Tooth & Claw... and Fins, Scales & Wings!

It's time to introduce the new base ancestries included in the Tome of Whispers. Unlike the core rules, where all of the base player ancestries are either humanoid or goblinoid, these ancestries all have the chimera creature type. This can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, chimeras are naturally immune to anything that would specifically target humanoids or goblinoids, which can be quite helpful. On the other hand, this immunity can also prevent good things from affecting them as well.

There are five new ancestries in the Tome, and each one is based on a type of anthropomorphic animal. These are not simply uplifted animals, nor is any one of them a single species. In fact, several of the ancestry perk options for these new ancestries have the species trait. This is a new trait included for these ancestries, which represents a "specialization" within the ancestry. You can only have one perk with a species trait, making them mutually exclusive options. Of course, these species perks also have the biology trait, which means that you also can't simply pick them up through adoption.

As base ancestries, each one of these option offers a full suite of ancestry perks to choose from. They can also be freely combined with hybrid ancestries, both those from the core rules and the new ones also added in the Tome of Whispers. You can also further customize them with the new cryptic ancestries, too. There might only be five new base ancestries, but the character customization potential added is much larger. Let's get a brief introduction to each of the new base ancestries, in alphabetical order.

Canoidian

Anthropomorphic hybrids of the humanoid form and the canine, canoidians come in as many different sizes and colors as there are breeds of dogs. Canoidian cultures often prefer to assimilate into the other dominant cultures around them and, while there are always exceptions, most individuals are naturally inclined toward strong loyalty. When their cultures develop without outside interference, they often form a pack structure. A canoidian pack may be wary of outsiders, but those who gain the friendship of these dog-folk often forge an inseparable bond. Canoidians always gain an ability boost to Endurance and Wisdom, along with a free boost, but take an ability flaw to Charisma. They have low-light vision, and a strong nose which allows them to use smell as a precise sense.

The species options for canoidians include Canis Major and Canis Minor. While the ancestry is normally medium, like humans, Canis Major causes you to be based on a bigger dog than most, increasing your size to large. Being large makes you stronger and more durable, but less agile. Canis Minor, on the other hand, means you are based on a smaller breed of dog than most, reducing your size to small like gnomes and halflings. Being small makes you more agile and harder to hit, but less strong and durable. Another notable perk is Lone Wolf, which gives you bonuses to rude social checks and effects that target only you. This is contrasted with Pack Mindset, that grants you bonuses to civil social checks and effects which target both you and at least one ally.

Feloidian

Anthropomorphic hybrids of the humanoid form and the feline, feloidians come in as many different sizes and colors as there are types of cats. Feloidian cultures have a tendency to strongly resist assimilation into others. As such, many settlements have feloidian enclaves, and likely even multiple distinct ones. Feloidians tend to be more individualistic than others, with weaker family ties. These cat-folk more often prefer found family. Getting a feloidian to like you can be difficult, but being chosen by one is a bond that lasts a lifetime. Feloidians always gain an ability boost to Agility and Charisma, along with a free boost, but take an ability flaw to Wisdom. They have low-light vision and a strong sense of smell that lets them use smell as a precise sense.

Perhaps the most notable feloidian ancestry perk is Nine Lives, which gives you a reaction that can prevent you from dying. It can cause you to automatically stabilize instead if you would increase your dying value beyond your dying threshold, and can even stop you from being slain outright as a result of a death effect. You can use it whenever appropriate, but each time you do you increase your lives total by 1. Your total always starts at 1, and the perk can no longer be used once your total reaches 10. Other notable perks include Skittish, which gives you bonus speed and damage while scared, and Curiosity, which gives you a bonus to Perception, Knowledge, and Legerdemain at the cost of a penalty to AC and saves against traps and hazards.

Nemoidian

When one thinks of aquatic peoples, the first to come to mind are typically Merfolk, alluring half-person, half-fish hybrids where the two are distinctly separate. In contrast, nemoidians have no separation between their fish and anthropomorphic natures. Nemoidians and merfolk rarely get along, and tend to wage vast wars completely unknown to those who live on land. Nemoidians sometimes make secret, dark deals with coastal populations, ensuring bounties of fish and providing a wealth of treasures lost to the sea in exchange for wives, since nemoidians born of mixed pairings are more likely to have the ability to breathe both air and water. Nemoidians always gain an ability boost to Strength and Agility, along with a free boost, but take an ability flaw to Charisma. They have low-light vision and are strong swimmers, having an inherent swim speed that does not even require free hands to use. Nemoidians, however, have the aquatic trait which means they cannot breathe in air.

Perhaps the most notable nemoidian ancestry perk is The Look. This one lets you build your character with a different base ancestry... for now. The perk itself gives you bonuses to rude social checks and penalties to civil ones, but every day you have a small chance of suddenly becoming a full-blooded nemoidian. If this happens, you replace The Look with two other nemoidian biology perks. You wind up with more ancestry perks than normal as a result of this change, and you can even keep your biology perks from the other ancestry, which is something simply being adopted could not allow. Other notable perks include Cursed Treasure, which lets you start with a high-value (but cursed) item made from deep gold, and Landwalker, which grants you the amphibious trait. This perk is likely important for most nemoidians, unless an adventure is expected to take place entirely under water.

Ornithurian

Anthropomorphic hybrids of the humanoid form and the avian, ornithurians come in as many different sizes and colors as there are types of birds. Since ornithurians can fly, their cultures tend to have little overlap or interaction with those of the ground-locked. These bird-persons tend to build great eyrie-cities in regions completely inaccessible to others that lack flight or altitude protections. Although ornithurians tend to keep an aloof distance, they are usually more curious than hostile to outsiders that manage to find them. While not especially common outside of their ancestral homes, younger ornithurians often travel the world as a rite of passage intended to sate a, seemingly genetic, wanderlust. Ornithurians always gain an ability boost to Agility and Intelligence, along with a free ability boost, but take an ability flaw to Endurance. They have low-light vision and strong wings, which grant them a fly speed that does not require free hands to use.

Ornithurian species perks include Early Bird and Night Owl. Early Bird gives you a bonus to initiative and makes it so you always increase your tired value by one less than you would normally. Night Owl, by contrast, gives you darkvision instead of low-light vision and a bonus to stealth, but you are dazzled in direct sunlight. Other notable ornithurian perks include Raptor's Gaze, which gives a large bonus to Perception and reduces penalties to visual perception from distance, and Elaborate Plumage, which grants bonuses to all social checks, but a penalty to Stealth.

Saurian

Eons before humanoids appeared, reptiles ruled the world. Some species achieved intelligence and formed societies before even the first mammals appeared. Saurian diviners predicted a cataclysm, and their elder golds were indifferent at best. In order to survive, saurian society moved deep underground to wait it out. Thousands of saurian generations have passed since then, and the great subterranean mega-cities harness magic and technology undreamt of above ground. Yet with endless patience, they still await the great cataclysm that will wipe out the surface dwellers and return the sunlit world their dominion. Yet saurian are more like the humans they despise than they would care to admit. Saurians have two free ability boosts and no flaw, though they can use an ancestry perk to pick up a third free boost at the cost of a free flaw. They also have low-light vision.

Saurian species perks include Dinosaurian and Draconic Lineage. Dinosaurians are large size, instead of medium, and also grant additional special abilities based on your specific type of dinosaur. This might be a fly speed of a pterosaur, or the bony crest of a pachycephalosaur that you can use to shield block. Draconic Lineage gives you the colored scales of a dragon, resistance to that dragon's energy type, and a minor breath weapon that you can activate at will to deal that same energy damage in a line or spray. Other notable saurian ancestry perks include Advanced Magic, which gives you easier access to uncommon spells during character creation, and Advanced Technology, which does the same for your starting equipment.

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These new ancestries are very different from the more "standard" fantasy fare found in the core rules and add variety and versatility to your character options. Each one offers a fun and distinct flavor on its own, but also adds to the overall option space for characters thanks to the strong ancestry customization potential inherent to Realm of Runes. Next time we'll introduce the new hybrid ancestries in the Tome of Whispers, so stay tuned!