Pathfinder 2 easy Library

NOW SEARCHING

HUMAN

ANCESTRY

MEDIUM

HUMAN

HUMANOID

Hit Points 8

Size Medium; Speed 25 feet

Ability Boosts Two free ability boosts

Languages Common

Additional Languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

As unpredictable and varied as any of Golarion’s peoples, humans have exceptional drive and the capacity to endure and expand. Though many civilizations thrived before humanity rose to prominence, humans have built some of the greatest and the most terrible societies throughout the course of history, and today they are the most populous people in the realms around the Inner Sea.

Humans’ ambition, versatility, and exceptional potential have led to their status as the world’s predominant ancestry. Their empires and nations are vast, sprawling things, and their citizens carve names for themselves with the strength of their sword arms and the power of their spells. Humanity is diverse and tumultuous, running the gamut from nomadic to imperial, sinister to saintly. Many of them venture forth to explore, to map the expanse of the multiverse, to search for long-lost treasure, or to lead mighty armies to conquer their neighbors—for no better reason than because they can.

If you want a character who can be just about anything, you should play a human.

You Might...

  • Strive to achieve greatness, either in your own right or on behalf of a cause.
  • Seek to understand your purpose in the world.
  • Cherish your relationships with family and friends.

Others Probably...

  • Respect your flexibility, your adaptability, and—in most cases— your open‑mindedness.
  • Distrust your intentions, fearing you seek only power or wealth.
  • Aren’t sure what to expect from you and are hesitant to assume your intentions.

Physical Description

Humans’ physical characteristics are as varied as the world’s climes. Humans have a wide variety of skin and hair colors, body types, and facial features. Generally speaking, their skin has a darker hue the closer to the equator they or their ancestors lived.

Humans reach physical adulthood around the age of 15, though mental maturity occurs a few years later. A typical human can live to be around 90 years old. Humans often intermarry with people of other ancestries, giving rise to children who bear the traits of both parents. The most notable half-humans are half-elves and half-orcs.

Society

Human variety also manifests in terms of their governments, attitudes, and social norms. Though the oldest of human cultures can trace their shared histories thousands of years into the past, when compared to the societies of the elves or dwarves, human civilizations seem in a state of constant flux as empires fragment and new kingdoms subsume the old.

Alignment and Religion

Humanity is perhaps the most heterogeneous of all the ancestries, with a capacity for great evil and boundless good. Some humans assemble into vast raging hordes, while others build sprawling cities. Considered as a whole, most humans are neutral, yet they tend to congregate into nations or communities of a shared alignment, or at least a shared tendency toward an alignment. Humans also worship a wide range of gods and practice many different religions, tending to seek favor from any divine being they encounter.

Names

Unlike many ancestral cultures, which generally cleave to specific traditions and shared histories, humanity’s diversity has resulted in a near-infinite set of names. The humans of northern tribes have different names than those dwelling in southern nation‑states. Humans throughout much of the world speak Common (though some continents on Golarion have their own regional common languages), yet their names are as varied as their beliefs and appearances.

Ethnicities

A variety of human ethnic groups—many of which have origins on distant lands— populates the continents bordering Golarion’s Inner Sea. Human characters can be any of these ethnicities, regardless of what lands they call home. Information about Golarion’s human ethnicities appears on page 430 in Chapter 8.

Characters of human ethnicities in the Inner Sea region speak Common (also known as Taldane), and some ethnicities grant access to an uncommon language.

TABLE 1: HUMAN HERITAGES
Exclusive Heritages Description
Half-Elf Either one of your parents was an elf, or one or both were half-elves.
Half-Orc One of your parents was an orc, or one or both were half-orcs.
skilled heritage Your ingenuity allows you to train in a wide variety of skills.
versatile heritage Humanity’s versatility and ambition have fueled its ascendance to be the most common ancestry in most nations throughout the world.
wintertouched humanLOCG The power of winter flows through you.
Versatile Heritages Description
AasimarAPG You descend from celestials or were touched by the celestial realms, gaining an air of awe and grace, as well as features distinctive to your celestial forebears.
AphoriteLOAG You were born with a connection to Axis, the Plane of Law.
ArdandeRE Your elemental heritage is reflected in the oils and fragrances of plants, in tree resin that fossilizes into amber, or in the gentle smell of a flower.
BeastkinLOAG The blood of a beast flows through your veins, granting you the ferocity and might of animals.
ChangelingAPG Your mother was a hag.
DhampirAPG You are the scion of a vampire, half living and half undead, gifted with uncanny charm and grace, a bloodless pallor, and elongated incisors.
DuskwalkerAPG Thanks to an ancient bargain, your soul has been reborn as a duskwalker, a planar scion with a connection to psychopomps and the Boneyard.
GanziLOAG Your blood is touched by primal chaos.
IfritLOAG You descend from fire elementals or bear the mark of the Inner Spheres, and your features illustrate the influence that elemental fire has over you.
OreadLOAG An earth elemental ancestor has influenced your bloodline, and your features highlight this elemental planar connection.
ReflectionDA You were created as a duplicate of another creature, intentionally or accidentally, though you might not know of your origins.
SuliLOAG You are descended from a janni or otherwise embody a dichotomy of opposing elemental planar forces.
SylphLOAG You are descended from air elementals or were born under the element’s influence.
TalosRE Your physical features reflect the influence a zuhra or other metal elemental has had over your bloodline.
TieflingAPG You descend from fiends or bear the mark of the fiendish realms, manifesting as some unusual feature that belies your heritage, such as horns or a tail.
UndineLOAG A water elemental ancestor influences your bloodline.
draconic scionBAD You possess the power of dragons, whether you descended from dragons, learned from dragons, were transformed by exposure to draconic energy, or reincarnated from a past life as a dragon.
TABLE 2: HUMAN ANCESTRY FEATS
Level 1 Human Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Adapted Cantrip spellcasting class feature Through study of multiple magical traditions, you’ve altered a spell to suit your spellcasting style.
uArcane TattoosLOCG — You have tattoos on your body corresponding to one of the ancient Thassilonian schools of magic.
Cooperative Nature — The short human life span lends perspective and has taught you from a young age to set aside differences and work with others to achieve greatness.
uCourteous ComebackLOCG — You grew up in the proud Padishah Empire, where even insults have a certain poetic wit.
uDevil’s AdvocateLOCG — You know more about the habits of devils than is entirely safe.
Dragon SpitLOCG Tian-Dan ethnicity Many Tian-Dan claim to have dragon blood in their veins, and in your case, this is true—you can spit energy, and you might have an especially visible sign of your draconic heritage.
General Training — Your adaptability manifests in your mastery of a range of useful abilities.
GloomseerLOCG Nidalese ethnicity Gloom holds few terrors for you, and the pall of darkness over Nidal has made you comfortable in dim light.
Haughty Obstinacy — Your powerful ego makes it harder for others to order you around.
uKeep Up AppearancesLOCG — Taldan pride means you never show weakness.
uKnow OneselfLOCG — You center yourself and call to mind the Vudrani monastic ideals of mindfulness and self-knowledge.
rLet’s Try That AgainSG-04 — You feel a sense of deja vu when you’ve made a mistake, almost as if you weren’t so careless in a past life and could certainly do better if given another chance.
rLike a RoachSG-04 — Living with the bare necessities isn’t terribly hard for someone who has defied death, and like a cockroach, you always know how to survive.
Natural Ambition — You were raised to be ambitious and always for the stars, leading you to progress quickly in your chosen field.
Natural Skill — Your ingenuity allows you to learn a wide variety of skills.
uQuah BondLOCG — You grew up among the Shoanti tribes, with the spirits watching over you, and they offer you guidance.
uSaoc AstrologyLOCG — The ancient Saoc Brethren were the masters of astrology, and while your knowledge may be but a pale shadow of their wisdom, it still comes in handy.
uTupilaq CarverLOCG You have a spellcasting class feature with the divine or primal tradition You know the truth behind old stories that tell of sending a fetish of bone and sinew to seek vengeance.
Unconventional Weaponry — You’ve familiarized yourself with a particular weapon, potentially from another ancestry or culture.
uViking ShieldbearerLOCG — You trained with shields and weapons as soon as you were old enough to hold them, eager to win honor and glory for yourself.
rWeight of ExperienceSG-04 — The experience you’ve accumulated over multiple lifetimes envelops you like a weighted blanket, providing comfort and bestowing confidence under pressure.
rWisdom From Another LifeSG-04 — You absorbed a wide variety of facts before you died, and your soul still remembers slivers of this precious knowledge.
uWitch WardenLOCG — You and your family have fought long and hard against witches, particularly the winter witches of Irrisen, and you’ve learned to be wary of their curses and the otherworldly powers their patrons grant.
Level 5 Human Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Adaptive Adept Adapted Cantrip, can cast 3rd-level spells You’ve continued adapting your magic to blend your class’s tradition with your adapted tradition.
rAnimal Soul SiblingsSG-04 — Your eyes have been opened to the spiritual essence suffusing the world.
Clever Improviser — You’ve learned how to handle situations when you’re out of your depth.
DarkseerLOCG Gloomseer (page 12) Zon-Kuthon smiles upon you—even if you curse his name—granting you pitch-black eyes that allow you to see in shadows and darkness.
rEmpathy IncarnateSG-04 — Reincarnation has given you a compassionate perspective and enabled you to relate to almost everyone you speak with, putting them at ease and quickly generating trust.
rFey InfluenceLOIL — You have been exposed to powerful fey magic.
rI’Ve Had Many JobsSG-04 — Finding and excelling at odd jobs is child’s play to one who has worked many occupations during many lives.
Ornate TattooLOCG Arcane Tattoos (page 11) You expand your tattoos to encompass greater magic.
rReincarnated RidiculerSG-04 — You’ve practiced the art of taunting an enemy, ensuring they know death will only make you stronger.
Sense AlliesAPG — Like many humans raised in a close-knit community, you have always been strongly attuned to the presence of others.
rSleep of the RebornSG-04 — Philosophers compare the cycle of life, death, and rebirth to sleeping, dreaming, and waking.
Wavetouched ParagonLOCG Bonuwat ethnicity You have been blessed by the sea, granting you the ability to swim like a fish.
Level 9 Human Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Cooperative Soul Cooperative Nature You have developed a soul-deep bond with your comrades and maintain an even greater degree of cooperation with them.
Dragon PrinceLOCG Dragon Spit (page 12) The blood of the Dragon Kings runs strong in your veins.
rDrain EmotionLOIL Fey Influence You touch an adjacent creature and attempt to draw out its excess emotion.
rFey AscensionLOIL Fey Influence The fey influence on your form and features grows even more powerful and notable.
Group AidAPG — Your upbringing emphasized teamwork and helping your allies comes naturally to you.
Hardy TravelerAPG — There’s no journey too far or burden too heavy when your friends are at your side.
Heir of the SaocLOCG Saoc Astrology (page 12) In the past, you would have been a proud initiate of the Saoc Brethren.
Incredible Improvisation Clever Improviser A stroke of brilliance gives you a major advantage with a skill despite your inexperience.
rLingering EchoesSG-04 — Not everyone is reincarnated, and you feel a strong connection with the spiritual echoes of those who didn’t receive the same opportunity as you.
Multitalented — You’ve learned to split your focus between multiple classes with ease.
rPlant Soul SiblingsSG-04 Animal Soul Siblings You’re now able to connect with the spirits present in the greenery of the natural world.
rRapid RetrainingSG-04 — Some feel trapped by their choices and have a tough time reinventing themselves.
Shory AeromancerLOCG Garundi, Mauxi, or Tian-Yae ethnicity Your ancestors hailed from the flying cities of the Shory, and a few simple tricks have come down through the ages to you.
Virtue-Forged TattoosLOCG Ornate Tattoo (page 13) Your tattoos are a work of eldritch genius, a masterpiece of art, magic, and skin.
rYou Seem Somewhat FamiliarSG-04 — You fought hundreds of foes in your various past lives, and now and then, something about a new opponent tugs at your memory, almost as if you defeated their grandparent long ago.
Level 13 Human Feats Prerequisites Benefits
Advanced General TrainingAPG — Over the course of adventuring, your adaptability has let you pick up numerous useful abilities.
Bounce BackAPG — You recover from near-death experiences with astounding resilience.
rCannibalize MagicLOIL Fey Influence The fey magic inside of you is a vital part of your body, and you can steal other sources of magic to replenish yours.
rClinging to LifeSG-04 — This life still holds much for you, and you aren’t ready to fall back into the River of Souls just yet.
rEldritch CalmLOIL Fey Influence Your fey heritage has altered your mindset to more resemble the uncanny perspective of the fey.
rGlamourLOIL Fey Influence You unlock a new level of fey power and can manipulate the perceptions of others using a font of First World magic.
rI Sense MalevolenceSG-04 — Your time in theRiver of Souls has given you deep insight into the machinations of those who refuse to move on.
Irriseni Ice-WitchLOCG Jadwiga ethnicity, wintertouched human heritage (page 11) You can trace your direct descent from one of the Queens of Irrisen and thus from Baba Yaga herself.
rLinguistic RevivalSG-04 — You achieved fluency in different languages with each reincarnation, and your brain remembers much of the grammar, idioms, and obscenities that you spouted in old lives.
rPain Is TemporarySG-04 — Sangpotshi practitioners know that suffering is a fleeting sensation that ultimately strengthens the soul and prepares it for a new reincarnation.
Shadow PactLOCG Nidalese ethnicity Thousands of years ago, your ancestors made a pact with Zon-Kuthon.
Shory AerialistLOCG Garundi, Mauxi, or Tian-Yae ethnicity; Shory Aeromancer (page 14) or ability to cast fly Unique in Golarion’s history, the Shory people developed fighting styles dedicated to combat in the air.
rStone Soul SiblingsSG-04 Plant Soul Siblings Your connection with nature’s spirits has progressed to the point where you can even have casual conversation with pebbles and boulders.
Stubborn PersistenceAPG — Humans are renowned for their ability to persist through the most grueling of trials.
rUnbreakable ResolveSG-04 — The experience of coming back after death has granted you a strong sense of resolve; devilish words, slick spells, and conniving trickery can’t easily catch you off guard.
Unconventional Expertise Unconventional Weaponry, trained in the weapon you chose for Unconventional Weaponry You’ve continued to advance your powers using your unconventional weapon.
Level 17 Human Feats Prerequisites Benefits
rBoneyard AcquaintanceSG-04 — Before your soul returned to the Material Plane, you interacted with a host of other souls on their way to the Boneyard.
rFey TranscendenceLOIL Fey Influence You become a powerful fey creature, gaining strengths tied to the First World but also some of the weakness against which all fey must contend.
Heroic PresenceAPG — The blood of heroes courses through your veins, and you inspire your allies to dig deep and find a new level of resolve.
rIndomitable SpiritSG-04 — Your soul has accumulated countless particles of quintessence over myriad deaths and rebirths, and for one moment, this raw material from the Great Beyond envelops you and your comrades.
rRelease the LightSG-04 — Many people report seeing a bright light before their death.
rSee You in HellSG-04 — You aren’t sure if you’ll be reincarnated again, so you might as well take this foe with you.
rThis Time, Bring the BodySG-04 — Death sends a soul into the River of Souls.