AD&D Primer: Races
A fantasy world is more than just exotic and fanciful monsters for the player to battle - it is an opportunity for the player to take on the exotic and fanciful nature herself. To these ends, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) and Dungeon Craft (DC) offer the player the chance to play one of several races of creatures as described below.
DwarvesDwarves are short, stocky and bearded demi-humans, think Gimli in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". They stand on average 4 to 4 ½ feet tall and weigh in the neighborhood of 140 to 160 punds typically. Dwarves can live for as long as 350 years.
Dwarves are somewhat resistant to magic by their very nature so tend mistrust or avoid it. They are known for being fierce warriors, who love a good pint of ale almost as much as they love gems and valuable, rare metals. Most dwarves live underground and show an aptitude for mining and building, as well as metal-smithing.
Dwarves are known to not really like elves, compared with an outright hatred of orcs and goblins. Their stocky physique tends to make dwarves shy away from riding mounts, though they are known to ride ponies, and some to ride bears.
At first glance similar in appearance to humans, elves are typically shorter and of slighter build, with well-defined, delicate features. While this may make elves appear to be fragile or weak compared to humans, they are actually known for being quick and strong. Elves are the most long-lived of the demi-humans, occasionally living over a thousand years.
As a people, elves spend a lot of time singing, dancing and playing music. They are very appreciative and protective of natural beauty. For these reasons, other races often think of elves as frivolous and care-free. But, they are complex, and when the situation warrants it, they are the fiercest of warriors. They never forget their friends or their enemies.
Elves are very adept at magic in all forms. Elven spellcasters are among the most powerful of their kind.
Elves dislike dwarves as much as dwarves dislike them, but reserve hatred for evil creatures who inhabit the very woods where they make their home.
Gnomes, at first glance, may be mistaken for a small, lithe dwarf, but that is not the case, though the races are likely related. Gnomes are easily identified by their large noses and great curiosity. Gnomes may live to be 360 years old. They stand on average 3 to 3 ½ feet tall and weigh on average between 70 and 90 pounds.
Gnomes are as well known for their love of practical jokes as they are for their love of precious stones and gems. As a race they are very inventive and individuals may show an aptitude for magic, particularly for illusions.
Gnomes tend to be suspicious of the larger demi-human races, but not hostile or unfriendly. Many dwell underground (in mines and burrows) so tend to be sympathetic towards dwarves, but because they also spend much time above ground, they are not averse to the other demi-human races as dwarves tend to be.
The off-spring of an elf and a human, half-elves share characteristics of both races. (A half-elf and a human child is always human; a half-elf and elf child is always a half-elf.) Half-elves are the most common of the mixed-race demi-humans. They tend to appear more like their elven parent and as a rule are a good-looking folk. They do tend to be taller and heavier than elves, but shorter than humans and lighter weight.
Half-elves inherit many abilities from their elven parent - exceptional vision, a resistance to sleep and charm spells, the ability to be multi-classed. But they have a relatively short life span, around 150 years, likely from their human parent, but also gained their human parent is a hardiness and the ability to advance farther in their chosen class.
Half-elves may be found anywhere elves or humans live.
Orcs are fecund and create many cross-breeds, most of the offspring of such being typically orcish. However, some one-tenth of orc-human mongrels ore sufficiently non-orcish to pass for human. It is this sub-group of half-orcs that are represented in the game.
Typically, half-orcs inherit the exceptional vision of orcs as well as some of their brutishness which manifests itself as great strength, but they also tend to be brutish in terms of intellect as well. Half-orcs are taller than humans on average, standing 6 feet 2 inches on average and weighing in at around 210 pounds. They typically live about 70 years.
Half-orcs do not form their own communities and usually live among humans where they may be able to pass themselves off as large, brutish men or women.
In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, halflings can be summed up with one word, "hobbit". They are shorter than dwarves, but less stocky even though some individuals tend towards the rotund. Typically, they have curly hair which may be found on the tops of their feet as well as on their heads. Halflings tend to be longer lived than humans and often reach the age of 140 or more.
While fond of food and drink like dwarves, halflings are not overly concerned with material wealth, though more than one has become a master thief. Halflings are not a very magical race, and as such look upon it a bit suspiciously.
Halflings get along with gnomes best, each enjoying the others company and get along reasonably well with dwarves. They are suspicious of the other demi-human races because of the size difference, but will gladly befriend those they can trust of any race.
Halflings tend to spend most of their time above ground, but live in underground houses built in to hillsides or the like.
In Advanced Duneons & Dragons, humans are referred to as a single race, but actually are just as varied as humans in the real world, coming all shapes, sizes and colors.
Humans are the tallest of the demi-human races, averaging 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing on average from 140 to 180 pounds. They are also the most short-lived of the races, excluding half-orcs, with a life expectancy of 80 to 90 years.
Humans are the only race which can be any class, though they may not multi-class. They are as adept at sword-play as at magic or at picking pockets.
Humans are the most widespread of the races above ground, living in every clime, alone or in large cities with everything in between. Few humans live underground.