Races of Argaenothruzil 5e

Though they have more locally divine origins, for the most part, the races of Argaenothruzil resemble those on other worlds in the multiverse. The halflings were made out of clay and the dwarves out of stone by the God of Fortune, Moeki; the elves from trees by Phroella; the gnomes from snow and the genies from sand by Henaeros; and the orcs from lava by D'nethrokash the Destroyer. Humans were created from the dust of the earth by all the gods.

But other races exist that are unique to Argaenothruzil, and others have variations due to Argaenothruzil's unique cultures and climate that will be listed here as well. The races and their changes, if any, are listed in alphabetical order below. The more unique races to Argaenothruzil have more details.

Dwarves

Dwarves are identical to their counterparts in other D&D settings. The mountain dwarf subrace in particular fit most closely with those depicted in Argae.

Elves

Three types of elves exist in Argaenothruzil: wood elves, civil elves, and magic elves. Aside from losing their Trance ability and only aging up to 200 years instead of 750, Argaen elves have the same base stats of elves, except as listed below for their subraces.

Wood Elves

Wood elves are the same as in the Player's Handbook rules-wise, and in terms of appearance always have blond hair. They also have the following additional property:

• Sylvan Ancestry. After you have spent a total of 7 days in a heavily populated, civilized area (such as a city or town), your hair gets dark streaks in it as you begin to transform into a civil elf. Spending 2 days in a forest away from civilization subtracts 1 day from this total. If you spend 14 days or more in a city, your hair becomes dark, you lose your wood elf subrace, and you gain the traits of a civil elf instead. In order to regain your wood elf subrace again, you must spend 6 months in a forest away from civilization, the halfpoint of which your dark hair begins getting blond streaks in it.

Civil Elves

Civil elves resemble wood elves that have dark hair instead of blond. They accustom themselves quickly to an urban setting and become valuable and productive members of cities. This has led some humans to capture wood elves from their forest homes and take them to their cities, believing they are doing them a favor in doing so. Obviously, the wood elf population is violently against this and considers it a form of slavery, and they are even more alarmed at the threat this is to their culture, since elves born to civil elf parents can never become wood elves.

If your civil elf character has levels in any class that has the Spellcasting ability, they are considered magic elves instead (see below). The civil elf subrace has the following abilities:

• Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
• Alignment. Being in the city changes civil elves' alignment. They are much more lawful-oriented than their tree-dwelling cousins.
• Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
• Streetwise. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet while in a city. In addition, while in a city, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
• Sylvan Ancestry. If you were not born a civil elf, after you have spent a total of 3 months in a forested area away from civilization, your hair gets blond streaks in it as you begin to transform back into a wood elf. Spending 7 days in city subtracts 1 month from this total. If you spend 6 months or more in a forest, your hair becomes blonde, you lose your civil elf subrace, and you gain the traits of a wood elf instead. In order to regain your civil elf subrace again, you must spend 14 days in a city, the halfpoint of which your blonde hair begins getting dark streaks in it.

Magic Elves

Magic elves are civil elves who have rejected their druidic magical roots and instead look to arcane magic for power. Like alcohol to someone who has grown up never drinking it, arcane magic tends to affect elves more than other races accustomed to it, and it tends to corrupt their thinking as well as they become addicted to the feeling of power that comes with tampering with ley-line based energies.

Magic elves use the traits of the high elf subrace as listed in the Player's Handbook, with the Alignment and Sylvan Ancestry traits listed above in the "Civil Elf" traits section. Also, they are restricted from the druid class.

Genies

Genies are an ancient, rare race of sand-dwellers in whose blood flows pure magical energy. They resemble humans, albeit with skin ranging from pale to dark blue, with luminous white eyes and pointed ears. Most genies prefer to live alone and have a strong belief in individual destiny, considering their works to be more important than those of the shorter-lived races. Many legends tell of genies living alone in caves guarding secrets and awaiting those destined to be tutored by them.

Genie Names. Genies use variations of Greek, Persian, and Arabic names. The Infernal names used by tieflings are also appropriate. 

Genies have the following racial traits:

• Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
• Age. Genies can live for hundreds of years, and so few are known that an accurate estimation of their lifespans is impossible to know.
• Alignment. Genies' nomadic natures and disdain for the events of the world tend to lead them toward neutrality and good.
• Size. Genies resemble humans in range of height and weight. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Ancient Knowledge. You have proficiency in the Arcana skill.
• Mana-filled Veins. You know the prestidigitation cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the magic missile spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is the spellcasting ability for these spells. When you reach 5th level, you gain advantage on saving throws against spells and other magic effects.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.

Gnomes

Argaen gnomes appear as wrinkled, brown-skinned humanoids with large, pointy ears. As far as their racial traits go, the rock gnome subclass in the Player's Handbook is a good fit.

Gogs

Sometimes, through seduction, deception, or more violent methods, human women become pregnant with the offspring of demons from the Dungeon Realm, or worse, the Other Three themselves. These children are born as gogs. Gogs resemble humans in almost every way, but they are distinguished by blood-red eyes, hair and skin a shade darker than normal, and the faint scent of brimstone surrounding them. Though not all gogs are evil, they tend to struggle with violent tempers, manipulative personalities, or lust for power, depending on which of the Other Three their siring demon most identifies with.

Gogs can use the tiefling class without any problems, but you can use the following tips to fine-tune your gog to one of the three Devil Gods:

Gogs of Rauroth

• Instead of casting darkness with your Infernal Legacy trait, when you reach 5th level, you can cast the enlarge spell, targeting only yourself. 

Gogs of Khlamul

• You have resistance to lightning damage instead of fire damage.
• The spells of your Infernal Legacy trait are replaced with the shocking grasp cantrip, command at 3rd level, and detect thoughts at 5th level.

Gogs of D'nethrokash

• You have resistance to poison and necrotic damage instead of fire damage.
• The spells of your Infernal Legacy trait are replaced with the chill touch cantrip, cause fear at 3rd level, and suggestion at 5th level.

Halflings

Halflings fit well with the existing lightfoot halfling subrace.

Half-elves

Unlike half-elves in regular D&D, half-elves only inherit cosmetic traits of their elven parents (in the form of slightly pointed ears), and are otherwise treated as humans in terms of traits.

Humans

As with most other settings, humans are varied in motive and personality, and the existing traits in the Player's Handbook suit them well. Variant humans are also acceptable.

Human Names. Humans in Argaenothruzil generally have English names with the first letter switched out for another; for example, Donathan, Genry, Telissa, or Poshua.

Orcs

Orcs have dark green or gray skin and are generally either chaotic evil (if entirely corrupted by the demons of Eredathios) or chaotic good (if they resisted this corruption and feel a connection to the Nature Mother instead). Otherwise, the half-orc race or the orc race in Volo's Guide to Monsters are good fits for orcs of Argaenothruzil.

Seraphauns

On rare occasions, angelic messengers from the gods can fall in love with the mortal women they are sent to minister to, and the result of their union can bring seraphauns into the world. On even rarer occasions, one of the Gods themselves can sire one. Seraphauns appear as humans, but with their skin and hair a shade lighter than usual, and with distinctive, golden-yellow eyes. They tend to be blessed with cheerful, honorable dispositions and are among the most trustworthy and reliable of people; however, some seraphauns find the burden of living up to their divine heritage difficult and stifling.

Seraphauns can use the protector aasimar race found in Volo's Guide to Monsters.

Wampyres

The wampyre people are as ancient as the others of mainland Argae, but their existence on the island of Nerolanth was discovered relatively recently, and trade and cultural mixing has only just begun between them. Wampyres have pale skin, pointed ears, black hair, and eyes in shades of red, orange, pink, or magenta. They are a nocturnal race, living on an island with a nearly perpetual ash-cloud cover from a volcano, and their skins are sensitive to sunlight and the sunburn that comes with it. They subsist mainly on fruit juice and animal blood, utilizing their sharp fangs. The position of these fangs can vary from family to family, with some wampyres having sharp incisors, others sharp maxilar canines, and still others with underbites and mandibular canines.

Wampyres are a civilized and somewhat vain people who put great cultural emphasis on genealogy, social class, historical record-keeping, and the veneration of ancestors. They deal in paper bank notes as well as coins, and most wampyres enjoy smoking tobacco products that are native to Nerolanth. Aside from tobacco (which halflings love to purchase), they also trade in materials native to their island, such as ebony, blacksteel ore, and giant bat leather.

Wampyre Names

Wampyres have names with German and Latin influences.

First Names. Vilhellm, Yokanzel, Ssenk, Xarie, Fin, Vrank, and Qvintus.

Family Names. Xonafitii, Axxremandassii, Xroyanzi, Thonxorssitia.

They have the following traits:

• Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
• Age. Wampyres have lifespans similar to humans.
• Alignment. Wampyres tend toward lawful alignments, as their culture keeps a rigid societal order and punishes those who break the rules.
• Size. Wampyres resemble humans in range of height and weight. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
• Superior Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Genealogist. You have proficiency in the History skill.
• Voice of the Night. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with bats.
• Smokeform. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the gaseous form spell without expending a spell slot and with no material components. However, you can only target yourself, and the duration is shortened to 1 minute. Once you cast it, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Nerolanthian.