The Races (POSP)

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==Aarakocra==
Aarakocra are a race of intelligent bird-men who live among the highest mountain peaks. The average aarakocra stands about five feet tall, with a wingspan of nearly 20 feet. An aarakocra's feet are powerful talons that can be used to grasp and manipulate objects, and it also has small wing-hands about halfway along the leading edge of each wing. Like all true avians, aarakocra have hollow bones, and most weigh no more than 80 or 90 pounds. The aarakocras' voices are not well-suited for common, and they punctuate their speech with caws, screeches, and whistles.
Aarakocra are strong and swift fliers, and they can make a special diving attack with a drop of 200 feet or more. They receive no penalties for aerial missile fire. Aarakocra avoid grappling or combat on the ground, but their talons and beak serve as formidable weapons in a pinch. As a race, aarakocra are extremely claustrophobic, and dislike being indoors or underground.
==Alaghi==
Distant cousins of the yeti, alaghi are forest-dwelling humanoids with barrel chests, short legs, and long, powerful arms. Their necks are thick and short, and their heads tend to be broad and flat with wide jaws. Alaghi are covered from toe to crown in long, thick hair ranging in hue from charcoal gray to reddish brown. Alaghi stand well over six feet tall and weigh more than 300 pounds.
Most alaghi live as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. They tend to be shy and peaceful creatures, with a driving sense of curiosity. Alaghi love riddles and games of strategy, especially a good game of chess. Alaghi tend to hoot and hiss when they speak, and their fearsome size and power can often frighten people who are not used to them.
==Bugbear==
Bugbears are the largest variety of goblinkind, standing about seven feet tall with muscular frames. They have light yellow to light brown hides, with thick coarse hair and bestial eyes. Their ears are large and prominent, and their mouths are full of sharp fangs. Bugbears are true carnivores, with keen sight and hearing, and they can move with amazing stealth when they try.
Most bugbears live by plundering and ambush, taking slaves and eating anything they kill. A player character bugbear is an extremely unusual representative of his species who must struggle to control a vicious temperament and natural inclination to bully those weaker than himself. Even the most honorable bugbears can be fatally misled by avariciousness and hunger for power.
==Bullywug==
Bullywugs are bipedal frog-like amphibians inhabiting swamps, marshes, and other dank locations. They are covered with smooth, mottled green hide, with huge frog-like faces and bulging eyes. Bullywugs are strong swimmers and comfortable in water or out of it, but they are vulnerable to dehydration once they leave their native swamps.
A player character bullywug is actually a member of an advanced variety of this species, since most bullywugs are savages and marauders of the worst sort. Common bullywugs are scarcely able to wield a stone spear or club, but advanced bullywugs are able to wear armor and use most human weapons with little trouble.
==Centaur==
These powerful and noble creatures have the torso and upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. They are a strong and proud race, easily offended and impulsive. Centaurs can make use of any human weapon, but they're especially fond of oaken clubs, longbows, and medium lances, the latter of which they can wield in the same fashion as a human rider on a medium warhorse.
Centaur society is generally pastoral and peaceful, but they can be fierce warriors when the need arises. Like many woodland creatures, they have a great respect for nature's balance, and try not to disturb the world they live in. Centaurs are on good terms with elves, gnomes, and halflings, but they are suspicious of humans and dwarves.
==Flind==
Flinds are warlike humanoids with many of the worst traits of hyenas and similar scavengers. They are covered with mangy brown or reddish-brown fur, with bestial muzzles and long, muscular limbs. Flinds are closely related to gnolls, but are stronger, smarter, and more fierce than their cousins. Gnolls look upon flinds as leaders, heroes, and champions.
Unlike the chaotic pack-like society of most gnolls, flind society tends to be organized and less savage. Flinds are quick to resort to violence, just like gnolls, but unlike their lesser cousins they're much more likely to consider the consequences and risks first, and then carefully plan their attack.
==Giff==
The giff are a race of hulking, powerfully-muscled mercenaries that resemble bipedal hippopotami. Their legs are cylindrical and stocky, with a heavy torso and clumsy but strong thick-fingered hands. Their faces are very hippopotamus-like, with small eyes and ears, and their skulls are exceedingly dense and strong. Giff are not known as towering intellectuals, but they are immensely strong and loyal to their employers.
The life of soldiering has become the only occupation in giff society, and bands of giff hire out their services to all causes. Therefore, a giff considers it his only purpose in life to keep himself fit, strong, and ready for action. They are fascinated by weapons (the more complicated, the better) and the trappings of military life, such as regimental histories, parades, and other forms of spit and polish.
==Githzerai==
Native to the chaotic plane of Limbo, the githzerai are a monastic race of travelers and traders who can be found in almost all the infinite planes. Githzerai appear human, but they tend to be thin and gaunt, with drawn faces and sharp features. They favor plain clothing and conservative tones.
Githzerai society is extremely chaotic, but it is not without its own laws and mores. An individual githzerai is usually strongly loyal to his race, even if he is completely out of contact with his fellows. It is not unusual for a githzerai to spend years at a time in a single plane, wandering and adventuring.
==Gnoll==
Gnolls are hyena-like humanoids with mangy yellow or brown fur, drooling muzzles full of long, sharp teeth, and gaunt but powerful frames. They give the impression of starving scavengers, with the disposition to match, and they are among the most chaotic and faithless of all humanoids. Gnolls have a hard time seeing past the moment, and patience is a virtue unheard of in gnoll society.
Player character gnolls must work hard to overcome the strong (and generally well-justified) prejudices they will encounter in the world outside their band. Their short tempers and bestial habits are not much help in dispelling these beliefs. Despite these distasteful qualities, gnolls can be brave and fierce fighters and valuable companions—provided they're not given too many tests of honor, honesty, or loyalty.
==Goblin==
Goblins are small humanoids standing about four feet tall, with long arms, bandy legs, and harsh mannerisms. A goblin's face is broad and flat, with a wide fang-filled mouth, pointed ears, and an olive or dull yellow coloration. Goblins are generally cowardly, opportunistic, and untrustworthy.
Goblin society is fairly savage, and each tribe has an exact pecking order. Moving up this ladder by pulling down those above them is the typical dream of most goblins, and cooperation with others of their kind is always halfhearted. Typically, a goblin will let others do his work or fighting for him any time he can, and then strike from ambush only after he's sure his enemies have been weakened to the point where they can't threaten him. Or, if the wrong side is winning the fight, a goblin isn't above reevaluating his allegiances in the middle of a battle.
==Hobgoblin==
Hobgoblins are stocky humanoids with hairy hides of dark red to gray, and they stand about six and a half feet tall. They have yellow eyes and sharp yellow teeth, and favor dressing in brightly colored outfits. Hobgoblins wage a perpetual war with all other intelligent creatures, especially the other humanoid races. And they are proud of their status as the pariahs of the humanoid cultures. They feel that they are only weakened by alliances or treaties with other creatures.
Hobgoblin society is built around war, with military organization, and they seek out conflict wherever they can find it. Unlike the giff, who believe in the “rules” of warfare, hobgoblins seek to terrify and antagonize their enemies at all times. A player character hobgoblin is a rare individual indeed, since association with “weaklings” and “inferiors” is taken as a sign of weakness and decadence in hobgoblin society.
==Kobold==
The smallest and weakest race of goblinkind is the race of kobolds. A kobold stands about three feet in height, with a scaly hide of dark brown to rusty black, and glowing red eyes in a vaguely dog-like face. Kobolds tend to be cowards and whiners, but are quick to turn on their enemies when they find themselves with an advantage of numbers or position. Due to their lack of physical prowess, kobolds specialize in dirty tricks, distractions, and traps, using these to incapacitate or distract larger foes.
Kobolds strive to be taken seriously by larger races, and often try to make up for their shortcomings with ferocity and tenacity. Kobold PCs are unusual examples of the race, but even the most pleasant kobolds are still mean-spirited and spiteful from time to time.
==Lizard Man==
A lizard man is a reptilian humanoid standing between six and seven feet tall. They weigh between 200 and 250 pounds, and their hides are covered with tough scales of dark green to brown. Lizard men have long, dangerous claws and thick, powerful tails up to four feet in length. They are exceptional swimmers and can hold their breath twice as long as most other air-breathing creatures, but they are slow and somewhat clumsy on land.
Generally, lizard men are dim savages who have not even mastered the use of the most basic tools and weapons, but PC lizard men are members of a more advanced variety that is capable of using weapons and armor. Despite this, lizard men are barbarians by any definition of the word, and human society and behavior is baffling to them. Unlike some other barbarians, lizard men are likely to react to this with violence instead of curiosity.
==Minotaur==
These are not the minotaurs of the Dragonlance® game setting, but instead standard minotaurs as described in the Monstrous Manual. Most are cursed humans, or the offspring of minotaurs and humans. Minotaurs are powerfully built and tower more than seven feet in height, with the head of a bull and the body of a human male. Minotaurs revere physical strength above all else, and they believe that the strong should naturally rule the weak. Minotaurs view surrender as an admission of weakness, and are likely to fight to the death regardless of the circumstances.
Many minotaurs are brutal savages, but they are not always mindless killers. They are ruthless, harsh, and stubborn, but they can be surprisingly intelligent and introspective.
==Mongrelman==
Mongrelmen combine the worst features of many species, including humans, orcs, gnolls, ogres, bugbears, and more questionable heritages. No two look alike, but all appear to be poorly constructed combinations of various humanoid races, with misshapen limbs of different shapes and proportions. Without exception, mongrelmen are hideously ugly, and most are ashamed of their appearance and go to great lengths to conceal their bodies from others.
Mongrelmen are often enslaved by evil societies, and ostracized even by good ones. Without a place in the world, they have developed great patience and a surprising degree of human kindness and compassion within their misshapen forms. They tend to avoid bloodshed when they can, staying in the shadows and living by petty theft and scavenging.
==Ogre==
Ogres are great brutes standing more than nine feet tall, with thick torsos, heavy limbs, stringy hair, and warty hides. They are usually ill-tempered beings who enjoy violence for its own sake, indulging in all manner of cruelty to entertain themselves. Ogres are extremely strong and hardy, but their lack of mental prowess is the stuff of legend.
Ogres live by raiding and scavenging, taking what they want from those too weak to defend themselves. A player character ogre is rare in the extreme—the intelligence and character necessary to rise beyond the petty cruelties and appetites of their kind just isn't found in many ogres.
==Orc==
Orcs resemble primitive humans, with gray-green skin and coarse hair. They stoop slightly, have low, jutting foreheads, snouts, canine teeth, and short pointed ears. They stand between five and a half and six feet tall, and often have powerful, stocky builds. Orcs are aggressive hunters and raiders who constantly seek to expand their territory at the expense of their neighbors.
Orcs respect skill in battle, and from time to time an orc champion approaches human standards of bravery and honor in battle. A player character orc is one of these heroes. Even the best orcs are quick to take offense and are somewhat bloodthirsty.
==Satyr==
The half-human, half-goat satyrs are a race of pleasure-loving beings, Like the sylvan locations they dwell in, satyrs are personifications of nature, embodiments of all that is wild and carefree. Satyrs have the head, torso, and arms of a human, with the hind legs of a goat. Two sharp black horns jut through the coarse, curly hair on top of the head. They love to spend their days and nights in sport, and they never miss an opportunity to chase after wood nymphs or other comely creatures.
Satyrs are an inoffensive race—they just want to have fun. And when one takes up the life of an adventurer, he's usually looking for entertainment. They don't understand seriousness or violence, and while they can fight with the best, they're more likely to view a battle as just another kind of contest or game. Satyrs are very impulsive, and are generally unreliable companions despite their good intentions.
==Swanmay==
Swanmays are human females who are gifted with the magical power to transform themselves into swans. In human form, they are indistinguishable from other people, although they're frequently women of striking looks and grace. In swan form, they are great white birds of extraordinary beauty. All swanmays carry a magical token of some kind—a ring, cloak, or belt, for instance—that allows them to change shape.
Swanmays belong to a special sisterhood of druids and rangers, living in communal lodges in hidden forests. Their homes are always near silent lakes or marshes. They oppose poachers, raiders, and others who disturb the natural order of the land, and they act as friends and protectors of the forest folk. Many swanmays give up routine adventuring to guard their homes against the forces of evil, but a few—player character swanmays—wander the land to fight evil wherever they find it.
==Thri-kreen==
The thri-kreen are a race of large, intelligent insects often referred to as mantis warriors. They roam the deserts and savannas, existing as nomadic hunters. Mature thri-kreen are roughly seven feet tall at the shoulder, with six limbs and a tough, sandy-colored exoskeleton. They have black compound eyes, short antennae, and a complicated jaw structure. The thri-kreen's uppermost four limbs are equipped with opposable claws that can grasp tools or weapons, or serve as weapons themselves. The thri-kreen language is made up of clicks and grindings, and they have difficulty learning the common tongue.
Thri-kreen are organized into hunting packs, and they constantly roam their territory. It's unusual for a thri-kreen to leave its pack-mates and travel alone, and even more unusual for one to take up with others not of its kind. A PC thri-kreen has probably lost its true family in some disaster or another, and accepts its companions as a substitute family.
==Wemic==
Wemics are part human and part lion, combining the two as centaurs combine human and horse. The wemic's leonine body has a human torso where the lion's neck and head would be. The leonine body is covered with dusky golden fur, with a white underbelly, while the human half tends toward a tawny skin tone and a slight catlike cast to the face and eyes. Wemics are aboriginal nomads who live through hunting—they use fire and craft weapons and tools, but rarely build any kind of permanent dwelling. Wemics believe that everything in the world is a living thing, from the skies to the sun or earth, and they are very superstitious.
Wemics are playful and curious as cubs, and a small number never grow out of this stage. Wemic adventurers are most often characters of this sort, although other wemics may choose to trade with humans or sell their services as guides, and come into contact with a player character party in that fashion.