Human

Human Traits

It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.

• Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores each increase by 1.

• Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

• Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.

Variant Human Traits

If your campaign uses the optional feat rules, your Dungeon Master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the human’s Ability Score Increase trait.

• Ability Score Increase. Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

• Skills. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

• Feat. You gain one feat of your choice.

Human

These were the stories of a restless people who long ago took to the seas and rivers in longboats, first to pillage and terrorize, then to settle. Yet there was an energy, a love of adventure, that sang from every page. Long into the night Uriel read, lighting candle after precious candle. She'd never given much thought to humans, but these stories fascinated her. In these yellowed pages were tales of bold heroes, strange and fierce animals, mighty primitive gods, and a magic that was part and fabric of that distant land.

—Elaine Cunningham, Daughter of the Drow

Human Personality

In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.

Humans dwell in every corner of Toril and encompass a full range of cultures and ethnicities. Along the Sword Coast and across the North, humans are the most pervasive of the races and in many places the most dominant. Their cultural and societal makeup runs the gamut, from the cosmopolitan folk who reside in great cities such as Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep to the barbarians who rage throughout the Savage Frontier.

Humans are famous for their adaptability. No other race lives in so many diverse lands or environments, from lush jungles to burning deserts, from the eternal cold of the Great Glacier to the fertile shores along rivers and seas. Humans find ways to survive and to thrive almost anywhere. In locations where elves and dwarves have withdrawn, humans often move in and build anew a longside or on top of an earlier community.

It follows, then, that the most common feature of humans is their lack of commonality. This diversity has enabled human civilizations to grow faster than those of other races, making humans one of the dominant races in much of the world today. It has also led to conflicts between communities of humans because of their cultural and political differences. If not for their penchant for infighting, humans would be even more populous and predominant than they already are.

A Broad Spectrum

With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other commonraces. There is no typical human. An individual canstand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weighfrom 125 to 250 pounds. Human skin shades rangefrom nearly black to very pale, and hair colors fromblack to blond (curly, kinky, or straight); males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. A lot of humanshave a dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf,orc , or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in theirlate teens and rarely live even a single century.

Variety in All Things

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varyingtastes, morals, and customs in the many different landswhere they have settled. When they settle, though,they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, andgreat kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. Anindividual human might have a relatively short life span,but a human nation or culture preserves traditionswith origins far beyond the reach of any single human’smemory. They live fully in the present — making themwell suited to the adventuring life — but also plan for thefuture, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually andas a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, andthey stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

Lasting Institutions

Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone. Although some humans can be xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of non-humans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands.

Humans' Deities

The breadth and variety of the human race in Faerun is never more evident than in the diverse collection of deities that humans worship. The Faerunian pantheon includes gods of every stripe, and a number of deities whose spheres of influence overlap and compete, which seems to be just how humans like it.

Along the Sword Coast, most human communities have temples and shrines tended by priests who are devoted to various Faerunian gods. In some of these places, the faithful of deities revered by rulers and other powerful individuals play a greater role in local politics than those not so favored. In the extreme, worship that is deemed heretical or dangerous is outlawed - for example, in a region where followers of Shar hold authority and power, the worship of her good twin and nemesis Selune might be against the law.

Exemplars of Ambition

Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race.They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellowsby amassing power, wealth, and fame. More thanother people, humans champion causes rather thanterritories or groups.

Everyone’s Second-Best Friends

Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members of other races. They get along with almosteveryone, though they might not be close to many. Humansserve as ambassadors, diplomats, magistrates, merchants,and functionaries of all kinds.

• • Dwarves. “They’re stout folk, stalwart friends, and true to their word. Their greed for gold is their downfall, though.”

  • Elves. “It’s best not to wander into elven woods. They don't like intruders, and you’ ll as likely be bewitched as peppered with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past that damned racial pride and actually treat you like an equal, you can learn a lot from them.”

  • Halflings. "It’s hard to beat a meal in a halfling home, as long as you don’t crack your head on the ceiling — good food and good stories in front of a nice, warm fire. If halflings had a shred of ambition, they might really amount to something.”

Human Names and Ethnicities

Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some humanparents give their children names from other languages,such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced more or lesscorrectly), but most parents give names that are linkedto their region’s culture or to the naming traditions oftheir ancestors.

The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region.In the Forgotten Realms, for example, the clothing,architecture, cuisine, music, and literature are differentin the northwestern lands of the Silver Marches thanin distant Turmish or Impiltur to the east — and evenmore distinctive in far-off Kara-Tur. Human physicalcharacteristics, though, vary according to the ancientmigrations of the earliest humans, so that the humans of the Silver Marches have every possible variation of coloration and features.

In the Forgotten Realms, the following human ethnic groups are widely recognized, though more are found in more localized areas of Faerun. These groups,and the typical names of their members, can be used as inspiration no matter which world your human is in.

Arkaiun

Short in stature with tan skin and dark hair, the Arkaiuns dwell primarily in Dambrath as well as Halruaa and the Shar. Many Arkaiuns lived under the yoke of drow slavery centuries ago after a failed military campaign against the dark elves, which led to the eventual destruction of the Arkaiun kingdom in Dambrath.

Arkaiun Names:

• • (Male) Houn, Rhivaun, Umbril, Xaemar, Zeltaebar

  • (female) Glouris, Maeve, Sevaera, Xaemarra, Zraela

  • (surnames) Lharaendo, Mristar, Wyndael

Bedine

Dark-skinned and dark-haired, the Bedine were warriors and nomads in southern Anauroch. Once divided into over a hundred tribes, the clannish Bedine mostly kept to their desert lands and interacted little with outsiders, except for trading. Over the generations, more Bedine have become city dwellers, leaving behind their nomadic ways, and reducing the number of tribes that stiff espouse their traditional way of life.

Bedine Names:

• • (Male) Aali, Rashid, Tahnon, Tanzim, Whalide

  • (female) Aisha, Farah, Nura, Rashida, Zalebyeh

  • (tribe names) Alaii, Bordjia, Clelarra, Desai, Dakawa, Dursalai, Goldor, Iriphawa, Kellordrai, Lalajar, Qahtan, Yethtai, Zazalaar

Calishite

Shorter and slighter in build than most other humans, Calishites have dusky brown skin, hair, and eyes.They’re found primarily in southwest Faerun.

Calishite Names:

• • (Male) Aseir, Bardeid, Haseid, Khemed, Mehmen, Sudeiman, Zasheir

  • (female) Atala, Ceidil, Hama, Jasmal, Meilil, Seipora, Yasheira, Zasheida

  • (surnames) Basha, Dumein, Jassan, Khalid, Mostana, Pashar, Rein

Chondathan

Chondathans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almostblack. Most are tall and have green or brown eyes,but these traits are hardly universal. Humans ofChondathan descent dominate the central lands ofFaerun. around the Inner Sea.

Chondathan Names:

• (Male) Darvin, Dorn, Evendur, Gorstag, Grim, Helm, Malark, Morn, Randal, Stedd

• (female) Arveene, Esvele, Jhessail, Kerri, Lureene, Miri, Rowan, Shandri, Tessele

• (surnames) Amblecrown, Buckman, Dundragon, Evenwood, Greycastle, Tallstag

Damaran

Found primarily in the northwest of Faerun, Damarans are of moderate height and build, with skin huesranging from tawny to fair. Their hair is usually brownor black, and their eye color varies widely, though brownis most common.

Damaran Names:

• (Male) Bor, Fodel, Glar, Grigor, Igan, Ivor, Kosef, Mival, Orel, Pavel, Sergor

• (female) Alethra, Kara, Katernin, Mara, Natali, Olma, Tana, Zora

• (surnames) Bersk, Chernin, Dotsk, Kulenov, Marsk, Nemetsk, Shemov, Starag

Ffolk

The Ffolk of the Moonshae Isles are descended from Tethyrian settlers who came to the isles a thousand years ago. The Ffolk have a deep respect for nature, and are primarily farmers, worshiping the goddess they call the Earthmother and keeping to old druidic ways. Ffolk shipwrights are well regarded, having proven their ability to build sturdy ships that are capable of weathering the tumultuous seas around their home.

Ffolk Names:

• • (Male) Artur, Bern, Colin, Manfred, Tristan

  • (female) Alicia, Gennifer, Meridith, Elaine, Olivia

  • (surnames) Archer, Gareth, Leed, Kendrick, Morgan, Waters

Gur

Related to the Rashemi, Gurs are stout, dusky-skinned, and dark-haired. They consider themselves "children of Selune," and most of them revere the moon goddess. Gur communities live a nomadic existence wandering the Western Heartlands, leading others to refer to them as "the people of the highway."

Gur Names:

• • (Male) Boriv, Gardar, Madevik, Vlad

  • (female) Varra, Ulmarra, Imza, Navarra, Yuldra

  • (surnames) Chergoba, Drazlad, Tazyara, Vargoba, Stayankina

Halruaan

The people of the mysterious and magical kingdom of Halruaa, the Halruaans are touched by magic, and many of them are talented in the Art. They and their land vanished during the Spellplague, but just as mysteriously returned after the second Sundering. Most Halruaans have blond or dark hair and olive complexions. Black, brown, and green eyes are the most common.

Halruaan Names:

• • (Male) Aldym, Chand, Meleghost, Presmer, Sandrue, Uregaunt

  • (female) Aithe, Chalan, Oloma, Phaele, Sarade

  • (surnames) Avhoste, Darante, Maurmeril, Stamaraster

Illuskan

Illuskans are tall, fair-skinned folk with blue or steely gray eyes. Most have raven-black hair, but those whoinhabit the extreme northwest have blond, red, orlight brown hair.

Illuskan Names:

• (Male) Ander, Blath, Bran, Frath, Geth, Lander, Luth, Malcer, Stor, Taman, Urth

• (female) Amafrey, Betha, Cefrey, Kethra, Mara, Olga, Silifrey, Westra

• (surnames) Brightwood, Helder, Hornraven, Lackman, Stormwind, Windrivver

Imaskari

An uprising of Mulan slaves brought about the ruin of Imaskar and its ruling wizards thousands of years ago, but some Imaskari survived and fled into the Underdark. There they changed, developing the pale, smooth skin and whitish hair now common among them. The Imaskari who dominated the region of Mulhorand have been forced into exile by a second uprising of those they dominated.

Imaskari Names:

• • (Male) Charva, Duma, Hukir, Jama, Pradir, Sikhil

  • (female) Apret, Bask, Fanul, Mokat, Nismet, Ril

  • (surnames) Datharathi, Melpurvatta, Nalambar, Tiliputakas

Mulan

Dominant in the eastern and southeastern shores of the Inner Sea, the Mulan are generally tall, slim, andamber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hairranges from black to dark brown, but in the lands wherethe Mulan are most prominent, nobles and many otherMulan shave off all their hair.

Mulan Names:

• (Male) Aoth, Bareris, Ehput-Ki, Kethoth, Mumed, Ramas, So-Kehur, Thazar-De, Urhur

• (female) Arizima, Chathi, Nephis, Nulara, Murithi, Sefris, Thola, Umara, Zolis

• (surnames) Ankhalab, Anskuld, Fezim, Hahpet, Nathandem, Sepret, Uuthrakt

Nar

More than a thousand years ago, the dark priests of Narfell amassed great power by treating with demons, but their actions eventually brought about a war that destroyed their civilization. The Nars abandoned their ruined and accursed cities and became nomads and traders. Nars have tanned skin, brown or black eyes, and black hair, often worn long and tied in a tail or topknot.

Nar Names:

• • (Male) Avan, Ostaram, Petro, Stor, Taman, Thalaman, Urth

  • (female) Anva, Dasha, Dima, Olga, Westra, Zlatara

  • (surnames) Dashkev, Hargroth, Laboda, Lackman, Stonar, Stormwind, Sulyma

Rashemi

Most often found east of the Inner Sea and often intermingled with the Mulan, Rashemis tend to be short,stout, and muscular. They usually have dusky skin, darkeyes, and thick black hair.

Rashemi Names:

• (Male) Borivik, Faurgar, Jandar, Kanithar, Madislak, Ralmevik, Shaumar, Vladislak

• (female) Fyevarra, Hulmarra, Immith, Imzel, Navarra, Shevarra, Tammith. Yuldra

• (surnames) Chergoba, Dyernina, Iltazyara, Murnyethara, Stayanoga, Ulmokina

Shaaran

Dark-haired and tan-skinned nomads from southern Faerun, the Shaarans are skilled hunters, archers, and riders who revere various nature deities. They are organized into clans under the direction of elders and chieftains.

Shaaran Names:

• • (Male) Awar, Cohis, Damota, Gewar, Hapah, Laskaw, Senesaw, Tokhis

  • (female) Anet, Bes, Idim, Lenet, Moqem, Neghet, Sihvet

  • (surnames) Cor Marak, Laumee Harr, Moq Qo Harr, Woraw Tarak

Shou

The Shou are the most numerous and powerful ethnic group in Kara-Tur, far to the east of Faerun. They areyellowish-bronze in hue, with black hair and darkeyes. Shou surnames are usually presented beforethe given name.

Shou Names:

• (Male) An, Chen, Chi, Fai, Jiang, Jun, Lian, Long, Meng, On, Shan, Shui, Wen

• (female) Bai, Chao, Jia, Lei, Mei, Qiao, Shui, Tai

• (surnames) Chien, Huang, Kao, Kung, Lao, Ling, Mei, Pin, Shin, Sum, Tan, Wan

Tethyrian

Widespread along the entire Sword Coast at the western edge of Faerun, Tethyrians are of medium buildand height, with dusky skin that tends to grow fairerthe farther north they dwell. Their hair and eye colorvaries widely, but brown hair and blue eyes are the mostcommon. Tethyrians primarily use Chondathan names.

Tuigan

A nomadic horde from the vast plains between Faerun and Kara-Tur, the Tuigans once nearly conquered Faerun under the great leader Yamun Khahan before being defeated by a coalition of armies. Since those days, Tuigans are sometimes seen on the Sword Coast and in other nearby regions, but not in great numbers.

The Tuigans resemble the Shou, with a bronze or golden cast to their skin and dark hair, but they tend to have darker skin and broader features. Each has only a single name (sometimes handed down from one's parent); Tuigans don't use surnames. No strangers to travel, Tuigan traders and adventurers are often familiar with many languages and cultures.

Tuigan Names:

• • (Male) Atlan, Bayar, Chingis, Chinua, Mongke, Temur

  • (female) Bolormaa, Bortai, Erdene, Naran

Turami

Native to the southern shore of the Inner Sea, the Turami people are generally tall and muscular, withdark mahogany skin, curly black hair, and dark eyes.

Turami Names:

• (Male) Anton, Diero, Marcon, Pieron, Rimardo, Romero, Salazar, Umbero

• (female) Balama, Dona, Faila, Jalana, Luisa, Marta, Quara, Selise, Vonda

• (surnames) Agosto, Astorio, Calabra, Domine, Falone, Marivaldi, Pisacar, Ramondo

Ulutiun

The Ulutiuns are short, dark-haired, golden-skinned people who originated in northern Kara-Tur and migrated westward to Icewind Dale and other cold lands near the Endless Ice Sea. Hunters and gatherers, Ulutiuns live in small tribes that have managed to survive in one of the harshest environments in the world. Each has only a single name (sometimes handed down from one's parent); Ulutiuns don't use surnames.

Ulutiun Names:

• • (Male) Amak, Chu, Imnek, Kanut, Siku

  • (female) Akna, Chena, Kaya, Sedna, Ublereak