[Tzi]

Races... or lack there of.

So many settings have a plethora of exotic races, your lizardfolk tribe, your elves, your dwarves, your gnomes, your drow, and its all wrapped with a nice halfling bow. However, I decided to go in a different direction. Effectively there is but one race. Humans, Homo sapians, that bi-pedal tetrapod mammal. Part of this is my over all dislike of having effectively different species represent an entire culture. The other part is the dislike of races that live different lifespans. An Elven scholar could easily recount much of human history. In an 800 year Elven life, one could recount say the entire enlightenment, Industrial revolution, the black death, the renessiance and the crusades and we wouldn't need a historian, archeologists ect because we would have this guy who lived it. In just over two elven lifespans nearly 2000 years of human history could unfold. For the purposes of my world, everyone has the same basic lifespan abilities and is effectively human.

However.... Humans may very. Some humans are born under a specific star sign, or maybe the Gods have endowed them with a specific destiney. Maybe they are the sons and daughters of a cursed soul? Maybe mom or dad got their freak on with a God(dess)?

Standard Human:

Spoiler

+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.

Elemental Origins:
Some humans are born with a peculiar birth mark, some odd destiney, or by fate are tied to one of the four elements.

Flameborn (Elemental Fire):

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Fire Elemental blooded Humans pick one ability score other then Wisdom to give a +2 to that stat.

Senses: darkvision (60 feet.)

Spell-Like Abilities: burning hands 1/day (caster level equals the characters total Hit Dice).

Resistance(s): fire resistance 5.

Elemental Affinity: Flame touched sorcerers with the elemental (fire) bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Clerics with the Fire domain use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. Oracles with the Flame mystery treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all Oracle spells and class abilities.

Flameborn humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of Ifrits from Advanced Race Guide.

Iceborn (Elemental Ice/Water):

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Ice Elemental blooded Humans pick one ability score other then Wisdom to give a +2 to that stat.

Senses: darkvision (60 feet.)

Spell-Like Abilities: Icicle Dagger 1/day (caster level equals the characters total Hit Dice).

Resistance(s): Cold resistance 5.

Elemental Affinity: Iceborn sorcerers with the elemental (Cold) bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Clerics with the Water domain use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level.

Iceborn humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of Undines from Advanced Race Guide.

Earthborn (Elemental Earth):

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Earth Elemental blooded Humans pick one ability score other then Charisma to give a +2 to that stat.

Senses: darkvision (60 feet.)

Spell-Like Abilities: magic stone 1/day (caster level equals the characters total Hit Dice).

Resistance(s): Acid resistance 5.

Elemental Affinity: Earthborn sorcerers with the elemental (earth) bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Earthborn clerics with the Earth domain cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. Oracles with the stone mystery treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all Oracle spells and class abilities.

Earthborn humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of Oreads from Advanced Race Guide.

Windborn (Elemental Air):

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Air Elemental blooded Humans pick one ability score other then Constitution to give a +2 to that stat.

Senses: darkvision (60 feet.)

Spell-Like Abilities: feather fall 1/day (caster level equals the Characters Hit Dice).

Resistance(s): electricity resistance 5.

Elemental Affinity: Elemental Air bloodline sorcerers with the elemental (air) bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Elemental Air bloodline clerics with the Air domain cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. Oracles with the Wind mystery treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all Oracle spells and class abilities.

Windborn humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of Sylphs from Advanced Race Guide.

Divine Ancestry:
Like the elementally blessed, some are of divine origin. Perhaps their Father or Mother is a Divine being? A God maybe? A powerful Demon? Whatever it is, these peculiar scions of the heavens... or hell... whatever your origins, your a bit more divine then one would imagine.

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Outsider blooded Humans pick one ability score and receive a +2 to that stat.

Senses: darkvision (60 feet.)

Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 racial bonus to either Diplomacy and Perception checks if ones ancestor is a Good outsider or +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks if ones ancestor is an evil outsider.

Spell-Like Abilities: Either Darkness or Daylight 1/day depending on ancestry

Resistance(s): Either cold, electricity, and fire resistance 5 if evil connection, acid, cold, electricity resistance 5 if good connection.

Divine Magic: Sorcerers of the Celestial, Abyssal, Infernal and Destined bloodlines bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Clerics with the domains of Evil, or Good cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. Oracles may discuss with their DM to treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all Oracle spells and class abilities depending on if the Mystery seems related in some way to their Divine (Good or Evil) ancestry.

Depending on if ancestry is of a good or evil outsider, Divine bloodline characters start play knowing Celestial (If good) or Infernal (If evil).

Divine humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of either Tieflings or Assimars (Advanced Race Guide) depending on the characters specific background.

Misc. Ancestry/Blessing/or curses:

Dhampir:
Generally born from those cursed to Vampirism. Legends hold a vampire that gorges on enough blood can physically reproduce. Sometimes though it is merely a pregnant woman surviving a vampires bite.

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Dhampir's receive a +2 to one stat of their choosing other then Constitution.

Senses: darkvision (60 feet), low-light vision.

Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Perception checks.

Immunities/Saving Throw Bonuses: Saving Throw Bonuses: +2 racial bonus against disease and mind-affecting effects.

Blood Drinking: Dhampir can gain sustenance from the blood of the recently dead. As a standard action, Dhampir can drink the blood of a creature that died within the past minute per class level. The creature must be corporeal and must have blood. This ability heals you 1d6 hit points if the creature is medium sized or larger and nourishes you as if you’d had a full meal, it heals 1d4 if the creature is small sized and does not provide nourishment.
Resist Level Drain: A dhampir takes no penalties from energy draining effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels then he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a dhampir takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.

Deathly Affinity: Dhampir sorcerers with the undead bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Dhampir clerics with the Death or Repose domains cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. Dhampir Oracles with the bones mystery treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all Oracle spells and class abilities.

Weaknesses/Vulnerabilities: Light Sensitivity. Blood Craving (Must use the Blood drinking ability at least once every 2 weeks or become sickened, if blood is not consumed within the next week, characters land speed is reduced to 10 feet and has a temporary 1d4 drain on his or her constitution.

Dhampir humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of to Dhampir from the advanced races guide.

Feyborn:
The world has many nature spirits and nature beings, some of which can reproduce with humans. Fey creatures, left over from the first world, are often hidden and mysterious, but some will venture beyond their hidden enclaves and seek out mortal men and women as lovers.

Spoiler

+2 to One Ability Score: Feyborn humans pick one ability score except constitution and receive a +2 to that stat.

Senses: Low-light vision.

Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 racial bonus on Survival and Spellcraft checks.

Spell-Like Abilities: Faerie Fire 1/day (caster level equals class level)

Immunities/Saving Throw Bonuses: Immunity to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.

Languages: Automatically begin play knowing Sylvan on top of whatever other languages can be learned based on intelligence.

Fey Affinity: Feyborn sorcerers with the Fey bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Wind Blessed clerics with the Plant or Animal domain cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. Oracles with the Nature mystery treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all Oracle spells and class abilities.

Feyborn humans have access to all the racial feats and archetypes of Elves from standard pathfinder.

Others to come....

Q&A about Variant Humans

Q: Do these variant humans have unique appearences?
A: Generally its up to the player, though as a rule, usually nothing to odd. A Flameborn human may have almost bronze like skin, or red hair, maybe golden eyes. A Dhampir will certainly have a paler complexion, and fang like teeth, a Divine Human may have only a simple birthmark, A Feyborn may have slightly pointed ears. But ultimately its up to the player and the DM. Generally only the Dhampir have definitevely physiological difference to humans.

Q: Do these variant humans form their own Kingdoms?
A: No, or I should say not Kingdoms universally composed of said people. One Kingdom may be founded by a Vampire, whose Dhampir descendents continue to rule and form the noble aristocracy. However the births of said variant humans are so infrequent that there aren't enough to form a country of just Feyborn, Just Dhampir, ect.

Q: Do they have their own special Languages?
A: Some do. The All but the Dhampir have a specific languages they inheritly can understand. These being the magical languages of spirit beings, Outsiders ect. However languages in my world work a bit differently.

Languages

This world is fairly rough on language, in that "common," languages are non-existent. Traditional 3.5/PF worlds have typically racial languages. Dwarves speak Dwarvish, Elves speak Elvish, Humans speak Common. Well for one this is a world that lacks other races besides human. While Human's may vary, everyone is effectively the same species. Great! So they all speak Common right? No.

In this world languages vary by region and are usually specific to a nationality/ethnicity/region/empire. In that sense languages in this world mirror languages in our world, in that different people speak different languages.

Players begin play automatically getting their base language as their first language they were raised to speak. A big part of this is DM fiat and player character lore and backstory. A players starting language will depend heavily on where the character was born and thus what language he spoke originally.