Races

In Harath, there are eleven main character races: Broos, Centaurs, Dwarfs, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, Humans, Ogres, Orcs, Trolls, and Winged Men. The rules are written using humans as the "average" race. No racial modifiers apply to humans. If you choose to play a character that is not human, certain racial modifiers automatically apply to your character. In addition, with GM permission, you can play any race you can dream up. For any race not listed here, you and the GM will have to agree on the racial modifiers that apply.

Numbers in parentheses indicate the specific racial modifiers that apply. Here's how to interpret them:

• For Attributes, Abilities, and Disabilities, the number modifies the level you obtain using CP.
  • Example: You use 10 CP to get Str=4, but your halfling's racial modifier is Str (-2), so you will actually play at Str=2. If you want your halfling to play at Str=4, you must use 21 CP to get Str=6. Conversely, your winged folk character has Str (+2), so if you use 10 CP to get Str=4, you will play at Str=6.
• For Secondary Statistics that you simply select, the number indicates the race's average statistic.
  • Example: Ogres have Hgt (+3), meaning that the average ogre is 3 taller than the average human. Since the human average Hgt=18, the average ogre Hgt=21.
• For secondary Statistics that you derive from the character’s Attributes, calculate the statistic in the usual way, then include the modifier.
  • Example: You have Quick=5 and Dex=7, so your Reaction speed is 6. However, your gnome has Reaction (-1), so you will play with R=4.
• For Skills, the numbers indicate that the race automatically gets that level of the Skill without using CP to get it. You can purchase additional levels as if starting from level 1.
  • Example: Centaurs have a racial modifier of Musical Ability (2). If you play a centaur, you need not pay any CP to get a Musical Ability=2. If you want your character to have Musical Ability=4, you only need to use 3 CP to get the additional 2 levels (that is, treat the CP expenditure as if you were getting levels 1 and 2, not levels 3 and 4, which would have expended 7 CP).

Reaction is a reflection of how well one person likes another on first meeting. The Reaction roll modifiers in this section indicate the relative feelings of humans toward each particular race. The chart at the bottom of the page provides information on how various races view each other, in general. For simplicity, the assumption that races view each other similarly - that is, if humans have R=(-6) towards broos, assume that broos similarly have a -6 toward humans.

Gender

The gender (male or female) of your character is up to you. Since you choose your character’s Hgt, you can select any Hgt you want. There is no significant gameplay difference. That said, in the wider world, the standard female Hgt of any species is generally (-1) from the average males Hgt.

Broos

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Broos are foul creatures. They tend to have tall, thin human bodies with antelope or deer heads. They never bathe, and though they are invulnerable to many of the diseases that afflict humans, they often carry and spread those same diseases. Because of this, as well as their tendency toward violent behavior - especially toward weaker creatures - they are typically shunned in human society. Broos are strong and tough, but are short-lived.

• Attributes: Str (+2), Con (+1), Mana (-2), Quick (-1)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Immunity to Poison (2), Immunity to Disease (2), Odious Personal Habit – Rubbing dung in hair (3), Sadism (3)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (-5), Hgt (+2, excluding antlers)
• Skills: No modifiers
• Reaction (-6)

Centaurs

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Centaurs have sleek, equine bodies with a tremendously strong human torso from the waist up where the horse’s neck and head would be. Centaurs are are strong, noble creatures that believe they are superior to all other sentient beings. Because of this, they are very intolerant of “inferior” races, an attitude that causes them to be in continual conflict (armed or unarmed) with most other races, who find them to be fierce warriors. Needless to say, they have a bad reputation amongst other sentient races. If you find yourself in the rare position of being on the good side of a centaur, you have a steadfast friend for life. Centaurs love of music and freedom. They generally live longer then humans.

• Attributes: Str (+3), Will (+1), Quick (-2), Mana (-2)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Berserk (3), Intolerance (1)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (-5), Hgt (-1), Wgt (+10)
• Skills: Musical Ability (2), Voice (2)
• Reaction (-1)

Dwarves

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Dwarves are short and muscular. They normally live underground due to their overriding fondness for things of the earth. They have a distrust of “surface dwellers”. They love jewels, gems, and all metals, precious and otherwise. Dwarves are incredibly strong and tenacious. They live for an average of 100 years, and tend to spend that time working hard and enjoying the toil of life.

• Attributes: Str (+3), Con (+2), Quick (-2) , Mana (-3)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Intolerance (2), Dark Vision (1), Miserliness (4), Stubbornness (2)
• Secondary Statistics: Hgt (-6)
• Skills: At least 30% of any dwarf’s CP must be placed into metal and/or jewel crafting Skills.
• Reaction (-3)
• Age: -30

Gnomes

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Gnomes are shorter and slenderer than dwarves. Their skin color ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair, and their eyes can be any shade of blue. The males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards, and all generally wear leather or earth tones, though they decorate their clothes with intricate stitching or fine jewelry. Gnomes reach adulthood at about age 40, and they live about 350 years, though the oldest can live almost 500 years. Gnomes speak their own language. Most gnomes who travel outside gnome lands are traders, tinkers, or warriors.

• Attributes: Str (+1), Con (+2), Quick (+2) , Mana (+1)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Intolerance (2), Dark Vision (1), Miserliness (4), Stubbornness (2)
• Secondary Statistics: Hgt (-9)
• Skills: At least 20% of any dwarf’s CP must be placed into metal and/or jewel crafting Skills.
• Reaction (-1)
• Age: -20

Elves

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Elves are tall, thin, joyful folk that never take life too seriously. They tend to enjoy frivolity and lighthearted diversions like poetry, music, and the arts. They are polar opposites to dwarves in most respects, except for in lifespan, which is similar. They rarely plan for the future, always seeming to live in the moment and embracing spur of the moment decisions.

• Attributes: Str (-3), Dex (+2), Mana (-1), Quick (+2)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Infravision (1), Intolerance (4), Impulsiveness (2)
• Secondary Statistics: Hgt (+1)
• Skills: At least 30% of any elf’s CP must be placed into the arts.
• Reaction (-4)
• Age: -30

Halflings

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Humans view halflings as a lazy people, although the races live together in relative peace. In fact, they are a very peaceful race that prefers to live in harmony with all living creatures. They tend toward the more relaxed aspects of life – eating, sleeping, watching the day go by. They are short, and although their lifestyle often leads to an excess of weight, can be very quick when they want to be. Halflings live a little longer than humans.

• Attributes: Str (-2), Con (+2), Dex (+3), Will (-2), Mana (-1)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Animal Empathy (1), Resistance to Magic (2), Gluttony (4), Pacifism (4)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (-5), Hgt (-8), Wgt (+2)
• Skills: None
• Reaction (-2)

Ogres

Ogres are a fierce race of beings whose diet almost exclusively includes uncooked flesh. There is no kind of meat they will not eat, including ogre flesh. Although they will eat any meat, they prize elvish, winged folk, and human flesh above all others. This preference, as you may well imagine, makes them very unpopular amongst populations. As a result, ogres go to great lengths to disguise themselves to prevent detection. They are tall, powerful, and tough. Ogres have a fairly short natural lifespan, though it is actually uncertain what that lifespan may be, as their lifestyle usually prevents them from dieing of natural causes.

• Attributes: Str (+5), Con (+1), Mana (-2), Quick (-2)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Deadly Secret (1), Odious Personal Habit – Cannibalism (3), Acute Taste/Smell (2), Acute Vision (2), Night Vision (1)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (+10), Hgt (+3), Reaction (-13 if known, 0 if not)
• Skills: None
• Reaction (-6 if known to be an ogre; none otherwise)

Orcs

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Orcs are swarthy, bowlegged creatures devoid of any redeeming value, at least from the human standpoint. They are crude, crass, and boorish. They are dirty, disease-ridden, and eat anything, including other orcs. They love to dominate weaker creatures, but are themselves fairly readily dominated. They tend to be physically strong, but are weak-willed fighters. They are willing soldiers, but to field an orcan army without non-Orc leaders is to ask to be routed at the earliest opportunity. The average life span for an orc is just 30 years.

• Attributes: Str (+3), Con (+1), Dex (+1), Will (-2), Quick (-3)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Odious Personal Habit – Cannibalism (3), Sadism (3), Bullying (2), Cowardice (4), Darksense (1), Toughness (4), Acute Taste/Smell (4)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (+5), Hgt (-1)
• Skills: None
• Reaction (-8)

Trolls

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Trolls are tall, rangy creatures with huge appetites, preferring uncooked animals as a diet. They do not generally eat humanoids, but will if given an opportunity – they never turn down an easy meal. If they have one positive aspect, it is that they have never been known to eat other trolls. They are more comfortable in the dark, and are terribly strong. They are very hard to kill, which as given rise to the rumor that they can regenerate, but this is simply not true.

• Attributes: Str (+4), Dex (+2), Will (-2), Mana (-2), Quick (-2)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Odious Personal Habit – Eating Sentients (3), Acute Taste/Smell (2), High Pain Threshold (4)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (+5), Hgt (+4)
• Skills: None
• Reaction (-7)

Winged Folk

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Winged folk are creatures that are human in appearance, with the exception of the gigantic wings on their back. Their personalities are a mix of human and elf. They enjoy living their life, but do not approach it as frivolously as elves do. Winged folk enjoy the wide open spaces of mountain tops and the skies. Members of their race have been mistaken for both angels and devils.

• Attributes: Str (+2), Dex (+2), Will (-1), Mana (-2), Quick (-1)
• Abililties and Disabilities: Acute Vision (4), Claustrophobia (1), Law Abiding (3)
• Secondary Statistics: Age (+10)
• Skills: Absolute Direction (1)
• Reaction (-2)

Inter-Racial Reaction Modifiers

	Centaurs	Dwarfs	Elves	Gnomes	Halflings	Ogres	Orcs	Trolls	Winged Folk
Broos	-2	-2	-4	0	-1	-2	-1	-3
Centaurs		-2	-2	-1	-3	-4	-4	-2
Dwarves			-5	0	-3	-3	-3	-6
Elves				-1	-6	-3	-4	-2
Gnomes
Halflings					-2	-2	-1	0
Ogres						0	-1	-6
Orcs							-1	-4
Trolls								-5