The underfolk are descendants of bands of humans who chose — or were forced — to live in the caves and twisting passageways of the underground world. Over generations, these humans adapted to this strange world, filled with natural wonders and dangerous creatures. Some underfolk societies have not ventured to the surface in generations, and others have forgotten their true origins altogether. However, those who live close to the caves that give entry to the underground realms make occasional forays to the surface and even engage in limited trade with surface-dwelling humans.
Underfolk are a simple, clannish people dedicated to their homes and the safety of their race. Because of the multitude of evil and predatory races and creatures in the caves and tunnels they call home, underfolk have become quick, stealthy and survival-oriented. Although rather primitive and rustic when it comes to technology, underfolk make up for this lack with a superior knowledge of how to survive beneath ground, although even they avoid the deepest depths of the subterranean realms.
Personality: Underfolk are insular and focused on their tribe’s well-being. They can be mildly xenophobic and suspicious of strangers, although they become deeply loyal to those who are true to their word and prove their worth. While not as bound to their grudges as dwarves are, underfolk nevertheless take oaths very seriously and immediately sever ties with any being who lies or otherwise deceives them.
Underfolk maintain a deep spiritual connection with their home and have come to understand the subtle rhythms of its seasons. They delight in the natural beauty of underground caves, warrens and grottos, and do their best to keep them from harm. Underfolk have a rich oral tradition and fill their speech with allegories, oaths and hyperbolic statements. Unlike those of dwarves, who share a similar custom, underfolk stories are poetic and rather dream-like in quality.
Singing is a favourite pastime among underfolk, and every individual knows a litany of tunes.
Physical Description: Underfolk are both short and slight, with builds similar to elves. They typically stand between 5 and 5½ feet tall, weighing 100 to 150 pounds. Their eyes and ears are proportionally larger than those of humans, having evolved to enable underfolk to see in pitch blackness and make out the quietest sounds. Underfolk have thick body hair to keep them warm in the chill of their tunnels, and they wear their typically black or silvery-white tresses long.
Underfolk depend for survival on their ability to blend into the surrounding terrain. Their skin has evolved special pigmentation that can mimic the various rocky hues found in the underground, allowing them to seemingly disappear into a nearby wall.
Relations: Underfolk prefer to keep to themselves, although of necessity tribes try to build goodwill with friendlier races that live nearby. Underfolk who live close to the surface have contact with humans, halflings, and the occasional elf society, and serve as guides for those who want to plumb the depths of the underground realms. However, they are shy and suspicious when dealing with surface-dwellers. Underfolk are decidedly neutral when dealing with dwarves, because this stout race views underfolk as primitive and barbaric. Those dwarves who overlook this prejudice find a kind people who simply want to be left alone. In turn, underfolk occasionally provide aid to dwarves when needed, especially when their mutual assistance is needed to fight against their common foes — drow, orcs and the like.
Underfolk are the target of drow, svirfneblin and kuo-toa aggression, and they do their best to avoid contact with these races. However, as hunter-gatherers, underfolk commonly have to enter their enemies’ territory to find enough food to survive. Also, due to their relative closeness to the surface, underfolk come into hostile contact with orcs, who have need of the same caves that the underfolk inhabit.
Alignment: Concerned primarily with their own survival and the well-being of the tribe, underfolk remain neutral, with a slight tendency toward good or lawfulness. Chaotic underfolk are not common, but are typically relegated to the outskirts of society rather than driven out entirely, since the tribe’s welfare depends on every individual’s efforts. On occasion, underfolk tribes that live in close contact with drow or deep gnomes have fallen to evil, after centuries of warfare, depression and cynicism have worn down their sense of justice and hope.
Underfolk Lands: Underfolk live in the “shallowest” regions of the underground, within a mile or so of the surface. Tribes live in the same territory as orcs, goblins, drow and other subterranean dwellers, but do their best to remain unnoticed. Most underfolk tribes number between fifty and one hundred individuals, although larger tribes exist, including at least a few “cities” of nearly a thousand people. Underfolk tribes with a militaristic bent make forays into orc and goblin warrens, in an effort to drive those creatures out of areas they want to claim for themselves.
Religion: Underfolk are deeply spiritual and connected closely with the natural world. Some tribes brought the memories of the “surface gods” with them, especially Obad-Hai. Tribes in close contact with dwarves or gnomes show a healthy respect for Moradin or Garl Glittergold.
Language: Underfolk live close enough to the surface that they still speak a heavily accented version of Common, with each tribe infusing its speech with phrases from Dwarven, Gnome or other languages from nearby races. Underfolk learn to speak these languages as well, and they find Undercommon especially useful. Few underfolk bother to learn how to read, and those who do use Dwarven script rather than Common.
Names: Underfolk names were originally human, but have evolved over generations of isolation from humans and the influx of words from subterranean races. The few linguists who have studied the simple and guttural underfolk names see connections with surface cultures that died out long ago.
Male Names: Baroo, Gungir, Hoornoo, Mettar, Narar, Turungo.
Female Names: Ahmpa, Bethera, Halla, Noola, Tooloo, Vema.
Adventurers: Hardy, self-reliant, and fierce in battle, underfolk commonly become barbarians or rangers. Because of their tie to the natural world, underfolk spellcasters are druids or clerics, although wizards and sorcerers exist among tribes in close contact with gnomes. Their rich oral history and love of song make bards a common sight among the underfolk, acting as liaisons and diplomats between far-flung tribes. Rogues are uncommon, but they excel in the darkness, slinking among the stones with quiet grace. Paladin and monk underfolk are exceedingly rare.
Source: Races of Destiny (Page 108)
Your character can be either male or female.
Every player character starts as an adult. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class (see Table: Starting Ages). Your character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his or her race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on Table: Starting Ages.
Alternatively, refer to Table: Starting Ages and roll dice to determine how old your character is.
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | +1d4 (16—19) years | +1d6 (16—21) years | +2d6 (17—27) years |
1 This category includes barbarians, rogues and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, fighters, paladins and rangers.
3 This category includes clerics, druids, monks and wizards.
With age, a character’s physical ability scores decrease and his or her mental ability scores increase (see Table: Aging Effects). The effects of each aging step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way.
| Middle Age1 | Old Age2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 years | 53 years | 70 years | +2d20 years |
1 -1 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
2 -2 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
3 -3 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
When a character reaches venerable age, the DM secretly rolls his or her maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on Table: Aging Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table, and records the result, which the player does not know. A character who reaches his or her maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year, as determined by the DM.
The maximum ages are for player characters. Most people in the world at large die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before getting to venerable age.
Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the appropriate race description or from the ranges found on Table: Height and Weight. Think about what your character’s abilities might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character may be thin. A strong and tough character may be tall or just heavy.
Alternatively, roll randomly for your character’s height and weight on Table: Height and Weight. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4’ 5" | +2d6 (4’ 7"—5’ 5") | 85 lbs. | ×1d6 (87—157 lbs.) |
| Female | 4’ 4" | +2d6 (4’ 6"—5’ 4") | 80 lbs. | ×1d6 (82—152 lbs.) |
Source: Races of Destiny (Page 110)