DDO Races

Human

• 1 Bonus Feat at First Level: Humans are quick to master specialized tasks and varied in their talents.
• 4 Extra Skill Points at first level and 1 extra skill piont at each additional level: Humans are versatile and capable

Humans are the most adaptable and flexible of the common races. They are diverse in their morals, customs, and habits. Hardy or fine, light-skinned or dark, showy or austere, devout or impious, humans run the gamut.

Human adventurers are the most audacious, daring, and ambitious members of an audacious, daring, and ambitious race. A human can earn glory in the eyes of his fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. Humans, more than other people, champion causes rather than territories, factions, or groups.

Humans, although relatively young in comparison to most other races, dominate Eberron. Human culture was born on the distant continent of Sarlona, with the first settlers sailing from Sarlona's western coast to the region of Khorvaire now called the Lhazaar Principalities. From there, they spread across the continent of Khorvaire, disrupting the placid elven empire of Aerenal and leaving ruined goblin kingdoms in their wake. Today, human contact has extended over most of the world, recently reaching the distant continent of Xen-drik. Humans are affiliated with the House Deneith in Stormreach.

Elf

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution: Elves are graceful but frail, and are better at stealth and archery.
• Immune to magic sleep effects and +2 saving throw bonus against enchantment spells: Elves do not sleep, but rest while meditating in a deep trance.
• +2 bonus on listen, search, and spot checks: An elf's senses are extremely sensitive.
• Bonus Martial Weapon Proficiency Feats: Elves are proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, and shortbow.

Elves are known for their poetry, dance, song, lore, and magical arts. Elves favor things of natural and simple beauty. When danger threatens their woodland homes, however, elves reveal a more martial side, demonstrating their skill with sword, bow, and battle strategy.

Elves mingle freely in human lands, always welcome, yet never at home there. Life among humans moves at a pace that elves dislike: regimented from day to day but changing from decade to decade. Elves among humans, therefore, find careers that allow them to wander freely and set their own pace. Elves also enjoy demonstrating their prowess with the sword and bow, and they enjoy gaining greater magical powers. Adventuring allows them to improve their skill in both.

The elves of Eberron were born on the mysterious southern continent of Xen'drik, where they were slaves of the giant kingdoms. Tens of thousands of years ago, elf slaves rebelled against their masters and eventually left Xen'drik entirely. They settled in the fertile tropical rain forest of Aerenal, a large island-continent to the southeast of Khorvaire. After the Last War came to an end, elvish explorers joined in the rediscovery of Xen'drik. Elves are affiliated with the House Phiarian in Stormreach.

Halfling

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Halflings are quick, agile and good with ranged weapons, but not as strong as other humanoids.
• +1 Armor Class bonus, +1 attack roll bonus, +4 bonus to Hide checks, and 3/4 carrying limit: As Small creatures, halflings are harder to hit and hide better, but can carry less than the other races.
• +1 bonus on all saving throws and +2 saving throw bonus against Fear: Halflings are suprisingly capable at avoiding mishaps, and show great fortitude in the face of danger.
• +1 attack roll bonus with thrown weapons: Throwing stones is a universal sport among halflings and they have excellent aim.

Halflings are clever, capable opportunists. Depending on the clan, halflings might be reliable, hard-working citizens, or they might be thieves just waiting for the opportunity to make a big score and disappear in the dead of the night.

Halfling adventurers are typically looking for a way to use their skills to gain wealth or status. The distinction between a halfling adventurer and the halfling just out to make a big score can be blurry. While halfling opportunism can sometimes look like larceny or fraud to others, a halfling adventurer who learns to trust her fellows is worhty of trust in return.

In the world of Eberron, halflings are nomads who ride domesticated dinosaurs across the wide Telenta Plains. The heritage of the nomad also serves more urbanized halflings well, and halflings have established themselves across Eberron as merchants, politicians, barristers, healers, and criminals. The tribal nomads of the plains can sometimes be found in the cities, but often the halflings of the cities blend in with the rest of the population and display only the occasional reminder of their roots. Halflings are affiliated with the House Jorasco in Stormreach.

Dwarf

• +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Dwarves are stout and tough, but tend to be gruff and reserved.
• +2 bonus on Search checks: The Stonecunning ability gives a dwarf a sixth sense about stonework.
• +4 bonus on Balance checks: Dwarves are exceptionally stable on their feet.
• +2 saving throw bonus against poison: Dwarves are hardy and resistant to toxins.
• +2 saving throw bonus against spells: Dwarves have an innate resistance to magic spells.
• Dwarven Waraxes as Martial Weapons: Dwarves do not consider dwarven waraxes to be exotic weapons.

Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their knowledge of the earth's secrets, their hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale.

A dwarf adventurer may be motivated by crusading zeal, a love of excitement, or simple greed. As long as his accomplishments bring honor to his clan, his deeds earn him respect and status. Defeating giants and claiming powerful magic weapons are sure ways for a dwarf to earn the adulation of other dwarves.

The dwarven homeland in Eberron is the Mror Holds, a loose-knit federation of dwarf clans in the mountainous terrain in the eat of Hkorvaire. The dwarves have never had a unified empire and thus have never risen to the prominence of the elves or humans, though their control of mineral wealth has always made them important allies of the greater powers. Their mysterious kingdoms, carved out from the insides of mountains, are renowned for the marvelous treasures that they produce as gifts for trade. Dwarves are affiliated with the House Kundarak in Stormreach.

Warforged

• +2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Warforged are resilient and powerful, but their difficulty in relating to other creatures makes them seem aloof or even hostile.
• Resistant to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, and exhaustion: As living constructs, warforged have a natural resistance to the sickened condition.
• Stabilized by Repair skill, repair damage spells regenerate, cure wounds spells half as effective: Damage dealt to a warforged can be healed by a repair light damage spell and warforged are stabilized by the repair skill, however, cure light wounds spells and potions only provide half their normal effect.
• +2 armor bonus and 5% chance arcane spell failure: The composite plating used to build a warforged takes the place of armor or robes and interferes slightly with spell casting.
• Light Fortification: There is a 25% chance that when a critical hit or sneak attack is scored, it is negated and damage is rolled normally.

Warforged are constructs built to fight in the Last War and the humanoid races of Eberron regard warforged as unpleasant reminders of the brutality of that war. As they strive to be a part of society, warforged struggle to find ways to relate to the other races that created them.

Adventuring is one way that warforged can fit into the world, at least as well as any adventurer ever does. In the wilds of Xen'drik, the ancient continent of secrets, few people care whether you were born or made, as long as you can help keep your companions alive. A fairly large number of warforged choose an adventuring life to escape from the confines of a society that they didn't create and at the same time engage in some meaningful activity.

Originally intended as nothing more than mindless war machines, the warforged acquired sentience due to the arcane experiments intended to improve these weapons of destruction. Through these experiments, the warforged moved away from being true constructs and became alive. The basic and most plentiful warforged are just slightly large than humans. Larger varieties of warforged-like constructs can also be encountered, as these remnants of the Las War still exist.

Drow Elf

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution: Also known as dark Elves, Drow are nimble, clever, and magnetic, but physically delicate.
• Magical Defense: Drow are immune to magic sleep effects, and gain a +2 saving throw bonus against Enchantment spells and an additional +2 Will save bonus against spells and spell-like effects. Finally, Drow characters begin play with Spell Resistance 11, and this resistance can be increased as the Drow gains levels.
• +2 bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks: A Drow's senses are extremely sensitive.
• Bonus Weapon Proficiency Feats: Drow are proficient with the rapier, shortsword, shortbow, and shuriken.

Most Drow choose a life of adventure out of necessity, given the dangers of their homeland. Still, they greatly desire personal power, and many Drow take up the mantle of adventurer seeking to satisfy their ambitions. The majority of Drow follow the evil scorpion-god Vulkoor, though exposure to the cultures of Stormreach has brought a few of them to less malevolent deities.

The elves of Eberron were born on the mysterious southern continent of Xen'drik, where they were slaves of the giant kingdoms. Tens of thousands of years ago, Elf slaves rebelled against their masters. Unlike other Elf races who fled the continent, the Drow stayed behind on Xen'drik. Today most of the Drow live within the ancient giant ruins, hoping to take vengeance on their former masters and to learn the secrets of the giants' long-lost might. The Drow believe that they alone preserve the dignity and valor of the Elf race, dismissing the rebels who fled to Aerenal and their Valenar heirs.

Only recently, a few Drow have allied themselves with foreign-born heroes who have come to Stormreach. Members of the Venomblade tribe led by Elder Durandimon, these skilled warriors, cunning trackers, and wielders of arcane power have joined their might with their new friends to turn back to the tide of evil that threatens both human-dominated cities and the wilds of Xen'drik that the Drow claim as their own.

In order to gain the approval of the drow tribes and access one of their great heroes for your side, you must first prove yourself a hero of renown. To do this, succeed in many of the quests and adventurers located about Stormreach. In each of those, you’ll gain favor that’s noted in your own adventure compendium. You get more favor the more difficult the quest, especially if you dare to accept challenges that are hard or elite. Once you’ve reached a certain amount of favor, the drow will send you a message through Stormreach’s new mail system about the availability of their bravest and strongest.