Uncounted thousands of years ago, the human tribes of the Chultan peninsula, now known as the Tashalans, were enslaved by the saurian Creator Race. As with all things, the saurian civilization eventually collapsed and their human slaves won their freedom. However, many members of this black-haired, olive-skinned race took to venerating the snakes they once served, leading to the rise of the yuan-ti. Others, however, turned away from their dark masters, seeking to forge their own realms on the peninsula between the Shining Sea and the Great Sea.
Today Tashalan culture is largely confined to the middle of the Chultan peninsula and the isle of Tharsult. Over the centuries the Chultan tribes drove the Tashalans out of the Jungles of Chult, the Halruaans and Dambrathan drow assimilated the native Tashalan cultures of those lands, and the yuan-ti enslaved those Tashalans who contested their control of the Mhair and Black Jungles. Most Tashalans are natives of Tashalar or the realms of Samarach, Thindol or Tharsult. Tashalan traders may be found in Calimshan, cities on the shore of the Lake of Steam, and Lapaliiya, as well as Halruaa, Dambrath and Luiren.
Tashalans speak Tashalan and employ the Dethek alphabet. They venerate both the Faerûnian pantheon and the gods of the yuan-ti, with the followers of Talona and Savras being most prominent.
Regions: Chult, Halruaa, Lapaliiya, Samarach, Tashalar, Thindol
Note: The 4 skill points at 1st level are added on as a bonus, not multiplied in.
Source: Races of Faerûn (Page 106), Player’s Handbook (Page 12), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (Page 11)
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’ 10" | +2d10 (5’ 0"—6’ 6") | 120 lbs. | ×2d4 (124—280 lbs.) |
| Female | 4’ 5" | +2d10 (4’ 7"—6’ 1") | 85 lbs. | ×2d4 (89—245 lbs.) |
Source: Player’s Handbook (Page 109), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (Page 32)