Races (FiD)

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These are fantasy races for use with Blades in the Dark. If these rules are in play, each character selects a race at character creation and gains the corresponding special ability.

Human

The basis of comparison for other races. Humans are the most common people, and the most widely adaptable.

Special Ability—Adroit: Humans start with an additional advance, either an action or a special ability available to their playbook.

Dwarf

Short and stout compared to humans, dwarves are strong and more enduring but not as agile in mind or body. Dwarfs prefer to live in mines or burrows and are craftsmen extraordinaire.

Special Ability—Miner: Dwarves have a sonic sense that works as sight out to 10 meters, but can detect only shape and composition not color or pattern. They gain a +1d bonus on tinker rolls relating to brewing, stone, or metal.

Elf

Elves are fey creatures, thing and otherworldly, never fully of the material plane. While they have many things in common with other Folk, they are magical and lead enchanted lives.

Appearance Elves are shorter and slighter than men, usually about 150 cm (5') tall. They resemble human adolescents, and facial or body hair is quite unusual. Head hair is fine, and often plentiful. All elves are considered good-looking, but seem fragile and otherworldly by human standards. Some elves have strange physical features, such as extremely long hair, horns, vestigial fur, fangs, webbed hands and feet, claws or unusual colors. Such peculiarities are often associated with particular bloodlines or clans. Unlike humans, elven appearance can change over time depending on location and interest. Some elves mimic the appearance of nearby creatures related to their Form, other adapt based on the setting. As a result, all elves look perfectly fitted to where they live.

Role Elves are quite leisurely, and don't really enjoy hard work or physical labor. They cherish arts and fine crafts, but tend to regard them as diversions. A typical elf knows a little of many professions, being a master of none and changing profession as whims or markets dictate. Most have at least some experience as traders, artists, entertainers or performers. Sometimes, an elf becomes obsessed with a particular occupation or task, seeking absolute excellence in it to the exclusion of all else, but this is seen as quite unhealthy by other elves.

Politics Elven kingdoms are collections of individuals living together, often led by a charismatic leader with a cult of personality as the guiding force of the realm. There is no real sense of civic duty. Shared ideals and the initiative of charismatic individuals can get things done, but outsiders usually see nothing in the way of government.

Integration Elves are physically similar to humans, can live in the same houses, and enjoy the same food and the same diversions. They rarely have their own section of human cities, and tend to move about quite a bit over the course of their lives. Most seek not to identify too closely with any group or location, preferring to keep options open. They are usually welcome in human lands, but not as trusted as a well-known human, dwarf or even ork. It is said that an elf becomes your friend in the evening and forgets you when the morning comes.

Family With long life spans and few children, elves spend just a tiny part of their lives as parents. Most take to this unusual situation with sensual devotion, doting on both mother and child. Thus elves grow up pampered, which make them independent but somewhat emotionally vulnerable. Elves from isolated communities usually take to the children of other races, but after a while the novelty passes.

Vices Elven self-confidence and demand for liberty easily gets bruised. Having had things go their way, elves can get sullen and rash when faced with opposition, unable to see the other side of an issue or have enough wherewithal to pursue a matter to the finish. They can also be vain and proud or lacking in confidence and self esteem. Tough rarely evil, they can be antisocial to a catastrophic degree.

High Elf

Civilized elves living in settlements, sometimes as leaders among gnomes or other elves. Elves have the physical appearance of a human in their late teens, along with pointed ears and slightly oversize eyes. They sport human hair colors, turning metallic as the elf ages. Eyes are often of bright gem colors like turquoise or sapphire.

Special Ability—Star Lover: See as well outdoors at night as a human under the same cloud conditions.

Wood Elf

Forest elves that prefer their own company. Elves have the physical appearance of a human in their late teens, along with pointed ears and slightly oversize eyes. Brown or green hair and eyes, some with such a tinge on their skin.

Special Ability—Forest Lover: See a hundred meters or so in starlight and through leaf cover.

Gnome

Intelligent people, with size and manners similar to humans around age ten. They have pointed ears, mature bodies, and males may have facial hair. Most are shy and live in forests and hills or work for elves in their settlements, but a few are gregarious and go out into the world to explore. They have a talent for artificing and wizardry, especially illusion.

Special Ability—Minuit Vision: Gnomes see very well at short ranges. They can see 10 meters in almost complete darkness. At a range under 1 meter, their sight is truly exceptional, as if they were using a fine looking-glass. They gain a +1d bonus on Survey and Tinker rolls relating to jewelry, precision mechanics, and similar very fine tasks.

Tinker Gnome

Intelligent people, with size and manners similar to humans around age ten. They have pointed ears, mature bodies, and males may have facial hair. Most are shy and live in forests and hills or work for elves in their settlements, but a few are gregarious and go out into the world to explore. They have a talent for artificing and wizardry, especially illusion.

Special Ability—Minuit Vision: Gnomes see very well at short ranges. They can see 10 meters in almost complete darkness. At a range under 1 meter, their sight is truly exceptional, as if they were using a fine looking-glass. They gain a +1d bonus on Survey and Tinker rolls relating to jewelry, precision mechanics, and similar very fine tasks.

Halfling

Slightly taller than gnomes and more solidly built, Halflings resemble humans in their early teens, but with facial and foot hair.

Special Ability—Lithe: Halflings have +1d on Prowl rolls.

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Centaur

Smallish horses with humanoid torso instead of an equine head and neck. Some have horse ears as well. This can also cover other quadruped people like alseid and bariaur.

Special Ability—Quadruped: Centaurs are faster than humans and better sprinters. You can run with the speed or a horse. You can use Hunt instead of Prowl for running and Hunt instead of Finesse in a chase. You can carry two additional items based on your load. A rider with a size matching your torso counts as two items.

Faun

Gregarious fey creatures of woods and meadows, some fauns are curious enough to explore the world. Humanoids with the lower body and some characteristics such as horns and ears of a goat.

Special Ability—Frolic: Fauns are very nimble and gain a +1d bonus on all Prowl actions not involving stealth. They also have the ability to turn water and fruit juice into wine, with better materials making for better vintage. Fauns gain +1d on Resolve rolls against creatures who are drunk on their wine.

Haregon

Hare-like furred humanoids with the build of 14-year old humans with rabbit ears, nose, and legs, Haregon are fey and carry the joy of the feywild with them. Intensely social, they try to mingle into the societies of others and are not above assuming the role of a servant or even pet to be accepted.

Special Ability—Leap: You can take great leaps from a standing start. You can leap the range of your tier (p 221), and other creatures rarely have the reaction to react to this leap. You need a few minutes of rest before you can leap again.

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Orc

Large and brutish, orcs are the smallest of the giants and speak the giant tunge, which is quite similar to Dwarvish.

Special Ability—Echolocation: By making hoarse shouts, you get a sense of the landscape, especially hard materials like stone and metal. This allows you to navigate among stone as in daylight, not quite as good among earth, and poorly in overgrown areas. Living creatures are confusing like shadows, but still better than nothing.

Goblin

Kin to gnomes and halflings, goblins are fey creatures with undersize torsos, sindly arms and legs, and oversize heads, ears, and nose. Green is the most common skin color but others exist—goblins of different skin color are likely to not get along.

Special Ability—Scent: Your sense of scent is sufficient to let you track like a dog and to identify your surrounding by scent alone, which allows rough navigation in dark earthen tunnels. You also find it easy to get along with animals with keen senses, wolves in particular.

Kobold

Small reptilian humanoids with a muzzle shape similar to dogs, kobolds make yipping sounds much like small dogs do. Kobolds consider themselves kin to dragons and speak draconic with a particular yipping accent. Kobolds are find of mining and mechanisms, especially traps.

Special Ability—Tremorsense: You are highly sensitive to vibrations in the ground, particularly through stone. This lets you predict earthquakes and rockfalls, get a sense for hollow rock spaces nearby, and the motions of creatures on rock. Not as good as sight, but better than nothing.