Page 25 - DnD_5e_Players_Handbook_(BnW_OCR)

Ev e r y o n e ’s S e c o n d - B e s t F r i e n d s
Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle
with members of other races. They get along with almost
everyone, though they might not be close to many. Humans
serve 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 parents give their children names from other languages,
like intruders, and you’ll as likely be bewitched as peppered such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced m ore or less
with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past that damned racial
correctly), but most parents give names that are linked
pride and actually treat you like an equal, you can learn a lot
to their region’s culture or to the naming traditions of
from them.”
their ancestors.
Halflings. "It’s hard to beat a meal in a halfling home, as
The material culture and physical characteristics
long as you don’t crack your head on the ceiling— good food
of humans can change wildly from region to region.
and good stories in front of a nice, warm fire. If halflings had
a shred of ambition, they might really amount to something.” In the Forgotten Realms, for example, the clothing,
architecture, cuisine, music, and literature are different
in the northwestern lands of the Silver M arches than
L a s t i n g I n s t i t u t i o n s in distant Turmish or Impiltur to the east—and even
W here a single elf or dwarf might take on the more distinctive in far-off Kara-Tur. Human physical
responsibility of guarding a special location or a characteristics, though, vary according to the ancient
powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and migrations of the earliest humans, so that the humans
institutions for such purposes. W hile dwarf clans and of the Silver M arches have every possible variation of
halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each coloration and features.
new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, In the Forgotten Realms, nine human ethnic groups
and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of are widely recognized, though over a dozen others are
history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for found in m ore localized areas of Faerun. These groups,
those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to and the typical nam es o f their mem bers, can be used as
escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that inspiration no matter which world your human is in.
they will be rem em bered when they are gone.
C a l i s h i t e
Although som e humans can be xenophobic, in
Shorter and slighter in build than m ost other humans,
general their societies are inclusive. Human lands
Calishites have dusky brown skin, hair, and eyes.
welcom e large numbers of nonhumans com pared to the
They’re found primarily in southwest Faerun.
proportion of humans w ho live in nonhuman lands.
Calishite Names: (Male) Aseir, Bardeid, Haseid,
E x e m p l a r s o f A m b i t i o n Khemed, Mehmen, Sudeiman, Zasheir; (female)
Atala, Ceidil, Hama, Jasmal, Meilil, Seipora, Yasheira,
Humans w ho seek adventure are the most daring and
Zasheida; (surnames) Basha, Dumein, Jassan, Khalid,
ambitious m em bers of a daring and ambitious race.
Mostana, Pashar, Rein
They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows
by am assing power, wealth, and fame. More than
C h o n d a t h a n
other people, humans champion causes rather than
Chondathans are slender, tawny-skinned folk with
territories or groups.
brown hair that ranges from almost blond to almost
black. M ost are tall and have green or brown eyes,
H u m a n N a m e s a n d E t h n i c i t i e s
but these traits are hardly universal. Humans of
Having so much m ore variety than other cultures, Chondathan descent dominate the central lands of
humans as a whole have no typical names. S om e human Faerun. around the Inner Sea.