A character's ancestry has a major influence on the way that character interacts with the world, and with the other options presented in Realm of Runes. When making a 1st-level character, the ancestry step often takes the longest to complete. This is because ancestry represents an aspect of your past, and all decisions you make are front-loaded to character creation, and there are a lot of choices. With hybrid ancestries and adopted ancestries, it works out to hundreds of unique ancestry combinations, and that's not even considering the ancestry feats that set members of each ancestry apart from each other.
Every character starts with a basic ancestry. Realm of Runes includes seven iconic fantasy options to choose from: Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Goblins, Halflings, Humans and Orcs. Each basic ancestry has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, such as durability, size, senses, and abilities at which it naturally excels. Each ancestry improves two specific ability modifiers and reduces one, but also provides a free ability boost which can either be used to offset the penalty or have a third boosted ability. A character cannot boost the same ability more than once during its ancestry step, but receives more boosts in other steps to continue fleshing out its ability modifiers. Each basic ancestry also offers ten ancestry feats exclusive to that ancestry. Some of these feats have the biology trait, meaning that they are a fundamental part of your being if chosen. These biology feats cannot be added later, and they cannot be changed through retraining.
Besides the ten ancestry feats from each ancestry, there are a small number of universal ancestry feats. These feats can be taken by a character of any ancestry, and include the Adopted feat, which lets you choose a non-biological feat from another ancestry, further expanding your universe of possibilities. Each character gets four ancestry feats to choose during character creation, and some of those feats can be spent to access the hybrid ancestries.
Realm of Runes includes four hybrid ancestries: Dhampir, Elemental-Kin, Half-Elves and Half-Orcs. These special ancestries are "unlocked" by choosing the associated Hybrid Ancestry feat. This feat makes you a member of that hybrid ancestry, but also gives you a number of special abilities as well. It gives you access to that hybrid ancestry's feats, adding four more exclusive ancestry feats only available through hybridization. Hybrid ancestries can be grafted onto any basic ancestry as long as you aren't already a member of that ancestry. You can't add Half-Elf to Elf, or Half-Orc to Orc, but are otherwise free to mix and match as you see fit. You can be a Half-Orc Elf or a Half-Elf Orc, and the two are very different in many important ways.
DWARVES
Dwarves have a reputation for being both physically and mentally hardy, but gruff. If your character is a dwarf, it gains a boost to its Endurance and its Wisdom, and has a flaw to Charisma. They can see in the dark, and their short stature makes them slower than other ancestries, but they resist effects that make them even slower. Dwarves are one of the two most durable ancestries, and gain 10 bonus Hit Points during character creation that are added to maximum Hit Points. Many dwarven ancestry feats are based around improving resistances or working with earth and stone.
ELVES
Elves are in many ways the opposite of dwarves. Tall, graceful and frail, if your character is an elf, it gains a boost to Agility and Intelligence, and has a flaw to Endurance. They can see in low-light, such as moonlight, and are one of the fastest ancestries in terms of speed. Elves have incredible natural life spans, but are one of the lest durable ancestries with only 6 bonus Hit Points during character creation. Many elven ancestry feats are based around improving mobility or drawing on the experience of incredible longevity.
GNOMES
Gnomes are the smallest ancestry, but tend to be creative and boisterous beyond their size. If your character is a gnome, it gains a boost to Endurance and Charisma, and has a flaw to Strength. They can see in low-light, are slow like dwarves, and have a paradoxically deep connection to both the natural world and technology. Despite being small, gnomes are surprisingly durable and gain 8 bonus Hit Points during character creation. Many gnomish ancestry feats are based around improving your connection with nature or technology.
GOBLINS
Small like gnomes, goblins are the shortest lived ancestry in terms of life span, both naturally and because they have a tendency toward self-destructive behavior, like literally playing with fire. If your character is a goblin, it gains a boost to Agility and Endurance, and has a flaw to Wisdom. Despite their short lives, goblins are physically durable and gain 8 bonus Hit Points during character creation. Many goblin ancestry feats are based around being scrappy or utilizing the power of flame.
HALFLINGS
Another small ancestry, halflings tend to be quiet, but lucky and observant. If your character is a halfling, it gains a boost to Agility and Wisdom, and has a flaw to Strength. Halflings aren't very physically durable, only gaining 6 bonus Hit Points during character creation, but tend to make up for this shortcoming by being shockingly lucky and resilient in the face of adversity. Many halfling ancestry feats are based around situational awareness or good fortune.
HUMANS
Humans are the least homogeneous ancestry, and also the least specialized. If your character is a human, it gains two free boosts, and does not automatically have a flaw. You can add a flaw for a third boost if you want, but it isn't required. Humans are reasonably durable and adaptable, gaining 8 bonus Hit Points at character creation. Many human ancestry feats are based around adaptability or being especially good in other areas like skills and class.
ORCS
Physically imposing and with an often violent disposition, orcs are natural bruisers but not inherently bad people. If your character is an orc, it gains a boost to Strength and Endurance, and has a flaw to Intelligence. Orcs are extremely durable, gaining 10 bonus Hit Points and character creation, and possibly even more. Many orc ancestry feats are based around intimidation or giving and taking incredible amounts of punishment in combat.
DHAMPIR
Dhampir is a hybrid ancestry as a result of a pregnancy complicated by vampirism. Dhampir are not necessarily vampires themselves, though they can be, but share many traits in common with those iconic undead. This vampiric heritage is both a blessing and a curse, as dhampir tend to be physically frailer than others of their basic ancestry and are harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy, giving them a complicated relationship with good and evil and requiring that they be careful how they get their healing when wounded. Dhampir ancestry feats are based around deepening their connection with the undead side of their heritage.
ELEMENTAL-KIN
Elemental-Kin is actually an umbrella term for four separate, but similar, hybrid ancestries that result from a pregnancy infused with the energy of one of the elemental planes. Comprised of Sylphs, Oreads, Ifrits and Undines, each a result of an infusion of Air, Earth, Fire or Water energy respectively, elemental-kin are as diverse from each other as they are from the basic ancestries from which they arise. Elemental-Kin feats are based around deepening your connection with your element, and each one functions differently depending on the element specific to your heritage.
HALF-ELVES & HALF-ORCS
Half-Elves and Orcs are a result of interbreeding with elves, orcs or other hybrids of the two. These hybrid ancestries add a pool of exclusive ancestry feats, like dhampir and elemental-kin, but also open up the entire suite of ancestry feats from the parent ancestry, including biology feats. Their exclusive ancestry feats are based around the interplay between their two distinct heritages.
With so many diverse ancestry options and pairings to choose from, you can always play your favorite without it getting stale, or experiment to your heart's content without ever running out of exciting new choices. We're going to alternate back to more esoteric topics on Friday with a dive into esoteric proficiencies, the system that governs proficiency weapons, armor and magic, and we'll explore how Realm of Runes uses this system to foster incredible diversity of ability.
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