All content provided on this page is summarized from the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Player's Handbook - Core Rulebook 1 (ISBN 0-7869-1550-1) published by Wizard's of the Coast. For specific details about where this information can be found in the Player's Handbook, see the comments following each section.
Character Races
When creating a character, there are a number of races you can chose from in Neverwinter Nights. Each race offers strengths and weaknesses as well as unique role-playing options, so select your race and start building your unique character:
Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, knowledge of the earth's secrets, hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale. Dwarves value gold, gems, jewellery, and art objects made with these precious materials. The dwarven sense of justice is strong, but at its worst it can turn into an unhealthy thirst for vengeance. Some dwarves have also been known to succumb to greed and to favour accumulation over justice.
Dwarves stand only 4 to 4½ feet tall, but they are so broad and compact that they are, on average, almost as heavy as humans. A dwarf's skin is typically deep tan or light brown, and their eyes are dark. Their hair is usually black, grey or brown, and worn long.
Dwarves get along fine with gnomes, and passably with humans, half-elves, and halflings. Dwarves are usually lawful, and they tend toward good. Adventuring dwarves are less likely to fit the common mold, just as they are likely to be the ones who did not fit perfectly into dwarven society. The chief deity of the dwarves is Moradin, the Soul Forger. Dwarves speak Dwarven, which has its own runic script.
Dwarven Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Dwarves are stout and tough but tend to be gruff and reserved.
Medium-size: As medium-size creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Dwarven base speed is 20 feet.
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and dwarves can function fine with no light at all.
Stonecunning: Stonecunning grants dwarves a +2 racial bonus on checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stone traps and new construction.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison: Dwarves are hardy and resistant to toxins.
+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears): Dwarves are trained in the special combat techniques that allow them to fight their common enemies more effectively.
+4 dodge bonus against giants: Note that any time a character loses his positive Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, such as when he's caught flat footed, he loses his dodge bonus too.
+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to rare or exotic gems.
+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
Automatic languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.
Favored Class: Fighter. A multi-class dwarf's fighter class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multi-classing.
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 14-15 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
Elf
Elves mingle freely in human lands, always welcome yet never at home there. They are well known for their poetry, dance, song, lore, and magical arts. Elves are more often amused than excited, more likely to be curious than greedy. With such long lives, they tend to keep a broad perspective on events, remaining aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance.
Elves are short and slim, standing about 4½ to 5½ feet tall and typically weighing 85 to 135 pounds. They tend to be pale-skinned and dark-haired, with deep green eyes. Elves have no facial or body hair.
Elves consider humans rather unrefined, halflings a bit staid, gnomes somewhat trivial, and dwarves not at all fun. They look at half-elves with some degree of pity, and they regard half-orcs with unrelenting suspicion. Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression. They lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. Above all deities, elves worship Corellon Larethian, the Protector and Preserver of life.
Elven Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution: Elves are graceful but frail.
Medium-size: As medium-size, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Elven base speed is 30.
Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against Enchantment spells or effects.
Low-light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination.
Proficient with either longsword or rapier; proficient with shortbow, longbow, composite longbow, and composite shortbow.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot check. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for the door.
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan
Favored Class: Wizard. A multi-class elf's wizard class does not count when determining whether she suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 15-16 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
Gnome
Gnomes are welcome everywhere as technicians, alchemists, and inventors. Gnomes adore animals, beautiful gems, and jokes of all kinds. Gnomes have a great sense of humor, and while they love puns, jokes and games, they relish tricks - the more intricate the better.
Gnomes stand about 3 to 3½ feet tall and weigh about 40-45 pounds. Their skin ranges from dark tan to woody brown, their hair is fair and their eyes can be any shade of blue. Gnome males prefer short, carefully trimmed beards.
Gnomes get along well with dwarves, who share their love of precious objects, their curiosity about mechanical devices and their hatred of goblins and giants. Gnomes are good-hearted, and even the tricksters among them are more playful than vicious. Luckily, evil gnomes are as rare as they are frightening. The chief gnome god is Garl Glittergold, the Watchful Protector. The Gnome language, which uses the Dwarven script, is renowned for its technical treatises and its catalogues of knowledge of the natural world.
Gnome Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, -2 Strength
Small: as Small creatures, gnomes gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons then humans use and their lifting and carrying limits are ¾ of those of medium-size characters.
Gnome base speed is 20 feet.
Low-light vision: Gnomes can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions.
+1 racial bonus to attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).
+4 dodge bonus against giants. Note that any time a character loses his positive Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, such as when he's caught flat-footed, he looses his dodge bonus too.
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
+2 racial bonus on Alchemy check.
Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, and Orc.
Gnomes with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher may cast the 0-level spells (cantrips) dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation, each once per day. These are arcane spells, and as such the gnome suffers spell failure penalties for wearing armor.
Favored Class: Illusionist, which is a wizard who specializes in casting illusion spells. (See page 158 for more information).
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 16-17 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
Halfling
Halflings are clever, capable opportunists. Often they are strangers and wanderers, and others react to them with suspicion or curiosity. Halflings prefer trouble to boredom. Relying on their ability to survive or escape danger they demonstrate a daring that many larger people can't match.
Halflings stand about 3 feet tall and usually weight between 30 and 35 pounds. Their skin is ruddy, their hair black and straight. They have brown and black eyes. Halfling men often have long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and moustaches almost unseen.
Halflings try to get along with everyone else. They are adept at fitting into a community of humans, dwarves, elves, or gnomes and making themselves valuable and welcome. Halflings tend to be neutral and practical. The chief halfling deity is Yondalla, the Blessed One, protector of the halflings. Halflings speak their own language, which uses the Common script.
Halfling Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength: Halflings are quick, agile, and good with ranged weapons, but they are small and therefore not as strong as other humanoids.
Small: As Small creatures, halflings gain a +1 size bonus to Armor class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but they must use smaller weapons then humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are ¾ of those of Medium-size characters.
Halfling base speed is 20 feet.
+2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks.
+1 racial bonus on all saving throws: Halflings are surprisingly capable of avoiding mishaps.
+2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear. (This bonus stacks with the halflings +1 bonus on saving throws in general.)
+1 racial attack bonus with a thrown weapon: Throwing stones is a universal sport among halflings, and they develop especially good aim.
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc.
Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass halfling's rogue class does not count when determining whether she suffers an XP penalty for multi-classing (See Experience for Multi-class Characters, page 56 for more information). Halflings have long had to rely on stealth, wit, and skill, and the vocation of rogue comes naturally to them.
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 19-20 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
Half-Elf
Most half-elves have the curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition of the human parent, along with the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elven parent.
Half-elven height ranges from under 5 feet to almost 6 feet tall. Weight usually ranges from 90 to 180 pounds. Half-elves are paler, fairer, and smoother-skinned then their human parents, but their actual skin tone, hair color, and other details vary just as human features do. Half-elves' eyes are green, just as are those of their elven parents. A half-elf reaches majority at age 20 and can live to be over 180 years old.
Half-elves do well among both elves and humans, and they also get along well with dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. Half-elves share the chaotic bend of their elven heritage, but, like humans, tend toward being neither good nor evil. Half-elves speak the languages they are born to, Common and Elven.
Half-Elven Racial Traits
Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Half-elven base speed is 30 feet.
Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against Enchantment spells or effects.
Low-light Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination.
+1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Elven Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a half-elf is considered an elf.
Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Any (other then secret languages, such as Druidic).
Favored Class: Any
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 17-18 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
Half-Orc
Half-orcs are short-tempered and sullen. They would rather act than ponder and would rather fight than argue.
Half-orcs are as tall as humans and a little heavier, thanks to their muscle. A half-orc's greyish pigmentation, sloping forehead, jutting jaw, prominent teeth and coarse body hair make his lineage plain for all to see. Half-orcs like scars. They regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans and age noticeably faster. Few half-orcs live longer than 75 years.
Because orcs are the sworn enemies of dwarves and elves, half-orcs can have a rough time with members of these races. For that matter, half-orcs aren't exactly on good terms with humans, halflings, or gnomes, either. Half-orcs inherit a tendency toward chaos from their orc parent, but like their human parents, they favor neither good nor evil. Orcish, which has no alphabet of its own, uses Dwarven script on the rare occasions that someone writes something in their tongue.
Half-Orc Racial Traits
+2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Half-orcs are strong, but their orc lineage makes them dull and crude.
Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, half orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Half-orc base speed is 30 feet
Darkvision: Half-orcs (and orcs) can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and half-orcs can function just fine with no light at all.
Orc Blood: For all special abilities and effects, a half-orc is considered an orc.
Automatic Languages: Common and Orc. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, and Infernal.
Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass half-orc's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty. (See Experience for Multiclass Characters, page 56 for more information). Ferocity runs in a half-orc's veins.
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 18-19 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
Human
Humans are the most adaptable, flexible, and ambitious people among the common races. They are diverse in their tastes, morals, customs, and habits. Given their penchant for migration and conquest and their short life-spans, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. Skin shades run from nearly black to very pale, hair from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight), and facial hair (for men) from sparse to thick. Humans typically stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds, with men noticeably taller and heavier then women. Humans have short life spans, achieving majority at about 15 and rarely living even a single century.
Among the other races, humans are known as "everyone's second-best friend". Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mix with members of other races. Humans tend toward no particular alignment, not even neutrality. Unlike members of the other common races, humans do not have a chief racial deity.
Human Racial Traits
Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Human base speed is 30 feet.
1 extra feat at 1st level, because humans are quick to master specialized tasks and varied in their talents. (See Chapter 5: Feats for more detailed information).
+4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level, since humans are versatile and capable. (The +4 skill points at first level are added on as a bonus, not multiplied in). (See Chapter 4: Skills for more information).
Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other then secret languages, such as Druidic). (See other racial lists for common languages or Table 4-6: Languages for a more comprehensive list of languages). Humans mingle with all kinds of other folk and thus can learn any language found in the area.
Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multi-class human suffers an XP penalty, his highest-level class does not count. (See Experience for Multi-class Characters, page 56).
This information is quoted/adapted from pages 12-14 of the 3rd Edition Player's Handbook. Refer to these pages for more detailed information about this race.
The content on this page is based on the information in the Dungeons & Dragon's 3rd Edition Player's Handbook but limited to only that which apply to and can be found in BioWare's Neverwinter Nights. This content is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is used on the site under under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a. Any errors in the information should be referred to the Neverwinter Nights Stratics Staff for correction.
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