Human, Boring (5e Race Variant)
Human[edit]
Physiology & Lifespan[edit]
Somehow I think you've seen one before.
Like all mammals, humans reproduce sexually. Unlike most mammals newborns are usually each born one at a time instead of in a litter. A newborn baby is helpless for years, and isn't considered an adult for over a decade. While standards have shifted immensely over time and place, many modern humans consider the rather arbitrary age of 18 years to be the entry point into adulthood. In other places and past ages 12 or 13 was not uncommon. Others consider "young adults" to not even be fully mature until their 30s. Even after reaching adulthood humans tend to be close with their parents, siblings, and other relatives — and even for humans for whom this is not an option, a surrogate family typically takes over the role of a family. Humans are extremely social and codependent creatures, exceeded in this regard perhaps only by hivemind organisms like ants and bees. Vanishingly few can survive for long alone.
Until recently most humans did not live past infancy, due to the prevalence of disease. In modern times most humans can live into their 70s, with the oldest seeing just over a century.
History[edit]
After the fall of dinosaurs millions of years ago, mammals gradually rose to prominence. Like the coconut, their ability to grow hair and produce milk led to greatness.
Of these mammals, the genus homo emerged from other great apes approximately 2 million years ago. Natural evolution shaped various species over hundreds of thousands of years since. More than a dozen of these species were arguably "human." Some such as the halfling-like homo floresiensis and somewhat dwarf-like homo neanderthalensis may have interbred with (or otherwise been driven extinct by) the proliferation of homo sapiens who emerged approximately 300,000 years ago. Today the closest living relative of humans, the chimpanzee, is a radically different creature not even of the same genus.
Human civilization as it is recognized today began to form only about 12,000 years ago with the advent of agriculture. The introduction of farming and animal domestication drove many humans from their natural nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of settlements. Agriculture enabled stockpiling of food, which in turn enabled the pooling of resources and control. This gave rise to humans who were more socially and politically powerful than others, but also enabled humans to fulfill more specialized roles less dedicated to pure survival, such as writers and builders. Humans consider this transition from nomadic to sedentary life the beginning of civilization, and over millennia fewer and fewer humans would live nomadically.
Although humans were already more technologically advanced than all other creatures in the world, thanks to stone tools and now agriculture, the specialization of roles in human society has led to technological breakthroughs pushing their advantage even further. It would not take long for humans to consider themselves the in a tier above all other species of their entire world. Few could hope to challenge them. The only competition for humans is, arguably, other humans. Humans and their ever-rising technology gives rise to evermore unimaginable wonders, but also incomparable tragedies.
Society[edit]
Traditionally humans lived in nomadic tribes of at most a few hundred, but such lifestyles are almost unheard of in the modern age. The facets of civilization and human technology have become so widespread that the more time passes, the fewer humans can survive without them, as their ancestors did.
Human civilization has spread throughout most land across their entire homeworld, sparring only the most frigid regions centered upon the poles. While humans are not the only creatures to adapt their environments, they exceed all known standards. The most dense population centers bear no resemblance to what they were prior to the arrival of humans. Ribbons of steel and fantastical materials connect these population centers, sometimes to accelerate transportation and other times to carry energy and information at the speed of light.
Due to their reliance on agriculture and civilization, most modern humans are trapped by it. Each is expected to literally "earn a living" by somehow producing works or services valuable enough to others to be afforded food, water, and shelter produced or procured by others. To this end humans compete in education, attitude, and resources; while many barely earn their living, even those who earn astronomically more than other humans often continue to compete far beyond any need or apparent benefit.
Human Names[edit]
Human names are incomparably diverse. Often the most popular names rise to prominence due to being borne by a legendary figure, especially one of spiritual importance. Some of the most widely used names follow.
Male: Abdullah, Adam, Ali, Amir, Aoi, Daniel, David, Gabriel, Ismail, Jack, James, Leo, Liam, Manuel, Mark, Martin, Michael, Muchen, Muhammad, Nicolás, Noah, Oliver, Omar, Peter, Somchai, Sutrisno, Tim.
Female: Aditi, Alice, Amelia, Anna, Emma, Emily, Eve, Fatima, Helena, Imene, Inaya, Isabella, Ji-an, Julia, Maria, Martha, Mary, Maryam, Mia, Nurhayati, Lyn, Olivia, Sarah, Sofia, Tamar, Yasmin, Zaynab.
Both/Other: Jude, Luca, Nagisa, Nushi, Sam.
Human Traits[edit]
You've seen one before.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Intelligence by 2 and your Charisma by 1. Humans are highly social creatures wielding Intelligence unparalleled by any other known species.
Age. Humans are said to reach adulthood at 18 years, and the fortunate among them can live to see 80.
Alignment. Human morality is an incredibly complex subject. While as a whole humans are responsible for some of the greatest atrocities ever seen, and have made other entire species out of sheer negligence, the best among them have lived empathy and altruism unmatched by any other species in their world. Humans tend towards neutral but the furthest extremes of alignment are within their ranks.
Size. Humans vary widely in height and build. Most adult humans stand between 5 and 6 feet, but there have been a rare few as short as 2 feet and as tall as 9 feet. Your size is either Small or Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Spell Resistance. Humans seem virtually incapable of casting spells, but almost entirely immune to the effects of spells as well. What magic they can wield comes entirely from crafted items. As a human you have advantage on saving throws made against spells, and you have resistance to damage dealt to you by spell attack rolls.
Education. Most humans place a high priority on deeply educating children for almost their entire lives before adulthood, and often even after adulthood. You have proficiency in one skill of your choice (other than Perception) and one tool of your choice. You can replace this tool proficiency with learning any common language of your choice.
Adaptability. As a reflection of their unparalleled Intelligence, humans pick up skills quickly and can effectively improvise new ones. As a human, add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check that doesn't already add your proficiency bonus nor a fraction of it.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.
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