Races
Dark Sun Pathfinder races rules are described below. These are Pathfinderized versions of the Dark Sun 3.5 races. Race descriptions and other race role playing information can be found in the Athas.org 3.5 rulebook.
DWARVES
Dwarf Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 ft.
Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Poison Resistant: Dwarves receive a +2 saving throw against poisons and venoms.
Spell Resistant: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus against psionic powers or spell-like effects.
Focused: Dwarves are notoriously single minded and focused. This focus gives a +4 Will save against charm or compulsion effects that would distract from their focus. It also provides a +1 morale bonus on all checks directly related to their focus. This includes a skill bonus, an attack bonus, a damage bonus, or a saving throw bonus, or even a bonus to manifestations or spell save DCs.
Weapon Familiarity: To dwarves, the urgrosh is treated as a martial rather than exotic weaponand treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Giant, Gith, Kreen, Saurian.
ELVES
Elf Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Movement: Elves land base speed is 30 ft. However, if they are wearing light or no armor they can move at an extra 5 ft as per the Fleet feat. They lose the benefits of this if carrying a medium or heavy load.
Low-light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. See Additional Rules.
Desert Runner: Some elves thrive in the deepest deserts, forever roaming across burned and parched lands. Elves with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments.
Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Entomic, Kreen, Gith, Saurian, and Terran.
HALF-ELVES
Half-Elf Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Half-elf characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Half-elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light (see low-light vision).
Adaptability: Half-elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Keen Senses: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Multitalented: Half-elves choose two favored class at first level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
Outsider: +2 racial bonus on all Survival and Handle Animal checks. Half‐elves spend a lot of time in the wilds of the tablelands.
Disguise: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus to disguise checks when impersonating elves or humans.
Languages: Half-elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Half-elves with high Intelligence scores can choose any other language.
HALF-GIANTS
Half-Giant Racial Traits
+4 Strength, -2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Medium: Half-giants are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Movement: Half-giants land base speed is 30 ft.
Jotunbrud: Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifer or special size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
Giant Blood: Half-giants count as both giants humans for any effect related to race.
Intimidating: Half-giants receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks due to their fearsome nature.
Languages: Half-giant begin play speaking Common. Half-giants with high Intelligence scores can choose Dwarven, Gith, Giant. Half‐giants will often pick up a race’s tongue if imitating them long enough.
HALFLINGS
Halfling Racial Traits
-2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity
Small: Halflings are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB) and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD), and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Slow Speed: Halflings have a base speed of 20 feet.
Feral: Due to their feral nature Halflings have dificulty relating to other races in civilized society and therefore receive a –2 penalty to all Diplomacy skill checks when dealing with other races.
Fearless: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by halfling luck.
Halfling Luck: Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
Keen Senses: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Sure-Footed: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb skill checks.
Weapon Familiarity: Halflings are proficient with slings and treat any weapon with the word “halfling” in its name as a martial weapon.
Light Weight: Halfling are light weight and may ignore mechanical traps and environmental hazards that are set off by weight, provided they and their equipment they carry totals less than 50 lbs.
Nimble Moves: Halflings gain the Nimble Moves feat as a bonus feat and may move through 5 ft of difficult terrain as though it were normal terrain.
Throwing Proficiency: Halflings receive a +1 bonus to hit and a +1 bonus to damage on thrown weapons and slings.
Lightfoot: Halflings leave no footprints in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked by footprints or visual means. However, they can still be tracked by scent or other magical means. A halfling may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
Languages: Halflings begin play speaking Common and Halfling. Halflings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gith, Kreen, Rhul‐thaun, Sylvan, and Yuan–ti.
HUMANS
Human Racial Traits
(Same as Pathfinder rules.)
+2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
MULS
Mul Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Mul characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Muls are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Muls have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Muls can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Tireless: Muls get a +4 racial bonus to checks for performing a physical action that extends over a period of time (running, swimming, holding breath, and so on). This bonus stacks with the Endurance feat. This bonus may also be applied to savings throws against spells and magical effects that cause weakness, fatigue, exhaustion or enfeeblement.
Endurance: Harsh conditions or long exertions do not easily tire Muls and they gain the Endurance feat as a bonus feat.
Dwarven Blood: For all effects related to race, a mul is considered a dwarf. Muls, for example, are just as vulnerable to effects that affect dwarves as their dwarf ancestors are, and they can use magic items that are only usable by dwarves.
Nonlethal Damage Resistance: Muls receive a nonlethal damage reduction of 1/-. Muls are difficult to subdue, and do not notice minor bruises, scrapes, and other discomforts that pain creatures of other races.
Languages: Muls begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Muls with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Gith, and Giant.
THRI-KREEN
Thri-kreen Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, —2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, —4 Charisma: Thri‐kreen are fast, but their alien mindset makes it difficult for them to relate to humanoids; furthermore, their “clutch–mind” instincts leave them with a poor sense of themselves as individuals.
Humanoid (Insectoid): Thri‐kreen are of the humanoid (insectoid) subtype.
Medium: Thri‐kreen receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Movement: Thri‐kreen base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Thri-kreen can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Sleep Immunity: Thri‐kreen do not sleep, and are immune to sleep spells and similar sleep-like effects. Thri‐kreen spellcasters and manifesters require 6 hours of rest or meditation before preparing spells.
Armor: Thri-kreen do not wear armor. Armor is not made to fit them but they are more often found wearing harnesses, jewelry, or other forms of light clothing. However, thri-kreen do use shields.
Unless it is specifically designed for Thri-kreen use, the types of items that a Thri-kreen can wear that are specifically designed to fit other humanoid are limited to the following:
Belts: belts and girdles.
Body: robes and vestments.
Chest: mantles, shirts, and vests.
Head: circlets, crowns, hats, and masks.
Headband: headbands and phylacteries.
Neck: amulets, brooches, medallions, necklaces, periapts, and scarabs.
Ring (up to two): rings.
Shield: shields.
Shoulders: capes and cloaks.
Wrist: bracelets and bracers.
Natural Armor: Thri‐kreen have a +1 natural armor bonus to AC due to their naturally tough and resistant chitin. Thri-kreen qualify for the Improved Natural Armor feat.
Multiple Limbs: Thri‐kreen have four arms. The two upper arms are the dominate pair and are used to hold weapons and fight normally. The lower pair of arms are not strong enough or developed enough for a thri-kreen to use them for combat. A thri-kreen may take paragon levels to develop his lower arms. (See Thri-kreen Paragon Class rules) However, the two lower arms allow the thri-kreen to do minor actions. Once per turn, a thri-kreen can draw or sheathe a weapon (or retrieve or stow an item stored) as a free action instead of a minor action. Without fully developed lower arms the thri-kreen qualifies for the Two Weapon Fighting feat. A thri-kreen with fully developed lower arms qualifies for the Multiweapon Fighting Feat. These are not bonus feats.
Weapon Familiarity: Thri‐kreen treat the chatkcha and gythka as martial rather than exotic weapons. These weapons are more common among thri‐kreen than among other races.
Bite Attack: Thri‐kreen may make a bite attack as that deals 1d4 points of damage. This is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the thri-kreen is fighting with manufactured weapons.
Powerful Legs: Thri‐kreen are natural jumpers, and are always considered to having a running start when making jump checks. Also, the thri-kreen may ignore the first 20 feet fallen with a DC 15
Languages: Thri-kreen begin play speaking Kreen. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Entomic, Saurian, and Terran.
DWARVES
Dwarf Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 ft.
Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Poison Resistant: Dwarves receive a +2 saving throw against poisons and venoms.
Spell Resistant: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus against psionic powers or spell-like effects.
Focused: Dwarves are notoriously single minded and focused. This focus gives a +4 Will save against charm or compulsion effects that would distract from their focus. It also provides a +1 morale bonus on all checks directly related to their focus. This includes a skill bonus, an attack bonus, a damage bonus, or a saving throw bonus, or even a bonus to manifestations or spell save DCs.
Weapon Familiarity: To dwarves, the urgrosh is treated as a martial rather than exotic weaponand treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Giant, Gith, Kreen, Saurian.
ELVES
Elf Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Movement: Elves land base speed is 30 ft. However, if they are wearing light or no armor they can move at an extra 5 ft as per the Fleet feat. They lose the benefits of this if carrying a medium or heavy load.
Low-light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. See Additional Rules.
Desert Runner: Some elves thrive in the deepest deserts, forever roaming across burned and parched lands. Elves with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments.
Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Entomic, Kreen, Gith, Saurian, and Terran.
HALF-ELVES
Half-Elf Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Half-elf characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Half-elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light (see low-light vision).
Adaptability: Half-elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Keen Senses: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Multitalented: Half-elves choose two favored class at first level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
Outsider: +2 racial bonus on all Survival and Handle Animal checks. Half‐elves spend a lot of time in the wilds of the tablelands.
Disguise: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus to disguise checks when impersonating elves or humans.
Languages: Half-elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Half-elves with high Intelligence scores can choose any other language.
HALF-GIANTS
Half-Giant Racial Traits
+4 Strength, -2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Medium: Half-giants are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Movement: Half-giants land base speed is 30 ft.
Jotunbrud: Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifer or special size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
Giant Blood: Half-giants count as both giants humans for any effect related to race.
Intimidating: Half-giants receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks due to their fearsome nature.
Languages: Half-giant begin play speaking Common. Half-giants with high Intelligence scores can choose Dwarven, Gith, Giant. Half‐giants will often pick up a race’s tongue if imitating them long enough.
HALFLINGS
Halfling Racial Traits
-2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, +2 Dexterity
Small: Halflings are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB) and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD), and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Slow Speed: Halflings have a base speed of 20 feet.
Feral: Due to their feral nature Halflings have dificulty relating to other races in civilized society and therefore receive a –2 penalty to all Diplomacy skill checks when dealing with other races.
Fearless: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by halfling luck.
Halfling Luck: Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
Keen Senses: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Sure-Footed: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb skill checks.
Weapon Familiarity: Halflings are proficient with slings and treat any weapon with the word “halfling” in its name as a martial weapon.
Light Weight: Halfling are light weight and may ignore mechanical traps and environmental hazards that are set off by weight, provided they and their equipment they carry totals less than 50 lbs.
Nimble Moves: Halflings gain the Nimble Moves feat as a bonus feat and may move through 5 ft of difficult terrain as though it were normal terrain.
Throwing Proficiency: Halflings receive a +1 bonus to hit and a +1 bonus to damage on thrown weapons and slings.
Lightfoot: Halflings leave no footprints in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked by footprints or visual means. However, they can still be tracked by scent or other magical means. A halfling may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
Languages: Halflings begin play speaking Common and Halfling. Halflings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gith, Kreen, Rhul‐thaun, Sylvan, and Yuan–ti.
HUMANS
Human Racial Traits
(Same as Pathfinder rules.)
+2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
MULS
Mul Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Mul characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Muls are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Muls have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Muls can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Tireless: Muls get a +4 racial bonus to checks for performing a physical action that extends over a period of time (running, swimming, holding breath, and so on). This bonus stacks with the Endurance feat. This bonus may also be applied to savings throws against spells and magical effects that cause weakness, fatigue, exhaustion or enfeeblement.
Endurance: Harsh conditions or long exertions do not easily tire Muls and they gain the Endurance feat as a bonus feat.
Dwarven Blood: For all effects related to race, a mul is considered a dwarf. Muls, for example, are just as vulnerable to effects that affect dwarves as their dwarf ancestors are, and they can use magic items that are only usable by dwarves.
Nonlethal Damage Resistance: Muls receive a nonlethal damage reduction of 1/-. Muls are difficult to subdue, and do not notice minor bruises, scrapes, and other discomforts that pain creatures of other races.
Languages: Muls begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Muls with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Gith, and Giant.
THRI-KREEN
Thri-kreen Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, —2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, —4 Charisma: Thri‐kreen are fast, but their alien mindset makes it difficult for them to relate to humanoids; furthermore, their “clutch–mind” instincts leave them with a poor sense of themselves as individuals.
Humanoid (Insectoid): Thri‐kreen are of the humanoid (insectoid) subtype.
Medium: Thri‐kreen receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Movement: Thri‐kreen base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Thri-kreen can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Sleep Immunity: Thri‐kreen do not sleep, and are immune to sleep spells and similar sleep-like effects. Thri‐kreen spellcasters and manifesters require 6 hours of rest or meditation before preparing spells.
Armor: Thri-kreen do not wear armor. Armor is not made to fit them but they are more often found wearing harnesses, jewelry, or other forms of light clothing. However, thri-kreen do use shields.
Unless it is specifically designed for Thri-kreen use, the types of items that a Thri-kreen can wear that are specifically designed to fit other humanoid are limited to the following:
Belts: belts and girdles.
Body: robes and vestments.
Chest: mantles, shirts, and vests.
Head: circlets, crowns, hats, and masks.
Headband: headbands and phylacteries.
Neck: amulets, brooches, medallions, necklaces, periapts, and scarabs.
Ring (up to two): rings.
Shield: shields.
Shoulders: capes and cloaks.
Wrist: bracelets and bracers.
Natural Armor: Thri‐kreen have a +1 natural armor bonus to AC due to their naturally tough and resistant chitin. Thri-kreen qualify for the Improved Natural Armor feat.
Multiple Limbs: Thri‐kreen have four arms. The two upper arms are the dominate pair and are used to hold weapons and fight normally. The lower pair of arms are not strong enough or developed enough for a thri-kreen to use them for combat. A thri-kreen may take paragon levels to develop his lower arms. (See Thri-kreen Paragon Class rules) However, the two lower arms allow the thri-kreen to do minor actions. Once per turn, a thri-kreen can draw or sheathe a weapon (or retrieve or stow an item stored) as a free action instead of a minor action. Without fully developed lower arms the thri-kreen qualifies for the Two Weapon Fighting feat. A thri-kreen with fully developed lower arms qualifies for the Multiweapon Fighting Feat. These are not bonus feats.
Weapon Familiarity: Thri‐kreen treat the chatkcha and gythka as martial rather than exotic weapons. These weapons are more common among thri‐kreen than among other races.
Bite Attack: Thri‐kreen may make a bite attack as that deals 1d4 points of damage. This is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the thri-kreen is fighting with manufactured weapons.
Powerful Legs: Thri‐kreen are natural jumpers, and are always considered to having a running start when making jump checks. Also, the thri-kreen may ignore the first 20 feet fallen with a DC 15
Languages: Thri-kreen begin play speaking Kreen. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Entomic, Saurian, and Terran.