Most characters start at 1st level and advance by adventuring and gaining experience points (XP). A good way to picture a character at this level is to see them as a newcomer to some of the more difficult challenges you’ll face.  

Record your level on the character sheet as 1st level and indicate that your starting experience is zero. 

Depending on the campaign your Narrator is making for the group, your game’s stakes may be high enough that your character starts at a higher level. In those cases think about what dangerous and fascinating events may have brought you to that point as you begin creating your character. 

A higher level character would typically begin with the minimum experience points necessary for that level. In the case of higher level characters, be sure to note the additional features and traits that come with each class level past the 1st.

The worlds of Level Up offer an infinite combination of possibilities and circumstances that shape the lives of the characters who live within it. Your first step is deciding what type of character you want to create. Their personality, appearance, aspirations, desires, and fears are all up to you. It’s through their eyes that you’ll experience the world, and all the details you give them shape how you—and by extension they—interact with the world and respond to what takes place during the course of gameplay. 

Before diving into the mechanics of the character creation process try to imagine what you’re looking for in a character and what interests you as a player. Are you fascinated by the dynamics between gods and mortals? Are you intrigued by combat in all its myriad forms? Or do you prefer to be the source of knowledge for the party, surprising them with just the right tidbit of information to save the day or ruin it for someone else? 

---

Origin

Who is your character? Where do they come from? What drives them forward?

Creating your character generally begins by asking yourself a series of questions about not just the type of adventurer you want to play but also what type of person they are and how they came to be who they are.

Origins are detailed later on in the book but consist of four main aspects: heritage , culture , background , and destiny . As you go through the character creation process, each of these aspects will help you flesh out more details about your character or prompt you to determine traits you otherwise may not have considered.

Heritage

Characters in the world belong to a heritage which includes certain biological characteristics and defines some aspects of their physical appearance. Other things, such as a character’s speed and size, are also derived from their heritage. While a heritage may be a factor in your character’s story, that’s just the beginning. Who they are is defined by the experiences and the actions that lead them to where they are now.

Choosing a heritage grants your character access to additional traits and a heritage gift, which helps you make your character stand out from the crowd. For example, a dragonborn ’s trait allows them to do what dragons do best and exhale a breath based on that ancestry that can burn, electrify, and even freeze their enemies. Meanwhile some dragonborn have scales like iron while others have developed aquatic adaptations.

In addition, as your character levels up, they choose a paragon heritage gift that is unique to their heritage.

Culture

Your character’s culture details the society and circumstances that helped shape who they are. This provides a number of traits including proficiencies,
languages, and other benefits related to the culture that influenced their development.

One of the key things to keep in mind during character creation is that culture options are universal and aren’t limited to specific heritages. This opens up a number of fun and interesting options and opportunities for your creativity to color outside of the lines!

Background

If a culture tells how a character started, their background helps outline where their journey led. There are a number of backgrounds to choose from each of which provides bonuses to your ability scores, additional proficiencies, and features to your character can use while adventuring.

That’s just mechanics though, and thinking about the details of how a background influences your character’s thoughts and actions is a great way to add depth to a concept. Deciding on your character’s memento (an object of personal importance) and connection (a person who matters to them) helps you create stakes in the world.

Destiny

All characters in the world have a destiny that they move towards, though whether or not they will reach it is a mystery. When creating a character you are able to place a mark of destiny upon them to not just help you better understand who they are and where you want them to go, but also help the Narrator get an idea of what you’re looking for as a player. It is a summation of their motivations, goals and outlook. It also provides your character an edge at key moments that would help them move toward that destiny. 

---

Adventuring Classes

Adventurers come from all walks of life and approach the world in different ways. Class is the term used to broadly describe the set of skills and abilities they use while confronting the challenges of the world.

While your origin describes your character’s past, your class represents what they are doing now. Choosing a class for your character provides them with class features, the unique talents and expertise inherent to their class that set them apart from other classes. In addition, you also gain certain proficiencies which represent your character’s skills and what they are best at resisting (their saving throws), as well as their ability to use certain tools, armor, weapons and more. Proficiencies essentially outline the things your character can do well, such as performing for a packed room or holding on to their sanity after a particularly powerful psychic spell.

Depending on which class you choose, between 1st and 3rd level you select a class archetype. Every class has its own set of disciplines that each specialize in one particular aspect of the adventuring tradition. Some rogues are very sneaky, others utilize magic in their thievery, and there are those who become master assassins — all rogues that made different choices with their archetypes.

---

Level

Most characters start at 1st level and advance by adventuring and gaining experience points (XP). A good way to picture a character at this level is to see them as a newcomer to some of the more difficult challenges you’ll face.

Record your level on the character sheet as 1st level and indicate that your starting experience is zero. Depending on the campaign your Narrator is making for the group, your game’s stakes may be high enough that your character starts at a higher level. In those cases think about what dangerous and fascinating events may have brought you to that point as you begin creating your character.

A higher level character would typically begin with the minimum experience points necessary for that level. In the case of higher level characters, be sure you understand the various features and traits that come with each additional level in the class.

---

Hit Points and Hit Dice

Your character’s hit points provide a rough idea of how much damage they can withstand. Your hit points are determined by your Hit Dice which are in turn tied to your class. At 1st level, your character begins with 1 Hit Dice and hit points equal to the maximum number of that Hit Dice. You also gain additional hit points based on your Constitution modifier which will be covered later in the character creation process. Another use for Hit Dice is the ability to roll them in order to recover hit points during a short rest.

The total number of hit points you have available is called your hit point maximum.

Be sure to record your character’s Hit Dice and hit points on the character sheet.

---

Proficiency Bonus

Your proficiency bonus can be found in the table that describes the features you gain at each level of your class. Characters starting out at 1st level begin with a +2 to proficiency and that bonus applies to a number of important character elements:

• Attacks you make with weapons you are proficient with.
• Spell attacks cast against your adversaries.
• Ability checks made using proficiency-based skills.
• Ability checks made to utilize tools that you are proficient with.
• Saving throw DCs for features, spells, and traits you use.
• Saving throws you have proficiency in.

Proficiencies come from a number of sources, including backgrounds, classes, feats, and more. Be sure to keep a look out for when your character gains a proficiency and note it on the character sheet.

Your proficiency bonus can only be added to a die roll or any other circumstance once. The only exceptions are cases where the bonus is modified before being applied to a roll. If circumstances arise that indicate your bonus should be halved, doubled, or multiplied more than once, the golden rule is to only halve, double, or multiply it once.

Proficiency Bonus

Level	Bonus
1-4	+2
5-8	+3
9-12	+4
13-16	+5
17-20	+6

 

---

Determine Ability Scores

There are six key ability scores that factor into everything that your character does in the game: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These abilities and their uses are described in detail in later chapters. 

Ability scores are generated randomly by rolling four 6-sided dice and recording the total of the highest three dice on a spare sheet of paper. You continue to do this until you have a total of six numbers.

Choose where you’d like to assign these numbers by recording each next to an ability score.

After that’s done, modify your ability scores to account for any additional bonuses your character gained from their background.

The final ability scores will determine your ability modifiers, which can be seen in the Ability Scores and Modifiers table.

To figure out your ability modifier without the table, subtract 10 from an ability score and then divide the result by 2 (round down). Record the modifier next to your ability scores.

Ability Scores and Modifiers

Score	Modifier
1	-5
2-3	-4
4-5	-3
6-7	-2
8-9	-1
10-11	+0
12-13	+1
14-15	+2
16-17	+3
18-20	+4
20-21	+5
22-23	+6
25-25	+7
26-27	+8
28-29	+9
30	+10

 

---

Variant: Standard Ability Array

Instead of rolling dice to determine your six ability scores, you may choose to use the following scores instead: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

Variant: Custom Ability Scores

With the Narrator’s approval, you can use the following method to create ability scores.

You have 27 points to spend on ability scores. The cost of each score is shown on the Ability Score Point Cost table. This approach to ability score generation limits the highest score to 15 before the application of ability score increases from other sources.

Ability Scores Point Cost

Score	Modifier
8	0
9	1
10	2
11	3
12	4
13	5
14	7
15	9

 

---

Gear Up For Adventure

Your character begins the game with starting equipment determined by their background and class. Starting equipment includes everything from weapons and armor to general tools and items. Be sure to record your starting equipment on the character sheet.

If you’d like to have more flexibility in the gear your character starts the game with you can alternatively use your class’ gold pieces (gp) to buy your own.

Be sure to keep in mind that your character has to carry everything you buy! Strength scores determine the maximum amount of equipment characters can carry. Avoid going over a total weight in pounds greater than your Strength score times 15.

If your character is going on a journey, they will also need to carry supplies with them. You can carry a number of days’ supplies equal to your Strength score, in addition to your equipment, weapons, and armor.

---

Defense

Your Armor Class (AC) represents your character’s ability to avoid sustaining damage in battle.

Numerous things affect your AC in various ways, such as armor, traits, features, Dexterity and more. Unarmored, your character’s AC is 10 + their Dexterity modifier. While wearing armor, utilizing shields, or taking advantage of traits and features, the AC calculation will differ based on the circum- stances. For equipment the details of AC calculation are available as part of an item’s description, and the criteria and effects of other options are listed in your character’s class, heritage, or culture.

When your character is subject to more than one way to calculate their AC, you can choose which one to apply.

One of the key things to remember when making your character is that not everyone can use armor and shields. Your character must be proficient with armor and shields in order to use them with any efficiency, and there are certain drawbacks from struggling to use either without knowing how to properly do so ( Equipment ).

---

Save Difficulty Classes

Some of your attacks and spells may force your target to make a saving throw to resist it. You have two saving throw difficulty classes (DCs), one used for
combat maneuvers, and the other for spellcasting.

Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.

---

Offense

Weapons are the bread and butter of any savvy adventurer, even those who use them as only a last resort.

Weapon attacks are made by rolling a d20 and adding your proficiency bonus (as long as your character is actually proficient with the weapon) and the appropriate ability modifier. Weapon damage is calculated by rolling the weapon’s damage die and adding any applicable modifiers.

Melee weapons use your character’s Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls.

Meanwhile, ranged weapons use Dexterity for attack and damage rolls. Some weapons with the thrown property, such as javelins, allow you to use your character’s Strength modifier instead.

All attacks also indicate the type of damage they deal. A sickle deals slashing damage while a heavy maul deals bludgeoning damage. Damage types, besides being cool aspects of your character, also come into play as some situations may call for one type of damage type over the other.

Some special attacks instead do an amount of damage called basic melee damage. This is equal to 1 + your Strength modifier.

---

Skill Specialties

At 1st level you gain your first two skill specialties, chosen from skills you are proficient with. When you make an ability check to which your skill specialty applies, you gain an expertise die. You may not gain the same skill specialty twice. If your Intelligence is 12 or higher, you gain extra skill specialties (see Intelligence).

---

• Beyond the First Steps

		ADVENTURER'S GUIDE The core rules of the game.
		TRIALS AND TREASURES Exploration, magic items, gamemastery.
		MONSTROUS MENAGERIE Monsters, monsters, and more monsters!
		ADVENTURES Free adventures, ready-to-play directly from this site.
		GATE PASS GAZETTE Level Up's official magazine includes new rules each month.
		ADVENTURES IN ZEITGEIST The official setting book.
		MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURES & MALEFICENT MONSTERS Stats for myths and legends from the real world.
		THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS A list of Level Up products created by third party publishers.

When you roll a 20 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modifiers, bonuses, and penalties), this is referred to as a “natural 20”. Rolling a 1 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modifiers, bonuses, and penalties) is referred to as a “natural 1”.

Critical Hits and Fumbles. A natural 20 on an attack roll is a critical hit and is always successful. On the flip side, rolling a natural 1 on an attack roll is considered a critical fumble and always misses. 

Critical Saves. A natural 20 on a saving throw is a critical save and always succeeds. A natural 1 on a saving throw is always a failure.

Critical Successes. A natural 20 on an ability check is a critical success so long as the creature attempting it would normally have succeeded on the check. For example, a baby goblin could never break out of steel manacles using Strength but an adult warrior goblin might. On a critical success the objective of the check is achieved and something else happens as well.

Critical Failures. A natural 1 on an ability check is a critical failure so long as the creature attempting would normally have failed on the check. On a critical failure, the objective of the check is failed, and something unfortunate happens as well.

Group Criticals. When making a group check, a critical success is achieved if all members of the party succeed in their checks, while a critical failure takes place if all members of the party fail.

Criticals and fumbles also provide opportunities for additional positive and negative consequences. For example, in addition to being a guaranteed success, a critical hit increases the damage caused by an attack (dealing double damage). At the Narrator’s discretion, a fumble might also result in a complication for the attacker, such as their weapon getting stuck in a wooden door, requiring an ability check to free it.

There are two ways that a creature's chances of success can be increased or decreased.

---

Advantage & Disadvantage

Sometimes a circumstance grants advantage or disadvantage on an ability check, a saving throw , or an attack roll . When that happens, you roll two twenty-sided dice instead of one. For advantage, you use the higher of the two rolls. For disadvantage, you use the lower of the two rolls.

---

Expertise Dice

Some class features or abilities grant you an expertise die for an attack roll or saving throw, or in a specific skill or tool proficiency. When you make a d20 roll with which you have gained an expertise die, roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to the result of your check.

You can never roll more than one expertise die on the same roll. If another class feature or situation grants an expertise die that applies to the same roll, you don’t gain another die; instead, the size of the expertise die increases for that check, from 1d4 to 1d6, or 1d6 to 1d8. If you have a 1d8 expertise die on a check, further expertise dice have no effect.

If you have advantage or disadvantage at the same time as an expertise die, only the d20 is rolled twice, not the expertise die.

While advantage is most commonly used to represent circumstantial factors affecting a situation, expertise dice represents the particular training a character takes into the adventure.

Sometimes the Narrator will call for a group check. Group checks take place when the entire party is engaged in a single task, such as climbing a cliff or sneaking up on an enemy camp. The more skilled members of the group are able to help the less skilled members. 

In a group check, every player makes an ability check . If more than half of the group succeeds in their check, the group as a whole succeeds. If half or less of the group succeed, the group as a whole fails.

A critical success occurs if every member of the group succeeds, and a critical failure takes place if every member of the group fails.

 

 

Planetouched Traits 

 

Characters with planetouched heritage share the following traits. 

Age. Planetouched typically mature at the same rate as humans but have slightly longer lifespans. Planetouched born to non-planetouched parents' lifespans tend to mirror that of their parents’ heritage. 

Size. Planetouched are usually of similar build and size to humans, though those born to non-human parents more closely resemble the heritage of their parents. Your size is Medium, but can be Small with approval from your Narrator. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. Thanks to your supernatural ancestors, your vision is not impeded by darkened conditions. 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 cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Immortal Blessing. Your connection with the source of your bloodline allows you to cheat death. When you would ordinarily be reduced to zero hit points, you are instead reduced to one hit point. You cannot use this feature again until you have finished a long rest.

---

Planetouched Gifts 

Planetouched can vary wildly from each other depending on their bloodline. In addition to the traits granted by your planetouched heritage, select one of the following heritage gifts to determine the nature of your ancestor. 

Aasimar 

This heritage of planetouched is created through some sort of divine intervention, or when a bloodline contains celestial blood. These planetouched often have a color scheme that is brighter than those of other heritages, with lots of golds and warm hues being found among them. Their divine blood also twists their features into something frighteningly angelic, resulting in horns that resemble halos or headdresses, and occasionally even planetouched with extra sets of eyes. You have the following traits:

Celestial Legacy. You know the guidance cantrip. In addition, you can use an action to touch a willing creature and restore a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you must finish a long rest before doing so again. 

Divine Protection. You have resistance to radiant damage. 

Language. You have an innate ability to recognize Celestial, and are able to speak, read, write, and sign it. 

Tiefling

The most common reason for planetouched born to nonmagical parents is having an archdevil somewhere in the family tree. Tieflings can be spotted by the horns growing from their skulls and they often have skin colored like their fiendish ancestors, some also smelling faintly of sulfur or brimstone. You have the following traits:

Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage. 

Infernal Legacy. You know the produce flame cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast arcane riposte (fire damage only) once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast heat metal without material components once per long rest . Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. 

---

Paragon Gift 

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of the planetouched, and you gain one of the following features. 

Ancestral Resistance

Your bloodline makes you immune to a single damage type. 

Aasimar: You gain immunity to radiant damage.

Tiefling: You gain immunity to fire damage.

Hellish Assault

All fire damage you deal ignores resistance . If a creature is immune to fire damage, it instead takes half damage. 

Radiant Assault

All radiant damage you deal ignores resistance . If a creature is immune to radiant damage, it instead takes half damage. 

---

Planetouched Culture 

Planetouched are a rare heritage and many of their kind find themselves in a culture with very few people quite like them. This is particularly the case for planetouched with infernal bloodlines. Still, planetouched have organized to form cultures of their own—in fact on some worlds there are entire human cultures that became planetouched en masse. 

As the origins of planetouched are diverse so too are their lifestyles. Planetouched are much more likely than any other heritage to adopt another culture, since planetouched are often diaspora communities. Integration and assimilation into another culture is not always easy for planetouched, and they typically opt to form enclaves so they can define themselves on their own terms. 

---

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your planetouched character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : circusfolk , forsaken , lone wanderer , steamforged .
 

Orc Traits 

Characters with orc heritage share the following traits: 

Age. Orcs mature faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably faster, usually only living to be 60–75 years old. 

Size. Orcs are rarely under 6 feet tall, and weigh somewhere over 200 pounds. Your size is Medium. 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Darkvision. Your orcish blood grants you superior vision in dark or dim conditions. 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 cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. 

Heavy Lifter. When determining your carrying capacity and the weight that you can push, drag, or lift, your size is considered to be Large. 

Mighty Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. 

---

Orcish Gifts 

While most orcs are all lumped into the same category, there are actually multiple orcish heritages that hail from different regions and environs. Those whose ancestors are from barren deserts have adapted in different ways from those who historically dwelled in the forests or plains. Additionally, those few tribes that revel in battle have grown to have different traits than those that value family or their ancestors above all else. In addition to the traits granted by your orcish heritage, choose one of the following heritage gifts. 

Acclimatized 

Your family hails from an area known for its extreme conditions, such as the arctic, desert, or even a particularly treacherous swamp. Even if you have not spent much time there, the ability of your family to adapt to their living conditions has been passed down to you. Orcs with this gift can vary wildly in appearance due to the area which they are from; those from the desert may have taken on a paler, dusky skin tone in order to survive the heat, while those from the arctic may have a coating of fine hairs and darker skin tones in order to retain heat. 

Just Like Home. Choose one type of terrain, reflecting the area from which your family hails: arctic, desert, mountain, or swamp. You ignore all naturally created difficult terrain of that type. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Survival checks made within this terrain type, and gain a type of damage resistance related to your chosen terrain: arctic—cold, desert—fire, mountain—lightning, swamp—poison.

Ancestral Blessing 

Orcs with this gift are believed to have been blessed by their ancestors. Every family has their own beliefs for why this occurs; it could be to honor the good deeds of their parents, the success of their clan in battle or the arts, or even to take pity on a child in a desperate situation. Orcs with this heritage often seem to have a sort of divine aura that sets them apart. You have the following traits: 

Divine Protection. You have resistance to radiant damage. 

Touch of Divinity. You know the resistance cantrip. In addition, you can cast the shield spell once per long rest. 

Magic Adept 

The true origin of the magic adepts—the odanti—has been lost to time, but the elders tell tales of fey-touched ancestors and the tribe’s proclivity for magic. 

Magic Adept. You are born with magic coursing through your veins, and are able to utilize it in a number of ways. You learn one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level spell from the wizard spell list. You can cast the chosen spell without any material components once per long rest. A 1st-level spell chosen this way can be cast at 2nd-level using this trait, if the spell allows. Your spellcasting ability for this trait is the same as the ability score used in the spellcasting class in which you have the highest level, or Charisma if you have no levels in a spellcasting class. 

---

Orc Paragon

Starting at 10th level, you become a paragon of orcishness. You gain the following feature. 

Relentless Resilience

When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you have used this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. 

Additionally, the many struggles of your ancestors has given you a thick skin, and the ability to shrug off less powerful blows. Your Armor Class increases by 1. 

---

Orc Culture 

The simple name “orc” often has the prejudice of thousands of years of conflict bearing down upon it. Many orcs are shackled to a simplistic portrayal of war and blood, and are used to hearing the title “orc” spat with the same venom as the titles of “demon” or “invader.” Orcs often either live with these accusations, or distance themselves from anyone that would spout them. 

Orcs are not inherently evil but tend to follow their impulses and instincts—which often gets them into trouble. They are passionate and tend to pity the comparatively demure, tame emotions of their neighbors. An orc in love burns with unbridled passion, a terrified orc experiences the primordial horror of the end of days, and an enraged orc can see a minor slight as an insult and challenge to their very being. Any and all of these emotions can get them into trouble, but it’s the rage that’s most remembered. 

Easily rallied to a cause, many tyrants over the millenia have roused orcs into fearsome war hordes. Once a rallying cry goes out it can keep building momentum and growing in number until dozens of orcish tribes work themselves into a frenzy. A war horde is less of an army and more of a solid wall of passionate orcish anger. Once the object of their rage has been obliterated and their instigator reaps the rewards, most simply lay their weapons down and return home. 

Sadly, war hordes are the first and last impression in many minds of what encompasses an orc tribe. Those who venture to orcish homelands are often surprised at the artistic havens they find instead of war camps. Orcish hunters and gatherers provide enough surplus food to support ample leisure time, and most orcs spend the majority of their time pursuing their passions. Orc territory is often filled with countless friendly brawls, gorgeous tapestries and carvings, and orcish chants and throat songs that recount the history of generations. 

Depending on what passion has won the day, life within an orc tribe can be carefree or filled with violence. While orcish tribe members are usually orc or half-orcs themselves, most tribes welcome all comers. Whether the tribe spends its time singing chants or demolishing armies, it’s not uncommon to see other humanoids covered in orcish brands right alongside them. However your character was raised, they were moulded and influenced by the orcish tribe around them. 

---

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your orc character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: caravanner , stoic orc , warhordling , wildling .

 

Human Traits 

 

Characters with human heritage share a variety of traits in common. 

Age. Humans reach basic maturity around age 18, although many continue to grow in body and mind through their twenties. Only the most exceptional human elders live past 100 years. 

Size. Most adult humans are in the 5 to 6 foot range, although taller and shorter statures do occur. Your size is Medium (with your Narrator’s permission, your size can instead be Small.) 

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet. 

Fast Learner. With their shorter life spans, humans can acquire knowledge at a higher rate than more long-lived heritages (although not all acquire the wisdom to use it). You gain proficiency in one additional skill of your choice. In addition, you require half as much time as normal to train yourself in the use of a suit of armor, tool, or weapon during downtime.

Intrepid. Your survival instinct is remarkably strong. When you make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can choose to gain an expertise die on that roll. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest. 

---

Human Gifts 

Humanity’s most overlooked trait is their physical and spiritual endurance. How a human exhibits this hereditary resilience varies on their personal disposition. In addition to the traits found in your human heritage , select one of the following gifts. 

Diehard Survivor 

Foes of humanity may see them as ants, but humans are equally difficult to eliminate. The ancestors of human beings learned to survive through the harshest conditions, including drought, winter, and famine. Humans, in their stubbornness, can even pull themselves back from the brink of death to fulfill their dreams. You have the following traits:

Feast and Famine. You can tighten your belt during hard times. You can go a number of days equal to your Constitution modifier without suffering any fatigue from lack of Supply . Afterward you require twice as much Supply for as many days as you went without.

Radical Perseverance. Through your sheer stubbornness and will to live, you sometimes manage to wriggle out of death’s grasp. You die after 4 failed death saving throws instead of 3. 

Ingenious Focus 

Not all human minds work the same—some have a nearly miraculous level of focus. People with this intellectual mode often bring a surprising level of insight and passion to almost any topic they engage. In spite of their brilliance, they typically have difficulty with more general awareness. You have the following traits:

Inexorable Concentration. When you fail a Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration, you can immediately reroll it, taking the new result. You may use this trait a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), and regain all expended uses after a long rest. 

Resident Expert. You have a reputation for painstaking detail on certain tasks and subjects. Choose two tools with which you are proficient , or a skill with which you are proficient from Animal Handling, Arcana, Culture, Engineering, History, Medicine, Nature, or Religion. When you make a check with that tool or skill and the d20 shows a natural result of less than 10, you can count the d20 result as being 10. 

Spirited Traveler 

The power of movement is one of humanity’s evolutionary advantages. An ancient human hunting strategy for killing fast game is persistence hunting—following prey relentlessly, shifting between walking and running endlessly until a beast became too exhausted to defend itself. Many humans maintain their health through running, and foot races are a universal favorite game. In a word, humans gifted at running will go far. You have the following traits: 

Desperate Dash. When you take the Dash action, your movement this turn does not provoke opportunity attacks. During this movement, you gain an expertise die on Athletics checks made to jump, and Dexterity saving throws. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short rest . 

Marathon Runner. The first time between each long rest you would gain a level of fatigue , you do not gain that level of fatigue. You still suffer a level of fatigue from finishing a long rest without any Supply .

Sojourner’s Fortitude. You gain an expertise die on saving throws made to resist fatigue for marching longer than 8 hours. 

---

The following gifts are additionally available in sci-fi settings using the Voidrunner's Codex :

Adapted

As humans began to venture away from their world and explore the galaxy, they encountered hardships and challenges they never could have imagined—and proved themselves to be one of the most adaptable species in the cosmos. Confronting each new hurdle head-on, humans began to tinker with their genetics, creating new adaptations capable of surviving anything the galaxy could throw at it. Through splicing non-human or synthetic DNA, ancestors of these humans take human survival skills to a new frontier. Beyond basic survivability, you are adapted for one specific environment. You gain the following trait:

Just Like Home. Choose one type of terrain, reflecting the area from which your family hails: arctic, desert, mountain, or swamp. You ignore all naturally created difficult terrain of that type. Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Survival checks made within this terrain type, and gain a type of damage resistance related to your chosen terrain: arctic—cold, desert—fire, mountain—lightning, swamp—poison.

Jovian

Growing up on a high-gravity world has lent you remarkable endurance. You recover one level of fatigue during a short rest as long as you have only two or fewer levels of fatigue, and you count as size Large when determining your carrying capacity.

Prodigy

Humans once believed they only used a portion of their total brain, and that using more would give them access to supernatural abilities. Whether through natural or forced evolution, space-time anomalies, or other strange quirks of galactic exploration, some humans have evolved beyond the limitations of the physical. Many people with this gift are marked by some telltale sign of their mental power or their evolution, such as glowing eyes or loss of vestigial or unused traits.

Your natural abilities allow you limited ability to command a potent effect. Choose a level I psionic power. You know your chosen power and you can manifest it once without expending psionic points. You must finish a short or long rest before you can manifest it in this way again. Your manifesting ability modifier for this trait is the same as the ability score used in the manifesting class in which you have the highest level, or Intelligence if you have no levels in a manifesting class.

Unbound

When humans began to venture into deep space, many never settled down. Whether living their lives as asteroid miners within their solar system, Voidrunner's Codex 24 living aboard space stations, or as members of generational colony ships, some humans found themselves particularly suited to life within zero gravity. For some, this is evolution in action, for others it is wanderlust turned outward toward the stars. You have the following traits:

Space Legs. You are adapted to the unique rigors of zero gravity, suffering minimal disorientation and even showing increased mobility. While in zero gravity, your base speed increases by 10 feet and you gain a climb speed equal to your base speed.

Vacuum Resistance. The harsh vacuum of space is an ever-present threat in space travel, but you are adapted to it, for a time. You gain an expertise die to Constitution checks to resist the effects of a hard v acuum, and add your proficiency bonus to the number of minutes you can hold your breath. In addition, you gain resistance to cold damage.

---

Human Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of humankind, and you gain one paragon gift from the following list. 

Determined 

When you are bloodied and make an attack roll  or saving throw , you can use this feature to treat the result of the d20 roll as a natural 20. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest . 

Wind at Your Back

Your Speed increases by 10 feet. You ignore difficult terrain when you Dash. When you make a melee weapon attack against a creature, until the end of your turn you do not provoke opportunity attacks from it. 

Voracious Learner 

You gain an expertise die in each of three different skill or tool proficiencies. 

---

Human Culture 

With life spans considerably shorter than elves and dwarves, the pace of human culture is rapid. Even in cultures which value stability, one hundred years is long enough for human society to change radically, and a millennium enough to lose entire human civilizations to the ravages of time. Some human cultures are more innovative or fast-paced than others, although the hunger for progress is not a value shared by all human societies. 

Due to the high birth rate of humans compared to other heritages they often find themselves exploring and settling new lands. Humans are adaptable and can grow into almost every living situation imaginable, and while they tend to populate the land rapidly, they’re rarely alone. Human cultures can span entire continents, and their cities house countless people of every shape, size, and heritage. However your character was raised, they were moulded and influenced by the human culture around them. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your human character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : cosmopolitan , imperial , settler , villager .
 

 

Halfling Traits 

 

Characters with the halfling heritage share a variety of traits in common with one another. 

Age. Halflings mature into adults around the age of 20 and usually live for about 150 years, with some venerable halflings living up into their 180s or 190s. 

Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh only around 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base Speed is 25 feet.

Fearless. You are immune to the effects of the frightened condition , whether caused by magic or by natural phenomena. You might still feel fear, but you are able to ignore it; alternatively you might be unable to even experience that emotion, and are unable to understand it in others.

Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. 

Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. 

---

Halfling Gifts 

Halflings are widespread and the halflings from one borough may bear little resemblance to those from the other end of the world. There are a few prominent trends in halflings though. In addition to the traits found in your halfling heritage , select one of the following halfling gifts. 

Burrowing Claws 

If their creation myth is to be believed, halflings have a primordial form still represented by a trait sometimes seen today. You are significantly more hirsute than most halflings, and prone to patches of scruffy hair along your forearms and back. Your irises are often quite wide and deeply black, and your rocklike fingernails tend to grow with flattened edges. In halfling communities, these traits often come with insulting nicknames like “shovel-claws” or “scruffs”. You have the following traits: 

Burrow. You have a burrowing speed of 10 feet. You can use your burrowing speed to move through nonmagical sand, loose earth, loamy soil, mud, or snow, but not solid rock. You do not naturally leave any sort of tunnel behind but you can attempt to create a 5-foot by 5-foot wide tunnel in earth, soil, or snow by spending extra time and effort shoring it up and adding support. This reduces your burrowing speed to 5 feet every 15 minutes. 

Claws. Your nails grow into strong shovel-like claws. The claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes that deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier. 

Tuft Feet 

You have thick patches of bushy hair that grow atop your proportionally large feet. You don’t need to wear shoes, or any sort of foot covering, as your big hairy feet are usually calloused and tough enough to tread on most anything. You have the following traits: 

Big Feet. You gain an expertise die on checks and saving throws made to resist being knocked prone. 

Thick Soles. You are immune to damage from sharp terrain hazards (such as caltrops, broken glass, or the spike growth  spell) and ignore difficult terrain caused by them. Additionally, other kinds of difficult terrain reduces your movement speed by 5 feet instead of halving it. 

Twilight-Touched 

You are blanched of both emotion and color with wide, alarmingly pure white eyes, and skin that is either starkly pallid or disquietingly sallow. There’s no hair at all atop your head or you have only a few bedraggled locks of hair. You form stronger communal bonds than other halflings, and can speak without the need for words. You have the following traits: 

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 30 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. 

Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. The creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. You can speak telepathically in this way to one creature at a time. 

---

Halfling Paragon 

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of halflingkind, and you gain the following paragon gift. 

Increased Luck

When you use your Lucky trait, you may reroll results of 2 or 3.

---

Halfling Culture 

The “Poem of Kin” is the oldest document recounting the halfling creation myth, and the origins for many other peoples for that matter. Even from the text’s own accounts the halfling creator, the Shaper, is deceased, which may partly explain why almost all of them have a strong sense of community. Halflings believe that they must look out for each other, and that a great gift was imparted to them—a gift that must be passed forward. 

Wherever halflings live they form neighborhoods, and to a halfling a neighbor is practically a family member. Families may squabble sometimes but a deeply-ingrained trait of halfling culture is that a halfling is expected to take on the problems of a sibling as if they were their own. 

Halfling communities tend to be insular and are often cut off from the rest of the world. While quick to help someone on their doorstep, halflings in some regions can often be indifferent to far-off plights, unaware or unconcerned with danger or injustice just a few townships over. However, halflings historically have little tolerance for bullies of any size. 

Halflings do not build empires, but their safe and hospitable communities dot landscapes across the world, and the world is better for them. Most halflings are cheerful, friendly, and genuinely caring and kind in a fashion rare in a tumultuous world. 

Suggested Cultures

While you can choose any culture for your halfling character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage : kithbáin halfling   mustbairn halfling , stout halfling , tunnel halfling .