Races of Midnight

The races of MIDNIGHT are many and strange, especially in the time since the Sundering. In the aftermath of that cataclysm, the fey were the first to rise above the rubble, rebuilding civilization and creating masterworks of art, culture, and science. These proud peoples are descended from a common source, the elthedar, or elder fey. Their time of glory passed, however, with the coming of men from across the sea. First the Dorns then the Sarcosans arrived, and humans spread in waves across fertile Eredane, eventually to give birth to a new breed called the Erenlanders. But their time too would pass; as passionate and strong-willed as the races of men were, they withered before the fecund, brutal, and predatory natures of the Shadow’s creations. Now is the time of the odrodor, or in the trader’s tongue, orcs.

All of the races, regardless of their heritage and history, stand to lose much in the face of Izrador’s onslaught. Even some orcs have joined the fight against their former master.

While many of the races may seem familiar, the details of each vary distinctly from those of the same names presented in the core rules. The rules here supersede all racial traits of the similar races from the core rules. Also note that these races are somewhat more powerful than those in the core rules. This does not require the DM to make adjustments to the party’s level or the difficulty of encounters. The characters will often be challenged by NPCs sharing the same racial traits, magic and healing are rarer, and the heroes face difficult odds in a harsh world. Put simply, the characters will need their racial advantages simply to survive. For comparison purposes, however, and when exporting MIDNIGHT races to other settings, the following races all have level adjustments of +1.

Favored Region

The races of Eredane have always lived close to the land, depending on it for their livelihoods and reveling in its beauties. Since the fall of Shadow, that connection has only been strengthened. In these dark times, survival means knowing the land from which

you come and using it as your best weapon and best defense against the forces of Izrador. Each race presented below considers a distinct area of Eredane to be a favored region. Members of the race gain Knowledge (local: favored region) as a class skill, and also gain a +2 racial bonus on Survival checks and Knowledge (nature) checks (assuming they have ranks in that skill) when in their favored region.

Starting Possessions and Languages

Some MIDNIGHT races have the option to begin play with restricted items with which their culture has a strong affinity. Whenever this is the case, the character must still use his starting vp to pay for the item, but does not apply a regional worth modifier to the item and need only pay one-quarter the base cost.

Starting languages, meanwhile, follow a different set of rules.