Classes of The Dungeon Part II: Non-humans

There has been enough of a discussion for this topic, Basic D&D's take on races as distinct classes, which for this particular type of gaming, I'm all for it. Apart from sake of simplicity, there are interesting explanations of why one should consider incorporating the race-as-class mechanic in their fantasy games, amongst them Erin's view, Courtney's thoughts, and Jonathan's take, to name a few. Overall, the concept of race-as-class is based on three assumptions:

1. The world is dominated by humans, while the rest of the races are in decline or a minority.
2. Non-human (or more officially, demi-human) societies are totally alien to human minds. What we take for granted isn't necessarily true for those races.
3. The rarity of a race and its distinctiveness from human classes fit perfectly with sword and sorcery settings.

Taking those assumptions into consideration, I attempted to design the three non-human classes as distant to humans, but as close to their B/X counterparts, as possible. Truth be told, I was heavily inspired by what James presented as dwarfs and elves in his Dwimmermount setting (some would say I shamelessly ripped them off; I don't blame you, they're the most creative works on non-humans I've seen so far). Halflings, however, are designed totally from scratch (or so I think, at least; I fail to recall any inspirations).

Dwarf

Dwarfs are rock elementals that bear all features of a typical fantasy dwarf but for a single fact that they're living constructs who gain life through a long and costly ritual, as their "creators" carve them out of a slab of rock, enriched with precious metals and gemstones. As long as the ritual is successful, the newly-born dwarf acquires the shape and abilities of its sculptor-progenitor. While anatomically male, dwarfs have no such notions of age and sex in their lives and the only indication of growing old is their skin reverting back to its original material, that of stone. This is a slow process that takes several centuries and also a sign for the dwarf to head back to its stronghold and prepare for its "funeral".

So far, the only function humans are aware of dwarfs is their need to tirelessly labour at their workshops, and collect precious stones and metals in order to "carve" their offsprings, who will carry on with their chores. This looks like the only logical motivation for dwarf adventurers. Like elves, dwarfs are few in numbers, and constantly decrease, due possibly to their slow and arduous procreation, but dwarfs don't seem to seek any alternatives, as if embracing their impending doom. Some also claim their hivemind mentality which remains firmly rooted in dwarfish ancient traditions and refuses to acknowledge any evolutionary inventions.

Dwarfs have the same abilities as shown in the B/X rulebook. A player once proposed to use Golem and Yiddish names for dwarfs, and it has stuck since.

Elf

Elves are a race shrouded in mystery; nothing is known about them, apart from fragmentary observations surrounding their secluded communities. Their claim of living for millennia (in human years, their life cycle is too complex for the mortal mind to even comprehend), no apparent signs of age and lack of children in their camps have led many to believe that elves had once made a dark pact with the Lords of Chaos for eternal youth and beauty - as humans consider the soul to be interwoven with life and procreation, elves must be soulless. This is further confirmed by their immunities against certain undead attacks as well as their inability to return or be contacted from the dead. This belief is quickly dismissed as tell-tale, as elves don't sport any of the weaknesses common to the undead (holy water, cleric turning, aversion to light, etc.). Interestingly, though, when an elf dies, it slowly turns into ash.

Part of human history speaks of a mighty elfin empire that collapsed centuries ago. Elves never talk about their tragic story, but one can notice a bitterness in their eyes. Nonetheless, elves stand proud and detached, as if emotionless. One thing is certain though: they are drawn towards magic like moths to fire. Their passion for collecting spells and magic items could be linked to their dark past, although nobody says with certainty that magic is the key to their eternal curse. Of last note, and adding to their mystery, is that even though elves are encountered bearing two distinct sexes, this is not their true nature and they're simply imitating human anatomy.

Elves are immune to undead paralysis and energy drain, but are vulnerable to fire, taking an extra point for each die of damage (1d6+1, 2d6+2 etc.). Out of all their normal abilities, indicated in the rulebook, they don't have infravision. As noted earlier, elves cannot be raised or magically contacted from the dead. So far, there are no known naming conventions for elves.


Halfling

Halflings have been found alongside humans ever since the latter walked the lands. While more accepted than the other races, halflings do claim an eerie nature. Shady figures, they appear sober, cynical, and secretive; it is often believed that they are creatures of the night, spies of powerful vampires who live under the cities, and they feed on the blood of their victims. Even though such rumours are usually dismissed as false, they all share a common theme: that halflings are creatures of the Shadows. As one can note from their uncanny ability to hide in shadows, halflings seem to have an intimate relationship with dimly lit spaces, while they express an aversion to bright light. Legend has it that halflings are born from the shadows of the mortal folk. Natives to the Shadowlands, where the spirits of the dead reside, halflings emerge as personifications of dark secrets and thoughts, inexplicably drawn towards the shadows of humans which, is said, act as magical portals between the mortal world and the world of the dead.

Halfling communities are secluded and introvert. Their most common occupation is pipeweed farming and woodcrafting, but they also fancy secrets of all sorts - halflings are known for collecting information about people, locations, and objects. "Ask a halfling" goes a saying, and not a few of the shady folk can be found in the service of spy networks and other information-gathering groups.

Halflings retain all of their abilities, per the rulebook, and only their hiding ability is modified, to accommodate for their expertise in indoors sneaking, as shown on the following table:

Halflings don't have any naming conventions but usually employ simple names, often with one or two syllables. Puck, Kull, Reggo, Anouk, Rapha, Tell are good examples.