Human (Amonkhet)
Source: Plane Shift: Amonkhet p. 14
- Ability Scores: Apply +1 to 2 (distinct) of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
- Type: race
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 30 ft.
Traits
Age
Humans reach adulthood in their late teens. Most human initiates have completed the trials and found a glorious or inglorious death before they turn 30. Viziers can enjoy longer service to their gods, in theory living up to a century.
Alignment
Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.
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
Skills
You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Feat
You gain one feat of your choice.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.
Description
Of the five humanoid races of Amonkhet, humans are the most diverse and adaptable. Different humans train in a wide variety of fighting styles, including those particularly favored by other races. A human mage might use any of the five colors of mana, while mages of other races focus on one of only two colors. Human viziers serve all five gods, and different human initiates excel in different trials. Humans defy trends and categorization, and opponents who face a human in one-on-one combat can’t know what kind of fight to expect—from the foresight and cunning often associated with Kefnet, to a ruthlessness that emulates Bontu. At the beginning of such a fight, this uncertainty can give an edge to the human combatant.
Once the fight has begun, of course, victory relies on different factors. But here, the human drive toward perfection once more tilts the scales in their favor. Humans are willing to go to any length, exhausting all available options, to reach the pinnacle of achievement and win the favor of the God-Pharaoh.
Two Roads to Perfection
As diverse as they are in most respects, the humans of Amonkhet share a drive toward perfection. However, they approach this challenge differently. Some humans specialize in a relatively narrow set of skills, while others seek to master a wide range.
Perfection through Specialization
Humans who choose a path of specialization often piously identify with one of the five gods (often as a vizier), and thus focus on one aspect of perfection. For them, the best way to earn a place in the afterlife is to hone a single facet of their character to the utmost quality, and as initiates, they hope to put that quality to use in all five trials. A mage initiate who identifies with Hazoret might cultivate zeal above all other virtues, master spells of fiery magic to channel that powerful emotion, and rely on raw energy and enthusiasm to get through the four trials leading up to Hazoret’s final test. An initiate dedicated to Oketra, on the other hand, relies on cooperation, solidarity, and teamwork to get through the trials—even Bontu’s Trial of Ambition, which attempts to break down such bonds. To Oketra’s disciple, ambition means a drive to help an entire crop of initiates achieve glory together, rather than exalting oneself over others. Humans with this viewpoint see their chosen virtue coloring all others, and believe that the five gods offer their people a choice of which virtue to emulate and emphasize.
Perfection through Balance
Other humans believe that true perfection lies in mastering all the virtues, without giving preference to any one over the others. They compare themselves to multifaceted stones whose beauty lies in the polished perfection of every facet. These humans are careful not to let their skills in one area outshine their other efforts, and if they grow too accomplished in one set of skills, they set it aside to concentrate their training on others until their abilities are in balance once more.
Philosophically, such humans believe that the gods are five in number so as to remind the people of Amonkhet not to focus their attention on a single god or a single virtue, but to serve the gods equally and master their teachings to the same degree. Thus they hope to achieve a balanced state of perfection that will guarantee their admission into the afterlife.
Combat Classes
Most human initiates focus their studies on a single specialization—hand-to-hand combat, long-range combat, or magical combat. Humans who choose hand-to-hand combat might focus with single-minded devotion on the use of the sickle-bladed khopesh (treat as a longsword). Other hand-to-hand specialists take a broader perspective and study the use of all weapons equally.
Some humans, however, apply the idea of perfection through balance to these combat specializations as well, fusing multiple styles together into a unique blend. For example, a human initiate might use spells to shape sand into a sword or to wreathe arrows with life-draining magic. Other initiates strike with an axe in one hand while throwing smaller axes with the other, employing techniques of both hand-to-hand and long-range combat. Some humans use slings to launch fireballs, create illusory nets to restrain their opponents, or craft their blades from solid toxins.
The humans of Amonkhet use the variant human traits presented in the “Player’s Handbook”. This allows them greater specialization from the very beginning of their careers, and emphasizes the diversity of the human race.