I'm not too good at writing readmes so I'll keep this as short as possible.
Current release of Subraces Mini-Mod Pack adds the following components to BGII:
Subraces:
It's pre-release so it may have some bugs. In addition in this release I haven't used all ideas I have.
If, while using this mini-mod, you will find any bugs please report them to me by:
e-mail: [email protected]
or post information on The Chosen of Mystra Forums.
Purpose of this document is to provide more informations about subraces included in this mini-mod. You won't find here any stats, just plain and simple description of every subrace. However, if it's needed I'll put statistics here as well.
BGII is required. ToB is optional but recommended.
Unzip the main ZIP file into your BGII main directory. This is normally:
C:\Program Files\Black Isle\BGII - SoA\
Run (click on) "Setup-Subrace.exe".
There are no translations avalible in this release. Sorry.
Then choose which components you would like to install. You may always uninstall them later by re-running "Setup-Subrace.exe".
You do *not* need to start a new game to take advantage of anything you installed.
The components should install correctly for international players who have both DIALOG.TLK and DIALOGF.TLK.
Graced with a touch of the holy, aasimars are usually tall, good-looking, and generaly pleasant. Some have a minor physical trait suggesting their heritage, such as silver hair, golden eyes, or an unnaturally intense stare.
Most aasimars sre decidedly good-aligned. They fight against evil causes and attempt ta sway others to do the thing. Occasionally they take on the vangeful, judgmental aspect of their celestial ancestor, but this is rare. They're rarely found in leadership positions and often live as loners due to their absolute dedication to goodness. Others are less fanatical and fit seamlessly into normal human society, and some even give in to the temptations of evil.
Aasimars usually like a fair, straightforward contest. Against a particulary evil foe, however, they fight with utter conviction and to the death.
Twisted, devious, and untrustworthy, tieflings more often not follow their inherent traits and heed the call to evil. A few defly their nature, but still must fight against popular opinion (if their nature is known) or the feeling of otherworldly "wrongness", that seems to follow them wherever they go.
Beyond this aura that many find disturbing, many tieflings are indistinguishable from humans. Others have small horns, pointed teeth, red eyes, a whiff of brimstone about them, or even cloven feet. No two tieflings are the same.
In most human societies, tieflings maintain a low profile, operating as thieves, assassins, or spies. Occasionally they rise to a position of power, but when their nature is revealed they quickly become outcasts.
Tieflings are sneaky, subtle, and generally conniving. They prefer to strike from ambush and usually avoid a fair fight if they can.
2) Elven subraces
a) Gold Elves (Gray Elves)
Grey elves are at once the most noble and most reclusive of the elves. They have withdrawn from the world after making their mark, which was to ensure that the world was well on the path to goodness. The grey elves view themselves as the protectors of good in the world, but they will stir from their mountains and meadows to protect the "lesser" races only when they are faced with great evil.
Grey elves act much like human knights-supercilious and condescending, full of their own importance. They think nothing of speaking their minds, provided that this remains within the bounds of elven decorum. They are often haughty, disdaining contact with most others, including all other elves save grey elves.
This subrace garbs themselves in wool tunics of gold, silver, white, or yellow. Over these, they wear cloaks of dark blue or purple. Their dress alone often makes them the most striking of the elves, and their elegant bearing and pure beauty make them almost appear as supernatural creatures.
When arming themselves for battle, they don shimmering suits of plate or chain mail, protecting the head with winged helmets. Their weapons, created by master elf crafters, shine brightly under any light. Mounted warriors ride griffons or hippogriffs into battle, swooping down upon their enemies with dreadful perfection.
Taller and more slender than the other elves, grey elves typically have silver hair and amber eyes. This does not give them any special abilities, but it does serve to distinguish them from their high elven brethren. Somewhat rarer are those grey elves who have pale golden hair and violet eyes. These elves are often known as faerie and are probably those who first made contact with humans.
While not exactly bigoted toward other races, the grey elves do believe in the purity of the elven line. They are the least tolerant of other races, and they take pains to ensure that they remain secluded from all-sometimes even other elves. Only the mightiest mages of other races are allowed within their mountain citadels, and these are greeted with suspicion. The grey elves are not rabid in their dislike of the shorter-lived races, but they do fear the corruption that the other races can bring to the elves.
Because of their reverence for the sanctity of elven blood, grey elves have striven to maintain their original ideals. They consider themselves to be the purest form of all elves. They believe that, since the other elves do not concern themselves with maintaining their purity, their role in the elven world is less than that of the grey elf. These elves feel that they are the "true" elves and that others are somehow lesser versions. The grey elves staunchly believe this to be true, despite the fact that they are an offshoot of the original high elf line.
Grey elves disguise the entrances to their mountain meadows and remote cities with powerful magic, ensuring that only those who are elves or familiar with the elven dweomer can discover their retreats. If members of another race find their hideaways, the grey elves are not averse to casting a high-level forget spell. They have worked long and hard to achieve their hidden lands, and they welcome not those who stumble across them.
Of all elves, grey elves rely the most on their intelligence. While other elves are by no means stupid, grey elves trust less in physical prowess than they do the mind. Their line breeds more mages and mage combinations than any other, and some of the most esteemed of their subrace are scholars.
Their entire existence is based on developing and discovering new knowledge, and they therefore spend less time on the pleasurable pursuits that occupy other elves' lives. Their mages are without peer in the elven world. Even mages of greater power from other races speak of the knowledge of the grey elves with no small measure of fascination.
Because the only wizard specialties available to elves are Diviner and Enchanter, grey elves usually do not become specialist wizards. Instead, they learn more about magic in general; their long lifespans ensure that they are among the most knowledgeable mages on any world, though not necessarily the most powerful.
However, like all elves, their crafters have had centuries to perfect their art. Since the grey elves have a much fiercer dedication to perfection than other elves, their products are finer than any others in the world. Only some dwarves can rival the expertise shown by grey elves-but even then they cannot rival the sheer beauty exhibited in elven manufacture.
It is a guaranty that almost any grey elven work can hold the strongest magicks and enchantments. The very qualities of the manufacture work subtle charms into the item, making it more receptive to whatever potent magic a mage might use to enhance it. The grey elves have produced most of the magical items attributed to elvenkind. They are particularly devoted to the creation of tomes and scrolls.
Grey elves often have the most extensive libraries of anyone in the world. Any grey elf community of more than 50 years will have a communal library rivaling those of any major city or wizard. Such libraries are open to all elves who wish to better themselves and increase their knowledge. Since the grey elves value the constant expansion of their stores of books, many spend their lives in research (either magical or scientific), writing learned treatises.
Because they spend so much time in research, grey elves often have little time to spare for physical labor, although this does not preclude craftsmanship. In order to maintain their cities, they must rely on "lesser" elves for the upkeep of their realms. Since almost all of these servant elves have been brought up in the particular atmosphere of the grey elves, they believe that their lot in life is to serve the grey elves. Although some do leave, most do not have the spirit to do so. Many are truly happy performing tasks for their masters and would not dream of departing. The stratified society offers them security and comfort.
Grey elves are not harsh taskmasters, but neither are they forgiving. When a servitor elf fails in a task or performs it poorly, punishment is swift and to the point. Few make the same mistake twice.
Grey elf society is among the most rigidly defined in any world. They are ruled by a hereditary monarch, either male or female, who can be succeeded by any of the other members of the House Royal. This is subject to approval by a majority of the House Noble. The ruler must have all decisions ratified by such a majority.
Beneath these two Houses are the Merchant Houses, of which the Guild Houses are a part. The House Protector is equal to the Merchant Houses. Beneath the Merchant Houses are the Servitor Houses. Beneath them are the casteless elves, who have almost no voice in grey elf society.
Interestingly enough, most other elves do not readily befriend grey elves, for they see the grey elves as far too serious and arrogant. Indeed, some elves think the grey subrace is far closer to the word "human" than "elf." They think the grey elves have lost the elven joy of life, for the grey elves prefer to spend their time with books rather than revel in the outdoors and the goodness of life. Instead of exploring the boundaries of life, they are learning to be serious.
In some elves' eyes, grey elves have even gone so far as to enslave other elves-if not in fact, then at least in spirit. The grey elves' "servants" have none of the typical elven love of life, nor do they have that spark that is so particularly elven. This causes many elves to shun much contact with the grey elves. Even though the servitor elves are there by choice, such order and lawfulness inherent in the grey elf society seems repulsive and even dwarvish to most elves.
The most commonly seen of all elves, the high elves are also the most open and friendly. They have no compunction about traveling in the world outside their lands, and they do so much more often than other elves. Since they have the most contact with the non-elven world and since their subrace is more adventurous than other elves, most elf PCs are high elves.
While at first they may seem aloof and arrogant, a glimmer of true self can be learned with a little effort. High elves know the value of friendship and alliance with the other good races of the world. However, they are not always easily befriended. Many high elves are cautious about trusting the shorter-lived races; quite a few learned to distrust humans and dwarves in their younger days. Thus, although high elves serve the cause of good, one can never be sure of what the reception from them will be.
High elves are very pale. Though they spend a great deal of time outdoors, their skin simply doesn't tan, no matter how long they are in the sun. However, their skin is less a corpselike pallor than the color of new cream. Their hair and eyes fall into two major variations. One is fair not only of skin, but of hair as well. These elves generally have blond hair and blue eyes. The other variation, equally numerous, seems far more mysterious. They have dark hair, ranging from sandy brown to sheerest black, and intense green eyes. These two varieties of high elves have no other significant differences, but they are nonetheless often treated differently simply because of their appearance.
High elves prefer light pastel shades over the colors worn by grey elves. Since they rely on hunting and woodsmanship, they often wear cloaks of green for camouflage in forests.
Their preferred weapon is the bow, but they are also adept with long and short swords. In battle, they wear their gleaming elven chain mail beneath cloaks "woven of the essence of the woods," which allows them to move silently through forests, strike quickly, and then retreat. Although they may befriend giant eagles and occasionally use them for transport, they rarely use mounts because horses and the like are too unwieldy in the forest. Only on the long-distance journeys or on the plains will high elves use mounts.
High elf civilization is much like that rumored in children's fairy tales. Elven homes are enchanted, the lands under their jurisdiction places of goodness. The realms of high elves are fabled in the lands of men, and the highest aspiration of many a human is to slip into the arms of death while basking in the serenity of the elf lands.
These elves do not place a great deal of value on society, preferring instead to live as they wish rather than how someone tells them to. Their villages are peaceful places, for the elves all look out for one another. They have a royal bloodline of sorts, but few elves pay it much heed. They do not respect someone purely on the basis of birth.
High elves live in a constant relationship with nature, never taking more than they need and giving back ever more. They replenish the forests and the plains constantly, ensuring that there will always be nature within their world. As such, they are often regarded by other good-aligned races as the highest epitome of goodness. Although those who prefer law over freedom do not always agree, they nearly always have respect for the quality of elven life. There is no doubt that the high elves lead a fine life: Freedom, nature, and the sheer vitality of being alive comprise the daily existence of a high elf.
These elves have few cares or worries, and their lives are often characterized by idyllic splendor. While they face problems from rampaging humanoids or the encroachment of humans, they seem to live free of the cares that so often plague other elves. Because they live so closely in harmony with nature, they have little trouble finding sustenance in the areas near their homes. Game proliferates near high elf communities, and the earth is fertile for them. However, should the high elves roam farther afield, they often discover a different matter entirely. A band of elves on the march must sometimes rely upon the generosity of others.
Although wood elves (as sylvan elves are often called) are descended from the same stock as the other elves, they are far more primitive than their kin. Their lives are geared toward the simple matter of survival in the woodlands, rather than enjoyment. Yet sylvan elves find that this life, more than anything else, gives them their greatest pleasure. Not for them the sophistication of art and delicate music. They prefer a simpler life. Their music is that of wind through leaves, the howl of wolves, and the cries of birds. Their art-in the form of tattoos-is inspired by the everchanging cycle of seasons.
Wood elves, by their very nature, seem more prone to violence than their civilized cousins. Their muscles are larger, their complexions more florid. They have yellow to coppery-red hair, which contrasts with their lightly tanned skin. Their eyes are generally light brown, although bright green is not uncommon. Hazel or blue eyes are exceptionally rare, cropping up only two to ten times in an entire generation. The superstitious wood elves believe that twins who have blue or hazel eyes are an omen of good fortune for both the twins and wood elves as a whole. Thus far, they have not been disappointed.
Wood elf clothing is much less gaudy than one would normally expect from an elf. The focus of their clothing is to allow the wearer to blend with the woods easily. A typical outfit is dark brown and green, or tan and russet in fall. Winter finds sylvan elves wearing white leather so that they can hide in snow.
About once every five years, these elves indulge in a festival of art and music more material than the ephemera of nature. When the summer solstice arrives, the nomadic tribes gather in the center of the forest. For half a moon, the tribes celebrate the turning of the Seldanqith, wherein the constellations of the Seldarine are obscured by the northern lights. They claim that the gods come to earth during this time to celebrate in the revels of their children. Wood elf celebrations involve oak wine, bonfires, dancing to wooden drums, and singing. The carousing is primitive, even savage, but fiercely exciting to them. Their every instinct is aroused, taking them back to the roots of nature.
Wood elves are often described as wild and temperamental. This is true to the extent that these elves are a very emotional people. They live with their hearts, not their minds as do the grey elves. Whatever they feel, they know it is the right answer. Logic plays little part in their lives, for logic cannot save one from the charging boar or the falling tree. Intuition and strength are all that counts in the wildwood.
Sylvan elves are an independent folk and do not lightly brook intruders into their forests. Anyone, even another elf, who even draws near to a wood elf encampment (within three miles) will have a constant, unseen escort of at least two wood elves (possibly more) until the intruder leaves the area. Unless the camp is directly threatened, the wood elves will leave the intruder strictly alone. Twenty-five percent of the time wood elves will allow trespassers to know that they are being watched.
If those encroaching the encampment draw too near and evince hostile intent, the wood elves have no compunctions about utterly destroying them. Wood elves are extraordinarily reclusive-even more so than grey elves. They have no wish to let others expose them or their lifestyle to the harsh scrutiny of the civilized world. Therefore, they may even destroy those who bear the wood elves no particular ill will. They feel this is the only way to ensure their lives and privacy.
Although they are of elven descent, wood elves tend toward total neutrality. This is not out of any inherent evil, but only out of a desire to be left alone. They do not care about the proceedings in the outer world; only when such acts impact their realm do the wood elves take interest. Even then, that interest is only in removing the nuisance and in returning to the wildlands as quickly as possible. Only other elves can break their solitude without suffering potential death.
Sylvan elves associate more often with the animals of the forest than with any other beings. They have giant owls guarding their tent homes or, rarely, giant lynxes. Their isolationist tendencies have corrupted the only racial language they know (Elvish); however, some do learn the languages of various creatures of the forest.
Wood elves are probably the least friendly of all the surface elves. They are certainly not as outgoing as high elves, nor are they as adventurous as aquatic elves. While grey elves are quite arrogant, they at least will not casually kill intruders. However, it should be remembered that wood elves are not evil; they simply value their solitude above all else.
Wild elves, also known as grugach, are barbaric and tribal. Their skin tends to be dark brown, and their hair ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age. They dress in simple clothing of animal skins and basic plant weaves. Though the others consider them savages, they contend that they are the true elves, for the rest have lost their primal elven essence in needing to build. Nomadic and rugged, wild elves favor the sorcerer class rather than wizard, although many are barbarians as well.
These elves, also known as arctic or white elves, are reclusive and seldom seen in whichever world they are found in. The artic elves of the Forgotten Realms have skin of pale blue or stark white, with eyes in varying shades and intensities of blue. Elves from other worlds have light brown or tan skin, white or pale blond hair, and silver eyes.
The appearance of the snow elves has perhaps given the other elven races reason to doubt their lineage as being truly pure. They are the shortest lived of the elves, with average life spans of 750 years (900 being incredibly ancient). Additionally, snow elves are the tallest of the elven races and generally tower above humans. Females occasionally reach 6'4", and it is not unknown for males to have grown to 7'.
Snow Elves speak their own language, and a few (10%) speak Common. Most closely related to their only ally, the valley elves, snow elves are an aloof people. Accepted by neither elves nor men, they have simply withdrawn from both and carried on their lives. They are found in isolated mountain areas and in the far north, well away from prying eyes.
They strongly favour white clothing and bone jewellery, trading for silver from valley elves. They usually dress to blend with their surroundings; wearing appropriately coloured animal hides.
The rift between the snow elves and their cousins stems from the same wars that drove the drow underground. The snow elves were deceived into allowing passage (for a large profit) of the drow through a mountain pass they controlled, not knowing-so they claimed-that the drow were serving Lolth and had recently declared war on their cousin elves. While never formally condemned by their relatives, the snow elves have been universally shunned by them ever since. Valley elves, themselves largely disliked by others, tolerate snow elves perhaps because each views the other as sharing a similar plight-neither race is considered "true elves" by their cousins.
Mankind's quarrels with the snow elves also stem from twilit history. The snow elves were ever taller and more haughty than other elves-or even men-and they sought once to dominate or destroy the men who entered their mountain valleys and homes, earning forever the hatred of the more numerous race.
During their ages of seclusion, snow elves have focused their studies on fields that would aid their survival in the harsh environment in which they are fated to dwell. Thus magic, particularly the magic of cold, has waxed while clerical studies have waned. Druids and rangers have become prominent. All the while, snow elves have become more reclusive and secretive, as lowland societies have grown unaware and indifferent. Indeed, the snow elves might be a dying race.
Snow elves could best be described as neutral with insufferably arrogant tendencies. With the exception of the valley elves-whom they tolerate and occasionally befriend-snow elves actively dislike all races other than their own, and they go out of their way to make that fact known if given the opportunity. Drow incite a kind of madness in snow elves, and only overwhelming odds will prevent a snow elf from attacking any drow or drow ally.
Snow elven clans, while not at all interdependent, will not hesitate to aid one another in repelling invaders or raiding high-altitude settlements. Clans often come together in spring and fall for various festivals and religious holidays. A snow elf will never turn another of his kind away empty-handed, although the proud snow elf only rarely admits the need of another's assistance.
Though a snow-elf PC will, of course, travel as he likes. A snow elf NPC will seldom be encountered below the snow line. Occasionally, their clans will dwell for brief periods just below the tree line in the dead of winter. Snow elves will never be encountered in a city, and they go into the foothills or lowlands only on urgent clan business, or to raid for food.
Snow elves prize the hunt, and to a snow elf, no quarry is more prized than a white dragon. White dragon meat is always a cause for a great feast, where praises are sung to the warrior who dealt the killing blow. This warrior usually becomes one of the chief's guards. The tribe's chief can usually claim at least one such victory over a white dragon, with his stories told and retold to the entire tribe, who never seem to care that they have heard it countless times before, claiming that the story becomes more grand with each retelling.
The white elves of Faerun travel in tightly knit nomadic tribes. These tribes usually number 80 to 160, but can easily number 200 or more. Within these tribes, the males do the hunting, and the females tend to their families, but exceptions are not uncommon. Each tribe has a chief, typically the most celebrated warrior within the tribe. The chief is always at least 6th level, usually levels 8-11. The chief is attended by 2d4 bodyguards, always elves who have proven themselves in battle or hunting. These elves are levels 3-4, and are considered specialized in the use of their weapon. There is a 50% chance of there being 3d4 wolves present, a 35% chance of 2d4 polar bears, and a 5% chance of 1d3 winter wolves. If the tribe numbers 200 or more, the chances are doubled for each.
Snow elves travel constantly, and when they leave an area, no trace can be found of their ever having been there. Snow elves waste nothing, leaving no remains behind for would-be scavengers. Snow elves occasionally travel as far south as Damara (if from the Great Glacier), or the Savage Frontier (if from the Spine of the World or beyond). Elves from the high ice NEVER venture from that area.
Snow elven religion centres around their secluded druidic shrines. These holy places, tucked in the wildest and most remote nooks and crannies of the mountains, house elven druids of the highest levels. The shrines are reportedly places of great power, and each is headed by a druid of no less than 11th level, assisted by one 8th-level "assistant," three 7th-level "attendants," four 5th-level "caretakers," and a host of 2-20 lesser druids and servants. Druidic spells cast from these areas are reported to be of double strength and duration. It is also rumoured that the shrines gain this special power by being located in areas of "elemental weakness"-a misgiven name, for these houses of worship are centred on fissures between the Prime Material plane and one or more of the various elemental and paraelemental planes, particularly those of Earth, Air, and Ice.
The elven druids of the shrines, dwelling as they have in such close proximity to the elements over the ages, have developed heightened powers in summoning and controlling elementals and para-elementals while near their shrines or homes. This talent applies only to NPC snow elves, because it is a skill gained individually and requires decades (at least) of study and association. Despite the elves' familiarity with fire, this element remains distasteful to even the most powerful snow elven druid.
The shrines are considered by all snow elves to be extremely holy areas and will be aggressively defended. Most often, these shrines are dedicated to Tarsellis Meunniduin (a lesser elven deity detailed hereafter), though a few are said to honor other gods. Tarsellis Meunniduin is the chief deity of the snow elves. They, in fact, explain away some of their differences to their elven kin as due to their being direct descendants of his (such is the haughtiness of the snow elf). While most scholars of elven lore remain rather skeptical on this point, Tarsellis does not seem displeased with his "children's" dedicated worship.
The dark elves (also known as drow) are evil cousins of the other elves. Driven beneath the surface long ago by the light-loving elves, these sinister beings have made a home for themselves in what they call the Underdark, the niche they have brutally carved in the underground caverns. They have become the masters and mistresses of dark grottoes, and any intelligent creature shuns them.
Originally the drow were simply elves who held more with the tenets of might than those of justice. In their quest for more power over life, they inevitably began dealing with the forces that would one day corrupt them. Their elven brethren, dismayed at the initial change in their formerly peaceful kinsmen, sought to reason with them. The drow, seeing this effort as aggression, responded by slaying emissaries and invading elven cities. Convinced of the evil of the drow, the other elves banded together to drive them from the land.
A long, painful war marched across the centuries; elf slew elf, and great magicks flew. Much of the world lay in devastation, soaked in the blood of elves. Finally, however, the good and neutral elves triumphed, and they drove the drow underground. The corruption of the drow echoed in their appearance, for their skin darkened and their hair turned white. Their eyes glowed red-further evidence of the fires burning within their breasts.
The drow are reputedly as widespread as the other subraces of elves-perhaps even more so. No one not of drow heritage knows exactly how far their underground holdings extend. It is well known that they have a certain grasp on interdimensional magic, for they use it to travel long distances. They hate the light, and they have extensively researched ways to travel while avoiding the sun, which is anathema to them. The drow have extensive tunnel networks, which may or may not canvass their world.
Drow are typically shorter than other elves, and they retain the Dexterity common to elves. In all other respects, save their height and coloring, drow resemble their aboveground cousins.
Drow craftsmanship is truly a marvel to behold, wrought with strange and intricate designs. Unfortunately, their works are unable to exist outside the drow world, and the items disintegrate, albeit slowly, when away from the radiation of the Underdark.
Their society is usually matriarchal, with the female drow holding the majority of power. Male drow are entrusted with the relatively unimportant jobs of swordplay and some sorcery. Females, on the other hand, command the important positions in drow society. They are the priestesses of their dark goddess, Lolth (or sometimes Lloth), Queen of the Spiders.
These females wield their tremendous goddess-given power mercilessly. Using the threat of intense punishment, they keep the males cowed and submissive. They are the top of the social hierarchy in the Underdark; they jealously guard their power against lowly males who might try to take that power away.
Since drow females have greater power than males and are physically stronger and more intelligent as well, the drow have a difficult time believing that males can hold power in other societies. Thus, they do not believe that any threat mustered by males could seriously threaten the drow.
Despite their chaotic evil nature, the society of the drow is rigidly structured and divided. Social strata and classifications are virtually immutable. A drow can advance in her caste, certainly, but cannot advance beyond it. The chaotic nature of the drow is most evident when one seeks advancement-an advancement typically made through death.
Drow constantly seek to improve their position in society and in Lolth's eyes. If it comes at the expense of another's life, so much the better-that makes one less drow to challenge the newcomer, and it ensures greater security in the new position.
Drow have an abiding hatred of all things aboveground, but nothing draws their wrath quite like the good elves. The drow take any chance they can to destroy other elves they encounter. Even the few evil elves aboveground are seen as enemies, and the drow do not hesitate to betray such a one when he or she has served a purpose.
2) Dwarven subraces
a) Hill Dwarves
Hill dwarves live in areas of rolling hills. Their strongholds are primarily located underground, though they frequently have outposts on the surface.
A typical hill dwarf stands 4 feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds. He is stocky and muscular. His skin is a deep tan or light brown in color and he has ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. His hair could be black, gray, or brown. He favors dark, somber, earth-toned clothes, and wears little jewelry.
Hill dwarves are the most common dwarves. They have adapted well to life above and below ground. They claim that they have always lived in the hills, but they may have migrated there either by traveling above ground, or via underground passages. If by surface travel, they are probably descended from mountain dwarves.
The alignment of the hill dwarves is usually lawful good, but there is no reason they cannot be of another alignment. So long as the majority of remain lawful good, strongholds of chaotic, neutral, or evil dwarves will not unbalance a campaign and will give it more flavor and variety.
b) Shield Dwarves (Mountain Dwarves)
These dwarves live beneath the mountains. Their strongholds are usually isolated and they have little contact with other races. Mountain dwarves tend to like their privacy and actively discourage visitors to their strongholds.
A typical mountain dwarf is, on average, 42 feet tall and weighs about 170 pounds. His hair is a lighter shade than his hill cousin's, and his skin is slightly more red in color.
Mountain dwarves claim that they are the first dwarves and all other dwarves are descended from them. They are wary of hill dwarves because of their closer dealings with humans, elves, and other races. They are clannish and keep to themselves. The majority are of lawful good alignment.
Deep dwarves live far beneath the surface of the earth. They may always have lived there, or they may have gone deep underground to escape a dreadful cataclysm, marauding monsters, or perhaps were driven downward by mountain or hill dwarves.
Deep dwarves average 4 feet to 42 feet tall and weigh about 120 pounds. They are large boned, but leaner than other dwarves. Their skin varies from pale brown to light tan, and often carries a reddish tinge. Their eyes are large, but without the sheen of their surface cousins; in color, a washed-out blue. Hair color ranges from flame red to straw blond. The females wear their beards long, unlike other dwarf women (who are typically clean-shaven).
Deep dwarves have little or no contact with the surface. It is too far for them to travel to the world above. They may be on friendly terms with hill and mountain dwarves, or they may harbor a grudge against them. They may avoid them because they consider them tainted by the influence of other races.
Frequently neutral in alignment, deep dwarves may also be lawful good or lawful neutral. They are just as conservative as hill or mountain dwarves, and consider themselves to be the sole repositories of dwarven culture.
Duergar, or gray dwarves, live deep underground, sometimes below the deep dwarves. They rarely venture above ground, finding it painful, except during heavily overcast days or at night. The light does not cause them damage, but it does affect their ability to see clearly.
A typical duergar is 4 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. Emaciated, they possess pasty skins and white or dull gray beards. Men and women may be bald, and those who are not usually shave their heads.
Most duergar are lawful evil with neutral tendencies. Other dwarves find their ways repulsive. Duergar war on other dwarf races, and sometimes even join forces with orcs and other evil races to raid dwarf strongholds.
They frequently compete with deep dwarves for living space and minerals. Usually the duergar are bested in such struggles. Consequently, numerous duergar strongholds are exceptionally poor, having been driven into areas rejected by others. In some cases, however, this may have been to their advantage and may have led them to the discovery of hidden subterranean wealth that they could secretly acquire.
Duergar may at one time have lived with other dwarves before they were driven into the deep for their worship of evil gods. They may have been created by the evil gods to balance the races of lawful good dwarves. If that is the case, they will have a divine mission to eradicate or enslave all dwarves of good alignment.
Even though their society is evil, they still retain many of the social structures of hill and mountain dwarves. They are clan based, but their crafts are usually inferior to those of other dwarves.
Unlike most dwarves, sundered dwarves live on the surface. Once hill or mountain dwarves, they were cut off from their kin and traditional ways of life. Where deep dwarves went downward, sundered dwarves were forced onto the surface.
They may have been driven there by volcanoes or earthquakes that shattered their subterranean homes, or perhaps by orcs or dragons. Finding no safe haven underground, they were forced above. Some may even have chosen to abandon their homes and give up the subterranean life.
Over the centuries sundered dwarves adapted as best they could, but abandoning their natural habitat has taken its toll. They have lost much of their racial pride, and tend to be a miserable and dirty people. They have developed an irrational phobia of dark places, yet are uncomfortable under the open sky, in rain, and with most surface conditions.
Sundered dwarves may be found living among other races. They may make up the majority of the inhabitants in a ghetto, or small groups of them may be found living or adventuring with other races.
Although their traditional homes are gone, sundered dwarves continue to follow the crafts, especially mining and smithing. They will work for humans or elves.
With a height of 42 to 5 feet, a typical sundered dwarf is slightly taller than a mountain dwarf, but he is of slimmer build, weighing about 155 pounds. His skin is usually lighter than a hill dwarf's, more pink than brown. His hair is dark with tinges of blue. Stronger than other dwarves, they gain a +1 bonus to Strength in character generation.
Sundered dwarves are usually lawful neutral in alignment. Their society retains its traditional lawful organization, but is more concerned with maintaining its laws than ensuring that all citizens share in its benefits.
Gully dwarves are the most degenerate of all the dwarf races. Lacking any racial pride, they make virtues of cowardice, filth, witlessness, and dirty tricks. They live in abandoned strongholds, human villages, or in old mines and caves, in sewers, refuse dumps, or the slums of larger towns and cities. Elves will not tolerate their depravity.
An average gully dwarf is 4 feet tall and weighs only 100 pounds. He is more slender than hill or mountain dwarves and has thin fingers. It is a status symbol for a gully dwarf to have a large pot belly for it displays his skill as a scavenger.
Skin ranges in color from olive brown to light yellow, reminiscent of old parchment. It is often hard to determine a gully dwarf's skin color, however, because of the thick layers of dirt, scar tissue, boils, and scabs covering his skin.
Their beards and hair range from a dirty blond to a dull, indeterminate color. Female gully dwarves have hairy cheeks, but no beards. The eyes of both sexes are dull and lifeless, varying in color from watery blue through green to hazel.
Gullys are renowned for being stupid and obnoxious. In spite of this they have high opinions of themselves and take themselves very seriously. They consider other dwarves to be "uppity" and "stuck up warts." Gully dwarves will lie, steal, bully, and cheat each other and every other race they encounter. If attacked, they grovel, whine, run away, or do whatever it takes to avoid injury. If combat cannot be avoided they will fight half-heartedly, usually with their eyes closed.
Because gully dwarves live in places that even orcs consider unattractive, they have few racial enemies. Scavenging most of their equipment from the junk heaps of other races, their "wealth" does not tempt others. Carrion crawlers have been known to turn up their tentacles rather than eat a gully dwarf.
Where do they come from? Other dwarves claim they are a cruel jest played by the gods on a mischievous stronghold of dwarves. Narvil believes that they are outcasts from a stronghold who later bred and infested the world. Perhaps they are the result of cross breeding between dwarves and gnomes, or dwarves and goblins. They may even have been the result of a vile experiment by an evil wizard. No one knows for sure, least of all the gullys themselves.
They are always treated with contempt, although they may be employed to perform menial tasks. Enclaves of gully dwarves could exist in most strongholds where they would be little better than slaves.
Gully dwarves are often of chaotic neutral alignment, but this diverse people may be of any alignment.
3) Gnomish subraces
a) Rock Gnomes
Big of nose, quick with a laugh, cheerful, visionary, and industrious in their approach to life, the Rock Gnomes form the picture of the gnomish race as it is viewed by most of the larger folk who know them.
Rock Gnomes are the most common type of gnome among the known worlds, and indeed, when one speaks of a "gnome," chances are he or she means a Rock Gnome. While not a populous race in comparison to humans or other demihumans, they are encountered in a wide variety of environments, showing no particular preference for any one type of climate. They do, however, tend to make their homes in areas with an abundance of natural rock (even if it's invisible under a layer of loam and forest).
All gnomes have a fondness for gemstones of all kinds, and in fact each subrace has a stone that it reveres above all others. No other gnomish race, however, is as adept at cutting and shaping these precious baubles as are the Rock Gnomes. The gem symbol of this subrace is, appropriately, the diamond. Diamonds are used as symbols of status and accomplishment, and wealthy and highly regarded clans will often have dishes, candelabras, and other elegant possessions encrusted with these hard and precious stones.
The most distinctive physical characteristic of the Rock Gnome is an enormous nose a proboscis that is larger than that of any dwarf or human, despite the gnome's diminutive size. Indeed, the size of one's nose is a matter of some status among Rock Gnomes, and more than one good-natured debate has resulted in actual comparisons being made. The true test of a mighty nose is the ability to poke it into your opponent's eye without having his nose do more than tickle the fringe of your beard (the use of the male pronoun is not generic here; females pride themselves on big noses too, but in addition to lacking beards they are less prone to such boisterous comparisons).
Rock Gnomes average about 7/2' in height. Unlike the burly dwarves, who tend to weigh as much or more than the average human, Rock Gnomes are lightly-built. Their small frame is deceptive, however, for despite their size these gnomes are as strong as most humans.
The eye color of a Rock Gnome is predominantly blue, though shades of green and, rarely, yellow or brown are not unknown. Such unusual eye colors are apparent from birth and is considered to signify either very good fortune or very dire omens, depending on the traditions of that particular gnomish community.
The brownish color of the Rock Gnomes' skin can be encountered in many shades, ranging from a light tan to nearly black. While the race does not avoid the sun, they suffer no effects from exposure - they don't sunburn or tan, so the shade of a gnome's skin has nothing to do with the proportion of his or her life spent outdoors or underground. In mature adults, the hair and beard are almost universally white or pale gray, but in youngsters and adolescents one will find as wide a variety of hair color as among human-kind. Only the males are bearded, with facial hair growing in near the beginning of the gnome's second century of life. Unlike dwarves, however, gnome males keep their beards neatly brushed and trimmed, with a maximum length of only about six inches. Sometimes the beard will be trimmed into fashionable shapes such as a goatee, or brushed into a long, curling point (or pair of points, in a real statement of high fashion).
While the average lifespan of a Rock Gnome is in the area of four centuries, it is not uncommon to find an elder patriarch or matriarch who has been around for more than 600 years. The oldest of them have been known to approach the venerable age of 750 years.
The first half-century of a gnome's life is generally spent in a carefree childhood. Youngsters are indulged and benignly guided by their elders, with rarely a harsh word or punishment employed against them. The children learn by example and strive to please the adults around them. Sages attribute the fact that all gnomes respond better to praise and encouragement than threats to this upbringing.
By the time he or she has reached 50 years of age, a gnome is expected to begin applying himself or herself to the development of a useful skill and to learn the basics of self-defense and weaponcraft. However, during this halfcentury-long adolescence, gnomes are still not subjected to an array of responsibilities - instead, they are encouraged to experiment with a variety of trades and activities until they find those best suited to their own talents and personality.
The occasion of his or her hundredth birthday is of great significance to a Rock Gnome, for it indicates that he or she has reached adulthood. It is customary for his or her family to host a large party, with a gathering of any clans within traveling distance to celebrate the coming of age. Since the party itself is likely to run for a month or more, it is not uncommon for gnomes to travel hundreds of miles for such a get-together! Each clan will bring a practical gift for the newly anointed adult, and it is a cause for great pride if the present is judged to be the finest among the array of gifts. However, the practical nature of these tokens is inviolate - boots, a shield, a sturdy tunic, even a weapon or tool are all appropriate. Gem-encrusted baubles, works of art, or simple decorations, although highly valued by gnomes, will not be given as coming-of-age gifts.
The industrious nature of gnomes is welldocumented, and probably represents their closest similarity to dwarves. Like dwarves, gnomes will organize for a task, with each individual lending his or her talents where they will be most useful. When digging a tunnel, for example, the strongest gnomes will work with picks to break up the rock in their path, while others - more nimble, if not so powerful - scamper among the flailing picks, scooping up the debris with shovels and pails. A third group of gnomes, those who are very hardy and capable of great endurance, will carry the crushed rock (often in wheelbarrows, but sometimes in leather sacks slung over the shoulder) out of the tunnel to the dumping grounds.
In their pursuit of mining, gnomes are not so speedy to excavate as dwarves, but they are more careful with what they find. Indeed, many a vein of ore that has been "played out" by dwarven standards has been taken over by gnomes and continued to yield its riches to the more meticulous gnomish miners.
Even while they work, however, these gnomes will pursue their tasks with high good humor, bawdy stories, and a succession of jokes of all types. Only rarely, however, will this frivolity interfere with the effectiveness of the group's work.
Nowhere is Rock Gnome precision more in evidence than in their stonecutting and gemwork. Their skill at cutting, polishing, and mounting gemstones is unsurpassed by any other race. They are also skilled enough metalworkers to make elaborate frames and mounts for jewelry. Indeed, gnomish metalsmiths work better with soft metals such as silver and gold than they do with iron and steel - another significant difference between them and their larger cousins, the dwarves. Gold chain belts, silver necklaces, and shining buttons are all proudly displayed by the wellaccoutred gnome.
This is not to say that gnomes cannot become fine blacksmiths when they are so inclined. Indeed, every community will have at least one well-muscled resident who is in charge of toolmaking and of crafting other objects such as dishes and weapons out of iron and steel. Gnomes generally purchase steel from dwarves or humans, however, rather than smelting it themselves. The finest weapons in a gnomish community are generally of outside (dwarven or elven) manufacture, often purchased in trade with the gem and jewelry work that they do so well.
Rock Gnomes also can become skilled carpenters and (perhaps not surprisingly, given their dextrous and artistic nature) exceptional woodcarvers. Though most gnomes do not devote a lot of attention to fabrics, those that do are skilled tailors and embroiderers as well.
In the area of culinary skills gnomes are not so elaborate. In fact, their standards when compared to halflings are downright plain. Their ideal meal is boiled or roasted meat, unspiced, accompanied by potatoes and mushrooms. Also unlike halflings, Rock Gnomes rarely keep cows, so they have little milk, butter, or cheese. Their bread is unleavened and relatively unpalatable to others with more refined tastes.
In the area of brewing, Rock Gnomes believe themselves to be every bit the match of halflings and humans and insist that they make a much tastier beverage than the heavy mead favored by dwarves; some gnomes even champion their wares above the famed elvish wines. Impartial judges pronounce gnomish brews a distinctive but acquired taste. Gnomish brewers make a variety of ales and are ingenious at finding ways to chill these beverages even in the height of summer. They will employ underground storage caverns, often sealed in ice which is brought down during colder months. In fact, many gnome communities will have wooden piping systems installed from these subterranean coolers so that the amber fluid can be pumped to spigots on the surface. Any gnomish innkeeper worth his or her salt (high praise indeed for a gnome!) will have such an arrangement in the cellar, and as a general rule, the better the chill on the beverage, the higher the perceived quality of the establishment.
Rock Gnomes typically make abysmal farmers, but they can be capable hunters and are excellent at gathering the bounty of their native woodlands, including nuts, fruits, grubs, mushrooms, and wild greens. A community will typically tend a small field of grain, which is used in about equal proportions to make bread and ale.
In one area Rock Gnomes most closely resemble elves among all the other demi-humans - in the category of music and dancing. Unlike dwarves, gnomes are very musical, and have designed and perfected a wide variety of instruments including flutes and horns, stringed instruments such as lutes and mandolins, and a great assortment of percussion. The latter range from concave rocks, rattles, cymbals, and gongs to standard drums made of hide stretched over a base of wood or metal. The most talented gnomish musicians are famed for their skill and highly sought as entertainers, and nearly every adult can play some sort of instrument; family gatherings often climax in a cacophony of music-making and merriment. Unfortunately (for nongnomish listeners, at any rate) their vocal skills in no way come close to their instrument-playing abilities, and since they insist on singing along to most every kind of music, the resulting melodies are not necessarily pleasant to the non-gnomish ear.
A Rock Gnome's idea of an ideal setting for a home is an area of wooded hills with an underlying bedrock of limestone that can be transformed into a complicated network of lairs, tunnels, and stairways. Rock Gnomes are not so comfortable in the deep and dank recesses of the Underdark as, say, dwarves - or their own gnomish cousins, the Svirfneblin. Therefore, their settlements will almost always be found near the surface, where the steep faces of hillside or cliff can provide a number of entrances and airholes to a many-layered dwelling. Often these entrances must be reached along narrow and precarious trails - easily traveled by gnome-sized creatures but perilous to larger would-be intruders - taking one far above steep slopes of jagged rocks, or along the edge of a deep gorge, with a rolling torrent of icy water plunging below.
Rock Gnomes are very social creatures, and generally live in thriving, active communities. Such communities are organized into up to a dozen clans, and all permanent residents are member of one or another of these families. Smaller outposts may consist of a single tightknit family, with a patriarch, matriarch, or pair of elders providing benign leadership over three or four dozen gnomes. The typical upper limit of any one community is 400-500 gnomes, mainly due to limitations in the surrounding food supply - not due to any desire for isolation from their neighbors.
Whatever the size of a Rock Gnome settlement, the chain of status will always culminate in one unquestioned leader. To this chief (who is usually, but not always, male) come all crucial decisions on matters of defense and trade, as well as the arbitration of the rare instances of discord within the community. When this chief makes a ruling or command, he or she is obeyed immediately, with a discipline that can instantly transform a pastoral community into a determined work force or warlike army at need.
Most communities of Rock Gnomes will be found within a few days' or weeks' travel of each other, with grand gatherings of the clans - often including four or five thousand gnomes - held every decade or so. These festivals can last for a fortnight or more and generally climax in frenzied musical performances, nose-measuring contests, tournaments to determine who is best at drinking, snoring, and other things, and feasting.
The individual burrows of the Rock Gnomes are small and tidy. Generally a married couple will have a small chamber to themselves, with all children (cousins as well as siblings) sharing a common room. Adolescents are segregated by sex, with a large burrow having two separate chambers for its young males and females respectively. Most of these private chambers will be connected via tunnels to a central family chamber, where the fire is kept, food is prepared and eaten, and the family members meet for the talk and socialization that occupies virtually all their nonworking waking hours. The common room will always have a chimney vented to the outside (often through a very long passage). Ideally, it will have some other access to fresh air and light as well - chambers with no window are considered oppressive and tomblike by many Rock Gnomes.
The family quarters will also connect (usually via an underground passage) to the other families that make up the clan; and similarly each clan in the community will be connected to the others. At every place junctures occur, there are large chambers. In the bigger towns these areas contain inns and shops, as well as open commons where impromptu parties(as well as many scheduled festivals) can take place.
Gnomes travel frequently among their communities, and many of them will venture into human or demihuman cities out of curiosity. They mix well with halflings and find life in a halfling village quite pleasant. Unlike halflings, they have no particular compulsion that holds them to their own homes or locales, and their long lifespans afford them the time to indulge their curiosity about how other races live.
While Rock Gnomes can survive and even flourish in a community of humans, dwarves, elves, or halflings, few would care to leave their fellow gnomes permanently. It's far more common for a gnome to live among other races for a few decades, perhaps even a century or more, before returning home to his or her own clan. Perhaps a quarter of all Rock Gnomes spend at least part of their second century "seeing the world" before returning to take up his or her role in clan affairs.
Rock Gnomes will sometimes welcome members of other races into their communities. However, humans and especially elves tend to find gnome cities claustrophobic, while the furniture and passageways between rooms are usually too cramped for the average dwarf. Halflings sometimes exchange extended visits to their gnome neighbors but it's a rare halfling who leave his or her own burrow behind forever.
This subrace is not so common as are the others, but its members fill an important niche in their environment. Forest Gnomes are shy and reclusive, and often the mere arrival of human settlers within their wooded domain is enough to send them migrating to a new, unspoiled home. Nevertheless, they have been known to aid adventurers from other races and are particularly friendly with elves.
The Forest Gnomes prefer a life in which no one knows who they are or where they live. They dwell in large swaths of woodland, and unlike the other gnomish subraces - prefer to dwell in houses that are at least partially above ground. They are creatures of nature far more than any of their cousins, and to those rare folks who meet them (and pass through the walls of initial shyness) they can prove to be steadfast allies and delightful companions.
However, this subrace has not totally abandoned the love of gemstones that is so inherent to all gnomes. The emerald is the favored gem of the Forest Gnomes, no doubt because it most accurately reflects the healthy colors of their verdant homelands. While these gnomes can make excellent gemsmiths and jewelers, their work tends to be reverent images of the flowers, leaves, butterflies, and birds that are such a key part of the Forest Gnome's environment.
These are the smallest of the gnomish subraces, averaging from 2' to 5/2' and peaking out at a few inches under three feet. They share the stocky physique of the Rock and Tinker Gnome and the bulbous nose which is so characteristic of the race in general. They are the only gnomes inclined to wear beards and hair very long, and an older male is likely to have a beard that extends to within a few inches of the ground, and hair that, when unbound, falls all the way to his waist. These beards are a source of great pride to the venerable males, and they often trim them to a fine point or curl them into hornlike spikes that extend to either side.
The skin of a Forest Gnome tends toward a greenish cast of tan rather like bark, although often darkened and ruddy from exposure to weather. Their eyes are generally brown or blue, but green eyes are not unheard of and are considered very attractive and the omen of a good life for their owner. Their hair color is brown or black, often becoming gray or white in old age.
The Forest Gnomes are a very long-lived people, with an average life expectancy approaching 500 years. Childhood and adolescence blend together in the growing process. Since these gnomes do not generally embark upon a craft or apprenticeship as a life speciality, there is no need to differentiate a carefree youngster from an equally happy-go-lucky youth. Adulthood is granted upon the hundredth birthday, and this anniversary is a cause for great celebration.
Shy and timid when it comes to relations with other intelligent races, Forest Gnomes are very determined caretakers of their wooded domains. They are viewed with friendship by the animals of the forest and have developed a limited language of signs and sounds (similar to the Rock Gnome's 'speech' with burrowing mammals) that allows them to communicate with these creatures, though without a great deal of detail. Thus a squirrel might chatter something about an intruder in the forest and even indicate the general direction of the trespasser, but it can provide no information as to the nature, size, or numbers of the possible enemy (as a rule of thumb, consider all such communications to consist of a single word only; i.e. "danger!" "food," "happy," and the like).
Forest Gnomes are also very adept at protecting and caring for the plant life of their woods. They gather the nuts, fruit, and other bounty of the woods for sustenance, taking meat only infrequently - and always with a reverent ceremony to the spirit of the animal slain by the gnomish hunter. They despise the use of traps, never employing snares, pitfalls, or such traps themselves. When they encounter such devices set by humans or others, the Forest Gnomes have been known to rig the traps so that they capture (with a snare) or injure (as with a deadfall or pit trap) the trapper when he or she comes along to check for game. Generally, the trapper receives the same effect that his or her trap would have inflicted upon an animal.
Aside from meat, Forest Gnomes eat their food raw, though with a great deal of ceremony and politeness. Even a nut or a berry is only consumed after the tree or bush that gave it life has been properly, albeit silently, thanked. Needless to say, meals among the Forest Gnomes are very long, quiet affairs.
These diminutive beings are exceptional woodcarvers, far more skilled than any other subrace at the working of this natural material. They can also be skilled carpenters, and their skills lean heavily toward natural-looking renditions of their structures. A storage shed, for example, might be built to resemble a clump of tightly-clustered pine trees, concealing the fact that there is any kind of structure there at all.
Priests have a higher status in this society than in any other gnomish culture. Baervan Wildwanderer is the patron deity of most of these clerics and has blessed them with a number of duties and tasks, most of which involved the protection and preservation of the forests and the wild creatures found there.
The most hated enemies of the Forest Gnomes are ores, with troglodytes and lizardmen close behind. These creatures will be ruthlessly attacked and ambushed whenever they are encountered. Despite their shyness, Forest Gnomes have made friends with elves and halflings, though they tend to distrust humans and dwarves, who in their experience all-too-often view trees only as so much firewood. Occasionally, with great courage, one o these smallest of gnomes will venture out of his or her forest domain in a quest to see the world, though he or she will usually try to return after a few years and will never be entirely comfortable in a place that has no trees.
The gnomes of this subrace tend to live in smaller communities than do their kin, largely because their numbers are so much fewer. A Forest Gnome village will average less than a hundred residents, and the family homes that make up the "village" may be hundreds of feet apart. They are always located in a dense woods and are virtually invisible to anyone who happens to wander through - even a veteran woodsman might stroll down the main street of a Forest Gnome village without knowing he or she was in anything other than trackless wood. In part, this is because the forest gnomes disdain the use of tracks and trails - they are adept at moving through the underbrush while leaving no sign of their passage. Also, their dwellings tend to be concealed within the trunks of large, hollow trees and, sometimes, into burrows that extend below the surface of the ground.
The preferred house of a Forest Gnome, however, is above the ground and within the comfortable wooden enclosure of a tree trunk. These creatures prefer lairs of many different levels since, even to these small gnomes, most hollow trees don't provide a lot of floor space. Instead, the house will be a network of cylindrical rooms, usually no more than four feet from floor to ceiling, connected to the floors above and below by tiny trapdoors and rope ladders or, sometimes, spiraling stairways carved into the wood of the tree. Each floor will have a few windows opening to the outside, but these will be so cleverly camouflaged on the outside by bark or limbs as to be virtually invisible.
Excavated chambers are used for the commons areas of the Forest Gnomes, so that when a whole community gathers (as they do many times a year, to observe this or that celebration) they can do so in large, earthen caverns concealed underground. These chambers are connected by dirt tunnels and are often quite large, with ceilings reinforced by timber and brace. Forest Gnomes have no interest in excavating through stone, and though they will occupy a natural cave if they find one conveniently located, they will never dig into bedrock to expand or shape their surroundings.
A village of Forest Gnomes is organized very much like a large family, with the oldest patriarch or matriarch in the community generally revered as the venerable leader. As far as actual societal organization, there is very little - when Forest Gnomes act as a group (for example, to defend their woodland or migrate to a new homeland) they do so because the necessity of action is obvious to every member of the clans.
Forest Gnomes are sometimes mistaken for brownies by those humans who catch a rare glimpse of them, but the two races are not related. For one thing, brownies prefer rural settings - farms and small human or halfling villages; the very environments Forest Gnomes go out of their way to avoid - to the forest. Despite their size, brownies are more closely related to elves than any of the other demihuman races. Also, brownies are highly magical, while Forest Gnomes distrust magic and make less use of it in their daily lives than any other gnomish subrace. The two races are friendly, but their paths seldom cross.
To most surface dwellers the gnomes of this race are mysterious denizens of the Underdark about whom little is known. Those who judge by appearance see them as stunted and gnarled creatures and believe them to be the Rock Gnomes' evil counterparts, the gnomish equivalent to the Drow and Duergar. In truth, they are no more evil than their more numerous cousins; their sinister reputation is merely the result of ignorance. The Deep Gnomes are the most reticent of all the gnomish subraces, surviving in an extremely hostile environment entirely by their own wiles.
These diminutive inhabitants of the Underdark are as tenacious at survival as the justcited opinion by their mortal enemies indicates. Unlike their Rock Gnome cousins, they have no friendly neighbors to ally themselves with, forcing them to become entirely self-reliant. Only the few who have won their trust know that they are in many ways as social and artistic as other gnomes.
Why do they endure this frankly hostile environment? The answer is simple: they are drawn by the lure of gemstones, which is more pronounced in the Deep Gnomes than in any other subrace.
The gem that most draws the interest and devotion of the Svirfneblin is the ruby, which is the predominant symbol of the race. The Deep Gnomes view these crimson stones with reverence approaching awe - so much so that they are never used for mundane practices such as ornamentation of garments, weapons, or armor. Rubies are reserved for sacred purposes and are often employed to decorate artifacts that are dedicated to the Svirfneblin gods. They are also favored by Deep Gnome monarchs, so much so that a Svirfneblin king or queen might have a full ring of rubies around his or her crown, with others of the precious stone set in the throne and sceptre.
Svirfneblin average between 3 and 7/2' in height, rarely exceeding this norm by more than an inch or two. They are creatures wiry muscle and tough bones, slightly thinner than their surface cousins but possessing as much strength as any other gnome.
Like their cousins of the other gnomish subraces, Svirfneblin have prominent noses. Otherwise their faces are much narrower. Many males have completely hairless bodies; most females have only thin and stringy hair, which they wear no longer than shoulder length. A Deep Gnome's skin is rock-colored, predominantly brown or gray. Eye color is always a shade of gray, sometimes so dark as to be almost black.
The Svirfneblin are not so long-lived as their surface-dwelling kin, living to an average old age of only about 250 years; a good number meet a violent demise before this time is up. They mature relatively quickly, however, with the first quarter century of life considered childhood and the next two decades as a period of of disciplined adolescence. A Svirfneblin is assumed to reach adulthood somewhere around the age of 45 or 50, though this milestone is not marked by any grand ceremony such as is performed by the Rock Gnomes. Indeed, the Deep Gnomes don't even keep track of the passage of days, so there is no way to record one's actual "birthday."
The most valued common skill among the Svirfneblin is that of the miner, with perhaps 75% of any given community's adult males devoting themselves to that pursuit. Svirfneblin miners are exceptionally able with pick and shovel, capable of chiseling a passage through solid stone more quickly than Rock Gnomes or even dwarves. While mining is broken into specializations, such as choppers (who do the actual pickaxe work), scouts (who locate promising veins for excavation), and haulers (who carry the tailings away from the scene), a Deep Gnome miner will be reasonably proficient at all aspects of his trade. The most alluring target of the Svirfneblin miner is, naturally, gems. However, these diligent diggers will also pursue veins of metal, including gold and silver, and they also occasionally gather a stockpile of coal or iron ore - from which they make a very passable steel.
A smaller percentage of the Svirfneblin work force (perhaps 10%) is engaged in the processing and finishing of the gemstone material excavated by the miners. These include polishers, smelters, carvers, and smiths. Though they lack a bit of the exceptional detail skill of the Rock Gnomes, in the other areas they are at least as proficient as their surface-dwelling cousins. Indeed (and unlike Rock Gnomes), Svirfneblin blacksmiths can possess exceptional skill. Their weapons and tools are generally made by Deep Gnome artisans, and these are nearly the equal of the products of the highest level of dwarven craftsmanship or Drow weaponsmiths.
Perhaps because suitable habitat is harder to find in the Underdark than on the surface, Deep Gnome communities tend to be larger than those of the Rock Gnomes. Generally the Svirfneblin live in thriving cities located in deep cavern networks, often with more than a thousand residents. However, these communities are generally separated by great distances from any others of the same subrace, Gnome Subraces 23 and thus they tend to be more insular than the towns of the gnomes who dwell on or near the surface. Indeed, most Deep Gnomes live out their lives without ever seeing another Svirfneblin community beyond the one in which they were born.
Still, festivals and celebrations are as common among these gnomes as they are on the surface - it's just that the Svirfneblin don't travel from far distances for the gatherings. Instead, each community tends to have its own special observances, and though the whole city will turn out for many of them it is rare that any outside guest would be admitted. Also, these celebrations are not tied to recurring cosmic events, such as solstices or eclipses; instead, they occur when the city's priests declare that they are due. These instigations occur more for political and psychological reasons than by any regular passage of time.
In fact, it's worth noting that Svirfneblin don't even measure the passage of their lives in years - after all, the cycle of seasons has little meaning amid the eternal chill of the Underdark. However, if the priests notice that the production of the workers has begun to lag, or tempers are growing short among the chieftains and warriors, they will act hastily to initiate a grand festival full of pomp and song, good food and potent (one hesitates to say 'good') beverage.
Svirfneblin festivals are often invoked to recall great events of the past, though again these recollections bear no calendar relationship to the occurrence being commemorated. However, if teams of miners are preparing to embark on one of the periodic quests for new gems that propel so much of Svirfneblin activity, then the priests and illusionists will recall stories of grand expeditions in the past, even trotting out sacred objects encrusted with the jewelry made from the proceeds of these previous missions. Similarly, if a war is being contemplated, or a raid against some marauding monster becomes necessary, the warriors will be sent off with tales of great military campaigns in the past. It's interesting to note that these war stories are not all tales of victory - the Svirfneblin, perhaps because of the many defeats they have suffered over the years, have a keen interest in doomed causes and will draw considerable emotional support from the story of a dramatic last stand made by their forefathers. Even cautionary tales, such as the obliteration of a city by treacherous Drow attack, are related at these celebrations and used as a warning against future lapses of vigilance.
Another unique aspect of Deep Gnome society is that roles are far more rigidly determined by sex than in any other gnomish culture. Males perform all of the mining and warrior work that occurs beyond the borders of the community cavern, as well as most types of jobs within the city as well. Females concern themselves almost exclusively to the vital tasks of raising and preparing food (in the great mushroom farms that are a part of every Deep Gnome city) and the care of the young. In fact, females venture out of their cities so rarely that even the Drow have never encountered any in the neutral territory of the Underdark. Both sexes wear nondescript clothing which, with their ability to stand absolutely motionless, helps them avoid being spotted by enemies.
Besides the many types of fungi that are the staples of the Svirfneblin diet, Deep Gnomes sometimes maintain a small herd of rothe or other underground mammals. They are also fond of fish, and each city is likely to have several shallow lakes where blind trout and other subterranean delicacies are bred and captured. Deep Gnome women are responsible for tending of all these food sources and serve as the fishers and cooks as well as the farmers and herders. Also, salt is an important part of every Deep Gnome meal and is one of the most valued commodities in the trading of the Underdark. In fact, most Svirfneblin food is so heavily salted that a typical surface dweller would find it quite unpalatable.
As a beverage the Svirfneblin prefer for daily use a pungent brew made (naturally) from fungi, fermented by a unique process that involves great amounts of salt and not a little fish protein. It is highly intoxicating, tasting somewhat like an oversalted and watery fish chowder. It has been tasted by a few courageous non-Svirfneblins who (when they finally regain their voices) tend to decline a second serving.
The Svirfneblin also distill a strange drink known as Gogondy about which little is known other than it is deep red in color, kept in wrought iron bottles, and potent beyond belief. It has been called the finest wine in the world and is said to grant strange visions to those who drink it, but more than one human who drank it has promptly fallen asleep for decades or died after the first glass with horrified looks on their faces. The Deep Gnomes prize Gogondy almost as much as rubies and will only give or trade it to their most trusted friends, making it rare indeed.
The Svirfneblin survive in domains that are populated by many implacable enemies. The two most dire among these are the kuo-toa and the Dark Elves, who continually seek to drive these gnomes from territory they consider rightfully theirs. Illithids (mind flayers) often attack individual Deep Gnomes, considering them something of a delicacy, but never in such numbers as might drive away such tasty prey. Svirfneblin rarely encounter surface-dwelling gnomes, and the latter find them little less puzzling than do those of other races.
The cities of the Deep Gnomes are vast and complex places. Many layers of caverns, tunnels, and buildings are connected by narrow corridors and spiraling staircases. Generally, however, at least the central part of the city will occupy a single large cavern, with narrow streets winding among tall stone buildings. If large stalagmites are present, high-ranking Svirfneblin will claim these and excavate the interiors for the private homes; most residences, however, are carved into the natural bedrock of the earth.
Because of the confined nature of the environment, the home of the typical Svirfneblin family is more crowded than that of their surface-dwelling cousins. Parents and children will likely be crowded into a single, rather small, chamber. Families tend to be small, however, so this is rarely more than a halfdozen individuals. They are not so clannish as the Rock Gnomes, so that the population of a city is generally an amalgamated mass of Deep Gnomes, with overriding clan structure dividing the city.
However, they also tend to be rather quicktempered and fractious (again, by comparison to other gnomish subraces). Every Deep Gnome city is ruled by both a king and a queen, each independent of the other yet equally powerful. The king's province is mining and protecting the community; the queen controls the food supply and is responsible for the day-to-day lives of the citizens. Both posts are determined by popular choice: when a monarch dies, a contest is held to select the best possible replacement, with the winner becoming the new ruler.
Svirfneblin worship the same pantheon as their Rock Gnomes cousins (although they conceive of these beings as Deep Gnomes). Urdlen plays a large role in Deep Gnome mythology, with cautionary tales of how he snared many an unwary Deep Gnome being a staple of any Svirfneblin's upbringing.
These unique creatures, native to the world of Krynn, are among the most technologically... er, perhaps we should say 'innovative' creatures among the known worlds. Unfortunately, their keen and inventive motivation is not matched by any particular talent - thus, a Tinker invention is at least as likely to cause harmful or fatal damage (probably to its creator) as it is to do what it's supposed to do. In spite of this, Tinkers are a thriving subrace that have even managed to spread beyond their native world.
The Tinkers are a very courageous and curious bunch of gnomes, and Gladdensnoot is no doubt exaggerating when he suggests that their attainment of Spelljamming travel is accidental. Nevertheless, he provides a good example of the attitude held by those few other gnomes who've encountered the Tinkers. Of course, it's not likely that the Tinker would stop and take notice - he or she is probably too busy working on the finishing touches of his or her newest invention (in fact, many Tinkers spend the bulk of their lives working on a few such 'finishing touches')!
In one respect the Tinkers resemble the rest of gnomedom - in the fact that they do value various types of stones, attributing to them great and supernatural powers. However, whereas the other subraces seek gems, the Tinkers hold a different substance as the grandest rock of all: coal. The Tinkers hold that coal (also known as the "Father of Steam") is the most valuable substance of the world, and those places where it can be mined quickly become Tinker Gnome warrens.
In size and stature, the Tinkers resemble Rock Gnomes - so much so that the difference is not immediately apparent, at least when based only upon appearance. Perhaps because their numbers are fewer, there is not such a variety of hair and skin color among Tinkers as is found in their more common cousins: their hair is almost always white or a slightly colored shade that is nearly white. Their skin tends toward brown, in ruddy and earthen shades. Their eyes are blue or, less frequently, violet, but the noses are every bit as prominent as those of any other gnomish subrace.
The clothing of a Tinker is likely to be representative of his or her travels and background i.e., it will have parts of all kinds of things somehow attached together and providing a modicum of covering. As a rule, the more exotic the better, though the Tinker Gnomes tend to be fastidious about cleanliness.
Tinkers who live out their lives can attain an age of 250 or 300 years, but it must be noted that this is a rare occurrence among the members of this subrace. If one of his or her own inventions doesn't do a Tinker in, chances are good that one of his or her neighbor's gadgets will.
Even in childhood, Tinkers are encouraged to experiment with gadgets and gimmicks, trying different means of making things to perform tasks that could otherwise be easily done by hand. The Tinker reaches adulthood at about the age of fifty (by which time perhaps 10-15% of them have already succumbed to the common fate of their kind). Despite this high attrition, it's not until maturity that a Tinker Gnome's activities begin to get really dangerous.
Upon reaching adulthood, the Tinker Gnome must select a guild for himself or herself. The number of guilds available varies by location, but in Mount Nevermind on Krynn - which is the center of Tinker civilization and by far the largest community of these inventive creatures anywhere - there are more than 150 active guilds. These include virtually all areas of practical endeavor, and quite a few impractical ones as well: Weaponry, Steam Power, Hydraulics, Mathematics, Agriculture, Warmaking, Animal Taming, Brewing, Carpentry, Astronomy, Ceramics (Rockmaking), Air Utilization, Historians, Coalmining, Rockcarving, Vehicle Design, and Music.
These guilds are not like the guilds common in many human and dwarven societies, however; in the latter cases, the guild's purpose is generally to impart the knowledge of the masters to a steadily growing crop of apprentices and journeymen. The Tinker guilds have a different philosophy dedicated to a righteously-held belief, to wit: whatever has been done before can be done better with a new and improved invention. Consequently, a Tinker Gnome who enters the Music Guild, for example, will spend the bulk of his or her life trying to design a musical instrument with at least one more moving part than the last instrument designed by a guildmaster (it is not advisable to ask the guild for a performance - whole audiences have been scalded by ruptured steam pipes or deafened by ultrasonic waves of crushing sound).
A good example of the Tinker Gnome tendency of not knowing when to stop is the infamous Giant Space Hamster. Not content with this remarkable achievement, the Animal Breeders' Guild that created the creature promptly began working on developing new strains. The result include such monstrosities as the sabre-toothed giant space hamster, the carnivorous flying giant space hamster ("a regrettable if understandable line of inquiry"), the fire-breathing phase doppleganger giant space hamster, and the miniature giant space hamster (a dwarf variant the exact same size as the ordinary rodent).
However, Tinkers are nothing if not tenacious. After selecting a guild, each member of the subrace settles upon a Life-quest. The actual choice of the quest may take several decades, but once it has been decided, it becomes the reason behind that Tinker's existence. The Lifequest is an attempt to reach a perfect understanding of some device (anything from a spelljamming helm to a screw), a task at which the Tinker very rarely succeeds. Indeed, the best estimate is that less than 1% of these gnomes ever do fully grasp the nature of the object that has occupied their attention for so much of their adult lives; the rest of these easily-distracted gnomes get hopelessly sidetracked somewhere along the way.
Despite the vagaries of their existence, the Tinkers are a fun-loving and generally sociable race. Their speech is unique in both its speed and complexity. Two Tinkers can rattle off information and opinion to each other in a succession of thousand-word sentences, speaking simultaneously and yet listening and understanding (as much as is possible, given the esoteric nature of many discussions) each other even as they voice their own points of view. Those Tinkers who have had some experience interacting with other races have learned to slow the pace of their communication but never quite overcome their frustration with those who can't talk and listen at the same time.
Despite the chaotic impression given by an initial encounter with the Tinkers, these gnomes have a highly-organized societal structure. Their culture is unusual, for gnomes, in that guilds are more important to most Tinkers than their clans; the typical Tinker identifies himself or herself not by the family he or she was born into but the guild he or she joined upon reaching adulthood. The community is ruled by a council made up of the masters of the various guilds and the patriarchs of the various clans. The result is a paralyzed bureaucracy that nevertheless keeps itself going with debate, argument, near resolution, and subsequent disagreement. Following long and careful consideration (sometimes lasting for years, even decades) the various concerned parties go off and do whatever they wanted to from the beginning.
However, the debates themselves can be well-reasoned, extremely polite, and quite extensive. Just the recital of names at the beginning of a presentation can often take weeks, since the full and formal title of each gnome involved is used - and remember, this is despite the fact that Tinker Gnomes speak very rapidly indeed! For those Tinkers who come from extensive and well-documented ancestry and have themselves lived long and eventful lives, the formal introduction can last the better part of two days. Because of this inconvenience, an abbreviated form of a gnome's name (usually taking less than a minute to recite) is used in daily life.
Tinker Gnomes have the least involved family life of any of the subraces, since all adults are too involved with their Lifequests to devote much time to the raising of their children. The youngsters learn mostly by example, and of course are possessed of that insatiable curiosity that seems to take the place of so many other emotions in the lives of a Tinker. Tinker males and females accept their Lifequests with equal obsession; there is no difference between the sexes in level of recognition and attainment. For example, guildmasters and clan leaders are as likely to be female as male.
Their communities are located underground, but always close to the surface, with plenty of access to fresh air. Their penchant for burning coal to achieve steam makes good ventilation necessary - we needn't dwell on the unfortunate results of those experiments in deep subterranean quarters amid caverns warmed by vast, oxygen-devouring furnaces.
The various chambers of a Tinker community will be connected by various means of transport, powered by steam, spring-power, wind, water, gravity, and any other means available. Types include cars that run along rails or are suspended from cables and pulleys, soaring gliders, 'gnomeflingers' (i.e., catapults), elevators that run up and down through shafts bored through rock, and independently-steered carts and cycles propelled by various means. Needless to say, there is a high rate of attrition on gnomish transport generally a character stands about a 3% chance per trip of suffering grievous injury (usually about 1-12 hit points of damage).
For private living quarters, Tinkers are inclined to settle for any old niche in the wall that can be closed off for a little privacy. They like to sleep in absolute darkness but have absolutely no trouble slumbering amid a thunderous cacophony of noise.
Far more important than his or her bedroom, to a Tinker, is his or her workshop. This area will be a private chamber, if the gnome is influential enough to warrant such a luxury, or if he or she inherits it from a deceased parent (for obvious reasons, Tinkers tend to gain their inheritance at a far younger age than do any other gnomish subrace). The shop should ideally be well-lit, by candle, coal-oil lantern, or natural light. One of the more successful gnome inventions is a network of mirrors aligned to reflect sunlight through long tunnels so that it reaches caverns far underground. Despite its utility, this invention is considered an abysmal failure by most Tinkers, due to its utter lack of moving parts.
Tinker Gnomes do no t worship the usual gnomish pantheon, instead venerating the Krynnish god Reorx, patron of blacksmiths, crafters, and inventors. One of the oft-repeated pieces of evidence Rock Gnomes are wont to put forward in their neverending attempts to prove that Tinkers aren't "real" gnomes is that "they haven't even heard of Garl Glittergold!"
5) Halfling subraces
a) Hairfoot
This most common of halflings is found throughout lands that have been settled by humans (with the notable exception of Krynn, where this role is filled by the Kender). They live much as humans do but prefer rural settings and villages to towns and cities. Their crafts tend toward the ordinary and practical farmers, millers, innkeepers, weavers, brewers, tailors, bakers, and merchants are common in Hairfoot society.
Averaging about 3' in height, Hairfeet are slightly stockier in build than is typical for humankind. Their complexions run the gamut from pale to very dark, with hair color correspondingly blond to black and eyes that are brown or hazel. They rarely wear shoes (only in bad weather and bitter cold) and can be easily distinguished by the thick patches of hair growing atop each foot. They have no facial hair (besides eyebrows and eyelashes, of course). They wear brightly-colored, comfortable clothes, such as trousers and shirts or dresses, with a vest, jacket, hat, sash, or bonnet added as a flourish. Their faces are round and very expressive, often appearing childlike to humans.
Hairfeet are slightly longer-lived than humans, averaging 100 years - though a few patriarch and matriarchs have reached ages of 140 and beyond. Full adulthood is generally recognized at about 25 years of age.
Hairfeet are only moderately industrious, but they tend to make up in talent for what they lack in drive. A Hairfoot farmer may tend a small plot in the morning, for example, and spend the afternoon lying in the shade yet his or her irrigation ditch will be so cleverly aligned that his or her field yields a crop equal to that of a much larger human-tended farm. A Hairfoot-woven tunic will have a finer weave and be less scratchy than a similar human product, thus fetching a considerably higher price.
Hairfeet are the halflings most closely integrated into human society. They will work for human employers or hire human laborers, and many a Hairfoot merchant has made his or her fortune by appealing to the human elite of a city's population. While they will dwell in buildings in human neighborhoods, Hairfeet do prefer to live among others of their own race (though not necessarily their own subrace) when this is possible.
A Hairfoot's preferred type of house is the combined above and below ground burrow. The upper portion is almost always woodframed, with several doors and windows and a bright, airy feel - though the ceilings are typically no more than 5' above the floors. The lower portion will contain the fireplace and several small, cozy rooms.
Lacking the time, property, or means to build a 'traditional home, however, a Hairfoot will cheerfully occupy a human house, a sheltered cave, or even a shack or tent. Wherever he or she lives, a Hairfoot will find a place to have a fire and gather for social conversation.
Stouts are not as common as their cousins, the Hairfeet, but they are nonetheless a populous and widespread subrace. They are about the same height as Hairfeet, averaging an inch or two below 3', but much stockier - indeed, a typical Stout weighs half again as much as the average Hairfoot! This girth is not all fat, however - Stouts are more muscular than any other halfling and tend to regularly best their kin in the wrestling contest that are a favorite Stoutish entertainment.
Ruddier in complexion than the other subraces, Stouts tend to blush easily when pleased or embarrassed and flush bright red when angry. Their hair color tends to be on the light side, with blonds and sandy reds predominating; their eyes are blue, grey, and green. Unlike Hairfeet and Tallfellows, male Stouts can grow some facial hair, although not full beards; usually it takes the form of unusually thick sideburns or muttonchops. Moustaches are rare, and the few able to grow them are often inordinately proud of their accomplishment.
Stouts favor sturdy garb, commonly made of well-cured leather. They prefer practicality to appearance, and thus the members of a community tend to dress with an almost drab sameness. However, a Stout will try to make a point of having a brightly colored outfit of exotic material (such as cotton, wool, or, rarely, silk), for use on special occasions. They often wear boots, which are really more like thick moccasins that offer good protection from the rocky or marshy ground typically under Stoutish feet.
These halflings tend to segregate themselves from human society more than do Hairfeet, preferring the company of dwarves. Stouts and dwarves mix very readily, and their communities will often be located near to each other. Military and defensive alliances between the two races are common, and prosperous trading is also the norm.
Stoutish villages will generally be in hilly or rocky regions near good fishing waters and well-watered fields. They are the only halflings with any affinity to mining, but they are quite good at it and will often develop a bustling business from the excavation of minerals. Stouts can also be skilled jewelers, stone-masons, builders, smiths, boatmen, and carvers. They are lackluster farmers at best, except where mushrooms are concerned, and as merchants they excel primarily at selling the products of the above trades.
Preferring underground habitation more than any other halfling subrace, a Stout will typically live in a fully-excavated burrow. He or she will have several round, shuttered windows placed in a few walls to let in light and air, but the overall place will be cooler, darker, and somewhat damper than a Hairfoot home.
The most industrious of halflings, a Stout can accomplish a great deal of work in a short time. They make doughty soldiers, and their infravision (60' range) gives them a great advantage in night-fighting. They are skilled swimmers and boatmen and have used small, slender canoes with great effect in night attacks against larger vessels.
With a typical life expectancy of more than 130 years, Stouts are not considered adults until they reach 30 years of age. The eldest of the race have been known to exceed two centuries in age.
This subrace of halflings is not so common as the Stout or Hairfoot but exists in significant numbers in many areas of temperate woodland. Averaging a little over 4' in height, Tallfellows are slender and light-boned, weighing little more than the average Hairfoot. They wear their hair long, often topped by a small brightly-colored cap.
The longest-lived of all halfling subraces, Tallfellows have an average life expectancy of 180 years, with the eldest exceeding 250 years. Like Hairfeet, Tallfellows shun footwear. Their characteristic foot-fur is somewhat sparser and finer than that of their cousins.
Tallfellows favor woodland shades of brown, yellow, and green and have developed several vibrant shades of the latter color through unique dyes. They enjoy the company of elves, and most Tallfellow villages will be found nearby populations of that sylvan folk, with a flourishing trade between the two peoples.
Preferring to live above ground, Tallfellows often dwell in spacious houses of wood, with many windows. Indeed, the ceiling of a Tallfellow house will typically be nearly 6' above the floors Though the house will often have a cellar, this will be used primarily for storage. However, during days of hot summer Tallfellows will often retire to their underground chambers for a long evening's conversation and sleep.
Tallfellows display the greatest affinity toward working with wood of any halfling. They make splendid carpenters (often building boats or wagons for human customers), as well as loggers, carvers, pipesmiths, musicians, shepherds, liverymen, dairymen, cheese-makers, hunters, and scouts. They are better farmers than Stouts (although not as good as Hairfeet) and more adept than any other subrace at harvesting natural bounties of berries, nuts, roots, and wild grains.
The only halflings who enjoy much proficiency at riding, Tallfellows favor small ponies. Indeed, many unique breeds of diminutive horse have been bred among Tallfellow clans: fast, shaggy-maned, nimble mounts with great endurance. In a charge, of course, they lack the impact of a humanmounted warhorse; nonetheless, Tallfellow companies have served admirably as light lancers and horsearchers during many a hardfought campaign.
On foot, Tallfellows wield spears with rare skill. They are adept at forming bristling 'porcupine' formations with these weapons, creating such a menacing array that horses and footmen alike are deterred from attacking. This is one of the few halfling formations capable of standing toe-to-toe with a larger opponent in the open field.
The fabled Kender is a curious example of convergent evolution. Their native world of Krynn is one of the few with no true halflings of its own, yet this "ecological niche" is filled by another race which, though unrelated, is similar in size, appearance, and culture: the Kender. Hairfeet, Stouts, and Tallfellows who have been to Krynn or have met Kender wanderers on other worlds have adopted them as honorary cousins, despite misgivings about the Kender's complete lack of the prized halfling virtue of common sense.
Kender are somewhat taller than an average Hairfoot or Stout, averaging 3'7". They are much more slender than true halflings, and they tend to show their age more - a fifty year old Kender will look like a forty year old human, whereas a Hairfoot will probably retain his or her youthful looks even into old age. Kender complexions are light, but they tan easily. They tend to wear their hair very long, with a characteristic topknot and long, trailing tail. They wear shoes most of the time, since unlike true halflings, they completely lack foot-fur.
Kender are the most curious of all halflingkin, the most willing to depart from their hearth and home to embark on a life of adventure. Most Kender are infused with wanderlust about the time they reach adulthood (in their early twenties) and are likely to spend several decades in an exploration of the world around them, only to feel an equally compelling urge to return home and settle down as they begin to age (midfifties to early sixties). Kender are absolutely and utterly fearless - even to the point of immunity to magically induced fear - and as a result are willing to travel literally anywhere and try almost anything.
The life expectancy of a Kender is similar to Hairfoot's (about a century) but it must be noted that, due to their curiosity and fearlessness, Kender are far more likely than any other halfling subrace to meet with a sudden and violent demise.
The Athasian halfling is by far the least social of all halfling subraces: clannish, suspicious, and distrustful of strangers. Their habit of eating intruders who venture into their territory makes them a danger to all unwary travelers. The Athasian halfling is unique among halfling cultures in this horrifying dietary trait (significantly, they do not consider themselves cannibals, since they don't eat each other, only members of other races).
The villages of these essentially nomadic folk are each centered around a great stone pyramid, with a scattering of small stone buildings around it. The village is the residence of a chief and a few of his or her followers. The rest of the halflings roam a well-defined patch of forest-land, though all the clans will gather at the village once every hundred days.
Athasian halflings average about 3'3" in height. Their skin color varies widely in tone, though even the paler shades tend to be wellbronzed by the sun - since this is a subrace that, as a rule, shuns clothing. Both males and females wear their hair in long, unkempt manes, aside from priests, who usually shave their heads; otherwise, their bodies are completely hairless.
Adept at negotiating all types of forested terrain, including dense swamps, thorny thickets, mangroves, and so on, Athasian halflings utilize this natural cover to screen their villages from larger folk. A network of pathways, each less than 4' high, will pass throughout the huge, densely verdant forest.
Athasian halflings thrive in terrain where other societies might have a hard time surviving. In part, this is because they are so selfsufficient, sharing many skills among the members of a single clan. Woodcarving, weaving, hunting and snaring, tanning, pottery, herbal medicine, alchemy (including the preparation of deadly or paralyzing poisons), farming and herding, jewelry, and featherwork are all common proficiencies among the Athasian halflings.
Though they will cautiously open trading arrangements with nearby cultures, whatever their race, these halflings tend to conduct all transactions in a neutral location or in the other party's community - foreign traders are not allowed into their villages. This arrangement is satisfactory to the other races as well, since these traders realize that they're taking their lives in their hands by venturing into the halflings' jungles - even large, well-armed parties are subject to raids and thievery by these halflings.
Halflings of Athas will treat members of their own subrace from other tribes with respect, generosity, and friendship - even if those halflings are accompanying enemies of the clan (a few renegade clans, however, refuse to recognize the common kinship, and traveling halflings are advised to avoid falling into their clutches).
As with all halfling subraces, a few Athasian halflings are very curious about the customs and traits of other cultures outside the boundaries of their own jungles and will become wary wanderers. While they find it hard to overcome suspicions that the folk they meet on their travels are only waiting for their guard to drop before trying to kill and eat them, these bold wanderers will experiment with different types of behavior and show great openness in trying new forms of food, entertainment, and other experiences.
The only halfling subrace to show any inclination for climbing trees, some halflings of Athas even make their homes in the branches of particular types of forest giants. The homes of such a village are connected by hanging bridges, often leading down spiraling ladders to additional buildings on the forest floor. A more typical camp is located in a clearing beside a steady supply of clean water. A thorny barrier, grown like a hedge to a height of 10' or more, protects the entire village except for a single, endlessly-guarded gate.
In combat, halflings of Athas prefer short bows, slings, and daggers. Since there is little metal on Athas, most of their weaponry is made of wood and bone. The subrace is also adept at the use of a very accurate blowgun which can silently fire darts up to 60'. These darts are typically coated with one of the virulent toxins or fast-acting paralytics distilled by the tribe's alchemists.
This rarest subrace of halflings originated on Falakyr (which simply means "the World" in the Furchin tongue), a frigid world of ice, mountain, and glacier. The Furchin are the dominant intelligent race there, though dwarves also inhabit some of Falakyr's underground regions; humans, elves, and gnomes are not found on Falakyr.
The Furchin would probably still exist in blissful isolation, had not an evil spelljamming wizard come across their world in his travels and decided these bearded halflings would make good slaves. Consequently, many were captured and taken to different worlds by the wizard's ships. Some escaped in various ports and eluded recapture until their ship had departed; thus, while they are extremely rare, Furchin can conceivably be met with in any campaign setting.
The most distinguishing feature of this subrace is the full, long beard that sprouts from the chin of the mature males. These beards are a matter of great pride, and in older Furchin often extend as far as the waist. The race favors warm clothing, woven of animal hair or lined with fur. They regularly wear snowshoes and boots.
Furchin halflings resemble Stouts in both height and girth, though their average life expectancy (80 years) is considerably shorter, no doubt due to their harsher native environment. Hair and skin color vary widely, but tend to be pale, though eyes are usually dark. Those few Furchin born with green eyes are accorded much status - they are believed to be emissaries of the gods and are treated to a life of near-royal privilege.
In their own environment, the Polar Halflings are primarily nomadic, ranging across icy glaciers and barren tundra, following great herds of migrating animals. They have become adept at surviving in these very harshest of conditions.
The Furchin dwell in small clans, usually no more than thirty individuals in a community. In summer they live in tents of leather; in winter they make small, domed shelters of ice. Their clothing is made of fur, their equipment from leather, bone, and ivory; wood is almost unknown on Falakyr. Tribal leaders often wield metal weapons and tools acquired through trading with the dwarves inhabiting Falakyr's interior.
Having developed a number of specialized skills, the Furchin halflings are among the most adept demihumans in existence at surviving in their grueling environment - and seemingly having a good time while they're doing it! In general, the Furchin are a goodhumored people who enjoy practical jokes, funny stories, and bawdy songs. Both parents care for the young with great tolerance and tenderness, teaching their children early on the secrets of surviving in their harsh clime.
Strangers - especially those who bring gifts, objects for trade, or interesting stories to tell - will be welcomed by the Furchin with warm hospitality. Although their lives are hard, they are an unselfish people and will treat visitors with kindness and generosity (unless given reason to do otherwise).
Members of this subrace are very proficient in specialized skills suited to their environment, some of which will carry over quite effectively into other locations. They are among the most patient trappers in the known worlds and skilled hunters, tanners, and leatherworkers as well. Their characteristic boat is a miniature kayak, a virtually water-tight shell of leather covering a sturdy bone frame. While only one of their skilled boatwrights can craft these vessels, virtually all adult Furchin are adept at piloting them.
When hunting, the Furchin use leather slings for small game and long, barbed spears for more formidable foes; a strong line can be attached to the spear to allow it (and whatever it has impaled) to be drawn back toward the launcher. In melee combat (which they avoid if at all possible), the Furchin use short handled axes and daggers. Because of their small numbers and an absence of potential foes, the members of this subrace are unused to war and have developed no tactics for fighting an organized formation of soldiers.
In the realm of hunting and stalking, however, the Furchin are second to none. Occasionally, a few Furchin led by an experienced warrior will embark on an mission to slay some dangerous threat to the tribe - such as a band of yetis or a frost giant. Through clever use of terrain and diversion, as well as patiently planned and executed ambush, these halflings have been known to vanquish foes many times their own size. In this respect, obviously, they are not so different from their cousins who live in warmer climes.
1) Half-Elven subraces
a) Half-Gold Elves
The half-grey elves have problems similar to the half-drow. They are not accepted by grey elves. They half-grey is not even allowed within the confines of the grey elven cities. Usually the half-grey elves find solace in human settlements, but some create cities of their own or become gypsies or traveling merchants. They have also been found as mercenaries and rangers.
Their skin tone is similar to their elven parent, being darker than the standard half-elf. Their eyes are often grey or brown with an occasional blue. Their hair is typically fine and light brown to blonde.
The half-grey elf is the most likely to be a loner due to choice. They are cheerful, but cautious of others, knowing that their trust must be earned because of their birth. Unlike the half-drow, the half-grey has a chance of acceptance in human society. Their intellect often puts them into political positions. The fact that they tend to have a longer lifespan than humans, makes them ideal judges and other political officials.
Half-High elves are the most common mixed-race beings. The relationship between elf, human, and half-elf is defined as follows: 1) Anyone with both elven and human ancestors is either a human or a half-elf (elves have only elven ancestors). 2) If there are more human ancestors than elven, the person is human; if there are equal numbers or more elves, the person is half-elven.
Half-elves are usually much like their elven parent in appearance. They are handsome folk, with the good features of each of their races. They mingle freely with either race, being only slightly taller than the average elf (5 feet 6 inches on average) and weighing about 150 pounds. They typically live about 160 years. They do not have all the abilities of the elf, nor do they have the flexibility of unlimited level advancement of the human. Finally, in some of the less-civilized nations, half-elves are viewed with suspicion and superstition.
In general, a half-elf has the curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition of his human ancestors and the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of his elven ancestors.
Half-elves do not form communities among themselves; rather, they can be found living in both elven and human communities. The reactions of humans and elves to half-elves ranges from intrigued fascination to outright bigotry.
The half-sylvan is a rare breed. Sylvan elves are not known for accepting humans near their camps, let alone near enough to produce offspring. Most of these children are the result of rape. Many humans don�t understand the sylvan elf desire to avoid contact with other races, and some have taken the sylvan elf warnings as threats, and attacked.
The half-sylvan elf is about the same skin tone as a human. In fact, it usually matches the human parent, although it can be slightly lighter. Their eyes are often hazel, brown, or green. Blue eyes are rare (about 1 in 1000). Hair color is typically brown, sometimes black. Very few will have blonde.
The half-sylvan elf is usually a ranger or druid, due to their connection with wildlife. Some even retain their elven ability to befriend the animals. The half-sylvan is typically stronger than other half-elves. If the elf is a product of warfare, he tends to be hateful towards humans, who have shown their disregard for life and wanton destruction.
There are few known half-elves of grugach descent. Those that have been seen have been in human societies, and look like a human with very fine hair and pointed ears. They tend to be slightly slimmer than the average human, but not enough to make a fine distinction.
Grugach will have nothing to do with them, and often try to kill them on sight (like everyone else). They have been known to seek out the offending human who brought the child into the world, and kill her. Most half-grugach are quick tempered, but know when to fight, and when to walk away.
They gravitate towards rangers, druids, and fighters, but may be any class. Most are good or neutral aligned.
They are the shortest lived of the half-elves, with average lifespans of 60 years (75 being incredibly ancient). They tend to be tall and wiry, but a lot of muscle tone. Half-snow elves have light brown or tan skin, blond hair, and silver to blue eyes.
They are extremely rare, since few humans travel to the arctic just to meet snow elves. Many of the snow elven parents are male, with the female traveling home to give birth. There are few, if any, half-snow elves in the arctic communities.
Typically, they are druids, fighters, rangers, or mages. There are more female mages than male, and the reverse hold true for the other classes. Those who are mages tend to be Cryomancers, Ecomancers, or Aquamancers. Pyromancers are almost unheard of.
The half-drow are outcasts in all societies. The drow loathe them, killing their parents. Other elves pity them and seek to kill them to end their suffering. All other races fear them because of their drow heritage. Although not all half-drow are evil, they tend towards neutral evil due to the fact that so many hate them, they see the world as a terrible place where they must defend themselves at every corner. Many half-drow are suicidal or at the least put themselves into harm�s way more times than necessary.
The half-drow skin colors range from light grey to dusky grey. Their eyes glow with the same fire that their elven parents have. Eye color is almost always black or red, but in rare cases it will be blue or brown. Their hair is often white or silver, but it is not unheard of for them to have blonde or brown hair.
Their ears are like other half-elves, long and pointed. Being from the underdark, they share some of the drow�s advantages and disadvantages. They must remain in the underdark in order to retain any of their abilities. First, they have a base 10% magic resistance. This improves by 5% each level after the first. Their superior infravision allows them to see objects up to 90 feet away. They have certain innate spell-like abilities as well. These don�t always manifest themselves unless the half-drow is a priest or mage. These abilities are identical to the drow abilities.