TEXT: ®
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  BASTARDS
  of GOLARION
  
  Racial TeRRiToRies
  This map details the areas 
  where 
  the 
  various 
  half-
  human races mentioned in 
  this book are typically found 
  around the Inner Sea region. 
  Some of these populations 
  result 
  from 
  long-standing 
  interbreeding between groups  
  that claim adjacent territories 
  (such 
  as 
  half-elves 
  near 
  Kyonin); others arise from 
  magical or other mysterious 
  circumstances (such as the 
  prevalence of shadow magic 
  in Nidal for fetchlings). Use 
  this map to pick a suitable 
  homeland for your half-human 
  character to help establish his 
  or her background.
  Aasimar
  Changeling
  Geniekin (any)
  Elf
  Fetchling
  Gillman
  Orc
  Geniekin (Oread)
  Skinwalker
  Geniekin (Sylph)
  Tiefling
  Geniekin (Undine)
  Vampire
  
  ON THE COVER
  ®
  ™
  ®
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  ™
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  or the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License 
  version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, 
  deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously 
  been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo 
  Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No 
  portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without 
  written permission.
  Pathfinder Player Companion: Bastards of Golarion © 2014, Paizo Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Publishing, 
  LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, and GameMastery are registered trademarks 
  of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder 
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  of Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Printed in China.
  Paizo Publishing, LLC 
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
  Redmond, WA 98052-0577
  paizo.com
  Authors • Judy Bauer, Neal Litherland, Ryan Macklin, 
  and David N. Ross
  Cover Artist • Ralph Horsley
  Interior Artists • Alexander Forssberg, Ian Llanas, 
  Warren Mahy, Jeff Porter, Michael Rookard, 
  Fernanda Suarez, Lindsey Wakefield, 
  Damon Westenhofer, and Vicky Yarova
  Creative Director • James Jacobs
  Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
  Senior Editor • James L. Sutter
  Development Lead • Patrick Renie
  Development Team • Logan Bonner, John Compton, 
  Adam Daigle, Rob McCreary, Mark Moreland, and 
  Patrick Renie
  Editorial Team • Judy Bauer, Christopher Carey, and 
  Ryan Macklin
  Editorial Intern • Cassidy Werner
  Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
  Design Team • Stephen Radney-MacFarland and  
  Sean K Reynolds
  Senior Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Art Director • Andrew Vallas
  Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Sonja Morris
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  and Sara Marie Teter 
  Warehouse Team • Will Chase, Mika Hawkins, 
  Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood
  Website Team • Christopher Anthony, Liz Courts, 
  Crystal Frasier, Lissa Guillet, and Chris Lambertz
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  For Your CharaCter 
  2
  halF-elves 
  4
  halF-elF heritages 
  5
  erages 
  8
  halF-orCs 
  10
  halF-orC heritages 
  11
  averaka 
  14
  unusual origins 
  16
  a Bastard’s origins 
  18
  the CeleBritY 
  20
  the illegitimate 
  22
  the outCast 
  24
  the unFortunate 
  26
  other Bastards 
  28
  distant heritages 
  30
  next month! 
  32
  raCial territories 
  inside Front Cover
  inherited Features 
  inside BaCk Cover
  Ralph Horsley pits the half-orc 
  inquisitor Imrijka and the half-elf 
  magus Seltyiel against the deadly and 
  strange owlbear on this volume’s cover!
  REFERENCE
  This Pathfinder Player Companion refers to several other Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  products and uses the following abbreviations. These books are not required to make use 
  of this Player Companion. Readers interested in references to Pathfinder RPG hardcovers can 
  find the complete rules from these books available for free at paizo.com/prd.
  Advanced Player’s Guide 
  APG
  Advanced Race Guide 
  ARG
  Bestiary 
  B1
  Bestiary 2 
  B2
  Bestiary 3 
  B3
  Bestiary 4 
  B4 
  Blood of the Moon 
  BOTM
  Inner Sea Magic 
  ISM
  Inner Sea World Guide 
  ISWG
  Ultimate Magic 
  UM
  
  ?
  QUESTIONS TO 
  ASK YOUR GM
  Asking your GM the following 
  questions can help you get the most 
  out of Pathfinder Player Companion: 
  Bastards of Golarion.
  Would it make sense for my 
  character to be a half-elf or half-
  orc? If so, what heritage fits best?
  Will I be able to play a 
  character of an unusual race, such 
  as a geniekin or a skinwalker?
  How 
  important 
  will 
  our 
  characters’ backstories be for the 
  purposes of this campaign?
  DID YOU KNOW? 
  Seltyiel, the half-elf magus, is the only iconic who was not originally tied to a 
  class. He was featured as the eldritch knight in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 
  before being established as the iconic magus in Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic—
  making his lineage as a member of two worlds a long one!
  FOCUS  
  CHARACTERS
  This Player Companion highlights 
  options specific to characters of 
  the following classes, in addition 
  to elements that can apply to other 
  characters as well.
  Bards
  Channeling their frustration and 
  mistreatment 
  into 
  more 
  useful 
  energies, talented bastards often 
  pursue the path of the bard. The 
  Averaka arbiter bard archetype (page 
  15), the canticle of joy masterpiece 
  (page 27), and the celebrity and 
  unfortunate character themes (pages 
  20 and 26) suit bardic bastards 
  particularly well.
  Fighters
  Often mistreated and downtrodden, 
  bastards make scrappy and spirited 
  fighters. New combat feats (pages 23 
  and 25), the illegitimate character 
  theme (page 22), and five brawny 
  orc heritages (pages 11–13) can give 
  bastard fighters the tools they need 
  to prove their worth to the world.
  magi
  Bastards can find solace in their 
  studies, and few study harder or 
  longer than the magus. Bastard 
  magi who studied at Erages Academy 
  (page 9) will find the greensting 
  slayer archetype (page 9) and the 
  spell duel prodigy trait (page 9) 
  much to their liking. 
  rogues
  Already mistrusted and pushed to 
  the fringes of society, many bastards 
  consider it fair play to take back 
  a little of what was robbed from 
  them. A variety of half-elf heritages 
  (pages 5–7), new magic items (pages 5 
  and 11) and details on the infamous 
  smuggling rings of Erages (page 8) 
  all provide rogues with additional 
  resources to help them in their 
  dodgy endeavors.
  FOR EVERY 
  CHARACTER
  Certain game elements transcend 
  the particulars of a character’s  
  race 
  or 
  class. 
  The 
  following 
  elements detailed in this book 
  work equally well for any character 
  used in the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game, regardless of focus, type,  
  or background.
  CharaCter themes
  A bastard’s existence is complex 
  and 
  multi-faceted. 
  Within 
  this 
  volume are four character themes, 
  each detailing a different motif or 
  idea representative of a bastard’s 
  character background. From the 
  favored 
  but 
  troubled 
  celebrity 
  (page 20) to the reviled but resilient 
  unfortunate (page 26), these themes 
  expand on the traditional bastard’s 
  tale to offer options for characters of 
  any race or class.
  heritages
  Bastards come in many flavors. 
  Ten unique heritages expand on 
  the traditional half-elf (pages 5–7) 
  and half-orc (pages 11–13) races and 
  allow these characters to connect 
  more deeply with their elven and orc 
  ancestors. In addition, each heritage 
  features an alternative racial trait to 
  replace the default half-elf or half-
  orc racial traits.
  traits
  Dozens of new regional, race, and 
  basic traits round out this book (see 
  the facing page for a complete index), 
  each representative of a bastard’s 
  unique and harrowing upbringing 
  as well as what motives drove her 
  toward a life of adventure.
  A WORD ON BASTARDS
  It should be noted that within the 
  context of this book, “bastard” is 
  not merely synonymous with “born 
  out of wedlock.” Instead, the term 
  “bastard” is loosely used as an 
  overarching term for any characters 
  who feel the lash of prejudice and 
  hate because of circumstances 
  beyond their control. This definition 
  is expanded upon on pages 18–19 
  of this book.
  Not all half-elves and half-orcs 
  are bastards, but many of them are. 
  Likewise, a tiefling or ifrit may grow 
  up with loving parents and a strong 
  support network, but characters 
  with such idyllic backgrounds rarely 
  make for compelling protagonists. 
  This book is designed for brooders 
  and vindicators, antiheroes and 
  vengeance-seekers, the scorned 
  and 
  the 
  feared—the 
  bastards  
  of Golarion.
  For Your CharaCter
  2
  1
  2
  3
  
  RULES INDEX
  In addition to two new magic items (pages 5 and 11), two 
  new archetypes (pages 9 and 15), five new feats (pages 
  16–17, 23, and 25), and a new bardic masterpiece (page 27), 
  the following new character options can be found 
  throughout this Player Companion.
  BASIC TRAITS 
  TRAIT TYPE 
  PAGE
  Chip on the Shoulder 
  Social 
  23
  Cynical Ear 
  Social 
  27
  Doublespeak 
  Social 
  23
  Friends in Low Places 
  Social 
  25
  Heart of Two Worlds 
  Social 
  19
  Improvised Defense 
  Combat 
  25
  Marked by Unknown Forces 
  Social 
  19
  Overwhelming Beauty 
  Magic 
  21
  Rest for the Wicked 
  Social 
  27
  Signature Moves 
  Social 
  21
  ALTERNATE RACIAL TRAITS 
  RACE (HERITAGE) 
  PAGE
  Burning Assurance 
  Half-orc (desert half-orc) 
  12
  Child of the Sea 
  Half-elf (aquatic half-elf) 
  5
  Cliffside Charger 
  Half-orc (mountain half-orc) 
  13
  Cold-Honed 
  Half-elf (Snowcaster half-elf) 
  7
  Evader 
  Half-orc (Darklands half-orc) 
  11
  Jungle Affinity 
  Half-elf (Ekujae half-elf) 
  6
  Mordant Envoy 
  Half-elf (Mordant Spire half-elf) 
  7
  Thinblood Resilience 
  Half-elf (half-drow) 
  6
  Unflinching Valor 
  Half-orc (winter half-orc) 
  13
  Warded Skin 
  Half-orc (jungle half-orc) 
  12
  REGIONAL TRAITS 
  REGION 
  PAGE
  Expert Smuggler 
  Erages 
  9
  Open-Minded Explorer 
  Averaka 
  15
  Spell Duel Prodigy 
  Erages 
  9
  Whole-Hearted 
  Averaka 
  15
  RACE TRAITS 
  RACE 
  PAGE
  Adaptable Flatterer 
  Fetchling 
  28
  Aerial Observer 
  Sylph 
  29
  Azlanti Inheritor 
  Gillman 
  29
  Creative Manipulator 
  Changeling 
  28
  Curse in the Blood 
  Skinwalker 
  29
  Elven Serenity 
  Half-elf 
  5
  Fiery Glare 
  Ifrit 
  29
  Finish the Fight 
  Half-orc 
  11
  Iron Control 
  Half-orc 
  10
  Martyr’s Blood 
  Aasimar 
  28
  Practiced Impression 
  Suli 
  29
  Stoic Dignity 
  Oread 
  29
  Tempter’s Tongue 
  Tiefling 
  29
  Trade Talk 
  Half-elf 
  4
  Undead Slayer 
  Dhampir 
  28
  Undine Loyalty 
  Undine 
  29
  3
  
  The lives of those born from the union of elves and humans 
  can be tragic. They’re destined to outlive their human 
  families, watching their short-lived kin grow old and die, 
  while their elven families in turn watch them age and perish. 
  Half-elves’ nature is a blend of human ambition and elven 
  introspection that often leads to a rather somber view of the 
  world—a perspective that baffles humans and elves alike.
  The term “half-elf” is perhaps a bit of a misnomer. While 
  many half-elves are indeed born from human and elven 
  relations, a sizable number also originate from half-elven 
  parents or even a mix of half-elven and human or elven 
  parents. Despite the race of the other parent, the child of a 
  half-elf is inevitably half-elven unless either the human or 
  elven blood is diluted for multiple generations, though the 
  prominence and variety of human and elven traits is largely 
  dependent on a child’s exact ancestry.
  Half-elves can be found the world over, though they are 
  obviously most common anywhere where human and elven 
  lands meet (see the inside front cover for examples of such 
  crossing boundaries). Half-elves rarely congregate 
  in large groups or societies, though exceptions are 
  known, such as Erages, the famed city of half-elves 
  in Kyonin (see page 8).
  HALF-ELVES IN 
  HUMAN SOCIETIES
  There is no such thing as a “typical” 
  experience for a half-elf growing up in 
  a human community. In accepting 
  places, half-elven children are 
  given opportunities to flourish. 
  They’re celebrated as unusual, 
  which comes with a variety 
  of expectations—that they 
  will excel at activities 
  like archery or magic, 
  inherently understand 
  anything considered 
  “elven,” and so on. 
  On the other hand, 
  half-elves 
  in 
  less 
  tolerant communities 
  are forced to fight for 
  every scrap of acceptance 
  and 
  recognition 
  they 
  can. Ironically, this forced 
  self-reliance grants such 
  half-elves more freedom than 
  half-elves whose heritages are 
  celebrated—they may choose their 
  own paths, as no one cares for 
  them or their futures.
  Because half-elves age slower than humans, their 
  teenage years prove a particularly awkward and even 
  traumatic time. An adolescent half-elf’s friends and 
  peers graduate from childhood, experience love, and 
  begin to work just as the half-elf has her first growth 
  spurt. Numerous stories—often tragic—tell of half-elves’ 
  human parents becoming frustrated with their languid 
  development and forcing them to march into adulthood 
  before they are physically or emotionally capable.
  human-raised trait
  Half-elves raised in human societies may take the 
  following race trait.
  Trade Talk: You picked up not only the basics of your 
  human parent’s profession, but also the lingo typical of the 
  craft. Choose a Craft or Profession skill. You gain a +1 trait 
  bonus on checks with the chosen skill, and a +1 trait bonus 
  on Bluff and Sense Motive checks when dealing with 
  people in the context of that craft or profession.
  HALF-ELVES IN ELVEN 
  SOCIETIES
  Because the age progression of half-elves is so 
  much closer to that of humans than that of 
  elves, it comes as no surprise that being raised 
  in an elven community is notably more difficult 
  for half-elves. An adolescent half-elf achieves 
  maturity nearly five times faster than his elven 
  brethren, and thus inevitably gains a keen sense 
  of his mortality at a considerably young age. Elven 
  parents are often puzzled by their half-human 
  children’s impatience and inquisitiveness, but 
  to try to teach serenity to such impassioned 
  children is a fruitless endeavor.
  Half-elves raised among elves are expected 
  to be more elven than human. Elven parents 
  aren’t particularly quick to adapt, and 
  their centuries-long parenting 
  methods 
  rarely 
  apply to sons 
  and 
  daughters 
  who reach maturity 
  in a matter of decades, so 
  frustrations inevitably arise between child and 
  parent. A grown half-elf can feel as if there is little 
  place in elven society for one who lives and acts so 
  much faster than the people around him. Many 
  elf-raised half-elves leave home early in life to find 
  a place that moves at their pace. Some return home 
  after months or years of living with 
  the tempestuous shorter-lived races, 
  while others never return at all.
  haLF-eLVeS
  4
  
  elF-raised trait
  Half-elves raised in elven communities may take the 
  following race trait.
  Elven Serenity: You embody the peace of the elven way 
  of life, and apply this philosophy in your interactions 
  with others. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy and 
  Handle Animal checks to calm other creatures. You need 
  not speak the same language to attempt a Diplomacy 
  check in this manner.
  NEW MAGIC ITEM
  The following new magic item is particularly important 
  to half-elves.
  RING OF CULTUREMELD
  PRICE 
  7,800 GP
  SLOT ring
  CL 7th
  WEIGHT —
  AURA moderate enchantment
  This ornately carved ironwood ring is sometimes gifted to half-
  elves leaving their elven communities so as to ease transition 
  into human culture. A ring of culturemeld slightly alters the 
  wearer’s words to be more appropriate to the listener’s culture 
  and expectations, granting the wearer a +5 competence bonus on 
  language-based Diplomacy checks.
  If worn by a half-elf, a ring of culturemeld grants the wearer 
  the ability to speak and understand an additional language 
  dependent on the local area. If the wearer spends 1 day in a 
  settlement the size of a village or larger, the ring becomes 
  attuned to any dominant language spoken there other than 
  Common (such as Hallit, Skald, or Vudrani). After the ring is 
  attuned, the wearer gains that language as a bonus language 
  (if she didn’t already know it), though she can only speak and 
  understand it. After 4 more days of attunement, the wearer gains 
  the ability to read the language as well, though not the ability 
  to write that language, and gains a +5 competence bonus on 
  opposed Sense Motive checks against speakers of the attuned 
  language. These benefits expire once the wearer has been out of 
  contact with people who speak the attuned language for longer 
  than 1 day or when the ring becomes attuned to a new language.
  CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
  COST 3,900 GP
  Forge Ring, comprehend languages
  HALF-ELF HERITAGES
  The following section includes details on five specific half-
  elf heritages, each representative of half-elves descended 
  from humans and a known variety of elves: the wild 
  Ekujae of the Mwangi Expanse, the Snowcaster elves of the 
  north, the elves of the Mordant Spire, aquatic elves from 
  Golarion’s oceans, and the drow of the Darklands.
  Each heritage entry includes a short list of potential 
  human parentages, regions where such heritages might 
  commonly be found, and languages members of this 
  heritage likely speak. Following that are details on growing 
  up a half-elf in that heritage’s culture as well as one or more 
  alternate racial traits meant to replace the default racial 
  traits of half-elves (see the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s 
  Guide for more information on alternate racial traits).
  AQUATIC 
  HALF- ELVES  
  (SHOREBORN)
  Children of both land and sea, the 
  shoreborn revel in their freedom to 
  travel and find joy in all forms of 
  exploration and adventure.
  SHOREBORN
  Elven Ancestry aquatic elves
  Human Ancestry any near 
  oceans or seas
  Regions any islands or oceans
  Languages Aquan, 
  Common, Elven
  Aquatic half-elves, also called shoreborn, are rarely 
  encountered by land-dwellers. They’re most commonly 
  born from the pairings of aquatic elves and the lucky 
  sailors who encounter these reclusive folk, though 
  dockworkers in isolated fishing villages or even survivors 
  from shipwrecks may also find themselves partners of 
  aquatic elves. Such couplings almost never turn into 
  long-term relationships, for few aquatic elves can bear to 
  part from their oceanic homes, where their paramours 
  cannot follow.
  Most shoreborn have their elven parents’ blue-green 
  pigmentation and have inherited slightly webbed fingers 
  and toes. The vast majority of shoreborn have only 
  slits in their skin where gills should be, their human 
  heritage having proved dominant; very few possess 
  fully functioning gills and lungs. As such, there are two 
  sorts of shoreborn: those who are left with their human 
  parents on land and those who can be raised by their 
  elven parents under the sea. Those raised by elves are 
  almost never seen again by their human parents, while 
  human-raised shoreborn might receive a visit from their 
  aquatic parent from time to time, typically in the form 
  of a mysterious keepsake that washes ashore or another 
  mysterious gift that drifts in from the sea.
  Shoreborn live solitary but often happy lives—they 
  inherit their reclusive natures from their elven ancestors 
  but have an unfettered passion for exploration and 
  journeys. It’s said that a shoreborn is never happier than 
  when he is at sea, and those who choose to dwell ashore 
  typically do so on islands or in coastal settlements. Many 
  of the world’s best sailors or first mates are said to be 
  shoreborn half-elves.
  alternate raCial trait
  Shoreborn characters may select the following racial 
  trait instead of standard half-elf racial traits.
  Child of the Sea: Shoreborn gain a +4 racial bonus on 
  Swim checks as well as on Profession (sailor) and Wisdom 
  checks to pilot a sea vessel. They also have an innate sense 
  of direction and can never get lost at sea. This racial trait 
  replaces the low-light vision and keen senses racial traits.
  5
  
  HALF-DROW 
  (DARKBORN)
  Brutalized from birth, half-
  drow are the lowest of the low 
  in drow society, and often grow 
  up to be pitiless, hateful beings.
  DARKBORN
  Elven Ancestry drow
  Human Ancestry any
  Regions Sekamina 
  (the Darklands)
  Languages Elven, 
  Undercommon
  Half-drow, also called 
  darkborn by humans and thinbloods by drow, are an 
  underclass unto themselves, scorned in drow society 
  and feared among humans. They are drow enough to be 
  more than mere property in the eyes of their vile elven 
  ancestors, but they are still seen as weak, tainted beings. 
  Among humans they are likewise seen as abominations—
  evidence of the manipulative drow’s terrible depredations 
  on their human chattel. Many half-drow are the 
  descendants of bored drow matriarchs who took out 
  their sexual frustrations on their most favored (or least 
  favored, depending on the nature of the encounter) slaves, 
  but rarely does a drow deign to bear such a child, instead 
  using magic or even more vile means to make a human or 
  lower-ranking drow the surrogate parent.
  As half-drow grow older, drow children beat them and 
  steal from them without repercussion, and even hone 
  their growing magical talents by using thinbloods as 
  targets. The only advantage half-drow have is that they 
  mature much faster than their full-blooded cousins and 
  can quickly retaliate against the children who treated 
  them cruelly (assuming the half-drow survives long 
  enough to have the chance). Just as drow don’t protect 
  their half-human children, they don’t protect their own 
  kind from revenge—those who are beaten by a thinblood 
  are weak and deserve it in the eyes of the drow. Such 
  brutal treatment during their formative years often turns 
  half-drow who live to adulthood into hardened warriors 
  or assassins, and all must beware those half-drow who 
  rise in station, for they must be five times as ruthless as 
  their drow counterparts.
  alternate raCial trait
  Darkborn characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-elf racial traits.
  Thinblood Resilience: Darkborn are accustomed to 
  torture at the hands of their drow forebears, and gain 
  a +2 racial bonus on Fortitude saves against poison and 
  disease, including magical diseases. Darkborn also 
  gain the poison use ability and never risk accidentally 
  poisoning themselves. This racial trait replaces the elven 
  immunities racial trait.
  EKUJAE 
  HALF-ELVES 
  (WILDBORN)
  Wild and passionate, the 
  half-elven children of the 
  Ekujae live hard lives and 
  constantly strive to prove 
  themselves to others.
  WILDBORN
  Elven Ancestry 
  Ekujae elves
  Human Ancestry 
  Garundi, Keleshite, Mwangi
  Regions Mwangi Expanse, northern Garund
  Languages Elven, Kelish, Osiriani, Polyglot
  The Ekujae elves of the Mwangi Expanse are extremely 
  distrustful of humans, but their tempestuous demeanors 
  sometimes lead to otherwise unlikely sparks of romance. 
  Perhaps befitting the impassioned and tumultuous 
  encounters that precede their arrival into this world, 
  those offspring of humans and Ekujae are frequently 
  called wildborn by natives of the Mwangi Expanse.
  Wildborn have notably darker skin than most half-
  elves, and their muscular physique puts them closer in 
  stature to humans than elves. If they manage to hide 
  their telltale pointed ears and angular jawlines, many 
  Ekujae half-elves can even pass as Garundi or Mwangi.
  Ekujae half-elves who adopt the maxims and customs 
  of their human parents are generally valued within 
  human society for the abilities granted by their elven 
  blood, though they often face unrealistic expectations.
  Whether a Ekujae half-elf is accepted among her elven 
  parent’s tribe depends entirely on the tribe in question. 
  Some welcome such children, as anyone with Ekujae blood 
  has the birthright and responsibility to contribute to the 
  betterment of the tribe. Others see wildborn as yet another 
  avenue of human encroachment and a potential threat 
  to their way of life. These rejected children are forced to 
  live among humans, and oftentimes the elven parents are 
  forbidden to ever see their children again. Some tribal 
  elders even deem it necessary to brand such children on 
  the arm or back with the mark of an outcast, so they may 
  never be accepted in another Ekujae tribe, and are instead 
  met with rejection wherever they turn. These branded 
  children quickly learn to fear and distrust full elves, 
  having known only unearned hostility from them.
  alternate raCial trait
  Wildborn characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-elf racial traits.
  Jungle Affinity: Wildborn gain a +4 racial bonus on 
  Stealth checks while within jungle terrain, and can 
  move through natural difficult terrain at their normal 
  speed while within jungle. This racial trait replaces the 
  multitalented racial trait.
  6
  
  SNOWCASTER 
  HALF-ELVES 
  (SNOWBORN)
  Half-elves born to Snowcasters are 
  outcasts from birth, and must struggle 
  to survive the harsh environs of the north 
  either alone or with an adopted family.
  SNOWBORN
  Elven Ancestry Snowcaster elves
  Human Ancestry Erutaki, Jadwiga, 
  Ulfen, Varki
  Regions Crown of the World, 
  Irrisen, Lands of the Linnorm 
  Kings, Varisia
  Languages Elven, Erutaki, Hallit, Skald, Varki
  The various clans of Snowcaster elves distrust outsiders 
  as a rule, resenting intrusions on their already resource-
  poor territory), but that doesn’t stop some of their kind 
  from finding love among humans. Twilight speakers—
  religious envoys who make contact with humans and 
  others on behalf of their Snowcaster tribes—are the 
  most likely to commingle with the Ulfen and other 
  human peoples in the region. Sadly, those who allow 
  themselves to be “tainted” by the outside world are 
  almost always cast out in shame. That shame is inherited 
  by these outcasts’ children, thus making the upbringing 
  of Snowcaster half-elves as trying as the endless winter 
  they grow up in.
  Snowborn, as they’re often called in human 
  settlements, share their elven ancestors’ ice-white skin 
  and sharp ears, but otherwise appear much as other 
  half-elves. This makes them rather distinctive in the 
  human settlements they’re forced by circumstance 
  to grow up in, and in intolerant societies many are 
  relegated to the status of second-class citizens or even 
  unfortunates (see page 26).
  Snowborn are most often found in Jadwiga and 
  Ulfen communities, and among the Erutaki tribes of 
  the Crown of the World. The winter witches of Irrisen 
  seek out Snowcasters to seduce and mate with, hoping 
  to imbue ever more magic into their bloodline (even 
  though their half-breed children can never achieve the 
  social status that a pure Jadwiga can). Ulfen and Erutaki 
  are less duplicitous when wooing Snowcasters, and tend 
  to afford their half-elf progeny most, if not all, the rights 
  granted to full humans.
  alternate raCial trait
  Snowborn characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-elf racial traits.
  Cold-Honed: Snowborn can move through natural 
  snow and ice at their normal speed and gain a +4 racial 
  bonus on Fortitude saves to avoid nonlethal damage 
  from cold environments. This racial trait replaces the 
  elven immunities racial trait.
  MORDANT SPIRE 
  HALF-ELVES 
  (SPIREBORN)
  Few in number and rarely seen, 
  Spireborn retain many human 
  features but are still as enigmatic as 
  their elven forebears.
  SPIREBORN
  Elven Ancestry Mordant Spire elves
  Human Ancestry Arcadian, 
  Ulfen, Varisian
  Regions Mordant Spire 
  (Steaming Sea)
  Languages Azlanti, Elven
  The isolationist elves of the Mordant Spire rarely tolerate 
  the presence of humans, much less mate with them, 
  but such has been known to happen from time to time. 
  Scholars who study the Mordant Spire estimate the 
  number of these half-elves to be in the hundreds, and in 
  lieu of knowing what the elves call them, historians refer 
  to these children as Spireborn. That Spireborn possess 
  intimate knowledge of the Mordant Spire as well as many 
  of the secrets of fallen Azlant drives many to seek these 
  people out, but more times than not a Spireborn’s strange 
  and aloof manner proves even more unwelcoming than 
  that of the Mordant Spire elves.
  Along the coastlines of Varisia and the Lands of the 
  Linnorm Kings, natives tell stories of Mordant Spire 
  elves making infrequent solo visits to secluded human 
  settlements. The duration of such elves’ visits change 
  with the teller, but all such stories inevitably end with the 
  Mordant Spire elf wooing a local human and taking him 
  or her to bed. The morning after, the elf is gone. A woman 
  who becomes pregnant from such a liaison may not expect 
  to see the elf again until the time that she gives birth, when 
  the Mordant Spire elf sire returns to take the child away, 
  leaving behind a gift of significant wealth. The stories of 
  female Mordant Spire elves who visit human settlements 
  are similar, but after consummation, they leave (presumably 
  for the Spire), never to return. The half-elven children of 
  these unions are presumably raised in the Mordant Spire, 
  though what such a fate entails is unknown to outsiders. 
  alternate raCial trait
  Spireborn characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-elf racial traits.
  Mordant Envoy: Spireborn add +1 to the caster level 
  of any transmutation spells they cast. Spireborn with a 
  Charisma score of 11 or higher also gain the following 
  spell-like abilities: 1/day—comprehend languages, detect 
  secret doors, erase, read magic. The caster level for these 
  effects is equal to the user’s character level. This racial 
  trait replaces the adaptability racial trait.
  Languages: All Spireborn begin play speaking Azlanti 
  and Elven. These replace the default half-elf languages.
  7
  
  ERAGES
  CN small city
  Corruption +0; Crime +2; Economy +2; Law –1; Lore +1; 
  Society +0
  Qualities academic, notorious, prosperous, tourist attraction
  Danger +5
  DEMOGRAPHICS
  Government autocracy (elven magistrate)
  Population 5,200 (4,543 half-elves, 351 humans, 148 elves, 
  158 other)
  Notable NPCs
  Headmaster Sarouna Lei (female half-elf magus)
  Magistrate Laniel Miliediam (male elf aristocrat)
  Master Smuggler Elenia Santritia (female half-elf rogue)
  MARKETPLACE
  Base Value 6,000 gp; Purchase Limit 50,000 gp; Spellcasting 7th
  Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 1d6
  On the western coast of Kyonin lies Erages, a city populated 
  almost exclusively by half-elves. Originally a rustic fishing 
  village, Erages was quietly used by the aristocratic elves 
  of Iadara as a place of exile for any shameful half-blooded 
  children they procured via relations with non-elven 
  guests or visits to the human city of Greengold. While 
  this practice is still prevalent (as evidenced by the 
  numerous orphanages to be found in Erages), the city 
  has since blossomed into a metropolitan lakeside trading 
  hub all its own, populated and maintained almost solely 
  by the mostly content half-elves who flock to the city 
  from all corners of the Inner Sea. Half-elves from as far 
  as Garund and Casmaron make pilgrimages to Erages, 
  either to simply see the unusual city for themselves or in 
  hopes of making a new life among people just like them.
  Though Erages is often regarded as a sanctuary for 
  half-elves who are unwelcome in the less tolerant realms 
  around the Inner Sea, the rights of its people are still 
  subject to the elven overlords of Kyonin who control the 
  city. Citizens live mostly as they please, but always with 
  the knowledge that distant rulers control the fate of their 
  beloved city. 
  Erages is also known for its criminal element, notably 
  smuggling rings that specialize in getting humans 
  deeper into Kyonin and elven artifacts out of the 
  country—for the right price. Most believe the infamous 
  half-elf thief and smuggler Elenia Santritia to be master 
  of these rings, but few know where to find the elusive 
  criminal mastermind. Those in the know claim that 
  should newcomers ask around enough, they’ll eventually 
  erageS
  Oppressed half-elves all across Golarion speak of Erages as a promised land, a place where 
  our kind aren’t “half-anything”—they’re whole beings in and of themselves. While this 
  realm truly is a place where half-elves rule, it’s not exempt from the yoke of the isolationist 
  elves of Kyonin. Once, Erages was merely a thorp where those “tainted by humanity,” as my 
  mother was, were gently shuttled off to. Now, though, it is a bastion for those who seek to 
  rise above the bar set by our overbearing, disparate ancestors, and I have never known a 
  place more welcoming of the half-elven kind than my beloved Erages.
  —From the travelogues of Dirae Tallblood
  8
  
  be contacted by an agent of Santritia in the dark of night, 
  though such an encounter may be either a lucrative 
  business proposal or an assassination attempt intended 
  to silence nosy outsiders.
  Erages is built among ruins far older than the elves 
  living today—remnants of an ancient time that draw 
  archaeologists of all stripes to study them and the 
  dangerous subterranean passages under the city. The 
  esteemed Erages Academy was founded in 4695 ar to 
  support this influx of scholars, both half-elven and 
  otherwise, addressing their needs and interests. The 
  university specializes in elven archaeology and history, 
  though many students also attend in hopes of learning 
  from the university’s martial wing, the Blackash 
  Training Grounds, named after the famed half-elven 
  hero who fought in the ancient war against Treerazer 
  so many years ago. The Academy is currently run by 
  Headmaster Sarouna Lei, a half-elven archaeologist and 
  talented spellsword beloved among the townspeople for 
  her generosity and wise counsel.
  GREENSTING SLAYER  
  (MAGUS ARCHETYPE)
  The blending of martial prowess with elven magic has 
  long been a staple of the Blackash Training Grounds in 
  Erages. More than a few who study at Erages Academy 
  follow this path because of the promises of wealth that 
  the city’s criminal element makes toward practiced 
  brawlers and smugglers. Greensting slayers have the 
  following class features.
  Arcane Pool: At 1st level, a greensting slayer can 
  expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to 
  add 1d6 points of sneak attack damage to his next melee 
  attack that round. The attack must meet all of the usual 
  prerequisites for making a sneak attack, as the rogue 
  class feature. For every 4 levels beyond 1st, the amount of 
  sneak attack damage dealt by this ability increases by 1d6 
  (to a maximum of 5d6 at 17th level). If a greensting slayer 
  gets a sneak attack from another source, the bonuses on 
  damage stack.
  A greensting slayer cannot use his arcane pool to 
  enhance his weapon. This modifies the arcane pool ability.
  Evasion (Ex): At 7th level, the greensting slayer gains 
  evasion, as the rogue class feature. This replaces the 
  medium armor ability.
  Improved Evasion (Ex): At 13th level, the greensting slayer 
  gains improved evasion, as the advanced rogue talent of the 
  same name. This replaces the heavy armor ability.
  Magus Arcana: In addition to the new magus arcana 
  presented below, the following magus arcana complement 
  the greensting slayer archetype: close range, hasted 
  assault, maneuver mastery, pool strike, and silent magic.
  Dark Shifter (Su): The magus can expend 1 point from 
  his arcane pool as a move action to change the target of an 
  ongoing spell effect with the darkness descriptor within 
  60 feet. The new target must be within the spell’s range, 
  using the magus’s level as the effective caster level for the 
  purpose of determining the maximum range the effect 
  can be moved from the magus. If the spell effect the 
  magus is moving originated from another creature, the 
  magus must succeed at a caster level check to reposition 
  the effect (DC = 11 + the effect’s caster level). Failure 
  wastes the magus’s move action, but does not expend the 
  point from his arcane pool. The magus must be at least 
  6th level before selecting this arcana.
  REGIONAL TRAITS
  Characters from Erages may choose from the following 
  regional traits.
  Expert Smuggler: Years of smuggling and other 
  unsavory work have trained you to hide your assets even 
  when being actively searched. Other creatures never gain 
  the +4 bonus on their Perception checks (opposed by your 
  Sleight of Hand check) while frisking you.
  Spell Duel Prodigy: You’ve participated in many 
  spell duels during your time at Erages Academy, and 
  you’ve developed a keen talent for identifying magical 
  arts. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks to 
  identify a spell as it is being cast and on dispel checks to 
  counterspell a spell.
  9
  
  Half-orcs are in the minority almost everywhere they go. 
  Many of them are in and around the Hold of Belkzen, 
  but smaller numbers can be found wherever orcs have 
  passed—or wherever their ancestors’ migrations or their 
  own travels have taken them. Settlements composed 
  primarily of half-orcs are rare, but many of the Inner 
  Sea’s more cosmopolitan cities include small half-orc 
  communities, and a few dozen half-orc hamlets are 
  scattered about the fringes of civilization. The largest and 
  most stable half-orc community is Averaka, a town in the 
  Lands of the Linnorm Kings (see page 14).
  While some half-orcs are the direct offspring of a 
  human and an orc, it’s increasingly common for that 
  mixing to be farther back in half-orcs’ family trees, and 
  the proportion of orc versus human blood varies 
  between individuals. On average, half-orcs’ lifespans, 
  strength, and build are intermediate between those 
  of humans and orcs. They possess both orcs’ ability 
  to see in darkness and humans’ ability to see in 
  daylight, but their senses are otherwise the 
  same as those of their parent races.
  Half-orcs’ attitudes are colored by their 
  treatment in the larger community. 
  Half-orcs  who  grow up surrounded 
  by prejudice and derision find 
  trust difficult, as little in their 
  pasts leads them to expect others 
  will treat them fairly. This 
  reserve 
  serves 
  them 
  well—
  half-orcs’ 
  greatest 
  strength 
  is their ability to surpass the 
  expectations of others, and 
  they’re quick  to use opponents’ 
  surprise to their advantage—but 
  it also makes for a lonely life. Half-
  orcs with supportive families or from 
  tolerant communities are more open to 
  cultivating friendships, but don’t waste 
  their time on those who won’t give 
  them respect they feel they’ve earned.
  Half-orcs’ lifestyles, including 
  their 
  art 
  and 
  music, 
  typically 
  mirror those of the surrounding 
  orc or human communities. In Averaka, 
  however, a specifically half-orc culture 
  is swiftly blossoming; influences from 
  cultures across the Inner Sea region are 
  married to compelling and primal orc forms 
  to create new styles of music, storytelling, 
  sculpture, and illustration, which 
  are slowly gaining recognition and 
  respect in the surrounding lands.
  HALF-ORCS IN HUMAN 
  SOCIETIES
  Despite the typical somber assumptions of their origins, 
  half-orcs in human societies can also range from children 
  of assimilated half-orc parents to orphaned foundlings to 
  the bastard offspring of lovers, fostered out because their 
  appearance reveals their non-human parentage. Their 
  formative experiences in human communities depends 
  largely on the size and diversity of the settlement as well 
  as residents’ previous experiences with orcs and half-
  orcs. While half-orcs are often stereotyped by humans 
  as dangerous brutes, those who give them a chance find 
  that they’re as smart as humans and not inherently more 
  violent—but half-orcs whose lives are marked by exclusion 
  and prejudice may lack the emotional resources to 
  control their quick tempers. Where half-orcs meet 
  with (or win) acceptance in human lands, they 
  benefit from access to paths normally unavailable 
  to their compatriots in orc lands—arcane magic, 
  the consolations of religion and scholarship, and 
  specialized trades and arts.
  human-raised trait
  Half-orc characters who have grown up in 
  human societies may select the following 
  race trait.
  Iron Control: You learned the 
  hard way that expressing the rage 
  you inherited from your orc blood 
  exacerbates humans’ fearful and 
  hostile reactions to you; after 
  years of effort, you’ve mastered 
  self-control 
  and 
  buried 
  your 
  anger deep. Whenever you’re confused and 
  roll to determine behavior in a given round, 
  subtract 10 from the result.
  HALF-ORCS IN ORC 
  SOCIETIES
  Orcs view half-orcs as weaklings, though 
  clever and occasionally uncanny ones who 
  may nevertheless have their uses in the tribe. 
  Alert half-orcs can occasionally leverage 
  these preconceptions to carve out positions of 
  authority as advisors, witch doctors, or shamans. 
  Such stations offer half-orcs the opportunity 
  to make important tribal decisions and even 
  sometimes parley with tribal enemies. Half-orcs 
  who inherit more than the usual share of ferocity 
  prosper as warriors, but prejudice keeps 
  all but the most exceptional from rising 
  to become chieftains.
  haLF-orCS
  10
  
  orC-raised trait
  Half-orc characters who grew up in orc societies may 
  select the following race trait.
  Finish the Fight: You’re at the bottom of the pecking 
  order, so when you challenge that order, your victory must 
  be absolute. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls against 
  opponents you already injured in the past 24 hours.
  neW magiC item 
  Whether half-orcs acquire the following magical tattoo 
  to infiltrate another society or simply to pass within, 
  the painful process of acquiring it demonstrates their 
  endurance. For more information on tattoo magic, see 
  Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Magic.
  KIN’S FACE TATTOO
  PRICE 
  1,600 GP
  SLOT none
  CL 5th
  WEIGHT —
  AURA faint illusion
  This intricate tattoo covers the bearer’s face in thousands of 
  hair-fine lines of ink and carefully incised scars, and even 
  extends to etchings upon the bearer’s tusks, together giving 
  the effect of a topographic map of the bearer’s face. The 
  bearer can activate the tattoo to cause the marked design to 
  shift and the scars to open and pull the bearer’s face into a 
  different shape. The bearer then gains the benefits of disguise 
  self, save that the bearer can take only the form of a specific 
  half-orc, human, or orc, and the disguise lasts up to 5 hours 
  per day. This duration need not be continuous, but it must be 
  used in 1-hour increments.
  The material components for the kin’s face tattoo include rare 
  pigments that are mixed with the bearer’s blood, then worked 
  into the bearer’s skin. To remove this tattoo, the tattooed 
  portions must be erased and the scars healed.
  CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
  COST 800 GP
  Inscribe Magical TattooISM, disguise self
  HALF-ORC HERITAGES
  Half-orcs are not monolithic—their experiences and 
  outlooks are colored by the cultures of their human and 
  orc ancestors and the nature of their ancestors’ interaction. 
  Just as humans and orcs across Golarion vary widely, so 
  too do the half-orcs they beget.
  The pages that follow detail five half-orc heritages, 
  presenting the orc ancestors’ bloodlines, the likely 
  ethnicities of their human ancestors, regions where these 
  half-orcs are likely to be found, and the languages most 
  speak. Each heritage entry then explores differences 
  between such half-orcs and plain half-orcs (the default 
  assumption and what most people are referring to when 
  they say “half-orcs”), including half-orcs’ treatment in 
  local human and orc communities, and concludes with a 
  new alternate racial trait meant to replace one or more of 
  the default racial traits of half-orcs (see the Pathfinder RPG 
  Advanced Player’s Guide for more information on alternate 
  racial traits). For more information on the different types 
  of orcs, see Pathfinder Player Companion: Orcs of Golarion.
  DARKLANDS 
  HALF-ORCS  
  (GLOOMKIN)
  Though closer physically to full 
  orcs than most half-orcs, Darklands 
  half-orcs are still stigmatized because 
  of their human-tainted blood.
  GLOOMKIN
  Orc Ancestry Darklands orcs
  Human Ancestry Kellid, Ulfen, 
  Varisian 
  Regions Darklands (Nar-Voth)
  Languages Undercommon
  When light returned to the surface of Golarion and 
  resistance to the orcs’ spread stiffened, some orc tribes 
  retreated back into the Darklands, bringing their human 
  and half-orc chattel with them and re-embracing the 
  traditional ways of orckind, especially the concept of 
  racial purity. Given this stance and the rarity of contact 
  with the surface world since then, Darklands half-orcs 
  arise almost entirely from relationships between half-
  orcs born and raised in the Darklands, with occasional 
  influxes of orc blood. Because of this one-sided influence, 
  gloomkin are physiologically closer to orcs than most 
  half-orc populations; some who identify as half-orcs 
  are essentially orcs who happen to carry the stigma of a 
  bloodline tainted by humans in the distant past.
  Most Darklands half-orcs live among the orc tribes 
  of Nar-Voth as a permanent underclass. The majority of 
  these are servants and enslaved soldiers, though those 
  gifted with unusual powers of oratory and memory may 
  attain status as repositories of folklore and ritual. Half-
  orcs must constantly strive to prove they can transcend 
  their human-tainted blood—a difficult task, given their 
  society’s prejudices. This bias is felt even by other half-
  orcs; having few opportunities to encounter human 
  society, most gloomkin have thoroughly internalized orcs’ 
  disdain for humans.
  The rare Darklands half-orcs who make their way to 
  the surface world have difficulty fitting into human 
  society, unable to overcome their hatred for surface 
  races. Some are further disadvantaged because they share 
  orcs’ light sensitivity after the many generations their 
  ancestors spent underground.
  alternate raCial trait
  Gloomkin characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-orc racial traits.
  Evader: Having lived all their lives at the mercy of savage 
  underworld creatures, some gloomkin develop an uncanny 
  knack for finding their way about silently in the dark. 
  While underground, Darklands half-orcs with this racial 
  trait gain a +5 racial bonus on Survival checks to avoid 
  becoming lost, and a +1 racial bonus on Stealth checks. This 
  racial trait replaces the intimidating racial trait.
  11
  
  DESERT HALF-ORCS 
  (SANDKIN)
  These half-orcs face the world with a 
  self-assurance that’s unusual for their 
  kind—the result of a confluence of 
  fortunate factors.
  SANDKIN
  Orc Ancestry desert orcs
  Human Ancestry Garundi, 
  Keleshite
  Regions Northern Garund, Qadira
  Languages Kelish, Osiriani, Polyglot
  The beneficiaries of several unusual 
  circumstances desert half-orcs move in both human and 
  orc societies with an unusual confidence. These half-
  orcs have parlayed their ability to tolerate the burning 
  desert sun into an unusual degree of power within orc 
  tribes. The desert orc traditions of children serving 
  as lookouts during the day and youths proving their 
  determination by staring into the sun often leave full 
  orcs’ vision damaged, but desert half-orcs, who lack orcs’ 
  light sensitivity, get through these challenges relatively 
  unscathed, giving them a clear advantage in tribal power 
  struggles. Unsurprisingly, half-orcs rule or are the chief 
  warriors of a disproportionate number of desert orc 
  tribes. (Some whisper these trials were originally devised 
  by half-orcs for just this purpose.) The confidence 
  resulting from their higher status benefits those who 
  move from orc tribes to human societies as well, as it 
  often is interpreted as openness.
  In human societies, desert half-orcs (and half-orcs 
  who travel to these regions from other lands) benefit 
  from another fortunate pair of circumstances. First, orcs 
  haven’t been the primary threat in the deserts of northern 
  Garund and Qadira since before the Age of Destiny, so their 
  half-breed progeny aren’t a reminder of some constant 
  looming threat or ancient racial foe, even when born in 
  unchosen circumstances. Second, Sarenrae’s church has 
  a powerful influence in all of these lands save Rahadoum, 
  and its focus on redemption encourages humans to give 
  half-orcs a fair chance. Indeed, many half-orcs find the 
  Dawnflower a welcome source of balance in their lives, 
  reminding them of the importance of mercy, while the 
  practice of eliminating the unrepentant allows them to 
  release their aggression in a productive manner.
  alternate raCial trait
  Sandkin characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-orc racial traits.
  Burning Assurance: Sandkin lack the chip on their 
  shoulder that many half-orcs acquire as a result of 
  prejudice, and their self-confidence puts others at ease. 
  Desert half-orcs with this racial trait gain a +2 racial 
  bonus on Diplomacy checks. This racial trait replaces the 
  intimidating racial trait.
  JUNGLE 
  HALF-ORCS  
  (RAINKIN)
  Rainkin are valued as guardians 
  and property alike, and face a 
  heavy burden of responsibility.
  RAINKIN
  Orc Ancestry jungle orcs
  Human Ancestry Mwangi
  Regions Mwangi Expanse
  Languages Polyglot
  Jungle 
  half-orcs 
  have 
  darker skin than their northern 
  compatriots and often sport wavy black hair. More striking 
  than their appearance, however, is their self-assurance—
  they have a keener sense of their worth than most half-orcs.
  The jungle orcs of the Mwangi Expanse are relics, cut 
  off at the farthest reaches of orc expansion and isolated 
  so long they’ve forgotten their racial past, save for oral 
  legends that they once ruled whole continents. Now they’re 
  one small threat surrounded by greater perils, and driven 
  by pride to refuse subjugation to the Gorilla King.
  It’s said that in the early days of the Gorilla King, the 
  youths of some nearby Mwangi tribes—also imperiled by 
  Usaro—would wed orcs for a 1-year term (paying dearly 
  for rights to any offspring and guarantees of safety), 
  hoping to beget strong, resilient defenders of their 
  tribes. True or not, many Mwangi tribes in this region 
  have for generations had half-orc members, and some 
  still trade for adopted half-orc children for the same 
  reason. These jungle half-orcs (or rainkin, so called for 
  their preferred hunting weather) are trained in combat 
  or magic from a young age, and serve as heroes at the 
  beck and call of the tribal elders. Though integrated into 
  the tribe and encouraged to marry and produce more 
  half-orc children, rainkin are often treated with more 
  awe than friendliness.
  Because of their clear economic value, jungle half-orcs 
  are more likely to survive a childhood among orcs than 
  those of many other heritages. While many jungle half-
  orcs serve with pride, those tired of being treated as tools 
  or weary of the burden of heroism sometimes defect to the 
  armies of Usaro, embracing their feral side and reveling in 
  the freedom to rise as high as their prowess allows.
  alternate raCial trait
  Rainkin characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-orc racial traits.
  Warded Skin: Many rainkin are protected from 
  Angazhan worshipers’ power by elaborate tattoos that 
  redirect demonic magic. Jungle half-orcs with this racial 
  trait gain spell resistance against divine magic equal to 
  6 + their level. Additionally, divine spells cast on them 
  by demon worshipers have a 10% chance of failure. This 
  racial trait replaces the orc ferocity racial trait.
  12
  
  WINTER HALF-ORCS 
  (FROSTKIN)
  The frostkin’s struggle for acceptance is a 
  fight for survival, for few can endure the 
  frostbitten north without allies.
  FROSTKIN
  Orc Ancestry winter orcs
  Human Ancestry Erutaki, 
  Ulfen, Varki
  Regions Casmaron, Crown 
  of the World, Irrisen, 
  northern Lands of the 
  Linnorm Kings
  Languages Erutaki, Ulfen, 
  Varki
  Winter half-orcs are native to the Crown of the World 
  and the lands just south of its borders. Their skin often 
  has a bluish tinge rather than green (where not marked 
  by frostbite), but they are otherwise quite varied in their 
  appearance, as their human parentage ranges from tall, 
  fair Ulfen to short, darker Erutaki to Varki, who mix both 
  of these influences with Tian blood.
  Winter half-orcs born into orc tribes struggle to thrive. 
  During the appalling cold of endless winter nights, orc 
  tribes huddle for warmth; the weak and disfavored are 
  pushed to the edge of the group, where exposure and 
  hypothermia can quickly take their toll. During the 
  warmer times, half-orcs who’ve lost fingers and toes to 
  frostbite are furthermore disadvantaged. While a few 
  exceptional half-orcs thrive in this environment, most 
  who survive long enough slip away to seek better lives.
  Such half-orcs get a chilly welcome in most of the 
  Linnorm Kingdoms, but word of mouth may lead them to 
  better opportunities in the Ironbound Islands. Orcs are 
  uncommon in Irrisen, but winter orcs who migrate south 
  in search of an easier life often find Irrisen’s climate and 
  the small but growing half-orc community agreeable, 
  though few have much chance of upward mobility unless 
  they excel at witchcraft. 
  Winter half-orcs fare better among the Varki and 
  Erutaki. Life in the far north is precarious, so these tribes 
  are open to trading with or even taking in any with the skill 
  and stamina to make themselves useful and a willingness 
  to respect their complex customs and traditions.
  alternate raCial trait
  Frostkin characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-orc racial traits.
  Unflinching Valor: Many fearsome arctic predators 
  consider young frostkin easy prey, but some frostkin 
  manage to surpass their fear and fight off these beasts in 
  time for help to arrive. Winter half-orcs with this racial trait 
  gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects, 
  and a +1 racial bonus to CMD to avoid being grappled. This 
  racial trait replaces the intimidating racial trait.
  MOUNTAIN HALF-
  ORCS (CRAGKIN)
  Descended from reckless and brutish 
  mountain orcs, cragkin are fearless 
  masters of hilly terrain.
  CRAGKIN
  Orc Ancestry mountain orcs
  Human Ancestry Kellid, Shoanti, Ulfen, 
  Varisian
  Regions western Avistan
  Languages Hallit, Shoanti, Ulfen, 
  Varisian
  Mountain half-orcs are descended 
  from humans and the orcs who inhabit 
  mountain peaks and slopes, particularly in western 
  Avistan. Physically, cragkin are distinguished from other 
  half-orc heritages by their agility and wiry strength; they 
  fare better at climbing and acrobatic feats, which they 
  have a natural flare for, than at feats of brute strength. 
  Mentally, they’re set apart by their creative approach to 
  terrain—so few surfaces in their native terrain are level 
  that anything less than vertical is a potential path.
  Some are children of conflict, born of humans and orcs 
  raiding each other. But many are born in isolated half-orc 
  homesteads, whose residents make their own way in the 
  world as hunters and trappers or as bandits. Still others to 
  are children of half-orcs who descend from the mountains 
  to find their way in human society.
  In orc society, mountain half-orcs are respected for their 
  clever use of the mountainous terrain in combat—and 
  those spellcasters capable of creating useful effects such 
  as feather fall are particularly valued, since they can enable 
  creative tactics that others would consider suicidal. The 
  ambitious or desperate sometimes use their greater agility 
  and careful planning to lure enemies to their deaths; in 
  this treacherous environment, accidents are sufficiently 
  common that few questions are asked should one half-orc 
  return and his rival hunting partner doesn’t.
  In many of the human societies bordering mountain 
  orc lands, valor in battle is valued above most other traits, 
  and many mountain half-orcs go to extremes to both prove 
  themselves as worthy combatants and assure prejudiced 
  human neighbors of their allegiance.
  alternate raCial trait
  Cragkin characters may select the following racial trait 
  instead of standard half-orc racial traits.
  Cliffside Charger: Cragkin are accustomed to traveling 
  in the steep terrain of their mountain homes. When in 
  mountain terrain, mountain half-orcs with this racial 
  trait can move through natural difficult terrain at their 
  normal speed; magically altered terrain affects them 
  normally. In addition, cragkin gain a +10 foot racial bonus 
  to their speed while charging. This racial trait replaces the 
  orc ferocity and weapon familiarity racial traits.
  13
  
  aVeraka
  AVERAKA
  CN small town 
  Corruption +0; Crime +0; Economy +1; Law –1; Lore –1; 
  Society +4
  Qualities insular, strategic location 
  Danger +0
  DEMOGRAPHICS
  Government council (council of three)
  Population 1,780 (1,665 half-orcs, 83 humans, 32 dwarves)
  Notable NPCs
  Councilor Kalla Tusk-Breaker (female half-orc fighter)
  Councilor Bravok (male half-orc cleric of Desna)
  Councilor Suota Iron-Tongue (female half-orc bard)
  MARKETPLACE
  Base Value 1,100 gp; Purchase Limit 5,000 gp; Spellcasting 4th
  Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6; Major Items — 
  The isle of Flintyreach was long considered too dangerous 
  and barren to be worth settling, so when a handful of half-
  orcs took up the challenge in exchange for the right for 
  any half-orc to settle there, no one thought they’d make 
  it. But today, this remote island along the Ironbound 
  Archipelago is home to the flourishing town of Averaka, 
  the largest half-orc settlement in the Inner Sea. The town’s 
  main sources of income are fishing and raiding; most 
  residents who don’t actually work aboard a ship work in 
  “You’re new here, ain’t you? I can tell, you’ve got that look on your face. It’s overwhelming 
  to be surrounded by so many of us, innit? Yeah, there’re a few humans and dwarves, too, 
  but this isn’t like most towns. In the rest of the Kingdoms, a city’s just a place to moor your 
  ship and pretend to be human until it’s raiding season again. But Averaka is a place for us 
  to figure out who we are, and what our strengths are, not just how we can best squeeze into 
  others’ molds. Well, unless that mold’s called a Linnorm King!”
  —Groa Whale-Biter, chief pontificator at the Three-Winged Gull
  a supporting industry as shipwrights, sail-makers, small-
  scale farmers, and so on. Many residents also dabble in 
  various utilitarian arts and crafts during the off-season.
  Averaka is ruled by a council of three, all of whom 
  have an almost righteous zeal in the importance of 
  establishing a haven for half-orcs and true half-orc 
  culture. The council is composed of three key members 
  of Averaka’s minuscule government: Kalla Tusk-Breaker, 
  Bravok, and Suota Iron-Tongue.
  Councilor Kalla leads Averaka’s town guards and 
  spearheads 
  patrols 
  of 
  the 
  island’s 
  mountainous 
  interior and the viking raids that help fund the town’s 
  expansion—all of which ensure residents have productive 
  ways to channel their aggression. She served as one of 
  White Estrid’s captains for years and retired home to 
  Flintyreach when Estrid became a king, but not before 
  looking Estrid in the eye and swearing on her longship 
  that she’ll live to see a half-orc Linnorm King.
  In addition to his clerical role, Councilor Bravok is an 
  evangelist who spends part of each year traveling to other 
  Linnorm Kingdoms, Varisia, and beyond, spreading the 
  word of Averaka to recruit more settlers and inspire in 
  downtrodden half-orcs a better dream. During his time 
  on Flintyreach, Bravok presides over Averaka’s largest 
  temple—a squat stone building that affords worship 
  to typical nonevil half-orc deities such as Gorum and 
  14
  
  Calistria as well as several goodly beings including 
  Desna, Cayden Cailean, and Erastil.
  Suota Iron-Tongue is the official keeper of the town’s 
  lore, mentor to the local artists, and moderator at the 
  yearly Orcmoot, where residents of the island meet 
  to discuss their goals for Averaka and their visions of 
  Flintyreach’s future. The vast library in Suota’s home 
  is a thing of wonder for the half-orc children in town, 
  and the half-orc bard even hosts a weekly reading hour 
  to encourage such impressionable youths to take up pen 
  and paper for themselves.
  The residents of Averaka are a rowdy, diverse lot 
  who practice the customs of a dozen nations. Natives 
  are identifiable by their brash demeanor, and regard 
  reserved or embittered newcomers with concealed pity. 
  Most newcomers, in turn, find being surrounded by 
  half-orcs bewildering at first. Some have been outsiders 
  so long they find getting along in such a community 
  difficult; those from orc tribes particularly struggle, and 
  often seek solitude in the wilderness, returning to town 
  only to claim bounties on the island’s giants and other 
  monstrous inhabitants. This suits the more communal 
  inhabitants of Averaka just fine, as they understand and 
  respect the roles of trappers, bounty hunters, and rangers 
  and are more than happy to afford such workers the 
  isolation they desire.
  AVERAKA ARBITER  
  (BARD ARCHETYPE)
  Some Averakan bards make it their mission to unify 
  their fellow half-orcs, and are equally skilled at helping 
  allies defeat common enemies and at building a new 
  civilization that reflects their unique identity. 
  Bardic Performance: An Averaka arbiter gains the 
  following types of bardic performance.
  Inspire Teamwork (Ex): A 3rd-level Averaka arbiter can 
  use his performance to treat his allies as if they possessed 
  the same teamwork feats as the bard for the purpose of 
  determining whether the bard receives a bonus from his 
  teamwork feats. His allies do not receive any bonuses 
  from these feats unless they actually possess the feats 
  themselves. The allies’ positioning and actions must still 
  meet the prerequisites listed in the teamwork feat for 
  the bard to receive the listed bonus. This performance 
  replaces inspire competence.
  Ritual of Reconciliation (Su): An Averaka arbiter of 8th 
  level or higher can use his performance to improve the 
  attitudes of nearby creatures by two steps. To be affected, 
  a creature must be within 30 feet and able to hear the 
  bard. Creatures whose attitude toward the bard becomes 
  indifferent or better immediately cease attacking the 
  bard and his allies, but may otherwise act as they please. 
  The effect persists for as long as the creature is within 30 
  feet and the bard continues his performance. The effect 
  ends if one of the bard’s allies attacks the creature. A 
  successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level 
  + the bard’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect. Ritual 
  of reconciliation relies on audible components. This 
  performance replaces dirge of doom.
  Versatile Teamwork (Ex): At 2nd level, an Averaka 
  arbiter gains a bonus teamwork feat. He gains an 
  additional bonus teamwork feat at 6th level and every 
  4 levels thereafter. This ability replaces versatile 
  performance and well-versed.
  REGIONAL TRAITS
  Characters from Averaka may select the following 
  regional traits.
  Open-Minded Explorer: You grew up constantly 
  interacting with people who speak unfamiliar languages 
  and have diverse customs; your manners may not be 
  polished, but your acceptance of others is genuine. You 
  gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks. This bonus 
  increases to +2 when you’re speaking the racial or ethnic 
  language of the target creature. 
  Whole-Hearted: Though most outsiders expect your 
  mind to be conflicted, full of self-doubt, and mired in 
  resentment and suspicion, you’re truly comfortable in 
  your skin. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws 
  against charms and compulsions.
  15
  
  unuSua
  Not all half-humans come about via intermingling of d
  will of the divine, or unknowable destiny involves itsel
  the enigmatic gillmen, the accursed dhampirs, the di
  Characters of any of these unusual ra
  unusual
  Your heritage is strange or difficult to trace, 
  Prerequisite: Changeling, dhampir
  Benefit: V
  GILLMEN
  Benefit: As a so-called “Low Azlanti,” you have abilities 
  supposedly tied to mysterious ancestors who still watch over 
  you and your ilk. Your divination spells and spell-like abilities 
  manifest at 1 caster level higher. In addition, once per day 
  while fully immersed in water, you can cast augury as a spell-
  like ability.
  DHAMPIRS
  Benefit: Your undead progenitor left you with more than a hint 
  of vampiric nature. You gain a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 
  points of damage. Once per day upon making a successful bite 
  attack, you can choose to deal an additional 1d4 points of bleed 
  damage to the creature struck.
  Special: You can only select this feat at 1st level.
  
   originS
  stinct races. Sometimes an eldritch power, the 
   in an individual’s birth. Such is the case for 
  e fetchlings, and the mystical changelings. 
  es may take the following new feat.
  origin
  nd people fear your otherworldly powers.
   fetchling, or gillman.
  ries; see below.
  FETCHLINGS
  Benefit: You have the mysterious ability to see into the Shadow 
  Plane, but only in your dreams. Once per day while sleeping, you 
  can create a magical sensor, as arcane eye except this sensor can 
  view only your current location as it exists on the Shadow Plane. 
  This effect lasts for 1 minute per character level, and can be used 
  during any point while you sleep.
  CHANGELINGS
  Benefit: Your mother was part of a powerful hag coven, and it 
  shows when you are near your kin. As long as you are within 
  30 feet of at least two other changelings, you gain a +2 bonus on 
  concentration checks and dispel checks. If at least two of these 
  changelings also have this feat, these bonuses increase to +4.
  Special: This version of Unusual Origin is a teamwork feat.
  
  When someone spits the word “bastard” as an insult, what 
  are they saying? That you’re a lowlife, that you’re scum, 
  that you’re someone less of a person? There’s a reason 
  this insult exists: those who are born of two worlds are 
  rarely wholly accepted by either one. Both parents may 
  accept their half-breed child, and perhaps their families 
  and close friends might as well, but society as a whole 
  will always see that child as irregular, inferior, or—in the 
  worst cases—unnatural.
  Throughout this book, the term “bastard” is used to 
  describe many kinds of characters, not just those born out 
  of wedlock. While a bastard may or may not know one or 
  both of his parents, just as often will he simply be the result 
  of an unusual pairing of two peoples or beings. Dubious 
  origin and a resemblance to that which they ought not to 
  be are telltale signs of bastards. Thus, a tiefling daughter 
  born to wedded parents who must keep her secret from the 
  hateful surrounding communities may be considered just 
  as much a bastard as the illegitimate son of a noblewoman 
  and a stable worker.
  The concept of the bastard also covers portentous 
  births, such as a tiefling born to two human parents or an 
  aasimar born seemingly immaculately. Oracles, sorcerers, 
  and other youths who develop strange powers at an early 
  age may be shunned for their otherworldly abilities if those 
  abilities aren’t shared by the surrounding community. 
  And those born to parents from vastly different regions 
  or nations, though not technically bastards, are just as 
  much born of two worlds as those of disparate races.
  HALF-HUMANS ON 
  GOLARION
  In the world of Golarion, most bastards are children 
  of humans and creatures of another race or even 
  manner of being. Sadly for these offspring, many 
  humans regard those who are half-human as being half-
  other, and exclude them either subtly or overtly.
  The fate of bastards is not always bleak, however. In a 
  world populated primarily by humans, being half-human 
  gives a bastard some measure of privilege not generally 
  afforded to others. When humans have a choice 
  between dealing with an elf or with a half-elf, most will 
  stick with the half-elf, expecting the half-elf to be familiar 
  with human culture and expectations. In these instances,  
  such a person is seen as human enough to count.
  This perception of bastards also comes with oft-
  unwanted responsibilities, though. Humans expect 
  the local half-orc to deal with any orcs that come into 
  town, they hand anything that “seems elven” to a half-
  elf for inspection, and they expect a geniekin to use 
  her mastery of the elements to their settlement’s 
  advantage. These bastards are constantly ambassadors 
  for their other heritages—anything they do that seems 
  out of place reflects on their whole kind. All of their 
  actions are judged through a racial lens, whether it’s a 
  half-orc who’s in a grumpy mood or a half-elf who wants 
  to go for a walk alone in the woods to clear her thoughts. 
  It’s not surprising that many half-humans on Golarion 
  flee prejudice, discrimination, and unfair restrictions by 
  taking up the mantle of adventurer, a role already seen as 
  eccentric and thus fitting for those judged as such.
  a BaStard’S originS
  18
  
  BASTARDS OF CIRCUMSTANCE
  Being of human and non-human parentage is far from 
  the only way to be considered a bastard. Traditionalist 
  or prudish communities might label children born 
  out of wedlock as bastards, viewing their parents’ 
  unconstrained affection as a sign of moral weakness, 
  especially in close-knit villages in remote lands, where 
  marriage and commitment can be synonymous with 
  survival. Likewise, children raised by only one parent can 
  also be treated as bastards. Whether the situation arose 
  through death or perhaps abandonment, those with only 
  a mother or a father to raise them are seen as somehow 
  inadequately prepared for the world, even though the 
  hardships these individuals face may prepare them for 
  a world far harsher than that experienced by someone 
  raised by two doting parents.
  Children of parents who come from vastly different 
  social 
  stations 
  usually 
  suffer 
  for 
  their 
  parents’ 
  indiscretions. Should a prince and peasant have a child, 
  that child is destined to suffer, for even if both parents are 
  loving, attentive, and constantly involved in their child’s 
  life, those in the nobility will see her as a blemish on their 
  lineage at best or a threat to power at worst. Likewise, 
  should those in the lower classes discover the child’s true 
  nature, they may react with envy or scorn, and even long-
  time friends may show their true colors when they find 
  out that a child of noble (and likely wealthy) circumstance 
  walks among them.
  While far from what people generally think of when 
  the word “bastard” is thrown around, there are those who 
  by circumstance are treated with the same derision with 
  which people treat bastards. Oracles may be shunned 
  for their strange powers, while the unwitting victims of 
  curses may find that parents herd their children across 
  the street just to avoid accidental contact. Those suffering 
  the scars and signs of disease—such as the feared and 
  hated mutants of the Mana Wastes—are often disdained 
  by an uncaring humanoid populace even after the disease 
  itself has run its course.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  The next eight pages cover four character themes that 
  epitomize what it means to be of strange or dubious birth. 
  The four themes include the celebrity, whose unnatural 
  traits mark her as a target of both celebration and jealousy 
  in her community; the illegitimate, who must tackle 
  scorn and shame to overcome his ignoble parentage; the 
  outcast, loathed so much that he is ostracized or outright 
  banished by his peers; and the unfortunate, a figure 
  regarded with such awe or fear that she is shunned by all.
  While the character themes on the following pages 
  represent the most common or accessible concepts 
  involved when playing a bastard, countless other 
  circumstances and traits are possible. The following are 
  two other themes related to unusual origin and social 
  mistreatment; each includes a new social trait tied to 
  these themes.
  the harBinger
  Particularly in rural settlements far off the beaten path, 
  townsfolk sometimes believe that a child born under an 
  unusual omen is destined for greatness. Such a birth 
  might coincide with a unique alignment of celestial 
  bodies, the eruption of a long-dormant volcano, the 
  death of a local hero, or other mysterious events. This fate 
  brings with it a life of harsh expectations and sometimes 
  persecution by those who believe the harbinger to be a 
  threat to the established order. Harbingers may take the 
  following social trait.
  Marked by Unknown Forces (Social): That which has 
  marked you for power has also given you proof to show 
  others. You may cast light three times per day as a spell-
  like ability, but this ability only targets the palm of your 
  hand, and it manifests as a glowing sigil representing 
  your ominous birth—a holy or unholy symbol, a demonic 
  symbol, or perhaps some other distinctive marking 
  established by you and your GM. Those who recognize 
  this symbol have a starting attitude toward you of one 
  step closer to friendly (if they are followers of or scholars 
  studying the sign) or one step closer to hostile (if they are 
  opposed to the sign or its followers).
  the intermediarY
  Those whose parents come from warring nations, 
  disparate tribes, or feuding families suffer a burden 
  similar to that of those born from two races. While 
  these bastards have the potential to be peacemakers or 
  mediators for their ancestors’ peoples, they must first 
  deal with a life of prejudice and watch as they and their 
  parents are despised as deceivers or even traitors. Such 
  children are often treated as having the worst aspects 
  of both of their parents’ cultures and are granted the 
  benefits and privileges of neither. Intermediaries may 
  take the following social trait.
  Heart of Two Worlds (Social): Born into a world split in 
  twain, you are particularly skilled at understanding and 
  empathizing with those around you. You gain a +2 trait 
  bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks involving 
  creatures that belong to the same race (or, if human, 
  ethnicity) as your mother or father.
  BASTARDS IN YOUR GAME
  Unless otherwise specified, the character options 
  presented throughout the second half of this book may 
  be taken by any character of dubious or irregular origin 
  (not only half-elves, half-orcs, and other half-human 
  characters), and the resources herein are designed to 
  help you create a compelling character whose tragic past 
  drove him or her toward adventure. Before developing 
  your character’s backstory, make sure to discuss with your 
  GM how much you and your group wish to incorporate 
  the themes of bastardy and illegitimacy into your game, 
  since these sensitive topics may not be appropriate for 
  all players.
  19
  
  THE CELEBRITY
  Envied, idolized, and overwhelmed
  CHARACTER SUGGESTIONS
  Classes bards, oracles, paladins, sorcerers
  Races aasimars, geniekin, half-elves, humans
  ROLEPLAYING SUGGESTIONS
  Adversaries Rejected lovers, overshadowed friends, and 
  jealous rivals all may have reason to scorn the celebrity.
  Allies Celebrities’ supporters are often allies only on the 
  surface, though some may find honest friends in those who 
  are downtrodden or hold no aspirations. Spoiled celebrities 
  might seek to be surrounded only by those who hold a 
  similarly elevated status.
  Personality The celebrity may be gregarious or soft-
  spoken, but either way she’s often charismatic. 
  Always performing, she has learned to keep a 
  constant front and appear as others expect.
  Regions Andoran, Kyonin, Mendev
  Religions Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Desna, 
  Iomedae, Norgorber, Sarenrae
  Children born from unusual pairings 
  or supernatural circumstances are 
  often celebrated from birth by not just 
  their families, but also the community 
  at large. They’re cherished and raised 
  by loving parents, groomed by all those 
  around them, and given opportunities 
  that others rarely have. 
  On the surface, such a fate may seem 
  enviable—celebrities can expect fame and 
  indulgence wherever they go. However, 
  they often also find themselves quickly 
  buried under insurmountable pressures 
  and crushing expectations. An aasimar 
  must never lose her temper, no matter 
  the circumstances. A half-elf can 
  never stumble or miss a shot with 
  his bow. They must always appear to 
  be perfect, lest they disappoint the 
  admirers who could so easily turn 
  on them.
  In addition to the pressure of 
  living up to others’ unrealistic 
  expectations, celebrities must 
  often contend with rivals and 
  overzealous 
  admirers. 
  Jilted 
  followers and spurned suitors 
  who feel bitter and betrayed 
  can 
  create 
  frightening—if 
  not downright dangerous—
  disputes, and many others scorn 
  the celebrity for being born with the gifts and privileges 
  that they themselves had to work hard for all their lives.
  All said, though, many such characters love the 
  preferential treatment and status that comes with being 
  a celebrity. For every one that sees her circumstance as a 
  curse, there’s another who wouldn’t want any other life.
  CELEBRITIES ON GOLARION
  No settlement is too small to adopt its own celebrities, 
  and wherever a remarkable figure appears, there can 
  be little doubt that fawning or covetous admirers will 
  follow. In the frozen north, a half-elf descended from 
  Ulfen or Erutaki and Snowcaster elf blood may be 
  heralded as proof that the two races can indeed 
  live in harmony, and be held up as a peacemaker 
  between these two peoples (even though the 
  reality is much harsher). Grandstanding leaders 
  sometimes hold half-orc families in Lastwall 
  in a similarly high regard, heralding them 
  as evidence that love can prove stronger than 
  hatred in this threatened land.
  Farther east, Mendevian crusaders praise 
  the rare aasimars born there as scions of 
  the divine, raising these individuals to be 
  holy warriors along the front line of their 
  battles against the Worldwound. At the same 
  time, tieflings are viewed as a mixed blessing 
  among the slave camps of the Worldwound, 
  and those tieflings who prove vile and adept 
  enough to join the demonic horde’s ranks are 
  trained from an early age to slay crusading 
  knights and would-be do-gooders, serving as 
  icons of the demonic cause.
  Isolated tribes in the vastness of Qadira 
  view the birth of a sylph or other geniekin as 
  a blessing from the supernatural forces of the 
  desert, while in Thuvia sulis are particularly 
  respected for their ability to assuage ill 
  feelings between opposing tribes.
  Celebrities are often drawn to religion as 
  a way to keep up appearances. An aasimar 
  might follow Iomedae or Erastil, ostensibly 
  because those deities are paragons of good, 
  but in her heart she may only be going 
  through the motions to appease those 
  around her. Some celebrities even revere 
  chaotic or evil deities in private, including 
  Calistria or the Reaper of Reputation 
  aspect of Norgorber. This is particularly 
  true for those who feel like they’re living a 
  lie, and at least want to be honest to their 
  patron god or goddess.
  the CeLeBritY
  Figure oF renown
  20
  
  TRAITS
  Celebrities may choose from the following traits.
  Overwhelming Beauty (Magic): Your wiles are 
  particularly potent against people who share a race 
  with you, as your beauty is often held up as a symbol 
  of perfection. The DC of your mind-affecting effects 
  increases by 1 against creatures that have at least one of 
  the same subtypes as you.
  Signature Moves (Social): You’re known for some 
  unique item that has become your trademark. Your 
  starting equipment includes a single masterwork item 
  worth less than 900 gp, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on 
  Bluff and Intimidate checks while wielding this item in 
  one or both hands.
  EXAMPLE BACKGROUNDS
  The following background generator can be used to 
  inspire fitting backstories for characters whose past 
  marked them as celebrities.
  d8 
  Background
  1 
  Blood of Heroes: Your family can trace its lineage 
  back through the ages to famed spellcasters and 
  renowned warriors of ancient times, and many 
  expect you to follow in your ancestors’ glorious 
  footsteps and achieve similar feats.
  2 
  Holy One: A fateful birth granted you near-saintly 
  status among your townsfolk, and you were 
  quickly pushed into the church. You’re expected to 
  be a pillar of the light, and ailing people from all 
  walks seek your divine grace—healing the sick, 
  combating evil, and living piously as an example to 
  others of the faith.
  3 
  Marked by Beauty: You inherited only the most 
  enviable aspects of your parents, and constantly 
  draw unwanted attention from potential lovers and 
  jilted suitors, making it hard to know who to trust.
  4 
  Prodigal Child: Perhaps you were an heir to royalty, 
  or your birth came about during a blessed time for 
  the people of your village. Regardless, because of 
  the circumstances of your birth, you were given 
  chance after chance. Whether you sought a less-
  forgiving reality or finally ran out of social credit, 
  adventuring was the only path left for you to walk.
  5 
  Scion of Greatness: Your parents were important 
  people in the settlement in which you were raised, 
  and many hold you to preconceived standards 
  because of this, frowning on attempts to step out of 
  these famous shadows and become known for your 
  own accomplishments.
  6 
  Talented: You have always been gifted with 
  remarkable skills. A beautiful voice, deft fingers, 
  or a fast draw have made you a figure of regard in 
  your community, and you are constantly pushed 
  into the limelight—whether you like it or not.
  7 
  Touched by the Gods: A strange birthmark, storms 
  in the heavens, or some other earth-shaking event 
  heralded your birth. You’ve been told you are 
  destined for greatness, and now you seek a trial by 
  fire to test whether others’ faith in you is justified.
  8 
  Unwitting Philanthropist: A few kind deeds 
  quickly marked you as one who would always be 
  there for others, but the constant pressure to do 
  right and aid the needy doesn’t quite mesh with 
  your broader goals.
  DANGEROUS HABITS
  The pressure to maintain an image that isn’t truly one’s 
  own can push many celebrities toward dangerous or 
  even life-threatening habits—such as unhealthy diets, 
  hazardous acts, or noxious drugs. The latter habit is 
  particularly prevalent in communities that shower 
  their celebrities with fortune and expect moving 
  performances in return. Many tangle-tongued or stage-
  frightened celebrities also turn toward performance-
  enhancing drugs as a last resort.
  In addition to concoctions such as elven absinthe 
  and harlot sweets, the following drugs are but two of 
  the best-known substances in the Inner Sea region 
  frequently employed by overworked performers, famed 
  personalities, and renowned social lions.
  Felwil: The gnome prima donnas of Wispil in Taldor are 
  thought to be the inventors of this mild, dizzying powder, 
  but its use has spread throughout much of southern 
  Avistan. Once taken, this sparkling, honeydew-colored 
  inhalant gives the user a euphoric sensation that can 
  quickly become overwhelming and even sickening. While 
  the long-term effects are relatively minor, few except the 
  hardy care to risk stomaching this toxin.
  FELWIL
  Type inhaled; Addiction minor, Fortitude DC 13
  Price 20 gp
  Effect 1 hour; +1d2 alchemical bonus to Charisma, 
  –2 penalty on saves against illusions
  Effect after 1 hour; 75% chance to become sickened for 
  1d4 hours
  Damage 1d2 Wis damage
  Silvertongue: The potent performance enhancer known 
  as silvertongue is a sweet alchemical elixir with a 
  metallic aftertaste. A single dose loosens the lips and 
  sharpens the wit. More than one begins to mark the user, 
  and frequent use causes the imbiber’s gums and tongue 
  to take on a silvery sheen that advertises her habit.
  SILVERTONGUE
  Type ingested; Addiction moderate, Fortitude DC 16
  Price 75 gp
  Effect 1 hour; +1d2 alchemical bonus to Charisma
  Effect 1d4 hours; +2 alchemical bonus on saves against 
  mind-affecting effects
  Damage 1d4 Con damage 
  21
  
  THE ILLEGITIMATE
  Disgraced, persecuted, and slandered
  CHARACTER SUGGESTIONS
  Classes barbarians, fighters, rogues, sorcerers
  Races fetchlings, geniekin, humans, half-elves, half-orcs, tieflings
  ROLEPLAYING SUGGESTIONS
  Adversaries Illegitimates are never short on rivals. Whether 
  they face hateful stepparents or rumormongers throughout 
  town, illegitimates always fight an uphill battle for acceptance.
  Allies Illegitimates often cling to one another as well as to any 
  others who have known a life of shame.
  Personality Illegitimates realize their place at an early age and 
  soon learn to keep to themselves. Most aren’t satisfied with 
  their lot, and jump at the chance to escape their fate.
  Regions Galt, Isger, Kyonin, Nirmathas, the Shackles
  Religions Asmodeus, Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Shelyn
  To be an illegitimate means more than just being born 
  out of wedlock; it also means experiencing the contempt 
  of those who view one as strange, inferior, or despicable. 
  An illegitimate character might be as simple as a 
  human of mixed ethnicity with a disapproving, bigoted 
  stepparent. A half-elf raised in a community where non-
  humans are gossiped about and talked down to likewise 
  qualifies as an illegitimate, as does an ifrit whose human 
  community was decimated by efreeti long ago and whose 
  peers frequently remind him of that fact. Regardless of 
  the specifics, an illegitimate’s upbringing is universally 
  marked by shame, scorn, and disgrace.
  With constant reminders of their dubious birth and 
  scandalous parents, many illegitimates develop thick 
  skins and quiet dispositions. These characters typically 
  deal with being treated as second-class citizens for 
  their entire lives—from being bullied as children 
  to being denied opportunities as adults. This makes 
  many illegitimates slow to trust, with attitudes toward 
  newcomers ranging from cold to outright hostile. Once 
  a newfound ally has earned an illegitimate’s friendship 
  though, she’s typically earned it for life, since illegitimates 
  are unlikely to turn down someone they’ve finally come 
  to trust. Of course, if that trust is ever broken, such a 
  person hasn’t just lost a friend, but has also gained an 
  enemy whose vengeance will know no limit.
  Illegitimates constantly strive to overcome their 
  shameful past, often by committing themselves to 
  dangerous or impressive arts and careers. Many flee 
  their homes in search of gold and glory, eager to bring 
  back a dragon’s head or a similarly prestigious trophy 
  to show their peers their worth. Less noble pursuits are 
  also common—just as many illegitimates fall into lives 
  of crime or cruelty, seeking to inflict on others the same 
  misfortunes they felt in their formative years. Either 
  way, many of these lamentable characters have little 
  problem fleeing their hometowns in search of grander 
  prospects; most travel far, far away, where none know of 
  their disgrace.
  Illegitimates often have many foes while growing 
  up. Such domestic villains might include slighted 
  half-siblings or even hateful parents or stepparents. 
  Illegitimates who fall in love risk reprisal from 
  their lovers’ (or would-be-lovers’) family and friends, 
  who are insulted by such desires. Likewise, they make 
  convenient targets for those who simply need someone 
  to bully to show dominance. A childhood full of being 
  browbeaten and persecuted rarely makes for a friendly 
  and open adult. But while some illegitimates might pick 
  up the prejudices of their upbringing, they’re often more 
  understanding when they see other victims of the same 
  unfair judgments they themselves experienced.
  the iLLegitimate
  inheritor oF Shame
  22
  
  ILLEGITIMATES ON GOLARION
  Many nations around the Inner Sea stigmatize people 
  born out of wedlock or whose parents are disagreeable 
  for whatever reason. For decades, the city of Erages in 
  Kyonin (see pages 8–9) was used primarily for offloading 
  the half-elven progeny of elven nobility. To the west, 
  generations of Isgeri children were orphaned after losing 
  their parents to the Goblinblood Wars, and those children 
  are despised for being burdens on others. Indeed, the 
  violent parts of the world—Galt with its constant bloody 
  revolutions, Ustalav with its plagues of horrors, and even 
  Lastwall with its efforts against the orcs of Belkzen—are 
  all hotbeds for illegitimates.
  Religion is often a natural draw for the illegitimates of 
  the Inner Sea, particularly for those raised in orphanages 
  operated by churches. For example, Asmodeans control 
  many of the orphanages within war-torn Isger. Vengeful 
  illegitimates with their minds set on retribution, 
  however, might instead worship Calistria, goddess of 
  revenge. Many parentless bastards flock to the Shackles 
  in search of fame and fortune, and there some find solace 
  by offering prayers to the Pirate Queen Besmara.
  TRAITS
  Illegitimates may choose from the following traits.
  Chip on the Shoulder (Social): When someone pushes 
  you, you push back. Whenever a creature fails an 
  Intimidate check against you, you gain a +2 trait bonus 
  on your next Intimidate check against that creature. 
  Intimidate becomes a class skill for you.
  Doublespeak (Social): It isn’t what you say—it’s how 
  you say it. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks to 
  pass along secret messages.
  EXAMPLE BACKGROUNDS
  The following background generator can be used to 
  inspire a fitting backstory for a character whose past 
  marked him as an illegitimate.
  d8 
  Background
  1 
  Barren Birth: Your parents tried long and hard 
  to have a child, and nothing came of it for years. 
  They finally managed to have you, but there are 
  questions about how. Whether you had another 
  father or mother, or you were conceived with the 
  help of otherworldly beings, few allow you to 
  forget your strange conception.
  2 
  Black Sheep: You’ve always been different from 
  your siblings; even if people are too polite to talk 
  about it, everyone knows why. Your family always 
  kept you at a distance, like a stranger in their home, 
  which forever marked you as the odd one out.
  3 
  Broken Oath: One (or both) of your parents was 
  once a noble knight or tranquil monk, but those 
  most sacred vows were broken in the name of 
  love. You were born from those broken sacraments, 
  and are walking evidence of spiritual weakness.
  4 
  Child of Passion: You’re the product of a night of 
  bliss paid with coin. Before your mother knew she 
  was pregnant, though, your father moved on—
  perhaps boarding a ship or joining a caravan, or 
  taking some more mysterious departure. You have 
  very few clues as to the truth of your parentage.
  5 
  Dirty Laundry: Your family is no stranger to 
  scandal, but you’re its biggest one by far. You 
  don’t look anything like one of your parents, and 
  speculations run rampant as to whom your true 
  ancestor might really be.
  6 
  Extended Family: You were raised by a member 
  of your extended family. An aunt, uncle, or 
  grandparent took you in, and never let you forget 
  it, constantly talking down your true parents and 
  harshly punishing you for their indiscretions.
  7 
  Orphaned: One or both of your parents are unknown 
  to you, and you’ve lived all your life with foster 
  parents, in orphanages, or on the streets. Whether 
  you’re determined to track down your missing 
  lineage or you’ve long made peace with unanswered 
  questions, your unenviable fate has branded you.
  8 
  Telltale Sign: Others can see the stain of another 
  race on you—maybe by your eyes, your skin, or 
  stranger signs still. Whether you look away and 
  avoid trouble or stare challengingly into others’ 
  faces, you know that others are always judging you.
  TRUST NO ONE
  The following new feats complement the illegitimate 
  character theme.
  BETRAYING BLOW (COMBAT)
  When you break an alliance, you make sure it’s broken 
  for good.
  Prerequisites: Solo Maneuvers, base attack bonus +8.
  Benefit: Whenever you use a melee attack to deal 
  nonlethal damage to a creature that only you threaten, 
  roll a Bluff check opposed by your opponent’s Sense 
  Motive check. You deal an additional amount of nonlethal 
  damage equal to 1/2 the difference between your Bluff 
  check and your opponent’s Sense Motive check (minimum 
  0). If your opponent has an attitude of friendly or helpful 
  toward you (including temporarily due to Intimidate 
  checks, charm person, and similar effects), you instead 
  deal an amount of extra nonlethal damage equal to the 
  difference between your checks. Regardless, the amount 
  of extra nonlethal damage you deal with this feat cannot 
  exceed your Hit Dice.
  SOLO MANEUVERS (COMBAT)
  You fight best when you’re on your own.
  Benefit: Whenever you are the only one threatening 
  an opponent, you gain a +1 bonus on combat maneuvers 
  against that creature and a +1 bonus to CMD against 
  combat maneuvers made by that creature.
  23
  
  THE OUTCAST
  Abandoned, feared, forlorn
  CHARACTER SUGGESTIONS
  Classes barbarians, druids, oracles, sorcerers, witches
  Races dhampirs, fetchlings, half-orcs, skinwalkers, tieflings
  ROLEPLAYING SUGGESTIONS
  Adversaries Outcasts find few people who aren’t their 
  enemies. Alone against the world, they must view 
  everything and everyone as a potential threat.
  Allies Winning over an outcast is a challenge. Others usually have 
  to shed blood for the outcast’s benefit to prove their friendship.
  Personality Alternatingly withdrawn and hostile, outcasts  
   
  realize at an early age that they must be self-reliant if they 
  are to survive.
  Regions Cheliax, Mana Wastes, Osirion, Qadira, Ustalav
  Religions Asmodeus, Calistria, Lamashtu, Rovagug, 
  Zon-Kuthon, shamanism
  Outcasts are reviled for the crime of being born different, 
  whether that means possessing powers others don’t 
  understand or revealing a clearly inhuman ancestry. They 
  suffer slings and arrows in a more literal sense than most 
  other bastards, and are treated with cruelty and scorn 
  wherever they go. Because of this, many outcasts learn 
  violence at a young age, which they use against either their 
  human aggressors or the myriad dangers they must face 
  on the outskirts of civilization. Because most have known 
  only hatred their entire lives, outcasts are perhaps the 
  most likely bastards to integrate contemplated acts of evil 
  into their ways of life.
  Accustomed to unfair circumstances, outcasts likely to 
  show defeated demeanors, and those who don’t are often 
  driven to rebel, fighting what they see as oppression and 
  injustice. Outcasts know the value of the fear they inspire in 
  others, and use it as a weapon against their enemies. A well-
  placed growl from a burly half-orc can stop fights before 
  they start, and a tiefling can quickly command respect if he 
  marks himself with robes or scars as a cleric of Asmodeus.
  Outcasts are loners by definition, but many adopt a 
  family of some sort or another. In lands where a great 
  number of people are cast from the safety of society, 
  outcasts might find comfort in others like themselves, 
  forming bands of exiles who faced similar fates. Where 
  banishment is uncommon, an outcast might flee to the 
  heart of the wilderness and make peace with the beasts or 
  nature spirits that dominate such wild realms.
  OUTCASTS ON GOLARION
  With its penchant for producing the strange and the 
  supernatural, the world of Golarion gives rise to many 
  people who are deemed outcasts by their peers. Though 
  tieflings are viewed with suspicion the world over, such 
  scorn is seen no more clearly than in diabolic Cheliax, where 
  their kind are frequently met with disdain and even outright 
  violence at times. Half-orcs, dhampirs, and skinwalkers are 
  abhorred in the areas in and around the Hold of Belkzen and 
  Ustalav, reminders of the vicious marauders who present a 
  constant danger or as representatives of the terrors that lurk 
  in the night. Even aasimars might face suspicion in places 
  like Rahadoum, where patriots may fear that they worship 
  their celestial progenitors, or in devil-ruled Cheliax, where 
  citizens have long forsaken celestial affiliations in favor of 
  diabolical powers. Wherever fear and prejudice take hold 
  around the Inner Sea, outcasts follow in its wake.
  the outCaSt
  BaniShed From Birth
  24
  
  TRAITS
  Outcast characters may choose from the following traits.
  Friends in Low Places (Social): Outcasts know their own, 
  and that knowledge opens doors and loosens tongues. 
  Gathering information in lower quarters, such as vice 
  dens and poorer districts, takes you 1d2 hours (instead 
  of 1d4 hours). In addition, the attitudes of any destitute 
  or impoverished NPCs you interact with begin one step 
  closer to helpful.
  Improvised Defense (Combat): You’re never defenseless, 
  even when you are caught off guard. Whenever you wield 
  an improvised weapon, you gain a +1 shield bonus to AC. 
  If you use the improvised weapon to attack, you lose this 
  shield bonus until the beginning of your next turn.
  EXAMPLE BACKGROUNDS
  The following background generator can be used to 
  inspire a fitting backstory for characters whose pasts 
  marked them as outcasts.
  d8 
  Background
  1 
  Bad Blood: Whether the town you were born in 
  doesn’t care for “your kind” or other members of 
  your family have somehow earned the enmity 
  of the community, the sins of your parents sit 
  squarely on your shoulders.
  2 
  Child of Nature: Driven out at a young age, you 
  learned to make your own way in the wilderness. 
  Solitary except for the animals and spirits of the 
  wild, you’ve had little contact with other people, 
  and feel you don’t really need them.
  3 
  Disgraced Heir: You are the destined heir to a 
  line of nobility—or at least you were, before your 
  jealous sibling saw to it that you were defamed 
  and banished from your homeland forever. You’ve 
  since sworn to seek revenge on your treacherous 
  kin and prove your right to rule.
  4 
  Enemy of the Faith: When the rest of your devout 
  hometown learned of your divergent beliefs, they 
  deemed you a heretic. You’ve given up both friends 
  and safety for your faith, and now aim to spread 
  your doctrine to those who will listen.
  5 
  History of Violence: Abusive guardians, bullies, or 
  gangs made violence a prominent part of your life 
  from a young age, and when you grew older, you 
  were exiled because of your rageful tendencies 
  and violent responses.
  6 
  Mercenary Outcast: Many communities are quick 
  to welcome you when they need your specialized 
  skills, only to drive you away when the danger has 
  passed. You’ve learned to ask for payment up-front 
  when dealing with those who seek to use you at 
  their convenience.
  7 
  Suspicious Scars: Wherever you go, people are 
  suspicious of you and the scars you carry on 
  your face and body. Because you look the part, 
  people often assume you are the cause of their 
  tribulations, and you are rarely given the benefit of 
  the doubt.
  8 
  Vile Reputation: Some heinous act or appalling 
  imputation from your past has marked you 
  forever as a thief, a killer, or something far worse. 
  Regardless of whether you were convicted or even 
  whether you were actually guilty, the stink of 
  shame won’t scrub off your skin.
  BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
  Outcasts must often resort to underhanded and downright 
  treacherous tactics in order to survive the wilds—as well 
  as the attacks of those who despise them. The following 
  new feats complement the outcast character theme.
  DIRTY TRICK MASTER (COMBAT)
  You are adept at stifling your enemies and can expertly 
  make a bad situation even worse.
  Prerequisites: Greater Dirty Trick, Improved Dirty Trick, 
  base attack bonus +11.
  Benefit: Whenever you successfully perform a dirty trick 
  combat maneuver against an opponent who is still affected 
  by a condition inflicted by a previous dirty trick (whether 
  your own or another creature’s), you can cause the 
  condition to worsen. In addition to increasing the duration 
  of the condition as normal, you cause an opponent who is 
  dazzled to become dazed, entangled to become pinned, 
  shaken to become frightened, and sickened to become 
  nauseated. This worsened condition replaces the previous 
  dirty trick condition, and lasts for the duration of the dirty 
  trick (including any rounds remaining from the previous 
  dirty trick condition) or until the opponent uses a standard 
  action to remove the condition (whichever comes first).
  DIVERT HARM (COMBAT)
  You know how to throw your enemies into harm’s way at 
  the last second.
  Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise, base attack 
  bonus +6, evasion class feature.
  Benefit: Whenever you are the target of an area-
  of-effect attack that normally deals half damage on a 
  successful Reflex save (such as a fireball spell or dragon’s 
  breath weapon), you may, as an immediate action, wrestle 
  an adjacent foe into harm’s way. This does not alter the 
  position of you or your opponent, but your opponent must 
  attempt a Reflex save against the attack in your place. If 
  your opponent fails, it takes half damage from the attack 
  and you take none; if it succeeds, it takes no damage 
  and you take damage as normal as though you’d failed 
  your saving throw (though this damage is still reduced 
  by abilities such as improved evasion). This feat works 
  even if the opponent was already in the affected area 
  of the attack (so it is possible that an unlucky opponent 
  could take as much as 1-1/2 times the damage normally 
  possible from the attack). You can use this ability only on a 
  foe within one size category of yourself.
  25
  
  THE UNFORTUNATE
  Cursed, marginalized, reviled
  CHARACTER SUGGESTIONS
  Classes bards, oracles, rogues, sorcerers, summoners, witches
  Races changelings, dhampirs, fetchlings, geniekin, humans, 
  skinwalkers, tieflings
  ROLEPLAYING SUGGESTIONS
  Adversaries An unfortunate’s enemies come from higher 
  echelons of society—those in power maintain an order that 
  marginalizes the less privileged.
  Allies Unfortunates often find allies amid the shunned or 
  among outsiders who fail to realize the unfortunate’s 
  detestable status.
  Personality Forever forced to watch from the outskirts of 
  society, unfortunates are often quiet and observant, and 
  many are more thoughtful than they seem.
  Regions Cheliax, Mana Wastes, Mwangi Expanse, Nidal, 
  Qadira, Ustalav
  Religions Lamashtu, Nethys, Pharasma, Urgathoa, Zon-Kuthon, 
  various demon lords and empyreal lords
  Within many superstitious locales, especially those 
  ruled by a tightly controlled religious hierarchy, there 
  live individuals who are accepted as being less while 
  still being deemed necessary because of the role they 
  fulfill or the duties they perform. These people are 
  unfortunates. For some, it’s their social status and 
  profession that make them unfortunate—many 
  lowly butchers, gravediggers, executioners, latrine 
  cleaners, leatherworkers, and prostitutes are 
  treated as unfortunates in some societies, 
  disdained by the rest of the community in 
  which they live. For others though, being 
  an unfortunate might just be the result of a 
  circumstance of birth.
  Of all the types of bastards covered in 
  this book, unfortunates can be represented 
  by the greatest variety of races. A human 
  with numerous deformities or unusual 
  physical traits might be considered an 
  unfortunate, and such holds doubly 
  true if her parents are also 
  unfortunates. 
  The 
  same 
  fate often falls on the 
  shoulders of those 
  individuals birthed 
  from one or more 
  monstrous parents: 
  half-orcs, dhampirs, 
  tieflings, fetchlings, 
  changelings, and other 
  humanoid half-breeds 
  are often relegated to a less-than-human standing in 
  human-run societies. 
  In lands where their kind represent a sizable minority, 
  unfortunates frequently band together and form 
  alliances, knowing full well the power of numbers. Such 
  unfortunates almost always meet in secret, since being 
  seen consorting with others in public would arouse the 
  suspicion and ire of the social elites who aim to keep 
  unfortunates subordinate. Known wererats and their 
  skinwalker ancestors, for example, are often hated and 
  feared by the surrounding human communities, and 
  many go so far as to form entire hidden communities with 
  their cursed brethren.
  In less metropolitan places, unfortunates might grow up 
  completely alone, surrounded by many but acknowledged 
  by none. Higher-ranking citizens rarely interact with 
  unfortunates for fear of acquiring the same status or 
  being afflicted with whatever fell power taints the bastard. 
  Those brave few who do shun social norms to meet with 
  unfortunates typically do so in secret. Rarely do allies—
  even those who see past unfortunates’ unusual nature—
  dare to publicly acknowledge members of this caste.
  Yet for all their social handicaps, some unfortunates 
  wield considerable power in relation to the outside world, 
  for they can inspire dread with a simple touch and 
  their words are sometimes regarded as just short of 
  divine. They are often thought to possess eldritch 
  mystical powers, even in regions where arcane 
  and divine magic are known and understood. 
  In regions where stories of hags and their 
  dastardly changeling brood are common, 
  all orphaned or abandoned children 
  might be considered unfortunate. In 
  these lands, few are willing to harbor 
  such cursed beings, but fewer still 
  would risk arousing the ire of those 
  witches who supposedly left the children 
  in the first place. So these unfortunates 
  go untended and uncared for—left to live 
  among the streets and slums.
  Those who were in fact born with strange 
  or unknowable powers often learn 
  to use such superstitions to their 
  advantage—witches with black 
  cats, blind oracles who spout 
  prophecy, and sorcerers with 
  the flesh of dragons inspire fear 
  and revulsion in many places, but 
  they might be subject to less overt 
  bullying and harm because others 
  fear the vengeance they could take using 
  their supernatural abilities.
  the unFortunate
  miSunderStood monSter
  26
  
  UNFORTUNATES ON GOLARION
  In a world so rife with danger and mystique, unfortunates 
  are virtually inevitable in many societies. This can be 
  seen in northern Varisia, where Shoanti who violate the 
  traditions or mores of their tribe are exiled or pushed 
  into the lowliest ranks of the tribe. Similarly, the families 
  of violently slain martyrs and revolutionaries in Galt 
  must hide or be persecuted, and few wish to help such 
  unfortunates for fear of the implications that might arise. 
  To the south, lands afflicted with primal energies in 
  the Mwangi Expanse and the Mana Wastes spawn many 
  unfortunates, often resulting from deathly maladies or 
  terrible curses that range from leprosy to mana fever—a 
  magical disease that mutates those who survive its touch. 
  Those unfortunates whose neighbors and kin have 
  abandoned them sometimes appeal to the gods for mercy. 
  Unfortunates who make their homes beneath the stars 
  may call on Desna for luck, while those who handle the 
  dead might worship Pharasma in the hope that she will 
  help them find comfort among the departed.
  To be unfortunate isn’t always to be detestable—in 
  some circles, the most privileged or honored individuals 
  share a similar social function to unfortunates. This can 
  be seen in the monstrous societies formed by followers 
  of Lamashtu or Zon-Kuthon. The latter’s worshipers 
  sometimes take part in a wicked rite known as the 
  Joymaking, wherein devotees are ritualistically mutilated 
  to achieve a closer relationship to the Midnight Lord. 
  These “Joyful Things” scarcely resemble their former 
  selves, and are treated as if graced by the divine among 
  their compatriots.
  TRAITS
  Unfortunates may choose from the following traits.
  Cynical Ear (Social): Neither honeyed tongues or 
  righteous wrath move you much. Add 2 when determining 
  your Hit Dice for Intimidate checks, and increase the DC 
  or all Diplomacy checks against you by 2.
  Rest for the Wicked (Social): Often forced to go without 
  food or stimulation for days at a time, you have learned to 
  use prolonged sleep as a means of escape and a way to heal 
  your wounds. You heal temporary ability damage at a rate 
  of 3 points per day of complete bed rest. A normal night 
  of rest (8 hours) still heals you at a rate of only 1 point of 
  temporary ability damage per night of rest.
  EXAMPLE BACKGROUNDS
  The following background generator can be used to 
  inspire a fitting backstory for a character whose past 
  marks her as an unfortunate.
  d8 
  Background
  1 
  Branded: You bear a distinctive and shameful 
  brand. Whether you were a slave, you broke the 
  law, or you simply committed the crime of being 
  born into a certain family or tribe, you’ve been 
  irrevocably marked as lesser by your peers.
  2 
  Deformed: When you pass by, few can forget 
  the sight. Whether you were born deformed or 
  made that way by steel or sorcery, you have some 
  prominent, repugnant physical feature.
  3 
  Mad: Madness carries a stigma all its own. Whether 
  you hear the voices of spirits, suffer terrible 
  nightmares, or occasionally become another person 
  altogether, you’re given a wide berth by those who 
  don’t see what you see or hear what you hear.
  4 
  Outlander: The place you reside isn’t your home. 
  Whether you actually came from somewhere else 
  or your family belongs to a minority within the 
  community, the place where you live treats your 
  kind as second-class citizens without the same 
  rights and benefits as natives.
  5 
  Scapegoat: No matter what happened where 
  you grew up, it was always your fault. People 
  considered you bad luck, and no one ever came too 
  close to you for fear it would rub off.
  6 
  Tainted: Perhaps your ancestors were infamous 
  demoniacs or diabolists, or maybe a great evil 
  befell your hometown the day you were born. 
  Either way, you are regarded as impure, and 
  people are afraid of what runs through your veins.
  7 
  Touched by the Gods: The gods move in 
  mysterious ways, and those ways often terrify 
  people who don’t understand them. Some feature 
  you bear—such as a unique facial scar or a ring of 
  light around your head—is clearly of divine origin, 
  and few are willing to test the will of the gods by 
  associating with you.
  8 
  Unclean: You spend your days in constant contact 
  with filth, either carrying the bodies of the dead 
  or trudging through the blood of animals in the 
  slaughterhouse. Respectable folk refuse to shake 
  your hand or even look you in the eye.
  SINGING YOUR CURSES
  The following bardic masterpiece is available to 
  unfortunate bards, and is often sung by the truncated 
  Kuthite horrors known as the Joyful Things.
  THE CANTICLE OF JOY (SING)
  Your haunting melody is capable of shattering the very 
  minds of those who hear it.
  Prerequisite: Perform (sing) 7 ranks.
  Cost: Feat or 3rd-level bard spell known.
  Effect: This agonizing eulogy gets into a listener’s 
  blood, and bestows on him the phantom sensation of 
  all the agonies suffered by Zon-Kuthon’s most pious 
  worshipers. One target within range is cursed as though 
  affected by bestow curse as long as the bard maintains 
  the performance. Although this lullaby does have words, 
  it is not a language-dependent effect.
  Use: 1 bardic performance round per round.
  Action: 1 round.
  27
  
  There are many races descended from humans and other 
  beings aside from the well-known half-orcs and half-elves. 
  Each of the following entries describes another half-human 
  race that can be found in the Inner Sea region, and provides 
  a new race trait for characters of that race. The inside front 
  cover of this book also features a visual representation of 
  the regions where these half-breeds are commonly found.
  AASIMARS
  Aasimars are considered blessed in good-aligned societies 
  such as Mendev or Andoran; aasimars who call these lands 
  home are given the benefit of the doubt whenever possible 
  and assumed to be good leaders. In places like Cheliax, 
  the Hold of Belkzen, Nex, and Nidal, however, aasimar 
  blood is a mark of shame, and they are called meddling, 
  judgmental, and alien. While it is difficult to predict where 
  aasimar blood may manifest, regions where reverence for 
  empyreal lords and celestials is common seem to attract 
  the grace of these heavenly beings. The nation of Tianjing 
  in Tian Xia, said to have been protected by celestials in 
  ancient times, is even peopled primarily by aasimars 
  (Pathfinder Player Companion: Dragon Empires Primer 19).
  Martyr’s Blood (aasimar): You carry the blood of a self-
  sacrificing celestial, and strive to live up to your potential 
  for heroism. As long as your current hit point total is less 
  than half of your maximum hit points possible, you gain 
  a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls against evil foes.
  CHANGELINGS
  Changelings are often disparaged as agents of evil hags, 
  perverted troublemakers, and weak links in the 
  social chain. Many are thus shamed into hiding 
  their origins, but some prefer to use their racial 
  reputations to their advantage by tricking 
  humans or leading monstrous cults.
  Creative Manipulator (changeling): Once 
  per day, you may reroll a Charisma check 
  you just made. You must take the result of the 
  second roll, even if it is worse.
  DHAMPIRS
  Dhampirs are most common in Ustalav, where they are 
  regarded with mingled suspicion and respect. Although 
  they most often serve as sycophants to dark forces or are 
  evil lords in their right, a few have proven themselves 
  capable hunters of evil monsters, perhaps out of a need to 
  prove that they are not controlled by their ancestry.
  Undead Slayer (dhampir): Filled with wrath against the 
  monsters whose unclean blood makes you an outcast, you 
  gain a +1 trait bonus on attack and damage rolls against 
  undead creatures.
  FETCHLINGS
  Fetchlings are well known in Nidal as children of the 
  Shadow Plane, meaning they are considered blessed by 
  Zon-Kuthon and favored as messengers of the Umbral 
  Court. Elsewhere, this same tie taints them in 
  the eyes of most humans, who are suspicious of 
  fetchlings’ motives.
  Adaptable Flatterer (fetchling): A life spent 
  avoiding racial mistrust has taught you to humor 
  others effectively when it is useful to do so. You gain 
  a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks and on attack rolls 
  against opponents who are denied their Dexterity 
  bonus to AC against you.
  other BaStardS
  28
  
  GENIEKIN
  Geniekin are those races descended from humans and 
  beings of elemental magic, namely genies and other 
  mysterious extraplanar forces. These races are most 
  numerous in Qadira, Osirion, and other lands that have 
  been touched by the power of the Elemental Planes.
  iFrits
  Ifrits are rarely able to hide their fiery elemental nature 
  completely, and so most of their kind instead choose to 
  revel in their differences. Typically descended from the 
  cruel efreet of the Elemental Plane of Fire, ifrits are 
  sometimes confused with tieflings, since both may have 
  seemingly fiendish features.
  Fiery Glare (ifrit): You can use your unearthly nature 
  to frighten others. You can always take 10 on Intimidate 
  checks, even in combat.
  oreads
  Humans tend to view oreads as useful workers or 
  administrators in highly structured positions of service to 
  the community, such as guard officer or village priest, but 
  rarely as people with their own hopes and feelings.
  Stoic Dignity (oread): You are an unmoving rock for 
  those who see you as an authority figure. As long as you are 
  conscious, you and all allies within 10 feet gain a +1 bonus 
  on saving throws against mind-affecting effects you are 
  not already suffering from. This is a trait bonus for you 
  and a morale bonus for your allies.
  sulis
  Descendants of janni and humans, the diplomatic and 
  even-tempered sulis possess no shortage of the elemental 
  power of their otherworldly progenitor. Humans think of 
  sulis as fascinatingly exotic and carefree, but always wonder 
  whether they have a secret agenda. Elves and gnomes 
  usually get along better with sulis, and grant them trust.
  Practiced Impression (suli): You traveled constantly in 
  your youth, and were forced to practice making a good 
  first impression until you could do so effortlessly. You 
  gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks made against 
  NPCs whom you have known for less than 1 hour.
  sYlphs
  Chelaxians, Galtans, Nidalese, and Taldans often hold 
  that sylphs should be considered spies for elemental 
  forces until proven otherwise, because of the ease with 
  which these flighty beings can appear human; this has 
  motivated sylphs traveling among humans in these lands 
  to hide their origins through mundane disguises or 
  makeup. Regardless, sylphs can never hide all aspects of 
  their elemental ancestry. Their passage is often marked by 
  gentle winds, a spike in ambient static electricity, or other 
  atmospheric anomalies.
  Aerial Observer (sylph): You are practiced at noticing 
  details from high up. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Perception 
  checks while you are at least 30 feet above ground level.
  undines
  Most of the nations around the Inner Sea think of undine 
  communities like isolated elven clans: useful in their 
  element and fair friends, but overly proud and callous 
  toward humans. Nevertheless, they respect undines’ 
  autonomy more so than that of other geniekin.
  Undine Loyalty (undine): You learned early on that 
  teamwork can help keep you safe from troublemakers. 
  Choose one teamwork feat (Pathfinder RPG Advanced 
  Player’s Guide 150) that requires an ally with the same 
  feat to be adjacent to you. You may benefit from that 
  teamwork feat as long as you have an ally within 10 feet of 
  you (though your ally does not benefit from the teamwork 
  feat unless it also has this trait or a similar ability).
  GILLMEN
  Gillmen are enigmatic children of the deep ocean with 
  rumored ties to ancient Azlant, making them objects of 
  curiosity throughout the Inner Sea region. Persistent 
  rumors of gillmen perpetrating sabotage and theft on 
  behalf of aboleth masters tinges others’ curiosity with 
  fear, however.
  Azlanti Inheritor (gillman): You have prominent 
  Azlanti features, which you can use to inspire confidence 
  in your allies. Whenever you use the aid another action 
  to aid an adjacent ally, increase the bonus you grant your 
  ally by 1. This is a trait bonus.
  SKINWALKERS
  The inheritors of the wild power of lycanthrope ancestors, 
  skinwalkers are widely feared everywhere in the Inner Sea 
  region except for the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. This 
  fear can turn violent in places recently plagued by violent 
  conflict with lycanthropes, such as parts of Andoran and 
  Ustalav. Conversely, Ulfen regard skinwalkers as beings 
  blessed with strength by the animal spirits, something 
  any warrior would envy. For more information on 
  skinwalkers, see page 6 of Pathfinder Player Companion: 
  Blood of the Moon.
  Curse in the Blood (skinwalker): You gain a +1 trait 
  bonus on saving throws against curses. You treat your 
  caster level as 1 higher when casting spells and spell-
  like abilities with the curse descriptor (Pathfinder RPG 
  Ultimate Magic 137, 251).
  TIEFLINGS
  Tieflings are looked down on as tainted in much of the 
  Inner Sea region, and are oft regarded as second-class 
  citizens. However, they are sometimes respected for 
  their otherworldly power among societies that revere evil 
  deities and demigods.
  Tempter’s Tongue (tiefling): The blood of crafty, 
  bargain-making fiends runs in your veins, and you have a 
  talent for brokering deals of your own. You gain a +1 trait 
  bonus on Diplomacy checks and on opposed Charisma 
  checks to influence creatures you have charmed (such as 
  with charm person).
  29
  
  More common than true half-humans are humans with 
  a distant elf, orc, or other non-human ancestor. For rules 
  purposes, nearly all humans with such distant heritages 
  are usually simply treated as if they were human, with none 
  of the racial traits of their non-human ancestors. Their 
  heritages instead manifest in subtler ways; for example, 
  sorcerers have enough magical blood to awaken and 
  color their spellcasting potential, but not enough to alter 
  their racial traits. However, some humans with distant 
  heritages do manifest traits of their non-human ancestor. 
  The following guidelines can be used to create human 
  characters with different types of distant heritages.
  CHARACTERS WITH DISTANT 
  HERITAGES
  Characters with diverse racial heritages can be created 
  by using the race builder rules found on page 214 of the 
  Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide. Simply begin with 9 
  Race Points (RP) and purchase racial traits appropriate for 
  the races that make up your heritage. For a typical human 
  with only one faint non-human heritage, it’s a simple 
  matter to remove one of the default human racial traits 
  that costs enough RP to purchase one or perhaps two 
  racial traits appropriate to the distant heritage. For a list 
  of all the standard human racial traits and their RP costs, 
  see the table below.
  human raCiaL traitS
  If your character’s racial heritage is more complicated, 
  consider spending proportionally as many points on a 
  race as the fraction of your character’s racial heritage it 
  represents. For example, a character who is one-eighth elf 
  and seven-eighths human might spend 1 or 2 RP on traits 
  typical of elves and the remaining points on traits typical 
  of humans or half-elves. A character who is one-eighth elf, 
  one-quarter orc, and the remainder human might spend 1 
  or 2 RP on elf racial traits, 2 or 3 RP on orc racial traits, and 
  the remainder on human racial traits. A character whose 
  racial heritage includes humanoids of varying races should 
  have all the racial subtypes appropriate to her heritage.
  Since racial traits can reflect the culture one is brought 
  up in, choosing those that fit with a character’s upbringing 
  and concept can yield better results than selecting a ratio 
  that strictly matches one’s racial heritages. For example, 
  the hatred, defensive training, and weapon familiarity 
  racial traits are all the result of culture and make sense 
  for any character raised in that culture. Conversely, racial 
  skill bonuses on Perception checks or saving throws often 
  are usually purely inborn, so under this approach you’d 
  select them only to represent a prominent manifestation 
  of the appropriate racial heritage.
  Once you have selected a set of racial traits, check with 
  your GM to verify that your customized race is acceptable 
  for play. Your GM will gauge whether this particular 
  combination of racial traits is too powerful or ineffective. 
  The following table lists the most common racial traits 
  exhibited by characters with a distant trace of each of the 
  listed racial heritages. These racial traits can be found in 
  Chapter 4 of the Advanced Race Guide or in the individual 
  diStant heritageS
  Racial Trait 
  RP
  Humanoid (human) 
  0
  Medium size 
  0
  Normal base speed 
  0
  Human ability scores 
  0
  Racial Trait 
  RP
  Linguist 
  1
  Flexible bonus feat 
  4
  Skilled 
  4
  30
  
  entries for these races in the appropriate source (denoted 
  beside the race). Of course, other racial traits might happen 
  to appear in a particular descendant of these races.
  COMMON FEATURES
  When humans manifest a trace of non-human blood, 
  the results are never entirely predictable, but any given 
  heritage is most often made apparent by one or two 
  distinctive qualities, either physical or mental (see the 
  inside back cover for more examples).
  Aasimar: Those with a hint of celestial blood often have 
  an imposing presence that melts instantly when they deem 
  it important to offer comfort to allies or the downtrodden.
  Changeling: Changeling forebears leave behind a legacy 
  of deception—simple appearances, commonly consisting 
  of gangling limbs and innocent facial features, paired 
  with a talent for manipulative magic and witchcraft that 
  often lives on even many generations later.
  Dhampir: Distant descendants of dhampirs commonly 
  retain their ancestors’ gluttonous thirst for bloodshed and 
  self-indulgence.
  Elf: Elven ancestry often gives humans green eyes and 
  a nagging sense of ennui best dealt with by passionately 
  indulging in beautiful and emotional life experiences.
  Fetchling: Humans with fetchling ancestry often have 
  dark hair and pale, ashen skin. Some display a talent for 
  mirroring the interests of those around them, making 
  them excellent listeners and giving them a relatively easy 
  time making friends. 
  Fey: Fey blood produces extreme features in humans, 
  resulting in individuals who are breathtakingly beautiful, 
  grotesquely hideous, or otherwise singularly memorable 
  in appearance.
  Gillman: Telltale signs of gillman ancestry in humans 
  include large eyes and one or more physical features 
  generally considered as being of Azlanti ancestry, notably 
  bright purple eyes. They are often naturally suspicious.
  Half-Dragon: The blood of dragons leaves a prominent 
  mark even after many generations. Humans with a distant 
  half-dragon heritage typically have big, prominent facial 
  features and sorcerous powers.
  Ifrit: Humans distantly descended from ifrits most 
  consistently retain their forebears’ fiery temperaments 
  or bronze complexions.
  Mongrelman: Mongrelmen in the family can produce 
  any of the other features mentioned on this list and many 
  more, but they also tend to lead to descendants with very 
  amiable attitudes and physical features that seem like a 
  strange match—such as big feet and small hands or one 
  arm visibly shorter than the other.
  Ogrekin: Ogrekin blood often manifests as an 
  alarmingly violent temper or a prominent birth defect 
  such as an oversized or undersized limb.
  Orc: Even distant orc heritage can give a grayish or 
  greenish cast to the skin, but more often it shows itself in 
  a preference for handling problems through the creative 
  application of force.
  Oread: Having a remote oread ancestor can give humans 
  thick frames and introverted personalities well suited to 
  crafts, administration, monastic life, or magical study.
  Skinwalker: A skinwalker among one’s ancestors can 
  lead to a natural preference for animal companionship, 
  along with a feature reminiscent of the werecreature to 
  which the ancestor had the strongest tie.
  Skum: Humans touched by skum blood, perhaps from 
  a progenitor who had children before changing into a true 
  skum, are often marked by a perverse fascination with the 
  sea and obscure history as well as a strange thickness of the 
  skin. Even distant descendants of skum have a small chance 
  of transforming into one if they’re exposed to the alien 
  magic that created the skum in the first place or return to 
  the spawning pool where their ancestors originated.
  Suli: Suli heritage among humans generally makes 
  itself known by an exceptional affinity for being exposed 
  to the elements and a powerful thirst to visit new places 
  and meet new people.
  Sylph: Humans with a trace of sylph heritage are noted 
  for their detachment verging on coldness and sometimes 
  curiosity verging on obsession.
  Tiefling: Even having distant tiefling ancestry can 
  produce one or two minor fiendish physical features, 
  such as a strange eye color or a single hoofed foot. 
  Humans with this ancestry tend to be creatively cautious 
  to the point of paranoia.
  Undine: An undine in the family tree most often instills 
  descendants with a sense of natural confidence and a 
  fondness for swimming.
  diStant heritage raCiaL traitS
  Heritage 
  Typical Racial Trait 
  RP Cost
  Aasimar 
  Skill bonus (Perception) 
  2
  ChangelingB4 
  Hag racial trait* 
  1
  DhampirB2 
  Light and dark 
  1
  Elf 
  Elven immunities 
  2
  FetchlingB2 
  Shadow resistance 
  2
  FeyB3 
  Spell-like ability, lesser (any) 
  1–2
  GillmanISWG 
  Enchantment resistance* 
  2
  Half-dragon 
  Paralysis and sleep immunity* 
  2
  IfritB2 
  Pyromaniac 
  3
  MongrelmanB2 
  Sound mimicry (voices)* 
  2
  OgrekinB2 
  Natural armor 
  2
  Orc 
  Orc ferocity 
  2
  OreadB2 
  Stonesinger 
  1
  SkinwalkerBOTM 
  Spell-like ability, lesser 
  1 
   
  (speak with animals)
  Skum 
  Natural armor 
  2
  SuliB3 
  Skill bonus (Diplomacy) 
  2
  SylphB2 
  Gliding wings 
  3
  Tiefling 
  Spell-like ability, lesser (darkness) 
  2
  UndineB2 
  Swim 
  2
  * These racial traits are based on monster abilities that can 
  be located in the source detailing the statistics of the 
  creature in question. The listed RP costs for these abilities 
  are subject to GM discretion.
  31
  
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  Double the options for your half-
  human hero with the new feats, 
  spells, racial traits, magic items, and 
  more in the Pathfinder RPG Advanced 
  Race Guide. Find additional details to 
  further flesh out bastards of any race!
  Unravel the mysteries of your half-orc’s 
  monstrous ancestors with Pathfinder 
  Player Companion: Orcs of Golarion. In 
  addition to rules for orcs and half-orcs 
  alike, this book features details on 
  dozens of orc tribes and settlements!
  Characters born of both humans 
  and other beings need not neglect 
  either side of their ancestry with 
  Pathfinder Player Companion: Humans 
  of Golarion—a perfect resource for 
  your half-human bastard!
  Embrace the powers of law, chaos, and equilibrium with Pathfinder Player Companion: 
  Champions of Balance! Pick from dozens of new options designed for neutral-aligned 
  characters—like new fighting techniques born of a moral harmony, magic 
  drawing upon the whole of the land and the planes, and ways to channel forces 
  of true law and chaos. New feats and archetypes empower characters seeking 
  the powers of balance, order, or anarchy, while spells, magic items, and gear aid 
  those whose drive and might lie somewhere between black and white.
  WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
  Still yearning for additional tools and tricks for your half-human adventurer to employ? Be sure to 
  check out these other Pathfinder books for even more options for half-elves, half-orcs, and more!
  next month!
  32
  
  inheRiTed FeaTuRes
  36–37 
  Half-Dragon: emerald eyes
  38  
  Half-Dragon: hard fingernails
  39  
  Half-Dragon: scaly skin
  40  
  Half-Dragon: vestigial wings
  41–42 
  Ifrit: amber irises
  43  
  Ifrit: fiery temper
  44  
  Ifrit: hair constantly waving
  45  
  Ifrit: skin warm to the touch
  46–47 
  Mongrelman: asymmetrical features
  48  
  Mongrelman: club foot
  49  
  Mongrelman: oversized teeth
  50  
  Mongrelman: stubby fingers
  51–52 
  Ogrekin: bulbous muscles
  53  
  Ogrekin: oversized feet
  54  
  Ogrekin: oversized hands
  55  
  Ogrekin: patchy body hair
  56–57 
  Orc: booming voice
  58  
  Orc: green-tinged skin
  59  
  Orc: pronounced underbite
  60  
  Orc: thick frame
  61–62 
  Oread: bald 
  63  
  Oread: calloused skin
  64  
  Oread: chalky hands
  65  
  Oread: gravelly voice
  66–67 
  Skinwalker: bushy eyebrows
  68  
  Skinwalker: hairy knuckles
  69  
  Skinwalker: pronounced canines
  70  
  Skinwalker: vertical pupils
  71–72 
  Skum: jagged teeth
  73  
  Skum: strange dreams
  74  
  Skum: throaty laughter
  75  
  Skum: webbed fingers or toes
  76–77 
  Suli: attuned to weather
  78  
  Suli: mood swings
  79  
  Suli: soothing voice
  80  
  Suli: varying skin temperature
  81–82 
  Sylph: blue-tinged skin
  83  
  Sylph: pale irises
  84  
  Sylph: sense changes in wind
  85  
  Sylph: wispy birthmark
  86–87 
  Tiefling: constant nightmares
  88  
  Tiefling: horn stubs
  89  
  Tiefling: long fingernails
  90  
  Tiefling: red-tinged skin
  91  
  Undine: bubbly voice
  92  
  Undine: cold body temperature
  93  
  Undine: constant salivation
  94–95 
  Undine: webbed fingers or toes
  96–97 
  Roll again; choose two 
  features from the race rolled
  98–99 
  Roll again twice; reroll results of 96 
  or higher
  100  
  Roll again three times; reroll results 
  of 96 or higher
  The following random feature generator 
  can be used either by itself or in 
  conjunction with the Distant Heritages 
  section of this book (pages 30–31) to 
  generate physical features that might 
  manifest in a character with non-human 
  ancestry. By themselves, these features 
  don’t have any rules implications, though 
  a player may work with her GM in order 
  to help tie certain rules options to her 
  physical appearance. While this table 
  assumes a human character with non-
  human ancestry, characters of other 
  player-friendly races may also find use 
  for this table.
  Each line on this table lists an 
  inheritable physical feature, preceded by 
  the race of the ancestor who would pass 
  on this feature to future generations. 
  Some of these features come from unusual 
  or monstrous ancestors, such as half-
  dragons or mongrelmen. Such features 
  may or may not be available to PCs at the 
  GM’s discretion.
  d%	
  Inherited	Feature
  01–02 
  Aasimar: faint halo
  03  
  Aasimar: melodic voice
  04  
  Aasimar: radiant skin
  05  
  Aasimar: white pupils
  06–07 
  Changeling: cackling laughter
  08  
  Changeling: gangling limbs
  09  
  Changeling: multicolored irises
  10  
  Changeling: straight black hair
  11–12 
  Dhampir: ashen skin
  13  
  Dhampir: light blue pupils
  14  
  Dhampir: misshapen shadow
  15  
  Dhampir: silver hair
  16  
  Elf: fine hair
  17–18 
  Elf: lithe frame
  19  
  Elf: pupil fills eye
  20  
  Elf: soothing voice
  21–22 
  Fetchling: black fingernails
  23  
  Fetchling: dark shadow
  24  
  Fetchling: gray skin
  25  
  Fetchling: yellow eyes
  26  
  Fey: curious birthmark
  27–28 
  Fey: good with animals
  29  
  Fey: large eyes
  30  
  Fey: wild hair
  31–32 
  Gillman: dark features
  33  
  Gillman: gill marks
  34  
  Gillman: unusual thirst
  35  
  Gillman: webbed fingers or toes
  WhY aRe TheRe no 
  halF-dWaRVes?
  Although humans can have children with 
  many other races, there are limits to this gift. 
  Half-dwarves, half-gnomes, half-halflings, 
  and numerous other combinations are 
  all but unheard of on Golarion. Biological 
  incompatibility is the first and foremost 
  reason that such half-races cannot exist. 
  Simply put, dwarves, gnomes, and others 
  just aren’t compatible with other races, 
  even humans.
  In a realm shrouded in magic, it would 
  be foolish to assume no spell in the known 
  multiverse could produce a viable child 
  between a dwarf and a humanoid of 
  another race. Indeed, dwarven aasimars 
  and gnome tieflings are known to exist, 
  arising through the influence of outsiders or 
  because of magical anomalies understood 
  by few. A miracle or wish spell 
  could likewise result in the birth 
  of a half-dwarf, though the 
  individuals able or 
  willing to practice 
  such spellcraft 
  are few and 
  far between.
  
  Unlock the powers of your ancestors and combine the might of two worlds with Pathfinder 
  Player Companion: Bastards of Golarion! Whether you’re the abandoned progeny of elven 
  royalty or the feared result of hag trickery, your lineage is both strange and storied, and 
  you must channel the brawn and guile of your forebears to prove yourself to a harsh and 
  uncaring world—no matter the costs.
  Inside this book, you’ll find:
  ► Ten new heritages and alternate racial traits for half-elves and half-orcs—from 
  the seafaring children of aquatic elves to the brash kin of desert orcs.
  ► Details and new character options for adventurers from the famous half-elven refuge of 
  Erages and the half-orc port city of Averaka.
  ► Four character themes to represent bastards of all races and pasts, including the envied 
  celebrity, the misbegotten illegitimate, the scorned outcast, and the neglected unfortunate.
  ► A slew of generation tables to inspire grim character backgrounds and determine 
  the physical features inherited from non-human progenitors.
  ► New archetypes, feats, spells, magic items, traits and more for bastard 
  characters of all walks!
  This Pathfinder Player Companion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and 
  the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be incorporated into any fantasy world.
  Bad Blood
  Printed in China. PZO9442
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Companion/Bastards of Golarion.pdf