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Human

Human Humanoid

As unpredictable and varied as any of Golarion's peoples, Humans have exceptional drive and the capacity to endure and expand. Though many civilizations thrived before humanity rose to prominence, humans have built some of the greatest and the most terrible societies throughout the course of history, and today they are the most populous people in the realms around the Inner Sea.

Humans' ambition, versatility, and exceptional potential have led to their status as the world's predominant ancestry. Their empires and nations are vast, sprawling things, and their citizens carve names for themselves with the strength of their sword arms and the power of their spells. Humanity is diverse and tumultuous, running the gamut from nomadic to imperial, sinister to saintly. Many of them venture forth to explore, to map the expanse of the multiverse, to search for long-lost treasure, or to lead mighty armies to conquer their neighbors for no better reason than because they can.

If you want a character who can be just about anything, you should play a human.

Hit Points: 8
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Ability Boosts: Two free ability boosts
Ability Flaws: -
Languages: Common, Additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Traits: Human,Humanoid

You might...

  • Strive to achieve greatness, either in your own right or on behalf of a cause.
  • Seek to understand your purpose in the world.
  • Cherish your relationships with family and friends.

Others probably...

  • Respect your flexibility, your adaptability, and in most cases your open mindedness.
  • Distrust your intentions, fearing you seek only power or wealth.
  • Aren't sure what to expect from you and are hesitant to assume your intentions.

Physical Description

Humans' physical characteristics are as varied as the world's climes. Humans have a wide variety of skin and hair colors, body types, and facial features. Generally speaking, their skin has a darker hue the closer to the equator they or their ancestors lived.
Humans reach physical adulthood around the age of 15, though mental maturity occurs a few years later. A typical human can live to be around 90 years old. Humans often intermarry with people of other ancestries, giving rise to children who bear the traits of both parents. The most notable half-humans are half-elves and half-orcs.

Society

Human variety also manifests in terms of their governments, attitudes, and social norms. Though the oldest of human cultures can trace their shared histories thousands of years into the past, when compared to the societies of the elves or dwarves, human civilizations seem in a state of constant flux as empires fragment and new kingdoms subsume the old.

Alignment and Religion

Humanity is perhaps the most heterogeneous of all the ancestries, with a capacity for great evil and boundless good. Some humans assemble into vast raging hordes, while others build sprawling cities. Considered as a whole, most humans are neutral, yet they tend to congregate into nations or communities of a shared alignment, or at least a shared tendency toward an alignment. Humans also worship a wide range of gods and practice many different religions, tending to seek favor from any divine being they encounter.

Names

Unlike many ancestral cultures, which generally cleave to specific traditions and shared histories, humanity's diversity has resulted in a near-infinite set of names. The humans of northern tribes have different names than those dwelling in southern nation-states. Humans throughout much of the world speak Common (though some continents on Golarion have their own regional common languages), yet their names are as varied as their beliefs and appearances.

Sample Names

A variety of human ethnic groups many of which have origins on distant lands populates the continents bordering Golarion's Inner Sea. Human characters can be any of these ethnicities, regardless of what lands they call home.

You select a heritage at 1st level to reflect abilities passed down to you from your ancestors or common among those of your ancestry in the environment where you were born or grew up. You have only one heritage and can’t change it later. A heritage is not the same as a culture or ethnicity, though some cultures or ethnicities might have more or fewer members from a particular heritage.

Half-Elf

Either one of your parents was an Elf, or one or both were half-elves. You have pointed ears and other telltale signs of elf heritage. You gain the elf trait and Low-Light Vision. In addition, you can select elf, Half-Elf, and Human feats whenever you gain an ancestry feat.


Source: Core Rulebook pg. 56

Half-Orc

One of your parents was an orc, or one or both were Half-Orcs. You have a green tinge to your skin and other indicators of orc heritage. You gain the orc trait and Low-Light Vision. In addition, you can select orc, half-orc, and Human feats whenever you gain an ancestry feat.


Source: Core Rulebook pg. 56

Skilled Heritage

Your ingenuity allows you to train in a wide variety of skills. You become trained in one skill of your choice. At 5th level, you become an expert in the chosen skill.


Source: Core Rulebook pg. 56

Versatile Heritage

Humanity's versatility and ambition have fueled its ascendance to be the most common ancestry in most nations throughout the world. Select a general feat of your choice for which you meet the prerequisites (as with your ancestry feat, you can select this general feat at any point during character creation).


Source: Core Rulebook pg. 56

Wintertouched Human

The power of winter flows through you. This heritage is most common among the Jadwiga of Irrisen, due to their descent from Baba Yaga, and certain Erutaki touched by the spirits. You gain cold resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1), and you treat environmental cold effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible cold becomes extreme, extreme cold becomes severe, and so on).


Source: Character Guide pg. 11

At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). You select from among the following ancestry feats.

Name Level Prerequisites Benefit
Adapted Cantrip 1 spellcasting class feature
Arcane Tattoos 1
Cooperative Nature 1
Courteous Comeback 1
Devil's Advocate 1
Dragon Spit 1 Tian-Dan ethnicity
General Training 1
Gloomseer 1 Nidalese ethnicity
Haughty Obstinacy 1
Keep Up Appearances 1
Know Oneself 1
Natural Ambition 1
Natural Skill 1
Quah Bond 1
Saoc Astrology 1
Tupilaq Carver 1 You have a spellcasting class feature with the divine or primal tradition
Unconventional Weaponry 1
Viking Shieldbearer 1
Witch Warden 1
Adaptive Adept 5 Adapted Cantrip, can cast 3rd-level spells
Clever Improviser 5
Darkseer 5 Gloomseer
Ornate Tattoo 5 Arcane Tattoos
Sense Allies 5
Wavetouched Paragon 5 Bonuwat ethnicity
Cooperative Soul 9 Cooperative Nature
Dragon Prince 9 Dragon Spit
Group Aid 9
Hardy Traveler 9
Heir of the Saoc 9 Saoc Astrology
Incredible Improvisation 9 Clever Improviser
Multitalented 9
Shory Aeromancer 9 Garundi, Mauxi, or Tian-Yae ethnicity
Virtue-Forged Tattoos 9 Ornate Tattoo
Advanced General Training 13
Bounce Back 13
Irriseni Ice-Witch 13 Jadwiga ethnicity, Wintertouched Human heritage
Shadow Pact 13 Nidalese ethnicity
Shory Aerialist 13 Garundi, Mauxi, or Tian-Yae ethnicity; Shory Aeromancer or ability to cast fly
Stubborn Persistence 13
Unconventional Expertise 13 Unconventional Weaponry, trained in the weapon you chose for Unconventional Weaponry
Heroic Presence 17