True Humans (3.5e Race)

Legend has it that the true humans -- also known as the First People, the Pure Ones, and similar other epithets -- were the first sentient creations of the gods once the world was created. The stories continue, saying that they lived in harmony with the land for countless millenia. But fickle as they are, the gods grew bored and began creating other races, such as the ones that would one day become known as the elves and dwarves. These younger races eventually migrated into the true humans territory, introducing war and conflict to them. Unprepared for such savagery, some true humans scattered to the winds while many stayed and learned to fight. Those that stayed began to taint their blood with that of these new people, eventually becoming the race most commonly associated with the human moniker.

The ones that fled learned to instead hide in plain sight. They learned to use magic to blend in. Their society transformed into a solitary, nomandic lifestyle so as to better hide themselves from the Young Ones. They developed complex rituals and eldritch means of sensing their own kind. Now, thousands of generations later, the pure blood of the First People have been preserved, but their numbers have dwindled to the point that some have never meet another one of their kind since leaving their mother's care.

Physical Description

In their natural forms, true humans are tall, regal figures with beautiful hair and silvery or golden skin. Their gleaming eyes are a brilliant sapphires, and they bear no physical traits based on culture or heritage whatsoever. Or perhaps its that they possess the seed of all of them that causes them to appear that way. True humans also bear a natural grace that has been known to make even the greatest of elven bards weep.

True humans are rarely seen in this form, however, as they prefer to hide amongst the lesser races. Even though they still appear the most beautiful of creatures. Whether this is due to the shame of their own fate, an inherent desire to succumb to entropy and become forgotten, or simply fear of what their impure descendants would do should they discover their identity is unknown. It may very well be a combination of all three.

Relations

True humans are nomadic by nature. They walk the earth, constantly seeking out others of their kind but knowing they can never stand to be with them for long.

They have difficulty forming long-lasting friendships as a result of their curse, but most are kind and generous to a fault despite this fact. They travel from village to village, aiding their lesser brethren however they can until their wanderlust washes over them once more. Many of the greatest adventurers throughout the ages have been true humans. Unfortunately, their preference for disguising who they are means that few if any know just how inherently noble, nurturing, and heroic the true humans are by their very nature.

Alignment

True humans lean towards the neutral alignments and rarely take extreme views about the world around them. The reasons for this are many and varied, but the inherent sadness true humans have about their fate is one of the most likely causes. They are not forbidden from being passionate, vibrant individuals. This is simply a common trait for them.

Lands

True humans have no homeland of their own. They have been nomadic and solitary for as long as any of them can remember.

Language

When they were first created by the gods, their heavenly servitors came down and taught them their angelic speech. Or so their mythology claims. Regardless, true humans speak the Celestial and Common tongues. Many learn multiple other languages so as to better fit in with the younger races they surround themselves with.

Names

True humans have three distinct names; their common name, their social name, and their full name. A true human's common name is typically a single, eloquent one which they use on a daily basis with members of all races. Their social name, which is only used amongst themselves, includes their common name and both of their parent's and grandparent's common names. Their full names, which are generally only recited in secret and only during their most revered rituals (particularly mating and child naming rituals), includes their entire family lineage and can take hours to properly recite. After the fifth generation, a true humans' full name generally only includes the matrons of their bloodline.

Sages who are familiar with the race speculate that this naming convention was created in order to aid with their inherent eugenic behaviors. It insures that incest, crossbreeding, and inclusion of tainted bloodlines do not interfere with the continuation of their purified blood. It does, however, greatly limit their mating options due to their nomadic ways and dwindling numbers.

Racial Traits

• Ability Scores: True humans gain a +5 bonus to Charisma, Dexterity, Intelligence and Strength and a +5 bonus to Wisdom and Constitution. In addition, whenever a true human would gain a bonus point for an ability score obtained by gaining a level, such as those gained at 4th and 8th levels, they receive +4 points instead of the usual +2.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, true humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size, but they can alter their size by one category at will through the use of their spell-like abilities below. They gain all the normal modifiers for changing size when doing so.
• Base land speed: 60ft.
• Aquatic: True Humans can breathe underwater just like the can breathe in air.
• Enhanced Senses (Ex): True humans can see twice as far as a standard human in starlight, moonlight,darkness torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination just like an elf. True humans can also sense the presence of others of their kind within a one mile radius. This sense only alerts them to the fact that another true human is in the area; it does not provide exact distance or even direction. Only upon physical contact with another true human does he or she learn their exact location and identity. This sense transcends any use of the Disguise skill or disguises created by the use of their spell-like abilities below. Only a nondetection spell, methods used to block telepathy, or Divine Intervention can block this sense.
• Weapon Proficiency: True humans gain Martial Weapon Proficiency with the longsword and greatsword. They also gain Exotic Weapon Proficiency with bastard swords and fullblades if they possess a proficiency with martial weapons from their class(es).
• +8 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks.
• +8 racial bonus on any Knowledge skill check with which they have at least 1 rank in.
• Bonus Feats: None. When a true human gains a bonus feat from level advancement at 1st level, such as those gained at 3rd or 6th level, they gain two feats instead of the usual one. This does not apply to any feats granted from class levels, templates or magic items.
• Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will--alter self, comprehend languages, detect magic, enlarge person (self only), read magic, reduce person (self only), Haste (Self only) and tongues. These abilities persist indefinitely unless dispelled or otherwise cancelled, though a true human can recast them as a standard action on his next turn. Caster level is equal to the true human's effective character level. Any save DC is Charisma-based.
• Special Qualities: True humans possess the Slippery mind ability, Fast Healing 1, and a Spell Resistance of 5 + their effective character level. In addition, true humans receive a natural armor bonus equal to their Dexterity score.
• Versatility: True humans qualify for any feats, prestige classes, and magic items that have a racial requirement, such as Elf or Dwarf, due to their inherent nature as the First Race. They must still meet any required prerequisites such as level, size, or other required feats. Size requirements are only met when the true human is currently of the proper size. For example, if a true human has the Large and In Charge feat, they lose the benefits of that feat if they resume their natural Medium size or use reduce person to shrink to Small. If at a later point they use enlarge person to become Large again, they immediately regain its benefits.
• Pure Blooded (Ex): True humans cannot possess any templates that require a tarnished bloodline, including most half- templates as well as all bloodlines. Should they somehow obtain one of these templates at a later date, they immediately become normal humans and lose most of the traits listed here. Templates that augment or transform a True Human, such as most undead or infected lycanthrope templates, work normally though the true human loses his or her ability to sense the presence of others of their kind. In addition, other true humans whom make physical contact with the character immediately know that their blood is no longer pure, but not necessarily why unless it is physically obvious. Templates granted as a blessing from a magical source, such as the Saint or other similar augmented templates, have no such drawback. However, these traits will never be passed along to their offspring.
• Automatic Languages: Celestial and Common. Bonus Languages: Any, including secret languages such as Druidic.
• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass true human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest level class does not count.
• Level Adjustment: +2. Or +6 (DM Recommend)

Vital Statistics

Table: Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
14 years	+1d4	+1d6	+2d4

Table: Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
175 years	350 years	~ years	--
At middle age, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age,+1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 10"	+2d10	120 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
Female	4' 5"	+2d10	85 lb.	× (2d4) lb.

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