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Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen
Race Builder / Creating a New Race / Step 3: Racial Traits / Defense Racial Traits

Standard Defense Traits

Source Advanced Race Guide pg. 220
Ancient Foe (3 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose one monster type or one subtype of the humanoid type. Members of this race gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of that type and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple creatures of that type.

Battle-Hardened (4 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 bonus to CMD.

Bond to the Land (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC when in a specific terrain type selected from the ranger’s list of favored terrains. This choice is made at character creation, and cannot be changed.

Breeze-Kissed (4 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to the Plane of Air or fey type; Benefit: Members of this race are surrounded by swirling winds, gaining a +2 racial bonus to AC against nonmagical ranged attacks. They can calm or renew these winds as a swift action. Once per day, a member of this race can channel this wind into a single gust, making a bull rush or trip combat maneuver attempt against one creature within 30 feet. Doing so exhausts the user’s breeze-kissed ability for 24 hours. This is a supernatural ability.

Cat’s Luck (1 RP): Prerequisite: The race has at least a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity; Benefit: Members of this race gain the following extraordinary ability: Once per day, when a member of this race makes a Reflex saving throw, it can roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. It must decide to use this ability before attempting the saving throw.

Celestial Resistance (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to Elysium, Heaven, or Nirvana; Benefit: Members of this race gain acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.

Cornered Fury (4 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Whenever a member of this race is reduced to half its hit points or fewer and has no conscious ally within 30 feet, it gains a +2 racial bonus on melee attack rolls and to Armor Class.

Crystalline Form (2 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to the Plane of Earth, construct type, or halfconstruct subtype; Benefit: Members of this race have reflective, crystalline skin that grants them a +2 racial bonus to AC against rays. Once per day, they can deflect a single ray attack targeted at them as if they were using the Deflect Arrows feat.

Deathless Spirit (3 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain resistance 5 against negative energy damage. They do not lose hit points when they gain a negative level, and they gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, negative energy, and spells or spell-like abilities of the necromancy school.

Defensive Training, Greater (4 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class.

Defensive Training, Lesser (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Choose one subtype of humanoid. Members of this race gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against humanoids of the chosen subtype.

Desert Runner (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue and exhaustion, as well as any other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments.

Dual-Minded (1 RP): Prerequisite: Humanoid with two subtypes or race with half-construct or half-undead subtype; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.

Duergar Immunities (4 RP): Prerequisites: Dwarf subtype, at least a +2 racial bonus to Constitution; Benefit: Members of this race are immune to paralysis, phantasms, and poison. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities.

Elven Immunities (2 RP): Prerequisite: Elf subtype; Benefit: Members of this race are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against enchantment spells and effects.

Energy Resistance (1 RP): Prerequisite: Dragon with ties to a dragon type that grants energy resistance or outsider (native) with ties to an elemental plane; Benefit: Pick one of the following energy types that corresponds to the dragon type or plane the race has ties to: acid (earth), cold (water), electricity (air), or fire (fire). Members of this race have resistance 5 to the corresponding energy type. Special: This trait can be taken more than once. Each time it is taken, select an additional energy type that corresponds to another dragon type or elemental plane the race has ties to.

Eternal Hope (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects. Also, once per day, after a natural roll of 1 on a d20 roll, members of this race may reroll and use the second result.

Exalted Resistance (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to Elysium, Heaven, or Nirvana; Benefit: Members of this race gain spell resistance equal to 6 + their character level against spells and spell-like abilities with the evil descriptor, as well as any spells and spell-like abilities cast by evil outsiders.

Fearless (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects. Special: This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the lucky (greater or lesser) racial trait.

Fiendish Resistance (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to Abaddon, the Abyss, or Hell; Benefit: Members of this race gain cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.

Fire in the Blood (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to the Plane of Fire or dragon type; Benefit: Members of this race gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they take fire damage (whether or not this fire damage overcomes their fire resistance, if any). Members of this race can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.

Halo (2 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to Elysium, Heaven, or Nirvana; Benefit: Members of this race can create light centered on their head at will as a spell-like ability. When using the halo, a member of this race gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks against evil creatures and on saving throws against becoming blinded or dazzled.

Hardy (3 RP): Prerequisite: The race has at least a +2 racial bonus to Constitution; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.

Healthy (2 RP): Prerequisite: The race has at least a +2 racial bonus to Constitution; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison, including magical diseases.

Hydrated Vitality (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to the Plane of Water, fey type, or plant type; Benefit: Members of this race gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they submerge completely within a body of natural salt water, fresh water, or brackish water. Stagnant, poisoned, or trapped water (such as water within an artificial pit or a bag of holding) does not activate this ability. Members of this race can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.

Illusion Resistance (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusion spells or effects.

Lifebound (2 RP): Prerequisite: A Constitution score; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws made to resist death effects, saving throws against negative energy effects, Fortitude saves made to remove negative levels, and Constitution checks made to stabilize if reduced to negative hit points.

Lucky, Lesser (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.

Mist Child (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Whenever a member of this race has concealment or total concealment, the miss chance of attacks against her increases by 5%.

Mountain-Born (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to cross narrow ledges and on saving throws against altitude fatigue and sickness.

Natural Armor (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their Armor Class.

Plagueborn (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, and becoming nauseated or sickened.

Poison Resistance (3 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a racial bonus on saving throws against poison effects equal to their Hit Dice.

Resist Level Drain (1 RP): Prerequisite: Negative energy affinity racial trait; Benefit: Members of this race take no penalty from energy-draining effects, though a member of this race can still be killed if it accrues more negative levels than it has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a member of this race has accrued are removed without the need for any additional saving throws.

Resistant (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and poison.

Shadow Blending (1 RP): Prerequisite: Shadow resistance racial trait; Benefit: Attacks made against members of this race while they are within areas of dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This trait does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance. This is a supernatural ability.

Shadow Resistance (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain cold resistance 5 and electricity resistance 5.

Spell Resistance, Greater (3 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain spell resistance equal to 11 + their character level.

Spell Resistance, Lesser (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain spell resistance equal to 6 + their character level.

Stability (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race receive a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting bull rush or trip attempts while standing on the ground.

Stone in the Blood (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to the Plane of Earth, construct type, dragon type, or half-construct subtype; Benefit: Members of this race gaining fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they take acid damage (whether or not this acid damage overcomes their acid resistance, if any). A member of this race can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.

Storm in the Blood (3 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to the Plane of Air, dragon type, fey type, or plant type; Benefit: Members of this race gain fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they take electricity damage (whether or not this electricity damage overcomes their electricity resistance, if any). A member of this race can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.

Stubborn (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist spells and spell-like abilities of the enchantment (charm) and enchantment (compulsion) subschools. In addition, if a member of this race fails such a save, it receives another save 1 round later to prematurely end the effect (assuming the spell or spell-like ability has a duration greater than 1 round). This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If the member of the race has a similar ability from another source (such as a rogue’s slippery mind class feature), it can only use one of these abilities per round, but can try the other on the second round if the first reroll ability fails.

Undead Resistance (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.

Unnatural (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race unnerve normal animals, and train to defend themselves against the inevitable attacks from such creatures. Members of this race take a –4 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks to affect creatures of the animal type, and receive a +4 dodge bonus to AC against animals. Animals’ starting attitude toward members of this race is one step worse than normal.