A Four-Race Kingdom (DnD Other)
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[edit] A Four-Race Kingdom
Presented here is an incomplete idea for a Campaign Setting. This page does not have enough information to be a good CS, but it does represent the start of a potentially good idea. I simply do not have the time to bring this to completion (I don't even have a name for the kingdom!), but I have a very basic framework which could be used by someone who wishes for such a setting.
[edit] Overview
The kingdom has a racial mix of halflings, humans, elves, and dwarves. The elves (20% of population) are diversified into several sub-races, but on the whole, the elves are generally the richest, smartest, and most powerful. Dwarves (20% of population) constitute the greater part of the architects, miners, and smiths, as well as a fair deal of the warriors. The humans (25% of population) make up the plurality of the military (40%), and control the largest religion (to which almost all humans adhere to), but find that they cannot match the elves in magic, nor match the dwarves in crafts. Halflings make up the largest and poorest part of the population (30% of population), and are known to make up the majority of serfs. In addition, there are a few other minorities races (mostly half-elves), and these make up about 5% of the population.
[edit] Elves
The elves come in many varieties in the kingdom. Besides sharing common physical traits, all races of elf are convinced that their race is superior to all others; they think that elves are somehow "purer" than humans, dwarves, or halfling. Elves make up the majority of archers in the military, along with a great number of rangers, wizards, sorcerers, and bards in adventuring parties.
The high elves are 8% of the total population of the land, and are almost all employed as mages, scribes, merchants, doctors, fine craftsmen, or other high positions. As such, most of these elves live in the kingdom's cities; about 1/4 of them live as farmers, constituting most of the lords of the great serf manors of the land; none of the high elves are serfs.
Gray elves (about 4% of the total population) are aloof and prefer to live apart from non-elves; hence, they live in self-contained villages and keep a minimum of contact between themselves and the rest of the kingdom. They are highly skilled farmers as well, and what contact they have with non-elves is generally limited to selling their valuable produce.
Wood elves live in villages which blend in so well with the surrounding area that one cannot tell the difference between it and the surrounding forest until one enters it. Making up another 2% of total population, these elves live in harmony with nature.
Aquatic elves make up another 2% of the population, but have a disproportionate impact on the economy of the land, as they are able to get rich of off their monopoly on resource extraction from the bottom of rivers and lakes. They claim all of the significant bodies of water as their own, and actively protect their fishing rights, which they hold to be exclusive to them.
Wild elves are the only group which can be considered poor; as they love as hunters and rangers in the woods, and rarely engage in large-scale economic activity. At just 2% of total population, these elves have an almost invisible presence to most of the population. They are sometimes employed as sorcerers by the kingdom, as these elves seem to have an unusually high incidence of sorcery in their blood.
The final group of elves is known as gold elves (about 2% of the total population); which excel at almost everything they do and have constituted the royalty of the kingdom for the last 400 years, as well as the elites of almost every field in the kingdom (except the human religion). Inherently magical, these elves all possess the sorcerous potential in them, and their grace is unmatched by any other race. These elitists consider themselves to be higher than all other humanoids, and live in walled-off sections of cities, as well as towns and villages which only let other gold elves enter. The only flaws that this race has is that physical strength and endurance were sacrificed for magical power. The origins of this race are unknown, although their inherent ability to speak sylvan implies that they have a connection with the fey, or possibly even the wild elves (although they will never admit that.)
+2 Intelligence, +4 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution, -2 Strength
- Medium size.
- Base land speed is 30 feet.
- Immunity to sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. (Not reflected in the saving throw modifiers given here.)
- Weapon Proficiency: Elves are automatically proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow.
- +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if he or she were actively looking for it.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc,.
Finally, while half-elves are not considered to be an elven race (about 2% of the total population), they have many of the same strengths as their elven half. Half-elves, however, find that they don't fit in well with either human or elven populations, so they often act as traveling peddlers.
[edit] Humans
Humanity finds itself outdone in many fields by the elves and dwarves. Most humans are landed farmers or herders, with a significant number of middle-ranking mages, craftsmen, and shopkeepers, supplemented by a few higher-ranking figures in most fields. Because the best land is frequently taken by the elves, and due to the sheer size of the large estates, young human men often enter the military in order to receive a reward of land in exchange for their service. In the face of the elven rulers, humans have come together and cooperate very well between themselves. They all follow one monotheistic religion, which exists in a pocket which the powerful elven culture and magic cannot touch. This church comes complete with universities, hospitals, orphanages, monasteries, libraries (as part of a university or monestary, usually), and a corp of paladins, in addition to the standard places of religious worship.
[edit] Dwarves
Living in the mountains, hills, and in certain neighborhoods of major cities, dwarves are content to play the role of craftsmen, miners, and play a significant role in the military as heavy infantry.
[edit] Halflings
As the serfs of the land, halflings are the poorest race by far. Few halflings own the land they work on, and when they do own land, it is generally of the lowest quality and severely limited in size. The manor system they use is dominated by the elves as the landlords, and the humans as the guards and overseers. The halflings may make up the plurality of inhabitants (30% of total population), but they have only about 2% of the wealth.
[edit] Trades and Services
Each race has particular crafts or services that it is skilled in. Each craft enumerated under a specific race indicates that that race constitutes the majority of all providers of that craft or service, not that that race provides all of that craft or service. Note that this list is not exhaustive.
[edit] Trades
Elves: Alchemist, antique dealer, art dealer, bookbinder, calligrapher, carpet maker, cosmetics dealer, costumer, dice maker, distiller, gemcutter, glazier, glassblower, imported items dealer, jeweler, lampmaker, magic items dealer, music dealer, papermaker, pet merchant, potion dealer, scroll merchant, rare wood merchant, soap maker, spice merchant, trapmaker, wand merchant,
Humans: Baker, brickmaker, carpenter, chandler, clerk, cooper, fletcher, grocer, lumberer, netmaker, potter, religious items maker, roofer, ropemaker, saddler, tailor, tanner, tilemaker, weaver,
Dwarves: Armorer, blacksmith, coppersmith, stonecutter, weaponsmith,
Halflings: Basketweaver, broom maker, charcoal burner, brewer, dyer, fishmonger, miller,
[edit] Services
Elves: Animal trainer, acrobat, actor, apothecary, barber, banker, bookkeeper, dentist, fortune teller, healer, illuminator, moneychanger, navigator, painter, physician, sage, tutor, veterinarian, undertaker.
Humans: Auctioneer, barrister, carter, horse trainer,
Dwarves: Architect, engineer, engraver,
Halflings: Messenger, minstrel, juggler, laundress, pawner, porter,
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