A character’s Race usually only provides a small mechanical benefit within the world of Final Fantasy. This is usually represented as a bonus +1 point to 2 skills that are based on the common training and skills of everyday society for that particular race. These skill points are not set in stone; it’s just as likely that there are more races in your Final Fantasy world than the ones listed here or that a particular race deviates from its standard representation. Furthermore this skill bonus tends to be only for the standard humanoid races in a setting; more fantastical characters instead take the Unusual Species ability at level one that grants them benefits instead of just skill bonuses.
GMs and players who are looking for information on a specific ‘playable species’ in the Final Fantasy world should instead look at the different campaign settings.
GMs and players who are looking for information on a specific ‘playable species’ in the Final Fantasy world should instead look at the different campaign settings.
Humans
Neither the tallest nor the shortest; neither the bulkiest or most lithe; not short-lived, not venerably ancient: humans are the most adaptable, and some might say average, of the Spoken Races. This perhaps explains their great ubiquity within the cosmos. Humans can be found anywhere civilization can be found, and many places where it is not. Humans are possessed, to some degree, of just about every faculty and capacity necessary for survival, though mastery of any given skill requires practice and training which may be beyond what is required of other races when exercising their natural proclivities. It could be this trait, what some might consider a disadvantage, which has allowed humans to forge themselves into essential members of communities everywhere. Humans generally have no well-defined skills. Their two +1 bonuses can be in anything due to their versatile communities, multitude of differences, and widespread beliefs.
Humans Throughout Final Fantasy
Humans have gone by a few names within the series, such as Human, Hume, or Hyur. There have also been more specialized humans or human ancestors, such as the Lunarians, Cetra, and Roegadyn.
Humans Throughout Final Fantasy
Humans have gone by a few names within the series, such as Human, Hume, or Hyur. There have also been more specialized humans or human ancestors, such as the Lunarians, Cetra, and Roegadyn.
Beastkin
Sometimes venerated and sometimes feared, beastkin are the more animalistic of the spoken races. They tend to be bulkier than others and attuned to both nature and people. Due to this they are often found as merchants, scholars for the region, or used as local muscle. As such, a beastkin gains +1 to any two of the following skills: Athletics, Awareness, Gathering (any), Language, Lore (any), Mercantile, Negotiation, Scavenge, Stealth, Swimming, or Synthesis (any).
Beastkin Throughout Final Fantasy
Bangaa, Nu Mou, Hrothgar, Galka, Ronso, Seeq are all Beastkin due to their more animalistic features plus being covered completely in fur or scales.
Beastkin Throughout Final Fantasy
Bangaa, Nu Mou, Hrothgar, Galka, Ronso, Seeq are all Beastkin due to their more animalistic features plus being covered completely in fur or scales.
Dwarf
The small of stature Dwarves tend to be skilled with engineering, commerce, and magic. Depending on the setting they often conceal their faces with large beards and give a greeting of “Lali-ho!” to those they meet. Dwarves gain +1 to any two of the following skills: Gathering (any), Healing, Inquiry, Language, Lore (any), Mercantile, Negotiation, Scavenge, Synthesis (any), Systems, or Vehicles.
Dwarves Throughout Final Fantasy
The Dwarves are sometimes called the Lalafell or Tarutaru depending on the world they are found within.
Dwarves Throughout Final Fantasy
The Dwarves are sometimes called the Lalafell or Tarutaru depending on the world they are found within.
Elf
Elves generally have a proud and ancient history wherever they are found and are denoted by their long, pointed ears. They are slender and their height varies immensely by setting, ranging from as small as dwarves to taller than the average human. Elves tend to be closer to the natural world than others and are agile or magical in nature, gaining +1 to any two of the following skills: Acting, Awareness, Escape, Gathering (any), Inquiry, Lore (any), Nature, Perform, Stealth, Synthesis (any), Thievery.
Elves Throughout Final Fantasy
Elves are sometimes called the Elvaan or Elezen. In addition there are Dark Elves - implike humanoids that split off from normal elves long ago and are warped by their practice of dark magic.
Elves Throughout Final Fantasy
Elves are sometimes called the Elvaan or Elezen. In addition there are Dark Elves - implike humanoids that split off from normal elves long ago and are warped by their practice of dark magic.
Kemonomimi
Kemonomimi are the multitude of races that are near human save for small differences. They have skin instead of fur with some sort of animalistic ears, horns, wings, and/or tails. These minor differences grant them a small benefit over humans but often mark them in society as different from humans as well. A Kemonomimi gains +1 to any two of the following skills: Athletics, Acting, Awareness, Escape, Gathering (any), Perform, Scavenge, Stealth, Synthesis (any), Thievery, Vehicles.
Kemonomimi Throughout Final Fantasy
The Viera, Au Ra, Gria, Miqo'te, and Mithra are all considered Kemonomimi.
Kemonomimi Throughout Final Fantasy
The Viera, Au Ra, Gria, Miqo'te, and Mithra are all considered Kemonomimi.
Monster Species
There are many other species within the world of Final Fantasy. The ”beast tribes” such as goblins, moogles, or sahuagin, “unusual humanoids” such as the Qu and Gnomes, and synthetic or engineered characters such as androids and genomes are just a few examples of this. When choosing to make a character that departs from the general species they must always take the Unusual Species ability at level 1, granting them more diverse features than a simple skill bonus allows.
Ability: Unusual Species
Unusual Species is a special ability that can only be chosen at the time of character creation. Upon taking this ability a character chooses from one of the monster species, becoming that creature type (and potentially not being Humanoid due to this). When this ability is taken the character has the following choices to make:
A good GM will also try to work with their players to establish any other minor benefits or downsides this might impart. This might include the character no longer needing to eat or drink, becoming a strict carnivore, gaining the ability to hover, et cetera.
Ability: Unusual Species
Unusual Species is a special ability that can only be chosen at the time of character creation. Upon taking this ability a character chooses from one of the monster species, becoming that creature type (and potentially not being Humanoid due to this). When this ability is taken the character has the following choices to make:
- Pick one Monster Category for the character to belong to. They gain features to represent that choice:
- Aerial: The character has the Auto-Flight status effect on them while conscious, making them immune to damage from earth-based attacks and spells, taking no falling damage, and making Short-range weapons suffer a -4 penalty to hit them. You cannot choose earth as your weakness if you take this choice.
- Amorph: The character is capable of squeezing through openings a fraction of its normal body size - such as putting an arm through a keyhole or slipping through the cracks in a floorboard. In addition they gain an elemental absorption to a single element due to their deep affinity for it.
- Aquan: The character gains the Submerge monster ability but can only use it while water is nearby, allowing them to dive underwater when available to avoid group effects and damage. They can also breathe and move underwater without penalty, gain a +2 bonus to swimming checks, and cannot drown.
- Arcana: The character’s MND score increases by 2, allowing them more finesse in their attacks and more MP to cast spells.
- Beast: One of the character’s PWR, DEX, or RES attributes increase by 2. Beasts tend to be hardy, fierce, or agile.
- Construct: The character gains an immunity to the Fear, Poison, and Zombie status effects.
- Dragon: Dragons have 2 options depending the type of dragon they are. They either have the Auto-Flight status while conscious or have both an extra elemental immunity and 1 additional PWR.
- Humanoid: Pick two skills for the character to gain a +1 bonus to and a single attribute to increase by 1. Like the traditional humanoids, beastmen come from a diverse array of cultures.
- Fiend: Fiends are supernatural in nature, gaining a +2 bonus to MND or PWR. They gain an immunity to Shadow damage and a Weakness to Holy - they are unable to escape the dark forces they are tied to.
- Insect: Insects have 2 options depending on the type of insect they are. They either begin with the Auto-Flight status active on them while conscious or gain access to the Submerge monster ability when on land.
- Plant: Plants almost always grow best in one specific region, either the Plains, Towns, Forests, Mountains, Deserts, Swamps, in Water, Underground, or within a Cosmic location. The character receives a +2 bonus to all skill checks, opposed rolls and attack rolls while in this environment.
- Undead: Undead characters always have the Auto-Zombie status, the Undying monster ability, a Weakness to Holy, and an Immunity to Shadow.
- Pick one element that the character is especially vulnerable to - Earth, Fire, Ice, Lightning, Water, Wind, or Holy. The character takes 50% more damage from attacks of this elemental type instead of Shadow. If the choice of monster category gave the character immunity, vulnerability, or weakness to this element, it cannot be chosen here.
A good GM will also try to work with their players to establish any other minor benefits or downsides this might impart. This might include the character no longer needing to eat or drink, becoming a strict carnivore, gaining the ability to hover, et cetera.