Dragon Age Pathfinder

[Dave ST]

So, I got bored while Vivi stole my television and X-Box to play Dragon Age 2 so I came up with a few stats for the races of Thedas for Pathfinder. Let me know what you think of the Qunari below...

Qunari

Qunari are a large humanoid race hailing from the island nations of Par Vollen and Seheron in northern Thedas. They have bronze-hued skin, white hair, pointed ears, and vivid eyes with colors like violet, red, or yellow. Qunari are considered physically more robust than humans.

Qunari don’t use names to identify themselves, but their titles. Their “names” are strings of genealogical information used by the Tamassrans for record-keeping. Qunari are rarely seen in Ferelden with the exception of some high-class mercenaries.

History

The qunari are recent arrivals to the area surrounding Ferelden, having arrived by warships four centuries ago from unknown eastern lands. While in the past they threatened to conquer all of Thedas, they are currently involved in a war for dominance of the north against the Tevinter Imperium. The qunari are apparently more technologically advanced than the native Thedosian cultures, possessing cannons and an impressive navy. The Beresaad is the name of the qunari military division Sten belongs to. According to Sten, the Beresaad division serves as “the vanguard of the qunari people”. The qunari lack mages in anything near the numbers that Ferelden has, however, and should they ever be seen to perform forbidden magic, qunari mages would have their tongues cut out. Several Exalted Marches have been waged against them and they’ve lost much land in Thedas. The qunari still hold Kont-aar in northern Rivain, but that is the only permanent non-island holding the qunari currently retain.

When the qunari invade an area and capture the current citizens, they offer them the opportunity to convert to their philosophy, or be sent to work in prison camps. Any who resists either one are slain without pity, but Thedosian converts to the Qun claim to feel pity towards those who choose not to convert. When the qunari were pushed back by the Exalted Marches, the Chantry was disturbed to discover that a surprisingly large number of members of their faith had quite happily converted to the foreign religion.

Physical Description: While technically medium creatures, most Qunari straddle the line at around 8 feet tall. Like dwarves, Qunari are stocky creatures for their size. From a distance, a Qunari can pass as a large human, until one gets a look at their horns. Up close, the penetrating stare and corded, muscular appearance, in addition to his larger height, unmistakably mark one as Qunari. Although incredibly rare, some Qunare are born without horns. In accordance with the edicts of the Qun, the physical body is only a shell, it is the deeds of the Qunari, not their appearance that accord them honor, thus they do not differentiate between ‘horned’ or ‘hornless’ Qunari.

Society: Qunari don't have "family units". They don't marry or choose partners. Qunari do not even know to whom they are related. A Qunari's "family" is his or her coworkers.

A qunari's personal name isn't what we think of as a name. It's more like a social security number. It's information that the Tamassrans use to keep track of breeding. It's not something they ever call one another. What a qunari thinks of as their name is their job title. The job titles are differentiated by rank and task.

The Tamassrans raise all the children, give them their general education, and evaluate them. Qunari are officially assigned their roles when they are twelve years old. The Tamassrans have some tests, but nothing requiring a #2 pencil. They also have something of a head start on the process, since they are the ones who control the Qunari selective breeding program.

The Tamassrans wield a huge amount of influence. It's also a female gender role (as all administrative tasks are) which might lead an outsider to conclude that female qunari rule their society. Qunari don't, however, look on rulership quite the same way. The brain could be said to rule the body, but so does the heart, the lungs, the stomach. They are part of the whole.

Qunari believe the genders are inherently better at certain tasks: No matter how much aptitude a male shows for management, he'd never be as good at it as a female, therefore; it would never be considered efficient to put him into a role where a woman would serve better. The Tamassrans would find something else he showed aptitude for, and have him do that instead.

Qunari have been bred for specific roles for a very long time. Parentage isn't really the issue anymore: It's more like pedigree. But breeding doesn't determine the assigned task. If a qunari was bred to be a soldier, but turns out to be more intellectual -- the Tamassrans may stick them in the priesthood, researching weapons technology or the Ben-Hassrath, policing the populace, or who knows what, depending on what roles need filled by someone with their specific traits.

All qunari have a tool that signifies their role in qunari society. For soldiers, those tools are always weapons. In the case of soldiers at least, losing this weapon brands the owner soulless and they would be executed on sight by the Antaam.

They have their own mages. The saarebas (from the word bas or thing/object) are considered defective tools-- but the qunari don't waste those, either. The qunari mages are literally kept on leashes, held by an arvaarad (their "handler"). Should they ever be seen to perform forbidden magic, their tongues get cut out to prevent a mage who has been possessed by a demon from communicating and possibly corrupting someone else.

Qunari do not have currency. "Merchants" in qunari cities have the job of making sure goods are distributed appropriately. Qunari don't buy and sell things amongst one another.

Qunari don't generally associate mating with love. They feel love. They have friends. They form emotional bonds with one another. They just don't sleep with each other to express it. And if they do, they get re-educated by the Ben-Hassrath. If such a thing occurred and produced a child, the same thing would happen to the offspring as happens to all other Qunari offspring: It would be raised by the Tamassrans, evaluated, and assigned a job. Qunari don't waste people unnecessarily.

Qunari society is based upon learning as well as military might. Few speak the common tongue that is used among Theodesians, and fewer speak it well. In a culture that strives for perfection and mastery, to possess only a passable degree of skill is humiliating indeed, and so they often keep quiet amongst foreigners, out of shame.

Duty is paramount in Qunari culture, and their society is seen as a living entity, whose wellbeing is the responsibility of all. Each person is a drop of blood in the veins of the being, and they must do not what is best for them, but what is best for the creature. The Qunari army is the eyes, ears, legs arms and hands of the creature, everything that one needs to interact with the world, and so most Qunari encountered by Theodesians belong to the military. One cannot understand somebody by simply studying their hand or foot, and so to truly comprehend Qunari society, one must vist their cities, where the heart and soul dwell.

The primary symbol used to represent the Qunari as a people is a triangle, which symbolizes Qunari triumvirate of body, mind and soul. The "body" is represented by the "Arishok" {the military), the "mind" is represented by Arigena (the craftsmen) and the "soul" is represented by Ariqun (the priests).

It is this Triumvirate that govern all of qunari society by acting as the three pillars, or their three primary leaders in all matters. The Arishok who leads the armies, The Arigena who leads the craftsmen, and the Ariqun who leads the priesthood. All three are the head of their respective "paths", and work in unison to complete the whole of qunari society.

Relations: Qunari do not get along well with the other races of Thedas. The Qunari are a very militant people who believe that all peoples should be united into the Qun. Although not unreasonable, they are an uncompromising people and this makes all other races in Thedas wary, if not outright fearful of them.

Alignment and Religion: The qunari follow the philosophy of the Qun (kyoon), a sort of religion based on the writings of the ashkaari Koslun. The Qun defines the role of everyone and everything in the society of the qunari, regardless of whether it is spiritual or mundane. For example, some qunari are raised as soldiers from a very young age. They are expected to be strong, disciplined, and stoic, adhering without fail to the tenets of honor and duty as defined in the Qun. Fanatical in this devotion, the qunari are prepared to wage war throughout their entire lives as part of their attempts to "enlighten" all other races in regards to their philosophy.

The qunari live after the rules in the Qun unquestioningly, and see it as their duty to convert the unbelieving, giving them their rightful place in the Qun. Even qunari attempts at trade with other races and nations are done primarily to size up potential opponents, rather than to amass resources or wealth.

The qunari do not believe in gods and find the concept of invisible all-knowing beings that are interested in judging you after you die laughable. They tolerate deism in the converted populations in Rivain and Seheron, however, as they view their inhabitants as just beginning the path to enlightened self-knowledge, and that they will discard that sort of superstition eventually.

Qunari who have abandoned the Qun are called Tal'Vashoth and live away from the qunari homelands, often working as mercenaries, some of whom the Warden will meet in places. Qunari value their weapons highly and consider them part of their worthiness. A qunari soldier must never be separated from his sword; such individuals will likely be shamed and/or executed upon returning to the homeland.

Qunari who follow the Qun are always Lawful Neutral. Tal’Vashoth, despite abandoning the Qun, almost always cling tightly to their honor and thus are usually Lawful in alignment but free to choose any moral code beyond that..

Adventurers: For the obvious reasons, qunari are generally not the ‘adventuring’ type, and generally only Tal’Vashoth are permitted the freedom to adventure at their leisure. Qunari gravitate towards militant classes such as Fighters.

Qunari Traits

+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: The Qunari are immensely strong and hardy, but their single minded fanaticism and lack of empathy for others make it difficult for them to relate other cultures.

Medium: Qunari are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Qunari have a base speed of 30 feet.

Imposing Figure: Qunari are intimidating without trying. They may add their strength modifier to their charisma modifier when making intimidation checks.

Random Starting Age: (15 years) +2d6

Aging Effects: Middle Age 50 Old 75 Venerable 100 Max 100+5d20

Height and Weight: Male Height 7’6” Weight 250 Modifier 2d6 Weight Multiplier x7, Female Height 6’10” Weight 180 Modifier 2d6 Weight Multiplier x7

[Dave ST]

Mabari CR 1

XP 400

N Medium animal

Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)

hp 13 (2d8+4)

Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Melee bite +2 (1d6+1 plus trip)

STATISTICS

Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 6

Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 14 (18 vs. trip)

Feats Skill Focus (Perception)

Skills Perception +8, Stealth +6, Survival +1 (+5 scent tracking); Racial Modifiers +4 Survival when tracking by scent

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forests

Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–12)

Treasure none

Trip (Ex) A mabari can attempt to trip its opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity if it hits with its bite. If the attempt fails, the mabari is not tripped in return.

Comprehension (Ex) Mabarai are incredibly intelligent, despite being animals. Although they can not speak any language, they are considered fluent in the native language of their master.

Mabari war hounds are a breed of dogs magically bred by the Formari. Each mabari chooses their master for life in a process called imprinting. Although fierce combatants, a mabari companion is shown to be a highly sociable animal, and though not capable of speech, they can clearly respond to speech with growls, whines, barks and several other actions that demonstrate intelligent comprehension.

Usually, Mabari war hound are used either in war or to defend noblemen's property. To help differentiate their dogs when in battle, kaddis (war paint) is used by mabari handlers.

[Krul]

This is cool, I would add that Mabari can take levels in fighter, increasing their combat capabilities, though they have a limited type of feats they can take. I'm thinking about how the other races of Thedas would differ from the norm..

[Dave ST]

I don't see that as necessary since feat progression for animals is pretty in line with how a powerful and experienced mabari would fight anyway.

Keep in mind also that as long as the creature has an intelligence score higher than 3 it can take PC class levels. Once a 'companion' takes PC class levels though it is considered a cohort and not a companion.

Training them to be Warriors, the NPC Class, would certainly be possible but it would require a skilled animal handler. It could be assumed that most trained war mabari are Animal 1/Warrior 1(or 2).

I'll tinker with a few more races and see what I come up with.

[Dave ST]

Dwarves

Before the first Blight the dwarven empire expanded as much underground as the Tevinter Imperium did above, and maybe far grander as there is some evidence that suggests trade relations with the ancient elves of Arlathan. The first Blight, however, severely crippled the empire as Darkspawn flooded the Deep Roads that connected the countless Thaigs and cities, pushing the dwarves to the brink of extinction. In order to preserve the remnants of their kind, Orzammar closed its gates to any survivors and became the only bastion of dwarven culture until the rediscovery of Kal-Sharok and other dwarven cities centuries later, though because of their coldness and anger over Orzammar's drastic act of isolation, any chance of restoring the dwarven empire in all its glory is bleak. Not taking into account of course, the constant threat of invasion by the ever present darkspawn hordes that still haunt the abandoned halls and strongholds of the dwarves. So long as Orzammar stands however, so do the dwarves, though more and more lives and territory are lost every year to evil.

Physical Description: Dwarves are a short and stocky race, and stand about a foot shorter than most humans, with wide, compact bodies that account for their burly appearance. Male and female dwarves pride themselves on the length of their hair, and men often decorate their beards with a variety of clasps and intricate braids. A clean-shaven male dwarf is a rare thing in Thedas, but it is not uncommon among certain surface dwarves.

Society: The social structure of dwarves is broken up into castes. The casteless are the lowest rung of dwarven society: outcasts in their own city, unable to take up work even as servants among the higher castes, nor to defend their honor in the Provings. Dwarves who are exiled or born on the surface are also considered by the Shaperate to be casteless, but with an increase in the number of dwarves from high ranking castes choosing to live on the surface, it is becoming more difficult for some surface dwarves to be considered permanent exiles. The average dwarf will never see the surface, and often will have superstitious beliefs concerning surface-life (such as falling into the sky, or the sun falling to the ground). Those dwarves who are most commonly seen on the surface tend to be merchants, or on occasion smiths, but amongst the dwarves they might have been thieves, murderers or worse.

Above the casteless, numerous and distinct castes make their home in Orzammar, including merchants, smiths, warriors, and nobles. While it is possible for some dwarves to "better their position" within this rigid system, this is rare and very difficult.

The dwarves do have a king, but heredity is not always the determining factor in who sits on the throne. When the time comes, the noble houses fight each other for the power that the throne will bring. While the king may propose an heir to the throne, ultimately, the next ruler is determined in the noble Assembly, by a vote of the deshyrs (dwarven council members).

It has been mentioned that most of the wealth of the dwarves comes from selling processed lyrium to the mages of Thedas. While the Chantry holds a monopoly on lyrium trade with the dwarves, in order to maintain control over templars and mages, the need for lyrium on the surface promotes a great deal of illegal trade.

Relations: Dwarves and darkspawn have long dwelt in proximity, theirs a history of violence as old as the First Blight itself and none save the Grey Wardens, know more about the darkspawn than the dwarves. Dwarves generally distrust everyone but will usually not refuse trade with someone based solely on race, unless their reputaion preceedes them. It is with humans that dwarves share the strongest link, for humans' industrious nature and hearty appetites come closest to matching those of the dwarven ideal.

Alignment and Religion: Unlike many other cultures in Thedas, dwarves do not worship anthropomorphic god(s). Their beliefs are more akin to ancestor worship, and they also hold a sacred reverence for the stone that surrounds them throughout their entire life. Dwarves who lead a strong and noble life are said to strengthen the Stone when they die, becoming Ancestors. Those who are ignoble or disgraced would weaken the stone and are therefore rejected by it for all eternity.

Every once in a while there's a dwarf who is declared by the Assembly, a sort of ruling council, to be particularly noble. These dwarves become Paragons, and are worshipped during their lives and long after their deaths. When a dwarf is declared by the Assembly to be a Paragon, a noble house is created which bears their name. The deeds of a Paragon are carefully recorded in the Memories, which record the lineage and deeds that help determine what caste a dwarf is born into. The word of a Paragon is held in such esteem that it is sometimes equal to even that of their king.

Dwarves are driven by honor and tradition, and while they are often satirized as standoffish, they have a strong sense of friendship and justice, and those who win their trust understand that, while they work hard, they play even harder—especially when good ale is involved. Most dwarves are lawful good.

Adventurers: Although dwarven adventurers are rare compared to humans, they can be found in most regions of Thedas. Dwarven warfare is often characterized by tunnel fighting and melee combat, and as such most dwarves tend toward classes such as fighters and barbarians.

Dwarf Traits

+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff.

Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.

Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Greed: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on Appraise skill checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.

Hatred: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls against creatures of the darkspawn subtype due to special training against these hated foes.

Magic Resistance: Dwarves are naturally resistant to magic, being more distant from the Fade than any other race on Thedas. All dwarves have Spell Resistance equal to 6 plus their class levels. A dwarf may not willingly lower this spell resistance and it effects all forms of magic, even beneficial and healing magic.

Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.

Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.

Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.

[Krul]

Very nice.. going to split elves by Dalish and City?

[Dave ST]

Yeah, I'm thinking so. City Elves seem to be more worn down and battered, their wills broken and their spirits low, which is understandable considering what they go through. I'm still looking into how to stat that.

The problem with Dragon Age is that the classes don't really cross over very well.

All Mages are Sorcerers for example, with the Arcane bloodline, but since Mages in Dragon Age can use healing magic, that makes it necessary to break down all the Cleric/Druid spells down and figure out what gets added to the Sorcerer spell list. It's kind of a headache.

Rangers, Barbarians and Paladins don't exist, unless you prestige them

Clerics and Druids are nixed.

Bards don't get spells.

Rogues lose their magic talents.

Prestige Classes would include Blood Mage, Spirit Healer, Shape Shifter, Duelist (which exists), Assassin (which exists), Ranger, Templar (which Inquisitor fits), Berserker (which Frenzied Berserker fits), Reaver, Champion (which Chevalier fits).

That's a lot of shifting around...

[Krul]

Don't forget force mage in there..

As to the paladin.. actually the spirit warrior can cover that, as can the templar, both of those can work as different kinds of paladins.

I'm not entirely sure that the cleric/druid is entirely nixed.. the Dalish Keepers seem more like druids then mages.. or like druids who are mages... add in the shapechanger class, and you have a excellent druid.

It does seem that divine casters are almost unknown.. though arguably Andraste was one.

[Dave ST]

Therein lies the issue though, Krul. Dragon Age does no differentiate between Divine or Arcane magic. There is just magic. Mages do not memorize their spells, they simply learn the spell and then afterward are permitted to weave it from the Fade as they desire. This fits the Sorcerer class with the Arcane bloodline to a tee.

A single mage is capable of hurling fireballs, lightning, healing wounds and raising the dead. This means that the spell lists in the Pathfinder book are effectively open to Sorcerers as a single collective spell list.

Paladins are more hunters of evil than mage hunters. Remember, a Templars place is not to route out evil and serve the greater good, their purpose is only to watch over and police mages under the watchful eye of the chantry. The Inquisitor class best fills this role.

Dalish Keepers are not druids, they are simply Mages who use Elemental, Primal and Creation magic. Despite how it might sounds like a druid, the core class in the Dragon Age world is still 'mage'. They still wear robes and carry their staffs.

Healing mages do not wear plate armor and carry maces. Nature mages do not have animal companions and wield scimitars. They are robe wearing, staff carrying sorcerers.

Also, Andraste was not a mage. She was an escaped slave from the Imperium who led armies against the Imperium in the Exalted Marches.

[The Story Guide]

All of the 'miracles' attributed to Andraste's march against the Imperium were natural miracles: a famine that struck the Imperium's food supply, the charisma of her husband that originally brought the barbarian tribes together, the aid of the elves the uprising.

Andraste herself never healed the sick or brought the dead back to life or anything like that. In fact, it would be highly sacrilegious to suggest she even could have, as that would smack of magic (at the best) and specifically blood magic at the worst.

The only 'divine' action Andraste herself ever took was penning the Chant of Light and claiming it was sent from the Maker.

Posthumously, her ashes do have healing qualities well beyond what is supposedly possible by magic. That's the only 'diving power' associated with her, though.

Oh - And Dave, if you want any help on this project, I think it's kickass. I haven't really gotten to play much Pathfinder yet, but a game using that system and set in the DA world sounds like a ton of fun to run or play.

[Dave ST]

All I'm doing is posting up ideas, if people have some they want to offer up or spoon feed me a few, I'm never against it. Vivi would like me to run a Pathfinder game (either IRL or here on the forums) based in the Dragon Age world, but getting the PRCs together and solving the magic issue seems to be hurdle.

We talked about it a bit and discussed possibly just nixing the Dragon Age Classes and just using the world and races while defaulting to the core classes in the Pathfinder book. The only issue I have with that is that is seriously jacks up the Templar/Mage dichotomy in my opinion.

I'm going to work on the elves today, I think, so if people have ideas about how to make the PRCs work, just post em here, I'm listening.

[SalmonMax]

Using core sorcerors (with healing spells added) feels to me like it'd make mages proportionally more powerful than the setting encourages. Too many spells...and specifically too many defensive spells.

To really work, the entire spell list would have to be rejiggered. Time-consuming, I think, but not difficult.

Mages in Dragon Age also exist in a kind of weird state between wizard and sorceror. The essential trait that makes them mages is inborn, and they have a small number of spells that they can cast (mana permitting) as often as they like. That's very sorceror-like. But they clearly study and theorize about magic...and they have books of spells and so on. That's more wizardly, though it seems to have no impact on them in terms of combat or game mechanics.

My sense is that mages need a customized core class to really plug into the very specific game world of Dragon Age. It doesn't have to be wildly different, but it needs to ingest some setting flavor and reflect it in its mechanics.

[Dave ST]

Yeah, I was fearing having to rejigger the spell list, but I think it's possible....

[Dave ST]

Elves

The Elves of Thedas are mortal, but elven legends state that this was not always the case. Once, they say, they were an immortal race that lived in harmony with the natural world and followed the elven pantheon. The first shemlen (a term meaning "quick children" that was used by the ancient elves to describe the humans) they encountered were the mages of the Tevinter Imperium. They traded with the Imperium and grew friendly with humans, but soon discovered that breeding with humans produced only human babies, due to the elves' genetic adaptability, while exposure to the ‘quick children’ caused the elves to quicken themselves. For the first time, elves began to age and die.

In fear, the elves withdrew from human contact, but the Imperium interpreted this as a sign of hostility and invaded Elvhenan, the elven homeland, and enslaved its people. The elven people lost their immortality and their gods forsook them. The exact details of the war are lost to history, though artifacts found in Imperium ruins suggest Elvhenan was looted, or that some Elves joined the Imperium bringing artifacts with them.

Elven slaves were among the most fervent supporters of the Prophetess Andraste's uprising against the Tevinter Imperium. The elves joined Andraste in her quest to depose the Tevinter magisters, and they were rewarded for their loyalty by being granted land in the Dales upon Andraste's victory. Ironically, though the elven slaves won Andraste's favor, it was the Chantry which was responsible for the second downfall of the elves.The only known elf from the time of Andraste was named Shartan.

In the Dales, the elves created a second elven homeland and began to restore the lost lore and culture of Elvhenan, including the worship of their former Gods. For some years, humans loyal to Andraste's memory respected their elven allies. But over the generations and as the Chant of Light and the religion of the Maker spread throughout human nations, the diplomatic relationships between the Dales and surrounding human nations turned cold, as the elves refused to be converted. The Chantry eventually led an Exalted March against the elves, claiming they had been attacked by the Dales. As the Dales fell and the elves had to abandon their second homeland, their culture was irrevocably schismed. Many elves accepted the terms of their human aggressors, going to live in the Alienages inside human cities and worshipping the Maker. Those elves who resisted became the nomadic Dalish, maintaining the worship of the elven gods and continuing their efforts to recover the lost culture of Elvhenan.

Physical Description: Although generally shorter than humans, elves possess a graceful, fragile physique that is accentuated by their long, pointed ears. Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, and filled with large, vibrantly colored pupils.

Society: In the present, elves are divided into two groups, Alienage (City) and Dalish elves.

Alienages are closed communities of elves living in human cities. They are typically poor and survive by begging or taking on the most menial and unrewarding of tasks. At best Alienage elves are treated almost worst than second class human citizens. While the laws protect the Alienage, the local guards and Bans do very little to protect the rights of their non-human citizens. As such, most city elves grow up with a deep hatred or mistrust for humans.

Dalish elves lead nomadic lives, wandering throughout Thedas. The clans date back to the ruling clans of the Dales and the Dalish are the descendants of the ruling houses of their destroyed homeland. Dalish elves seek to recover, inherit and preserve the knowledge and sacred treasures of the two fallen kingdoms and for that purpose they'll often seek out old elven ruins for such things in the face of danger. They still revere the elven pantheon and each member of a tribe will tattoo the symbol of their chosen god on their face.

They travel around the more remote reaches of Thedas in covered wagons called aravels, special wagons with large triangular sails atop them and rudder-like devices on the back. The Dalish elves are also known for being the only race adept at forging ironbark, a unique substance stronger and lighter than steel, used to make their weapons and certain other items of clothing, such as amulets.

Dalish elves tend to keep to their own and avoid humans whenever they can, but will occasionally encounter human travelers, or venture near human settlements to trade. At the threat of these encounters becoming violent, a Dalish clan will likely withdraw before any real force of humans gets involved, but they will often still be willing to stand their ground. In the long run, hostilities with humans will likely end badly for the elves, especially if a kingdom decides that a certain clan has become more trouble than it is worth. The Dalish are known to refer to their city cousins as 'flat ears', some of them believing the city elves are no more than pets for humans, and hence are 'flat ears' (humans) in spirit if not body.

The Dalish clans themselves can also be quite different from each other. Some clans will get along fairly well with humans, and might even camp outside of settlements for long periods of time. Other clans are more infamous, living by banditry and hiding like guerrillas in the mountain passes. The Dalish of Ferelden are on a more-or-less neutral basis with its human citizens.

Dalish clans rarely encounter each other. Once a decade or so, the Dalish clans all meet together, and their Keepers, the elders and leaders of the Dalish, will meet together and exchange knowledge.

Relations: Elven relations are as varied as the elves themselves. Most city elves tend to steer clear of humans and other races but still rely upon them for their work. most city elves resent the other races and grow to be jaded and bitter except towards other elves.

Dalish elves tend to adopt the overall view of their particular clan. Some clans welcome humans and other races while some despise outsiders (including city elves).

Alignment and Religion:The Dalish worship the old elven pantheon, The Creators and live by a code known as Vir Tanadahl, meaning "Way of Three Trees." It is made of three parts, which are:

Vir Assan ("Way of the Arrow") - fly straight and do not waver
Vir Bor'Assan ("Way of the Bow") - bend but never break
Vir Adahlen ("Way of the Forest") - together we are stronger than the one

The three parts of the philosophy are often strung together as a sort of mantra, which the Dalish will often end with the phrase "We are the last of the elvhenan, and never again shall we submit."

When Dalish elves die, their clan will bury them and plant a tree over their remains.

Elves are generally of any alignment, favoring chaos over law; a primal reminder in their spirits that from nature they were born and to nature they must return.

Adventurers: Elves are not common adventurers but for city elves the hope finding adventure, and the fame and treasure that could raise their station along with it, is certainly a powerful lure. City elves commonly adventure for the hope to be able to bring something back to their people and make the lives of their kin better.

For the Dalish the lure of adventure is commonly found in wanderlust. They desire to learn more than what lies within their clan. The dwarves of the deep, the cities, the races of the world... all of sounds great when explained by thier Keepers, but to experience it all first hand.

City Elf Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom: City Elves are nimble in both body and mind, but have had their wills broken by the constant harsh treatment and tough living of the Alienage. The impoverished lifestyle and hard living though have granted them a more robust constitution than their Dalish cousins.

Medium: City elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: City elves have a base speed of 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Street Smarts: City elves excel at being ignored and keeping their ears open. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Gather Information skill checks when in an urban environment.

Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.

Defiance: A lifetime of being treated like dirt has spurned the city elves into a defiant lot when faced with oppression or seeing their friends and loved ones harmed or abused. Once per day, when a city elf is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for one more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.

Weapon Familiarity: City elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, short swords, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.


Dalish Elf Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Constitution: The Dalish are nimble in body and they adhere strongly to Old Ways, but their forms remain frail.

Medium: City elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: City elves have a base speed of 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Will of the Elvhenan: Elves a get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against spells and effects.

The Old Ways: Elves were using magic long before man had erected their first cities. They know magic better than race in Thedas and receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft skill checks made to identify the properties of magic items.

Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.

Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.