Contents
Foreword
Credit
All Elden Ring art, images and original concepts are created by and attributed to From Software.
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Origins
Homes Beyond and Within
Your character can originate from various realms both in the Lands Between and "beyond the fog", which means beyond the Lands Between. Most Tarnished originate ultimately from the Lands Between, but spent so long away from it that they became part of the culture they found themselves banished to.
Beyond the Fog
| Place of Origin | Summary |
|---|---|
| Badlands | A harsh place, home of the warriors who followed Godfrey after the march of the Tarnished away from the Lands Between. |
| Land of the Numen | A mysterious and unknown land, of which its former inhabitants speak little. The ancestors of the Numen are said to have come from another world. |
| Ravenmount | Home of the Ravenmount assassins, and possibly a place where Death is venerated. |
| Reedlands | A place where blood runs freely, the home of the Reedlanders. Warriors from the Reedlands are renowned for their bloodletting fighting style. |
Within the Lands Between
| Place of Origin | Summary |
|---|---|
| Limgrave | A forested fiefdom south of the capital, where Godrick and his armies rule. It is home to demi-human tribes. |
| Weeping Peninsula | The southern end of the Lands Between where it constantly rains. Now mostly in ruin, it is home to wandering humans and misbegotten. |
| Liurnia of the Lakes | Made up of shallow waters and vast wetlands in the west, most of Liurnia's landmass is sinking. It is perpetually blanketed by fog, and home to the Carian royal family and the academy of Raya Lucaria. |
| Caelid | A vast land that was once a lush jungle in the east, now forever marred by the scarlet rot. It ruled by General Radahn, and is the site of his battle with Malenia. |
| Altus Plateau | The golden land central to the Lands Between that contains the base of the Erdtree and Leyndell, the capital city that surrounds it. The land is still haunted by scars of the shattering. Beneath the capital, the sewers are home to cast-out omen. |
| Mt. Gelmir | A volcanic mountain ruled by the Volcano Manor and their leader, Praetor Rykard. It is home to the man-serpents. |
| Mountaintops of the Giants | A forbidden land sealed by the Golden Order, this snowy mountain range is the original home of the giants and their descendents. Their frozen corpses litter than landscape. |
| Consecrated Snowfield | Close to the mountaintops of the giants, this place is the second last step in the pilgrimage that albinaurics and others faithful to Miquella's dream take to find the Haligtree. Those who never made the final step formed towns and societies. Like the Mountaintops, this region is incredibly difficult to find for the average person. |
Unknown Lands
The lands beyond the fog are rarely elaborated on or talked about in Elden Ring, which means this is the area which GMs and players have the most potential creative freedom. It could be that there are tens more unknown lands that each have their own language and culture.
Categorisation
What does the concept of "race" mean in the world of Elden Ring? The simple answer is that it means nothing. The concept of a race is ill-defined in reality, let alone a fantasy world. The definition of race here is separated only by mechanics - if a group of sentient beings in the Lands Between are different enough, physically, from another, they will be defined as a different race or subrace.
The standard being to exist in the Lands Between are humans, though the word 'humanity' is rarely mentioned as a significant concept in the lore of Elden Ring. If a species or group of people are considered physically different enough from humans, they'll be classified as their own race instead of a subrace - for example, Demi-Humans.
Languages
Information about linguistics in the Lands Between is entirely guesswork - there could be more languages than listed here that easily fit in with the rest of the world's tongues.
While in practice, all languages but Common are exotic and extremely rare to ever hear spoken, there are many languages within the minds of the inhabitants of the Lands Between. Due to the endless cycle of death and rebirth, so long as one speaker lives, ancient languages cannot be forgotten.
Common
The language spoken in the Lands Between.
Demi-Human
A tongue of bestial grunts and screeches. This language is almost impossible to learn unless one is born and raised with it.
Giant
The tongue of the Giants their descendants, such as trolls and northerners. Speakers of this tongue often take a deep, slow and rumbling approach to speech, in imitation of the Giants themselves.
Draconic
The ancient tongue, still spoken by dragons and those that associate with them - cultists, admirers, and other folk.
Serpentine
The hissing, whispering tongue spoken by the Man-Serpents of Gelmir. Like the other bestial languages, it is difficult to learn without having the physiology of its originators.
Numen
The rarely-spoken tongue of the land from which the Numen descend.
Reedlander
The tongue of the Land of Reeds.
Albinauric
Albinaurics are artifical life forms created by sorcery from primordial dew. Their existence remains a mystery to many, including themselves.
Lost Home
Albinaurics were created without a place to call home. Yet many claim that their salvation and home lies with Miquella's Haligtree, a distant chosen land that promises safety and freedom. Yet the place itself is hidden - most, if not all albinaurics will never see it in their lifetimes. Thus, some albinaurics seek salvation from other sources and covenants, or even their own societies birthed from a common need.
Grace of Silver
Despite living and dying outside of grace, albinaurics harbour their own power, known only to them. Their innate arcane prowess allows them to channel magic just the same, perhaps even better, than that of any sorcerer.
Hunted
Like many creatures that exist outside the Golden Order, Albinaurics are particularly reviled by certain groups of people. Their quicksilver blood is used as an alchemical reagent, and their existence outside of grace and artificial nature makes it easy for residents of the Lands Between to discriminate against them.
Subrace
There are two generations of albinaurics, each with different physical traits. Choose one of the two subraces presented below.
Albinauric Traits
All Albinaurics have similar traits that apply to both generations.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age. Albinaurics do not physically age, though they can decay in the same way a human would. First-generation albinaurics usually die due to complications resulting from their legs.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. First-generation albinaurics have a similar build to humans, and second-generation albinaurics have large heads. Your size is Medium.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.
Arcane Prowess. Albinaurics are arcane creations at heart. You have one 1st level spell slot which you can use to cast a spell that you know or have prepared from any class. You regain the expended spell slot when you finish a short or long rest.
First-Generation Albinauric
First-generation albinaurics have a human-like appearance. All that remain now have flawed legs and are unable to walk. This results in cultures and societies of albinaurics that stay together to overcome this challenge. Some ride animals, whereas others might live a sedentary life.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 feet.
Flawed Legs. Your only movement option is to crawl, and you always have the prone condition unless you are sitting up, whether it be on a seat or a riding a mount.
Mounted Combatant. You gain the Mounted Combatant feat. Additionally, you have advantage on animal handling checks.
Second-Generation Albinauric
Also known as young albinaurics, this generation is alien in appearance. They have frog-like heads and unnatural agility, surpassing the flaws of their predecessors.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Agile. You have proficiency the Acrobatics skill.
Demi-Human
The demi-humans are among the many creatures that live outside the influence of the Erdtree. Most consider them to be lower forms of life, as they are bestial in appearance and many of their societies are violent and brutish, perhaps as a result of their ostracisation.
Man and Beast
Like many of the other forms of life that have existed since before the Erdtree, Demi-Humans are defined by their bestial characteristics, such as sharp teeth, fur, and pointed ears.
Hatred
In an age past, perhaps the demi-humans and the people of Erdtree lived in peace - perhaps they were not even separate folk. But such thoughts are distant dreams. Demi-humans, like many of the other bestial races, are slaughtered and shunned, and in turn, the demi-humans raid and pillage. Perhaps this vicious cycle could one day end, if the demi-humans manage to supress the feral rage that boils their blood when night falls, and if the ruling classes of the Lands Between let go of their prejudice.
Queens and Chiefs
Most demi-human live in heirarchal tribes with a brutal way of life, surviving in the deep forests and distant fields of the Lands Between. Many of these societies are matriarchal, led by a Queen. While demi-humans are often short statured, for reasons unknown the leading members of their society are often larger; chiefs are larger than their subordinates, with Queens being the demi-human equivalent to giants.
Demi-Human Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Demi-humans physically age at the same rate as humans, but demi-human society leads to a way of life that often causes early death.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. The average demi-human is short in stature, though they can grow to quite large sizes. You are Small or Medium; you choose the size when you select this race.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, and you can speak Demi-Human. Demi-Human is a tongue that makes use of bestial grunts and screeches, and is almost impossible to learn for someone that is not born and raised with it.
Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Feral Blood. While you are not exposed to sunlight, you become unable to control your instincts, entering a state of primal rage.
When you are in this state, your Intelligence score is temporarily reduced by 12, to a minimum of 4, and you regard each humanoid that is not a demi-human as an enemy.
You are immune to this effect if you have a Wisdom score of 8 or higher.
Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Wild Call. As an action, you can unleash a wild screech, distracting all creatures that do not speak Demi-Human within 15 feet of you, so long as they can hear. Until the end of your next turn, each affected creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Human
In the ancient times of the Lands Between, life was blended together in the crucible. Now, in the age of the Erdtree, that which is separated and ordered is holy. Thus, to be considered human is to be unmarked by the features of other forms of life.
Rare Form
The standard appearance of humans varies - the colour of their skin and hair ranges from dark to fair. They lack bestial features like horns, feathers and fur. Yet in the Lands Between, such appearances are only common in Tarnished humans, for most others have lived long cycles of reincarnation, causing their bodies and minds to wither and fade.
Other Lands
Distinction between humans are often made by the place of their origin - there are many other lands beyond the fog, including the Land of Reeds, a place where blood is often spilt, and the wartorn Badlands.
A Distinction Ignored
The nature of humanity is one that is not dictated by biology, but instead by public perception and the powers that shape the world. In the times of the Erdtree, it is shaped by the will of the Golden Order, which decides what can and cannot be included within itself.
Subrace
Some humans, such as the Northerners and the Nightfolk, have their bodies shaped by their cultures and land, making them physically distinct from others. Choose one of the four subraces presented below or one from another source.
Human Traits
Humans share common traits between them.
Ability Score Increase. Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens, and begin to show signs of physical age after three to four decades of life. Typically, they live up to a century before reincarnation or death.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically speak the Common tongue of the Lands Between and the language of their homeland.
Common Human
A distinction not made by many, a "common" human is one whose physiology has not been changed by their culture or land.
Skills. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Feat. You gain one feat of your choice.
Draconian
A long-forgotten people from the time of the ancient dragons, some of the stony-faced draconians remain in the Lands Between. They appear not dissimilar to grey humans with some draconic features, such as stony, scaled skin.
Ancient Skill. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Dragon's Endurance. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Stoneskin. You have resistance to lightning damage.
Nightfolk
Those known as Nightfolk are few in number. They were said to bleed silver long ago, and generally hail from the underground Eternal Cities. Their skin has a different tone from that of a common human; light and dark hues of grey, blue and silver are physical markers of the Nightfolk. The colour of their hair is usually similar, but can include more exotic colours like purple, or solid shades like white and black.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60ft. of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colors in darkness, only shades of grey.
Nox. You have advantage on Constitution and Wisdom saving throws while in dim light or darkness.
Northerner
The hardy people of the unforgiving north live in the lands of giants - some even say they are descended from them. Their hair and skin tones are the palest whites and greys, much like the snowy fields in which they live. Whatever the reason, their hardiness gives them a physical distinction from the common human.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Giant's Blood. You cannot gain levels of exhaustion as a result of cold temperatures.
Troll's Endurance. You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Living Jar
It is unknown who first created the living jars. From a distance, they seem like jars with arms and legs made of pottery, but upon closer inspection, one can see that their bodies contain flesh and blood.
Corpseborn
The process of creating a living jar involves placing the innards of a dead creature within its body. The dregs of those who came before influence their personalities and actions, and when a living jar dies, they pass on their innards to the next generation of jars. As a living jar, one might recall distant feelings from the past lives of those that live within.
Magical Shards
The shattered pieces of a slain living jar are sought after by poachers for their magical power, causing living jars to be forced to live on the fringe of society, desperately searching for a way to survive the brutal poaching.
Warrior Jars
Those jars that inherit the innars of brave warriors are known as warrior jars. They are often larger than their brethren, and seek the remains of greater warriors in order to achieve greater heights.
Living Jar Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Age. Living jars do not age physically, but over many centuries, their pottery may decay and require repair.
Creature Type. Your are a Construct.
Size. Living Jars can vary greatly in size. You are Small, Medium, or Large; you choose the size when you select this race.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Dregs. You gain proficiency in one weapon, skill or tool of your choice. When you finish a long rest, you can add the flesh of a dead humanoid to your own to change this proficiency to another. The consumed humanoid must have had the chosen proficiency in life.
Pot. You are a jar. You gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
- You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
- You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.
Self-Repair. You are proficient in potter's tools. In order to spend hit dice at the end of a short rest, you must have potter's tools on your person.
Spin. Your unique shape allows you to spin. If you move 20 feet or more on your turn while spinning, you can end your movement by slamming into a creature, causing it to take 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
Unusual Sense. Despite lacking eyes, a nose, ears, a tongue, and skin, you can sense as usual, in addition to having 10 feet of blindsight.
Man-Serpent
The man-serpents of Mount Gelmir are said to have been created when a giant serpent consumed a demigod. In the distant past, they may have had different forms, but now, they have long, serpentine heads and bodies, while still retaining the standard humanoid mobility method of legs and arms.
Horrifying Visgae
Most man-serpents remain in Mount Gelmir, where their kind are accepted and they can serve their lord. Those that venture beyond may feel the need to disguise themselves, to avoid being seen as beings outside the golden order and lacking grace.
Man-Serpent Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Man-Serpents age atypically, similar to real serpents. As they grow, their heads and necks become longer. They live a similar amount of time to humans, before being unable to grow any further.
Creature Type. Your are a Humanoid.
Size. The average Man-Serpent appears to be about 6 to 8 feet tall, but in reality, their necks are almost three times as long as their body, and they can choose to stretch it out. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and you can speak Serpentine.
Bite. Your fangs are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Reptilian Resilience. You have resistance to fire and poison damage and advantage on saving throws made to resist being poisoned.
Long. You can stretch your neck up to 15 feet in any direction, increasing the reach of your unarmed strikes to that distance.
Misbegotten
These creatures are seen as the physical representation of the primordial crucible of life that came before the Erdtree, due to their physical appearance and traits being more those of animals than humans.
Natural Diversity
Most misbegotten appear as hunched, malformed creatures, with a face that could seem monstrous and terrifying to the average human. They have wide mouths and sunken eyes. Their skin is pockmarked with scales, imperfections, fur and feathers. Upon their backs can grow wings and tails, some vestigial, some functional. Misbegotten are often of wider build than humans due to their wings and other bestial features. Their height is deceptive - while they appear short, they are actually quite tall, and just have a naturally hunched posture.
Ancient Born
Unlike the demi-humans, misbegotten are seen by the ruling class not as a people on their own, but as individuals punished for making contact with the primordial crucible in ages past. Whether this is true or not, the crucible which was once holy is now heresy.
Enslaved
In almost all corners of the Lands Between the misbegotten are enslaved and mistreated, forced to fight, work and live for the Erdtree. This causes great resentment among their people, and there are some of which who do not accept this state of affairs, deciding to rise up against their masters.
Misbegotten Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Misbegotten physically age at the same rate as humans.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common.
Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Claws. The claws upon your hands and feet are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Subrace
Misbegotten are one of the most diverse people on the Lands Between, their differing animalistic traits allowing physical distinction between groups of their people. Choose one of the four subraces listed below or from another source.
Flightless
The flightless misbegotten are the most common throughout the lands between. Upon their backs are vestigial wings, a reminder of their inability to fly compared to their kin.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Dexterity scores increase by 1.
Size. You are Medium.
Grounded Adaptation. You have a climbing speed of 30 feet.
Winged
Some misbegotten are born with natural, functional wings. Their additional mobility often leads them to rely on it - many winged misbegotten use ranged weapons to their advantage while in the sky.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Dexterity scores increase by 1.
Size. You are Medium.
Feathered Wings. You have a flight speed of 15 feet.
Dive. If you fly at least 15 feet in a straight line on your turn, your next melee attack deals an additional 1d4 damage.
Scaled
While all misbegotten have some form of scales or fur, the scaled misbegotten's skin is particularly marred and tough. They are born without wings, vestigial or otherwise, and are larger than their kin.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Size. You are Large.
Scaly Protection. You have a +1 bonus to your Armour Class.
Leonine
A rare breed, these misbegotten are the most physically different compared to the rest of their kin. They stand proud and tall, and have red fur with a magnificent mane that surrounds their head. They are quite large and have long tails. Traditionally, leonine misbegotten are wielders of great and powerful weaponry, and lead groups of other misbegotten.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Size. You are Large.
Great Weapon Adept. You can wield weapons with the two-handed property using only one hand. You have disadvantage on attack rolls made with the weapon while doing this.
Numen
Long-lived but seldom born, the rare Numen are of the same stock of Queen Marika herself. They stand taller than the other peoples of the Lands Between, and their ancestors are said to have been from another world.
Numen Traits
Numen have traits shared between them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Numens reach adulthood in their late teens, but do not physical age until they are centuries old. Typically, they live for up to half a millenia before reincarnation or death.
Creature Type. Your are a Humanoid.
Size. The average Numen are typically around 7 or 8 feet tall, and can vary in build. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. While the Numen tongue does exist, it is rare, as most Numen that live in the lands between have forsaken their ancient homeland in favour of their new one.
Commanding Presence. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation and Persuasion skills.
Divine Descendant. Whenever you fail a saving throw or miss with an attack roll, you can roll 1d4 and add it to the total, potentially changing the outcome of the roll. Once you change the outcome of a roll with this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Immutable Force. You have advantage on Charisma saving throws.
Omen
Omen are graceless humanoids born hulking, brutish and covered in horns. Usually, their horns twist and grow across their entire body - however, many living omens have had their horns removed from their body.
Accursed, Without Grace
Any humanoid can give birth to an omen without warning. One time in the distant past, to be born an omen would have been a blessing - but now, in the times of the Erdtree, it is a curse. Omen babies, if not born to royalty, have their horns excised, a process which causes most omen infants to die.
Reviled
Even omens that live into adulthood are not safe from the society that despises them - a certain group of people known as Omenkillers relentlessly hunt them, wearing masks that imitate the evil spirits that haunt omens in their sleep. It is such a grim mission that the first Omenkiller imbibed a physick to remove his emotion in order to carry it out.
Survivors
Those Omen that are allowed to exist within societies that venerate the Erdtree are forced to fight and put their natural strength to use. Omen born to royal blood, such as the two brothers Morgott and Mohg, were allowed to live. Many surviving omen children are cast into the sewers below the royal capital of the Lands Between, including these two brothers.
Subrace
There are two kinds of omen - those whose horns were excised, and those whose horns remain. Choose one of the two subraces listed below or one from another source.
Omen Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Omen physically age at the same rate as the original race they would have been born as.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Size. You are Large.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Eternal Nightmares. While an Omen sleeps, they are plagued by nightmares and haunted by evil spirits. As such, they are mentally resilient. You automatically succeed saving throws made to resist the frightened condition.
Excised
The excised omens survived the gruelling process of having their horns removed as an infant. Their bodies mutiliated and often in constant pain, they are mentally resilient.
Conditioned. You have resistance to psychic damage and have advantage on Wisdom saving throws.
Horned
Horned omens are haunted by evil spirits, but can use them to their advantage.
Horn Covering. You have resistance to slashing damage from non-magical attacks.
Wraiths Within. Using your action, you can unleash the spirits that haunt you from within yourself. They appear as black and gold ethereal energy. When unleashing the spirits, choose one of the following effects:
- You coat a weapon you are holding with spiritual power. For one minute, the weapon deals necrotic damage instead of its usual damage type.
- You unleash deadly spiritual bolts towards up to three creatures you can see within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack using your Constitution modifier against each creature. On a hit, the target takes 2d4 + your Constitution modifier necrotic damage.
- You breathe spiritual flames from your mouth. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Upon failure, they take damage equal to 2d4 + your Constitution modifier.
The damage of the bolts and flames increases to 3d4 at 6th level, 4d4 at 11th level, and 5d4 at 16th level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.