Culture often exerts as strong a pull upon young people as their lineage. Acquiring likes, loathings, specia1 talents, and important insights at their parent’s knee, a body of lore comes to them almost as a birthright. A few, however, follow their own unique paths. They take other ways, scorning the lessons so eagerly sought by their playmates in favour of what they teach themselves.
These atypical members of the different races usually band together. Although too rare or new to be true subraces, it is groups such as these that eventually inter-breed and develop into their own subsets of the common races. All of the racial traits presented here focus on characters who begin play at 1st level as either barbarians or rangers, so these alternative racial traits might not work well in a world where the standard races already have “wild” subraces.
Given a few generations, however, those with these new racial traits might easily inter-breed to such an extent that they form wild subraces. The Dungeon Master’s Guide has more information on subraces.
These new racial traits require a character to begin play as either a barbarian or a ranger and to give up one or more standard racial traits. As elves and half-orcs lack (or have very few) racial traits based on their cultures, they gain compensating drawbacks instead of losing traits they already have.
Because these alternative rules fundamentally alter the way races work, a DM is encouraged to have a careful and thorough understanding of these racial traits before allowing them in her campaign.
Let the frail and infirm spend their time fiddling with rocks or shuddering at the tread of orcs and goblins. You sneered at the terrors others felt, never willing to admit to the visions of unnatural creatures haunting your dreams. Now, in moments when your fury bursts forth you rend and tear at what once made you cower under your covers.
These dwarf barbarians lose stonecunning, their bonus on Appraise and Craft checks and their +1 bonus on attack rolls versus orcs and goblins. In exchange, they gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls made against aberrations and undead when raging.
The forge. The chisel. They held little appeal. When others talked of battles with giants you paid scant attention, already hatching strategies to help you face what you saw as the true threat.
These dwarf rangers lose stonecunning, their bonuses on Appraise and Craft checks, and their dodge bonus to AC against giants. In exchange, they gain a dodge bonus to AC against their favoured enemies equal to half their bonuses on damage and skill checks. For instance, a dwarf ranger who has a +4 favoured enemy bonus against aberrations gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC whenever he faces an aberration.
Sometimes, even as you outwardly shout and froth at the mouth, you find yourself in the eye of the storm, calm and relaxed while you loose arrow after arrow. Unfortunately, this strange detachment carries a danger too, one that leaves you idly watching as your foes draw nearer.
These elf barbarians gain the use of the Rapid Shot feat while raging even if they lack the prerequisites. In exchange, they take a -2 penalty on initiative checks.
Even as a child you knew that your homeland was a marvelous, special place, its inhabitants blessed by the deities and deserving of your protection. Nothing drives you to greater passion than coming face to face with interlopers bent upon despoiling it.
These elven rangers gain a particular affinity for the terrain of their homelands. Choose a terrain: aquatic, desert, forest, hills, marsh, mountain or plains. The elf ranger gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls made while in that terrain. Outside of that terrain, however, the elf ranger’s unfamiliarity imposes a -1 penalty on Wisdom- and Intelligence-based skill checks.
You saw no need to talk with useless beasts or to make a spectacle of yourself entertaining fools. As your innate magic developed you displayed abilities to help you overwhelm your enemies.
These gnome barbarians lose their ability to cast speak with animals as well as the other spell-like abilities normally available to their kind. In exchange, they gain the ability to cast cure minor wounds, guidance, jump and resistance (self only) once each per day. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Charisma modifier + spell level.
The others laughed and played their pranks, but you always took life more seriously. Life was dangerous, dirty, and hard, and as your innate magic developed you discovered more sensible uses than practical jokes.
These gnome rangers retain their ability to cast speak with animals but lose their other spell-like abilities in order to cast create water, detect poison and purify food and drink once per day. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + gnome’s Charisma modifier + spell level.
They treated you like a freak, an outsider who wasn’t strangled at birth simply out of charity. You fled into the wilderness and while learning to live off the land developed a need for revenge that makes others quail before your anger.
These half-elf barbarians lose their +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks and in exchange gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate and Survival checks.
Strangers made you uncomfortable, always staring and asking rude questions. You kept your distance. Eventually you learned to find refuge in the wilds and fellowship with the creatures that lived there.
These half-elf rangers lose their +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks, gaining in exchange a +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Hide checks.
Let the weak squint over paper. You know the world belongs to the mighty — not the learned. Rather than considering it a drawback you embrace your willful ignorance and turn it to your advantage.
These half-orc barbarians can never learn to read, even if they take levels in other classes, nor may they ever place skill ranks in any Knowledge skill. A half-orc barbarian’s contempt for “book learning” grants him a +2 bonus on all Intimidate and Survival checks.
Outcast! Outsider! Your blood is tainted, surviving only on hatred and raw determination, you renounced half of your background and vowed bloody vengeance.
These half-orc rangers gain a particular hatred and disdain for one side of their heritage. A half-orc ranger may select an additional favoured enemy at 1st level, choosing either humanoid (human) or humanoid (orc) and gaining a +2 bonus on damage rolls and certain skill checks as normal. The half-orc ranger cannot also select humanoid (human) or humanoid (orc) as his 1st-level favoured enemy. As he advances in levels he may increase this bonus like any other favoured enemy. However, his instinctive loathing and revulsion for this part of his parentage imposes a penalty on all Charisma checks and skills equal to his favoured enemy bonus when dealing with members of the race he despises.
While others dangled from trees and romped through the forest you learned to stay perfectly still as your playmates drew near.
These halfling barbarians lose their bonus to Climb, Jump and Move Silently checks, becoming in exchange extremely adept at camouflage and the art of the ambush. A halfling barbarian gains a bonus on Hide checks made in natural surroundings equal to half her barbarian level (minimum +1).
The others trusted in fate, secure in their beliefs that their deities would protect them from harm. You knew too much about the evils that surrounded you to rely upon faith and devoted yourself to preparing for the battles to come.
These halfling rangers lose their +1 luck bonus on all saving throws. In exchange, they gain a bonus on saving throws and opposed skill checks versus their favoured enemies equal to half their bonus on damage and skill checks made against these enemies.
Source: Dragon Magazine #341 (Page 92)