Species

(Art by https://www.patrickbrownart.com/)

*Character Creation*

A number of intelligent species live in the Wasteland.

Aside from humans, most evolved or mutated from humanity after the bombs fell. A few were created by means of pre-war science.

## Human

Humans remain the most prevalent intelligent species in the Wasteland, though it would be wrong to say they are dominant. The settlements they live in are constantly under siege by the myriad threats of the wastes.

### Human Racial Traits

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 to two ability scores of your choice.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Speed***. 30 ft.
* ***Bonus Skill***. Proficiency in one skill of your choice.
* ***Diverse Origin***. Some humans are descended or mutated from wasteland survivors, others come from sheltered Vault backgrounds, and others still emerge from Vaults damaged in some way by a recently triggered unethical experimental protocol they were forced to endure within. Then there are the Gen-3 Synths, perfect programmed biological creations of the Institute that resemble a regular human in every way. Some know exactly what they are, and work to further the Institute’s sinister aims. Others have no idea, having escaped and wiped their memories with the help of the Railroad. Pick one of the following subspecies. You possess the traits of that sub-species in addition to your Human racial traits.

### Diverse Origin: Dwarf

The dwarves are humans who have mutated through long-term radiation exposure to grow decisively shorter than the average human. Although lacking in height compared to other humans, dwarves lack none of the musculature, possessing exceptionally stocky, sturdy builds.

#### Dwarf Racial Traits

A dwarf shares the racial traits of a Human except as noted below. It has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +2 to Constitution, +1 to Strength (instead of the normal human bonuses).
* ***Speed***. 25 ft. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor, regardless of your Strength score.
* ***Sturdy Build***. You have advantage on Strength saving throws against being knocked prone or moved against your will.

### Diverse Origin: Gen-3 Synth

Created by the Institute, Gen-3 synths are the culmination of a long period of robotics development. They are almost entirely organic, though their bodies have been grown artificially in a lab. Only a few synthetic components are required, buried within the synth’s brain where they won’t easily be found! They can therefore pass for human even in circumstances such as invasive surgery. Programmed for deep cover assignments by the Institute, many Gen-3s believe they actually are human until some kind of trigger unveils their true nature.

#### Gen-3 Synth Racial Traits

A Gen-3 synth shares the racial traits of a Human except as noted below. It has the following additional traits:

* ***Perfect Programming***. Choose a feat for which you qualify, or gain +1 to two ability scores of your choice (in addition to the existing bonuses from the Human core race). Gen-3 Synths are tailored physically and mentally for certain roles or to perfectly replace individuals.

### Diverse Origin: Slag

The slag mutation was first documented at the Ghost Farm in New California, where the descendants of a militia group that sealed themselves underground at the onset of the Great War. Similar mutations could have occurred anywhere that humans sealed themselves underground but without the full protection of a true Vault. Slags are pale-skinned and have extremely sensitive eyes which suffer under the light of the sun. They also suffer from a form of agoraphobia that prevents them from being outside under the “black sea of nothingness”. Most slags cannot bear to be outside at all, and even those who overcome this trait and venture out into the world never completely shake it, reverting to old panic behaviours in times of stress.

#### Slag Racial Traits

A slag shares the racial traits of a Human except as noted below. It has the following additional traits:

* ***Agoraphobia***. Being under the open sky makes you uncomfortable, and you may not make a habit out of looking up. Nevertheless, you have learned to tolerate being outside. However, at times of extreme stress you are at risk of reverting. Whenever you fail a Wisdom saving throw against a fear or anxiety-inducing effect or are reduced to less than 25% of your total hit points for the first time during any encounter, or your GM deems you to be otherwise under extreme stresses, you must immediately make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you panic. While panicked, you have disadvantage on all ability checks and attack rolls. On your turns you must move and Dash toward the nearest shelter from the light that you can see, stopping only when you are out of the light. If there is no such shelter, you instead move towards the largest object you can see to take cover within its shadow. You may repeat your saving throw at the end of each of your turns, ending the panic on a success. The save DC is reduced to 10 once you are completely out of the light. Once you have overcome this fear, you cannot suffer from your agoraphobia again until after your next short rest.
* ***Darkvision***. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
* ***Radiation Tolerance***. You have resistance to radiation damage and advantage on saving throws to resist the radiation sickness condition.
* ***School of Survival***. Choose a feat for which you qualify, or gain training and Expertise in two skills from the following list, doubling your Proficiency bonus when you use them: Animal Handling, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Mechanic’s Tools, Persuasion, Stealth, Survival, Thieves’ Tools.
* ***Sunlight Sensitivity***. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. Any attempt to resolve this issue must ensure no light directly reaches the slag’s eyes. For instance, sunglasses might allow light around the rim so would be inadequate. Tinted goggles or a welder’s mask, on the other hand, could do the job.

### Diverse Origin: Vault Dweller

At the onset of the Great War a lucky few escaped into shielded underground vaults. Though these vaults almost universally involved immoral human experimentation, a few of those experiments either failed or were not ultimately fatal. The descendants of those original vault dwellers now take their first tentative steps into the wastes.

#### Vault Born Racial Traits

A vault born shares the racial traits of a human except as noted below. It has the following additional traits:

* ***Vault Education***. Choose a feat for which you qualify, or gain training and Expertise in two skills from the following list, doubling your Proficiency bonus when you use them: Chem Cook’s Supplies, Hacking, History, Investigation, Mechanic’s Tools, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, Science.

#### Vault Survivor Racial Traits

A vault survivor shares the racial traits of a human except as noted below. It has the following additional traits:

* ***Damaged***. You will never be quite the same after the horrors you’ve seen, but your experience taught you more than a little about surviving. Your Proficiency is considered 2 less than normal for the purposes of calculating your Wisdom saving throw bonus. You may add half your Proficiency to two skills or tools from the following list: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, Thieves’ Tools. This bonus stacks with your existing Proficiency if you are already trained, but not with Expertise. If you subsequently gain Expertise in one of the skills benefiting from your Damaged bonus, you can choose a new skill to which the bonus applies.
* ***Vault Education***. Choose a feat for which you qualify, or gain training and Expertise in two skills from the following list, doubling your Proficiency bonus when you use them: Chem Cook’s Supplies, Hacking, History, Investigation, Mechanic’s Tools Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, Science.

### Diverse Origin: Wastelander

Wastelanders were born and raised in the hellish landscape of the wastelands. Their ancestors may have been protected enough from the environment to escape death despite not having access to a vault, or might perhaps have left a vault generations ago.

#### Wastelander Racial Traits

A wastelander shares the racial traits of a human except as noted below. It has the following additional traits:

* ***School of Survival***. Choose a feat for which you qualify, or gain training and Expertise in two skills from the following list, doubling your Proficiency bonus when you use them: Animal Handling, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Mechanic’s Tools, Persuasion, Stealth, Survival, Thieves’ Tools.

## Ghoul

Humans that became mutated through radiation exposure, Ghouls are so named because they resemble the undead monsters. They do not age, or at least they live for such a long time that the upper limits have not yet been determined. Many ghouls have been around since before the bombs fell. Although ghouls don’t die of old age, many have been known to have their minds deteriorate. After the onset of this condition it usually proceeds rapidly, with the ghoul soon becoming a beastly savage that attacks without provocation, known as a Feral Ghoul.

#### Ghoul Racial Traits

* ***Ability Scores***. +2 to Intelligence, +1 to Constitution.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Speed***. 30 ft.
* ***Radiation Immunity***. You are immune to radiation damage and the radiation sickness condition.
* ***Long-lived***. Your greatly extended lifespan is one of the few advantages to your condition. Ghouls have generally lived for a long time as humans before they change, and some have lived since before the bombs fell. As such, you gain either a bonus skill or expertise in a skill of your choice.

## Robot

Before the bombs fell the robotics industry was in full boom, creating innumerable machines for use in almost every industry. Robotics had advanced to the point that many robots possessed synthetic intelligence almost indistinguishable from the mind of a human.

### Robot Racial Traits

* ***Ability Scores***. +2 to Intelligence.
* ***Speed***. 30 ft.
* ***Machine***. You are immune to poison damage, radiation damage, the poison condition, radiation sickness, and disease. You do not need to eat or breathe. You do not sleep, but enter an inactive state for at least 4 hours every day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal. You cannot use stimpaks and other health recovery items, and instead only recover hit points through the use of robot repair kits. You cannot gain temporary hit points except through your own class abilities and feats. You recover hit points normally during down time thanks to your self-diagnostic functions. Stabilizing you requires an Mechanics’ Tools check rather than a Medicine check.
* ***Model***. You were designed with a specific purpose in mind. Pick one of the following subspecies. You possess the traits of that sub-species in addition to your robot racial traits (or sometimes in place of them when called out by the sub-species).

### Model: Eyebot

Designed by RobCo for advertising and projecting propaganda, Eyebots also found a niche as low-end security as well as providing military reconaissance and communications functions.

#### Eyebot Racial Traits

An Eyebot shares the racial traits of a robot, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 Dexterity.
* ***Size***. Small.
* ***Hover***. Your movement speed is replaced by a fly speed, though you cannot ascend higher than thirty feet above ground level.
* Integrated Weapons. You possess an integrated laser that deals 1d4 points of energy damage and has a range of 60/180 ft.

### Model: Mister Handy

General Atomics International designed the Mister Handy as an all-purpose household servant, but they were also popular on assembly lines, in maintenace functions, and customer service roles. The Mister Handy has a number of variants. An alternate line known as the Miss Nanny features a female voice, while a heavily modified variant known as the Mister Gutsy was also built for use by the US military.

#### Mister Handy/Miss Nanny Racial Traits

A Mister Handy/Miss Nanny shares the racial traits of a robot, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 Wisdom.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Career in Science***. You have been programmed to excel at a specific task. Choose one Intelligence-based skill with which you are proficient. You gain expertise in that skill, doubling your proficiency bonus on related skill checks.
* ***Integrated Weapons***. You possess a buzzsaw and a blowtorch on two of your three appendages. Your unarmed attacks deal 1d4 points of slashing or fire damage (your choice at the time of the attack).

#### Mister Gutsy Racial Traits

A Mister Gutsy shares the racial traits of a robot, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 Wisdom.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Integrated Weapons***. You possess a plasma gun and a flamer on two of your three appendages. The plasma gun deals 1d4 points of energy damage and has a range of 60/180 ft. The flamer spouts a 15 ft. line of fire. All creatures within the line must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d4 fire damage on a failed saving throw or half that if successful. On a failed saving throw the target is also set alight, taking 1d4 fire damage at the beginning of each of its turns. A creature can end this ongoing damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to extinguish the flames.

### Model: Protectron

Originally designed for security, policing, and military applications, RobCo’s Protectron found favour with business owners in many other sectors. Variants were made for use in construction, medical response, firefighting, and customer service among others.

#### Protectron Racial Traits

A Protectron shares the racial traits of a robot, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 Wisdom.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Integrated Weapons***. You possess integrated arm lasers in both of your arms that deal 1d4 points of energy damage and have a range of 60/180 ft.

### Model: Prototype Synth

A prototype model that bridges the gap between the Gen-1 and Gen-2 Synths and the flesh and blood Gen-3s, a prototype is a machine in the form of a man or woman that has full independence and artificial intelligence. It may have a personality imprint copied from a human brain, or may have been allowed to develop its own consciousness in a gradual manner.

#### Prototype Synth Racial Traits

An artificial humanoid prototype shares the racial traits of a robot, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 Charisma.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Hacker***. You gain proficiency in the Hacking skill.
* ***Run Simulations***. You are adept at seeing patterns. You have advantage when attempting to predict an outcome with an Intelligence-based ability check.

## Super Mutant

Super mutants are humans that have been exposed to one of several tailored strains of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, the culmination of three separate experiments. Given the evidence that FEV access and experimentation was not limited to a single geographical location, it is possible that even more varieties of super mutant might exist in other parts of the wastes.

### Super Mutant Racial Traits

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 to Strength, +2 to Constitution.
* ***Size***. Large.
* ***Speed***. 30 ft.
* ***Mutant Physiology***. You are immune to radiation damage, radiation sickness, and disease. You do not age physically.
* ***Relentless Endurance***. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
* ***Experimental Origin***. A super mutant is created artificially through a process that is a direct result of one of several separate experiments with the Forced Evolutionary Virus. Pick one of the following subspecies. You possess the traits of that sub-species in addition to your super mutant racial traits.

### Experimental Origin: Mariposa Super Mutant

The original Mariposa super mutants were created by the Master, a lunatic who discovered the Forced Evolutionary Virus and used it to mutate captured humans. The super mutants were an army, intended to conquer the wasteland of post-nuclear America. The Master was defeated but the Mariposa super mutants still roam the wastes of the West Coast and potentially beyond.

#### Mariposa Super Mutant Racial Traits

Mariposa super mutants are the default variety and use the super mutant Racial Traits exclusively.

### Experimental Origin: Nightkin

The nightkin are Mariposa super mutants who were created as leaders, and were given the best equipment including access to Stealth-Boys. Over time prolonged use of these devices proved to have adverse effects on their physiology and mental health, driving them to insanity and addictive tendencies towards their Stealth-Boys.

#### Nightkin Racial Traits

A nightkin shares the racial traits of a super mutant, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Stealth Device***. Once per short rest as an action, you can turn invisible. The invisibility lasts for up to to a minute, until you take a hostile action, or until you end it by choice.
* ***Eroded Sanity***. Use of their stealth device leaves Night with mental health problems, which usually manifests as paranoia. A paranoid Nightkin has disadvantage on all Wisdom and Charisma ability checks. Roll a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at the beginning of every short rest. If you succeed, you suppress the effects of your madness until the next short or long rest. If you fail, you may choose to spend the entire short rest suppressing your madness and automatically succeed despite your roll. If you do, you gain none of the usual advantages of having short rest. You are always considered to have automatically succeeded at suppressing your madness after an uninterrupted long rest, and you gain all the usual advantages of a long rest too.

### Experimental Origin: East Coast Super Mutant

The term “East Coast super mutant” actually encapsulates two separate varieties that nevertheless share commonalities. Vault 87 super mutants began appearing in the Capital Wasteland a single year after the nuclear bombs fell. Unlike Mariposa super mutants, they continue growing as they age. They are also fairly stupid. super mutants created by the Institute have similar physical characteristics and unchecked growth as those from Vault 87. They are more intelligent than their relatives in the Capital Wasteland, but not as intelligent as most Mariposa super mutants. Despite the different in intellect, both types of East Coast super mutant use the same racial traits. Players of Vault 87 super mutants should either give their character as low Intelligence as is possible (usually 6 after the penalty has been applied). Alternatively, you can treat your character is an exception to the norm who is brighter than their peers, like the Lone Wanderer’s companion Fawkes. You can also simply treat exceptionally smart East Coast super mutants as though they were functionally Mariposa super mutants, using only the the super mutant Racial Traits with no additional modifiers.

#### East Coast Super Mutant Racial Traits

An East Coast shares the racial traits of a super mutant, and has the following additional traits:

* ***Ability Scores***. +2 to Constitution (in addition to the existing Constitution bonus from the super mutant core race), -2 to Intelligence, -1 to Wisdom. East Coast super mutants are extremely tough, but have underdeveloped mental faculties.

## Intelligent Deathclaw

Intelligent deathclaws are a variety of deathclaws in New California that were experimented on by the Enclave, which gave them higher intelligence and the ability to speak. In 2235, the Enclave captured deathclaws and exposed them to FEV. This boosted their intelligence and gave them the ability to talk with varying degrees of articulation. While the Enclave hoped that the deathclaws would be intelligent enough to obey orders without question, the Enclave's deathclaws doubted the morality of their masters. Although they stormed Vault 13 in 2242 and kidnapped the population with the Enclave, they later abandoned them and adopted the now-empty vault as their new home under the leadership of Gruthar. The deathclaws paid a high price for their rebellion: an Enclave team, led by Frank Horrigan, attacked Vault 13 and massacred the deathclaws (and presumably those humans under their protection). Of Vault 13's inhabitants, only Goris, as well as Xarn, a deathclaw kept in Navarro under the custody of Dr. Schreber, are the only intelligent deathclaws in the whole *Fallout* canon to survive this fate.

### Intelligent Deathclaw Racial Traits

Intelligent Deathclaw are the default variety and use a weakened version of the Deathclaw stat block.

* ***Ability Scores***. -10 Strength, +6 Intelligence, +4 Charisma
* ***Enclave Experiment***. Through precise use of the F.E.V., the Enclave were able to enhance Deathclaws to be able to understand orders and to be able to communicate with their superiors. It worked too well, and the Deathclaws became peaceful and didn't want to participate in war, and as a result were nearly completely wiped out; save for two. You are able to communicate and write in English.

### Generation 1 Intelligent Deathclaw

Generation 1 Intelligent Deathclaw are the first generation, born from humans. The Prime Intelligent Deathclaw Goris and Xarn found it impossible to coax a wild female deathclaw from the Wasteland to mate, nearly losing more than just limbs in the process. As a result, the two found it easier to mate with the more willing (usually coerced with caps) to mate. Learning from some Pre-War books, Goris knew that if he wanted to quickly repopulate, they both would have to form a harem and get busy. Xarn agreed, and the rest is history.

#### Generation 1 Intelligent Deathclaw Racial Traits

Generation 1 Intelligent Deathclaws use similar traits to the base Super Mutant, with some alterations.

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 to Strength, +2 to Constitution.
* ***Size***. Large.
* ***Speed***. 30 ft.
* ***Mutant Physiology***. You are immune to radiation damage, radiation sickness, and disease. You do not age physically.
* ***Deathclaw Frenzy***. Once per short rest as an action, you can enter a Rage. The rage lasts for up to to a minute and follows regular Rage rules.

### Generation 2 Intelligent Deathclaw

Generation 2 Intelligent Deathclaw are the second generation, born from Generation 1 carrying the torch and breeding much like their fathers before. These unfortunate souls were unfortunately unlucky, as many of them were stillborn or were born with some sort of defect or problem that would usually appear later on in their life. Unlike the Generation 1 Intelligent Deathclaw, the second generation look strikingly more humanoid, and find it easier to pass off as one if they disguise their Deathclaw appendages.

#### Generation 2 Intelligent Deathclaw Racial Traits

* ***Ability Scores***. +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
* ***Size***. Medium.
* ***Speed***. 30 ft.
* ***Mutant Essence***. You are resistant to radiation damage, radiation sickness, and disease. You age much slower than a human.
* ***Deathclaw Frenzy***. Once per short rest as an action, you can enter a Rage. The rage lasts for up to to a minute and follows regular Rage rules.
* ***Eroding Genetics***. Use of F.E.V. left the modified Deathclaws with physical health problems, which usually manifests as extreme bouts of pain. A pain wracked intelligent deathclaw has disadvantage on all Constitution and Strength ability checks. Roll a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the beginning of every short rest. If you succeed, you suppress the effects of your pain until the next short or long rest. If you fail, you may choose to spend the entire short rest suppressing your pain and automatically succeed despite your roll. If you do, you gain none of the usual advantages of having short rest. You are always considered to have automatically succeeded at suppressing your pain after an uninterrupted long rest, and you gain all the usual advantages of a long rest too.