Playable Races
How the Races Are Sorted
Firstborn races are the foundational peoples of Essentia, each with their own base statistics, culture, and place in the world. Every race listed at the top level is a Firstborn. Kinborn are variant populations descended from a Firstborn race, carrying the same cultural heritage but with different base statistics that reflect their unique ancestry and adaptation to different environments or circumstances. Bloodlines
Culture begins at Level 4 when a character chooses a Path, and is determined by the Path they select, not by their race. Every Path carries its own cultural traditions, forbidden armaments, and Higher Power. A character's race provides their innate traits and physical nature; their culture comes from the calling they choose.
Example, Bloodlines: The Imperials are a Firstborn race. Crimson Imperials, Onyx Imperials, and the other bloodlines are distinct only in their skin hue and affinity to different magical schools. All hold the same base Imperials statistics, differing only in what they favor culturally or magically, not in their raw stats.
Example, Kinborn: The Dwarf is a Standard Size Firstborn. The Ash Dwarf is a Kinborn, descended from Dwarves but adapted to different stone and terrain, carrying different base stats than their Firstborn cousins.
Example, neither: The Glimmerstone Dwarf is a Small Size Firstborn in its own right. It has no relation to the Standard Size Dwarf, carries no Bloodlines and no Kinborn. It is entirely independent.
Choosing a Race, Overview
Whether a Player wants to embody a mighty Ogre, a graceful Elf, a resilient Dwarf, or a clever Ratkin, SORC provides a rich tapestry of races to explore. Race diversity is just the first array of different ways of playing SORC that makes every journey Unique in developing a character.
The selection of playable races in SORC offer a vast and diverse array of options for adventurers, ranging from towering Goliaths to tiny, yet cunning, Small folk. Each race has its own Traits that they are either strong in, weak in or balanced to, its own cultural backgrounds, often shared with others, and physical characteristics, allowing Players to craft characters that fit their preferred playstyle and story. Each race individually has the same Statistics and Traits and cultures do not change this. Culture is determined by the background the Player chooses for their race.
For instance, every human, regardless of whether or not they're †Omnè or Nordian, begins with the same exact Traits and Stats. The only thing different here is their culture and that doesn't mean a Nordian cannot develop into an Omnè culture, and that is said for Omnè embracing Nordian cultures as well. The world of Essentia is not only diverse in culture, but globally communicates amongst its planets. However, that isn't to say items first developed on Omnè aren't more rare on Zail, they are and that rule applies both ways. A secret Nordian Recipe for "Nord Feast", would be less likely to be found on Omnè than it would Zailister (or even continents on Zailister other than the Nordian's native Glaciera). At the same time, Omnè Technologically Advanced Weapons (TAW) would be less likely to be found on Zailister than Omnè but the Characters Background allows them to choose TAW, unless the GM opposes this rule.
†The Omnè are further advanced in technology than any other human culture, not because they are the most inherently intelligent, but because they are the most ancient of all human cultures and their development further away from the main sun Adoria, hadn't allowed them to rely on magic.
‡The Fae predate every other race in Essentia, the oldest people in the world's history, present in the earliest myths of every culture that came after them. Their true homeworld is Tenue, a planet riding a similar orbital path to Zailister, just a bit closer to Adoria, shielded from that closeness by the same dense magical overgrowth that keeps its surface temperate. Fae are also native to Zailister itself, through the Veilwood, a hidden plane within Zailister's own forests that opens directly onto Tenue, grown from that same overgrowth. Veilwood is the heart of all magical and enchanted forest on Zailister, every enchanted grove and Fae-touched wood on the planet traces back to it, however distant, and Veilwood itself holds a direct magical path straight to Tenue. Fae are not yet available as a playable race in these rules. More on Tenue, and every other world, can be found in its own planetary volume and in Into the Uncharted Worlds of Essentia.
§The Primal of Ignis are the only other people whose lineage reaches back nearly as far as the Fae's, though theirs is the oldest continuously practiced way of life rather than the oldest race outright, see Primal, Playable Races from Afar below. Despite their close physical resemblance to humans, Primal are their own distinct race.
Ignis is home to two playable races so far: the Emberscale and the Primal (see Playable Races from Afar below).
Planet Two: Tenue
Tenue sits only barely closer to Adoria than Zailister, sharing a similar orbital path just nearer to the source, and that nearness is exactly where its magic comes from. By every measure of distance alone, Tenue should run hotter than Zailister. It doesn't. Tenue is cooler, its landscapes held temperate by the dense magical overgrowth blanketing the surface, foliage grown thick and old, fed by Adoria's raw magic at close range, and strong enough to turn back the sun's heat on its own.
Despite the cooler air, Tenue is never dim, unless underground, home of the Drow. It experiences blinding light during the day, and at night the skies stay bright, held that way by its neighboring third planet, which reflects Adoria's light back across Tenue's surface even after dark. Tenue has no moon of its own.
Tenue is the true homeworld of all Fae, and the source of the same magical overgrowth that protects it, overgrowth that reaches all the way to Zailister as the Veilwood, an enchanted forest holding a direct path between the two worlds.
Tenue isn't as hot as Zailister, even sitting closer to Adoria, because of the magical overgrowth protecting it.
- Excerpt from: Into the Uncharted Worlds of Essentia
Also see Species below (A link taking readers back to Goliath Races is at bottom of a description of all Species throughout Essentia).
Culture
Culture in SORC is not one thing, it is a set of them. A Character's Race sets their body; their Culture sets what that body was raised into, and it is drawn from several sources at once. None of them change a Character's Traits or Stats, two Humans have identical numbers whether one was raised Omnè and the other Nordian, what differs is what each was taught, what each has access to, and what each is expected to refuse.
The culture types recognised so far:
- Race Culture - the people a Character is born to, and the homeworld or region behind them (Omnè and Nordian Humans, Bridge and Mountain Trolls, the Primal of Ignis, the Fae of Tenue). See each race's own entry below.
- Background Culture - the upbringing chosen at creation, which can override birth entirely. Any Culture in Essentia may be taken by any race through Background, race sets no limit on it. A Dwarf raised among the Omnè counts as Omnè for cultural purposes, an Orcus raised Nordian counts as Nordian, and a Human raised among the Fae counts as Fae (see Backgrounds, above).
- Class Culture - a Path or Branch is itself a culture, with its own training, rites, tools, and taboos. This is the culture that decides which weapons a Character's Abilities are performed with, and which their tradition refuses outright (see below).
- Higher Power Culture - the patron a Character devotes to at LVL 4, which carries its own observances, its own foes, and its own list of traditions it will not share a Character with (see Higher Power, below).
- Regional Culture - where the campaign is set, which governs what is common to find, buy, or craft versus what is rare (see Cultural Armaments & Rarity, Appendix).
Human Cultures. Humans carry no bloodlines and no kinborns, every Human holds the same base stats, and what separates one from another is the culture they were raised in. The named Human cultures so far are the Nordian, the Eldrim, the Tanu'la, and the Xo'kajal, alongside the Humans raised among the Omnè. More are on the way.
Favored and Averse Classes. Every Race carries a list of Favored Classes, granting +5, and Averse Classes, taking -5 (see Favored and Averse Class Bonuses, below, and each Class's own entry, Basic Rules pg. 3). These are cultural, not biological: they reflect which traditions a people have long practiced and which sit at odds with how they live, not any limit on what a Character may become. A Race averse to a Class may still take it and excel, they simply start further back than someone raised to it.
Culture begins at LVL 4 and carries through. A Main Class Tier (Levels 1-3) carries no Culture of its own. A Class's three Paths have no cultural common ground to share, an Avenger's Cleric, Monk, and Priest hold only faith in common and nothing of how it is practiced, so nothing cultural can be stated at the Tier at all. Culture begins at LVL 4, when a Path is chosen, and that Path's Culture governs from there: its weapons, its armor, its forbidden armaments, its Higher Power. It carries through the Branch unchanged. A Branch is aligned to its own Path, not a fresh tradition, so it inherits that Path's Culture whole rather than starting one of its own. What a Branch may do is state exceptions, specific armaments its own practice permits or refuses where the Path does not, and those can loosen the Path's Culture as readily as tighten it. Anything a Branch does not name as an exception stays exactly as its Path set it (see each Class's Paths and Branches, Basic Rules pg. 3).
Background feeds Culture too. The Background chosen at creation is itself a cultural source and can override birth entirely. Any race may hold any Culture this way, there is no pairing a race is barred from: a Dwarf raised among the Omnè counts as Omnè for every cultural purpose, rarity and availability included, and the same holds for every other race and Culture in Essentia (see Backgrounds, above). Where a Background and a Path's Culture disagree, both apply, a Character raised to one tradition and trained into another carries the restrictions of each.
Class Culture and Armaments. Because a Class is a culture, its Abilities carry cultural restrictions on what performs them. Every Tier, Path, and Branch lists the weapons its Abilities are used with, and one must be readied to perform any Ability from that tree; weapons the tradition refuses are listed as Weapons Forbidden under that tree's Culture (see Required Weapons, Appendix). An Avenger is fully capable of swinging a TAW mace, their faith simply does not channel through manufactured technology, so no Avenger Ability comes of it. Basic ATTKs are never restricted this way, any Character may wield any weapon they can carry and attack with it normally (see Basic ATTKs and Ability ATTKs, Basic Rules pg. 5).
What a Culture governs. A Path's Culture speaks to four things, and a weapon or piece of armor has to clear all four to carry that Path's Abilities:
- Weapon Type and Style - what the tradition fights with, and which Types it refuses outright (see Required Weapons, Appendix).
- Material - what the thing is made of. Some traditions care more about this than about shape: an order that will touch nothing but wood refuses a steel mace and a bone club alike, however well either matches its Style.
- Variant - which Variants the tradition works with, and which it refuses outright (see Armament Variants, Basic Rules pg. 4).
- Armor - what may be worn while its Abilities are used. This is separate from the Armor Grade threshold and works differently, see below.
Armor: two rules, not one. A Path's Armor Grade threshold is about weight and mobility. Wearing heavier than the threshold never blocks an Ability, it costs a scaling Armament Penalty, and a high enough Trait score reduces that Penalty (see Armament Penalty, Appendix). A Path's Armor Forbidden list is about Culture instead, and no Trait touches it: armor a tradition refuses blocks its Abilities outright, the same way a forbidden weapon does, however light the piece happens to be. An order forbidden metal is barred from a light mail shirt as surely as from plate.
Building a Set. An Ability is performed with what is actually in hand and on the body. Both the weapon and the armor must be readied, and both must satisfy the Culture of whichever Path the Ability is drawn from, before that Ability can be performed at all. Characters therefore assemble Sets, a weapon and an armor loadout chosen together to keep one Path's Abilities available. A Character readies up to three weapons and one armor piece per game day (see Weapons Carried, Basic Rules pg. 4), so a Character drawing on more than one Path should build a Set that clears every Culture they intend to use that day. Where two Paths' Cultures cannot be satisfied at once, one tradition refusing metal while another requires it, that Character carries only one of them into the day and swaps at the next opportunity to change their Armament Set. Basic ATTKs are never part of this, they work with anything (see Basic ATTKs and Ability ATTKs, Basic Rules pg. 5).
Cultural Armaments. Every playable Race has Armaments tied to its own people, a Weapon Type, armor style, or technique unique to them. TAW (Technologically Advanced Weapons) and Chthonic are the two best known, but Troll-make weaponry and Ignis's Primal Armaments are equally cultural, and every Race carries its own whether written up yet or not. Each is rare outside that culture's reach and common only when the campaign sits within or near that culture's territory, or the Character belongs to it by Race or Background (see Cultural Armaments & Rarity, Appendix).
Why Omnè and Tredeki run oldest. The first cognitive, civilization-capable life in Essentia arose on Omnè Malum and Tredeki, before any other world, Zailister included (see the Age of Creation, Into the Uncharted Worlds of Essentia). That head start, not any innate edge, is why Omnè and Tredeki carry the oldest continuous manufacturing traditions on record, TAA and Techmat both trace back to it, and why every younger culture that copies them is doing exactly that, copying.
More to come... Culture is an expanding system. Religion, language, trade, kinship structures, and cultural Prestige are all planned to hang from this section in a later release, along with the full per-Race culture write-ups.
Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude
Aptitude and Inaptitude are Race and Kinborn Gifts or Burdens innately inherited by characters of that race. A Drow's darkvision is an Aptitude, as is a Gnome's ability to speak with burrowing Flora (like some fungi) and Fauna (like small animals). Each race carries innate passive Aptitudes and Inaptitudes, non-combat traits baked into their biology, heritage, and upbringing. These are always active and require no action to use. They cannot be removed, suppressed, or replaced by class choices, though some may be developed further through Talent Trees. Inaptitudes work the same way in reverse: they are permanent frictions that no amount of training fully eliminates, though their penalties can sometimes be offset by other bonuses. Aptitudes and Inaptitudes are separate from Trait scores and ATTR bonuses, they represent what a race simply is, not what a character has learned to do.
Neither side stays frozen at character creation. Every year of age lived, a character's Innate Aptitude advances on its own, following a fixed progression set per race, either deepening an Aptitude they already carry or manifesting an entirely new one at that stage, capped so no single Aptitude scales without limit. This advancement is tied directly to Growth progression. It isn't a choice the Player makes and it isn't random, every character of that race advances through the same set sequence, it just happens as a natural part of aging. Innate Inaptitude eases the same way but far more slowly: once every ten years of age lived, its penalty softens by a small, fixed amount, also following that race's set progression. It never fully disappears, a lifetime of living around it only takes the edge off.
Example, Drow:
- Dark Vision (Improved) - an early stage of natural growth deepens the Drow's existing Aptitude: sight in total darkness sharpens to pick out fine detail and faint color, and a sudden flare of bright light no longer briefly blinds and disorients them.
- Earth Mastery - a later stage of growth manifests an entirely new Aptitude instead: tunnels through loose earth or soil at 5 feet per turn; cannot burrow through solid stone or worked structures, and cannot attack while burrowing.
- Earth Mastery (Improved) - later still, Earth Mastery itself deepens further: burrow speed increases to 10 feet per turn, and while burrowing the Drow can sense footsteps and movement through the earth around them within 15 feet. This is as far as Earth Mastery grows.
Each starter race lists Favored affinities for Class Trees, Professions, Talent Trees, and Companions. Favored Professions grant bonus Experience (XP) toward proficiency LVLs (Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, Artisan, Master, Grandmaster). Favored Talent Trees grant +1 to talent rolls in those trees. Favored Companion types bond in half the normal time at 25% reduced upkeep. Note: Innate Abilities can be developed further through Talent Trees, if a talent supersedes an innate inability, the talent takes precedence.
Favored Class Tree Bonuses
A race lists Favored Class Trees, and across its entire Favored list, only one Path may carry a deeper bonus, and only one Branch nested under that same Path may carry the deepest bonus. Every other Main Class Tree, Path, or Branch listed gets the flat bonus only.
A Favored Main Class Tree grants +5 to all Ability rolls made in that Class Tree. The single chosen Favored Path instead grants +7, total, replacing the flat +5 for that Path, and the single chosen Favored Branch instead grants +9, total, replacing the flat +5 for that Branch.
This bonus does not apply to Innate Aptitude or Miracles.
Each race's Innate Trait bonuses and penalties are listed below.
Innate Trait Alignment with Attributes
The Innate Trait bonus or penalty reflects the same score as its aligned ATTR. In the case there are more than one trait aligned with the same attribute, it is the highest score for bonuses or lowest score for penalties respectively. For instance, if a Race has Innate Trait bonus of STR +2 and AGI +1, both aligned with the ATTR Physique, that race's base ATTR SCR is +2 (the highest of the two). If the same Race has a Penalty of -3 in Wit and -2 in Intuition, both aligned to Vigilance (VIG), that Race's base ATTR SCR in VIG is -3 (the lower of the two).
Playable races are grouped below by size, the Zailister sizes first and the races from other planets after them. A race sets the body a character starts with: its Innate Trait adjustments, its starting ATTR floor, its Aptitude and Inaptitude, its lifespan, and the Classes and Companions it favors. Size decides reach and fit at the table, what a Goliath can put a hand on and where a Small race can go.
How the Races Are Sorted
Races are listed by Size first, Goliath, Standard, then Small. Within a Size they are listed by Firstborn, and a Firstborn may carry Bloodlines, Kinborn, or neither.
- Firstborn, the race itself. Every race has one.
- Bloodlines are their Firstborn in a different hue, each carrying bonuses that set it apart from the others. A Firstborn with Bloodlines has no default, and one is chosen at creation.
- Kinborn are sub races of their Firstborn, carrying different base stats. Not every Firstborn has them.
Example, Bloodlines. The Imperials are a Firstborn. Crimson, Onyx, Violet, Azure and Verdant are its Bloodlines, the same Imperial in a different hue, each with bonuses of its own. There is no plain Imperial to play, so a character is one of them. Drāco Blood runs the same way, six hues over the one Firstborn.
Example, Kinborn. The Dwarf is a Standard Size Firstborn. The Ash Dwarf is its Kinborn, carrying different base stats.
Example, neither. The Glimmerstone Dwarf is a Small Size Firstborn in its own right. It has no relation to the Standard Size Dwarf, and it carries no Bloodlines and no Kinborn.
Goliath Size Races
Goliaths are towering beings, typically standing between 7 to 9 feet tall, known for their impressive strength, endurance, and commanding presence.
Base Life: 60 | Base Mana: 24 | Base Stamina: 40 | Base Endurance: 35 | Base Speed: 40 ft. | Base Carry: 200 lbs | Size Bonus: +1 Strength, +1 Toughness | Size Penalty: -1 Agility, -1 Defense
Goliaths have the highest Stamina, Strength and Speed of any size tier, built for sustained physical dominance. Their Mana pool is lower than Standard and Small, while their mass favors physical strength and vigor over magical capacity.
Bast
Bast treat most encounters like a game they've already decided to win. Quick tongues and a knack for always landing on top, figuratively and otherwise, have earned them a reputation as charming liars and worse cardsharps. They're easy to underestimate and that's exactly how they prefer it; a Bast caught in a straight fight has usually already lost, but a Bast given an opening rarely needs a second one.
Bugbear
Bugbears are tall, broad-shouldered predators covered in coarse, bristled fur, built for both raw strength and the patience of a hunter. Despite their size, they move with surprising quiet through dense brush and rocky terrain, relying on ambush as often as brute force to bring down prey twice their size.
Centyr
Centyr, derived from the word "Center," a mythical race combining human-like features with various types of horns and matching animal lower bodies. Centyr beings possess a striking and unique appearance.
Firbolg
Firbolgs are gentle giants who carry themselves with a quiet, deliberate calm, more inclined to step around a conflict than start one. Their lives are spent deeply entwined with the natural world, tending to forests and wildlife with the same care others might reserve for family.
Of Fae lineage, however distant, descended from Tenue, through the Veilwood, into Zailister, same as Elves (see Fae, above).
Stories travelers tell of Firbolgs speaking with deer and trees aren't far off, a Firbolg can share simple thoughts with any animal or plant they can see, a quiet conversation that needs no words and no effort.
That same gentleness makes Firbolg slow to anger and slower still to act first, in a fight that demands a hard, fast decision, a Firbolg's instinct to step back can cost them the opening.
Race Culture
Firbolgs armor to end fights rather than start them. Broad, heavy and deliberately unthreatening in line, the work of a people who would rather absorb a blow and give the other side time to reconsider. Little ornament, and none of it martial. See Cultural Armaments, and refer to the Tomes of Essentia for the full history.
Spirit & Apex
Spirit Start 6 (+2 growth) | Apex Start 8 (+2 growth)
Innate Trait Adjustments
+3 Intuition, +1 Piety | -2 Deceit, -2 Charisma, -1 Agility
Starting ATTR Floor
VIG 2, WIS 1
Innate Aptitude
Speak with Flora and Fauna | shares simple thoughts with any animal or plant within sight; passive, no roll required for basic exchanges.
Innate Inaptitude
-2 to all rolls requiring a fast, aggressive first move; a Firbolg's instinct to step back costs them the opening in any sudden confrontation.
Lifespan: ~500 years (Mortal)
Starting Age: 125 | Retirement Age: 165 (see Time, pg. 4)
Favored Classes
Druid +4 / Path: Hyborian +4 / Branch: Metamorpher +6
Favored Companions
1. Pet, a Small forest creature drawn to a Firbolg's quiet, gentle company. Bond in half the time, -25% upkeep.
2. Guardian, a Goliath-sized companion that watches over the woods a Firbolg tends. Bond in half the time, -25% upkeep.
Refer to Specific Companion Cards for default Races they dislike.
Hawkbear
Hawkbears are imposing hybrids, a bear's dense frame and head, with a hawk's hooked beak and piercing, predatory eyes. They also feature loose folds of skin stretching from wrist to ankle that when stretched out allow them to glide, whether it's from a jumping start or off of a mountain's edge, far distances in the air.
Leshy
Massive, emerald-eyed beings from the frontiers of Tredeki, with bark-textured hide and vine-entwined hair-crests. They govern themselves under a strict tribal code of wilderness supremacy, the land is sacred, and those who cannot survive it have no authority over it.
Leshy measure status by survival, not lineage or wealth, a Leshy who has weathered the harshest seasons of Tredeki commands more respect in their tribe than one born into any title.
A Leshy steps off Tredeki without a currency anyone else recognizes, and the same directness that commands respect in the wild reads as outright hostility in a city, no Leshy holds rank or title once they've left their tribe's land behind.
Race Culture
A Leshy is already armored, bark hide granting protection before anything is strapped over it, so Leshy work is cut away rather than built up, leaving hide and vine-crests exposed and working. They wear Imperial Techmat when they wear anything manufactured at all, and they cut it down to suit, which Imperials consider vandalism. See Cultural Armaments, and refer to the Tomes of Essentia for the full history.
Innate Trait Adjustments
+2 Toughness, +2 Intuition, +1 Constitution, +1 Piety | -2 Charisma, -2 Deceit, -2 Knowledge
Starting ATTR Floor
VIG 2, PHY 2, Wisdom (WIS) 1
Innate Aptitude
Bark hide grants +3 natural Armor Scr. before armor is applied.
+2 to all wilderness survival, tracking, and foraging rolls.
Immune to natural poisons and toxins native to Tredeki.
Vine-crests allow passive communication with plant life, detect growth patterns, recent disturbance, or hidden paths.
Innate Inaptitude
Laser-credit systems only, Leshy do not recognize or use universal coin currency. Transactions off Tredeki require an intermediary.
-3 to all social rolls in urban or heavily structured environments, their tribal directness reads as aggression.
Cannot hold civic, political, or legal titles outside of Tredeki.
Lifespan: ~800 years (Mortal)
Starting Age: 200 | Retirement Age: 240 (see Time, pg. 4)
Favored Classes
Druid +4 / Path: Hyborian +4 / Branch: Metamorpher +6
Shaman +5
Barbarian +5
Favored Companions
1. Pet, a Standard-sized companion drawn from Tredeki's wilderness alongside a Leshy. Bond in half the time, -25% upkeep.
2. Guardian, a Goliath-sized companion that helps a Leshy hold their tribe's land. Bond in half the time, -25% upkeep.
Refer to Specific Companion Cards for default Races they dislike.
Ogre
Towering and muscular, ogres are known for their immense strength and ferocity in battle.
Troll
The Common Troll is a highly adaptable and versatile race, known for their exceptional resilience and resourcefulness. They possess a sturdy build with thick, leathery skin that provides natural protection.
Continue to full Troll Race Card
| Troll - Firstborn | Jack of all trades; Trait +2 Toughness, +1 Constitution |
| Bridge Troll - Kinborn | Riddle-wise; Trait +2 Wit, +1 Deceit | Perfect in cramped dark; edgy in open spaces. Full Card |
| Mountain Troll - Kinborn | Sure-footed climber; Trait +2 Toughness, +1 Warded | Scales cliffs with ease; poor at diplomacy. Full Card |
| Sand Troll - Kinborn | Dune walker; Trait +2 Constitution, +1 Deceit | Desert master; sluggish in cold. Full Card |
| Village Troll - Kinborn | Community guardian; chose civilization over solitary instincts; protective and dedicated. Full Card |
Standard Sized Races
Standard-sized races stand between 5 to 7 feet tall, offering a versatile and balanced physique suitable for a wide range of roles and Abilities.
Base Life: 50 | Base Mana: 32 | Base Stamina: 32 | Base Endurance: 35 | Base Speed: 30 ft. | Base Carry: 100 lbs | Size Bonus: None | Size Penalty: None
Standard races are the most balanced of the three size tiers, equal Mana and Stamina pools with no size-LVL strengths or weaknesses. What they lack in extremes they make up for in flexibility. Endurance is shared across all sizes at 30 and resets daily. Each race within this tier has its own innate trait bonuses and penalties, Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude, Favored Class Trees, companion affinities, Profession bonuses, Talent Tree preferences, and lifespan. These stack on top of the size base above.
Caelen
Remade by Astral Cabal experimentation, Caelen are cyborg beings of precision and calculation. They run on machine logic where flesh once guided them, and do not tire, do not err, and do not forget.
Continue to full Caelen Race Card
| Caelen - Firstborn | Cybernetic; Trait +2 Dexterity, +2 Knowledge, +1 Toughness, +1 Focus. Full Card |
Drâco Blood (Not Playable in Starter Set)
Dragon-blooded humans carrying lineage from one of six ancient bloodlines, chosen at character creation. Draco Blood characters bear innate charisma and draconic resilience, capable of wielding powerful draconic magic. Their bloodline determines their Elemental Aptitude and Favored Classes.
Continue to full Draco Blood Race Card
| Draco Blood - Firstborn | Draconic bloodline; Trait +2 Charisma, +1 Intuition, +1 Defense. Full Card |
| Red Draco - Kinborn | Fire-blooded; Favors Sorcerer; weak to ice. Full Card |
| Blue Draco - Kinborn | Ice-blooded; Favors Witch; weak to fire. Full Card |
| Black Draco - Kinborn | Shadow-blooded; Favors Strategist; weak to lightning. Full Card |
| White Draco - Kinborn | Arcane-blooded; Favors Magic User; weak to shadow. Full Card |
| Green Draco - Kinborn | Poison-blooded; Favors Witch; weak to nature. Full Card |
| Gold Draco - Kinborn | Nature-blooded; Favors Druid; weak to poison. Full Card |
Dwarf
Sturdy and resilient, Common Dwarves are known for their craftsmanship, endurance, and hearty nature. They thrive in mountain halls and underground cities, with a mastery of forging, stonework, and deep-earth navigation. Their tough physiques and unwavering determination make them formidable allies and resilient foes.
Continue to full Dwarf Race Card
| Dwarf - Firstborn | Master crafter; Trait +1 Toughness, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +1 Strength | Stone Sense, Dark Vision, Treasure Sense. Full Card |
| Arctic Dwarf - Kinborn | Frost-hardened; Trait +2 Constitution, +1 Warded | Immune to frostbite; wilt in heat. Full Card |
| Ash Dwarf - Kinborn | Forge-born; Trait +2 Warded, +1 Strength | Heat resistant; sluggish in cold and damp. Full Card |
| Red Dwarf - Kinborn | Fire alchemist; Fire magic and jewel crafting master; manipulates fire and its elements. Full Card |
Elf
Graceful forest dwellers skilled in archery and nature magic, living in harmony with their woodland environment. Of Fae lineage, descended from Tenue, through the Veilwood, into Zailister.
Continue to full Elf Race Card
| Elf - Firstborn | Forest archer; Trait +2 Agility, +1 Wit | Nature Sense, Forest Navigation, Immortal. Full Card |
| Arch Elf - Kinborn | Eldest line; Trait +2 Wit, +1 Piety | First Tongue; reads ancient work and magic; distrusts recent methods. Full Card |
| Elf (High) - Kinborn | Descendants of Arch Elves; versatile spellcasters with deep memory. Trait +2 Agility, +1 Wit | Unfading Memory. Full Card |
| Drow - Kinborn | Dark-dweller; Trait +2 Agility, +1 Wit | Dark Vision, immortal. Full Card |
| Vila - Kinborn | Wind-dancer of high meadows; Trait +3 Agility, +1 Intuition | Windstep, immortal. Full Card |
| Haugfolk - Kinborn | Mound-dweller; Trait +2 Toughness, +1 Knowledge | Mound-Hidden, immortal. Full Card |
Emberscale
Cold-blooded reptilian humanoids native to Ignis, their scaled hide drinks heat for strength and resilience. Tall and broad-shouldered with amber eyes and heat-forged traditions, they live scattered among Ignis's fire elementals and golems.
Continue to full Emberscale Race Card
| Emberscale - Firstborn | Heat-lover; Trait +2 Toughness, +2 Resistance, +1 Constitution | Sunbasked, fire-resistant. Full Card |
Gnoll
Gnolls live and fight as a pack first, individual second, a lone Gnoll is rare, and rarer still is a happy one. Tribal hierarchy is settled through strength and is rarely questioned once decided.
Human
The most versatile of all races, humans are natural communicators, traders, and survivors. Their adaptability has allowed them to establish cultures across every corner of Essentia, with no separate sub-races—every human shares the same base Traits and Stats.
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| Human - Firstborn | Adaptable; Trait +1 Courage, +1 Charisma, +1 Deceit | Versatile, polyglot, quick learner. Full Card |
Imperial
Humans bearing the lineage of five ancient bloodlines, each aligned with a school of psychic magic. Frail and charismatic, Imperials shift their natural coloring at will, weaving mind-magic where martial combat fails.
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| Imperial - Firstborn | Psion-blooded; Trait +2 Charisma, +1 Wit | Chromatic Shift, immortal. Full Card |
Orcus
Subterranean dwellers of the Tantalizing Mountains cursed by broken oaths ages past. Pale and sunken-skinned, they navigate pitch-black caverns by stone-sense and carry an ancient hatred for bards and false-speakers.
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| Orcus - Firstborn | Stone-dweller; Trait +2 Strength, +2 Constitution | Stonesense, Oathsense. Full Card |
Ossein
The Ossein died and kept going, and they will tell you the second part is the only part that matters. Skin still covers them, drawn so tight to the frame that every joint reads through it, but it never rotted and it never sloughed, which is the line they draw between themselves and everything else walking Hexagonum. They are not wraiths. They will correct you on that.
Continue to full Ossein (Hexagonum, Standard Size, Undead) Race Card
Primal
A prehistoric, tribal people who never adopted metal tools or written language, relying instead on stone, bone, and instinct passed down hunter to hunter across generations on Ignis's ash fields. Tall and lean, built with wiry, corded muscle rather than bulk, with nutmeg-toned skin and coarse, ash-grayed hair worn in tight braids or shaved close to keep it out of a fight, a Primal is easy to pick out of a crowd by their tattoos alone, ash-ink worked into deep charcoal-black lines across the arms, chest, and scalp. They live in scattered bands between the wandering fire elementals and golems that call the world home, reading omens in their movements rather than fearing them. Every scar and kill earns a tattoo, worked into the skin with ash-ink and a bone needle, the most sacred marks are placed where the wearer will never see them, on the back of the skull, meant only for whoever stands behind them.
Skrath
Wiry reptilian pack-hunters native to Tredeki's frontiers, with rapid cellular regeneration that closes wounds in minutes. They live fast and violent lives with no formal hierarchy, leadership earned and lost in moments.
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| Skrath - Firstborn | Pack-hunter; Trait +2 Agility, +2 Constitution, +1 Toughness | Rapid Regeneration, pack instinct. Full Card |
Small Size Races
Small races are typically between 3 to 5 feet tall, characterized by their agility, stealth, and dexterity, making them excellent at sneaking and navigating tight spaces.
Base Life: 40 | Base Mana: 40 | Base Stamina: 24 | Base Endurance: 35 | Base Speed: 25 ft. | Base Carry: 50 lbs | Size Bonus: +1 Agility, +1 Defense | Size Penalty: -1 Strength, -1 Toughness
Quicker Feet: Small races move at 25 ft. base speed and can change direction at every 5 ft. square without penalty, cutting corners, reversing course mid-stride, and slipping through gaps in ways larger bodies simply can't follow. When a Small race is on the move, predicting where they're going is half the problem.
Small races have the highest Mana pool of any size tier and are the quickest on their feet thanks to Quicker Feet. Their Stamina is lower than Goliath and Standard, and their Life is the lowest, they are not built for prolonged physical punishment. Each race within this tier has its own innate trait bonuses and penalties, Innate Aptitude and Inaptitude, Favored Class Trees, companion affinities, Profession bonuses, Talent Tree preferences, and lifespan. These stack on top of the size base above.
Brownling
Charming smallfolk of Halfling and Brownie Fae lineage, with pointed ears and luminescent complexion. Masters of Fae magic and household craft, naturally reclusive yet skilled in stealth and artistic expression.
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| Brownling - Firstborn | Hearth-keeper; Trait +2 Charisma, +1 Knowledge | Hearthcraft, Fae-touched. Full Card |
Drevane
Original inhabitants of Omnè, adapted over generations to thrive in its toxic atmosphere. Thick-skinned watchers and keepers, they sense environmental hazards without rolling and distrust both machinery and artificial structures.
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| Drevane - Firstborn | Atmosphere-adapted; Trait +2 Constitution, +2 Toughness, +1 Intuition | Toxic immunity, hardened skin. Full Card |
Dwarf (Glimmerstone)
Master treasure-hunters of part-dwarf, part-Fae lineage, with keen senses for locating gems and enchanted materials. Charming, calculating, and driven by insatiable greed tempered with silver-tongued cunning.
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| Dwarf (Glimmerstone) - Firstborn | Treasure-seeker; Trait +2 Intuition, +3 Deceit, +2 Charisma | Mineral Instinct, Glimmer Step. Full Card |
Gnome
Mole-like burrowers with wrinkled faces and light-sensitive eyes, compulsively driven to tinker with broken locks and contraptions. Masters of engineering and flora-fauna communication, though rarely subtle in conversation.
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| Gnome - Firstborn | Tinkerer; Trait +3 Wit, +1 Deceit | Engineering Prowess, flora-fauna communion. Full Card |
Goblorc
Goblorcs combine a goblin's quick mind with an orc's brute frame, building war camps that run on cleverness as much as muscle, the smartest goblorc in a camp usually outranks the strongest.
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| Goblorc - Firstborn | Tactical warcamp strategist; Trait +2 Deceit, +1 Knowledge | Battlefield reader, tactical planning. Full Card |
Halfling
Halflings build their lives around comfort and community, their hidden burrows and villages easy to walk past without noticing, blessed with an uncanny knack for finding luck in the smallest moments.
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| Halfling - Firstborn | Lucky comfort-seeker; Trait +1 Agility | Reroll per session, rural stealth, tinker. Full Card |
Helf
Adaptable hybrids inheriting traits from both human and elf, Helfs read people and cultures with an uncanny skill, though they belong fully to neither.
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| Helf - Firstborn | Dual-culture hybrid; Trait +2 Agility, +1 Wit | Insight on first impression, hybrid gear. Full Card |
Hobbling
Hobblings carry hobgoblin discipline and halfling nerve, training from youth to fight in tight coordination with allies, moving and striking with practiced economy.
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| Hobbling - Firstborn | Coordinated fighter; Trait +2 Agility, +1 Dexterity | Drilled coordination, unit discipline. Full Card |
Miceling
Micelings are natural contortionists folding through gaps and crawlspaces no bigger than a fist, with sharp senses underground and an uncanny knack for finding their way through mazes and ruins.
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| Miceling - Firstborn | Tunnel-wise contortionist; Trait +3 Willpower, +2 Dexterity, +1 Wit | Fistgap squeeze, maze navigation. Full Card |
Neanderthal
Neanderthals are built for endurance over speed, heavy-boned and broad-shouldered, surviving Glaciera's brutal cold through sheer physical resilience and practical determination.
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| Neanderthal - Firstborn | Glaciera endurer; Trait +2 Strength, +2 Toughness, +1 Constitution | Cold-forged, environmental resistance. Full Card |
Omnè
Ancient human civilization from planet Omné, developed entirely through technology without magic, now driven to Zailister by their dying star Tawdry Dwarf. Omnè solve problems with hard data and advanced engineering, requiring sealed pressure suits outside their habitats.
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| Omnè - Firstborn | Tech-forged engineer; Trait +2 Knowledge, +1 Wit | TAA mastery, suit-reliant, no magic. Full Card |
Pinkling
Pinklings are unmistakable for their distinctive skin tone and their reputation for trickery and con artistry, talking their way past marks once with convincing lies, though word travels fast when caught.
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| Pinkling - Firstborn | Con artist; Trait +2 Deceit, +1 Agility | First mark advantage, reputation penalty. Full Card |
Ratkin
Ratkin are back-stabbers both literal and figurative, seeing clearly in darkness and moving through sewers and crypts with practiced ease, though they earn deep distrust everywhere they go.
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| Ratkin - Firstborn | Dungeon sneaker; Trait +2 Agility, +2 Dexterity, +1 Wit | Dark vision, underground stealth, distrust. Full Card |
Snow Dwarf
Snow Dwarves carved their halls into icy peaks and lean hard into raw endurance, able to march through blizzard conditions that would exhaust other races, though magic and fine craft never took root for them.
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| Snow Dwarf - Firstborn | Blizzard endurer; Trait +1 Constitution, +1 Resistance, +1 Toughness | Storm march, plain craft. Full Card |
Sylvan
Sylvan Elves live deep in the wild, conversing with the forest itself and sensing animal moods and warnings, though they grow restless and duller away from open sky.
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| Sylvan - Firstborn | Wild conversant; Trait +3 Agility | Wildtouch, forest attunement, open-sky preferred. Full Card |
Wood Elf
Wood Elves keep to the deep canopy and undergrowth, moving silently through brush and vanishing into foliage, though their skills falter in open ground and cities.
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| Wood Elf - Firstborn | Canopy stalker; Trait +2 Agility, +1 Wit | Canopy step, foliage stealth, open weakness. Full Card |
Yawnie
Yawnies move and speak slowly but settle into absolute stillness for hours, becoming nearly impossible to spot, though they cannot move faster than a walk under any circumstance.
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| Yawnie - Firstborn | Patient stillness master; Trait +2 Focus | Absolute stillness, slow patience, no sprint. Full Card |
Races from Afar
The following playable races originate from worlds beyond Zailister, each bringing their own unique traditions, physiology, and culture shaped by alien environments and distant histories.
From Ignis
Emberscale
Cold-blooded reptilian humanoids native to Ignis, their scaled hide drinks heat for strength and resilience. Tall and broad-shouldered with amber eyes, they live scattered among Ignis's fire elementals and golems.
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| Emberscale - Firstborn | Fire-forged dragon-kin; Trait +2 Strength, +1 Constitution | Heat affinity, heat-breathing. Full Card |
Primal
A prehistoric tribal people from Ignis who never adopted metal tools or written language, relying on stone, bone, and instinct. Tall and lean with ash-grayed hair and sacred tattoos, they read omens in fire elemental movements.
Continue to full Primal Race Card
| Primal - Firstborn | Ancient ash-field survivor; Trait +2 Strength, +2 Toughness, +1 Wit | Ash-marked, tribal instinct, omen-reading. Full Card |
From Tredeki
Leshy
Massive, emerald-eyed beings from Tredeki's frontiers with bark-textured hide and vine-entwined hair-crests. They govern themselves under a strict tribal code of wilderness supremacy, measuring status by survival rather than lineage.
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| Leshy - Goliath Size Firstborn | Wilderness-law enforcer; Trait +3 Toughness, +1 Strength | Toxic immunity, nature communion. Full Card |
Skrath
Wiry reptilian pack-hunters native to Tredeki's frontiers, with rapid cellular regeneration that closes wounds in minutes. They live fast and violent lives with no formal hierarchy, leadership earned and lost in moments of combat.
Continue to full Skrath Race Card
| Skrath - Firstborn | Rapid-healing pack-hunter; Trait +2 Agility, +2 Strength, +1 Deceit | Cellular regeneration, pack tactics. Full Card |
From Omné
Drevane
Original inhabitants of Omné, adapted over generations to thrive in its toxic atmosphere. Thick-skinned watchers and keepers, they sense environmental hazards without rolling and distrust both machinery and artificial structures.
Continue to full Drevane Race Card
| Drevane - Firstborn | Atmosphere-adapted; Trait +2 Constitution, +2 Toughness, +1 Intuition | Toxic immunity, hardened skin. Full Card |
Omnè
Ancient human civilization from planet Omné, developed entirely through technology without magic, now driven to Zailister by their dying star Tawdry Dwarf. Omnè solve problems with hard data and advanced engineering, requiring sealed pressure suits outside their habitats.
Continue to full Omnè Race Card
| Omnè - Firstborn | Tech-forged engineer; Trait +2 Knowledge, +1 Wit | TAA mastery, suit-reliant, no magic. Full Card |
From Hexagonum
Ossein
The Ossein died and kept going, and they will tell you the second part is the only part that matters. From Hexagonum, they are not wraiths but undead beings with skin drawn tight to bone that never rotted, drawing power from their unending existence.
Continue to full Ossein Race Card
| Ossein - Firstborn (Undead) | Deathless persister; Undead physiology, bone magic attunement, cold affinity. Full Card |
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