templates, forwhatever reason.

The culture templates concentrate on characteris-tics that follow from environment or way of lifeinstead of biology or physiology. Almost all of the 11templates define themselves strictly by a type ofphysical environment: Arctic, Desert, Sylvan, and so

WHAT’S NEW ABOUT THIS BOOK

Races & Cultures dramatically expands the range ofraces considered appropriate for player characters.Would you like to play a character who isn’t a Man, anElf, a Dwarf or a Halfling? Have you ever wonderedwhat it would be like to play a Quishadi or a Merman?This book will help you find out by giving you guide-lines for creating characters using those races that haveseldom—if ever before—considered likely PC races.

Just as importantly, Races & Cultures marks asubstantial departure from the way that Rolemaster hashandled in the past the matter of a character’s racial andcultural influences. In both Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplayingand Character Law, race and culture, though theoreticallyseparate concepts, are in fact tightly integrated. For themost part, each race has its own distinct culture, regardlessof where a given community lives and what it does tosustain itself. Under this conception of race and culture, aDwarf who lives in a mining community hidden in thehills all of his life is subject to the same exact set of culturalinfluences as a Dwarf who was raised in a bustling,ethnically diverse metropolis.

Races & Cultures explicitly separates race and cultureinto two separate templates, allowing you to mix andmatch one template from each category when you arecreating a character. This creates a much broader rangeof possibilities for the character creation process.

WHAT IS RACE AND WHAT IS CULTURE?

The race templates present information that isinherent in a race’s biology or physiology, as well asracial characteristics that act as modifiers on whatever

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INTRODUCTION

on. Two templates, Mining and Rural, describe a wayof life closely tied to a certain type of terrain.

These characteristics include manner of dress,collective hopes, fears and prejudices, as well as predomi-nant religious beliefs, social patterns, preferred profes-sions and hobbies, and background options. Culturetemplates also have some languages attached to them,allowing for the fact that environment can influence boththe number and nature of non-native languages that acharacter knows. Sub-cultural templates nested withinthe major culture templates allow for some variations inlifestyle on each cultural theme. They allow you to fine-tune your PC, and to trade off some advantages forothers that are unique to that sub-culture. All in all,culture templates acknowledge that communities thatlive in similar physical environments share characteristicsthat cut across racial boundaries. For instance, the Deserttemplate accounts for the fact that a Common Manraised by a tribe of desert nomads shares just as muchwith a Half-Orc who also hails from a desert tribe as hedoes with another Common Man who has lived all of hislife on a farm in a lush mountain valley.

MESHING RACES AND CULTURES WITH

SHADOW WORLD

Races & Cultures expands on many of the impor-tant races described in the Shadow World Master Atlas,giving you the same amount of information on themthat is available for the RMFRP and ChL core races. Notall of the Shadow World races are described here, but allof the races that overlap with standard Rolemaster racesor monsters are represented, as well as a scattering ofmortal, immortal and even alien races.

A NOTE ON THE CONTENTS

Part I provides 24 racial templates for use withRolemaster. Rolemaster veterans should note that all ofthe basic races described in RMFRP and ChL are present,but some racial classifications have been combined andreclassified. High Men and Common Men are foldedinto a single entry for Men. Wood Elves, High Elves andGrey Elves are all folded into a single entry for Elves.Greater Orcs and Common Orcs are combined into asingle entry for Orcs. This reclassification does not erasethe distinctions between these various sub-races, andyou’ll find that all of the new entries preserve a sense ofhow Wood Elves differ from Grey Elves, and so on. Half-Elves and Half-Orcs remain separate races.

Condensing the standard races creates room todiscuss how you might use some of the unusual racesfrom Creatures & Monsters to create PCs. Part I ofRaces & Cultures includes entries for 15 monster racesfrom C&M, including Centaurs, Sohleugir, Shuikmarand Urlocs, and treats them with the same depth asthe standard character races.

Many of these races overlap with races described inthe Shadow World Master Atlas, and those cases are sonoted. Troglodytes in C&M bear great similarities to theTrogli in the Shadow World, and so one entry suffices forboth. The same is true of Mermen in C&M and

Mermen/Merfolk in the Shadow World, and so on. Part Iof Races and Cultures also covers five exotic races that areunique to the Shadow World: the Droloi, Jhordi, Laan,Lennai, and Umli. Of these, the Laan and the Umli arefolded into the entry for Men, since they are two of theShadow World’s mortal ‘mannish’ races.

Part II provides 11 culture templates and a varietyof sub-cultural variations on those templates withwhich you can mix and match racial templates, asappropriate. They cover a broad range of archetypesthat are based either on the environment in which thegroup lives, the group’s predominant way of making aliving, or both. Part II also provides a chart showingadolescent development ranks for each template.

Part III walks you through the character creationprocess, incorporating the changes described in thisbook to how Rolemaster conceives of race and culture.It doesn’t dwell on the parts of the process alreadyfamiliar to experienced Rolemaster players, butprovides concrete examples of how to use the infor-mation in Races and Cultures.

A NOTE ON ABBREVIATIONS

This work uses abbreviations as a shorthand wayof referencing certain Rolemaster core books andsourcebooks, as well as certain game terms. Here is akey to them:

Game Systems and SupplementsC&M Creatures and MonstersChL Character LawR&C Races and CulturesRMFRP Rolemaster Fantasy RoleplayingSWMA Shadow World Master Atlas

Character AttributesAg AgilityAp AppearanceCo ConstitutionEm EmpathyIn IntuitionMe MemoryPr PresenceRe ReasoningSD Self DisciplineSt Strength

Game TermsAT Armor TypeDP Development Pointgp gold piece(s)PC Player CharacterPP Power PointsRR Resistance Rollsp silver piece(s)Stat Statistic or CharacteristicGM Game Master

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RACES

PART I: RACES

races also share a common tongue called Undersea.In addition, each of Kulthea’s major continents has

its own regional language. These tongues represent theneed for different communities who share the sameliving space to find a way to communicate with eachother, even when they are of different races. They alsoreflect the tendency of neighboring communities toborrow words and concepts for each other when theyspeak different languages. These regional languagesfunction as a lingua franca for the various corners ofKulthea. The principal languages are: Agyra, Emer,Falias, Folenn, Gaalt, Govon, Iyxia, Jaiman, Kelestia,Mulira, Murlis, Mythenia, Palia and Thuul.

Kulthea’s major extinct races, the Aldari, Jinteniand Worim, have their own distinct languages as well.They are all dead languages, as they are no longer widelyspoken. But these tongues persist into the present daynonetheless, and those who have a scholarly interest inor ancestral connection to these races continue to studythem. They are particularly useful for studying artifacts

of Kulthea’s long-lost history.Each of the five elite groups

in Kulthea—the Loremasters,the Navigators, the Jerak

Ahrenrath, theDragonlords and the

Heralds of Night—hastheir own guild

This section profiles 24 different races (and manydifferent sub-races) from RMFRP and SWMA,although it should be noted that races that occur inboth are consolidated into a single entry, even whenthey go by different names in each setting. Sub-racesof the same race are also consolidated into one entry.So, for instance, Common Orcs and Greater Orcs areboth discussed in a single entry, called “Orcs.” Sincethe Lugrôki of the Shadow World are almost identicalto the Orcs of RMFRP, they are also folded into thatentry, with the differences between them noted.

The topics covered within each entry explainthemselves, for the most part. However, three topicsdeserve some preliminary discussion as to their whysand wherefores.

LANGUAGES IN SHADOW WORLD

The SWMA does not comment extensively on thelanguages of Kulthea, so it is a good idea to discuss them atgreater length here. Every race in the Shadow World has itsown native racial tongue, whichevery character receives atcreation at S8/W4. For acomplete catalogue ofthese languages, consultthe catalogue of racesin SWMA. Mermenand other aquatic

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languages. These languages may be understood asprivate systems of communication consisting ofobscure code words, hand signals, etc. that membersof the organization use to interact discreetly when theyare afraid of being overheard. These must be acquired,just like any Communication skill. They may never bechosen as a starting language, an adolescent develop-ment pick, or a background language

Three of Kulthea’s languages have divine status.They represent, quite literally, the speech of the gods.Orhan is the language common to the Lords of Orhanand the Spirits of Orhan. Those spell-users who reverethe Lords of Orhan and channel their power alsoknow this language, although they are not alwaysfluent in it. Nymphs have their own language, calledDryadic. Lennai, whose communities are headed byDryads, speak Dryadic, and most Sylvan races havesome members who know at least a little of it. TheDark Gods and Dark Spirits also have their ownlanguage, Charon. As with the devotees of the Lords ofOrhan, spell-users who wish to channel the power ofthe Dark Gods know at least a little of that language.

Lastly, it is worth noting the tongues of Demons.There are various forms of Demonic language, andalthough they are utterly alien to the races of Kulthea,those who dare to summon and channel the fearfulpower of these beings must know how to speak themin order to accomplish this terrible purpose. AllDemons of the Essaence share more or less the samelanguage, so that knowing how to communicate withone type also allows you to communicate with theothers. The different types of the Demons of the Voideach have their own distinct language, however.Demons of the Pale, or Outsiders, speak Charonbecause of their close association with the Dark Gods.The various Demons of the Outer Planes and theOuter Void each speak their own separate language.No study of them has ever been made, because thevery sound of them can drive a typical Kulthean mad.

MEN IN SHADOW WORLD

The classification ‘Men’ means something ratherdifferent in SWMA than in RMFRP. ‘Men,’ as such, donot exist in the Shadow World. Instead, there are awide variety of mortal races, encompassing a truly vastrange of physical traits and cultural features. Nonethe-less, most of these races are deemed to share enough incommon so that they are considered ‘Mannish.’ Notall mortal races are Mannish, but most of them are.The Anzeti, Dúranaki, Fustir-Gost, Haid, Ilourians,Jaaderi, Jameri, Jineri, Kinsai, Kuluku, Laan, Lydians,Muradani, Ochu, Quaidu, Rasha-ai, Rhiani, Shay,Synshari, Syrkakar, Talath, Thesians, Umli, Y’kin,Y’nari and Zjedrahir are all Mannish, or human races.

Nevertheless, for the sake of easy reference, wehave decided to lump Men and the Mannish races ofSWMA together in one entry in R&C. The entry onMen discusses the two core races mentioned inRMFRP and their hybrid offspring mentioned in ChL(Common Men, High Men and Mixed Men), as wellas two of the Shadow World Mannish races, the Laanand the Umli.

TABLES

Each racial entry contains charts that should befamiliar to every experienced Rolemaster player.They contain information needed for creating andrunning characters: stat bonus modifications, RRmodifications, healing and injury, special progres-sion, and movement and combat. However, sincethis book is aimed primarily at helping you createplayer characters, it should be noted that the entriesfor AT and Attacks are largely meaningless for thatpurpose. They reflect typical members of that raceor sub-race, and should not restrict the individualchoices that you make when you create a character.This information is useful for GMs when creatingnon-player characters, however.

CENTAURS

Centaurs are intelligent beings whose upperbodies resemble that of a Man, but whose lower bodiesresemble that of an animal. In RMFRP there are sevendifferent sub-races of Centaur, with each named afterthe animal whom it most resembles in the lower body:Bull Centaurs, Deer Centaurs, Horse Centaurs, LionCentaurs, Lizard Centaurs, Scorpion Centaurs andSpider Centaurs. Horse Centaurs, Lion Centaurs andLizard Centaurs are described below in greater detail.

Centaurs in the Shadow World correspond closelyto Horse Centaurs. They are reclusive by nature,having had unpleasant dealings with other intelligentraces in the distant past. They live scattered through-out Kulthea, usually in small population groups. Theirlargest and most important concentration can befound in the Onel Hills region of Govon, where theylive as herders. Here, their numbers have beengrowing in recent years. The Centaurs of the OnelHills are unusually gregarious, and they also have theireye on expanding their domain.

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HORSE CENTAUR

Horse Centaurs are noted for their lack of interestin material possessions. They consider themselves abreed of philosophers and scholars, more interested inknowledge and wisdom than in wealth.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Build: Horse Centaurs have the lower body of a horseand the upper body of a well-proportioned Man.

Coloring: Horse Centaurs have the full range of colora-tion available to horses in the lower body, whiletheir upper body has human flesh tones.

Endurance: Normal.

Height: Horse Centaurs range in height from 6'6"-7'4".

Life Span: Horse Centaurs have an average life expect-ancy of 150 years.

Resistance: NormalSpecial Abilities: None.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Among Centaurs,Horse Centaurs make the best Healers andMystics because of their strong bonuses inIntuition and Presence.

CULTURE MODIFIERS

Languages: Starting Languages: All Centaurs speak a com-mon language that varies only slightly between sub-races. They receive Centaur-speech (S8/W6) as a start-ing language. Allowed Adolescent Development: HorseCentaurs receive Centaur-speech (S10/W10), Com-mon-speech (S6/W6) and Plains-speech (S6/W6).

Prejudices: Horse Centaurs do not get along terriblywell with Bull Centaurs. Otherwise, as is the casewith most Centaur sub-races, they have no un-usual prejudices.

Religious Attitudes: Horse Centaurs show no un-usual religious tendencies.

Preferred Professions: None, and none prohibited.

Special Skills: Everyman: Foraging, Hiding,Hunting, Stalking, Tracking. Restricted: AllAthletics, Gymnastics.

TYPICAL CULTURES

As a general rule, Horse Centaurs should use thePlains template. In the Shadow World, Centaurs mayuse the Highland, Plains, Rural or Sylvan templates,depending on where and how they live. The Centaursof the Onel Hills, for instance, should use the High-lands template, since they live as herders in a hilly areathat is sufficiently fertile to support them, but not lushenough to generate excess food stocks.

CHARACTER CONCEPTS

A Horse Centaur might be a Mystic or aHealer who answers a request for his particularprofessional skills.

BACKGROUND OPTIONS

Horse Centaurs receive five background options.Extra Languages: In addition to the tongues listed

above: Common-speech (S8/W8) and High-speech (S6/W6).

Extra Money: Any coins, gems or jeweled objects.

Special Items: All are available.

Talents: Centaurs may not choose Extra Limbs (+3);they have six limbs as it is, so having that manyextras would only make them clumsier. Otherwise,all are available.Sa

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RACES

LION CENTAUR

Lion Centaurs are proud—some would sayhaughty—by nature. Their society is rigid andhierarchical in that they generally settle disputes bycontests, whether martial, athletic or otherwise. Inthese rituals, emerging victorious is all-important, asthe loser feels intense pressure to exile himself fromthe community, or even commit suicide to atone forhis disgrace.

Lion Centaurs are social beings in that they donot like to live alone. Within larger settlements, theytend to congregate in extended families that canresemble lion hunting packs in their structure.


Build: Lion Centaurs have the lower body of a lion and theupper body of a Man. Both males and females alikehave fair hair that they allow to grow long and flowing.

Coloring: Coloration for Lion Centaurs depends from thelatitude to which they are native, with those who liveclosest to the equator having hides that are tan orgolden brown. Lion Centaurs, who live in the far Northor South, on the other hand, may have white hides.

Endurance: Normal.

Height: Lion Centaurs range in height from 5'6"-6'7".

Life Span: Lion Centaurs have an average life expectancyof 100 years.

Resistance: Normal

Special Abilities: Natural Attack: Lion Centaurs haveretractable claws that they may use instead of meleeweapons. They may make unarmed attacks as Me-dium Claw attacks.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Among Centaurs, LionCentaurs make the best Fighters because theyhave the best Strength and Constitution bonuses,as well as their fearsome claw attack.

CULTURE MODIFIERS

Languages: Starting Languages: Centaur-speech (S8/W6).Allowed Adolescent Development: Lion Centaurs re-ceive Centaur-speech (S10/W10), Common-speech(S6/W6) and Plains-speech (S6/W6).

Prejudices: Lion Centaurs are proud by nature, but haveno particular racial prejudices.

Religious Attitudes: Lion Centaurs show no unusualreligious tendencies.



TYPICAL CULTURES

As a general rule, Lion Centaurs should use thePlains template. They normally live on semi-aridplains and savannahs.

CHARACTER CONCEPTS

Lion Centaurs make good Fighters. They arestrong and hardy, and proud and fierce by tempera-ment. A good Fighter of either sub-race would havethe respect of his tribe, no matter what his formalrank. Because of that, it would be hard to refuse achallenge of the sort that an invitation to adventurewould present. Regardless of whether or not he reallywanted to leave home, a Centaur Fighter could notturn down the opportunity to go on an interestingquest. The shame of refusal would be too much tobear. Alternately, a Centaur Fighter might leave homefor an adventurer’s life by compulsion, having lost asingle combat with another Centaur. His tribe wouldthen cast him into exile, and he would considerhimself lucky to escape with that.

BACKGROUND OPTIONS

Lion Centaurs receive five background options.Extra Languages: In addition to the tongues listed




Talents: Centaurs may not choose Extra Limbs (+3);they have six limbs as it is, so having that manyextras would only make them clumsier. Otherwise,all are available.

HORSE CENTAUR RACIAL INFORMATION

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RACES

LIZARD CENTAUR

Lizard Centaurs are loners. They usually live bythemselves or in small groups, gathering into largercommunities only for rare ceremonial occasions.Some spend their lives wandering the world, searchingfor knowledge and adventure. They have been knownto live among the Sohleugir, for whom they have somefellow feeling.


Build: Lizard Centaurs have the lower body of a four-legged reptile with thick legs and muscular thighs.

Coloring: The scaly lower bodies of Lizard Centaurs areusually mottled green, gray, black and blue.

Endurance: Normal.

Height: Lizard Centaurs range in height from5'3"-6'10".

Life Span: Horse Centaurs have an average life expect-ancy of 150 years.

Resistance: NormalSpecial Abilities: None.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Among Centaurs, LizardCentaurs make the best Monks.

CULTURE MODIFIERS

Languages: Starting Languages: All Centaurs speak acommon language that varies only slightly betweensub-races. They receive Centaur-speech (S8/W6) asa starting language. Allowed Adolescent Develop-

ment: Centaur-speech (S10/W10), Common-speech(S6/W6) and Sea-speech (S6/W6).

Prejudices: Lizard Centaurs feel comfortable living amongSohleugir. Otherwise, as is the case with most Cen-taur sub-races, they have no unusual prejudices.

Religious Attitudes: Lizard Centaurs show no unusualreligious tendencies.



TYPICAL CULTURES

Lizard Centaurs usually congregate in coastalareas, so they should use the Littoral template.

CHARACTER CONCEPTS

Lizard Centaurs are wanderers by nature, so theyadapt to an adventurer’s life more easily than otherCentaurs. A Lizard Centaur Monk might decide totravel the world just for the amusement of it. As aMonk, he has little attachment to worldly thingsanyway, and he would not hesitate to pick up andleave for a place or a quest that interested him.

BACKGROUND OPTIONS

Lizard Centaurs receive five background options.Extra Languages: In addition to the tongues listed


LION CENTAUR RACIAL INFORMATION

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RACES



Talents: Centaurs may not choose Extra Limbs (+3);they have six limbs as it is, so having that manyextras would only make them clumsier. Otherwise,all are available.

DROLOI

The Droloi are a strange and disquieting presencein the Shadow World. While they are not the mostalien race in terms of their appearance or behavior(the Krylites and the Saurkur are generally regarded asmore strange), one look at them can inspire the beliefthat some part of their ancestry comes from outsideKulthea. The fact that they have four dark, protrudingeyes (one pair positioned above the other) probablyexplains much of this prejudice, but on the whole,Droloi do not make an aesthetically pleasing package.

Droloi are unique to the Shadow World. Theyhave no large or terribly important population centers,not even in the Ash Lairs. Instead, they live in smallgroups scattered around Kulthea.


Build: Droloi are human in shape, but have long, clawedhands and disproportionately large feet. They weigh100 pounds on average.

Coloring: Droloi have pale, leathery skin and dark eyes.They have no body or head hair.

Endurance: Normal.

Height: Droloi range in height from 4'6"-5'8".

Life Span: Droloi have an average life expectancy of 100years.

Resistance: Droloi have an unusual tolerance for naturalcold. They receive +20 DB and RR bonuses versuscold attacks, unless the temperature of the coldattack is below freezing.

Special Abilities:

• Dark Vision: Droloi have a truly extraordinaryability to see in the dark, the benefit of theirnatural acclimation to living out of the light, aswell as having four eyes. They can see on a star-lit or moonlit night as if it were broad daylight.Even in pitch dark (non-magical) they can see upto 50' perfectly and up to 100' reasonably well.

• They suffer no penalties in broad daylight.• Natural Armor: Their leathery skin gives an

unarmored Droloi an AT of 3.• Natural Attack: The sharp claws on their

hands allow Droloi to make unarmed attacksas Medium Claw attacks.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Their night visionallows Droloi to function exceptionally well incaves and underground environments, and theydo not have any corresponding weaknesseswhen operating in daylight.

Droloi work best as Fighters, as their strongestattributes (indeed, their only strong attributes),Strength and Constitution, correspond with thosemost important to that profession. They do notmake the best Thieves, as they are relatively weak inAgility and Quickness. Also, their penalties toPresence and Appearance ensure that they are notas effective in social situations as most races.

CULTURE MODIFIERS

Language: Starting Languages: Droloi (S8/W4) and na-tive regional language (S8/W4). Allowed AdolescentDevelopment: Droloi (S10/W10) and native regionallanguage (S10/W10).

Prejudices: Droloi have no particular prejudices, anddespite their general reputation, they are not a par-ticularly evil race. They will fight back if attacked,just like anyone else, but they carry no unusualmalice in their hearts. They do, however, have aSubterranean race’s natural bias against aboveground races.

Religious Attitudes: Droloi are very cryptic with outsid-ers when it comes to their religious beliefs. They hint,but never say explicitly, that they worship the DarkGods. This leads many outsiders to assume that theyhave an evil nature, even though they do not.

Preferred Professions: Droloi favor no single profes-sion, nor are any prohibited to them.

Special Skills: Everyman: Natural Attack. Restricted:None.

Typical Cultures: One may describe Droloi as beings ofdarkness in a very literal sense, as well as for the factthat they are widely believed to be the spawn ofDemons and mortals. They live underground and incaverns, so the Subterranean template makes themost sense for them. Only rarely will you find themliving above ground, and their freakish appearancemakes it difficult for them to live comfortably in cities.

CHARACTER CONCEPTS

Droloi are not terribly popular, even among otherSubterranean races (and Subterranean races in general arenot terribly popular with surface dwellers). In the volatilepolitical ecology of the Ash Lairs, therefore, Droloi mustdevote themselves to the protection of their race, no matterwhat their profession. It is rare that a Droloi wouldconsent to leave home, but it is possible that he would doso on an errand to help his community, or if offered asuitable reward to serve as a guide.

BACKGROUND OPTIONS

Droloi receive five background options.

Extra Languages: Charon (S4/W4) and Murlogi(S4/W4).

Extra Money: Gems.


Talents: All are available.

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DWARVES

As a race, Dwarves have a universal reputation forruggedness, practicality, unwavering loyalty—andstubbornness. They are intensely clannish and standup for their fellow Dwarves regardless of circumstanceand come what may. Most Dwarves live among rockyhighlands and mountain caverns, where they mine theearth for its riches. They love precious metals andgems, but also recognize the value of commonindustrial metals. They are superior craftsmen, and thekeenness and strength of their weapons, as well as thebeauty and power of their artifacts, are the stuff oflegends.

Dwarves have an unusually high ratio (2 to 1) ofmales to females. As a consequence, their rate ofreproduction is unusually low. Dwarven women arerarely seen in public.

Dwarves in the Shadow World are also known asNomari. In outward appearance, there are no realdifferences between the Dwarves in RMFRP andDwarves in the Shadow World. There are physiologicaldifferences, and they are noted in Resistance and SpecialAbilities (see below). There are also some importantcultural distinctions, which are noted below.

The great underground city of Burdok-Rhu onFalias is the most important Dwarven populationcenter on Kulthea. The Dwarves who live in thesurrounding mountain vales help support the citythrough extensive farming. Dwarves also live in Govon

in significant numbers. The city of Baku-jagum liesunderneath the Wyrmian Mountains, and theDwarves also maintain five smaller cities underneaththe Jomeloto range.


Build: Both male and female Dwarves have stockybodies with exceptionally strong limbs. Malesaverage 150 pounds in weight. Females average135 pounds.

Coloring: Dwarves have fair or ruddy complexions;they spend a lot of time underground and don’tget out in the sunlight very much. They haveblack, red or brown hair.

Endurance: Dwarves have truly exceptional stamina.They receive a +21 bonus to exhaustion points.

Height: Male Dwarves average 4'9" in height. Femalesaverage 4'5".

Life Span: The average life expectancy of a Dwarfranges from 200-400 years.

Resistance: Dwarves are famous for their physicaltoughness and their ability to withstand extremeconditions. They receive +30 DB and RR bonusesversus heat and cold attacks.

Dwarves in the Shadow World lack the ability toendure extreme cold, however. In fact, it makes themsluggish and they suffer –20 DB and RR penaltiesversus cold attacks. They can compensate for thisweakness through hibernation (see Special Abilities,below), but this tactic is not without its drawbacks.

Special Abilities:

• Dark Vision: Dwarves possess an extraordinaryability to see in poor lighting conditions. Evenin very dim light, they can see up to 50'perfectly, and reasonably well up to 100'. Theycan see 10' in total darkness (non-magical).

• Hibernation (Nomari): The Dwarves ofKulthea may cope with their vulnerability toextreme cold by voluntarily shutting downtheir bodies and going into a state of hiberna-tion. In order to hibernate, they must find aquiet, sheltered place where they can restundisturbed. While in this state, they lose theirDB and RR penalties against cold attacks (seeResistance, above), but in all other respectsthey are inert and insensible, as if asleep.Unlike sleep, however, this state of hibernationmay last for months or even years—as long asthe hibernating Dwarf wishes. He awakens atwill, and afterward he may ignore the DB andRR penalties against cold attacks for a periodequal to the time that he just spent hibernat-ing. He may also be woken up against his will.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Dwarves functionexceptionally well in the darkness of caves andunderground environments, as befits a race of

DROLOI RACIAL INFORMATION

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RACES

miners. Unlike many underground races, they areperfectly comfortable in direct sunlight as well.

Dwarves work best as Fighters, as two of theirstrongest attributes, Strength and Constitution,correspond with those most important to thatprofession. They do not make the best Thieves, asthey are relatively weak in both Agility andQuickness. In fact, Fighter is the only professionfor which strength in one key attribute is not offsetby weakness in another. Also, their penalties toPresence and Appearance ensure that they are notterribly useful in social situations.

CULTURE MODIFIERS

Language: Starting Languages: Among themselves,Dwarves speak Dwarvish (S8/W6). They guard

their native racial tongue as a secret that they keepamong themselves, and they never use it aroundnon-Dwarves. In mixed company, they useCommon-speech (S5/W5) and sometimes Elvish(S4/W4). Allowed Adolescent Development:Dwarvish (S10/W10), Common-speech (S10/W10), Hill-speech (S2/W2), Plains-speech (RankS6/W6) and Wood-speech (Rank S6/W6).

Nomari: Starting Languages: Dwarvish (S8/W4). Theirnative racial language is not as closely held asecret among Dwarves as it is in the world ofRMFRP, but very few outsiders know it all thesame. Native regional language (S8/W4). AllowedAdolescent Development: Dwarvish (S10/W8),native regional language (S10/W8), Loari (S4/W4), Dyari (S4/W4).

Prejudices: Dwarves hate Orcs and Dragons,both implacable foes for uncounted

generations. In fact, they instinctivelydislike all of the underground racesthat worship dark gods and revel incruelty and destruction (Goblins,Trolls, and so on). They are alsosuspicious of Elves, a distrust thatprobably has to more to do withthe strangeness of Sylvan culturethan anything else.

Nomari hate all demons.They also regard Murlogi astheir mortal foes. Most otherraces they treat with meresuspicion. However, they sharesome degree of fellow feelingwith the most mechanicallyinclined Elven sub-races, theLoari and Dyari.

Religious Attitudes: Dwarvesrevere their ancestors aboveall else, except for theircreator deity. They alsobelieve that each Dwarvenbloodline has a commonspirit that permeates eachmember of it, binding all ofthem together in spiritualunion. These beliefs cometogether in the notion thateach Dwarven king inheritsa tangible spiritual essencefrom each of his predeces-sors, linking him to themand vice-versa.

In the Shadow World,Nomari each have theirown local patron deity.Most Dwarves also reverethe Lord of Orhan Iorak,and their devotion is so

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intense that they are, in some ways, the mostreligious of Kulthea’s mortal races. A fewrenegade Dwarves turn against the race’sdominant beliefs, however, and worship darkgods and the Unlife.

Preferred Professions: Dwarves favor Fighter as aprofession, the result of their innate physicaltoughness and temperamental pugnacity.

On the other hand, Dwarves do not excelat Essence or Mentalism spell use, and neverpursue those Professions. They generally scoffat the ways of Elves or other conjurers.Instead, they prefer to use magical power tocraft physical items, trusting more in theirpermanence than in temporary effects.

Special Skills: Everyman: Caving, Leather-crafts,Metal-crafts, Mining, Stone-crafts [Crafts],Survival (Underground). Restricted: Swimming.

Typical Cultures: The Mining culture template bestfits a typical Dwarven background. Despite thefact that C&M describes them as an “Under-ground” race, their way of life fits the Miningtemplate much better than Subterranean. A fewDwarves live in cities and are sufficiently im-mersed in metropolitan ways to make the variousurban sub-cultural templates suitable for them.

Nomari may use the Mining, Rural or Subterra-nean (some communities do live entirely under-ground) templates

CHARACTER CONCEPTS

A concept for a Dwarven character could takeinto account his inherent racial prejudices. Perhaps hecomes from a mining colony endangered by a power-ful Dragon. His home community lacks the means toslay it, but if he goes abroad and finds a useful magicweapon, or training at arms, he might be able to defeatit. The same motivation could drive him if hiscommunity was menaced by a tribe of Orcs, or amarauding Troll clan. Such a character ought ideallyto be a Fighter, given the Dwarves’ inherent strengths,but other professions are also suitable.

As for Dwarves who live in the big city, it is worthnoting for character creation purposes that they don’talways achieve great success. A Dwarf who makes asteady living as a smith or a trader is common enough,but also a little dull. Unless a dramatic or catastrophicor dramatic event pulls him out of the comfortableroutine of his existence, he has no reason to goadventuring. But a Dwarf who has met with failure—the collapse of his business, for whatever reason—hasplenty of motivation to try to make a living byunconventional or less than respectable means.Perhaps he has taken to giving wrestling exhibitionsfor money, or wastes his days getting into drunkenbrawls at a local public house. Perhaps Dwarves havebecome a hated minority in his city, and he takes tothe road for fear of his life.

BACKGROUND OPTIONS

Dwarves get five background options.

Extra Languages: In addition to the tongues listedabove: High-speech (S5/W5), South-speech (S4/W4) and North-speech (S5/W5).

Nomari: Loari (S8/W6), Dyari (S8/W6) and Murlogi(S6/W6).

Extra Money: Any coins, gems or jeweled objects. If aDwarf qualifies as sufficiently wealthy to havemithril coins, he will always carry at least one onhis person as a lucky talisman. In such a case, hewill never part with it for any reason.

Special Items: Spell items may only contain Channel-ing spells. Dwarven weapons are of superiorworkmanship and forged from high-quality steel.

Talents: Dwarves may not select mystical talents.However, for one background option, a Dwarfmay select one of the following talents (bothfor two options): 1) a 50% chance of sensingthe presence of mechanical traps (GM shouldroll); or 2) superior orienting abilities whileunderground, so that the character alwaysknows the direction of true north and theapproximate elevation of his present location.

A Dwarf may also select Unnatural Stamina(Minor Talent) without a flaw for only twobackground options instead of three.

DWARVES RACIAL INFORMATION

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