TEXT: Races of  
  obsidian apocalypse
  LPJ9278
  
  Standard raceS
  dwarveS 
  aKa: the LoSt, the Lorn, 
  the doomed-FoLK.
  The vaults and tunnels of the dwarves were all but annihilated 
  during the cataclysm. The earth was shattered and reformed 
  by the impact, and the vaulted cities that lay beneath got the 
  worst of it. What should have been safe shelters from the 
  impact were split asunder as the ground cracked. Ancient and 
  dormant volcanoes blew, taking the dwarven forts with them. 
  Built close to the living, liquid rock, other dwarven settle-
  ments were flooded with searing lava, their populace burned 
  alive and buried in the liquid stone.
  Those few dwarves who survived, the surface dwellers, and 
  the scattering that made it out of the cities weren’t spared. As 
  a long-lived species full of life-energy, they somehow caught 
  the worst of the plagues of the Pandemic of Ash. Huge 
  numbers of the survivors perished, the remainder rendered 
  sterile by the terrible disease as it tore its course through 
  their bodies.
  The very youngest dwarves are a hundred years old, and no 
  more have been born since the meteor fell. The dwarves are 
  a scattered, broken people existing in small bands, hopeless 
  and resigned to their fate as a dwindling people. They wander 
  in squat, armored wagons, trading their crafting skills, taking 
  trustworthy mortal apprentices to preserve their skills, or 
  squandering their lives in battle by seeking a “good death.”
  PerSonaLity
  Dwarves have become dour and fatalistic, melancholy and 
  serious. Everything they try to do has a hint of pointless-
  ness to it since there are no children to carry on. Some kill 
  themselves; some wander to find some hope in the world; 
  others lash out blindly at the universe. Some few still cling 
  to the hope that a cure can be found and that their race can 
  be restored.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  Dwarves are short and stocky, about a foot shorter than 
  most humans, with burly bodies that are broad yet compact. 
  Dwarves are universally bald, having shorn their hair in 
  mourning for their lost people, a ritual observed in all but 
  the most dire of circumstances. Many have also woven 
  bone beads into their beards to mark companions and family 
  who have died since the cataclysm; female dwarves do the 
  same, only with earrings. The death-sworn dwarves seeking 
  a glorious demise have gone a step further by shaving their 
  beards to signal their madness and pain.
  reLationS
  Dwarves are a beaten people, but they share that sense of loss 
  with most other races of Abaddon, giving them a common 
  bond. The dwarves consider the humans to be their natural 
  successors and who they have struggled to pass their secrets 
  on to, though they are frequently disappointed by them.
  aLignment
  With the demise of the dwarven people, their viewpoint has 
  been shattered into a million pieces. In putting themselves 
  back together, the survivors have rebuilt their psyches in 
  many different ways. Dwarves are found across all align-
  ments and change their alignment relatively frequently.
  dwarven LandS
  The dwarven kingdoms are gone, consumed by rock and 
  fire—though rumors persist that Nazgrand survives, trapped 
  beneath the earth. Even so, the dwarven people have nowhere 
  to call home. Forced onto the surface, many dwarves now 
  call their caravans home; if not, then the free human settle-
  ments or even the newly dug vaults of the osirians.
  reLigion
  Unusually for a people so badly treated by seemingly super-
  natural events, the dwarves still honor the old gods. Even 
  more than that, they worship their ancestors and swear oaths 
  upon their names. With so many dead, this worship is more 
  abstract than done to honor specific, heroic ancestors, with 
  “by the dead” being the most common dwarven oath and 
  prayer.
  nameS
  Dwarves have harsh-sounding first names that use many 
  consonants and z’s. Their last names usually describe some 
  notable trait about them and often change throughout their 
  long lives.
  Male Names: Azar, Kalgon, Bran, Tzanda, Hjorn, Garash, 
  Zalin
  Female Names: Agath, Bryny, Zarianne, Kyat, Trysta, 
  Gazara
  Worn Names: Rockbreaker, Forgehammer, Redbeard, 
  Broadbeam, Gutbelly, Proudnose
  adventurerS: 
  Dwarven adventurers are those searching for something, 
  whether it is fatalistic—seeking a good death, or optimistic—
  seeking Nazgrand or a cure for their condition. Either way, 
  the dwarves have little left to lose and are far more willing 
  than most to entertain “crazy schemes.”
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  eLveS
  aKa: the broKen, deadwoodS, 
  the rotten-PeoPLe.
  The elves were spared some of the worst of the initial cata-
  clysm. Their lands were some of the furthest from the impact 
  point, though—of course—many great forests were flattened 
  by the impact and the shockwave. What really affected the 
  elves was not the meteor itself, but rather the Cold Black 
  Winter that followed. Ash fell, the sky turned dark, and 
  without sunlight the forests began to yellow and die. Where 
  the dwarves were all but destroyed in a single catastrophe, 
  the elves had to endure watching and feeling their world 
  starve and die.
  Still, some clung on, maintaining their groves through great 
  sacrifices of magic and through sheer tenacity and hope. 
  However, it was not enough once the Pandemic of Ash took 
  hold and the undead armies began to march. The elves were 
  left with nothing of their old lives, and they began to change.
  The elves of the plains became the ash elves. They wandered 
  the frozen deserts in loose tribal bands, doing what they had 
  to in order to survive, becoming cold and barren like the 
  wastes themselves.
  In the rotting forests the surviving elves began to bond with 
  the only life flourishing after the cataclysm, the mushrooms 
  and toadstools. From the rotting remains of the old arboreal 
  fortresses, new forms of life began to spring. The Myconian 
  elves have become the keepers of these strange, new forests 
  of fibers and caps, of rot and damp.
  Some few elves refuse to admit defeat and have retained their 
  old powers and affinities, buoyed up by apocryphal tales of a 
  surviving forest far to the south and west. These tales are told 
  by Elthorien, a wandering preacher. He and his cult of Weald 
  elves keep the faith alive, nurture living plants where they 
  can, and pursue stories of the distant forest as they spread 
  faith in its existence.
  PerSonaLity
  Ash elves are distant and cold, a people of few words whose 
  focus is survival. They prefer to disappear into the back-
  ground and then strike—or comment—without warning. 
  The Myconian elves are obsessive, strange, creepy and 
  somewhat “still.” Very little seems to provoke them, and they 
  tend to stare, unblinking, for long periods without realizing 
  they are upsetting others.
  The Weald elves chatter incessantly about the forest and 
  about the words of Elthorien, constantly trying to spread the 
  dwarF traitS
  Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1. 
  Age. Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 
  years. 
  Alignment. With the demise of the dwarven people, their viewpoint has been shattered into a million pieces. In putting themselves back together, 
  the survivors have rebuilt their psyches in many different ways. Dwarves are found across all alignments and change their alignment relatively 
  frequently.
  Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium. 
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor. 
  Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, 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. 
  Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. 
  Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
  Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer. 
  Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools. 
  Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History 
  skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
  Wary Appraiser. You gain proficiency on Wisdom (Insight) checks, as you’ve had to learn how to quickly assess people and whether they are 
  trustworthy.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those charac-
  teristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak. 
  To provide you with more options for your character, this sourcebook includes several alternate traits for each race. During character creation, you 
  can choose an alternate trait by swapping it for the standard trait that it replaces.
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  raceS oF abaddon
  
  faith. They smile too much and too often, considering the 
  state of the world, and have an unshakable faith in Elthorien 
  and the Weald that cannot be quenched. Like the true 
  members of any faith, these beliefs make the Weald elves 
  hard to be around for those who do not share their ideas.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  The elves have retained their height and their pointed ears. 
  Otherwise, their description differs according to their type.
  Weald elves retain their appearance from before the cata-
  clysm and make a point of dressing in the old style and 
  keeping the old ways as best they can. Without the natural 
  resources to make the clothing of old, though, they must use 
  human-made cloth to imitate those old styles.
  Ash elves have pale, ivory skin and long ash-grey hair with 
  eyes like burning coals. They are taller than normal elves 
  and wear tight clothing that emphasizes their painfully thin, 
  almost anorexic bodies, hiding this all away beneath tightly 
  bound cloaks that protect them from the cutting wind.
  Myconian elves dress in clothing made from leather and the 
  shells of the giant insects that now feast upon the rotting 
  forests. Their skin is grey and their eyes a milky white-
  in-white. Long strands of straggly, greasy black hair cling 
  limply to their bodies. There’s something almost amphibious 
  about them; they feel cold and clammy to the touch and move 
  in a smooth and slick, almost oily cadence.
  reLationS
  The elves all grieve, but the ash elves and the Myconians 
  have become one with the new world and come to terms 
  with the change. While the ash elves can be hard on travelers 
  within their territory, both they and the Myconians are part 
  of the new world that is emerging and deal with it as it is. 
  eLF traitS
  Your elf character has a number of traits in common with all other elves.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
  Age. Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical 
  growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years 
  old. 
  Alignment. The elves have retained their strong emotions and capricious nature, even the ash elves, who merely hide these qualities beneath a 
  veneer of aloofness. Weald elves tend toward chaotic good, while Ash elves and Myconian elves tend toward neutral.
  Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium. 
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. 
  Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, 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. 
  Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill. 
  Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. 
  Trance. Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such 
  meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive 
  through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. 
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is 
  rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their 
  repertoires. 
  aSh eLF
  The elves of the plains became the ash elves. They wandered the frozen deserts in loose tribal bands, doing what they had to in order to survive, 
  becoming cold and barren like the wastes themselves.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
  Ashborn. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.
  Dune Runner. You gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to climb or move across slippery, uneven, or treach-
  erous surfaces.
  Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. 
  Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
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  Paradoxically, the Weald elves want to both preserve things 
  as they are and to change them—to force them to be as they 
  were. They evangelize and send their faithful out into the 
  world to seek the Weald, clashing with many, both undead 
  and mortal, in their quest for new converts.
  aLignment
  The elves have retained their strong emotions and capricious 
  nature, even the ash elves, who merely hide these qualities 
  beneath a veneer of aloofness. Weald elves tend toward 
  chaotic good, while ash elves and Myconian elves tend 
  toward neutral.
  eLven LandS
  The ash elves call the wastelands their home and have small 
  settlements scattered throughout them. They live where 
  others might not even consider habitable, using magic and 
  hard-won survival skills to wrest an existence from them.
  The Myconian elves claim the rotting forests for their own, 
  living amongst the giant insects and mushrooms that sprout 
  from the rot and ruin. They carve their homes into the caps, 
  casting webs and building bridges between them to create 
  aerial cities amongst the ruins of the old.
  eLF traitS (continued)
  myconian eLF
  In the rotting forests the surviving elves began to bond with the only life flourishing after the cataclysm, the mushrooms and toadstools. From the 
  rotting remains of the old arboreal fortresses, new forms of life began to spring. The Myconian elves have become the keepers of these strange, 
  new forests of fibers and caps, of rot and damp.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
  Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it. 
  Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
  Fungal Lore. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Nature) check related to mushrooms, fungus, or lichens, you are considered proficient in the 
  Nature skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
  Toxic Acclimation. You have resistance against poison damage.
  weaLd eLF
  Some few elves refuse to admit defeat and have retained their old powers and affinities, buoyed up by apocryphal tales of a surviving forest far to 
  the south and west. These tales are told by Elthorien, a wandering preacher. He and his cult of Weald elves keep the faith alive, nurture living plants 
  where they can, and pursue stories of the distant forest as they spread faith in its existence.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
  Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. 
  Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
  Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
  Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural 
  phenomena.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Myconian Immunities. You have advantage on saving throws against poisons and diseases. This racial trait replaces the fey ancestry trait.
  Spore Carrier. Some Myconian elves have been so infused with the spores of their mushroom homes that they leave those spores wherever they 
  travel. Some of these mushrooms are quite poisonous. Elves with this ability often have lichen or mold growing in their hair or underneath their 
  fingernails. Whenever you deal damage with a natural melee weapon attack, you also do a number of points of poison damage equal to your 
  proficiency bonus. This racial trait replaces the cantrip racial trait.
  Weald Attuned. Some Weald elves take it upon themselves to preserve and spread the old forests as best they can, abstaining from other magics 
  and weapon training to focus on this task. You learn two druid cantrips of your choice, with Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for these. This trait 
  replaces the cantrip and elf weapon training traits.
  Waste Ambusher. Ash elves often turn to banditry and the old art of the ambush in order to survive and strike at hated undead foes. You are profi-
  cient in Stealth. In addition, you gain advantage on all initiative and attack rolls made against surprised foes. This replaces the cantrip racial trait.
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  raceS oF abaddon
  
  Weald elves are wanders; their spiritual home is the distant 
  Weald or wherever their leader Elthorien resides. Otherwise, 
  the road is their home as they spread the word of the Weald.
  reLigion
  The Weald elves have rejected the old elven pantheon. 
  Instead, they worship the Weald and see Elthorien as its 
  prophet, something of a blasphemy in the eyes of the other 
  elves. The ash elves continue to worship the old gods, 
  though day-to-day survival removes much of the impetus 
  for such things. In the dead forests the Myconian elves have 
  given new names to the old gods and replaced their icons 
  with those more suited to their new setting: gods of poison, 
  disease, rot, hallucination, and growth from death.
  nameS
  Elves retain their old style of names; male and Female 
  Names alike tend to use rolling, soft sounds reminiscent of 
  liquid. Young ash elves tend to have more sibilant names, 
  akin to the whisper of wind and sand, while Myconian elves 
  have altered their last names to reflect the modern decay of 
  the forests.
  Male Names: Shalarass, Dorien, Gildamar, Eloias, Hallender
  Female Names: Sarwane, Goloria, Elthshar, Syrene, Lisspha
  Family Names: Strongbark, Leafgreen, Longstride, 
  Spearshaft, Fareye
  Myconian Family Names: Rottenbough, Bogbank, 
  Sporeshower, Barkfilth, Stinkhorn
  adventurerS
  Some weald elves break from the cult by becoming apos-
  tates, trying to restore the green in their own way and looking 
  for fulfillment and satisfaction outside the faith. The ash 
  elves wander beyond the wastelands as outcasts or are driven 
  to seek something more than mere survival. The Myconian 
  elves come out of the rotten forests in search of trade and to 
  act as assassins and poisoners for the right price.
  gnomeS
  aKa: oSSeS, ScurrierS.
  Gnomes survived the cataclysm better than the dwarves, as 
  their delvings were shallower and did not suffer the same 
  catastrophic damage as the deeper cities. They were also 
  sheltered from the worst of the Cold Black Winter and the 
  Pandemic of Ash, as their cities and towns had survived 
  almost intact and had more stores set aside than did many 
  other settlements.
  During the aftermath, the gnomes hunkered down and looked 
  after their own, wholly refusing refugees and barring—or 
  even killing—those who came seeking help. However, the 
  gnomes rolled over almost instantly when the undead armies 
  came marching. They put up little resistance to Calix Sabinus 
  and, once chained by him, took to providing for his armies, 
  crafting their weapons and armor and, worst of all, making 
  the chains and necromantic materials that have bound slaves 
  for a generation. 
  The gnomes are favored pets of the undead lords; they have 
  been placed in charge of the other slaves, given tasks that 
  normal slaves cannot be trusted with, and allowed into the 
  castles as servants and crafters. All of these privileges have 
  earned the gnomes a deep sense of hatred and distrust. 
  So deep does this hatred run that gnomes are called “osses” 
  (“bones” in Old Elvish) for their closeness to the undead. 
  They are also called “scurriers” because they’re always 
  scurrying about their master’s business. So bad has gnomish 
  reputation become that the very word “gnome” is used as a 
  substitute for “traitor” amongst survivors and slaves.
  PerSonaLity
  Gnomes tend to be tight-lipped and self-contained. They 
  weather insults without reaction and grovel obsequiously to 
  their undead masters or any they think hold power over them. 
  Subservience and patience are all but bred into gnomish 
  society in this time, and it’s the rare gnome that breaks free 
  from that conditioning and stereotype.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  The gnomes of Abaddon stand about three feet in height. 
  Shocks of hair rise from their heads, usually bleached white, 
  jet black, bilious green, or blood red, though other colors 
  have been known to appear. Their skin tends to be striking in 
  color as well: browns that are almost black, pale hues that are 
  almost pure white, and other pale tones with hints of colors 
  like green or blue. Gnomes tend to have oversized facial 
  features—noses, eyes, ears—which can be a little unsettling.
  reLationS
  Gnomes are favored by their masters, who hold the power of 
  life and death over them, which is all the gnomes particularly 
  care about. Even then, their masters do not particularly like 
  them; they simply find the gnomes useful or amusing to have 
  around. The other races universally dislike and resent the 
  gnomes, a feeling that often spills over into racial violence.
  gnomiSh LandS
  All the gnomish lands that survived the cataclysm fall under 
  the sway of the undead lords. Very few retain anything like 
  independence, though even those settlements are little more 
  than working slums whose residents are taxed to the point of 
  starvation and poverty. Even so, these slums are better places 
  to live than most settlements under the sway of the dead.
  reLigion
  Most gnomes continue to worship their old gods, crediting 
  them with guiding the gnomish race and allowing them 
  to survive in such numbers. A few toadying gnome slaves 
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  now worship the gods of the dead and offer thanks for their 
  protection.
  nameS
  Gnomes tend to have short, punchy first names and more 
  descriptive family names that describe the family business. 
  Their family names are slow to change, as a new reputa-
  tion must be firmly established to displace the tradition of 
  centuries.
  Male Names: Adrek, Calman, Britak, Farrow, Gildan
  Female Names: Leilei, Terai, Joola, Nesta, Fluri
  Family Names: Fallburrow, Cooper, Smith, Chandler, Tinker
  adventurerS
  Few gnomes take up as adventurers. Those who do join the 
  adventuring life tend to have rebelled and been cast out by 
  their own family and clan. Despite this stand they’ve taken, 
  adventuring gnomes are still not trusted. Whatever their 
  story, life as a gnomish adventurer in Abaddon is a difficult 
  one.
  haLFLingS
  aKa: rat-Kin, maggot FoLK, 
  corPSe-breath, vermin.
  Of all the races of Abaddon, the halflings fell the furthest. 
  They once held a position of safety and security, shielded by 
  the human kingdoms and living in idyllic rural bliss. From 
  this they were thrust into a daily fight for survival and a 
  famine too serious for most to cope with.
  Everything the halflings regarded as civilization was torn 
  away: crops, farms, safety, security—all of it. They were 
  reduced almost instantly to animals, tearing at each other 
  over scraps of food; fighting, squabbling, and murdering 
  each other over so much as a single turnip.
  Things only got worse as time wore on. The halflings lost 
  almost every semblance of civilization that they ever had; 
  they almost even lost their language. Soon, the only things 
  left to live on were the corpses of the dead and the with-
  ering remains of the survivors. In order to live, the halflings 
  became eaters of the dead, living ghouls, gnawers of rot and 
  gnome traitS
  Your gnome character has a number of traits in common with all other gnomes.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
  Age. Gnomes mature at the same rate humans do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by around age 40. They can live 350 to 
  almost 500 years.
  Alignment. Gnomes have had to force down their natural tendency toward tricks and playfulness, and this repressed desire has made many of 
  them cruel. They have grown numb to the suffering of others and far too focused on their own survival and needs. Thus, most gnomes have become 
  lawful evil.
  Size. Gnomes are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
  Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, 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.
  Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
  Intimacy. You receive advantage on attack rolls against undead due to your familiarity and understanding of these creatures.
  Obsessive. You receive advantage on one tool skill of your choice with which you are proficient.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnomish. The Gnomish language, which uses the Dwarvish script, is renowned for its 
  technical treatises and its catalogs of knowledge about the natural world.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Sycophant. Some gnomes are skilled at currying favor and flattering in order to climb up the social ladder. You have advantage on Charisma 
  (Persuasion) checks to influence a creature’s initial attitude. When dealing with intelligent undead, add double your proficiency bonus to the 
  check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. This racial trait replaces the intimacy trait.
  Rebel. Gnomes who rebel against their family and rulers become outcasts from both their own society and the races who hate them. These 
  gnomes learn harsh lessons in survival in their fight to free their people from the cruel undead. You ignore the first level of exhaustion you receive 
  any time you experience this condition. This replaces the obsessive racial trait.
  Close with Death. Some gnomes are so close with their undead masters that they become immersed in the negative energy that powers their 
  masters. The spell save DC of any necromancy spell you cast increases by +1. In addition, you gain advantage on saving throws to resist any effect 
  that reduces your hit point maximum. This racial trait replaces the gnome cunning racial trait.
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  raceS oF abaddon
  
  ruin and filth. They wallowed in refuse and bones, finding 
  their new place in the post-cataclysm world as humanoid 
  vermin.
  Their corpse-eating ways have persisted. They still lurk in 
  the shadows of the cities—rooting in trash heaps for scraps, 
  and in the necropoli—gnawing on bones; iron stomachs and 
  filed teeth are all they need to eke out a living. Most regard 
  the halflings as pests to be put down or, because so many 
  become ghouls and ghasts, a genuine danger to be destroyed.
  PerSonaLity
  Halflings are barely civilized, if indeed at all. They are 
  savage animal-men with perverse appetites, strange ways, 
  and arcane dominance games. Twitchy and flighty, they are 
  quick to anger, like cornered rats.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  Halflings are barely three feet tall; most are even smaller 
  because of their tendency to hunch over. They have ropey 
  knots of muscle, round potbellies, and pale, clammy flesh 
  that brings a maggot to one’s mind. Most are bald, having 
  lost their hair down the generations, and stare with wide, 
  limpid eyes suited for grubbing around in the dark and filth. 
  Most have filed their teeth down to points, better for chewing 
  and ripping at raw flesh and for cracking open bones.
  reLationS
  Most other races no longer regard halflings as fully sentient, 
  instead considering them to be little better than animals. For 
  many, halflings hold a similar status to that of kobolds and 
  goblins: a dangerous, intelligent pest.
  haLFLing LandS
  Halflings live in the shadows of settlements and have no real 
  place to call their own. In the larger cities, the graveyards and 
  spoil-heaps have been all but given over to them. They are 
  left to gorge on the dead and the trash as they will, a seem-
  ingly useful purpose so long as they do not get out of hand.
  haLFLing traitS
  Your halfling character has a number of traits in common with all other halflings.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
  Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.
  Alignment. Halflings are one step away from animals and are rarely concerned with much more than safety, shelter, and their next meal. They 
  are almost all neutral; those that are not have usually have had access to some civilizing influence.
  Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
  Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
  Cast Iron Stomach. You receive advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage.
  Filed Teeth. You can bite as a natural melee weapon attack, inflicting 1d3 points plus your Dexterity bonus of piercing damage.
  Keen Senses. You gain proficiency in Perception.
  Squirmy. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. In addition, you gain advantage on Acrobatics skill 
  checks.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t secret, but halflings are loath to share it with 
  others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halflings speak 
  Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Civilized. Some halflings manage to break free from the feral dregs of their origins and learn to live among civilized people, learning new skills as 
  they go along. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice. This replaces the filed teeth racial trait.
  Fast. Some halflings are fleet of foot and quick to snatch the freshest bits of food before rot settles in. Your base walking speed increases to 30 feet. 
  This trait replaces the cast iron stomach racial trait.
  True Savage. Some halflings have fallen so far out of civilization that they are little more than intelligent predators. They hunt the wastes for fresh 
  meat in terrible cannibalistic packs, eschewing weapons in favor of bare fists and teeth. Occasionally, these savage halflings bond with groups 
  of adventurers after being cast out from a pack or becoming the last survivors of destroyed packs. Your unarmed attacks do 1d3 damage in place 
  of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. In addition, add your proficiency bonus to damage for one unarmed attack per round. This racial 
  ability replaces the weapon familiarity racial trait, and in order to speak and read Common, you must exchange one of the skills you receive for 
  your class or your background.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 18
  
  ReligionIf halflings retain any religion, it is not that of their 
  ancestors and appears to have regressed to an animistic, 
  tribal worship of the other vermin that share their disgusting 
  habitat with them, the Mother Rat being chief amongst this 
  new pantheon.
  nameS
  Halflings have lost the old art of naming and no longer know 
  their lineages. They call each other by nicknames, typically 
  reflecting some deed or trait they are recognized by.
  Halfling Names: Longtooth, Bonecracker, Many-Child, 
  Bloodletter, Knife
  adventurerS
  Some few halflings, typically the more intelligent, have some 
  dim inkling of their greater purpose and destiny, and thus 
  find ways to leave the heaps and take up with adventuring 
  parties. They are disgusting and vicious vermin, but they 
  have their uses on the road.
  humanS
  Perhaps no other race has lost as much nor retained as much 
  as the humans of Abaddon. Once spread across the world 
  in great empires and glorious kingdoms, the humans were 
  the most populous and arguably the most influential race on 
  the planet. However, following the cataclysm, all of these 
  vaunted empires fell into dust and ruin. Centuries of knowl-
  edge were lost and entire civilizations were annihilated; 
  numerous ethnic groups were wiped out, and those few who 
  survived found themselves facing deadly plagues and hordes 
  of undead.
  These few humans cling to what civilization they can find. 
  Holing themselves up in fortress cities, the valiant survivors 
  have spent the last several generations scraping what living 
  they can from the ash and dust, all while facing down cease-
  less attacks from the undead. Embracing militarism, xeno-
  phobia, and zealous nationalism, the remaining free humans 
  shun every other race—and all too often, humans from other 
  regions—in order to hold onto what little shreds of territory 
  they have left.
  The humans that do not fearfully huddle in the fortress cities 
  often find themselves either in chains at the undead’s feet or 
  wandering the wilderness competing with deadly elves, feral 
  halflings, and savage humanoids for whatever bits of food 
  and territory they can find. 
  PerSonaLity
  Given the choice between slavery, starvation, and oppression, 
  humans are as fatalistic and dour as can be expected. Most 
  humans take an all-or-nothing approach in life, swearing to 
  uphold or defend an ideal, place, or even a person in order 
  to justify their short and too-often brutal lives. This zealous 
  dedication has allowed humans to survive without falling 
  into a suicidal melancholy and to maintain their relatively 
  sparse civilizations in the face of unimaginable odds.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  The cataclysm greatly reduced the grand variety of hair 
  colors and skin tones once found in humans. Most humans 
  these days appear a pale, ghostly white or an ashen gray, 
  while retaining the facial structures and hair colors of their 
  ancestors. 
  Humans often indicate their origins by their hair style or 
  through their tattoos and piercings. However, the undead 
  discourage such independent thought from their slaves, and 
  the owners of such slaves will shave them bald and forbid 
  any distinguishing clothing. By stripping the humans of 
  their identity and ancestry, the undead ensure that the slaves 
  captured from the fortress cities will be hard-pressed to orga-
  nize a revolt.
  reLationS
  Human relations with the other races depend largely on loca-
  tion. Humans dwelling in the fortress cities embrace a partic-
  ularly nasty form of xenophobia that demands they lash out 
  at anything seen as foreign, let alone nonhuman. However, 
  even these humans make exceptions in rare circumstances. 
  Dwarven and elven caravans are sometimes allowed to trade 
  with human cities from outside the walls, but only if the trade 
  proves valuable and only if it’s too much trouble to simply 
  steal the cargo by attacking the caravan.
  Humans who have chosen to roam the wilderness often have 
  respectful but cautious relations with the various elvenkind; 
  however, distrust and fear preclude any meaningful alliances. 
  For all other races, these humans have nothing but fear and 
  hate.
  The unfortunate humans living under the rotting boot of the 
  undead have little time to begrudge their fellow nonhumans 
  slaves. Rather, they reserve all of their malice for the gnomes 
  and their undead lords.
  humanS LandS
  Most of humanity lives in fortified city-states, which are 
  typically ruled by terrible despots. The leaders of these 
  cities distract the populace from their depredations with wild 
  propaganda about undead sympathizers and by encouraging 
  xenophobia and paranoia, painting an ugly picture of the 
  outside world compared to the security within the city’s 
  walls. The city-states train their inhabitants in armed combat 
  for the inevitable day their city faces the undead hordes and 
  their slave armies. Most humans not living in the city-states 
  live short, mean lives in slavery to the undead, only to be 
  reanimated into undead slavery. Humans living in the wilder-
  ness are few and far between, finding themselves face to face 
  with dangers that make slavery a tempting option.
  Page 19 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  nameS
  Humans have maintained the old naming traditions of a first 
  birth name and a second family name. Many humans take 
  pride in long-surviving lineages, while other families have 
  changed their last names to show familial pride or to hide 
  some past family shame.
  Male Names: Abraham, Joseph, Lot, Luke, Mark
  Female Names: Ayah, Bethel, Mary, Naomi, Ruth
  Family Names: Archer, Bladetwist, Cobbler, Potter, 
  Schroeder
  new raceS oF 
  abaddon
  exaLted
  The exalted are the direct offspring of angelic outsiders 
  mated with the humans of Abaddon. The unique circum-
  stances of Abaddon make this pairing a more common event 
  than it might be in other parts of the multiverse. The angels 
  here are thrust into closer contact with mortals than they are 
  used to, cut off from the gods and entities that they serve and 
  forced to make new lives for themselves.
  Exalted are fair-skinned humanoids with a heavenly aura 
  and a glow of peace and natural grace, opposite the nature 
  of the changed world surrounding them. In a world such 
  as Abaddon—even more so than in other violent and sinful 
  worlds—the exalted understand that they are fighting for a 
  lost cause and all they can do is to delay the inevitable while 
  providing some last shreds of hope.
  Most exalted are the direct offspring of angels and mortals, 
  though some are the result of the union of two exalted or 
  from bloodlines that include exalted blood in their past. 
  Regardless of their origins, all exalted consider themselves to 
  be children of Zebadiah: The greatest angel to walk Abaddon 
  and the progenitor of the exalted bloodline through his love 
  for mortal women. The one who gave purpose and direction 
  to the angels who found themselves stranded in Abaddon.
  Some say that the exalted are an indication of the sheer 
  desperation of the forces of good and law on Abaddon. The 
  forces of evil regard with contempt the angels’ mating with 
  humanity to bolster the number of agents for rightness and 
  morality. Propaganda accuses Zebadiah’s followers of decep-
  tion and even rape to disseminate their divine spark amongst 
  humanity. Even worse, in some instances there may well be 
  some truth to this.
  Goodness can be arrogant, judgmental, and uncompromising. 
  In the name of good and law, especially in these incredibly 
  dire circumstances, the ends can justify the many means, and 
  human traitS
  Your human character has these traits.
  Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores each increase by 1.
  Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
  Alignment. Most humans tend toward lawful alignments, while chaotic exceptions live as rebels in the fortress cities or work to escape from 
  undead slavery. Humans follow a wide range of moral philosophies; good, evil, and neutral humans can be found everywhere.
  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 learn the languages of other 
  peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects.
  variant raciaL traitS
  These are in addition to the variant human traits listed in the core rules.
  Heart of the Fortress. Many humans of the fortress cities train their entire lives in the fine art of combat and weaponry. You gain proficiency in 
  martial weapons. This racial ability replaces the Ability Score Increase trait.
  Heart of the Wastes. Some humans living in the wastes focus all their energy on survival in the harsh ash lands of Abaddon. You have proficiency 
  in Perception and Survival. In addition, you gain advantage on saving throws to resist poisons and disease. This racial ability replaces the Ability 
  Score Increase trait.
  Heart of the Twilight. Humans living under the dreadful rule of the undead have adapted over time to the dark conditions they are forced to work 
  under. You can see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in dark-
  ness, only shades of gray. This racial ability replaces the Ability Score Increase trait.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 20
  
  the exalted are not always the faultless paragons of virtue 
  that they aspire to be.
  Like so many other races and groups throughout Abaddon, 
  the exalted find themselves rootless, wandering in small 
  groups or individually. They try to make what positive differ-
  ence they can, when they can, where they can. It can be a 
  lonely life.
  PerSonaLity
  The exalted project an aura of defiance and desperation. By 
  their very nature, they exist in opposition to Abaddon’s status 
  quo, and thus the whole world rejects them. Many blame the 
  gods for the current state of affairs and, unable to strike at the 
  gods or their messengers, they strike at the exalted. Though 
  they are twice removed from the target of blame, they are the 
  only ones an angry populace can turn their revenge upon.
  Exalted tend to be thoughtful and long-
  suffering; 
  many 
  develop 
  a 
  martyr complex over time, 
  feeling unap-
  preciated by and even turning on the people they have tried 
  to help, who seem to be ungrateful at best. No matter the 
  setbacks or disappointments—often as they are—the exalted 
  always seem able to pick themselves back up and carry on, 
  though.
  The exalted strive to be open, to care, and to understand 
  the state of the world and the problems of the people in 
  it. Unfortunately, this tendency leaves them open to being 
  exploited, which they are. It is difficult, even for the most 
  determined of exalted, to maintain a face of calm, peace, and 
  goodness; even when it breaks down, though, some small 
  seed of their nature remains: the trust and belief in the essen-
  tial goodness of man.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  The exalted are considered beautiful by mortal standards. 
  Typical exalted are of medium height and build, with light 
  skin ranging from milky white to glowing tan. For some 
  reason, all exalted, male and female alike, are bald and 
  cannot grow hair upon their heads.
  The divine blood from their angelic side reacts with the 
  inherent sin of their mortal body to produce swirling patterns 
  on their skin, which appear as tribal tattoos; none are born 
  without these marks. Those who slip from their high moral 
  expectations find themselves marked even more, as their 
  divine blood mixes with the unavoidable blasphemy of 
  living day to day in the realities of Abaddon.
  reLationS
  Due to the angelic nature of the exalted, other 
  inhabitants of Abaddon will avoid devel-
  oping any relations with them, 
  fearing 
  retribution 
  from 
  the 
  great 
  powers. Exalted, 
  by their nature, are 
  open, caring, and 
  understanding, but 
  many forces in the 
  world have foolishly 
  taken this as a weakness. 
  Those who have failed to seize 
  control over an exalted have come 
  to know what the term “divine fury” 
  truly means.
  exaLted LandS
  The exalted have no homeland. They 
  can be found scattered around the world, 
  avoiding each other more than seeking 
  others of their kind, as exalted in numbers 
  attract too much attention from the undead 
  and the forces of chaos.Older exalted take into their 
  care exalted children who have reached their teenage years, 
  Page 21 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  teaching them of their birthright and their history before 
  releasing them to wander the lands alone. These connections 
  bind the exalted with a sense of racial oneness; without it, 
  they would be nothing more than singular, isolated freaks of 
  nature.
  While there’s no particular place that the exalted call home, 
  they do make pilgrimages to places they consider holy: the 
  ground where Zebadiah first set foot upon Abaddon, the 
  stained land where Gabriel fought Calix Sabinus, and the 
  sites of various martyrdoms. These holy sites serve as stop-
  ping and meeting points on their endless journeys across the 
  world.
  reLigion
  Most exalted hold pious beliefs in one of the deities, 
  despite their apparent abandonment of Abaddon. Most who 
  don’t worship a deity hold to cult worship of their founder 
  Zebadiah, turning to him as their new “god” in the absence 
  of the old gods. Zebadiah has done what he can to discourage 
  this belief, but it continues to grow.
  nameS
  All exalted share the same family name of “Al Zebadiah” 
  as a mark of respect to their spiritual father. All Exalted are 
  named on the seventh day after their birth by their divine 
  parent, though they may also carry a separate mortal name.
  Male Names: Amon, Chiram, Darnass, Esdras, Itai, Lemuel, 
  Matyas, Taneli, Xyphon, Zuriel
  Female Names: Abra, Brachah, Elisavet, Hephzibah, Kefira, 
  Matea, Ora, Parash, Yona, Zapheth
  Family Names: Al Zebadiah
  exaLted raciaL traitS
  Your exalted character has a number of traits in common with other exalted.
  Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 bonus to any one ability score.
  Age. Exalted mature at the same rate as humans but live up to three centuries.
  Alignment. Most exalted are lawful by nature and do not veer from that position; most are also 
  good. Exalted inherit a powerful moral compass from their divine aspect and usually have a 
  defined and absolute sense of right and wrong that they are powerless to alter. Eventually, the 
  sheer grind of living day to day in the desperate situation of Abaddon chips away at the edges of 
  these beliefs, but the exalted are markedly more devoted to their particular alignment than is 
  most of Abaddon. While all too many exalted fall to evil, an exalted falling to chaos is unheard of.
  Celestial Heritage. You have a mixed human and angelic heritage and are considered to have 
  the celestial creature type.
  Size. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  Darkvision. 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. Divine Spells. Choose two of the following spells from the cleric spell list: ceremony, cure wounds, protection from 
  good and evil, purify food and drink, or sanctuary. You may cast each of these spells once between long rests. Charisma is your spellcasting ability 
  for these spells.
  Extra Language. You gain one of the following languages: Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Infernal.
  Hand of Grace. You gain proficiency in one additional type of saving throw of your choice.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Exalted.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Angelic Wings. As bonus action, you can manifest a set of translucent, multicolored angelic wings. With these wings, at 1st level you gain the 
  benefits of feather fall, and you can manifest the wings as a reaction. At 3rd level, you can use the wings to levitate for a number of minutes equal 
  to your level. At 5th level, you can fly for a number of minutes equal to your level. These minutes need not be consecutive, but they must be spent in 
  1-minute increments. Levitation and flight each recharge following a long rest. This replaces the divine spells racial trait.
  Elemental Resistance. You have resistance to your choice of cold or lightning damage. This replaces the hand of grace racial trait.
  Soulsword. As an action, you create a 3-foot-long beam of bright white light, fashioned partially from a piece of your soul and wielded as if it 
  were a short sword. Attacks with the soulsword are melee weapon attacks that deal 1d6 points of lightning damage plus a number of points equal 
  to your proficiency bonus. Because the blade is immaterial, Strength modifiers do not modify damage dealt by the soulsword. Against fiends and 
  undead, the soulsword deals 1d8 points of lightning damage plus double your proficiency bonus. The soulsword lasts 1 minute per level and 
  recharges following a short rest. This racial trait replaces the divine spells racial trait.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 22
  
  adventurerS
  Exalted cannot help but be thrust into a life of adventure. 
  If they are found, they will be hunted. Even if they try to 
  hide, their over-developed sense of right and wrong will 
  soon force them into harm’s way. Exalted are doomed to be 
  adventurers, as it is the only way of life that can give them 
  real purpose and a chance of survival.
  geneSai
  Genesai are the result of demonic outsiders mating 
  with angelic outsiders, defying all that both sides 
  of the eternal conflict between good and evil 
  consider inviolate. In other worlds and planes of 
  existence, this pairing might be all but unthink-
  able, but the nature of Abaddon as a “planar trap” 
  throws these opposites together far more often than 
  elsewhere. Whatever the agents of good and evil 
  have against each other, as outsiders they at least 
  share the same origin.
  The genesai become outcasts the moment they are born. 
  They are almost always abandoned by their parents, 
  either to be raised by mortals who take pity on 
  the child, to perish in the wilderness, or—very 
  rarely—to be raised by sympathetic animals 
  such as wolves. Some very few can survive 
  without caregivers simply due to their 
  unnatural physiology and capabilities, 
  growing up feral in the blasted landscape. 
  Scattered as they are, the genesai tend to 
  find each other and form communi-
  ties, bands, tribes, and clans that 
  become their real families. These 
  groups adopt genesai they find 
  a
  n
  d 
  raise them into what little heri-
  tage and 
  secrets they have left.
  The genesai are hunted 
  by 
  almost 
  all forces and factions to 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  Abaddon. This universal 
  animosity tends to 
  make them consummate 
  survivors, skilled at 
  evasion or combat, capable 
  of defending themselves, 
  and possessed of a siege mentality that binds them strongly 
  to their clan. The genesai understand that they are a constant 
  reminder of all that is wrong in the shattered and broken 
  world, a reminder which some people cannot help but be 
  hostile toward. Some accept that fate and hate the world 
  back, while others struggle to perform heroic deeds and 
  lead by example, trying to right wrongs and to make a safe 
  place for their people. When push comes to shove, though, a 
  genesai will do whatever is necessary to survive.
  PerSonaLity
  As outcasts and victims of intense hatred and scrutiny, the 
  genesai tend to be extremely slow to trust. However, they are 
  extremely loyal to those they regard as friends, holding little 
  distinction between friend and family. Anyone who isn’t 
  “family” is considered with all the suspicion and hostility 
  one might normally reserve for negotiations with an out-
  and-out enemy. The genesai are born pessimists and tend to 
  expect the worst out of any situation. While this behavior 
  means they are always prepared for danger, it can make them 
  seem dour and unfriendly. Genesai humor tends to be cynical 
  and scathing, centered around irony, sarcasm, and schaden-
  freude.
  Page 23 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  Genesai are humanoid in appearance, albeit fairly idealized: 
  slightly taller than the average human and appearing slightly 
  more fit and beautiful. Genesai are unique in appearance, 
  tanned a red-gold hue with an aura of unnatural “wrongness.” 
  This aura unnerves animals and people alike, disconcerting 
  them and tending to make them unconsciously mumble 
  blessings to themselves or reflexively recoil in disgust. Most 
  genesai also have physical indications of their unnatural 
  birth, such as two small horns protruding from their forehead 
  and a supernatural mark on their forehead, branded by their 
  clan as part of their induction into the “family.”
  Where the offspring of outsiders and mortals often display 
  their origin more ostentatiously, most hints of a genesai’s 
  origin tend to be a little more subtle. These hints may be 
  present in a forked tongue or unnaturally colored eyes or 
  hair, things that one would actively need to look for and try 
  to pick out. Their short horns can even be hidden by suitably 
  styled hair. Apart from their brand, they can almost pass for 
  human in many circumstances.
  reLationS
  Due to the dual nature of the genesai, many other inhabit-
  ants of Abaddon shun them and avoid developing any sort 
  geneSai raciaL traitS
  Genesai share a number of racial traits through their mixed infernal and celestial heritage.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Constitution score 
  increases by 1.
  Age. Genesai mature at the same rate as humans but live up to two centuries.
  Alignment. The typical genesai is true neutral because of the balance of opposites in their basic 
  nature. They do not often veer from that position, particularly not into good or evil alignments, 
  though they may find themselves leaning toward either chaos or law alignments depending on 
  their upbringing and life experiences. The genesai nature itself is one of strange possibility; thus, 
  they often find it difficult to be judged for actions others unquestionably call good or evil. They’ve 
  seen the extremes of good and evil for themselves and find such hardline opinions distasteful.
  Size. Genesai are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  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.
  Dual-Minded. You gain advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
  Terrifying. You receive advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) checks.
  Unnatural Aura. Animals become uneasy around genesai due to their dual nature. Dogs will bark and horses will become unruly, even people 
  feel generally uneasy. You suffer disadvantage on Charisma checks made to affect beasts. The starting attitude of such creatures toward you is 
  one step worse than normal. In addition, such creatures suffer disadvantage when attacking you.
  Warding Magic. You can cast protection from good and evil once per day. This ability recharges after a long rest.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Planar Anomaly. Genesai possess unique insight into the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of extraplanar beings. Once per turn as a bonus 
  action, you can gain advantage on one melee weapon attack against a celestial or fiendish creature. This trait replaces the dual-minded racial 
  trait.
  Shattersoul Blade. You can summon a 3-foot-long scintillating shard as an action. The shattersoul blade is equivalent to the exalted’s souls-
  word, as both are made from pieces of their respective unnatural souls. Attacks with the shattersoul blade are melee weapon attacks that deal 1d6 
  points of lightning damage plus a number of points equal to your proficiency bonus. Since the blade is immaterial, your Strength modifier doesn’t 
  affect damage dealt by this blade. Against celestial or infernal creatures, the shattersoul blade deals 1d8 points of damage plus double your 
  proficiency bonus. This blade lasts 1 minute per level and recharges following a short rest. This racial ability replaces the warding magic racial trait.
  Walking Terror. Your mere presence terrifies animals rather than simply unnerving them. Any creature of the beast type that approaches within 
  10 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier or become frightened. 
  Beasts with more Hit Dice than you have levels are immune to this effect. An affected beast can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its 
  turns to end the effect. Once a beast succeeds at this saving throw, it becomes immune to this trait for 24 hours. This replaces the unnatural aura 
  racial trait.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 24
  
  of relationship with them. They often draw fire from exalted 
  looking to purge their evil and unnatural being from the 
  world as well as from infernals who seek to control and use 
  genesai to their own ends. The undead view them as poten-
  tially dangerous rivals and err toward destroying them where 
  they can. Genesai tend only to have positive relations with 
  other unsettled peoples or with communities where, from 
  dints of effort and sacrifice, they have carved a niche of 
  understanding and loyalty. 
  geneSai LandS
  Though they are new to Abaddon, the genesai have done 
  their best to fit into a world that just wants to destroy them. 
  They have no true homeland and live a nomadic existence 
  at the margins of what civilization is left, though some of 
  the larger and more successful clans are looking for a home. 
  Occasionally, a clan of genesai will settle within a defensible 
  position such as a cave system, ruin, or fortress, or mingle in 
  a friendly town, whether hidden or integrated. 
  reLigion
  As offspring of the agents of eternal powers and concepts 
  combined, the genesai do not agonize over the existence of 
  deities, though they do argue over what the deities and their 
  servants actually are, as this relates directly to their own 
  existence. As such, genesai don’t tend to worship any gods, 
  though they may offer thanks to fate, luck, or destiny as 
  disembodied concepts when something goes well for them 
  and equally curse those same ideas when something goes 
  wrong.
  nameS
  Because of their traumatic connection between good and evil, 
  genesai normally name themselves in a very unusual way. 
  The name of their exalted parent is reversed and adopted as 
  their surname, while their first name is the reversed name of 
  their infernal parent.
  First Names: Tamait, Nogrog, Imanazi, Imoy, Etaceh, 
  Ragiba, Dada, Nihtab, Noyreg, Tides
  Family Names: Leimar, Lok, Rusiuodra, Dazay, Tathsra, 
  Leiru, Muorahc, Anid, Sacrof, Tewil
  adventurerS
  Genesai adventurers have often lost their clans or 
  have been cast out for breaking the few, inviolate laws 
  of their “families.” Some not scooped up by clans are 
  raised to adulthood by adoptive parents; these genesai, 
  restless despite their—hopefully loving—homes, leave to 
  seek their fortune and, perhaps, others of their kind. Still 
  others leave as agents of the clan, seeking riches and weap-
  onry in order to help defend the family and to help them 
  carve out some sort of life in this harsh and unforgiving 
  world.
  harrowed
  The harrowed are one of the most despised and feared races 
  of Abaddon. They are no less than the result of the unholy and 
  abominable union between mortal humanoids and the foul 
  undead. To the subjugated populace, the very existence of the 
  harrowed is a constant reminder of their undead overlords 
  who have taken over Abaddon. These creatures 
  are 
  royal bastards, neither fully mortal nor fully 
  undead, caught between the two worlds.
  The origin of some harrowed is all too under-
  standable, as some undead have both mortal 
  and immortal lusts. However, not all are the 
  result of vampire lords and ladies exercising 
  their rights and pleasures over their mortal 
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  raceS oF abaddon
  
  subjects. Harrowed are just as easily birthed from even more 
  terrifying circumstances: organized defilement and punish-
  ments for resistance meted out by undead armies, children 
  conceived while the partner was possessed, or even unnatural 
  magical experiments performed by liches.
  Harrowed are treated by their parents and the powers of 
  Abaddon much depending on the circumstances of their 
  birth. Those deliberately conceived by an undead lord hold 
  positions much like those of illegitimate children in any 
  noble family. They might receive money and even be treated 
  as a minor noble, they might even rise in the ranks of their 
  sire or dam’s house to become a trusted lieutenant—if never 
  a true leader. 
  If they were produced from a punishment or a chance embar-
  rassment, then they are treated no better than any other 
  mortal peon, though the general populace will likely still 
  resent them for being a reminder of their subjugation and 
  because of their perceived privilege, even if it is not genuine.
  Harrowed exist in large numbers now, especially in cities 
  controlled by the undead and in freshly conquered lands. 
  They serve as a means of subjugation and conversion, 
  a “mingling” of populations such as happens on other 
  worlds during occupations. While the harrowed nobility 
  are far smaller in number and exist on a rarefied level, 
  some “common” harrowed have banded together into their 
  own communities and ghettoes within the cities, making 
  them safer but more alienated from the other peoples who 
  surround them.
  harrowed raciaL traitS
  The harrowed are a unique race, said to exist in the thin line between life and death. As an 
  unholy fusion of the living and the undead, your harrowed character shares certain traits in 
  common with others of your kind.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by +2.
  Age. As one of the living dead that does not suffer from decay or aging, harrowed can live as 
  long as their corporeal body remains intact.
  Alignment. Harrowed are typically pulled in two directions by their heritage; thus, harrowed of 
  all alignments exist. The detachment of their undead taint leads them toward neutrality, while 
  their mortal desires and diminished conscience pull them down the path of chaos. Some seek 
  to bind their churning desires within a cage of lawful beliefs, and some are swayed to the causes 
  of either good or evil, though bastard harrowed tend to fall in line with the evil designs of their 
  sires and dams.
  Size. Harrowed range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  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 dark-
  ness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
  Living Dead. You only need to eat, sleep, and breathe half as much as a normal human. You can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal 
  to double your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2 minutes).
  Necrotic Fusion. Your hit point maximum cannot be reduced.
  Undying Flesh. You gain advantage on saving throws against disease.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Harrowed.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Almost Human. Some harrowed are more living than dead. You can easily pass for a normal human. Only a direct Medicine check with a DC 
  equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) can detect anything abnormal about your physiology compared to 
  other humans. You must, however, eat, sleep, and breathe as much as a normal human. This replaces the darkvision racial trait.
  Shade. Harrowed with this trait are created through terrible experiments or strange rites involving incorporeal undead such as shadows. While 
  in dim or dark lighting, you have advantage on Stealth checks. In addition, you gain resistance to cold damage. This replaces the necrotic fusion 
  racial trait.
  Blood Lust. Harrowed with this trait are born from forbidden trysts with vampires, and as a result, they display their undead parent’s hunger for 
  blood. You receive a bite as a natural melee weapon attack that deals 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier. This racial ability replaces 
  the undying flesh racial trait.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 26
  
  PerSonaLity
  Harrowed inherit a detached viewpoint from their undead 
  parentage, a separation in outlook from the material and 
  mortal realm. However, these ideas are accompanied by 
  many of the drives and desires of humanity. This detachment 
  and lack of empathy coupled with mortal desires—albeit 
  dimmed—make the harrowed passionate, ambitious, and 
  more than a little selfish, sometimes to the verge of being 
  sociopathic. Despite all this, the harrowed do form relation-
  ships with those persistent in their interest or those whom 
  they are interested in all their own. Those who prove them-
  selves useful or necessary to a harrowed are most likely to 
  receive their loyalty, a loyalty unlikely to change—another 
  trait inherited from their undead parents.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  Harrowed vary in appearance, but often appear quite human. 
  However, they normally have skin of inhuman coloration, 
  either chalk white or an unhealthy grey pallor. Their skin 
  is slightly translucent at times, revealing the musculature 
  beneath, while sometimes takes on a slight oily sheen like a 
  rainbow or darkens like spoiled meat. Finally, they tend to 
  have white hair and red or black eyes uncharacteristic of the 
  average human.
  reLationS
  Whatever their social status or position, the harrowed are 
  generally seen as part of the ruling classes simply due to their 
  nature. This perceived position tends to make them resented 
  and hated by the subjugated humanoids; at best, they might 
  be grudgingly accepted based on their personal conduct. The 
  harrowed tend to feel as part of a common cause with the 
  other half-breed races of Abaddon who, like the harrowed, 
  are often caught between two worlds and share the experi-
  ence of being disjointed and rejected. The exceptions to this 
  feeling of kinship include the khymer, who regard themselves 
  as truly undead, and the exalted, who regard the harrowed as 
  a terrible abomination and an injustice wrought upon the 
  helpless population. The lykians tend to regard the harrowed 
  as unnatural, complaining that they have “no scent,” which is 
  as wrong to a lykian as being invisible or incorporeal would 
  be to another race.
  harrowed LandS
  Some harrowed live within the houses of the ruling undead 
  classes. Others live in human settlements—if not mingled 
  with the general populace, then in the harrowed ghettoes 
  colloquially known as “graveyards.” These areas often only 
  hold to local laws and are considered apart from the rest of 
  the town or city, though they are still subject to the lord’s 
  oversight and discipline. The harrowed within make their 
  livings mostly as sell-swords, crafters of fine goods, or 
  adventurers, bringing wealth back to their homes.
  reLigion
  The harrowed typically pay only lip service to religions. 
  They tend to be self-interested and see little to gain from 
  devoting themselves to a god, especially in Abaddon. When 
  they do worship a deity, it tends to be whichever god is 
  worshipped by the whole of the local populace or by their 
  sire or dam. These tend to be gods of evil, death, and shadow, 
  even if the harrowed does not conform to that alignment or 
  definition themself; after all, it is as good an idea to appease 
  a dangerous god as it is to worship an altruistic one.
  nameS
  Bastard harrowed take their family name from their sire 
  or dam, whereas their first name conforms to the naming 
  conventions of the people or culture upon whom they were 
  foisted. Their last name is prefaced by “Sir” or “Dam” to indi-
  cate the gender of their undead progenitor. Thus, the name of 
  a typical bastard harrowed might be Aran Sir Drakul, which 
  would read as Aran, son of Lord Drakul. Common harrowed 
  have mortal names like any other, but tend to only go by their 
  first names in all dealings.
  Male Names: Determined by culture of mortal parent
  Female Names: Determined by culture of mortal parent
  Family Names: Sir Drakul, Dam Orien, Sir Lykas, Dam 
  Abraxiel, Sir Xaddan
  adventurerS
  The harrowed often become adventurers: the bastards 
  because they have something to prove or because their ambi-
  tions are frustrated, the commoners because adventuring is 
  often the only way to pick themselves up out of squalor and 
  carve a place of respect and power. Abaddon is a dead and 
  dying world, so it seems fitting that the harrowed, a half dead 
  people, should pick over its bones for things of value and use.
  inFernaLS
  Infernals are the offspring of demonic outsiders and humanity 
  upon Abaddon or the result of a tainted bloodline throwing 
  up a child bearing the mark of past transgressions of natural 
  law. Infernals are relatively common on Abaddon, given 
  the nature of the world as a “planar trap” and the natural 
  proclivities of the demons who find themselves here, as they 
  are trapped, frustrated, and have only a few playthings to 
  assuage their boredom.
  Infernals are the cast-off spawn of these bored demons and 
  succubi. A great many of them inhabit Abaddon, multiplying 
  as a result of intermarriage and the strength of demonic blood 
  now coursing through the bloodlines of mortal communi-
  ties. Self-reliant and cynical, the infernals are often shapers, 
  doers, and makers; they are ambitious and defiant, chan-
  neling the strength and rebellious nature of their demonic 
  Page 27 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  heritage to force their way up and out and to make their mark 
  upon the world. 
  Infernals are the epitome of defiance in the face of adversity. 
  Despite their dual nature, they fit into the fractured world of 
  Abaddon as neatly as a jigsaw piece, thriving while others 
  are ground under, despite the dubious status of their birth 
  and the suspicions of most people. Ironically, the “demon 
  children” are perhaps Abaddon’s best hope against undead 
  domination, though it remains to be seen whether rule by 
  those of demon blood would be any better than rule by the 
  legions of the dead.
  PerSonaLity
  Infernals present a mask of wry, scathing sarcasm, making 
  light of the most horrific situations with gallows humor and 
  a keen sense of irony. They are intensely loyal to those they 
  consider their brothers-in-arms, a behavior that compensates 
  for their often extremely fractured and difficult childhoods 
  and parental situations outside the enclaves of infernals. 
  Their devil-may-care attitude has become a racial stereo-
  type, one they both consciously try to live up to and try to 
  confound in equal measure.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  Infernals have red skin and horns—sometimes 
  pronounced, sometimes more subtle—that arch back 
  over their heads from their brow. Infernals also 
  have sharp, elongated nails that can be extended 
  into claws. Often, they have pronounced canines 
  and incisors, forked tongues, and other subtle 
  demonic traits, including lightly glowing or 
  unnaturally colored eyes and hair, some-
  times reaching a deep black. Some even 
  have tail stubs or long, pointed tails, useful 
  for expressing themselves but useless for 
  anything else. Infernals tend to stand taller 
  than normal humans and have arrogant 
  demeanors, dressing and holding them-
  selves in a way to capitalize on their 
  unnatural beauty or ugliness derived 
  from their demonic parent.
  reLationS
  Infernals try to be gregarious and 
  can be found across Abaddon in all 
  kinds of company, whether they’re 
  welcomed or not. As they can rarely 
  resist pricking at an inflated ego, 
  infernals can grate on those who take 
  themselves too seriously, especially the 
  exalted—a favored target of infernals. 
  Otherwise, the infernals are distrusted 
  but tolerated practically everywhere and 
  by all other races. Only the ruling undead 
  find reason to loathe them; however, the 
  hatred that the infernals return may simply 
  be a function of their lordly positions rather 
  than any inherent racial hatred.
  inFernaL LandS
  Infernals integrate themselves into existing commu-
  nities and, unlike many other races, rarely ghettoize 
  themselves, preferring to remain relatively intermingled 
  with other peoples. The infernals have founded their own 
  city, Moab. A chaotic city in constant flux with no cohesive 
  rulership, this settlement is burrowed into, onto, and around 
  harsh and uncompromising mountains. It is spared conquest 
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 28
  
  only because of its location and its relative lack of worth to 
  any would-be conquerors. If united, though, it might become 
  a genuine force in Abaddon and a mecca for infernals every-
  where.
  reLigion
  Infernals tend to regard the whole establishment of religion 
  as a sort of elaborate scam and a means of control. They 
  reject organized religion entirely, the temples and tithes 
  and formal prayers—all of it. However, they do engage in 
  personal, private worship, typically of trickster gods, as well 
  as those of thieves, assassins, and others at the margins of 
  society: those they regard as the “true” gods behind the scam 
  as a whole. Deities of luck are often popular second choices, 
  as infernals recognize the necessity of having luck on your 
  side, whatever you might do.
  inFernaL raciaL traitS
  Infernals share certain racial traits thanks to their demonic ancestry. You are considered both a 
  humanoid and an infernal creature.
  Ability Score Increase. Choose one ability to score to increase by 2.
  Age. Infernals mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.
  Alignment. Infernals tend to be creatures of chaos, disliking order and—save where they find 
  common cause with each other for something like survival—squabbling over the tiniest differ-
  ence in opinion. In contrast, one will find infernals across the full spectrum of good and evil, from 
  reluctant heroes to spiteful villains and all things in between.
  Size. You have a similar size and build compared to humans. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  Claws. Infernals have a pair of vicious claws. As an attack action, you can make two claw 
  attacks. These are natural melee weapon attacks that deal 1d4 points of slashing damage plus 
  your Strength modifier.
  Darkvision. Thanks to your demonic heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim condi-
  tions. 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.
  Infernal Taint. To reflect the specific effects of your demonic blood, choose one of the following benefits for this trait:
   
  •  Acid Resistance. Acid runs like water off your flesh. You possess resistance to acid damage and advantage on saving throws against acid-
  based attacks.
   
  •  Barbed Flesh. Sharp barbs stud your skin. You are always considered to be wearing armor spikes, which deal (at your discretion) 1d6 points 
  of piercing damage on a successful grapple attack. Otherwise, as an attack action, you can attack with the spikes as if wielding a light melee 
  weapon.
   
  • Cold Resistance. Tainted blood keeps you warm from within. You gain resistance to cold damage.
   
  • Lightning Resistance. Lightning holds no fear for you. You gain resistance to lightning damage.
   
  •  Fiendish Anatomy. Your internal organs are arranged differently compared to normal humanoids. As a reaction, you can turn a critical hit 
  into a normal hit once between short rests.
   
  • Fire Resistance. You can endure flames of any intensity. You gain resistance to fire damage.
   
  •  Poison Resistance. Like your fiendish ancestors, you have little to fear from poisons. You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage 
  on saving throws to resist poison.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Infernal Magic. Choose two of the following wizard spells: cause fear, magic missile, protection from good and evil, ray of sickness, and witch 
  bolt. Use your choice of Intelligence or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can cast each of these two spells once between 
  long rests. This replaces the infernal taint racial trait.
  Luck of the Devil. As a reaction, you may reroll a failed saving throw. This trait recharges following a short rest. This trait replaces infernal taint.
  Venomous Bite. You gain a bite as a natural melee weapon attack that deals 1d6 of piercing damage plus your Strength bonus. In addition, a 
  number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, you can coat one weapon with your venomous saliva as a bonus action. An envenomed 
  weapon does bonus poison damage equal to your proficiency bonus on a successful hit. Once you use up your venom, this ability recharges 
  following a long rest. This trait replaces the claws racial trait.
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  raceS oF abaddon
  
  nameS
  Infernals name themselves with a single word, typically one 
  as tongue-twisting and difficult as possible for those who 
  do not know the Abyssal tongue or lack the teeth and fork 
  necessary for proper pronunciation. Last names are only used 
  outside their home cities to identify where they are from; for 
  example, the last name of an infernal from Moab would be 
  al-Moab.
  Male Names: Korax, Qa, Stien, Xykon, Xazarian
  Female Names: Karybdis, Shakalar, Pheniak, Cerys, 
  Gwynnea
  adventurerS
  Infernal rebellions often put them at odds with the estab-
  lished order, and a swift exit is sometimes called for. The 
  transient nature of an adventurer’s life is perfect for avoiding 
  the entanglements that lead to imprisonment or execution, 
  as many an adventurer has moved on before their “crimes” 
  are found out. Infernals are not averse to seeking wealth for 
  themselves, and while they don’t necessarily try to better 
  their people, they tend to prefer doing business with other 
  infernals. Many infernals are curious about their past and 
  their demonic bloodlines, a curiosity that leads them to 
  investigate the doings of demons and lore of the planes. They 
  also seek ways to throw off the shackles of the undead lords, 
  an aim much hastened if the infernals can acquire powerful 
  artifacts and ancient magics.
  Khymer
  The khymer are descendants of those killed, or at least 
  physically destroyed, by the meteor that struck Abaddon. 
  The necromantic radiation emanating from the blast had 
  many long-lasting 
  effects on Abaddon and its 
  people. 
  For the inhabitants of one city, 
  though, it meant liquefac-
  tion followed by mingling 
  with the ravening light. This 
  process infused the liquid 
  remains with negative energy, 
  which coupled with the latent 
  remnants of that people’s native 
  psionic abilities.
  The khymer are a people reduced to a pool 
  of alien blood. They have been infused with 
  powerful psionic energy, but depend upon corpses 
  as vessels to travel in. Without host corpses, they are 
  vulnerable, exposed to extremes of heat and cold and 
  unable to hold weapons or wear armor.
  In order to survive, the khymer find freshly killed bodies 
  and ooze into them, reshaping them into a familiar, idealized 
  form, filling their veins and flesh and turning the body into 
  a meat puppet for their own purposes. After a time, the 
  host inevitably breaks down and falls apart from trying to 
  contain the khymer’s psionic and necromantic energies.
  The normal reaction to a khymer is disgust. Many folk tales 
  portray them as body snatchers that make their hosts do 
  things against their will. Distasteful as the khymer might be, 
  though, they use dead bodies purely as a matter of neces-
  sity, and they are no more inherently good or evil than any 
  given human. Unfortunately, they are all tarred with the same 
  brush.
  The khymer crave a return to their original physical form 
  and hope to purge the necromantic radiation that has 
  reduced them to this foul, toxic liquid and damned them to 
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 30
  
  Khymer raciaL traitS
  As a khymer character, you share a number of unusual traits with others of your kind.
  Ability Score Increase. Khymer are diverse and varied. Increase one ability score of your 
  choice by +2.
  Age. While a khymer burns through its host bodies about month, in its natural form can live 
  for centuries.
  Alignment. The khymer are almost all neutral, and their alignment along good and evil 
  determines to which “pool” they owe their fealty and loyalty. Those of Monad are true 
  neutral, while those of Quiddity are neutral good, and those of Rubicund are neutral evil. 
  Each pool differs in what they are willing to do in order to cure the khymer condition. Those of 
  other alignments are singletons, wanderers cut off or self-exiled from the pools.
  Size. Khymer are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and aver-
  aging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  Darkvision. You have enhanced 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.
  Aberration. Khymer have no humanoid form. The impact of the meteor, infused with negative energy, broke down the khymer’s humanoid form 
  into a sentient blood-like substance that retained their original psionic abilities. In this new form, the khymer discovered they could invade bodies 
  of humanoid corpses and by some unknown means could genetically reconstruct these “vessels” into their original humanoid form for a limited 
  time.
  A vessel normally lasts a month, at which time the vessel “burns out” from the khymer’s energy, reverting the khymer to its blood form and neces-
  sitating another corpse to invade as a new vessel. (see the sidebar, below). These characteristics give khymer the following additional traits:
  Toxic Blood. The khymer’s blood form is highly toxic and poisonous to both the living and undead. Any creature that attempts to bite, swallow 
  whole, or blood drain you while you are in blood form will learn about your toxic blood and will often become unwilling or unable to use that attack 
  against you again. If the creature persists or is forced to swallow your blood, it must succeed at Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + 
  your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). If the creature fails this save, it suffers disadvantage on all Strength checks 
  and saving throws. The creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with a successful save ending this effect.
  Disease Immunity. You are immune to disease, whether magical or non-magical.
  Naturally Psionic. You gain a number of psychic powers as described below.
   
  • At 1st level, you gain message, which you can use at-will.
   
  •  At 3rd level, you gain the ability to communicate telepathically. You can telepathically speak to a creature you can see within 120 feet. 
  Although you and the target do not need to share a language in common in order to communicate, the creature must be capable of commu-
  nication, either spoken or telepathically.
   
  •  Finally, at 5th level, you can cast detect thoughts as an action. Your choice of either Intelligence or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this 
  power. This power recharges after a long rest.
  Unnatural Metabolism. You do not heal physical ability damage normally; instead, all damage must be healed magically. If you enter a new 
  body, all damage is healed automatically.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Khymer. The khymer language is a unique form of telepathy that carries as far as a 
  normal human voice, which can only be spoken and understood by other khymer.
  KhymerS and body Switching
  A khymer can sustain a body for up to one month before requiring a new one. If a khymer is at 50% or less of its total HP or its current body vessel 
  is within 2 weeks of expiring, the khymer can willingly separate from its current body. When it expires, the khymer’s vessel falls to dust and the 
  khymer reverts into its natural blood state. In their blood form, khymer can only survive for a number of hours equal to 2D12 plus their Constitution 
  modifier before they congeal and die. A khymer in blood form can fit through spaces three sizes smaller than itself but suffers disadvantage on all 
  Dexterity checks and melee attack rolls. They also cannot wear armor or cast any spells requiring verbal components. They retain any ability scores 
  they had in their old body, but with a reduced speed of 20 feet.
  Integrating into a new body is a long and private process that takes all of the khymer’s attention. The body must have flesh on it, cannot have been 
  dead for more than one month, and must be from a Medium humanoid creature. The process takes eight hours to complete. If this process is 
  disrupted by an attack or destruction of the body, the khymer must begin the process again with a new body. Once integrated into the new body, 
  the khymer is healed of any physical ability damage it retained from its old body.
  Page 31 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  a life of bodilessness, jumping from corpse to corpse for all 
  eternity. Many khymer are remnants of minds from the time 
  of the impact; it is their memories and bodies that urge the 
  khymer on, decade after decade, in their quest for a cure.
  The long memories and psionic prowess of the khymer 
  make them valued as viziers, tutors, and advisors to many 
  throughout Abaddon. However, they are rarely fully trusted 
  and are usually watched in order to guard against the possi-
  bility that the legends and stories about them are true.
  PerSonaLity
  The khymer as a people are introspective and quiet, some-
  what fatalistic, but disciplined. They are largely unified 
  within “pools” that exist for the khymer people, and they 
  are loyal to their people despite the divisions between their 
  factions. The khymer are acutely aware that they seem alien 
  to “solid” humanoids and that they are, indeed, becoming 
  more alien in form and psychology as time goes on.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion 
  In their natural form, khymer appear as pools of dark blood 
  with a faint unnatural glow to them. This glow pains the eyes 
  of the observers slightly, like staring at a source of strong 
  ultraviolet light. They radiate a combination of negative 
  and psionic energies that, unshielded by a host body, makes 
  other beings around them uncomfortable. While in their 
  blood form, they can ooze about and solidify into a jelly-like 
  substance capable of extending pseudopods and performing 
  basic physical actions, but cannot act with any finesse.
  Their physical form is a host corpse that they have invaded 
  and reshaped into an idealized physical form as they imagine 
  or remember themselves. While infected, the host body is 
  essentially reanimated and is considered alive for matters 
  such as breathing and eating. Infection by khymer causes the 
  of the host bodyto become its eyes While the khymer is very 
  much tied to the body, they can choose to abandon it in an 
  emergency. 
  reLationS
  The khymer are respected, but not trusted, by almost all the 
  factions and forces at play on Abaddon. They are known 
  to be scholars and powerful psionicists, which makes them 
  useful, but their unnatural physiology and need for a constant 
  flow of dead makes them sinister and, in many eyes, untrust-
  worthy. The undead do not mind the khymer so much. 
  Already being dead and using the bodies of the dead them-
  selves, they see nothing so terrible about what the khymer 
  do; however, the khymer’s insatiable curiosity and constant 
  “poking” at ancient magic, psionics, and lore makes them 
  nervous. Other than with adventuring parties, the khymer 
  usually find themselves alone in a crowd with only each 
  other to turn to for company, should they desire it.
  Khymer LandS
  The khymer claim three lands under their dominion, each 
  being a lake infused with the necromantic energy of the 
  meteor and the psionic energy of many departed souls. 
  Monad is the site of their once-great city, now submerged 
  in a sea of blood. Quiddity was once a natural lake, now 
  corrupted by a fragment of meteor that fell into it. Rubicund 
  is the site of one of the last great battles between the mortal 
  kingdoms and the undead.
  reLigion
  The khymer hold a reverent and religious respect for the 
  psionic field of Abaddon itself, which is made up of the 
  thoughts and feelings of every living and unliving being on 
  and beneath its surface. They accredit this overmind with all 
  the abilities and powers normally associated with a god in 
  other cultures and refer to it as the Noö.
  nameS
  The khymer always refer to themselves as “We” or “Us,” but 
  do carry individual names split by the gender of their body-
  forms, though how they determine gender is anyone’s guess. 
  They also have Family Names and lines, with the offspring 
  choosing from which parent to take their family name.
  Male Names: Ahote, Kanti, Nadie, Sinopa, Wakiza, Yahto
  Female Names: Elsu, Hinto, Kitchi, Lansa, Maka, Shiriki, 
  Tasunke
  Family Names: Angeni, Fala, Istas, Lomasi, Satinka, Yepa
  adventurerS
  The khymer are driven to cure their body-swapping ways 
  and to remove the negative radiation infusing their whole 
  beings. This drive has become a ravening need to know, to 
  understand, to comprehend, that has led them to search out 
  knowledge of all kinds from all across Abaddon, not only to 
  find their cure but merely to sate these desires. Many khymer 
  become adventurers as a way of delving into Abaddon’s past 
  and to learn secrets that they simply can’t let go.
  LyKianS
  Abaddon’s werewolf lycanthropes, most commonly called 
  lykians, are one of the most unusual residents of the world. 
  Unlike standard lycanthropes, lykians are born as lycan-
  thropes. They do not suffer from the lycanthropic disease; 
  instead, they are considered a separate humanoid race with 
  the shapechanger subtype. Before the apocalypse, many 
  carried the curse of lycanthropy, but due to unknown, 
  powerful forces of magic, the curse took on a new form 
  from which the lykians have evolved directly. Lykians, 
  unlike lycanthropes, have only one physical form, despite 
  their shapechanger subtype. They are considered by many 
  to be extremely bestial, hostile, and brutish, like their canine 
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  lineage. Their primal nature often usurps and controls their 
  cognitive and reasoning abilities.
  All lykians have primal, wolf-like traits and features, which 
  makes them and lycanthrope werewolves virtually indis-
  tinguishable by all but a few. Thus, both are equally perse-
  cuted and hunted by human and undead alike. Lykians are 
  organized in a rigid clan structure, with the more powerful 
  families dominating the weaker and smaller clans. Whether 
  dominance is exerted and maintained through brute force, 
  political pressure, or some other means varies from one clan 
  to the next. Lykians get along with outsiders, seeing them-
  selves as part of a united bloodline.
  Nomadic lykians form up their clan into wandering bands, 
  most of which move on foot from temporary settlement to 
  temporary settlement, staying until prey gets scarce. Most 
  of these bands carry what they need on their backs; only 
  wealthy and successful clans have caravans or beasts of 
  burden. Otherwise, the clan travels light, wearing their wealth 
  as jewelry and carrying their pups in double papooses, front 
  and back. They usually travel at night, following the play of 
  shadows to conceal their passing. For some settle-
  ments, the only warning that a lykian clan has 
  passed by in the night is the slaughtered livestock, 
  picked clean.
  These nomadic routes are laid out and marked with 
  scent and marker poles. The lykian clans do not 
  tolerate other clans using their stopping points 
  and routes, which they jealously guard from 
  encroachment. However, they seem happy to 
  let other, more pastoral humanoids settle in 
  these places.
  Jungle lykians travel much less than nomadic 
  lykians. The jungles of Abaddon—strange and 
  deadly as they are—are some of the few 
  fecund and productive places left. Jungle 
  lykians keep a single resting 
  place and range through 
  the jungle around their 
  settlement, like spurs 
  on a wheel, rotating 
  their hunts from day 
  to day. They use their 
  natural stealth and great 
  leaping ability to take to the 
  trees, staying clear of the dangerous 
  jungle floor as much as possible.
  Some few lykians make their 
  way to what passes for 
  civilization, 
  hiring 
  themselves 
  out 
  as 
  mercenaries or taking 
  up with adventuring 
  bands. These lykians 
  could be curious about their humanoid heritage, perhaps are 
  on trade missions for their clans or, most often, are outcasts 
  from their clan, tribe, family, and pack for some transgres-
  sion or crime. Trust issues dog these lykians because of 
  their “untrustworthy” shapechanger heritage and their habit 
  of eating carrion and humanoid flesh. Usually, only lowly 
  criminals and the lower orders of undead will hire them.
  PerSonaLity
  Lykians are creatures of animal instincts. They usually 
  belong to a clan and very rarely interact with any other 
  humanoid race—when sustenance is scarce, though, those 
  races become the lykians’ food. Lykians living in the few 
  remaining jungle areas are quite fierce, feral, and quicker to 
  show their aggressive side.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion 
  Lykians bear a strong resemblance to werewolves and hybrid 
  wolf-men. They are very tall, averaging seven feet, and have 
  physically dominating physiques. Their feral eyes vary in 
  color; yellow, blue, and grey are common. They 
  often have large canines or fangs and an abun-
  dance of body hair, which ranges from 
  very short to long and shaggy.
  Page 33 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  reLationS
  Lykian enemies are primarily humanoids and the undead. A 
  longstanding feud has boiled between them, mainly because 
  the lykians resort to using other humanoids as a food source. 
  Most intelligent undead mistrust or hate lykians; nobody 
  outside the factions and few within know why or how this 
  hatred started, but it has persisted for the last two decades.
  LyKian LandS 
  Lykians are a nomadic race and live off the land. While a 
  few lykians dwell in the jungle areas of Abaddon, they can 
  be found anywhere. 
  reLigion
  Due to the unique events of Abaddon, most lykians do not 
  have a set religious belief system in place. 
  nameS
  The lykians are named with clan name first, surname 
  second, and given name last. An example of a lykian name is 
  Roughide Growltongue Swiftclaw.
  adventurerS
  Lykians are adventurous by nature and they are commonly 
  found as members of more open-minded adventuring groups 
  or as fodder in mercenary bands.
  LyKian raciaL traitS
  Your werewolf blood grants your lykian character a number of traits.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
  Age. Lykians mature faster compared to humans, reaching adulthood around age 12. Despite 
  this, they tend to live over a century, often longer than most humans.
  Alignment. As with anyone in Abaddon, lykians are survivors and do what is needed to survive. 
  While they are not cruel for cruelty’s sake, they will do anything to protect themselves or their 
  clan. It is very rare to find a lykian with a rigid moral structure.
  Size. Lykians are somewhat larger and bulkier than humans, averaging over 7 feet tall and with 
  a muscular physique. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  Claws. You possess a pair of vicious claws. As an attack action, you can make two claw attacks. 
  These are natural melee weapon attacks that deal 1d4 points of slashing damage plus your 
  Strength modifier.
  Darkvision. Your wolf’s eyes allow you to 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.
  Diseased Bite. You gain a bite, which is natural weapon attack that deals 1d3 piercing damage. In addition, you can coat a weapon with diseased 
  saliva as a bonus action. A target struck by this envenomed weapon must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus 
  + your Constitution modifier or contract cackle fever (see the core rules). You can exude this venom once between short rests.
  Shadowy Stalker. Attacks made against you while you are in dim light suffer disadvantage.
  Sprinter. Your speed increases by 10 feet when you take either the dash or disengage action.
  Born Survivors. Your animalistic heritage enhances your physical skills. You gain proficiency in Strength (Athletics) checks.
  Vulnerabilities. You have vulnerability to damage inflicted by silvered weapons.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Lykian. Llykian is a harsh, guttural tongue; it has no script of its own but is written in the 
  Dwarvish script.
  variant raciaL traitS
  Howl. As an action you can emit a thunderous howl. Any non-lykians within 20 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your 
  proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier or become frightened for the next minute. A frightened creature can attempt this save again at the 
  end of each of its turns. A creature that makes this save becomes immune to your howl for the next 24 hours. This power recharges after a long rest. 
  This racial ability replaces the claws racial trait.
  Scent. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. This trait replaces the born survivors racial trait.
  See in Darkness. You can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including unnatural or magical darkness, such as that created by the darkness 
  spell. This racial ability replaces the shadowy stalker racial trait.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 34
  
  oSirianS
  According to ancient lore, the osirians were the first intel-
  ligent species to emerge on Abaddon, chosen by the gods 
  to be their first creation on this world. They were, and are, 
  a regal and proficient people famed for their skill with their 
  hands and their swiftness, as dangerous archers and fencers 
  and makers of technical wonders and fine crafts.
  The position of the osirians as the favored of the gods did not 
  spare them from the cataclysm that turned Abaddon upside 
  down. Already giving way to some of the other species, the 
  osirians were struck a hammer blow by the fall of the meteor. 
  Their ancestral homelands were some of the worst affected 
  by the necromantic miasma and negative energies released 
  by the impact.
  The osirians died in droves from the impact, from its after-
  math, and from the lingering effects of the necromantic 
  radiation, which subverted their bodies day by agonizing 
  day. So many of the osirians rose again as zombies, 
  skeletons, and ghosts that they quickly learned harsh 
  lessons in dismemberment before burial and the neces-
  sity of building secure and warded tombs.
  Exhausted, beleaguered, and desperate, the osirians 
  sought a solution to their problems, a way to live with 
  the intense negative radiation that had so changed 
  Abaddon and themselves. Eventually, they found a 
  way to live with their affliction and even to use it as a 
  weapon against the undead that still tormented them.
  Ancient osirian body art was combined with alchem-
  ical knowledge to mark and infuse their flesh 
  with channels of necromantic obsidian. 
  This obsidian was ground into dust 
  and worked into the flesh in arcane 
  patterns to draw and store the necro-
  mantic energy from their bodies and 
  their 
  surroundings, helping them weather the 
  r a d i a -
  tion and live some semblance of a normal life. These altera-
  tions also allowed them to channel the power to their own 
  ends and to strike back against the undead. Despite their 
  newfound power and their natural capabilities, though, they 
  could do little to liberate the lands already swarming with 
  the dead.
  The osirians have retreated to their surviving cities and 
  underground vaults. Some eke out an existence beneath the 
  view of the undead, living free but hard lives, while others 
  fall into slavery as their scant lands are constantly besieged.
  PerSonaLity
  Osirians have an extremely pragmatic mindset and tend to 
  view everything as a problem that requires solving. They 
  often think in a linear fashion, a way considered stereo-
  typically “male” in humans. Practical problems are 
  usually more to their taste than esoteric ones, and 
  they often become frustrated by philosophical or religious 
  discussions—topics they consider insoluble and, thus, irrel-
  evant. It isn’t true that they have no aesthetic or appreciation 
  of art or culture, only that their “engineer’s” viewpoint colors 
  everything that they do.
  PhySicaL deScriPtion
  Osirians have extremely dark skin, which comes in a variety 
  of subtle, dark tones—from midnight blue, to a purplish 
  aubergine hue, through to reddish or greenish tints. Similarly, 
  their hair is usually a deep black, which makes their eyes and 
  teeth stand out in stark contrast. Osirians are usually shorter 
  than humans by an inch or two and tend toward a slightly 
  more curvaceous or stocky build.
  reLationS
  Osirian pragmatism is considered a strike 
  against them when they cooperate with other 
  races of Abaddon, since most races—if not 
  all—are known for doing dubious things 
  in order to survive. This tendency, of 
  course, includes the osirians, but as 
  pragmatists they tend to err on 
  the side of caution in their 
  dealings with others, 
  especially the 
  undead 
  o
  r 
  Page 35 
  raceS oF abaddon
  
  those with undead traits. The presence of a free osirian can 
  also cause problems, as osirians who are not subjugated 
  slaves are usually considered extremely dangerous and may 
  be killed on sight by the undead lords and their forces.
  oSirian LandS
  The osirians live in their ancestral cities for the most part, 
  whether enslaved and crushed or still free. Of their free 
  towns and cities, the great spired city of Prax stands in defi-
  ance of the destruction of Abaddon and the forces of the 
  undead. As the free capital of what remains of the osirian 
  people, it is protected from invasion by cunning defenses, 
  artifice, and magic. A few other, smaller settlements also 
  remain free, though they exist at the margins of survivability 
  and are often besieged by the undead lords. Even smaller 
  bands of osirians have taken to underground vaults, hidden 
  from sight, secret dungeons from which their bands lead 
  raids against the undead; there, they strive to carve out a new 
  living, out of sight, beneath the blackened earth.
  reLigion
  Osirians, as the first race of Abaddon, still believe them-
  selves to be the chosen of the gods. They worship a wide and 
  cosmopolitan variety of gods that they refer to collectively 
  as “makers.” They particularly favor gods associated with 
  craft, trade, and industry, while many also choose to worship 
  gods of magic.
  nameS
  Osirian names, following the tendency of their language, are 
  made from chopped up sounds with abrupt stops and sudden 
  shifts between consonants. Their first names always have 
  two syllables. Their last names start with one syllable, to 
  which they add new syllables as they perform great deeds or 
  works; in this way, the osirians denote their rank and worth 
  in their society. Familial ties are denoted by “son of” or 
  “daughter of” following the matriarchal or patriarchal lines 
  independently, when it is needed. Most osirians can recite 
  their lineage over five generations or more.
  Last Names: Bar, Creltis, D’Shalgar, Kriks, T’skel-tah-
  rehMale Names: Gartok, D’nar, Da-Varr, Cav’tun, Mik’qua
  Female Names: Fehtahl, Lexa, T’nstaph, Feah, Klixxis
  adventurerS
  Osirian adventurers tend to be escaped slaves or free osirians 
  seeking either revenge or the artifacts and power needed to 
  free their people from the undead lords. The osirian vaults 
  and free cities need every resource that they can get, as 
  freeing—and supplying—slaves is no easy task without coin. 
  The dead cities and great tombs of Abaddon provide a wealth 
  of resources and riches that can provide for all these ends. 
  Thus, osirians often find themselves wandering the land, 
  looking to change their fortune with powerful artifacts and 
  the riches of the dead.
  oSirian traitS
  Your Osirian character shares several racial traits in common with others of your kind.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases 
  by 1.
  Age. Osirians mature at about the same rate as humans and possess a similar lifespan. 
  Alignment. Osirians tend to belong to neutral alignments, but osirians can be found across all 
  the different alignments. Whatever else they might believe tends to bond osirians together, as 
  they recognize they are a marginalized and oppressed people who depend upon each other to 
  survive.
  Size. Osirians tend to be a few inches shorter than the average human with a slightly more curva-
  ceous or stocky build. Your size is Medium.
  Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  Crafty. Osirians are born craftsmen. You gain proficiency with one tool set of your choice.
  Necromantic Hellfire. As an attack action, you can project an energy ray as a ranged spell 
  attack against a target you can see within 30 feet. Living creatures struck by necromantic hellfire gain one level of exhaustion for 1 minute unless 
  they succeed at a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. This ability has no effect on crea-
  tures already suffering the exhausted condition. Unlike with normal exhaustion, this effect ends as soon as its duration expires or once the target 
  succeeds at its saving throw, whichever comes first. Against undead creatures, your necromantic hellfire inflicts 1d6 of radiant damage.
  Necrotic Resistance. You are resistant to necrotic damage. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against any effect that would 
  reduce your maximum hit point total.
  Stealthy. You gain advantage on Stealth checks.
  Quick Reactions. You gain advantage on initiative rolls.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.
  obSidian aPocaLyPSe 
  Page 36
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/LPJ/LPJ9278 Races of Obsidian Apocalypse.pdf