Human
In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.
A Broad Spectrum
With their penchant for migration and conquest, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. There is no typical human. An individual stands from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weighs from 125 to 250 pounds. Human skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, and hair colors from black to white (curly, kinky, or straight); males might sport facial hair that is sparse or thick. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century.
Variety in All Things
Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. They have widely varying tastes, morals, and customs in the many different lands where they have settled. When they settle, though, they stay: they build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.
Exemplars of Ambition
Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.
Human Names
Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Most parents give names that are linked to their region’s culture or to the naming traditions of their ancestors.
Human traits
It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.
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Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
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Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.
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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.
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Speed. Your base speed is 30 feet.
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Languages. You know Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
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Determination. Humans are filled with determination. If you fail an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll one d20. You must keep the new result. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest
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Versatile. You gain one additional skill point to spend during background generation. This skill point can be used to buy Human Talents listed below.
Human Talents
Humans are adaptive, versatile and ambitious, and most humans are good at making the most of their strengths. You can spend 1 skill point to select one of the following talents when you create your character.
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Clever
You are full of surprises, sometimes gaining sparks of inspiration when they’re least expected.
Once per game session, you can ask the DM for a hint and he must either answer truthfully, in much the same way as he would the spell augury, or grant you inspiration.
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Encouraging
Humans do not give up easily, nor do they let their companions behind.
During a rest, you may speak for 1 minute to encourage your allies. The allies gain advantage on one die roll made during the rest, for instance a saving throw, a craft check or even when rolling the hp they regain when spending a hit die.
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Hardy
You’ve always been healthy, and you can take a punch better than anyone you know.
Your maximum hit points increase by 3.
When you recover hit points using Hit Dice during a short rest, you can reroll one die once and you must take the new roll. You can do this during every short rest, but can only reroll one die per short rest.
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Idiot Savant
Prerequisite: Your intelligence must be 8 or less.
You may not have the intellectual capacity to learn many different subject like a typical human, instead you excel in a just one particular area.
Choose any one Knowledge skill. When rolling an Intelligence ability check with this skill, you can use +5 instead of your Intelligence modifier.
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Ingenious
You have always been one of the sharper knifes in the drawer, able to quickly learn what you need to overcome adversity.
Select a Craft skill or Practical skill, and spend 1 hour trying to master it (30 mins if someone proficient shows you). When using this skill you may add your proficiency bonus. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
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Inspiring
You’re an inspiration to everyone. When an ally you can see within 30 feet rolls a 1 on an attack roll, an ability check or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to let the ally reroll the die. The ally must use the new roll.
When you use this ability, you can’t use it on the same ally until you have completed a long rest.
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Unpredictable
Other races find most humans to be unpredictable, but your quicksilver thoughts leave even most humans reeling.
You are proficien with initiative checks.
Additionally, each time you take the Ready action, you can simultaneously prepare 2 reactions with individual triggers. Once one of the triggers is met, you lose the other readied action.
Human class options
Humans approach some classes a bit different compared to other races. When you select a class, it is modified as follows:
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Alchemist
Humans alchemists are generally much more prone to experimenting and even trying things that they are certain will fail.
Whenever the Alchemist class description mentions your Intelligence modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.
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Barbarian
A human might not be as resilient and sturdy as a dwarf, orc or giant, but a human barbarian would never admit to that. Their stubborness and determination lets them keep on where others would have falled a long time ago.
You may ignore exhaustion while raging.
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Bard
Even though the humans are a comparatively young race, many musical and artistic masterpieces were made by them, as humans have a spark of creativity stronger than other races.
Whenever the Bard class description mentions your Charisma modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.
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Cavalier
The epitome of civilized humanity’s obsession with heroic nobility. Any human cavalier would tell you that your skill and training matter more than the strength of your sword arm.
Whenever the Cavalier class description mentions your Strength or Charisma modifier, you may instead use that modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. This also applies to attack and damage rolls.
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Cleric
Humans were the first races that were given complete freedom by their gods and encouraged to choose their own path, even when they might not be the best match for that path.
Whenever the Cleric class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.
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Cursed
Even when struck by curses or other involuntary changes, humans are better at adapting and learning to live with that change. You may choose Wisdom or Charisma as your spellcasting ability instead of Intelligence. You make this choice at level 1 and cannot change this later.
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Druid
Humans don’t even let nature control them.
Whenever the Druid class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.
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Fighter
A skilled fighter can easily defeat a ten times stronger, but unskilled brute. It is not how hard you hit, but the precision of your strikes.
As a level 1 fighter, select Strength or Dexterity. Whenever the Fighter class description mentions your ability modifier for this ability, you may instead use that modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. This also applies to attack and damage rolls using this ability.
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Inquisitor
Your conviction as well as the might of the human gods guide your sword.
Whenever the Inquisitor class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. In addition, you may use the same modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity when attacking. Make this choice at level 1 and it cannot be changed later.
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Paladin
You are a paragon of humanity. It is your destiny to be a guiding star, showing what can be achieved by embracing everything that is good and just.
Whenever the Paladin class description mentions your Strength or Charisma modifier, you may instead use that modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. This also applies to attack and damage rolls.
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Professional
A human professional is good at adapting their knowledge and skills to whatever obstacle they face.
Whenever the Professional class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.
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Ranger
The human ranger is ready for anything that he might face in nature, and if by chance he would not be, he adapts and survives.
Whenever the Ranger class description mentions your Wisdom modifier, you may instead use this modifier +3 or your proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. In addition, you may use the same modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity when attacking. Make this choice at level 1 and it cannot be changed later.
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Rogue
Sometimes the sensible thing is a good defense, seeing as it is better to live and fight a different day. A human rogue usually has an easier time adapting to the current need.
When using sneak attack, you can opt not to use all your sneak attack dice. For each die you did not use, you gain a +1 to AC until the start of your next turn. Note that you can sneak attack using 0 extra damage dice.
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Sorcerer
A human sorcerer easily adapts to the changes that occur when the power of their bloodline first appears.
Whenever the Sorcerer class description mentions your Charisma modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.
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Swashbuckler
Other races have study and learn the fine art of swashbuckling, while a human usually can just wing it, adapting to whatever is happening. Isn’t this what swashbuckling is really all about?
Whenever the Swashbuckler class description mentions your Intelligence modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.
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Warlock
Members of other races often see humans as reckless, which is very much apparent with some human warlocks who enter pacts without considering the consequences, or even if they would be able to handle it. However, most of them do.
Whenever the Warlock class description mentions your Charisma modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus.
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Wizard
Learning the arcane arts usually requires years of study and dedication. It should not come to a surprise to anyone that if there is a way to taking a shortcut to study, a human will find it.
Whenever the Wizard class description mentions your Intelligence modifier, you may instead use your proficiency bonus. You may only do this if you are literate.