A wide variety: more features for each race
The world of Golarion is vast, and the number of different races and creatures inhabiting it is enormous. Be it the sturdy dwarves, the wise and agile elves, or other rarer races, they all have a place in this world. They each have their own unique characteristics, making them excel in various disciplines. To better experience this rich variety, with this stretch goal we want to implement alternative racial traits, racial feats, and a new archetype for every race: features that will let you create not just any gnome, but your own unique gnome for your own unique story.
There are thousands upon thousands of living creatures in the world—why are they so similar to one another? Why are all half-orcs intimidating? Why are all halflings brave? And why do all gnomes hate goblins? The answer to that question is that, actually, they’re not all like that. Every race has several racial features, but these are not universal: there are members of any given race who, instead of the usual ones, have alternative racial traits.
The reason why some members of a race have alternative traits usually lies in their background. For example, some half-orcs, when faced with society’s prejudice, learn to find ways of communicating so that their adversaries are unable to withstand their diplomatic skills. Some halflings live in slums, making them jittery and fearful. They learn how to stay out of trouble, how to drive their blade deep into the enemy, and can run away incredibly fast in case of imminent danger. Many gnomes are not accustomed to battle, being explorers who travel all around Golarion. They don’t know how to defend themselves as well as other gnomes, but their exploration skills are unparalleled, enabling them to traverse the most dangerous places and to discover many secrets of the world they live in.
And what does your own gnome (or halfling, or elf, or whoever you want) need? That’s right: unique racial options. While there were several in Pathfinder: Kingmaker, they were not available for every race, and were nowhere near as expansive as we wanted. So, we want to offer more racial feats for every race in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Did you know that some tieflings can demoralize evil outsiders so forcefully that they become sickened? Did you know that a halfling’s luck and defensive abilities can be so powerful, they actually protect surrounding allies? Well, now you do, and you will be able to pick those feats and many others unique to your chosen race.
And that’s not all. Some races have innate traits, allowing them to use the powers of certain classes in their own way, creating unique racial archetypes. We all know that dwarves have an affinity with earth and stone, and some of them use this power to protect their underground cities. Stonelords, a paladin archetype, are the devoted sentinels of dwarven enclaves, drawing on the power of the earth to defend their people. They don’t receive the ability to cast spells, their Charisma doesn’t make them more durable in the face of different afflictions, but their endurance makes them nearly unkillable monoliths, ideally suited for protecting their friends. A stonelord’s skin becomes rock hard, their blood simply refuses to leave their body, and the sky will fall on Golarion before a stonelord falls to the ground.
Stonelord - Advanced Race Guide p.16
There are also spell dancers, magi who know how to use elven nimbleness to gracefully soar in the midst of battle, delivering their strikes right where they are needed. They do not channel their magical powers into their blades to make them deadlier, they channel it inside themselves, becoming even faster, more agile, and every bit as dangerous as usual magi. They don’t wear heavy armor, as it would only hinder their speed, but instead learn to predict their enemy’s movements, gaining additional defensive prowess.
Every race will get one unique racial archetype (meaning 12 new archetypes in addition to the previous six per class), several racial feats, and alternative racial features. All this will make your choice of race matter more than ever before, and will offer you more possibilities for creating the character you’ve always dreamed of.
To arms, сrusaders!
Owlcats