Playable Ancestries

Blood determines where you begin. It does not determine where you end.

The Unbound Realms are home to a diverse range of sapient peoples. Under the Pathfinder 2e ancestry system, a character's ancestry determines their base Hit Points, size, speed, senses, ability boosts, and access to unique ancestry feats that reflect their heritage. Each ancestry also offers multiple heritages representing distinct cultural or biological lineages within the broader group.

Core Ancestries#

Human#

Humans are the most numerous and politically dominant ancestry in the Unbound Realms. Their two free ability boosts and access to a general feat at first level make them the most versatile ancestry mechanically. In the Reach, they fill every social niche from Iron-Bound warlord to Corsair Coast pirate to Umbra Magni bureaucrat. Their short lifespans drive an urgency that longer-lived peoples find either admirable or reckless.

Dwarf#

Dwarves are stocky, enduring folk with an ancestral connection to stone and metal. In the Unbound Realms, they are concentrated in the Iron Heartland's deep mines and the mountain holds of the Nord-Vast. Their 10 base HP, darkvision, and Constitution boost make them exceptionally durable, and their cultural emphasis on craftsmanship produces some of the finest smiths and engineers in the known world.

Elf#

Elves are long-lived beings attuned to the natural and arcane worlds. Their 30-foot speed and Intelligence boost suit them to magical and scholarly pursuits. In the Unbound Realms, elven communities persist in the deep forests of the Reach and the warded groves of the Azure Isles, though many elves serve as advisors, archivists, and mages in human courts. Their long memories make them invaluable historians of the pre-collapse era.

Gnome#

Gnomes are small, vibrant folk with deep ties to the First World. They require constant new experiences to avoid the Bleaching, a fatal condition caused by emotional stagnation. This makes them natural adventurers, artists, and eccentrics. In the Unbound Realms, gnome enclaves are found wherever novelty concentrates: marketplaces, magical academies, and the fringes of reality scars.

Halfling#

Halflings are adaptable, community-minded folk whose small stature belies considerable courage. Their Dexterity and Wisdom boosts make them excellent rogues and clerics. In the Unbound Realms, halfling communities are often found within or adjacent to larger settlements, where they serve as merchants, innkeepers, couriers, and the backbone of the service economy that keeps civilization running.

Orc and Half-Orc#

Orcs are powerful, passionate people with a warrior tradition stretching back millennia. Their 10 base HP and Strength boost make them formidable front-line combatants. In the Unbound Realms, orc clans hold territory in the northern forests and mountain passes, while half-orcs move freely between orc and human societies. The Iron-Bound conquest states include significant orc and half-orc populations integrated into military hierarchies.

Goblin#

Playable goblins have moved beyond the hostile war-bands described in the bestiary section, integrating into settled communities through individual initiative or small family groups. Their Dexterity and Charisma boosts, combined with darkvision, make them natural scouts and social operators. Goblin adventurers are viewed with suspicion in many parts of the Reach but are increasingly accepted in cosmopolitan centers.

Kobold#

Kobold adventurers have typically left or been exiled from their warrens. Their claim to draconic heritage is a source of fierce pride, and some kobold lineages manifest minor draconic abilities such as energy resistance or a breath weapon. Their trap-building expertise translates into excellent mechanical aptitude and dungeon survival skills.

Leshy#

Leshies are small plant-based beings animated by nature spirits. Each leshy's body is shaped from a specific type of plant material, granting them unique abilities and appearances. Their Constitution and Wisdom boosts make them sturdy divine casters and wilderness survivors. In the Unbound Realms, leshies emerge spontaneously in regions of dense natural magic, particularly in the ancient forests where fey influence is strongest.

Catfolk#

Catfolk are agile, curious humanoids with feline features and an insatiable wanderlust. Their Dexterity and Charisma boosts suit them to roles as scouts, diplomats, and performers. In the Unbound Realms, catfolk caravans travel the trade routes of Pashara and the Corsair Coasts, serving as merchants, entertainers, and information brokers.

Tengu#

Tengu are avian humanoids known for their swordsmanship and linguistic talent. Their Dexterity boost and natural affinity for bladed weapons make them dangerous martial combatants. In the Unbound Realms, tengu communities are found in port cities and crossroads towns, where their ability to learn languages rapidly makes them valued translators and go-betweens.

Gnoll#

Gnolls are tall, hyena-like humanoids with a reputation for savagery that obscures a complex clan-based culture. Their Strength and Intelligence boosts make them capable warriors and tacticians. In the Unbound Realms, gnoll clans roam the Obsidian Steppe and the fringes of the Pasharan deserts, where they serve as mercenaries, caravan guards, and occasionally raiders depending on economic conditions.

Versatile Heritages#

Versatile heritages can be applied to any ancestry, representing a supernatural lineage or transformative experience that overlays the character's base ancestry. They replace the character's standard heritage and grant unique abilities reflecting their dual nature.

Dhampirs are the mortal offspring or victims of vampiric influence, caught between life and undeath. In the Night Principalities, dhampir lineages are recognized social castes with specific legal rights and obligations. Elsewhere in the Reach, they conceal their nature or face persecution.

Elemental heritages (ifrit, oread, sylph, undine) reflect ancestral contact with elemental planes. The Voiding opened numerous minor planar rifts, and children born near these sites sometimes manifest elemental traits. Pasharan and Akeshi cultures are more accepting of elemental-touched individuals than western traditions.

Duskwalkers are mortals reborn through the intervention of psychopomps, the shepherds of the dead. They exist to hunt undead and correct disruptions in the cycle of souls. In a world where funerary wards have failed on a continental scale, duskwalkers are more common than in any previous era, and they are regarded with a mixture of reverence and unease by those who understand their purpose.