However, this variant can be more than just another long list of possible classes. Including racial paragons in a campaign is as easy as allowing players to advance in the classes or designing NPCs with class levels from the appropriate paragon class. Like many of the variants rules, racial paragons can be a powerful tool for shaping a campaign world or play experience. The forest gnome is very similar to the standard (rock) gnome, but the svirfneblin is so different (including a +3 level adjustment) that it probably deserves its own paragon class. For instance, the gray elf is very similar to the standard (high) elf, but both the wild elf and wood elf receive a penalty to Intelligence, suggesting that the elf paragon's Intelligence increase at 3rd level might not be appropriate for those races. When deciding whether to create new paragon classes for subraces in your game, consider how different the subrace is from the main race. If you wanted to further differentiate the elven subraces by creating a paragon class for one or more of the subraces, those subraces could not then take levels of elf paragon. For example, aquatic elves, gray elves, wild elves, and wood elves may all advance as elf paragons, but drow elves may not, because drow have a separate paragon class. Levels in racial paragon classes never result in XP penalties for multiclass characters.Īs a general rule, a member of a subrace can take levels in the standard race's paragon class unless a specific paragon class exists for the subrace. However, such shapechanging and form-altering magics also cause no loss of a paragon's class abilities-the class abilities gained from racial paragon levels are affected no more or less drastically than benefits gained from having levels in any other class.
If a character has already taken racial paragon levels in his original race, he can never become a paragon of another race. It's possible for a powerful magic effect such as shapechange, reincarnate, or wish to change a character's race. A character can multiclass freely between standard character classes, prestige classes for which he or she qualifies, and the character's appropriate racial paragon class. Paragon class levels can be taken any time a character gains a new level, even at 1st level (in which case they receive four times the normal number of skill points gained at each succeeding level). Like the fighter, the wizard, and the other standard character classes, the racial paragon classes have no prerequisites (other than being a member of the appropriate race).
(Half-elves and half-orcs are an exception see the Half-Elf Paragon and Half-Orc Paragon sections below.) A human cannot take levels in dwarf paragon-only dwarves are capable of reflecting the highest virtues of dwarfhood by gaining levels in the dwarf paragon class. Obviously, a character can only take levels in the racial paragon class associated with his race. Despite this strong association with race, racial paragons need not have specific views or special dedication to their race's beliefs or typical attitudes (although many do). Their experience, wisdom, and heroic abilities simply manifest in the form of superior innate racial abilities. Racial paragons rarely undergo the rigorous training or study that members of other classes commonly undertake between levels. While any elf might rise in power, prestige, and (in game terms) level, most do so by gaining levels in the standard character classes-only a few are so much in tune with their heritage and racial abilities that they become racial paragons. Beyond that, they possess powers or capabilities that supersede those of normal members of their race. They are strong in all the ways that their race is strong, while still vulnerable in the ways that their race is vulnerable. Unlike members of other classes, however, racial paragons are more than merely powerful individuals. Racial paragons are, as their name suggests, nearly ideal examples of the strengths and abilities of the character's race. But with racial paragon classes, the line between the two becomes blurred. In most campaigns, the ideas of class and race are separate concepts.
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