As you may have read in the description of our project, you may choose your party members from seven playable races. Every race, except for humans, is predetermined for a limited number of class combinations. We´ll introduce them in this update.
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Humans
As the most common race in the world of DoA, humans are perfectly average in every aspect, which is their strength and weakness at the same time. They can do everything the other species can do and be relatively good at it, but won´t ever become the best. As they are quick-to-learn, they get extra skill points at every level-up and as a diligent and adaptive species, they usually have a higher total count of attribute values.
Usually, they can be often found in their natural habitats (such as taverns). This is where they play games and are able to keep talking for hours. This is why they get natural bonus to their communication skills. Apart from being good negotiators, they are also fit to become excellent leaders. It´s exactly this reason why a humans are the leaders who command the highest count of Aledorn´s troops.
Humans are, compared to other species, still young in their evolution and, therefore, can´t learn skills based upon age-long researches and ancient customs. They are a good choice for every class and will learn the ropes quickly.
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Wood elves
Wood elves are a minority species within the world of DoA. Most of them are incredibly shy and prefer to live in smaller communities. This makes them quite a rare sight in towns, but of course, there are always a few exceptions that exchange the safety of forest for a vivid town-life. Wood elves are highly intelligent and charismatic beings. Their main weakness is their poor strength and very low constitution. As such, many of them opt to become rangers or wizards.
A typical wood elf mage knows his way around air magic - as there´s a strong bond with it among their species and as such, they have a natural resistance bonus against it. They are generally exceptional magic users, as their spells seem to be always stronger than most of other species and their mental resistance’s also above average.
Wood-elves rangers are also known for their mastery in nature magic school and because they spend most of their life in wilderness, they´ve developed a natural sense for danger, which gives them bonus to initiative and perception skill. They can partially see in dark as well. Wood elves never use axes, crossbows or any kind of heavy weapons/armour. They also never use poisons, quite on the contrary, they are masters in neutralising them using the magic of nature. They may never become warriors or rogues.
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Dwarves
Dwarves are one of the more common races in DoA. The were times when they crawled only within their mountain kingdom, but now time has long passed and nowadays, they’re a common townsfolk. Excelling in strength and hardiness (some might say stubbornness as well). However, there are almost no dwarves who stand out for their intelligence, dexterity or charisma. Dwarves are born to become warriors.
Thanks to many generations of their mine-builder forefathers, they have retained even to this day the ability to see in a complete darkness, and are generally more resistant against high temperatures and the element of fire. Their constitution and hardworking nature gives them a bonus increase in stamina and health points at each level-up.
Favourite weapons include axes, clubs, hammers and sturdy shields and almost every dwarf learns already at a young age how to wield a hammer-like weapon and because of this, they receive very high bonuses whilst fighting with them. When anything they´re using gets damaged or broken, they can usually repair their equipment in no time; as their armourer/blacksmith skill is renowned throughout the whole of Aledorn.
Dwarves aren´t too fond of magic, and their ability to use it is limited to the schools of mind and nature and they’re not users of poisons.
You won´t find a dwarf using the noble weapons such as swords or sabres and they also refuse to use pole-arms, as their small growth makes their handling incredibly complicated. So much so, that they would most likely injure themselves if they tried to wield and use such a weapon. Every dwarf takes a crossbow or some throwing axes into ranged fight rather than a bow. Dwarves may never become a wizard or ranger.
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Gnomes
Gnomes are almost dwarf looking beings, but don´t let the first sight fool you. They are, on the contrary, quite the opposite of dwarves. They are not so strong and their endurance is nowhere near to the level of a dwarf. But what they lack in these, they gain in dexterity and extremely high intelligence. It’ll come as no surprise that they make for incredibly powerful wizards and alchemists and they may also become capable rogues or clerics.
Gnomes are typical book-worms and researchers and because of this, grasp the nature of things around them faster and therefore gain more skill points upon levelling-up. They value the wisdom above all and it´s customary to pass it to the next generations and thanks to that, they gain bonuses for ancient wisdom skill.
Their numerous experiments with magic, that have not lead to many injuries, have brought them natural resistance against fire and cold. A good understanding of magic grants them additional mental resistance, spell-power and their spells also tend to fail less often.
Gnomes can´t wear heavy armour nor use shields and they also avoid using heavy and ranged weapons. Their self-awareness of high intelligence, and feeling of superiority, makes them often quite ignorant and so, they may not learn the perception skill. There´s no such thing as gnome warrior or ranger in DoA.
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Hobbits
Hobbits are small, charismatic and agile humanoids that have a liking for comfort and good food. There´s plenty of them in the world of DoA, especially when feasts and celebrations take place. These make them quite weak and their endurance, apart from the eating, is really quite low. Hobbits are usually capable rangers and rogues and the more intelligent ones may find their use as alchemists.
Their natural agility gives them extra action points and bonus to evasion and they have an incredibly keen-eye for valuable things and, therefore, gain extra bonuses to their perception skill as well. Many have tried to haggle with hobbit merchants, only to find that they substantially poorer after the trade, even though the merchant reassured them that it was a very good deal indeed.
When forced to fight, hobbits prefer an indirect confrontation, poisons and throwing weapons and because of this, all of these methods grant bonuses to the race.
Hobbits don´t use heavy weapons and armour and they’re also unable to handle ranged weapons, sabres, hammers, shields or pole-arms. Hobbits are mentally unfit to become wizards or clerics.
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Dark elves
Dark elves are distant relatives to wood elves. Their similarity begins and ends with their looks. Unlike wood elves, these dark-complexioned beings are very fond of mischief and are usually are very mean and common morals have no real value to them. They can be very good wizards or rangers, but most of them take the road of wandering rogues.
Their active time begins at night, as the other species usually lay already in their beds. Their sight is, therefore, very well adapted to starless nights. They are experienced magic users and have developed several magic resistances as well, especially against cold and lightning. Their favourite weapons are daggers and sabres, with their evasive skills making it harder to hit them.
But the strongest dark elf specialties are theirs poisons, on which they gain great bonuses. They are also poison-resistant and through their cunningness and intimidation many dark elves become valuable, but also feared leaders.
They despise swords and all blunt weapons, with shield-users are in their eyes ‘weaklings’. Their feeling of superiority over all other "low-life" species, makes them a very poor and miserable negotiators and merchants. No dark elf has ever been seen working as a cleric, or as an alchemist.
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Wildlings
Wildlings are actually barbaric human tribes that refused to submit to the changes of technological progress and stayed true to the life-style of their ancestors. Because of this, they are considerably stronger, tougher and have a higher level of dexterity but they’re also illiterate and uneducated - their sense of beauty is very limited. They are destined to be great warriors and rangers and their survival skills enable them to easily identify useful plants and animal remains. From these items, they may create effective poisons for which they also have a racial bonus. Rough lifestyle has taught them to be always on guard, sharpened their sight in darkness, and for a countless day to day fights or flight situations, they are able to regenerate stamina slightly faster than anyone else.
Combat is their strongest domain, and they gain extra initiative in it. They prefer pole-arms and blunt weapons, dealing extra damage while using them. Wildling rangers are masters of the magic school of body.
On the other hand, the magic school of mind is unknown to them. They also can´t learn armourer, tactics or negotiation skills. Wildlings don´t use crossbows and sword-like weapons. There are no alchemists or rogues among wildlings.