Player Character Racial Tendencies

Player Character Racial Tendencies-

Character Races - - - DMG

As a general rule, the player will develop the personality and other characteristics of his or her personae in the campaign,
and little or no DM interference is necessary in this regard.
To find the general height and weight of a PC use the tables given for development of NPCs.
Alignment must certainly affect, if not dictate, much of the actual behavior of each PC,
and so it will affect characteristics as well.
In this regard it is important for you to see that the particular characteristics of each persona meet with the
overall character and alignment of the individual adventurer concerned.
Racial characteristics can also be a factor. Consider the following guidelines:

Dwarves tend to be dour and taciturn.
They are given to hard work and care little for most humor.
They are strong and brave, but they also enjoy beer, ale, mead, and even stronger drink.
Their chief love, however, is precious metal, particularly gold.
They also enjoy gems, of course, particularly those of opaque nature (except pearls which they do not like)
    and diamonds.
They like the earth and dislike the sea.
Considering that their women tend to be bearded too,
    it is not surprising that some dwarves are somewhat forward in their behavior towards females not so adorned.
If dwarves are a trifle suspicious and avaricious,
    they generally make up for such faults by their courage and tenacity.
<>
racial defaults, affects encounter reaction (ie. you TALK to a group of dwarves)
    TRAIT \ GENERAL TENDENCY: suspicious
    TRAIT \ MATERIALISM: avaricious
    TRAIT \ BRAVERY: brave

TRAIT \ PERSONALITY: 7-8 = introverted (use for named NPCs only)

note: in general, for a monster, just make TEMPLATE entries for those characteristics that have a 1e source.
in other words, the TRAIT statblock extension is always a 'partial statblock'
in general, NPCs, in the sense of named NPCs, are the only ones who get a 'full statblock' for TRAITS
<>

Elves are often considered flighty or frivolous,
    and this is the case when they do not believe a matter to be of import.
They concern themselves with the natural beauty around them,
    dancing and frolicking,
    playing and singing unless necessity dictates otherwise.
Because elves love nature,
    they are not fond of ships or mines,
    but of growing things and the lands under the sky.
They do not make friends easily,
    but friend or enemy is never forgotten.
Their humor is clever,
    as are their songs and poetry.
Elves are brave but never foolhardy.
They feast,
    but eat sparingly,
    drink mead and wine,
    but seldom become drunk from excesses.
<FRUA: at inn (elves (and only elves) get a warning before reaching great intoxication)>
While they find well wrought jewelry a pleasure to behold,
    they are not overly interested in money or gain.
Magic fascinates elves, however,
    and if they have a weakness it lies in this desire.
If elves tend towards haughtiness and arrogance at times,
    they are not inclined to regard their friends and associates as anything other than equals.
<>
    TRAIT \ BRAVERY: brave (special, for NPCs: no elf is ever foolhardy)
    TRAIT \ INTERESTS: nature

TRAIT \ PERSONALITY: 7-8 = introverted (use for named NPCs only)

<FRUA: Special, PC Elves: Tone is always HAUGHTY ... one less option at TALK.>

SKILLS: + Plant lore, - Mining.

<rude?>

Gnomes are most lively and full of humor - often on the black side or practical jokes.
They enjoy eating and can drink as much as dwarves do.
They are sly and furtive with those they do not know or trust,
and even somewhat reserved with most bigger folk such as elves or humans.
Gnomes love all sorts of precious stones, and they are masters of gem polishing and cutting.
In most other respects they are not unlike dwarves,
but they enjoy the open world of growing things almost as much as their mines and burrows.
<>

TRAIT \ GENERAL TENDENCIES: practical joker
TRAIT \ INTERESTS: collector(minerals & gems)

note: skill is a default, for higher-level types.
if it makes things easier, an optional SKILL field can be added to the (upcoming) PH race statblocks (check the proper format!)
SKILLS: gem-cutting, mining
<>

Half-Elves are usually much like their elven parent in characteristics, though to somewhat lesser extent than a pure elf.

Hobbits are quite similar to gnomes,
    although they eat more and drink less.
They also are prone to favor natural beauty and the outdoors more than they do their burrows.
They are not forward,
    but they are observant and conversational if in friendly company.
Because they are more open and outgoing than either dwarves or elves,
    they get along with most other races far better than the former two do.
Halflings see wealth as a means of gaining comforts only,
    for they love creature comforts.
If they are not overly brave or ambitious,
    they are generally honest and hard-working when there is need.
Halflings love stories and good jokes and are perhaps a trifle boring at times.

TRAIT \ BRAVERY (named NPCs): reroll if 4(foolhardy) or 5(fearless). second roll applies.

* Hobbits (friendly+) and copper dragons are special cases, when it comes to TALK.
Extended scripts (eg. Menzoberranzan, BG), instead of the default "1-liners"**, might not be a bad idea.
Weather, how's your Mom, what did you have for breakfast, bits of wisdom, etc, etc, etc, etc.
Think of it like this: how long does your average combat last?
With the hobbits, very mundane, "perhaps a trifle boring".
** even that might be too detailed for most monsters. see the notes for TALK templates at Encounter Reactions (D102.8).

TALK(zy)
if l = l
    then
        speaker(active character) && tone(HAUGHTY(LG), MEEK(), ABUSIVE(), NICE()) && gift(TRADE) =
            result(attack, hostile, neutral.hostile, neutral, neutral.friendly, friendly, helpful)
>
<ENCOUNTER REACTIONS>

Half-Orcs are boors.
They are rude, crude, crass, and generally obnoxious.
Because most are cowardly they tend to be bullies and cruel to the weak,
    but they will quickly knuckle under to the stronger.
This does not mean that all half-orcs are horrid,
    only most of them.
It neither means that they are necessarily stupid nor incapable.
They will always seek to gain the upper hand
    and dominate those around them so as to be able to exercise their natural tendencies;
    half-orcs are greedy too.
They can, of course, favor their human parent more than their orcish one.

<
TRAIT \ GENERAL TENDENCIES: cruel
TRAIT \ PERSONALITY: rude
TRAIT \ BRAVERY: cowardly
TRAIT \ MATERIALISM: greedy
>

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