Human

Most humans are the descendants of pioneers, conquerors, traders, travelers, refugees, and other people on the move. As a result, human lands are home to a mix of people—physically, culturally, religiously, and politically different. Hardy or fine, light-skinned or dark, showy or austere, primitive or civilized, devout or impious, humans run the gamut.
Personality: Humans are the most adaptable, flexible, and ambitious people among the common races. They are diverse in their tastes, morals, customs, and habits. Others accuse them of having little respect for history, but it’s only natural that humans, with their relatively short life spans and constantly changing cultures, would have a shorter collective memory than dwarves, elves, gnomes, or halflings.
Physical Description: Humans typically stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds, with men noticeably taller and heavier than women. Thanks to their penchant for migration and conquest, and to their short life spans, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. Their skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, their hair from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight), and their facial hair (for men) from sparse to thick. Plenty of humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, and they may demonstrate hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Members of this race are often ostentatious or unorthodox in their grooming and dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, body piercings, and the like. Humans have short life spans, reaching adulthood at about age 15 and rarely living even a single century.
Relations: Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mix with members of other races, among which they are known as “everyone’s second-best friends.” Humans serve as ambassadors, diplomats, magistrates, merchants, and functionaries of all kinds.
Alignment: Humans tend toward no particular alignment, not even neutrality. The best and the worst are found among them.
Human Lands: Human lands are usually in flux, with new ideas, social changes, innovations, and new leaders constantly coming to the fore. Members of longer-lived races find human culture exciting but eventually a little wearying or even bewildering. Since humans lead such short lives, their leaders are all young compared to the political, religious, and military leaders among the other races. Even where individual humans are conservative traditionalists, human institutions change with the generations, adapting and evolving faster than parallel institutions among the elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay on top of changing political dynamics.
Human lands generally include relatively large numbers of nonhumans (compared, for instance, to the number of non-dwarves who live in dwarven lands).
Religion: Unlike members of the other common races, humans do not have a chief racial deity. Pelor, the sun god, is the most commonly worshiped deity in human lands, but he can claim nothing like the central place that the dwarves give Moradin or the elves give Corellon Larethian in their respective pantheons. Some humans are the most ardent and zealous adherents of a given religion, while others are the most impious people around.
Language: Humans speak Common. They typically learn other languages as well, including obscure ones, and they are fond of
sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elven musical expressions, Dwarven military phrases, and so on.
Names: Human names vary greatly. Without a unifying deity to give them a touchstone for their culture, and with such a fast breeding cycle, humans mutate socially at a fast rate. Human culture, therefore, is more diverse than other cultures, and no human names are truly typical. Some human parents give their children dwarven or elven names (pronounced more or less correctly).
Adventurers: Human adventurers are the most audacious, daring, and ambitious members of an audacious, daring, and ambitious race. A human can earn glory in the eyes of her fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. Humans, more than other people, champion causes rather than territories or groups.


In Eberron

History in Eberron: The dominant race of Eberron, humans are originally from the continent of Sarlona but migrated westward nearly 4,000 years ago arriving in the region now known as The Lhazaar Principalities. Over the next century humans spread across the face of Khorvaire establishing settlements that would later evolve into what are now known as the Five Nations.

Since humans are a relatively young race in Eberron there are no distinct racial subtypes. Natives of the five nations tend toward certain personality stereotypes, but few could pick out a Brelander from a Karnnathi just on sight alone. Some lingering tensions exist between citizens of nations following the Last War, but these hostilities lie only in the nation in which one pledges allegiance to. A Cyran refugee who embraces the Silver Flame and thranish culture would be just as accepted by other citizens of Thrane as a native born.
Dragonmarks: Humans possess four of the thirteen dragonmarks. Because of this they have established themselves as one of the most powerful races in Khorvaire. Humans also seem to be exceptionally adept and skilled at learning all manner of trades from blacksmith to anthropologist to fate-tempting adventurers humans demonstrate a proficiency in anything they set themselves to. While they don't meet the high standards of dwarven or elven craftsmanship, or the fortitude of the half-orcs or even the multifarious talents of the gnomes they more than make up for their lack of individual strength with a versatility that is second to none.
House Cannith carries the Mark of Making and has a lock on the trades of repair and manufacturing. House Orien carries the Mark of Passage, dominating the courier, shipping, and transportation trades. House Deneith carries the Mark of Sentinel, allowing its members to dominate the field of personal protection. House Vadalis carries the Mark of Handling, making its members foremost in the business of livestock breeding and training.

Human Lands:Human culture was born on the continent of Sarlona, with the first settlers sailing from Sarlona’s western coast to the region of Khorvaire now called the Lhazaar Principalities. From there, they spread across the continent of Khorvaire, disrupting the placid elven empire of Aerenal and leaving ruined goblin kingdoms in their wake. With the arrival of the Inspired in Sarlona, human dominance on that continent came to an end. The humans of Khorvaire feel no particular connection to their ancestral homeland. Indeed, most don’t even realize their ancestors came from that distant land.

Religion: No unifying deity exists for humans, as they tend to worship just about whatever they seem to fit with. You'll find a human who worships the silver flame just as readily as one who worships Balinor, the devourer or is even a member of an obscure khyber cult.


HUMAN RACIAL TRAITS

  • Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Human base land speed is 30 feet.
  • 1 extra feat at 1st level, because humans are quick to master specialized tasks and varied in their talents.
  • 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level, since humans are versatile and capable. (The 4 skill points at 1st level are added on as a bonus, not multiplied in)
  • Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). See other racial lists for common languages or the Speak Language skill for a more comprehensive list. Humans mingle with all kinds of other folk and thus can learn any language found in an area.
  • Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, her highest-level class does not count.

Starting Ages

Adulthood: 15 yrs.
Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +1d4
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +1d6
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +2d6

Aging Effects

Middle Age: 35 yrs.
Old: 53 yrs.
Venerable: 70 yrs.
Maximum Age: +2d20 yrs.

Random Height and Weight Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 4'10" +2d10 120 lb. x(2d4) lb.
Female 4'5" +2d10 85 lb. x(2d4) lb.

Source: Player's Handbook, Eberron Campaign Setting

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