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Writing Your Path, Step 2 — Choosing an Ancestry

‣ What to do in this Step

Select an Ancestry and record the provided statistics, senses and traits (if any) on your Character Sheet. Lineages have no impact on a character’s abilities, apart from the Lineages associated with the Warden ancestry.

‣ How Ancestry defines a Character

A Character’s Ancestry determines their health bonus, innate save bonuses and any extra senses they may possess (these concepts are explained in later chapters). Additionally, each Ancestry can also have a special Trait which can provide a minor benefit while adventuring. Outside of the Warden Ancestry, a Character’s Lineage has no mechanical effect.

In Paths to Eternity, a choice of a character’s Ancestry is not meant to have a major impact on their capabilities during an adventure or campaign. While there are meaningful differences between ancestries (such as their speed and senses), players are encouraged to make their choice based on on which most reflects the concept they want to recreate.

‣ What to do Next

Once you have chosen your Character’s Ancestry, move on to the next step, assigning their Attributes→.

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What is an Ancestry

An ancestry is a type of race, kin, species or people. Examples of the different kinds of ancestry include Humans, Dwarves and Elves. Every Player Character and most Non-Player Characters are generally a member of one of the ancestries described in this chapter.

Overview

There are five core Ancestries in Paths to Eternity. Each of these ancestries is described in the sections below, along with their starting statistics — base health, base speed, bonuses to saves and special senses or traits (if any).

Ancestries

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Guidance - Settings & Ancestries

The ‘Core’ Ancestries are all considered Common in the the default campaign setting, The Shattered Lands (apart from the lineages indicated). They are also considered Common in campaigns and adventures which take place in Haven.

For other settings, such as Cities & Intrigue, see Campaign Settings→ for guidance on which of the core races are considered common, uncommon or rare. Also consult with your GM to see if they have any pointers or preferences on which to choose (for example, campaigns set in The Fairmarches — the ancestral home of the Wardens — may request that most or all of the players choose to play as a Warden).

The ‘Rare’ Lineages shown below are considered rare in all circumstances. Each for their own reasons, these peoples are seldom seen across Tera. To play an Uncommon or Rare Lineage, consult with your GM. As a general guideline, Uncommon and Rare lineages can be played in place of any Common option without affecting play, however, if recognized, the everyday peoples of Tera will wonder at their presence.

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Human

Human Lineages

Human Statistics

Dwarf

Dwarven Lineages

Dwarven Statistics

Elf

Elven Lineages

Elven Statistics