Races

In vanilla Third Edition and The Domains of Dread race describes a character’s genealogical ancestry, likened to that of a species. It does not describe ethnicity—ethnicity is an elastic concept in the Realms of Terror as the Mists may reveal any kind of looking person belonging to a domain be they native or Outlander.

No subraces are supported at this time. Races from homebrew or unsupported settings must be identical to one of the following even if they are fictionally called something else or differ in origin.

Playable Races

Human

The most common race beyond the Misty Border—it is said from a human the Mists first sprung, and around humans they endure. Taken another way, 95% of all humanoids in the Realms of Terror who are not otherwise altered represent humans or nonhumans with human halves. Two variants of human may be selected during character creation:

- Gains bonus feat.
- Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

OR

- +2 to an attribute of choice, and -2 to another attribute of choice. Cannot set 2 attributes below 10 or INT to 6, per Build Restrictions.
- Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Elves

These sylvan humanoids are the only nonhuman race with a dominant population somewhere in the Core, in the mirthless glades of Sithicus. Though metropolitan populations exist, the Ruination of Darkon has forced these so-called city elves to spread across regions where they face denigration by humans due to identification with the Fey.

- +2 to DEX and -2 to CON.
- Immune to being put to sleep. Elves have a greater passive rest quality, representing their lack of sleep during rest cycles.
- +2 to saves against mind-affecting spells and spell-like effects. Does not affect Fear, Horror or Delirium checks.
- Innate weapon proficiency with longswords, rapiers, shortbows and longbows.
- +2 to Perception and Search.
- Has low-light vision.
- Unless forfeited, has Elven as a bonus language.
- Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Dwarves

Dwarves are most commonly Outlanders, save for a minority population now displaced by the Ruination of Darkon. As humans would sooner be confused than fearful of these stout humanoids, they are allowed to eke out livings as minors and stonemasons on the fringes of society. Clannish behavior and an affinity for mountains has let some enclaves of Dwarves establish themselves from this diaspora where humans would not care to look.

- +2 to CON and -2 to PRS.
- +2 to Perception checks in subterranean environments.
- +2 to saves against spells, spell-like effects, and to resist poison.
- Innate weapon proficiency with war picks, war hammers and heavy flails.
- +1 to attack rolls made against goblinoids, including goblyns.
- +4 to dodge AC against attacks from Huge creatures or giants.
- Has darkvision.
- Unless forfeited, has Dwarven as a bonus language.
- Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Halfling

Halflings or hin are found around cosmopolitan areas in tight-knit family groups. Benefiting from a childlike appearance which permits some autonomy even in these human-dominated places, halflings are widely believed to be innocent and nonthreatening, a falsehood most do not care to argue with.

- +2 to DEX and -2 to STR.
- +2 to Stealth and Perception.
- +1 to universal saves.
- +2 to saves against Fear, Horror and Delirium.
- Innate weapon proficiency with slings and bolas.
- +1 to attack rolls made with throwing weapons.
- Are Small creatures for purposes of equipment, but receive no bonuses based on their size.
- Unless forfeited, has Halfling as a bonus language.
- Unadjusted NR is Neutral in Barovia and Borca, Disfavored in Cordova.

Half-Elves

Half-elves native to the Realms of Terror are the likely byproduct of unions between Kartakan humans and Sithican elves. Cursed to outlive their human family and be forever a child in the eyes of elvenkind, most are treated identically to an elf by societies beyond the forests of Kartakass—that is to say, agents of the Fey. Nevertheless those capable of proving some amount of humanity may be able to intermingle in cosmopolitan areas, albeit closer to the margins.

- +1 to an attribute of choice, and -1 to another attribute of choice. Cannot set 2 attributes below 10 or INT to 6, per Build Restrictions.
- Immune to being put to sleep. Half-elves have a greater passive rest quality, but not as significant as full elves.
- +2 to saves against mind-affecting spells, spell-like effects. Does not affect Fear, Horror and Delirium checks.
- +1 to Perception and Search.
- Has low-light vision.
- Unadjusted NR is Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.

Caliban

Known euphemistically as “twists”, caliban are humans who were mutated before birth by the intervention of a curse or dark magic, always native to the Realms of Terror. The palette of possible deformities is vast, unique to the caliban—but no matter the exact nature of their appearance, they are always frightful to other humans who see them as symptoms of the evil which pervades the Misty Plane. Despite these difficulties, caliban are not guaranteed to be or perpetuate this evil—cruel as their circumstances may be, they are born innocent.

- +2 to an attribute of choice except PRS, -2 to PRS.
- Immune to effects of Delirium suffered from being in unenclosed, dark areas or during nighttime.
- NR is always Hostile in Barovia, Borca and Cordova unless appropriately covered. Unadjusted NR when covered is instead Disfavored in Barovia, Borca and Cordova.