Races of Faerûn
Encyclopedia
Races of Faerûn is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons
.
, the fictional continent where most of the Forgotten Realms setting is set, giving detailed information on the histories of the races in the Realms, their languages, clothing, relations to other races, culture and so on. And also, much to the delight of players, it gave detailed information on how to play the races as characters. Races explored were the major races dwarves
, elves
, gnomes
, half-elves
, half-orc
, halflings
, humans
, and planetouched
, as well as minor races, aarakocra
, centaurs
, goblinoids
, kir-lanan, lizardfolk
, lycanthropes
, shades
, wemic
s, and yuan-ti
, and the various subraces (in the case of humans, ethnic groups) of each of the races.
A handful of new feats, spells, magic items, prestige classes, and monsters are also given.
The book does not detail all of the races in the Forgotten Realms setting. Some other races which are known to inhabit it, including gnoll
s, naga
, thri-kreen
, loxos, fey
, giants
, ogres
, trolls
, sahuagin
, saurials, and numerous others, are left out, as well as a lot of the human ethnic groups and a few elven subraces.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
.
Contents
This book centers on the races which inhabit FaerûnFaerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
, the fictional continent where most of the Forgotten Realms setting is set, giving detailed information on the histories of the races in the Realms, their languages, clothing, relations to other races, culture and so on. And also, much to the delight of players, it gave detailed information on how to play the races as characters. Races explored were the major races dwarves
Dwarf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dwarves are a humanoid race, one of the primary races available for play as player characters...
, elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
, gnomes
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
, half-elves
Half-elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :The half-elf appeared as a player character race in the original Player's Handbook . The half-elf also appeared in the original Monster Manual...
, half-orc
Half-orc
The half-orc is a creature born to mixed orc and human parentage in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The half-orc is a playable race for D&D player characters. Half-orcs are typically born in wild frontiers where human and orc tribes come into contact. Half-orcs are between six and seven...
, halflings
Halfling (Dungeons & Dragons)
The halfling is a fictional race found in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Halflings are similar to humans except about half the size...
, humans
Human (Dungeons & Dragons)
Humans are a race available for player characters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Although short-lived by comparison, humans are the most populous of all Dungeons & Dragons races. They are renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lack specializations like...
, and planetouched
Planetouched
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the planetouched are mortal creatures whose ancestors were extraplanar creatures such as celestials, fiends, or elementals.Planetouched are considered native outsiders.-Publication history:...
, as well as minor races, aarakocra
Aarakocra
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the aarakocra are a race of bird-like monstrous humanoids dwelling in high mountains...
, centaurs
Centaur (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the centaur is a large monstrous humanoid. Based upon the Centaurs of Greek myth, they resemble humans with the lower body of a horse.-Publication history:...
, goblinoids
Goblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, goblins are a very common and fairly weak race of evil humanoid monsters. Goblins and Kobolds are commonly non-human monsters that low-level player characters will face in combat. In D&D, goblins aren't smaller cousins of orcs, but are a part of...
, kir-lanan, lizardfolk
Lizardfolk
Lizardfolk are a fictional humanoid species in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:...
, lycanthropes
Lycanthrope (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lycanthrope is a humanoid shapeshifter based on various legends of lycanthropy.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, shades
Shade (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, shades are humanoids who have merged with the essence of the Plane of Shadow. In Third Edition, a shade is created by applying a template to a humanoid creature.-Publication history:...
, wemic
Wemic
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the wemic is a humanoid with the upper body of a leonine human and the lower body of a lion. Like centaurs, they are considered "tauric" creatures.-Publication history:David C...
s, and yuan-ti
Yuan-ti
The yuan-ti are a fictional species of evil snakemen in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The species comprises a number of castes. In some campaign settings, the yuan-ti are descended from evil human cultists who mixed their bloodlines with those of serpents...
, and the various subraces (in the case of humans, ethnic groups) of each of the races.
A handful of new feats, spells, magic items, prestige classes, and monsters are also given.
The book does not detail all of the races in the Forgotten Realms setting. Some other races which are known to inhabit it, including gnoll
Gnoll
A gnoll or gnole is a fictional humanoid creature - a cross between a gnome and a troll. They first appeared in Lord Dunsany's story in The Book of Wonder: How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art upon the Gnoles and subsequently reappeared in Margaret St. Clair's, The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles...
s, naga
Naga (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, nagas comprise a variety of similar species of intelligent aberrations with widely differing abilities and alignments. Nagas appear as large snake like creatures with humanoid heads. They often range widely in coloring and scale patterns, but are all...
, thri-kreen
Thri-kreen
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the thri-kreen, or "mantis warriors", are an insect-like monstrous humanoid race. Thri-kreen are one of the primary player character races of the Dark Sun campaign setting, and have also appeared in the Spelljammer and Forgotten Realms campaign...
, loxos, fey
Fey (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Fey is a type of creature, or "creature type". Fey are usually humanoid in form, and are typified as having supernatural abilities and a connection to nature or to some other force or place....
, giants
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, ogres
Ogre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
, trolls
Troll (Dungeons & Dragons)
Trolls are fictional monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Dungeon Masters can use them as enemies or allies of the player characters.-Publication history:...
, sahuagin
Sahuagin
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the sahuagin are a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that live in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. Sahuagin speak their native tongue . With higher intelligence scores, they can also speak two bonus languages, usually...
, saurials, and numerous others, are left out, as well as a lot of the human ethnic groups and a few elven subraces.